No To Ice Girls

On Saturday, March the 29th, the Kings unveiled Ice Girls. Something that, obviously, shocked me enough to annoyance. I could not BELIEVE the Kings organization felt that was necessary to have them on the ice. The boys lost that game, yet again, and because I was tired, I just blamed the loss on those girls. Well, thankfully, this morning, the Kings decided to let the fans give their feedback on said Ice Girls. KMS2 and I both decided to toss over our two cents on the matter.

Here it is in its entirety:

Being a Kings fan for as long as I can remember, I’ve never been ashamed at anything but our placing in the standings in recent years. I think every Kings fans can attest to this fact. When Staples Center opened up, I was floored at how modern and elegant everything seemed, which was something I was very proud of. When I started to hear that other franchises had Ice Girls, I questioned why and then had a good laugh. It seemed ridiculous to me as to why a skinny girl, who I could probably break in half, was out on the ice shoveling ice and timidly asking the players to move out of the way. I don’t see anything good coming from it besides pleasing the male fans who are drunk anyway. I recently ventured to the Honda Center for the first time, and scoffed at the fact that their Ice Girls were dressed very minimally and didn’t even pick up the ice and put it into the trashcans! They STILL had men out there lifting the oh-so-heavy piles of snow. Paying these girls to do this task is demeaning to our gender, which makes up a large percentage of the viewing audience. I honestly think the Kings organization should think long and hard about what is truly important for this franchise.

I was at Staples Center on Sat., March 29th and, needless to say, my jaw dropped when I saw the Ice Girls. Even my brother questioned as to why they were out on the ice. I think the focus of this organization is one that should be geared more to getting the roster stronger and working more as a team while keeping the distractions to a minimum. This team and fans have been through enough this season and the organization should be thinking of other ways of selling out games.

I am fully aware that the Kings did not have to ask the fans what their opinions were on this matter, so I am thankful for their interest. It does show that they actually care about what the fans truly think even on seemingly trivial matters. So I’m glad that my humble opinion was read by eyes that actually hold sway within the organization.


Update @ 6PM: Like KMS, I highly respect KingsCast's opinions and after reading KMS' update, I can only say "I completely concur." I feel I am personally open to new things within this game that we all love so much, but I guess I'm a traditionalist in some aspects as well. For example, I don't mind the shootout; I think I'm okay with it because I dislike ties. Why have a contest when it's okay for it to end in a draw? There needs to be a winner! So bring on the shootouts, heart attacks and all! From the traditionalist side, I never saw girls on the ice as a tot so it shouldn't be a surprise that it was a jarring shock to me on Saturday. There was one instance where I actually felt bad for one of the girls because she had to scrape the whole front of both benches twice. She skated that whole neutral zone length constantly stopping and asking and waiting for the guys to kindly move. I shouldn't have to state the obvious that they were staring. If that were me, I'd have been COMPLETELY UNCOMFORTABLE, but at the same time, it takes a certain type of person to want that job, right?

I'm not sure either how Ice Girls equals more revenue (I'll leave that to Keith to inform me), but I also noticed something else that I had never seen before during Saturday's game. Movie previews. Using the new freaking awesome projection system that the Kings have. At first, I also jeered at it, but then I realized that the whole NHL is having issues with bringing in revenue. If this is needed, then okay, make the change. I saw that as a blatant example of generating revenue, although, if you ask me right now, I couldn't tell you what movie it was for. So are the Ice Girls going to bring in that kind of revenue, ehh, not so much (but I'm sure that's not to be expected). Will they make the casual fan take notice? Not unless they go to games since the girls only came out during commercial breaks. But how many games do casual fans go to? At the same time, I don't want to see muscular men looking ridiculous. I think the Kings Crew has done a fantastic job this season; get on the ice, scrape it, and get off. Simple.

Ok, I'll concede your point about how other franchises are trying this. But there have also been negative occurrences that involve the actual players; Henrik Lundqvist and Rick DiPietro being the two most blatant examples. Lundqvist has refused to leave his crease at times and DiPietro flipped out when an Ice Girl removed the snow in his crease that he had strategically placed. Now, could they have said, "I'm okay, you don't need to scrape my crease?" Sure, but what if they had and the girls didn't listen and just wanted to do their job? If these girls are a distraction for the players, I'm not for it. This game is about the players and hockey. Yes, these are only two players among hundreds of other players, but they are integral to their respective clubs and (like I stated earlier) I want to keep any distractions to a minimum.

I don't get the Ice Girls either. What's their appeal off the ice? Autographs? Pictures? I hate to assume, but I'm sure there's a high turnover rate on their squad (someone can correct me if I'm wrong). I personally wouldn't want to meet them. If I had to choose between an Ice Girl and Bailey. I'm going to Bailey. An Ice Girl and the Kings drummers? Kings drummers!

Chris - I think, like Ron Burgundy, "When in Rome." But seriously, I can see both of your opinions and I'm not mystified as to why you're okay with them. To answer your questions, I don't think they should be wearing over-sized t-shirts and mom-jeans or be fat and ugly. I think the job that the Kings Crew does now is fine. I don't see the need to change that aspect of the Staples Center experience. Oh, and, I love Bailey. I really do.

Bink8 - I'm glad you sent in your feedback. I highly appreciated the Kings organization for giving us that avenue with which to voice any opinions we may have had.

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Kings 2, Stars 7

To: My beloved Kings

So I thought we decided that you were going to stop sucking. The season has been winding down and the games up until now have been good! Decent! We all see what kind of team you can actually be when there's goaltending! It's been promising! But when you decide not to show up, no amount of goaltending can save you.

You came out in the first period and it appeared that it was going to be another good game. The series against the Stars has been a good one. A ton of goals in only a couple of minutes is always cause for good cheer. This game provided no cheer after the first period. The Stars appeared to actually want to make the playoffs, so they showed up in the second while you did not. They were jumping on loose pucks, winning the battles in the corners, and getting shots off. You were just the opposite. How can you expect to score when you only get a measly 3 shots on in the second period? I thought that Nashville game was the last time we were gonna see an "effort" like this.

(Noah Graham/Getty Images)

Even the replacement goalie needed some comfort.

The only good thing I take from this game was that Dallman (3) scored. You couldn't protect my goalie and left him out to dry. Shame on you.

(AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

Story of the season

With that in mind, I still love you guys, so I'm going to blame this loss on the fact that Staples Center now has Ice Girls.

WHAT THE FUCK

Sincerely,
the girl with a broken heart

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"I'm Not A Puck Bunny" Podcast - Episode 7

Here is Episode 7 sure to make you get up out of your chair and boogie on down. Finny and I discuss the Ducks and Kings since McP is busy with life at the moment. We then discuss injuries around the league and the situation that occurred during a playoff game last Saturday in the QMJHL involving Jonathan Roy, among many other players.

To end the podcast, instead of an Off Ice or mailbag, we give you our own version of Mic'd Up at the Kings/Ducks game on Wednesday 26th. We get sound bytes from KMS2 of Purple Crushed Velvet and RudyKelly and Earl Sleek of the Battle of California.

Check us out at our respective blogs and at http://imnotapuckbunny.podbean.com/

You can listen from the player under my picture to the left, subscribe to it on iTunes, or you can go to the above link and either listen from the site or download it.

As always please direct any questions, comments, complaints, thoughts, ideas, or rants to: imnotapuckbunny@gmail.com.

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I AM SPEECHLESS

But wait, this is my own space to rant and so I shall. I have two things to gripe about; the first thing obviously being the Kings using Brian Willsie in the shootout as the 6th shooter, the second being having to listen to the worst sports fan sitting directly behind me for the entire game. So here we go:

1) Brian Willsie - played 5:54 in 8 total shifts. The ONLY thing he did was win ONE faceoff. We go into the 6th round of the shootout and who jumps over the bench, but a certain #21 who, like a batter, strode up to the plate thinking that he was gonna hit one out of the park. But honestly, kms and I knew that the game was over. He didn't even need to go for the shot. There was no need. The game was over when he stepped out onto the ice.

And someone please tell me when was the last time Lubo got a penalty?? Let alone a 10-minute misconduct! What??


2) So kms and I went to the Honda Center to watch this game. I had never been there before and this was kms' third visit. I was a little hesitant about going into enemy territory but Finny and Sleek assured me that Ducks fans were tame. I guess someone didn't give the lady sitting behind me that particular memo! She spent the first half of the first period complaining to her equally asinine friend of how poor her visit was to the Staples Center and how Kings fans were rude and classless. Oh, she also mentioned that they were just as bad as Raider fans. Hey lady, I don't know if you know this, but the Raiders left town a couple of years ago. Get your head out of the sand and live in the now.

She then spent the rest of the period complaining about how the Ducks were looking terrible and seemed lost without their top guys in the lineup. Cry me a fucking river, ho bag. Then in the second period she proceeded to yell to the Ducks to stop playing like the Kings and play like the Ducks. Hey lady, did you look at the scoreboard? The Kings are up 1 to nothing. And then she was saying how the Kings just slow everything down and how terrible they were. Hey! It's called controlling the game! Are you a moron or just plain stupid?

In the third she just got worse and worse. This was very reminiscent of a post I had read earlier this season by Mike Chen where he talked about a woman that sits near him at the Shark Tank uttering ridiculous comments. This woman was the same way, talking about whatever was going on in her worthless life and then yelling the stupidest things. I mean, does she even watch hockey on a regular basis? One thing she mentioned was that she didn't care about shots on goal or scoring chances because the only thing that matters is the score at the end of the game. Ok, GENIUS, if you think that way, then you should just check the scores on ESPN.com when the game's over. That's honestly the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

She then decided to give her two cents on my goaltender, Erik Ersberg, and how he lets out the worst rebounds. Umm, first of all, why are you talking about my goaltender like that, and second, you obviously have NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE ERSBERG ABSORBS REBOUNDS LIKE A SPONGE. LIKE A FUCKING SPONGE.

And then we headed into the shootout. This part took the cake. Everyone in the arena was standing up and I was actually leaning forward a little bit because Finny and I were clutching each other during the shots. After every stop that Hiller made against the Kings, she would lean over and basically yell into my ear at how the Kings weren't in the playoffs. She would ALSO do the same thing when Ersberg would make a save. OKAY! I AM FULLY AWARE THE THAT KINGS ARE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS. ONCE AGAIN, ARE YOU STUPID OR RETARDED?

This lady was complaining in the first period at how horrible Kings fans were and here she was in the shootout being insanely obnoxious and leaning over and screaming in my ear about how the Kings sucked and weren't in the playoffs. I WAS SOOOOOOOO CLOSE TO TURNING AROUND AND SOCKING HER IN THE FACE. I don't think you even know... When they were announcing the players of the games, she kept chanting "KINGS SUCK, KINGS SUCK, KINGS SUCK!" So I finally turned around and told her ass to shut up. I'm not sure if she heard me but we were leaving anyway.

I know she's not representative of all Ducks fans, but she ruined the whole experience for me. I will NEVER go to the Honda Center again. It's true when they say that one person can ruin everything, and this lady took the cake. She can go EFF HERSELF.

Finny and I were able to take some sound clips at the game, which we plan on splicing into the next episode of the I'm Not a Puck Bunny Podcast. It has not been posted yet, but please listen to Episode 7 when it is and not only will you hear me and finny, you will meet kms, Earl Sleek, and RudyKelly. You can also hear my periodic side comments of how the lady behind me needed to shut up.

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What Does It Mean To Be Out Of The Playoffs?

It means I don’t have to pay for playoff tickets.

It means I don’t have to pay for atrocious parking rates.

It means I don’t have to listen to the kids in the nearby seats screaming their heads off and who have an aura of “gross” surrounding them.

It means I don’t have to pay for any playoff memorabilia that I may want.

It means watching all the rounds from my TV.

It means having to hear other commentators instead of Bob Miller and Jim Fox.

It means being away from the Staples Center for a few months.

It means waiting for the UFAs and FAs to be re-signed or sent on their respective ways.

It means closely following the Manchester Monarchs in their playoff run.

It means I have the Entry Draft to look forward to.

It means I have a vested interest in what free agents are signed.

It means wondering which of the Monarchs are going to make their move to Los Angeles.

It means looking forward to training camp.

It means looking forward to Frozen Fury XI in Vegas next pre-season.

In the end: it means being a typical, yet die-hard, Kings fan.

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Up And (Like a Dinosaur) Roaring To Go (PT)

Player Transactions:
- Kyle Calder is out with a broken finger & John Zeiler has been recalled (March 21).
- The Kings primary affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, sign Josh Kidd (D) to an Amateur Tryout Agreement. He was drafted by the Kings in the seventh-round (184th overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
- Four (4) Kings prospects were named to the Western Hockey League (WHL) First Team All-Stars: Thomas Hickey, T.J. Fast, Oscar Moller, Linden Rowat.
- Jaroslav Modry was chosen as the Kings' nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.


Pre-Game:
Kings are playing the Dallas Stars for the 368th time this season. Last time these two teams met, it went to the shootout where Patty O took his turn against Turco and scored the game winner. In that game and in the game against the Coyotes on March 20th, Sully was the 4th shooter, which ended up being the game winner. This begs the question: why does Crow put in Cammy as the 3rd shooter? It doesn't make sense because he's in a little slump and can't seem to find the back of the net as much as Sully has. I'd have understood if he put in, let's say, Alexander "I am Russian Hottie" Frolov, but no, we have Michael "Short Stack" Cammalleri taking the shot. If this game goes to overtime, and then to the shootout without Sully taking the 3rd opportunity, I'll... spazz out.

1st Period:
- It had seemed that the Kings and Stars were even in their play for the first half of the period. This could be promising.
- Giuliano takes a penalty, which means my PK Beast is NOT on the kill. Harrold gets hurt pretty badly blocking a shot and I'm hoping it nothing is broken in his foot (a la JJ). Stars Goal - Trevor Daley bombs one from the blueline, which was deflected twice and Brenden Morrow gets credited with the goal at 13:08.
- Kings PP - Mark Fistric shoves Brownie and Cammy comes to save the day. Although Cammy takes a slashing penalty off the next faceoff. 4-on-4 - nothing exciting here. Harrold is back on the ice, thank god.
- Ersberg pulls a Hasek/Huet and skates out of the crease to poke the puck away from Stars player. That was...awesome and scary at the same time. It's not often (or at all) where a Kings goalie makes an aggressive decision like that. But, seriously, where was the Kings defense on that play?
- So this John Zeiler kid. You gotta feel kind of bad that the Monarchs figured that they could do without him in their playoff push. At this point, the Kings need roster fillers and Zeiler is the call up; I hope his skating has improved from the short/terrible choppy strides he had at the beginning of the season.
- This Rapid Fire thing is TERRIBLE... so awkward... at least Cammy was better than Kopi. =/

2nd Period:
- 5 minutes in, Loui Eriksson knocks down Ersberg and gets an interference penalty. One might say Dallman forced him in like that, but who shot that puck at Ersberg after the whistle was blown??
- Kings PP - Kings Goal - ROB BLAKE (8 & 160th as a Kings, 9th among all Kings) scores grabbing the garbage in front of Turco at 5:48. He now trails Jim Fox in scoring and Foxy says there's no way Blake is catching him. Ahh, I love it.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Blake looks like a bully that's walking away from some havoc in the sandbox that he left in his wake

- Stars Goal - Stu Barnes scores at 11:32 and Dallas is up 2-1. P.S. Ersberg makes the best in between play faces. This goal opens up big scoring chances from both teams; even Ivanans gets a nice wrister off at Turco.
- Dallas up 2-1 with the shots even at 20 apiece.

3rd Period:
- First half of this period like the first half of the first period. I hate using the same word more than twice in one sentence; sounds awkward.
- Kings PP - Except Sully gets a holding penalty and it's another 4-on-4. I must say, as no surprise, Ersberg is making some solid saves.
- Kings Goal - Wasn't expecting this one! Dallas wasn't able to clear their zone, Michal Handzus (6) picks it up, and snaps one off and the Kings have tied it! (16:59) Apparently Handzus hadn't scored since December 17th (42 games). Go Zeus!
- Kings Goal - Lubo (8) takes the shot from the blueline at 17:54 with assists going to Army and Brownie. This is now 2 goals in 55 seconds.
- Kings Goal - Handzus!! He gets his 7th goal at 18:41. He should thank Fro for setting this up for him. Fro draws the attention of 2 Stars and takes a shot on; Zeus grabs the rebound off to the right of Turco and scores. This finishes the game with 3 goals in 1:42.

Game:
Kings 4, Stars 2 (shots 30, 27). Marty Turco hates the Kings. It's official.

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"I'm Not A Puck Bunny" Podcast - Episode 6

What's this? Another podcast? Episode 6? Hard to believe, huh. =) Once again Finny and I bring our collective brains together to discuss all things California hockey. McP has been MIA for the past couple of days and we have no idea what she's up to, but we hope that she is okay!!

For this episode we recap the games from last week and look ahead to next week. We then go to the penalty box and review all of the suspensions that have gone down in recent days, and then we have some friendly banter about how we feel about Chris Pronger and his suspension for the Stomp heard around the hockey world. We then discuss the season opening in England our teams, which was sparked by the news that the NHL will open the 08-09 season in Sweden and the Czech Republic. Then, instead of our usual fare of Off Ice, we go into the mailbag and then ask each other the following questions:

1) What was your earliest hockey memory?
2) Who was the first NHL player you ever met?
3) If you had to live in another hockey city, which would it be?

Check us out at our respective blogs and at http://imnotapuckbunny.podbean.com/

As always please direct any questions, comments, complaints, thoughts, ideas, or rants to: imnotapuckbunny@gmail.com.

Click me to listen!!

Updates: So upon listening to the final product, there are some items I would like to address/correct:

1) During the Ducks recap, I said that Kings prospect Teddy Purcell was in the AHL playoffs. I actually meant AHL All-Stars game.
2) During the Kings updates where I discussed the Ontario Reign, it sounded like I said “ACHL” but I really said “ECHL.”
3) When I spoke about the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, I sounded like a little kid who was speed reading. I definitely did not realize this until way after the fact. So...don't mind me...
4) In my shoutouts I thought the song playing in the background was “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and I said Boy George, but I definitely meant George Michael.

Apparently yesterday was a long day for me. In any case, I hope you enjoyed the podcast!

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Kings 1, Sharks 2

Pre-Game:
These game-day emails the Kings send out have some pretty awesome pictures sometimes. Today we have the Sharks and for some reason... I have to laugh every time I look at these. Soupy, that teal really brings out the color of... your hair. Jon, you look silly. Patty, you have... quite a long neck.

1st Period:
- Ohhhh, we got Clouts in net! Oh, and Brian Boucher for the Sharks...who??
- Going along with the track record of the visiting team winning these matchups, the odds are against the Kings coming out with 2 points tonight.
- Dallman and Blake have great hits in the corners in the first couple of minutes and Cloutier is making some solid saves. The Sharks aren't applying too much pressure in the neutral zone so it's looking pretty evenly matched up in the first half of the period.
- Just under 7 minutes left, the Kings have 3 chances in a row and Grier gets a delay of game penalty against him. Kings PP - Blake gets a penalty and it's 4-on-4 (Marc Crawford has the most atrocious shirt and tie ensemble). Peter Harrold takes a shift on the 4-on-4 and runs into Vish. C'mon, rookie...take a shift without making a mistake, you can do it. Ellis takes a penalty and the Sharks are on an extended power play.
- Sharks Goal - How was Thornton was left open down low? Upon replay we see that Preissing leaves Mr. Junk in the Trunk and goes after a puck (17:09).

2nd Period:
- McLaren boards Brownie and the Kings are on the PP. Nothing exciting here, moving along.
- There was a penalty on Dallman, but while that was being called, Cloutier made a CLUTCH save. I would have been so much more impressed if the play hadn't been whistled down.
- Kings PP - WHY IS DALLMAN ON THE POWER PLAY?!?! Mitchell comes out of the penalty box and gets a break away pass, but Clouts makes the save. Geez...
- The Kings spend about one hour in the neutral making the softest passes I've ever seen. The Sharks get back to the Kings' zone and Setoguchi gets called for interference. Oh man, Cloutier went and had some words with Jody Shelley on the Sharks bench during the time out. Fantastic. But the Kings have had 4 PP opportunities and haven't taken advantage to get on the scoreboard.
- Sharks Goal - Rissmiller barrels in on Clouts with Preissing on him, but he gets his own rebound and gets it past Cloutier (16:23).
- Shots on: Kings 22, Sharks 20

3rd Period:
- Jim Fox mentioned that JJ wasn't on the bench and I see that he's only played 9:46. During the first period he blocked a shot that hit the inside of his right foot, so now Dallman's getting more minutes and Klemm's playing defense. Interesting.
- 8 minutes to go and... I am bored. The Kings aren't being completely dominated but they're not creating anything either. Helmetless Cheechoo gets rocked by Calder and Blake, kinda scary but funny at the same time. Time is ticking along and the Kings look like they have lead in their skates.

(AP Photo/Francis Specker)

I really have no caption for this; suggestions?

- Kings Goal - I SPOKE TOO SOON. Lubo (7) gets the puck out on the point and bombs a shot through traffic and nets one so the Kings don't get shut out. Cool... (15:13). This sparks a switch and the Kings start to play hockey! They're attacking and spending more time in the offensive zone and get 8 shots on this period to the Sharks 3.

Game:
Kings 1, Sharks 2. This continues the trend of beating each other in each other's houses. This loss has put the kings officially out of playoff contention. And.... I'm going to bed.

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Cammy On Cribs

Here is Michael Cammalleri on Canada's version of MTV's Cribs. It begins with Cammy showing two Asian-themed items in his foyer, and I was kind of afraid that he was going to have that whole theme running through his house. (Why is it always the white boys with the Asian fascination? But I digress.) It seems a cool enough pad in the South Bay with 3 floors and a rooftop area where one could possibly enjoy a beverage of choice. So yeah, good times had by all.

Forewarning: If you currently have a headache or get motion sickness, I wouldn't recommend this video for you.

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Some Qs and Some As

I am now officially a part of HLOG (Hockey's Ladies of Greatness) and am obviously very excited. To get started in HLOG, you must submit a questionnaire/introduction, so I am posting it here as well for you all to read. I hope you enjoy a little insight into why I think the way I do.


1. Where you're from, what you do - basic things.
I hail from a suburb approximately 30 minutes southwest of the Staples Center, which is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. And yes, the beach is very close to my house.

I was away for seven years (2000-2007) going to college, working, and coaching up in northern California, aka enemy Sharks territory. It was here where my hatred for the Sharks grew substantially. It got to the point where I really didn't mind the Ducks winning the Cup last year because I was so busy being happy that the Sharks were taken out of the race. I was the one and only (and very lonely) hockey fan among my friends; I got laughed at for having my own playoff bracket hand drawn and taped up on my wall. But I had a TV in my room with Versus, so I eventually became the fan that I am now who is a little spastic and yells a lot (although I think I've mellowed out the last couple of months). P.S. I didn't go to college for 7 years. I was just in norcal for that long.

I currently work in a cube and stare at a computer screen. But I'm doing almost exactly what I want to be doing, which is fantastic, so no complaints from me. In my off time I try to go to the gym, read, and/or watch movies.

2. Your team and why you like them.
My heart belongs to the Los Angeles Kings forever and ever. I grew up in the Gretzky era and would not have traded that for anything. I probably spent the majority of middle school and early high school watching roller hockey more than ice hockey, but both were very prevalent. It was those roller hockey games where KMS2 and I became friends!! Odd thing I'm finding now is that when I say my favorite sport is hockey, people give me the weirdest looks. But back when I was younger, it wasn't a surprise to hear that I loved the game.

Why do I like the Kings? Because I grew up watching them? You can't turn your back on something like that and hop onto some other bandwagon.

3. Your least favorite team and why?
Now this is a toss up between the Sharks and Ducks. The Ducks is just a dead giveaway; I thought it was weak that the NHL was coming out with a team based on a movie. Granted the movie was a way to promote this new team Disney was unveiling (from what I've gathered), but still, as a kid, it just seemed like a stupid concept. As a side note, no one I know thinks the rivalry named being named the Freeway Faceoff is a good thing.

The Sharks. Oh the Sharks. I never paid any attention to the Sharks growing, but my time spent in norcal groomed me into the Sharks-hating fan that I am today. Three years ago when they absolutely dominated, I absolutely hated them. I hated that they turned a leaf when Thornton came on board. I hated that Cheechoo found his step and found the net. I hated that Marleau won fastest skater at the All-Stars Skills Competition. I hated Sharks fans rubbing my face in the fact that my Kings weren't doing well and their Sharks were. I freaking hate trash talkers, and I felt like that was all I got. But thinking back to that time, if those Sharks fans didn't give me crap about how lame LA was and how the Kings weren't doing well, I might not hate the Sharks as much as I do.

4. Your favorite player of all time & now?
Rob Blake. Hands down, no question. I remember being little and watching him on TV and his name and number always stuck with me, along with the massive hip checks he was laying down. I also remember trying to hip check friends in the hallways in school; they probably didn't appreciate that too much. Anyhoo, Blake is back with the Kings finishing up the second year of a 2-year contract with the probable signing of at least a one-year contract for the 08-09 season. I am absolutely beyond thrilled that I was able to move back and watch him play on the ice again.

5. Which hockey player is your least favorite and why?
I think even if I wasn't a Kings fan, I'd still loathe Chris Pronger. And I think his gap-toothed smile makes it worse.

6. What do you hope to gain from joining HLOG?
The majority of my friends are male and uninterested in hockey, so I am hoping to find an acceptance in this large and growing network of female hockey-lovers. This is a unique community and am excited to be a part of it. I am constantly reading all I can when it comes to hockey, and it's always nice to be able to talk to someone about the sport without having to explain what a power play is.

7. What role do female fans contribute to the game of hockey? What does female fan support do for the league/team/player she supports?
We, as female fans, make a huge portion of the fanbase for this sport. So, to the corporate schmoes, we are an integral component to every franchise; but isn't it funny how the Alyssa Milano line hadn't been launched until now. Back on track, we offer a different way of viewing the game and aspects that surround the play on the ice. I also believe we have more patience with the general non-hockey loving person in trying to explain the rules and why we have this unexplainable love for the game. Female fans can also bring awareness to individual players on teams; i.e. Kirsten's utter hatred for Martin Skoula, Steph's... need for Ty Conklin, Finny's... affinity toward OB. =) I would be unaware of these players were it not for these three lovely ladies!

8. Hockey just isn't the same without __________!
the NHL Network. When I moved back, I needed a way to watch hockey (preferably) all the time. So I bit the bullet and ordered DirecTV with the NHL Network. Turns out it was the best investment to date. Wait...I probably should say college was my best investment, but you get the idea. So yes, the NHL Network allows me to watch hockey highlights for as long as I want every night as well as a slew of other things and I would be completely lost without it.

9. If you could make your own team, regardless of whatever players, what would it be called and where will it be/how would it be like?
They would be called the Las Vegas Sugar Daddies. Obviously the name would be the point of interest for those visiting the city of wickedness; but those over 40, greasy, and doning gold chains are not allowed on the roster.

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Kings 4, Predators 1

The Kings are keeping other teams stressed out by preventing them from picking up points. But perhaps the Predators realized that they should put Dan Ellis in net instead of Chris Mason because the Kings don't suck that much, right?...

Well, Kings get the W and 2 points while the Predators remain stagnant with 78 points and in 9th place in the Western Conference.

Kudos:

• Alexander Frolov with 2 goals (22, 23)
  
• Kevin Dallman with his second goal of the season (2)

Update: After the end of the game, this goal was given to Brownie (30) on a deflection, but Dallman gets credited with an assist.

• Matt Ellis for his first goal for the LA Kings (3)
  
• Erik Ersberg gets his second win with 37 saves (2-2-2)

(AP Photo/Frederick Breedon)

Where's the puck? Oh yeah, it's sliding over the goal line. Sweet.

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"I'm Not A Puck Bunny" Podcast - Episode 5

Here is another installment of our podcast for your ears. McPhizzle was indisposed during time of this recording, so it is just Finny and me chit-chatting it up on all things Duckies, Sharkies, and Kings.

Forewarning: We were having severe technical difficulties with the recording so the sound is … a tad eff-ed. BUT, we still had a good time recording it and hope that you enjoy it as well. Also if we sound delirious or lethargic at any point during the podcast, it’s probably due to the fact that we recorded this Wednesday morning at 12:00-2:45am.

We have our usual weekly updates, and then we look at the big stories that occurred in the last week, which were sparse. We then finish off with another fun segment of Off Ice. We celebrate St. Patrick's Day early and play bartender for a night! So please stick around for Off Ice: St. Patty's Edition.

Our webby site

As always please direct any questions, comments, complaints, thoughts, ideas, or rants to: imnotapuckbunny@gmail.com.

Click me to listen!!

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Kings 1, Canucks 2 (OT) (PT)

Player Transactions:
The Kings primary affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, sign Paul Baier (D) to an Amateur Tryout Agreement. He was drafted by the Kings in the third-round (95th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Pre-Game:
Can we sweep the 4-game series? We got Clouts in net...we shall see...

1st Period:
- Did Crawford REALLY just start with Blake, Dallman, Handzus, Frolov, and Ellis? Did he just pick names out of a hat??
- The first 10 minutes are spent by killing penalties by both teams ending with the game still scoreless. But then the play continues...and continues...with no whistles...or icings...and keeps going and going. The first commercial break is taken with less than 4 minutes to go with Cloutier making clutch saves!!!
- Foxy just said a "wrister by Isbister." Ah...you kill me.
- Cloutier totally drew that goaltender interference penalty; that was awesome. He grabbed Pettinger's leg since he was already in his crease anyway and just lifted him up and up-ended him. If Cloutier gets into a fight tonight, I won't be mad. This first period had the Canucks come out fast and playing some feisty shutdown hockey. Both teams had good chances by their respective offensive lines, but there were definitely numerous broken plays by both teams as well. Vancouver is playing to hold on to their 8th spot in the Western Conference; the Kings are playing to prevent Vancouver from advancing.
- The period ends with Vancouver taking 3 penalties and getting 13 shots on goal. The Kings on the other hand took only one penalty but only had 5 shots on. It is also still 0-0.

2nd Period:
- Kings PK - Naslund bombs a shot from the point, it hits the post, and the play is whistled down. I totally thought that went in. You know you did too. I have a feeling that whatever pucks get past these two goalies are gonna be ugly garbage goals.
- 5 minutes in, Ohlund collides with Kopi as he comes across the blueline and his chin smashes into Ohlund's shoulder. Grrr....that shit pisses me off.

(Jeff Gross/ Getty Images)

Was that really necessary?

- Kings PK - The Canucks actually are able to set up plays and get some shots on, but the Kings are able to kill it successfully by throwing their bodies around.
- The 10 minutes in the middle of the 2nd are spent with a lot of back and forth hockey, but with the Canucks having a obscene amount of shots on. With 7 minutes to go, the Canucks have 24 shots on while the Kings have only 10. The Kings are ALSO blocking a ton of shots as well. Obviously with only 10 shots on, Luongo has not really been tested tonight so far.
- Burrows gets a shot on and it goes past Cloutier, hits the far post, it's under his left pad and Cloutier freezes it. But Isbister comes in with his momentum and just pushes Coults over the line. Goal is washed out. If that was deemed a goal, I would have thrown my laptop across the room. After what happened in the first against Montreal on Saturday, I wouldn't have held it against the refs.
- The last 5 minutes of the game are dominated by the Canucks with a LOT of time spent in the corners and along the boards. The Kings can battle in the boards and come out with the puck, but it's that first to second pass out where the Canucks regain possession and they go back in to the corners.
- The period ends with the Kings getting 7 shots for a total of 12, and the Canucks getting 13 shots on for a total of 26. We're still scoreless too.

3rd Period:
- 5 minutes in, Giuliano had the best chance for a goal. The Kings are playing with a little more spunk because it's obvious that they need to get more shots on. It's actually been more stressful with Cloutier making clutches saves once again. Luongo is staying square on all the Kings shots and I'm wondering how this is gonna turn out.
- Kings Goal - I spoke too soon; Canucks' Mitchell breaks his stick in the Kings zone and the Kings advance the puck across the Canucks blueline. Sully (19) gets the cross-ice pass and go top shelf, short side on Luongo it's Kings 1, Canucks 0! (8:27)
- 5 minutes left and the Canucks already have 33 shots on goal, which is ridiculous. Both clubs are showing their tenacity through this whole period.
- Canucks Goal - Kesler ties it up at 17:19. DAMNIT!
- Are the fans REALLY chanting "Cloutier"???? Are you fucking kidding me???
- Kings PK - With 1:30 to go. Game ends and we head to OT. I want to highlight Matt Ellis; I thought he played his style of shutdown hockey very well. You can never question his effort because you see it every shift. And while I'm at it, kudos to Giuliano for blocking shots without a stick by diving in front of the shots.

OT:
- With 30 seconds left in the penalty, Ohlund takes a point shot and nails it off the post.
- Canucks Goal - At 46 seconds in, Kesler redirects a shot past a screened Cloutier.
- Kings have 18 shots on to Vancouver's 40. The Canucks played desperate hockey tonight; granted, it wasn't as organized as it could have been for them, but they still come out with their much needed win. I'm a little disappointed that the Kings couldn't sweep the Canucks, but it flat out sucks even more that Cloutier didn't get the win. Let me say it one more time:

CLOUTIER DESERVED THAT WIN.

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Kings 2, Canadiens 5

I found myself shaking my head so many times while at Staples that I couldn't even keep count, but it wasn't just because of the Kings. There were so many other things going on in Staples that the viewer could not see on TV that it was amazing! Habs jerseys at every turn, Canadian flags, audible singing of the Canadian anthem even though it was in French, bullshit calls by the refs, you get the picture. But like the last game, let me rewind and go back to the start of the game.

Purse Snatcher (A.K.A. Ryan O'Byrne) was a scratch, but I thought he should be given a mention

Pre-Game Thoughts:
- Traffic is shitty in LA at all times of the day; there's really no way around it.
- There were many more Canadiens fans today than there were Senators fans on Thursday.
- Kings started the game with their 2nd offensive line and defensive pair.
- Okay, Kings fans, stop booing Marc Crawford. It's CLEAR that he's not getting fired before the season ends! Get over it!

1st Period:
- The Kings first power play didn't really look like a power play. The Habs were pretty feisty and there was actually a disallowed goal that was scored by the Kings. I thought we were gonna be able to jump on the score board first, but the refs thought otherwise. I will watch the DVR'd game later so that I can get some answers!!!!
- I thought this first period was going at a pretty good pace seeing as how it was a 1PM start. Although the first 10 minutes both teams spent more time trying to get possession and making passes that mattered more than anything else.
- 12:51 - Koivu and Calder go to the box for roughing, which produced a very tense 4-on-4 situation. It was kind of surprising at how quiet the sellout crowd was.
- Kings PK at 15:40 by Kopi - this was a great kill and Sully was able to get some short-handed chances.
- The Kings had a great first period with the shots even at 10 apiece. They're obviously playing for pride at this point in the season while the Habs are attempting to climb higher in the Eastern Conference. The positives I take from this period are that Ivanans is showing some good foot speed, Preissing is getting knocked around but is actually noticeable to me by NOT making mistakes, and Ersberg is rocking it in net and keeping the Kings fans calm. The negatives are that Willie and Dallman still kinda suck.

2nd Period:
- Canadiens Goal - Brisebois unassisted. So much cheering...we're in Los Angeles, right??
- Kings PK - So right when I see Willsie on the ice and say, "C'mon, Willsie, don't suck," he takes a penalty for slashing. And to top it off Saku Koivu scores by redirecting a shot at 7:40. Habs up 2-0.
- In this period the Habs have woken up a little and have had more possession time with the puck than in the first. The Kings are trying to maintain the energy they had in the first and I'm hoping they can stage a comeback soon enough.
- Canadians Goal - Latendresse at 12:43. Uhh...yeah....
- The Kings 2nd line looked like it had potential to make a huge difference in the first period, but they aren't able to get the simple things done because the Habs are getting their act together and shutting down the Kings. Frolov is trying to be way too fancy for the fans and it's actually kind of annoying me because he's not as strong on the puck today than he has been in every game this season!
- Kings PP - Kings Goal - Rob Blake (7) nets his 700th NHL point!!!! I'm so happy I was there to see the milestone!! Score is Habs 3, Kings 1 at 16:53.

700 career points!!! Go Blake!

- Here's what pissed me off: With 46 seconds left on the clock, a pane of glass needed to be replaced, which was fine. The Kings had a tremendous amount of momentum going ever since Blake netted his goal that I just KNEW the Kings were going to score another before the period ended. The crew is about halfway through changing out the glass when they announce that they're going to take the intermission right at that point and come back to finish the 2nd and start the 3rd. OKAY, WHAT THE FUCK. You're just gonna let the refs take away your momentum?? I know it's not the Kings decision to do that, but didn't someone on the coaching staff complain?? The part that makes this even shitter was that the crew was done changing the glass BEFORE both benches went to the dressing room!!!

3rd Period:
- They run out the 46 remaining seconds, the horn goes, and the play is dead while the clock resets. I can't even describe how pissed I am at this.
- Canadiens Goal - Andrei Kostitsyn nets one at 3:49. Bla.
- The Habs continue to take control of the game. They're exuding more energy and are shutting down the Kings left and right. ...so many Habs fans cheering....

Go....second line?

- Kings Goal - Anze Fucking Kopitar nets is 29th of the season at 6:29. I haven't watched the game on TV yet, but I'm wondering why Fro wasn't given an assist on this play. But anyhoo, Fro had the puck at the goal line along the boards on the left, he had two Habs on him and passed to Sully who went around the net behind Halak. Sully passes to Kopi who was in front of the net and it's Kings 2, Habs 4.
- Halfway through the period: The Kings amazingly enough have 31 shots on while the Habs have 21. I touched on this earlier, but I think this is the first game where Frolov hasn't had stellar puck possession. He's getting pushed out and getting knocked off the puck, which is just frustrating the hell out of me since this is not supposed to be happening!!!!
- More things to note at this point:

• The 1st line is trying to be too fancy and is waiting for the perfect opportunity. This period was the best opportunity to just throw the puck at the net, but....yeah....
• The 2nd line had a little more spunk but Frolov was showing off a little too much, which caused him to loose possession one too many times.
• The 3rd line showed the most grit in my opinion. They were going for the dirty garbage goals, but this dude named Willsie was definitely the weakest link.
• The 4th line brought some grit as well by shutting down the Habs as best they could.

- The Canadiens net their 5th goal on an empty net at 18:07 by Tom "I like to steal purses" Kostopoulos.
- Harrold definitely has some growing up to do. I know he's a rookie and I don't like picking on rookies, so all I'm gonna say is, "Can you just please make less mistakes?"

Game:
- Kings 2, Canadiens 5 (shots on 37, 23)
- The Kings showed something that has actually been rare this season, which was their ability to come out strong in the first period. They were beating the Habs to pucks and were a little faster and better with their passing. But if you look at the game from start to finish, the Kings faded while the Habs did just the opposite. They started out iffy making me wonder how much better the West was than the East, but then they brought it in the second and third. In the end, I guess I'm okay with getting beaten by the number one team in the Eastern Conference.

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Kings 2, Senators 0

Pre-game:
Before the game started the Kings were on a 5-game losing streak and the Sens were on a skid of their own, so it was anyone's guess at to who would win. In Episode 4 of the "I'm Not a Puck Bunny Podcast" I stated that I wanted to see Ray Emery in net so that he and Cloutier could meet at center ice and have a throwdown. Well, I was incorrect in both instances as Gerber and Ersberg were both in net. I was actually surprised to see Gerber between the pipes because he had dropped both games against the Sharks and Ducks, so you'd think the coach would give him a break and put in the prima donna, but that didn't happen.

This was the Swedish kid's (Ersberg) Staples Center debut and he did not disappoint, but let me backtrack and get to the game.


1st Period:
There were only two note-worthy instances in this period:

1. The first penalty kill the Kings had, they worked very well together to keep the Sens from advancing too far into their zone and cleared the puck multiple times, which, as a Kings fan is rare to see. Great kill and the players to note: Jeff Giuliano and Matt Ellis.
2. Jason Spezza takes a slapper from the blueline straight at Ersberg and his helmet pops off his head. I haven't seen the replay on tv (but I have it DVR'd so I will watch it tomorrow) but it was crazy to see that happen live and in color. I just was hoping that there wasn't going to be any blood on his jersey, and when I saw that the jersey was still white, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I found this period to be lackluster. There were some good opportunities from both teams but nothing substantial. The Sens definitely spent the majority of their time in the Kings zone, and the Sens dominated the neutral zone more often than not as well. I thought Ersberg was doing well so far seeing as how this was his first game at Staples and I was hoping for the best. He's slowly but surely gaining my trust as of this moment.


2nd Period:
- So it's here where the Kings start to play the kind of hockey they're being paid to play. Think that's harsh? Why don't you take it up with my heart that has been ripped out and stomped on multiple times by varies Kings games.
- The start of the period brought out three (3) scoring opportunities by the Kings; Brownie, Sully, and Cammy, respectively.
- Kings are on the PK at 1:56. They have another solid kill with Ellis making a showing. Another player that's been noticeable has been Spezza with his shots on; he's got some great foot speed going from a dead stop to full speed.
- Kings PP turns into a 5-on-3, and I'm not sure what was going on with the times when Frolov scored the first goal of the game, but it was awesome nonetheless. Kings Goal - Frolov (21) gets a PP goal from inside the slot at the hash marks (8:10). He gets a nice pass from Kopi who was at the half boards on the right; he gets the puck, lets it go, and it goes in between Gerber's left pad and the post.
- At one point in the second Blake was following a Sen along the boards and when they got to the goal line, Blake decided he'd had enough of him and threw an old school Rob Blake Hip Check. Seeing that honestly took me back to what he was like years ago when throwing the hip check was something that happened on a frequent basis. I really can't describe how cool that was to me.
- With about 5 or 6 minutes left in the period, the energy starts to rise. It started with a BS play by Volchenkov on Sully. Volchenkov basically hits Sully's left knee with his...body. Sully is down on the ice and Brownie rushes in. After order is restored, Volchenkov is on the Sens' bench, Sully in on the Kings' bench, and Brownie is in the box for 2 minutes. Grrrr. For some reason after this, the rest of the game turned into "let's pick on Sully as much as we can for the rest of the game." It seemed like the Sens had it in for Sully; I have no idea why and it was starting to annoy me.
- So the energy had risen and opportunities were opening up throughout this period. It seemed that both teams needed a full 20 minutes to wake up and realize that they were trying to play a hockey game!
- The standout so far is Brownie. He's going out every shift and making a difference. What about Ersberg? He's been stellar so far, but I feel that I need to see him perform the same way for more than a couple of games before I can start having any real faith in him. As an aside, Cloutier just can't get a break it seems. Maybe this is a sign that he should just hang up his skates and pursue some other career path...


3rd Period:
- Standout player of this period is definitely Kings netminder: the Swedish Kid. It seems that he's square on every shooter that he faces. In the first period I was nervous about how he would fare, but by this point in the game, I'm pretty confident in his performance. He's stopping pucks every which way, but he looks so calm in all of his movements. Differences in Ersberg compared to some Kings goaltenders:

• Unlike Cloutier, Ersberg doesn't frantically search around for his rebounds. Why? Because he blocks shots and smothers the puck immediately.
• Unlike Aubin, Ersberg doesn't let rebounds bounce off him that go out 10 feet in front of him, which give opposing players the perfect chance for an immediate second opportunity.
• Unlike LaBarbera, Ersberg is...not 6'3".

Ottawa started to put the pressure on in the last 10 minutes or so of the game. The majority of this time was spent in the Kings zone with Ersberg making some ridiculously controlled saves. With less than two minutes left in the game, the Sens score what they thought would be the tying goal, but after review, it was waived off and the game ended with Sully scoring the empty netter for this 18th goal of the season (19:55). And just to reiterate that this was "Pick On Sully Night," on the way to the empty net, Meszaros rode Sully as if he was Sully's jersey and not an opposing player. Meszaros capped off his night with a roughing minor.

Game:
- Kings 2, Senators 0
- Talk about lopsided shots on net:

• 1st period: Kings 8, Sens 16
• 2nd period: Kings 21, Sens 8
• 3rd period: Kings 3, Sens 16

All in all, this was a great game. Granted neither team really showed up for the first period, they were able to pick up the energy and get the crowed involved as well. In the end, the Senators lose to all California teams; they move onto Phoenix and face some feisty Coyotes while the Kings face the other Canadian team in town, Montreal. Why does it have to be a 1PM start? What time am I gonna have to wake up to get my ass over to Staples?

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"I'm Not A Puck Bunny" Podcast - Episode 4

Finny & I joined forces once again to bring you our 4th episode. Unfortunately McPhizzle was unable to join us because half of her city was without power. I hope by now that the power is back on in her abode and that she is sleeping safe and sound.

We are pleased to announce that we had a very special guest with us tonight; Teebz from Hockey Blog in Canada was going to join us for one segment but when we learned that McPhizzle was having technical difficulties, Teebz stepped up to the plate and took on a larger role than was originally planned. So thanks again to him!!

Here we recap the games from the past week, look ahead to the next week, go over the big stories around the league, and then we end with our first every mailbag where we attempt to define the term "puck bunny" (this is actually worth the listen, so please tune in!).

As always please direct any questions, comments, complaints, thoughts, ideas, or rants to: imnotapuckbunny@gmail.com.

Check us out here: Our podcast thingy

Click here to have a listen!

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Kings 2, Blues 3

Pre-Game:
- Kings take on the St. Louis Blues
- Rookie Dmen Jack Johnson vs. Erik Johnson
- Erik Ersberg in net
- This is the picture of Brad Boyes that was in my Kings Game Day email. Someone tell me why his head is so small... He can't be wearing his shoulder pads in this, so what's the deal??

Has anyone seen Super Mario Bros??

1st Period:
- Blues Goal - McDonald at 1:40. Umm...ok...nothing new I guess. I can't believe the three (3) Kings just stood there while the puck slid past them; but Ersberg just watched it too! That seemed way too easy.
- The Blues are dominating this period; they've spent a lot of the first 5 minutes in the Kings zone and are putting 2 Blues down low to create a wall in front of Ersberg.
- Kings PK - Ellis and JJ are in the box. I heart my PK Beast; way to sacrifice the body!! The Kings watch the Blues not take too many shots on, but the Kings aren't able to clear the puck at all. Ellis comes out of the box and charges up the right-wing for a shorty, but Legace ain't no rookie.
- Halfway through the first - these are some sloppy breakouts by the Kings from their zone. Bleh. But I like that Ersberg doesn't let a lot of rebounds out in front of him. This is in stark contrast from what J.S. Aubin liked to do, which was let the puck rebound out far in front of him that gave the offensive player another opportunity for a shot on.
- Hey, Dallman! If you grow 5 inches, gain 20 pounds, and play hockey at an elite level, I might like you!
- Kings Goal - Fro (20)!!!! Sully gets the loose puck on the left wing and skates over the blueline while looking around, makes the pass to Blake, and Legace is looking around and around and doesn't realize that Frolov had already gotten the puck past him!! (19:12)

2nd Period:
- Kings PK - Very nice kill, very nice, boys.
- Kings Goal - Brownie (29) gets the puck on the left side at the blueline and snaps it past Legace and that's it. Kings up 2-1 at 4:32. Sweet action.
- The Kings have been dominating this period, hands down. They've cleaned up their act and are actually getting the puck out of the defensive zone like a pro hockey team should be. So this Erik Ersberg; staying squared to the shooter, gobbling up rebounds, snatching pucks out of mid air? I am impressed.
- Blues Goal - Tkachuk gets the puck in the neutral zone, goes high on the short side and it's tied up at 11:53.
- Wow, the Kings 4th line is providing the exact pressure they needed after the Blues tied it up. Giuliano and Ellis are cycling the puck well and actually get some chances at the net.
- Awesome = Ivanans getting clean hits off all over the ice. Crappy = Lubo getting hit and slow to get up.
- This was a great period compared to the first; it was fast-paced and the Kings were able to dominate the neutral zone at times. I thought the 4th line did a very good job of providing the support the top two lines needed. After seeing Ivanans out on the top line for a bit of the first period, I think he only got one or two chances in this period. But it seems like his play became more noticeable when he was with Kopi and Brownie just because he knew he couldn't just skate around looking for guys to throw around. Side note: Willsie with Kopi and Brownie is no good.

3rd Period:
- Most eventful thing in the first 5 minutes is Erik Johnson getting some shrapnel to the face. He was able to skate off the off on his own, so he seems okay. The Blues are playing a little better in the first part of this period than they were in the 2nd. So the play between both teams seems more even than it was in the first 40 minutes.
- There are some great passes to the front of the net on two different plays, but Cammy and Brownie are unable to convert on both of their chances. They seem to have been a little too close to Legace which made for an awkward angle for them.
- Halfway through the period - The play from both teams is more wide open now; the plays are being broken up back and forth from both teams.
- Kings PK - This is the Kings' fourth penalty they have to kill; the Blues have taken no penalties at all. This is actually a rare sight to see brownie in the box (for elbowing no less). Ellis is a pure grinder; he did a great job on his shift on this PK. I give this kill a B+.
- Blues Goal - Ryan Johnson takes full advantage of a broken play at the Kings blueline. The puck trickles through the legs of Ersberg and the Blues are up 3-2 at 13:06.
- 4:25 left on the clock - Brownie just completely upends McKee up over the Blues bench and McKee is out of the play. That was awesome.
- Kings PP - This is the first power play for the Kings with 2:09 left in the game. Blake gets his stick snapped and the Kings are up 2 men!!!
- After a whistle with less than a minute to go, Blues Brewer goes after Brownie for something, but, really, Brewer was the one that was punching Brownie on the back of the head before that whistle! But what pissed me off was that Brewer tried to grab at Lubo when the ref was taking him off! What the fuck did Lubo do to you, you ass?!?! Don't touch my point man!
- Brownie gets 2 minutes for high sticking and 5 for fighting, and the Kings are only up 4 to 3 now. The Kings were only able to get 2 shots on in the last 40 seconds and the Blues come out the victors.

Game:
- Kings 2, Blues 3 (Shots on were 32-31)
- I've resigned myself to the fact that the Kings are just gonna lose and keep losing. But that doesn't mean I can't take positives out of the remaining games:

• Handzus won 5 faceoffs and lost only 1! Has that ever happened before??
• I enjoyed seeing Ivanans in a different role tonight by being put on a line with Kopi and Brownie.
• Ellis has shown why the Kings plucked him off waivers, but, Steph, he won't be my favorite on the PK. That role belongs to Jeff Giuliano. =)
• Ersberg impressed me with his puck control between the pipes. I actually hope that Cloutier becomes his backup while Barbs recovers.
  

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