File this game under you can’t win them all. More importantly, learn from it. These two points were just as valuable as the last one. Phoenix won tonight. Colorado did as well. In a race to the playoffs, no team, not even one in fuego as our Kings, can take a night off.
Who scored what goal and when doesn’t matter. One statistic tells the whole story. The Kings were 0 for 4 on an anemic power play. The Birds were 2 for 4. Anaheim fans should remember to put Brian Pochmara and Kelly Sutherland in their prayers tonight right after mommy, daddy and Daisy Duck. With the first two periods the referees missed, at least one of them had to be pregnant. I don’t know who blew who and what it took to swallow the whistle on three obvious calls (obvious to a less obtuse pair of zebras) in the first and half of the second, but it led me to finally scream, “hey, whatever the F they are paying you, I’ll double it.” I was only partially joking. The officiating was pure horror.
So we lost 4-2. The second period was the game. I don’t put blame anywhere. It’s not necessary. The forwards looked tired. Anze Kopitar had another solid game. Jarret Stoll was brilliant in the faceoff circle. Nobody else could get their game together. Even the very steady Ryan Smyth looked “off”, either one step behind or ahead of the puck. The defensemen were chasing the puck all night. It happens. I am sure some are ready to give the Ducks credit. I won’t. They are a shell of their former self. The Kings didn’t show. The Oilers may beat them if they come out like this on Thursday but they won’t. One thing I have learned watching this team is that they respond very well after a bad game. I don’t expect to beat Edmonton. I expect our Kings to destroy them.
GO KINGS!
Random Tidbits
- My compliments to the Kings fan in section 406 for the fight he picked and getting tossed out. The game was over by then anyway and you went out in style. Step up and be noticed.
- Their ice girls don’t hold a candle to ours. A few of them have to lose that winter coat. Child bearing hips and tights are only sexy after a few drinks.
- The Ducks are going to lose half of their fans when Teemu retires. Who are all those 8 to 12 year kids going to worship? Parros? That’s no role model. Todd Marchant? He has a face like a goldfish. Corey Perry? Those poor kids.
Finally, this video has nothing to do with hockey but I could not stop laughing the first time I saw it…so I’m sharing it out of love.
When is a hockey game not just another hockey game?
When that game sees the Kings kick a curse in the nuts, break a franchise record, and make Staples center as loud as I’ve heard it in far too long a time.
When Los Angeles outsystems Detroit.
Cautious optimism can suck it.
This team scratched and clawed their way to their FRANCHISE RECORD 9th consecutive win. Good for 36 on the year, their 74th and 75th point (4 away from last season’s total of 79) in just their 58th game.
This is not a perfect team, far from it. But their skin is thick, and their conviction is zealous.
Nothing I can say here can match what I just witnessed along with my fellow Kings’ nation, that was not tarnished, but rather enhanced, by the presence of the large contingent of ogres in red apparel. I will give you but the quickest of recaps, because you should, no you need to watch this game. See that you do.
The game began with much the same air as the prior contest against the pond scum, though the Kings were matching Detroit for most steps. Then almost halfway through the period, the feathered tires caught their first break when Pavel Datsyuk’s initial pass from the low right wing boards deflected back to his stick off of Rob Scuderi’s skate. The momentary confusion allowed Zetterberg to find himself alone to Quick’s right where he received a patently gorgeous pass from his Russian counterpart. 1-0.
16 seconds later. A broken play, a miscue, a blind backhand from Filpulla on its way wide finds Sean O’Donnell’s skate and beats Quick’s left pad. 2-0.
Then the Kings’ played some respectable hockey, until Drew Doughty, whose 1st period was one of the worst of his young career, took his second penalty with under 2 minutes to play. Jason Williams’ hooking call did little to alleviate the disaster of a period as Zetterberg just barely beat Quick off yet another lucky bounce. 3-0.
The Kings’ defense was horrible. No bones about that. I would have thought the subtraction of Randy Jones from the lineup would eliminate the chances through the crease. It didn’t. Every Detroit goal mirrored the 4 goals Anaheim scored in that the blue paint was unchecked by a Kings’ defender.
Like I said, they are far from perfect.
But screw perfect. And screw the Red Wings. Screw their fans and yes, screw the 3 adorable little children in red sitting in front of me, chanting soft but persistent refrains of “Let’s Go Red Wings.”
Sorry kids. You don’t know any better yet. I forgive them, for they know not what they do. Bad time to become a Wings’ fan.
Screw the Red Wing’s snapping our 8 game winning streak and depriving this team of making Kings’ history.
No one doubted it. I heard none of the typical whimpering among the crowd during the 1st intermission. “Aw we suck.” “Detroit has our number.” “So much for the winning streak.”
Not a peep.
Just another beer.
Tastes like confidence.
What does a 3-0 goal deficit with 40 minutes of hockey left to play mean?
Nothing.
9 minutes, 21 seconds after Zetterberg’s last goal.
Handzus turns on the god factor. Parse hustles his ass off. Frolov feels the excitement and the fervor and whacks and whacks at the puck until he banks it in off Jimmy Howard’s skate.
3-1.
14 minutes, 52 seconds after Detroit’s last tally.
The god factor takes over. Handzus, in behind the Wings’ defense, hounds the puck away from a bumbling Howard.
3-2.
16 minutes, 26 seconds since Detroit thought they had a good lead.
A battle among battles in front of Howard. Stoll, Simmonds, Smyth. Our puck. Smyth’s 18th goal of the season.
Tie game.
37 minutes, 44 seconds since the Kings’ gave Detroit the illusion of victory.
The beast within Frolov shoves its way to the high slot, ensuring Brad Stuart’s -4 rating for the evening. He turns, he shoots. Parse follows up. Another rebound. The lord of Olympus muscles his way to the front, alone and with eye on his 6th game winning goal.
4-3.
And there you have it.
I know a lot of other cool stuff happened. Doughty turned his game completely around and finished in his usual top form after he got his helmet knocked off by a flying elbow. Quick made several big stops in tight throughout the game. Brown knocked Brad Stuart 2 inches deep into the ice with a thunderous hit in the 1st period. The 4th line of Purcell-Moller-Segal helped turn the momentum of the game around with the Kings’ best shift of the game to that point in the 2nd period. Handzus did more than score 2 goals and an assist, he absolutely dominated the entire third period. Defensively he was unbeatable. Kopitar had a incredible game, generating chances, hitting 2 posts, checking Datsyuk and Zetterberg into the ground, and even sticking up for his Captain with some nasty face-washing after the latter Wing boarded Brown.
For the benefit of Ducks fans who may read this article, the snowman refers to the number 8. As in 8 in row…that is 8 wins in a row…and very much at your expense.
One of the pleasures of Staples Center is everything it lacks in common with the rival Orange County arena. For every silicon filled 40 something year old mother of two who hasn’t had a good lay in a decade at Honda Center, there are ten gorgeous 20 something girls at our home who define hot. For every kid with a kazoo or duck call who still lament the name change from the Pond, there are a 100 intense Kings fans who would gladly oblige any similarly inclined Ducks fan to a discussion about the effects of a post concussion syndrome after a good ass kicking.
For all the rivalry, shouting, chanting and good natured fun between our Kings and the whiny kids down the freeway, two things have become clear. The Ducks are yesterday. The Kings are here, now and tomorrow.
There were two different games played in the opening period. The initial ten minutes of the first found the Kings unwilling to protect the center of the ice. The second half saw Los Angeles playing stingy defense and disallowing any opportunities from high percentage areas while, at the same time, attacking the recently signed Jonas Hiller’s net with the puck and bodies. The period ended tied 1-1. The Kings’ goal came from Anze Kopitar after a nice takeaway by Brad Richardson from Scott Niedermayer. Los Angeles had very much taken the momentum.
At the end of the first, I told my fellow writer, Surly, that I expected a 3-1 lead by the end of the 2nd as we were on the cusp of taking over the game. Alas, to toot my own horn, that is exactly what happened as the Kings received goals from Wayne Simmonds and Michal Handzus. Both goals were on shots near the net. Wayne Simmonds picked up the puck on a Kopitar shot. Handzus deflected one from Alexander Frolov.
The third saw the Kings take a 4-1 lead on a Jack Johnson slapper from the left point and just inside the blue line. Handzus, as he did all game, provided the screen. By Hiller’s reaction, he never saw it.
The Ducks did come back to tie the game on a few defensive breakdowns and odd plays. More than a few Kings fans asked why, for the love of the Hockey Gods, is Randy Jones on the ice. We hope our coach asks the same. It was all for nothing however as this game was pre-destined. Dustin Brown scored after Hiller gave up a fat rebound to the long side on an Anze Kopitar shot. Brown saw nothing but an empty net. Then, with under 2 minutes left, the Kings refused to give the puck back to Anaheim and Getzlaf took a penalty that sealed their fate. Kopitar drove in the final nail with 27 seconds remaining.
More post game thoughts, tidbits and stats to follow.
Pardon my pandering, but the Ilya Kovalchuk saga is speculated to be ending (at least so far as the 2009-2010 season is concerned), as soon as today, or tomorrow, or soon, or sometime…. damnit, it won’t ever end, will it?
Or maybe it just feels like that because I want Kovalchuk.
So Ilya is on his way out. TSN isn’t hockeybuzz, so I’m going to go ahead and take their word for there being truth to Waddell’s words to Kovalchuk.
Does this make a difference to the Kings?
Perhaps.
Growing numbers of Kings’ fans are turning their noses up at a trade for Kovalchuk, who is all but guaranteed to be nothing but a rental (albeit as good a rental as you’ll ever find) until July 1st, mostly as they deservedly balk at the asking price that has been floating around the various rumor mongering sources. Names like Stoll, Johnson, Frolov and most blasphemously, Wayne Simmonds, have been heard by those like myself, obsessed with tracking the destinations of superstars.
The most interesting thing to note from the article, is not that Waddell said Ilya is on his way out, but rather that the article purports “There is no indication that any deal with a specific team is imminent.”
Well, if no deal is imminent, then how does Waddell know he’s getting traded soon?
Simple, because he has to.
And one positive to take from this is that the exorbitant asking price for Kovalchuk will plummet with Waddell’s assertion that Ilya is getting traded. One has to hope that Waddell is one the verge of buckling under the immense pressure to solve this hairy situation for his hockey club since he has always, up until now, claimed that holding on to Kovalchuk was still a real possibility. Well, telling a player he is getting traded makes it pretty clear that is not happening, and when some of the guess work gets taken out of a situation, so does some of the mystery and with it, leverage. The only thing standing in the way of this scenario, which works well for the Kings, who are more than likely willing to part with one roster player (not named Johnson or Simmonds) and a boatload of good prospects and picks (all of which Waddell has previously denied any interest in acquiring as his team sits precipitously 1-point out of the playoff race and isn’t interested in throwing in the white towel yet), is if the teams get into a bidding war, which could very well happen.
However, the second scenario may easily deter it, depending on how skeptical NHL GM’s are as opposed to NHL fans.
There are those conspiracy theorists who find this Kovalchuk situation to be highly suspect. One of two concerns are raised by Waddell’s denial of any team to speak with Ilya’s agent prior to a trade.
The simple explanation is that Waddell does not want the agent to have any bargaining power in terms of a trade. The two you should be worried about, are that Waddell knows something we don’t, such as a (hypothetical) recent purchase by Kovalchuk of heavy winter clothing for Ilya and his family as Russia is known to get a bit frosty while the NHL is playing games in November, or, and this one is really out there, that Kovalchuk and Waddell have some kind of secret deal in place, whereby Kovalchuk is traded for a nice chunk of change, and then resigns with Atlanta anyways in the offseason, thus making the Thrashers an even stronger competitor.
OK, that is a little nuts. Insane, even. But… possible. Not necessarily more or less possible than Kovalchuk being eaten by a pack of escaped Tigers form the Zoo, but possible nonetheless.
Most likely, Ilya Kovalchuk, being one of the greatest players in a very long time to potentially hit the open market, doesn’t really care about any of this and is strictly intent on watching the bidding war once July 1st hits. Maybe he has a team he wants to play for, maybe he doesn’t. Maybe he just wants to see how high teams are willing to go for him, even if he has a destination, be it in this league or another, already picked out in his head.
Maybe he is like Frolov and is too busy playing chess and reading Russian classics and looking all goofy to even notice what all the hubbub is about.
Well, probably not that last one.
My thoughts on the situation are that Kovalchuk most likely wants to test FA, and that is when Dean Lombardi will go after him hard. I do believe Dean wants this sensational athlete on the Kings and I do believe he is willing to pay the CAP price, just not the trade price.
What’s the best way to follow a perfect five game road trip and a six game win streak?
A perfect home stand and a seven game streak.
The Kings are off to a good start.
Tonight, the New York Rangers came to Staples Center. New York is fresh off a trade that brought them Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust.
For anyone who was concerned about a first period hangover after the road trip, the game’s start put worry to rest. L.A. came out with an aggressive forecheck, effective cycling, little trouble entering the Rangers’ zone and sustained pressure. All we missed was, well, the net as we continued to send shots wide. The Rangers didn’t have their first shot on goal until approximately fourteen minutes into the first period. The shots by the end of the first frame were the Kings 5, Rags 4. The period saw hard checking by both teams and the Rangers leading in that department 14-10.
The game opened up in the second period. North to south hockey, speed through the neutral zone and chances by both teams. Quick made a big save around the 15 minute mark. The post made another at just under 14 minutes. Most annoyingly, the Rangers had taken the momentum.
It didn’t last.
LET’S GO KINGS!
clapclap clapclapclap.
Prust got into a fight with Brandon Segal and proceeded to talk shit to Ivanans thereafter. He (Prust) also received 2 minutes for instigating. He should have been handed an extra 2 for being a moron…perhaps a 10 minute misconduct for being one ugly son of a bitch. Screw it, suspend him for a game or two. The Kings weren’t able to score on the ensuing powerplay partly because Kopitar gave up a beautiful shot opportunity right in the slot. I love Kopi but that was in his wheelhouse and passing it to Jones gave me and a few others a gray hair. The Kings received a second powerplay immediately thereafter on a delay of game penalty but, alas, the Kings again could not convert. Most of the shots were not getting through and to Lundqvist.
A serious of weird incidents led to odd penalties. Jarret Stoll for goaltender interference. For what? Not much. He may have breathed heavily in Henrik’s direction. Then, Rangers’ 1st round pick Del Taco (oops, Del Zotto) tripped via a slew foot Sean O’Donnell. Matt Greene sent the puck out of the zone without deflection (delay of game). Out of all that, the Kings were still down by one man. Sucks, right? Wrong. What the Kings could not do on the powerplay, they accomplished short handed. Kopitar took the puck in his own zone after a poor pass by Gaborik, drove with Brown two on one against Lundqvist and snapped a deadly accurate wrist shot high and glove side. Kopitar never gave the shot away, and even released it while on the wrong foot. It was a thing of beauty.
The Kings did not stop. Moller nearly had a breakaway but the bouncing puck got away from him. Dustin Brown knocked former King Brian Boyle on his behind. Dustin was knocking a lot of Rangers on their butts the entire game. The Kings had several scoring chances in the final minute of the second including a highlight reel back hand cross ice pass from Johnson to Jones that Henrik stopped. The Rangers should have considered themselves lucky that they were not down 3-0.
Off to the third we go – The physical game continued. The Kings seemed content to hit everything in blue and white. Our boys had some high percentage chances but shots still sailed high or wide, an ongoing habit that carried over from the first two periods. Jack Johnson’s rocket actually broke the glass. Rob Scuderi stopped Marion Gaborik on a one on one move that should be an illustration in a book on how to defend such plays – stick angle, reach without taking a penalty, positioning, enough force to knock the forward off balance without holding.
With 8:46 left in the third, the Rangers turned over the puck in the neutral zone. O’Donnell passed it to Brown who took the biscuit along the boards while Ryan Smyth cut to the center. Brown put the puck on Ryan’s stick who flipped the puck over Lundqvist and into the net for a 2 – 0 lead. It wasn’t a hard shot. It didn’t need to be. It was the picture of accuracy.
Shut out? No. Gaborik scored an undeserved goal with less than 3 minutes left but that’s all the Rangers would get. Quick made a few big saves in the final few. The Kings played a fast, hard and physical game on both ends of the ice. They scored both goals on New York turnovers. This game could have easily been won by a much higher margin. It doesn’t matter. That is 7 in a row boys…
Post Game Tidbits
Oscar Moller looks like a Humingbird out there. He’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere. Now, he just needs to tighten that shot.
The Rangers play an interesting game. They seem to thrive in a wide open style. Their problem was that the Kings are a smart defensive team, force most plays to the outside and don’t give up rebounds.
Anze Kopitar played an effective two way game. Who would have thought Kopi would become a defensive force…I still want more goals. Many more.
Henrik Lundqvist is a damn good goaltender. Jonathan Quick was better tonight.
A special acknowledgment to Jack Johnson, Jarret Stoll, Rob Scuderi and Matt Greene. Each played a smart and physical game. I was especially impressed by Jack. He looked like a seasoned professional out there and was a + 2…imagine that…
My only criticism is the number of Kings’ shot that missed wide. Time for some shooting drills coach especially on the rush and from the top circle.
The Kovalchuk rumors are heating up. Bob & Jim even discussed that a trade may be imminent. Just say no to rentals that cost important roster players.
As I finished writing this, an ant crawled on my lap top monitor. I smashed it with my thumb and flicked away its lifeless body…I expect the Kings to do nothing less to Anaheim on Thursday night.
While perusing the quotes from last night’s game on Rich Hammond’s blog, I came across this little gem from Jonathan Quick:
“Just beating good teams builds character, especially coming back the way we did these past two nights, coming from a deficit, 2-0, 2-1. It just builds character, and we’re going to need a lot if we plan on doing well in the playoffs.”link
Read that last sentence again.
“It just builds character, and we’re going to need a lot if we plan on doing well in the playoffs.”
Earlier in the season this quote would have read, and often did from most players, “we’re going to need a lot of (whatever the topic was) if we plan on making the playoffs.”
That’s a big difference, and its appropriate Quick says such a thing at this time, when it is clear to all that this Kings team has turned an enormous corner in their development as a group.
They know they are making the playoffs because they know they will battle every minute until they get there.
And its not good enough anymore just to get there.
The Devils are a talented group of players and for all the accolades showered upon our Kings by their announcers, we offer the same in return with sincerity.
The first period saw both teams generate chances with one exception – New Jersey kept their shots on goal and the Kings kept shooting wide. Apart from that, the Kings skated with New Jersey in every stride. The Devils got on board first with a beautiful cross ice pass from Zach Parise to the always fun to say Johnny Oduya. Oduya’s goal was fortuitous as it pinballed off Jack Johnson’s skate, rapidly changed direction, deflected off the inside of Quick’s right pad and ricocheted into the net. A questionable penalty call on Matt Greene against a net crashing Rob Niedermayer (who is living proof that the jersey can, in some cases, make or break a look as Rob looks imminently less inept and hate worthy without the CalTrans colors) gave the Devils’ a man advantage. The penalty call was apparently for “falling” as that is exactly what Niedermeyer did without any assistance from Greene. The Devils were a menace on the ensuing powerplay but the Kings’ stingy defense and Quick’s reflexes kept the deficit at one.
As the period wore on and despite playing less than 24 hours earlier against the Bruins, the Kings were getting stronger. The forwards were causing turnovers, the defensemen were standing the Devils’ forwards up at the blue line and there was a shift in momentum that the Devils had gained by the end of their powerplay.
The first period ended 1-0.
The second started with an amusing exchange between Cangialosi and Resche about the Kings’ old purple and gold jerseys and their pajama style superiority to the current colors. “Back to the things that do matter,” Cangialosi called. Indeed. An early turnover by Drew Doughty in the defensive zone, while attempting to send the puck at an angle behind the net to Scuderi, almost made the game 2-0 but an alert Jonathan Quick turned Zach Parise’s wrist shot away. New Jersey took the momentum back again for several minutes. The Kings were losing the neutral zone battles. Ted Purcell made a rare terrific defensive play by stripping Devils‘ captain Jamie Langenbrunner of the puck right in front of the net. New Jersey however kept coming and added to their lead on a Travis Zajac slap shot from near the top of the right circle. The play started on a shot by Wayne Simmonds that went through Brodeur’s crease and, hitting nobody, caused a three on two breakout for Devils. The shot, while hard and accurate, was stoppable and one Quick probably wants back.
By the half way point of the game, the Kings had not generated many shots or scoring chances against the near legendary Martin Brodeur – that is until 9:57 remaining in the second whereat Jack Johnson fired a rocket of a slap shot that Brodeur saved with his still lethal glove. Ted Purcell had another, gasp, good shift with hustle and aggressive forechecking. Doughty followed that with a dump that he chased, retrieved, and passed to Scuderi who had a solid shot on goal. On the next shift, Kopitar and Brown on an improvised Terry Murray line controlled the puck along the boards and Anze drew a penalty on Dean “who me?” McAmmond for tripping. The Kings didn’t have a shot on their earlier first powerplay of the game. On this second one, Ryan Smyth parked his rear end in front of the net. The Kings patiently cycled and passed the puck between Kopitar, Johnson, Doughty and Stoll. Stoll came within centimeters of cutting the lead in half but the leather tip of Brodeur’s glove sent the puck high and wide.
0 for 2 on the powerplay.
Once again, toward the end of the period, the Kings took the momentum. The game got chippy. Matt Greene put Parise into the boards on Zach’s one man rush. Jack Johnson pushed and slammed New Jersey’s Greene into the boards in front of his own bench. With 28 seconds left in the period, Frolov, Handzus and Parse recovered the puck on a pesky forecheck and Parse’s pass from behind the net to Handzus ended in the back of the net.
You could feel it.
The goal was a game changer.
Going into the third, the shots were even at 14 each and the Devils only had 1 more scoring chance at 9.
Let’s
Go
Kings!!
L.A. owned the start of the third period. Forecheck, pressure, a front of the net presence and shots on goal. Simmonds looked like he was made of steel as Devils’ forwards and defensemen bounced off him. Richardson and Stoll used their quick first step to gain control of the puck along the boards. The Kings’ hard work was rewarded with a powerplay. Our boys however played better 5 on 5 as the Devils had two glorious short handed chances. The second missed the net by inches.
The Kings pressed on and spent most of the third period in the Devils’ zone. New Jersey would not quit but the Kings looked like a team that would not be denied. While short handed, Jonathan Quick’s glove hand made the save of the night with a sprawling robbery on Zubrus, which Resche called the best “no look save I have ever seen.” Zubrus is going to have nightmares tonight. Resche is technically wrong though. Quick saw it. On the replay, one can clearly see his head turned toward his glove. We’ll take the compliment regardless. Quick was sharp and made some big saves to keep the Devils’ lead at only one.
Johnny Oduya drew a penalty on what we will kindly call an “embellishment” with only 4 minutes left. Quick continued to stand tall. Ten feet tall and bullet proof to be exact.
Back to 5 on 5 hockey.
HE SCOOOOORES!!
Wayne Simmonds threw the puck at the net on a backhand from a sharp angle by the left circle and Ryan Smyth, where else, in front of the net deflected the puck past Martin Brodeur.
Then, with a minute left to go, Anze Kopitar drew a tripping penalty against Andy Greene. On the ensuing powerplay, Jack Johnson tossed the puck to Drew Doughty who made a deceptive fake, quick lateral move and fired a bullet at the net from the middle of the ice. The screaming puck passed Brodeur and grabbed the back of the net. Ryan Smyth and Dustin Brown were stationed in front of Marty’s mask. Brodeur may have never seen it. The Kings never let the Devils have the puck in the final remaining seconds.
What a road trip.
Our Team.
Our Time.
Go KIngs!
Post Game Tidbits:
- Brodeur’s puck handling skills are world class ridiculous. The trapezoid or “Marty Rule” is the only thing that keeps him from single handedly stifling any attempt at dump and chase hockey. Thankfully, the Kings limited that style of offensive zone entry mid way through the second period and played a better puck possession game.
- Jonathan Quick earned his 31st win of the season and it’s not February yet.
- Emrick and Resche made a point toward the end of the second period to discuss Jonathan Quick’s play and conclude that Quick was playing better and should trump Thomas as the Olympian goaltender. I think our own Surly has been saying that for a few weeks. Coincidentally Brodeur is the only goalie that leads Quick in games played this season by only one.
- The Devils’ Zach Parise is one hell of a talent…pun intended.
- Parise, Zubrus and Zajac are fun to watch. The Kings are more fun.
I’m going to leave that to Bobby a little later, because I know he’s going to be dying to write it.
For now, it is enough to say that the Kings, having just completed their first PERFECT 5 game road trip in team history, yes, as in, ever, are truly a team on the cusp of greatness.
The recent surge, resulting in not just the perfect road trip, but a 6 game winning streak, that if stretched to 7 when the Kings return to beat the Rangers on Tuesday, will match their total win output from all of last season. That’s right, last year, 34 wins in 82 games. This year it will be 34 wins in just 56 games.
It’s safe to say it now, since I have lost any doubt of the ability and fortitude of this Kings’ team.
Thomas Moore said hundreds of years ago, “The Devil, the proud spirit, cannot endure to be mocked.”
Perhaps that is what Terry Murray had in mind when he put Teddy Purcell back in the lineup alongside Michal Handzus and Alexander Frolov. The recent mainstay on that line, Brandon Segal, will be a healthy scratch tonight and will be joined off the ice with Raitis Ivanans. If it is not mocking for mocking sake, then coach Murray is no doubt playing on a couple of theories – first, he has been hinting at putting Purcell back in the lineup at some point. Ted has been a healthy scratch so many times this season, I doubt he has any other place left to itch. Second, the Kings are coming off a game against the Bruins last night that went into the extra frame and a shootout, a match our boys proudly won 3-2. Thus, fresh legs are, no doubt, a consideration.
The Kings’ lines are expected to look as follows:
Richardson-Kopitar-Simmonds
Smyth-Stoll-Brown
Frolov-Handzus-Purcell
Parse-Moller-Harrold
On a related note, Michigan Man Jack Johnson is also back in the lineup which means Randy Jones will hopefully see little to no ice time. With Jones on the ice, the only team getting mocked has been our own.
Your Los Angeles Kings did us proud today, beating the Boston Bruins 3-2 in the two teams’ second meeting in the shootout in as many weeks.
The game was a doozy, with both clubs pulling and gnawing and giving and pushing, basically from start to finish. While the Bruins’ had the clear edge in sustained attack time, the game featured an odd but highly entertaining mixture of tight, collapsing defense and speedy north-south hockey.
Much like their most recent win against Columbus, the Kings had to kill two penalties early in the 1st period. They managed to weather the storm, or rather, the breeze of the Bruins’ powerplay, and shortly after were rewarded with their own, which they took advantage of immediately. Kopitar, parked in his favorite stomping grounds on the high half-way, fired a pass onto Dustin Brown’s stick, who redirected the puck past Thomas from between the dots. The Kings looked to be in good shape heading into the 2nd period, despite consistent pressure from the Bruins and the Kings’ good fortune of Lucic playing like so many clovers crushed under foot, including one half empty net that he missed just prior to Browns’ goal. Jim Fox claims that Quick made the save, but I saw and heard pipe.
The tides were to turn for a time however, as the game changed when Mark Stuart leveled a distracted Kopitar. The hit was the perfect visage of clean, but Wayne Simmonds, doing right by his big Slovenian comrade, immediately got in the face of Stuart. The two had a short tussle, with Simmonds’ lander the finer (and meaner) blows. We all knew that Wayne was going to get an extra penalty. This situation was exactly what the NHL, GM’s, writers, bloggers and everyone has talked about and against lately, including our own Terry Murray, in which a fight is started because of a clean hit. Kopitar had his head down. He was injured. Stuart stayed on his feet, waited for Kopitar to touch the puck, and kept his elbow tightly tucked against his waist. So fine, give the Night Train the extra 2 for being so violently upset at the train that just ran over his star player. But really, was the instigator warranted here? He had a close quarters chatwith Stuart, and then the two mutually decided to throw down. In fact, they dropped the gloves at the exact same time. What’s more, Simmonds didn’t go out of position to confront Stuart, he was already standing right next to him when the hit occurred. So screw it, I even begrudge the ref the instigator. Forget the extra penalty for wearing a visor. Icing on a nasty cake.
Regardless, the Kings were forced to kill a four minute powerplay… kind of. Just 30 seconds into the kill, defensive aggressor and penalty neutralizer extraordinaire, Brad Richardson, gave Thomas’ glove a little tippy-tap as he skated by him after the goalie had gloved the puck. Now the hot headed Thomas didn’t particularly care for that, so he decided punching Richardson in the face with his stick hand was a good idea.
The Kings had several good chances on the 4-on-4 but came up empty. They marvelously killed the rest of Simmonds’ second penalty. It seemed like the craziness was over, but then with just 29 damn seconds to go of this maddening special teams’ play, Scuderi threw a cross check that got him a seat next to Simmonds and the Kings a 2-man disadvantage. Don’t worry, don’t worry, they killed it.
But they didn’t kill the Bruins’ surging momentum. With just under 5 minutes to play in the period (still the 2nd… will this game ever end?), Brandon Segal shot the puck over the boards. The penalty kill started well enough, Handzus won a clean face-off to Drew Doughty, who had room to clear, or he thought he did. He didn’t notice the spine of a linesman was in his way. Savard gathered the puck and quickly fed Marco Sturm, who waited, and waited and waited, as everyone else on both teams flew by him, and finally fired a wrist shot over Quick’s right pad to tie the game.
But no, the penalties don’t end there. After a Kings’ powerplay faded away, Scott Parse tripped Savard with just 21 seconds to go in the period.
The Bruins’ scored on the remaining part of Parse’s penalty to start the third period. David Krejci rushed the puck over the blueline and fed a crashing Recchi, who tipped the puck past a sliding Quick. Everyone looked stupid on the play. Handzus was beaten by Krejci wide, Scuderi left the front of the net to play Krejci, Doughty was slow coming off the bench and neither he or a nearby Frolov noticed Recchi barreling towards the goaltender. Bruins lead.
“Damn,” I thought to myself, “We had this one.” I cursed Simmonds’ momentarily, who was still wasting away in the sin bin, but then I remembered something. This Kings’ team is different. This is new.
This is a team that can not play their best, or have a team (albeit a pretty bad one at the moment), fire everything they have at them, and still pull through.
Who better than turn it into high gear, than Anze Kopitar, who with his 23rd goal of the season has once again broken the 1 + point-per-game barrier. It was a classic. Once again in his prized haunt, Kopitar fired a dirty wrist shot by Thomas’ ear, which is probably still ringing.
Overtime it is.
The Bruins’ dominated the 4-on-4 action, but neither team can break the tie.
Overtime it was.
Chara tried to kick things off, but after a delay that saw the Zamboni come out for a second pass around Thomas’ net, the long-necked beast forgot what he wanted to do with his attempt. Chara tried a slapshot only feet in front of Quick, but whiffed. Haha.
Kopitar then made Thomas look the fool. Here it is in another language.
I repeat. Ha. Ha.
Wheeler… nothing.
Brown, nothing.
Ryder, bastard wrist shot.
Handzus, nothing.
Savard spun Quick around full circle before scoring.
Smyth did not only score on the goaltender, but scored with the goaltender, scaring Thomas fully into his net, along with the puck.
Bergeon, Moller, Recchi, yawn.
Stoll comes up with a mean wrister that rings Thomas’ good ear.
Kings win. Party time. Excellent.
Couples random notes, or things Scribe thinks are called tidbits:
Blake Wheeler falls down a lot.
Peter Harrold wasn’t nearly as sharp as he has been.
Doughty seemed asleep for half the game.
Kopitar is back.
Boston fans behind Claude Julien need to take their ridiculous costumes off and hang themselves.
Manchester Monarch fan behind Terry Murray needs to put away her phone… before she eats it.
Since we beat the Red Wings, there has been an increasing quiet confidence about this team that permeates through every player. Each game, they look and play like a team that expects to win. Confidence. Talent. Effort. You can see it with their play. You can hear it in their interviews. You can sense it in everything the team does.
If you only watched the first 7 minutes of the game and were forced to guess the final score, chances are good that you would not have guessed a Kings’ victory. You sure as hell would not have come up with a 4-1 butt kicking. The start was slow. The middle and end frames were a thing of beauty.
Jonathan Quick and a few fortunate bounces were the reason the game remained scoreless until just under 9 minutes left in the first period. The Kings survived the Blue Jackets’ attack, including two penalty kills. At the 8:55 mark, Alexander Frolov did what he does best – control the puck – and made a nice pass to Matt Greene who rocketed a slap shot past Mason. The period ended with the 1-0 score.
The second saw the Blue Jackets lose their intensity while the Kings enhanced theirs. After a nice defensive play by Sean O’Donnell, the Kings broke out of the defensive zone, and Ryan Smyth took a pass from Wayne Simmonds. He then dropped the puck to Kopitar who did not shoot immediately (but subtly faked as if he intended to), broke to the left circle and sent a laser to the top corner and past Columbus goaltender Chris Mason. The goal was a small milestone for Anze – the 100th of his young career.
The Kings elevated their game in the third and received goals from Ryan Smyth on a small scrum in front of the net. Dustin Brown who threw the puck in that direction received the assist. The Kings then scored number 4 by, who else, Anze Kopitar on a, gasp, powerplay – specifically a 5 on 3 or was it a one man advantage? It doesn’t matter. It was a power play goal.
Shut out?
No.
Antione Vermette picked up the puck on a partially broken play from Kristian Huselius and put a wrist shot past Quick that deflected off O’Donnell. Damn.
After a 4-1 victory, you would expect to have had one team dominate the other. That really never happened tonight. Columbus simply could not convert on their chances and much of that credit goes to Quick for his excellent positioning and quick…er, speedy reflexes. The Kings defense also receives much praise for breaking up nearly a dozen potentially solid scoring chances by having their sticks in passing lanes and bodies all over Columbus forwards. The Kings are at their best when they play a team game. This was a team victory with contributions from all four lines and a stellar performance by Jonathan Quick.
A FEW TIDBITS:
- How good is Ryan Smyth? Answer: Very. He is every goalie’s nightmare. Mason may have a few of those tonight.
- Dustin Brown was all business. I didn’t see him smile once, not even after being directly or indirectly involved in a couple of goals.
- Matt Greene should do what he did tonight more – what did he do? Get involved in the offense. He has a hard and heavy shot. Shoot more Matt, shoot much more.
- I want to have a beer with Ken Hitchcock. He looks like the type of guy with whom you can do that.
- Kopitar almost had a hat trick. With under 7 minutes in the third…ping!
- Does our team kick ass on the road or what?
- Jack Johnson suffered an upper body injury. More vague and inconclusive statements to follow.
“That’s how we do it boys!” exclaimed Wayne Simmonds as he congratulated his teammates for scoring their first power play in 6 games, giving them an early 1-0 league against Canada’s red-headed step child, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
That is how we do it. That’s how we should always do it.
The Kings skated their way to a 5-3 win over the league’s 3rd worst team who remains in hot competition for projected 1st overall draft pick, the goofy, slanty-eyed Taylor Hall. Wait, I’m sorry, they would need their first round pick for that… Boston didn’t play tonight, but they managed a win nonetheless.
Southern California’s finest marked their territory to the north off goals by Doughty, Johnson, Stoll, Smyth and Frolov, spurred on by a dynamite 3 assist game from Captain Dustin Brown.
The Leafs, from a purely textual view of the game, appeared to be in it late as they staved off 18 minutes of unrelenting cycling by the Kings in the 3rd period and came within 1 of tying off Niklas Hagman’s second pretty goal of the game. Hagman, who played the role of Phil Kessel for the Leaf’s tonight, beat Jonathan Quick cleanly twice on wrists shots good for his 19th and 20th goals of the season. No matter. It was an illusion. The Leaf’s never stood a chance.
Blame their porous defense, Jonas Gustavsson’s propensity to giving up the top corners or some strange curse that just must be keeping genius GM Brian Burke from icing a competitive team, but ultimately you will come back around to what a solid, strong game the Kings played. The forecheck was endless, the backchecks on target. Save for a couple of mistakes that led to the 3 surrendered goals, the Kings played a near perfect game, never giving more than a shade’s worth of possession time to the Leafs. In fact, I believe I counted only one sustained forecheck for the home team. I’d like to gloat more, but this is what should be expected from this Kings’ team now. No excuse not to put a hurt on a bottom-feeder.
After Drew Doughty got the scoring going with a powerful laser form the point on the powerplay, Nikolai Kulemin tied the game for the Leafs. While the scoreboard read 1-1 at the end of the first period, even the Leafs announcers didn’t have much to say other than gush over how well the Kings were playing. The Kings picked up where they left off in the 2nd period, when Dustin Brown plowed down the right wing, stick-handled his way behind the Leafs’ net and made a perfect pass to the middle that Jack Johnson one-timed home for a 2-1 lead. Hagman soon tied the game back up, but must have just pissed off the Kings in the process. The Kings came back from his goal and never let up. Brown continued playing one of his better games of the season, walking out of the corner to hit a free and clear Jarrett Stoll to regain the lead. Smyth then scored what I believe was his first goal of the season that originated off his stick outside of the blue paint. Smyth took a feed from Brown at the circle, took a step to the middle and beat the creepy-looking Toronto goalie cleanly from the right face-off dot.
Frolov sealed the game for the Kings on an empty-netter in the final minute, but the game was over long before. All 3 of the Leafs goal came off the rush, all due to one minor misstep off the boards by the Kings defense. Quick was not as his sharpest, though he did rob Jeff Finger in the final frame, but he didn’t need to be as the Kings didn’t give him much opportunity to be tested. The game was like watching a record skipping on a turntable, with successive Kings’ line cycling around the inept Toronto defense.
I will give the Leads some credit. Not for anything that happened on the ice, but how the action on the ice was portrayed.
I am often very critical and annoyed by the broadcast crews for NHL games, the Kings being no exception. I am not referring to on-air talent, but rather, the directors, assistant directors and technical coordinators sitting in a booth. Most hockey games I watch feature either a lack of abundance of camera cuts, never in proper rhythm of the game, as if hockey directors do not actually understand the sport which they are responsible for broadcasting, but simply respond to what they consider to be fun or interesting shots. Alternate camera angles are not used properly and cuts are either ahead of or behind the play at hand.
Not so in Toronto. Those guys get it. Though I was watching on NHL’s gamecenter thanks to a free trial offer (as I’m sure the rest of you were as well), I got to witness one of my first full broadcasts out of Toronto and I was thoroughly impressed. Cuts were appropriately timed on the action and never distracting. Every camera was utilized properly, never lagging on some bogus close-up while the play had progressed beyond the scope of the on-air frame. The pacing of the telecast matched that of the game. So bravo Toronto broadcast crew, my hat’s off to you.
Back to the game, I can not recall a single Kings player who had an remarkably poor game. This was the definition of playing a team, every player getting involved and making the right kind of plays. Persistence pays off.
2 more points.
There’s another ‘p’ word that’s on the tip off my tongue. I think I know it, but I’m scared to say it.
The Kings entered game 2 of their road trip at the Air Canada Centre against the struggling Maple Leafs. Toronto’s playoff chances are slim and none and, after tonight, slim may have left town. Grab your Molson Canadian beer, national healthcare card and a few loonies and let’s head to a hockey game.
The first period saw both teams exchanging goals. Drew Doughty fired a cannon to give the Kings a 1-0 lead at the 8:33 mark. Nikolai Kulemin tied the game on a harmless looking shot from the left boards that either surprised Quick or he misplayed it. Michigan Man, Jack Johnson gave the Kings back the lead early in the second on a nice slap shot that went through four players in front of the net, including Maple Leafs’ goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. The Leafs tied the game on a rare Rob Scuderi turnover. Niklas Hagman took the puck, drove to the net and placed a hard wrist shot in the top corner.
The scoreboard however didn’t tell the real story. The Kings were manhandling the Maple Leafs. Toronto appeared to struggle with the size of the Kings forwards who cut through the Leafs’ defense like, to coin a Maple Leafs’ between periods announcer, a knife through hot butter.
That knife came in the form Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll and Ryan Smyth in the second period. Dustin checked Wayne Primeau, kicked snow in his face, took his girlfriend and the puck, skated to the net and a helpless Gustavsson watched Brown make a cross ice pass to Stoll who tapped it into the net. Minutes later, Ryan Smyth used the pressure created by Brown in the Leafs’ zone on the rush and ringed a perfect wrist shot off the post and into the net.
The third period resembled the first two – a hard skating and fast-forward style of hockey where the Kings cycled at will and gobbled valuable minutes. Toronto had an excellent scoring chance near the 14 minute mark of the third on a pass by Kessel to Finger who had an open half of the net but Jonathan Quick gave Jeff the finger on a sprawling save. By the mid way point of the third, the Leafs had generated two shots on goal, a tribute to the Kings very stingy defense. Quick didn’t get a lot of work but he was sharper in the third when he had to be, unlike the shaky preceding two.
The blue team cut the Kings lead to 1 on Hagman’s second goal of the game late in the third and with Gustavsson watching from the bench. Seconds later however, the Leafs 6 man unit forgot about the puck and the Kings broke toward an empty net 3 on 1. Frolov received the gift and put the nail in the proverbial coffin to give the Kings a 5-3 victory.
Thoughts & Tidbits
1. After the mid way point of the first period, someone stole the referee’s whistle. The zebras, especially in the second, let the Maple Leafs hook, hold, trip and everything else. No blood, no foul I suppose though I am not complaining too much. The Kings got away with a few as well.
2. Murray appeared to change the lines throughout the game. I saw Moller on the 4th and 2nd lines. I also saw Frolov jumping around. Maybe it was my imagination.
3. Michal Handzus played big and mean. He went where he wanted and any Maple Leaf in his way received his wrath.
4. Kudos to Dustin Brown. He was everywhere tonight. He too looked like a man among boys. Resistance was futile.
5. If you took a shot for every time Kopitar shot the puck wide, you would be drunk by the third.
6. I expected a more violent game tonight. I suppose Murray did as well since he put Ivanans on the ice. So much for that.
Bobby Scribe
Surly Jacob
Blake Wordslinger
