Circle of Jerks: Jer on Dunn

I asked Dunn some questions about the Kings, and learned a little about love.

How do the Kings overcome last season's failures and make the playoffs this year?

Staying out of prison and keeping their noses clean (in some cases I mean this quite literally) so they can focus on hockey is key. The defense is a total mess without a solid second pairing guy to help Brayden McNabb. The Kings can either bump Martinez up, which leaves the third pairing a mess, or they go with Jamie McBain again. In either case, it means Doughty is looking at playing 35 minutes a night once more. Lucky for all of us good ol' loveable Slava Voynov may rejoin the team, provided he recovers from his injury/doesn't get booted from the league/survives a shanking in prison. Also, the younger guys like Shore and Weal need to really prove they can chip in while playing some actual defense. Jarret Stoll and Mike Richards did neither last year and it wound up sort of sinking the bottom six.

What prevents them from making the playoffs this year?

If the Kings are consistent at all, they make the playoffs. It was the same problem they had every year since 2011, where they half-assed portions of games for weeks at a time, and then sit on the playoff bubble. Even if Calgary totally crushes it again this season, and Boudreau stays a regular season coaching master with the Ducks, the Kings are still miles better than Edmonton, Arizona, and Vancouver (on paper at least). I don't see the Jets being a playoff team again (though really they weren't one last season either, am I right?), so unless multiple teams ride a monster wave of luck through the year again the Kings should make it even if they and the Sharks are beating the shit out of each other. Probably while giving me high blood pressure again.

What prevents you from loving me?

Do you mean tenderly?