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.
Could it get worse before it gets better?
The last loss to the Coyotes left a bad taste in my mouth. Here, the Kings come into Phoenix, a little worse for the wear, but playing the worst team in the league right now. The Coyotes have allowed the most goals in the league, and just have stunk it up this season. This game should have been a good one to win, to go into the two-day break on a high.
And they did reel off a 3-1 lead in the first, causing Gretz to pull CuJo. Things were looking up. But then, as the city's name implies, Phoenix rose from the ashes to bury the Kings with a five goal barrage, leaving those of us watching to think, "What the heck?"
