Aaaaah, new year's in Detroit. What else is there to do up in Michigan on the last day of 2006? With a high of roughly 42 degrees, why not go to Joe Louis and see the Red Wings light up the Kings in a blaze of glory? Sound too pessimistic? Let's just say the odds are stacked high against the boys from the Left Coast.

First, consider Detroit has an impressive record playing on New Year's Eve. They have won five in a row and eight in eleven years. The Kings, coming off a loss off of Calgary, has had plenty of problems halfway through the season: they are currently 29th in the league in goals against, and their penalty killing is also ranked 29th.

One player to watch is Robert Lang. Lang, who started his career with L.A. Lang has averaged more than a point a game against the Kings, 17 points in 16 games. The Wings also has the league's number one goals against average, thanks to the Dominator, Dominic Hasek. The Kings have had a revolving door in goal, thanks to the substandard play of their goalies. Not that all the blame rests solely on the netminders. The Kings have had plenty of defensive lapses, which lead to goals. The one bright spot for the team has to be their power play, where they are currently in the top 10. But with shoddy goaltending and defensive goofs, that plus quickly gets erased.

The first goal goes to Detroit, when some nifty one-touch passing mixes up the Kings. Pavel Datsyuk brings the puck in the Kings' zone, and passes over to Henrik Zetterburg, who immediately sends the puck over to Tomas Holstrom. All the Kings could do was watch as the Wings swooped in and score.

Through the first six minutes, the Kings are playing like TV announcer Bob Miller sounds, very weak, with only one shot. Miller has got a cold for tonight's game, but like a true warrior, he shows up and calls the game. If only Crawford could bottle that up and dispense it to his club.

The Kings get a power play late in the period, but to no avail. In their last meeting, L.A. went 0-for-8 with the man advantage. Detroit is middle of the pack on the penalty kill, but they are treating this PK like a normal shift, bringing up two skaters on the forecheck.

The period ends and L.A. gets outshot, 15-7. Detroit spent much of the time in control, while the Kings seemed rudderless.

First period: Red Wings 1, Kings 0

The Wings' Brett Lebda knocks the puck over the glass early in the second, getting a delay of game penalty. The Kings respond with a goal from winger Alexander Frolov. Frolov has been on a tear the past week, who has scored 8 points in the past three games. Brent Sopel shoots the puck wide, and the puck careens around to Sean Avery, who passes it up to Oleg Tverdosky. Oleg shoots it on goal, and Derek Armstrong is able to put his stick on the puck to redirect it slightly. Haske is unable to control the rebound, which goes to Frolov. Frolov backhands it, and goes tops helf over Hasek's shoulder for his 20th goal of the season. The goal is reviewed, but stands, and the game is tied.

But then the Kings give up two goals in under two minutes, which is the most frustrating thing about the Kings this season. Valtteri Filppula has a rebound from his shot go in off his skate as he slid toward the net. Pavel Datsyuk gets his second point of the game when he wrists a shot past Garon.

The Kings bring it within one, when Frolov scores once again. Frolov passes over to Cammalari, who bobbles it over to Armstrong. Cammy heads toward the goal, as Armstrong passes it to Frolov. Alexander one-times it in the top of the slot, through traffic and over Hasek's shoulder for his second goal of the game.

But the Wings get one right back, when Kris Draper scores to give Detroit a two-goal cushion. The Kings shoot more this period, but the experience and skill of the Red Wings has kept them at bay all game. At times, it looks as if they are just toying with L.A., setting up as many different players with scoring chances. Ten different Red Wings have points through two periods.

Second period: Red Wings 4, Kings 2

The third period is painful. For the second time in the game, the Red Wings score two goals within two minutes of one another, to add to their lead, 6-2. Garon's day comes to a close, as Barry Brust comes in relief. But Brust only has to face four more shots, as Detroit hold the Kings at bay the rest of the period.

The Kings head toward the second half of the season ranked at 28th in the league, firmly entrenched in the cellar of the Pacific. Things look grim the rest of the season. But there are some bright spots to look forward to. One has to be Luc Robitaille's number being retired later this month. Also, the Kings may be looking to unload some talent, allowing for some of the promising players down in the minors, like O'Sullivan, Pusharev and Tukonen, to come up for some "seasoning".

Until then, we as Kings fans must wait and whimper.

Thrid period: Red Wings 6, Kings 2

Posted by Matt Murray at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, as everyone is L.A. knows, Anze Kopitar has quickly grabbed the majority of the attention of Kings fans. Since he's in a fierce battle with Evgeni Malkin for Rookie of the Year honors, stories are finally following one of the few bright spots for the Kings this season.

The Edmonton Sun reported that it was Anze's sheer determination that won him his spot on the opening day roster. The Edmonton Journal points out that not only is Anze putting up numbers on par with the highly-touted Malkin, but he's only 19 days older than Sidney Crosby.

Anze Nation is in full effect. In an informal poll, the top gift received by many Kings fans this Christmas was a Kopitar jersey. Kopitar has ignited a spark with many fans this season. I, for one, check to see how he does in the box score before I check the game score. I scoff aloud when I hear radio and TV announcers mispronounce his first name. I've gained a respect for the country of Slovenia, whose fans have trickled over online to follow their lone hockey prodigy.

This season may be a rebuilding one for the Kings, but if the returns given by Kopitar are any indication, Los Angeles will soon be focusing more on winning the division and going deep in the playoffs than on a player winning the Calder trophy.

Posted by Matt Murray at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After being activated earlier today from the injured reserve, Mathieu Garon gets the start in goal tonight. Another fresh face for L.A. is Alyn McCauley, who gets his first start as a King tonight.

Talk about impressive milestones, Rob Blake is playing in his 700th game as a King. The Oilers also have 999 career wins going into tonight's game.

Fernando Pisani draws first blood for Edmonton, as he gets a pass from Jarrett Stoll to score a short-handed goal over the shoulder of Garon. Brent Sopel held on the the puck too long, behind the net, as Stoll flips it to a wide open Pisani, who shoots quickly, surprising a rusty Garon.

Dustin Brown is set up by Anze Kopitar to even the score. Brown tips it to Kopitar, who takes it along the boards. He sends a pretty pass to Brown, who buries it past Dwayne Roloson for his tenth goal of the season. With the assist, Kopitar is now tied with Malkin for the rookie scoring lead.

Brian Willsie puts the Kings ahead with a wide-open shot, thanks to a defensive lapse of the Oilers. As time elapsed on the Ales Hemsky penalty, the Kings had good offensive pressure. As they were cycling the puck, the Oilers missed an assignment, leaving Willsie open. Conroy passes the the puck to him, and he finishes it, much to the dismay of the fans in Edmonton.

Scott Thornton gets a huge penalty: 2 minutes for instigating a fight, 5 for fighting and two 10 minute game misconduct, to put the Kings on the PK for seven minutes. That's 27 minutes on penalties, my friends. If I had Scott Thornton on my fantasy club, The Four King Ice Holes, I would be dominating the penalty minutes category. (I've got the second highest in our league now with 337 minutes. 27 would put me over the top. /geek talk)

The Kings are playing well, under the circumstances, but seven minutes of power play time is a lot to play a man down. Daniel Tjarnqvist shoots the puck from the point, and it hits Garon on his glove hand. But he can't hold on, and the puck trickles in, despite Garon sprawling backward to try and keep it out. The goal is reviewed and stands as called. The shoot wasn't very difficult, and probably should've been handled by Garon. But it took a weird bounce, and the Kings find themselves tied at the end of one period.

First period: Kings 2, Oilers 2

The second period was hard for me to follow, as I had to tend to the bathtub being clogged after The Wife gave The Daughter a bath. I spent all period catching parts of action, thanks to Nick Nickson and Darryl Evans.

I missed the first two Oiler goals, but was able to hear Rob Blake's power play goal. Alexander Frolov feeds him a perfect pass to give Blake his seventh of the season. All seven of his goals have been power play goals. Frolov gets some love from Derek Armstrong, as he scores his 18th of the season. 5 and a half minutes later, Sean Avery scores to make it 6-4. I also heard it was Kopitar who set up Avery's goal. If I'm not mistaken, the assist put Anze up a point on Evgeni Malkin in the rookie scoring race. Of course, Anze has played in seven more games than Evgeni.

The Kings have had three power play goals against the league's best penalty kill. They also have blocked 15 shots the first two periods. McCauley has taken the most face-offs through the first two periods, winning 8 of 14. He has been a nice surprise for L.A. so far this game.

Second period: Kings 5, Oilers 4

Frolov works the puck behind the puck, and is being chased side-to-side behind Roloson. He spots a wide-open Visnovsky. Lubo walks right down the middle and takes the pass from Frolov and shoots it to put the Kings up, 6-4. The Oilers collapse, with everyone looking at the puck, and the defensive mishap costs them. Derek Armstrong gets his third assist of the game. He's played well.

Garon seems to be more focused the later the game goes. He's been under a barrage of shots in the third, and he's been turning them all away.

Alyn McCauley scores an empty-netter to top off the Kings' scoring. In his first game, McCauley has paid instant dividends from Crawford, giving him another weapon in the face-off circle.

It was the fourth time this season that Roloson allowed at least six goals in a game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that equals the number of games in which Roloson allowed six or more goals over his previous six NHL seasons combined, spanning 218 games.

Third period: Kings 7, Oilers 4

Posted by Matt Murray at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to LAKings.com, the Kings have activated Alyn McCauley to the 23-man roster, moved Mathieu Garon from the injured reserve and put Dan Cloutier on IR.

Now, this is a very sticky situation to be put in. As a human being, wishing an injury on a player it outright wrong. Cloutier has been put in a tough position this season, netminding a struggling, young team. I can appreciate the fact that whatever Cloutier has done this sdeason, he is trying his best. It doesn't change the fact that he's a good guy.

But the fan side of me is sighing a big sigh of relief. Having Crawford wheel Clouts out in goal every night has just been brutal to watch. And it's even harder to swallow when we have several decent rookie goaltenders in the pipeline. Add to that the whole Jason LaBarbera reverse-waiver fiasco the Kings had put themselves in, and the odds were stacked against Dan the minute he laced them up for Los Angeles.

No matter what Lombardi, Crawford or anyone else is saying in the upper ranks of the Kings management, 2006-07 is a rebuilding year. And to prop up an aging goalie in place of several promising goalies in the system doesn't make much sense.

Posted by Matt Murray at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Matt Murray at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a season where wins have been scarce, and there are few things to cheer for, one can only hope for small blessings. Like catching a team looking forward to the upcoming Christmas break enjoyed by the league. Tonight, the ones caught looking ahead were the Kings.

Both teams are coming into the game coming off bad losses, Los Angeles suffered a loss to the league's worst club, St. Louis, on the 21st. Nashville were soundly defeated by Buffalo the same night. Both clubs hope to come in and make some noise.

The first club to make some noise was Nashville, early in the first period. The Predaotrs try to clear the zone, and the puck goes right between Kevin Dallman's legs to Steve Sullivan, who had snuck behind the Kings' D. Sullivan skates in and backhands the puck towards Dan Cloutier. The rebounds pops up high in the air and lands behind him, right in front of a charging Jason Arnott. Arnott simply directs it in for the first score.

Paul Kariya misses scoring on a penalty shot on Dan Cloutier. But he won't be denied this period. Nashville scored again later in the period, when Paul Kariya skates in the nuetral zone and passes it to David Legwand. Legwand leaves the puck to Alexander Radulov. Radulov winds up and shoots, hitting Cloutier's pad. Blunder Dan cannot control the puck once again, and it lands in front of Kariya for an easy goal.

Late in the period, the Kings have several good chances on the power play, but goalie Chris Mason comes up large.

First period: Predators 2, Kings 0

The second period was all Nashville. Starting with a short-handed goal on a penalty shot for Legwand, Nashville reeled off four more goals on Cloutier: Jason Arnott scored again, this time on the power play. And J.P. Dumont scored back-to-back goals.

So now, the Predators scoring looks something like this: Dumont 4 pts. (2G 2A), Sullivan 3 pts (3A), Kariya 2 pts. (1G 1A), Arnott 2 pts. (2G), Legwand 2 pts. (1G 1A), Radulov 2 pts. (2A), Zidlicky 1 pt. (1A). It seems Christmas has come earliy for the Predators, who are feasting on the yuletide carcass of the Kings.

But not all of the blame should be attributed to Cloutier. Two of Nashville's four second-period goals come on the power play. Dumont's first goal was a remarkable goal. He takes a shot on goal, and it appears to hit the post, popping up to him. It hits it in mid-air as Cloutier tries to snatch it away with his glove. But Dumont hits it once again in mid-air, past Cloutier for the score.

Second period: Predators 6, Kings 0

So now, Cloutier has had enough abuse in the game. As Scott Hartnell takes some liberties in the crease, Cloutier spears him in the chest, then starts swinging wildly. He gets an automatic game misconduct, but I don't think anyone will notice. Barry Brust comes in relief and plays well, facing 14 shots in the third.

Legwand scores his second of the game, but it was more a redirection off Lubomir Visnovsky's skate that caused the goal. Brust played well the remainder of the third, despite being down two men. All together, there were 17 penalties in the third.

Thankfully, the game comes to an end. The shutout by Nashville ties the Kings' franchise record of worst defeat, last occuring when the Oilers also had a 7-0 shutout on Los Angeles. I rub my eyes and flip off the TV, as my gaze settles on our Christmas tree decorated with several hockey-themed ornaments. I'm anxiously looking forward to Christmas two days away, and hopeful that the memory of this game fades fast.

Third period: Predators 7, Kings 0

Posted by Matt Murray at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This time of year always makes me a little reflective. I recall things that I had done during the past 12 months, and think of ways I could've done them better. One was brought to my attention by a fellow journalist, Mark Pargas, a staff editor for the New York Times.

If you recall, I took Mark to task over some discrepancies in his story that he had written for the Dec. 1 editon of the Times' Escapes section. The way the story appeared, it seemed he had forgotten how the NHL playoffs had gone back in 1993, stating that the Kings lost to Toronto. Perhaps with a little too much glee, I attacked Mark and the New York Times, one of the industry's great newspapers, without giving him the benefit of the doubt.

In his email, Mark pointed out that even though his name was on the story, he did not make the mistake. He stated that according to space constraints, his story was trimmed by copy editors, blending several stories to make it fit. Within hours of publishing the story online, the Times' did indeed correct the story online, and they ran a correction in the printed edition on Dec. 8. However, as is the case with many corrections in the print edition, it went unnoticed by many, including me.

The Internet, as many of you already know, has become this leviathan of information. Countless opinions are voiced in a million different ways. Often, many take these opinions as facts, which in turn becomes misinformation. As is the case with bloggers and similar forms of communication, some writers hide behind the veil of denial that blogs should not be considered no more than just opinions and observations.

However, that should not be the case with journalists, where we should take fact-checking very seriously. According to Mark, he had the right information, but it was deleted in the course of editing by the copy desk.

This has turned out to be one of those things that, upon reflection, I should have handled differently. As in the case of CBS Sportsline's Wes Goldstein, I shouldn't have called him by name, and for that, I am sorry. The errors that appeared in the story were ones that were put in by copy editors, and not Mark.

So in the spirit of Christmas, Chanakuh, Kwanzaa and Festivus, I wanted to take this opportunity to extend an olive branch, bough of holly, Festivus pole and any other holiday-related item to publicly apologize to Mark for any trouble I may have caused him in all of this.

At the end of his email, he asked why was Dan Cloutier keeps giving up goals like he did to the Flames' Tony Amonte the other night. Mark, your guess is as good as mine.

Posted by Matt Murray at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to everyone's emails, who pointed out that my post on the Calgary game was missing. I hadn't switched the post from "unpublished" to "published," which is embarrasing enough. Sorry for the delay.

Posted by Matt Murray at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thanks to the recent call-up of Yutaka Fukufiji from Manchester, there's about five people from the Japanese media here tonight. However, Fukufiji has been assigned to Long Beach for the time being. Dan Cloutier is in the building, and gets his first start in three games tonight. When he was announced, Blunder Dan was booed lustfully by the Kings faithful.

Since Christmas time is around the corner, Staples Center is awash in the glow of the holidays. Usually illuminated blue at night, SC was bathed in green lights. Fans were walking around in Kings Santa hats, which look really weird when fans wear the old school purple and gold.

Two shots in, Dan Cloutier lets a puck trickle past him for the first Flames goal. Fans boo him unmercifully. Tony Amonte unloads a shot from the top of the crease, and it sneaks behind Cloutier.

Scott Thornton gets the whistle for for holding, and on the ensuing power play, Richie Regehr scores to put Calgary up, 2-0. The boo birds come out once again. Near the nosebleed seats closest the the press box, a lone child fan starts yelling at the fans booing Cloutier to "see if you could do better." It was loud enough to warrant a few chuckles in the press box.

During the TV timeout, Cloutier remains in the crease, just staring down and stretching. When he has makes a routine save, the fans are cheering sarcastically. There is no love lost between the L.A. fans and Blunder Dan.

First period: Flames 2, Kings 0

In the first minute of the second period, Anze Kopitar scored an unassisted goal to energize Staples Center to life. Kopitar tries to pass the puck over to Brown, who is in front of McLennan. But Calgary's Robin Regehr's stick redirects the pass into the net for the King's first tally.

Anze Nation is in full effect. At Team LA, there are many player t-shirts (including Jason LaBarbara... what the...?). But right in front when you walk in, there's a display with Kopitar #11 jerseys prominantly on display. There are several throughout the store, mostly because there's no authentic Kopitar jerseys. There's plenty of Cloutier jerseys, however.

Halfway through the period, Lubomir Visnovsky fails to clear the puck, and Jarome Iginla skates around him and in on Cloutier. Instead of shooting, Iginla decides to leave the puck for Tony Amonte, who spots Daymond Langkow open for his 12th goal of the season. The play was real bang-bang, and even though the fans groan about Cloutier letting in another goal, that was solid work by the Flames.

Calgary's defensive play has been good, really causing havoc and disrupting the Kings' flow.

However, the hard-nosed play for Jeff Cowan leads to the second Kings' goal, when Kopitar gets McLennan to commit on making a save down low, dropping to his knees, allowing Kopitar to kncok the puck over his shoulder for the goal. It is Kopitar's first two-goal performance at Staples Center. and the Kings are back within one goal.

But the celebration is short-lived as David Moss scored his first NHL career goal. Cloutier has allowed many rookies to score their first goal in the league this year.

And even though the Kings have doubled the Flames' shots this period, they remain two goals behind.

Second period: Flames 4, Kings 2

The Kings were able to sustain some offensive pressure early in the third, but the Flames defense has been stifling. Calgary has allowed the third lowest goals in the league, behind San Jose and Detroit.

When Kristian Huselius scored midway through the third, fans started to file out slowly. The holiday cheer had worn off, the hope for a Kings victory for Christmas were effectively dashed. And even though Brown did score on a Kopitar assist late in the game, the mood was more Bah Humbug than anything.

As the horn sounded to end the game, fans sort of gave a half-hearted cheer. As I was walking out of Staples Center, I spotted a young girl wearing a Kings Menorah hat. I chuckled at the site of that, because I had never seen a menorah hat. It also reminded me that Tuesday night is the fourth day of Chanukah, where five candles are lit to honor the miracle of Chanukah. The Flames lit up the Kings for five goals Tuesday night, so maybe there's a correlation.

Posted by Matt Murray at 6:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Kings, coming off their dismantling of division rival San Jose on Thursday, need to continue to have consistancy on the ice, if they hope to beat Dallas. Rookie Barry Brust gets his second start of the season, filling in for the injured Dan Cloutier. Since Brust has been pressed into service, the Kings call up Yukata Fukufuji, the 8th round pick of the Kings back in 2004. He becomes the first Japanese player to ever suit up in the NHL.

In the first minute of the game, the Stars score on the second shot of the game, much to the chagrin of Staples Center fans. The Kings try to clear the puck, but it's passed behind the net to Jeff Halpern. As the defense closed in, Halpern kicks it to Boucher, who unloads a shot over the right shoulder of Brust to lift the Stars, 1-0.

The Kings miss a defensive assignment, and Stu Barnes knocks a shot past Brust to make it 2-0. Kopitar, Dallman and Tverdosksy blew it, by leaving Barnes wide open for a pass from Halpern, and he made the Kings pay. Halpern now has two assists in the game.

The Stars have been keeping the puck in the Kings' zone the majority of the first period. But the Kings haven't helped their cause. Missed assignments, especially in the case of the second goal, have the Kings struggling to keep up. The Stars, have been throwing everything they got at the rookie goaltender. The Stars have 12 shots on goal. For the most part, Brust has been playing well, limiting rebounds and controlling the puck when he gets it. But L.A. needs to suck it up and play stronger, like they did against the Sharks in the last game.

First period: Stars 2, Kings 0

In the first two minutes of the second, the Kings equal the amount of shots they had in the first, with six shots. L.A. has decided to be more agressive, attacking the puck more. Also Crawford has a tighter rein on ice time, with shorter shifts for skaters, allowing for fresher lines on the ice.

Trevor Daley gets whistled for tripping Alexander Frolov, and L.A. goes on the power play. Kopitar cycles around, drawing the Dallas defenser toward him. He then passes the puck back to Cammallari, who spots Brown. Cammy fires a pass to him, who shoots it point blank past Turco for the Kings first goal of the game.

The Kings turn the tables on the Stars, outshooting them in the second, 17-6. L.A. is also leading the surge in the physical department, with 23 hits through two periods. The Kings are hitting anything white and green.

Second period: Stars 2, Kings 1

Both teams are cautious starting the third. But the Kings capitalize first, Brian Willsie gets the puck to Sean Avery, who shoots a wrister from the top circle past Turco to even the score at 2-2.

Brust has been limiting the rebounds by covering the puck as soon as it hits his pads. Plus, the Kings are playing a tighter forecheck, not allowing the Stars to break free and take more shots. The Kings are also blocking shots, 20 through two periods.

Zubov gets called for holding, as the Kings go on the power play. Rob Blake, doing an excellent job creating havoc in front of the goal, touched the puck with his hand before Conroy tipped it in. But the refs whistle it off. The Kings are still on the PP though, and Frolov passes the puck to Avery, who has a quick trigger. Avery shoots the puck and it's loose in the air. It lands behind Yurco and would've gone in but Blake stuck his stick in there to poke it in for the Kings' second power play goal.

Dustin Brown gets two minutes for charging, as Dallas goes on the man-advantage. Dallas ties the game up, when Brenden Morrow passes it toward the net, and it deflects off Mattias Norstrom's stick and bounces off the ice. The puck deflects high, and there was nothing Brust could do.

Avery gets tattooed against the boards, and draws a boarding call, as the Kings will finish the period on the power play. But Derek Armstrong gets called for hooking, evening it up on the ice. Time expires as we go to overtime, and they will play 3-on-3 until the Stars' penalty expires. Then Dallas will play 4-on-3 for 30 seconds.

They're going to OVERTIME!

Third period: Kings 3, Stars 3

Both teams kill their penalties, and both teams get several good shots at winning. But both teams are winded.

They're headed to a SHOOTOUT!

Sergei Zubov's shot is a miss.
Dustin Brown's shot is saved by Turco.
Jussi Jokinen hit the post.
Anze Kopitar hit the post.
Mike Ribeiro's wristshot results in a goal.
Alexander Frolov's wristshot is saved by Turco.

Final score: Stars 4, Kings 3 (shootout)

Posted by Matt Murray at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dan Cloutier was injured in the pre-game skate when a Frolov shot hit hi in the shoulder. So rookie Barry Brust gets his NHL debut start in goal. Coming into tonight, San Jose was a plus-17 in the first period alone. So the scene is set for a real blood-letting. A rook in goal, against one of the top teams in the NHL. Also, Vesa Toskola is in goal, since the Sharks alternate their goaltenders every other game. One of the main reasons why I didn't draft either on my fantasy club.

Brust starts strong, and gets some early help from his team. Anze Kopitar, working hard to draw the goalie out of the crease, then knocking a shot over a sprawling Toskola to give the Kings the early lead. Kevin Dallman took a shot from the point, hitting Brown who was providing a screen. Kopitar picked up the loose puck and worked his magic, to pick up his first goal in eight games.

Brian Willsie was whistled for boarding, as the Kings went on their first penalty-kill. Last game, the Kings were called for eight penalties, two of which allowed goals.

Kopitar strikes again, this time poking a puck to Alexander Frolov, who starts on the attack. He is defended by Christian Ehrhoff, so he turns around, effectivelt shielding the puck from view. He leaves it for a trailing Kopitar, who deked past Toskola with his first NHL short-handed goal. The short-hander was the first one allowed by the Sharks this season.

The Kings have outshot the Sharks on the first period once again, making it 4 times on the season. Last game, they outshot them, 12-9, and that's the exact shot count tonight. This being the second of the home and home series

First period: Kings 2, Sharks 0

The Kings came out in the second period with the same intensity, and it seemed that they caught Toskola on a bad night. Brent Sopel, returning from being on the IR, took a shot fro the point, and the puck bounced off Toskola. The puck flipped up and over Toskola, who lost sight of it. It bounced next to a sliding Mike Cammallari, who knocked the puck in on his knees to make it 3-0.

Brust almost allowed in a goal, when he swiped at a Jonathon Cheechoo shot with his pad, and the puck was knocked in by the high stick of Steve Bernier. The HP Pavilion erupted, but the play was whistled no goal by two refs.

It is then that I notice the face mask of Brust. I recognize the Hollywood sign on the left hand side, and the Manchester M, which adorns the chin of the mask. But I don't really know what is on the crest of the top, or on the other side. After taking a closer look online, I identify a Staples Center on the right side of the mask. And on the crest is a large picture of Jabba The Hut. I get the Hollywood sign and the SC. I even get the Manchester M. But Jabba? I'd love to ask him what the deal is with that.

Kopitar had a brilliant play where he almost had his third goal. But Bob Miller jinxed it, when he said "Kopitar... for the hat trick..." There isn't a phrase in the English language that irks me more. 10 times out of 10, anytime someone actually mentions a player only needs one goal for the hat trick, the Hockey Gogs laugh and put up an invisible barrier. It must've been an invisible barrier that kept Anze from scoring an absolute gimme of a goal. It looks as if Toskola used his stick to trip the rookie Anze, but there is no whistle.

L.A. has done a good job limiting San Jose on even strength. The Sharks have the league's best power play unit coming into tonight's game. But the several times they have had the man-advantage, they have failed to score. The two power plays in the second yielded no shots on goal. Brust has continued playing strong, making solid stops against the high-powered Sharks. The murmurings are starting of that unspoken thing that Brust is two-third of the way towards earning. but you didn't hear it from me.

Second period: Kings 3, Sharks 0

For the 11th time this season, the Kings have the lead going into the third period. When they have the lead, they are 8-0-2.

Frolov takes a shot on goal, which gets directed to the corner. Derek Armstrong picks it up and circles straight toward the goal. He looks to stuff it in, but the puck pops up and over Toskola's shoulder to make it 4-0.

During an ill-advised change for the Kings, Cheechoo drove to the net with the puck. It trickled away and found itself to Joe Thornton. Thornton had a great backhand shot which would've beat Brust. But Brent Sopel, recently back from his trip on the injured list, made the save by blocking the shot with his stick.

Christian Ehrhoff finally puts San Jose on the board, scoring a power play goal, to break up the shutout. And as cool as it would be cool to have Brust get a shutout in his first start, I'll take a victory over the Sharks. Mike Grier adds another goal late in the game, but it's too little, too late.

The stars of the game were all Kings, including two rookies: The rookie netminder Barry Brust, who wound up making 34 saves in his debut start; Alex Frolov, who by notching two assists added to his team-leading 29 points; and Anze Kopitar gets the top star for scoring twice.

This is the type of game that the Kings should build off of. Their next two games are at home; against the Stars on Saturday and the Flames on Tuesday.

Posted by Matt Murray at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, it's been a full week here at 300 Oceangate, and we are still without TVs. So, I'm forced to listen on the radio. I was able to fashion a make-shift antennae from leftover masking tape from packing boxes around the office and paper clips. I even put a Jack In The Box Holiday Ball on the end, although I don't think it's making too much of a difference.

The Kings and Avalanche are seperated by four points. It is still early in the season, so the Kings are still in the playoff hunt. Dan Cloutier makes his fourth straight start, with no word of the return of Mathieu Garon. Jose Theodore, who was banged up in his last game, makes the start for Colorado.

The first score of the game was the result of another Kings defensive lapse. Former King Ian Laperriere put a shot on Cloutier, who made the save but couldn't hold onto the puck. Lappy got his own rebound, and spied Antti Laaksonen wide open across the crease. Laaksonen scores to make it 1-0.

The Kings had plenty of bodies back to try and help Cloutier, but it seemed no one knew who was covering whom.

The Kings' Peter Harrold gets the box for holding, putting the Kings down one man. The Kings are tied for fourth-worst in the league in penalty killing. The Avs worked the puck down low, and start swarming the crease with a flurry of players. The Staples Center fans groan, as Tyler Arnason jams it past Dan Cloutier, to make it 2-0.

Avery and Lappy decide to drop the gloves and play the Feud, much to the delight of the Staples Center. It is the first fight of the season for Sean Avery, if you can believe it. Avery gets his jersey pulled over his head, and that's when the refs pull the players apart. Avery receives 5 minutes for fighting and a game misconduct for his tie-down strap being unattached. Not too sure if this will be held against Avery's "Double Secret Probation."

With the "victory", Lappy is a goal away from scoring the rare "Gordie Howe Hat Trick."

The Kings get three straight power plays, but come up empty.

First period: Avalanche 2, Kings 0

The Kings finally get on the board, when Tom Kostopoulos puts a shot on Jose Theodore. But the puck eludes Theodore, as it pops over his pads for the Kings first score. Derek Armstrong gets the assist, as the Kings start to get their game together. They have out-shot the Avalanche, 8-1.

Michael Cammallari ties the game when he puts one past Theodore. The Kings overload the zone, causing a mismatch for the Colorado defenders. It is Cammy's 11th goal, and the assists go to Derek Armstrong, Tom Kostopoulos.

Anze Kopitar had another beauty of a chance, as his shot just trickles past Theodore, but it doesn't cross the line.

Craig Conroy got called for holding Karlis Skrastins, putting the Avs on the man-advantage. John-Michael Liles gets a power-play goal, Colorado's second of the game. Liles takes the shot from the top of the slot, after being set up beautifully by Joe Sakic to put the Avalanche back on top, 3-2.

However, the Kings have shown in this game that they can come back from two goals down, and they outshot the Avs, 20-14.

Second period: Avalanche 3, Kings 2

Brad Richardson gets two minutes for tripping Dustin Brown, and Brown makes the Avs pay. Cammallari scores his second goal, as he was positioned in the right spot for Brown to snake a pass to him to tie the game again.

But the Kings' celebration was short-lived, as Mattias gives the puck away to Pierre Turgeon, who scores an unassisted goal to make it 4-3.

Scott Thornton makes it just on the ice, as he gets the puck from and scores one past Theodore with a quick release to tie the game for a third time.

Craig Conroy forces a turnover, as the puck goes in deep. He fires it toward the goalie, and immediately crashes the net, getting his own rebound to give the Kings their first lead of the game. Brian Willsie and Cowan get the assists. The Kings have held the Avalanche to two shots so far this period.

The Avalanche pull Theodore with a minute and a half left. Colorado is buzzing, but Cloutier is playing as solid as he has all night. Blake knocks the puckout of the zone to finish the game.

Third period: Kings 5, Avalanche 4

Posted by Matt Murray at 7:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As you may or may not know, the Long Beach Press-Telegram hyas moved from its century-long home at Sixth and Pine, and moved down the street to the wonderful ARCO Towers down on Ocean. The view is spectacular, if you work during the day. However at night, we are treated to windows which reflect our ugly mugs back at us.

And as you may or may not have encountered yourself, things don't always go the way you hope they go. Case in point, the Sports Department has NO televisions. The whole floor has no televisions, which has been driving everyone crazy.

You don't realize just how much you rely upon those TVs to keep track of what's going on. Usually, both of the TVs in Sports are tuned to different games. In the late fall, more often than not, it's either Lakers and Clippers and UCLA basketball. On the rare occasion I can get control of the set, I turn to watch Kings games. But it is usually met with groans and complaints from my co-workers. So usually, I tune into the games via the radio or online.

But something happens tnoght, as I drag my old boom-box from home to listen to Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans: I can't get any reception on the 14th floor! I prefer the radio as opposed to the online feed, because it's the more current feed. Plus, when I am thrown a bone by the net-heads, I can follow along with the action, even with the sound turned down. (Oh yeah, if I get to watch hockey in Sports, that's just what I do. Watch. They turn the sound way down, citing it's 'too distracting.' Oddly, they have no problem focusing when Kobe is playing. Hmmmmmm)

So, I tune in tonight to find out Dan Cloutier, who is making his fourth straight start, tweaked his leg or seomthing during warmups. I just roll my eyes and just know what's going to happen tonight. The Predators are without their stud goaltender, Tomas Vokoun, who tore some ligaments in his thumb, which should bode well for L.A.

Right from the get-go, L.A. seems to be a step slow. Cloutier faces a bunch of shots, and he makes some solid saves in the first period. But the Preds are dictating the pace of the game. The Kings seem to be continuing to keep their defensive mindset of the last several games by protecting Cloutier. But it seems that Nasville is getting better opportunities.

The Preds' Jordin Tootoo leveled Mike Weaver as he tried to carry the puck in the Kings' zone, and both teams huddle around. But nothing transpires. Tootoo has changed his number this season, to the number 22. (22, Two-two... get it? Very clever.)

The Predators continue to pressure the Kings more, as L.A. fails to be able to clear the puck several times. It's just a matter fo time before that bites them in the rear. The Kings best chance at a goal was a Lubomir Visnovsky one-timer, that clanks off the post.

As the buzzer rang, Dustin Brown played the body on J.P. Dumont, and both men go crashing down to the ice. Brown loses his helmet, as the Predators rush around. Words were exchanged, probably holiday well-wishes, and we head into the locker room.

Even though Nashville has dictated the pace, both teams wind up with 8 shots. And even though there were several chippy plays, there were no penalties in the first period. Ten was the operative word for the Kings in the first, as they had ten hits, ten giveaways and then blocked shots. Fortunately for L.A., they were able to keep the game within reach with all those giveaways.

First period: Kings 0, Predators 0

The defensive mindset of the first period goes on the wayside, and the guy who gets it all started is Paul Kariya. He draws two hooking penalties, one from Brown and the other from Alexander Frolov. On their second power play, the Predators tally the first score of the game, as Martin Erat fires a pass from the goal to Scott Hartnell, who taps it past Cloutier to put Nashville up, 1-0.

Jeff Cowan gets leveled by Dan Hamhuis as both teams play in the nuetral zone. Cowan gets up, but is grabbed from behind by Scott Hartnell, and both playersa are whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct. The only unsportsmanlike behavior I saw was Hartnell throttling Cowan by his jersey neck, as he was trying to get at Hamhuis.

Kimmo Timonen recieves two minutes for hooking Lubomir Visnovsky, to put L.A. up a man during the unsportsmanlike conduct calls. As the Kings get a skater back to make it five-on-four, Anze Kopitar had a close chance at a goal, when it looks like the goaltender gloves the shot and it looks like it crossed the plane. But the call stands as no goal. Then, in a defensive lapse, Peter Harrold turns the puck over while trying to handle the puck directly in front of Cloutier, and Jerred Smithson scores an unassisited shorthanded goal. That goal took all the wind out of the Kings power play, as they can't convert.

Jeff Cowan gets a penalty against Tootoo, and the Kings go on the penalty kill. But Kimmo Timonen fires a shot, through traffic, past Cloutier to make it 3-0. Recently, the Preds have been dreadful on the power play the last 5 games, going 1-for-21. Tonight, they have 2 out of 4 so far.

It looks as if the Kings, who should be fresh and should be outplaying a team in their second back-to-back game, are just out of sync. The Harrold turnover seemed to be the turning point for the game. L.A. would be whistled two more times in the second, but are able to kill them off. But allowing so many penalties in the period, the Kings were fortunate that the Predators didn't score more.

Second period: Predators 3, Kings 1

Nashville's Scott Nichol gets two minutes for slashing Rob Blake, and Alexander Frolov pops the puck over the goaltender and in, to put the Kings down only two goals.

The Kings put themselves in a very bad position, when Sean Avery gets put in the box for hooking, then a minute later Rob Blake follows for the same things, putting the Kings down two men. L.A. is able to get Avery out of the box, but Alexander Radulov scores on the Blake penalty to put Nashville back up three goals.

Throughly disgusted, I threw my headphones across the room, shattering them into a million pieces. So I'm unable to listen to the rest of the period. Everyone just rolls their eyes at me, since they know that the Kings are probably losing again. Fortunately for me, neither team scored the rest of the game.

Third period: Predators 4, Kings 1

Hopefully, we can get out TVs soon, because I miss them.

Posted by Matt Murray at 7:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sunday, the L.A. Kings joined an exclusive club. Well, exclusive to this season anyway. After outworking the Ducks by putting pucks on goal and grinding out a victory, the Kings joined Calgary and Philadelphia as the only clubs to hand the Ducks a loss in regulation.

The past three games against the Ducks, which were all losses, the Kings averaged close to 40 shots a game; 44, 31, 41 shots respectively, against Anaheim this season. Sunday night was no exception, as L.A. pounded backup goaltendter Ilya Bryzgalov with 41 shots. Also, the power play continues to click, with L.A. currently eighth in the league in power play percentage. They are also at third overall for power play goals this season.

One of the hottest Kings right now is Lubomir Visnovsky. He has 11 points in his last 9 games, and is tied for fifth among defensemen in the league with 21 points. He also has a 4-game point streak coming into tonight. Dan Cloutier, starting in place of the injured Mathieu Garon, gets his thrid start in a row.

With play underway, Sean Avery crashes the goal, in hopes of trying for a loose puck or a deflection. He was met by Samuel Pahlsson, who throttled Avery from behind by his neck. Then Sean O'Donnell cupped Avery's face, until the whistle blew. O'Donnell continues to palm Sean's face after the whistle, then pushed him back. It was apparent that Anaheim was looking to exact some revenge against the Kings' winger and NHL's Most Hated Man.

Scott Thornton was called from interference, as the league's second best power play unit goes against the 23rd ranked penalty kill of the Kings. Midway through the PK, Sean Avery knocks Scott Niedermayer on his back, and he goes flying like he got hammered with a steel chair. In retaliation, Niedermayer gets up and plows Avery, going for his head. He then gives him a little extra help to stay on the ice. Avery gets up, and takes the puck as time expires on the penalty, then levels Niedermayer near the penalty boxes, and it looks as if they are getting ready for a long day.

Peter Harrold gets two minutes for hooking, as the Kings go right back on the PK. Selanne had a solid shot on goal, but was robbed by Cloutier, snapping the puck out of mid-air with authority. Ryan Getzlaf finally scored on the power play, as the Ducks connect with an efficent shift. Chris Pronger and Dustin Penner get the assists.

After three consecutive unsuccessful power plays, Alexander Frolov finally scores on a one-timer from Visnovsky to even the score. Avery battles Todd Marchant on the boards, getting the puck to Lubo. Lubo passes over to Frolov, who wound up and shot it past the Bryzgalov. Frolov now has 9 goals in his last 10 games.

The game tonight is on KDOC, which is the Ducks' alternate channel. Back in the day, KDOC was home to talk show host wally George, as well as Richard Blade's Video One show, a countdown program featuring the KROQ radio jock. However, they were bought out by a bigger company, and started showing older show. It's strange to see commercials for Charlies Angels. Their new station motto is "Endless Classics," showing such programs as the Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Cheers and Charlies Angels. As we fade to commercial, KDOC Sports starts playing LL Cool J's Going Back to Cali, which made me laugh loud enough to wake my dozing bulldog.

At the end of the first, L.A. has 16 goals in the first, as opposed to 6 last night at Staples Center.

First period: Kings 1, Ducks 1

In the game, the Ducks are laying into the Kings. Dustin Brown gets hammered early in the second, but shows the presence of mind to get up, get the puck and put a shot on goal. Seconds later, Blake chips the puck in the corner. It squirts to Ivanans, who passes over to an open Armstrong, who scores on the backhand, lifting the Kings to 2-1

After that, the Ducks get very frustrated. Dustin Penner gets called for hooking, then Rob Niedermayer got rung up for high sticking. The Kings have a two-man advantage for a minute and a half. But for the second game in a row, The Kings fail with the 2 extra man advantage. Pronger nailed Kopitar during the two-man, and Anze was slow to get up. But the Kings head into the third period ahead of the Pacific Division-leading Ducks.

KDOC Sports plays the Red Hot Chili Peppers' song Californication as we head to a commercial break between periods. I sense a trend here. With literally nothing better to do, I watch a commercial for one of KDOC's movies: the Brian Bosworth classic, Stone Cold. Long Live The Mullet!

Second period: Kings 2, Ducks 1

The period starts with 25 seconds in the penalty to Todd Marchant, and it is killed. Willsie gets called for high sticking. But the Kings kill that penalty, as it appears L.A. has decided to place a little defense. Cloutier makes a great play when the Ducks crash the net, and Cloutier refused to let them score. All five Kings surrounded Cloutier to insure he doesn't have to carry the load himself.

Frolov gets a breakaway, but he gets too fancy with it. Bryzgalov makes the save, but then signals to the bench. He is shaken up, sliding over to make the save on Frolov. He skates off and is replaced by Giguere.

Chris Kunitz gets a strong shift in minutes later, as he hit Kostopoulos, then Armstrong. The Ducks start flying, and the Kings are reeling. Who comes to the rescue? Number 11, Anze Kopitar single-handedly slows the Ducks down, when he dives out to deflect a pass to a defenseman to stop play. It served two purposes: 1) to stop the Ducks from swarming, and 2) allows the Kings to change up.

The break seemed to help L.A., as the Kings start to control the puck more, ticking off seconds as they hold on to the lead. Cloutier makes several great saves, as the defense continues to surround the crease to limit shots on goal. One of tonight's best players has been Sean Avery. As many times as he's been targeted by Ducks thugs, he continues to hold his patience, and doesn't tally any box time.

Any time Avery is on the ice, the Ducks make sure to put a boddy to him. Late in the third, Avery has the puck and instantly attracts two Ducks. Avery simply passes it over to a wide-open Frolov, who knocks it past Giguere for an insurance goal, to make it 3-1. Avery now has two assists on the night.

With a minute left, the Ducks pull Giggy out of goal, and Marchant knocks one past a sprawling Cloutier to make it, 3-2. Good thing the Kings got that insurance goal. But Anaheim just runs out of time, as the Kings win. Tonight's game was the second regulation loss for the Ducks in the Ponda Center this season.

Right after the game on KDOC, Cheers is shown. It was the one where Sam and Rebecca pretend they are engaged. I thought I was burned out by the many, repeated reruns on Ch. 5 over the years. But I forgot just how good that cast of characters was. Especially Woody. Good times.

Third period: Kings 3, Ducks 2

Posted by Matt Murray at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Kings look to get back on track against the league's best team, the Ducks. Dan Cloutier gets his second start in goal, after being pulled in the last game against the Coyotes. Apparently Brust didn't make too much of an impression in his NHL debut in relief last game. Frolov has 8 goals in the last 8 games, and Dustin Brown is back in the lineup.

One bright spot for the Kings this season is their play on the power play. Near the bottom of PP production the past several years, the Kings are currently third in the league in power play goals (29). The past four games, L.A. has scored eight PP goals. But Anaheim is currently tied for first in the league in PP goals.

Sammy Pahlsson attempts a weak backhand, but Cloutier can't handles the rebound. Travis Moen knocks it in to make it 1-0 Ducks. Teemu Selanne gets an assist on the play. Lubomir Visnovsky gets hit hard twice as he tries to cleaer the zone, as Anaheim is playing the body tight.

Craig Conroy gets called for hooking on Scott Niedermayer, and the Ducks go on the power play again. Anaheim is currently second in the league in PP percentage. The Ducks set up, and with strong, crisp passes gets the puck to Andy McDonald. McDonald fakes a move, ever so slightly toward Cloutier, causing him to bite, moving himself out of position, as McDonald slides the puck over to Selanne to make it 2-0.

Anze Kopitar has a great chance at scoring, but the league best goaltender, J.S. Giguere, turned him away. L.A. only had 6 shots in the first, and those were all easy shots.

First Period: Ducks 2, Kings 0

The Kings get a golden chance when Scott Niedermayer gets called for hooking Kopitar and Francois Beauchemin gets whistled for interfering with Sean Avery. The Kings have a 5-on-3 opportunity, but fail to get the puck in the zone for 20 seconds starting the power play. J.S. Giguere turned every attempt away, and it's plays like that that'll haunt you further down the road.

Kopitar gets nailed on the boards by Pronger and Rob Niedermayer, but is able to get the puck to a wide-open Frolov, who is stopped, point-blank, by Giguere. Frolov then gets pummeled by two other Ducks. L.A. is more aggressive in the second period, just pumping shots at Giguere.

Moen appears to have scored, knockking a shot off the crossbar, and in the ensuing scramble, Rob Niedermayer tips it in to make it 3-0. The goal took most of the wind out of the Kings' sails, who have been getting lots of chances.

Scott Thornton gets called for interference when, in trying to get past Pronger for the puck, trips him, and sends him sprawling into the goaltender. The Kings successfully kill off the penalty.

Rob Blake gets whistled for holding Corey Perry's stick, after losing his on the ice. And the Ducks will have a power play when we come back in the third.

Second period: Ducks 3, Kings 0

There is a problem with the ice in Cloutier's crease, probably melted from being scorched so many times this season. Selanne scores a one-timer on the Blake penalty to give the Ducks a power play goal and a 4-0 lead. According to ESPN.com, Selanne is now the all-time leading scorer in the Kings/Ducks rivalry, with 56 points (22 G, 34 A). He is also on quite a tear, with 12 goals since Nov. 1.

Scott Thornton breaks up the shutout attempt, when he pops one past Giguere. Harrold attempted to walk through the crease, and whiffed on his shot, but Thornton just knocks it in, and Kings fans give a loud cheer to the thwarted shoutout attempt. I guess you have to find things to cheer about when you are the Kings.

Ran Getzlaf misses a huge opportunity, when he fails to connect on a nice spin-o-rama move from Corey Perry. Perry lingers in the crease too long, and Cloutier turned into him and just knocks him down way too easy.

The Kings finally get some extended pressure late in the third. Todd Marchant gets a delay of game, when he knocks a puck over the glass to put the Kings on the power play. Rob Blake deflects a Frolov pass to make it 4-2. Blake's goal was the 40th shot by the Kings.

Scott Niedermayer gives the Ducks a second delay of game penalty in a row, when he sends a puck sailing into the crowd. Crawford decides to pull Cloutier, giving the Kings a 6-on-4. Not too sure if that will work, considering the 5-on-3 opportunity last period. Kopitar has the puck and attempts a wraparound on Giguere, and Brown hits it in, to make it 4-3.

But it was too little, too late for the Kings. In the final seconds, Crawford and Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle either exchanged barbs or recipes behind the benches. Apparently Carlyle was yelling at Sean Avery, who was just called for roughing Todd Marchant. Crawford used several words that I can't print here, but he was fire up.

Third period: Ducks 4, Kings 3

Posted by Matt Murray at 7:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)