The Los Angeles Kings. Amazing

I couldn't name more than a few players on the team, and have no idea who the head coach is -- but the LA Kings are doing something very special so far in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

Having barely squeaked in as a #8 seed to begin with, they've already knocked off the #1 and #2 seeds in the first two rounds. Now they're ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes, the original #3 seed,  2-zip in the Western Conference finals, both wins having came in Phoenix, where they seriously outplayed the Coyotes in both contests.

If I have this right, LA is now 10-1 in the playoffs, and are undefeated on the road. THIS -- from an 8 seed? Wow.

Yours truly has mixed emotions on this. Like many others, I'm a sucker when it comes to rooting for the underdog. But when that underdog just happens to be from LA -- yuck. Like New York and Boston (yes, I'm counting the NY Giants who actually play in New Jersey, and the Patriots who play in Foxboro) they've had their fair share of glory across the spectrum of pro sports recently, and it would be nice to see somebody new enjoy the thrill of a championship.

Now the Kings are going back to their home ice, and if they keep playing at the level they have been, they might very well sweep the Coyotes out of the conference finals.

I wonder what Wayne Gretzky thinks about all this....

Remember, Gretzky, arguably the best player in the history of the NHL, made his claim to fame with the Edmonton Oilers. They were a dynasty, but with so many world class players in a small town market, given the salary cap, a tightwad GM, and the lure of big bucks through free agency, it was only a matter of time before that team came apart.

Some say, at the urging of his wife Janet, and much to Edmonton's chagrin, Gretzky decided to "take his talents" to Los Angeles. It made sense. It was mega-bucks, and mega-exposure, which he had certainly earned. Also, given a choice between living in a frigid outpost like Edmonton during the winter, with not a whole lot going on even in the summer -- versus living in the always warm land of glitter, stuff happening everywhere, and hobnobbing with celebrities -- it doesn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to figure out which choice a beautiful woman married to a world class athlete would prefer. Those pesky significant others seem to have a way with such things occasionally. Imagine that.

After his playing days, Gretzky eventually bought into part ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes. Now he's watching his former team, as a player, dismantle his current one, as a boss. It would be interesting to know Wayne's innermost thoughts about this, but of course, we never will. And Janet could probably care less.

At any rate, unlike Phoenix, the Kings seem to be the ones that have risen from the ashes to dominate.

If they keep it up, they might well roll on to hoisting Lord Stanley's beloved cup.

Which means two things.

Amazing and yuck.

I still can't decide.