Trick or treat?
We'll see what the Kings bring tonight against Columbus. Game is on. It looks like the fans have pulled a trick by not showing up. This place is empty. I'm disappointed in the lack of costumes in the crowd as well. I do see a Santa Clause with a big Kings crown. Bailey is in the spirit. He's dressed as a pumpkin. I'm going as Kubrick Face. I bow my head a bit but look upward with a crazy expression like the guy in Full Metal Jacket and other Stanley Kubrick movies. OK, I doubt many people get that.
Thornton and Dallman are again scratches.
Lines look like ...
Cammalleri-Kopitar-Brown
Frolov-O'Sullivan-Nagy
Calder-Handzus-Willsie
Ivanans-Armstrong-Zeiler
Blake-Visnovsky
Johnson-Modry
Preissing-Stuart

Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar. A native of Los Angeles, Rich has worked at the Daily News since 1999 and also serves as the paper's deputy sports editor. E-mail Rich at
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at 

Private Gomer Pyle?? Who doesn't get that?