tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2024266700585907032024-02-21T23:09:09.195-08:00Kings CourtBringing together fans of LA Kings Hockey -- Go KINGS Go!The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-64648186266726178112013-01-18T15:43:00.000-08:002013-01-18T15:43:15.874-08:00Kings Court Ends Its ReignWhen I started Kings Court, the idea was never to become a “professional” hockey blogger. Too many people already fill that space more expertly than I ever could. My only goal was to bring the Kings fan experience to readers and give Kings fans a place to connect with each other. Over the past two seasons, I’m proud that I accomplished what I set out to do. In the process, I am grateful to have The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-327305504543732762012-06-13T20:00:00.000-07:002012-06-15T00:55:22.047-07:00Stanley Cup Final - Game 6: Sweet EmotionDescribing the feeling of watching the team you love win the Stanley Cup is a difficult thing. Part of the problem is thinking you know what it will feel like, then being thrust into the moment and realizing nothing could have prepared you for the reality. It's a sudden rush of blood to the head, a brain freeze and a study of shock and awe all rolled into one.
You don't just feel one feeling, The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-53649960469225010622012-06-11T08:40:00.000-07:002012-06-11T08:40:10.449-07:00Stanley Cup Finals - Game 5: Cuts Both WaysBeing a walking bundle of contradictions goes hand in hand with being a Kings fan.
You believe in your team but acknowledge that history is NOT your friend where success is involved.
You want them to win but almost expect them to lose.
You worship your goal tender -- except when tries to stick handle.
You want goals but get goal posts instead.
And if you're like me, you want this The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-3325390705248542002012-06-09T12:41:00.000-07:002012-06-09T12:41:08.641-07:00Stanley Cup Finals Game 4: Be-DeviledI've spent the past two days thinking and thinking, replaying every critical moment in my mind and trying to figure out the X-factor behind the Kings Game 4 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Was it because I got a defective glow stick?
Was it because I was not in my normal warm up photo spot?
Was it because I didn't see my friend George before the game? He swears that every time we say hello beforeThe Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-41319525338458940752012-06-09T00:29:00.000-07:002012-06-09T00:29:54.973-07:00Capturing History In The Faces Of Los Angeles Kings FansChaz Curry is a lot of things. Professional photographer. Surf enthusiast. Hockey player. Die hard Kings fan.
Perhaps most importantly, Chaz Curry understands the power of a moment. The Kings and their fans are part of a unique moment in history right now that we've all waited for, dreamed about and prayed would happen. Chaz Curry wants to honor that moment by commemorating it forever -- The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-31516686827718214422012-06-05T05:42:00.000-07:002012-06-05T05:42:44.356-07:00Stanley Cup Finals: Game 3 - Mad GeniusI was in a great mood yesterday morning, which was an amazing feat considering I was up at 5 AM trying to get to work early. Such is life in playoff mode. I had a lot to get done at work but I was making progress. Then, it happened.
A tweet from a friend asking whether Simon Gagne would be skating tonight? HUH?
After quickly consulting the mighty Rich Hammond and discovering Gagne would indeed The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-51685815565979919142012-06-04T07:54:00.000-07:002012-06-04T07:54:14.827-07:00Stanley Cup Finals: Game 2 - Two Guys, A Girl And A Nail Biter
Finally free of hotel rooms in the Dirty South and safely back in Los Angeles, I was excited about the opportunity to enjoy Game 2 surrounded by my fellow Kings fans. I just had no idea there were so many of you!
That was the line to get IN to ESPN Zone...
Of course, half these people clearly aren't REAL fans because they don't even have jerseys, or even anything KingsThe Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-89862234915742874902012-06-02T14:26:00.000-07:002012-06-02T14:26:15.035-07:00The Stanley Cup Finals: When Life And Hockey CollideAt the beginning of the post season, I picked the Kings to lose in the first round and resigned myself to being happy with any playoff appearance given the rocky nature of the regular season. As the Kings kept winning, heading deeper and deeper into the playoffs, I realized I was totally unprepared for what a playoff run means in terms of impact on your every day life. And frankly, I was The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-36867277342935057972012-05-21T09:36:00.000-07:002012-05-21T09:36:34.403-07:00WCF Game 4: What Went Wrong?When the Kings came crashing back down to playoff Earth yesterday, I spent the walk home mulling over what had happened. Game 4 of the Western Conference final was probably the worst played game of the last eight, which proves just how high the bar has been raised for this team. They were far from terrible yesterday. They didn't seem to have quite as much jump in their step, passes just didn't The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-31626228078409403462012-05-19T22:21:00.000-07:002012-05-19T22:21:20.923-07:00WCF Game 3: Everything Wrong Is Right AgainThings have been going well for the Kings lately, but as a Kings fan I have that deeply ingrained suspicion that terror is always lurking just around the corner. I am also superstitious, so when things go wrong with my well oiled game plan -- even little things -- I can panic pretty easily.
Game 3 had me worried because so many little things went wrong before the game.
I discovered I was out The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-77523972684578623412012-05-15T21:37:00.001-07:002012-05-15T21:39:44.429-07:00WCF Game 2 - Shutouts, Hat Tricks And Records, Oh My!Wow. Just WOW.
Right now, at this magical moment in time, there is NOTHING this Kings team can't do.
Jeff Carter scores a natural hat trick.
Jonathan Quick earns his second shut out in this series.
Dustin Brown survives all manner of ridiculous, suspension worthy attacks by half the Coyotes team.
The Kings set a new record for consecutive playoff road wins and take a 2-0 lead back to home for The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-1762088737796230402012-05-14T20:52:00.002-07:002012-05-14T20:52:18.108-07:00WCF Game 1 - "Beat LA"? We Don't Think So!Of all the teams the Kings have faced so far in the playoffs, Phoenix made me the most nervous. For all the comparisons drawn about the similarities between the Kings and their second round opponent the St. Louis Blues, in truth the Coyotes and Kings are more alike, at least this playoff season. Let's review:
Game-stealing goalie? Check
Good balance of young offensively talented and veteran shutThe Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-34272149696954128722012-05-07T22:00:00.000-07:002012-05-08T17:48:56.583-07:00Kings - Blues Game 4: Winning Is AMAZING!Experiencing something for the very first time is a unique combination of exhilarating and nerve wracking. You don't know completely what to expect or what you'll be feeling when it happens. Even if you have an idea from talking to people who have been there before, you can never be completely prepared for how it feels for YOU.
In my tenure as a Kings fan, winning like this is a "first time" The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-48235630670275886442012-05-06T08:23:00.000-07:002012-05-06T08:23:25.669-07:00Kings-Blues Game 3: I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!All season long Kings fans have been waiting for the Kings best players to be our best players. In Game 3, it happened in spades and is a perfect example of how everything is coming together at the right time for this team in the playoffs.
Drew Doughty - One goal, two assists, awesome defensive play and a #1 Star of the Night.
Anze Kopitar - One goal (his second of the playoffs) and two assistsThe Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-65755977682184619332012-04-28T06:58:00.001-07:002012-04-28T06:58:59.912-07:00The Quarter Final Round: Predictions and Keys To The SeriesThe Kings continue their quest for The Stanley Cup tonight in St. Louis and after a first round filled with doubts, I'm 1000% on the Kings bandwagon moving forward. This is a winnable series for the Kings, although it won't be an easy road by any means. We got lucky to dispose of the Vancouver Canucks in 5 games, largely because they made some key mistakes in their game plan. The Blues won't makeThe Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-75940853028694672182012-04-24T22:18:00.000-07:002012-04-24T22:18:13.587-07:00Playoff Lessons LearnedWhen you venture into uncharted territory, you're bound to make mistakes. In my time as a Kings fan, we've never been here, so I had my doubts whether it would ever happen. Nothing in the regular season gave me a conclusive reason to believe it would. So I made a choice to try and be smart, hedge my bets and be "realistic" about our chances in the first round, thinking that being "right" about The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-72936547140878541402012-04-18T09:50:00.000-07:002012-04-18T09:50:44.984-07:00Game 4 By The NumbersEye black for the perfect game face: $5
Official playoff t-shirt from Team LA store: $25.99
Lower bowl playoff ticket: $90.50
"Lucky dinner" combo of Wetzel's Butter & Salt pretzel and a frozen margarita: $15.25
Projected dive count from Ryan Kessler based on Games 1-3: 2.5
Projected number of celebrity sightings: 5
Number of times the guy sitting behind me will probably The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-45875708269912947602012-04-17T08:12:00.000-07:002012-04-17T08:12:54.541-07:00Things That AREN'T Fun About The PlayoffsThe playoffs are generally a fantastic time as a hockey fan. After a long season suffering through the inevitable ups and downs of your team's season, you finally have reason to celebrate! But like many things in life, you have to take the good with the bad, and there are some really annoying things you have to put with during the playoffs.
I was reminded of my favorite playoff pet peeves on The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-59141762710346252352012-04-16T01:44:00.000-07:002012-04-16T01:44:17.822-07:00Kings Round One Playoffs: I Didn't See This Coming!When I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I'm secure enough to admit it. And boy have I been wrong about the Kings so far in this playoff series.
Most Kings fans, myself included, would have been happy steal ONE win in Vancouver. Grabbing two was the stuff of dreams. After dropping two games at home, no one expected the Vancouver Canucks to come in to Staples Center and just roll over. Their goal would be The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-46820238577353195222012-04-15T16:31:00.000-07:002012-04-15T16:31:53.547-07:00The Evolution Of Drew DoughtyIf you weren't hanging around the Internet yesterday, you might have missed Drew Doughty's smiling face. Then again, chances are he caught up with you somehow, because Drew Doughty was literally EVERYWHERE I looked online yesterday -- more precisely a Drew Doughty meme spawned by this photo from Getty Images.
Yeah, it's entertaining to photoshop Drew's smiling mug in hilarious -- and not so The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-78299370043281038072012-04-11T15:11:00.000-07:002012-04-11T15:14:48.834-07:00Kings vs Canucks: Second Chances?It's been a long and bumpy road for the Kings this season, yet they managed to squeak into the playoffs for the third season in a row and tonight they begin their postseason journey against the Vancouver Canucks. I've spent a lot of time the past few days informally discussing what I think will happen in the post season, but I decided it was time to pull the trigger and commit to a prediction. The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-86254535054626398552012-04-09T09:41:00.000-07:002012-04-09T09:41:57.797-07:00Jonathan Quick Cleans Up -- And Gives BackJonathan Quick's stellar play in goal for the Kings made him a pretty popular guy this season. When team awards were announced during Fan Appreciation Day (the Kings final home game on April 5th), he was not only lauded by his teammates, the media but the Kings fans as well.
Quick's teammates voted him Most Inspirational Player ("Ace Bailey Memorial Award"). The media named him Most Valuable The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-53964355572602401232012-04-07T12:33:00.002-07:002012-04-07T12:33:49.573-07:00KBPP Preview: Kings vs Sharks - Part 2Rivalries are part of the fun of sports, whether amateur or professional. When you participate in sports, you accept there will be good-natured trash talk as well as physical battle with your opponent. You learn to win humbly and accept defeat gracefully. That's what good sportsmanship is about, and MOST teams -- like the Kings -- honor that idea.
But not all of them.
What Ryane Clowe and The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-47998189774286389212012-04-05T16:33:00.000-07:002012-04-05T16:33:19.828-07:00KBPP Preview: Kings vs SharksWhen the Kings and Sharks last met at Staples Center in March, both teams were outside the playoff picture looking in. Amazing what a difference a couple of weeks can make in a crowded Western Conference. Tonight, the Kings look to not only clinch a playoff spot but secure their place at the top of the Pacific Division -- and gain playoff home ice in the process.
"Wonder Kings powers -- The Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202426670058590703.post-19280816691800770442012-04-04T21:50:00.000-07:002012-04-04T21:50:02.600-07:00Black Ice: Thumbs Up Or Down?If you're like most hockey fans, you're always on the lookout for cool new gear to represent your team in style. I don't stop by the Team LA store at every Kings home game, but I pop in from time to time just to see what new merchandise they've added to the current collection.
I had seen the NHL "Black Ice" jerseys in a catalog mailer before and frankly wasn't all that impressed. But my stop byThe Queen of the Courthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699045700927231946noreply@blogger.com0