I can only speak for myself on the subject of Terry Murray. I can’t speak for Alex or Chris on the subject quite yet. I believe that Terry Murray has worn out his welcome in Los Angeles. That said, you don’t come here for clear and balanced journalism. That’s why we link up Gann Matsuda on a regular basis. So here’s some good reactions from the players on Murray’s “system”. Enjoy!

ANAHEIM AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — Following a 3-2 loss to the struggling Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim on December 6, if you traversed the various web sites, Facebook and Twitter, one would get the distinct feeling that the Los Angeles Kings were already doomed, and that all hope for them to qualify for the playoffs was lost.

But one look at the standings reveals that the Kings are just three points out of first place in their division, and from third place in the National Hockey League’s Western Conference.

Despite that, the sky is falling for many of the Kings’ faithful, who seem to be looking, desperately, for something and someone to blame, and many are blaming head coach Terry Murray and the system he has the Kings playing, which many claim is archaic, and stifles his players’ offensive abilities.

For weeks, there has been a growing cacophony of frustrated fans blaming Murray for everything that ails the Kings, calling for him to be, not just fired, but run out of town on a rail, or worse.

After the December 6 loss at Anaheim, two replacements for Murray were suggested that should leave just about anyone shaking their heads in disbelief…

Former Kings head coaches Barry Melrose and Marc Crawford.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

The Los Angeles Kings continue to have trouble putting the biscuit in the basket. In this episode we talk about the games against the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers, talk about new t-shirt ideas, give our reasons why we hate the Panthers and give some love to Google. Interested in the Grinder Threads Keith and Chris wore for the show? Grab them here! http://zfer.us/HuWrX. Your thoughts on the recent play of the Kings?

Thanksgiving is over, our liver cleanse is in full effect and it’s time to get caught up on our reading. Gann Matsuda, of course, doesn’t need a liver cleanse as he’s been writing faster than we can post his stuff. We all know where the Kings stand in this see-saw of a season. So take a read at Gann’s latest!

LA Kings: Kevin Westgarth Celebrates First NHL Goal With Teammates, Family, Friends And Fans

Los Angeles Kings Should Take The Great One’s Advice About Shooting The Puck

Los Angeles Kings: Smarter, Better, More Disciplined Play Needed From Ethan Moreau

When Will The Los Angeles Kings Stop Chasing The Game?

The Los Angeles Kings came lumbering back to Staples Center clearly still full on their Thanksgiving treats.  In this episode we talk about the games against Blues, Stars and Blackhawks as well as what we’re thankful for.  It’s not our most positive show but, hey, it’s the holidays.  Thanks for watching!

The Los Angeles Kings were having a rough time lately, stuck in a non-elite, win every other game pattern. In this episode we talk about the last few games, the Kings need for scoring, the Russian invasion, an empty Manchester and jerseys you definitely don’t want to buy. Take a watch and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Here’s some good morning reading from Gann Matsuda talking about the struggle to score and Coach Murray. Take a read and let us know what you think!

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — Much has been said about the Los Angeles Kings and their struggling offense this season, one that has seen their power play improve rather dramatically from last season, when they ranked 21st in the National Hockey League, with a 16.1 percent rating.

This season, their power play is carrying them offensively, ranking seventh in the league with a 20.3 percent rating, through games played on November 15.

But like the last two seasons, the Kings are struggling to score at even strength, especially five-on-five, dragging them down to 23rd in the league in goals scored, with an average of 2.41 goals per game.

If you take a spin around the World Wide Web, criticism of the Kings’ system and the coaching staff abound. Many emphatically claim that the system that head coach Terry Murray has the Kings playing is archaic, that it stifles offensive production, and that it should be scrapped.

They also insist that Murray should fired. A good portion also seem to want him run out of town on a rail, and that is putting it mildly.

Yet, one look at the NHL standings reveals that while the Kings are currently tenth in the Western Conference, and would miss the playoffs if they were to start today, it is only mid-November, and they are just four points out of third place in the conference.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty

KingsCast is back in action with exclusive coverage and interviews from Tip A King 2011. In this installment we interview Kyle Clifford, Simon Gagne, Terry Murray, Willie Mitchell, Dustin Penner, Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Drew Doughty, Justin Williams, Kevin Westgarth, Jarret Stoll and Ethan Moreau taking everything from team chemistry, Staples Center nicknames, the 1-3-1 trap, pranks and so much more!

Gann Matsuda is back in action with another ditty on the Kings. Here he analyzes Drew Doughty’s slow start and low offensive production. Enjoy!

LOS ANGELES — During the second intermission of the Los Angeles Kings’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 5, colleague Dennis Bernstein, Senior Writer for The Fourth Period Magazine, a columnist for TheFourthPeriod.com, and the Executive Producer of The Fourth Period Live on Sirius/XM Radio, was talking with me about the play of Kings defenseman Drew Doughty.

It is not exactly a trade secret that Doughty has not lit the National Hockey League on fire so far this season, with just two assists (both coming on the power play), a -3 plus/minus rating, and twelve shots on goal in eight games.

We discussed the possibility that Doughty is likely still feeling the effects of his recent right shoulder injury (he missed five games due to that injury), and that he may have returned to action too soon. I said that it is more likely that his contract holdout, which forced him to miss the team’s training camp, has caught up to him.

About a month into the season, Doughty has not displayed the speed, physical play or offensive capabilities that he has displayed since his rookie season in 2008-09.

While playing catch-up to the rest of the team, Doughty’s play also appears to be a drag on the Kings’ offensive attack, which has not even come close to performing near expectations.

Following his team’s shootout loss to the Penguins, Kings head coach Terry Murray indicated that he believes that missing training camp is indeed a factor in Doughty’s slow start.

“I’ve seen this so many times over the years, with players who, for whatever reason, miss training camp,” said Murray. “There’s some lag time here, to get the rust off, to get the cobwebs out, to get going.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

Hey, look at that! No KingsCast Frozen Royalty Backlog! So, now that we’re back to regularly scheduled programming, we can give you the latest Frozen Royalty writing in a timely fashion (if you haven’t already, subscribe to his RSS feed – you never know when we’ll get lazy again). Here Gann talks about the Kings struggles on the five-on-five complete with quotes from the team. Enjoy!

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Although the Los Angeles Kings showed signs that their offense might finally be running on all cylinders during their first handful of games to start the season, indications are that there is still a lot of work to do.

After eleven games and now, starting their second month of the 2011-12 campaign, the good news for the Kings is that their power play is ranked fourth in the National Hockey League, with a 23.1 percent rating (through games played on November 1).

That is a dramatic turnaround from their pathetic 2010-11 power play, which ranked 21st in the league with a paltry 16.1 percent rating.

Although the Kings have not been a model of consistency on their power play yet this season, movement by players away from the puck has been added to the equation, opening up considerably more quality scoring opportunities with the man advantage, compared to last season.

While the power play appears to be on the upswing to this point in the season, the Kings are still struggling in terms of five-on-five scoring, with just 16 goals in eleven games in five-on-five situations (ranked 22nd in the NHL).

The lack of five-on-five scoring has been a huge drag on the Kings’ overall offensive numbers, as they are ranked 21st in the league, averaging 2.36 goals-per game (GPG).

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

The Los Angeles Kings are almost at the top of the Pacific Division. With Drew Doughty out of the lineup, a new defenseman has emerged in Slava Voynov. In this episode we talk about the games against the Devils and Stars, celebrate winning with a special segment and re-visit an old segment entitled “How’s That One Guy Doin’?”. Question of the Day: Should the Kings Trade Bernier?