The first step in the unwritten instruction book on how to salvage a bad season is to fire the coach. The Kings did that after they won four of their first 13 games and ranked last in the NHL in points, goals scored and goal differential.
If step No. 1 doesn’t work — and it has had no appreciable effect — proceed to step No. 2, which is to make a significant trade. On Wednesday, the morning after a shudderingly bad loss, they announced a deal whose impact goes beyond exchanging one disappointing winger for another. “I think enough messages have been sent around here where we’ve got to wake up,” Anze Kopitar said.