I've scoured box scores for years... decades even...

but this is a first...

It's 4-0 mid second period, Ottawa leading Phoenix... and EVERY SINGLE SKATER on the Coyotes has a minus.

That's amazing.

Tonight

The Kings play a rarely seen team from the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes.

This team features Tim Gleason, who was a King prior to the deal that sent Jack Johnson to LA. Most Kings fans herald this deal as the kind of steal that ranks up there with Amos Otis for Joe Foy, Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi (can you tell I'm a Mets fan?) or in hockey terms, Dennis Wideman for Brad Boyes. I'm not sold.

Gleason will have a solid career, barring debilitating injury, and should be the kind of grizzled veteran leader that was synonymous with names like Langway, Wesley, Daneyko, Howell, etc.

Johnson, so far, high risk, and eventually, hopefully, high reward. Personally, he's done nothing to warrant superstar accolades, but he's a skill guy and should cut down on his glaring errors and provide stability on the blueline for years to come.

So, on to the show...

I also want to pay homage

to Gil Stratton, who passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 86. I had only met Gil over the past couple of years, and we both shared a love of sports, and intersected at Bob Miller, who we had both known for many years (Sidebar: Happy Birthday, Bob.)

Gil was an amazing character, and his obituary ran in the LA Times, and is worth reading. Talk about enjoying life!!!

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-stratton13-2008oct13,0,2934388.story

I was asked if I'm going to blog about the Kings this season...

and the answer is "Yes" --- but today is probably not the day to start. I'm reeling from lack of sleep, reeling from financial insecurity, reeling from having the pilot light on my home's heater being out and The Gas Company scheduling me for Friday, reeling from a mouse that's been eating its way through my house, causing me to wake up every hour or so... which brings me back to the lack of sleep part... and, of course, very upset at the news out of Russia that 19 year old Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov has died.

People die. I'll be there at some point, like my mom, my dad, so many of my friends in the 80s and 90s... but a 19 year old kid, playing hockey? Seems so random. I'm not a believer in "Punishing God" vs. "Rewarding God," but I have a hard time trying to figure out the "reason" someone is here one minute and gone the next.

So, "Yes" --- the Kings, but "No" --- not today.

Boil, not Brian... then Simmer...

You would honestly think SOMEONE affiliated with the Kings would have thought to check the spelling of his name before they posted that story...