Frozen Fury XII: Kopitar's Game Winning Goal

would you expect anything less from Kopitar?

(x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet)

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Ersberg in Directv Commercial

Not sure if this commercial is national or only shown locally but Erik Ersberg is in a DIRECTV commercial.

I don't know how long it's been on the air but I first heard about it today from my fiance and I saw it today when I was watching an episode of 'Friday Night Lights' that I recorded from last Friday. First Aubin, now Ersberg. How many other Kings goaltenders are in the pipeline to be in a commercial?

And speaking of 'Friday Night Lights', Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton have got to be the absolute best married TV couple. They are amazing together on-screen. And how many of you got teary-eyed when Tim Riggins realized he lost his best friend to the NYC? It's so heart breaking watching Tim Riggins get emotional.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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Season Over.

After losing to Chicago on Sunday and then losing again tonight to Columbus, the Kings season is over. Done. Fini. When I can't get excited about watching any more games, I just know it's over.

The Kings have 21 games remaining this season but I don't think it's possible for them to win enough games to secure the eighth playoff spot in the West. Especially considering the way they've been playing as of late and how well some of the teams they're chasing have been playing. When the Kings play solid defense, they can't score. Yet when they find the back of the net they don't play well on defense. They won't finish last in the league or 29th, but I am worried that if they don't shape up soon they may find themselves sitting in last place in the Western Conference.

And to make matters worse, Jason LaBarbera is "Mr. March" in the Kings calendar; I'm going to have to replace him with someone else...probably Frolov.

The trade deadline is tomorrow. I didn't expect the Kings to be very active before tonight's game occurred and now that they lost the game, I definitely don't expect anything big. The team is in a selling position but the players most teams would want will not be traded unless it's an unbelievable deal that would have several highly touted prospects and/or high draft picks coming to LA. I could definitely see Kyle Calder being traded because he's a very gritty, in-your-face player that isn't afraid to go in the corners and do the dirty work. He hasn't taken as many dumb penalties lately and has proven that he can play well and even notch some points.

The only player I could see being dealt that would probably shock fans is Patrick O'Sullivan. He had an incredibly long contract dispute with the team over the off-season and he hasn't thrived offensively this year compared to last season (sounds a little too much like the Cammalleri situation). He's been shuffled around the lineup playing anywhere from the top line with Kopi and Brown to the fourth line. He's currently on the checking line with Handzus and Simmonds. He's a solid player but hasn't regained the scoring touch he had last year. However, the Kings have him for one more year on the cheaps, which is a pretty big reason to keep him.

Overall, I don't expect much to happen in LA tomorrow, probably just one minor trade. But, of course, I'll be glued to the interwebs all day, checking to see which teams go all in hoping to make the one crucial trade that will help them win the Cup.

(x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet)

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Zeiler? Are You Kidding Me?

Could Zeiler suck any harder?*.

Why is he even in the lineup? He seriously has a negative contribution to this team**. Check this amazing stat:

In 3:25 of ice time, Zeiler caused the team to be shorthanded for 5 minutes, which would have been more if the Avs didn't get a 2 minute penalty on the same play. In fact, Zeiler accumulated 19 minutes in penalties and was only on the ice for 3:25. Even if you don't include the 10-minute game misconduct, Zeiler had almost 3 times as many minutes in penalties than he did playing on the ice. Derek Armstrong must feel like absolute crap knowing that Zeiler is in the lineup and he's sitting on the sidelines.

*I don't like Adam Foote, but I'm glad he's ok. Hopefully Zeiler's ridiculously unnecessary hit will convince Coach Murray that he doesn't deserve to be in the lineup.

**Actually, the only positive contribution he made to the game tonight was getting himself thrown out so he couldn't taint the team anymore with his awfulness. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the NHL suspends him because he blatantly gave Foote an extra shove into the boards head first. I hope the NHL suspends him for the rest of the season so Murray can't even think about putting him in the lineup.

***Woah, the Kings just scored two goals while I wrote this post. Maybe I should keep blogging....

(x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet)

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Frozen Fury XI Ridiculousness + Podcast

Why have I never gone to Frozen Fury in the past? I'm so glad that I made a promise to myself to make it out there this year because I had an amazing time. The drive to Vegas was a surprisingly easy 4-hour drive that got me into town at 10 am. I immediately met up with Connie and soon after I finally met Cat. Two half-asians and one full asian = tons of pictures being taken and an immediate bond. We spent the rest of the day till game time eating at Mesa (Bobby Flay's restaurant...amazing), drinking, napping, eating, and more drinking. As much as I hate the dry heat in Vegas, the only good thing about it is that it always seems like I can drink more in the heat, but Cat was still the best drinker of the three of us.


It's a good thing that Connie went to FF last year because I would have had no clue where to go. I didn't even know MGM had a theater and I couldn't believe at how horribly wrong it seemed to corral thousands of drunk hockey fans through the casino floor into the corner of MGM, attempt to filter out outside drinks and poorly check everyone for illegal items (my purse was never checked). All I know is that if there had been a fire or any need to evacuate, I would have been trampled to death.

On our walk to MGM Connie pointed out that the chick in front of us had one of those hideous overpriced Kings purses!! I could not believe it! I tried my best to follow her and take pictures of her purse, which also meant I was taking pictures of her ass, and this was the best pic I could get:

I know. I have no shame.

The arena was much smaller than your normal hockey arena but the energy was just as lively. For all the slack that preseason games garner, Frozen Fury really is in a league of its own. Fans were going nuts over everything. There was minor bickering among Kings and Avalance fans but hardly a real spat. Everyone just seemed to be enjoying the moment. Enjoying the fact that hockey was finally here. That hockey was in Vegas! It didn't matter that it was a preseason game because we were all drunk hockey-starved fans there to enjoy subpar hockey in an incredible environment.

I was excited to watch my Kings and the new faces on the team. I'm growing fonder of Doughty and Hickey with each game I see. Wayne Simmonds doesn't even have to try to be a fan favorite, he just is. Denis Gauthier was being Denis Gauthier (*sigh*), LaBarbera was...underwhelming (blerg. yes. blerg.), and Kopi looked fantastic, especially when he rocketed the most perfectly placed wrist shot into the far upper corner of the goal. I barely paid any attention to any Avs players, except for Adam Foote who was trying so hard to be the biggest D-bag of the night. It felt so good to let out those 'Boooooooos'.

Connie, Cat, and I recorded a podcast during the first intermission and after the game. We decided to make it this week's podcast for both "I'm Not a Puck Bunny Podcast" and "Kings World Podcast". When I finally listened to it I was shocked at how fast we were talking. If you haven't listened to it yet, do so and you'll understand the Frozen Fury energy that I just can't describe in words. And if you like Vegas and hockey, it doesn't matter if you're not a Kings or Avs fan, because chances are you'll enjoy Frozen Fury. So mark your calendar for September 2009 for Frozen Fury XII.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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Game Plan for Purchasing Tickets

All last season I bitched about how the Kings mini-game plans totally sucked because you couldn't choose which games you wanted to attend. The mini plans that were offered last season always included games on weekdays (resulting in an ultra long commute from work) and there were definitely games against opponents that I did not want to see (such as Anaheim and Detroit).

This season the Kings are offering three (3) new 10-game ticket plans: Big Game (against high marquee opponents), Weekend, and Flex. Last season I definitely could have use the Weekend plan. However, I will soon be working just blocks from Staples Center so now I can attend weekday games without wanting to stab myself in the eye with a pencil during my entire commute just to detract my pain away from sitting in ungodly ridiculous traffic, especially in the segment where the freeway drops down to 3 lanes in each direction. 3 LANES!! The INSANITY! But that is a thing of the past. Now, I have the need for the Flex Plan in which I can select any 10 games I want to attend. The only drawback of selecting the Flex Plan over the other two plans is that the Flex Plan offers fewer benefits. For the seats that I'll be buying, I'll be paying $80 more total than the Weekend Plan, I won't be guaranteed the same seat for every game, and I won't be able to take advantage of the Ticket Exchange program.


The reason why I don't want to purchase the Weekend Plan, despite better benefits, is because I don't care to see Calgary, St. Louis, Colorado, Columbus, Minnesota (twice! and without Pavol), New Jersey, or Phoenix. Basically, there are only 2 games in the Weekend Plan that I care about: home opener against San Jose (*vomit*) and a game against Edmonton Oilers (Lubo, I miss you!).

Upon first thought of purchasing the Flex Plan I figured I would have a terrible time trying to meticulously analyze which games I would attend because I assumed it would be difficult to pick only 10 games. However, upon further review of the Kings '08-'09 schedule I came to the surprising conclusion that I was encountering difficulty because there were less than 10 games I had a burning desire to attend. I was stunned. How could I not even find 10 games I would be willing to pay to see? In Episode 1.8 of Kings World Podcast, I confessed to Connie my somewhat embarrassing realization. I was prepared to hear her call me a pathetic useless common fan, not worth of blogging and podcasting about the Kings. On the contrary Connie talked me through my dilemma and pointed out some games that should be exciting to see. After more thought I decided I wouldn't mind seeing the following 10-games:

1. Sun Oct 12 v. SJ
2. Tues Nov 11 v. Dallas
3. Thu Nov 20 v. Wash
4. Sat Nov 29 v. Chi
5. Mon Dec 1 v. Tor
6. Fri Dec 5 v. Edm
7. Wed Dec 17 v. NYR
8. Sat Jan 3 v. Phi
9. Mon Jan 12 v. Tampa
10. Sat Apr 11 v. SJ

I'm slightly annoyed that the last game of the season is once again versus a Pacific Division rival, but I don't think I have ever attended the last home game of a season and I'm willing to put aside my hatred of watching games against the Ducks or Sharks in order to bid my Kings adieu.

But then, I thought about it more. I'm planning on purchasing tickets close to Connie and AJ, which would place me in the Upper Center section, therefore, only providing me a $10 discount compared to purchasing 10 tickets individually, or rather, a measley $1 per game discount. Do I really want to fork over $360/10 games or do I want to only select a few games that I'm dying to see in person and save money by not attending more games. It's not that I can't afford $360 worth of tickets, it's just that I have so many freakin' "necessary" expenses right now I'm not sure if overall it would be worth it to purchase the 10-game Flex Plan. Or rather, the big issue at stake is do I want to commit to 10 games right now only to find out that I can't attend one or more all for saving $1 per game? I don't know what my Thanksgiving plans are and it's very possible that I may go out of town. I will definitely be out of town to celebrate New Year's and I can see myself coming home on taking a couple extra days off and coming home on Sunday, ergo missing the Philly game. The more I think about the flex plan, the more I'm talking myself out of it. How ironic that after all my complaining about wanting a flexible ticket plan, when I'm finally given the option I still complain about it and refuse to purchase it because the benefits are not great enough to commit to 10 games.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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Weekly Topic: KMS2's Favorite Off Season Event

The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the first off season event to which I took notice. Before then I was in college far away from the reaches of the LA Kings media and before college I was in LA before the breakout of the internet and easy access to Kings news. Once the Kings season ended and the Cup was finally won, the off season was a time when I actually took a break from hockey. I always had summer school and sports to keep me occupied and the summers seemed to fly by. While I dreaded the return of the school year, it was comforting knowing that hockey was just about to start.


Once I finished college and summer vacation became a thing of the past, I noticed myself suffering through the off season. In 2005 I surprisingly found myself anxious about the Draft. I wasn't too familiar with the names, but I remember reading about the Number One European prospect, Anze Kopitar (Note to Rumor Starters: keep your grubby paws off him! He's not going anywhere). I didn't think we had a chance at him since the Kings were picking 11th. But lo and behold, we snagged the first Euro of the Draft and now he's on his way to becoming a franchise player, an ultimate fan favorite, with the possibility of reaching Luc Robitaille fan status. As for the remainder of the off season, I don't even remember the Free Agency period...well, except for the JR signing, which I would like to forget.

I became much more aware of off season events in 2006. I actually watched part of the NHL Draft and was thrilled and slightly relieved that the Kings drafted the highest ranked goaltender, Jonathan Bernier. I was torn when the Kings traded away Pavol Demitra, shocked that one of the team's highest scoring forwards would be shipped off for a Draft pick and a prospect, Patrick O'Sullivan (Purple Crushed Velvet favorite!). It was my first taste of learning to embrace the youth movement brought on by the new Kings GM, Dean Lombardi. The Free Agency period though was still off my radar and it wasn't until the 2007 off season when I became engulfed in all of the off season events: awards, Draft, signings, arbitrations, and Free Agency.

My favorite off season event is dependent upon the Kings position and as the Kings, hopefully, move up the NHL ladder, I foresee my favorite event changing in the future. Right now my favorite event is the Draft because it seems like the only way the Kings are going to improve is by way of new blood obtained in the Draft. Lombardi has done a fantastic job of drafting players and it's very exciting to see who could be in a Kings jersey in years to come. However, the wait for a competitive team is sometimes unbearable because it always seems like the time is never now. How many seasons away are the Kings from making a splash and seriously competing for the Cup? We're always waiting for this team and it'll definitely be several more years before my favorite off season is the Free Agency Period when the Kings will be able to go after players and see them actually want to come to LA. But until that point comes, I'll always have the Entry Draft to look forward to and think about which players will don the Royal Purple and help make the Kings a winning franchise.

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Oh Patty-O

It's no secret that I cannot wait for Patrick O'Sullivan to re-sign with the Kings. As we approach July 1st, I get more anxious and nervous with each day that passes without news of Sully re-signing. Today Rich Hammond at Inside the Kings posted a quick update about the process of re-signing Sully:

"The Kings are still talking to O'Sullivan's representatives, but when I asked if anything was 'close', Lombardi said he wouldn't use that term. Jeff Solomon, the Kings' top guy on such matters, is working on this."

I have nightmares of a salary arbitration, of relationships turning sour because both sides cannot agree on his present and future worth. Will he use his recent successful season and huge development leap as ammunition for a significant pay raise? Or will he be conservative and rational and agree that one full NHL season in which he recorded 50+ points should only be used as a sign of his potential not of his definite continued success in the league. Will he be willing to take a hometown discount? Will he be willing to take a discount knowing it will help Lombardi re-sign Kopitar and Jack in the few years? Will he be willing to take a discount in order to ensure his spot on the roster alongside Kopitar and Brown?

Last season O'Sullivan played very well when he was aligned with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. He also played well with Alexander Frolov and Cammalleri. However, with Cammy's departure, I think the Sully-Kopitar-Brown combination will be the consistent Number One scoring line. If I was in Sully's shoes, I wouldn't want to leave the Kings despite their slow road up the NHL ladder. He is surrounded by a very young core group of teammates and, similar to the Pittsburgh Penguins, it seems like these guys have great chemistry together on the ice and, based on reports, off the ice as well. Sure these young Kings may be cringing at the thought of once again placing near the cellar, but hopefully the thought of playing together for many years to come, growing and developing together and possibly becoming serious Cup contenders will convince him that he should stay in LA, even if it means signing for less than his agent he thinks he's worth. If Sully doesn't re-sign with the Kings my next post will consist solely of a four-letter F word repeated over and over again.

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It's What I've Always Wanted

According to the item description on the NHL.com shop:

You can add hockey design to your wardrobe and carry all of your money and personal belongings in this Little Earth NHL® team Fender Flair purse. The purse is formed from 2 recycled aluminum license plates with tear-shaped, nickel-plated steel end caps and hundreds of Swarovski crystals. The officially licensed purse has a velvet lining with pocket and a 21-in leather strap with contrast stitching for easy carrying.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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Luc, You're Mine!

The Hermano saw my blog post about not wanting to spend $40 on sponsoring Luc Robitaille on Hockey-Reference.com and did what every good older brother would do: give me an early birthday gift by paying for my blog to sponsor Luc!

He also decided to sponsor Dustin Brown and Kelly Hrudey with his non-hockey related blog, Tacos y Ramen. Hrudey is probably one of his most favorite goaltenders so I completely understood that sponsorship and I guess he has some kind of mancrush for Brownie.

Some might say, "What a stupid birthday gift!" But you don't understand the gift-giving dynamic between us. Our birthdays fall within 10 days of each other so every birthday month and Christmas we ask each other what we want (usually a DVD, book, or gift card) and that's what we buy. There's usually no suspense in what the other one bought and frankly, that's what I like. I would hate to feign happiness about a shitty gift my brother gave me and it makes the gift-buying process very easy. Usually I'll ask for something that I want but just haven't gotten around to buying, either because I can't justify buying it for myself (i.e., sponsoring Luc) or I know it'll be an easy gift for someone else to buy me. Regardless, it's always something that I want and am happy to receive, which is why when my hermano told me he sponsored Luc for me, I laughed my ass off (because I couldn't believe he did it) and was entirely ecstatic.

All I can say is, "Thanks, Hermano!" It's good to see that he's using his salary from his over-paying job to show our support for the LA Kings.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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Dear Kings

You're 6-3-1 in your last 10 games. Why couldn't you play this well at the beginning of this season?

Much love,
kms2

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It's Cold in Here!

If you were the GM of a team that is the "foundation" of the NHL, ok, fine, the worst team in the NHL, and your team is currently on a 7-game losing streak which is the second longest losing streak of this season, second only to the 5-game losing streak your team accumulated in October and the other 5-game losing streak put together during November would you fire your coach during the Christmas Break? Oh, and did I mention that we've only won 2 of the 13 games we've played thus far in December? Or would you wait till the day after Christmas and fire him the morning of a game? Or would you suffer through three more games and then fire him just before the clock marks 2008?

If I was the GM...Crow would have been handed the pink slip the moment he stepped off the bus after returning from Nashville. I know, I'm cold as ice, but then again, this is a business. It's not like he'll be strapped for cash because of being fired. At least this way he would be able to enjoy Christmas with his family without constantly wondering when the axe would fall.

So now I turn the question to you, dear HLOGgers...what would you do if the decision was yours?

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Poor Baby Bernier

Aubin is off IR and Bernier was sent down to Juniors. Seeing how poorly the Kings have been playing it was probably the best decision for him career-wise. Poor kid. Poor Baby Bernier.

Little kittens around the world are crying now that Bernier is no longer in a Kings jersey. Damn you, Kings for making him look like crap.

Bernier, best wishes to you. We patiently and eagerly await your return.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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When is it Time to Call it Quits?

Beware, rant ahead. Although this post is aimed at the Kings and Kings fans, it could, or rather should, apply to all fans who do or have supported a losing club.

Today’s LA Times has an interesting article about how the Ducks’s recent Cup victory pissed off Kings fans (me included) and questions how the Kings organization plans to develop a winning team.

The article begins with quotes from Kings fan about the Ducks’ recent victorious season. One fan has decided to quit being a Kings fan and most fans whined about the organization not being able to do anything for the past 40 years. The frustration from the fans is understandable and even former Kings goaltender, Kelly Hrudey understood as he was quoted as saying: "It's tough because they have been patient fans, who have been very loyal, considering that the organization has had more lows than highs.”

While it may be difficult for the organization and players to withstand constantly being on the losing end, it might be even more difficult for the most loyal fans. We can’t be fired and forced to remove ourselves from the team. We can’t ask for a trade or be forced to play for another team and wind up on a Stanley Cup winning team. Sure, we can give up and/or jump on the team-du-jour’s bandwagon. But if we do either then what pride do we have left? What’s the point of being a fan if you can’t experience the lows and highs with the team? If you can’t boast that you witnessed every season ending spiral, but had faith that they would bounce back. What kind of fan are you if all you wish for is to see your team raise the Cup, even if it means that your team is the second or third team that you’ve declared to be your team.

The fan that proclaimed that he’s done being a Kings fan even admitted that, ”The Ducks' win is still fresh, so it hurts. That's why I'm done with hockey for now. But I admit, if the Kings can get it together, I may be back." Oh, awesome, take the easy road out. Be that guy. Everyone hates that fan (or maybe it’s just me). I’ve been a Kings fan since I was 6 or 7 years old (since the late 80’s if you’re curious about the year I became a fan) and I don’t plan on kicking the Kings to the curb and standing behind another organization. To me, it doesn’t matter that I’ve suffered through one losing season after another and that the organization hasn’t “rewarded” me for being a loyal fan by winning the Cup. Not every team can win the Cup every year. Not every team will always be hot and have a winning season year after year. Like any other fan, I would love to witness my squad win the Cup but I realize that not every team will have the opportunity to raise it. There are plenty of other ways to enjoy your team and I get rewarded every time I see my favorite Kings play and watch them play their hearts out. The names may change from season to season but as a whole, they’re my team, my Kings. And when the building is done, as DL appropriately calls it, and the team begins to notch winning seasons and make a real run for the Cup, I’ll be able to say that I’ve stood by them through everything, never wavering on my status as a Kings fan. Say your jokes, ask why I’m still a fan, belittle my team, point your finger and laugh at me all you want. I’m a Kings fan, I’m proud to say it, and nothing will change my mind. So when’s the time to call it quits? I say: Never.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet.

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LA Kings - UFAs

One of Jordi's suggestions for off-season posts was for each of us to discuss our team's UFAs. Seeing how I just wrote a post on this topic at my personal blog, I figure I would post it here. The Kings don't have too many UFAs that fans should be worried about losing (unlike Anaheim who could lose JS), but here's my discussion anyway.

With the dreadful Kings season (made worse by the Ducks winning the Cup) behind me, it is time for me to look at what the upcoming season’s roster may look like.

Since I couldn’t recall who will become an unrestricted free agent I had to look it up. TSN has a list of prominent NHL players who could become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Here are the “prominent” Kings to whom we could wave good-bye:

Jaroslav Modry (D)

Aaron Miller (D)

Jamie Heward (D)

Sean Burke (G)

Mathieu Garon (G)

Tom Kostopoulos (F)

Mike Weaver (D)

Raitis Ivanans (F, as in Fighter)

Modry and Heward were both acquired at the trade deadline. I believe that Modry was part of the Norstrom deal (*wiping away the tears*) and I can’t remember how we got Heward. I wouldn’t mind seeing Modry let go. He’s a 36 year old D and I think there are other players, either in the farm system or will be on the market, who will contribute more than he does. I thought that Heward played very well with the Kings and I would like to see the Kings re-sign him, but probably just to a one year deal.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about the Kings re-signing Aaron Miller. On one hand, he’s a very skilled veteran defenseman. On the other hand, he has had a lot of back problems in the past, which cost him a lot of games in the ’05-’06 season and the Olympics. While he did play a full season in ’06-’07, I still wonder if his back will act up again in the future. I say sign him to a one year deal.

As much as the fans (and organization?) appreciated what Burke did for the Kings this past season, I doubt that he will be back. I think that Crawford and Lombardi are set on fully supporting Cloutier’s return to either the #1 or #2 spot. I also think that LaBarbera’s success at Manchester will garner him the other goalie spot. Which leads me to…

Sayonara Mathieu Garon. He’s been good at times but never consistent enough to lead the Kings.

Tom Kostopoulos, aka TKO or as my boyfriend likes to call him, Uncle Jesse because of Jesse’s Greek last name, Katsopolis. Tom is apparently quite the prankster and I would classify him as a middleweight. He throws his body around, chips in on the forecheck, and is an all-around team player. Should the Kings bring him back? I could go either way, but I think he’ll be back.

Mike Weaver was sent down to Manchester at least once this past season and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Kings don’t offer him a new contract. Like I mentioned in my discussion of Modry, there are other defensemen that the Kings have or will sign.

Raitis Ivanans is the scariest looking King. I also could have sworn that the Kings and Ivanans already agreed upon an extension. If I’m making up the contract extension, I do think the Kings will re-sign him. I would rather that they find another enforcer, but the “skilled enforcer” is tough to come by.

x-posted at kms2's inner monologue

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