Hidden Gems - 4 - Kind Of

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.

Brownie Lands Extension

I know Brownie's contract extension is old news but I've been debating whether or not I want to write about it. Considering how early into the season the decision came along combined with reading about Kipper's recent contract extension, it got me thinking about several things. What other LA Kings may we see agree to a contract extension before the off-season? How much are these players going to sign for? How many more seasons will their extension include? Who is getting the better deal with these early contract decisions? A quick look at THN's salary list shows that Patrick O'Sullivan, Joe Piskula, Erik Ersberg, Gabe Gauthier, and a handful of other veteran Kings and youthful Monarchs will be RFAs at the end of the season. Another interesting point is that Joey is making more than Patty.

At the beginning of last season I was disappointed in Patty's play. He deservedly was sent to Manchester for most of the season but came up at the end of the season and showed a definite improvement. However, his improvement over the off-season has been quite stunning. I definitely want to see him back next season but wouldn't be surprised if management held off for a couple months before they agree to a contract extension. Part of me thinks that management sees him as a part of the youth movement that will see the Kings become true competitors in the NHL but part of me thinks he could be trade bait. If he keeps up the smart play, his intensity, and production, I don't see why the Kings wouldn't keep him for the future. And besides, who would they want to bring in at the trade deadline? I won't say anthing because I don't want to jinx my team, but I know that a lot can happen in just a few months.

Joey P played a couple games with the Kings at the end of the '06-'07 season. I don't remember much of him except that he looked nervous in an interview he did one or two games before he made his NHL debut. I don't doubt that the reason I can't recall his contribution is because of the hype that surrounded JMFJ's first NHL game, which came around the same time that Joe made his appearance. At the H&HH event Luc made some positive comments about Joe and Brian Boyle that made it seem like those two are the future of the Kings blueline, especially Boyle who they are determined to mold into a defenseman. Since he's at Manchester I don't foresee the Kings extending Joe's contract anytime soon. One sidenote: Boyle is HOT! I think I'm surprised because I expected him to look like Chara. No offense to Chara...he's just not my type. Boyle definitely has that model look going for him and a great head of wavy dark hair. Move over Pennersquee, Boyle is going to take the NHL fangirls' panties off with just one sultry look. But let's get back to Piskula; from what I've read in articles and heard in interviews, it seems like Piskula will be around for awhile because of his promising development. During camp there was talk that he might make the squad but was sent down to Manchester just before the start of the season.

I haven't heard much about goaltender Erik Ersberg. Well, actually I do know that he has the heroin chic look down. Seriously, there's no way that kid weighs 182. He's sharing netminder duties with my personal favorite, Dan Cloutier, and so far his 2-1-1, 2.77 GAA, 0.882 SV% is better than Cloutier's stats. Oh Cloutier...you make me proud! Who knows, Ersberg could make a career in the AHL or he could possibly come out of nowhere and make a viable run for a spot on the team in the next several seasons.

Last season I held Gabe Gauthier in the same light as the likes of Noah Clarke and John Zeiler. Needless to say, that's not good for him. However, while Clarke was let go by the team and picked up by Jersey and promptly sent down to a farm team and Zeiler continues to be that "energy" guy who makes more successful hits on the glass than actual players, Gauthier is ripping it up down at Manchester. Last season he was 14-28-42 in 69 games and was a +16. So far this season he leads the Monarchs with 4-8-12 in 8 games and is a +2. On the other hand, Guilano, Cliche, and Tukonen have 0 points combined. Will we see Gauthier this season? If he keeps up his play, I don't see why not. But then again, he could very well be one of those guys who excels in the AHL and then has nothing to show once he's in the NHL. I'm going to keep an eye on him and if he gets called up I'll be supporting him this time, if for no reason other than he's a hometown boy; I don't mean "hometown boy" as in Verne, CA, I'm talking about Torrance, CA! Represent, Gabriel!

As for the questions I posed at the beginning of the post, it seems like Patrick O'Sullivan would be the next likely candidate to receive a contract extension. Even though he sees a lot of PK time the recent move to put him on a line with Frolov and Nagy has so far paid off. If that line continues to produce like they have the past several games, I don't see why Patty couldn't be a 20 goal scorer this sesaon. He'll definitely see a pay raise considering he's not even making $1 million this season.

When I first read that Dustin Brown signed a 6-year contract I was a bit worried he would be bringing in a mighty big paycheck. After finding out that it's just over $3 million/season I began to think that Brownie might not have gotten the best deal. Actually, you know who really got kicked in the crotch over that deal? Michael Cammalleri. I wouldn't be surprised if Cammy has a bounty out for the arbitrator who awarded him his contract. I'd like to think that Brownie really wanted to stay in LA (and according to several LA Times and Kings articles it seems he does) and was willing to take the risk of being underpaid in the future in order to stay with the team.

I'm sure once JMFJ, Anze, and Frolov get ready to renew contracts they'll be offered long-term deals as well. In fact I bet most of the younger players in the NHL will be signing 4-6 year contracts while the veterans will be the ones signing one-year deals, like Brendan Shanahan did. I just hope DL doesn't make another contract extension goof like he did with Cloutier. Thank god he didn't sign him to a 5-year deal; I'd be bleeding out of my eyes if I knew Cloots was making Manchester suffer while he was raking in millions.

Gameday Preview: Halloween Edition

The LA Kings will be taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Halloween Night!! ooooooooohh!! If you want an actual preview of what the game may be like, head over to Battle of California because I bet RudyKelly does or will have a preview of it.

I'm giving you, my gentle readers, a preview into what costumes you can expect the Kings to be wearing as they roll into Staples Center.

Raitis "Bam Bam" Ivanans will be going as "Ray Ray the Redneck". He already has part of the costume taken care of with his missing tooth and straggly hair. This past week PCVelvet correspondents spotted him at Hermosa Beach preparing his redneck appearance by sunbathing while wearing a shirt and his neck and arms were slathered in baby oil. He was overhead consulting with a teammate about whether or not he should buy a farm animal to carry with him when he went Trick-or-Treating. His teammate quickly assured him that his pitbull would be mighty sufficient as a Redneck prop.

JMFJ will be dressing as his BFF from high school, Sidney Crosby. For three long years Sid has been unsuccessfully searching for his favorite teddy bear and fullbody PJs. Little does he know that JMFJ, who established quite a mancrush on Sid, stole those cherished items. In fact, JMFJ even made plans to have Mario Lemieux fly out to LA tomorrow as he'll be escorting JMFJ everywhere and making all of his decisions, just like a good father should.

Lubomir Visnovsky will be going as his alter ego, Lubi, the Slovakian discothequer. Ever since he came to LA Lubomir has kept his sparkly pants, matching vest, white wedge boots, and yellow club glasses in a secret hiding place. With his new contract secured during the offseason Lubomir is finally comfortable in showing his true self. He might be a bit sluggish in tomorrow's game because rumor has it he'll be at the discotheque for the next two days only leaving to play the game against Columbus.

Anze Kopitar has been preparing for this Halloween costume ever since he can remember. His favorite show growing up was The Addams Family and, as you may have already guessed, his favorite character was Uncle Fester. Oh how he longed for the day when he would be old enough to play Uncle Fester in a remake of the TV show. Ever since he was 5 years old he would force himself to only get a maximum of 3 hours of sleep at night because he wanted to develop dark circles under his eyes. He thought about shaving his head for this special occasion but after seeing Ryan Getzlaf's bald spot, realized that he just couldn't go bald this early in his life. Instead, he scoured the Southland talking to numerous drama geeks and trannies in search of the perfect bald cap and spirit gum. Beware Kings fans, Anze's costume is spot on.

Michael Cammalleri will be proudly dressed as a pageant queen. You may not be aware but Cammy actually competed in one pageant when he was 7 years old. Apparently his parents really wanted him to be a girl so when he was really young they often dressed him in skirts or dresses. They contemplated piercing his ears but held off. As he got older and became interested in hockey, they still exposed him to girly activities, like pageants. He was often told just how pretty his eyes were, how every girl could only dream of having his perfectly shaped eyebrows and soft skin. In fact, his favorite TV character is Robby McConnell from The Tournament because as he once said in an interview, "Robby's love for jazz is just as big as my love for pageants. I feel for that kid because I used to be him."

Cammy (my dear)

David Amber has a pretty good interview with Cammy. He makes a playful swipe at Avery that is really funny. All I'll say is Demitra is even more awesome than I could have ever imagined. Apparently Cammy was on MTV Cribs (Canada). Did any Canadians catch it??

One part of the article that I found interesting was one of the photos (courtesy of Andrew D. Bernstein/NHLI via Getty Images) :

Nice fan, Cammy!

UPDATE: Nov 1, 2007
Reader KQ949 calls Cammy "Ham Head" because as she says, "his head is oversized and has the shape of a canned ham". Below is a picture that she so graciously provided that clearly depicts what she means. I must say that I have noticed his steep sloping forehead but usually you can't notice it too much when he wears his helmet. Thanks, KQ949!

Ham Head!

H & HH Follow Up & Quick Update

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.

Mini SoCal HLOG Convention

Last night I finally met another HLOGer. Actually, I met two: Finny and Cassie. Several weeks ago Finny emailed me and asked if I was going to the Kings v. Minnesota game because for some unknown reason she was going (I guess she's just that dedicated to hockey!). Unfortunately I didn't go to the game but we soon found out that we would both be at the Kings v. Oilers game. She gave me her number in case I wanted to meet up and the day of the game I emailed her my number and suggested we meet up during warm-up behind the Oilers bench, since I figured it would be less crowded than near the Kings bench and I assumed she would want to ogle Penner. I mentioned that I was tempted to make a sign, something along the lines of:

"PENNERSQUEE, you're overrated!"
"PENNERSQUEE, you're a sellout!!"
"PENNERSQUEE, you're not worth the money!"

But I was worried that (a) my signs would never be able to live up to those that Heather made for her Sabres and (b) people might think that I was defending Anaheim...and that just could not happen.

Finny immediately called me and of course I missed the call. Her voicemail went something like this:

"Hey, umm, so I don't actually know your name!"

She also mentioned something about making signs, meeting up, and giving her a call. I went to Hockey and High Heels and as soon as it was over I called Finny to find out where we should meet. To my delight, Finny and Cassie were watching the warm-up near the Oilers bench. It was great to finally meet them and I had a blast for the 5-10 minutes that we hung out next to the ice shouting, "PENNER!!!!" everytime he skated by us. The first thing I noticed when I saw the Oilers was the size of Penner. Holy Hell, that guy is HUGE!!!!!! I literally could not get over it. Every couple minutes or so I would say softly, "He is huge! He is enormous! How big is he?" He was one of a few guys not wearing a helmet during warm-ups which also helped make him stand out more. I wish he had his mountain man beard because I think he looks even better with all of that scruff.

The first thing Cassie said to me when I moved to stand next to her was, "Oh wow, you're shorter than Finny!" Yes, I am. In fact, when I bought a pretzel during the second intermission, the guy serving me kept trying to make jokes which I never got because I couldn't really hear him and he finally asked, "How tall are you?" and when I told him I asked, "How tall are you?" Seriously, people....WTF?! Why does it matter that I'm really short? Have you honestly never seen a petite lady? I'm not a midget...but I am short, but there are plenty of people out there who are shorter than I am.

Finny and Cassie are a hilarious pair. They told me some great stories of spotting Ducks players around the Orange County beach areas. It was too bad that I couldn't experience an entire hockey game with them because I can only imagine how much fun they have watching hockey together. No offense to ckim, it is fun to watch her shout, "YOU FUCKER!!" amidst a surprisingly quiet crowd and watch people turn around to see who shouted it, but I couldn't stop laughing at Finny and Cassie when they were talking about Penner. He finally looked over at us near the end of the warm-up and we completely cracked up in a fit of laughter. Here's a pic of Penner bending over.

oh yeah, check out that ass...um...I mean, those hockey pants.

Unfortunately, we never got a pic of the three of us but I'm sure we'll meet up again.

x-posted to HLOG

Hockey and High Heels

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.

Picture of me and Lucky Luc.

One Of These Does Not Belong

So I wasn’t able to watch the Oilers practice today. Not my fault, the Toyota 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:

Another Twinsies!

I recently watched a rerun of Law and Order: SVU and the 17-year old, who eventually married his stepmother only to find out that she was carrying another man's baby, was played by someone who has the made the rounds with Anaheim and Edmonton, only to find himself currently in the City of Brotherly Love. I guess love has no boundaries when your stepmom is a MILF and she uses her devilwoman powers to manipulate you into marrying her. Oh Joffrey, I had no idea you were such a good actor; in fact, you kind of resemble some nobody named Jonathan Bennett.

Joffrey and his twin

(photos courtesy of Philly's team page and IMDB)

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

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.

“I Don't Really Like You Today”

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.

JR's 500th Goal

There was a short discussion this morning on the IPB thread about JR's impending 500th goal. The -ookies thought it would have been great to see JR notch his 500th goal on the same night Owen Nolan was playing in his 1000th game. Hearing about JR actually playing well was completely unnerving. Seeing the words "JR" and "500th goal" in the same sentence set off the rage in my inner monologue.

Growing up I always liked Roenick (what I called him back in the day), probably because he was not only tough, but also a pretty damn good American-born hockey player. However, that was many, many school grades ago. Several seasons ago when the news broke that this fellow "JR" would be wearing a Kings jersey, I cringed. "Why now?" I asked in my nightly prayer to Dave Taylor. For some reason my hermano was very excited to have JR be a King but his friend put it best: this is 10 years too late. The only time I was excited with JR's play was his pathetic shootout goal (which shouldn't have even counted because he took two swipes at it) against Nashville that closed the deal for a win. The rest of the season he was nothing but an incredible disappointment...correction: he didn't disappoint me since I expected him to be worthless from the beginning of the season. However, he did piss me off to no end with his constant whining and complaining and absolute refusal to just be that veteran presence in the locker room. Everytime I read that he complained AGAIN about not getting enough ice time I wanted to scream "YOU'RE OLD!!" and everytime I read that he used that damn "skate problem" as an excuse for not playing well I wanted to scream "STOP MAKING EXCUSES!! YOU'RE OLD!!" I laughed when he went to Phoenix and laughed even harder when Gretzky limited his ice time and I fell over laughing when he was reprimanded for not staying at the arena and watching the game when he was injured or a healthy scratch (but, really, what's the difference it's JR, and "being old" qualifies as both an injury and a healthy scratch).

This summer I couldn't believe it when San Jose signed JR and I was quick to comment that SJ was now cursed; doesn't matter that they have a very talented team because JR will undoubtedly bring them crashing down. With JR's 500th goal quickly approaching (I still can't believe he has 3 goals and 2 assists in 7 games...that is not supposed to happen) I give you, in no particular order (although feel free to vote in the comments) the Top 5 Ways JR Could Score His 500th Goal.

1. Courtesy of Schnookie:
I feel like opposing teams should be helping him out more with this; like, after he touches the puck they would just pick it up and throw it into their own nets.

2. Courtesy of Alix:
We can just have the Sharks play the Canucks again. For some reason they love giving JR multiple chances to get goals. 2 in one game. Ugh. (Ed. note: ok, Alix, I'll give you another one) JR could be whining to a ref about a call, the ref could go to punch him out, as JR is flying backwards down the ice, he could push the puck in with his behind.

3. Courtesy of Pookie:
Oh! I know! JR could get credited for his 500th when he’s the last person to touch the puck before McCabe shoots it off both posts before it tickles into his own net with 3 seconds left in overtime!

(Ed. note: Too bad own goals don't count as goals because it would be classic if his 500th is an own goal in overtime a la Bryan McCabe. Although, really, if it happens I'm sure everyone would still make fun of him and call it the 500th-A goal and then call the actual 500th goal, 500th-B. And then we could brand the puck with an asterik and make note in the HHOF (if it ever makes it there) that his first 500th goal was an own goal.)

4. Courtesy of Me:
The Sharks are in the offensive zone, JR is stacked like a mack truck blocking the opposition's netminder. A Sharks d-man blasts a slap shot from the blue line, it violently deflects off JR's massive, disfigured nose and into the net. (Of course, since I wish no hockey player any permanent injury, he's okay to play after sitting out a couple games.)

5. Another one courtesy of Pookie:
JR could be standing in front of the net studying the menu for the restaurant across the street from the arena and the puck could bounce off him and into the net. (Ed. note: and then when the puck goes in he'll skate off the ice, go to the restaurant and declare his retirement.)

Bonus! Patty (in Dallas) thought long and hard about her vision of JR's 500th goal:
JR could be standing around during the play, trying to find the camera with the red light on, when the puck grazes his hairdo on the way into the net.

I just know that if JR was still with the Kings and I wrote this post, he would never get his 500th goal. I hope this post will still jinx him but I doubt it. I'm sure he'll score that goal soon, but I just hope it happens in one of the 5 ways mentioned above. Meh! I'll just give him an early 'Congrats!'

Hidden Gems - 3

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.

Twinsies!

I was going to do this twinsies last season but then thought twice about it. After seeing the below photo of Nylander on SportSquee I thought, "No, I was right the first time." I present to you:

Michael "I am John Locke" Nylander

Keep Your Head Up

Why have I loved #4 since I was a tot?

And why has the cute-as-a-button #23 caught my eye?

Because they get the job done.

My Star of the Game

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.

KMS2's thoughts on the game are right on so I won't repeat too many of them here. 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?

A Game Full of Firsts

Congrats to John Joseph Louis Johnson the Third on his first NHL goal! It was a pretty sweet goal, too; great pass by Calder and excellent one-timer by JMFJ (if he had shot that wide I would have fucking disowned him). Once the highlight becomes available I'll post it here. Update: Here's the goal highlight:

As a whole, I thought the Kings played very well. La Barbera was in net and made some key saves in the third period to secure his first win of the season. After Crow started Aubin the past two games, I was a bit worried that either La Barbera had some small injury or he was really sucking in practice. Nevertheless, I thought he looked sharp and neither goal he let in was soft. The first goal was off a rebound and the second was a rocket from the slot that placed the puck perfectly upper V. And to prove that the high glove side isn't a weakness he gloved Pyatt's shot just minutes later.

Frolov's goal was amazing, mainly due to Lubi's fake shot which froze Luongo so that Fro could easily place the pass into an open net. In fact, Lubi completely faked me out as well since I initially thought he was the one who scored. As he wound up to take the shot I thought "Oh man, I would poop my pants if I was goalie and Lubi was about to take a slap shot on me from that close in." Oh, and did you know that Cammy is now leading the NHL in goals? What?! How much are we paying this guy?? When I first found out that Cammy allegedly asked for upwards of $6 mil/season I thought he was nuts. Now, I'm thinking we're getting a huge bargain! I know it's early, the season's long, and anything can happen, but my goodness...Cammy is a stud right now.

Another first that happened tonight was me seeing for the first time a goal automatically being awarded. With Luongo pulled, Brownie had a breakaway and was tripped up from behind. As he was falling down he tried to score the empty netter but came up short. Since the goalie was pulled, instead of a penalty shot being awarded, a goal was awarded, thus, guaranteeing the win for the Kings. I don't think I have ever seen that happen before tonight. The rule makes sense and the empty net/awarded goal allowed me to finally breathe.

Great game, Kings! Now if they can just keep up this kind of play. Seriously, it would be nice to string together a couple wins. Right now, I'm just asking for two. That's it guys, two wins in a row. Please?

Consistency please???

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! =)

Michal, Michal, Motorcycle

Dear Handzus,

I realize that losing your hair was a very emotional moment but you have to move on. Whatever happened off the ice between you and Crow should stay off the ice. Don't let that personal grudge over who is the only one allowed to have the best hair affect your play on the ice. It's just hair and it will grow back because your name isn't Kyle Calder.

Despite the one goal you scored in London (empty net, too) I've hardly noticed you. You seem to be dragging your lanky 6'-5" frame around the ice instead of graciously skating with fierce intensity every single time your blades hit the ice. I have noticed you on the PK but your play has been greatly shadowed by the tremendous resurgence of Pah-ty O'Sullivan. I'm not suggesting that you acquire a pill depdency to overcome your depression that was onset by your recent haircut, but poppin' an anti-depressant before each game might not be such a bad idea.

Handzus, just do what you got to do in order to be competitive with this team otherwise you'll soon find yourself switching places with Ladislav "where are you?" Nagy. And for the love of God, don't cut your hair before the season is over or else you won't win Barry's gold medal for "Best Hair". Don't let Crow convince you that it is a requirement that your hair be worse than his because that is utter BS. He needs help from a jar of pomade while you have an unruly, yet beautiful and luscious mane of curls.

Go get 'em, Handzus, make me proud!

Regards,
kms2

Photos from Oct 14th

These photos are from the Oct 14th game against the Red Wings. Enjoy!

Losing Streak Ended!

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 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” 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. SATISFACTION.

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.

Kopitastic!

Everytime Kopitar touched the puck the BF would say, "Kopitastic!" It warmed my heart to see my silly names rub off on him. Also, whenever Demitra touched the puck he screamed, "Traitor!!" I kept reminding him that Demitra was traded but I think he just liked having a tiny excuse to yell and as long as it kept him interested in the game I decided not to press the issue any further. One more thing, after O'Sullivan looked like the fucking man for the 15th time during the game, I finally admitted (out loud) that Patty O was quickly becoming my favorite player of the season. The BF quickly countered, "I think you just have a thing for Irishmen." No, sweetie, just guys named Patrick. ;)

Back to the game: I watched tonight's game with intense trepidation constantly looking for something to take my mind off the Kings' impending breakdown. In fact, I actually pulled out the iron and ironing board during shootout because I was so anxious and nervous that I had to do something else besides sit on the couch and pull my hair out. Do I sound like I was desperate? Yeah, I was. I still am because we still only have 2 wins on the season! The Kings put on a much better showing tonight and the game was a lot more exciting than I had initially anticipated. Not 'frantic crazy' exciting like the game against Boston, but 'good' exciting. Despite a couple giveaways (Preissing, Aubing: wtf? figure it out next time) the Kings played a solid game from start to finish. Quite frankly, that's all I've been wanting to see lately.

I'm still on a high after watching the shootout so that's all I'll discuss in this post. Kopitar's shootout goal was way more awesome than I initially thought it was. I thought he just pulled a JR (skating right into the goalie) but on the other angle you see him clearly and deliberately slide it to the outside and with a couple fingers still handling his stick, he slid it past Backstrom. Oh, it was sweet! And best yet, Kopitar revealed in the post game interview that he tried the move in the morning skate so he knew he could pull it off. Yep, "NO BIG DEAL!!!!! NBD!!!!!!"

Now that I know my team can actually play, I hope they can string a couple wins in a row. Actually, three would be nice since we haven't done that since, what, the 2005-2006 season?

UPDATE: Here's a photo (courtesy of the LA Times) that pretty much sums up the awesomeness of Kopitar's shootout goal.

Poor Baby Bernier

Aubin is off IR and Bernier was sent down to Juniors. Seeing how poorly the Kings have been playing it was probably the best decision for him career-wise. Poor kid. Poor Baby Bernier.

Little kittens around the world are crying now that Bernier is no longer in a Kings jersey. Damn you, Kings for making him look like crap.

Bernier, best wishes to you. We patiently and eagerly await your return.

x-posted to HLOG

Red Wings 4, Kings Uno

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.

Clinic Day at Staples Center

Conversation on the way to the game:

CKim: Not really sure how this game is going to turn out
kms2: Yeah. Well, we know at least one team will play well...it just might not be our team.

Now I know why I always avoided attending Kings v. Red Wings games.

SUCCESS!!!!

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,
Connie Kim

Her response:

Hi Connie,

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

Pre-Game Prediction: Kings v. Bruins

I'm not really into making game predictions because who knows how a team will play. And who really predicts 6-0 or 8-1 games? I'm taken aback by some of the scores we've been seeing lately and don't quite know what to make of them. It usually seems like the Kings are on the losing end of those games but they did have one or two successful high scoring games last season so it is a possibility. However, I don't see a high scoring game unfolding tonight. I didn't watch the Ducks v. Bruins game on Wednesday but from what I heard it wasn't that enjoyable. Despite the pregame celebration and the banner raising, my source told me that the Ducks looked flat at the beginning of the game. Even though Boston got on the board quickly they didn't maintain a high energy game either. I also didn't watch much of the Kings v. Stars game on Wednesday. I saw enough to see my Kings let in the fifth goal and score one (hooray for Calder and JMFJ getting their first points as a King and for Ivanans pulling ahead of Zeiler in points). It seemed like the Kings had a fairly strong third but couldn't really put much together and what solid plays they did have were stifled by Turco. I thought LaBarbera was going to get pulled after the fifth goal but I'm sort of glad he stayed in the game. I'm sure Crow didn't want to feed li'l Bernier to the wolves so late in the game. Also, from what I read of the post-game report, the Kings had several giveaways and I'm inclined to attribute their loss to the players rather than LaBarbera's Cloutier-like play. Regardless, here's my prediction for tonight's game:

October 12, 2007: Kings v. Bruins
Kings: Even though tonight's game will only be the second home game of the season I don't expect to see a sell-out crowd (it's the Bruins and a family night out package can only do so much). Look for Bernier in net tonight. Crow will give LaBarbera a mental and physical rest tonight after receiving little help from his teammates as he watched 5 pucks get behind him in Wednesday's loss to the Dallas Stars. In the last game JMFJ and Calder both notched their first points as a King, an assist and a goal, respectively. Hopefully these Kings career markers will induce some confidence and spirited play.

Bruins: I know next to nothing about the Bruins. Here's hoping they don't score within the first few minutes of the game and that they formulate a losing streak during their time in Southern California.

Prediction: Kings 2, Bruins 1 in shootout

Post-Game Update:
That game was absolutely ridiculous. Bernier started (and played the whole game) and the game did not sell out. Those were the only two predictions I got correct. There are so many things I want to write about but instead of a full-blown post-game analysis here are some key points of the game that I feel like bringing up. And of course, it's a list, because I like lists:

• Bernier was outstanding in the first period, especially during the penalty kill



• The Kings either need to stop taking a lot of penalties or at least have a decent penalty kill. While the first goal was technically an even strength goal, the Kings were unable to clear the zone during the (I think) entire 2 min. penalty and then coughed up the puck when they tried to clear, leading to Kessel's first goal of the night, which leads me to:


• How many turnovers are the Kings going to have each game?! Argh!!



• I realize Boston went up 4-1 in the second period but they did not for a second even try to lockdown the Kings and play a defensive style of hockey. The game should have been over at that point but:


• I am a bit proud of my Kings for not calling it quits in the second when things looked really shitty. It was quite disappointing that they went down by 3 goals so quickly in the second period considering they played well in the first. There was a lot of groaning on my end and I admit I had started to lose faith and kept saying to myself, "This isn't happening!"


• I love Patrick O'Sullivan this year. I said it after the first game of the season, but damn, has he stepped it up this year! He's on the PK a lot and has been displaying a lot of heart and hustle and he is winning me over. His line really helped bring the Kings back in the game.


• Congrats to Brad Stuart and Brady Murray on their first goals in a Kings jersey. Murray showed some great composure and patience on his goal and it looked like it was Kopitar scoring because he deked Fernandez, held onto the puck, skated by Manny, held onto the puck, waited for Manny to dive across the crease, held onto the puck, and then finally shot it into a practically wide open net. Well done, Murray!


• Cammalleri had another sick goal.



• Kopitar almost took off Manny's head and then tried to do it during the next play which led to his goal. It's fun watching Kopi shoot like a madman. I'm so used to him creating plays, making great passes, and showing off his finesse moves so it was a pleasant surprise to see him take some great shots (on goal, too!)


• Overall, not quite sure what to think of this game. Both teams had some questionable defense. Even though Bernier let in 7 goals, I can't exactly say he played a bad game since this game was wide open and neither team really had control (with the exception of Boston during an approximately 10 min time frame.) How many of those should he have saved? I can count at least one (the first goal by Kessel, but it was a quick shot), but I honestly can't remember some of the other goals. Crow mixed the lines up a bit during the game so it's obvious the chemistry isn't there for several lines. Why are we still exhibiting poor decisions on the breakout and why do they seem to happen so frequently? It's frustrating but this was only the fifth game of the season. It's a long season and that's what I have to keep reminding myself. Anything can happen between now and April.

I think Dan Boyle is a Jerk

This entire time I thought it was Brad Richards who is an a-hole, when really it's Dan Boyle. Whatever, they're both Tampa Bay Lightning guys and who can really keep names straight when you have Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis to focus on.

Regardless, here's the article that I thought was about Brad Richards, but is really about Dan Boyle. So yeah, I don't have an opinion of the former but I do think the latter needs a smack across the face. I don't have any problem with guys taking credit when they deserve it or patting their own backs. However, when guys shower themselves with glorious praise, I do think there's a line between looking like a cute jerk and looking like a complete jackass. Dan Boyle even seemed like an a-hole when answering the very first question.

Q: During your college days at Miami Universi:y of Ohio, you were a Hobey Baker finalist, but you still went undrafted. Why?
A: That's a very good question. You tell me, I don't know. Thirty teams, at least 10 rounds. To me, it's amazing that one of the best college players can't get even picked up as a late-round pick. It's ridiculous. It really puzzles me.

A few questions later David Amber, the interviewer, finally asks the question I was begging to ask:

Q: It sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder.

Let me interpret that question for those of you still in love with Dan Boyle:
Q: Wow, Dan. You have quite some attitude. I'm surprised you're still physically able to play hockey because I would have thought that with an attitude like yours you would have already gotten your ass handed to you so many times that you would no longer be able to skate.

This is my favorite question and answer:
Q: Why you were left off the All-Star team?

Here's what my answer would have been, especially since if I was in the spotlight I would try my best not to make enemies:
A: David, that's a good question. Even though it would be a tremendous honor to be on the All-Star team I realize that there are a lot of talented players in this league. There are a number of guys that I can name who I think would have been worthy enough to be on the team but for one reason or another weren't.

But nooooo, of course Danny Boy wouldn't say that! He's way too cocky to be expected to maintain a level head and positive public image:
A: My understanding is that we already had two guys from the Lightning in Vinny [Lecavalier] and Marty [St. Louis] and they didn't want to have a third guy, so it is what it is. I looked at the other defensemen who were on that team, and at the time, I was second in scoring by defensemen. I think I should have been there.

Those are the best parts of the interview but definitely check out the rest because I think it's good practice as a female fan to identify the jackasses of the league.

New Banner

Big THANKS to CKim's friend for creating the banner for this blog.

Since I didn't want the purple in the banner to clash with the purple background I changed the color scheme as well.

Hidden Gems - 2

So the NHL Newsletter email beat me to announcing this find! This comes from NHL.tv. Over the weekend, I was scanning NHL.com for a link that looked interesting, which I had yet to read. I can’t remember now what it was exactly that I clicked on, but I hit a gold mine. From there I clicked on a folder titled “NHL Insider” and then saw “Player Profiles.” I thought, “What, pray tell, could this be?” I was hoping for something worthwhile and it did not disappoint. There were 27 roughly 3-minute clips of different players around the league of their lives off the ice.

I think I’ve actually come across this jackpot before but I can’t seem to recall any but two of the clips as being ones I’ve seen before. The first being of Rob Blake (OF COURSE) and the second being of Andy McDonald. I think KMS2 will know of why I’ve seen that one already. And I bet she's rolling her eyes RIGHT NOW. =) So I will attempt to give a little blurb of my favorites or of good lines and whatnot.

1) Dustin Penner (Right Wing) – Anaheim Ducks: What is that game they’re playing on the beach? Did he mention the name and I had just not heard it? It looks like Bocce ball? Anyway, I mention this clip because it’s him and some teammates and they talk about landing the ball by cute girls sunbathing. He says, “There’s a fine line between creepy and sexy and we walk that line everyday.” Props to Dustin for admitting the potential creepiness. I thoroughly enjoyed that scene and had a good chuckle as I clicked on the next clip.

2) Teemu Selanne (Right Wing)- Anaheim Ducks: It was quite a change to go from humorous to serious in one click. Teemu’s clip gave the viewer three minutes of insight into a private part of his life.

3) Rob Blake (Defenseman) – Los Angeles Kings: My favorite player sure is awesome! With his racks of surfboards at his house in Manhattan Beach. It’s amazing how close I’ve lived by him all my life and have never seen him in person. =( Maybe if I take up surfing I’ll eventually ride the same wave as him. Here’s to hoping.

4) Andy McDonald (Center) – Anaheim Ducks: He doesn’t like turkey. Even though he plays for a lame team, he's still a cutie.

5) Evgeni Malkin (Center) – Pittsburgh Penguins: I had no idea that he doesn’t speak any English! Gino? You need to lose some baby fat already! Toughen up that jawline!

6) Brenden Witt (Defenseman) – Dallas Stars: This was the funniest one because he was having so much fun at practice. Scoring one goal he yells out, “I OWN YOU!” And later after he scores another one, he screams, “I AM ON FIRE!!” I honestly love any guy who hilariously pats himself on the back. Ahh, good times.

7) Kirk Maltby (Left Wing) – Detroit Red Wings: Hard ass on the ice. Teddy bear at home with his daughter. What a cute clip. Is he married though? No mention of a wife.

8) Zdeno Chara (Defenseman) – Boston Bruins: This guy is fucking tall. He could probably deal with giving me and KMS2 a few inches of height.

9) Brad Richards (Center) – Tampa Bay Lightening: Ok, so out of the 27 clips that I watched, this was definitely one that I would not view again. I don’t know, maybe it’s because I don’t like wine, but did anyone else think this was a little weird? Brad, who knew that this was something that you enjoyed doing and not, say, off-roading like John Michael-Liles? Or reading to kids like Marty Turco? WTF, mate?

I am bummed that I watched that Brad Richards one last (I think) because it left a kind of sour taste in my mouth...maybe it was just because I wasn't expecting it... ANYWAY!!! I still think that this was a GEM OF A FIND. So go check it out and enjoy!

*Sigh*

Elly over at No Pun Intended wrote about "Hockey and High Heels", an event offered through the Pittsburgh Penguins. She made a good argument that catering an event towards female (would be) fans during which you teach them about the rules of hockey is quite offensive for the females who already are die-hard fans. Would any organization hold a similar event catered towards males? I would be very surprised if such a thing occurred. I agree with Elly's points, all except the one she made about females wearing high heels to games. I am known to wear high-heel boots to games because (a) my feet get cold so I don't want to wear my usual footwear of Reef flip-flops and (b) when everyone stands up to see a fight, big hit, or goal, I can't see because I'm too short!! I need every assistance possible and 3" heels help.

But back to the "Hockey and High Heels" event hosted by the Pittsburg Penguins. I laughed when I read Elly's post because I thought, "what a ridiculous event!" Well,hahaha and laugh at me because today when I browsed the LA Kings website, I noticed that the LA Kings are hosting the exact same event !

Ever wanted to learn more about the sport of hockey, but felt intimidated by all the men in the room? Here is your chance to enjoy hockey with good company and the chance to get on the ice and experience it for yourself!

Even though attendees will learn about hockey through Hockey 101 Chalk Talk, receive a goodie bag including the book Hockey and High Heels and see the author, who is scheduled to make a guest appearance, there are a couple items that I am actually drawn towards including the following:

• Starting at 2 p.m., enjoy an on-ice Skating Clinic with Kings Alumnus and Radio Color Commentator Daryl Evans (skates provided)
• Locker Room and STAPLES Center Tour
• Social hour with wet bar and hors d'oeuvres to bond with your fellow hockey enthusiasts
• Appearance and Speech by LA Kings President of Business Operations – Luc Robitaille
• One 200 Level ticket to the Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers game at 7:30 p.m.

I think it's interesting that a 200 level ticket is included in the package as if 300 level tickets are way too ghetto and rowdy for the women that will be attending this event. Upon clicking the link to download the flyer, it is then noted that the price for "Hockey and High Heels" is $100!!! WHAT?! (Additional tickets to the game are $52.) I'm sorry but I find it difficult to believe that a lady who knows so little about hockey will want to pay $100 for this event. I would love to attend this event but (a) There is no way I'm paying $100 for it even if it does include a wet bar and an appearance by Luc and (b) I would probably be a nuisance during the Hockey 101 session by blurting out "Woman, are you kidding me? You don't know what a red line is?"

I actually doubt that ladies who aren't real fans will show up. I also wonder if any men will attend along with their girlfriends/friends/wives; I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. I also wonder where the money goes to. The author of the book? KingsCare? Staples Center? The Kings organization? I don't know what to think of this event, but what I do know is that I won't be there. Does it sound like I'm too good for this event? Well, yeah, I am.

Sidenote: After a sucky commute home, I turned on the TV just in time to see Dallas score their fifth goal. Awesome. Thanks, guys!

The Difficulties of Attending a Kings Game

When does one eat when there's a 5 pm start time? Such is the biggest dilemma facing us this weekend. Frankly, I can eat almost anytime, anywhere. But do I eat a big late lunch at around 3-ish and then hope it holds till the game is over (so that I don't spend $50 on food at the insanely overpriced Staples Center) and I join the BF at the local Saints bar where I then eat massive amounts of nuclear-flavored wings and try to heal his wounds from another Saints loss? Or do I eat a small-to-medium-sized lunch and then treat myself to say, popcorn, which I've never bothered to buy, but am very intrigued to taste after reading about it at IPB.

CKim and I will be attending our first game of the season this Sunday, Oct 14th at 5 pm when our beloved Kings take on the Detroit Red Wings. We'll be in Section 303, Row 3 both sporting our Womens fit Kings jerseys; CKim has Blake's name and number on the back and mine is blank.

Oh, and another thing, apparently CKim thinks I'm some sort of lush, which became apparent when she said, after suggesting a great way for us to carpool and avoid having both of us pay for parking,

"I just thought, if you wanted to drink at the game, I'll drive. =) You can drive to me and I'll drive to the game."

Just because I was super excited to drink at 9 am doesn't mean I get hammered at every Kings game ;) Now don't get me wrong, I like a beer or two every now and then and when the occasion arises my beer gut knows how to properly prepare itself. However, I really don't like to drink at Staples Center because beer costs $9-$10. I normally spend $10.99 for a 24-pack of PBR. $10 for one beer, even if it is a large cup, is too expensive for my blood!

Anyway, I really hope JMFJ gets into a scrum because I want nothing more than to lead the chant, "Kill Jack Kill!" Well, actually, I would rather have the Kings win.

Go Kings!!

Sweetest Word

What's the sweetest word in the English language?

"Waivers."

'Nuff said.

Hidden Gems - 1

As I peruse the various websites devoted to this ridiculously fantastical sport, I sometimes come across a bit of news, an interview, or a funny line that I think is share-worthy. Seeing as how no one is in the immediate vicinity of me when I read something worthwhile, I decided to share it via my nimble fingers. So I shall entitle these posts as "Hidden Gems."

The first Hidden Gem is from NHL.com's Ice Age. The page was a list of quotes from all different people within the NHL. This is the quote that made me stop and laugh:

"There's not going to be any battles between the GM and coach. At least there shouldn't be.”
-- Panthers captain Olli Jokinen on Panthers GM-coach Jacques Martin.

I'm actually not going to comment on the grammar mistake by Mr. Jokinen because (1) the quote is surprisingly funny, (2) he was actually a part of the Kings organization for a little bit, and (3) he's foreign. =)

What Kills Me

What kills me is that every time I'm on the Kings' website I have to see the bar on top of the page with Frolov's picture on it........ you know, the banner that doesn't change when you click for a different page.

Why does that kill me you ask? WELL, let me just tell you that the Fro is about 100 times hotter in person while not in sweaty hockey gear.

How can I be stating this for a fact you ask? WELL, I am able to say this with 100% confidence because I witnessed said hotness while at the Frozen Fury in Vegas this year. I had just finished lunch with my brother and friend at the Venetian and as we were making our way out of the casino, I ended up walking right past Fro. Now, what is awesome about the whole situation was that he noticed me first with my Kings jersey on. He flashed this killer smile and that was the end of me. I couldn't move or speak. I was literally stopped dead in my tracks by his hotness. He walked right by me smiling and looking at me, and when he realized that I wasn't gonna stop him for a picture or autograph, he continued on. I literally started laughing because I was unable to take my foot out of my mouth and say, “HEY! Can I get a picture??” But then...I wanted to cry because I just missed my GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to lay my hands on the Fro. Well, at least put my arm around him for a picture. =) And yes, I KNOW he's married.

But seriously, I must have been the widest-eyed Asian he's ever seen.

My Favorite KingsCast So far...

I think going back to KMS2's previous posts will give me the opportunity to write about more stuff. For this post I will review my own favorites of the KingsCast podcasts to date. Affectionately put, “the podcast FOR LA Kings fans BY LA Kings fans.” The thing I most appreciate about this podcast are the quick and witty slap-in-your-face kind of comments these guys throw out there. I especially enjoy the ones that make me pause and think, “wow, he really just said that.” For example:

“Maybe I would appreciate a good loss if we WON some more.”

Plain, simple, and to the point. Little bit of a burn, but...it's true. I couldn't help laughing then; it has since become a sound byte and I laugh every single time. I also love the sound clips they get from people who are a part of the organization. My favorite so far:

“Hi, this is Jim Fox and you're listening to Kings!...whatever it is.”

hahahah, I don't know how long I was laughing for, but I definitely had to hit the rewind button on my iTunes when I regained my composure. It was hilarious how exuberant Fox sounded at the beginning, but then the complete drop off of enthusiasm at the end was the kicker. I love a good laugh and appreciate getting this type of insight from two drunken Kings fans.

KMS2 and I appreciate their insight and we hope they appreciate ours as well. Rock on.