Gameday Soundtrack: Trying to Rebound with Vancouver

The Kings have lost five games in a row, as we’ve seen, heard, and thought about since they let the St. Louis Blues shut them out Thursday night. What’s worse is that it was one of those games where they should’ve dominated.

Kings Corsi last night at 5v5: 63%. 5v5 close: 64%.

— Robert P. (@RobertJFTC) January 3, 2014

Except for how they can’t score goals to save their lives right now.

Kings Corsi over 5 game losing streak: 59%. PDO: 922. EV Sv% .903. EV SH% 1.9%. #tradeeverybody

— Robert P. (@RobertJFTC) January 3, 2014

Roll me gently off a cliff over that last number. A 1.9 even strength shooting percentage through five games? Let’s also not forget that they’ve allowed six power play goals during those games. Even though the goaltenders struggled in the Blues game in particular, the Kings likely could’ve won a few of the last five had they stayed out the box and managed to find the back of the net a few more times.

Instead, here they are, back at home to face the Vancouver Canucks with no points to show for their time away.

They won’t be the only stinkers in the building, because the Canucks dropped their first game of 2014, too. Both teams also have something else in common — anticipating the returns of their starting goaltenders. Both Roberto Luongo and Jonathan Quick have been out with lower-body injuries. Luongo’s expected to reappear at some point during the Canucks’ back-to-back weekend, and it could very well be against the Kings.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Quick was originally supposed to meet up with the Manchester Monarchs to play two games on a conditioning assignment, but bad weather (or “weather,” if you’re thinking like I was the other day) prevented him from flying. Patrick O’Neal said recently that Quick’s return would more likely happen on Tuesday, but Quick got in the bulk of the work during the Kings’ practice yesterday, so it’s time to be on Quick Watch anyway.

Two pieces of good news: 1) A 1.9 even strength shooting percentage is so unsustainably low that goals have to be coming sometime, and there’s no reason they can’t show up tonight. 2) The Kings have beat the Canucks twice already this season, both during a game where they played well and another game where they spent 60 minutes imitating steaming poo platters. Since they know how to win against Vancouver no matter how they play, they should draw on that and attempt to bounce back tonight.

Oh, right, and if they drop this game, the Canucks will leap frog right over their sad, loser faces and take third place in the Pacific Division.

Win or slide headfirst into a wild card spot, boys!