So many things went wrong on Sunday. The over booking at Staples Center, LA Live with all the bicycles and street closures, the early day game and the additional bandwagoners. The Kings looked out of sync right along with the fans having to arrive 3 hours early for a noon game. We took the metro and actually enjoyed the ride since it was filled with other Kings fans and an occasional chant broke out. Arriving in downtown and having lunch while watching the cyclists end the race was an ok time as well. In other words, not at all like it should be and not at all correct. I didn’t even listen to my pregame Chili Peppers songs. The whole day was just a big fat reality check. The team is not infallible. So what do we have to do to get back on track?
Fans: Get back to your regular scheduled rituals!
LA Live: Hockey decorations only please!
Staples Center: Fire your schedulers and no more multi days!
But most of all, the Kings need to try to shut down those dogs tonight. I think we all started looking ahead and lost the sole concentration on the past game. It’s exciting, I know. But Sutter said it best: “Try and win the next game; could be in Tucson or Toledo or in Los Angeles,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said before the team left for Phoenix on Monday. “To me it has no bearing on anything. It’s always now, today and tomorrow, not last week, next week.” The Kings need to focus only on this game. Do not think about if we do or don’t win this one. Try not to think ahead of what is to come. Stay in the here and now and play like it’s an elimination game. Because you can bet your booty the Coyotes are going to play that way tonight.
Phoenix is going to play a more disciplined game. They will continue to keep their forecheck up and their penalties down. This makes for a dangerous team. Kings will need to be rough and tough tonight. They didn’t have much hitting last game and although they did out shoot the Coyotes, their shots on goal were not realized. The Kings held on to the puck too long giving the Coyotes plenty of time to get in position to block or stop the goal. Many shots were mid chest on Smith. Smith is just too big for a center shot on goal. 6 foot 5 is a lot of goalie taking up most of the open net. The Kings will have to move him laterally and look to score in the corners to win this game. Getting those second chance rebounds are so important with a good goalie like Smith. The straight on shots won’t go past him but the rebounds will. The Kings will want to get in front of the net for those opportunities tonight.
The Power Play. Just one word: absent. Do we have the worst power play in history? I’m beginning to think so. The Kings are 2-for-23 on the power play in this series. That is just not going to work. There is talk that the Bruins still won with a horrible power play last year, but they are not us. We need to be able to capitalize on those opportunities. If the Kings can upset the Coyotes, draw penalties and produce goals, we will finish this series tonight.
The lines are the same. Fraser will remain in the the lineup and Clifford out. The Coyotes Aucoin may not be in tonight, they are calling that at game time. Quick and Smith in goal battling it out. Let’s finish this up boys!
LA Kings
# 23 Brown– # 11 Kopitar – # 14 Williams
# 25 Penner– # 10 Richards – # 77 Jeff Carter
# 74 King – # 28 Stoll – # 22 Lewis
# 15 Richardson - # 24 Fraser– # 71 Nolan
# 7 Scuderi – # 8 Doughty
# 33 Mitchell – # 26 Voynov
# 27 Martinez –# 2 Greene
# 32 Quick #
45 Bernier
Phoenix Coyotes
#13 Ray Whitney – #11 Hanzal – #17 Radim Vrbata
#89 Mikkel Boedker – #50 Antoine Vermette – #19 Shane Doan
#14 Taylor Pyatt – #15 Boyd Gordon – #43 Marc-Antoine Pouliot
#24 Kyle Chipchura – #22 Daymond Langkow – #8 Gilbert Brule
#23 Oliver Ekman-Larsson – #32 Michal Rozsival
#3 Keith Yandle – #6 David Schlemko
#16 Rostislav Klesla – #53 Derek Morris
#41 Mike Smith
#1 Jason LaBarbera
Go Kings Go!
MaryAReed
May 22, 2012
Go KINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
Another nervous stomach game day. I may have to start taking xanax soon to get us through the playoffs.
Bev
May 22, 2012
Tonight is the night we need Williams (Mr. Dependable), Kopi,Richards, and Carter to step up big time. Brown to ignore all his bumps and bruises and hit,hit, and hit some more. We know Quick will give the guys every chance in the world to pull this one off. They need to do it for him.
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
I definitely want to see lots of hitting tonight. We need to rattle them like the first two games. That will get us a win.
I always like to think before each game who will step up tonight. We have actually had quite a few different game makers haven’t we? How about someone new tonight. Lewie? Fraser? Penner? I’d also love it if Richards would shoot – he spends so much time trying to get the puck to Carter.
I’m glad they are talking about getting net presence. They are aware of what they need to do tonight. Let’s just hope they can pull it off.
Jason
May 22, 2012
The Kings will go into tonights match with a chip on their collective shoulder. When you get flat-out outlplayed, it’s time to ratchet up the intensity. They looked dull, listless and bored. The hunger wasn’t there. Our recent cast of dependables were stagnant (King? Brownie? Kopi? Carter? Where ARE YOU???)
I expect to see the Kings we saw in Games one through three and I expect our Road Warriors to stay perfect on the road and close up shop on this series tonight. Go Kings Go!!!
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
Oh boy, from your lips to you know who’s ears!
They looked tired to me as well as not really all there 100%. I expect to see them all over the coyotes tonight. I just hope that Phoenix can be broken down when they are fighting to not be eliminated. you know?
Jason
May 22, 2012
There’s always the danger inherent with cornering a wild animal, however, I stand firmly in my belief that we’re done tonight. The Coyotes only displayed that kind of intensity with one game to go before elimination? Apparently it took 3 games to warm up to the idea they were getting their helmets handed to them? Meh, I think Game 4 was an aberration and we won’t see a repeat performance tonight.
After all, remember how the Kings responded to their only other loss in the playoffs? Win, Sweep, Keep Winning….I think we’re OK!
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
Pretty sure if we get our forecheck back they will get frustrated and lose. I’m praying for it!
hockeyjockey
May 22, 2012
Ok Women…it is game on in 37..
Let us please see a focused King Team! Let us move that puck during the PP like it is a gernade..no more hording it..SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!!!
ALL in threes..that is my ritual…
prayers Tracy..yhat is Surly’s..he adds one oneach game..that is his ritual….Our leaders are pep talking as I blog..have I said what a stud leader Greener is..
my towel is ready..my necklace is on..let’s go!!!
GO KINGS GO!!!
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
I’m ready!! Agree don the shoot shoot. Brownie took an extra practice just to do tip-ins, so I think we will see a team that will dominate tonight.
hockeyjockey
May 22, 2012
Have not read yet but while thought is in my mind.. watching game 3 and jsut saw the kopi goa;.. i think it was after game 2 iether NHL tonight or or one of those..we are on so many now
They were talking about Kopi ..what a great atlethe he is and that he has just taken up golf.. guess they mean he is more serious about playing then in the past as all the guys are at the Charity events and get together to hit buckets. I do not know how good his drive will be, but watching his great skill with those hands of his he will be an excellent putter don’t you think?
back to my DVR recording..
GO KINGS GO!!!
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
I think once you are pro athlete you can probably play anything. Can’t remember names right now, but Jordan played pro baseball too and a few others.
Plus Kopi is huge. He’ll probably hit it past the green. lol
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
End of 2nd, 3-3. Kings playing a better game and Yotes getting the lucky bounces.
hockeyjockey
May 22, 2012
AND THE BIASED REFFING!!
LET’S DO IT.. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE…
GO KINGS GO!!!
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
We did it!!!!!!!!!! We won!!!!!!!!!!!! woooooooooo hooooooooooooo
MaryAReed
May 22, 2012
OMG! My heart stopped in my throat a zillion times during this game! Crazy! THAT was a killer game!!! Good for them. Now we can say nice things about Phoenix, since we beat them and they had a great last game. However, I just want to say, THANK YOU Brown! for messing them up! lol. (And I missed American Idol for it too. Thank gawd it was worth it!)
So they are, what, Western Conference Champs? Does that mean they beat EVERY team on this side of the country?
:):):) And when do they get the big banner and the PARTY! to celebrate! Inquiring minds want to know!
<—- Me. Happy!
hockeyjockey
May 22, 2012
OH OH OH CAN YOU EVEN STAND IT… WOWOWOWOWOOOOOOOOOO
WE HAD FAITH WE BELIEVED… SO SO HAPPY AND PROUD OF OUR BOYS..
AND THE SWEETEST OF THE SWEET PENS.. OUR PANCAKE WAS THE SHINING STAR..
IT IS LIKE A STORYBOOK ENDING… AND BEGINNING CAUSE NOW WE ARE TRULY
IN THE MOTHER OF ALL FINALS
THE STALEY CUP!!!
GO KINGS GO!!!
tracykingslover
May 22, 2012
We are the Western Conference Champions! And yes, we beat all the other western teams. This means we are in the final baby!!!!!!!!!! The Stanley Cup finals everyone!!!!!! Oh my! lol
MaryAReed
May 22, 2012
It IS a story book ending! I keep thinking of the guy who sits behind tracy at the game who hates Penner! LOL. He spent the whole season hating on the guy who got the winning goal tonight!
It really is a story book ending … except we have the epilogue, when we win the Stanley Cup!
I can’t wait !!!!!!!!!!!! (Although I think Brown needs to heal, jes’ saying).
hockeyjockey
May 23, 2012
ok..if you all are like me it is hard to function without coming back to computer to see what else i can find about our Boys! And i have not read much.. cannot even settle down long enough to do so.. and sleep last night ha!
Just found two things to share.. one from Hammond:
http://lakingsinsider.com/2012/05/23/sutter-the-day-after-game-5/
and the other from the KingsNewsDaily:
He’s Baaack! Terry Murray scouting Stanley Cup opponents for Kings…
Posted by Paul Armbruster on May 23, 2012 – Leave a Comment
Question: Will you watch that Devils-Rangers series a little bit closer now?
SUTTER: “Well, we break the games down as we go. Obviously, we have live scouting at all the games, once you’re going from 30 to 16 to eight to four to two. You’re doing a lot of live watching, as well as videoing everything. … The big difference now is, we know that we’re moving on and we know that it’s the Rangers or the Devils.’’
Question: Is Terry Murray doing some of that scouting for you?
SUTTER: “Yep. He’s in the East. He’s in the series now.’’
GO KINGS GO!!!
ALL THE WAY!!!