Well, here's MY headline:
FAN WANTS MORE FROM KINGS COACH...
More than ELEVEN SECONDS....
Eleven seconds is what I got last night, from Patrick O'Sullivan on the Kings powerplay. And, to make matters worse, I had to endure those eleven seconds with him sharing the ice with Wayne Simmonds... COME ON ASSHOLE, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you SERIOUSLY trying to win a hockey game that was clearly within your grasp? Granted, J.S. Giguere was lights out and terrific the entire game, but you had Kyle Calder bumbling his way through over three minutes of power play time that could have been better spent with O'Sullivan's occasional flair for the offensive (and I mean that in a GOOD way.) While Calder had the puck a good 3 inches from the goal line and still couldn't figure out how to tap it into the net, O'Sullivan sat nailed to the bench while his even strength linemate Brian Boyle got just a shade under two minutes of time with the man advantage, and newly installed right wing (DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THIS NONSENSE) Peter Harrold spent almost four minutes at the point on whatever "second unit," Murray threw out there. Hell, Michal Handzus, who I swear will spend 25 consecutive pointless games (literally and figuratively) got over four and a half minutes on the PP.
I'm beating the O'Sullivan drum, and I don't believe he's playing the role of malcontent. I think Murray is just making BAD decisions.
And, in the dead horse department: Parros and May were both injured... did we really need to see Raitis Ivanans in a uniform? Doesn't he have a suit he needs to model for the press box? You want a guy who will "bang bodies" for 7 or 8 meaningless shifts that MIGHT know what to do with the puck if it accidentally lands on his stick? I'm voting for Derek Armstrong, who, as useless as he's been in so many more important situations over the last umpteen years (so it seems) --- the guy has channeled Don Kozak this year, and has been willing to skate from east to west, north to south and hit anyone. That would have done just fine last night. Instead we saw Ivanans out there with FIVE minutes left in a scoreless game... and then again with TWO minutes left in a scoreless game. Poll the other 29 coaches in the NHL... How many of them would put this deep freezer on skates on the ice in those two situations? Poll the other 29 coaches in the NHL... How many of them would let a gifted and intuitive forward like Patrick O'Sullivan rot on the bench during the myriad of power play time the Kings accumulated last night?
Falling short of saying I miss Marc Crawford, I still say that even he wouldn't have callously screwed the fans out of some potential entertainment in lieu of the mysterious lump of crap that he went back to the well with time and time again last night.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
after reading Hammond's blog about today's practice...
It's wearing thin, honestly. This daily game of mix and match... and really, it all doesn't much matter because the team isn't very good... certainly not as good as most of the teams they have played, regardless of line matchups, shots on goal, shots against, etc.
The goaltender is a below average NHL netminder, who can't handle the puck, period. The rebounds are juicy, his stick handling is absurdly pathetic, and honestly, if there wasn't a Doughty, or an O'Donnell, or a Quincey back there to swoop away rebounds, he'd look every bit as exposed as he did when it was Stuart, Modry, Dallman and the like.
This constant juggling of the forwards in some pseudo-reward system is just boring. I like Terry Murray, mainly because I loathed Marc Crawford, and had worn tired of Andy Murray and was embarrassed to say I was a season ticket holder for a team coached by John Torchetti. But this crap is goofy... all this "I never saw O'Sullivan play, so I don't know what he can do..." or some of his other stock answers are just ridiculous. You don't set people up to fail. That's all I've seen him do with O'Sullivan at even strength all season. Boyle doesn't hit... yeah, I get that. Boyle is 7 feet tall and weighs 630 pounds, yeah, I get that... so what is it about Boyle's game that you DO like enough to put him on the team and not put him in Manchester? OK then, Coach... live with it, and work him in within that framework. Richardson has won 61% of his draws... That might seem boring and useless to you, but I've been watching a Kings team that hasn't won 50% of their draws in a decade. He has value. Armstrong sucked when he was relied on for 16 minutes a game. You figured out a way to make him less offensive (in more ways than one) in 7 minutes a game, and then you bench him. Ivanans seems to have naked pictures of you, because he plays constantly, doesn't fight, barely hits, and skates and stick handles like he belongs on the Food Network, not the NHL Network. Why do we need to see him constantly? Simmonds is way overmatched, game in and game out. He doesn't win battles, shoots from the perimeter, and adds nothing to the "magic" that is the 3-6-1 LA Kings... Oh, he's black... You and I both know that's not why he's here, so let him go play in Manchester and learn the pro game. Manchester is sucking worse than the Kings so it's not like there's much down there to ravage.
And DO NOT get me started on Peter Harrold playing right wing. That was worst than last year when Crawford put Kevin Dallman at CENTER!!!!! Oh, and by the way, Dallman is the Mike Green of the KHL... 22 games, 12 goals, 8 assists... maybe not the litmus test for all NHL 7th defenseman rejects, but he's doing it... and doing it as well as he could have done here if Crawford had not screwed with his head so much.
I'd MUCH rather have Dallman than Harrold... I'd much rather have Maude, than Harrold.
I'd much rather post this to MY blog than this one :) But then NO ONE would read it :)
Don't expect a win vs. the Ducks on Tuesday, so please start LaBarbera. I don't want you to set Ersberg up to fail the way you so eloquently have done with Moulson, O'Sullivan, Calder, and just about every other forward over the first 10 games of the season (Moller being an exception.)
Proof? Just go back and read this blog. Every friggin practice it's something new, and some dumb comment attached to it that supposedly justifies this reward/punish system. You're not God... you're a hockey coach, coaching players that are just good enough to be bad enough to lose in the NHL. Get over it.
The goaltender is a below average NHL netminder, who can't handle the puck, period. The rebounds are juicy, his stick handling is absurdly pathetic, and honestly, if there wasn't a Doughty, or an O'Donnell, or a Quincey back there to swoop away rebounds, he'd look every bit as exposed as he did when it was Stuart, Modry, Dallman and the like.
This constant juggling of the forwards in some pseudo-reward system is just boring. I like Terry Murray, mainly because I loathed Marc Crawford, and had worn tired of Andy Murray and was embarrassed to say I was a season ticket holder for a team coached by John Torchetti. But this crap is goofy... all this "I never saw O'Sullivan play, so I don't know what he can do..." or some of his other stock answers are just ridiculous. You don't set people up to fail. That's all I've seen him do with O'Sullivan at even strength all season. Boyle doesn't hit... yeah, I get that. Boyle is 7 feet tall and weighs 630 pounds, yeah, I get that... so what is it about Boyle's game that you DO like enough to put him on the team and not put him in Manchester? OK then, Coach... live with it, and work him in within that framework. Richardson has won 61% of his draws... That might seem boring and useless to you, but I've been watching a Kings team that hasn't won 50% of their draws in a decade. He has value. Armstrong sucked when he was relied on for 16 minutes a game. You figured out a way to make him less offensive (in more ways than one) in 7 minutes a game, and then you bench him. Ivanans seems to have naked pictures of you, because he plays constantly, doesn't fight, barely hits, and skates and stick handles like he belongs on the Food Network, not the NHL Network. Why do we need to see him constantly? Simmonds is way overmatched, game in and game out. He doesn't win battles, shoots from the perimeter, and adds nothing to the "magic" that is the 3-6-1 LA Kings... Oh, he's black... You and I both know that's not why he's here, so let him go play in Manchester and learn the pro game. Manchester is sucking worse than the Kings so it's not like there's much down there to ravage.
And DO NOT get me started on Peter Harrold playing right wing. That was worst than last year when Crawford put Kevin Dallman at CENTER!!!!! Oh, and by the way, Dallman is the Mike Green of the KHL... 22 games, 12 goals, 8 assists... maybe not the litmus test for all NHL 7th defenseman rejects, but he's doing it... and doing it as well as he could have done here if Crawford had not screwed with his head so much.
I'd MUCH rather have Dallman than Harrold... I'd much rather have Maude, than Harrold.
I'd much rather post this to MY blog than this one :) But then NO ONE would read it :)
Don't expect a win vs. the Ducks on Tuesday, so please start LaBarbera. I don't want you to set Ersberg up to fail the way you so eloquently have done with Moulson, O'Sullivan, Calder, and just about every other forward over the first 10 games of the season (Moller being an exception.)
Proof? Just go back and read this blog. Every friggin practice it's something new, and some dumb comment attached to it that supposedly justifies this reward/punish system. You're not God... you're a hockey coach, coaching players that are just good enough to be bad enough to lose in the NHL. Get over it.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
I know, I know, I have forwards to write about
but I've been travelling, and my soujourn began and ended in Nashville, TN. --- a beautiful city that is akin to time travel in many ways.
Last night I had the opportunity to attend the non-televised Kings v. Preds game at the Sommet Center. The crowd was loud and actually very into the game, and well they should have been --- at least for the first 15 minutes, and the last 15 minutes. That middle section was (for a Preds fan) akin to listening to an Enya CD...
So, first I want to say that I really like the arena. Very bright, great sightlines, lots of energy, a far better jumbotron than Staples, and free programs that actually have useful information!
It was apparent from the opening faceoff that the Kings were flat. Nashville just swarmed and by the time they scored their first goal, I was pretty sure they should have had three... and soon they did. So, while Labarbara exited for Ersberg, and Terry Murray thought that just maybe that third goal could have been stopped, there was no way I was faulting the guy I always fault in goal for the Kings. He was swarmed, beleagured and ransacked, and left to the mercy of non-household names like Hornqvist, Ward and Jones...
As the shot clock read 15-2, I was pretty sure it was going to be a tough comeback for a team that had played a perfect road game the night before. Three goals in a little more than three minutes, and two power play goals against a Kings team that had reigned supreme in their previous 28 attempts to start the season.
By mid-second period, as the shot tide had turned, the Kings found the Preds on their heels and Patrick O'Sullivan took matters into his own hands and fed Jarret Stoll for a shot Ellis initially stopped but left a nice juicy rebound for him to bang home and get the Kings motivated and back in the game. Sully started the play that led to Stoll's second goal, and as we headed to the concourse after two, it was clear we had a game. I know, the scoreboard dictates the obvious, but this new-look Kings team has the kind of tenacity that really does make you believe comebacks can happen.
Meanwhile, Ersberg might as well have been a cardboard standup for much of his time in the nets to that point. The Preds mustered just two shots in the second period, and I believe Ersberg saw only two in the final seven minutes of the first, so once again, we had no idea if he was going to be a saviour (save-iour) or not...
A double minor to Legwand towards the end of the second period gave the Kings ample opportunity to tie the score, but Ellis stood strong. A few good chances, but no goals through the first half of the third, and then with a little more than a blink of an eye, it was offensive popguns Jerred Smithson, the baby-faced assassin that played a couple dozen completely invistible games for the Kings back when he was a fetus, and Jordin Tootoo, who thanks to a train whistle that is sold on the concourse, creates a frenzy every time he touches the puck (toot toooooot) --- the Kings and Ersberg found themselves down by 3 with just about seven minutes to go.
I should point out that while I was cheering for the Kings and shouting the occasional encouragement to them, it was not without reservation that I refrained from yelling "KOPI --- you're face is on milk cartons all over LA ---" because aside from the occasional neutral zone to blue line carry of the puck through two defenders, he really did a whole lotta nothing --- despite two assists on the scoresheet. Granted, neither Moulson nor Calder has done much to deflect the attention away from Kopitar, but it's not been easy to watch our new 7 million dollar manchild do a whole lotta Handzus.
Speaking of Handzus... so much has been said about his resurgence this season, but I'm placing even money on waking up one day and saying "Holy crap, that slug has 4 points in his last 25 games" at SOME point in the season...
Finally, this is the second arena I have gone to where I have come to the conclusion that BLACK netting is SO MUCH BETTER when you are sitting in the arena between the blue lines. I can't say for sure that it's SO MUCH WORSE if you are looking through it, but in both this instance, and an instance last season in Philly, I was amazed to realize at some point that there WAS netting... With the white, it's immediately obtrusive. (and I sit in 210 at Staples, so I look through white netting for the most part.)
Last night I had the opportunity to attend the non-televised Kings v. Preds game at the Sommet Center. The crowd was loud and actually very into the game, and well they should have been --- at least for the first 15 minutes, and the last 15 minutes. That middle section was (for a Preds fan) akin to listening to an Enya CD...
So, first I want to say that I really like the arena. Very bright, great sightlines, lots of energy, a far better jumbotron than Staples, and free programs that actually have useful information!
It was apparent from the opening faceoff that the Kings were flat. Nashville just swarmed and by the time they scored their first goal, I was pretty sure they should have had three... and soon they did. So, while Labarbara exited for Ersberg, and Terry Murray thought that just maybe that third goal could have been stopped, there was no way I was faulting the guy I always fault in goal for the Kings. He was swarmed, beleagured and ransacked, and left to the mercy of non-household names like Hornqvist, Ward and Jones...
As the shot clock read 15-2, I was pretty sure it was going to be a tough comeback for a team that had played a perfect road game the night before. Three goals in a little more than three minutes, and two power play goals against a Kings team that had reigned supreme in their previous 28 attempts to start the season.
By mid-second period, as the shot tide had turned, the Kings found the Preds on their heels and Patrick O'Sullivan took matters into his own hands and fed Jarret Stoll for a shot Ellis initially stopped but left a nice juicy rebound for him to bang home and get the Kings motivated and back in the game. Sully started the play that led to Stoll's second goal, and as we headed to the concourse after two, it was clear we had a game. I know, the scoreboard dictates the obvious, but this new-look Kings team has the kind of tenacity that really does make you believe comebacks can happen.
Meanwhile, Ersberg might as well have been a cardboard standup for much of his time in the nets to that point. The Preds mustered just two shots in the second period, and I believe Ersberg saw only two in the final seven minutes of the first, so once again, we had no idea if he was going to be a saviour (save-iour) or not...
A double minor to Legwand towards the end of the second period gave the Kings ample opportunity to tie the score, but Ellis stood strong. A few good chances, but no goals through the first half of the third, and then with a little more than a blink of an eye, it was offensive popguns Jerred Smithson, the baby-faced assassin that played a couple dozen completely invistible games for the Kings back when he was a fetus, and Jordin Tootoo, who thanks to a train whistle that is sold on the concourse, creates a frenzy every time he touches the puck (toot toooooot) --- the Kings and Ersberg found themselves down by 3 with just about seven minutes to go.
I should point out that while I was cheering for the Kings and shouting the occasional encouragement to them, it was not without reservation that I refrained from yelling "KOPI --- you're face is on milk cartons all over LA ---" because aside from the occasional neutral zone to blue line carry of the puck through two defenders, he really did a whole lotta nothing --- despite two assists on the scoresheet. Granted, neither Moulson nor Calder has done much to deflect the attention away from Kopitar, but it's not been easy to watch our new 7 million dollar manchild do a whole lotta Handzus.
Speaking of Handzus... so much has been said about his resurgence this season, but I'm placing even money on waking up one day and saying "Holy crap, that slug has 4 points in his last 25 games" at SOME point in the season...
Finally, this is the second arena I have gone to where I have come to the conclusion that BLACK netting is SO MUCH BETTER when you are sitting in the arena between the blue lines. I can't say for sure that it's SO MUCH WORSE if you are looking through it, but in both this instance, and an instance last season in Philly, I was amazed to realize at some point that there WAS netting... With the white, it's immediately obtrusive. (and I sit in 210 at Staples, so I look through white netting for the most part.)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Five games in the books
and what have we learned from the 2-3-0 Kings?
That this is a team that will not quit.
That this is a team that will not win, because of below NHL standard goaltending.
That this is a team that will play in front of sparse crowds.
That this is a team that is perhaps the most likeable Kings team in at least 5 years.
Yes, I'm turning towards cheering for the Kings for the first time in many years. There's something about most of these guys I find compelling. They work hard. They have upside. They don't seem to care that no one (myself included)gives them a chance to win games. Results have been mixed so far. Four home games, two wins, two losses, and an opening night road loss. Let's just zip down the roster and discuss the five game pole:
DEFENSE:
Matt Greene has looked good for the most part. There was one shift where I wasn't sure if he was auditioning for a ballet troupe, or just skating on butter, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and cheer his efforts through the first five games. The Kings gave him a nice five year extension, which felt a tad premature, and a tad rich, but unlike contracts that had the names Cloutier, MacCauley, Willsie, Nagy, Bure and the like on them, this one is at least attached to a young, strong body that seems to really care about his play on the defensive side of the ice.
Jack Johnson is hurt. Three month hurt. Shoulder hurt. I'm not hurt. While I have no doubt he's going to be a good player in the league, I'm not wow-ed, and I'm not ready to annoint him as the second coming of James Norris. I've seen more from a couple of the other young King defensemen in a handful of games than I have in a year of JJ (Insert other letters with thought and care.) He'll be back, and he'll be welcome, but he's just one piece of the team, and it's the team that comes first.
Sean O'Donnell is the stopgap guy. 37 years old, and a veteran of many battles, Odie is glue, and we can overlook limitations put on him by age and agility, and thank the heavens that he's here to teach, and to eat up some minutes while the kids learn the drill. So far he's been terrific, and based on his play in Anaheim for the past couple of seasons, he's smart enough to overcome his limitations and provide the Kings with quality play in PK and ES situations.
Drew Doughty has been a revelation. Oh to be 18 and that talented. I'm a big believer that the Kings screwed up royally by not staying the course and finishing in a position to get Stamkos, and I'd still rather have Stamkos over the long haul, but accepting the things I can not change means allowing Doughty to stake his place on this team, and when he's on the ice it's hard not to notice how good he is. I have no doubt that between now and April there will be enough Doughty highlight clips to make a nice afternoon of YouTube viewing.
Denis Gauthier is probably a candidate for waivers or a trade prior to the end of the season, but while he's here, he will dish out the occasional punishing hit, as well as be the guy you see turning his back and banging his stick in disgust while a prone LaBarbera lay on the ice with the puck being fished out of the back of the Kings net. Personally, I could do without him more often than not, but until Johnson is healthy, it is doubtful he goes anywhere. His minutes are usually going to be watched carefully by the coaching staff, as he can be the biggest liability the team has on the blueline.
Kyle Quincey has only been on the scene for two games, but he's been terrific at both ends of the ice. I knew that he could hit, and stay fundamentally sound on the defensive side of the puck, but his ability to jump into the play and move the puck towards the net has been excellent in the limited time I have seen him with the Kings. I can already say that this no-risk pickup was a steal for Lombardi, but of course, over the course of time deficiencies could pop up, and I reserve the right to don my Maxim Kuznetsov game worn, and say "oops..." once again. I'm pretty sure that's not gonna be the case.
Tom Preissing was a big ol' minus three last night, and the bloom came off the rose after four games that made me feel like he'd escape whipping boy status in the early going. I like Preissing's game, and would like to think he's going to have less nights like last night as the season progresses, but since I think the Kings will eventually land in suckitude, then SOMEONE has to be shouldering the blame on the blueline, and if Johnson is injured, and Harrold is in a suit... well, it might just be TP.
Peter Harrold is the spare. There's a zillion kids on the blue line in Manchester, and at some point that needs to shake out, so for that reason alone I don't expect to see Harrold sent down soon, but you gotta feel for a guy who needs some ice to keep any part of his game in shape. The upside for Harrold? His paycheck.
Forwards and Goaltenders will be up next.
That this is a team that will not quit.
That this is a team that will not win, because of below NHL standard goaltending.
That this is a team that will play in front of sparse crowds.
That this is a team that is perhaps the most likeable Kings team in at least 5 years.
Yes, I'm turning towards cheering for the Kings for the first time in many years. There's something about most of these guys I find compelling. They work hard. They have upside. They don't seem to care that no one (myself included)gives them a chance to win games. Results have been mixed so far. Four home games, two wins, two losses, and an opening night road loss. Let's just zip down the roster and discuss the five game pole:
DEFENSE:
Matt Greene has looked good for the most part. There was one shift where I wasn't sure if he was auditioning for a ballet troupe, or just skating on butter, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and cheer his efforts through the first five games. The Kings gave him a nice five year extension, which felt a tad premature, and a tad rich, but unlike contracts that had the names Cloutier, MacCauley, Willsie, Nagy, Bure and the like on them, this one is at least attached to a young, strong body that seems to really care about his play on the defensive side of the ice.
Jack Johnson is hurt. Three month hurt. Shoulder hurt. I'm not hurt. While I have no doubt he's going to be a good player in the league, I'm not wow-ed, and I'm not ready to annoint him as the second coming of James Norris. I've seen more from a couple of the other young King defensemen in a handful of games than I have in a year of JJ (Insert other letters with thought and care.) He'll be back, and he'll be welcome, but he's just one piece of the team, and it's the team that comes first.
Sean O'Donnell is the stopgap guy. 37 years old, and a veteran of many battles, Odie is glue, and we can overlook limitations put on him by age and agility, and thank the heavens that he's here to teach, and to eat up some minutes while the kids learn the drill. So far he's been terrific, and based on his play in Anaheim for the past couple of seasons, he's smart enough to overcome his limitations and provide the Kings with quality play in PK and ES situations.
Drew Doughty has been a revelation. Oh to be 18 and that talented. I'm a big believer that the Kings screwed up royally by not staying the course and finishing in a position to get Stamkos, and I'd still rather have Stamkos over the long haul, but accepting the things I can not change means allowing Doughty to stake his place on this team, and when he's on the ice it's hard not to notice how good he is. I have no doubt that between now and April there will be enough Doughty highlight clips to make a nice afternoon of YouTube viewing.
Denis Gauthier is probably a candidate for waivers or a trade prior to the end of the season, but while he's here, he will dish out the occasional punishing hit, as well as be the guy you see turning his back and banging his stick in disgust while a prone LaBarbera lay on the ice with the puck being fished out of the back of the Kings net. Personally, I could do without him more often than not, but until Johnson is healthy, it is doubtful he goes anywhere. His minutes are usually going to be watched carefully by the coaching staff, as he can be the biggest liability the team has on the blueline.
Kyle Quincey has only been on the scene for two games, but he's been terrific at both ends of the ice. I knew that he could hit, and stay fundamentally sound on the defensive side of the puck, but his ability to jump into the play and move the puck towards the net has been excellent in the limited time I have seen him with the Kings. I can already say that this no-risk pickup was a steal for Lombardi, but of course, over the course of time deficiencies could pop up, and I reserve the right to don my Maxim Kuznetsov game worn, and say "oops..." once again. I'm pretty sure that's not gonna be the case.
Tom Preissing was a big ol' minus three last night, and the bloom came off the rose after four games that made me feel like he'd escape whipping boy status in the early going. I like Preissing's game, and would like to think he's going to have less nights like last night as the season progresses, but since I think the Kings will eventually land in suckitude, then SOMEONE has to be shouldering the blame on the blueline, and if Johnson is injured, and Harrold is in a suit... well, it might just be TP.
Peter Harrold is the spare. There's a zillion kids on the blue line in Manchester, and at some point that needs to shake out, so for that reason alone I don't expect to see Harrold sent down soon, but you gotta feel for a guy who needs some ice to keep any part of his game in shape. The upside for Harrold? His paycheck.
Forwards and Goaltenders will be up next.
Friday, October 17, 2008
I've scoured box scores for years... decades even...
but this is a first...
It's 4-0 mid second period, Ottawa leading Phoenix... and EVERY SINGLE SKATER on the Coyotes has a minus.
That's amazing.
It's 4-0 mid second period, Ottawa leading Phoenix... and EVERY SINGLE SKATER on the Coyotes has a minus.
That's amazing.
Tonight
The Kings play a rarely seen team from the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes.
This team features Tim Gleason, who was a King prior to the deal that sent Jack Johnson to LA. Most Kings fans herald this deal as the kind of steal that ranks up there with Amos Otis for Joe Foy, Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi (can you tell I'm a Mets fan?) or in hockey terms, Dennis Wideman for Brad Boyes. I'm not sold.
Gleason will have a solid career, barring debilitating injury, and should be the kind of grizzled veteran leader that was synonymous with names like Langway, Wesley, Daneyko, Howell, etc.
Johnson, so far, high risk, and eventually, hopefully, high reward. Personally, he's done nothing to warrant superstar accolades, but he's a skill guy and should cut down on his glaring errors and provide stability on the blueline for years to come.
So, on to the show...
This team features Tim Gleason, who was a King prior to the deal that sent Jack Johnson to LA. Most Kings fans herald this deal as the kind of steal that ranks up there with Amos Otis for Joe Foy, Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi (can you tell I'm a Mets fan?) or in hockey terms, Dennis Wideman for Brad Boyes. I'm not sold.
Gleason will have a solid career, barring debilitating injury, and should be the kind of grizzled veteran leader that was synonymous with names like Langway, Wesley, Daneyko, Howell, etc.
Johnson, so far, high risk, and eventually, hopefully, high reward. Personally, he's done nothing to warrant superstar accolades, but he's a skill guy and should cut down on his glaring errors and provide stability on the blueline for years to come.
So, on to the show...
Monday, October 13, 2008
I also want to pay homage
to Gil Stratton, who passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 86. I had only met Gil over the past couple of years, and we both shared a love of sports, and intersected at Bob Miller, who we had both known for many years (Sidebar: Happy Birthday, Bob.)
Gil was an amazing character, and his obituary ran in the LA Times, and is worth reading. Talk about enjoying life!!!
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-stratton13-2008oct13,0,2934388.story
Gil was an amazing character, and his obituary ran in the LA Times, and is worth reading. Talk about enjoying life!!!
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-stratton13-2008oct13,0,2934388.story
I was asked if I'm going to blog about the Kings this season...
and the answer is "Yes" --- but today is probably not the day to start. I'm reeling from lack of sleep, reeling from financial insecurity, reeling from having the pilot light on my home's heater being out and The Gas Company scheduling me for Friday, reeling from a mouse that's been eating its way through my house, causing me to wake up every hour or so... which brings me back to the lack of sleep part... and, of course, very upset at the news out of Russia that 19 year old Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov has died.
People die. I'll be there at some point, like my mom, my dad, so many of my friends in the 80s and 90s... but a 19 year old kid, playing hockey? Seems so random. I'm not a believer in "Punishing God" vs. "Rewarding God," but I have a hard time trying to figure out the "reason" someone is here one minute and gone the next.
So, "Yes" --- the Kings, but "No" --- not today.
People die. I'll be there at some point, like my mom, my dad, so many of my friends in the 80s and 90s... but a 19 year old kid, playing hockey? Seems so random. I'm not a believer in "Punishing God" vs. "Rewarding God," but I have a hard time trying to figure out the "reason" someone is here one minute and gone the next.
So, "Yes" --- the Kings, but "No" --- not today.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Boil, not Brian... then Simmer...
You would honestly think SOMEONE affiliated with the Kings would have thought to check the spelling of his name before they posted that story...
Monday, June 30, 2008
On November 4, 2007 - I dubbed thee FLUBOMIR
11-04-2007, 12:30 PM #14
HawkeyeKnight*
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 381
Originally Posted by KINGS17
Visnovsky was bad, don't know who in the media picked him as the game's #3 star.
1. Are you kidding???? There was a whistle with about 11 seconds to go, and I invoked the "never leave a hockey game before the game is over, UNLESS it's friggin' pointless and you've had more than you can stand in one night" rule, and so I missed the three stars. Obviously picked by a blind person because Flubomir was just awful.
***
I mention this because last night I got to call a few "die-hard" Kings fans to break the news that Flubomir Craptastic had moved on to Alberta... in a peach of a deal.
The Visnovsky trade is an excellent one for the Kings, and here's why...
1. Jarret Stoll is the first real dependable faceoff man the Kings have had in eons. As good as Eric Belanger might have been for a nano-second, he never compiled the kind of numbers that Stoll has amassed over the past three NHL seasons (all over 55%) - THIS is a positive. The Kings have been dreadful in the circles for this decade and beyond.
2. Jarret Stoll is not terribly expensive, and is a UFA at season's end. This means, (a) he becomes incentivised to perform for his new team this year, and though others have failed in this mission in the past, there's a good chance he will succeed because he is going to be playing with legitimate top 6 forwards over the course of this season --- something the Kings DO have. (b) if he fails, and as the Kings should fail, he becomes a pretty reasonable trade deadline acquisition for a good team that will be quick to point out that Stoll's poor performance comes from being on a dreadful team. (c) Tavares or Hedman... :-)
3. Matt Greene is a big kid, and can hit, and can be a legitimate stay at home defenseman who will not be as undersized as Weaver, or as overrated as Aaron Miller, and will be plugged into situations that will enable him to establish himself as a punishment to undersized opposing forwards who would normally take extreme liberties around the Kings crease.
4. If we believe the hype, Doughty, Hickey, Teubert and Johnson will all be patrolling the Kings blueline in a couple of years, and Visnovsky would have been old, overpaid and expendable. We're seeing loss-cutting in advance of what would have been some major albatross accessorizing.
5. The money saved will absolutely go a long way to satisfying players that need to be signed to much longer term deals. As we hear of 6 (Olesz) and 7 (Malone) year deals, the names O'Sullivan and Kopitar pop into our respective heads and flexible spending goes a long way towards keeping these two offensive talents in King uniforms for quite some time.
6. That annoying little pissant Jacob Kings Visnovsky has to go to some HF admin to get his username changed :-)
HawkeyeKnight*
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 381
Originally Posted by KINGS17
Visnovsky was bad, don't know who in the media picked him as the game's #3 star.
1. Are you kidding???? There was a whistle with about 11 seconds to go, and I invoked the "never leave a hockey game before the game is over, UNLESS it's friggin' pointless and you've had more than you can stand in one night" rule, and so I missed the three stars. Obviously picked by a blind person because Flubomir was just awful.
***
I mention this because last night I got to call a few "die-hard" Kings fans to break the news that Flubomir Craptastic had moved on to Alberta... in a peach of a deal.
The Visnovsky trade is an excellent one for the Kings, and here's why...
1. Jarret Stoll is the first real dependable faceoff man the Kings have had in eons. As good as Eric Belanger might have been for a nano-second, he never compiled the kind of numbers that Stoll has amassed over the past three NHL seasons (all over 55%) - THIS is a positive. The Kings have been dreadful in the circles for this decade and beyond.
2. Jarret Stoll is not terribly expensive, and is a UFA at season's end. This means, (a) he becomes incentivised to perform for his new team this year, and though others have failed in this mission in the past, there's a good chance he will succeed because he is going to be playing with legitimate top 6 forwards over the course of this season --- something the Kings DO have. (b) if he fails, and as the Kings should fail, he becomes a pretty reasonable trade deadline acquisition for a good team that will be quick to point out that Stoll's poor performance comes from being on a dreadful team. (c) Tavares or Hedman... :-)
3. Matt Greene is a big kid, and can hit, and can be a legitimate stay at home defenseman who will not be as undersized as Weaver, or as overrated as Aaron Miller, and will be plugged into situations that will enable him to establish himself as a punishment to undersized opposing forwards who would normally take extreme liberties around the Kings crease.
4. If we believe the hype, Doughty, Hickey, Teubert and Johnson will all be patrolling the Kings blueline in a couple of years, and Visnovsky would have been old, overpaid and expendable. We're seeing loss-cutting in advance of what would have been some major albatross accessorizing.
5. The money saved will absolutely go a long way to satisfying players that need to be signed to much longer term deals. As we hear of 6 (Olesz) and 7 (Malone) year deals, the names O'Sullivan and Kopitar pop into our respective heads and flexible spending goes a long way towards keeping these two offensive talents in King uniforms for quite some time.
6. That annoying little pissant Jacob Kings Visnovsky has to go to some HF admin to get his username changed :-)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
We Now Pause For This Brief Announcement
http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=362128&page=NewsPage&service=page
Sorry, Deano... I don't buy Hickey-mania...
Sorry, Deano... I don't buy Hickey-mania...
The Night Andy Murray And I Compared Johnsons...
How can I pass up that opportunity? While in the Verizon Arena during game three, I saw a number of people I had either previously met or emailed over the years. Fans, Friends and Monarchs employees - I had the chance to see my friend Dan, known as Dano to some, Bill, Katie, Paul, Noelle, Gerry, and MJ, who are all friends of mine on Facebook, and active members of the Monarchs Booster Club, Jason Bergeron, who provided my seats, and Jason LaBossiere, who has sold me a few Monarchs game worns over the years, as well as Cheryl Abbott, SVP of the Monarchs, who once sold me some Ryan Flinn bobbleheads. Anyway, it was great to see so many people I have met over the years visiting Manchester, but the big surprise was running into someone I knew from Los Angeles... Andy Murray was in the house, watching his son's playoff performance. Andy and I had met on a few occasions, both in LA where I had interviewed him once, and in Nashville, where I attended the 2003 draft that brought the younger Murray to the Kings organization. I re-introduced myself as we stood in the concourse between periods, and while it was easy for him to justify his being there, he did wonder what I was doing there, and I had to admit, it was pretty odd to say that I was there to watch playoff hockey because living in LA, I knew it was virtually impossible to get any post season love as a Kings fan. (I didn't go into the fact that I had only missed one Duck post season game in the past three post season runs...) "Well," he said, "You're probably going to see some playoff hockey in LA pretty soon with that group of kids." Now Andy, come on... pretty soon? How about the fact that among the 14 other teams in the conference, you have Chicago, Edmonton, St. Louis, and Vancouver among the teams that called it quits after 82, and all have reasonable optimism for the future based on their young talent as well. Then we can talk Columbus, who I always seem to have a love-fest for in the pre-season. In fact, I don't see too many of the 8 teams that DID make the playoffs in the West falling that far out of position, so unless the NHL decides EVERYONE makes the playoffs come next April, pretty soon doesn't mean 12 months from now to me! While Andy didn't disagree with me, I also moved the topic over to rookie defensemen named Johnson, and stated that I thought he had the best rookie Johnson in the league. "Well, your Johnson is pretty good too, you know," he replied. Personally I would have preferred my Gleason to my Johnson, but I know that the story hasn't been written in its entirety yet. My Johnson might turn out to be rock solid. Andy's Johnson however is already quite the stud. He knows it, and anyone who watched Blues hockey this season knows it.
We shook hands and got ready for overtime, and I went back to my seat thinking about our respective Johnsons. If Andy is correct, and Jack can truly shoulder the load, I might not have to fly almost 3000 miles to watch post season hockey, but if I have to fly anywhere, New England is a beautiful place to be.
A group of about 15 of us went out for a post-game meal and a splendid time was had by all. Bill drove me back to my car, and I headed back to the hotel, where I crashed immediately upon impact with my pillow. Driving to Portland in the morning.
We shook hands and got ready for overtime, and I went back to my seat thinking about our respective Johnsons. If Andy is correct, and Jack can truly shoulder the load, I might not have to fly almost 3000 miles to watch post season hockey, but if I have to fly anywhere, New England is a beautiful place to be.
A group of about 15 of us went out for a post-game meal and a splendid time was had by all. Bill drove me back to my car, and I headed back to the hotel, where I crashed immediately upon impact with my pillow. Driving to Portland in the morning.
Things I Would Have Written About If I Had Cared About Writing About Them
It has been a week since I've returned from my brief 5 day excursion to Portland, ME and Manchester, NH. Because of the "great fire" at the corner of Hollywood and Vine, our offices (Capitol Records) are closed today, and I have a few spare moments (hours) to reflect on my journey and the things I had planned to blog about.
I had a wonderful time. New England is so different from Southern California, and it was particularly flawless during my travels. I arrived just past midnight on the morning of Friday the 19th. I had flown Jet Blue out of Burbank to JFK (and the horror on that flight was that both the DirecTV and the XM was not working at my seat) and then switched planes and went on from New York up to Portland. I hopped a cab to a local airport hotel, and slept 5 hours. Woke up semi-refreshed (technically it was 3AM for me...) and went to one of my "recovery" meetings (that I attend daily while remaining anonymous.) Headed back to the hotel, checked out and grabbed my rental vehicle and drove a couple of hours north to a town called Camden, ME, where I was to spend the day/night with my dear friends Marc and Kim and their 2 year old son Ethan. They had relocated from the San Fernando Valley late last year, and this was my first time seeing them since the move. Marc and I have been friends since 1972, and we've had our professional lives intersect time and time again so this was the one day of no hockey I allowed myself on this whirlwind excursion.
Saturday morning I was up at the crack of dawn again, and ambled downstairs, threw my luggage into the car and headed to Manchester, a good 3.5 hour drive south. This was my fourth trip to Manchvegas, and I actually have a pretty good feel for the area, so my arrival was not complicated in the least. I arranged dinner plans with my friend Marlene, and drove to the hotel. Checked in, and found one of my "meetings," and headed downtown for some spirituality prior to my meal and Monarchs.
The Monarchs were down two games to none to a Providence Bruins team that dominated the Eastern portion of the AHL all season long. Finnish goaltender Tuukka Rask has been the real deal since being acquired from the Maple Leafs, who drafted him in the first round in 2005, and then dealt him for Raycroft prior to his arrival in North America. Personally, I always seem to have a love affair with Finnish goaltenders, believing that Niittymaki, Toivonen and Rask are all blue chip prospects, with star potential. Of course, having watched Kings goaltending for over 30 years, I could be wowed by Score-O...
Anyway, great to see Marlene, great to see so many Monarchs fans I have met over the years, and great to be back in the Verizon Wireless Arena, where my cell phone coverage is spotty despite my service provider of the same name.
The fans are already aggravated as the ref is the hated Francois St. Laurent, who, as legend has it, has been screwing the Monarchs out of wins for as long as the team has been in operation. Personally, I'm not sure of this fact, but I do know that watching a game that has one ref is a major adjustment after watching games with two for the better part of the last few seasons. Just one goal is scored in the first two periods, and it's from the Bruins T.J. Trevalyan, but at one point in the first period, Kanko blisters a shot that from where I was sitting (to the left of the Bruins net) sure looked like it had gone under the crossbar, but it flew out quickly and play continued. The team celebrated, the crowd celebrated, the red light went on, but the goal judge offered a shrug when questioned, and without video review in the AHL, St. Laurent waved off the tally and the Monarchs were without a goal. Later the Monarchs put one behind Rask, but a goaltender interference call that may or may not have been justified was all that stood behind the "1" going up on the Monarchs portion of the scoreboard. Oh well. Life goes on. Midway through the third, the baby B's Wacey Rabbit (how can you not LOVE a guy named Wacey Rabbit... that Wascal) scored to make it 2-0 and then the fun began. Eight seconds after the goal, coincidental minors made it a 4 on 4 skating situation, and then five seconds after that, Bruins defenseman Jonathan Sigalet got called for interference and the Monarchs were on the power play. On the ice were Teddy Purcell and Matt Moulson (already both minus 2) and defensemen Troy Milam and Peter Harrold (already both minus 1) - and it was Milam scoring from Purcell and Harrold to get the 'Narchs on the board less than a half minute later. While it was the third puck to get by Rask, it was the first that counted, and the lead was cut in half. A couple minutes later, Bruins rookie winger Byron Bitz (no player with the last name Kibbles listed in the Hockey DB... shame) was flagged for tripping, and less than a minute later the Monarchs tied the game on a Moulson goal from Purcell and Milam. As you all know, overtime ensued and while the parent Bruins were engaged in a real goalfest against Montreal just a short drive down the freeway from Manchester, the baby B's pulled out an overtime victory themselves, with Jeff Hoggan scoring one of those improbable goals, banking the puck from behind the net off goaltender Bernier's rear. Bernier never moved, never flinched... the puck was in seemingly harmless position and then a split second later it was dribbling behind the goal line and the celebration began. Oh, and yes, Purcell, Milam, Harrold and Moulson were on the ice at the time, so despite the two power play tallies, that was a nifty minus TEN between the four of them. It was hard to say any Monarch was particularly impressive in this game, aside from Bernier, who really did match Rask's performance virtually shot for shot. Rask had 33 saves, Bernier had 31 and the highlights for me were:
* Oscar Moller's first pro game. A good first period and some very strong work with Zeiler and Murray. Periods two and three he was less visible, but he made an early impression.
* Kanko's determination. I've never been a huge believer in the guy, but after Bernier, he was clearly the most interested party in a Monarchs uniform.
* Playing the part of Carmen Sandiego, please welcome Lauri Tukonen... has he fallen that far down the depth chart as to be a healthy scratch for a home playoff game while Moller, Westgarth, Cliche, Murray, Ryan, Kanko and company get the call?
One game down, two games to go, and one more thing about this night that I can write about, but it gets its own entry, just so I can title it properly.
I had a wonderful time. New England is so different from Southern California, and it was particularly flawless during my travels. I arrived just past midnight on the morning of Friday the 19th. I had flown Jet Blue out of Burbank to JFK (and the horror on that flight was that both the DirecTV and the XM was not working at my seat) and then switched planes and went on from New York up to Portland. I hopped a cab to a local airport hotel, and slept 5 hours. Woke up semi-refreshed (technically it was 3AM for me...) and went to one of my "recovery" meetings (that I attend daily while remaining anonymous.) Headed back to the hotel, checked out and grabbed my rental vehicle and drove a couple of hours north to a town called Camden, ME, where I was to spend the day/night with my dear friends Marc and Kim and their 2 year old son Ethan. They had relocated from the San Fernando Valley late last year, and this was my first time seeing them since the move. Marc and I have been friends since 1972, and we've had our professional lives intersect time and time again so this was the one day of no hockey I allowed myself on this whirlwind excursion.
Saturday morning I was up at the crack of dawn again, and ambled downstairs, threw my luggage into the car and headed to Manchester, a good 3.5 hour drive south. This was my fourth trip to Manchvegas, and I actually have a pretty good feel for the area, so my arrival was not complicated in the least. I arranged dinner plans with my friend Marlene, and drove to the hotel. Checked in, and found one of my "meetings," and headed downtown for some spirituality prior to my meal and Monarchs.
The Monarchs were down two games to none to a Providence Bruins team that dominated the Eastern portion of the AHL all season long. Finnish goaltender Tuukka Rask has been the real deal since being acquired from the Maple Leafs, who drafted him in the first round in 2005, and then dealt him for Raycroft prior to his arrival in North America. Personally, I always seem to have a love affair with Finnish goaltenders, believing that Niittymaki, Toivonen and Rask are all blue chip prospects, with star potential. Of course, having watched Kings goaltending for over 30 years, I could be wowed by Score-O...
Anyway, great to see Marlene, great to see so many Monarchs fans I have met over the years, and great to be back in the Verizon Wireless Arena, where my cell phone coverage is spotty despite my service provider of the same name.
The fans are already aggravated as the ref is the hated Francois St. Laurent, who, as legend has it, has been screwing the Monarchs out of wins for as long as the team has been in operation. Personally, I'm not sure of this fact, but I do know that watching a game that has one ref is a major adjustment after watching games with two for the better part of the last few seasons. Just one goal is scored in the first two periods, and it's from the Bruins T.J. Trevalyan, but at one point in the first period, Kanko blisters a shot that from where I was sitting (to the left of the Bruins net) sure looked like it had gone under the crossbar, but it flew out quickly and play continued. The team celebrated, the crowd celebrated, the red light went on, but the goal judge offered a shrug when questioned, and without video review in the AHL, St. Laurent waved off the tally and the Monarchs were without a goal. Later the Monarchs put one behind Rask, but a goaltender interference call that may or may not have been justified was all that stood behind the "1" going up on the Monarchs portion of the scoreboard. Oh well. Life goes on. Midway through the third, the baby B's Wacey Rabbit (how can you not LOVE a guy named Wacey Rabbit... that Wascal) scored to make it 2-0 and then the fun began. Eight seconds after the goal, coincidental minors made it a 4 on 4 skating situation, and then five seconds after that, Bruins defenseman Jonathan Sigalet got called for interference and the Monarchs were on the power play. On the ice were Teddy Purcell and Matt Moulson (already both minus 2) and defensemen Troy Milam and Peter Harrold (already both minus 1) - and it was Milam scoring from Purcell and Harrold to get the 'Narchs on the board less than a half minute later. While it was the third puck to get by Rask, it was the first that counted, and the lead was cut in half. A couple minutes later, Bruins rookie winger Byron Bitz (no player with the last name Kibbles listed in the Hockey DB... shame) was flagged for tripping, and less than a minute later the Monarchs tied the game on a Moulson goal from Purcell and Milam. As you all know, overtime ensued and while the parent Bruins were engaged in a real goalfest against Montreal just a short drive down the freeway from Manchester, the baby B's pulled out an overtime victory themselves, with Jeff Hoggan scoring one of those improbable goals, banking the puck from behind the net off goaltender Bernier's rear. Bernier never moved, never flinched... the puck was in seemingly harmless position and then a split second later it was dribbling behind the goal line and the celebration began. Oh, and yes, Purcell, Milam, Harrold and Moulson were on the ice at the time, so despite the two power play tallies, that was a nifty minus TEN between the four of them. It was hard to say any Monarch was particularly impressive in this game, aside from Bernier, who really did match Rask's performance virtually shot for shot. Rask had 33 saves, Bernier had 31 and the highlights for me were:
* Oscar Moller's first pro game. A good first period and some very strong work with Zeiler and Murray. Periods two and three he was less visible, but he made an early impression.
* Kanko's determination. I've never been a huge believer in the guy, but after Bernier, he was clearly the most interested party in a Monarchs uniform.
* Playing the part of Carmen Sandiego, please welcome Lauri Tukonen... has he fallen that far down the depth chart as to be a healthy scratch for a home playoff game while Moller, Westgarth, Cliche, Murray, Ryan, Kanko and company get the call?
One game down, two games to go, and one more thing about this night that I can write about, but it gets its own entry, just so I can title it properly.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Here I Go...
Getting on the plane to Portland, ME in a couple of hours. Will be visiting friends on Friday night, and then waking up Saturday to begin my brief three day hockey sojourn.
SATURDAY: Providence at Manchester
SUNDAY: Hartford at Portland
MONDAY: Providence at Manchester
...and then home on Tuesday.
I'll have something to say, I'm sure. I know I've been kinda quiet for the past couple of weeks, but I had some stress as it related to the IRS, the mudslide that has dogged my property for 3 years and change, and my shoulder, which was injured in a fall I took last November.
See you from the right coast :)
SATURDAY: Providence at Manchester
SUNDAY: Hartford at Portland
MONDAY: Providence at Manchester
...and then home on Tuesday.
I'll have something to say, I'm sure. I know I've been kinda quiet for the past couple of weeks, but I had some stress as it related to the IRS, the mudslide that has dogged my property for 3 years and change, and my shoulder, which was injured in a fall I took last November.
See you from the right coast :)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
To The Playoffs I Go...
AHL, baby.... flying out on Thursday the 18th, returning on Tuesday the 22nd...
with any luck, I will see games 3 and 4 of the Manchester series, but if that falls apart, there's always Hartford/Portland.
I'm flying into Portland, ME late Thurs night, back on Tuesday morning...
with any luck, I will see games 3 and 4 of the Manchester series, but if that falls apart, there's always Hartford/Portland.
I'm flying into Portland, ME late Thurs night, back on Tuesday morning...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Just a reminder
for those of you with the NHL Network, the Monarchs game being played tonight will air tomorrow as the AHL Game Of The Week (4p Pacific Time) - Channel 215 for those of you with DirecTV.
You can say you saw Josh Kidd's first pro game!
You can say you saw Josh Kidd's first pro game!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Manchester's Big Game, and a new brute in town...
At the end of one period, the Monarchs are trailing Springfield 2-0, due in part to two power play goals... due to two penalties to Brady "The Brute" Murray. Murray went off for tripping early in the game, and Viacheslav Trukhno scored just seconds before the man advantage had expired. Later in the period, Murray received five for kneeing and a game misconduct, and the Falcons converted just one more time as Stephen Werner beat Jonathan Quick. The Monarchs were outshot 18-10 and will need to regroup going into period two.
As you know, Springfield leads Manchester by just one point in the race for the final playoff spot in their division.
You can log in at: http://www.monarchshockey.com for the live radio feed.
As you know, Springfield leads Manchester by just one point in the race for the final playoff spot in their division.
You can log in at: http://www.monarchshockey.com for the live radio feed.
Yeah, he'll remember his first NHL game...
Atlanta Thrashers rookie defenseman, BORIS VALABIK, playing in his first NHL period, is a nifty MINUS 3 as Carolina leads Atlanta 3-0.
Ouch! Valabik, 10th overall pick in the 2004 draft, has shared the wealth with two defensive partners, Joel Kwiatkowski (-2) and Niclas Havelid (-1)
Ouch! Valabik, 10th overall pick in the 2004 draft, has shared the wealth with two defensive partners, Joel Kwiatkowski (-2) and Niclas Havelid (-1)
Monday, March 17, 2008
The real playoff chase (or, how I have no idea if I'm flying East in April...)
While the Kings will be on the golf course immediately following the regular season, it's a real coin toss as to whether the Manchester Monarchs can grab one of the last playoff spots in the American League.
If you haven't been following the race, here's a quick update on how the standings look on Monday morning:
The top 4 teams in each division make the playoffs. The Monarchs are in the ATLANTIC Division. The Atlantic standings ---
1. PROVIDENCE (Bruins)(98 points, 67 games played)
2. HARTFORD (Rangers) (88 pts, 67 GP)
3. PORTLAND (Ducks) (88 pts, 69 GP)
4. SPRINGFIELD (Oilers) (70 pts, 67 GP)
5. MANCHESTER (Kings) (69 pts, 67 GP)
6. WORCESTER (Sharks) (62 pts, 66 GP)
7. LOWELL (Devils) (53 pts, 66 GP)
So, with Lowell looking like the AHL version of the Kings, and Worcester's hopes probably fading fast, it's really going to come down to the battle between Springfield and Manchester for that fourth and final spot.
The AHL plays an 80 game schedule, so the Monarchs have 13 games remaining.
3/19 @ Springfield
3/22 @ Portland
3/23 H Springfield
3/26 H Portland NOTE: THE NHL NETWORK is playing this game on 3/27 as an AHL Game of the Week!!!! (a day late?!?)
3/28 @ Norfolk (7th place - East Division - 55 pts, 68 GP)
3/29 @ Norfolk
3/30 @ Hershey (4th place - East Division - 74 pts, 67 GP)
4/2 H Bridgeport (6th place - East Division - 71 pts, 66 GP)
4/4 @ Lowell
4/5 H Worcester
4/6 @ Providence
4/11 @ Providence
4/12 H Providence
So, Hershey and Bridgeport, along with Binghampton (5th pl - 73 pts, 66 GP) are in a real dogfight in the East.
Manchester vs. Springfield this season (Home Team BOLD:
10/7 Springfield 3, Manchester 2 (OT)
10/13 Manchester 4, Springfield 3
11/3 Manchester 5, Springfield 3
11/17 Manchester 4, Springfield 3 (OT)
11/21 Springfield 4, Manchester 1
2/18 Manchester 2, Springfield 1 (OT)
3/2 Manchester 5, Springfield 2
3/12 Manchester 3, Springfield 1
If you haven't been following the race, here's a quick update on how the standings look on Monday morning:
The top 4 teams in each division make the playoffs. The Monarchs are in the ATLANTIC Division. The Atlantic standings ---
1. PROVIDENCE (Bruins)(98 points, 67 games played)
2. HARTFORD (Rangers) (88 pts, 67 GP)
3. PORTLAND (Ducks) (88 pts, 69 GP)
4. SPRINGFIELD (Oilers) (70 pts, 67 GP)
5. MANCHESTER (Kings) (69 pts, 67 GP)
6. WORCESTER (Sharks) (62 pts, 66 GP)
7. LOWELL (Devils) (53 pts, 66 GP)
So, with Lowell looking like the AHL version of the Kings, and Worcester's hopes probably fading fast, it's really going to come down to the battle between Springfield and Manchester for that fourth and final spot.
The AHL plays an 80 game schedule, so the Monarchs have 13 games remaining.
3/19 @ Springfield
3/22 @ Portland
3/23 H Springfield
3/26 H Portland NOTE: THE NHL NETWORK is playing this game on 3/27 as an AHL Game of the Week!!!! (a day late?!?)
3/28 @ Norfolk (7th place - East Division - 55 pts, 68 GP)
3/29 @ Norfolk
3/30 @ Hershey (4th place - East Division - 74 pts, 67 GP)
4/2 H Bridgeport (6th place - East Division - 71 pts, 66 GP)
4/4 @ Lowell
4/5 H Worcester
4/6 @ Providence
4/11 @ Providence
4/12 H Providence
So, Hershey and Bridgeport, along with Binghampton (5th pl - 73 pts, 66 GP) are in a real dogfight in the East.
Manchester vs. Springfield this season (Home Team BOLD:
10/7 Springfield 3, Manchester 2 (OT)
10/13 Manchester 4, Springfield 3
11/3 Manchester 5, Springfield 3
11/17 Manchester 4, Springfield 3 (OT)
11/21 Springfield 4, Manchester 1
2/18 Manchester 2, Springfield 1 (OT)
3/2 Manchester 5, Springfield 2
3/12 Manchester 3, Springfield 1
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
'Til The Cows Come Home...
Incoming GM Dean Lombardi polled all the players, coaches, and scouts in the organization when he arrived. His question was pretty simple. "Can the two guys we have (Garon and LaBarbera) do the job?" I have it on EXTREMELY reliable source that without exception EACH player, coach and scout still involved with the team answered affirmatively. Not a perfect goaltending tandem, but the players actually had confidence in both guys and with Cammalleri, Brown, Frolov, Norstrom, Visnovsky, Armstrong and the like all having said their peace, Lombardi went out just FOUR days later and acquired Dan Cloutier for a second round draft choice. This befuddled numerous people within the organization that, while not wanting to second guess their new General Manager, had to wonder why he bothered asking in the first place.
So here we are almost two full seasons later and now the war cry is loud over Cloutier's piece in the Vancouver Sun today. He's crying mistreatment, abuse, and neglect. I'm thinking he's offbase on a number of fronts, but as I pointed out in my comments in Rich Hammond's blog, as a member of the NHLPA, and with a valid signed contract, he has rights, and there are clauses and while there may be two sides to every story, Cloutier is entitled to what the players and management negotiated throughout the league when the CBA was amended and the work stoppage ended.
Goaltending is an issue. Defense is an issue. Faceoffs and puck possession are issues. Watching this team gut out a 2-1 OT loss last night, I was acutely aware for the umpteenth time this seas... er, decade, just how poorly the Kings are in the faceoff circle. How brutally overmatched they are behind their own net. How much weight Lindsay Ridgeway has gained and lost over the past few years (and thank GOD in the heavens that she decided on a single note for the word "Free" for the first time in forever.)
Peter Harrold is earning the nickname "Charmin" because he's so squeezably soft. His giveaway gave the Canucks the open door to a comeback last night. Now personally, I was grateful because honestly, I'm no fan of Tampa Bay at this point in the season, and they're a terrible team. The thought of those lottery balls having more Lightning logos on them than Kings logos... well, it makes me sick. Five teams make it into this lottery. At the moment the Kings and Tampa each have 60 points. Atlanta and St. Louis each have 68 points. Toronto has 70 points. Think on this... there are SEVEN more teams within 3 points of that fifth spot. That's 10 teams competing to finish 26th, 27th and 28th. And you thought the playoff race was tight!
So here we are almost two full seasons later and now the war cry is loud over Cloutier's piece in the Vancouver Sun today. He's crying mistreatment, abuse, and neglect. I'm thinking he's offbase on a number of fronts, but as I pointed out in my comments in Rich Hammond's blog, as a member of the NHLPA, and with a valid signed contract, he has rights, and there are clauses and while there may be two sides to every story, Cloutier is entitled to what the players and management negotiated throughout the league when the CBA was amended and the work stoppage ended.
Goaltending is an issue. Defense is an issue. Faceoffs and puck possession are issues. Watching this team gut out a 2-1 OT loss last night, I was acutely aware for the umpteenth time this seas... er, decade, just how poorly the Kings are in the faceoff circle. How brutally overmatched they are behind their own net. How much weight Lindsay Ridgeway has gained and lost over the past few years (and thank GOD in the heavens that she decided on a single note for the word "Free" for the first time in forever.)
Peter Harrold is earning the nickname "Charmin" because he's so squeezably soft. His giveaway gave the Canucks the open door to a comeback last night. Now personally, I was grateful because honestly, I'm no fan of Tampa Bay at this point in the season, and they're a terrible team. The thought of those lottery balls having more Lightning logos on them than Kings logos... well, it makes me sick. Five teams make it into this lottery. At the moment the Kings and Tampa each have 60 points. Atlanta and St. Louis each have 68 points. Toronto has 70 points. Think on this... there are SEVEN more teams within 3 points of that fifth spot. That's 10 teams competing to finish 26th, 27th and 28th. And you thought the playoff race was tight!
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