My Views From Section 310

We've Moved!

2010-01-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

I got a bit bored with this layout and decided to get a bit more organized.

It was fun while it lasted but we're moving on...

Check out the new blog: http://lakingsoutsider.blogspot.com/.

Thanks again for reading and I hope you follow me over at the new blog.

- Chasen

Everyone's At Fault

2010-01-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Kings fans should be celebrating a shootout win over Buffalo and their comeback win in Detroit. Instead, Kings fans can't get enough of the drama going on between Dean Lombardi, Jack Johnson and to a lesser-extent Gann Matsuda. While all parties are trying to play it off as a non-issue; here's a blow-by-blow account of the situation.

Gann Matsuda, author of Frozenroyalty.net publishes part IV of a sit-down interview with Dean Lombardi. Read the full transcript HERE.

OK. First off, I appreciate how candid and outspoken Dean Lombardi is about the team. Secondly, I agree with every single thing Dean said Jack. Lastly, I think the Gann is responsible here. This isn't the first interview Dean has given about the development of his young players and I'm sure he's been just as candid. I think using some discretion would have kept this from being a non-issue. Gann's decision to put all of Lombardi's criticism towards the front of the article was an interesting choice.

Round two. Jack Johnson responds and shares his thoughts with LA Times Kings beat writer Helene Elliot. Read it HERE.

Everyone needs to simmer down here. Jack could have taken the high road here and kept it in-house. Nope. Apparently, a TRUE Michigan man wouldn't do that. I'm not really sure if Dean ever criticized Jack as a person but fair enough. I get it. Jack Johnson is not happy.

OK. So apparently Dean & Jack hugged it out. And it's water under the bridge. Dean said he made the comments to provide Gann a bit of history on Jack. Helene Elliot chimes in again HERE.

Well, I think all Kings fans agree that this situation could have been avoided. Dean needs to choose his words and possibly his interviews more carefully. Bloggers need to think about what they send out into the blogosphere. And Jack Johnson might want to choose his battles a bit more carefully.

Lastly, Jack Johnson has disappointed me more than any other Kings player this year. I felt this would be his breakout season but he he seems to be digressing. His play in his own end is shaky at best. And the offensive creativity is all but left him. Although, angry Jack (-post Dean criticism) may have played his two best games of the season.

I'm not nearly as high on Jack as I was back when the deal happened. I thought the Kings got a steal acquiring the best D-prospect in the game at the time. In retrospect, Tim Gleason has continued to develop into a warrior for the Hurricanes and Eric Belanger can do everything Michal Handzus has provided the Kings for a fraction of the cost. May have been a pretty fair trade after all...

Recap of the Homestand thus far...

2010-01-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

My short recap of the homestand thus far...Kings are playing some of their worst hockey of the year.

Out of a possible 12 points; the Kings have earned four. I'll have more on what all this means after tonight's game. (Hint: It's not good.)

Mostly warmup photos and a few game shots...

JAN 7- Kings 1 v. Wings 2- Wings goalie Jimmy Howard looks like Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Terry Sawchuck all wrapped into one with a dominating 51-save performance.

JAN 9- Kings 3 v. Blues 4- Kings come out flat and pay for it. Their effort in the 3rd was too little too late setting a tone for the rest of the homestand.

JAN 11- Kings 1 v. Sharks 2- Erik Ersberg Sighting! EE actually wasn't too bad and made a couple huge saves. Unfortunately, the Sharks still have Nabokov and he shut the Kings offense down. Could the Kings really have gotten Nabby for Blake way back when?...

JAN 14- Kings 4 v. Ducks 0- Kings play a decent game although I thought they played better games against Detroit and SJ but get the their first win of the homestand. Most entertaining game of the year by far.

Kings 4 v. Bruins 3 SO- Kings sleepwalk through two periods and then pour it on in the third. Winning the game in a shootout. FYI- Raitis Ivanans is not a good hockey player. Enforcers that can't do anything but fight are slowly becoming obsolete in the NHL. Anyone see what happened to Georges Laraque?

JAN 19- Kings 1 v. Sharks 5- Kings get dominated by the superior team. Although, the Kings had a couple chances it was San Jose all night long. And Nabokov outplayed another Kings goalie for the win.

Game Gallery

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T01:31:00.000-08:00

Kings Are 2-0 in 2010! (photo:ESPN.com)

What a start to 2010 for the Los Angeles Kings. After defeating the Southeast Division-leading Washington Capitals on Saturday; the Kings absolutely dominated the San Jose Sharks 6-2. The Kings are now 3-0-1 against the league-leading Sharks. The Kings scored three goals and jumped all over San Jose in the first period reminiscent of their performance in Minnesota on New Year's Eve. Read ESPN's full recap HERE.

MY THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

Jonathan Quick: Quick's play tonight was outstanding; he stopped 45 of 47 shots tonight. The Sharks were swarming the net all night throwing rubber on Quick from everywhere in the offensive zone. After a lackluster effort versus the Wild at home; Quick has put together three of his most consistent efforts all season. Throw in his selection to Team USA and it's been a good start to 2010 for the 23-year old.

Drew Doughty: What can Doughty not do? A career-high four assists tonight followed up one of his best performances of the season versus Washington where he shadowed Alexander Ovechkin all over the ice. His selection to Team Canada came as no surprise to any Kings fans but seemed to shock the hockey world. (More to come on that later.)

Return of Jarret Stoll (& Anze Kopitar): Stoll hadn't played since December 14th in Vancouver. He assisted on Kopitar's goal in the first period; and went 7-of-16 in the faceoff circle. The Big Story: Anze Kopitar had his first multi-point game since November 11th. While many have questioned whether Kopi is playing hurt; his power play goal was one of beauty and should relieve any doubts.

QUESTION OF THE GAME
Oscar Moller's creativity on the powerplay showcases his superior offensive skills. His willingness to go into corners and the tough areas of the ice to score is apparent. He got just under 11 minutes of ice-time; almost a third of that on the powerplay. His creativity on offense is being wasted with Raitis Ivanans on his left wing. How do you think Oscar would look in the Kings top-6?

My Photos from Saturday's win over the Caps.

Kings @ The WJC Preview

2009-12-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

The U-2o World Junior Championships is the premiere showcase for the best young talent not in the NHL. It's a showcase of the best NHL prospects and future NHL Draftees. To give you an idea of the type of talent that's at the WJC; here's a list of current Kings on the roster that have represented their countries.
Going into this year, the Kings had a number of prospects looking forward to representing their country in Saskatoon. A pair of 2008 draftees seemed to be locks for Russia. Unfortunately, an injury to Andrei Loktionov during his NHL call-up leaves Russia without their top center. The Kings decided not to allow defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov represent his country; it's unclear why. One could speculate the Kings would hate to risk Voynov suffering a serious injury the way Oscar Moller did last year as he captained Team Sweden to a Silver Medal. Considering the number of injuries the Kings are facing; Voynov may be an eventual call-up sometime this season.
So who's there? The Kings are well-represented on Team Canada with a team-high four players wearing the maple leaf sweater: Forwards Brandon Kozun & Brayden Schenn, Defenseman Colton Teubert, and Goaltender Martin Jones. The Canadians are the favorites to win gold this year but are expected to face some stiff competition from the Swedes.

# 17 Brandon Kozun- Right Wing
Who's he?: The Kings seemingly stole the Los Angeles native in the 6th-round of last year's draft. While many thought he was a product of a very good Calgary Hitmen team last season; he's putting up another monster season and currently leading all of junior hockey in scoring with 63 points (19 G 44 A).
What can he do?: At 5'7 & 156 pounds, Kings fans would probably like to compare him with former King sniper Michael Cammalleri. Both players strong skating and toughness help them against bigger opponents, but Kozun is more of a playmaker than Cammy. Kozy's 44 assists this season make him the leading assist man in all of junior hockey. Look for him to be paired with Leafs first-round pick Nazem Kadri.
When will we see him?: TBD. Assuming he keeps putting up these types of numbers, Kozun should earn himself a spot in Manchester as one of their top-six forwards. I'd play him with Gabe Gauthier & Justin Azevedo forming the shortest line in the entire AHL(I kid, I kid...). At Kozun's size, he'll need to continue to prove that his offensive game is pro-ready.

#10 Brayden Schenn- Center
Who's he?: The Kings first-round pick from last season surprised alot of Kings fans when he was one of the last cuts out of training camp. Playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL; he's currently 6th in league scoring with 49 points (14 G, 35 A). Schenn's strong play earned him an emergency call-up this season in Vancouver. A late cut from last year's camp, Schenn is Canada's most well-rounded forward this year.
What can he do?: A little bit of everything. A premier scorer, a penalty killer, an occassional fighter. I expect to see Schenn do a bit of everything for Canada. He can thrive on the checking line but with the recent injury to #1 center Taylor Hall, expect Schenn to get bumped up into a top-6 role if needed.
When will we see him?: 2011-12. Schenn may have another strong training camp and earn a spot next season. My guess is the Kings will take their time with Schenn. In two years, Handzus and Stoll will be off the books and Schenn will be able to make a comfortable transition to the pro-game.

#2 Colton Teubert- Defenseman
Who's he?: I'll tell you who he's not, Tyler Myers. Sorry, I just can't let that one go. Teubert was the #13 overall pick in the 2008 draft. Teubert got Kings fans buzzing in Ontario when he received a call-up to play for the Reign after the Regina Pats failed to qualify for the postseason. He's one of only six returning members from the 2008 Gold Medal Team; he'll be alternate captain this year.
What can he do? Teubert is all types of nasty. At 6'3, he plays a stay-at-home defensive game and loves to play a physical game. Teubert can play a bit undisciplined at times which gets him and his team in trouble. He's one of the few veterans on this club and will log alot of minutes for Canada. He models his game after everyone's favorite former King, Rob Blake. Teubert doesn't have the offensive upside of Blake but his scoring is up this season with 24 points (6 G, 18) thru 31 games.
When will we see him? 2011-12. I envision pairings of Doughty-Johnson & Hickey-Teubert for the next ten years. Next season, Teubert should spend an entire season in Manchester playing alongside his D-partner from last year's WJC, Thomas Hickey who is expected to miss the next four months after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. And just to give you an idea of how nasty Teubert is, take a look at this hit he laid on a teammate during an exhibition at last year's evaluation camp.

#31 Martin Jones- Goaltender
Who is he?: After being invited to the Kings' 2008 Training Camp; Jones earned himself a 3-year entry level contract with the Kings. He earned an invite to Canada's evaluation camp after reaping the benefits of a very strong offensive Calgary Hitmen club last season. Jones was among the best goalies in all of junior hockey going an astounding 45-5-4 with a 2.08 GAA and .915 SV% with 7 shoutouts.
What can he do?: He's a bigger goaltender who uses his size and athleticism well. He's slated to backup Blues prospect Jake Allen. But in tournament play; anything goes. If Allen struggles early; don't be surprised if Jones takes the job and runs with it. (i.e.- 2008: Steve Mason stealing Jonathan Bernier's job while earning Tournament MVP & Top Goaltender honors)
When will we see him?: TBD. With Quick & Bernier slated as the goaltenders of the future; it's difficult to project where Jones fits. His numbers this year are down dramatically: 15-5, 2.83 GAA and .897 SV%. Assuming, Bernier gets the call-up next year. I could see Zatkoff starting in Manchester and Jones starting for Ontario.

For those Kings fans that want to get a glimpse of the future, NHL Network will be broadcasting all of Team USA's games and the Medal Rounds. Here's the LINK to the TV Schedule. The US will play Canada on New Year's Eve; their final game before the elimination rounds begin.

VAN + Alberta Trip Recap

2009-12-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

Kings go 1-2 and Erik Ersberg didn't see the net once again. Remember what I said last week; Quick is on-pace to start 76 games. (In the last ten years, only Martin Brodeur has gotten his team out of the first-round after starting 70+ games in the regular season.)

Holy Christmas!: Where are all these injuries coming from? Andy Murray and Peter Demers aren't around anymore to blame. Whatever the reason, this extended break couldn't come at a better time. This latest trip claimed two more victims; Jack Johnson (leg) and Randy Jones (concussion?) were both held out v. Calgary. Loktionov, Stoll, Smyth, Segal, Johnson, and Jones all out. That's what makes this run even more impressive. Considering Detroit's lineup has been hit by injuries and they're out of the playoffs; do the Kings have more depth than Detroit?...

Boy Meets World: Congrats to former Ohio State Buckeye Corey Elkins on his first career NHL goal v. Calgary. I questioned how the Kings would replace Simmer in the lineup but Elkins is filling in nicely. He reminds me exactly of what Simmer looked like last season (actually a little less awkward). Nothing spectacular but defensively sound and makes the simple play. With that said, how fun would it have been to see Simmer play in a physical game like Calgary last night. I guarantee the Kings wouldn't have gotten out hit 26 to 10.

Where's Tedward?: I've seen Parse, Richardson, and now most recently Oscar Moller & Corey Elkins do more in their stints this season than I've seen from Teddy all season long. Some would argue that Purcell is a top-6 forward that needs skilled players to play with to succeed. OK. Fine. But when you're penciled in as a top-6 forward and you get passed over by Manchester call-ups that's never good. I just hope Purcell isn't going the way of Patrick O'Sullivan. Speaking of Sully...

Sully v. Mr. Quinn: Some experts say that Pat Quinn is too old school to handle a young Edmonton team. I'd argue that Hockey Canada besides choosing him to coach Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics; they chose him to lead Canada in the 2008 World U18 and 2009 World U20 Championships where he won Gold. He knows hockey. After hearing their very public spat; Sully's personality is becoming a bit clearer. His personality just wasn't going to fit as part of the Kings core going forward. Best of luck to Sully for the sake of my two game-worn O'Sullivan jerseys in the closet!

Was That OD?!: Sean O'Donnell's game-winner in Edmonton was OD's first-goal since December 22, 2008 (158 games if my calculations are correct). O'Donnell's been one of my least favorite Kings this season next to Tedward. But with the Kings depleted blueline; I'm glad we've got OD back there. But seriously, OD is a 6-7 defenseman at best. The Kings need to acquire a puck-moving defenseman that can run our 2nd PP unit.

Quick's Good: Coming off a week that earned him the league's First Star (3-0, 1.58 GAA, 941 SV%); Jonathan Quick followed it up with another fantastic week. He matched two of the league's best in Vancouver's Roberto Luongo & Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff save for save. Don't think Team USA GM Brian Burke isn't taking notice.

Doughty Deserves It: Although the Kings only went 1-2 on this trip. Hopefully, it was enough for the Olympic brass to take notice of Drew Doughty's abilities and put him on Team Canada. He was arguably the best player on either team for all three games. Hearing the broadcasters from Rogers Sportsnet and TSN broadcast the Kings games and have an absolute lovefest over Doughty confirmed that the majority of Canadians east of Vancouver don't stay up to see the Kings play. I heard one say that Doughty has the chance to have a Ray Bourque-like NHL career. Wow! Now would Steve Yzerman keep the next-Ray Bourque off of Team Canada in February?

We're #1!...We're #1?!?!

2009-12-13T23:58:00.000-08:00

WE'RE #1: With the Kings shootout victory over Dallas Saturday night, the Kings moved into first place in the Western Conference. ::DOUBLE TAKE:: With Colorado one point behind. ::DOUBLE-DOUBLE TAKE:: After losing their first two shootouts of the season; the Kings have won five of their last six. Michal Handzus has become the Kings secret weapon during the shootouts with a couple beautiful backhand shootout goals in back-to-back games.

MIKE RIBEIRO'S 'NO-GOAL': Watching the decision made by the referees during last night's 'no-goal' for Mike Ribeiro in the shootout got me thinking about Ribeiro's reputation as a diver and if that had anything to do with how they ruled. Jim Fox got the explanation from Kay Whitmore of the NHL that once Quick had poke-checked the puck away; the play was dead. I still think Ribeiro's reputation had the referees on-the-ice thinking twice about rewarding him with a goal. His most recent performance occurred earlier this season vs. Toronto. Check it out.

VIEW FROM SECTION 102 SUCKS: Let me explain. The Kings offer their season ticket holders a few upgrades to use throughout the season for certain games. They will give you the "best-available lower level" seats an hour before the game. So Thursday night, the box office gave us Section 1o2, Row 4. Perfect! Row FOUR! Not so fast. You can't see anything behind the bench. My buddy & I spent the entire first period trying to look between O'Donnell & Randy Jones while we we're fighting the glare off of Mark Hardy's head. The game was great though, record shootout, Oscar & Simmer connected for a pretty goal. If the Coyotes ever decide to sell off their players, we need Shane Doan! Few pictures from the Phoenix game, I snapped late...

SIMMER DOWN NOW: So it looks like the Kings will be without arguably their best player this season in Wayne Simmonds. Not even the great Rich Hammond knows how Simmer did it. What began as a 'lower-body injury' has been defined now as an injury to his meniscus. Surgery's required and could hold him out anywhere from 4-6 weeks; although some are saying it could be sooner. The hardcore Kings fans over at letsgokings.com have posted a video of the possible cause of injury...

ERIK ERSBERG SIGHTING!: The Kings beat the Sharks in OT behind Dustin Brown's spin-o-rama goal that caught Nabokov completely off guard. Brownie ended a 14-game goal drought; Kopi ended a 13-game goal drought. And TED PURCELL ended a 27-game goal drought. Ersberg played well enough to win which is really all that matters. With all that said...

HOW MANY GAMES WILL QUICK PLAY?: Right now, Quick is on pace to start 76 games this season! Listening to former Blue Jackets GM Don MacLean on Hockeycentral; he gave an interesting statistic. In the last ten years, only one goaltender has played 70+ games in the regular season and got his team out of the first round. Who? Why Martin Brodeur of course! Cograts to Marty on his 103rd career shutout, tying Terry Sawchuk for most ever. Brodeur recorded his first shutout during the 1993-94 season. 33 different Kings goalies combined for 64 shutouts during the same time-period.

IN CLOSING...THANK GOD FOR CENTER ICE: DirecTV has done me wrong a couple times with no Versus but they've got all 3 Kings games this week on their schedule! Awesome!

Kariya-led Blues Beat Kings In Shootout

2009-12-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

Blues 5, Kings 4 SO

Paul Kariya has been my favorite player since his rookie season back in 1994-95. The Kings have always been my favorite team ever since my first Kings-Sharks game where I saw Rob Stauber skate the puck out to center-ice. Every time Kariya plays the Kings; I predict a 5-3 Kings victory with Kariya scoring a hat trick. Hopefully, the Blues don't get back on track and deal Kariya at the deadline to LA.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

The bobblehead of Luc is pretty awesome except for the color of the jersey.
Kariya put on a vintage display with two third period goals and creating multiple scoring chances.
I'll always defend Jack Johnson but it seems like he's committing the same errors over and over.
I'm going to keep saying it until something happens; Raitis Ivanans has no business on the ice. He played 4:55 and managed to take a minor penalty in the offensive zone. He does the same thing every night. I don't get it.
Jarret Stoll is playing with alot more grit than last year.
Has Brad Richardson passed Teddy Purcell on the depth chart?
Wayne 2.0: Simmer continued his point-streak to six games and finally got some well-deserved power play time. Parse-Simmonds is a lethal combination.
Smyth or Scuderi: Who do you miss more? Smyth is the obvious choice but Scuderi's absence is leaving a huge hole on the blueline. Watching OD struggle while he logs twenty minutes a game in Scuderi's absence is tough to watch. Thank the hockey gods for Randy Jones.

Pictures from yesterday's game...

I managed to watch the entire game from the glass. Look closely. I go crazy when Kariya scores the go-ahead goal late in the third.

Flames, Meet-the-Players Recap, & Loktionov!

2009-12-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

After watching the Kings get outplayed in their last two games; I don't really have much to say...

I miss Smyth. I miss Scuderi. And I miss Ivanans. Remeber Raitis. He use to be our enforcer? There's a guy that wears his jersey and plays on the third line but I don't think it's him out there. This impersonator takes untimely penalties like Raitis but he doesn't drop the gloves nearly enough to be our beloved enforcer.

In all seriousness, if Ivanans isn't going to drop the gloves he's useless out there. And I've heard the arguments before: just having a guy like him on the bench deters other team's from taking liberties with your star players. Really? Is that so?

How about with two minutes left in the game versus Calgary on Saturday. Kings beaten and down by two. Kopitar takes a shot on net and then gets nudged into the boards by Dion Phaneuf after the whistle. Game's out of reach, seems like a perfect opportunity for Raitis to show his worth. Who cares about the instigator penalty and the suspension coming at that point. Nope, Raitis prefers to skate around like he's Craig Simpson on Battle of The Blades.

Calgary thoughts:

Nothing beats the pancakes at The Pantry. If you haven't had them you're missing out.

Jarome Iginla didn't disappoint. He's a superstar and still one of the top-5 players in the NHL. He dominated the game with every shift and the puck seemed to find him. Kopitar isn't even close to that level. Not yet.

Having Dion Phaneuf and Jay Bouwmeester on the blueline is really unfair.

Quick looked shaky again...

MEET THE PLAYERS

It's great that the Kings do this. With that said, the execution of this event is lacking big-time.

First off, venue. Hollywood Park Casino? That place is a dump. It's bad enough you have to drive through the lovely city of Inglewood to gt there but the venue itself looks run-down, deserted, and just plain gross.

Secondly, don't offer season ticket holder special "early access" when it means absolutely nothing. Instead of getting that extra half hour of autographs like we were promised, we had the opportunity to stand in-lines for an extra hour. Imagine, the gates opening at Disneyland. Everyone rushing to their favorite ride only to find out, the powers out and it won't be coming on for another hour.

This event wasn't all bad. Players were grouped in threes, so it seemed as though you were able to meet more players. The players seemed pretty upbeat for the most part if not a little tired from their practice. Watching these guys stuff their faces with hot dogs and nachos was actually pretty funny.

A couple notes:

Kopitar asking me where I got my Slovenia jersey at was pretty cool.
When I handed Ersberg my game-used stick to get signed; he said, "I remeber this stick!"
I really wanted to tell Ivanans to drop the gloves more but he's alot BIGGER up-close....haha
I told Stoll to keep up the physical play, and told him I really enjoyed the hit on Carcillo. Not knowing he injured himself against Calgary. On second thought, maybe he should cut back on the physical play. Whoops!
I told Peter Harrold, "I wish coach would give you more ice-time." He laughed and said, "That makes two of us, bud!" Cool dude...

HE'S HERE!...Andrei Loktionov!

I always like to spend the off-season picking out one prospect who I really like. Last year, Wayne Simmonds was my choice. And he surprised everyone. This year, Andrei Loktionov was my choice. The Kings crop of young forward prospects consist of alot of hard-working, hard-nosed players but nobody has the high-end offensive skill set that Loktionov has. Period. I've been hyping him all season long. I'm beyond excited to see what he can do with Frolov and Brown.

While Loktionov is rising up the charts; Kings top-pick from 2007 Thomas Hickey is going to be out for four months after undergoing shoulder surgery. I've been critical of Hickey after watching his sub-par performance in last year's World Junior Championships and this year's preseason schedule. Either way, I want to see what Dean Lombardi and everyone else see's in him. I'm praying for a speedy recovery in time for the Calder Cup playoffs.

Go Home Philly

2009-11-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

I'm still recovering from the Dodgers abysmal performance in this year's NLCS. I'm tired of everything Philadelphia. About the only thing I enjoy from Philly is The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. A Kings win tonight would have helped in my recovery process. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be. Kings Lose 3-2 to the Flyers.

My pictures...

MY GENERAL THOUGHTS...

If the Kings played with as much urgency on their 5-on-3 Power Play in the first period as they did in the last 30 seconds of the game; I think we'd be celebrating a victory. They always say, if your team doesn't convert a 5-on-3; you're team doesn't deserve to win. Doh!
With all that said, we almost tied the game up with 15 seconds left when Kopitar's point-shot squirted through the pads of Boucher but Handzus couldn't find the puck in time.
This game was way too physical not to see any fights.

THOUGHTS ON THE KINGS...

Doesn't it seem like the Kings cycle the puck with little purpose of going to the net?
I'm not so sure Alexander Frolov did enough to stay on the first-line or extend his stay in L.A. for that matter.
Jonathan Quick makes some spectacular saves but is it just me or does he negate alot of them by giving up some head scratchers?...
Jarret Stoll continues his strong play and I'm not even talking about the fluke goal he scored. He went 12-of-17 on faceoffs. And he played the body tonight; leading the Kings with four hits.
I think Sean O'Donnell's days as a regular are coming to an end.

THOUGHTS ON PHILLY

James Van Riemsdyk is going to be a stud. I remember watching him play for Team USA in the World Junior Championships; the only thing holding him back was his skating. He looks quicker now and he's got a nose for the net. He could be the next-coming of Keith Primeau in Philly.
Scott Hartnell hates puppies. I really don't like this guy.
Watching Chris Pronger control the tempo of the game and Jack Johnson struggle in his own-end again; makes me wish that prank rumor trade ended up being true. Remember? Pronger for JJ & a 5th...Poor Andy Strickland.
Brian Boucher has absolutely owned the Kings over the last three seasons. He stopped 20-of-21 shots in the 3rd period. In his last five starts against the Kings including tonight's game; Boucher is 4-0 with a 1.25 GAA and .958 SV%. Wow.
In honor of Philly, my best Eklund impression: Nikita Filatov heading to Russia instead of the AHL says alot about Filatov's relationship with the Blue Jackets organization right now. The Kings need to at-least kick the tires on this. Offer up Purcell, Teubert, and whatever else it takes to get this kid. My dog Paulie sees visions of Filatov and Loktionov playing on a line with Frolov...E5!

What If...

2009-11-18T16:10:00.000-08:00

What if the Kings traded Luc Robitaille for Wayne Gretzky? I'm currently reading Gretzky's Tears by Stephen Brunt. Everyone knows that Bruce McNall and Peter Pocklington had agreed to terms on the deal without either teams' GM's being involved. Once Oilers GM Glen Sather was informed of the trade; he demanded Luc Robitaille in the deal. Somehow, McNall was able to talk Sather down from the ledge and they agreed to include Jimmy Carson instead. Imagine that, Luc Robitalle an Edmonton Oiler...

WELCOME BACK!

It's been a while since we've seen the Kings back home. The road trip was somewhat successful; earning 6 out of 10 points on the trip. The trip included the debut of Randy Jones, a couple Erik Ersberg sightings, and Ryan Smyth's first injury of the season. The NHL needs to worry more about the franchises in Atlanta, Tampa, and Florida more than they need to worry about Phoenix. No, seriously. Florida is offering 75 cent tickets.

Anyways, here's some thoughts on the recent games.

Nashville (L,1-3) - What a letdown following that win over the Pens. No TV even with Center Ice.

@Chicago (L, 1-4) - Luc Robitaille was inducted into the HOF & I have DirecTV.

@Carolina (W, 5-2) - Randy Jones is the man.

@Atlanta (L, 0-7) - That second period was a disaster. Atlanta is a fun team to watch though.

@Tampa Bay (W, 2-1 SO) - Do the Lightning have something against Simmer? Did all the trade rumors get to Vinny Lecavalier?

@Florida (W, 4-3 SO) - Uh-Oh Smitty's hurt...

Now Is The Time

So Ryan Smyth is going to be out for up to a month with an 'upper-body' injury. Terry Murray is going to try out Alexander Frolov on the first-line. Everyone would assume that Smyth's injury gives Fro an opportunity to either showcase his skills for other teams or prove his worth to the Kings. I think everyone including the coaching staff knows what Fro's capable of doing. With that said, I think the next month is going to be about Teddy Purcell more than Fro.

Purcell will have an opportunity to skate on the third line with Handzus and Simmonds. He's been outplayed by rookie Scott Parse and demoted to the fourth line averaging roughly seven minutes a game. If Purcell doesn't skate hard and show some consistency; don't be surprised if Tedward's on his way to Manchester. Andrei Loktionov anybody?

NHL RANDOMS

Playoffs?! We're a quarter of the way into the season. According to Sportsclubstats; the Kings have a 71.3% chance of making the playoffs.
Just a week after the HOF inductions, Brendan Shanahan announced hisretirement. A true power forward. What a career. three-time StanleyCup champion, eight-time All-Star, 656 career goals, 1354 careerpoints. Hall of Famer? Yes.
Tyler Myers is a beast. Whoops, should we not have swapped picks withBuffalo after all. I'm not sold on Teubert yet. But watching Myersplay for the Sabres; he looks like an absolute stud. He's loggingclose to 22 minutes for Buffalo. At 6'8 and still growing, scouts sayhe's already a better skater than Chara and are comparing him to across between Chara and Pronger. Yikes! In Dean We Trust but...
Speaking of d-men, watching Luke Schenn struggle for Toronto makes me appreciate what Drew Doughty does even more.
Nikita Filatov is headed to the KHL for the remainder of the season. Filatov is saying all the right things but who knows if he ever comes back. Columbus Head Coach refused to play Filatov, who was arguably the most-skilled player in the 2008 NHL Draft. Could become a superstar in the KHL.

FUNNIES

Kopi should re-think his goal celebrations after watching this video.

What if Jonathan Quick celebrated his next shootout win with something like this...

Come On NHL, LUUUUUC And Randoms

2009-11-09T01:28:00.000-08:00

COME ON NHL

Seriously NHL? Did you seriously schedule the Kings to play in the lone game on the NHL schedule, the night of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in Toronto? You couldn't schedule a nice Thrashers-Blue Jackets game tomorrow night?

You're going to make Kings fans choose between the game and the ceremony. For the lucky few, you made the choice for us. Your decision to stay out of the Versus-DirecTV negotiations; we're not seeing the game anyways. Someone needs to introduce these guys to google calendar or iCal. Ridiculous.

LUUUUUC

Luc's induction into the Hall of Fame tomorrow night got me thinking...
Favorite Luc Robitaille memory: Being there to see his #20 raised to the rafters. I remember arguing with my roommate all game long and on the way home that Robitaille was a Hall of Famer. Man, I wonder if we bet anything on that.
I was there for Gretzky's ceremony but it just didn't have the same feel as Luc's. Luc grew up a King and enjoyed his best seasons as a King. He was a lifelong King; we simply let the Rags, Pens, and Wings borrow him for a while.
Watching all his former teammates come out onto the ice one-by-one was pretty special. And hearing Luc personally thank Bruce McNall for all he did for hockey was pretty cool. The guy may have been a crook but there's no denying what he did to grow the sport, especially in Los Angeles.

Watching it back the other day, I couldn't help but laugh. Robitaille ended his speech by thanking two current Kings at the time. First, Captain Mattias Nordstrom and then Rob Blake on the bench. I'm paraphrasing a bit but it went something like, "And I'm so happy to have you back with the Kings. It'll be so great to see you end your career in L.A." Darn that Rob Blake. Way to ruin a great moment.

Not So Favorite Luc memory: Watching Luc come into Staples Center during the 2001-02 season wearing a Red Wings jersey. After all the craziness that had taken place the season before; it pained me to see Luc wearing red. It just didn't look right. Hearing Luc talk about how those negotiations played themselves out, really makes me wonder what made Dave Taylor qualified to be an NHL GM?

Random Luc memory: Coming home to a Luc Robitaille autographed game stick in my room. My dad did some artwork for a friend, who had a family member that worked at Innovative Hockey. They knew I liked hockey and as a thank you to my pop's gave him a Robitaille game stick to give to me. I remember walking around the house for an entire week with that stick.

RANDOMS

Dirty hits and headshots are becoming more of an issue at every level of hockey. There's an obvious lack of respect amongst players at this point. Everyone's got something to say about it. Don Cherry on CBC's Coach's Corner had a list of suggestions to protect these defenseman that are getting nailed by forwards coming in hard on the forecheck. Interesting listen.

CBC's Pierre LeBrun showed off a new piece of equipment that will be discussed during the NHL GM's meetings this week. Fast forward to about the 1:35 mark. LeBrun's got a great blog on ESPN that nobody seems to read because ESPN usually hides the NHL content between horse racing and soccer but check it out HERE.

Battle Of The Blades isn't half bad. I caught part of an episode on CBC's website. It's Canada's version of Dancing With The Stars. They pair a former hockey player with a figure skater. Each couple skates in front of a panel of judges at Maple Leafs Gardens. They're down to their final four: Tie Domi, Craig Simpson, Stephane Richer, and Claude Lemieux. Pretty entertaining stuff. Only in Canada...
Hockeybuzz's Matthew Barry beat me to the punch on this one. But Michael Nylander is on waivers right now. I'd have to think he would draw interest from a few teams on re-entry waivers at half of his $4.875 million owed this season and next. Nylander centering the second line? I'm not buying, even at half price. But you know who I am buying on...that's coming in my next blog post...

The Comeback Kings

2009-11-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

Kings 5, Pens 2

Here's some pictures I took at the game...

What a game?! The Kings defeated the Penguins 5-2 with another superb third period effort. The Kings depth was too much for the short-handed Penguins playing without superstars Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar.
The win is the Kings second third period comeback in as many games. How many times did we see the Kings crumble in the third period of a close game last year; it's a refreshing change.
The Kings have now earned points in eight games straight. The Kings made me look like Miss Cleo after I predicted a 5-2 victory. Here's THREE UP & THREE DOWN (In Honor of baseball season coming to an end).

THREE UP

Anze Kopitar's two goals (13) gives him a nice cushion in the NHL point's race over Alexander Ovechkin, who's week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He's already been ruled out for this weekend's games. Kopitar outplayed Sidney Crosby on the scoresheet. With that said, Crosby really impressed me. I'm one of the few who prefers him over Ovechkin. Besides his offensive game and playmaking skills, Crosby plays 200 feet. He's a great player that needs better linemates; Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz are third-line players at best. I got to the game early and took some pictures of Sid the Kid.

Jarret Stoll. I was close to blogging about the Kings need for another center of the Vincent Lecavalier variety but Stoll responded last night with his best game of the season. Besides his rocket of a shot (I still don't think he uses it enough) and no-look pass to Dustin Brown on the Kings 5th goal; Stoll absolutely dominated in face-off circle winning 10-of-12 draws.

Kings Timely Plays (Quick's Kick-Save & Kings Penalty Kill at the end of 2nd period). Quick gave up a couple weird goals up high but the saves he did make were timely. Quick's Kick-Save besides being an absolutely beautiful stop (reminiscent of Yutaka Fukufuji's one-shining moment as a King) kept the game tied early and allowed the Kings to settle down. The Kings PK at the end of the 2nd period kept it a one goal game; the difference between 3-1 and 2-1 going into the final period was huge.

Honorable Mentions

- Jack Johnson's defensive efforts have been outstanding. He's picking his spots and his physical play was evident all night.
- Scott Parse's forecheck and energy is awesome. He was a scorer in college and the AHL but he's adjusted his game to fit a role. Tedward Purcell needs to take notice.

THREE DOWN

Matt Greene had a tough game. He failed to hold the puck in a couple of times and managed to take a couple minor penalties in the process. It seems to be feast or famine most nights with him.

Tedward Purcell. He's going to continue to be here until he proves me otherwise. Granted, he played on the 4th line with Ivanans & Richardson but he's invisible out there. He played 4:48. At this point, he's better off down in Manchester.

The military officer who decided to wave his Pens towel when he was featured on the video board. I'm not sure who's more at fault; the guy stupid enough to wave the towel or the Kings marketing department for not doing a bit of due diligence. Either way, it was a unusual scene when the soldout crowd went from giving the officer a standing ovation to booing him like there was no tomorrow.

I'm Getting Old

Kings take on the Preds in a mantinee tomorrow afternoon. But I'm really looking forward to Monday's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, Steve Yzerman & Luo Lamoriello will be honored. I'm really getting old though. Luc, Hull, Leetch and Yzerman were all superstars when I first got interested in hockey. I remember getting my Sega Genesis and playing NHL 94 all day as these guys. Should be an awesome night.

October Review: Kopi, No Fro, & PK Woes

2009-11-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

The Kings Had A Great October (photo:yahoo sports)

RECORD: 8-4-2, 18 PTS, 3rd Pacific, 5th West

SPECIAL TEAMS: 23.4% Powerplay (8th NHL); 74.1% Penalty Kill (26th NHL)

The Kings have 18 points. While the team ended the month with back-to-back shootout losses, the Kings still have points in six straight games. The continued growth of the Kings young core and timely acquisitions of veterans Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi have made the Kings playoff contenders. And take this into consideration; the Kings didn't earn their 18th point until November 26th last season; their 21st game of the season. Now here's a look at the Kings's top five storylines from October.

OCTOBER'S TOP 5 STORYLINES

1. Anze Kopitar's breakout season- The NHL is finally getting a glimpse of what Kings fans have been able to enjoy for the past three seasons. The Kings leading scorer (10G, 11A) has burst onto the NHL scene this year. Kopi has had instant chemistry with new linemate Ryan Smyth resulting in the best start of his career; they combined for 36 points in October. Last season, Kopitar didn't score his 21st point until December 6th. He looks to be developing into the #1 center and franchise player that the franchise has been missing since the days of Gretzky. My prediction of 86 points may have been too low.

2. Alexander Frolov's healthy scratch- After a disappointing effort during the Kings longest roadtrip of the season; Coach Murray decided to send a message to the team's top goal scorer from last season by sitting him out for the final game of the roadtrip. Rich Hammond's interview with Terry Murray sparked controversy everywhere regarding Frolov's uncertain future with the club. Frolov had been rumored to Montreal, Chicago, Pittsburgh and every team in-between. Since his scratch, Frolov has responded with 7 points (3G, 4A) in the last 5 games.

3. Kings Penalty Kill Struggling- The penalty kill which was among the league leaders last year has struggled this season. The Kings are currently killing only 74.1% of their penalties this season. Although, the team's improved recently by killing 18 of their last 20 penalties. There's no reason the Kings penalty kill should be 26th in the league. With nearly the same defensive core as last season and the addition of Rob Scuderi, expect their numbers to improve as the season progresses.

4. The Kings: An offensive powerhouse- The Kings scored 46 goals in October; 5th best in the NHL. The Kings offense ranked in the bottom-5 last year averaging 2.46 goals per game; this year they're averaging nearly a goal more per game at 3.29 (7th NHL). The Kings have 5 players among the NHL's top 50 in scoring (Kopitar, Smyth, Brown, Frolov, & Doughty).

Scuderi:A Welcomed Addition To The Blueline (photo:yahoo sports)

5. Rob Scuderi's Hip-Check- October has been a tough month for the Colin Cambell and the NHL headquarters. Headshots and questionable hits were a aplenty during the first month of the season. Scuderi's hip-check on Jason Chimera during the Kings 6-2 win over Columbus was topic for discussion among league officials and fans alike. While many, including Chimera felt the hit was low; the league responded with only a fine for Scuderi.

And a possible November storyline...

Jonathan Bernier's 2009-10 debut?- Erik Ersberg's underwhelming performance against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden has earned him a spot on the bench; Jonathan Quick started 13 of 14 games in October. Coach Murray was critical of Ersberg's performance and preparation going forward. The Kings give up the 3rd fewest shots on goal; limiting opponents to 27.1 shots per game. Quick has been average at best; his 2.59 GAA ranks 15th among netminders; while his .905 SV% ranks 24th. On the other hand, Jonathan Bernier has gotten off to a great start in Manchester. Bernier went 6-1 with a 1.29 GAA, .963 SV% and two shutouts in October. If Ersberg struggles in his next appearance, don't be surprised if he's put on waivers and the Kings call-up their 2006 first-round pick.

Coach Murray Cheating Kings? & Randoms

2009-10-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

Kings 1, Canucks 2 SO

Deja Vu?: Another Shootout Loss (photo:Yahoo Sports)

Kings with their second shootout loss in as many nights. Just like last night, the Kings deserved a better fate. They absolutely dominated the third period and overtime. Points in six straight will have to do.

Kings peppered Nucks backup Andrew Raycroft all night; outshooting them 31-15.
Congratulations! Scott Parse with his first-career NHL goal. Skates hard & keeps it simple. Looks like his performance cost Trevor Lewis his job for now.
Is Tedward Purcell one of those players that's too good for the AHL and not quite good enough for the NHL?
The 'HIPCHECK' is BACK: Scuderi dished out another & Doughty took Alex Burrows down in the third period. Haven't seen hip-checks like these since Rob Blake pre-flake.
Matt Greene may have had his best game of the season; he played his physical game and kept the feet moving.
Anze Kopitar was kept off the scoresheet again; Ovechkin netted two.
Kopitar and Frolov absolutely dominated the third period and overtime with their puck possession.
WHAT A MOVE!!!: Kopitar's dangle towards the end of the third period was a move he wouldn't have attempted last season; Brownie tried his through-his-own-legs deke that never seems to work but always brings the fans out of their seats.

SHOOTOUT RANT
After two frustrating shootout losses; I had to do some research. I read that Coach Terry Murray chooses his shooters based on how they did during the morning skate shootout drill. That's fine if you have a bunch of stiffs like Toronto but we've got the leading scorer in the NHL sitting on bench?

If I were Coach Murray, my default lineup would be: Kopitar, Frolov, & Brown. These three players are our top offensive players and are the active leaders in goals and shootout attempts. Is Michael Handzus really deserving of being the team's first shooter?

Here's a look at how the stats broke down last season under Coach Murray. Maybe the Kings shooters just need more practice on the breakaways.

KINGS CLAIM RANDY JONES

Randy Jones is finally a King; he was a Cap casualty in Philadelphia. The Kings claimed him off re-entry waivers, so the Kings are responsible for half of his $2.75 million. He's a solid 4-6 defenseman capable of playing in all situations. Watching Sean O'Donnell struggle and Davis Drewiske play a sold game makes me wonder if OD might be headed to the pressbox soon.

He's probably best known for his questionable hit on Patrice Bergeron last season.
Everyone's seen Mr. Jones's hit on Bergeron, so I thought this video was a bit more entertaining. Boston's Lucic takes a run at Jones in their next game. Take a listen to Boston's play-by-play man, Jack Edwards.

FORMER KINGS NEWS

Kyle Calder signed a two-way contract with the Anaheim Ducks and was sent to the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL. The contract will pay him $500,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the minor league level. This coming off a two-year deal, $5.5 million contract with the Kings. Wow.
Jeremy Roenick spoke with Bill Watters and Darren Dreger on Leaf's Lunch today and said he's very likely to compete on ABC's Dancing With the Stars next Spring. Check this out.

Kings Crush CBJ & The NHL Draft In L.A.?

2009-10-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

KINGS 6, BLUE JACKETS 2

Kings scored 49 seconds apart in the first period and led the rest of the way. Kings win their fourth in a row. Kings are leading the Pacific Division; setting up a great matchup on Wednesday with the Sharks up in San Jose. Hopefully, Terry Murray doesn't throw us all a curveball and start Ersberg. NHL.com recap.

Anze Kopitar scores two more goals. Everything he throws on net is going in right now. But FYI- Kopi is 22 years old; which is the age that most NHL players enter their prime. Kopi is leading the league in scoring with 21 points (10 G, 11 A). And he was named the NHL's First Star of the Week followed by former King Michael Cammalleri and rumored King Patrick Marleau. NHL.com write-up here.

Dustin Brown flipping into the Kings bench on a failed body check in second was hilarious.

Rob Scuderi's 'hip-check' on Jason Chimera was old-school hockey. It was a borderline hit, looks like Scuds got him mostly above the knee but who knows which way the NHL goes with this one. The NHL needs to worry about eliminating headshots before dealing with this hit. No penalty called on the play but Derek Dorsett jumped over the boards and challenged Scuderi. Check out the vid to hear what both broadcast teams had to say about the hit.

If you want to hear a great discussion on what defines a dirty hit, NHL disciplinarian Colin Cambell was interviewed on the Fan 590 in Toronto. Check out the audio HERE.

Blue Jackets's cheapshots with the game out of reach: Voracek's elbow on Doughty, Blunden on Brown, and the one I had the most issue with: Chimera's rabbit-punch to the back of the head of Frolov. He knocks Frolov's helmet off while Frolov is a few feet away from the boards with his back turned. Definitely could have been alot worse.

Alexander Frolov owned the third period. His effort one-on-one with Stralman was something only a few players in the league can do. 1o goals in 10 games was my prediction following his benching. (FYI- Pierre Lebrun on HNIC also mentioned that the Kings are not shopping Frolov but contract talks have been put on hold.)

Scott Parse has definitely made his presence felt. Two assists in two games. I enjoy his aggressiveness on the forecheck even though he took a couple tripping penalties in the process.

Where's Tedward Purcell hiding?

Is Steve Mason suffering from the sophomore jinx a la Carey Price last year?

Rick Nash is an awesome one-on-all player. I don't know if I ever saw him pass the puck.

2010 NHL Draft in Los Angeles?

There hasn't been any official announcements that I know of but the most recent Red Line Report on USAToday.com had this small blurb (READ HERE).

"Here is Red Line's preliminary identification list of the topdraft eligible prospects for the NHL's 2010 Entry Draft in Los Angelesnext June 25-26:"

The Red Line Report is one of the most well-respected NHL draft publications. I'm not sure what to make of it but either way I'm pretty excited about the prospects of having the Draft in Los Angeles. For all you Dodgers fans, the Yankees are in town that weekend.

Kopitar's Career Night, Quick & Drewiske Re-Up, & What's A Slew-foot?

2009-10-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

KINGS WIN 5-4 IN OT

Anze Kopitar owned the night with his first career hat trick midway through the 2nd period. He's finally looking to score. I predicted a breakout year of 86 points this year for him in my fantasy projections; he may very well surpass that.
Why did it take so long to see some hats on the ice?
Kopitar absolutely dominated the Stars defense especially their #1 d-man Stephane Robidas. At 5'11; Robidas is the perfect example of why I'm not a huge fan of smallish defenseman logging top minutes (i.e.- Lubo); they just can't match up with the bigger forwards in the NHL.
Justin Williams with the always mysterious "lower-body" injury. He might be an official band-aid boy. Injuries left and right for this guy; hope this one isn't too bad.
Speaking of Williams, how good did Wayne Simmonds look last night? He was all-over the ice.
Alexander Frolov's pass to Simmonds on his first period goal was a pass only a handful of players could make; a saucer pass through two defenders on the backhand. Fro's the man.
Rob Scuderi made up for his blunder in the first period that led to Neal's goal with two huge blocked shots in the second period on a couple of scrambles; reminded me a bit of his work in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Jonathan Quick's rebound control still bothers me.
James Neal & Jamie Benn are both the real deal for the Stars.

Quick & Drewiske Re-signed

According to everyone's favorite blogger Rich Hammond, the Kings have signed both Quick & Drewiske to 3-year extensions. Quick will earn $1.8 million per; Drewiske will earn $600,000 per.
Davis Drewiske's signing is a no-brainer. Teams can never have too much depth on defense. Drewiske will be a bottom-pairing defenseman who can step in and play in all situations.
Jonathan Quick's signing is solid. $1.8 might seem a bit steep but you take a look around the league at what other goalie's are making and his salary falls right in line. If Quick is able to become a true #1 goalie this year; the Kings got a steal.
Worst case scenario: Quick's just OK; and the Kings go with a platoon of Quick-Bernier.
Jonathan Bernier by the way is putting up some stellar #'s for the Monarchs: 4-1, 1.60 GAA, .955 SV%, 1 SO
Jason Labarbera signed a one-year, $1-million deal in Phoenix; I'd say Quick is twice the goalie that Labs was for us.

WHAT'S A SLEW-FOOT?

There's been quite a discussion about the NHL's double-standard regarding some pretty dangerous plays over the past few days. A slew-foot is sticking your leg out from behind and tripping a player from behind.

The Ducks Evgeny Artyukhin slew-footed Matt Niskanen of Dallas on Wednesday night. He wasn't penalized but later suspended three games for his actions. He's a repeat offender and well-known around the league for being a dirty player as the Kings became quite aware last season.
But the NHL's Posterboy Alexander Ovechkin committed the same type of play last night on Rich Peverley of the Thrashers and the NHL has decided a fine is all the punishment Ovechkin will face.
Both plays identical; but Ovy gets off easy. They're both dirty plays. Check out the vids and you be the judge.
Alexander Ovechkin is a dirty player. He's a great player; some would say he just plays hard but there's a difference between competing and playing dirty. Ovechkin is skating that fine line every night. When he checks; he leaves his feet but never gets called for boarding or charging (...how many times did we see everyone's favorite whipping boy Denis Gauthier get called for those types of hits last year). And if a defenseman is quick enough to side-step him watch out below because he'll stick a knee out to stop you.

Strip Shootout & More Thoughts On Fro

2009-10-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

Is That Marty St. Louis OR Ned Braden?

The new trend in the NHL seems to be finding new obscure ways to get your struggling team back on the right track. The winless Toronto Maple Leafs tried their hand at a bit of dodgeball on the ice during practice earlier this week. And the Tampa Bay Lightning coming off two terrible losses to Pittsburgh and Ottawa decided to take part in a little 'Strip Shootout.' Check out the video. Marty St. Louis looks a bit like Ned Braden from the movie, Slapshot when it's all over.

THOUGHTS ON FRO

Well it looks like Fro & Coach Murray had themselves a heart-to-heart according to Rich. And Coach is actually going to give Frolov a chance on the second-line in tomorrow night's contest. I think Frolov deserves to play with some more offensive-minded linemates.

Random Thought: I'd really like to see Fro play with Loktionov...

I wouldn't be surprisedif Frolov goes out and score ten goals in his next ten games. I alsowouldn't be surprised if Frolov is dealt by Christmas. Looks likeEklund's falling in love with the 'Frolov to Montreal' rumors again. Really? For the Kostitsyns? Looks like Sergei went AWOL according tothe most recent report. So much for that rumor...

What's funny about this situation is that Terry Murray went public withthese comments to a couple reporters in Los Angeles probably notthinking anything of it. It'smentioned in a few Kings blogs and a small back page article in the LATimes. No big deal around here and then BOOM! It's a headline and front page newsin Canada. It took the headlines on TSN; and got more airtime thanthe Leafs benching Hagman and Stajan. 29 other NHL teams would love to have Frolov on their squad; the Kings need to accept Fro for the player he is (flaws and all).

Say It Ain't So Fro!...

2009-10-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

Alexander Frolov & Jonathan Quick
Originally uploaded by cikiri

I don't like what I'm reading about Alexander Frolov's future with the Kings.

He's going to be a healthy scratch for tonight's game versus the Stars based on his poor play according to Coach Terry Murray. Let the speculation begin...

Murray had some really strong words regarding Frolov's play and attitude. Read his full interview with Rich Hammond here. Asked if he talked to Fro about his status for the game.

Question: You don’t get any reaction from him?
MURRAY: “There’s no response.’’
Question: Isn’t that kind of troublesome as a coach?
MURRAY: “That’s been going on for seven years.’’

Coach Murray sounds like he's exhausted every possible option with Frolov at this point. He's been an enigma ever since his rookie season. But it's not like 35-goal scorers come along every day. Even if Murray and Lombardi expect him to be a 45-50 goal scorer; can you really fault a guy who scores 30 consistently?

Rich got a quick word with GM Dean Lombardi too. Check it out here.

"He’s either going to get on board or we’ll go in another direction with him. It’s as simple as that. I like a lot of the things I’m seeing, with what we’re trying to establish here. Get or board, or there’s another way too. But like I said, this is not a knee-jerk reaction.’’

Oh man. I don't like this one bit. I wrote a pretty lengthy blog post last month about how the Kings needed to bring Frolov back asap. Check it out here.

I liken Frolov to a similar player in Los Angeles, Lamar Odom of the Lakers. They both have immense talent but are consistently inconsistent. In the case of Fro, I feel his game has become well-rounded. He's still one of the most talented two-way players on the roster; he's still been a productive scorer after being dropped to the third line. He plays in all situations: power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5, shootouts...

He may frustrate the coaching staff with his care-free attitude but he's still one of the most talented players on our roster and a big part of our lineup. I don't see how they can overlook that. Team's still need talented players to go along with heart & soul guys. If the Kings lose Williams or Smyth to injury (knock on wood); Frolov is one of the few players capable of stepping onto the first-line. If the Kings look to move Frolov; his impending UFA status at the end of the season tarnishes his value to the point that the Kings will need to keep him on their roster.

I want Frolov to stay. If the Kings make a deal, who would be interested?

Here's some speculation to get the discussion going. Taking a look at the five worst teams in the league...

Toronto Maple Leafs: Yeah, the Leafs could use Frolov. The Leafs need talent up-front. Burkie won't put up with these Leafs for much longer before he shakes things up. If the Kings could pry a Bozak or Stalberg away that'd be awesome but Kaberle makes alot more sense.

Minnesota Wild : Injuries to Sykora, Bouchard, and Havlat. I could see them wanting Fro. They've got some overpriced d-men that they want to unload in Zidlicky & Johnsson. Burns would be nice though.

NY Islanders: Tavares for Frolov sounds good to me. If DiPietro ever gets healthy, I wouldn't mind bringing Roloson to L.A. in a deal.

Montreal: Fro has been rumored to the Habs too many times. The Kostitsyn brothers were "discussed." Doesn't make a whole lot of sense just because they're less-talented versions of Fro. I could see Lombardi liking energy guys like Latendresse and D'Agostini.

Florida: The Panthers are young squad that have yet to define who their young core is. Horton's days may be limited and Vokoun is probably always available with the size of his contract.

What are your thoughts?

Kings Lose A Tough One 4-2

2009-10-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Ersberg Struggled All Night (photo:Yahoo Sports)

I was pumped for this game. I was definitely buying into the hype about how well these two teams have started the season. Kings gave it a good effort but didn't get the breaks or the goaltending they needed to win this one. Kings lose 4-2 to the Rags.

As the game went on, I couldn't help but wish that Terry Murray would have started Jonathan Quick in net. I realize it's a back-to-back situation but why not go with your #1 goalie in this game against the team with the best record in the NHL and start Ersberg against a short-handed Detroit team tomorrow night.

Kings out shot the Rangers 36-21; 10-1 in the 3rd alone. The lone 3rd Period Rangers shot ended up in the back of the net.

THE GOOD

Overall, the Kings gave a great team effort tonight. Henrik Lundqvist just played a spectacular game in net for the Rangers. They peppered Lundqvist all night but just couldn't breakthrough.
Rob Scuderi played the best game I've seen him play all year. He had an active stick on the penalty kill and played well. (Can't really fault him for allowing the cross-crease pass get through on Prospal's second goal because Ersberg should have had that leg pad out.)
Ryan Smyth. I just can't get enough of Smitty. He was one of my favorite players back in his days with the Oilers. He brings grit, energy, and the willingness to go where no King has gone in years...the front of the net. He scored the Kings first goal on a deflection.

THE BAD

Erik Ersberg just didn't have it tonight. He started off the game shaky and just never settled in. His angles were off all night. He let two goals beat him short-side; first the Boyle goal off the post and off his back and then the Gaborik goal. Bernier anyone?
The Officials for tonight's game. Can referees really not determine the difference between a "no goal" and calling the play dead. The amount of time it took them to replay the second goal was unbearable. And then the referees went upstairs to check on the Higgins hook of Brown when they went crashing into the Rangers net. The NHL is the perfect example of why Major League Baseball doesn't want to expand their replay system.
Kings Fourth Line. Ivanan's penalty to start the game; didn't even see it. I like Harrold crashing the net but the refs are calling that everytime. The fourth line pretty much gift wrapped the Rangers a Power Play Goal.
Sean Avery's dive. It's not up on youtube yet but he took a bit of a slash across the arms from a Kings defender and went down in a heap. I didn't care about Avery as a King one way or the other but this guy's too much.

RANDOMS

Bob & Jim made it pretty clear during the broadcast how they felt on a number of sujects: Brian Boyle's unhappiness with the Kings, Sean Avery's fashion sense, and the use of video replay. I haven't heard them so opinionated in a while.
The technical difficulties with the game feed in the 1st period lasted way too long. Funny how you can barely hear the game and then all of a sudden the commercials come blaring through the speakers.
Was it just me or was Teddy Purcell terrible tonight? He missed that chance early and he seemed to effect his timing for the rest of the night.
Brian Boyle got the last laugh with his first goal of the season which ended up as the game-winner. I guess now's the time to list my game-used stick on eBAY.
Rangers coach John Tortorella is getting the most out of his big free-agent signing Marian Gaborik. Seemed like Gaborik was out there all game: 5-on-5, Powerplay, Penalty Kill. Guess Torts is maximizing his asset before Gaborik goes down with his annual injury.
The Rangers hyped rookie blueliners Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto didn't do anything to impress me the way Drew Doughty did last season but I didn't notice them make many mistakes either; guess that's a good thing.
ESPN's Pierre LeBrun is taking notice of the Kings in one of his latest blog entries.

Tough loss. But bring on the Wings!

It's Not A 'Rebuild' It's A 'Retool'

2009-10-13T03:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, The Leafs Are Still Terrible

Let me preface all of this by saying, I like the Leafs. I want them to do well. The NHL is better when the Original Six franchises are doing well. Now with all that said, GM Brian Burke has failed one of the most cherished franchises in all of sports . I thought he always got way too much credit for the Ducks success. He inherited a roster filled with good young talent and got lucky that he had the lesser-known Niedermayer brother. He left current GM Bob Murray with half a roster of unrestricted free agents and left him to re-make the roster on the fly. Brian Burke's M.O. has always been this way: go all-in and hope for the best with no eye to the future. His latest project is finally exposing his faults.

The Leafs were blown out 7-2 vs. the Rangers on Monday night. Burkie's got a mess on his hands. They're winless and have only one point out of a possible ten to start the season. The Leafs overpaid for Phil Kessel considering the Bruins were strapped by the cap. The Leafs outbid themselves. Kessel is a good player but he won't be able to turn this Leafs team around.

The Leafs definitely overpaid for free-agents Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin. Komisarek is not a top-pairing defenseman. He's too overly aggressive to ever be effective. Beauchemin is an average defenseman being paid like an elite one. His shortcomings are being exposed without the crutch of playing with future HOF's Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. I can't believe Burkie didn't see that one coming.

Brian Burke should have taken notice of the Kings failed 'retooling' post-lockout and realized it's not possible to bring success to a perrenial losing franchise without accumulating talent through the draft. With no first round picks for the next two seasons and no one on their roster even worth a first-round pick; Brian Burke better hope 'The Monster' is the second coming of Henrik Lundqvist or this team is doomed for a long, long time.

P.S.- Tomas Kaberle would be the perfect fit for this Kings team. The Kings need another puck-moving defenseman in their lineup; Hickey is not the answer (not yet anyways). Kaberle is one of the slickest passers in the league. And he definitely knows how to run a powerplay. If the Leafs continue to tank; expect the Kings to be among a number of teams vying for his services at the trade deadline.

Happy Birthday Bob Miller! Kings Win!

2009-10-13T03:21:00.000-07:00

Doughty Celebrates His Trip To The Dentist (photo:Yahoo Sports)

The Kings celebrated the occasion with a 2-1 victory over the winless New York Islanders in a Monday matinee.

The Islanders matched the Kings intensity in the first period. But like the Kings of last year, the young Islanders couldn't match the Kings effort as the game progressed. The Kings were the superior team finally breaking through on the powerplay with a beautiful goal by Anze Kopitar picking the top shelf of a screened Martin Biron. Drew Doughty's goal in the third sealed their fate with an absolute blast from the right point.

THE GOOD

Kings First Line strikes again. The Kings first line of Smyth-Kopitar-Williams has combined for 23 points thus far. Scary.
Jonathan Quick had another solid start for the Kings. Building on his performance in St. Louis; Quick stopped 28 of 29 shots-on-goal for the win.
Alexander Frolov's name doesn't appear on the scoresheet but he had a monster game. His work in the corners and ability to create a number of high-quality scoring chances is more proof the Kings need to get him re-signed ASAP.

THE BAD

Drew Doughty's face. Yikes. I guess that's why players wear mouth guards. At least he'll fit right in with Brownie, Teddy, and Raitis when he loses those five teeth.
Islanders fans booing Ryan Smyth. Seriously? The guy played 18 games for them and led the Isles to their first playoff appearance in forever. Do they still boo Roberto Luongo when he comes to town too?

RANDOMS

Former King Matt Moulson scored the lone goal for the Isles. I always liked Moulson's effort. Really glad to see he's getting a chance to play in the NHL somewhere. With that said, the fact that he's playing on the first-line with John Tavares is proof of just how bad that franchise needed the first overall pick.
John Tavares didn't impress me as much as the Aves Matt Duchene has through the early part of the season. Duchene is obviously the better skater at this point in their young careers. Duchene's still my pick for the Calder.
Kyle Okposo is an absolute beast. I love his tenacity and and pursuit of the puck. Always making things happen. He's going to be a really good player for years to come. And his clear mouthguard with two gold front teeth is awesome.
ESPN has the Kings ranked #3 in their Power Rankings. I didn't believe it either!
I didn't believe ESPN and then I saw The Hockey News. They've got us at #10.
WOWZERS! Even TSN has our Kings up at #4!

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!

2009-10-12T01:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to those hockey fans north of the border. In celebration, I've got a couple of videos I'd like to share.

His ID is SteveDangle, he's a huge Leafs fan that makes a video response after each Leafs game. He's pretty entertaining. I thought I'd share it with you. He actually has some legitimate interviews with some top prospects like Nazem Kadri, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Eberle.

My favorite video is his Don Cherry Coach's Corner impression...hilarious!

And a bonus video. The Calgary Flames are off to a 4-1 start. Some would say they're RED HOT!

Kings Prospects Report...

2009-10-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

The Kings are off to a 3-1 start. But what are the kids up to? I'm going to do my best to update this chart all season long. The statistics are courtesy of Hockeydb.com.

What I Miss?

2009-10-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

So I'll be honest, I haven't caught much of the Kings over the past couple games. The Dodgers are in the playoffs. And well, playoff baseball gets priority over the Wild & Blues.

The Dodgers swept the Cards. So I was able to catch-up a bit on my hockey.

Kings 6, Wild 4

Kings win a wild one here. Wow. Where's all this offense coming from? Where's the defense gone for that matter? The Wild have a new coach so no more defensive trap but ten goals in a game versus Minnesota is unheard of.

The Kings first-line had another huge offensive night (4 goals, 5 assists).
The Penalty Kill left alot to be desired, only killing 2-of-4.
Jonathan Quick's performance was a little bit of everything. He made some outstanding saves but his rebound control wasn't great. He reminded me a bit of Mike Richter back in the day; making the initial save but lunging the other way to stop the second chance off a rebound.

Kings 2, Blues 1

Wow. What a terrible day for St. Louis. Both of their home teams get owned by L.A. I only caught the last few minutes of the third period because I was too busy rioting in the streets after Jonathan Broxton struck out Rick Ankiel to sweep the Cards right out of the NLDS.

Nick Nickson & Daryl Evans sounded like they were broadcasting from inside a cave somewhere.
Watching the highlights, Ryan Smyth's goal was a beauty. A typical Smyth-esque dirty garbage goal. You could count the number of dirty goals the Kings scored last year on one-hand. It was a beautiful sight to see someone pay the price in front of the net to score.
Nice to see the Kings not give up another four goals. I kind of wonder if that trip to Sweden is messing with the Blues.

The Kings take on Matt Moulson and the New York Islanders...oh yeah, and John Tavares too... tomorrow morning. Got to love those early starts.

Check out Ryan Smyth's goal courtesy of LAKings.com. Funny that it's St. Louis's broadcast.

Kings Outlast Sharks 6-4

2009-10-07T01:05:00.000-07:00

Sweet New Intro (photo:Yahoo Sports)

My first regular season game of the season ended up being a thriller. The Kings-Sharks game had a little bit of everything. Kings got out early 4-0. Sharks tied it up. Tedward Purcell with the winner from a terrible angle! Check out LAKings.com's recap here.

First things first, I love the Kings new intro. The history video is nice but if I'm a season ticket holder going to 40 more home games this season; the video might serve more as a reminder of the Kings mediocrity as an organization over the past 40 years. Either way, the video is awesome seeing it for the first time.

I'm really happy the Kings are coming out of the castle to start the game this season. Some might find it cheesy but I feel like it adds alot to the atmosphere and gives our introduction some uniqueness compared to the rest of the NHL. Two thumbs up to the operations staff for this one.

Now on to the game...

THE GOOD

Kings effort in the First Period & beginning of the Second. The Kings were absolutely dominant. They came out with energy. Every line especially the fourth line showed alot of effort and it paid dividends immediately with Simmonds goal five minutes in.
Jonathan Quick looked good. Really good. Four goals on the scoresheet doesn't do justice to Quick's performance tonight. He absolutey stood on his head during a scramble in the first period making save after save, half of them without a stick. His glove save on Marleau's breakaway absolutely stole the show.
The Kings First Line. I can't say it enough; Anze Kopitar finally has two highly skilled players to play with. His career high in points is coming.
Raitis Ivanans proved his worth to me tonight. After the Kings went up 4-0. The Sharks went head hunting to send a message. Drewiske got hammered into the boards in a very vulnerable position. Ivanans dropped his gloves and skated over immediately and took on Sharks heavyweight Jody Shelley. Still want to see what Clune can do with the fists though because Ivanans can't keep up with Richardson and Lewis on the fourth line.
Peter Harrold looked good tonight. There's no denying his effort. He keeps the game simple and moves the puck well. I just wish he was just a few inches taller.
Kings 4-on-4. With Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson given more ice to operate, the Kings offense from the blueline is magic. J.J. proved it with his goal tonight. Kopi added another a few seconds later.

THE BAD

Kings Penalty Kill. Yikes. Four penalty kills. Four goals. Granted, San Jose may have the best powerplay in the NHL going foward but that doesn't justify them going 4-for-4 with the extra skater.
The Rob Scuderi & Matt Greene pairing is tough as nails. Both are stay-at-home defenseman but as a pairing they can't move the puck out of their own zone to save their life.
Justin Williams willingness to shoot the puck. This guy has a wicked shot but didn't get one on net tonight (only had one shot on opening night).
Kings fans in section 111 allowing those Sharks fans to taunt them after the Sharks tied it up. The lady holding the oh-so-clever, "Queens" sign and flashing it up towards the seats. How no one in that section ripped the sign right out of her hands is beyond me.

RAMBLINGS

Rob Scuderi's Nose Plugs (photo: Yahoo Sports)

Simmer is the real deal. You can't deny Simmer's impact on every shift.
Fro needs to be re-signed. You check out my reasons here.
Kopi and Zeus switched spots during the third period.
In the third period, Scuderi looked like he took a stick to the face. But no call. Not sure what happened there. Either way, like a true warrior he finished the game.
Thomas Greiss took the loss after giving up the fifth goal even though he inherited a four goal deficit. The NHL needs to really re-think the 'goalie of record' statistic.
Sharks "Captain" Rob Blake likes the Kings (says Helen Elliot). Like I care what this traitor thinks about anything.
I wore the right jersey tonight. Had no idea it was a 3rdjersey tonight. Went with Kopitar and he was awarded the 1st star(goal, 2 assists).
I saw Glen Murray earlier today Dick's Sporting Goods in El Segundo.
If you didn't catch Kings Ransom on ESPN today. Definitely check it out. Awesome film.

Kings Opening Night Morning Skate Pictures

2009-10-05T00:07:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was a bad omen when I saw everyone smiling at their morning skate. Excited that the season was starting? Maybe. Or excited they kicked off the 09-10 season against the Coyotes, the team everyone is picking to finish last in the conference. Either way, the Kings got their wake-up call in a big way.

I didn't get many of Brownie before so I kind of focused on shooting him the most. Enjoy the Photos.

P.S. - I'm pretty sure I saw Kyle Calder in the morning watching his son practice for the Jr. Kings.

Kings Opening Night!

2009-10-04T23:58:00.001-07:00

Pretty disappointing way to start the 2009-10 season off.

I spent my Saturday night channel surfing between the USC-Cal game, the Dodgers clinching the NL West, and the Kings drop their home opener. I went 2-for-3. Not a bad night.

The Kings looked out of sorts all night. They turned the puck over a numerous times in-front of their net. A number of the turnovers ended up in the back of the net. Six goals against is not the way anyone was expecting the season to start. One thing I did like last night was the Kings player introductions. I liked them skating out of the castle. Maybe we could steal a page from the Oilers or the Sharks.

Monarchs 6, River Rats 3

Andrei Loktionov
Originally uploaded by cikiri

My favorite Kings prospect Andrei Loktionov had three goals and an assist in his debut for the Manchester Monarchs. I still feel like Loktionov could help the Kings this season. If Teddy Purcell can't produce in the top-6; I can see Loktionov fitting in nicely.
Jonathan Bernier stopped 35 of 38 shots in the Monarchs home opener. If Quick or Ersberg struggle early; don't be surprised to see the Kings give their former first-round pick a shot a the #1 job.

Opening Night Ramblings...

2009-10-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

CBC's Hockey Night In Canada Opening Night Montage. This video gave me chills; I'm ready for some hockey.

First off, thank you NHL, DirecTV, Versus, & Comcast for shutting me out on two of the four opening night games. Blues beat writer Andy Strickland hit it on the head with his article here.

With that said, CBC never fails me. CBC's Hockey Night In Canada is first-class all the way.

Montreal Canadiens 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 OT

The Leafs & Habs game was outstanding. Mike Komisarek, the most overrated defenseman in the NHL managed to accumulate 15 penalty minutes the hard way with a double-minor, two minors, and a major.
The Smurf Line of Cammalleri, Gionta, & Gomez looked as good as advertised at least on the power play. Absolutely embarrassing the Leafs on their first goal.
Carey Price managed to stop 43 or 46 shots. A nice way to start of the year for my fantasy team.

I'm Diggin' The New Retro Threads (photo: yahoo sports)

Vancouver Canucks 3, Calgary Flames 5

Am I the only one that thought the Flames retro jerseys tonight looked awesome on TV?
Mikka Kiprusoff was in top form; absolutely stealing the show in the third period.
Sidenote: lifelong backup Jamie McClennan was brought in this season to be the Flames new goaltending coach. Seriously??? The guy was playing in Japan two years ago for the Nippon Paper Cranes of the Asian League. CBC Play-by-play commentator Mark Lee took the words right out of my mouth when he said: "No offense to Jamie, but what could he possibly teach Kiprusoff?"
Former NHL goaltender Kevin Weekes is an absolute stud as a commentator for CBC. I always thought he should have gotten a chance as a starter somewhere but I think he's found his calling as a broadcaster. His insight is top-notch.

Ramblings...

Alexander Ovechkin scored 2 goals. He's on pace for 164 goals. That could happen. Seriously. Tim Thomas looked bad; flopping around more than Kelly Hrudey did back in the day. But Thomas did win the Vezina; so I guess he's more Dominik Hasek than Hrudey.
I am old. Seriously. Joe Sakic's jersey retired tonight. Mats Sundin & Theo Fleury calling it quits. Brendan Shanahan looks to be calling it quits. These guys were superstars when I was growing up.
If I have to watch one more episode of NHL on the Fly on NHL Network I swear...Can the NHL steal some ideas from the MLB Network. Get some more programs!

Prediction Time

2009-10-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

Pens: Back to Back Cup Champs? (photo:NY Daily News)
With the season getting started tomorrow on Versus and CBC, it's prediction time. But before the predictions. Seriously NHL? Are you going to request that DirecTV owners e-mail DirecTV to voice our displeasure. After reading the Los Angeles Times article (here); I thought this was the most interesting paragraph:

"Three sources with knowledge of the negotiations, who are unable tospeak for attribution because of the sensitive nature of the talks,said that Comcast, which owns Versus, wants to increase the cost persubscriber from about 21 cents to about 26 cents."

So are Comcast & DirecTV really arguing over 5 cents? 5 cents multiplied by 18 million subscribers is $900,000. Some want to blame DirecTv or Comcast; that's fine but I blame the League. According to Sports Business Journal, Commissioner Gary Bettman made nearly $7.1 million in 2008. How can he justify that type of salary for himself? How about sacrificing a little of that cash to 'help grow the game' & keep the game on TV in the States? Good Lord.

Now that my rant is out of the way. Onto the predictions. I've ranked each team with one BIG question entering the season.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
1. Pittsburgh Penguins - Will 2 trips to the Finals catch up with the Pens?

2. Philadelphia Flyers - Will Gagne & Briere stay healthy for 82 games?

3. New Jersey Devils - Can Brodeur handle another 70 start season?

4. New York Rangers - Will Gaborik shine on Broadway?

5. New York Islanders - Can Tavares turn the fortunes of this franchise?

Northeast Division
1. Boston Bruins - Will losing Kessel be too costly?

2. Ottawa Senators - Can Leclaire bounce back to his 07-08 form?
3. Toronto Maple Leafs - Will Toronto's revamped D be enough?
4. Montreal Canadiens - Can their new 1st line be enough?
5. Buffalo Sabres - Will a healthy Ryan Miller be enough?

Southeast Division
1. Washington Capitals - Can the Caps win with Varlamov in goal?

2. Carolina Hurricanes - Can Cam Ward continue to carry the Canes?
3. Tampa Bay Lightning - Will the Lightning's defense stay healthy?
4. Florida Panthers - Was last year's success a fraud?
5. Atlanta Thrashers - Can Antropov keep Kovalchuk happy?

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
1. Detroit Red Wings - Will losing Hossa, Samuelsson, & Hudler be too much?

2. Chicago Blackhawks - Can the Hawks rely on Huet to lead them?

3. St. Louis Blues - Can a healthy Kariya & McDonald make them contenders?

4. Columbus Blue Jackets - Will Mason follow-up 2009 with another Vezina performance?

5. Nashville Predators - Can the Preds continue to compete with the big boys?

Northwest Division
1. Vancouver Canucks - Is Samuelsson the missing link for the Sedins?

2. Calgary Flames - Do the Flames have enough offense to go with their D?

3. Edmonton Oilers - Can Pat Quinn teach the youngsters to win?
4. Minnesota Wild - Will Havlat help their anemic offense?
5. Colorado Avalanche - Can Joe Sakic come back for another year? Forsberg?

Pacific Division
1. San Jose Sharks - Can Heatley get this team past the first-round?

2. Anaheim Ducks - Will the loss of Pronger be too much?
3. Los Angeles Kings - Are the Kings ready to compete for the postseason?

4. Dallas Stars - Will Turco return to Vezina form?
5. Phoenix Coyotes - Will the ownership controversy fuel their fire?

And here's how the Playoffs will breakdown...

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:
Penguins over Capitals in 7: The NHL gets their dream matchup of Crosby v. Ovechkin. Seven games of awesomeness.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:
Blackhawks over Sharks in 6: The Sharks finally get out of the first round but the Hawks are too much.

STANLEY CUP FINALS:
Penguins over Blackhawks in 6: Crosby & Co. are too much for the Hawks.

Kings Fantasy Predictions

2009-09-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

For any readers that are fantasy players; here's my predictions for the Kings in 2009-10. The Kings are primed for a breakout with a ton of legitimate fantasy options.

FORWARDS

Anze Kopitar will have a breakout year and become a #1 fantasy center.
If Ryan Smyth & Justin Williams can stay healthy should have bounce back years.
If Teddy Purcell can bring a consistent effort; could be a sleeper.

DEFENSE

Drew Doughty is an absolute stud; could easily double his point production this year.
Jack Johnson will have a breakout year; may lead the Kings defense in points.

GOALTENDERS

Jonathan Quick's first full-season should be a good one with more offense and an improved defense in-front of him.

Frozen Fury XII Rewind

2009-09-29T01:36:00.001-07:00

Frozen Fury XII
Originally uploaded by cikiri

Just got back from Las Vegas. Kings scored four unanswered goals to beat the Aves 5-3. Kopitar scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty shot when an Aves player covered the puck inside the crease. The game was a great opportunity for Kings fans to check out all the regulars sans Sean O'Donnell.

Check out the local Las Vegas Sun's write-up of the game here.

My observations from the game.

THE GOOD

Although Kopitar was award the 1st Star of the Game; Drew Doughty absolutely stole the show. His 2nd period goal was absolute magic as he gained the neutral zone, crossed the blueline and fired a wrist shot just inside the face-off circle. His defensive effort in the third period made the difference; laying out an Ave with a booming hip check and then breaking up a two-on-one late in the game.
Wayne Simmonds is an absolute stud. His play in the pre-season has grabbed the attention of alot of people. His effort on every shift led to a number of grade-A scoring opportunities not to mention when he broke Matt Hendricks' face in their first-period fight.
Jack Johnson is going to have a breakout year. He's playing with confidence that Kings fans haven't seen since his days at Michigan.
Colorado's Matt Duchene, the 3rd Overall Pick in 2009 is legitimate talent. Could easily challenge for the Calder this year.

THE BAD

Kings Power Play is going to miss Kyle Quincey's shot from the point. Jason Williams and Jarret Stoll both have stellar shots but the Kings need another d-men to handle the blueline on the PP. Stoll couldn't handle the pressure of the penalty killers.
Alexander Frolov & Matt Greene both had tough games. Frolov netted a goal but he looked slow out there.

THE ODD

Adam Foote challenging Dustin Brown & the entire Kings team in the 1st period was a reminder that he's the only remaining member of those dominant teams of the early 90's. Poor guy.
Kyle Quincey and Anze Kopitar must have really missed each other when they started to hug in the second period
Walking through the MGM, seeing this dude with a Calgary Flames logo tattoo on his neck, and then about half the Western Conference on his forearm.
Walking through Paris, seeing a dude dressed as a woman. And then two seconds later walking by a woman bodybuilder with crazy muscles. Scary stuff @ Paris.

Check out Anze's Penalty Shot Goal courtesy of lakings.com.

August 9, 1988

2009-09-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Day That Changed History (photo:NHL.com)

Keeping with the Gretzky-theme; there are two projects being released next month documenting the trade that brought Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles and changed the history of the sport forever. The book looks like a must-read and I can't wait to check out the documentary.

Gretzky's Tears: Hockey, Canada, And The Day Everything Changed by Stephen Brunt

Release Date: October 6, 2009 (amazon.ca)

"Renowned sportswriter Stephen Brunt reveals how “the Great One,” whowas bought and sold more than once, decided that the comfortableCanadian city where hockey ruled couldn’t compete with the slushy iceof a California franchise.

Bobby Orr’s career ended prematurely,with tears. Wayne Gretzky’s tears, unlike Orr’s, announced not anending but another beginning. Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers had fourStanley Cup victories, but Gretzky may then have had other goals inmind.

Beginning with his dad, Walter, and continuing with NelsonSkalbania, Peter Pocklington, Bruce McNall, Jerry Buss — and with theCBC’s Peter Gzowski as chronicler for the eager masses — the enormityof Gretzky’s talent attracted all sorts of people who were after avariety of vicarious thrills."

Ironically enough, the man who traded Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles is also releasing a book about the events with a foreword provided by The Great One. This one might be even more interesting a read than the first one.

I'd Trade Him Again: On Gretzky, Politics And The Pursuit Of The Perfect Deal by Peter Pocklington

Release Date: October 27, 2009 (amazon.ca)

"As one of Canada’s best-knownmavericks of industry, Peter Pocklington is both reviled and revered.This is, after all, the man who both signed and sold Gretzky. Love himor hate him, Peter Pocklington has never been dull. Even now, hecontinues to draw headlines. On March 11, 2009, he was arrested onfraud charges. He could face up to 10 years in federal prison.

InI’d Trade Him Again, Pocklington’s story is told for the first time.It’s a story of hockey and baseball, of politics and trade unions, ofentrepreneurship and commitment. Above all, it’s the story of how oneman’s resolve and tenacity catapulted him from small-town car dealer toone of the most famouspersonalities in Canadian sports and business.Like Pocklington himself, it’s a story that’s never dull."

Lastly as part of ESPN's 30 for 30: Documenting 30 Years Of Sport, director Peter Berg presents King's Ransom an inside look at the biggest trade in NHL history and it's impact on the game. The film will debut on ESPN Tuesday, October 6 at 8 PM. Puck Daddy at yahoo sports got a sneak peak of the film at the Toronto Film Festival (check out his review here).

Check out the film's homepage for the film here with excerpts of the movie and thoughts from the director.

Thank You #99

2009-09-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Wayne Gretzky Deserved Better (photo:Businessweek.com)

Through a statement posted on his website, The Great One announcedhe was stepping down as Head Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes (read it here).

I fell in love with hockey because of #99. I still remember myfirst hockey game at the Great Western Forum, an exhibition matchagainst the San Jose Sharks in 1993. I was seven. I absolutely fellin love with the game watching Gretzky skate with his signature JOFAhelmet, jersey tucked in on the right side, and the arena lightsreflecting off his silver aluminum Easton hockey stick. The next day,I begged my dad to buy me a JOFA helmet.

The Great One introduced hockey to a new generation ofkids just like me all over America. Kids fell in love with the sport. No athlete had a greater impact on the growth of their sport than WayneGretzky. End of discussion.

He deserved better than what transpired over the pastmonth. The greatest player that this game has ever seen deservedbetter than to be kept in the limbo by the NHL, the Phoenix Coyotes,and everyone else involved in what's become an embarrassment for theleague. Not knowing whether or not the team would be playing games in Phoenix, Hamilton, or even be playing games for that matter.

Over the past months, some have been critical of Gretzky'scoaching style, his sub-.500 record and zero playoff appearances. Butnot even Herb Brooks could turn this team into a playoff contender. The Coyotes are in the midst of a total rebuild; a team that's decidedto fill the majority of their roster with first-and-second year pros. No coach can compete for a Calder Cup with a team like that, let alonea Stanley Cup.

People have been critical of his $8-million salary fromthe Coyotes. Based on his contributions to the game; Gretzky deservedpart ownership of every single NHL expansion franchise; especiallythose in Anaheim, Atlanta, Carolina, Columbus, Colorado, Dallas,Florida, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Tampa Bay. Gary Bettman should be writing a monthly residual check to The Great One for what he's turned the NHL into.

Wayne Gretzky is the reason I love hockey. He's the reason why millions of people across the country love hockey. He deserved better than this.

The NHL is a better place when #99 is a part of it, whether it's on-the-ice or behind the bench. Let's hope he's back sooner than later.

Kings 2009-10 Season Previews

2009-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Does 'Captain Canada' Make The Kings Playoff Contenders? (photo:NHL.com)

The Season Previews are rolling in. Check out what the league is saying about this year's squad.

CBS Sportsline

"OK, so a little optimism isrequired for a franchise that hasn't sniffed a playoff spot in sixseasons. But the light at the end of the tunnel has become brighter thepast few years, even if the youth-oriented rebuilding movementinstituted by general manager Dean Lombardi after he took over in 2006has suffered through unavoidable growing pains."

NHL.com

"Strike up a conversation or conduct an interview with any member of the Los Angeles Kings these days and inevitably one word seems to come up. Playoffs."

Puck Prospectus

"They’ve got two good forward lines, solid defense, underrated goaltending and a ton of good, young players who could have an impact at the NHL level. It’s possible they’ll regress defensively and be no better than they were last year – gambling men seem to think so – but they certainly look like a team poised to get out of the cellar."

Sporting News

"After a seven-year absence from postseason play, there will be no talk of moral victories, or heading in the right direction, or developing young players. Not this year. Not this time. The Kings have their sights set on one thing -- the playoffs."

TSN Preview

"The Kings are a team in desperate need of an identity - they have some skilled players but they are not a finesse team. They also have some bangers and grinders, but are far from a shutdown defensive team. Basically, they are an honest hockey team fighting six other teams for the final playoff spot in the West."

XM Radio Preview below:

Here's Your Answer

2009-09-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Writer Pierre Lebrun of ESPN and CBC's Hockey Night In Canada called out the Kings for using Sean O'Donnell with standout Drew Doughty on their first d-pairing (check it out here). Ironically, on the same night the Kings defeated the Islanders 4-2 in Kansas City Matt Martin got Doughty with a high-stick. OD was right there to step-in. Wayne Simmonds was nearby as well.

O'Donnell received a match penalty for the altercation. The NHL announced OD would be suspended for the remainder of the pre-season and the first two regular season games of the year.

Here's what Coach Terry Murray had to say about the incident (courtesy of Rich Hammond's Blog here).

``The Islanders player came across and it was a situation where it wasa shoulder hit to the head area, one of those late hits that needs tobe taken out of the game, in my opinion. In that situation, O'Donnellresponded to protect his teammate, and that's a good thing to see. Withthe culture we're trying to build here, that's exactly what we want tosee happen. It's a great message to all of the players on the team.''

The suspension sent a message to the entire league that this group of players is going to stand up for each other. No more questions of whether or not the Kings are tough enough; no more Evgeny Artyukhin skating around taking cheap shots at the youngsters.

Check out the video of OD below courtesy of LAKings.com

Should Frolov Be Resigned?

2009-09-21T19:22:00.001-07:00

Alexander Frolov
Originally uploaded by cikiri

Alexander Frolov is one year away from unrestricted free agency; he's made it no secret he enjoys playing in Los Angeles. But many are speculating that Frolov is looking for hefty pay raise from the $2.9 million he makes this season. GM Dean Lombardi hasn't made it clear whether or not the longest tenured King is on his blueprint moving forward. Until the Kings decide what to do, Frolov's name will continue to surface in trade rumors all season long. Chicago was Frolov's latest destination over the weekend (read here).

I'm not one to take rumors too seriously but I do believe in the idiom, 'where there's smoke there's fire.' Frolov has been one of the most discussed players in trade rumors this off-season. If the Kings wanted to re-sign Frolov; it seems like the team would have done it this off-season. The signing would have made a statement to the player and the fans that he is part of the core of the Kings.

Instead, Kings fans are left to speculate if we're seeing Fro skate for the last time this season.

So let me speculate. I believe the Kings would like to bring Frolov back but are listening to offers on him and here's why: the Kings crop of young skilled forwards like Loktionov, Moller, Purcell, and Schenn are all expected to be top-6 forwards at some point during the next few seasons; the Kings are getting crowded up-front pretty quickly. If Frolov is re-signed to a multi-year deal, he could block one of the youngsters from playing in the NHL. If the two sides are negotiating, I could see the term of the contract being a major hangup. The Kings are probably looking for a short-term deal (2 years) while Frolov is looking for a long-term deal (3-4 years). If Frolov's services become available July 1st; he'll be one of the most sought after free-agents of the off-season. Not only will NHL teams be interested but the threat of Russian players leaving to play in the KHL is becoming more real with every defector (i.e.- Jiri Hudler & Anton Babchuk this off-season).

Unless Frolov is looking for a Dany Heatley-type deal; it seems like a no-brainer to bring #24 back. His goal scoring, puck protection in the corners, and penalty killing abilities make him one of the most valuable players on the roster. Frolov netted 32 goals last season to lead the Kings; he never uttered a single complaint when Terry Murray decided to put him on the third line. Although his work ethic and drive have been questioned at times; his all-around game has continued to improve with each season. His game has evolved from being a one-dimensional goal scorer to a player that can log powerplay minutes and kill penalties. And his willingness to play in Los Angeles shouldn't be overlooked either especially after the Kings have lost out on a number of high-profile free agents over the last few off-seasons.

Until the Kings resign or trade him, the speculation will continue.

My Fearless Prediction: Frolov's new contract terms: 3 years $13.5 million-$15 million.

Wednesday Practice Photos

2009-09-19T01:16:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to narrow all the pictures I took down to a manageable size. I actually created a flickr account so I could create a slideshow. Still getting used to using it but it seems easy enough. I like that you can view the photographs in hi-res.

First slideshow is Group A including all the prospects. Second slideshow is Group B including all the NHL players and a few standout prospects. You can view the slideshows full-screen by clicking the button in the bottom right after the slideshow starts.

You can check out the photostream here. You can also view them on my shutterfly.

Enjoy!

Practice Report: Wednesday 9/16/09

2009-09-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

After staying up til 5 in the morning playing NHL 10; I managed to wake up and drive down to TSC to check out the Kings practice. Unfortunately, the team failed to inform this fan that they had canceled their 9:30 practice session. I ended waiting till 11 to see them take the ice.

Main reason I went down to the practice was to shoot some pictures. I rented a 70-200 f/2.8 L IS lense from Samy's for the day. I took way too many pictures. I'll post the link to the photos sometime tomorrow after I'm done going through all of them.

The roster was split into two groups. Group A consisted of all the prospects still in camp; most of them ticketed back to their junior teams, Manchester, or Ontario this season. Group B consisted of all the NHL regulars and a few standout prospects.

Group B's forward lines looked like this:

Smyth - Kopitar - Williams

Purcell - Moller -Brown

Frolov - Handzus - Simmonds

Ivanans - Harrold - Zeiler

Loktionov - Lewis - Richardson

I didn't pay close enough to the defensive pairings but I believe they looked something like this:

Doughty - O'Donnell

Drewiske - Greene

Scuderi - Johnson

Hickey - Voynov

Quick & Ersberg in goal.

Few random observations...

Jarret Stoll was on the ice to entertain the crowd of five that were in attendance. He spent about 20 minutes on the ice doing a few skating drills but mostly stickhandling and firing pucks on net from all over the ice.
Richard Clune's face has seen better days.
Kyle Clifford is impressing me more and more each day with his effort.
Our first line is awesome. Kopitar, Williams, and Smyth absolutely fly. They've got instant chemistry and they seem to get along really well.
Jonathan Quick practices HARD. This guy competes on every single drill. He really doesn't like pucks in his net.
Andrei Loktionov is going to give Kings management alot to think about in the next couple weeks.
Viatcheslav Voynov looked lost in practice today.
Wayne Simmonds's skating looks improved from last year.
Oscar Moller can go shelf with the best of them.
Terry Murray and his coaching staff ended practice with an Herb Brooks-type skating drill. Think the movie Miracle after Team USA skated to a tie versus Norway. Line drills. Again. And again. Jonathan Bernier looked absolutely gassed. Brayden Schenn looked sick.

Kings Pre-Season Game #1 Report

2009-09-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hockey season has officially arrived! The Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-3 in the first home pre-season game of the season. Staples Center was absolutely freezing, probably because the arena was practically empty (official attendance: 8,432 hardcore Kings fans). The game started as expected with Kings tough guys Kevin Westgarth and Richard Clune both dropping the gloves two minutes into the game. The pace picked up as the night went on and proved to be a pretty darn good hockey game.

THE GOOD

Jack Johnson is finally starting to earn that ridiculous nickname that LetsGoKings.com bestowed upon him before he ever played an NHL game. JJ is looking like a breakout candidate for the 2009-10 season. JJ's offensive performance in the World Championships for Team USA ( 9 GP 5G 2A) got Kings fans excited about the possibilities. His offensive skills were on full display last night. He finished the night with two goals; his highlight reel goal on the penalty kill ended up as the game-winner. (JJ's 2nd goal officially shut up the heckler in front of me yelling for Phil Kessel.)
Teddy Purcell is going to fill out the top-6 if he continues to play like he did last night. He looked like a completely different player last night than last season. He skated hard at both ends of the ice and wasn't afraid to go to the net.
Our First-Line. Anze Kopitar finally has some linemates. Justin Williams was flying and had an absolutely beautiful toe-drag goal. Ryan Smyth was banging; mullet and all. The Hockey IQ of this line is through the roof. The line had chemistry from their first shift of the game. Kings fans will finally see that 80-90 point season from Kopitar this season.

THE NOT-SO GOOD

Rob Scuderi had himself a tough night. A bad giveaway that led to a penalty shot and than a goal into his own net off a bad deflection off his stick. He's not a defenseman that's going to grab anyone's attention but he managed to do it last night for all the wrong reasons.
Colton Teubert wasn't all that bad last night. But when a player manages to earn himself 9 PIMs (boarding, roughing, fighting) on one play; he's earned a spot in this category. After taking the boarding penalty, he managed to drop the gloves with veteran Taylor Pyatt who absolutely broke Teubert's face. Thank God he was wearing a visor. Welcome to the NHL, we're not in Regina anymore.

THE TBD

Jonathan Bernier had himself a sold outing last night stopping 21 of 24 shots. Not the type of performance that would unseed Jonathan Quick from the #1 spot but a good start to the pre-season. As with any young player, it will come down to consistency for Bernier going forward.
Kyle Clifford impressed me last night. His skated hard and played with alot of grit. He took a roughing penalty when Yotes defenseman Keith Yandle refused to drop his gloves. If Clifford can work on his skating in Barrie this season; he'll be an interesting player to watch this time next season.
Andrei Loktionov impressed me again last night. His compete level is through the roof. I think he has a legitimate shot at making this team out of camp.
Thomas Hickey played a solid game last night. Nothing really spectacular but he picked his spots. I still don't see him in the NHL this year though.
Brayden Schenn grabbed my attention a couple of times. Him & Clifford definitely have alot of grit to their games. Neither of them shy away from playing the body. Schenn was running guys all night unfortunately he was bouncing right off them. Think Wayne Simmonds early last season.

And that was the view from Section 310. I leave you with Jack Johnson's highlight reel goal courtesy of LAKings.com.

Kings Prospects Game #2 Report

2009-09-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Kings 2009 1st Rounder Brayden Schenn

Had a chance to check out the Kings prospects get some revenge against the Coyotes with a 4-0 win. I would have had some better pictures but TSC hired the Red Coats to play security; I wasn’t allowed to stand anywhere near the ice to take pictures. So here’s a few quick hits regarding the prospects game. My impressions are based solely on what I saw during game two.

There’s no doubt that Dean Lombardi is putting his stamp on this team. No one will question the character of the Kings anymore. These prospects battled hard on every possession of the second game. Plenty of guys willing to stand up for a teammate. Plenty of guys willing to mix it up. Not too many one dimensional players out there for the Kings.

TEAM AWARDS

MVP: Andrei Loktionov- The most skilled player on either team. I’m officially on the Loktionov bandwagon. Feel free to jump on! He’s extremely creative with the puck on his stick, loves to stickhandle, sometimes a little too much for his own good. I love the effort I saw on every single shift. Would not all be surprised if he were one of the last cuts this year at camp.
Most Surprising: Brandon Kozun- Impressed me during the prospect camp earlier in the summer. Great to see him hold his own in the game. The smallest guy on the ice had enough speed to elude checks and get into the right spots all night. His goal reminded me a bit of Martin St. Louis, way too early for those comparisons though. Hopefully we don’t sell Kozun short the way Calgary did St. Louis.
Most Disappointing: Kyle Clifford- Saw him fight twice. Love the heart but did we really use a second round pick on a goon? He didn’t show enough skill in between fights to get me excited. I’ll put it this way, Clifford didn’t leave me with nearly the same impression that Moller & Simmonds did after their draft year. Moller & Simmonds absolutely took off with their junior teams following their draft year, so I'm crossing my fingers that the Kings found another second round gem.
Most Underrated: Alec Martinez- Spent all of last year in Manchester and it showed. Very poised with the puck and makes the intelligent play. Nothing flashy but just a solid all-around game. While a lot of Kings fans are choosing Hickey to fill out the Kings blueline this season; Martinez is my pick to make the jump to the Kings at some point this season.
Most Overrated: Thomas Hickey- I want to love Hickey as much as every other Kings fan but I just don’t see it. Let me preface this by saying: I’m not a huge fan of undersized defenseman. I was never a huge fan of Lubo. I see Hickey’s upside as Lubo more than Scott Niedermayer. Which isn’t a bad thing at all. But is it Top-5 worthy? Hickey can run a powerplay and he makes good decisions with the puck but I wanted him to absolutely stand out among the other prospects this year. If Hickey were healthy at last year’s camp, Doughty would have absolutely run circles around him.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Justin Azevedo and Gabe Gauthier are going to break AHL career records together in Manchester…Brayden Schenn scored twice but he can thank Mikus and Loktionov for both goals; I still wish we could have nabbed Evander Kane somehow…Colton Teubert is either going to be the next Dion Phaneuf or Vitali Vishnevsky; the kid hits everything but he’s all over the place…Vyacheslav Voynov didn’t impress me as much as last year…Geoff Walker could help the Monarchs next year…Nicolas Deslauriers has a high-ceiling, I’m interested to see what he looks like next summer….Michael Pelech has a solid all-around game, might surprise a few people....