Gameday Soundtrack: Skidding Right Along to San Jose

When the Kings faced the Nashville Predators in late December and I read that the Predators were looking to snap their second five-game losing streak in two months, I thought, “Wow, that must suck.” Then the Kings decided to prove once again that they love to overachieve in the worst ways. They’re now on their second five-game losing streak in just one month.

Their last two losses against the Anaheim Ducks say the Kings remember how to play a possession game, which was nice. The problem is that even when they have possession, they still miss wide open nets, fall down during the power play, or just resort to controlling, controlling, controlling, and then shooting from the perimeter. How cool. How effective.

Now we get to watch the Kings try the same things that aren’t working in San Jose!

The Kings’ regular season series against the San Jose Sharks has gone pretty well so far, racking up a 2-0-1 record in their first three meetings. The last two games, including tonight, will both take place at the SAP Center. The Kings haven’t been able to win in that building since December 2010. Considering the Sharks are 8-2-0 in their last ten while the Kings struggle to score or win at all, it’s probably less likely that they’ll break both losing streaks tonight, but it would be a boost to the club.

A win tonight would be great for breaking their skid, but more importantly, it could be a step towards stronger overall play looking ahead to the playoffs. With how nonexistent their scoring is right now, even if they Kings hold on to a playoff spot, it wouldn’t be surprising if whatever Western Conference opponent they might face in the first round knocked them out fairly easily.

This isn’t a bad team. They won’t lose forever, but they do still need to figure out how to play in a way lets them consistently be the dominant team we’ve seen in stretches rather than working hard, grinding it out, and sometimes just getting by.