On a night when the fires in LA are starting to be long-term issues rather than immediate threats, the LA Kings played their first home game since two weeks ago, when they had a game versus Calgary postponed due to the tragedy. Despite an emphasis on returning to the “normal,” the team didn’t forget, not by a long shot.
Fans were greeted by a new crest at center ice, with “Los Angeles Fire Department” surrounding a crest with the Kings’ crown and “LAFD” emblazoned on it. Before the game versus Pittsburgh Monday night, around the outer edge of the circle were fire fighters from several local companies. They were recognized, and a moment of silence was observed for victims of the fires.
Shortly, the two team captains, Crosby and Kopitar, took a ceremonial faceoff with a puck dropped by a Pasadena-area fire Captain whose own home was lost to the Eaton fire.
As the game proceeded, the team store advertised for LAFD fund-raising Tees and sweatshirts. Mascot Bailey’s image appeared in the center of a crest on these.
And all of that seems more important than a game played by professional athletes. But the theme of the night early on on the scoreboard and voice-over narration was “normalcy.” Getting back to normal was thrust forward as a goal.
What was normal? That’s a very difficult conundrum to propose given the circumstances, but as the game progressed, some answers appeared.
Beyond normal is seeing both Crosby and Malkin score goals. Crosby’s came off a tip of a slapshot in front of the LA net. Malkin’s was a sweeper shot off a seam pass across the offensive zone. He did his familiar knee-up, arms-clenched celebration as he skated across the zone. How many more times will fans in LA and other visiting buildings get to see twin goals by these two great superstars? Maybe “extraordinary” is a better term to use for these two, come to think of it, not merely “normal.” Crosby would later add an assist, on the Penguins’ fifth and final goal. The Kings scored just one in return.
After the game, Crosby was to comment at his locker stall, “Everyone played well. It was a great effort. Both sides of the puck. We gave up the 5-on-3 goal, killed the next one, then got a big goal. I thought we managed the game really well.”
Jim Hiller, the LA coach, was entirely disappointed on the other side. “Horrible,” he said as he walked into the room for the press conference. He didn’t even wait for a question. As the queries proceeded, he said that he was gratified by the recognitions, and that this should have had a positive effect on the team, but that they just didn’t have it. “We didn’t deserve to be in it. . . . [Pittsburgh] played well, and they deserved to beat us by the score they did.” He had no answer as to why, though he said “our team competes. I don’t think we’ve won too many games so far where our team hasn’t competed. . . . We’ve been really consistent with our discipline, with our work ethic, and tonight just wasn’t our night. We haven’t had to say that much this year, so we’ll come back against the defending Stanley Cup champions [Florida, on Wednesday]. If that doesn’t wake you up and get you to play, I don’t know what does.”
Normal is seeing Pittsburgh dominate in power play situations. Their record coming in was 26.5%, 5th in the NHL. The Kings’ number, by contrast, was 16%, 29th in the league. LA did manage to get one PPG on a 5-on-3 situation. And the Penguins got on with the extra player as well. The PKs, on the opposite side of the coin, had stats like this: Pittsburgh at 79.1, 14th in the league, and LA at 83.2, 5th in the league.
Normal is seeing Adrian Kempe fire a one-timer for a goal. He had a feed that he hit the post with. A teammate retrieved the puck and Kopitar put it over for him once more. This time, he buried it. It was his 23rd goal of the year, but the only one of the Kings on the night.
Normal is seeing LA play a game or two at home and then disappear again, out on the road. The Kings’ current homestand is only two games. They then go out to be the visitors at opposing arenas, where it seems they have been all season already, for five games. The return game is February 2nd, versus Montreal. But the good news is that they will have 22 games left, about two-thirds of their remaining games, at home, once this road trip is concluded. They’ve been very good at their home arena so far this year, with a 14-2-1 record entering the Pittsburgh game. Away, thus far, they are precisely NHL .500, 11-11-4.
Also normal for MLK, Jr. Day is that the team plays the “I have a dream” speech, full length, on the scoreboard during one of the period intermissions. This is a wonderful and moving experience, riveting the crowd. That didn’t happen this game, perhaps because of the focus on the fire events of these recent, tragic, weeks.
What’s normal anyway, in the world these days? The Kings, through creating an aura of remembrance, allowed a hockey game to do some healing work. That matters, no matter how it’s labeled or defined.
