Or trying to score without a stick. And it lies within their head coach.

Under bench boss Darryl Sutter, offensive creativity and production are not exactly the forefront of his teams in the past including now with L.A.

In fact, his emphasis on defense has showed in the teams he’s coached on since the 2000-2001 season. In the nine years he has coached in that span (including this year), Sutter’s teams in San Jose, Calgary and Los Angeles have only cracked the top half of the league in goals per game twice (2001-2002 w/SJS and 2012-2013 w/LAK).

The Kings this season are 26th in the NHL in goals per game (2.4) and 27th in PP% (14.4).

It isn’t like Sutter has a roster of third and fourth line caliber players at his disposal here in Los Angeles.

Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Dustin Brown, Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll all have the ability to put up 20 goals and 60 points a year if not more. Which leads into the second reason why the Kings have struggled to put the puck in the net this season (or ever since Sutter took over in 2011).

Now granted, the Kings (29-18-6) are number one in the NHL in goals against with 2.1GA per game, but that might be one of the problems in why this team struggles to generate offense.  Another reason? Inconsistent play from Brown.

Brown has been kept off the scoresheet the last six games, including only one goal in L.A’s three meetings against rival Anaheim (39-10-5), who are 19 points up on the Kings in the Pacific Division.

The captain for L.A this year has been more a disappearing act than steadfast scorer this season, with only 10G and 6A for 16 points in 52 games of work. Granted, Brown is a blood and guts kind of captain like Rangers leader Brian Callahan, but even the numbers this year pale in comparison to years past.

But let’s also not excuse Richards from the woodwork either. The former Philadelphia Flyer has one goal in his last 28 games. A supposed catalyst in this outfit when it comes to production, he has certainly not cured the offensive woes L.A is experiencing right now.

With a big game against the San Jose Sharks (34-12-6) looming tonight at HP Pavilion at 7:00 PM PCT (NBCSN), the fifth-seeded Kings desperately need to get out of their funk before the Olympic break.

Or continue their slippery slide down the haunting Western Conference mountain and eventually out of a playoff spot with Vancouver (sixth), Minnesota (seventh), Phoenix (eighth) and surging Dallas (ninth) all within eight points or less of L.A.

The 34-year-old Turkish forward has not been very productive the last few years. He’s been injury prone, very inconsistent, and even served a 20-game suspension last year for using a banned substance while trying to revitalize his career.

Some would wonder why the Clippers would want to add an older, questionable player when they have been successful with their current roster. This is a valid argument; you never want to taint the positive chemistry of a championship contender. However, Turkoglu could be what the Clippers need to get to the next level.

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers had high praises for Turkoglu.

“I’ve always liked him as a player,” said Rivers (via Yahoo! Sports). “He does something that our other guys do as well. He can space the floor. He’s very skilled and we would like to take advantage of that.”

He is a low risk and potentially high reward type of acquisition. Turkoglu has many qualities that add to the makeup of this team. He has always been a consistent shooter in his 14 years in the NBA. Turkoglu is a career 38% 3-point shooter and has had five seasons where he has shot 40% or better from downtown.

Turkoglu is also a clutch shooter that has made many big shots in his playoff career. In the 2009 playoffs, Turkoglu was the Magic’s go-to guy during crunch time that helped eliminate Eastern Conference powerhouses the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was the main reason Orlando reached the NBA Finals and even though they lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers, Turkoglu hit many clutch shots throughout that series.

Besides providing valuable floor spacing, Turkoglu can do many things well on the basketball court. At 6’10, he can play both forward positions and create match-up problems for the opponent because of his outside shooting. Turkoglu is also a very good passer. He only averaged 3.1 assists for his career, but has shown to be capable and willing to make plays for his teammates. There was numerous times where he took on the “point-forward” role for the teams he has played for.

Turkoglu is an underrated defender as well. He’s never been known to lock anyone up, but with his size and quick hands, he has proven to be a solid on-ball defender and make his opponent work to make shots. Turkoglu is older now, his quickness is slightly diminished, but he won’t be looked at to hound the other team’s best perimeter player.

His numbers have been far from dazzling or even average since he joined the Clippers. In six games, Turkoglu is averaging just 2.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and less than one assist per game while playing just 11 minutes a night. He is shooting a lowly 36% percent from the field and a pitiful 25% from three point land. It is safe to say it has been hard for him to be productive when he is not in the regular rotation, but it is too early to criticize him.

The Clippers are also very deep at the wing position. JJ Redick has returned from his wrist injury and played at a very high level. Jared Dudley and Matt Barnes have also been solid at the swing position. Jamal Crawford continues to be the team’s best perimeter scorer. Because of how well these players have performed combined with Turkoglu still learning the system and getting comfortable with his new teammates, there has been little playing time for him.

It is unknown what type of role he will have as the Clippers march toward the postseason this spring. However, head coach Doc Rivers believes he can help this team by providing a unique skill set.

Turkoglu brings outside shooting, experience, intelligence, versatility and play-making ability to an already deep and talented Clippers squad. He has fit in well with the team so far, but he has only been with the team for a few weeks, so the jury is still out on him.

Even if Turkoglu is given just a few minutes a night, he could still be a solid contributor for the red and blue for the rest of this season and beyond. Maybe an addition like this could nudge the Clippers further than people think come playoff time.

Hey, how bout Matt Garza?…….. Hmmm, at this moment, no, he reportedly is heading to Milwaukee to play with the Brewers (pending a physical) but no one knows what exactly is going on at this point. David Price? Max Scherzer? No, at least not for now, their heading back to their respective 2013 teams on 1-year deals.

Well, then maybe the Dodgers will break another baseball barrier and just run with a 4-man rotation? No, can’t do that…… that’s just ludicrous. Hey! How about Josh Beckett and Chad Billingsley? Well, not the most desirable options, but they may be worth the gamble.

For Beckett, a lot has changed since winning the 2003 World Series Most Valuable Player Award (Florida Marlins). What started as a slight decline in productivity has turned into a night-and-day pitcher who has looked more like Greg Oden (NBA-Miami Heat) and Percy Harvin’s (NFL-Seattle Seahawks) respective careers. After starting last season 0-5 with an ERA of 5.19 (8 starts), Beckett found himself riding the DL with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which required the removal of one of his ribs. To say last season was a nightmare is an understatement.

Moving forward, Beckett looks to bounce back in 2014 and is reportedly in line for the fifth starter in the rotation. Is this an ideal situation for the Dodgers? Maybe not, but it’s a necessary gamble. Beckett will make $15.75 million next year, whether he has been worth that number or is worth that number is out of the question, but if the Dodgers are going to pay him, then they better get what they can out of him.

With that said, there are no guarantees he holds his spot in the rotation or even finishes the year with the team, but as the team approaches Spring Training, the Dodgers have to see what their investment is all about.

22-year-old Zach Lee may give Beckett a run for his money. Lee, who was drafted as the 28th overall pick in the 2010 Amateur Draft (Dodgers) is expected to make his MLB debut sometime this season. With the way things have gone, injuries may get Lee on the mound sooner than later.

With the back end of the rotation still under construction, Beckett makes the most sense to “ride it out” with. It’s kind of like the Matt Kemp situation, on a much smaller scale of course, if the Dodgers take the gamble on either player who didn’t make or break the 2013 NLCS run, and they do return to their form then not only will the Dodgers be dangerous, they’ll be deep.

With recently-acquired Dan Haren penciled in as one of the final two starters behind Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu, that fifth starter will be a tough competition. It may be Beckett’s right now, but once Billingsley returns from Tommy John Surgery, he’ll have a chip on his shoulder to prove to the world that his best years are not behind him, but he again can be a  10-12 win starter as he was from 2007-2012 (73 wins). Oh by the way, Billingsley will also be collecting $12MM in salary next season. Talk about an expensive fifth starter, between Beckett and Billingsley they’ll be expected to rob the Dodgers for $27 million next year who also went a combined 1-6 in 2013.

Careers are often over before they even get off the ground, but more often than not, Major League Baseball has had it’s fair share of players who one year are making a run at a Cy Young or MVP and then the next season battling injuries and beginning the decent on a life that was once only imagined as a child. Beckett and Billingsley are in this scenario now and as two of the eight highest paid players on the team 2014 should be a new beginning for them and play a major contribution to get the Dodgers past the NLCS.

After yesterday’s televised practice, the players seem happy with the conditions, as did Kings head coach Darryl Sutter, who was on the ice with his granddaughter. He had this to say about the atmosphere.

“Well, the atmosphere is pretty cool when you look at it.” Sutter told Fox Sports. “I was lucky to be here this afternoon when they were doing their rehearsing for their music and all that’s going to go on.  We’re not going to get to see that, so that was good to see that.  Obviously, just being at Dodger Stadium and part of this is pretty impressive.”

Anze Kopitar had this to say about the ice.

“The ice looks pretty good, maybe the glide is not quite there yet”

This is nothing to be alarming about and the players all had mostly positive things to say about playing on this type of setup and the work done to make this happen.

It’s hard to believe that this is all happening in Los Angeles in one of the most summer-like Winters many have seen in years. With all the effort put into keeping the ice perfect I believe the NHL hit a home run on picking LA!

Before the event there will be pre game festivities in the parking lot including music performances, another ice-skating rink and plenty of food and exclusive merchandise for the event. This all begins at 3:30pm when the doors open to Dodger Stadium. Inside their will be even more going on field wise with a volleyball court setup, mini pools in the outfield, a stage area where KISS will perform and much more.

This reporter will be there behind KISS in the right field bleachers watching the game and witnessing the largest hockey game in California history!

The Bruins have been part of many NCAA records since the program was established in 1920. The Bruins have the most NCAA titles, 11, and a record 18 final four appearances. The Bruins have a record that may never be broken – an 88 straight wins streak that began in 1971 and didn’t end until 1974. Throughout all these accomplishments and records there are a few squads that stand out a bit more than the others:

3.) 2007-08, (35-4, 16-2 Pac-10)

Talent-wise this was arguably the best roster the Bruins have had in recent memory. The only difference between these 35-4 Bruins and the other teams on this list is that they weren’t national champions. The 2007-08 Bruins fell short in the NCAA Final Four to the Derrick Rose-led Memphis Tigers. Head coach Ben Howland made the Final Four for three straight years and this was the last Bruins team to do it. The talented roster consisted of: Darren Collison, Kevin Love, Josh Shipp, Russell Westbrook, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Love and Westbrook were both taken in the Top 5 of the 2008 NBA Draft. Mbah a Moute was selected with the 37th pick later in the draft. Collison was selected 21st in the 2009 draft, a year later.

2.) 1968-69 Bruins (29-1, 13-1 Pac-8)

It is difficult to pick from the dominant John Wooden teams in the 1960’s, but the 1968-69 Bruins top them all. Two words that led to all the Bruins success: Lew Alcindor.

Their only loss in a 29-1 season came to Houston University, whom they later faced in the tourney semifinal and demolsihed them by 32 points. Alcindor, who is considered the best player in NCAA basketball history, averaged 26 points and 16 rebounds. They beat North Carolina in the final by 23. Alcindor would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in honor of his family’s Islamic heritage, and would go on to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

1.) 1971-72 (30-0, 14-0 Pac-8)

The 30-0 National Champion Bruins were led by red-headed sensation Bill Walton. Walton averaged 21.1 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. The Bruins were so perfect that Walton was disappointed after a 5-point win in the National Title game against Florida State.

“I’m really embarrassed,” Walton said (via the ESPN archives). “I can’t believe how bad I played. I’d have to say it was one of my worst games. We should have beat these guys with ease. I guess I should be happy that we won, but, in all honesty, I’m not.”

Henry Bibby, Keith Wilkes, and Larry Farmer also averaged double-digit scoring for the Bruins that season.

On the all-time goal leaders per season for the Kings, the only current player close on the list is Anze Kopitar (52) who scored 34 goals during the 2009-2010 season. The only other two players from the 2000’s listed fewer than 50 is Robitaille (twice) and Ziggy Palffy, and neither of them had more than 39 goals.

It will always be speculated on how many Carter would have if he hadn’t missed those 10 games but its easy to say he will come close to breaking the Top 30 list, considering LA is half-way through with their games. It would be a stretch to break the Top 10 that begins with 53 (Marcel Dionne 81-82) and ends with 70 (Nicholls 1988-1989).

As impressive as Nicholls’ 70 goals is, it can be attributed to the 114 assists by Gretzky who holds the record for most points that season as well with 168. Any current or future Kings player will never break those records. In LA history 3 Kings have been selected as the best goal scorers.

3.) Bernie Nicholls

Nicholls holds the Kings franchise record with 70 goals – that also places him 12th all-time in NHL history. Wayne holds the unbreakable spot on top with 92 goals during the 1981-1982 season.

Bernie played center for the Kings from 1981 until 1990. During that time he scored 327 goals for Los Angeles. In 6 of his 9 seasons in LA, he scored 30 or more goals with two back-to-back seasons of 40+ goals.

2.) Marcel Dionne

Dionee was a center for the Kings from 1975 until 1987. He played 1,348 games for the Kings during the span and scored 550 goals. He is listed on the all-time season goals Top 50 leaders a whopping 9 times.

His most standout season performance was 59 goals (1978-1979), which ranks him 3^rd all-time. He repeated the next two seasons with 58 and 56 goals giving him 4^th and 5^th place.

1.)  Luc Robitaille

A fan favorite for decades, Robitalle continues to shine as the President of Business Operations for the Kings. He played off and on for the Kings for 14 seasons between 1986 and 2006. He scored 668 goals, which is an NHL record for a left-winger.  He holds the Kings franchise record for goals with 577.

Robitaille’s most impressive season was during the 1992-1993 season where he scored 63 goals ranking him 2^nd on the all time list. He lead in goals back-to-back years with 52 (1987-1988) 50 (1989-1990). Luc had 11 regular seasons that listed on the Top 50 goal-scoring seasons.

The biggest news surrounding LA was the acquisition of striker Samuel Rosa Gonçalves – known simply as Samuel, from Fluminense, a Brazilian Serie-A club two weeks after their exit from the playoffs. Samuel (22) brings youth to the forward position who are not getting younger anytime soon (Landon Donovan (31) and Robbie Keane (32) fit the description).

Los Angeles also parted ways with third-year midfielder Hector Jimenez, sending him to Columbus  along with their first round pick on January 14 for Columbus’ second round selection and allocation money.

L.A only had one selection in this year’s MLS Superdraft (they passed on their 4th round selection), using the pick from Columbus to snag New Mexico star defender Kyle Venter with the 23rd overall pick in the second round. Venter was a three-time NSCAA and College Soccer News All-American with the Lobos while starting in 85 of his 86 career matches in four years.

Venter was also a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to the top soccer player in the country.

Galaxy midfielder Pablo Mastroeni announced his retirement back in December after 16 years in the MLS. Mastroeni (37) spent half a season with L.A this year after being acquired from the Colorado Rapids in mid-June.

Preseason/exhibitions for the Galaxy begins on February 8 at the newly named StubHub Center (formerly Home Depot Center), where the Galaxy will play Armenian Premier League Champion FC Shirak. Their second and final tuneup will be a Friendly against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, February 15.

Regular season play for L.A begins on March 8 at StubHub Center against the team that eliminated them last year in Real Salt Lake. Two more home games follow that on March 12 vs. Club Tijuana in a Club Champions League matchup and then a March 15 clash with D.C. United.

But it’s already filled with great history. Both teams have won Stanley Cup championships since the 2005 lockout. They have faced off against each other to open a season in London’s O2 arena. They have provided Southern Californian fans with high intensity hockey games to fuel a bitter inter-fan rivalry. And though the rivalry hasn’t reached its form of a playoff matchup between the two teams, another important point in the history of the Freeway Faceoff is coming up in a matter of days when the two teams will face off under the Southern Californian sky at Dodger Stadium.

The Ducks will face off against the Kings on Thursday before the Saturday contest and the home and home series will be crucial for both teams. Two wins for the Kings could make up for the points disparity between the two teams in the standings. Two wins for the Ducks could give them a ton of breathing room between them and the Kings in the Pacific division race, as well as guaranteeing they finish the month of January with at least 83 points (with the potential for 87).

So who has been the more dominant of the two SoCal hockey teams in recent years? The Kings have the more recent Stanley Cup. It can be argued that over the last two years, it’s been the Kings who have been wearing the crown (pun intended). In the 2013 truncated season, the Ducks finished 2nd in the Western Conference and 3^rd in league standings with a 7-point advantage on Los Angeles. It was a season to remember for the Ducks, but they faltered in the first round – losing to the Detroit Red Wings. LA lost the battle for the division, but they took their run as far as the Western Conference finals, eventually losing to the champion Chicago Blackhawks in 5 games.

2011-2012 clearly belonged to the Los Angeles Kings. Although they were 8^th in the Western Conference standings, they went on to win the Stanley Cup while the Ducks floundered to the tune of a 34-36-12 record. They finished 6^th to last in the NHL standings and were a good 16 points out of LA’s 8^th seed. In the 2010-11 regular season, it was a virtual wash between the two teams. Anaheim finished with 99 points and the 4^th seed in the playoffs while LA finished with 98 points and the 7^th seed. The Ducks had more goals for (239 to 219) and the Kings had fewer goals allowed (198 to 235). Both teams exited the playoffs with 4-2 series losses to San Jose and Nashville. Anaheim gets the slight advantage there for finishing with home ice advantage in an ultra-tight Western conference race, as it was victories against the Kings that put them there. The 2009-10 the Ducks missed the playoffs by virtue of only getting 89 points. While the Kings made the playoffs with 101 points.

Objectively speaking, the Kings have been the more successful team over the past 5 years. General manager Dean Lombardi has put together a team that can hang with the best of them (after years of rebuilding) and head coach Darryl Sutter has turned the core into a group that emphasizes puck possession, tight defense designed to infuriate their opponents, and lots of scoring opportunities whenever possible. Like it or not, from a Ducks perspective, the Kings have become an elite force in the league. Even if it took them about 40 years to get there, they’ve arrived.

However, it seems as though the tide may soon be turning in Anaheim’s favor. Over the last two seasons (or call it one and a half if you want) the Ducks have posted a record of 67-22-11 while the Kings have put up a 56-32-11 record. Which in and of itself is a terrific record but Anaheim clearly has the regular season edge over the past 90 games. This season Anaheim has a 15-point advantage over the Kings with 30 games to go. They also have a much larger advantage in goal differential (Anaheim’s is +48 and LA’s is +23) with 177 goals for to LA’s 131.

Anaheim finds themselves atop the league by a four point margin on the second place Blackhawks while LA finds themselves sitting in 6^th place in the Western Conference race and 8^th among the entire league. With two wins this weekend the Ducks could expand their Pacific Division lead on the Kings to 19 points. This would put 10 games in 31 remaining between the two rivals, leaving only San Jose as the Ducks’ only competition for their second straight Pacific division title. San Jose trails Anaheim by 9 points with 2 fewer games played. Assuming they win out those two games the Sharks will only (in theory) be behind Anaheim with 5 points. To ensure home ice advantage in the playoffs the Ducks double-header with the Kings this weekend have become the biggest games of the season to date. Hopefully the Ducks do not become too distracted by the spectacle of the Stadium Series game and they remember what’s at stake.

Although USC have been known to be like Greek gods on the football field, the same cannot be said for the Trojans on the hardwood.

They have had some bad teams in their history and have been forced to watch UCLA basketball teams be very successful, specifically during the legendary John Wooden era. The Bruins not only have more national championships and popular pro-level players, but have used it to destroy USC in recruiting for decades.

Even with its lack of a winning tradition, the Trojans have had some talented teams in their history that had success in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Here are the three best USC basketball teams of all time.

2006-07 Trojans (25-12)

This Trojans team featured some talented players who helped make that season very successful for the cardinal and gold. The team was led to 25 wins by players who ended up in the NBA, including Taj Gibson, Nick Young, and Gabe Pruitt. This was also one of the first winning seasons for Tim Floyd, who was in his second season with the Trojans at the time.

This was a deep USC squad that had a balanced offensive attack and played very good defense. They were 10^th in the nation in opponent’s field goal percentage holding teams to 39% shooting a game. They compiled a conference record of 11-7.

Before he was dubbed the nickname “Swaggy P,” Young was a junior at USC who led the team in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game while shooting 52.5 % from the field. He also made the All-Pac-10 First team that season. Gibson was just a freshman in 2007 but led the team in rebounding with 8.7 boards per game, was fourth in scoring averaging 12.2 points a contest, and shot a team-leading 56% (stats from statsheet.com).

Pruitt was known as the leader of the team and had a terrific season for USC that year. He averaged 12.5 ppg and led the team in assists, steals, and free-throw percentage.

USC ended up as a #5 seed in the NCAA tournament and made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to #1 North Carolina. This was a very successful season for USC nonetheless.

1991-92 Trojans (24-6)

This team could make the argument as the best Trojans basketball team of all-time. The Trojans featured a very talented player and a heart-breaking finish to their season. As good as the team was, this year was focused more on USC’s prominent hoops star Harold Miner aka “Baby Jordan.” Miner made Los Angeles buzz during his junior season with the Trojans.

He averaged 26.7 ppg, grabbed 7 rebounds, and shot 44% from the field (stats from basketballreference.com).

Miner was voted Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and was a consensus pick for the NCAA All-American First Team. His hype and dynamic athleticism saw him get drafted with the 12^th overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft by the Miami Heat. He also won two Slam Dunk Contests.

Point guard Duane Cooper also contributed to the successful season for the cardinal and gold. He was second in scoring averaging 12.3 ppg and led the team in assists averaging 5.4 dimes. Cooper was eventually a second round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Trojans finished second in the conference with a 15-3 record and a 24-6 record overall earning a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament. In the round of 32, USC was infamously defeated by #7 Georgia Tech 79-78 on a buzzer-beating desperation three pointer by James Forest, who had not made a three all season.

The year ended on a sour note but was still a memorable one for the Trojans, who had one of the best teams in their history.

2000-01 Trojans (24-10)

The best of the best in USC basketball has to be this Henry Bibby-coached squad in 2001. Bibby coached the Trojans for 10 years and this was his most productive season yet.

USC won 24 games this season and were led by NBA-bound players Sam Clancy and Brian Scalabrine. They also had solid role players who were drafted like David Bluthenthal, Jeff Trepagnier, and Desmon Farmer.

Although this team did not have any flashy stars on their roster, they were able to win games because of their balance and terrific coaching.

Clancy led the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Scalabrine was second in scoring averaging 14.7 ppg.

USC entered the 2001 NCAA tourney as a #6 seed and reached the Elite 8. They eliminated quality opponents such as #3 Boston College and #2 Kentucky. However, they were knocked out by #1 Duke, who would eventually win the national championship that year.

This was the furthest a USC team had gone in the tournament in recent memory. It wasn’t a star-studded roster, but one that knew how to win.

Although many don’t ever believe it to be a hoops powerhouse, USC has some great seasons with talented players and deserves some respect and recognition.

Honorable mention: 2008 Trojans (21-12); 1961 Trojans (21-8); and 1940 Trojans (20-3 who reached the Final Four).