I Just Noticed that the Kings Don’t Play Colorado Until February 13, 2010
…which is the last game before the Olympic break. I wonder where these two teams will sit when they meet for the first time in what is (by my count) the 60th game of the year.
Kings Prospect Mack Truck — er — Kyle Clifford, in the Barrie Examiner
Colts forward Kyle Clifford is built like a Mack truck. He weighs 200 pounds and stands six feet tall. The 18-year-old Los Angeles Kings draft pick nearly stuck with the NHL squad at the beginning of the year.
He was just about qualified to play against 35-year-olds, and now he’s going into the corners against 16-year-olds.
“There are different ages out there, and there are bigger guys and younger guys,” Clifford said. “But I treat every player the same way, whether he’s 16 or 21 years old.
“We’ve got to play hard, but you’ve got to know your limits and play fair.”
via Accidents will happen in contact sports – The Barrie Examiner – Ontario, CA.
Star Phoenix: Eberle cooks on and off the ice
I was originally just going to post the bit in this article about Teubert, but, truly, this is one of the best player interviews I have ever read. I now love Jordan Eberle, who will be tearing it up for the Oilers in a couple of years. My favorite bits and the Teuert thing are in bold:
As a regular feature, StarPhoenix sports reporter Cory Wolfe gets personal with a sports figure. Today, Regina Pats forward Jordan Eberle gets cornered. The Pats play host to the Saskatoon Blades tonight at the Brandt Centre.
The SP: You’re a fan of the TV show Entourage. What would be the most important position within your entourage? Chauffeur? Personal shopper? Deejay?
Eberle: I’d love a personal chef. And I’d have to have steak. I live with my grandparents, so I could just carry my grandma around. That’d work, too.
The SP: You’re probably not going to find many chefs better than grandma anyway. Which song do you hope your teammates never find in your iPod?
Eberle: Oh, that’s either my JoJo or I have a little bit of Spice Girls in there, too, like Spice Up Your Life.
The SP: You were the WHL’s scholastic player of the year in 2008. Excluding sports, which Jeopardy category appeals to you?
Eberle: History, like the Roman Empire and that kind of thing. It really interested me and we learned a lot about it in high school.
The SP: When it comes to on-ice trash talk, do you give more or get more?
Eberle: I’d say it’s even. I know guys like to get me off my game and I like to give it back. I don’t like to initiate it, but I’m usually the one to end it.
The SP: Give me an example of a line that you’ve heard.
Eberle: Well, I can’t remember what the guy said to me first, but I just told him, “You’re an awful hockey player.” And he said, “I’m not the worst player in the league. There are definitely players that are worse than me.” I just had nothing to say back to that. (Laughs)
The SP: Which piece of equipment are you most particular about?
Eberle: Sticks, for sure. I spend probably 30 minutes a game on my stick and I tape it between each period and I make sure it’s perfect before every game.
The SP: In a Nike commercial, you’re shown rattling off the names of your sticks — “Lisa, Ashley, Whitney . . .” Which lady helped you score the tying goal against Russia with 5.4 seconds left in last January’s world junior semifinal?
Eberle: To be honest, I don’t name my sticks, so I said (to the commercial crew,) “What do you want me to name them?” They told me to name the girls in my life, so Lisa, Ashley and Whitney are my mom and my two sisters.
The SP: That’s pretty cool. Who’s your celebrity dream girl?
Eberle: Kristen Bell.
The SP: And how would you show her a good time in your hometown of Regina?
Eberle: We could go quadding. (Laughs)
The SP: I’m sure a second date would be imminent. What’s the weirdest superstition you’ve witnessed?
Eberle: I’ve seen guys who have to put on their equipment the exact same way every time — left shin pad, right shin pad, left skate, other skate. I haven’t really seen crazy things, but I saw a guy puke before every game. He threw up before every single game. That was with the Pats. He didn’t make our team, but he tried out.
The SP: You’ve become quite familiar with Pat Quinn, considering that he coached the Canadian junior team and also guides the Edmonton Oilers. Describe a memorable Quinn line.
Eberle: On an off-day (during the world junior tournament) he told us that we needed to get some sleep and stay off our Sega Genesis.
The SP: Does Pat know that Xbox exists?
Eberle: (Laughs) I’m not sure. He only calls it Sega Genesis, so . …
The SP: Name the single biggest factor in your evolution from a seventh-round bantam pick to a first-round NHL pick.
Eberle: My confidence. You’re more of an underdog when you’re a seventh-round pick. I kind of showed everyone what I could do and turned it around, so my confidence on the ice is a lot better. The (2008) under-18 tournament in Kazan, Russia, was kind of the turnaround point for me. That’s when I thought, “I can really play with these players.”
The SP: Who is the toughest WHL defenceman to beat 1-on-1?
Eberle: Colten Teubert in practice. We’re pretty competitive with each other, so I think he probably plays me harder than any guy that I’ve played in the Western Hockey League.
The SP: And the toughest WHL goalie to beat?
Eberle: Garrett Zemlak (of the Prince Albert Raiders). He’s always had my number since I’ve been in the league.
The SP: Well, he is the reigning Canadian Hockey League goalie of the week, so you’re not the only one. Besides hockey awards, which trophy would you most like to win?
Eberle: Probably The Masters.
The SP: So a green jacket?
Eberle: Yeah, a green jacket.
The SP: When was the last time you cheated in golf?
Eberle: Probably the last time I played.
The SP: And finally, what tops your bucket list?
Eberle: Climbing some sort of mountain or winning the Stanley Cup.
The SP: They’re kind of the same thing, Jordan.
Eberle: (Laughs) No kidding.
TIVO EXCLUSIVE: Kings Rout Pens for the Second Time in Two Days
Red-hot Kings will try for a three game sweep in a game scheduled to be played tonight, after my kid goes to sleep.
Colorado’s Hot Start – Behind The Net
More great stuff from Behindthenet:
Since 1967-68, there have been 36 teams that have started the season with a winning percentage between .769 and .846, essentially one more win or one more loss than the Avs. The second WPCT is Colorado’s pythagorean winning percentage, based on its goals for and goals against.
Here’s how they finished the season – some numbers may not add up perfectly due to rounding:
W L T WPCT Pts GF GA WPCT Start 9 2 2 .793 22 54 32 .743 Rest 34 21 13 .594 88 245 201 .599 Total 44 23 15 .626 110 299 233 .624 I’ve assumed that OT and SO performance is pure luck, and awarded 1.5 points per game that ends tied after regulation. Teams that have started hot have generally been pretty good – 110 points over a full season would be an amazing outcome for the Avalanche, a 41-point improvement over last season’s disaster. Note that the GF and GA totals clearly reflect other eras in the history of hockey!
Now that’s the average performance. What about the range of possible performances?
W L T WPCT Pts Average 44 23 15 .595 110 -1 stdev 36 29 17 .543 98 Worst 31 33 18 .488 89 We can be completely sure that the 2009-10 Colorado Avalanche are not the 1976 Montreal Canadiens, who went 58-11-11 and whose 9-2-2 start was actually worse than their record the rest of the way. So if we compare the Avalanche only to the teams whose record over the rest of the season was in the bottom half of our sample, what does their playoff performance look like?
Miss 1st Rd 2nd Rd 3rd Rd Finals Win Cup Avg # Playoff GP 2 10 2 2 0 2 8.3 So even among the bottom half of this group, we still have some very good teams – the cup winners were the 1998 Red Wings and the 1983 Islanders, both of whom swept the finals. But 2/3 of our comparative group either missed the playoffs or didn’t make it out of the first round.
If Colorado finishes with 98 points (the -1 standard deviation record shown above), 6th in the West, and makes a 1st-round playoff exit, their fans should be overjoyed. There’s really very little precedent for a team starting the season this hot and not actually being very good – except the 2008-09 Avalanche was, by six losses, by far the worst team ever to have this hot a start to the next season.
As best I can tell, NHL futures have the Avalanche in the middle of a dogpile at around 90 points, just outside of the last playoff spot. In other words, the people who have money riding on this are giving Colorado 50/50 odds to be the worst team ever to have this good a start to the season.
Just a Bit More Perspective on Winning and Losing Streaks – Behind The Net
Since the NHL expanded to 12 teams in 1967-68, thirty-one franchises have played 908 total seasons. If you had to guess, what percentage of those seasons do you think included a 10-game stretch like the Leafs just had, with only one win in regulation? Would you believe 541, or 60%? And how many teams had a 13-game stretch, like the Colorado Avalanche, where they only lost one game or less in regulation? Still a very high 32%. And the number of seasons in which a team did both?! 10.5%.
That seems amazing to me – 1 out of every 10 teams has a stretch that’s as bad as the Leafs just had and as good as the Avs just had – in the same season! Even more amazing – six of the last sixteen Stanley Cup winners had both stretches during their championship season.
via Just a Bit More Perspective on Winning and Losing Streaks – Behind The Net.
Kyle Quincey: #1 Defenseman? – Behind The Net
Article from Behind the Net with my comments:
Kyle Quincey has been front-and-center in the Colorado Avalanche’s quick start to the season. The off-season pickup from the Los Angeles Kings has had all the hallmarks of a top defenseman – he’s at the top of the depth chart at even-strength, on the power-play and on the penalty-kill.
While the Kings sheltered him last year and kept him away from the penalty-kill and defensive zone faceoffs, Colorado has thrown him in the middle of everything, with great results – they lost just one of their first 13 games in regulation, and Quincey led their defensemen in ice time and points. I certainly didn’t see this coming: if you’d asked me six months ago if Kyle Quincey could be the #1 defenseman on a good team, I’d have given you 10-1 odds against.
So was this something we should have expected?
Only if you’re me. Here’s my self-stroking cut-and-paste from the Inside the Kings comments section:
***
said:My dad and brothers are all wings fans, and they say Quincey is defensive-minded, big but quick, and they’re pissed that he’s gone. The Johnson injury is a bad, bad thing, but Quincey is a good, good pick-up.
He’s not on waivers because he sucks. He’s on waivers because the Wings have too many defensemen, they have cap issues, and have to make moves they wouldn’t ordinarily want to make.
Of his 26 total NHL games, 13 are playoff games, which makes him simultaneously one of our least experienced players and one of our most experienced in playoffs (behind, I’m going to guess, Handzus, Stoll, Greene, O’Donnell, Calder and Preissing).
November 8, 2008 11:18 AM
said:I actually think Quincey is going to prove himself to be better than Bouwmeester, as well. But I’ll grant you I might be wrong about that.
[much mockery ensues from other commenters, after which I said:]
Let me put it this way about Quincey: he’s played, I believe between 20 and 25 regular season NHL games. Right out of the gate he led the Kings in ATOI. He leads all Kings D in points. He is responsible defensively and can play offense. He is smart, aggressive and he’s a leader. I did not mean to say that as a pure talent, in terms of raw skills, that he is superior to Bouwmeester, who has always been regarded, as you say, as elite. As you know, I was singing Quincey’s praises back in September when it looked like Detroit was going to have to unload a defenseman, and it probably makes me look a little unstable to be canvassing to retire his number after his first week in a Kings uniform. But I’m going to stick by my hope that picking Quincey up on waivers turns out to be the single greatest achievement of DL as Kings GM. Wishful thinking? I suppose that’s likely at this point. But let’s wait and see.
p.s. Bouwmeester in his first season: 4 goals, 12 assists, plus/minus -29. Quincey, at his current pace, projects to: 7 goals, 27 assists, plus/minus +7.
Again, in many ways they are apples and oranges. But, as crazy as the comparison is, it’s not that crazy.
April 20, 2009 5:20 PM
said:Quincey: retire his jersey. If he had played one fewer game in either of his two seasons with Detroit, he would have been a rookie this year, and as such would have led all defensemen (rookies) in points, by a long shot.
***
Now, back to the Behind the Net blog:
Quincey had one only pre-draft season in the OHL, with the London Knights. He found himself fairly far down on the depth chart, and was drafted in the 4th round of the 2003 draft by the Detroit Red Wings, 132nd overall. He worked his way up to the #1 spot in his Age 20 season, and made the jump to the bottom of the depth chart in Grand Rapids the following season. After three years in the AHL, Detroit still couldn’t commit and tried to sneak him through waivers. They ended up losing him to the LA Kings, where he finally cracked the NHL roster
The Kings’ big move was to give him a big chunk of the power-play minutes. The net result, as you can see above, was 25 points at 5-on-4, more than he had in three seasons in the AHL. The Kings then traded him to Colorado in the Ryan Smyth deal – it seemed like they were selling high, but now Quincey’s a new player.
via Kyle Quincey: #1 Defenseman? – Behind The Net.
I miss KQ. I’m not at all surprised he’s blowing people away in Colorado. Also, let’s not forget he did what he did last year with an injured back. He was injured when he arrived in LA. He played the whole season hobbled. Now healthy, I expect great things. I think people are fooled because he looks kinda dorky.
IllegalCurve.com » Blog Archive » Morning Papers Take: Hurricane season is over
Simply, the Hurricanes are done. The team has recorded seven points in fourteen games, just lost their best forward for two-to-four weeks and have lost ten straight games. With 68 games remaining in the Canes’ season, the team would have to go 43-25 (not counting overtime losses) to reach last season’s playoff threshold (93 points for the Habs). That means, the Hurricanes would have to win 63% of the team’s remaining games.
You know what they say about the Stanley Cup, you can’t win it in October, but you sure can lose it. The Hurricanes are evidence of just that.
via IllegalCurve.com » Blog Archive » Morning Papers Take: Hurricane season is over.
Trouble brewing in Columbus – From The Rink
The Columbus Blue Jackets could leave central Ohio if the team can’t fix an economic model that is causing losses of $12 million a year, according to a report issued today by the Columbus Chamber. But a deal to keep the hockey team here and the Arena District alive — the team and the district generated $30 million in taxes last year — probably will include asking for public dollars, and soon.
“We believe there is a sense of urgency here,” said Ty D. Marsh, chamber president and CEO. “We’re looking for a solution or progress by the end of the year.”
This is a situation that’s been building for a while. I’d actually be shocked if the Blue Jackets have made much of a profit in any year since the prelockout days, when the payroll was very low and interest was at its peak.
Historically, their attendance has been decent, too, at least prior to the lockout, but because a private company built the building, Columbus pays significant rent (about $3.5-million annually), receives no arena perks and ticket prices remain fairly low. The one game I’ve seen there, I sat right behind the bench for $80, tickets that were widely available.
Even with the league’s new revenue sharing system, the Jackets just aren’t all that close to turning a profit:
If the Blue Jackets had free rent and arena-naming rights, the hockey operations would basically be breaking even, but the other business of booking concerts and events would still lose about $4 million a year.
And contrary to what’s been written elsewhere, these are financial issues that are not merely solved by winning hockey games. The gap is just too large and the markets involved too small. Even if the Blue Jackets sold another 2,500 tickets a game and went on a run to the second round of the playoffs, they would still be in the red.
Teams like Columbus and Nashville are in tough to compete in a league with a payroll of more than $35- or $40-million and probably always will be.
Postgame Avs-Coyotes – where were you tonight? | All Things Avs
The Avs set a record tonight – for lowest home attendance to a game. I wrote a column for versus.com recently that ripped on Nashville Predators fans, for not selling out their home opener and for being a general disappointment at the box office in recent years despite a pretty good team.
I even called for the Preds to just beat it out of the NHL, if they don’t want to show up to support a good team.
Do I need to write the same thing to you, Avs fans? Because, based on tonight’s embarrassing attendance, a lot of people (Predators fans especially) are pointing this out to me. I don’t blame them tonight.
What gives? Seriously, what’s up? I want to know what the reasons are why more of you wouldn’t show up tonight to see a team that had the most points in the Western Conference coming into tonight’s game with Phoenix (and added on to them when it was over)?
If the reason why attendance was down last year was the perfectly justifiable reason that the team was awful, what is the excuse for tonight?
There was not a single person in sections 330 and 334 a few minutes into the game tonight. Not one. I think a couple souls showed up a while later and sat there, but that was…it.
You definitely did not dissuade critics who say Denver is just a bandwagon hockey town tonight, folks. The announced attendance was definitely not the actual number in the building either. I’d say the real number was about 8,500, maybe a bit less actually.
This is a team that has busted their rear ends so far, that has two exciting 18-year-old kids on the roster who are playing well and a goalie who has been an absolute beast. This was a team that came home after another long road trip, with a 10-3-2 record, and it was….almost crickets. The players definitely noticed it, and there was some disappointment in the voices of a couple that I talked to after the game. I mean, not like everybody was expecting a sellout, but thousands of empty seats? Yes, there was some disappointment at that.
It was an embarrassing showing by Denver hockey fans tonight, no question about it.
via Postgame Avs-Coyotes – where were you tonight? | All Things Avs.
Scenes from the Father-Son Dinner – Battle of California
Genius:
Tim Stoll (Jarret’s Dad): So, Raitis, I’m sorry to hear your dad couldn’t end up making it, but I thought he was going to.
Raitis Ivanans: Well, I guess he ran into a little problem at Customs and couldn’t get into the country.
Tim Stoll: Really? What happened? Does he have a record or something?
Raitis Ivanans: My dad is actually a bear, so…
Tim Stoll: Oh.
***
Bob Scuderi (Rob’s Dad): Hey, Matjaz, your son’s really having a great start this year!
Matjaz Kopitar (Figure it Out): Yes, yes, my young apprentice has truly seen the power of the Dark Side.
Bob Scuderi: Yeah he rea- I’m sorry, did you say Dark Side?
Matjaz Kopitar: Yes, he thought I was mistaken but it turned out he was mistaken, about a great many things!
Bob Scuderi: Uh-huh. …Boy, that’s a pretty cool cell phone ya got there, is that one of those Droid things? I thought they weren’t supposed to come out for a while?
Matjaz Kopitar: Oh, I’m afraid this cellular phone is quite operational. Now witness the firepower of this fully ARMED and OPERATIONAL phone!
Bob Scuderi: Hey, that’s pretty cool!
Matjaz Kopitar: I know, I can even update my Twitter! But now I’m sorry, my pathetic Rebel friend, that the time has come; now you will DIE! Hissssss!!!!
Bob Scuderi: …Please don’t point your fingers at me, Matjaz.
Matjaz Kopitar: Hissssssssss!!!!!!!
***
Terry Murray: So Alexander, where’s your dad, I was kinda hoping to meet him.
Alexander Frolov: (Bursts into tears)
Terry Murray: (Slowly backs away)
via Scenes from the Father-Son Dinner – Battle of California.
BREAKING: Sources Say ESPN is Looking Closely at Kings Trade Rumor
According to a source who has knowledge of ESPN’s website, the sports giant is one of several thought to be front-runners to acquire a blockbuster rumor involving potentially-disgruntled Kings forward Alexander Frolov. While the specifics of the potential rumor are not known, speculation is that it could involve Frolov and one or more Kings assets — conventional wisdom points to Jack Johnson — as well as former first round picks Jonathan Bernier, Thomas Hickey and Colten Teubert, three blue-chip prospects widely known to be coveted in previous rumors. Sources say that ESPN is specifically looking only to bring in rumors involving players whose names its subscribers may have actually heard. While only ESPN Insider subscribers have access to the complete rumor, multiple visitors confirm that the rumor names Frolov. Speculation is the rumor will include insinuation that Frolov is unhappy with his role with the Kings. Mention of his pending UFA status and his enigmatic nature would undoubtedly also be involved in any deal with ESPN. It is believed that, were the rumor actually to be acquired by ESPN, another NHL team would be a likely partner.
Calls placed to the Kings were not returned.
Tavares-Moulson connection? All chemistry
Maybe it’s that old sports cliche, chemistry, that explains the immediate collaborative efficiency between celebrated Islanders rookie John Tavares and free-agent discovery Matt Moulson.
Maybe it’s a familiarity that goes back at least five years, when Tavares, the emerging hockey phenom, was playing lacrosse and hockey with Moulson’s younger brother Chris in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga – a connection that led to a friendship between their parents and to summers of long training sessions together for Tavares and Moulson.
“We never were on the same team, but we skated a lot together,” Moulson said Tuesday. “But he said he always had good chemistry playing with my brother. Maybe it’s in the blood.”
Or maybe, with the latest manifestation of their telepathic anticipation – Moulson’s Gretzky-like, from-behind-the-goal feed for Tavares’ snap goal against Edmonton on Monday – it’s just a matter of Tavares “yelling pretty loud,” Moulson said. “I think he would’ve killed me it I didn’t give him the puck.”
Whatever. This partnership is working out well. While top draft pick Tavares, only 19, is living up to his pre-NHL reputation, with five goals and six assists in 14 games, the 26-year-old Moulson (six goals, five assists) has raised a lot of eyebrows by equaling Tavares’ team-leading point total.
“He’s fit in well,” coach Scott Gordon said of Moulson, who spent most of the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate. “I knew he could score in the AHL. When he came to camp, we were hopeful, but it doesn’t happen too often” that a potential hockey vagabond has an NHL breakthrough.
Gordon still was fiddling with line possibilities in training camp when Moulson demanded attention with his scoring touch, and the coach liked the idea of pairing Moulson’s instinct for being around the net with Tavares’ playmaking ability. The third piece of the No. 1 line then became the relentless Kyle Okposo (three goals, seven assists so far), who is “strong on the puck, has a bigger body, adds an element of speed to create more room for the guys who can score,” Gordon said.
Moulson had called Tavares when Moulson was in talks with the Islanders during the summer. “He said, ‘Well, sign. Hurry up and sign,’ ” Moulson said. “We were hoping to get a chance to play together. But I didn’t ask too many questions” about where he might fit in.
“That last exhibition,” Gordon said, “I told [Moulson], ‘You made our team. But, every day’s your last day here.’ “
So, maybe it’s the urgency. Every last day has been good.
via Tavares-Moulson connection? All chemistry.
Well, I don’t want to say I told you so…
Craig Custance (CraigCustance) on Twitter
Brian Leetch on Brett Hull’s underrated passing: “He used to overpass in practice just to show us he could do it.”
Monarchs Ascending The Throne – OurSports Central – Independent and Minor League Sports News
The Monarchs swept a recent six-game homestand, outscoring their opponents by a 21-3 count and posting three shutouts. Jonathan Bernier (6-2-0, 1.49,.956), the 11th overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft, ranks among the AHL’s top five in both goals-against average and save percentage and was named the Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month for October. Stablemate Jeff Zatkoff (3-1-0, 0.75,.978), a third-round pick in that same 2006 draft, leads the league in both categories as Monarchs opponents have been denied on 96.4 percent of their shots through 12 games.
Nineteen-year-old rookie Andrei Loktionov, the second-youngest player to skate in the AHL this season, has paced the Monarchs’ offense. A fifth-round draft pick by Los Angeles in 2008, Loktionov began his pro career with a hat trick at Albany on Oct. 3 and boasts team highs in goals (5), points (12), and plus/minus rating (+10). Third-year pro Scott Parse racked up 11 points (2-9-11) and a plus-8 mark before earning his first-ever NHL recall on Oct. 23, and he has contributed a goal and two assists in his first four games with the Kings.
Oscar Moller, a second-round draft choice in 2007, has put up nine points (4-5-9) and a league-leading three game-winning goals in the early going, while 2009 AHL All-Star Brandon Segal also has nine points (3-6-9). Former third-round draft pick Bud Holloway has six points (4-2-6) and a plus-7 mark through 10 games of his sophomore season, while Gabe Gauthier (1-4-5), rookie Corey Elkins (3-1-4) and second-year pro Justin Azevedo (1-3-4) have also made contributions up front.
Former second-round draft pick Viatcheslav Voynov, 19, leads all Monarchs defensemen with six points (3-3-6) in his second pro season, and Drew Bagnall shows four points (1-3-4) and a plus-5 rating thus far. Rookie blueliners Patrick Mullen and Thomas Hickey – drafted fourth overall in 2007 – and second-year rearguard Andrew Campbell join the youth movement on the blue line.
via Monarchs Ascending The Throne – OurSports Central – Independent and Minor League Sports News.
King, Pelech have passed chemistry test – San Bernardino County Sun
The old cliché about an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object never addressed what happens when you put the two together on the same forward line in a hockey game.
In the case of Dwight King and Michael Pelech, it turns out they have pretty good chemistry.
Pelech and King, the only players assigned to the Reign by the Kings to start the season, already are showing fans what prompted the NHL club to draft them. The 6-foot-3, 20-year-old forwards are bigger than many of their ECHL counterparts and just learning how to use their size effectively.
King scored his first goal in a 3-0 win Saturday over the Bakersfield Condors, a game in which Reign coach Karl Taylor said the right wing “was a force to be dealt with.”
“He did a great job on the two penalty kills he had, and he controlled the puck down low, ran up and down the walls,” Taylor said of King.
The native of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan has attended the Kings’ NHL training camp each year since being drafted in the fourth round in 2007. And each year, he has left with a stronger desire to stick around.
“I just need to play more consistently,” King said. “If I could play every game like (Saturday), then I’ll probably give myself a better chance to be up there – controlling the puck, working hard on a night-in, night-out basis.”
Pelech, a center, has proven his worth in the faceoff circle as well as with his hockey IQ, even without the puck. The Toronto native said he didn’t even expect to be drafted in June, when the Kings tapped him in the sixth round of the entry draft.
Even more so than King, who now has a goal and two assists through eight games, Pelech (one assist in eight games) isn’t going to make it to the NHL on his scoring ability alone.
“He’s real competitive,” Taylor said of Pelech. “He’s not afraid to stand up for his teammates. He adds a lot, and he’s just going to get better and better.
Goaltenders Jeff Zatkoff and Linden Rowat, defenseman Colten Teubert, and high-scoring forward Bud Holloway were the only players assigned to the Reign last season by the Kings. For fans, having King and Pelech around offers a window into the development of a different kind of hockey player.
That they happen to be clicking on the ice is a nice bonus.
“He plays a pretty similar game and he opens up a lot of space,” King said of Pelech.
“It’s good chemistry.”
Added Pelech, “We’re both big bodies. We like to get down low and cycle the puck, so it’s been working out pretty well so far. Hopefully we can keep it up.”
King, Pelech have passed chemistry test – San Bernardino County Sun.
Homophobia in Hockey – The Response (UPDATED) | Bourne’s Blog
And next, again from Jeff, a story that makes me want to punch an endless number of people:
“I’m not sure if you’re aware, but the NYC Gay Hockey Association once had an unpleasant experience at Madison Square Garden. We had arranged for group seats for 30 of our members and friends. We were all enjoying the game. During the first intermission, it is customary for the Group Ticket purchasers (usually companies and organizations) to have their name displayed on the jumbotron. When the name “New York City Gay Hockey Association” went up, hundreds and hundreds of people started booing. I can’t even tell you what that felt like. I was horrified just to think they these hockey fans, people who loved hockey as much as I do, were so close-minded and hateful about the gay community. It pretty much soured my interest in the NHL, and its been a slow road coming back. This story was written up in the New York Times. We even met with Madison Square Garden & Cablevision officials to deal with it, and come up with solutions for providing a more welcoming environment for everyone.”
via Homophobia in Hockey – The Response (UPDATED) | Bourne’s Blog.
I have two immediate responses to this: (1) in any group of thousands of people, there are hundreds of idiots, and idiots can be loud; (2) come be Kings fans instead. Bonus third response: I love that there is a New York City Gay Hockey Association.
Best Trade The Kings Have Made Since Gretzky | Bleacher Report
I really don’t know how to describe what I’ve seen this year other then to say, wow. I can’t recall a Kings team having this combination of grit and skill. They are fun to watch at both ends of the ice.
[...]
An interesting story line about the game and the LA broadcast was Heidi Androl was interviewing LA Kings Players fathers. [...]
There was no prouder father in that box then Ryan Smyth’s Dad. He was easy to spot. He looks like and older version of his superstar son. It was that moment I realized how great the trade with the Avalanche was.
When I look at last years Kings roster I see a lot of talent. I see a lot of youth. I don’t see a lot of experience and I don’t see a lot of guys that had been there. I look at the roster now and there is one name that glares back at me Ryan Smyth. Maybe it’s placebo effect that Ryan has on the Kings. I believe he is the definite cure for what’s been ailing this team. I believe he really helps make this team a contender.
Ryan is playing with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Together they make up one of the highest scoring lines in the league right now. This is a line that reminds me of another famous line that the Kings had back in the day. The line has flash, grit, skill and a never say die attitude.
Last year the Kings didn’t win a lot of close games. They couldn’t grind them out. With Smyth not only can they grind them out, they can blow them out. [...]
Anze Kopitar is shooting more [...] and currently leading the NHL in scoring. [...] Smyth being on his side has a lot to do with this. Smyth and Kopitar have chemistry. Smyth seems to always know where Anze is and how to get him the puck. [...]
Toward the end of the second period last night, a period in which the Kings were outplayed, Smyth had the game changer. He scored the type of goal that’s defined his career. It was a never-give-up workman’s goal. He took a shot from the right side, and then took another whack at it and when it didn’t go he circled around the back of the net and slammed it home. This made it 3-2. This goal was at the end of the second and helped set the tone for the third.
via Best Trade The Kings Have Made Since Gretzky | Bleacher Report.
A self-serving review of Parse parsing
said:I’m kind of hoping for a Trevor Lewis, Scott Parse, Alec Martinez surge. Martinez’s name obviously has been mentioned a bit lately, but Lewis and Parse have become (unless I’m missing something) all but forgotten…
said:My own preferred wishful thinking is that one of Lewis or Parse makes a big splash in camp and plays left wing on the second line. Again, not likely, but as long as we’re dreaming…
said:re Parse: I have been rooting for him for awhile, and I agree with Anthony that he’s in danger of slipping down the depth chart if he doesn’t get it turned around sooner rather than later. After not doing much the first couple of games in Manchester [...] he’s putting up some points. So rumors of his demise may have been premature. If he can’t get a call-up this year, maybe ‘09 camp, where there should be more room with the (presumed) departures of Calder and Armstrong. He’s going to be fighting Purcell, Moulson, Lewis, Clune, Richardson, Azevedo, Loktionov, Zeiler, etc. for those spots, but it’s possible. His last shot? Could be. I wouldn’t want to give other big-bodied prospects (e.g. Wudrick) too much time to grow into their frames.
said:I would also note that my long-time favorite, Scott Parse, is having an excellent season finally. Once Calder is gone, I wouldn’t mind seeing Parse in some games (since his contract is up after this year anyway — let’s see what the kid can do in Calder’s place). Parse and Lewis are better alternatives to Calder anyway.
said:Parse — finally having a good season in Manchester, and he’s (I think) in his contract year. I will be sad if he goes, because I have long held out hope for him.
said:Who of the other prospects might unseat one of the Moller group? MEE KOOOSH [...] Wudrick is a long shot [...] King and Clifford [...] Loktionov probably needs a full season in the AHL, as does Clune. Cliche? Who knows. (I don’t know if I’ve given up on Parse yet; no, I will hold my breath for one more year.)
Bernier is AHL Goalie of the Month for October
He got this in March as well. Did they have one for April, or is that two months in a row?
The American Hockey League announced today that Jonathan Bernier of the Manchester Monarchs has been named the Reebok/AHL Goaltender of the Month for October. Bernier was 6-1-0 in seven appearances on the month, with a 1.29 goals-against-average, a .963 save percentage and two shutouts.
Bernier began the 2009-10 season by making 35 saves in Manchester’s 6-3 win at Albany on Oct. 3, then stopped a career-high 41 shots in a 2-1 win at Norfolk on Oct. 9. Bernier shut down the defending Calder Cup champions with a 34-save performance in a 2-1 victory at Hershey on Oct. 11, then put together a shutout streak of 160 minutes and 35 seconds which included consecutive blankings of Portland (29 saves) on Oct. 17 and Bridgeport (40 saves) on Oct. 23. Bernier closed out October by stopping 28-of-29 shots in a 2-1 win over Providence on Oct. 30.
In recognition of his achievement, Bernier will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Monarchs home game.
Bernier, who was also the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month for March 2009, enters the week at 6-2-0, ranking fifth in the AHL with his 1.49 goals-against-average, third with his .956 save percentage and tied for the league lead in victories (6) and shutouts (2) in eight appearances.
via Monarchs News.
One Month In, What Do We Know? – Second City Hockey
-Tomas Kopecky doesn’t do anything. I mean at all.
Vinny Lecavalier moved to line with Miller, Veilleux; Tocchet says “He’s gotta get his game sharp” | Lightning Strikes
It originally looked like Lightning coach Rick Tocchet was sending a message to Vinny Lecavalier Sunday afternoon, when the captain was moved off a line with Marty St. Louis and onto one with Drew Miller and Stephane Veilleux. It certainly turned some heads.Tocchet said it’s not the fact Lecavalier has struggled to score goals that has him concerned, it’s the fact that the other parts of his game – defensive responsibilities, finishing checks, etc – has slipped in the past couple games, and “we’ve got to clean him up.” Tocchet said by pairing Lecavalier with two “north-south guys,” and a line with lower offensive expectations, it could help.
That 5-1 victory over the Hurricane, but first a closer look at the damage inside Joe Thornton’s mouth | Working the Corners
“The three top are gone and the three bottom are cut in half,” said Thornton, who missed only one or two shifts, then had to spend an hour with team dentist Donald Goudy once Friday’s game ended.
Much of this appears in the print edition tomorrow, but I’ll lift heavily from that story because I know it’s been a topic of interest here.
Yes, Thornton was wearing a mouth guard. It didn’t help.
The back of his mouth guard, Thronton said, “got shattered off. I thought my teeth were all good up top, then I took out the mouth guard and the teeth came right with it.”
The badly damaged bottom teeth have been rebuilt some, but Thornton has reverted to using an old bridge — something he thought he wouldn’t have to do when he had “permanent” teeth constructed last summer.
It’s obviously not the first time Thornton has had to deal with dental woes tied to his job.
“Usually once a year I get hit in the mouth. It’s a pretty sensitive area when you start getting stitches inside the lip,” he said.
Thornton also has had to change the way he eats.
“I don’t know what’s going on down there,” he said, “but every time I try to chew on the right-hand side there’s a sharp pain so I’ve got to chew to my left-hand side.”
Monarchs Tidbits
Center Oscar Moller has four points (1-3=4) in his last five games since returning from a brief stint with the Los Angeles Kings…Left wing Richard Clune scored his first goal of the 2009-10 season…Clune has been sidelined with injuries thus far this season and has played in only three games.
via Monarchs News.
Zatkoff/Bernier One Two Punch
Monarchs goaltender Jeff Zatkoff, with his 44-save performance Saturday night, now features the AHL’s best goals-against-average with a 0.75…The goaltending tandem of Zatkoff and Jonathan Bernier is one and two on the AHL leader board with save percentages of .978 and .963, respectively…With an assist tonight, center Andrei Loktionov (5-6=11) remains tied with right wing Sergei Shirokov (5-6=11) of Manitoba for the league lead in points among rookies with 11 points each.
via Monarchs News.
Schenn, Vey, Teubert, Kozun, DesLauriers, Jones Selected for Super Series
Team WHL Roster – Victoria, BC – November 25, 2009
Forwards (12):
Scott Glennie (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Brayden Schenn (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Brent Raedeke (Edmonton Oil Kings)*
Byron Froese (Everett Silvertips)
Wacey Hamilton (Medicine Hat Tigers)*
Linden Vey (Medicine Hat Tigers)*
Jordan Eberle (Regina Pats)
Levko Koper (Spokane Chiefs)
Justin Dowling (Swift Current Broncos)
Cody Eakin (Swift Current Broncos)
Brendan Shinnimin (Tri-City Americans)
Lance Bouma (Vancouver Giants)
Defence (6):
Colby Robak (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Mark Pysyk (Edmonton Oil Kings)*
Tyson Barrie (Kelowna Rockets)*
Brett Ponich (Portland Winterhawks)
Colten Teubert (Regina Pats)
Jared Cowen (Spokane Chiefs)
Goaltenders (2):
Martin Jones (Calgary Hitmen)*
Calvin Pickard (Seattle Thunderbirds)*
Team WHL Roster – Kelowna, BC – November 26, 2009
Forwards (12):
Brandon Kozun (Calgary Hitmen)
Brent Raedeke (Edmonton Oil Kings)*
Tyler Shattock (Kamloops Blazers)
Brandon McMillan (Kelowna Rockets)
Carter Ashton (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Wacey Hamilton (Medicine Hat Tigers)*
Linden Vey (Medicine Hat Tigers)*
Quinton Howden (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Brett Connolly (Prince George Cougars)
Willie Coetzee (Red Deer Rebels)
Curtis Hamilton (Saskatoon Blades)
Craig Cunningham (Vancouver Giants)
Defence (6):
Michael Stone (Calgary Hitmen)
Mark Pysyk (Edmonton Oil Kings)*
Tyson Barrie (Kelowna Rockets)*
Brayden McNabb (Kootenay Ice)
Travis Hamonic (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon Blades)
Goaltenders (2):
Martin Jones (Calgary Hitmen)*
Calvin Pickard (Seattle Thunderbirds)*
*Players competing in both games
(DeLauriers was selected to represent Team QMJHL; no Kings prospects on the OHL team.)
Guess Who Leads the Kings in ASSTS/60 and POINTS/60…
Scott Parse, that’s who. 3.89 points per 60 minutes of ice time. Kopitar is at 3.00. I know, I know, he’s only four games into his NHL career. (None of which is a loss, by the way.)
How About This for “Settling” Tie Games?
Five minute OT. Two points for a win. Zero points for a loss. AND ZERO POINTS FOR EITHER TEAM IF THE GAME ENDS IN A TIE. That would get rid of the “protecting the tie” strategy. And it would be really fun to watch games between your rivals, rooting for the tie. The closing minutes of a tie game would be a f-ing frenzy!
LA Kings Mayor (mayor119) on Twitter
SJSharks Captain Rob Blake is a team worst MINUS 6. Nothing says leader like leading from the bottom. Well, that & being Captain by default.
via LA Kings Mayor (mayor119) on Twitter.
I believe this is called reverting to the mean.
Geordie Wudrick (GeordieWudrick) on Twitter
first WHL hatty! forgot what it felt like.. and it feels awesome
via Geordie Wudrick (GeordieWudrick) on Twitter.
This is three weeks old, but I totally missed it. As of today, the WHL scoring leaders include:
1. Brandon Kozun 8+19=27
9. Linden Vey 6+15=21 (5th in assists)
27. Brayden Schenn 5+13=18 (11th in assists)
70. Geordie Wudrick 8+5=13 (tied for 22nd in goals)
85. Colten Teubert 4+8=12 (11th among D)
Stop Fucking With Me
Sharks coach said this to Rich Hammond:
If your mindset isn’t prepared to play against an elite team in the National Hockey League…
And in case you assume (as any sane person would) the elite team he’s talking about is the Sharks: no, HE’S TALKING ABOUT THE KINGS. As much as I would like to take his words at face-value, I believe he’s employing an especially cruel kind of psychological warfare. That hurts, McLellan.
via LA Kings Insider.
I agree with Murray about the Scuderi Hit
This is a response to some of the comments on the LAKingsInsider thread on the Murray quotes.
First, directed at rlplayer11 Re “caveman thinking”
This is what rl said in the comments:
“caveman thinking no wonder players don’t respect each oher when coachs and gm are telling them this crap is good but its easy when your sitting behind a desk or bench not the one having your knees taken out or your head smashed against the glass it doesn’t matter to them because there is plenty more down on the farm. nhl has lost alot of great players that fans no longer get to watch because coaches won’t evolve from back in the day, caveman thinking”
You don’t understand. Murray is not saying dirty hits are fine. (c.f. Marc Crawford “allegedly” telling Bertuzzi to take Moore “out”.) Murray is saying clean hits are fine. He’s not saying that it was fine “in the old days” so it’s okay now. He’s saying it was, is, always has been and always will be a clean check. It’s a hipcheck. It doesn’t take out anyone’s knees, nor is it intended to. Chimera’s knees weren’t hurt and, per my previous post on the video of the hit, it doesn’t look like Scuderi hit anything but lower thigh. Is this a little low? Well, it’s a little lower than usual. And if it were even more low — which I would wager is nearly impossible — it would have hit knee and that would have hurt. But, as they say, “if my grandma had wheels she’d be a wagon.” But she doesn’t. So she isn’t.
Also, as an aside, the NHL has not lost any great players because of hipchecks. I would be surprised to learn that the NHL has lost a single player of any kind because of hipchecks. This is because hipchecks aren’t dirty and generally don’t hurt. Though they are spectacular to look at, and they are embarrassing to receive. See my past posts on this topic, if you give a s***. But the bottom line is, a hipcheck is a high-skill move that is not especially dangerous and it’s the opposite of reckless. It’s controlled. We’re not talking about an elbow to the face or a butt-end or a boarding major.
Moving on:
There is a very weird assumption built into the idea that old school was “caveman” and the modern game is safer. Because you have it backwards. In the old days, players didn’t wear helmets, sticks weren’t curved, pucks didn’t leave the ice surface as much due to the lack of curve, goalies didn’t wear masks, pads were minimal and flimsy compared to modern pads, players were not as strong and not as big and not in as good physical condition (it’s not my intention to debate player x from era y vs Ovi or whoever; I’m talking about the general state of things). Were there more serious injuries? No. Why is that? Several reasons:
- Players were more careful with their sticks when there were no helmets, because everyone was that much more exposed.
- Pads were not strong enough to be used as weapons. The shoulder pads I get at the pro shop now can knock a guy out, even in my old out of shape state. If I was using my pads of old, I would dislocate my own shoulder hitting someone that hard. Even if that’s an exaggeration, it’s a fact that checks from very big, strong people of that era were less dangerous because the force of the hit wasn’t magnified by the pads.
- Players now are bigger, stronger, faster (again, on the whole). Hits are harder by yet another order of magnitude because the collisions are faster all the way around.
- Skate technology allows much, much faster skating and much quicker, more agile turning. This leads to an exponential increase in knee and leg injuries.
- Modern boards are stronger and stiffer, and the seamless glass is deadly, leading to a huge increase in concussions.
- There were six teams until ‘67, and 12 for several years after. The talent pool was smaller. The overall level of skill was much higher. Yes, the European exodus changed that. No, I’m not saying that the Original Six teams were better than today’s Pens (etc.). What I’m saying is this: Thirty teams, lots of marginal talent playing that wouldn’t be playing if there were fewer teams. So you have less skilled people, idiots, goons, whatever. There were goons in the old days, too. But they could also put the puck in the net. It’s actually a little better now than it was in the first couple decades after expansion, but the greater disparity between the best players and the worst continues to make lopsided hits more likely to happen.
- The last and probably most controversial point is this: in the old days, before expansion and the advent of the utterly talentless knuckle-dragging goon, before the instigator penalty came in to assure that 90% of fights would be between two fourth line heavyweights when neither player was likely involved in whatever inciting incident occurred to necessitate “payback”…before all that…players were more likely to stick up for themselves and stick up for each other, i.e. the so-called culture of the players “policing themselves.” I’m not a big fan of the old frontier justice model, but I get it, and it’s pretty clear that it worked to keep the peace to a large degree.
A second commenter, dman, said this:
…But for a coach to come back the next day and more or less say it was a clean hit after the decision might confuse his players as to what is appropriate and what isn’t and where the boundaries are. I’m hoping the players feel that the league trumps the coach on what is acceptable behavior, but when the league isn’t always clear on the punishment and the coach adds to the confusion, well what’s a player to think! Old time hockey is great, but when the rules no longer apply, you have to adjust.
It’s not confusing to the players. It’s a hipcheck. Hipchecks are clean and legal. The boundary is that you are not allowed to use your ass (or back as in Scuderi’s case) to check someone at or below the knees, which I would think is not even possible. To say nothing of desirable. There is literally no point to using a hipcheck to take out someone’s knees. No one would intend to do that. If you want to do that, there are easier ways that don’t involve swooping in backwards at full speed with your ass a foot off the ground like Nancy Karragan. And as far as the “old time hockey” comment, the rules not only still apply but haven’t changed. A hipcheck is legal, safe and fun. Enjoy.
WWAMD says:
If someone did the same hit to Kopi he’d be all over that other player crying bloody mary.
If Kopitar were hipchecked, he wouldn’t land on his face, because he has this thing called coordination. If Kopitar managed to land on his face after a hipcheck, I for one would have the same response, which is too bad he landed on his face. Most people don’t land on their faces.
I think it’s hilarious that people are up in arms about reckless hipchecking and even suggesting that this dangerous relic from caveman days might be better off rendered completely illegal. There are exactly two parts of the body you are allowed to use to check someone: your shoulder and your hip. Take the hipcheck out the game and you’re left with shoulder checks. Shoulder checks are of course legal but are exponentially more dangerous than hipchecks, which, as body checks go, is a pleasant little flip through the air before you land ignominiously on your butt.
Scuderi lost a bit of control while applying the check on Chimera. The net result of which was that (a) he looked a little weird in the approach, (b) he got him on the lower thigh rather than the upper thigh, and (c) nothing. Chimera didn’t sustain a knee injury of any kind. Not surprising because the hit didn’t affect the knee. And there’s no way even a low hit could in any way be more likely to cause the player to land on his face. The face thing was the scary part, and it had nothing to do with whether the hit was low, high or anything in between.
Scuderi cops to the hit being a bit low. He’s a good egg, right? That’s fine. But this issue of unsafe hipchecks that could destroy someone’s knee is a non-starter. And that’s what Murray is saying. And I obviously agree.
Oog-a-oog-a-oog-a.
(the original LAKingsInsider post and comments are here.)
Exclusive: Kings Hits Per Sixty Minutes of Icetime
| m/h | h/60 | |
| Brown | 3.2 | 19 |
| Moller | 3.9 | 15 |
| Ivanans | 5 | 12 |
| Lewis | 5.5 | 11 |
| Greene | 5.8 | 10 |
| Richardson | 7.4 | 8 |
| Parse | 7.7 | 8 |
| Johnson | 8.3 | 7 |
| Harrold | 9.6 | 6 |
| Williams | 10.2 | 6 |
| Kopitar | 13 | 5 |
| Doughty | 13 | 5 |
| Drewiske | 13.3 | 5 |
| Purcell | 13.4 | 4 |
| Simmonds | 13.8 | 4 |
| Frolov | 13.8 | 4 |
| Handzus | 15.6 | 4 |
| O’Donnell | 15.9 | 4 |
| Scuderi | 17 | 4 |
| Smyth | 21.7 | 3 |
First column is how many minutes go by before a player hits someone. Second column is hits per sixty minutes of ice time. What jumps out at me is Moller and Parse.
Kings forwards, QUALCOMP and plus/minus numbers
QUALCOMP – Kings Forwards (who faces the toughest opponents):
- Parse
- Kopitar
- Smyth
- Richardson
- Brown
- Purcell
- Ivanans
- Stoll
- Williams
- Simmonds
- Frolov
- Handzus
- Lewis
- Moller
Notice that the Handzus line is still facing the weakest competition, counter-intuitive if you believe they are really our checking line (I don’t). Toughest assignments are going to the #1 unit. The Stoll/Purcell line is right in the middle, as they have been all year (except for the first couple of games, where they were at the top of the list).
Here are the numbers for GAON/60 (Goals Against a player is on the ice for, per 60 minutes of icetime):
- Moller 0.00
- Simmonds 0.73
- Purcell 1.49
- Stoll 1.78
- Handzus 1.96
- Williams 2.15
- Ivanans 2.40
- Frolov 2.43
- Kopitar 2.57
- Richardson 2.68
- Smyth 2.85
- Brown 2.89
- Lewis 4.23
- Parse 5.19
Notice that Simmonds, Purcell, Stoll and Handzus have the best defensive numbers here. I cite this to counter people who don’t understand what Purcell is doing right this year. Now, here’s +/-ON/60 (which is plus/minus per 60 minutes):
- Kopitar 2.20
- Williams 2.15
- Simmonds 1.82
- Smyth 1.78
- Purcell 1.49
- Stoll 0.89
- Handzus 0.39
- Moller 0.00
- Parse 0.00
- Frolov -0.40
- Ivanans -2.40
- Richardson -2.68
- Lewis -4.23
Again, I notice how high Purcell is on this list. Parse’s numbers are dead even, despite the above-mentioned high GA/60. He got screwed on a couple of those goals against, so I have to think these numbers are very good for him. Frolov’s numbers are not good, but they were much much worse before the benching, so that’s also a net (very) positive. I believe, since he sat, Frolov’s numbers have come up +2, which is a big change for a handful (2?) games.
The Hockey News/Hot List: Home cooking
7. Andrei Loktionov, C – Windsor Spitfires (OHL): It’s been a tough go for the Spits at the Mem Cup, but at least Loktionov looked dangerous in the tight loss to Rimouski. The skilled Russian import had two goals in the game and was close to a third. Drafted 123rd overall by Los Angeles in 2008.
via The Hockey News: The Hot List: The Hot List: Home cooking.
The Hockey News/Hot List: Draft aftermath
10. Brandon Kozun, RW – Calgary Hitmen (WHL): Think of Kozun as this year’s Justin Azevedo; a high-scoring small forward passed over in previous drafts, but picked up by the Kings nonetheless. Kozun wrecked the Dub for 108 points this year, good for second on the circuit. Drafted 179th overall by Los Angeles in 2009.
via The Hockey News: The Hot List: The Hot List: Draft aftermath.
The Hockey News/Hot List: Beefing up Broadway
9. Kyle Clifford, LW – Barrie Colts (OHL): The Kings grabbed Clifford ostensibly for his toughness and the Barrie winger paid them back right away. Clifford dropped the gloves four times in two games against the Phoenix rookies last week and will get a chance to do big things with what promises to be a good Colts team this year. Drafted 35th overall by Los Angeles in 2009.
via The Hockey News: The Hot List: The Hot List: Beefing up Broadway.
Stunning Numbers: Scoring droughts and attendance woes – Puck Daddy – NHL – Yahoo! Sports
Leading the NHL? Michal Handzus of the Los Angeles Kings, with 5 goals on 14 shots for a 35.7 shooting percentage. Zeus!
via Stunning Numbers: Scoring droughts and attendance woes – Puck Daddy – NHL – Yahoo! Sports.
For First Time, Dapuzzo Reveals Anguish, Depression After Skate Severs His Face — NHL FanHouse
I hear a lot of “Poor Pat … Poor Pat.” C’mon folks, do not give me your sympathy. I graduated high school in New Jersey in 1976 and six years later became a linesman in the NHL. I worked almost 2,000 games. I’ve met almost every legend in hockey, worked a lot of the biggest games. I’ve met U.S. presidents and was invited to the White House. So many people dream of the life I’ve led.
“Poor Pat.” Give me a freakin’ break.
I would agree to get kicked in the face once a month if I could get back on the ice in the National Hockey League.
via For First Time, Dapuzzo Reveals Anguish, Depression After Skate Severs His Face — NHL FanHouse.
Bernier nominated for AHL Player of the Week as a Right Wing — I guess he heard about Peter Harrold suiting up as a goalie
Other nominees for Reebok/AHL Player of the Week include Adirondack center Jon Matsumoto, Albany left wing Zach Boychuk, Binghamton left wing Josh Hennessy, Bridgeport left wing Justin DiBenedetto, Chicago right wing Spencer Machacek, Grand Rapids right wing Jeremy Williams, Hamilton left wing Tom Pyatt, Hartford right wing P.A. Parenteau, Hershey right wing Francois Bouchard, Lake Erie left wing Chris Durno, Lowell right wing Vladimir Zharkov, Manchester right wing Jonathan Bernier, Manitoba goaltender Cory Schneider, Milwaukee center Mike Santorelli, Norfolk right wing Brandon Bochenski, Peoria left wing Chris Porter, Portland right wing Mark Mancari, Rockford center Mark Cullen, San Antonio goaltender Josh Tordjman, Springfield left wing Chris Minard, Syracuse center Derek MacKenzie, Texas center Greg Rallo, Toronto left wing Jiri Tlusty, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton center Mark Letestu and Worcester defenseman Danny Groulx.
via TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League | Salak backstops way to league honor.
Dirty Hits, Cheap Shots
First off, I wish people would stop referring to “dirty” hits as something other than “intent to injure.” No intent = no dirt. Second, there are plenty of ways to check someone illegally — with the elbow, with the knee, with a cross-check, by charging, by boarding, interference, kicking, slew-footing — but a hip-check is not one of them. If the guy has the puck, and you hit him with your hip, and assuming you don’t leave your feet or are 12 feet tall so you hit him in the head with your ass, it’s a clean check.
That aside, I keep coming back to the following thought: generally speaking, cheap shots, dirty hits, whatever you want to call them…they are generally cheap and dirty not only because they are dangerous but because they are incredibly easy to do if you are so inclined. A player is vulnerable and you choose to make a play that’s outside the rules. Butt-ending, elbowing, spearing, high-sticking, cross-checking, slew-footing, charging, boarding…these are not high-skill moves. Any idiot can do it.
A hip check is a high-skill move. It requires training, timing, judgment — it’s spectacular when pulled-off. It’s embarrassing when you miss. Most people can’t do it. I was a defenseman for about 1000 games as a kid and learning how to execute a hip-check was the hardest thing I ever undertook. Even when you’re good at it, it rarely works perfectly. But when it does, it’s an event, and people talk about it for years. This is being illustrated now. People are remembering checks from years gone by to compare the Scuderi check to (e.g. the hip check on Johnson in his first game, the Malkin check from last year). In general, it’s actually one of the checks that hurts the least to receive, though it’s one of the most embarrassing — since you’ve been sent head over heels through the air and as a rule that’s always kind of humiliating when it happens against your will.
From the Montreal Gazette: Honour overdue for ex-Habs goalie Vachon
Great article of Rogie in the Gazette. I would have called it: “Rogie’s mask is in the Hall of Fame, but he’s not.”
Newspaper stories in the autumn of 1967 were suggesting that Canadiens goaltender Rogatien Vachon might soon be returned to the Houston Apollos, the minor-league farm club from which he had been summoned the previous winter.
So a 10-year-old Vachon fan took pen to paper and addressed the first fan letter of his life to his first hockey hero, telling “Mr. Vachon” in as many words that he should simply ignore any demotion and stay put.
The CH-crested envelope was in my family’s mailbox less than a week later, a classic black-and-white postcard of Vachon in the half-splits, the puck about to hit his outstretched blocker.
“Don’t worry, I’ll never let them send me down,” his reassuring, paragraphs-long reply read in part.
Rogie Vachon grinned when I told him this story yesterday. He enjoyed a modest show-and-tell as we spoke at his hotel – his face in a plastic marble that I’d dug out of the sugar of a 1969 Post cereal box, after many Vachon-less boxes had been consumed; one of his earliest Topps bubble gum cards; a full-size replica of the first mask he wore, acquired a year ago for my office wall.
Full disclosure, I told him: I became a Vachon fan when he made his first NHL save on Feb. 18, 1967, a Gordie Howe breakaway. I remained one when I disowned the Canadiens for trading him to the Los Angeles Kings in a 1-for-4 deal in November 1971. I stuck by him no matter how bizarre he looked in the jerseys of Detroit and Boston as his career wound down in the early 1980s.
And the autographed postcard didn’t hurt.
Vachon, 64, was in Montreal for a brief visit to a sports collectibles show at Centre Pierre Charbonneau. He’d flown in from L.A. on Saturday evening, dined with old friends, had Sunday brunch with a few family members, signed autographs yesterday afternoon and was on a dinnertime flight home.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion had never before done a signing in the city where his NHL career began. He does precious few, in fact, maybe one every few seasons, and only good timing and direct flights confirmed this one.
It was the first time in several years that he’d visited Montreal, using the airport mostly for connections to visit family in the Rouyn-Noranda area.
Vachon is surprised by the boom in sports collectibles, as are most of his generation. He has kept very little from his playing days beyond a few jerseys, his final gloves and skates and a purple, crown-painted mask he wore with the Kings. His last game-worn leather pads disintegrated in garage storage, decomposing in the California heat.
“Most of the stuff just got thrown out,” he said. “Or the trainers made a little money with it on the side.”
He remains at his playing weight nearly 30 years after his final game, thanks to four rounds of golf a week, two energetic grandchildren spoiled by him and his wife, Nicole, and the willpower to skip dessert.
Vachon still wears the familiar mustache he grew as a Canadien, the trim salt-and-pepper replacing the Fu Manchu and muttonchops he cultivated in tandem with teammate Mickey Redmond.
“Toe Blake was not very happy,” he joked about his old-school coach’s distaste for facial hair. “He said he was going to send Mickey and me back to the minors if we didn’t shave.”
It was Blake who threw a 21-year-old maskless goalie to the wolves on Feb. 18, 1967, a callup from Houston when Gump Worsley was injured and backup Charlie Hodge struggled.
“I didn’t know I was going to play that night – Toe just handed me the puck before the warmup and said: ‘You’re in,’ ” Vachon recalled of what would be a 41-save, 3-2 victory.
“I was sort of in shock, still trying to pull myself together when Gordie broke in alone from the blue line. Luckily, I stopped it. And I’ve joked with Gordie that this save probably kept me in the league for years.”
That save, yes. Along with an acrobatic style that earned him a share of the 1967-68 Vézina Trophy with Worsley, three championships in 41/2 Canadiens seasons, and a lifetime 395-291-127 record with 51 shutouts and 2.99 average through 795 games – despite being caught in frequent puck blizzards with more than a few clubs in Los Angeles to whom defence was a nasty rumour.
Vachon could have stuck it out in Montreal after the emergence of Ken Dryden, who debuted late in the 1970-71 season and carried the Canadiens to the club’s 17th Stanley Cup victory while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
But he didn’t want to warm the bench at age 26. General manager Sam Pollock dealt him to the Kings for Denis DeJordy, Dale Hoganson, Noel Price and Doug Robinson.
Vachon soon was enormously popular in L.A., and became the first King to have his number retired. After his playing days, he would fill most every front-office job for the club, from goaltending coach to president. He retired from it all last season, most recently having been an ambassador.
On the ice, his most famous work probably was in the international arena. Vachon led Team Canada to victory in the 1976 Canada Cup with a brilliant .963 save percentage, 1.39 average and two shutouts in seven games, selected to the all-star team while being named the tournament’s best goalie and his country’s MVP.
As a three-time Stanley Cup winner and a Vézina recipient, and a player who led hockey out of a palm-tree wilderness before a forward named Gretzky, this remains a mystery:
Why is Vachon is not in the Hall of Fame, especially considering the enshrinement of contemporaries whose statistics are no better?
To say nothing of the curious 1989 induction of Vladislav Tretiak, a fine international goalie who is in the Hall, no matter the argument selectors might offer, almost uniquely for the landmark 1972 Summit Series and its political importance.
“People are shocked when I tell them I’m not in the Hall of Fame,” Vachon said, shrugging. “They assume I am. I’d love to be in there, but there are things in life that you can’t control.”
None of that mattered to him yesterday, nor to the many who queued at his signing table with photos, pucks and miniature Stanley Cups.
If even for a few hours, Rogie Vachon had returned to the city that gave him his start. There’s a Canadiens jersey in his Los Angeles home that says he’s never forgotten that.
And he was delighted to sign my replica of his first mask. He doesn’t have the genuine article – it’s in the Hall of Fame.
