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Kings Gameday: Litmus Test

Los Angeles Kings at New York Rangers, Oct 14, 2009 4:00 PM PDT




 4:00 PST, Fox Sports West

Check out Blueshirt Banter for lots of "Fuggedaboutits" and "What's a matta, yous?"  Also check out Anaheim Calling for Anaheim analysis if you're a pussy.  Ha, you clicked it, you're a pussy.

 

The Kings are the early surprise of the NHL season, recovering from a disastrous home opener to win their next 4 games in a row.  The only team with a better start?  Why, tonight's opponent, the New York Rangers, who have jumped to a 5-1 record.  The two teams are on a combined 9-game winning streak and one team's streak is going to end tonight.  The Rangers are averaging 4 goals a game, the Kings 3.8; the Rangers are allowing only 2 goals a game, the Kings 3 (although they've allowed 5 in 3 games since Sean O'Donnell came back).  The Rangers have been led by their top line of Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik, much like the Kings' top line of Smyth-Kopitar-Williams has led the Kings.  It should be interesting today, as the Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik line will be checked by Fro-Hand-Meat while Smyth-Kopitar-Williams will likely get a heavy dose of Higgins-Drury-Callahan.  I think those lines will end up cancelling each other out and the winner of this game will be decided by the third lines: Purcell-Stoll-Brown vs. Avery-Anisimov-Lisin.  This should be fun to watch.

The Kings have an important two games coming up: tonight against the Rangers and then tomorrow against a struggling (for them) but still dangerous Detroit Red Wings team.  This will be an early litmus test for the Kings: are they a legitimate team or just off to a fluke start?  Taking one of these two games and putting in a solid showing in both should go a long way in showing the rest of the league that they're for real.

Star-divide

Who is the Kings' #1 defenseman?  Most would reflexively say Drew Doughty, but I'm not so sure anymore.  He was, at the beginning of the season, but the failures of Davis Drewiske on the penalty kill have thrust Jack Johnson into the team lead in time on ice the past couple games.  Doughty and O'Donnell usually play with Fro-Hand-Meat and are handed the toughest assignments, while Johnson-Scuderi usually play with Kopitar's line and get more even-strength ice time.  Doughty gets more power play time than Johnson, but Johnson usually skates with Rob Scuderi on the 2nd penalty kill unit while Doughty gets limited time when one of the regular penalty killers takes a penalty... OK, he gets extensive time because one of our penalty killers are always in the box.  In the end, it doesn't really matter; if Doughty and Johnson push each other all year and play 23+ minutes a night, I don't care if they're referred to as the 5th, 6th or 9th defensemen.  I just thought it was interesting.  You know what else is interesting?  Not me.

(At the end of the Islanders game on Monday Rob Scuderi took a tripping penalty.  The penalty killers?  Doughty and Johnson.  That warmed the cockles of my heart.)

***

Erik Ersberg gets the start tonight in place of Jonathan Quick.  Ersberg hasn't played yet this season; he's mostly kept busy by perfecting his bored back-up goaltender face.  (Imagine a cow but with wide eyes.)  I wasn't too impressed with him in training camp and still think he's mostly up because the Kings don't care about his development, but now that's he's getting in a game I hope the Kings can give him a lot of support.  He's going to need it against Marian Gaborik.

Prediction: Kings win, 3-2.  Goals by Brown (x2) and Drewiske.  Wayne Simmonds fights Sean Avery and cements his status as every Kings fan's favorite player.

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Comments

Display:

Ersberg or Quick?

Is Murray making the right move starting Ersberg against the Rangers and not a, seemingly, less formidable Red Wings team?

The Rangers are probably the hottest team in the league right now, so obviously you want to be at your best when playing them.

The Red Wings, although struggling, are still the top dog in the Western conference. With the West being so strong, each conference game is really important.

Murray has stated that he had picked this game before the season to start Ersberg.

If I had to choose, I would probably put Quick in against the Rangers and get Iceberg in against the Red Wings, but I wouldn’t argue too hard about it.

by RealDrew on Oct 14, 2009 3:08 PM PDT reply actions  

Murray has stated that he had picked this game before the season to start Ersberg.

Hasn’t he got it pencilled in through the end of the year? Whatever — I support erasers.

I’ll offer a counterargument, though — Detroit’s in the west, and particularly if they’re going to have a tough year (please oh please oh please oh please), it matters to the Kings more how many points the Wings get vs. what the Rangers get. Detroit’s the bigger game in that sense.

Man, I can’t believe I just typed that.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions  

wass the matta yo mang?

I <3 sbisa

by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Oct 14, 2009 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions  

Dude, I don’t speak Chinese.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

that was me trying to be italian..i feel like aldo in inglorious bastards

I <3 sbisa

by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Oct 14, 2009 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

I gonna say fluke..for Boc shit talking purposes

i know your gonna say fuck you or somthing in that manner…so fuck you first

you still write the best gamedays though

I <3 sbisa

by SPADE-IN-VICTORHELL on Oct 14, 2009 3:12 PM PDT reply actions  

The picture caption might say we’re screwed with Johnson & Doughty as “The future of the Kings,” but I would rather entrust the team’s future on them rather than a Swedish Zac Effron wannabe and an easly inflamed Slovakian Groin muscle

2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 14, 2009 3:16 PM PDT reply actions  

Ha, ha. Rudy said cockles.

by Irish Pat on Oct 14, 2009 3:23 PM PDT reply actions  

That’s one of those words that I only know in context of a phrase. I mean, what the hell is a cockle, anyway? Apparently it’s a phrase for ventricles and also a type of weed. If that word didn’t have “Cock” in it you’d never, ever hear it.

Hehe, cockle.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 14, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Cockles sounds like it should mean sea shells or something of that ilkage. I can’t believe I just typed ilkage. Meh.

I didn’t realize it, but I guess that makes sense. It sounds better than warming the ventricles of my heart, but not by much. Cockles… now I can’t stop saying it.

by Irish Pat on Oct 15, 2009 10:14 AM PDT up reply actions  

God sometimes I hate Ratis’ and his ape arms

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 4:13 PM PDT reply actions  

Man, SB Nation is sketchy, FS West is having technical difficulties. It’s like Y2K for real this time.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 4:22 PM PDT reply actions  

yeah did someone trip over a power cord or what?

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Stupid frakkin’ toasters! I blame Anaheim Calling…

2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 14, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

There’s been some talk recently about one of the blogs wanting to backdate a post that they accidentally deleted. Perhaps this is all their fault — backdating posts is like tearing the fabric of time and space, apparently.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

Just great. SB Nation tries to go all Donnie Darko the day before the Dodgers’ series begins. Larry Bowa is gonna be fuckin’ pissed!

2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 14, 2009 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions  

Jesus Christ, our 4th line is fucking stellar so far.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 14, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

Heh, Harold — that’s usually Corey Perry’s trick.

“What goalie?”

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 4:30 PM PDT reply actions  

That might be a goal. Ersberg’s gotta hide that better.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 4:34 PM PDT reply actions  

I have no idea why the are reviewing it. Either you meant to blow the whistle or you didn’t. They made the same mistake in the blue jackets game yesterday. You can’t review that shit.

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 4:37 PM PDT reply actions  

Yeah, I didn’t get it, either. Did the ref backpedal and say he didn’t mean to blow the whistle?

by g r a c e on Oct 14, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions  

Unless there was a rule change I didn’t think that was a cause for video review. Also, how do you get tripping when the guy jumps 3 feet in the air?

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don’t get that one either.. How is it tripping if you hit someone on the hip with your hip?

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 14, 2009 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions  

But we’ve seen the video review before — it was huge in G3 of the ANA/DET series. It’s not an unprecedented video review, I think.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 4:49 PM PDT up reply actions  

It’s just weird because the refs have found a loophole to cover their tracks when they fuck up and it’s never clear when they invoke it. They’re not allowed to review when the whistle was blown, but they’re allowed to review the play to determine if the puck was in before they went to blow the whistle? It doesn’t make any sense and they just came up with it to cover their tracks.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 14, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah Justin Williams said they were told he didn’t make a call on the ice and he wanted to make the right call. So, was he calling Ersberg “safe” when he swiped his arms out to his sides?

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 4:58 PM PDT up reply actions  

That’s the signal for Dead Puck/No Goal

2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 14, 2009 4:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

yeah sorry I was being sarcastic

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think the question might be — when the ref lost sight of the puck, was it already in the net? That almost makes sense, except for the actual play sequence.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions  

My cockles went all a flutter when I heard about Clutterbuck’s strain…

2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 14, 2009 4:58 PM PDT reply actions  

I have no idea what they are reviewing now.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 5:14 PM PDT reply actions  

“Just double check and make sure that there’s no iffy make-up penalty I can call on Dustin Brown.”

“Are you sure? Damn.”

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 14, 2009 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

Toronto: Hey, what’s up?
Shitty Ref: Hey, did that puck go in?
Toronto: Let me look… umm, no, not even close.
Shitty Ref: Oh. OK. …So, how’ve you been?
Toronto: Don’t call me again.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 14, 2009 5:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

this game is bizarre

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 5:15 PM PDT reply actions  

JMFJ baby lets go

William Doolittle at your service, a.k.a. will do.

by Ollie on Oct 14, 2009 5:18 PM PDT reply actions  

Did Handzus just score with his dick?

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 5:19 PM PDT reply actions  

Camera on Messier

“See, I can stand up here in a suit, wave my arms and act like a GM. I’m capable. … Now pass me that tissue.”

Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

by Dominik on Oct 14, 2009 5:35 PM PDT reply actions  

Purcell had 3 flat-out bad plays on that power play…

2009-10 LA Kings Hockey: Where Smyt Happens!!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 14, 2009 6:28 PM PDT reply actions  

 This is what the Kings reminded me of in the third period.

by Nut on Oct 14, 2009 6:46 PM PDT reply actions  

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