I always find it interesting that the best rivalries in sports develop because of things involved parties say or do away from the actual playing of the game.

Consider the Kings/Oilers rivalry, for example. These are two teams that are in completely different stages of development. The Kings are loaded up with the talent needed to make a cup run this season. The Oilers are in Year 2 of a five-year rebuilding plan. While team management said before this season the playoffs were the goal, they didn't actually mean it. The only real goal this season was for the Oilers to stop sucking.

Kings fans and Oilers fans hate each other. On this website, I've done my part to contribute to the ill-will. No need to thank me. I am not sure why Kings fans hate the Oilers so much. I mean, sure, there was the Smyth thing, the Fraser thing, and the Penner thing...but what have we done lately to make you hate us? Aside from stealing your thunder.

Yep. We've stolen the thunder of the Kings. This is suppose to be their season, and 11 games in, and the Oilers are the toast of the NHL. From worst to first, so to speak. We have a better goals against, we have better young players, and we have cuter cheerleaders. All you hear NHL-broadcasty people talking about right now is how brilliant the Oilers are. The Kings have a similar record, and they're an after-thought. That's gotta hurt.

If the playoffs began today, the Oilers would get the over-achieving Colorado Avalanche, and we'd win the series in five games or less. The Kings...ummm...would get the over-achieving Phoenix Coyotes, and they would, ummm, I suppose, beat them in five or less games. Sorry, this paragraph sounded better in my head than it reads on the screen. My point is, the Oilers are higher in the standings than the Kings, and they aren't suppose to be. So there.

As much as the Oilers fleeced the Kings by sticking them with an injured Colin Fraser, and Ryan Smyth fleeced the Kings by demanding a deal to Edmonton this summer, the biggest fleece of all, no pun intended, was Dustin Penner. The amazing thing is, we knew we were hosing the Kings when we made the deal, but no one thought the deal would turn out this horrifyingly one-sided. Penner was terrible for the Kings at the end of last season, and he currently has only one point in nine games played. He's getting third-line minutes, and he's lucky to get that. It sounds like the Kings are trying to deal him for anything they can get, because he's turned into a distraction. Penner's a clown; we could have told you that. Even without knowing if Colten Teubert or Oscar Klefbom will ever turn into a regular NHL players, we've already won the deal. How sad.

You know what's really funny to consider? Kings GM Dean Lombardi is a terrible GM, yet he's managed to put together a decent team. How does that work? I'd hire Scott Howson over Lombardi in a heartbeat, even though Howson's made a huge mess in Columbus. Everyone still thinks Howson is one of the best people in the NHL. Lombardi? I've heard him called something that rhymes with "sink" frequently by a range of different people. Maybe that's why Penner is such a disaster and Doughty held out: They have no respect for the people running the team.

Kings fans are going to boo Ryan Smyth every time he goes near the puck. Yeah, whatever. I don't think Smyth is going to care. Actually, he's on a bit of a streak right now, and I won't be surprised if he scores a few. The Kings should be favored to win the game, but that's irrelevant because with respect to the Oilers, they've already lost the war. Steve Tambellini has schooled Lombardi a number of times as a GM, and that amuses me.

Are the Kings all of that and a bag of chips this season? Everyone should like their chances. But I also like Chicago's, Detroit's, Vancouver's and San Jose's chances. The NHL West is going to be a dog fight, because there are so many quality teams. I don't know if the Kings are good enough to rise above other members of this group, and my doubts will continue to grow if the Oilers kick the crap out of them tonight. Which could absolutely happen because the Oilers are kicking the crap out of lots of teams right now. Put it to you this way: If the Kings can beat the Oilers by three goals, I'll be impressed, because no other team so far has found a way to do it. Can they do it? Theoretically, yes, I suppose. But they won't. I'll go so far as to say the Oilers will beat them because right now, they're the better team.

Here's some random comments at the end of my blog:

- Plenty of Sam Gagner trade rumors swirling. I've counted 10 different teams mentioned as possible destinations. Apparently, there now is plenty of interest in the smallish, defensively-challenged 2nd line center goodness that is Gagner. But is there something to these rumors? I think so. Why? Because the Oilers need a defenseman, and Ales Hemsky is apparently only a few games away from returning. Hemsky returns, gets put on the 2nd line, Jones gets moved down to 3rd, and whammo! Gagner's sitting instead of playing. Of course, he won't sit because he's too talented to do so, but right now, I'd rather play Lennart Petrell and Anton Lander ahead of Gagner. Why? Lander and Petrell are the type of players who don't ever cost you games.

- Linus Omark has been sent to the minors, which is fine for now. Considering his options currently are the press box or the minors, he should be fairly happy with the move. Playing is better than not playing. Omark won't be dealt as soon as some people think he will, because they need an insurance policy if they move Gagner and Hemsky breaks again.

- Teubert will be playing on Thursday, so I've heard. Sometimes players find a way to stick it to the team that dealt them away. Could Teubert score a goal and play a great game? I wouldn't bet against it.

- It's got to be Nikolai Khabibulin in net. NHL 3rd Star of the Month for October. I can't wait to see him in a bikini when the calendar comes out.

- Why, oh why am I hearing so much whining about the Andy Sutton suspension? He leveled players with hits to the head in two consecutive games (Washington and Colorado). He got away with the Washington shot. Very small chance the NHL would ignore a second similar hit. Yes, Sutton is huge and every hit he throws looks like a head shot. As much as I like Sutton, the NHL needs to protect stars like Gabriel Landeskog. Unfortunately, Sutton and players like him are going to be suspended often. Accept it.

Those who are complaining should consider the following: How would Oilerville be acting right now if Sutton was on the Avs and he leveled Nuge with a hit like that? We'd be freaking out and likely saying 5 games was not enough. Unfortunately, Sutton and players like him are marked men in the "new" NHL. We could whine about the suspension, or be happy the NHL wants to protect players. I don't know if we can fairly do both.

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