Landed In The Hockey News!

The current September 7th issue of The Hockey News has a preview of all 30 teams in the NHL written by Adam Proteau that includes a short statement by bloggers of each team. I was asked to write about how the Kings will fare for this new season and I graciously accepted. My only restriction was to keep it under 50 words, which was a bit stifling but I managed to power out something I hope all Kings fans can stand behind.



Here is a screen shot of the digital issue. I'm located on the top half of page 33 next to a great picture of Drew Doughty. Just in case you can't read it, it says:

Underrated Kings GM Dean Lombardi has continued to quietly build a contender with (almost) nobody watching. This young team will play with drama-filled, Boys on the Bus exuberance worthy of a reality TV show.

A few words were snipped out of what I wrote, but it doesn't affect the overall message, which is that this team will make other markets aware of its presence by continuing on the path set out by Lombardi years prior. For Kings fans, there shouldn't be any surprises in the team's potential output considering the additions and subtractions made this summer.

Thanks to Earl Sleek for the mention as he was chosen to write on the Anaheim Ducks. Congrats to fellow HLOGers Elise from 18,568 Reasons Why... and Bethany from Bethany's Hockey Rants. And congrats to all the other bloggers who were asked for thoughts on their respective teams.

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I'm Sorry, What's Your Name Again?

Since I will be heading out of town this weekend, I thought I’d leave you all with a fun post inspired by THN’s Ryan Dixon’s post titled “Best names in hockey.” He ranked the top ten (10) hockey names by how well they rolled off the tongue. As I was perusing the various NHL rosters, I realized that there were names that could fit into any number of categories, which I separated out as such.

If you feel that there were any I missed, please let me know in the comments! Enjoy!

Silly Boys
Guillaume Latendresse (MON) - Bet you can't say that five times really fast
Radek Bonk (NSH) - Is he called Rady or Bonky?
Jordin Tootoo (NAH) - At least his first name is somewhat normal, but he still sucks
Dion Phaneuf (CAL) - Who is just plain silly
Wojtek Wolski (COL) - Wol…wolly…what’s that?
Teemu Selanne (ANA) - Salami??
Radim Vrbata (PHX) - Radim…I got nuthin
Jeremy Roenick (PHX) - The man more so than the name
Wade Dubielewicz (NYI) - Doo bee doo bee dooooo
Antero Niitymaki (PHI) - Nitty!

Names That Glide Off The Tongue
Miroslav Satan (NYI) - Will he ever get traded to New Jersey?
Ty Conklin (PIT) - And by “roll off your tounge,” I really mean “hop”
Maxim Afinogenov (BUF) - "My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius."
Vesa Toskala (TOR) - VESAAAAAA
Alexei Ponikarovsky (TOR) - So many nicknames could come from this name (Pony is the best)
Ilya Kovalchuk (ATL) - Pretty boy
Olli Jokinen (FLA) - You must be Jokinen
Jonathan Toews (CHI) - Toes? Tow-eys? Tows? TAVES??
Nikolai Zherdev (CBJ) - He's a BJ
Dominik Hasek (DET) - The Dominator or fish out of water?
Robyn Regehr (CAL) - Does this really roll off the tongue or am I just crazy?
Mikko Koivu (MIN) - Adorable name, adorable face
Roberto Luongo (VAN) - I think it's the curly hair that makes his name so smooth
Patrick O’Sullivan (LAK) - Just because I feel like it

Names That Make Me Chuckle
Fedor Tyutin (NYR) - I'll give you something to toot
Petr Prucha (NYR) - Chuckles for everyone
Jarkko Ruutu (PIT) - "I believe it's called jogging or yogging, it might be a soft j, but I'm not sure."
Tuomo Ruutu (CAR) - If I had to choose, I'd rather be named Tuomo
Tom Kostopoulos (MON) – Uncle Jessie!! (courtesy of Marie)
Jiri Tlusty (TOR) - Among other things
Radek Dvorak (FLA) - Like the other type of keyboard?
Duncan Keith (CHI) - Duncan Sheik
Jeff Finger (COL) - Always makes me sneer
Adam Foote (COL) - Do you realize that the Aves now have a Foote to go along with their Finger?
Derek Boogaard (MIN) - Boogie? Booger?
Niklas Hagman (DAL) - Do his teammates call him Haggy?
Martin Hanzal (PHX) - “It's that damn Hansel! he’s so hot right now!”

Are We Missing Some Letters Here?
Glen Metropolit (BOS) - There should be some more letters at the end of that...
David Krejci (BOS) - Krejci...avic? ...kov? ...slav?
Johan Hecht (BUF) - Excuse you
Matt Foy (MIN) - Foy...er?
John Pohl (TOR) - George and Ringo?
Ken Klee (ATL) - Klee...nex?
Tom Poti (WAH) - Tommy, we call it a restroom when we get older, not a poti


Honorable Mentions from the AHL

Dwayne Zinger (Providence Bruins) - Who names their kid Dwayne anymore? Oh, I just checked and he was born in 1976; I’ll let that slide. ZING!
Wacey Rabbit (Providence Bruins) - Elmer Fudd, is that you?
Jason Bacashihua (Lake Eric Monsters) - What?
Frank Grzeszczak (Erie Otters of the OHL) - I'm not even gonna try...

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The Reality Of The Basement

How.........embarrassing........

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Hidden Gems - 11 - Quotes and A Sad Story

I have always wondered what goes through the minds of the players when the clock hits 0:00 in OT. For me, it used to be, “Oh! Who’s gonna shoot?!” But at this point of the season, teams have a predictable lineup concerning the shoot out.

For the Kings: Brownie, Cammy, and Anze. Now that Cammy’s out, it’s been Sully’s number. But in the Dallas game on Jan 12th, Fro got his call up (because he’s the man). Still, in the end, it took Sully to close out the game.

In last night’s game with the Caps and Oilers going to the shootout, ESPN.com was able to get some good quotes from the owner of the game winner, Matt Bradley. The game went to 12 rounds, and with the rule being that a shooter can’t shoot more than once, I’m sure the stress gets even higher as the roster dwindles. At the same time, BOTH team’s rosters dwindle, so I don’t believe that one team has an advantage over the other in this regard.

Here are some quotes that offer insight to what was going on on the bench as this game went into more and more rounds:

"It's hard to stay focused, because you're kind of laughing at the same time," [Mike] Green said. "Like, 'Who's up next?'"

As [Bruce] Boudreau was trying to decide who to put on the ice for the 12th round of a shootout when no one had scored, [Matt] Bradley made the decision for him. "He just said, 'I'm going to score, put me out there,' and he jumped over the board and he went in," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He told me, he didn't ask."

As the shootout progressed and the big names failed to score, Bradley started looking around to see when his number might be called. "I was hoping I got to go before [backup goalie] Brent Johnson went," Bradley said. "I figured if I can go before him, I'll be doing OK."

He was half-worried that the backup goalie was going to get a chance in the shoot out before him?? That’s so cute! And freaking hilarious.

Here’s the best quote: "I told him, 'I'll score, let me go,'" Bradley said. "I don't think either of us actually believed what I was saying."


Wow

Adam Proteau at The Hockey News illustrated just how terrible the Southeast Division is this year. This is from his column titled “Screen Shots: Burke will shop Edmonton draft pick.”

How horrendous is the Southeast Division? Get this: As of mid-January, not a single team out of the Thrashers, Hurricanes, Panthers, Capitals and Lightning had scored more goals than they’ve allowed this year.

Division-leading Atlanta has allowed 17 more goals than they’ve netted and combined, the five franchises have been outscored by 83 goals so far. As we’ve talked about in THN’s editorial department lately, there’s a possibility the ninth-place team in the Eastern Conference could wind up with more points than the Southeast champion that would qualify for the post-season.

All the more reason to completely do away with divisional play altogether, I say.

That’s just sad.


Something That’s Actually Sad

Ken Campbell’s article at The Hockey News, “Tragedy all too familiar for Steve Sullivan's father,” is a sobering dose of reality for the unsuspecting reader. Please take a couple of minutes to read the article because I wouldn’t be able to summarize it and do the whole story justice.


Hockeytown??

To Steph and Kirsten: Read and discuss

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Updates, Questions, & An Introduction

Updates:
1) Jason LaBarbera was activated on Monday in time for the home game against the Avalanche.
2) Jonathan Quick was sent back to Manchester.
3) The Aves rolled through town and handed the Kings their 4th loss in a row. Just one more loss and they're gonna match their season high of 5 losses a row. Not a record you want to be breaking, guys.
4) Jaroslav Modry apparently has started his own blog! Well, on THN's site. His first entry is about his pairing with Jack Johnson. Man, with all these articles out on JJ, you'd think this guy was some stellar athlete or something! =P

Questions:
I must address the recent piles of excrement the Kings have been producing that they call "games." With the Caps getting a point in last night's game against the Red Wings, they have moved 3 points higher in the standings. The Coyotes have been on a tear lately. They handed the Rangers an embarrassing loss beating them 5-1. This win puts them 4 points ahead of the Kings.

So, tell me, how can a team look decent and promising on paper, but look like lost little boys on the ice? What’s the deal? I read an article a little bit ago where Jack Johnson said that he'd never played on a losing team before. (Sorry, I'm usually pretty good at citing where I read stuff, but this was probably more than a week ago.) So we have to step back and remember that individually these players shined while growing up on their respective teams. There is a verifiable reason why each of these players is on this roster. Everyone knows the role they’re supposed to be playing for this team for this year. But it looks as if Crawford is trying to fit squares together to make a circle. Something is not right in Hollywood, well, more like downtown LA. But I’m not here to argue logistics. Or maybe I AM.

Since this post on my thoughts on coaching, the Kings have played 8 games and they have gone 2-6-0. What’s the plan here, Crawford? Where are you leading these players? Like your lines, are you tweaking your long-term plan? You’ve gotten zero points in the last 4 games. What are you doing differently from 4 games ago to prepare for Detroit at The Joe tomorrow? Yeah, they were sent to the shootout by the Caps, but what is one mediocre game by the top team in the West? They will just wipe their brows and move on since they were able to leave that arena with two points.

I mean, take a look at this line during a practice; Frolov, Cammalleri, and O'Sullivan. Tell me how bad ass that line looks. They look solid, but something happens between here and a game where the meshing doesn't continue. What's the deal?

An Introduction:
But let’s take a deep breath and look somewhere else for some inspiration. The story of this player I’m going to talk about is what makes me love this sport even more. Chicago Blackhawks’ Jake Dowell is on IR with a broken foot. But recent events following this placement absolutely warm my soul. On November 22nd he was recalled from his AHL team in Norfolk to Chicago and scored his first NHL goal short-handed against Calgary. A couple of nights later against the Oil, he took a puck off his skate and brushed off the effects like a man on a mission. His mission? To get back to Chicago so that his parents could see him play on NHL ice in person.

There have been a couple of articles written about Dowell recently. Here is an excerpt from The Hockey News.

Jake’s father John, a former small college offensive linesman and a fitness buff, was diagnosed in 2003 with Huntington’s disease, an incurable genetic brain disorder that leads to a steady regression in mental and physical capabilities. With each passing month since the diagnosis, Jake has watched his father lose ground to the fatal illness. Those stricken with Huntington’s disease gradually lose control of their voluntary muscles until they’re almost immobile. At the same time, the ability to process information deteriorates. Death typically comes 10 to 20 years after diagnosis.

Now, the slap-in-your-face part of this reality is that this disease is hereditary, which means that Jake Dowell has a 50% chance of having this disorder already flowing through his body.

Everyone who has the gene develops the disease, which rarely strikes before age 35. Jake, and his mother Vicki, decided that he wouldn’t get himself tested until he turns 35 or when he gets married. The likelihood of negative news would be absolutely crushing.

"With the progress of stem cell research, hopefully they can come up with a cure before it even affects me," Dowell told Baggot last February. "Besides, I think with the way I am, I don't think it would go too well for me if I knew (the test result) and just had to carry on. I don't think I'd be able to do it."

Stories like Dowell's are necessary, yet tragic, because they cause you to sit back in your chair and reflect. Reflect on what you're doing in that instance. Everyone needs a cause to look inward and Dowell's story hits you in the face like a pail of cold water. I, most definitely, will be following up on Jake and his future in the NHL.

Oh, why is he on IR? Because the puck he took off his skate in Edmonton broke his foot. He was playing on a broken foot for not just that game in front of his parents but also for however many practices the team held as well. (Here is a more recent article written about this game his parents attended. Please scroll down about a third of the way.)

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Part II - GM

Part I - Coaching

Part II - GM

The reason why I decided to write about these topics is because of a recent column I read at hockeybuzz.com by Carla Muller. She wrote about an article she came across on foxsports.com mentioning rumors of Luc Robitalle filling in Dean Lombardi’s shoes as GM. My stance on most issues is mild at best (because I don’t want to foolishly make an uneducated opinion), but I definitely would not be an advocate for this happening. As as fan who is taking in (as much as possible) everything the Kings organization are putting out to the fans, I’m liking what I see. This is specifically referring to Robitaille becoming President of the business operations. But let me look at DL for a second.

If you check out his Wikipedia page, it appears that DL knows what the hell he's doing. He built up the Sharks into what they are today, a hated contender in the Western Conference. The players that he drafted before the lockout developed and made up the power house that they were 2-3 years ago causing them to be constant thorns in my side. I was a personal witness to many of their games, not that I enjoyed it, but I couldn't deny them their efforts. Now I don't know what DL is like in person, he could be a douche or he could be the kindest man ever, what I do know is that he's already building this team to something.

If you look at a previous post, you can see that there is a core that's being formed involving specific players. And what I think is promising is that this core does not include Cammy or Fro. These two are expected to be the veterans once this Core 4 begins to dominate. There is a lot that's going on within the team roster right now, which doesn't include the players developing in Manchester (and Bernier out in Lewiston). From an interview at Inside The Kings, DL said he drove 6 hours to see how Bernier was doing out in Lewiston. 6 hours of driving! If you don’t think that’s dedication, then you need to open your eyes. Lombardi has a plan and it’s not some one-year plan either. If you take him out of the equation, what’s going to happen to the developing players that are in the system? Are they going to be brought up prematurely or moved to some other team? My “Baby Bernier Watch” is on here for a reason. It’s not because I think he’s a cutie pie, which I’m sure every girl will tell you that he is. It's here because I believe he has the potential to rock the net when he’s good and ready to play a full season for the Kings. But I will not be hesitant to say that the players have to f-ing protect their goalie. The games at the beginning of this season were lost not because of Bernier’s poor playing; it was because he wasn’t protected! I can’t tell you how difficult it was to watch the defensemen not blocking shots for him or not cutting off the passing lane for him. Overall, they just were not acting like a cohesive unit. You can’t throw a 19-year-old goalie out there and expect him to be like Roy in his prime! It doesn’t work like that! Sorry, I think I stepped on my little soap box unknowingly...

In moving from DL to Robitaille, I think Lucky is doing a FANTASTIC job on the business relations end of the spectrum. He is one of THE faces of the LA Kings and I would be shocked if he didn’t stick with this job for a number of years. He is one of those franchise players that needs to be in this type of position, which enables him to be accessible to the fans while working toward the betterment of this organization. I don’t think he would be the best fit as a replacement GM. I don't know all of the inner workings of what GMs have to do, but I will say that I think Lombardi knows exactly what he's doing and how the Kings should be building. And I am a complete advocate in keeping Robitaille as the public face of the organization to the 20 million people living in Los Angeles. You can’t deny the draw that Lucky has; in knowing this, why would you put him in the GM position to face the wolves. He's already doing a hell of a job wooing the crowds now. I think maybe it's the fact that he's the highest scoring left-wing in the entire NHL. But what do I know, I'm just a girl.

Conclusion: I want to see what DL has up his sleeves and I love seeing Robitaille in this position, which keeps him visible to the fans. I’d rather not see a front office shakeup right now, but if that’s what the Higher Ups want…

Follow up: 12.07.07 : I found this over at The Hockey News, an article titled "All The Kings Mistakes." Could this guy have presented more lopsided stats? In order for me to even consider this guy as reliable, he probably should have presented the numbers in a more complete manner. He is basically letting you all know what he thinks of DL. Below was copied and pasted from this article.

Here’s a list of L.A.’s top five scorers so far this year and five of their worst regular roster players (from a statistical perspective). Some were brought in by Lombardi, some by former GM Dave Taylor, Deduce the trend.

Best

Anze Kopitar, 29 points (drafted by Taylor)
Mike Cammalleri. 25 points (drafted by Taylor)
Dustin Brown, 24 points (drafted by Taylor)
Alexander Frolov, 20 points (drafted by Taylor)
Lubomir Visnovsky, 16 points (drafted by Taylor)

Worst

Michal Handzus, 5 points, minus-11 (signed by Lombardi)
Rob Blake, minus-11 (signed by Lombardi)
Brian Willsie, 4 points, minus-7 (signed by Lombardi)
Patrick O’Sullivan, minus-7 (acquired by Lombardi)
Brad Stuart, minus-10 (signed by Lombardi)

Now, the resurgent Flyers:

Michael Richards, 31 points (drafted by Clarke)
Daniel Briere, 30 points (signed by Holmgren)
Joffrey Lupul, 17 points (acquired by Holmgren)
Mike Knuble, 16 points (signed by Clarke)
Jeff Carter, 15 points (drafted by Clarke)

Let me ask you this, Mr. Ryan Kennedy. Where are the plus/minus numbers for the first and third group of players? What are the point totals for all of the players in the second group? Where are the guys that Taylor signed and Lombardi drafted (P.S. These guys are kinda kicking a lot of ass right now). When you're trying to present an argument or trying to raise some eyebrows, why don't you give up ALL of the numbers. Thanks.

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