Closing time

Well, This is the sad part of the year. I hate this time of the year. I would be happy if they made the playoffs just because it makes the off season shorter.
It was a fun year talking to you all and Rich as we all have said several times you do a GREAT job. Look forward to frozen fury in LV. We plan on flying in for that. See you all next year.

closing time...?

i'll take a double oban neat w/a guiness back...

...put it on AEG's tab...

...cool...?!?!

Figures, I finally can make it out to watch them skate, and they might not even come out. its 11:40, should I sit here and wait for them to come out, or go back to the office?? hmmmm

4thline...

wait it out...

yr on our payroll, now...

Last practice.
And Last Place again

Three years under thisd GM:
2006-2007 4th place, 26th overall
2007-2008 last place, 29th overall
2008-2009 last place (no way we beat San Jose tomorrow)

This is a pathetic track record.
I don't understand why everybody doesn't hold him accountable and keep giving him a pass.
Meanwhile, teams similarly situated to us 3 years ago, Chicago, St Louis, Nashville, Columbus are all headed into the playoffs. Their fans have something to cheer about. We don't

Doesn't this upset some you fans.
All we're being told.
One more year.
Next year.
Give us another season.
Be patient.
Drink some more kool-aid.
Play some cards.
Spend your time wisely.

And we say - OK.
But I don't.

12:01 and still no sign of life other then water bottles on the boards...........just my luck

Actually we don't say OK.
Instead most just say BAAAAH BAAAAH BAAAAH.
But I don't.

5 year plan. Say it with me, 5 year plan.

5 year plan
5 year plan
5 year plan
5 year plan
5 year plan
5 year plan
5 year plan
5 year plan
5 year plan

I like the imitation better.

Rich -- Could you confirm with Brown that his son is out of the hospital? an interview yesterday said it would be a couple of more weeks.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=417088&CID=5899680&CMPID=NHL0173-120156

thanks

So the first 5 years we end up 26th-29th in the league.
DL wants another 5 years, I Pray Not. (Nobody is that stupid)
And the next years we end up 22nd-26th in the league.

What's the difference.
We still miss the playoffs.

NO THANKS!!!
I can't wait that long.
Just Fire DL NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anthony...

yr opinions are very obvious and yr angst is always peppered in yr commentary...

the fact is:

d.l./t.m...and even tim lieweke...have one more year to make it right...that's how it's going to play out...

everybody knows this...

t.m. knows it...

d.l. knows it...

and maybe tim lieweke needs to know it...

they have one full year to make this right...
and then...yes...it should be open season and we should start sharpening the guillotine blades for a public beheading...

the next biggest day for the kings and their/our future is draft day...

then july 1st...

after that, it will be up to AEG/d.l. to add what they should...re-sign who they should...and let loose what needs to go...

next season's training camp is going to be outrageous....

if by august/september, this team is not considerably better on paper...and it doesn't translate to a steady and fulfilling playoff ascension where we are able to make a significant impact, then there will be problems and dissension by all who follow and support the kings...

...and we all can sit here and pontificate until we are blue in the face...

the fact is:
everyone is on notice...they have one last year to make this right...

Dear Hockey Jesus,

I am a long suffering fan of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, you know the team you miraculously blessed with The Great One twenty years ago, and I am tired of watching this team lose. I have been patient for 6 full seasons and although I see a light at the end of the tunnel I am asking you for a favor: Please allow this team to obtain Ilya Kovalchuk. These Kings are young and appear ready to fight for a playoff spot next season, but instead of crossing my fingers that they will, I would rather have some insurance in the form of a Russian sniper that can skate and loves the limelight. I realize it may mean losing a key young player or two and possibly this year's first rounder, but I can't see this year's first round draft pick being any more dynamic than Kovalchuk unless the Kings somehow win the lottery and select John Tavares. This would be a nice consolation, but I have my heart set on the Russian left winger. This team needs scoring and Ilya will provide the confidence boost this team needs. Oh, and if you want to throw in Scott Hartnell as a bonus that would be great too as this team also needs a little more jam on the front end. Please, please, please let this happen. Until then I'll be at the local pub with variable sipping on Oban and throwing back pints o' Guiness hoping for a better hockey tomorrow... again.

Faithfully yours,

Irish Pat
LA Kings Fan

anthony,

as much as everyone used to hate on you my man, i always tried to back you up.. but now you're just crossing the damn line. You think that if we fire Dean and Terry Murray, next season we will make the playoffs? Are you kidding me? Like I said before, DL stays if he's able to 1) re-sign Jack Johnson 2) re-sign Frolov (if not, acquire Heatley or Kovalchuk through Frolov) and 3) bring us to the playoffs next season..

Terry Murray is on a short leash imo, and if we don't get off to a good start next season, he's done... Same exact situation the Blackhawks were in at the starting of the season.. Except Chicago didn't finish 14th in the Western Conference last year, did they?

irish pat...

...i've got the next round...

i have put my hockey jesus beacon on full power/alert...

the first signals should be coming in around mid/late june...

so until then...we should both pack a healthy liver, 'cause we are going to need it...

Mr. Irish

You were reading my mind. Have been searching through all the potential FAs and like previously posted, there is no young thachuk out there. As Franzen will probably sign in DET. However there is a team that is desparate to dump salary-PHI. Hartnell is attainable and fits what is perceived to be DL and TMs mold.

Ottawa needs to dump salary as well (Heatley).

One of the SiriusXM hosts (You can't be Serious... Sorry, could'nt help myself, end of the season) made a mid-season promise:

If the Columbus Blue Jackets made the playoffs, he'd dress up in a Union Civil War costume, then appear mid-ice during the first Columbus home playoff game and Carry The Flag around the ice. Actually, he's already picked out his costume and looking forward to doing it; the Blue Jackets are going along with the gag.

Hey, anthonyy, watdya say?

Got any good dares in your shoutouts? Since you say fire DL/TM NOW, watdya say if they make the playoffs? Could you see yourself out there on the ice with Bailey, looking sharp in purple outfitted in regal robes and a crown? Could we get a photo of you kneeling head bowed at the feet of DL's throne? Could we get just a few typewritten Mea Culpas on ITK?

Actually, forget the crazy outfits. Just a few words of humility would do. Say, one year from today? I'll wager my own humility versus yours, on any day from 10 April 2009 to 10 April 2010, Kings make the playoffs and I win, DL/TM get fired, or Kings stay out of the playoffs, you win? One hundred words of humility or more, no less, on this site...

I'll even throw in a picture of myself with a Kings Jersey labelled Anthonyy on the back, and send you the Jersey...

Watdya Say?

there's a growing consensus by people in the know...(various sources)...that marion gaborik wants to live in los angeles full-time and would want to be a king if the money's reasonable (to him, of course)...

hey...ho...let's go...gabby, gabby...hey...ho..let's go...

my first choice would be kovy...then maybe hossa...

i'm still up in the air with gabby...

all thing's great about him are all contingent on his health...

like foppa...like tim connolly...like steve sullivan...etc...

if he can stay in one piece for a full season...wow...

since 02-02, the last time he got over 80 (81), here are his games played and his stats:

year gms g a pts
03-04 65 18 22 40
05-06 65 38 28 66
06-07 48 30 27 57
07-08 77 42 41 83
08-09 15 11 7 18 (in progress)

so if justin williams is worth it (we know how you feel, mr. tony) to d.l....the question is: is gabby also worth it...?

'cause if we bit and it doesn't work...that's a big matzo ball hanging out there...

but if it does work...it might be what we all have wanted all this time...

also:

anybody wonder if frolov would have scored 40+ if he wasn't miscast below the top line for about 40 games...?

i do...and i think if t.m. did a better job of handling fro, he would be in the midst of completing his first 40 goal season...for t.m. thinking this was going to be possible w/him skating on a line w/zus and simmy...(all due respect to those guys)...it's just not going to happen...and it didn't...

respect the fro...

Respect the Fro, or TM must go?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

bako...

i like that...!

let's roll with it...

Thanks, variable...

Just need a little Comeback...

Breaker Breaker, Good Buddy?

Anthonyy, do you copy?

Irish Pat,

That was outstanding. I just prayed to my hochey god to second your motion, hope you don't mind. I couldn't have said it any better.

Oh well, variable...

Guess I scared the poor boy away.

bako...

i think mr. tony is a lawyer...he might be trying to bail-out theo fleurry in some sort of shenanigans...

he's only been back less than two days...yet, i feel he hasn't never left us...

oh...wait...

i'm getting something on my hockey jesus beacon...

it's...it's...

oh...nothing important...

just torts putting avery in a headlock because sean called him a "wolfman"...

...carry on..

Now THAT'S an image any self-respecting music fan just has to adore...

AAAAAAAOOOOOOO! Werewolves of New York!

I think I would take a chance on Gaborik if we could arrange his contract according to games played. Pay him what he's worth, but deduct significantly in scale with games lost. Does anyone know if the hockey union allows such clauses. If so, I would welcome him.

duckhunter...

that's a great idea, but i'm not sure gabby and his agent...and even the p.a....would go for it....

under those circumstances...absolutely...he's worth trying to sign...if a kovy trade can't be orchestrated w/out clearing out our talent base...and if hossa is too hot to handle...you gotta figure almost every team in the league will make a play for hossa...tough competition all around...

You know, it's funny--

Here we are, my Condors are about to start the first round of the ECHL playoffs in Las Vegas tonight, and all I can think of is that the season for the Kings is almost over...

...Gee, I must be a Kings fan.

If I were smart, I'd head up to Vegas for Saturday's game. But, what the hell, they'll be back in Bakersfield next Wednesday, Friday, and maybe Saturday/I can wait! The NHL site ECHL guy made it Wanglers in six. Boy do I think he is wrong! But the same guy says the Ontario Reign are going to lose to the Stockton Thunder in seven. I say Condors in 6, Ontario in 6 or less.

I'd urge any of you in hockey withdrawal to check out some of these games!

Bako, i'll actually be in Bakersfield next weekend for my daughters soccer, you say they are playing then? Would tickets be available on game day? Might be a good way to spend an evening...sit and pretend I'm watching the Kings in the playoffs...)

iansez:

Recession's hit hard up here... The team's been hot since February, but the crowds are a little small by our standards.

You shouldn't have a problem getting in/ If you come and sit in section 105, I'm the guy near the visiting team cage with the camera-on-a-stick--say hello!

Let's wrap it up and call this season a step forward. How large of a step forward is up for debate. (as it will be, incessantly all summer long)

Most everyone believes the Kings are headed in the right direction. (To varying degrees) Despite the 08-09 season record, the Kings were 'in' MOST games.

Since I attended my first live Kings game back in 1973 as a 5 year old boy, I've always loved Kings hockey.. During the best of times and enduring the worst. This season is not by far the worst in Kings history.

I'm a dreamer, a realist, an arm-chair GM, and a loyal Kings fan. I certainly don't agree with some of management's decisions. Rather than complain about it I suck it up.. And hope for the best. DL, TM and staff know a hell more about managing a hockey team than I do.

I am thankful for Rich Hammond and this fabulous forum. I am hopeful for a draft day dream come true. And, I am planning on seeing the Los Angeles Kings as a dominant hockey club for years to come.

Go Kings!

Shall do Bako!

Variable, Why does Gaborek want to live in L.A.? DL is already on record saying that he won’t sign players who want to live in L.A. just because it’s the glitzy place to be. Then, too, how much would you be willing to pay an oft-injured player because the CBA doesn’t allow clauses for games played.

Anthonyy, if you fire DL today, then who would you replace him with? It’s no good to have a revolution unless you have a solution for afterward.

deadcatbounce...(i imagine yr name derives from the 4ad band...dead can dance...?)

jim dowd...ex-nhl vagabond and former minny wild...suggested it on nhl live on the nhl network...others have, too...

even during last night's vancouver telecast, their broadcasting team speculated on how a line of kopi/fro/gabby would look like

as for "why"...i don't know...maybe he likes what he sees in the kings future...he spends a lot of his off season time out here...maybe that's a factor...

maybe he likes this blog and wants to participate...?

Variable,

Actually, my name is taken from the economic term which is kind of what we’ve been going through lately, i.e. the higher you drop a dead cat from the bigger the bounce before it falls back to earth, meaning a false stock market rally. A former girlfriend was really into Dead Can Dance, but they were a little too esoteric for my tastes. I’m saving my pennies right now for the Beatles remasters that are going to be released on 09/09/09. They’ve been a long time coming!

Loads of players spend the summer here. Wish more would want to play here to make this team better, not because they like the weather, though. I’m really on the fence with Gaborek. He’s a marvelous talent “if” he’s healthy, and I’m sure you know that’s a very big if.

deadcatbounce -

including the complete mono releases as a box set!

Quisp, are you going to be getting both, too? This might mean less cash for Kings tickets and stuff, but you gotta do what you gotta do! Wish I could get Anze to get them for me.

[sorry for off-topic]

I will get all of it. If I had to choose, I would get only the mono mixes, since they were considered by the Beatles to be the definitive mixes (stereo mixes being a total afterthought), mono being the only mixes the Beatles and George Martin attended to personally, and since the mono versions of many tracks are sometimes radically different from their (now) much more common stereo versions. Different mixes, different tape speed, different sound effects, different effects used in the mix (double-tracking, echo, reverb, tape-flanging, etc.) and sometimes different vocal takes. I have the mono albums on worn out vinyl, but the prospect of having them in pristine remastered glory... I can't wait.