Kings Gameday: Legends

Since we can all agree that Luc Robitaille is the greatest hockey winger in all of California's history, it seemed only a matter of time before he got a big ol' statue of himself out front of the Staples Center. Now today is the day for him where the legend becomes legendary. Robitaille is the highest scoring left winger in the NHL, got into the Hall of Fame in no time at all, has been part of the Kings management group during Los Angeles' Cup runs, and is beloved everywhere. After all, his last game took place in San Jose where they cheered him and begged him not to go. Joe Thornton pleaded with him to join the Sharks for a year so he had decent forward on his left for a change, but Luc was set on retiring.

And here we are. Luc is getting himself a bronze doppelganger with all his frenchy flared nostril glory. His metallic version will be joining Jerry West, failed coach Wayne Gretzky, Dodger remover from TV specialist Magic Johnson, Airplane! star Kareem Abdul Jabbar, fetishist Oscar De La Hoya, and Chick Hearn. Since we are on the topic of statues, which other California hockey players will be getting one?

• Matt Nieto will be getting a statue in Long Beach for simply being from Long Beach. However, Emerson Etem won't because no one talks about him.
• Dustin Brown will have a statue that is severely unbalanced and the public must be kept at least ten feet away from it as a slight breeze will result in it toppling over.
• Corey Perry has his statue unveiled in 2021 to memorialize the mumps pandemic that claimed over several million lives in North America and half the NHL.
  
• Patrick Marleau will not so much be receiving a statue, but more of a can, as it will be completely hallow.
• Teemu Selanne has his statue constructed. However he demands it be put out front of the Staples Center and for it to have a Kings jersey on instead.
• Jonathan Quick in a weird collage of his career: In full goalie gear, except with a Bud Light in one hand and broken goalie stick in the other. The eliteness of the statue's design is debated for years.
• John Scott gets four different statues in San Jose. They all block out the sun.
• Chris Sutter gets a statue in L.A. Actually, this is a great idea.
• Darryl Sutter however does not get a statue as no artist is able to sculpt a proper expression onto his face.
• Brian Hayward gets a statue next to Wild Wing to commemorate his long colorful career.

The Kings barely sneaked by Montreal after pounding the hell out them in the first period. But they finally won a shootout. Two points are two points, and since Calgary won't just lose (really rude of them) the Kings can't exactly afford to keep pissing away leads. Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson were on skates, but it was for picture day, so my hopes of revamping the roster still seems a way off. Mostly with the defense which has been suspect with their mobility in their own end. Well, good things the Penguins have an inept offense and can't score. That's a relief.

Prediction: Kings score five goals in the first, but still lose 7-5.