Don Mattingly says 2012 will be 'Year of LA Kings, Dodgers'

Dodgers' Don Mattingly at LA Kings game

Forget the fact that the Dodgers are about a dozen back with 50-something games remaining. Matt Kemp insisted to me on Friday night his club was still in the race.

They've gone 2-2 since then and to borrow a phrase Vin Scully has probably used, the season is slipping away like sand through an hour glass.

While Kemp's optimism may be a breath of fresh air in what's starting to look more and more like an otherwise forgettable baseball season in Los Angeles, manager Don Mattingly still has big plans...just not for this year.

Unlike Kemp, Mattingly claims he's a bit of a hockey fan. "I've kind of slowly paid attention to things," reflected Mattingly. He spends his winters back home in Indiana, where he claims "there's not a whole lot of hockey going on." So, you'll have to excuse him when he says, "I still have trouble with all the names and everything. But, I love watching it."

Pro athletes are always impressed with what hockey players do on a nightly basis.  Competing in a team sport is one thing, but doing it on skates adds a whole new level of complexity. "It's pretty amazing what they do on the ice," Mattingly expressed. "The toughness, I love. Those guys are so tough. Some of them never come out of a game."

It's not entirely surprising that Mattingly appreciates that aspect of hockey.  Nicknamed 'Donnie Baseball,' he probably would have made a great hockey player too, had he chose that route.  Simply put, he was a gamer and one of those 'character' guys Kings GM Dean Lombardi constantly seeks.

Kings Ruin Dodgers Perfect Record

Seven was unlucky in several ways last night.

It was game seven of the Kings' season long eight-game homestand - the part of the schedule that was supposed to see them climb the ranks of the Western Conference.

It was also the seventh time the Kings and Dodgers had joined forces on the marketing front. For 'Dodger Pride Night' at Staples Center they had manager Don Mattingly on hand for the first puck drop, former player Billy Ashley (who wore number, you guessed it - seven!) available for autographs and even produced a special Dodger themed hockey puck.

Past joint efforts had produced a perfect 6-0 record for the home team.

Not anymore.

Similar to last month's visit to St. Louis, the Blues looked ripe for the picking. They had lost five in a row and were still missing several key players with injuries. On the other side, the Kings were desperate for a win, after losing six of their last seven (there it is again!), and coach Terry Murray had put last year's most successful line back together - Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams.

As they say, the games aren't played on paper.

The Kings were caught standing around several times on the ice and St. Louis looked like the team that wanted the victory more. They got it too, downing the Kings 3-1 in perhaps the most embarrassing home loss of the season.

Along with the defeat and further slide down the standings, the Kings-Dodgers perfect relationship is no more.

Here's a look back at their previous efforts...

*  On January 24, 2008 Tommy Lasorda drops the first puck and the Kings beat the Ducks 3-1.