Gameday Soundtrack: Please Don’t Screw This Up Again

This game is a like a papercut on your palm. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but that little creep keeps stinging when you least expect it.

The Kings have lost both of their previous games against the Calgary Flames, which still irritates me more than any of the abysmal things they did during January. They’re the Calgary Flames! Get it together.

This is a team that’s chilling near the bottom the league, with a -42 goal differential. This team no longer has Jarome Iginla, and they’re probably about to lose Mike Cammalleri. This team has Brian Burke calling the shots, the same guy who believed it was a good move to leave Bobby Ryan at home during the Olympics.

It’s a shame that Kings fans can’t assume the team will pick up two points tonight, because the LA boys have shot themselves in the foot during their previous games against Calgary this season.

Really, what Kings fans should only be worrying about is what dumb trade the Kings are likely about to make. Who’s the Robyn Regehr of 2014? I’m scared.

The hockey insiders have thrown out a few names the Kings might acquire (and they all sound awful), but the important follow-up question is who Lombardi might deal to bring in fresh legs. I have a solution. I think it’s only fair to trade any person on the roster deemed responsible for a goal against in tonight’s game. It’s time to stop farting around. If you can’t stop the Flames, you don’t belong on a playoff team.

You get it? The kid’s a little fireman, and if you can’t extinguish the — yeah, you follow.

I’m maybe 85 percent joking, but honestly, don’t lose to the Flames. The death knell in the previous games was an overabundance of penalties taken. Guess what? The Kings proved last night against the Avalanche that they still love taking those.

On the plus side, they figured out how to score goals. The Kings should be more disciplined and replicate that offensive work at even strength. They should stop making everything hard on themselves, wipe the Flames all over the ice, collect two more points, and return to Los Angeles as absolute monsters for how they just steamrolled right over Calgary.

Be the better team. They already are. They need to bask in it. Get it done and really do make this last stretch before the playoffs a sprint.