Shake Up the Happiness
A shakeup never hurts, right? (Unless it’s the Northridge Quake. Oh, that was bad. But I’m talking about hockey here in LA. The Kings, in particular.) With Vancouver coming in off a 1-0 loss to the Ducks a nigh...
What’d You Learn, Coach?
The Vancouver Canucks came into Anaheim Wednesday night with not-unreasonable hopes for the playoffs. They were two points behind Minnesota in the wildcard race, though they were a mediocre 4-4-2 in their last ...
Hockey Gods Calling
“Hello, LA Kings? Remember that goal you scored on Thursday by banking it off a Toronto defenseman’s head? We’re taking it back.”
That must have been what happened for the Canucks to jump out to a 2-0 lead v...
Ducks Start at Home, Finally
The Ducks finally, belatedly, started their home season on Sunday, a week and a half after they opened. Coming into the night, they had played five games already, so it’s not odd that their fans have waited, so...
Goalie Roundabout
The Kings this year are pretty much what they were last, because salaries have largely locked them into using the lineup that last won them the Cup. The differences, if you looked at their home opening roster, ...
Messages of the Wrong Sort (Mostly)
If I were heading to the NHL playoffs like the Anaheim Ducks are, I’d be using the last few games of the season to send some messages. What would they be? That we’re a tough team that won’t be pushed around. Th...
No Big Surprise
What’s up with LA? Not the people, nor the city—the hockey team. Coming into Tuesday, they’ve won two of the last three and gained a point in the other. They lost two before that, but back to mid-November, they...
Awful. Just awful.
Awful. There’s little more to say about the LA Kings’ performance thus far this season. Blame one of several things, as fans and media members have done in LA this week. Pick from the goalie, players lagging on...
Ten Crummy Shots
Every time you turn around, the race for the last playoff spot in the West gets tighter. Saturday afternoon, Winnipeg beat Vancouver to sneak ahead of LA. Saturday night, the Kings had Colorado in town off a 4-...
Canucks Lack Nothing
Sunday night, the Anaheim Ducks looked to put a whumping on the Canucks something like the Kings had done 23 hours prior, when they’d beaten them 5-1 and chased Ryan Miller from the crease after two periods.
...