Another 'Hockey Night in Blogdom'

Slap Shot Blog of the NY Times has another edition of 'Hockey Night in Blogdom'. This edition focuses on the 14 teams (2 bloggers are missing) that missed the playoffs. The 4 questions each blogger answered are:

1. Now that it’s all over, what’s the strongest impression, good or bad, you have about your team?
2. Which team should we root for to win the Cup, and why?
3. Which team must be prevented from winning the Cup, at all costs?
4. Shootouts in the playoffs, yea or nay?

Check out my answers (I'm dead last...where the Kings belong) in the "Farewell to the Also-Rans" and don't forget to read the answers from PCV favorite, the always funny Kate of The Willful Caboose.

I Answered 5 Questions

Slap Shot, the NY Times hockey blog, is doing a fun short questionnaire segment with bloggers from all 30 NHL teams.

I am honored to have been asked to participate. You can read my answers (and those from the rest of the Pacific Division bloggers) HERE!

I find it funny that 4 of the 5 Pac Division bloggers are female. I'm no feminist, but GO US! PMS UNITE! (I think all of my male readers just threw up.)

Getting Close to a Coyote Fan

Here's the deal – I've hacked onto Purple Crushed Velvet today to give you all a long-winded and most likely unwanted explanation of what I think you need to watch out for during tonight's game, at least on the Coyotes side.

The Kings are just coming off of a fantasmic win against Buffalo so they are ready and willing to beat the snot out of us Coyotes, we're really going to need to bring it all out tonight and not play half-assed hockey if we want to win. Hopefully Bryzgalov can keep his streak going against the Kings and we can pull off our fourth win in as many meetings.

As for our lineup, it's a never-ending question of 'who will it be tonight?' concerning Freddie Sjostrom and Mathias Tjarnqvist; who will be scratched and who will play? Will either of them make a difference? It's a vicious circle, my friends, one that I'm sure will keep winding around and around until we all puke with dizziness. If you look at numbers only, Freddie is the clear winner and should be in the lineup over Tjarnqvist no questions asked, with 5 goals and 1 assist; Mathias, with only 1 assist to his name this season, should be the bench warmer at this time. Add to that equation the fact that the Carcillo/Zigomanis/Sjostrom line has been having amazing chemistry the last couple of games and I would put my money on Freddie being in the lineup tonight. Luckily for me, I have no money to bet because TGO (Ed. note: I had to say 'TGO' over and over in my head to figure out who she was talking about...silly me, I should have known immediately) always ends up surprising me just when I think I have it all figured out.

Another thing that needs to happen tonight is scoring. The Coyotes aren't second to last in the league when it comes to goals and we need to break that trend or else we have no hope. We can't expect to just ride on Bryzgalov's (admitted) talent in the long run, sooner or later our forwards are going to have to chip in and start doing their jobs.

As for players to watch – assuming Sjostrom isn't scratched, I'd say watch out for him, he has something to prove this game. TGO isn't giving him many opportunities to play and show he's worthy so when he does he needs to step it up and let the world know how bad he wants it. Also, Vrbata, who we can usually count on to get us a goal or two, should be one to keep a corner of your brain focused on. As always, keep a sharp eye on Daniel Carcillo, he likes to run his filthy little mouth so beware of him, he's been controlling himself fairly well lately, he's bound to snap at any moment.

With all that in mind, here's to an exciting game featuring some good old-fashioned rivalry and one of my favorite squees (not of my team) Michael Cammalleri. Cheers to that and let's go Coyotes!

Looks like Tracy finally accepted my friendship request and has at last agreed to let me infiltrate her blog, so head on over to True Coyote Love to find out what you should expect from the Kings tonight.

Five Questions with a Sabres Fan

D.O. over at Die by the Blade was nice enough to contact me about doing a 5 questions segment. With the Kings playing Buffalo on Thursday night, here's your chance to gain some insight about the Sabres from an enemy fan. And don't worry, I didn't ask any questions about Briere or Drury. If you're interested in reading my anwers to D.O.'s questions, click here.

1. I remember the last time the Kings and Buffalo played, which was during the 2005-2006 season when the Kings visited Buffalo. I was anticipating a great fast game since the Kings were just coming off a great December but instead I was clapping and cheering every time Garon or some kid named Hauser made a save. Buffalo put on a clinic and embarrassed the Kings 10-1. Do you remember watching that game and can we expect something similar this time?

I do remember watching that game and as a Sabres fan it was really fun to watch. It seemed like everything went right for Buffalo and we have grown accustomed to seeing similar games over the past couple of years. I don't anticipate this game will turn out the same way however. This years Sabres team is not the same as in the past although a 8-1 victory over Carolina on Saturday and a 7-0 win over Atlanta earlier in the season help us believe they have it in them. The biggest factor will Jason LaBarbara, he is much better than Garon and Hauser and although some recent struggles I don't think the Kings would allow that to happen on home ice.

2. Maxim Afinogenov has been one of my favorite Sabres, mainly because of his name, but also because he can play pretty well. He's not even 30 and he seems to keep getting better every season. It might be because of my location, but I rarely hear about this guy. Does Buffalo pay a lot of attention to him or he is another guy who only gets exposure when he doesn't play well?

He is definitely a guy who only gets exposure when he doesn't play well. He can't seem to find a rhythm this season and he is a player that the Sabres depend on for offensive production. I think his poor play is the reason the Sabres have been so inconsistent this year and they need him to regain his old form. recently there have been plenty of rumors about Afinogenov being traded to get a defenseman but I personally don't see that happening. If Afinogenov can pick up his game and start contributing some points the Sabres will once again be a contender.

3. Looking at Buffalo's cap numbers and salaries looks like Numminen, Kalinin, Campbell, and Thibault are all UFAs at the end of this season. Campbell has been putting up the best numbers but what are your thoughts about whether the front office should sign these guys or let them walk at the end of the season? And if you think they should return, when would you expect their contracts to be extended?

All of these situations are completely different. Campbell is by far the most important of the group and they need to make sure gets signed before the end of the season. The rumors are that he wants in the range of $5 million per season and many people don't think he is worth that kind of money, I say hogwash...pay the guy what he wants because he is the catalyst of this team.

Teppo Numminen is a different situation because nobody knows how he will rebound from his heart surgery. (Ed. note: I completely forgot about Numminen's heart condition.) If he comes back they will wait and see how he responds on the ice before making any decision on him. I wouldn't be surprised if he retires after the season due to his heart condition and not wanting to risk his life to play hockey. Numminen was expected to be a leader on this years team and in the early going he was really missed but some guys have stepped up and lessened the blow from his loss.

Dmitri Kalinin will probably not be re-signed at the end of the season. The play of Nathan Paetsch and youngsters Andrej Sekera and Mike Weber makes Kalinin expendable. Kalinin is guy that is hard to figure out, he can be the best player on the ice at times and at other times he looks lost. I think Lindy Ruff has had enough of the lack of consistency with Kalinin and he will be allowed to test the market.

As far as T-Bo I have no idea but if he isn't the back up someone else will be. The fact remains that Miller is the guy and the back up will not play much.

4. Speaking of T-Bo, what was your reaction when you found out he was signed to back up Miller? Not quite the Biron, but the back up netminder pool was slim during the off-season. He's only played 3 games (2-1-0) this season but has he played well and do you think he should get more playing time to let Miller rest? If his contract isn't extended is there a goalie in the farm system that has a shot with the team or would you rather bring in someone else?

T-Bo has played well making the most of limited opportunities playing behind Miller. Ironically enough I wouldn't be surprised to see him start against the Kings. He was outstanding in a shutout victory over Montreal last week and was the victim of some defensive breakdowns against Florida earlier in the season. I would anticipate that the sabres will try to sign him after the season if he does well because the farm system is void of a competent backup. Adam Dennis would be the next in line and many scouts think he is alright for the AHL but will never be NHL caliber. The Sabres do have a young goalie playing in Sweden in Jhonas Enroth. Enroth is predicted to be a good NHL goalie but he is only 19 years old and needs more time to develop.

5. Afinogenov, Vanek, Tallinder, Campbell, and Miller are on the 2007-2008 All-Star ballot. Of those 5 who do you think definitely should make the team? Are there any other Sabres who were left off the ballot that you think deserves a write-in?

I think Brian Campbell is the most deserving Sabre to make the all star team. It's a far cry from last season when Briere, Campbell and Miller were all starters but Campbell is the only guy who is deserving of playing in that game. I'm not sure he is all star caliber but Derek Roy is probably more deserving of being on the ballot than any of the other four players. As a side note Campbell leads all Sabres in votes thus far proving that people are voting based on players who are deserving instead of based on their name...ie Miller and Vanek.

Across Enemy Lines

The following is an intercepted communique between the Anaheim Ducks' Girl with a Puck and a double agent that turned the information over to us at Purple Crushed Velvet. Found in a folder marked, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, was the following keys to the game:

TO: Boy Scout
FROM: PuckGirl

The defending Stanley Cup Champions got off to a shaky start this season, only periodically showing off their finesse on the ice in flashes. At times, they're sloppy in the neutral zone and careless in their own D-zone (see Corey Perry's ugly turnover to Phoenix's Shane Doan last week; footage enclosed in the attached flash drive). At their worst, the Ducks were spanked to a painful 5-0 finish by the Stars. At best, they took advantage of a five goal offensive attack that left the Coyotes' howling at the desert sunset when they went down 5-2. They also doubled up on the Red Wings in October, winning 6-3.

All that points to one thing: The Ducks still have the firepower to get the job done.

However, the warning label reads: May Have Second Period Brainfart.

POSITIVES: Youngbloods Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are carrying a hefty point total -- a combined 14-17=31 points. If opponents shut them down, expect Chris Kunitz and Andy McDonald to try to pick up the pieces. Early on, McDonald sustained injury to his point total thanks to the loss of his partner Teemu Selanne. Lately, McDonald has been getting back to form and could be a dangerous asset depending on how much space and speed he can generate. On the back end, the Ducks have Chris Pronger and Mathieu Schneider, two defensemen operating under the directive to fire at will. The results have been very favorable, particularly since Schneider's shot finds it's mark with relative consistency. Goaltending seems to be fairly solid, but lately they've been switching out after giving up 3 goals in succession. Might be a problem to keep an eye on.

NEGATIVES: The Ducks are fond of the penalty box. If they start the parade, look for them to fall apart not long after. Their inconsistency indicates that they're not yet ready to be sent out on the field, but there's no more time to waste. They'll need to learn on the fly and adapt to the situations they're thrown into. It's hard to predict how they'll react when down two goals or more. Sometimes they battle back, othertimes, they just lay down and give up. The defense is a mixture of old time veterans with the experience and expertise and guys that are still in training mode. Turnovers are rampant and they seem to have some trouble holding up the blueline. The Power Play is still nothing to be afraid of, though they've finally netted a few. On the flip side, the penalty kill wasn't awful to begin with, but has been somewhat weaker lately.

The top agents to watch include the youngbloods and the big two on the blue. Promising prospects that can be easily missed in the shuffle are all camped out on the checking line where they can sneak a goal or two in. If any trouble should arise, count on Brad May and George Parros to take care of the dirty work.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Mixed. Good on some nights, bad on others. Despite that, it appears that they're up to task for tonight's matchup. The demolition crew will be out in full force, ready to scrap and snarl their way to the front of the net. Crosstown showdowns generally bring out the best in this bunch, so it'll be a spirited affair.

(Editor's Note: Oh, you wanted a Kings preview?? Then head on over to Girl with a Puck. Looks like Finny did some digging of her own!! I knew I couldn't trust her...)