Matt Murray has been a Kings fan since the late '80s, when Wayne Gretzky grabbed headlines by defecting to the West Coast. Since then, he has been a card-carrying bandwagon member as the club soared in popularity with their sole Stanley Cup appearance to their position near the bottom of the Pacific. But things are looking brighter, as he is anxious to witness the rise of the new Kings.
Kings finally grab two spots in a top 10
Unfortunately, it's a list compiled by CBS Sportline.com's Wes Goldstein of the Tepid 10. The Kings have two players on this list:
4. Rob Blake, Los Angeles: Entertainment value is important in Los Angeles, and with the Kings in the initial stages of a major transition, they needed someone with marquee value who could help them maintain a little credibility. Blake was a star here in his first go-round and a force with the Avs, but at 36, he's no longer a player to rally around, especially with a $6 million price tag. His individual numbers are disappointing, and his overall impact on the struggling Kings has been virtually nil.
8. Dan Cloutier, Los Angeles: The Kings felt they needed a No. 1 goalie, and their new coach Marc Crawford had a history with Cloutier in Vancouver, so they traded for him. Of course Crawford knows that Cloutier was effectively run out of town by fans there who blamed him for most of the team's ills. So he shouldn't be surprised things haven't been much better down the West Coast. Cloutier has some really ugly numbers and basically has lost the starting job to Mathieu Garon.
