Gonna be a Fun but Sad day

Hey mix drinkers welcome to another dose of kool-aid. Reyna will be blogging again today since she will no longer be my wing woman it will be her last but I must say my new wing woman is awesome I love you Mom.

Hey like my dad said this is my last time doing the kool-aid. While I watched the Kings lose on Thursday I thought "Well this is a very suckish way to end my awesome seat experience. " So now I`m sitting here thinking why that was my last game until my birthday but then I realized that my Grandma is going with my dad now. But still it was very fun while it lasted I still think what happened this Monday was very heartbreaking. More than likely I will still remember my Grandpa even though I won`t see him, but he`ll see me all the time. I hope the Ducks get a beat down by the Kings even though I won`t be there to say "DUCKS SUCK!!" That`s all that I have to say about all the times I go to Kings games in very cool seats. By the way the person who bought me Mcflurries ROCKS!

Well the Kings have some work to do today. They better not play another "suckish" game today, as it is a four point game in the standings. Quick needs to shake off the third period and bring the game he had in the first period. Also it is important to actually put the puck on net if we plan on scoring any goals. Six shots in 2 periods was flat out pathetic. The Blues have seemed to just have the Kings number this season, so I hope they got their shittily play out of the way. Today my Mom returns to the Staples Center, and the Kings need to honor that by at least showing up to play right. I know the Kings can't win every game, but at least battle.

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View From Reyna's Seat

Hey mix drinkers welcome back it has been awhile. Today I have a special treat for you, as my daughter Reyna will write the blog enjoy.
All the Kings games I have been to have been awesome, mostly because of the seats me and my dad have. We mostly sit up in the seats below the suites. Now I get to see the games up close. Tonight is the probably the last time I see the games up close. I bet that this game will be the same as all the others. At least it`s not the last game I get to see because my birthday is coming up so I get to see that game. The seats I sit in now are really close to the glass so before a period starts I get up and bang on the glass. Like I said this is the last time I sit close to the glass but I`m going to have a bunch of fun tonight. I hope the Kings win this time.
The Joy that I have gotten from hanging out with my daughter at the King's games has helped fill a empty hole in my heart, and I think that as time goes on that hole will be filled with lots of great moments with all of my children. But you know a Stanley Cup might help fill it up as well. Thank you everyone that enjoys and reads this blog, it is fun and I enjoy sharing with you all.

R.I.P Timothy Edward Cannon 6/4/1951-3/14/2011

WTF

Hey mix drinkers welcome back. So after Monday I have had a tough time trying to figure out what to say about that shittily played game. I have come to a conclusion and that is forget about it and move on. So I will not even touch on that game and move onto other things. After Penner was traded I said the first line should be Kopi, Penner, and Train. Well TM must have agreed because that is how they will start the game tonight. I hope they can gel together quickly, and become a great line for the Kings for years to come. Tonight the Kings face the ever difficult Coyotes. The Kings have had a tought ime with the Yotes the last couple years, but this team needs to exercise its demons and move on. There ain't any easy games left on the schedule, and the Kings need to show up each night ready to play, and need to practice just as hard. We will see how it goes tonight. Remember if Penner doesn't light it up right away he needs time to adjust to our system, so be patient.

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For a Change Kings Take a Chance

Welcome drinkers of the mix and hope this finds you well. Today DL went against his track record and spent some of the Kings stockpile to get a player that actually fits the system and need of the Kings. Penner is a great player and now is actually the leading goal scorer on the team and gives the Kings their 5th 20 goal scorer of the year, with Stoll soon to join that list to make it 6. Penner is a big bodied left wing top 6 forward that fits into exactly what the Kings needed. DL said that he made the move to reward the Kings for the great hard work they have put in to get the Kings back into playoff contention. Obviously there is some risk in this move, and we did give up a first and a prospect picked with a first as well as a conditional pick, but if Penner score  30 plus goals this season and next the Kings will be in very good shape. Right off the bat the Kings PP should be better, as well as Kopi may finally have a LW that he can play with for awhile. I hope Penner works out and resigns after next season, so that he can bring another cup to southern California.
Now onto Saturdays game. Wow what a tale of two different games, For about 50 minutes the Kings completely and utterly destroyed the Avs in every aspect of the game. I Think I saw Quick taking a nap during most of the first 2 periods, and had to be wondering if the Kings were playing a game or having shoot around practice. But the Kings know how to make sure you get your moneys worth. Just as I myself thought I might take a nap the Kings took back to back penalties to let the Avs have a chance at the game. They converted on both and suddenly it was a 2 goal game again. Then the Avs gave some time away with 2 stupid penalties, and left themselves with just over a minute to score 2 more. They pulled the goalie, and Quick for whatever reason thought hey I can play the puck well so lets go play it behind the net. Well as we all know Quick is certainly not the best puck handling goalie, and instead of the puck behind the net it ended up in the net. The Kings never really gave the Avs a chance to get the equalizer, but man did the Kings take a nap or what. The Kings will not be able to afford a lapse like that tonight, as the big bad Red Wings come to town. I will sit in my seat at Staples amidst a sea of red and white jerseys, and be watching the Kings hopefully break the hearts of the Red Wing faithful. The team will need a hard working forecheck, and to stay out of the box tonight. Quick will more than likely need to stand tall, but the Kings need to continue their run and get some more points and look at moving up another spot in the standings. I hope I can celebrate with my black jersey tonight and watch the red and white jerseys tell me We won a cup, we are in second in the division, or whatever other lame excuse they can conjure up. Look for me in my Nighttrain jersey, and hopefully the lamp will light more for the Kings than the Wings.

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Monkey's Gone Wild

Welcome mix drinkers and thanks for checking in again. Last night was a great game for the Kings. It was especially good for on Wayne the Train Simmonds, as the monkey flew high off his back with not one but two goals. You could almost feel the monkey flying around Staples Center as it no longer had a place to rest. Simmonds beat Backstrom twice in pretty much the same way and was finally rewarded for his gritty hard play lately. The Kings also made a beautiful play on what would end up as the game winner. The Kings actually scored on the power play, and although they gave up a power play goal the penalty kill looked awesome. The Kings played a great game and got the two points that they deserved. The only negative I could find last night was Sturm. He still looks a bit lost on the ice and did not work as hard as his linemates. Tons of credit to Kopi and Simmer for playing so well without much help from the third guy. This morning it appeared the Kings had made a great decision and waived Sturm, but it has since been noted that it is only to create flexibility should they need it in a move, and Sturm will stay in the lineup and playing on the top line again. Not very often have I found myself hoping a player would be claimed off waivers, but man another team could really help us out by claiming Sturm and forcing TM to look at something different. Tomorrow the Kings play an afternoon game, which has historically been bad for the Kings, but I feel the team is starting to come together on a different level, and may actually be a piece or two away from being that cup contending team we all want. Different views are out there now about the Kings and trade deadline, but I really don't think we will see a big move. Unfortunately I think this year is going to be another year of gaining playoff experience for the Kings, but I see a very long and bright future for this team, and not a win it and blow it up scenario. Hopefully we can all enjoy the game tomorrow and the Kings will not play down to the competition.

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Another Day Another Two Points

Well the Kings got what they needed last night despite not playing their best game. The Ducks out chanced the Kings but the Kings goaltending proved to be better than that of Anaheim's. Prove of that happened this morning when the Ducks made a goalie swap for a guy that Tampa Bay was using as their third goalie. I will say that Sturm looked lost on the ice, and is probably at the end of his career, and if he is gonna continue playing please do it elsewhere. Kopitar lacked confidence in him and I really was hoping to see a classic TM line change move. So far it appears he is leaving the lines together other than a westie for poni swap. Hopefully sometime during the game he will pull his head out and get Sturm of the first line. Sturm is proving that Lokti is a great option for the Kings, and I hope that he returns very shortly. Maybe DL can find a suitor that needs a Sturm type third line guy. Let's see if we can get a 6th or 7th round pick for him and clear the roster for Lokti. also maybe DL can find a new home for DD2, as he looks very hesitant on the ice. I understand he hasn't played in awhile, but that was because Alec Martinez has been playing great. No matter what happens I will keep believing in this team, and for the record there is no way Dallas is sending us Richards. Tonight the Kings have a big test in a great playing Wild team. The Kings will need a much better performance tonight, but they can do it. Lets hope the Kings come out ready to play tonight, as me and my daughter will be there ready to cheer on the goals like all the awesome fans in Honda center last night did, Go Kings!


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Time to Put Up or Shut Up

Hey drinkers and welcome again to a new mix. Tonight the Kings make the long road trips final stop in Anaheim. The Kings sit at 13 points on the roadtrip so far, and as I said they really need to get to 14 or more. The Kings are in for a battle tonight, as socal bragging rights are on the line. The Kings have the defense and goaltending and Anaheim has the offense. Maybe Getzlaf won't play tonight due to a child birth. Maybe Koviou won't play due to injury. We are all pretty certain that Parros and Westgarth will find each other at some point tonight for a tilt. No matter who plays and how its goes down the Kings need to win. We are at the point in the season where we have to put points on the board. Anything less than a playoff berth and good playoff showing is just not acceptable. I have watched the Kings so called rebuilding now for far too long. DL cannot point to past mistakes by the Kings in trades anymore. He can no longer say that we need to be patient and build from within. He has built a great foundation, and no doubt will continue to do so, but being a bubble team for years is not the idea of success. On another note, and I may upset some here, Kopitar has to be better for the money he is getting. He has the skill, but TM has shoved defense down his throat for so long, he is starting to look more like a third line center than a first line center. I understand defense is important, but man he is the most offensively skilled guy on the ice, and he needs to act like it. I remember when he was a rookie and played a offensive game. That season it looked like the Kings had found that guy to light the lamp after getting a couple of seasons under his belt, but now he looks very passive. He looks like he is more worried about getting back to backcheck. He needs to worry about getting the puck toward the net and watching that red light come on. We have great defense we built on defense, and probably have the best defense from top to bottom of any team, this includes prospects and current players. Lets trust the building we did and start putting a bit of offensive pressure on the guys that should be scoring, this includes more than just Kopitar. I also am tired of any trade speculation, as it grows apparent that DL has no plans to truly make a splash. If he does anything it will be for a player that comes through for the last couple months and then we let them ride off into the sunset. Enjoy the game tonight and I will be back tomorrow.

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Old and Slow shows

Hey there mix drinkers and welcome to a new mix. Sorry that there was not a mix yesterday, but I was so depressed in how poorly the Kings played that I took the day off to think about how to react to so a poor performance. The Kings were outplayed and outcoached on Saturday, as the one young fast center we had in the lineup seemed to be the only one who's line was doing anything. Meanwhile in the press box sat another fast young center name Lokti, that TM decided needed a break to think about how to shore up his game. Hopefully now that Lokti is headed back to Manchester he can figure out how to score 2 goals a game and go from being a even player to a plus player, as that is the only way he could possibly get better. The kid was solid for the Kings and actually brought out some of the talent hidden away in Brownie. TM has a defensive system, and I like being defensively responsible, but if you don't score you ain't gonna win in this league. The Kings have great defense men, and I would argue that their 6 d-men rank in the top 5 in the league. The Kings also have something they have lacked forever it seems, a great goaltender, not too mention a very solid back-up. Now is the time for the organization to put some guys on the ice that can light the lamp. As I told someone yesterday, We have built the house now let's decorate it. I know that it won't be easy for some fans too possibly see a favorite player of theirs go, but in the end if it helps the Kings I am all for it. In reality the one player being mentioned most that the Kings would probably ship out just happens to be my favorite Simmonds. I will hate to see Simmonds go, but if it helps this team become a better all around team, than I will deal with it. All in all DL has a week to try to make this team a team that will be able to compete with the best teams out there. If he decides to stay the course I would venture to say this will be a playoff team, but not much more. I do not pretend to have the answer to help make this a cup team, but ultimately DL has to grow a pair and try something whether it works or not.

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Rested and Ready

Hello there mix drinkers hope this finds you doing well. The Kings may not have gotten a lot of rest, but I just finished a afternoon nap and am ready for the game today. The Kings are on the island tonight to face the NY Islanders. I know this team doesn't look threating from the standings, but they are anything but push overs. Don't believe me ask Mario Lemieux and the Penguins. Tonight the Kings face a tough challenge in playing a team that is a high scoring threat, and has many holes on defense and goaltending. The Kings must stay focused on playing their style and competing for a full 60 minutes. Also they will need to make sure to protect themselves, and this is why we will see westgarth tonight. One disturbing thing right out of the gate for me is the omission of Lokti tonight. TM says he was exposed in the Ranger game, and will take a break tonight. Not really sure what too make of that, but following that theory of exposure in the Ranger game, Stoll, Smyth, and Williams need to sit for a few then because they finished that game a minus 2 while Lokti was an even. I see this move really as one of two things: One the Islanders have some goons, so we need Westie, Second, and certainly not my hope, the Kings are preparing to make a move that will involve Lokti being moved. I am hearing that the Kings really want Spezza and are trying to get him out of Ottawa. Could the Kings possibly be sending Lokti and maybe a defense prospect and a pick to Ottawa? If the Kings are able to get Spezza in a package for Lokti I will miss the little Russian, but that would be a great move for the Kings. Spezza is a legit center and can take some pressure off Kopi. Spezza also fits the system better as he is a bigger guy, and before anyone gets to crazy about giving up the future, the guy is only 27, so he still has tons of gas in his tank. Regardless of what the Kings do at the deadline one thing is certain, if the Kings are going to get something worth having, they will have to give up something that we as fans may not be happy about right away, but will hopefully get the Kings one step closer hoisting that cup in Staples. If anything goes done on the trade front, I will get a blog up about it as quickly as possible. Enjoy the game tonight, and hopefully we will be the only Pacific division team to win tonight.

The Ads are gone but the Mix will remain

Hey there mix drinkers and welcome to another edition. Due to a disagreement between me and google we have removed the ads from the page. This blog was never started to really generate money, so this decision really holds no barring on the blog itself. I will continue to write the blog and continue to look to expand the readers of this blog. If another chances to make money with this blog comes along great, but I am writing because of my love for the Kings. Now on to the good stuff. The Kings will be in NYC tonight taking on the Rangers. The Rangers have a very solid team and a good goaltender and are very capable of tking the game tonight. The Kings will need to come hard and compete for the whole 60 minutes tonight. The 2 points tonight are really huge given that the Kings, if other games go their way, can move from the 9th spot to the 3rd spot. Wow thats a huge jump, but one that is there because the Kings have played so well as of late and find themselves in the tightest division in hockey. Also tonight with a win the Kings can reach the 14 point mark I had set before the road trip started. I don't wanna say that if they win tonight they can cruise the last 2 games, but man to get a chance at even more than 14 points would be awesome. I have a feeling that tonight the player to watch is going to be the Train. He has been slowly increasing his game, and knows its time to show the Kings that he is a player to keep around. Also hearing that the Kings and Avs are now talking about a deal and that the Avs really want Bernier. I am okay trading Bernier away, but man the piece or pieces coming back better be great. Keep your eyes and ears out mixer drinkers, the Kings could be active this deadline(or they could not).

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Quick mix before the game

Ok drinkers here goes the short and sweet mix. The Kings are about to get it on with the Bluejackets. The Kings will need a good defensive effort, as they have allowed nine goal in two games this season against the Bluejackets. If they Kings win and the Flames lose the Kings will be back in a playoff spot. I heard today that the Kings are thinking of bringing in Jonathon Cheechoo. This move would cost the Kings very little, and could add a guy that has scored goals in the NHL. We will all know soon what the Kings are going to do, as the deadline is a week and a half away. Hopefully the Kings will get the 2 points tonight and move on to NY ready to get some more. Enjoy the game tonight people and watch for Loki tonight.

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Not the Bluejackets

Okay drinkers I am back again. Today I am hoping that the Kings can keep the roll going as they head into Columbus tomorrow night. The Bluejackets are one of the teams that I hate watching the Kings play. The Kings seem to have trouble against them. And so far this season they seem to play down to their competition. We all will have to wait and see if they can bring the intensity to the game tomorrow. Also it is nice to know that TM is going with the same lines, but one has to wonder how many more games he can go without a line change. Not much else for today, so I will see you all tomorrow enjoy.

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One Awesome Weekend

Hey there Kool-Aid fans and welcome to a great edition. This weekend was a huge test for the Kings and their chances to make the playoffs this year. The Kings went into two tough buildings against two tough teams that have people saying they are contenders, and the Kings beat them both. Agreed that Sunday they may have been a bit outplayed by the Flyers, but at the end of the game the scoreboard read Kings one and Flyers nothing, so the Kings got the points. With the four points over the weekend they move to 10 points on the trip so far, getting ever closer to the 14 points I predicted they needed to win. With the trip going as well as it is, I can actually see the Kings getting more than the 14 points, and they would be awesome. With the Kings nine games with out a regulation lost, they have stayed right in the thick of the playoff race, while separating themselves from a few teams. It was also nice to look at the ESPN hockey rankings and see that the Kings are now ranked 6th. The Kings may be in last place in the Pacific, but they sit a mere three points out of the Pacific lead. Talk around the league is that it is very possible that every team from the Pacific will make the playoffs. I for one don't believe that as those teams still have to play each other, and will take points from each other. The Kings are positioning themselves well, but they will need to come home and continue to put points on the board at home. On the rumor front, I am hearing that DL is offering the Kings first round pick around, and as many prospects as the Kings have, I feel that might be a good idea if we can get a good return. Hemsky and Penner are the names I hear the most, but have also heard Spezza. All of these guys are talented, but I feel that Penner would be the best of them for the current roster, and that Hemsky would be the worst. Guess we will all have to wait and see what DL does, but I feel if the Kings continue to play well that he will have to do something to give them a real shot at a deep playoff run. Tell the next mix take care.

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Things are Getting Interesting

Hey there drinkers hope you enjoyed the early game. Today's game got off to a very slow start, but the Kings must have found something in the locker room during the first intermission. They came out in the second and had more shots on goal in 3 minutes than they had in the whole first period. They took a couple penalties that slowed their momentum a little, but the newly founded Monkey Line (Kopi, Zues, and Train) found the back of the net. With that goal I could feel the pressure fly off Kopi's back all the way from the other coast. Hopefully the Kings will use this game as the springboard that they need to get the offense going. They will need this same type of game tomorrow as they roll into Philly. The Kings will also need to make some big decisions about the roster soon. Right now I can't see the team sending Loki back to Manchester, he is playing better and better and really starting to find his groove. I loved him at center with brownie and man child, he looks very comfortable and put up some shots and chances, not to mention the Game winning goal. Whenever Sturm comes off the IR the Kings will need to create a spot for him on the roster, and the only players eligible to be sent back without clearing waivers are Loki, Bernier, and Clifford. Obviously Bernier can't go back as we have to have a backup goalie. Clifford would have to go to juniors, and I can't see that really happening at this point. Loki could go back, but I feel that would not be fair to him, as he has come up and done what the team asked him. The other options that exist are that Sturm won't be off IR until the deadline passes, as the roster size doesn't matter after that date, or the Kings make a trade that removes people from the existing roster. The final option could work, as long as the players removed are named Lewis, Richie, Drewiski, or Harrold. I know all these guys are good players, but the Kings have to do what is best for the future. They could try to move Stoll, Zues, or Williams, but DL seems to like to keep players with experience around. We will all have to wait and see. Hope the Kings show up tomorrow ready to play and beat the Flyers.

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It's about time!

Hey there kool-aid drinkers and welcome to a new mix. Today marks the return of the King's to the ice for a game. I know I can't believe it either it seems so long ago that the Kings played in Calgary. Tonight the Kings take on the Penguins. The penguins have roster issues now but they will come ready to play, so the Kings better be ready for a war. I can see the Penguins trying to mix it up tonight and that is probably why Westgarth is in the lineup tonight. The Kings need to come out and get on the board early and often. A great offesive game would be a great way to start this leg of the road trip. Also today the Kings missed out on a chance to get Mike Fisher, aka Mr. Underwood. This is a close one as far as I am concerned. Fisher is a good two way player that would fit in the system, but probably not that guy we need to make the offense more explosive. The Predators got him for a first round pick, which is why I say the Kings could have swung the deal, but hey we still have tons of talent here and in the pipeline, so I will not let this one bum me out. Right now there are two thoughts on what DL is gonna do. One group thinks he is gonna make a big splash. The other group feels he will make a small trade and continue to let the team grow. I fall into the second group. Not by choice, but because I feel that DL is that kind of GM. He wants to win, but not at a cost he feels is too high, or jeopardizes the future. I would love to see a big  trade shake this lineup up, but I don't know who I would really want to see go with the exception of a few guys, so if something big happens chances are I may be in the market for a new jersey. We will have to wait and see I guess, but until then Lets Go Kings! We need points and we need them fast.

Around the league

Okay drinkers welcome to todays mix. With the Kings doing pretty much nothing but travel today I am going to touch on a few things going on in the NHL today. First off lets start with the trade. Today the ducks got Beauchemin back from Toronto in exchange for Lupul, prospect defenceman Jake Gardiner, and a conditional fourth round draft pick in 2013. The trade seems to help both teams, but as a Kings fan I hope Beauchemin disrupts the teams defense a bit and they have trouble staying in the playoff hunt. In other news today the NHL has handed down two suspensions for illegall hits. Anton Volchenkov was suspended 3 games for elbowing Zach Boychuk in the head.

Matt Cooke was suspended for an extremely dirty charging hit to Fedor Tyutin. It comes as no surprise that
Cooke would hit someone illegally, as he has quite the reputation as being the dirtiest players in the league. The
Cooke suspension may actually be helpful to the Kings as they will not have to see Cooke in a Penguins jersey 
tomorrow night. Despite all of the Penguins roster issues the Kings will have to bring a good hard working game 
tomorrow night if they intended to get the 2 important points on the line. Well drinkers until tomorrow some time 
(the Mix may get posted between periods due to an early start) have a nice evening.

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Finally Got the Sugar

Okay Kool-Aid drinkers I am back and ready to mix it up. Sorry that the mix has not been up lately, but I have been a bit under the weather. Saturday's game is where I will start, as that is where I feel by sickness began. I know the Kings won and I loved that part, but we gave the Flames the extra point, which they did not need. Lets talk about how TM decided that despite playing one of his best games that Loki should sit on the bench and watch the team play the final 20 minutes. I guess he thought Loki's inexperience was a liability. I do not presume to be a great hockey mind, but I felt that with the constant double shifting of the other players to cover Loki's absence that they began to wear down faster, causing them to reach and hold on certain plays. Ultimately the game was decided on a 2 man advantage, I know that they actually scored on a one man advantage, but the pass they made was not intended to go back door but to get the Kings to touch to so they could start the two man advantage. I don't think they even try the pass back door if not for the delayed penalty. After letting the Flames tie it up the Kings had to try and get their offensive game going again. I thought they did a fairly decent job and had some chances, especially in overtime. Once the game came down to the shootout it was nice to see the order changed, but once they needed to go past the third shooter TM went back to his faves, both of which had a chance to win the game, but couldn't get it done. It seemed that everyone that missed was trying to go with some deke move. By the time Williams got a chance, he had decided that he was just gonna get a shot off, and surprisingly it worked, the same way it worked for Zues and Stoll. It was a huge win for the boys in any event breaking a losing streak in Calgary and giving the Flames a lose. The game was by no means the greatest game,but the end result is what they needed and now we can see what they will bring on the coming roadtrip to the East Coast. I guess all I can say for now about the roadtrip, is hopefully we don't need video review, because we all know how that works out for the Kings. Just ask DL. Anyways thanks to everyone that continues to support the mix and I will try to get in a couple good mixes before the game on Thursday. Enjoy

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Now or Never

Welcome all to the kool-aid. As discuss yesterday the Kings will try to find a way to win in a building that has not been friendly to them. The Kings have lost their last 10 games in Calgary with all of the losses coming in regulation. The Kings need this game tonight, not just for the points but for what it would do for their confidence. Stay with here, A young team is going into a building that has been historically bad for them. If the Kings can find a way to win it should boost their confidence a great deal. The Kings right now need confidence more than points, and yes I know points are important. Confidence is huge in sports, and the Kings would benefit from the points and confidence tonight. Maybe someone can hit DD in the face before the game and get him fired up again tonight. Maybe the PP can show up to play tonight. Perhaps the monkey can get off the Train's back. Maybe all of those things can happen, and maybe none of them happen. The important thing tonight is to lay it all out there tonight since they get a few days off at home after this game. Now on to some rumors I am hearing about the Kings. Players that the Kings have apparently inquired about include: Parise, Spezza, Penner, Drury, Fisher. Also without specific players apparently the Kings have spoken to: Buffalo, Pittsburg, and Atlanta. All of this ideas sound great except it all depends on what the Kings have to give up at this point. Remember this team is being built still for the future, so I do not see DL giving up very many prospects or picks. I really only see a few players or the roster now that I would say or tradeable. Here it goes try not to crucify me here: Bernier, Williams, Handzus, Drewiske, and Harrold. Maybe something will go down, but I wouldn't expect a big trade until after the season. The guys that I would like most are Parise and Spezza. Spezza could happen now but I would expect the price to be hefty. Parise won't happen until the offseason due to his injury. I think that trade could truly work for the Kings. I see that deal going something like this. Kings get Parise and a fourth or lower pick, and the Devils getting Bernier, Drewiske, Moller, and a First round pick. I know that seems like a lot for one guy and a prayer, but Parise is a top notch NHL player that would replace Williams on the depth chart. Who really knows what will happen I could be totally off my rocker, but we will all have to wait and see. Remember tonight the puck drops at 7pm.

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No Respect

Hey all and welcome to todays edition. It appears that the Flames have no respect for the Kings, as they told them first no practice at the saddledome, so go to the corral (the old arena). Then oh we aren't gonna practice today so go ahead and practice at the saddledome. Come on get it together already. Finally the Kings got some practice, and all I can hope is that they find a way to feel comfortable, as the Kings have not won in Calgary since 2005. This means that most the players on the roster have never beat Calgary in Calgary as a King. The Flames are starting to play much better, and they too are trying to get into a playoff spot. I do not feel they really are a playoff team but they are certainly playing like it lately, so the Kings will have their work cut out for them. Saturday's game is truly a test for this team. Can the Kings exercise the demons of the saddledome and not only break their losing streak in Calgary, while also breaking the Flames winning streak. Saturday will be the next step  in this rough road the Kings put themselves down, but a win can have them headed in the right direction. In a side note man does Garth Snow (NY Islanders GM) wish he could go back and not sign DiPietro to that massive contract? This week was just another turn in the saga that has become DiPietro. He decided to mix it up during a scrum and Brent Johnson (Penguins backup goalie) took exception. Johnson skated down the ice to meet DiPietro for a goalie fight. Usually goalie fights are great, but this time it was awesome. Johnson threw one left hook that knocked DiPietro down and out. Due to the fight DiPietro is once again out of action for awhile. Also in hockey fighting news, what was up with the Bruins and Stars? Three fights in the first four seconds of the game holy crap. The best part was that it fired the Bruins up and the Stars lost. Anyways I will be back tomorrow to discuss the game coming up a bit more and also some possible trade scenarios floating around the league involving the Kings till tomorrow.

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Sometimes You Steal One

Hello drinkers of the mix and welcome to a late but always entertaining mix. Wow did the Kings dodge a bullet last night or what. The so called "Mr. Softee" was absolutely stellar in goal for the Kings and almost single handedly won the game for them. I know he didn't score or put up a shutout, but without some of his amazing saves the Kings may have found themselves in a huge hole early that they probably would not have been able to get out of. But sometimes a goalie can steal a game for you and last night was one of those nights. Many fans have been begging to see the pp unit have Drew and Jack together like the playoffs last season, and TM finally gave way and look what happened the Kings scored not 1 but 2 pp goals, when was the last time you saw that. I feel the look of Drew and jack works well because the pk players have to respect the shot and quick moves of both those guys and it frees up space for the other one. Perfect example last night when Jack faked a point shot and passed to a wide open Drew who quickly put it on net and someone scored (Officially Drew now has credit for both pp goals but as a Kings fans do we care who scored). This pp unit works well together and I think the second unit will benefit from being a very different look. Overall the game was ok minus the first period and the Kings got the much needed 2 points. I will agree with the comments made here yesterday that Williams needs to go. He is a great player and has tons of skill, but I don't think he really fits into the system the Kings are trying to play. He is a valuable trade piece because of his talent and his impending UFA status. I wouldn't mind seeing him traded for an ex ducks player that resides in oil town for the time being, but Deano will be the decider on what this team actually does before the deadline. Tomorrow I will get into the upcoming game in Calgary and we will see just how much this Kings team is ready to turn it around. Until tomorrow

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The One That Got Away

Welcome kool-aid drinkers to todays mix. Last night was no fun at all, and I don't mean the game. I had a softball camp to work at and had to dvr the game to watch when I got home. Well a certain cable company's dvr equipment totally screwed my recording up. After returning home and preparing my oreo's and milk I sat down to watch the game that I had recorded. As my wife began playing it for me I asked her "What the Hell is this", as some crappy disney teeny booper show played. She said it's the game, and sure enough the recording said NHL Hockey. To make a long story short after blaming my son for messing up the recording we found out it was the dvr. Fortunately Prime Ticket was re-airing the game so I was able to see about half of it. The game was very back and forth with very little offense, and when the Kings had chances Backstrom came up big. On the other end Bernier played well and even saved a shot on goal from his own defenseman Martinez. The game came down to a shootout, that was ultimately decided by a skate and the most pathetic shoot out attempt since Kovy. I try not to complain to much but man I can tell you what Brown can do for me. Brown needs to stop being put on the shootout, in fact Terry Murray should let some other players try the shootout as goalies have seen the Kings three players moves over and over. With the exception of Kopi the other guys do not have a lot of moves in the shoot out and could use a break. Regardless of my opinions the Kings let a point slip out of their fingers last night and the chances to say they held a playoff spot, but tonight they have another chances. Not long ago the kings sit five points out of the 8th spot, now they sit five points out of 4th, so buckle up guys this ride is gonna be bumpy and hopefully fun.
On to tonight's game. Tonight the Kings play a very dangerous team in that teams house. I know the Oilers are in last place, but they are dangerous because they have nothing to play for at all. The Kings need to bring a hard checking and more offensive game tonight. The boys need to let Quick do his thing and get the puck in the net tonight. I will be happy with a good game but would love the 2 points. If you remember I said the Kings needed 14 points during this 10 game trip, so now it is 13 points in 9 games. This is a very reachable mark and I feel that if they pull this feat off they will be 6th spot or better in the standings. no matter what happens I hope you all enjoy tonight's game, remember its on channel 13 tonight at 630 Lets go Kings.

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On or Off?

Well fellow Kool-Aid drinkers the time has come. Today the Kings get back to action and I propose a proposition to all. Either get on the wagon now or stay off the wagon later. This team is going to go one of two ways, I hope it is up but either way I will be on board. The Kings need all the support they can get but it has to start now and stay at the same level. We as true fans do not need halfway fans or band wagoneers. I know at the start of the season no one thought this team would be in this position, but they are and we need to rally behind them. We as fans need to cheer them on (all of them even Bernier when he is playing) and help push them into the spot we all want them to be. I know some may say that "Well I might save some money if they don't make it" to those fans I say "Why go at all then" if you as a fan are not ready to support the team then why spend your money to go to the games? Look I understand it's no fun watching them lose, but if I am in the building I stay in the building till the final horn sounds. I am not saying stand and cheer as the lose but stay and show your support. Anyways enough of my ranting and raving. The columnist that follows the Kings for the LA Times has the Kings ranked below the Wild and the Flames in her rankings. Let's show her she don't no shit. This Kings team needs to rally around each other and hold each other accountable to play hard and play the right way. It is not going to be easy, there will be loses along the way, but this team is in a position to show it's power and it needs to start tonight. The Kings will be on the road for 3 games before a brief layoff at home (with no games). I propose the Kings need to win at least 2 of the 3 and if possible get them all. The following road trip after the layoff is a much tougher trip so let's get some points now to be in a better spot. I do not think the playoff picture will be clear until mid march with as tight a race as there is now but maybe the Kings can put some distance in the race over the next 3 weeks. Enjoy the game folks and hopefully we will talk about how great it was tomorrow.

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Time to get back to work

Well that game had very little defense if any but I guess that's what an all-star game is about. I do want to point out that Kopi had two goals and was one of the few centers that I saw actually down below the dots in the offensive zone (must be that home plate philosophy). Anyways the all-star game is over and Tuesday the NHL will get back to work and I am very excited to see if the Kings can continue their roll. Maybe the Kings can get off to a quick start on the road and not only make a playoff push but see if they can catch up to the Stars. The Kings don't have many division titles so it would be nice to get one but at least let's get this boys back in the playoffs and getting more experience. I will try to put together a good koolaid mix for tomorrow and possibly get everyone ramped up and ready for Tuesday's game. We should do a watch party somewhere while the Kings are away, as long as it ain't at my Mom's house (sorry Mom bad luck). Also maybe during a watch party some In N Out? Anyways have a nice Sunday evening all and get ready for Tuesday.

Wow when can we get some real hockey back up in here?

Hey all, I haven't come up with much for today but to say this break sucks man the Kings were just picking up the pace. I am going to be in and out of the blog today but I wanted to star with a link to something interesting for all to check out. It might confuse you a bit but gives you a good look at the standings.

http://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/2011/1/27/1959664/the-real-western-conference-standings?ref=yahoo

Mind you all this is not my work and all credit goes to the writer of Jewel's from the crown but hey it's fun to look at. Also I will probably be adding cooments with other links to the blog later today, everyone enjoy and check out some of those cool sponsor ads on the page.

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Child's Play

Hey there kool-aid drinkers and welcome to a new edition. Today's blog is a fun one, and not solely due to a awesome win for the Kings last night, but because I was able to share the awesomeness that is hockey with my daughter. I have been to games with her before but last night she was asking all the right questions about the game. She is starting to understand it and not surprisingly is actually more hockey smart than many of the fans at the games. She also has a knack for selecting who will score the first goal for the Kings, which I can't ever seem to do but hey she's a blast. As for the game last night man was that exciting or what. The game had a playoff billing atmosphere and lived up to that billing. Both teams had chances but either team could really dominate any section of the game, it was more like a shift to shift back and forth with real scoring chances coming few and far between. After the first period and about half of the second it appeared that Quick had not let the wall fall behind him, but unfortunately it finally came crashing down. This time though the team did not waver or collapse. many fans at the intermission had long sad faces, and I was also somewhat concerned. This is where a child's innocence saved the night. I looked at my daughter and asked " You think the Kings can come back and win". Smiling happily she said "yeah daddy". As hard as it may be to believe, at that moment I felt a sense of calmness and felt that there was no way the Kings could lose after that. After an extremely gutsy and hard-working shift for the fourth line Poni found the back of the net, and celebrated wildly after. I was later told that a monkey climbed off his back with that goal, and hope that he can get back to putting some points up for the team. The Kings did not play there best last night but sometimes it just comes down to the fact that someone has to win and San Jose challenged our strongest point with the shootout. Quick has become one of the best goalies in shootouts and has now gone 5-0 on the season during them. That game last night is why hockey is the best sport to watch in the world. At any moment the tide could turn and one team could claim victory, and in the end it took extra time and rounds but the team that should be better at this point actually was. Now we get a weekend to relax and not scoreboard watch, but come Tuesday this team better be ready to put it in high gear. All joking aside the Kings need to bring their "A" game during this long road trip ( I know its really 2 road trips because they come home for practice and then go back on the road) and score 14 points or more. The kings have 10 games on the road so 14 points is not a huge task, but it will take some hard work and a full team effort. Let's all enjoy this time to relax and not worry about where a Burger King is on the way to Staples Center. It's time to save our dinner money up for that jersey we all want so that we can proudly wear it during the playoffs. Enjoy the break friends. Also a side note I will be continuing the kool-aid during the break by bringing some info here I find online so that we can all stay in the swing of things.

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Sink or Swim?

It's that time again drinkers of the kool-aid. Todays blog is very simple, the Kings need to bring the intense, hard nosed approach that they know how to bring. If the Kings can put forth an excellent effort and get two more points tonight, they can  begin to silence the fans that said "This team ain't making the playoffs". With a win tonight they can move to within a point of the final playoff spot. Please keep in mind that tonight's game is not a must win, but a need to win. If the Kings can win tonight they will have some momentum going into the all-star break. They have a huge road trip after the break that will more than likely make or break their season. This season has seen the closest race from top to bottom that there has been in a long time. We fans need to do our best to support this team while they are gone, but lets let them know that we care tonight since we won't see them till February 24th. No matter where you watch tonights game from I hope its is a good Kings team that does the right things and puts pressure on the other team and after 60 minutes of play find themselves with a different streak than their last, winning streaks are allowed guys lets start one tonight.

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Remember That Team?

Hey all, got some soul-quenching Kool-Aid for you today. Do you remember that team we all watched in October? I got the feeling last night like that team is trying to reassemble under the Kings banner once again. Last night's effort was amazing. While I sat inside Staples Center enjoying a full 60 minutes of hard nosed, blue collar hockey I found myself with a grin on my face. Here I was sitting amongst a ton of bruins fans that now felt the pain I had felt so many nights in January. Admittedly it may have not been the best way to feel about it, but hey I have been riding this roller coaster for a long time and wanted to bask in the sun for just a moment. The legend of the double double lives as the Kings put up the 2 points we needed and now sit 3 points behind not only 8th place but 7th place as well, not to mention only 10 points behind the division leader. I do not want to get ahead of myself here so I will not say that I breathed a sigh of relieve that the team is back wear it needs to be, but this win was the kind of wins the October team had. Wednesday will be another huge test as the Kings meet the Sharks, and yes I know "It's only a San Jose Shark" but the Kings can not relax until Thursday (all-star break). If the Kings can manage to bring the same type of game Wednesday they could possibly be a mear 1 point outside the playoffs depending on outcomes of other games. I will do my best to stay grounded as I know 2 wins does not mean everything is okay, but man it sure feels good today. Now some parting notes: one, Monday games do not necessarily blow, as with a win they get my week off to a great start; Officially, In and Out  food has no real bearing on the outcome of hockey games, but it does taste great; Third and finally, we need to grow this blog and reach out to other Kings fans (real true ones) to come read and share comments with us, most of us reading this daily have devoted a ton of our time to the Kings and would enjoy to share it with people that feel the same way.


P.S. I don't wanna go down the rumor highway here but I must say Scheen is not available to trade unless we are getting back a young face of the franchise player. We Kings fans suffered through shittily put together teams to get the likes of Scheen, let's not throw that away now like past Management did. One cup is great but how awesome would it be to tell some ducks fan "Who has 3 cups".


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Step 2?

So the Kings played Saturday and despite not getting the PP going they found a way to get the two points. Best of all they kept a team in front of them from getting any points. I do not see the Kings getting a lot of chances on the PP tonight but if they could score just one PP goal it might get the ball rolling. Tonight's game is going to be a tough one. The Bruins are a very well rounded team with solid goaltending and a good offense, not to mention the giant defenceman Chara. As I sit there at staples I hope to see a hard hitting solid team game from the Kings. I look for offensive zone chances to be had by crashing the net with a point shot from our D-men. The game winning goal Saturday is a perfect example of the kind of goals this team needs to score. Stoll put it all on the ice to try to get to the puck and he was rewarded for that effort. The Kings will also need a great night form Quick. If anything has been suspect in Quick lately it would be his glove hand covering the top of the net and making that big timely save. Tonight will be a battle but it is how the Kings will need to address every game from now till June. I BELIEVE this team is going to pull together to make a playoff push. I would love to see a Stanley Cup but I feel this year is only the next step before a run of years of great playoff teams. Hopefully the Kings will run the table to the break and be pumped and ready for the long road trip after. I want to see a solid playoff team come Feb. 24 when they return home and I also want to see more real Kings fans show up to support them. The team needs our support even more when times get hard and any true Kings fan knows this due to years of struggle but how sweet it will be when that day gets here and we hoist that awesome cup over the streets of Los Angeles.

Are They Ready?

Hello all and welcome back to the koolaid. Today is going to be one of those weird ones as I will not see tonights game while it is going on. I will record it to watch it later but tonight is a special night, as it is me and my wifes anniversary. I have the utmost confidence that tonight the team will begin it's journey back to respectability. As noted earlier today by Rich Hammond, this team now leads the league in fewest shots against per game. Now they will find a way to hit the back of the twine. As I watched a dumb hockey movie today (Mighty Ducks 3) I thought maybe TM should do that drill. The drill was picking up the garbage where the coach literally threw trash in front of the net and the players were to try and put the garbage back to the net. I feel this is the mentality the team needs on the power play. The power play to this point in the season is more than likely the reason the team is not already in prime playoff contention and battling for a division title. If they players can simply find a way to score we can all score (some more than others perhaps) a win tonight. My hope is that I do not have to force myself to watch a shittily played game tomorrow morning solely to be able to comment on it but rather have a great game to watch to look back at in a few weeks and say that's where it got better. To all my friends my wife asks that you do not text me about the game tonight as we will be spending time together without the kids which is very rare for us. Ironically tonight I will be going to see The Dilemma and hopefully it will be the last dilemma to talk about here until June.

The Kool-Aid Mixer

Wow are you serious?

So as I sat at Staples Center last night waiting for the forthcoming no goal call I had a thought. Could a terrible call that is so obvious be just what this team needs? Stay with me here fans. A number of years back it was a hole that this team could never climb out of against Detroit in the playoffs that brought some of the best play out of them. This years version of the team is a much more talented and well rounded group. The team finally has a solid back line and enough people up front that can put the puck in the net. Also this team has what it has always seemed to lack good goal tending (despite what many people may think this two guys are young and only going to get better). This team has all the pieces and now needs to find a way to put them together. Perhaps TM can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and realize its time to unleash the top line from over worrying about defense and getting back to home plate. Maybe instead of a "shot mentality" he should start preaching a "do what you are best at mentality", or simply a "rebound mentality". Bottom line here now is the team is in a hole that most fans believe is to deep to get out of. Maybe this team can't climb out but I dare to say they can and will. I feel in the coming months TM will no longer hear "we need a new coach". I must admit I have been down on TM lately but he showed me something last night and again today that shows he gets it. He has called out the NHL and its terrible replay system, while still remembering that his team has to find ways around calls like this. I feel this team is going to remember this call and realize it's them against the world. No matter what happens the rest of the season its fighting time, like a boxer this team has now tasted its own blood and is ready to challenge anew. Fans if I may please try to stay positive, I know its hard as I battle with this same problem. Rather than doubting this team lets BELIEVE in this team. Let us show the players they too can rally back and get a playoff spot, its not quiting time and it never will be.

What are they thinking

Ok so this is the start of a new blog to talk about the Hockey team Los Angeles Kings. This is strictly opinion based and has no ties to the team at all, but is a way for me and occasionally friends of mine to vent and or discuss issues dealing with the LA Kings. Also this is a very amateur blog so please do not post hate about it, it is hear for fun so lets try and have some even while we struggle through a very bad time in this teams season.

So here goes, I do not understand what the coaches and management of this team is thinking we continue to ask players to play outside their positions. Tonights lineup will include 6 centers and only 2 left wingers. They ask these natural centers to play a wing spot that they are not acustom to and then don't understand why the consistence is not where they want it. For example yesterday the team moved loki over to ontario so if they needed to recall him he would be closer. The team must have know they would need a player as they recalled him today to the big club. I like loki but the team knew it would need him if one of their wingers could not play. I wish they had thought about it a bit more and recalled an actual left winger, perhaps a guy named Holloway who happens to be one of the scoring leaders in Manchester and is a natural left wing, the spot the kings have actually looked to fill all season. I understand Holloway has no NHL experience but he plays the position we need and is showing the touch to put points on the board. Why not give him a look and see if he is ready, if not at least he will know what to work on to be a long term solution. This is just a example of the little things about this team that don't seem to add up. We have a ton of talent and are certainly better than 12th in our conference, but that is where we sit. My hope for tonight is for loki to fit in as best he can and hopefully we can play for 60 minutes and get the points we need tonight. Lets make tonight the turning point and make a run to get a playoff spot back and carry some momentum into the playoffs. If this team can't start a playoff push soon they will be sellers come trade deadline and us fans will once again say " Hey next year is gonna be our year"

The Kool-Aid mixer