Frozen Fury XI Ridiculousness + KW Podcast Ep 1.12

Why have I never gone to Frozen Fury in the past? I'm so glad that I made a promise to myself to make it out there this year because I had an amazing time. The drive to Vegas was a surprisingly easy 4-hour drive that got me into town at 10 am. I immediately met up with Connie and soon after I finally met Cat. Two half-asians and one full asian = tons of pictures being taken and an immediate bond. We spent the rest of the day till game time eating at Mesa (Bobby Flay's restaurant...amazing), drinking, napping, eating, and more drinking. As much as I hate the dry heat in Vegas, the only good thing about it is that it always seems like I can drink more in the heat, but Cat was still the best drinker of the three of us.


It's a good thing that Connie went to FF last year because I would have had no clue where to go. I didn't even know MGM had a theater and I couldn't believe at how horribly wrong it seemed to corral thousands of drunk hockey fans through the casino floor into the corner of MGM, attempt to filter out outside drinks and poorly check everyone for illegal items (my purse was never checked). All I know is that if there had been a fire or any need to evacuate, I would have been trampled to death.

On our walk to MGM Connie pointed out that the chick in front of us had one of those hideous overpriced Kings purses!! I could not believe it! I tried my best to follow her and take pictures of her purse, which also meant I was taking pictures of her ass, and this was the best pic I could get:

I know. I have no shame.

The arena was much smaller than your normal hockey arena but the energy was just as lively. For all the slack that preseason games garner, Frozen Fury really is in a league of its own. Fans were going nuts over everything. There was minor bickering among Kings and Avalance fans but hardly a real spat. Everyone just seemed to be enjoying the moment. Enjoying the fact that hockey was finally here. That hockey was in Vegas! It didn't matter that it was a preseason game because we were all drunk hockey-starved fans there to enjoy subpar hockey in an incredible environment.

I was excited to watch my Kings and the new faces on the team. I'm growing fonder of Doughty and Hickey with each game I see. Wayne Simmonds doesn't even have to try to be a fan favorite, he just is. Denis Gauthier was being Denis Gauthier (*sigh*), LaBarbera was...underwhelming (blerg. yes. blerg.), and Kopi looked fantastic, especially when he rocketed the most perfectly placed wrist shot into the far upper corner of the goal. I barely paid any attention to any Avs players, except for Adam Foote who was trying so hard to be the biggest D-bag of the night. It felt so good to let out those 'Boooooooos'.

Connie, Cat, and I recorded a podcast during the first intermission and after the game. We decided to make it this week's podcast for both "I'm Not a Puck Bunny Podcast" and "Kings World Podcast". When I finally listened to it I was shocked at how fast we were talking. If you haven't listened to it yet, do so and you'll understand the Frozen Fury energy that I just can't describe in words. And if you like Vegas and hockey, it doesn't matter if you're not a Kings or Avs fan, because chances are you'll enjoy Frozen Fury. So mark your calendar for September 2009 for Frozen Fury XII.

x-posted to HLOG

Kings 1, Ducks 2 (SO)

Hockey game - pro
Kings game - pro
Fights - pro
Preseason game - con
Ducks game - triple con

The only thing worse than a preseason game is one against the Ducks. There's just so much about that squad that makes me boil with rage. Thankfully for my ulcer, SNiedermayer, Pronger, and T-Mu were not dressed for the game. However, the goonery void left by Pronger was dutifully filled by the remaining lineup.

(much more after the jump)

Up top the Kings had Moller and Moulson sharing time on the top line with Brown and Kopi. I think Moller spent more time with Brown and Kopi and looked pretty good. I can't get over how quick he is...and how small he is, which was very apparent when he had to go up against the Ducks. Once again Moulson looked really good and had the lone Kings goal. And once again, Boyle looked soft. I don't understand how someone that big can be so weak on his skates.

Simmonds got into two scraps tonight much to my satisfaction. He started strong in the first fight and probably took the edge. However, in the second fight he was pitted against Travis Moen. I'm not sure if Simmonds wanted to duke it out against a veteran to show that he play with the big dogs, but he got his ass handed to him. At first it seemed like Simmonds was going to hold his own and even take out Moen, but then it became apparent how big Moen is and Simmonds was never really able to break out of the hold Moen had on him. It was painful watching Simmonds take shot after shot to his head and it looked like he was a bit shaken up, but hopefully the kid will bounce back and tear it up next time.

The defense did not look good at all. Johnson, Preissing, and newly (re)acquired O'Donnell were in suits while prospects Voynov, Loktionov, and Drewiske and Doughty, Greene, and Gauthier held the back end. The prospects were fairly unimpressive and Greene was just there. Doughty looked the best but still made some shaky plays.

Between Overtime and the Shootout, Connie and I recorded a quick snippet of our feelings about the game. Enjoy my awesome camera skills:

Shootout came and quickly ended. The Kings put forward three young guys (Moulson, Purcell, and Meckler) while the Ducks went with veterans. Why is it that the Kings can't score a freakin' shootout goal anymore? Remember the days when the Kings rocked in shootouts? Yeah, I miss those days...I'm already envisioning all the points we're going to lose due to shootout losses. This is going to be a fun season.

The Kings Are Back In Town

Kings 6, Coyotes 4.

So much for an improved defense and fewer goals against...

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Keefe received a fist full of Bam Bam

Connie's season ticket holder partner was unable to attend the Kings preseason game so I gladly filled her spot. With what seemed like about 1,000 fans in attendance the Kings and Coyotes provided the fans with more fights in the first period than we'll probably see in the first half of the season. Even though the Kings had some first line guys on the ice the play was still back and forth and neither team really had the advantage.

LaBarbera backstopped the Kings for the first two periods and did...ok. He was tested a couple times and made some decent saves but was beaten in the first period on a bad angle while the Kings were short-handed and let in a shot from just inside the blue line in the second period. He might as well not have even been there because the shot easily whizzed by him, much to the surprise of everyone. I think I shouted, "Are you kidding me!? WHAT?!" It was almost comical...actually, it was because it was a preseason game. Barbs, don't even think of pulling that shit in the regular season.

Danny Taylor received some playing time in the third period, although he didn't get much of a workout. There was a scary scramble on his left side but he and the Kings D managed to keep the puck out of the net. I have absolutely no idea where he'll end up this season.

I spent the better part of the first period trying to remember the new kids' numbers. Hickey - 37; Harrold - 49 (what happened to 5?); Moller - 51; Clune - 56; Meckler - 58; Lewis - 61; Parse - 63; Murray - 68; Voynov - 76...what is up with all these numbers in the 50s and 60s?

I expected more out of Boyle and Johnson. Despite his size Boyle didn't seem very strong on his skates. Jack seemed a wee bit off but was more offensively minded than last season.

At first I was impressed with Greene. I didn't have much interest in reading about him during the off season so I didn't know what to expect. I guess not having any expectations can lead to being easily impressed. Greene is a big guy...and is competing with Jack for the Best Surfer Look Alike Contest. Later in the game Greene looked out of position at key moments, but he looks promising. I was also surprised with Denis Gauthier's play. Since I'm an Avery fan, I was half expecting Gauthier to recklessly throw his body at every Coyotes player all the while sporting his French Canadiae visor. However, he did not play like an asshole. Like Greene, Gauthier is a big presence on the blueline and played smart tonight. I'm anxious to see more of him.

My favorite players of the night were Oscar Moller and Thomas Hickey. I'm not sure either will make the roster this year but they will definitely be on the roster in years to come. Both players could get on the Michael Phelps diet but they didn't let their small size prevent them from playing physical. Moller is a quick guy who sees the puck well. Hickey is like a younger, cheaper, lighter version of Visnovsky. He can move the puck from end to end and did a fine job of getting the puck out of the zone and not turning it over. I think I may need to make room in my closet for a Hickey jersey...

Despite the tiny crowd, 4 goals against, and not seeing Fro, Doughty, or Bernier, tonight was s great night because Kings hockey is finally back!

Kings v. Ducks

Since I just can’t seem to shake the tendency to talk smack about the Ducks I figure I should at least fully embrace it instead of trying to cover it up. I mean, you only live once, right? I realize that wishing ill upon someone or an organization is truly bad karma but as long as the injury isn’t life threatening it’s ok…or at least a little bit ok.

First, Scotty Niedermayer decided to take John Kerry’s class, Flip-Flopping 101, and has gone back and forth between wanting to retire and wanting to play. Even though I don’t claim to know much about S. Niedermayer, with the exception that I know he has the most beautiful eyes second to only Stevie Y, it still seems out of character for Niedermayer not to be thinking about his team first and his personal needs second. But as I write this, I wonder, “Should more players put their needs before the team?” Even though they’re getting paid millions to play hockey it is still a job. Imagine for a second that you’re actually working in a field that you love and getting greatly compensated for your job but the hours are brutal and you’re emotionally and physically exhausted everyday. You can only take vacations during a set period of time and holidays? Yeah, right, say good-bye to those. Pronger obviously chose personal needs over Edmonton’s needs when he demanded a trade. Lindros definitely didn’t give squat about Quebec’s needs when he refused to play for the team. But I also wonder, “What would happen if more players started demanding more? What if more players refused to play for certain teams? What if veterans started asking for more time off or refused to make certain road trips because it was too physically and mentally exhausting?” All I know right now is that Niedermayer won’t be around till at least mid- to late-October, which means that’s at least 2 fewer games the Kings will have to face him!

Second, Teemu Selanne is still undecided about his future. However, my boss has a friend who has a friend who fits Selanne’s equipment and apparently Selanne was recently fitted for a new pair of skates. Would Selanne need a new pair of skates if he was retiring? Probably not. Still, I think there’s good chance Selanne won’t be around in London and maybe even longer. Again, what’s with the indecision?

Third, newly acquired defenseman, Mathieu Schneider, is out for at least 4 weeks after breaking a bone in his ankle during a preseason game against the LA Kings. I hate to revel in someone else’s pain and suffering, but at least it’s not life-threatening or career-ending. If he’s out for 4 weeks, that puts him out of the London games. If it’s longer than 4 weeks, he could miss a game or two in November against the Kings. Ohhh, the possibilities!

I realize that teams just need to make the playoffs but I have a bet with my boss based on the season series between the Kings and Ducks. I already owe him lunch for a horrendously stupid bet I made at the end of last season so I’m determined not to lose the bet this year. We still haven’t figured out the details of what the winner gets but I’m sure it’ll either be lunch or several cases of beer.

12 more days till the season starts!!

Kings Win! No One Cares!

Last night the Kings won their first preseason game against their archenemy, the Anaheim Ducks. My boss came in this morning, stopped by my cube, and waited. But I didn't say one word because in all honesty, what is there to be parade about? It was one preseason game and after last year's fairly successful preseason and then much forgettable season, I promised myself not to care about the preseason. But let's just take a quick look at what progressed last night at a surprisingly large crowd at Honda Center.

Pronger was not quite his usual self. He received 4 minor penalties but failed to properly use his elbow. My guess is that he's saving his suspension worthy antics for the regular season.

Both teams had an almost unrecognizable roster. Here are the players that played last night, organized into several categories:

Veteran Kings:

• Armstrong
• Blake
• Dallman
• Frolov
• Ivanans
• Modry
• Visnovsky
• Willsie
• Cloutier

Newly acquired Kings:

• Calder
• Klemm
• Aubin

Youngsters I know who have played in some Kings games:

• Gauthier
• JMFJ
• Zeiler

Youngsters I've heard of but who have never played in a Kings jersey:

• Boyle
• Lewis

I don't know who the hell these guys are:

• Bagnall
• Buckley
• Moulson

Also, something quirky happened with the boxscore because somehow Brady Murray was credited for 3 assists (2 on one goal...what?), served every single penalty, yet was not listed on the Kings roster. Hmmmm.....so maybe he played, maybe he didn't.

I'm not surprised that Crawford played several guys I've never heard of and guys who are fighting for a roster spot (in particular, Lewis, Boyle, and Aubin). The Kings do not have a long training camp and yet they have a lot of prospects who may be ready for the NHL but could probably use a(nother) year in the AHL. DL has always made a point about not wanting to rush the young players so I'm not expecting Lewis to be with the team in London. Boyle may actually make the roster if he plays well because he sure has had long enough to develop his play. I wasn't quite sure why the Kings signed Aubin and initially thought it was to fill LaBarbera's spot in Manchester, but I suppose if he plays well enough during the preseason the Kings could carry three goaltenders for a while till one establishes himself as deserving the job with the Monarchs.

I am surprised that Crawford started Cloutier. I expected him to start LaBarbera yesterday and Cloutier tomorrow. Perhaps LaBarbera will play tomorrow and maybe even Bernier will get a chance to play. I'm really interested in seeing this kid play, but of course the game won't be televised. I don't expect him to make the team just yet but I have high hopes for him in the future.

Last night, neither Cloutier nor Bryzgalov played very well from a save percentage standpoint. Whether the crappy stats were a result of the goalie or the rookie defense....I know what you're thinking...It might be another long season.

I still can't believe that the regular season starts in two weeks! Oh, and the Ducks have the worst opening schedule ever. Back-to-back games in London (Saturday and Sunday) and then play games on Wednesday at Detroit, Friday at Columbus, Saturday at Pittsburgh, and then finally will be at home the following Wednesday against Boston. In case you didn't notice, all three away games are the home openers for each of those teams! On the other hand, the Kings get back from London and don't play till that Saturday at home against the Blues. So yeah, suck it Ducks! Have fun fighting that jet lag while you get annihilated by Detroit, embarrassed by the BJs, and beat down by Sidbits and Co. Yeah, that's right, I'm already talking shit to the defending Cup champions. That's how I do.