HLOG Q&A Update with kms2

The second Q&A update comes from kms2.  Her original Q&A is here.

1. What are you up to these days? Still blogging? Why or why not?
The blog Purple Crushed Velvet is still alive, but I've been blogging very sporadically. I don't think I did a single post during the recent off season and despite my excitement for this season I just can't seem to blog on a consistent basis. Before the start of the '10-'11 season I considered completely shutting down the blog, either deleting it entirely or making it private, but surprisingly my brother (or hermano as I call him, you know, from 'Arrested Development') contacted me and asked if he could do guests posts.

There are several reasons why my interest in blogging has waned over the past year. One is that I'm much busier at work. Another is that the Kings are finally doing well and, quite frankly, it's easier for me to write about things that piss me off and rant about Marc Crawford than it is to find new ways to say that I heart Drew Doughty or that I want Justin Williams's babies. Yes, it's easier for me to make fun of someone than it is to make a compliment....apparently I'm a horrible person. Also, there are so many more LA Kings blogs out there now than there was when I started and it's becoming more difficult to come up with unique points of view. I've thought about ways to find a niche for my blog, but it's proving more difficult than I had anticipated and I'm not quite sure I want to put in that much effort.

2. Have you changed team allegiances, or are you still in love with the team you represented on HLOG?
H-No! I've only loved the LA Kings and I will never betray them!

3. How do you feel about your team this year?
I've never felt better about them. We're finally contenders, well, maybe not for the Cup, but at least for a playoff berth and possibly a trip past the first round. It's an exciting year that is definitely stressing me out because the teams in the West are so darn close!

4. Who is your favorite player now?
Luc Robitaille is still my favorite player. However, I still do not have a favorite active player. Drew Doughty is probably leading the list of hopefuls, but I feel like he's such an easy pick and way too many people love Drew. And then I feel stoopid for thinking that I have to have a not so popular player be my favorite. I really liked Frolov, but now he's a Ranger, blue-balling Torts, making him think he'll easily be a 30-goal scorer and then trail off. Anze Kopitar is another easy pick....I don't know...it's probably Drew, but without the awful mustache.

5. Are we too old to use the term SQUEE?
I hope not! Although I do feel a little silly whenever I use it. I was talking to Finny the other day and she mentioned Penner and I immediately said "PENNERSQUEE!!!!" and then giggled uncontrollably.

6. Do you feel that the role of the female fan in keeping the game alive or picking heroes in the community has changed any since you were on HLOG?
Ehh, I don't know. I think it's about the same. Although, I think the hockey ice cheer/crew girls are bringing us down a couple notches, but whatever. One Kings personnel mentioned that it's cheaper for the Kings to have these girl shoveling snow because they're sponsored by one or more companies. Whether it's really a cost savings measure or a way to bring some sex appeal to the game really doesn't change my opinion that they're a superfluous addition to the in-game experience.

7. Hockey just isn’t the same without bench clearing brawls. Ok, so I'm sorta joking, but I love watching old videos of bench clearing brawls because they're so awesome and hilarious.

8. Favorite HLOG memory?
The holiday card swap was a great idea although I'm too lazy to participate in this year. It was really fun to receive cards from a bunch of HLOGgers.

9. How do you feel the blog community has changed since our HLOG days?
It's grown so much and it's kinda overwhelming. There are some things that I'm glad have been created and some others that I dislike. I think Twitter is a great place to follow some hockey analysts and read their opinions and almost feel like you're interacting with them. (You can follow me at Marie_Stiles but I'm usually only active during games). I think Puck Daddy on Yahoo! is also a good addition because it's like a one stop shop for a lot of good hockey stories throughout the day. I really dislike SB Nation and it's whole format. I completely agree with Jes Golbez who recently complained about SB Nation. It feels more like a forum than a blogging community. I still read some blogs that moved over there but I don't feel like the content is the same. I also really enjoy listening to a lot of hockey podcasts. When I have a tough time focusing at work the hockey podcasts usually save the day.

10. Have you reached any milestones in the last few years, personally, that you’re willing to share with us all? Do you have any upcoming milestones in the foreseeable future? (ahem, wedding? baby? book deal? etc?)
The 'boyfriend' that is mentioned in my HLOG 'About Me' section is now my husband :) And he's becoming a big Kings fan too! I wish had some sort of book deal...that would be pretty cool. Or be able to work for myself...that's probably the ultimate dream.

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Olympic Break - What Will Kopitar Do?

Poor Kopitar

Can't he just get his American citizenship and play for the US of A?

We'd welcome him with open arms.

(x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet)

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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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Kings World Podcast

Hello ladies and faithful readers,

Considering posting has been slow around the hockey blogging community, we'd like to inform you that we have finally recorded a new episode for Kings World Podcast, our LA Kings podcast, and hopefully we can provide some entertainment during the slow hockey off-season.


In our 34th episode we discuss the trades and signings as well as who the Kings picked in the 2009 NHL Draft. Marie isn’t as confident as Connie that the Kings will make the playoffs, but there is always a chance the Kings can actually pull something out of their behinds. Of course, everyone looks forward to Frozen Fury coming to you this year on September 26th. Also, you will be able to hear Marie’s exciting Chicago story, which blows Patrick Kane’s out of the water!

You can listen to the podcast by visiting either of our blogs (A Queen Among Kings or Purple Crushed Velvet) or our podcast website, or by subscribing to us in iTunes. Please direct any questions, comments, or thoughts to kingsworldpodcast[at]gmail[dot]com.

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Sunday Six

1. Who's excited for Mad Men tonight??
2. If Michael Vick was a hockey player, would you welcome him to your team?
3. What is your favorite flower or plant?
4. Nick Lachey: hot or not?
5. Xbox, Playstation or Wii?
6. Are you a Mac or a PC?

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Kings Have Another Boring Off Season

The Kings off-season has been b.o.r.i.n.g. Thankfully it coincided with my hectic personal summer so I feel like the off-season has been flying by without feeling like I've been missing out on all the fun. The NHL Entry Draft came and went without much fanfare. The Kings did not hold a Draft party this season for season ticket holders something I attribute to the crappy economy but was probably due to the Kings not wanting to give off the impression that having a high Draft pick is something to celebrate year after year since, of course, that would mean that the Kings still suck. The Kings aren't exactly in the top half of the league but the team is slowly getting there and hopefully next year's Draft will be even less of an event for Kings fans than the 2009 Draft.

Even without the fanfare of the 2008 Draft, I doubt the majority of Kings fans were that upset with the selection of forward Brayden Schenn. Personally, I was satisfied. There’s nothing wrong with stacking the farm system, and eventually the roster, with young quality players.

(source)

Braaaaayyyyy-den Schenn…yes, I am a jerk

The Ryan Smyth trade was definitely a huge surprise to me and, it's probably safe to say, to most Kings fans as well. In fact, that was the only surprise of the off-season but it wasn't a complete downer for the Kings community considering the Kings pretty much gave up only Kyle Quincey to acquire Smyth. One could argue that the Kings lost additional manpower since someone named Tom Preissing was also involved in the mix but he was barely on the roster last season so he will hardly be missed. The Kings have a lot of depth on the blueline so while Quincey was a dominant and productive player last year, sadly he was expendable.

The Kings made a couple other small moves, including letting go of Connie's true love, Matt Moulson and trading away Brian Boyle, who has progressed so slowly that the Kings should be given credit for giving him a chance for as long as they did. Teddy Purcell signed for an additional year and several other small fries also remained in the system.

Jack MF Johnson was the big name to re-sign this off-season and THANK GOD negotiations were completed before the start of the season (*cough*Sully*cough*). I found out about this transaction when Connie texted me while I was on my honeymoon. Yep, I got married this summer; I am officially the ball and chain. Anyway, I had been worried all summer long that Jack would get re-signed to a ridiculously unnecessary contract that he didn't deserve. I am not a fan of long contracts and paying athletes for their potential so I was slightly worried that Dean Lombardi would succumb to what seems to becoming the norm in NHL contracts. However, Deano proved why he's so f'ing awesome and came to an agreement with Jack on a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $1.425 million. I wrote a bit about the Jack re-signing here, but overall, Jack still has a lot to prove so the contract is very telling of what Jack has done for the Kings and what he needs to do in order to be paid the big bucks. It also gives both sides an out in case one or both parties are unhappy with what will happen over the next two years.

So that's it! Boring, right? I know. I live in LA where hockey news is incredibly scarce in local news. I was recently in Minnesota and spent a couple hours at the Mall of America to kill off time before my flight back to LA. I came across the Minnesota Wild Team store and so badly wanted to buy something just because I was hockey starved. I don't care about the Wild but I wanted to buy something hockey related and be near to it. Alas, I didn't step into the store in fear of what I might do. Hockey, please come back now.

(x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet)

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Stanley Cup Finals: What is wrong with NBC?

What is up with NBC's lighting during the Stanley Cup Finals? Ever single game on NBC this series has been on the verge of being unwatchable, and I'm talking Fox Sports Network unwatchable. If I wasn't a hockey fan I would not watch these games. Each game (and each period) starts out perfectly fine. But as the period goes on, the lighting in certain parts of the ice become so glaringly bright that you cannot even see the lines (red line, blue line, circle, and faceoff dots) painted on the ice.


I noticed that in Detroit the glare is at center ice, but in Pittsburgh the glare is at each end, with the "home shoots twice" end having the most glare. I haven't read any complaints on the blogosphere and I'm trying to figure out why no one else has mentioned it. After the first two games in Detroit I thought it could have been my TV but the next two games in Pittsburgh that were televised on Versus were lit well. The following two games on NBC, one in Detroit and the other in Pittsburgh, had the same glare issue. You may think that the whiter the ice the better it is to see the puck, but the ice isn't just whiter, there's a glare to it so that the puck gets momentarily lost as it moves through the "glare" zones. Has anyone else noticed this problem??

(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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Don't Ask Me, "What's That Red Line?"

Question:
What is the most annoying or stupidest thing you've heard someone say at a hockey game?

On a couple episodes of our podcast, Kings World Podcast (why, yes, that was a shameless plug), Connie and I have ranted about some of the atrocious comments we've heard at hockey games that have made our ears bleed. While we're still in favor of exposing people to hockey and expanding the reach of the game, sometimes we wish noobs would keep their comments to themselves. C'mon people, think before you speak!

In our next podcast episode we're going to list our top pet peeves about sitting near non-hockey fans and we would love to hear from other hockey fans too. What makes you cringe? When someone asks, "What's that red line?" Or is it when someone says, "They allow fighting?" The most recent asinine comment I heard at a Kings game was, "I'm still not sure if I'm going to be a Kings fan or a Ducks fan?" (and yes, it took every bit of self restraint not to strangle the guy next to me when those words came spewing out of his mouth.) You don't see me wondering if I'm going to be a Patriots fan or a Giants fan or asking what a strike is. Sometimes if you don't know, just keep that thought to yourself and Google the question to save yourself the embarrassment. The interwebs are a wonderful thing.

Leave your rants in the comments or send one of us an email and we'll be sure to include it in our next podcast. Because let's be honest, while screaming "Shoot!!!!" more than once per game is annoying, nothing's worse than having to hear the person behind you explain to a friend that there are 3 periods in the game, not 3 quarters.

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Cheap Tickets....But Not the Commission Fee

Recently the Kings had a President's Day sale for the home games in February. 44% off a limited number of tickets for these games. How American of them! I jumped at the chance to get such a great deal and called my ticket box office guy. A year or two ago he converted me from a "search-stub-hub-ebay-ticketmaster-look-for-the-best-possible-deal" fan into a "buying-from-the-box-office" gal with the selling point that I would only have to pay $5 per order as opposed to a higher fee per ticket at other places. I was sold.


I called him last week to buy tickets to this Saturday's game versus the Oilers since there was nothing I wanted to do more than drag my fiance to a Kings game on Valentine's Day. Since it's an afternoon game he can still take me out to a nice dinner at night. It's a win-win-win situation! My ticket guy said the tickets were $20 each and since he was in such a rush that was pretty much all I got out of him. Total expected cost for two tickets: $45

I was quite surprised (and pissed) when I checked my credit card statement earlier this week and found out I had been charged $51.44. I know, it's only $6.44 more than I had anticipated, but still, WTF?! I just called him and politely mentioned that I wanted to verify the charges. He said the tickets were $20.77 and the commission fee was $10. I tried to act surprise and said, "wow, so that's a huge increase over last year....why, it's almost not even worth it buying tickets from you." What I really wanted to say was, "Why didn't you mention the increase in commission when I purchased the tickets? I don't appreciate being lied to so you can bet that I will no longer be buying tickets from you." He quickly mentioned that he could usually waive the fee but that management had instructed the sales team to charge the higher fee for the ticket package. Aha!! You bastards! (read: Kings owners/management/AEG, etc) Market a huge ticket promotion and kick everyone in the balls with a commission fee twice the normal amount. I feel like such a pansy ass that just bought into a huge scam. Screw you and your fees! Now I'm going to stick it to the Kings and revert back to my usual bargain hunting ways.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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I Hate Pierre McGuire.com

Hahha, has anyone else seen this? I Hate Pierre McGuire.Com

The blog hasn't been updated since March 2008, but I think someone needs to contact the owner and get some current stuff on there!



x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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"First Class" = Most Irritating Phrase Ever

I'm easily irritable and usually I keep things to myself, but there's one pet peeve I can't hold in anymore. I cannot stand it when players, coaches, analysts, etc. use the phrase "First Class" when describing a certain player, coach, organization, etc.

The most recent offense I witnessed was committed by Rookie Non-Sensation Steve Stamkos when he was interviewed by FSN's Patrick O'Neal at intermission during the Kings/Lightning game. In that one interview Stamkos described the Lightning as a First Class Organization and then, just minutes later, described Rookie Phenom Drew Doughty as a First Class Player. How original! And guess what? I learned so much more about the Lightning organization and Doughty from that phrase!

Of course, Stamkos isn't the only one guilty of using the most irritating and nondescript phrase ever. I've heard plenty of people in the hockey world use it, and I would probably hear other sports figures use it too if I actually watched another sport. I realize interviewees want to appear composed, competent, and polite, but can they stop acting like they're reading verbatim from the Public Relations Master Handbook? It's like there are only a handful of phrases they're allowed to use.

In my opinion, "first class" means nothing. It's like the adjective "nice". When I went through Sorority Rush Recruitment and we had to talk about every single girl who went through Recruitment, we weren't allowed to use the adjective "nice" because it doesn't mean much and doesn't help other people who haven't met her know anything else about her. That's exactly how I feel about "first class". Every single player, coach, organization, etc. has probably at one point or another been described as First Class. Heck, I'm sure even Sean Avery has been described as a First Class Player, albeit, probably from Brett Hull, but nonetheless, it doesn't help someone unfamiliar with the situation know anything more. What does "First Class" tell you? He's....polite? nice?

I feel like "First Class" is the go-to phrase in an interview. Can't think quick enough on your feet? Just say he's a "First Class Player"! Can't put your finger on the best descriptor? Just say you play for a "First Class Organization"! I would much rather hear someone talk about how an organization will go out of their way to help rookies transition to the NHL. Or how an opponent is an outstanding player who works incredibly hard to be the best and is one of the most competitive people to play against. "First Class" does nothing for me....it's almost as bad as describing someone as a real "stand up guy". Ugh, don't even get me started.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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We Like Our Goalies Young...

We also like it when our goalies give us a shot at winning games, something LaBarbera only did less than a handful of times this season. Who would've thunk it that Ersberg's injury would essentially be the final straw for LaBarbera; instead of Barbs stepping up and solidifying his hold on the number one goaltending spot, he let it slip away and gave rookie Jonathan Quick a chance (actually multiple chances) to show off his skills and prove he's ready for the NHL.

(Photo by Bernstein Associates/Getty Images)

With several strong performances in net from Quick, a healthier Ersberg, one highly touted goalie (Bernier) in Manchester and two additional promising goalies (Taylor and Zatkoff) in the pipeline, it was obvious from the start of the season that if Barbs didn't drastically improve his play in net his chances of returning next season would soon decrease to zero. Seeing that Barbs was only signed through this season (and not for a hefty price tag at all) and that it was highly unlikely he would be re-signed, unloading him and getting anything for him at this point is a bargain and a very smart move. Lombardi is pretty good at drafting players so I wouldn't be surprised if he snags a gem in the 7th round.

Photo Courtesy of kms2

He's tall...and really, really nice

See ya, Barbs. Good Luck with the Canucks this year and in the AHL or KHL after that.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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Xmas Gifts for the LA Kings

Christmas is almost here! Yay!  The way my boys have been playing lately, they definitely need some help gifts. No matter the age, everyone makes a list for Santa. Here are things I found my boys asking for:

Derek Armstrong: "I wish Jon Zeiler wouldn't take my roster spot"
Dustin Brown: "I really want a linemate not named Kyle Calder"
Kyle Calder: "All I want is for the fans at Staples Center to stop hating on me"
Drew Doughty: "I want a razor so I can finally shave my hideous beard/goatee"
Erik Ersberg: "I wish I were Big" (seriously people, in street clothes he looks like he's 12)
Alexander Frolov: "I want to reach the elusive 40-goal mark this season" (hmm, so do all Kings fans)
Denis Gauthier: "I want to learn how to be a good defenseman"
Raitis Ivanans: "All I want for Christmas is a good fight...with anyone"
Anze Kopitar: "Santa, I'm still waiting for that eye cream"
Jason LaBarbera: "I want consistency" (We all want that from you...)
Oscar Moller: "Did you see me in that Kings All-Star Campaign? Get me an agent stat!"
Sean O'Donnell: "I want to be young again like that awesome kid, Drew Doughty"
Patrick O'Sullivan: "All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth"
Tom Preissing: "I just want Jack back"
Teddy Purcell: "I want my twin [Moulson] in LA with me."
Kyle Quincey: "I want Moller and Simmonds to cook me dinner sometimes."
Brad Richardson: (Ed note: Uh, who? Really, her? I don't think I know who that is.)
Wayne Simmonds: "I wish there was more '80s rock music in the locker room!...What, Santa, you thought I wanted some Lil Wayne??" 
John Zeiler: "I want to learn how to play hockey"

And for good measure, because I want them on the roster:
Brian Boyle: "I want Lennie strength"
Matt Moulson: "I want out of Manchester...get me to LA now."

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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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Terry Murray, Kings Head Coach

I didn't know anything about Terry Murray before he was appointed the new Kings Head Coach. Although, I guess I should admit, that while I think I know a lot about past and present hockey players, I hardly know anything about hockey coaches, save for the famous ones (Bowman and Melrose). When the Kings canned Marc Crawford I didn't really know who should take over the job because of my limited knowledge of potential candidates. My podcast partner in crime, Connie, kept rattling off all these names, guys who coached in the minors, had experience with World Juniors Teams, etc. and why he should or should not be head of the Kings. I just sat there smiling, politely nodding my head because I had nothing to contribute to the conversation.

When the Kings announced Terry Murray as the head coach all I really thought was, at least he's not Marc Crawford. I learned a wee bit about the guy before the start of the season and my overall impression was, at least he's not Marc Crawford. Over a month into the season and I'm still not ready to make any hard judgment about Murray, but like with any coach, there are things that I see that impress me and others that irritate me.

My biggest pet peeve that is a continuation from last season: the constant mixing of the lines. The only pairing that has remained the same is Kopitar with Brown on the first line. Other than Mr. Capitain and his $7 million sidekick, it's anyone's guess who will be playing with them and which remaining players will be on the next three lines. I don't understand why Raitis Ivanans, the lone enforcer has yet to be a healthy scratch and why Kyle Calder has seen an enormous amount of minutes playing alongside Kopitar and Brown. Other questionable roster movements, in my humble blogger/fan opinion, include benching Tom Preissing for several too many games, using the less than stellar defenseman Peter Harrold as a forward, sending Matt Moulson back to the Manchester Monarchs, and starting Jason LaBarbera for 10 straight games, despite the obvious need to shake things up in net. But with all of my complaints, which of course are amplified during losing streaks, I do have some praise for Mr. Murray.

The Kings defense is much improved over last year. The team is allowing significantly fewer shots and the penalty kill is actually respectable. Considering that defense was a huge question mark coming into the season, it's a relief to see that it's doing pretty well. Murray was a defenseman during his days as a hockey player, which could only help in the quest to improve the Kings defense. He's also a much calmer person compared to Crawford. I can't even count how many times last season the camera would pan over to the bench and Crow would look like he was about to burst an artery in his neck. On the other hand, every time the camera focuses on Murray, he looks like he could be at the symphony; maybe a little shake of the head will occur when something does go well, but usually a pensive expression will overcome him. The guys are obviously responding to Murray and his coaching staff and it's refreshing to see the Kings play good hockey.

Some hockey analysts criticized the hiring because they expected the Kings to pick someone without any NHL coaching experience but with success in the AHL. But Murray has experience with teams in rebuilding years and coaching them into successful seasons. So far, his positives outweigh the negatives and, considering he wasn't the first new coach to be fired, I say he's doing the job well enough.

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Rinkside View: You Can't Be Serious

Tonight is the second time this season Fox Sports (West) is televising a Kings home game using the Rinkside View. Less than five minutes into the game and I can't quite tell if I'm this close to losing it or this close to vomiting from motion sickness.

Whoever decided this was a fantastic idea deserves to be fired and that's putting it lightly.

If you're like me and you love every chance to leave negative feedback, please leave feedback at Fox Sports about the rinkside view. I fully support using the words 'hate', 'horrible', 'why are you doing this to me?', and/or 'give me the regular broadcast view' when leaving feedback in regards to the rinkside view. Since I still want to watch my Kings play, boycotting the televised home games is not an option so please leave Fox Sports some feedback.

Uncut version x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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HLOG Throwdown: Week 3

It's the middle of Week 3 in HLOG Fantasy (hockey) Land and as league Commish I'm rocking last place all on my own. Dead Last. As in, not where the Kings are in the standings! Yay! The saddest part about my being last is that I'm actually trying. In fact, Heather B hasn't touched her team since September 9th and she's still beating me. Tracy and Elly are also neglecting their teams but are somehow still beating me. Unreal. But Elly is only 3 points ahead of me so if she continues to treat her team like a red-headed stepchild, I'll be movin' on up.

With 16 teams, any injury or poor performance results in a tough decision of who to pick up. The top teams are doing well for themselves, hardly needing to juggle things up. But the bottom feeders, like myself, need to quickly figure out who to drop and find the gems in a very sparse free agency pool in order to start winning.


There are four teams battling for top honors: Use and Amuse (Sherry), Sauer Power (Mo), openicehits (Leanne), and EI's Belles (Ellie). Last week Sherry bitch-slapped her opponent (Elly) 10-1, handily defeating her in goals and PIM (thanks to Rivet's 29 PIM in one week, who knew he had it in him). Leanne swept me in the goalie categories after both Biron and Turco had a horrendous week.

Sherry and Steph lead the league in goals with Bethany and Leanne not too far behind. Sherry is lucky to have snagged Marc Savard (5G, 4A) and Todd Bertuzzi (5G, 10 PIM). Wait, lucky to have Bertuzzi? Isn't that supposed to by an oxymoron? And how is it that Trianglehead doesn't even have one goal? At least he has 5 assists, bringing his points total to 5, which is more than Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Teemu Selanne combined. Kirsten and CapsChick continue to lack goal scorers but are both tops in assists. What is most fascinating is that we're only in Week 3 and CapsChick is at an astonishing +44. As of Wednesday morning, she doesn't have a single player in the negative. Unbelievable. I guess her game plan of drafting (almost) only Canadiens and Capitals is working out. Mo's team is leading the league in PIM with 87 (largely attributed to her two Shanes, Doan and O'Brien, and Kurt Sauer) and my team is behind by only 11 PIM, which tells me that somebody isn't doing his job (tsk, tsk). After earning 27 PIM in the first week of Fantasy Hockey, Avery failed to commit even one penalty last week. While AcidQueen, Sherry, and Connie lead the league in power play points in the low 20s, CapsChick and I are lagging far behind, having yet to even reach double digits. The top four goaltenders are Brodeur (Mo), Backstrom (Leanne), Miller (Teka), and Lundqvist (Ellie) which may explain how Mo, Leanne, and Ellie are placed in the top four of the fantasy league.

With many more weeks to go, it's still any lass's game. Heather B, Tracy, and Elly, get your teams in order! We can't let Sherry and Leanne lead the league again!

p.s. Tracy, I still have your prize from last season. I SWEAR that I will make it to the post office one of these days!

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Starting the Season 0 for 2

I knew the Kings were screwed when the NHL schedule was released during the off season and it revealed that the Kings would open the season with a home-and-home series against the San Jose Sharks. It seemed very unlikely that the Kings would be able to handle the experienced and very skilled Sharks team. Even with backup Brian Boucher tending net in Game 2 the Kings couldn't even come close to taking the upper hand.

Kings fans were super excited to see Blake

Both games featured sub-sub-sub-par playing by the entire Kings lineup, which fully exposed the complete lack of chemistry. The season opener on Saturday had most of the lines rather unchanged throughout the game. However in the home opener on Sunday, the guys were mixed around forming various combinations among the forwards, and even on defense, reminiscent of those horrible Crawford days. Kopitar received a 10-minute misconduct which forced Murray to find players to rotate in his spot during that duration. But since no one line could consistently be counted on to execute any sustained pressure, I suppose it's no surprise that he mixed up the lines hoping to spark some kind of offense.

LaBarbera looked average in the first game and better in the second game less the moment he allowed the lone goal. There were several scary scrums in the second game but he and the guys in front of him always managed to keep the puck out of the net. He even looked solid on shots that went through traffic and rarely let up many rebounds. But, of course, the one shot that beat him looked so easy to stop, low to the near (glove) side, that it seemed inconceivable that the puck was able to sail by him, but yet it did.

The defense encountered so much trouble clearing the zone and, along with the forwards, was so miserable at connecting passes through the neutral zone to begin the attack. The Kings had so much difficulty getting shots on goal because they failed time and time again at crossing the opponents' blueline and gathering the puck on the dump and chase. The passing deteriorated as the game went on to the point where they couldn't even make one clean pass as the clock slowly ticked to zero among boos resonating through Staples Center. Seeing the Kings getting booed in the home opener was brutal. It was even more brutal knowing that the biggest cheer happened when the score of the Dodgers game (7-2 win over Philly) was revealed on the Jumbotron. It doesn't even matter that two goals were disallowed (man in the crease and kicking the puck in the net) in the second period, because the Kings didn't deserve to win. So many things went wrong in these two games and hopefully the Kings will find ways to quickly remediate the issues otherwise it'll be a very long, excruciating season.

x-posted to Purple Crushed Velvet

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