So, I finally made it out to Staples Center with my daughter for what has become an annual Daddy-Daughter Date at a hockey game. Last year, we made it out to a Ducks Roast. This season just "happened" to coincide with the NHL debut of one of the Kings most heralded rookies, Jack Johnson.

Now keep in mind, my daughter is three, so all the hullabaloo was sort of lost on her. When we made our way down to the glass for the pre-game skate, I turned it into a learning experience, pointing out numbers. After a while, she was pointing them out herself. But she really only knows one through ten really well, and is sort of sporadic after 12. When Johnson skated by, she made the observation about his number.

"Daddy, why does he have two 3s?"

"Well baby, that is because that's the number 33."

"But that guy over there has one 3. Right, Daddy?"

"That's true, honey. 3 and 33 are different numbers."

"Well, I think the guy with furty-free is better, because he has two 3s on his shirt. And I'm three."

"Yes you are, sweetie."

We made our way up to the nosebleeds, just below where I usually update the blog at Staples. With a large popcorn in one arm and a water in the other, she really was more into cramming kernels down her gullet. I just smiled, and made sure she was having a good time.

When they announced the starting lineups, I had a sneaking suspicion what to expect, so I recorded it with my digital camera. It may sound a little tinny, but that's because I have to shrink it down in size.

The whole place erupted, and even my daughter was into it.

"Go furty-free!"

I didn't really get a chance to really analyze the game, since I was having a blast eating popcorn with my princess. However, I did record the game, so I'm going to try and watch and write up a recap of Jack's first game.

Posted by Matt Murray at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, the season isn't a total loss. According to TSN, the Los Angeles Kings and college phenom defenseman Jack Johnson has agreed to terms to a new contract.

If you have been living under a rock, Jack Johnson came to be in the Kings pipeline when Dean Lombardi sent Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger over to the Carolina Hurricanes for Oleg Tverdovsky and the rights to Johnson. He had been drafted third overall in 2005, the same draft as Sidney Crosby and Anze Kopitar. This season, Jack had 16 goals and 21 assists in 35 games for the Michigan Wolverines.

But even though he averaging a point a game this season for Michigan, that's not what has many fans excited. Jack is being touted as the "Next Big Thing" for Los Angeles. He can bang on the blueline, or take the puck and score. He's already the top defenseman prospect for the Kings, without even playing one game professionally. According to hockeysfuture.com, Jack is the fourth-highest rated prospect in the pros, behind Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, Atlanta's Kari Lehtonen and St. Louis' Erik Johnson.

Want to see what all the hullabaloo is about?

Jack Johnson is scheduled to make his Staples Center debut this Thursday against Vancouver.

Posted by Matt Murray at 8:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, as the 2007 season has come to a close, my duties at work have ramped up. And when I tell people that I work in a sports department for a newspaper, I am frequently told how lucky I am to works in sports. It seems that people think that we all sit around in lounge chairs, sipping beers and watch games as we put out the paper.

Well, I'm here to tell you one thing: we don't sit in lounge chairs. We sit on beanbags.

I still plan on covering at least two more games before the plug is pulled on the Kings' season, but I still plan on updating this blog. So, faithful reader, Life in Hockeywood is still alive.

Posted by Matt Murray at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was bound to happen.

Oh well, now I guess we wait and see just how high we are going to get in the draft.

Posted by Matt Murray at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After two dismal seasons, the L.A. Kings have announced that they aren't raising ticket prices for season ticket holders. Good news, right? Well....

Turns out that the St. Louis Blues have announced a price reduction next season. The Blues are currently 13 points ahead of the Kings in the standings.

Add to that the speculation that STH's will be missing one less game, due to the season starting over in London, and the Kings' decision to stand pat on prices seems less altruistic.

Posted by Matt Murray at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, every game this season between the Kings and Ducks have been decided by one goal. The road team is 5-0, so it seems the Ducks should win tonight. Tonight, the Kings will be welcoming back Jaroslav Modry, as well as Raitis Ivanans, who is back after missing two games from an injury. Shay Stephenson makes his debut tonight, as he was called up to fill a spot on the roster. Since they traded away their captain, I'm interested to see that they have named three alternate captains: Rob Blake, Scott Thornton and Aaron Miller. They are doing that out of respect for Norstrom.

Alexander Frolov gets the scoring started for the Kings, when a breakaway chance results in a Kings goal. Frolov was working hard around the Ducks blueline, and is just able to tip a pass away from the Ducks, and skates down the ice and flips a backhand past Ilya Bryzgalov for his 33rd of the season.

But the Ducks tied it up on the power play. Scott Neidermeyer holds onto the puck long enough to have Dustin Penner and Teemu Selanne create havoc in front of Sean Burke, then threw it at the net. It is Penner who is able to redirect the puck under Burke for his 22nd of the season.

The Kings were outshot, 11-6, but have the edge in hits, 11-10. But even since the Kings first goal, the Ducks have been hustling to the puck and outplaying the Kings.

First period: Kings 1, Ducks 1

Ivanans finds his way to the box, thanks to a tripping call, as the Kings go on the penalty kill for the third time this game. And another redirection results in an Anaheim goal. Chris Pronger shoots it from the point, and Scott Neidermeyer is able to get his stick on the puck to put the Ducks up, 2-1.

Then, the Ducks score later in the period, to put some distance between them and Los Angeles. Chris Kunitz checks Blake in the corner, and the pucks pops to Selanne. Teemu skates up to the red line, and passes over to Andy McDonald to lift the Ducks 3-1. Burke looks upset with himself, as it was only him and McDonald.

But then Ivanans brings L.A. to within one goal, when he skates out with the puck and beats Bryzgalov for his third goal of the season. The Kings needed that goal. And the Kings, who have only had 12 shots in two periods, go into the locker room down only one goal. A position they have been used to when playing the Ducks.

Second period: Ducks 3, Kings 2

The Kings tie the game up, thanks to Jaime Lundmark. Dustin brown was carrying the puck into the zone, but was knocked down. He was able to get the puck in deep, and the puck found Jaime Heward at the blueline. Heward's shot was deflected in by Lundmark, and we're all tied up.

The Ducks are getting chippy, now that they are tired. the Kings get a power play when Andy McDonald runs Derel Armstrong into the boards. Tonight, the Kings are 0-for-4 with the man advantage, and this one is no exception. Their special teams fails them again. And for the 16th time this season, we're heading to overtime.

Third period: Kings 3, Ducks 3

Early in the overtime, Andy McDonald's shot nails Visnovsky, and he collapses to the ice. He finally is able to skate over to the bench, but he is in obvious pain. He flops over the wall as play continues. Scott Niedermayer is a little too aggressive with his check on Brown, and the Kings, whose power play has been anemic, skates out with a 4-on-3 man advantage.

Surprising, Visnovsky being the warrior that he is, makes his way out to the ice with Cammalleri, Blake and Frolov. They set up the power play, with Lubo quarterbacking the play. His pass over to Cammalleri is one-timed quickly over the shoulder of Bryzgalov for the win. The Kings finally connect on the PP, and the Kings break the pattern of the road team winning between Anaheim and Los Angeles.

Final score: Kings 4, Ducks 3

Posted by Matt Murray at 7:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to TSN, The Kings will face the Ducks in a home-and-home series, Sept. 29-30, in London, England, in the state-of-the-art O2 Arena.

This will be the first time two non-Original Six teams will play games in Europe, and the first time the Kings will have opened their season outside the North American continent.

I would kill to go see this event. Maybe if I start collect cans or something. I'd love to see the Kings take on our hated rivals across the real pond in England. You know that Anze Kopitar's fan base in Slovenia will turn out in force.

Posted by Matt Murray at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)