from Elliott Teaford of the OC Register,

Well, it was fun while it lasted. The golden age of hockey in Southern California started with the end of the NHL lockout that forced the cancellation of the 2004-05 season and altered the landscape of the league’s power structure for the next 12 years or so.

The Ducks rose first like a phoenix from the ashes of the labor battle, advancing to the Western Conference finals in 2005-06 and then winning the first Stanley Cup championship by a California team with a dominating run in 2006-07.

When the Ducks faltered in 2011-12, the Kings took up the chase and sandwiched Stanley Cup victories in ’12 and ’14 around a conference finals appearances in ’13. Suddenly, casual fans sports from San Clemente to the South Bay to San Fernando and San Bernardino were talking about hockey....

How did this happen? How did Southern California go from hockey nirvana to hockey hell?

Time played a key role, so did the parity created by the salary cap adopted in the wake of the 2004-05 lockout. Poor judgment, evaluation and development coupled with a need to reward past performances also were factors in the demise of two powerhouse clubs.

Each team also was hesitant to adapt to a changing style of play around the NHL, with Ducks general manager Bob Murray demanding his squad play faster and smarter and with younger and more skillful players this season. The adjustment has been a difficult one so far, though.

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