Help Please

So I decided to take a slowdown type of break this summer from the blog and not do the insane Year-In-Reviews I did a year ago. I've enjoyed my time relaxing, but I definitely have a need to write something right now. Here is where you come in.

To my faithful readers: what would you like to read about for my next post? I don't want to do what everyone else is doing; rather, I would like to supplement what is already out there. Gann Matsuda is doing a fantastic job with interviews and the like. Rich Hammond always has something going on. KingsCast is still active over the summer with the Overtime videos.

Please let me know in the comments or email! I would really appreciate a jumpstart of some sort.

Read more...

Loyal To The Day I Die

to ROB BLAKE

Great hair, Blakey.

If this isn't an indicator that Blake wants to remain in LA, I don't know what is.

L.A. Times Story

Inside The Kings interview

Obviously this doesn't mean that he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause if he was asked, because he hasn't been asked...yet. There are 9 days left, and really, the Kings should be more focused on getting the dead weight of their roster (i.e. Nagy) than Blake, because of those two, Blake has actually been playing AND putting up numbers.

(Getty Images/Jeff Vinnick)Just because I think this picture is hilarious.

Read more...

Kings 4, Flames 6

Pre-game:
- It's raining in LA
- Will I find comfort at Staples?
- Great to see KQ with her silver boots. Good times!

1st Period:
- Calgary gets 2 goals before we get 4 minutes into the game. I was honestly just praying that Barbs wasn't going to be pulled.
- The energy is high, which is a good thing to see, but we're getting out-muscled. I felt like every time the Flames got the puck they had a little more hop in their step than the Kings. They break out faster, they skate faster. I probably don't really need to write this, but Iginla is A LOT faster than Modry. haha WOW.
- Phaneuf scares me.

Can you just keep Stuart in there for the whole game?

2nd Period:
- Kings Goal - Fro (7) grabs the puck from Kiprusoff who was caught behind the net and wrapped it around into an empty net at 6:14.
- The Flames are blocking passes in the neutral zone relegating the Kings to their own zone.
- Flames Goal - Iginla (32 wow) snaps it past Barbs.
- Brownie and Dion are eyeing each other. I thought there'd be a fight or something before the end of the game, but I was incorrect. Damn. We need a spark. We need ....goals.

There's Handzus losing another faceoff.

3rd Period:
- Kings Goal - Stuart (6) gets a PP goal at 2:08 and brings life back to the Kings.
- Shots are even at 25.
- Kings Goal - Nagy (9) wrists it in at 4:48 with assists going to Fro and Vish. See?? That's what happens when you take the puck to the net!! FINALLY!
- We're tied 3-3
- Flames' Dustin Boyd and Robyn Regehr collide right inside the Kings blueline and their play is broken up amidst laughter from Staples and probably the Kings too.
- Behind the Kings net Calder gets high sticked in the face and nothing is called. He skates to the bench with BLOOD ALL OVER HIS FACE. About 20 seconds later the other ref or a linesman sees Calder BLEEDING on the bench and whistles the play dead. Corey Sarich gets a double minor for high sticking.
- Brownie gets hit at the end boards and goes to the locker room, but he only misses one shift and was back out being his old self.
- Stuart sucks. I really don't know how else to put it. Scratch him. Trade him. Keep him off the ice.
- Kings Goal - Kopi (17) nets a power play goal at 10:12 but is immediately pushed into the crossbar by a Flamer.
- Fro is called for tripping and the Flames are on the PP.
- Flames Goal - Huselius scores at 13:05 by getting a clean cross-ice pass from Iginla.
- We're tied 4-4.
- The stress is high and it's coming down to just a couple of minutes. BRIAN WILLSIE gets called for holding and knows he just lost the game for us.
- Flames Goal - Langkow scores at 14:55. Damnit Willsie!!

Kiprusoff looking smug after completely knocking Thornton over for no reason.

- Crow pulls Barbs in the last minute and there are some chances, but the puck is moved into the Kings zone and Vish is there trying to evade Huselius. Wouldn't you know it, Huselius strips Lubo of the puck and scores on an empty net. It's like taking candy from a baby.

End of Game:
- Kings 4, Flames 6
- There was hope. There really was.
- My brother's thought after the game: "Keep Kopitar, Brown, Frolov, and Johnson. Trade everyone else."


Random:
According to Matt Kredell over at Inside The Kings, the Kings are going to be at various locations signing autographs tomorrow. When I saw who was going to be at my local rink, I laughed really hard and realized that I didn't want to meet any of them.

Read more...

BREAKING NEWS

Following last night's game, there have been several transactions that have taken place. Without too much commentary, here they are:

Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today that:
1) Forward Gabe Gauthier and Goalie Jonathan Quick (under emergency conditions) were recalled from the Manchester Monarchs.

2) Forward Matt Moulson has been sent back to the Monarchs.

3) Alexander Frolov has been placed in IR retroactive to November 21.

http://www.insidesocal.com/kings/

Carla Muller over at hockeybuzz.com breaks down the goaltender situation at Manchester really quickly.
Cloutier W-L-SOL of 3-7-0, 3.10 GAA and 88.8% Save Percentage
Quick W-L-SOL of 1-2-0, 2.67 GAA and 90.9% Save Percentage
Ersberg W-L-SOL of 4-3-1, 3.05 GAA and 88.8 Save Percentage

My own thoughts:
- So we can all thank our lucky stars that Coultier hasn't been called up.
- Crawford decided to keep Klemm over Matt Moulson??

From an update by Matt Kredell from Inside the Kings, the reason why Matt Moulson was recalled to Manchester wasn't because of his performance but more of what Crawford needed in making line combinations. I'm glad they addressed this fact because I didn't see anything wrong with his playing.

Read more...