Jeff Gross/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- After a four-game losing streak that saw them fall all the way to twelfth in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Kings had seen enough. The team has fired head coach Terry Murray after three and a half seasons with the Kings.

Coming off of a 98-point season last year and the addition of offensive minded players like Mike Richards and Simon Gagne, expectations were high for the Kings. Los Angeles started out 5-1-1 but have gone 8-11-3 since, and have dropped out of the playoff race in the Western Conference. He will be replaced by John Stevens on an interim basis.

"I don't think words can ever describe how hard something like this is," said Kings general manager Dean Lombardi. "Terry really stabilized this franchise, pointed it in the right direction. He taught these players a lot. When they look back, they're going to realize they learned a lot from him."

Murray leaves the Kings with the third most wins in franchise history with 139.

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