I watched the Los Angeles Kings lose to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday saw a team that just can't score right now, and gets more chances from its fourth line than its second or third. I thought to myself, "This team needs to do something to right the ship. Are they ever going to call Mike Richards up?"
Funny how that happens sometimes.
By the time the Kings called up Richards on Sunday, it seemed pretty clear that this was a move they had to make. Regardless of his struggles this season, you know Richards has the experience of winning the Stanley Cup twice and that he plays hard every night. Maybe he can give them the juice or the spark the Kings need because that's the way he plays. Maybe he'll be so fired up to be on planes instead of buses that he'll bring a whole new energy to their lineup. That's something the Kings desperately need right now if they're going to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs and have a chance to defend their title.