Trent Hunter is out, Kevin Westgarth is in and Coyotes’ tough guy and Twitter Whore, Paul Bissonnette, is the reason why. Yes, the fourth line just got slower. Yes, we just got worse on both ends of the ice. But, if a fourth line enforcer is the difference between winning and losing, we are in trouble. He isn’t. We’re not.
The Coyotes are probably the best coached team in the NHL. They are fast. They are not, on paper, an elite team but they play a good team game, which is to say they skate on offense and defense as a five man unit. You don’t see too many defensive breakdowns with the Coyotes (although Chicago just did kick their frozen butts 5-2) and their defensemen do jump into the offensive play when the time is right. They can score goals and they are not shy about getting the puck between the dots and firing away. Missing from the Coyotes will be Ilya Bryzgalov who, as you know, went to Philadelphia thereby increasing his chances of one day becoming a King by 17.5%. Also MIA is Kyle Turris who pulled a Drew Doughty, except Kyle wasn’t messing around.
As for our boys, we are coming off the high of a 5-0 home victory over the St. Louis Blues. And what do you do when you are coming down from a symbolic high? You get higher.
Let’s keep the positive energy flowing and cheer for our Kings to come away with two points tonight. Want to talk about the game? This is an open forum. Let’s chat.
Going to the game! GO KINGS GO!
Sitting here counting the minutes….120 more to go
Hope Westy tries to run their goalie. I know it won’t happen, but a guy can hope can’t he?
If he’s looking for a fight, Don’t ask, just wait till the goalie covers the puck, then proceed to take 5 more wacks at it. Someone will oblige. If you want Pual Bissonnette, then pick the smallest player on the ice, and drape yourself all over him till he cries. Paul will come knockin, and when he does, Knock his ass out. Skate by their bench, and start clapping like a dancing bull fighter, and say “Your next” to no one in particular.
Plenty of ways to make them fight you Westy! You got about 6 or 7 shifts to make them hate you. Do something with it.
And he did..
Will say #19 did actually have a decent shift before the
‘fight’
It is interesting that our Inforcers always are good guys..
great team spirit.. funny.. but are not posessed of much
skill..
I still miss Ivanas ..
2nd Period .. time to get on the board..
GO KINGS GO!!
The NHL is fucking with our Kings. Send them out of the country, start them on the road a few games, bring them home for ONE game, then send them on the road again for one game. What the fuck?
Hoping to get home from work in time for the puck drop…
im sure youll make it jacob. follow ferris buelers example. lick your palms and give a few fake coughs and go home early
Nice move by Penner to accelerate through the check and get a shot on goal. (Wait…what!?)
yes.. hope to see some more of that.. Go Pens..
and wow.. each game.. I am so liking Mike Richards!
What a fun guy to watch.. love him with Brownie..
how did I miss him watching playoff hockey?
GO KINGS GO!!!
PK looking good tonight.
… That block and dive by Richards on the PK was superb.
Let’s see if we can get Smith to cough up the puck behind his net. He’s been slow to get back to the crease.
… Well, there you go. Moreau was able to get in there and harass him.
Richards did a great job.
Westgarth is just so awful. Worst. Goon. Ever.
Kings are doing a pretty good job backchecking through the nuetral zone.
Kings aren’t getting many chances. lots of standing around and watching in their zone. Quick has been lucky most of the ‘Yotes can’t hit the net.
… Too bad THAT won’t count as a PP goal.
In the first period, the Kings directed only 14 shots at the Coyotes’ net, while Phoenix has directed 26 at the Kings’ net.
That score right after the buzzer would of been nice. Power play’s gonna score tonight. I can feel it.
Coyotes have an aggressive D. They don’t want to leave any gap especially along the boards and at the point. They don’t want any time to set up a play. Let’s get that puck down low boys. Quick and accurate passes, quicker shots.
Mothering Whore.. that goal was Ours!.. half sec.. shit luck there!
Yea.. no time to set up anything..
stick to stick.. let’s get it done
GO KINGS GO!!!
NICE!
Good Call Dominick!!
CAPTAIN BROWN!!!
GO KINGS GO!!!
Told ya the PP would score.
… Bissonette = idiot.
Every time Kopi’s line is out there, the ice looks tilted.
I am waiting to see that Brownie-Mickey breakout and score..
I tell you .. we are getting back to Triple Crown Magic:)
GO KINGS GO!!!
Be great to get 2 triple crown lines.
… Lewis drew another penalty, and the fourth line had a pretty nice shift.
Kings throwing it in the crease with a player wacking away more this season.
… Holy shit, Westgarth with the primary assist on a goal from three-on-two rush.
What in the fuck is going on here.
dude
Westie is on his game tonight guys.. he is playing calm and not dumb..
that was a smart and good pass to Cliffy..
GO KINGS GO!!!
Jeez, I thought Cliffy was going to shatter that glass with his celebration.
4th line fun!
GKG!!!
a Little praise for the goon huh?
GO KINGS GO!!!
Yes, he earned that assisst.
If it motivates him to rack up a point a game, I’ll mock him relentlessly (from afar, of course!)
Love seeing 4th line guys score, they look like peewee hockey kids getting their first goal. When, not if, but when Westgarth buries his first this year, it’s gonna look like a Y2K party. Go Kings!!
Kings are getting a lot of pucks to the middle of the ice. Looking for the high percentage plays. To quote JT, what the fuck is going on here.
almost like TM is opening up the middle of the ice. I seriously can’t think of a endless, meaningless cycle last game, or this game.
Exactly. Is he a silent reader of this site? Is it possible that he will surprise us? He has my attention…
Throw the salt over your shoulder or whatever you do
to ward off a Jinx.. not that I am superstitious or anything ; )
GO KINGS GO!!!
Westgarth – score one for TM (Good moves by him almost seem perverse at this point). Like Grimson, Westgarth’s game isn’t so bad when he plays it (not comparing their sparring skills).
Lewis has looked pretty good tonight – like the legitimate 4th Line center we are looking to see. Clifford – just like stretch run/playoffs, no?
Dominick, I’m thinking you were right about effects of European
trip (I doubted it at the time, since Buff. looked superb, but then we flew damn near twice as long to get there). May I suggest starting next season v. Buff. in Japan or Korea?
… Hasn’t Greene paired with Martinez tonight? I think that pairing’s been solid. Martinez looks confident and impressive so far this season.
Martinez has looked like he belongs since the opening whistle of the season.
I’m keeping my eye on JJ and Greene – they need to raise their games to improve our results.
4th-line goal, nobody thinking about DD’s absence – the kind of thing winning teams do.
… I have a feeling that the Kings had better play ultra-disciplined in the third. I see the refs calling some ticky-tack stuff to even the power plays out.
As for the shots on goal, the Kings are still being out-shot, but from my view they are getting far higher quality shots than the Coyotes are.
Ticky-tacky!
… Just paying homage to Chick Hearn, one of my idols.
… OK, here we go. PK’s gotta get it done right now.
If Yotes pull the goalie later, gotta get the puck to Westgarth
… The only way that’s happening is if Kopitar executes one of his patented flip passes over the boards and into the Kings’ bench.
Lol
Quick is playing incredible right now.
“Quick is playing incredible right now.”
… Really??? I think he’s been the beneficiary of some very solid defense/bad offense over the last couple games.
Son of a bitch. Did he call a penalty?
Ticky Tacky and Helter Skelter.. aka Bobby Miller
Almost home.. get it done!!!
GO KINGS GO!!!
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
QUICK is the Stud tonight no question!
SHUT THEM DOWN AND SHUT THEM OUT!!!
GO KINGS GO!!!
… FANTASTIC job in the third period. Only five shots on goal allowed.
Also, the Kings gave up just one shot on goal in six minutes on the PK.
So lovin this team right now.
Feel like we were getting a lot of good effort from third and fourth line guys standing up. Love seeing Westgarth and Clifford bring the thunder. Even Penner looked like someone gave him some smelling salts.
Justin Williams has been really confident and making a lot of things happen so far this season (sometimes he tries one move too many and that will bite him in the ass but at least he’s leaving everything on the ice)
Quick saving our ass on a lot of bad clears and break outs that a top team will ass rape us for so hopefully the D can tighten it up and not rely on Quick pulling rabbits out of his can.
God Damn go Kings!!!
… My number one star of this game would be Greene. He was terrific – blocked a ton of shots, threw his body around, great positioning, no mistakes, even got an assist with his outlet pass that led to the outnumbered rush and Clifford’s goal.
Westgarth setup Cliffords goal..Enough said
GKG!
Three Stars of the game:
1 – Quick
2 – Lewis
3 – Brown
Westgarth’s energy was appreciated. Greene mucked it up. What a good game!