Kings are ROLLING... and they were playing The Trooper today during a break. Back to the conference finals for the first time since 93... It will only get harder from here though. First two series there was no expectations, now people will expect them to make the finals. Phoenix or Nashville? mmmmm
although i'm rooting for the caps in the east a rangers/ devils finals would be awesome. kings are playing great. really missed the boat on them this year. goaltending phenomenal
The Black Parade rolls into The Western Conference Finals. I am ****ING stoked. Dustin Brown has shut everyone up. Including fellow Kings fans who thought he wouldn't and shouldn't be team captain. And nothing else can be said about Quick that hasn't already been said. For the first time in a long time, I am a confident Kings fan. This is the team we expected to have all season. The best part? L.A. has winning records against both Phoenix AND Nashville this year. Personally, I want Phoenix since it would mean L.A. went through #1, #2, and #3 seeds to make the Stanley Cup Finals.
I feel the same about Caps vs Devils.....but dont dislike NYR; just more of a Devils fan and now Caps....but that said, last nights loss was gutting for Caps...6secs....6secs...ugggghhhhh! Will be shocked if they force a game 7 now.....has to feel totally deflating.
Good game last night. If it weren't for about 20 missed rebounds and Mike Smith playing top notch, it would have been a blowout. Kings dominated in all facets of the game. That was the worst I have seen Quick look in over a year. I am chalking it up to rust and even then, he came to play in the third period. This is going to be a physical series going forward, I can just feel it. At some point (and probably soon), someone is going to have to drop gloves with Shane Doan. The way Phoenix plays defense allows for L.A. to get their shot off anytime they want. Hence the 47 shots last night. That didn't surprise me at all. What did surprise me were the lack of rebound shots put back. Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar and Willie Mitchell all had open shots at the net and let the puck come off the stick. Again, that happens with a week off, but it is so frustrating when you have a team like Phoenix that rope-a-dopes teams to keep it close and somehow eeks out victories at the end. Tuesday can't get here fast enough.
Kings are so bad ***. They must be on coke. Their energy level and ability to get to the loose puck before the other team is amazing. I guess we'll find out what happens to Doan and Hamzil today? Mike Smith should be suspended too for his cheap shot on Brown. LOL at Brown getting called for embellishment. And then Smith dives in the third and draws a penalty against King.
Smith and Doan weren't suspended. Hanzal got a game. I thought, perhaps, that Smith might get one, or at least a fine for his cheap whack at Brown, but alas, Shanahan strikes again. Hanzel should have gotten more than one game. That hit was with intent to maim. No way anyone can defend it. Doan's shot, while vicious (and cheap and avoidable) was somewhat within the context of the game, so I can understand him not getting suspended. I will say this though, had Hanzal not shown the hockey world what piece of garbage he was in the third period, Doan most likely sits a game. He saved his captain. I don't think it matters anyway. The Kings forecheck is so good and their defense so stifling that it really doesn't matter what Phoenix throws at them. L.A. is simply dominating the West. They have an outside shot of winning the Cup in less than 20 games right now. That is crazy.
Can't believe brodeur's career. Though he doesn't play at the same high level he did in his youth the guy is still good. One of the all time greats
Another Kings win tonight. Not their best effort. In fact, this was probably their worst hockey game of these playoffs (including their lone loss) but managed to work through it and find a way to win. They pretty much slept until the Coyotes actually scored. That seemed to wake them up and by the third period, they were back to fore checking like mad men, putting the puck on goal and playing insane defense. Speaking of which, how funny/great/awesome was it to see Drew Doughty with the open field (err, ice) tackle on Shane Doan? It was textbook. The Dolphins could use him with form like that. And then to get up and knock their captain on his *** again was just icing on the cake. I honestly thought that Phoenix would put up much more of a fight in this series. They looked better today, but that, combined with how bad the Kings started out, wasn't enough and I would now be surprised at anything other than a sweep by L.A. Also, for those that don't know Anze Kopitar, get used to hearing the name. I have maintained for a couple of years now that he is as good as any player in the league. And he is using these playoffs to prove me right. Go Kings Go!
Go Kings Go!! That was the best game of the series from a competitiveness stand point. I still think the Kings outplayed the Coyotes. But that was fun to watch. And F Roszival... that is what he gets when he tries to draw a penalty by flopping (he crumpled to his knees earlier in the game after a King tapped him on the back of the legs). Coyotes were a dirty team. Anyone else catch Mike Smith try to take a whack at Richards after the OT goal? I don't think Brown's hit was dirty. Was it late (after the whistle blew)? eh, it's close. Doesn't matter now. Thought the officiating in this game was also the worst of the series. Which is a shame. Doughty had every right to be upset... twice... http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-p...010630.html;_ylt=AsZSPa3trTjHapWdmLCGZAg5nYcB
Can't wipe the smile off my face. Mike Smith and Shane Doan are classless crybabies. I am empowered by their tears. Kings are in the Stanley Cup Finals, and are doing it as a team, in every sense of the word. Great all around effort so far. Oh and Phoenix fans are classless too. Throwing trash onto the ice after their team lost. Get out of here with that nonsense. This excludes the smoking hot redhead that sat behind the home bench all series long... And now we wait on the ECF.
Boy I tell ya, the Kings fans around here are like Laker fans, they finally show up when they are deep in the playoffs, all throughout the year you don't see any. So, all you Kings fans can say whatever, I live here and I see it, they did the same in '93 when they went to the Finals....most are bandwagoners, well more than most....
Uhm...not true. Well, at least not to the extent that you are making it out to be. Kings games are typically packed for every game and have been that way for quite some time. Are there bandwagoners? With a sport like Hockey, you NEED those in order to help grow the sport in non traditional cities like L.A. Any team with any type of success gets bandwagon fans. Look no further than the Miami Heat who have seen their popularity and fandom SOAR since signing LeBron and company. It's the same with any team in any market. But to lump Laker fans in with this is folly. They are the marquee franchise of the NBA and have been for...well just about ever. Them and Boston. Their fan bases reach long and far and have been very visible, vocal and loyal throughout. I am a huge Dodgers fan, and seemingly every year they lead the league or are close to the top in attendance, despite their poor reputation. However last year, they dropped off considerably. Why? Because fans were displeased with ownership and upper management and made themselves present by being absent. It led to the team being gobbled up by MLB and forced to sell to a new group that has brought a breth of fresh air into the franchise and fan base. Now fans are showing back up again. Are they bandwagoners? Maybe a few, but most are long time Dodgers fans who just suffered through horrid ownership and futility that has lasted over two decades. The fact that the team is now thriving again is reason to celebrate for fans, new and old alike. It is exactly the same for the Kings. Trust me, if Miami somehow makes it to the Superbowl, we will all be accused of being bandwagoners ourselves and we will all defend how loyal we've been throughout, even if we weren't as proud to don the colors like we do when we win. By the way, the Kings lead the NHL in hockey merchandise sold year in and year out...so much for the bandwagon theory.
Meh not really, sure they sell out merchandise, they have pretty cool colors, but as i have stated, I live here and don't see the fans til something is going off as playoffs, same as '93. Don't get in a tizzy, just saying what I see. I actually see more Clippers flags and Dodgers flags and merchandise being sported then Lakers and Kings. I have friends who are Laker fans and a few obnoxious Kings fans..lol and actually they tell me the exact same thing, sure you will see a few here and there, but not like it is after they are deep in the playoffs. Sure games are packed, hell there fun to go too as are baseball games here.....But what I'm saying is it's like when they make the playoffs more pop out like locusts.. I see more Anaheim Ducks gear being sported before and after they won the Cup in 07, those are some loyal fans for sure. ok now I said that don't say no Kings and laker fans arent loyal, i didnt say that, just that they pop out more when they are in the playoffs and now more since the Kings are in the finals..... Just around here, I see more fake fans as they go farther and when the Lakers got eliminated, the fans who were talking crap, seemed to have disappeared...lol typical......We'll see what happens in the NHL finals..
say what you will but the devils are a class organization. 3 cups in the brodeur era and 1 gm away from a 4th. always brought the physical style too.
I was at the game Friday night, when Henrique slammed that puck home I must have jumped ten feet in the air and hugged a dozen strangers who happily hugged me back. The place was a madhouse, we have been living in the Rangers shadow too long and were tired of hearing about 1994. Now we don't have to anymore, we have the upper hand now, ****ing A we do.
I always thought that the kings were more popular then most outside of So Cal would think. West Coast trips though..ugh..
Go Kings Go... if you're not sure who to root for, note that Rex Ryan was at the game last night wearing a Devils' jersey. I take it he was putting the jersey on just before the game... or maybe he was taking it off after they lost? Either way... not pretty.
After the lottery nonsense I flipped over to the game and have to say that was some great hockey even though I'm not a fan of either team.
Actually, it was very sloppy hockey by both teams. Not a lot of shots on goal, lots of turnovers, icing and nervous play. BUT the third period started to see both teams knock the jitters off and L.A. was able to eek it out in OT. As soon as Anze shook lose on the breakaway and put the puck on his tape, I knew it was going in. That move of his should be trademarkeable. Waiting to the very last second to pull the trigger on the shot in order to see if Brodeur raises his leg pad or not and adjusting accordingly, is just...beautiful. He had almost the exact same goal against Elliot in the second round and tends to use this technique in shootouts. Anyhow, the ice will be awful again for game two so expect less than crisp passing. However both teams should look significantly better overall. I expect a couple more goals to be scored in game 2 in what is almost a must win for New Jersey at this point.
back to back OT losses...ouch......having FAT Ryan claim that he is a Devils fan...worse. (bet any $ to donuts, wouldnt have mattered if it was Rangers, Islanders, or Devils he would have had a cameo, etc......yuck!
There were a ton more in Game 2. Always more exciting than the chase, I agree. Simon Gagne is replacing Brad Richardson on the fourth line for tonight's game. Gagne has been out for the Kings for almost the entire year with concussion issues. I think this is two fold in that this ensures that Gagne gets his name on the cup (You have to play in the finals to get your name on it) and the fact that L.A.'s power play has been garbage and he is an offensive weapon. I believe he has close to 20 goals against Brodeur in his career so he knows how to get past the old guy. Not sure I like changing up the any of th elines that have led you to a 14-2 record so far, but the fourth line plays about 11 minutes in the game so I suppose it can't hurt us too much...I hope.
Epic!! Go Kings Go!! A sweep would be the icing on the cup. First two games were close. Nail biters. Could have gone either way. But this is the Kings year now. Can't believe it is going to happen. And we are going to be good for a long long time. IMO besides #32, #11, #8, the next best player for me has been Justin Williams. And that keep in by Mitchell on the power play goal was quality stuff.
Dean Lombardi worked his magic. I almost don't want to talk about the offseason moves yet since it is almost time to raise the first cup in franchise history (I have waited a long time for this), but Paul is right, L.A. has the potential to be good for a long time. Obviously they have to sign Quick, first and foremost. The big decision will be Penner. He has redeemed himself this playoffs, but with Gagne coming back, it may be best to pair him with fellow former Flyers in Richards and Carter and use the money to help structure Quick's deal, or possibly go after someone like Parise who will be a free agent. Either way, I don't care to look too much into it in this moment. I am just looking forward to celebrating the cup coming to L.A...and finally shaving my face.