He talks about scoring his first goal since Dec. 21, confidence issues coming back from the injury and the trade deadline.
Continue reading “Cammalleri interview” »

He talks about practice, Blake looking ready to play, Ellis’ first game, the December struggles, the goalie problems and Tip-a-King.
Continue reading “Crawford interview” »

–There was quite a large turnout for the optional practice. I guess a lot of players want to remain Kings after all. Actually, everyone showed up to at least work out. The players who didn’t skate were Brown, Calder, Nagy, Preissing, Stuart, Visnovsky, Dallman, LaBarbera, Armstrong and Frolov.

–Blake said he still hadn’t been asked to waive his no-trade clause. I asked if he had any sense on if he would be traded or not and he said he really didn’t know, to ask him tomorrow. I asked if there were a limited number of teams he would say yes to. He said he “hadn’t really thought about it and couldn’t really answer because it’s all hypothetical.” That seems like a bit of a copout but, putting yourself in his situation, I suppose there really is nothing good that can come out of publicly announcing what teams you would and wouldn’t except a trade to.

–I hear the “Ice Bike” auctioned off at Tip-a-King last night went for $35,000.

I’ll have some interviews coming up with Crawford, Harrold on his first NHL goal and Cammalleri on his slump-buster plus what he has to say on the trade rumors.

at Universal Studios. All Kings players will be there giving autographs and photos for tips, which will go to the Kings Care Foundation. I believe tickets to get in can be bought at the event. You can read more about it at the Kings site. There, you can see pictures of the personalized Kings motorcycle autographed by the players that will be auctioned off. It’s pretty cool looking. It reminds me of the purple PT Cruiser with Kings decals that is often in the Toyota Sports Center parking lot. Does one of you own that car?

No practice today. The 10:30 practice Monday is optional.

Johnson was humble in calling his big play luck. Kopitar said he and Cammalleri had given up when they saw Johnson make the diving stop, and that sparked them back into it. Ersberg talks about his NHL debut. And I threw in a quote from Cloutier.
Continue reading “Player quotes” »

He of course liked the competitiveness of the team to come back. He thought losing Brown for fighting was a big part of the second-period breakdown. He didn’t even realize that it was Kopitar who knocked in the tying goal. He must have been fixated on the play by Jack Johnson to make the diving block of the shot on the empty net and control it to lead the final charge — as we all were. And he talks about the NHL debut of Ersberg.
Continue reading “Crawford interview” »

I think Dan Cloutier actually said it best in the locker room after the game — this team is either great or terrible, and there’s no in-between. The Kings were absolutely horrible during a four-minute stretch in the second period where they allowed four goals and then amazing in the final 11 minutes of the third period to come back from 5-1 down and force OT. There’s no other team in the league that can be so bad and so good in the same game.

I’ll have interviews coming up with Crawford, Kopitar, Johnson and Ersberg. Since I’m not on deadline — and thank goodness with this game — I should be able to get them up quickly.

which, obviously, can’t be a good thing for the Kings. Cloutier is pulled with the Kings trailing 5-1 after allowing four goals in the first nine minutes of the second period. The Kings are allowing rush after rush right out of the faceoffs. Time to see what the kid can do.

To start the second period of a 1-1 game, Cammalleri was with Kopitar and Brown while Matt Ellis was given a chance with O’Sullivan and Frolov.

Thornton is back on the Kopitar-Brown line. Willsie is a healthy scratch. Here are the early lines …

Thornton-Kopitar-Brown
Cammalleri-OSullivan-Frolov
Calder-Handzus-Purcell
Ellis-Giuliano-Ivanans

Johnson-Preissing
Stuart-Dallman
Visnovksy-Harrold

This could be your last time seeing a few of these guys in a Kings uniform …