Mini-Rant - 2 - HAHAHA

I don't think I've laughed for this long in a while. The cause? Why Sean Avery, of course! Did he get in another fight, you ask? Oh no, nothing of the sort...well, at least from what I know. Who knows what the man does away from the rink. But reading Finny's post over at Girl With a Puck about People Magazine almost made me vomit in my mouth...but laugh at the same time.

Apparently People Magazine decided that Sean Avery was one of the 100 Sexiest Men Alive for 2007. Yes, let's all just let that sink in for a bit. Go ahead and click on the link to watch the clip of him actually speaking in full sentences. It's amazing. Amazingly horrific! I would MUCH rather have watched Hank Zetterburg or Ricky DiPietro or Daniel Briere or Martin Havlat or Jason Spezza or Sheldon Souray or Sid the Kid or that guy who rubs baby oil on himself every night, Vinny something? You get the picture? I mean, I'd even take The Dominator, at least that guy has some street cred.

This question they asked him, "How did you get that scar?" Ok, people, it's OBVIOUS where he got the scar. He plays hockey for Christ's sake! Where the hell do you think he got it from, playing with Elisha Cuthbert's Barbie dolls? I think not.

I would REALLY like to know who had the final word in this decision? Was it Gary Bettman??? I'm sorry, Bettman, but the NHL doesn't really need THIS kind of publicity. Can you just stick to fixing the problems that the NHL faces now? THANKS.

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Mini-Rant - 1 - Bucci

I think I'm going to start another post theme entitled "Mini-Rants" to go along with my Hidden Gems I've already got going. I'm not an angry person per se, but there are some things in life that get me rattled at times. Just to let you know, numero uno on that list is bad grammar. Just puttin that out there.

But I digress, it's time for my first "Mini-Rant" on, none other than, John Buccigross. I have a feeling the vast majority of these are going to be on him. I gotta admit, even though I don't like his columns nearly as much as other analysts' columns, he makes me think. Think about things I would like to say to his face; for instance, "your column is not really entertaining nor is it informative." Is that too formal? What about "You annoy me. Can you just stick to hockey??"

And we're off: I read his column last week called "It's my column and my Hall-worthy picks for each NHL team" and decided to touch on a few things. And by touch, I really mean, make comments or just in general bag on Buccigross.

Los Angeles Kings
Anze Kopitar: Like Van Halen after their first album. You just knew.
Rob Blake: Seven All-Star Games, a Norris Trophy, big part of the Avalanche's 2001 Cup run with 19 points in 23 games and a gigantic butt used to crush sternums.

© ČTK/AP

I think one reason I don’t like Bucci is because I’m too young to get his musical jokes/tastes, which have just started to annoy the crap outta me. And I hope Rob Blake’s butt crushes his face.


Minnesota Wild
Marian Gaborik: "Hey, Marian! Multivitamins, acai berries, push-ups, prayers, smash up some carrots and rub them all over your chest. Anything. Stay healthy!" I'm gonna take the long-shot guess that the 25-year-old forward can still put a 10-year stretch together to put up numbers one cannot deny.

© Bruce Kluckhohn

Right when I think Bucci’s semi-redeemed himself with the Blake introspective, he immediately comes with this one for Gaborik. A little disturbing.


Chris Drury: It's my column and my rules. I make them up. He is clutch and, in life, clutch is everything. Move on.

© Bill Wippert/SI

Can someone please tell me why Bucci has this weird uber crush on Drury? And by the way, that team picture of Drury is terrible.


Erik Johnson: I believe Johnson will grade out better than Blake when it is all said and done, and resurfaced and said and done again.

© UPI

What the hell. I think if anyone else had made this comment I'd think, "Hmm, okay, he played with (or was it against) JMFJ. Maybe I'll check in on him occasionally to see if he's Blake caliber." Man, I'm all annoyed at him again while just posting this! I think I'd rather Bucci just never talk about Blake again. Just stop now.

Vincent Lecavalier: True fact -- Vinny was once put in an underwater cage with a giant chunk of tuna floating just outside. He then watched a giant great white shark pummel the tuna just inches from his face. That is just one of 4,584 things Vinny can do that I cannot. The list also includes beating me up and stealing my wife.

© Richard Corman

I whole-heartedly agree with him on his last point. But I think that Vinny can steal anyone’s wife.

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Kings 2, Ducks 3

I'm not going to begin this game re-cap with the rage I was feeling at the end of the game. Rather, I'll let the rage build up to the Kings loss tonight.

Pre-game
- I was skeptical with watching this game on the Anaheim telecast because of the negative comments that I've heard about Brian Hayward's inability to call games. And I was getting annoyed with everyone calling Hayward “Hay-ze.”
- For the Kings: they are the least penalized team coming into tonight's game (and the Fro is still out).
- I want Bob Miller and Jim Fox.
- After seeing a lot of Ducks-oriented analysis, I'm glad they went to Patrick O'Neal with Brownie for a couple of minutes. The best part about the interview was when Sully walked by and ruffled Brownie's hair. AND that Brownie now has 85 hits. Sweet action.

First Period
- Both teams have their 4th lines starting the game.
- After learning that the Kings are the least penalized team in the NHL, they come in the first period and take 3 penalties.
- The first penalty – Army was called for boarding. Their PK looked a little messy during the first minute, but killed it well in the second half.
- Second penalty – Ivanans puts up a HIT but is called for boarding. I thought this was also a nice PK and Brownie puts up another good HIT.
- The intensity is picking up quickly and this camera guy SUCKS ASS. He must be stoned or something because he can't follow the puck to save his life.
- Third penalty – Sully is called for holding and the Kings again have a nice PK.
- GOAL 1 – Cammy passes to Calder (4) for the sweet goal.
- Parros and his mustache is called for boarding. I can't believe 3 boarding penalties have been called in this game, and it's only the first period!
- Sully breaking his stick leads to a short-handed rush by the Ducks. A little stressful, but Barbs held up and stopped that shot.
- GOAL 2 – Blake takes a shot on net and Brownie (10) deflects it in. Beautiful.

End of the First thoughts
- This play-by-play is definitely not as good as Bob Miller and Jim Fox.
- This camera guy still sucks. Why can't he keep up with the puck? If I was a Ducks fan and I had to watch this every game, I'd be PISSED.

Second Period
- Shot on goal to note: At the beginning, the Ducks passing got lazy and Moulson got a clean shot to the net right in the slot. Damnit, Giguere.
- Ducks GOAL – Getzlaf (9) deflected the puck between his own legs and through Barbs' legs as well. Shit.
- Beauchemin takes down Blake... GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!
- There was coast-to-coast playing coming from both sides that started to get messy and then became chaotic after a while.
- Half way point in the game – Anze hasn't done much of anything this entire first 30 minutes. Cammy is being shut down every time he touches the puck.
- Giguere gets a penalty for interference. I thought this was fine UNTIL Hayward said that this was “good acting by Calder.” Dude...SHUT UP! The Kings have an okay pp for these two minutes.
- So far Barbs is looking amazing in net.
- Bertuzzi swoops down in Bertuzzi fashion and slams Army drawing some blood.

End of Second Thoughts
- The game is physical and the Kings are trying to keep up. Why is Zeiler not putting up hits??
- Ivanans is getting physical even though he's got 4 freaking plates in his face! He's making me nervous.
- Stats LA – ANA: shots: 20-24 & hits 11-19.

Third Period
- To continue the trend of the commentators annoying me, they actually question Blake's ability to play in -back-to-back games! SHUT UP!
- Handzus is called for interference. Okay, Hayward sucks because he couldn't tell who the penalty was on until Handzus stepped into the box. Bob Miller would have been ALL OVER THAT. This PK was fine except for the two shots on the Ducks were able to get.
- Lubo - HIT!
- Anze – STILL not visible in this game. What is he doing? Cammy is STILL being shut down. Argh.
- Ivanans – stop trying to pick a fight! Don't get your face broken again!
- The penalties by Brownie and Moen causes a 4-on-4, which leads to Getzlaf's second goal (10). Vish lost an edge and fell, but what killed me was when Hayward said, “I don't know what he was doing.” And then mentioned something about “petite factor.” What the hell is that?
- Hits are coming from everywhere from both sides and the tension is getting higher and higher.
- Kunitz scores making the game 3-2 in favor of the Ducks.
- THIS is the point where my rage comes in.
- With two minutes left in the game, the Kings are on a 5-on-3 (which turns into a 6-on-3 with Barbs pulled) and the Kings can't set ANYTHING up. ONCE AGAIN, the Kings need to stop passing and get the puck to the net! I don't know how many times I yelled that at the TV, but you can't be passing it again and again when there are only 15 seconds left on the clock!!!

End of the Game: Kings 2, Ducks 3
- The Kings give up a 2 goal lead and also give up 2 points to the Ducks.
- I don't even know...

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Kings 2, Sharkies 1

So I turn the TV on to FSN for the start of the Kings game. What do I see instead but a WSU/WASH game in the last 5 minutes, which they've decided to show until the end since it's tied 35-35. What the hell!! I have to wait for this to be over before I can see my Kings whomp on the Sharks? With each minute that ticks by, I get angrier and angrier. Let's see how I pass the minutes by:

7:39 – 2:08 left in the game. Switch back to Mr. And Mrs. Smith since it's on another channel. Might as well ogle at Brad Pitt for a bit.

7:45 – 15 seconds left on the clock. Things that I'm missing: any pre-game interviews, any game analysis, ANYTHING!! Switch to Wedding Crashers, which is on another channel.

7:53 – The clock has been at 9 seconds for too long. Get it over with! Ok, it's FINALLY over, now go to the game!!! What? Post-game interviews??? CRAP!

7:56 – I'm so fucking pissed. FSN, I'm so mad at you right now.

1st Period: We come into the game with 9:14 left in the first and Brownie (9) has just scored a goal. Wow, I'm even MORE mad at FSN now.
- Calder is on the first line? Well, it doesn't really matter since Crawford is changing up the lines on every shift. I could be out there for 30 seconds and I bet no one would know. I'd put up a hit on Setoguchi and skate away while saying, “That's for colonizing my ancestors...and scoring a lot of goals.”
- On Marleau's penalty, Blake took 3 shots on, which made me happy since he hasn't really been doing that this season because it's been the norm up until this year. What's the deal?
- Zeiler – Way to completely miss that attempted hit. Good job.
- Side note: Calder now as 5 titanium pins in his thumb to match the pin that's already in his shoulder.
- Kopitar (9) scores on the PP from awesome passing from Brownie, to Vish (who fakes a shot, only to pass), to Kopi who one-times it past a stiff-looking Nabokov. Sick.

End of 1st: I'm still pissed at FSN, but the Kings are up 2-0 so I guess I should relax a little.
- Looking at the stats, the Kings have only one hit to the Sharks' 4? And 5 shots compared to the SJ's 7? Those numbers have got to come up.

2nd period: Fun fact: Rob Blake has 215 shots on goal, which is the most by any NHL defenseman. AWESOME.
- I thought the PK from Nagy's penalty was good; they were clearing the puck and shutting down the Sharks.
- In always hoping their passing improves, I thought at 10:38 in, Moulson's turn around pass to Blake was a nice setup. Even though it was blocked, it still brought in a shooting opportunity.
- Nagy was awarded a penalty shot and tried to go 5-hole on Naby, but was denied. No worries, they're still up 2-0.
- Side note: Ivanans now has 4 plates in his left cheek courtesy of Rob Blake.

End of 2nd: Hmm, it appears that Handzus is actually being effective and making a noticeable difference on the ice.
- The Kings were outshot 13-6 this period. Crap guys! What do we gotta do to get the puck to the net more? And by “we” I mean “YOU.”
- Even though the shot total wasn't ideal, I thought the Kings transitioned their energy well from the first to the second period.
- During the intermission, they showed a clip of Cammy while in London. The season opener was a while ago, and they're just now showing this? Anyway, since I am pretty critical on speaking skills and the ability to talk without using “umm,” “like,” and “you know” in everyday vernacular, I have something to say about Cammy. I am SO GLAD that the Kings have captains who are competent in their speaking abilities. Blake, Thornton, and Cammy are well-spoken and I definitely appreciate that.

3rd period: Off the bat, the energy levels are still there making this a very hectic period.
- Sully – HIT! (and appears to not be wearing his teeth tonight)
- Zeiler falls. Hmm, why is that not surprising? I see this guy as being like a spastic younger sibling in that he just gets out there and starts running around. But, I mean, it's his job as being part of the energy line, right? But lately, with Crawford changing up the lines like there's no tomorrow, who knows what Zeiler is supposed to be doing....besides falling down a lot.
- The Kings are still skating with energy and hustle, which is actually causing me to feel a bit stressed even though they're still up by two goals.
- Goal for Sharks by Milan Michalek. Damn, Barbs almost got a shutout.
- At the end of the game, Joe Thornton almost scores on his own goal from the Kings end but hits the post. Oh well, I'll take the one goal win.

Game: Kings 2, Sharks 1. Five-game losing streak SNAPPED.

When Barbs was being interviewed after the game, did anyone else think the guy sitting behind the glass to his left looked like Newman? Seinfeld anyone?

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Hidden Gems - 9 - This Is AMAZING

Warning - This post takes us into enemy territory: San Jose Sharks

I just have to say that this is AMAZING. I have found the greatest thing....ever. Behold: Marcel Goc's blog over on the Sharkies official website. Now...don't ask me why they chose Goc for this job, but trust me, it's well worth the couple minutes to read some of his entries. This specific one is titled "Back Pain, Thanksgiving and Ernte Dank Fest." I thought it was appropriate since the holiday of stuffing ourselves is looming on the horizon.

Goc (whose picture is fantastic) is from Germany and, you know, his English is passable. So it's understandable that his written English isn't perfect. I guess it has a quasi-endearing effect in that it hasn't been proofed before being put on the web. But whatever. In this particular post he notes that Germany doesn't have a Thanksgiving day, but that he does enjoy our highly commercialized holiday.

I do like Thanksgiving here. You get to eat a lot and I always eat a lot.

Wow, that's fantastic. As I move on and look at his bio from his player page, I noticed something interesting.

His three wishes: win the lottery, stay healthy and win the Stanley Cup.

Hold it! Back the Cheechoo train up. The lottery? Are you serious? How much are you making right now, Marcel? Let me look...according to TSN.ca, Mr. Goc is making $800,000 this year. Dude, you seriously want to win the lottery? So as I reread this list and remember that your back is hurt, I see that you're 0-3 on your wish list.

Anyway, that's enough of Marcel. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Turkey Day!!

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Hidden Gems – 8 - Randoms

NHL.com correspondent Chuck Gormley wrote his Atlantic division update for this week. At the end of his post, which was all about Brodeur, he mentioned Brian Berard and Bill Guerin returned to Islanders’ lineup last week. He also included this quote:

Guerin said the blurred vision that kept him out of one game reminded him of his teenage years. “It's kind of like you're sitting in your car and all your windows are fogged up, like if you're making out with a girl.”

Haha, nice.

*****

NHL.com staff writer Dan Rosen did an article on Washington Capital’s Nicklas Backstrom (19). This Swedish player has been working on his transition to American life off the ice and has been fortunate enough to have Michael Nylander (35) as a mentor. It’s true that mentors are supposed to help others in whatever situation they find themselves. In this instance, Backstrom is still learning English words here and there, and this little bit here is pretty funny.

Aiding Backstrom’s transition has been his smooth adaptation of the English language. He was forced to take English classes in Sweden as part of the regular curriculum, which means he’s ahead of most of the NHL’s Europeans in that department.

“You still have to apply it, though,” Backstrom said. “If I hear Americans or Canadians speaking I still have to pick up some words. It’s only good for me because I want to learn, but I still have a problem with some words.”

Added Nylander: “Carrot. He didn’t know what it meant. Some guys came to me and said; ‘How do you say carrot in Swedish?’ I said, ‘Just tell him a rabbit eats it.’ ”

*****

I came upon this article written by Adam Proteau that moved me over to this page from The Buffalo News. The article is about GM Darcy Regier speaking on the low scoring from his Buffalo Sabres and throughout the NHL. But the reason I bring this up is because of the second to last paragraph in the article. I mean, how many times can a person say the same word in a sentence before it starts to sound stupid? But not only does Regier use a word five times in the same sentence, he uses different versions of the word "play" a couple of times in the SAME SENTENCE. Please just read this out loud and you'll see what I mean.

“It still comes down really to two things,” Regier said. “The players playing the game and the future players playing the game have to choose to play this game because it’s the most fun game of any game available to play. That ensures the top athletes in this sport.

Total count: Game - 5; Play - 4. Wait a second, I'm going to go ahead and count "player" in the "play" count.

New count: Game - 5; Play - 6

*****

After reading the story written by Matt Moulson that was more uplifting than anything I’ve read lately (excluding Martin Brodeur’s 500th win. Well done.), I knew there’d be something I’d come across that would bring an eye roll or two. Case in point, when I read “Canucks call up Brown with Wild rematch looming” from ESPN.com, the article was doing fine with talking about Mattias Ohlund’s hit against Mikko Koivu’s leg. The facts were facts and there wasn't too much commentary from this Associated Press writer. That was, until I got to the end where they decided to interview 6’7”, 260-pound Derek “I Will Enforce You” Boogaard about the situation. What made my eyes roll was his reference to Canucks Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin.

“Maybe I can go after, or check Naslund and those Pinky and the Brain twins.”

*sigh*

*****

But let’s end on a high note. Last Saturday morning I was sitting in an unnamed restaurant near my home. When the waiter came up and asked what I wanted to drink, I answered “water” while wondering where in the world I had seen this guy before. The whole time while he was taking our order, I STILL couldn’t pin point it. But once he walked away, the light bulb turned on. Ladies and Gentlemen, Jonathan Cheechoo works at this unnamed restaurant as his day job. Don’t let his name tag fool you; he might want to go by Miguel while working here (and on his tan), but I know the truth.

I’m sorry Cheechoo, but you’ve been exposed! …and you're a little shorter than I thought you were going to be…

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Hidden Gems – 7 – Matt Moulson

It's not uncommon for a bright light to arise from an unfortunate occurrence. This situation demonstrated itself when Kyle Calder broke his thumb on October 31, 2007. His being placed on IR brought us a light in the form of Matt Moulson. In 6 games so far, he has registered 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points, and also has a +/- of 1 with only 2 PIM. His first goal came during his first NHL game. And just to add another note, he was called up from Manchester on his birthday. Good times.

It's awesome to hear about players like Sid the Kid and Oveckin being superstars as kids and breaking out once they hit the big time. But, once in a while, I find the story of an underdog to be more intriguing; the story of one who hits hardships and makes conscious decisions to fight (figuratively) in order to prove those nay-sayers wrong. Such is the story of Matt Moulson and I hope you read this article from the Kings website. Instead of reading about a shining star, you read about a kid who was not viewed as the next Great One and who, subsequently, took upon himself to lay his own path.

This article is a piece that he had written in high school when, in 2001, he found out that he was to receive a full scholarship to Cornell. After less-than-stellar early-teen years and being riddled with injuries at 15, the immediate future appeared bleak when he was cut at spring tryouts. He wrote, “I listened to people say I was too small, too slow and not talented enough to amount to anything.” (Harsh )

At this point, he decided to begin a new chapter in his life. Please read the story since I would rather mention my thoughts than summarize what he said. I can see why the Kings organization would have wanted fans to read this. I was pleasantly surprised when I read it because not only was it well-written for someone in high school, it conveyed a story of hard work and self-imposed determination. It takes a lot of will and a lot of character to continue on your chosen path even when there are more struggles than you anticipate. I saw his story as less of an, “FU,” and more of an, “I'll show you. Just watch me.” I thought this was a great way to introduce the Kings fans to Mr. Moulson.

All of the other Hidden Gems I've found have been amusing ones for me, but this one is a genuine "feel good" Gem. I'll end with a quote from William Jennings Bryan that I feel is more than appropriate: “Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.”

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Another Lackluster Performance

Looking back on this game as a whole, I think the best part for me was the pregame interview with Cammy. When Patrick O'Neil asked him about the lines and what they might look like, he got a huge smile on his face and said that things would be looking a bit differently. In reference to the Coyotes, he said, “We might throw the shocker at them.” And he thoughtfully added a little WINK on the end of that sentence. OK CAMMY. Do you even know what The Shocker is????? hahahah, WOW! I think I might have fallen off the couch laughing.

Note by commentators: Brownie leads the NHL in hits. =) Ahhh, that's what I like to hear. I'm not an advocate of violence, but a good solid hit will from my team will ALWAYS put a smile on my face.

So this is Cammy's idea of what The Shocker is: 1st line of the night: Kopi, Brownie, Nagy. 2nd line being himself, the Fro, and Sully. Somehow, his version of The Shocker isn't quite as scandalous as the known version. Oh Cammy, you and your 5'9” frame kill me.

This game really didn't hold much excitement so this review will be reduced down to a list:

1) Zeiler definitely put up a hard hit and drew a cross-checking penalty. Wow....good job... The thing to note is that this was the longest delayed penalty I've ever seen (as agreed upon by Jim Fox).

2) Brownie – HIT!

3) 2 shots on that PP? Umm...

4) Jim Fox - “Can't get caught sucking down low.” Umm...

5) The first period had a lot of coast-to-coast playing with not much going on. Not surprisingly the Kings had 10 giveaways compared to Phoenix's 3.

6) During the first intermission – Video montage of Gretzky. Aww, I LOVE Gretzky!

7) Airborne was on HBO and I started flipping at the commercials. If you've never heard of Airborne, let me say that it is horrendously awesome and everyone should check it out. If not for the stellar acting of 1993, then for the terrible ice hockey moments scattered throughout the movie.

8) In the second period they kept the camera on Anze on the bench for a minute or two. So what exactly was he sniffing (smelling salts?) and why was he shooting water everywhere BUT in his mouth?

9) Lone goal by Doan. Damnit, Vish and Blake for giving them a 5-on-3.

10) Is this post interesting anymore, because the game sure wasn't. *sigh*

11) Crawford decided that the DAM line needed to get back out there and actually start producing. This resulted in a much-needed push, so good job for that. Yet the constant stoppages by Bryzgalov were killing any momentum the Kings were trying to build. Oh yeah, the Coyotes picked him up off waivers this morning. (More on this later). Side note: Cammy, nice roller hockey turn on the skates. ha

12) So I've said it before, but I feel I need to reiterate this point: The Kings need to stop passing so much when desperate times call for ACTION. NOT PASSING.

13) After not taking advantage on 5 PP opportunities in these 60 minutes, the Kings continued their losing streak (3) and gave Bryzgalov a shutout. What did they end with? A whopping 3 or 4 shots on net in 5 PP chances? Cool.

14) On a happier note: I will give a props to the goaltenders for the night, Barbs and Bryzgalov. I thought both played well and saw them both as walls in front of their respective nets.

15) After the game Kings Talk with Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans brought up a interesting/comical/terrible point. A caller asked if the Kings would have picked up Bryzgalov if the opportunity had presented itself. Nick (or was it Daryl, they kind of sound alike) said this most likely would not have happened due to the number of goalies the Kings have (Barbs, Aubin, and Cloutier – with Bernier on the rise) AND the amount of money that is tied up by these guys. Do you realize that (according to the math done by Earl Sleek over at BofC) the Kings would have just needed to pay out the remainder of his salary worth $900,000? Wait, what's that? We're spending $3.1 MILLION on Cloutier so that he can continue to be a losing goaltender even at the minor league level? That's fantastic, guys. Money well spent.

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Letter Of Sorts

You didn’t think this blog was going to go without quasi-saluting Mr. J.R., did you? I felt it was necessary since he did grace our fair-weather city with his…..presence. This letter (and man) needs no introduction.

Dear Jeremy Roenick, (See, I can be nice.)

I’m happy that you found your niche after the debacle in the desert and the atrocity in Hollywood. It always feels good to be part of team that is gellin like Magellan. I personally know what it’s like to be a part of team that is not working as a cohesive unit and it has the ability to present situations of frustration that have, on more than one occasion, brought me to angry tears. Even though our sports are different, the whole idea of a team structure is one and the same. (And by being a coxswain on a collegiate men’s crew team for 3 years, I’m oddly curious to know if your locker room potty talk can rival our boathouse potty talk.)

Now on to the reason for my letter. I read this article titled “’New’ J.R. playing like his old self,” written by Adam Kimelman, in which you discuss Ron Wilson of the San Jose Sharks giving you a call and asking you for one year. You expressed your excitement about your future with the team in teal with streaks of random orange and were even quoted as saying, “Especially with the talent they have here and the chance they have to win the Stanley Cup.”

Once again, I am happy that you’ve found this organization you fit well with, but I’m sorry, JR, I just can’t condone the idea of you winning the Stanley Cup. Not this year, not with this organization. Sure, I wouldn’t have a problem with seeing you FINALLY raise your own Cup, but NOT if it’s with the Sharks. Is there an echo in here? What you and others have done for American hockey cannot be denied and hats off to you, of course. But for me, personally, your hoped-for accomplishment will be terribly overshadowed by the logo on the front of your heinous jersey.

A very sincere “sincerely,”
CKim

***

I made a prediction before the pre-season began this year of who would be the Stanley Cup champions for this year. I’m a self-proclaimed terrible prediction-maker, but I said that it would be Ottawa and anyone but the Sharks in the Finals with Ottawa coming out on top in 5 games. Of course I love my Kings, but to be realistic, I have to look toward Ottawa this year. And when I saw that they were kicking ass (and still are), I realized that maybe a prediction I made might actually come true. Sweet action.

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Hidden Gems - 6

These notable quotes were found in Phil Coffey's "More quotes than you can shake a stick at" on NHL.com. Here are my three favorite from his selection.

1) “I guess I had a large behind when I got there. That was Kris Draper’s funny joke. First it was ‘Big Swede,’ then ‘Big Ass,’ then ‘Bubble Butt,’ then ‘Bubba.’ Now, most of the guys just call me ‘Bubs.’ That’s the evolution of the whole thing. It’s stuck for 12 years.”
-- Flames defenseman Anders Eriksson on the origin of his nickname, “Bubs.” Could have been worse; Draper could have called him “Stinky.”

This is pretty much self-explanatory.

2) “Two things with Dustin ... he has to continue with the conditioning and be intense. He has to get himself at a weight where he’s comfortable going up and down the ice. At times he looks incredibly fast and powerful, but at other times ... all I’ll say is Dustin has been very receptive to what we’re asking him.”
-- Oilers coach Craig MacTavish on Dustin Penner.

Finny – haha I was RIGHT! His ass DOES look big in those pants! I think they’re trying to slim your boy down. But, seriously, he DOES have quite a bit of junk in the trunk.

3) "That's the reason why I'm here. He brought me to this country and drafted me No. 1. When he's behind the bench, it's a little bit special for me."
-- Thrashers winger Ilya Kovalchuk is more than a little loyal to Atlanta GM/coach Don Waddell.

Umm…ok... It’s because he’s foreign, isn’t it. If you haven't clicked on Kovalchuk's link yet, do it now. You won't regret it. That's a promise.

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The Shot That Won The Game

Original post date: Sunday November 11, 2007

If you think I'm referring to Anze's game-winning goal in OT, you are incorrect. I'm talking about the shot that KingsCast bought me during the second intermission. We were in the concourse distressed about how terribly this game was turning out and decided that alcohol was the answer. Turns out we were 100% correct. The alcohol miraculously allowed the Kings to rally back for the most incredible finish I have ever witnessed in my years on this planet. I think I might have even peed my pants. I don't think I will ever witness something like this again, and to see it live amongst those in section 318 made it a million times better. But let me back track to the first crap-tastic 50 minutes of the game.

1st period: It was uninspired. Nothing was going on and I started to loudly mock the Kings predictable suckiness. As I pointed out to KingsCast during the second intermission, the Dallas' boring play definitely rubbed off on my Kings. Damnit.

I WILL point out that I was presently surprised at the starting lineup for the Kings. The D was the standard Blake and Lubo pairing, but in front were Willsie, Sully, and Moulson (who needs an awesome nickname). This was to match up against Dallas' D Boucher and Daley with Rebeiro, Morrow, and Lehtinen out in front. I thought the game was going to be exciting with Sully throwing up two hits in the first minute, but sadly, nothing worked after that and I was getting bored. How would I describe Army's and Stuart's playing in the first? Suck-tastic.

At the end of the first: Stars up 2-0 = gay

2nd period: They say that hitting can turn a game around. Well, there was plenty of hitting by the Kings, but did they turn the game around? Negative. Army? Still sucking. And you know who else was sucking in the second? That's right, Handzus. Once again guys, stop giving up the neutral zone! Be one with the neutral zone, it is your friend. And, by the way, that fourth Dallas goal was sloppy; the Kings clearly were NOT protecting Barbs. Argh!

At the end of the second: Kings have a stellar 18 shots on goal and the Stars are up 4-0. Where's Aubin?

3rd period: Hmm, Crawford must have heard me cuz Aubin was in net. Sweet, this might change something. The Kings' play was yet again uninspired; the seats were emptying and it looked like a predictable ending. Was anyone else surprised that this game actually sold out? There were so many empty seats in the second tier!

So we come upon the last 10 minutes of the game. Oh my god, is something actually happening? Are the Kings showing some life? Are the fans actually providing some energy to our ailing Kings? BAM! Brownie nets one. Then Thornton. Then the Fro. Then Anze. Then Nagy. Fuck! Modano? We move into overtime.

P.S. You know why Handzus is not my favorite player? Because he took a freaking boarding penalty to allow Modano to score. What the FUCK. You will never mean more to me than Blake. This is also why I'm unsure about Handzus.

At the end of the third: Kings have tied it 5-5 with the most exciting 5 minutes and 7 seconds of playing in Kings' history. My hands literally hurt from clapping so much.

Overtime: A VERY stressful 2:30 passes and then Anze comes out of the corner with a man on and backhands it toward Turco. Game is OVER at 2:34 into OT. What a beautiful highlight-worthy goal, Anze. I honestly had my doubts about you in the first 50 minutes of the game, but I appreciated the effort to finish the game.

Notable chants from the peanut gallery: “Go, Monarchs, Go!” And for the first 40 minutes, whenever Cammy got the puck, some dude would yell, “C'mon Squid!” hahahahahaha

After game notes: listening to Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans on the drive home. They broadcasted from the Grand Reserve Room and interviewed Zeiler for a couple of minutes. His “you knows” started to wear on my patience and then came the kicker. When he was talking about Turco's play, he actually said, “Couldn't get nothing past him.” ...Dude....Zeiler...the English language does not allow double negatives to be equated with intelligence. Are you fucking kidding me?? Who's handling player PR for the Kings? They need some public speaking courses, and some English classes wouldn't hurt either. Conclusion: John Zeiler hurts my ears.

Conclusion overall: This was the most incredible ending to a Kings game. EVER. I heart my Kings.

P.S. My bro bought a JMFJ jersey. It matches well with my Blake jersey. =D

Note: This comeback has now been named The Royal Rebound

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New Face In The Crowd

Original post date: Friday, November 9, 2007

Who knew Mike Smith of the Dallas Stars was funny?

Actually, your first question might be: who is Mike Smith? The answer: the 25-year-old backup for Turco. He was one of the only ones I saw at the Toyota Center ice on my break today; it was him, two Stars players, and three coaches. I was really looking forward to seeing the highest-scoring American-born player. Damn.

But let’s move back to Mike Smith and his generic name.

I love it when players show off a bit of personality on the ice (and PLENTY was shown today). After one of the coaches scored on Smith, he skated in a circle, put his stick between his legs, and started cheering. He promptly fell on his back and continued to cheer. I thought this was hilarious; that is, until Smith joined in the fun. He skated from the net to the red line, put his stick between his legs, sat down, and glided all the way to the other end of the ice. When he reached the other end he fell back and spun on his back with his legs in the air. Just imagine this with full goalie gear on. Then he started to skate around backwards and doing crossovers with big-ass pads on while shooting pucks into the net. This was some excellent entertainment until he came back on the ice without his upper-body padding on and surprised me. He had a regular stick and gloves on and started shooting around with one of the players. So did you know that Smith can actually shoot the puck with accuracy? He also took a slap A La Cammy, falling onto one knee. Although I’m sure the fall was soft seeing as how he had a mattress pad strapped to his leg. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly amused.

Anyone, please tell me more about this boy. My curiosity has piqued.

And by "boy" I really mean "guy/dude" cuz we're the same age. haha




Game update: The Kings demolish the Stars Saturday night 6-5 in OT.

Here is a picture I took during warmups. You will notice that Mike Smith is looking right at me.

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Sens' Face Versus Kings' Face

Original post date: Sunday, November 4, 2007

On Friday, October 2, 2007, Jason Spezza (24) extended his contract with the Ottawa Senators until the 2014-2015 season. Translated: $49M for 7 years. The Sens have also locked up Daniel Alfredsson (34) until 2011-2012 and Dany Heatley (26) until 2013-2014 ($45 for 6 years).

Spezza – Has been only with the Senators since 2002-2003. He has logged 256 games while going 83-183=266. He is +63 with 163 PIM.

Alfredsson – Has been only with the Senators as well, for him, since 1995-1996. He's put in 794 games and is 300-47=778. He's an impressive +130 over these 11 years and has accumulated 355 PIM.

Heatley – Played 3 years at Atlanta and has been with the Sens since 2005-2006. In 366 career games, he has accumulated 188 goals, 216 assists (=404), is a plus 31, and has 306 PIM.

The line has already proven that they can produce and the Ottawa Senators has now told us that these three guys are the official future of their organization. Let's take a look at the Kings' future guys. As I write this, I have thought about who the Kings have shown to be their top boys. Once the league takes notice of this team that is near the top the Pacific Division, who are the faces they will look to? According to Robitaille (while speaking at H & HH), it's Brownie, Kopi, JMFJ, and Bernier. So let's take a look.

The Kings have started in this path by signing Brownie for a 6-year contract for $19.05M. In 206 NHL games he has gone 38-51=89 with 163 PIM. We'll just ignore his plus/minus.

My boy Anze has played in 87 games and going 25-50=75. This center has only 28 PIM. Plus/minus? What's that? But the Kings had better lock him up soon for an extended contract because I really couldn't bear to see him in any other jersey.

JMFJ is a new rookie who I will definitely be keeping my eye on. In 20 games he's gone 1-1=2. 36 PIM and a better plus/minus than the first two Kings mentioned. I see Jack growing immensely this season. He's surrounded by veteran defensemen and I bet we're going to see a noticeable difference in his playing from now to the end of this season.

Jonathan Bernier – Why do I get goose bumps whenever I hear or read his name? Because I'm a nerd and because I have put more hope than I'm comfortable with in his future. I was so sad when the Kings sent him away, but ultimately it was for the best. The boys weren't protecting him and it would have been severely damaging to his development in becoming the fucking awesome goaltender that will soon emerge.

These four guys obviously do not make up the single top line like the Sens, but they are looking to create a solid foundation for this organization to grow on. Our top line? Did the arbitration kill Cammy's shot at a long-term contract? Perhaps. But, he IS the top goal-scorer as of this writing (11). But another thing to point out about Cammy is that he's 25 (he has the same exact birthday as I do down to the year, CRAZY), and the other boys are 22, 20, 20, and 19, respectively. Fro has also been moved around in this mix; at 25 he's a solid contributor as well. But Cammy and the Fro aren't considered part of this emerging flash and dash from the Kings.

The Senators' future versus our future. Is it even comparable? What say you?

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Hidden Gems - 5 - Toews

Original post date: Thursday, November 1, 2007

OMG, did Bucci actually write something that I enjoyed?? It's amazing. So Bucci interviewed Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks using questions that people emailed in. There was one particular question that caught my attention and I decided to investigate. The question and answer directed me to youtube where I found this.

This is a 10-second clip of Toews dropping an F bomb in an interview and his subsequent reaction. Hilarious.

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Hidden Gems - 4 - Kind Of

Original post date: Wednesday, October 31, 2007

I say "Kind of" since this isn't really hidden for Kings fans. This is on Kings Vision TV and it's a two minute clip of the boys at the Los Angeles Kings Bud Light Golf Invitational, which ends up bringing in one of the largest contributions for the Kings Care Foundation every year. It was held at the Pacific Palms Conference Resort in the City Of Industry on Monday, October 29, 2007.

The two-minute clip is good for some laughs, but it's great to know that the thousands of dollars that civilians pay to golf with the players is going to a good cause. Highlights:

1) Army in his goofy hat and white framed sunglasses.
2) Cammy commentating in an English accent.
3) Army talking about the Euros wearing Armani and Versace, while watching Fro hitting a drive. Fro, you need a bigger back swing.
4) Heidi throwing her club and stomping out of a sand trap.

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H & HH Follow Up & Quick Update

Original post date: Tuesday, October 30, 2007

I have been quoted. muhahah

I had a feeling they were going to use that specific quote... So when you know you're being interviewed for something like this, is it normal to basically say what you KNOW they want to hear? I mean, I knew it was going to be a short interview and I needed something to sum up everything. Damn, I DID just regurgitate what they fed me! Oh well, at least I learned how to do something in college. =P

*****

At the Toyota Center on my lunch break today: Columbus Blue Jackets practice

There were two guys I wanted to see, Rick Nash and Sergei Fedorov. Nash was easy; just look for the really big, tall guy. Sergei, on the other hand... Well, I guess my time spent away from LA made me also lose track of Sergei. And yes, we are on a first name basis. If I ever meet him, I will call him Sergei. I guess I forgot that he had played for the Ducks?? Wikipedia has him there for 03-04 and 05-06. Can someone please tell me why his numbers for the 05-06 season sucked major ball sack? Oh wait a second, apparently he only played 5 games that season. Can someone tell me why he played only 5 games? I don't feel like doing more research beyond Wikipedia. Thanks. =)

Anyway, so Sergei was really hard to pick out of the guys on the ice today. I thought I was going crazy and I was afraid I was going to have to go back to work without seeing him! Lo and behold, who comes walking by me but Daryl Evans. I stop him and we talk for a bit; he's definitely a chill dude. And of course I ask if Fedorov is still on the team. He says yeah and easily points him out. I guess I was looking for someone skinnier...haha... Anyhoo, my day is complete.

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Hockey and High Heels

Original post date: Sunday, October 28, 2007

What a fantastic day; spending 8 hours at the Staples Center today was exactly how I wanted to pass this Saturday by. Hockey & High Heels was the event that brought us out and it couldn't have been better. Yes the flyer geared the event to women wanted to know more about the game, but it evolved into something better. The 24 or so women that made it out all already had a love for the game so it was a great way to bring this unique group of ladies together. I will say that one thing that caught me (and KMS2) off guard was that many of the women brought their own equipment for the on-ice time. Not gonna lie, it was a little intimidating, but this really was a fantastic group of women to spend the day with.

We first took a tour of the locker room. One thing that killed me was the heat. All of their equipment was hanging up in their stalls being dried out by the heat funneling into the room. It was like an oven in there, but understandable considering the need. The second thing that killed me. Crocs. In the room just outside the locker room were more stalls for the players. The boys had their own matching shoes and Crocs. And we all know how I feel about Crocs! On another note, Handzus. Dude, you need some new equipment. Your gear is kind of...old and gross. And I don't know if I really needed to see Brownie's jock. But it was hanging there for all to see!

One highlight was definitely skating on the ice with Daryl Evans and doing all of the drills. There was one drill he was showing us and I piped up and said, “You're funny, Daryl.” (as in, there's no way I'm gonna be able to do that) Whereupon, he came over and tapped me on the helmet with his stick. I think that was the point where I fell head over heels, as well as on my ass. On more than one occasion. I DID perfect my stop though, but stopping to the right was a no go. As Zoolander so eloquently put it, “I'm not an ambi-turner.” But I now understand why the players are DRIPPING with sweat during interviews and stuff. It gets HOT out on the ice with all that equipment on. Sure you can take your gloves and helmet off for a bit, but all of the equipment is actually keeping your body heat close to you. It was something I've never thought about before, but you learn something new everyday.

Right when I got off the ice, I was interviewed by a guy with Kings radio or something (can't remember). But I was glad it was only for audio because I was sweating so badly. haha KMS2 and I got interviewed by Heidi Androl a little later on camera. I don't know if it'll actually be used, but we'll let you know. It was cool to meet her and actually talk to her. Something I found amusing is that KMS2 is right-handed and holds a stick left-handed whereas I'm left-handed and hold a stick right-handed. When we noticed that at the same time, we said we just used our brother's' sticks when we were kids, which caused us to basically be mirror opposites in that respect.

The tour of the Staples Center was next and was pretty cush. There were definitely places that I saw which I will probably never see again. Cigar room? Don't actually WANT to go in there. But everything else was pretty much awesome. Can someone tell me what the Executives Wives Room is for?

Luc definitely brings an energy to the room. I can't believe I was in the same room with the all-time points-leading left winger in the NHL.

Notable swag from the event:
- Puck signed by Luc (given to me by KMS2). I LOVE IT!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
- LA Kings scarf
- Hockey & High Heels by Lisa Ovens (who is adorable!)
- 2008 calender that everyone got. Love the pictures, love the layout. My only critique is that the crown on the front is a little small. I thought there was a lot of unused space on the cover.
- Bailey doll that I got from Daryl Evans during the second intermission when I went up to section 318 to look for KingsCast. Definitely did NOT see Kingscast (thanks Keith and Chris), but Daryl and I had a good chat.

Shout outs:
Lisa Ovens – It was so great meeting you and look for my email with pictures! I hope we can meet up again in the future!
Daryl Evans – He has such a great personality and the ice time was ridiculously awesome. I definitely appreciated his taking the time to hang out with us.
Hillary Hodding – Thanks for organizing such a great event! Please do it again every year.
Finny – It was cool meeting you (even if you were wearing your Ducks jersey). =) I'm glad we got to marvel at how fucking huge Penner was.
The Kings players – After having a great day at the Staples Center it was fantastic to end it with a win over the Oilers. 4 in a row! (And don't worry, I didn't step on the crown in your locker room.)

Quick game notes:
- The first penalty against the Oilers. I don't think the Oilers killed that penalty at all; I saw it more as the Kings wasting time. They weren't able to get a shot on Roloson and I wasn't impressed by their play for those two minutes. But things looked up after that and I was able to relax a bit.
- Sully's second goal. Fucking ridiculous.
- That Jack Johnson is one SMART player. I've been VERY impressed by his play on the ice. Not to say that I've seen any play OFF the ice.... So anyway, I like that he's noticeably thinking out there instead of blindly hitting guys.
- During the third period when one of the Oilers took down Blake, I stood up and screamed, “YOU FUCKER!” When I sat down right after, I realized that it was kind of loud. I definitely got some stares and heard someone make a comment. But honestly, I didn't think my section was gonna be that quiet after that hit! Whatever guys!

Conclusion: my day couldn't have gone any better.

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One Of These Does Not Belong

Original post date: Friday, October 26, 2007

So I wasn’t able to watch the Oilers practice today. Not my fault, the Toyota Sports Center neglected to call me and inform me this morning that they were moving the practice time from 1:30 to 2. Bah. No matter, I’ll be seeing them tomorrow at the Staples Center. Anyway, I did find something yesterday about the Oilers that made me laugh. When I thought about who I wanted to look for on the ice, I realized that I didn’t really know who was on the team anymore. I don’t even know what Dustin Penner looks like. So I went on their official website and checked out their roster. I noticed right off the bat that the roster page was formatted differently from other sites I’ve seen. It looked like a cheesy yearbook spread. The guys on the team looked like your standard All-American farm boys or something. All-Canadian? Whatever, that’s not important. As I started to scroll down, I saw that there was definitely a picture that did NOT belong with the crowd. So much so that I couldn’t look at it for too long because I couldn’t control my laughter. So instead of routing you guys to the page (even though the effect is that much more pronounced), I’m just going to post it here.

Ladies and Gents, for your viewing (or laughing) pleasure, I give you Marc Pouliot:

Photo Courtesy of Edmonton Oilers

Update (11/15/07): When I clicked on the link routing you to the Oilers roster page, I noticed that Pouliot's mug was no longer there. Is he still on the roster? Did he get sent to the Minors? Hmm...

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Modano, Robitaille, and....Crocs???

Original post date: Wednesday, October 24, 2007

So I went over to the Toyota Sports Center on my lunch break again and, lo and behold, the Dallas Stars were practicing. But, right when I sat down, I realized that their practice jerseys don't have number/names on them (obviously), and I wasn't going to know who was who. *Sigh* No matter, I was still able to pick out Modano and Mattias easily. As for Turco? Full face masks not only protect the grill, they also hide identities. Oh yeah, I fished out Sergei Zubov from the melee too. Thoughts on their practice? They looked fast. Their drills were clean and everyone was moving quickly and with purpose. Shit. I just hope the Kings don't get killed like the last time the Stars rolled thru So Cal. Yeah....

So this Modano kid. I caught him in the cutest act I think I've witnessed in the past...well, I don't know how long. It was more of a physical motion to another player. If you catch me around, ask and I'll personally do an instant replay for you.

Robitaille. Definitely saw him walking around looking all business-like. Awww, can't wait to finally meet him in person on Saturday!!

Crocs. This may seem out of left field. And it sort of is. I mean, I'm talking about hockey this and hockey that, and then Crocs? Yes sir, and I will say this: I don't know what I hate more, the Sharks or Crocs. Anyway, it has been brought to my attention that Peter Forsberg's company is the importer of Crocs to North America.

According to the Swedish newspaper Allehanda, Forsberg’s new airline is called Hoga Kusten. Translated, that’s “high coast” in Swedish. The airline will be operated by Forspro, a holding company that is co-owned by Forsberg. Forspro also owns the overseas distribution rights to Crocs footwear.

Holy hell. So it's Forsberg's ass that I have to kick! He's the reason those Crocs exist in this country! Ack! Peter, if you're out there and listening, please keep those ugly pieces of shit over in Europe. Please, I beg you.

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"I Don't Really Like You Today"

Original post date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007

It was basically an annihilation of the Preds tonight. 6 unanswered goals in about the most comical game I've seen in a long time. So here are the notable game notes from yours truly.

The Fro – pre-game interview: I realized that I need to get to know my team better. His accent was thicker than I thought it was going to be. Maybe he should just stick to wordlessly smiling.

Sidenote: I forgot to mention this in the last game. The two women singing the national anthem. They were fine, except the woman who was doing the harmonizing should have had her mic turned down cuz she was overpowering the actual singer (annoying). AND, ladies, it's “the bombs” NOT “thbombs.” There is more of a pause between the two words, ok?

First period
1 – Cammy (9): Leading goal scorer of the NHL once again! Assist: Blake!
2 – Lubo (1): That was amazing. Assist: Blake!

The best part about the interview after the first period was when Patrick O'Neal told Cammy that if he netted another goal, he would keep the streak alive of 10 goals in 10 games. To this Cammy said, “I don't really like you today.”

Second period – Gelinas. Seriously, what were you looking at? You didn't see the butt end of the stick approaching your eye at a rapid speed?? I was laughing for so long that my bro had to tell me to stop laughing so we could continue to watch the game. I was secretly laughing for awhile longer after that.

3 – Ivanans?? (1): I know a good dentist. He's really gentle.

Ok Zeiler, I thought you were gonna fuck up that goal for Ivanans. And stop fucking falling down! Didn't we already go over that?

The most memorable part of the second period, the coast-to-coast sloppy playing from both sides. The Kings were on a 3-on-1 charge and the D man sprawled down on the ice and blocked the shot. I shouted, “I can't believe that worked!” Then the Preds come immediately back the other way with a 3-on-1 and the Kings D man lays down to block the shot. To that I say, “I can't believe that worked!”

4 – The Fro (2): I heart you

Second half of the second period: Kings looked sloppy and I thought they were going to start going downhill. But it was a good thing the Preds were sucking worse.

Handzus – You suck the most.

Third period – Jack, where are you? My heart is not whole without you on the ice.

5 – Nagy (1)

Zeiler – It's called “fighting” NOT “making love”

6 – Cammy (10): Keepin the streak alive. I like that Jim Fox (or was it Patrick O'Neal) said after the game that Cammy is now 10 for 10 and is on track for 82.

Game: Kings 6 – Preds Zilch

After game note: When I was driving home after the game, I was listening to Kings radio and this one woman called in. After all her umms and good jobs she asked why the Kings don't come out to center ice and salute the fans like the Rangers do. Ok lady, 1) It's probably because the Rangers started that tradition and it's their thing and 2) The Kings would look pretty homosexual if they just started doing it. So please, why don't you just hang up and call back when you have a real question. Thanks.

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Hidden Gems - 3

Original post date: Sunday, October 21, 2007

So around the start of the season I had heard just about the funniest discussion on a podcast to date. I don't think I'll be able to find it now, so I'll do a re-cap. It might be old news but the talk was and still is hilarious. This is ESPN's Joy Russo interviewing analyst E.J. Hradek who I think I might like over all of ESPN's analysts. Except the Mullet, of course.

Ok, this was a podcast where Hradek answered “10 burning questions for the 2007 NHL season.” Let me just say that it was nice to hear someone with good voice quality and I appreciated him not using too many buffer words. That shit can just get annoying after awhile. He had straight-to-the-point answers with good insight. Overall he had some listen-to worthy analysis, BUT I had to transcribe this one question and answer because it was too good to pass up. Now I know I've already done a post on Comrie and Duff, but you'll enjoy this, I promise.

Joy: “We've come to the tough part... I wanna know if you think Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff are going to last.”

Hradek: “Wow, that is the tough one....”

After some thought.....

Hradek: “you know, Joy, this is what I see. Stay with me on this. I see a kind of love triangle thing developing because I think Rick Dipietro is a good-looking fellow, he's a star goalie. He's got a lot of security, 15-year contract, I know that he's been seen a lot with Christie Brinkley.”

Joy (incredulous): “He's going to move in and take his teammate's girl??”

Hradek: “It's happened before. I'm thinking that we could perhaps see, especially if DiPietro gets off to a hot start, Comrie not scoring as much. (Slight pause) Women have known to be fickle.”

Joyce laughing.

Hradek: “That's all I'm saying. And I'll tell you one other thing. Maybe she likes the bright lights of Manhatten, for example. Henrik Lundqvist, another goaltender and attractive young fella. So maybe she makes a move over across the --”

Joy: “So you're saying the future is much more bright for Hilary than it is for Mike Comrie.”

Hradek: “No, Mike seems like a nice fellow but I gotta say this right now, maybe, you know, Hilary is... You know, she's a free agent...and, Mike is with the Islanders...”

So this last bit kind of ends the analysis of that and Joy moves on to another question. I was laughing so hard at this because I couldn't believe that Hradek was actually commenting on this seriously. It sounded like he had actaully thought about this before and had a real answer for the question. In any case, I thought it was hilarious that he didn't just laugh the answer off; he already had potential suitors lined up for the Duff.

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My Star of the Game

Original post date: Friday, October 19, 2007

Is Jack MUTHA FUCKIN Johnson. First goal of his NHL career. Fitting that it should come on the 50th anniversary of Maurice “The Rocket” Richard's 500th goal.

The Kings played well and they were rewarded with the 2 points. But when the first period came to a close, I was worried that that was going to dictate what the rest of the game was gonna be like. But Crawford apparently gave the guys some of Popeye's canned spinach and they ramped it up for the last 40 minutes. I was presently surprised to see my Kings look more hungry as they came off the first drop of the puck in the 2nd. Finally! Some quickness to their legs.

I was so happy that Fro finally got his first goal of the season! I was wondering when it was going to come. He has, what, 5 assists already? Time to add a goal to that stat! Woohoo! I really didn't have any opinions when Cammy tried to get his contract the way he wanted it. I think at that time I was too busy trying to get my ass out of northern California.... yeah... But he's got the most goals in the NHL as of tonight with 8. Fan-freakin-tastic. =)

I will also comment on the fact that I have never seen a goal rewarded like that either. Brownie got taken down while going to the goal on an empty net. When the ref pointed at the goal, I said out loud to no one in particular, “Really???” Vancouver was definitely scrambling in the last minutes and I was basically watching with my hands over my mouth nervous as all hell. They needed this win and I'm STOKED that they were able to close out the game. LaBarbara? Way to go, my friend.

So once again, my star of the game (and apple of my eye) is JMFJ. And really, why does he have so many freaking names?

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Consistency please???

Original post date: Thursday, October 18, 2007

So I WAS going to give you guys another Hidden Gem, but I decided to go with a recap instead. Mostly because I won't have access to a TV in a couple of days and decided to focus on games instead of the random stuff I do. So tonight's game against the Flames started out great. The Kings looked strong and they were actually protecting Aubin!! Shocking!! But, unfortunately, however, apropos, vis-a-vis (name that movie), whatever...after the first period the game started to go downhill for the Kings. BUT, I felt that they were still playing well. Hustling, moving the puck, applying pressure, all that good stuff. YET, the Flames still managed to get 4 past Aubin. But let me backup.

The first period: Finally, a full 20 minutes of work. Can you believe they almost ended the period being up 2 to zilch? Golly! Besides the Flames goal at the end, there was one thing that bothered me. And that was the second 5-on-3. The Kings were two men up for, what, 30 seconds? How many total shots were taken? 1? 2 maybe? What the hell! Stop waiting for the clean, open shot and get the puck to the net! I don't care how it goes in on a 5-on-3! Just drive it to the net and scramble for it there. I don't want to be harsh on my Kings because I feel this way with any team I'm watching, but if you can't score on a 5-on-3, it's kind of pathetic. Argh, I said it. Sorry Kings! I still heart you! But honestly, those 30 seconds were such a tease!!! And really, who likes a tease.

Quickies:

- One thing that made me laugh was the camera was pointed at Conroy on his way to the sin bin, you can clearly see his mouth form the words, “FUCK YOU!” haha

- After their second goal (Brownie!), I thought to myself, “Is their passing improving? Can it be true???”

- Brownie – That was a nice hustle to the goal. I liked the fact that right when he got the puck, he double timed it and got behind the defense and took it home.

- There was a good PK in the second period; there was good pressure from the Kings. Unfortunately the Flames put one past our goal line right when that penalty ran out. Bleh.

- The Kings were doing well to protect Aubin in the first. There were more blocked shots in that one period than I can remember in a whole game this season.

- Zeiler – Here's piece of advice, one that I actually wanted to give to Frodo in the Lord Of The Rings: STOP FUCKING FALLING DOWN!!! Stay on your freaking skates! You'll do better, I swear.

- JMFJ - Lives with Blake! And he's still working toward his college degree. This kid is awesome.

- So KMS2 has Patty O becoming one of her favorites this season. I have chosen Brownie. He's scrappy and he's not afraid to give someone the good ole body check into the boards. He's not flashy like my boy Anze, but he's got the heart of a....king? Ha! =)

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Losing Streak Ended!

Original post date: Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Finally!! The Kings broke their terrible losing streak giving them two much-needed points while killing the Wild's GAA numbers. It is no longer .808 or whatever the hell it was. Thank GOD. I don't know what I would have done if they had lost again. And FINALLY. Some order in their play. Their lines looked tighter and more in sync than on Sunday, in which they basically looked like a disaster. And they FINALLY took back the neutral zone. I don't think I could have handled them getting shut down there anymore. I much appreciated the feistiness that they brought back that was missed from their first game in London. The control with urgency was there. I'm a happy panda.

I like lists too and since I'm so happy with the win, it'll be easier to list than to try to make coherent sentences because I've also been up since 4AM. It is currently 11:34PM, and I need to be in bed.

1) Thornton's goal – Nice top shelf action. Much appreciated from my couch.

2) Overtime - I honestly can't believe the Kings didn't score during these 5 minutes because they were basically on the PP for the whole freaking time! Let me just say WOW. But I'm not going to bag on their efforts. There was a lot of hustle.

3) Shootout – I LOVE SHOOTOUTS. They're amazingly effective at getting me more nervous than when I'm at the start line of my own races. Uno: Brownie: Solid goal, what more can you ask. Dos: Cammy: Sweet ass snap. Tres: Anze: REDICULOUS fake out!!! Like KMS2, I thought it didn't go in either. But when replayed, it was the sickest goal ever. I can just imagine Backstrom thinking, "OH NOOO!!" HIGHLIGHT REEL!! And I loved that Anze was so happy during his interview right after the game-ending goal. He was all smiles, which added to my high of the Kings finally winning. Fucking fantastic.

4) Aubin – I was so nervous during all of the pre-game activities; I didn't like not knowing, which is to be expected with Kings goaltending. But I was impressed. Especially in the second period where he looked like he was out of position and he turned and snatched the puck out of the air with his glove. My heart literally stopped. So now he has his first win in his first Kings appearance. Who will be the #1 goaltender? Thoughts?

5) Handzus. What are you doing out there? You look like a chicken with both legs cut off.

6) Zeiler. So much smaller than Handzus, but so much more effective. KMS2, any thoughts? =)

P.S. Aubin, it's time to take that maple leaf off your helmet, thanks.

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Red Wings 4, Kings Uno

Original post date: Sunday, October 14, 2007

This was my first game at the Staples Center in 7 years. I can't say I was entirely surprised by their 4-1 loss. I mean, it's Detroit. They were good; their plays were solid, passing was spot on, and they were able to push the Kings aside like a bully on a playground. But what killed me was that they were making cross-ice shots in front of the net that were SO PREDICTABLE!! All you gotta do is block the passing lane! C'mon!! ARGH!!! How frustrating to watch!!

The only real positive to take from the game is the fact that the Kings only were held for two penalties. Not too shabby. The Chicken Wings were held for 6 penalties. The 5-on-3 for 20 seconds allowed Cammy to get the lone goal past Osgood. (Fro got an assist!) I kinda wanted to see Hasek in goal just to say that I've seen The Dominator play. But I was definitely stoked to see Bernier in goal for the game. I wouldn't have been too thrilled to see LaBarbara just because I haven't been impressed by him, not just this season but in general. But Bernier....is he ready for the NHL? I WANT to say yes, but I also don't want his GAA and save percentage to go to crap because I have him on one of my fantasy teams. =) But seriously, does he need to gain more experience before he can really hang with the big boys? But he's only 19 and would have to go back to the Juniors instead of the minors!! Marc Crawford, what are you gonna do?!?!

The Kings. They looked tired. Their back-checking looked unenthusiastic; their fore-checking looked almost nil. Anze saved them a little in that department, but how much can one guy do? The 5-on-5 play sometimes looked as if Detroit was on the PP! What the hell, guys?? Take control of the puck and finish your passes!! ARGH!! And another thing, the Kings were getting SHUT DOWN in the neutral zone. The Red Wings DOMINATED the neutral zone. They were stopping passes, stopping breaks... it wasn't pretty. What actually surprised me was how quiet the arena was and how there were audible cheers when the Red Wings scored. Dude, not cool. And Keith was right, there WERE a lot of red jerseys in the crowd. =/ Sigh. Ok, I'll end my recap there and just state that I HEART MY KINGS. I will never stray in my loyalty. Let's just hurry up and make those off-season trades worthwhile, ok?

Moving onto the personal experience, KMS2 and I got to Staples Center early and were able to sit by the glass for an hour or so at ice level to see the guys warm up and had our picture taken for the Kings fan photos website. The usher was super nice to us but she definitely forgot that it was a 5PM start and was referring to start times at 6:45 and 7:15 and stuff. I tried to tell her, “You mean, 4:45?” And she said, “Yeah, like 6:45.” Ok...you're nice and all, but are you even listening to what I'm saying????? It was nice to be by the ice for that long, which gave me a chance to take a shit ton of pictures of the Kings' warm up. I also took some of the Red Wings' side to try to catch Zetterburg and his flowing mane.

Note: The new projection system the Staples Center has is awesome. Instead of showing everything on the jumbo-tron above center ice, they now show clips on the ice surface. I give it a thumbs up. I bet Detroit doesn't have that going for them. But then again, I guess they have the upper hand anyways since they're actually winning games....yeah, about that...

Here's a picture from the warm ups. I like how Kopi is the only one in focus.

Here's to hoping Tuesday's game against Minnesota is better.

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SUCCESS!!!!

Original post date: Saturday, October 13, 2007

So I am currently super pumped. Not about the game tomorrow against the Red Wings, even though I AM excited for that. This post is dedicated to my successful attempt at bullying (convincing, really) KMS2 to go to "Hockey and High Heels" with me. This is an event put on by the LA Kings on October 27th in an attempt to have a group of females spend the entire day at the Staples Center. At first glance the flyer for the event seems specifically geared toward only women who don't know much or anything about the game. But when I emailed the woman, Hillary, who is putting it on, she assured me that she wanted a diverse group of women present (diverse meaning different levels of knowledge). I have added my letter to Hillary and her response at the end of this post.

I have heard the complaints that this event is demeaning to all of us hardcore female hockey fans. I would have to agree and disagree at the same time. I'm not going to take it personally because this is advertised is such a way to get women out to the Staples Center who might feel a little intimidated. If I didn't grow up around hockey since I was a little kid, I'd be happy that there was an event like this to warmly welcome a specific group of women. Elly of “No Pun Intended” has some good opinions on the matter, but I would argue the end of her second paragraph.

Would you include a talk on what the neutral zone is to a room full of male hockey fans? No. If you did, I'd bet money that they would find it insulting, why should women fans feel any different? We don't need our hands held through games, thank you.

I would 100% agree with this if this event were catered to women like us who love the game; but it is not. Once again, this is geared towards women with less than stellar knowledge for this game. Are you going to turn your nose up to women who have a genuine interest and who are willing to shell out the $100? Pish posh, I say get as many people out to the Staples Center as possible; create a buzz. The market for hockey is tremendous in LA, but I'd like it to grow so that KMS2 and I aren't the only females we personally know who worship, not the ice these players skate on, but THE GAME. I, personally, am very interested to see how they are going to present this sport to this group of women. What kinds of words they're are going to use, what is that author going to say to hook these women in? I thought that I might be horrifically bored during the Hockey 101 Chalk Talk, but when I looked at the schedule, I saw that it was only for 30 minutes. I think I can stomach 30 minutes of the basic rules of the game. And who knows, the book might create some good topics for the off season. But the crème de la crème for me is going to be skating on the Staples Center ice, meeting Luc, and sitting in the 200 section for the game. And I will be rocking my heels, but more just because I'm short. =)

My letter to Hillary:

Hello Hillary,

I am emailing because I saw the Hockey and High Heels event on the official Kings website. I am interested in attending the event, but was curious about the demographic it is geared towards. It obviously is targeting an exclusive set of females who want to gain knowledge of the sport without having to deal with the testosterone generated by the male fans. My question is, would it be fine for someone like me to attend, who has been a loyal Kings fan since the late 80s? I am knowledgeable about the rules of the game but would like to be a part of this event. I'm excited that the Kings organization is branching out to a new audience.

If this is fine, I do have a friend (just as knowledgeable as I am) who might be interested in attending as well.

Regards,
CKim

Her response:

Hi CKim,

Thanks for the email. You are MORE than welcome to attend. I’d like to get a great mix of women – knowledgeable about the sport, new to the sport, novice skaters, and experienced skaters – so that each woman can add something to the program. I think you’d be able to add a lot just by knowing the Kings history and asking great questions to help lead a discussion. I hope that you bring your friend along as well…I need to make this event a success in order to keep running events like this to make new fans and reach a new audience. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns, and I look forward to meeting you on the 27th!

Thanks,
Hillary Hodding
Los Angeles Kings, STAPLES Center, Home Depot Center

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