Kings vs Coyotes: Two The Hard Way

Going into last night's game, the Kings were under substantial pressure to nail down a play-off spot. After laying an egg in San Jose Monday night, we still needed two points to qualify for the post-season. Two HUGE points.

No pressure, eh Cappy?

The Phoenix Coyotes needed exactly the same number of points to qualify for a playoff berth of their own. Staples Center had been kind to them this year. So had Jonathan Quick, who brought a career losing record against the Coyotes to the table. So we had our work cut out for us, and the Desert Dogs weren't going to let us get those points without a huge fight.

The Kings were far from their best during 60 minutes of regulation play and the Coyotes were the proverbial dog with a bone.  The one bright spot was The Big Red Dog himself. Kyle Clifford's game tying goal in the second was a study in hard work, grit and doing anything and everything to get the puck.

Don't worry Dewey. I got this.

Thanks to his incredible effort and a lackluster 3rd period, the tight-checking contest went all the way down to the wire in a Wild West style shoot-out.  Once again, the hero of the night was clutch number one goalie Jonathan Quick, who sealed the deal with a stop on Lauri Korpikosk.

Sorry bro...but I gotta poke check you....

They got it done by the skin of their teeth, but the Kings are FINALLY off to their second play-off appearance in two seasons!

The win put the Kings into fourth position in the West Conference standings, but they still need to fight to stay there. The regular season will reach it's wild conclusion with a home and home series Friday and Saturday against our arch rivals, the Anaheim Ducks. We need more points to secure our home ice advantage, so let's make sure we bring the noise at both games, Kings fans!

GO KINGS GO!

You've Got To Be Kidding Me....

The Kings marketing department never ceases to amaze me. These folks have either the biggest cojones on Earth or the worst timing imaginable. 

On the heels of an embarrassing loss to San Jose, our play-off hopes still in jeopardy, I get THIS in my e-mail this morning:

FROZEN FURY TICKETS? Are you kidding me? How about we get this team to the play-offs first. I'm still nursing my hangover from last night...and it's not from the beer.

GO KINGS GO!

Kings vs Stars: Bouncing Back

The Stars last visit to Staples Center was one Kings fan would love to forget. On March 7, the Kings lost a heart-breaker in a shoot-out, and all I wanted for this game was to avoid a repeat performance of that night. Coming home from a Kopitar-less 1-1 split on the road in Edmonton and Vancouver, no one really knows on a game-to-game basis what to expect from this team in the win-loss column.

What we do know to expect is that our boys will try their hardest. This time they got rewarded with a 3-1 victory to the thunderous applause of Kings fans at Staples. The Kings are now only 2 points away from clinching a play-off spot, and they improved their standing to 4th in the Western Conference.

While the Kings are still getting caught by that bad habit of giving away a goal within 2 minutes of scoring one, things are certainly looking rosier at this point than most people expected. Case in point -- here's what The Hockey News wrote about the Kings in their February 21 trade deadline buzz issue:

"Funny how history repeats itself. Last year the Kings faded down the stretch by relying too much on No. 1 goalie Jonathan Quick. With backup Jonathan Bernier posting dismal numbers and fewer starts before the all-star break, the Kings may not even squeak in to this post-season unless another netminder can help."

This is the beauty of the last 2 weeks for the regular season in the wild Western Conference. No one really knows what will happen. You just hang on and enjoy the ride. If there is one thing you CAN expect with this Kings team, it's to expect the unexpected.

Some observations from my view in Section 119: 

•  Scoring from the blue line was one of our assets last season. It's starting to happen again (finally), but the players to watch aren't Doughty and Johnson. They're Greene and Mitchell. Who's "just" a shut-down D-man now?

Scoring face, bebeh....

No helmet required.

• Stars fans have some annoying habits. The worst is shouting "STARS" whenever the word comes up during the National Anthem. Apparently wearing your hair in a pony tail through a hat is also a requirement.

• It was terribly depressing watching a warm up without Kopi or Willy. Kopi always butt bumps the glass is Section 102 and goofs around with Brownie. Justin Williams will normally skate by and block my entire camera lens with his gorgeous head. Neither one of those things happened yesterday.

Seeing this didn't help either.

• Raise your hand if you miss THIS GUY. Didn't think so.

• Of course, there was one BIGGER douchebag on the Stars bench.

And he sucks his finger...

But don't worry, Poni can help you take your helmet off...

The next stop on the Kings road to the play-offs happens Monday in San Jose.  Huge is an understatement for this one. The Kings are still looking for a shot to win the Pacific Division and they're currently second in the race, 5 points behind San Jose. A win would also mean clinching a play-off berth for the second year in a row. Deep breaths, folks. We can do this! Expect the unexpected....

GO KINGS GO!

5 Solutions To Fix A Kopitar-less Kingdom

Like many Kings fans, I've spent the better portion of the day reliving the awful loss of this guy to an ankle fracture yesterday.

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Here's the thing Kings fans.  We have to accept Kopitar may be gone for whatever remains of our season, including the play-offs.  Yet as many of you have pointed out, a team is about more than one player, and we have talent.  We can do this!  It just calls for a little creativity.  Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I spent the day thinking of some slightly out-of-box solutions to our dilemma, and we have options.

Here are 5 solutions to fix our roster and keep us on the winning track.

1) We all know Jonathan Quick can perform Jedi mind tricks stopping the puck, but he's been hiding the fact that he can also do tricks SCORING with the puck.  I've checked the NHL rule book and Jedi mind tricks are legal, so get ready for some Quick goals!

And you thought the ears were just for decoration, right?

2) Drew Doughty moves to forward.  Dustin Byfuglien did it and won a Stanley Cup.  We all know Drew is better than Big Buff.  On a line with Wayne Simmonds, this pairing will fully leverage all those NHL-11 gaming skills they practice at home.  They'll be unstoppable. 

Totally in the zone....

3) With Doughty's departure, Kevin Westgarth moves to defence.  If he'll willingly throw his face in front of a punch, he can throw it in front of a puck.   Having an additional shut-down D-man gives the new pairing of Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell more room to drop bombs from the blue line on the power play.  Mitchell has certainly been lighting up the scoreboard lately, so let's use that to our advantage.

You knew I stopped pucks, but you didn't know I could score, did ya?  And I can do it with one eye closed....

4) Peter Harrold fills Westgarth's old spot on the fourth line, including his enforcer responsibilities.  Petey has proved he can be a go-to utility guy in almost every situation during the past couple of seasons, so this shouldn't be any different.  And if he has trouble with the enforcing part, Kyle "The Big Red Dog" Clifford will be there to bail him out anyway.

Cliffy, ya better get out there.

5) If all else fails, let's pull this guy out of retirement.  I hear he's pretty good.

GO KINGS GO!

Kings vs Avs: A Big Win But Even Bigger Loss

Hockey, like life, has a way of putting things in perspective.  You obsess over little things that don't matter that much, only to get smacked upside the head with something awful that leaves you reeling, wondering if anything will ever be the same.

Coming into this afternoon's Kings-Avalanche match-up, I was worried about the Kings getting caught in a trap game.  I was worried about a 2 point win.  So when we started the first period with a couple of goals, I settled in for an easy ride to the finish, confident the Kings had steered away from potential disaster. 

I wasn't prepared for the sound of 18,000 plus fans becoming suddenly silent in the middle of the second period. 

I didn't see the play happen.  It was at the far end of the arena from where I was sitting, on the same side as my section but hidden by glass and people blocking my view.  I glanced up at the Jumbotron to look for a replay and saw nothing.  No music played.  None of the players moved.

Then I got a text from a friend watching at home that simply said "Oh no. Please be OK."  I still couldn't see, so I asked who, and as I waited for a response, hushed words rippled through the crowd. "Oh my God, Kopitar is down."

Anze Kopitar was playing in his franchise record 330th consecutive game when he caught his skate in a rut during play along the boards.  He fell backward awkwardly, the skate stayed put and the portion of his leg above the ankle went the opposite direction.  In a matter of seconds, his season was ended by a broken ankle.   In those same seconds, the Kings lost the best player on their team.  They lost little bit of heart in that moment too.  The 4-1 regulation win we so badly needed was little consolation.

What this awful and unexpected development means for the Kings play-off chances is any one's guess at this point.  Lines will get shuffled.  Perhaps a call-up from Manchester's already depleted roster.   Maybe this just means healthy scratches like Brad Richardson and Kevin Westgarth will have to find an extra gear they haven't shown so far this season.  Everyone on the roster will be digging deep this time.   There are no easy answers, no quick fixes.  What we lost today is irreplaceable.

During my walk home from the game, it all seemed liked a bad dream.  Then I started to think maybe the Kings suffer from a Gretzky curse similar to the "Curse of the Bambino" but in reverse.   Do the Hockey Gods hate the Kings?

In an attempt to make myself feel better, I looked online for a parable or motivational story of some kind that would sum up the challenge in front of the Kings as they work to recover from this unexpected loss.  Amazing the things you can find on the Internet.  This one seems to sum up the situation perfectly.

Donkey in the Well 

 

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, that the well needed to be covered anyway and that it just wasn't worth retrieving the donkey. So he invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quietened down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!   

 

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.

On to happier things....

• Ryan Smyth finally got his scoring touch back and also got the #1 Star of the Night against his former team.   That had to feel pretty good.

• Today was unofficially dubbed "Burger King Jersey Day" by those that chose to celebrate.  I was not one of them, but whatever floats your boat, folks.  Most of you have been Kings fans longer than me, so feel free to make up your own Kings-related celebrations.  Had I been a Kings fan back in those days, I probably would have bought one of those jerseys anyway, because I'm that much of a homer.

•  Did anyone notice our military hero of the night had a nameplate on his uniform that said "Cupcake" where the last name normally goes?

•  Just when I thought Bailey had brought every genius prop available to taunt visiting goalies, he upped the ante -- a SIEVE.  That is just pure mascot genius.

The Kings have a day off tomorrow to shake off the proverbial dirt and start climbing out of their own well.  Their next stop is Edmonton on Tuesday.  It's going to be a tough road ahead, but if a donkey is smart enough to escape, maybe we can beat the odds too.

GO KINGS GO!

Kings vs Sharks: Captain Brown Navigates Rough Waters

When you've watched a team for a whole season, you get pretty good at knowing what to expect in certain game situations.  So as you can imagine, I was just a little nervous about the Kings match-up with the Sharks. 

I feel ya big guy. I'm a little scared too.

The Pacific Division title was at stake.  The Kings play-off hopes were (and still are) at stake.  It was a situation tailor made for a playing-under-pressure meltdown, and  I was virtually positive the Kings would buckle under the weight of it all.   They almost did, especially during that insane Patrick Marleau goal with 3.2 SECONDS left in the third that sent the game into over time.

But the Kings are one team in the league that should be glad the shoot-out exists.  Stoll is money in the shoot-out this season.  Quick makes it look easy -- most of the time.  Just not THIS time.  It took five rounds, and in the end it was current Kings Captain Dustin Brown versus former Sharks Capatin Patrick Marleau to decide it all.   OUR captain came up huge and the Kings nabbed 2 critical points with the win to hold on to 5th place in the Western Conference.  

I just hope the Kings don't end up in a tie break situation wherever they land in the standings.  These shoot-out wins could become their Achilles Heel in term of play-off position based on the new point calculation rules.  Not to mention the fact that shoot-out skills don't matter beans in the play-offs.

Notes and observations:

• I can't say enough about Dustin Brown.  He played an incredible game, scored 2 goals in regulation, got the shoot-out winner and earned a well deserved #1 Star of the Night.   So many Kings fans, including my seat buddy, think there are better choices for Captain of this team.  They all have the same reasons.  He's not the best player. He's not vocal enough.  He's not a leader.  I've always said the same things in response. Unless you're in the locker room, you don't know if he's a leader.  You don't know if he's vocal.   And a real leader doesn't have to be your best player every night.   He just needs to be your best player when it matters. Captain Brown was clutch for us last night.  He was hands down the best player on the ice, exactly when it mattered.  That's why he wears the "C."

• Oscar Moller more than held his own as a replacement for Justin Williams.  He did some nice work driving to the net in the first period, got an assist and got up when he inevitably got knocked down.   The kid was scrappy and fast, just the way we like him.

• Oscar was also the subject of my first "Stalk a Player" photo session.  I've been getting bored shooting warm-ups, so I asked the Kings Court followers which player they wanted to see and I focused all my attention in one place.  I had fun doing it, so "Stalk a Player" will stay as a regular feature here at Kings Court.  Thanks to Oscar for being such an entertaining subject. This is my favorite shot of the bunch.

•  If you're a regular Kings Court reader, you know my section is frequently invaded by obnoxious opposing team fans.  We've had some real winners in 119 this season, but this one took the cake.  She's was a screamer, and I'm still suffering a bit of tinnitus from being near her.  I'm pretty sure they heard her screaming in San Jose.  Or maybe she was just trying to be loud enough to connect with the other screamer sitting with the KingsCast boys.

 

• On a more positive note, Kings Care and the ASPCA teamed up to raise money for the animals by auctioning dog bowls decorated by some of your favorite Kings (or their ladies).  It was no surprise that Kyle Clifford's Big Red Dog bowl earned the highest bids. 

• Speaking of dogs, I have to give a shout out to loyal Kings fan and animal lover Gabby Vyskocil. She's had a rough time dealing with the loss of a member of her furry family and has sat out a couple of games.   If you see her back at Staples, give her a hug.  Sometimes we can all use one.

The Kings next challenge is a classic "trap" game against the Colorado Avalanche, who are already out of play-off contention.  It should be a simple 2 points -- but it is a Saturday afternoon 1 PM start.  Stranger things have happened.  So be there and be loud.   You know how we do it....


GO KINGS GO!

Kings vs Flames: The Hockey Gods Giveth AND They Taketh Away

I'm not a particularly religious person, but I believe in God.  God loves hockey.  He also loves torturing Kings fans.   It's the only possible explanation for the conclusion of last night's Kings - Flames contest.

The Kings came into the game looking to break a 4 game home losing streak.  We were holding on to 6th place in the West, but hampered by anemic scoring and a still-powerless power play.  In our favor was the fact that the last meeting between the teams featured a huge Kings win at the Saddledome in Calgary for the first time since before the lock-out.

The Flames were only 2 points behind the Kings in the Western Conference as of last night.   They have struggled mightily this season and most people (including myself) had written them out of the play-off picture in February. Yet somehow they managed to claw their way back into contention.   They had also lost the night before in Anaheim.  For most of the season, teams who have lost in Anaheim before playing the Kings normally come into Staples Center angry and looking for payback.

 So we had two teams in desperate need of points and willing to do just about anything to get them.

Did we REALLY need to be reminded how close the Conference race is?

The formula the Kings needed for success was simple -- score goals. Score lot of goals.  Yeah....that didn't happen.

Thanks for the stick tap buddy, but maybe you could give me some goal support instead?

So what did happen?

• It was a tough, physical, play-off style, old school crash and bang game.
• Drew Doughty played his most physical hockey of the season in the first period.  Jack Johnson....had some trouble with the puck.
• The second period started with a penalty kill featuring Matt Greene breaking his stick and getting stuck without a change for almost half the PK (Hockey God takes).  Thankfully our friend Mr. Crossbar stopped a couple of shots during the same period (Hockey God gives).

At least when when you're not holding a stick your hands are free to shove some dudes.

• The last 2 minutes of the second was some of then most frustrating hockey I've ever experienced. Two back to back power plays and not one goal between them.
• With just under 10 minutes left, disaster struck when Justin Williams got checked into the boards and skated off the ice with difficult, holding his arm.  After a visit with the doctor today, the verdict is a dislocated shoulder and 3-4 weeks rehab.  That means missing the rest of the season, and possibly the play-offs.

I told Bobby Scribe you were due for an injury.  Is Hockey God punishing me?

•  Things looked up when the Kings finally scored in the 3rd.  Of course, then they did their usual mental meltdown and gave up a goal about a minute later.
• When the regulation part of the game ended tied 1-1,  I posted this status to Facebook and Twitter.
  

  "Once again we give away a point to a conference opponent and we're off to OT. Hockey Gods, please help us."

• Hockey God responded with a team lobotomy and a penalty for too many men on the ice for the last 2 minutes of overtime!  NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND!
• But Hockey God was ultimately kind, got us through overtime and to a shoot out.  Jonathan Quick was the Goalie Jesus and saved our butts once again, with some goal scoring help from two Saints named Stoll and Kopitar.

WOOHOO!  Time for some locker room jams, homies!

Now for the fun stuff....

• HUGE props to Kings Captain Dustin Brown for donating $9425 to Red Cross Japan Earthquake relief. That's one dollar for every new Twitter follower he gained since he started the campaign.

PLEASE give my Captain the NHL Foundation Award!

• It was weird to see former Kings Freddie Modin and Raitas Ivanans on the healthy scratch and injured reserve lists respectively.  Poor Raitas.  He's played ONE game THE WHOLE SEASON.

• I love playing Canadian teams. You're always guaranteed to see people dressed like this on a day Los Angelenos are wearing coats and scarves.

Aren't your toes just a LITTLE cold?

 

• Judging by the lack of Canadian national anthem singers I could hear in the crowd, the Flames didn't bring many fans.   At least not patriotic ones like the Canucks.

• Red is a great Afro color, but our Afros are better than your Afros, Flames fans.

• How ironic is it that there was an Oscar Moller stick on the Kings Care auction last night, and now he's being recalled due to the Justin Williams injury?

• Someone let Rental Man back in the building!  If you hate this guy as much as I do, join the Facebook "I Hate Rental Man" support group by clicking here.

So now the Kings face their toughest test of the week as they take on the visiting San Jose Sharks on Thursday.  San Jose is currently riding a 3 game win streak and leading the Pacific Division, so we have our work cut out for us.  But with or without Justin Williams, we can do this! So say it with me....


GO KINGS GO!