Jill Painter: March 2009 Archives

The Kings host the Dallas Stars tomorrow, and the Stars have been a welcomed sight this season. The Kings are 4-0-1 against Dallas and if the Kings earn at least one point tomorrow, they'll have earned a point in every game of the season series for the first time since the 1995-96 season.

Here's today's story on the Kings' loss to Nashville. The Kings are eight points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Predators' Steve Sullivan scored a power play goal in overtime to beat the Kings, who were 2-3-1 on the roadtrip. Quick made 24 saves but allowed all four goals. The Kings were 0 for 2 on the power play.

Here is the column on Brandon Mroz, the hockey goon turned figure skater.

The Kings conclude their six-game roadtrip with this afternoon's game against Nashville. I'll post a live chat starting at 2:30 p.m. Puck drops at 3 p.m.

Congratulations to Evan Lysacek, who won the men's title at the World Figure Skating Championships at Staples Center on Thursday. What's his connection to the Kings? Well, he's a Kings fan and trains in El Segundo.

Jarrett Stoll is out for the season with a groin injury, and Brian Boyle was called up from Manchester. Stoll had played in 126 consecutive games.

You're all correct...the Kings are not officially eliminated from the playoffs. It's improbable, but yes, still possible. Anyway, the Kings beat the Stars 1-0 in a shootout to stop a three-game skid.

Washington Caps coach Bruce Boudreau - the former Manchester coach - got uncharacteristically heated with reporters Thursday when discussing the celebration by Alex Ovechkin after his 50th goal. Boudreau was asked if he figured Tampa would seek retribution, and that's when he lost it. Click here for more.

There will be a live chat for the Kings-Stars game tonight. I've just scheduled it to start at 5 p.m.. I won't be able to host it since I will be at the World Figure Skating Championships, but I will monitor it every once in a while. Keep it clean! Thanks and have fun.

From hockey to figure skating? The World Figure Skating Championships are at Staples Center this week, and American Brandon Mroz is a pretty good story. As a kid, he was the ultimate hockey player. He loved to skate but didn't get to do it much because he also loved to get in fights and was always in the penalty box. So, Mroz's parents moved him to figure skating. Now, the former goon is doing quadruple toe loops. I'll have a column on Mroz in tomorrow's paper. The Kings aren't going to make the playoffs, so we can have a little fun on the blog.

The Stars' center Brad Richards returned Saturday after missing 15 games with a broken wrist, then broke his other hand in his return. Talk about bad luck. He's out indefinitely. Dallas could've used him in this late playoff push, but the Stars do have a game against the Kings tonight.

Jonathan Quick will start tonight's game at Dallas.

Is this really the best time to be advertising for 2009-10 season tickets? The front page of the Kings Web Site says ``Buy or Renew Season Tickets Today'' .... meanwhile, the Kings are going to miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

What does the Kings' 2-0 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday mean? Well, the Kings surely won't make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Nine games to go, do you watch them?

Just wondering if you guys would like me to post a chat room during Kings games until Rich gets back. I'll be happy to do it if any of you still care.

Sorry I haven't been posting, but due to a communications snafu and being out of town covering the NCAA Tournament, I didn't realize I was going to post on the Kings this week. My apologies, and I'll try to keep you guys up to date in between covering quadruple toe loops and triple axels at the World Figure Skating Championships!

A reader e-mailed me to tell me about a tournament at the Roller Dome this Sunday in Thousand Oaks. The tournament benefits a roller hockey player's daughter, Quinn, who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia.