Not too sure if this was ever brought up in these neck of the woods but over the summer, the Los Angeles Kings addressed one of the many issues that plagued them down the stretch in 05/06: goaltending. Neither Labarbera nor Garon were able to keep the Kings afloat in the playoff picture so Dean Lombardi went about his business and picked up Cloutier from the Vancouver Canucks for a bag of Will this be the guy who puts them over the edge (and into the playoffs)? Or will he be a non-factor?
Well, judging by the next picture (and also by events of the recent past), I can almost guarantee the team that Marcel built will be in for another long season. As much as I hate to rag on players who don't deserve it, I can feel absolutely no guilt in picking on Dan "The Man" Cloutier, or "Clouts" as he is known to his closest of kin. Known as the guy who pretty much destroyed Vancouver's playoff chances in '03 (or was it '02?) by letting in a goal from the Detroit's own blueline, the Canucks are now a "better", and I use that term very loosely, team without him. And Nonis, and the rest of the league who are not affiliated with the Kings for that matter, can all giggle like the Pillsbury doughboy when they hear that their favorite sieve has signed a $6.2 million, 2-year contract extension, effectively icing any hope of hockey in May and June for the Kings.
