My heart sank when we went up 3-0. I tried to keep my emotions in check. I chewed on my LA Kings' hat. I lost command of the English language. In the middle of the second, the wife asked me how the Kings were doing. I barked at her. It confused my dogs. By the middle of the third I was on the living room floor making saves to each of the San Jose Sharks' shots on goal. Four got past me. Quick … [Read more...]
I WANT SOMEONE TO BLAME TOO
April 21, 2011 By
Terry Murray for being an inflexible and stubborn old man. Dustin Penner for being a coward. Jamie Kompon for walking through life still searching for a clue. Michael Handzus for having the game pass him by. Drew Doughty for being young and dumb. You pick a fight with Nichol and taking yourself off the ice...Nichol. Jesus. Jonathan Quick for letting in 12 goals in 2 games even if … [Read more...]
NHL JUSTICE: JARRET STOLL SUSPENDED ONE GAME
April 15, 2011 By
There is no sense overreacting to the Jarret Stoll one game suspension. I expected it. The NHL punishes results more than conduct or intent. If the NHL was, hypothetically, the local District Attorney's office and Jason Demers took a gun and fired four shots at Ryan Smyth but missed, he would get a private reprimand while Jarret Stoll kicking a rock that ricochets and hits Ian White in the head … [Read more...]
IT’S ALL ABOUT WORK ETHIC
April 5, 2011 By
A week before season's end is no time to learn new tricks. The cliché if you haven't figured it out by now, you're f***** applies in many circumstances and the end of the regular season & one win away from clinching the playoff spot is one of them. The LA Kings, coming off a humbling butt kicking in San Jose last night 6-1, have to answer a simple question. Do they trust the system? If the … [Read more...]
SEVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LA KINGS
March 8, 2011 By
1. Name the last Stanley Cup winning team with a poor and inconsistent power play and 5 on 3. 2. Name a post lockout Stanley Cup winning team that relied on a cycle along the boards - to the point as its offensive system. 3. Are Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll, Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson excellent skaters? If yes, is speed really lacking in our top 6 forwards or … [Read more...]
LA KINGS PLAYER PROFILE: DUSTIN PENNER AND EXPECTATIONS
March 1, 2011 By
Who is Dustin Penner? What does he bring? How will he help? Why does he fit? If you are as hockey obsessed as Surly & I, you may have read every article you could get your hands on from proclaimed (self and otherwise) experts, media, and bloggers about the Dustin Penner trade that sent Colten Popcorn Teubert, a 2011 1st round pick and a conditional 3rd to the Edmonton Oilers. But how … [Read more...]
CONTROL, CYCLE, CIRCULATE – THE LA KINGS’ SYSTEM AND ITS FLAWS
January 29, 2011 By
For the past few months, we have written at length about the LA Kings’ offensive system and its perimeter play. Today, I realized much of what we have written has skipped to the climax without the necessary foreplay. Hence, consider us here to flirt and break down an effective offensive system that relies on control (puck possession), cycle and circulation of the puck when compared to that of … [Read more...]
KINGS WIN THREE IN A ROW – BEAT SHARKS 3-2 IN SHOOTOUT
January 27, 2011 By
As I walked into the arena and to my seats in section 119, I saw a Sharks' fan with a shirt that read, "2006. One Goal" with a picture of the Stanley Cup. I smiled. It reminded me of this... San Jose Sharks' fans are amusing. Some carry themselves like they have won the Cup for three consecutive seasons. Their fans of a masculine gender vacillate between a Prozac overdose and a case of the … [Read more...]
THE LITTLE LOKI-MOTIVE ENGINE THAT COULD AND WILL
January 20, 2011 By
Oh happy day. So far. Andrei Loktionov, one of my personal favorite prospects possessed by the Kings (even moreso than Brayden Schenn... put that in your Canadian pipes and smoke it!), is back in Los Angeles and scheduled to play alongside Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes. While I'm under no delusions that calling up the great and powerful Loki will be any … [Read more...]
THE TURNAROUND STARTS TOMORROW
January 12, 2011 By
Call me optimistic...or crazy...but my instincts tell me tomorrow night against the St. Louis Blues, our season turns around. What? Why? Come on. I know, I can hear you. Hear me. Willie Mitchell is still getting his legs underneath him. He now has had two starts and several days of rest including the last two. A healthy Mitchell in the defensive fold is the glue that keeps our top four playing … [Read more...]
KINGS GO MASOCHIST IN 7-4 LOSS TO FLYERS
December 31, 2010 By
If the Kings were a 16 year old teenager tonight, they would be cutting themselves and investing in goth makeup. I don't know what the hell our boys thought they were doing out there but if it was hockey, then the entire defense needs to get off the football and stop acting like monkeys. Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson were shades of bad I have not seen in quite some time. Jack put on a clinic on … [Read more...]
KINGS KICK NASHVILLE’S HONKY TONK ASS 6-1
December 19, 2010 By
I came into this game with boiling ire. I left it with a smile and ready for the Vandals' x-mas concert at the House of Blues. Gonna change the world With my hockey stick Gonna make a real difference Feed the poor and heal the sick A nice kickstart to the night. When Dustin Brown passes, good thing happen. The first such good was great. Brownie, who drove to the right wing side … [Read more...]
KINGS GET OUTWORKED BY BLUES 6-4
December 17, 2010 By
Erik Johnson, Andy McDonald, Alex Pietrangelo, David Perron, TJ Oshie, Roman Polak...all but with injuries. A walk in the park tonight? Not so much. Surly gave you his take of the game. Here is mine: I am concerned about the Kings' passing. So many of them from the defensive zone connect on the opposing team's stick. We saw this again tonight and it has been a consistent Achilles Heel. I … [Read more...]
FLAMES LEAVE L.A. FORTUNATE TO HAVE ONLY LOST 2-1
December 10, 2010 By
This game could have been 7-0. It should have been 7-0. I am not sure what Calgary thought it was doing on the ice tonight but if it was hockey they intended, they failed. I have seen spectators give more effort. By the middle of the third, after what I believe to be three goal posts and three additional glorious scoring chances up to that point, I began to feel sorry for Flames' fans. They are … [Read more...]
SCOUTING THE DETROIT RED WINGS
December 3, 2010 By
GOOSE: "That's him. Iceman. It's the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes. He wears you down, you get bored--frustrated--do something stupid and he's got ya." Transition. That’s the Wings’ game. They wait for you to make a turnover, make a mistake and immediately swarm to your net and then make you pay. By their position through the neutral zone, they are ready to expose the opposing … [Read more...]
SEVERAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED…
November 28, 2010 By
Surly and/or I will write about the game tomorrow. There are too many thoughts swimming in my head to do it now. Rest brings calm. Calm brings focus. Focus filters anger. But, tonight's game helped me track and answer a few questions that I have been asking since the injuries to Mitchell and Poni. Question: Why does Kopitar suddenly look lost in the offensive zone? Answer: Because he has … [Read more...]
KINGS LOSE TO OTTAWA SENATORS AND ERIC FURLATT 3-2
November 22, 2010 By
Who is Eric Furlatt? Apparently, he is super human...and a magician. He is able to see at real-time speed what Toronto and multiple video angles could not determine after over 10 minutes of review. You can't call Eric Furlatt a retard. That wouldn't be very nice. You could say he sucks, but that wouldn't be very specific. You could say Eric Furlatt is an incompetent baboon. That would be closer … [Read more...]
KINGS GIVE STARS THE MIDDLE FINGER SALUTE 3-1
November 12, 2010 By
I enjoyed applauding my good friend and guest writer on this site, Howard Roark, as he stood to be recognized on Veteran's Day. Give Kari (a girl's name) Lehtonen a white cane or a seeing eye dog. That's the only hope he had tonight of finding the puck. Kings' goals came from Brown, Williams and Johnson. Brownie's goal followed a nice hustle by Parse to get it to Kopitar who took it from … [Read more...]
FIERCE. FUN. KINGS SHUT OUT AND SHUT UP LIGHTNING 1-0
November 4, 2010 By
I'd like to thank the following people for an entertaining game and hockey night. Let's start with Justin Williams. You are the apple of my eye. The bees of our knees. You are a hard skating, no stop, all go, big heart, almost as good-looking as me superstar who needs a contract extension quick... Speaking of whom, Jonathan, Kings' fans are at ease with you defending the net. You are … [Read more...]
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