5 Solutions To Fix A Kopitar-less Kingdom

Like many Kings fans, I've spent the better portion of the day reliving the awful loss of this guy to an ankle fracture yesterday.

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Here's the thing Kings fans.  We have to accept Kopitar may be gone for whatever remains of our season, including the play-offs.  Yet as many of you have pointed out, a team is about more than one player, and we have talent.  We can do this!  It just calls for a little creativity.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I spent the day thinking of some slightly out-of-box solutions to our dilemma, and we have options.

Here are 5 solutions to fix our roster and keep us on the winning track.

1) We all know Jonathan Quick can perform Jedi mind tricks stopping the puck, but he's been hiding the fact that he can also do tricks SCORING with the puck.  I've checked the NHL rule book and Jedi mind tricks are legal, so get ready for some Quick goals!

And you thought the ears were just for decoration, right?

2) Drew Doughty moves to forward.  Dustin Byfuglien did it and won a Stanley Cup.  We all know Drew is better than Big Buff.  On a line with Wayne Simmonds, this pairing will fully leverage all those NHL-11 gaming skills they practice at home.  They'll be unstoppable. 

Totally in the zone....

3) With Doughty's departure, Kevin Westgarth moves to defence.  If he'll willingly throw his face in front of a punch, he can throw it in front of a puck.   Having an additional shut-down D-man gives the new pairing of Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell more room to drop bombs from the blue line on the power play.  Mitchell has certainly been lighting up the scoreboard lately, so let's use that to our advantage.

You knew I stopped pucks, but you didn't know I could score, did ya?  And I can do it with one eye closed....

4) Peter Harrold fills Westgarth's old spot on the fourth line, including his enforcer responsibilities.  Petey has proved he can be a go-to utility guy in almost every situation during the past couple of seasons, so this shouldn't be any different.  And if he has trouble with the enforcing part, Kyle "The Big Red Dog" Clifford will be there to bail him out anyway.

Cliffy, ya better get out there.

5) If all else fails, let's pull this guy out of retirement.  I hear he's pretty good.

GO KINGS GO!