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Kings Gameday: Anze!




The Cannon gets farther with chicks than most bloggers.

Her: What do you do?

Him: I write for The Cannon.

Her: Really?  What is it?

Him: It's a blog about the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Her: Oh... huh.  Look over there!  (*runs away)

Kopitar_medium

 

That's not going to last, but it's nice to look at.  Seriously, how well is Anze Kopitar playing right now?  Against Dallas Anze had a hat trick and then followed it up with a Joe Thornton hat trick (3 assists), while also drawing 2 penalties.  He'll probably be named the #1 star of the week  with 7 points in 3 games (4 goals, 3 assists).  He's back to where he was his first season, where he suddenly created opportunities for himself that put defensemen in impossible situations.  He turns them Kopitarded, you might say.  (Wait, I say that.)  I'm positive he'll slow down at some point, but how much?  I was hoping for 80 points out of Kopitar; now, I'm thinking 90 may not be out of the question.


And the crazy thing?  Anze's on pace for 143 points.  That's 72 points less than Wayne Gretzky had in his best season.  If Wayne were on our team at that pace he'd have 29 points right now.  Jesus Christ, Wayne Gretzky was good.

In other news, Ted Purcell is really screwed.  Scott Parse played his first NHL game yesterday and did very well, notching his first point (a great assist on Jarret Stoll's second goal) and more importantly showing good defensive responsibility and nice work along the boards.  I thought Purcell wasn't bad yesterday (he drew a nice penalty when the Kings were on the power play) but he hasn't been showing the jam Terry Murray wants and he was replaced by Peter Harrold (of course) at the end of the game.  When Justin Williams comes back either he or Meat Train will probably take Purcell's spot on the third line.  Hopefully Purcell can stick on the 4th line, where a Richardson-Purcell combo would work really well, but I have a bad feeling he's probably going to get sent back down.  That would probably spell doom for Ted Purcell's future with the Kings.

Star-divide

Against Dallas, Brenden Morrow had his stick in the vicinity of Dustin Brown's skates and Brown went down.  Morrow wasn't happy and let Brown know it.  Yesterday, Zbynek Michalek touched Brown on the back and Brown dropped like a bag of hammers.  Ed Jovanovski wasn't very happy with that and let Brown know it.  Seriously, Dustin Brown is the best diver in the NHL.

***

The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Anaheim Ducks last night so the Kings should get their back-up goalie, who is, let's see... oh shit.  Mathieu Garon is going to play tonight.  You are going to see more unnecessary splits by Garon and Quick since the last time you watched Time Cop.  And watch, Garon is probably going to shut us out.

 

Prediction: Kings lose, 2-0.  A golf clap for Mathieu Garon.

Poll
How many points will Anze Kopitar score this season?
70-79
12 votes
80-89
31 votes
90+
56 votes

99 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 32 comments |

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for the sake of my fantasy team I pray that over 90 points… also, I need like 5 goals 4 assist tonight, thanks

Как хотел я

by sleza on Oct 25, 2009 11:09 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Kopitar would be the 1st star of the week if he only played those two games. Six points is enough if Ovechkin and Kovalchuk don’t do as well.

Man, it’s great to see him above Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, and Thornton. Kopi has potential. He just needs to play that way 82 games.

Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You suck at hockey... and life.
Get out of LA and never come back. Or sign with Anaheim... PLEASE??

by Kevin Y on Oct 25, 2009 11:28 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

What happened to the “*”?

by mwchad on Oct 25, 2009 1:12 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I was going to make fun of the Ducks for sucking but then I skimmed through last night’s gameday thread and decided I didn’t want to make anyone commit suicide. Poor Ducks fans. Haha, I pity another team. This feeling is amazing!

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 25, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

But that is half the reason I read your work! haha The italicized comments are usually the funniest.

by mwchad on Oct 25, 2009 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

lol. congrats Rudy. your team has been playing well.

hooked on quack

by tu madre on Oct 26, 2009 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

What do you mean? Brian Hayward says we’re playing great! :)

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 26, 2009 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Jesus Christ, Wayne Gretzky was good.

Jesus Christ, Wayne Gretzky got to pile up points on some TERRIBLE goaltenders in an era that didn’t even remotely resemble what I consider to be watchable hockey.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Oct 25, 2009 1:47 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Dammit, Joe, you beat me to it.

It’s not just the goaltending that was bad … the defense was positionally ridiculous in the Gretzky era. There’s no question he’s the best player ever, but his rear view mirror would be more crowded if he played in a less ridiculous time.

When I'm not battling in California:
Cycle Like The Sedins

by jamestobrien on Oct 25, 2009 2:31 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I guess — but as my NHL Network keeps impressing on me, the year that Gretzky had 90-some-odd goals, he potted 50 before any other NHLer scored 30. However easy the era was, he still murdered his contemporaries to a degree we don’t really see today.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 25, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

Amen Earl. Whatever the competition level was, no one else came close to getting the points he did, especially on a consistent basis.

by Nut on Oct 25, 2009 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Exactly.

It’s funny, he’s my mostest favoritest player ever and I have yet to find a highlight package that does him justice. Maybe it’s because they don’t find all his awareness plays and just show the goals, most of which are soft. Mostly though, his competition just looks ridiculous like Joe and james said. Whatever, domination is domination.

by 88fingerslukee on Oct 25, 2009 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Gretzky doesn’t make himself look good, he makes everyone else look really, really bad.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 25, 2009 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Definitely was better than his competition, but even on that “he’s got 50 goals before anyone else got 30” thing, almost every one of those goals is terrible and ugly. I have a very hard time taking him seriously, because the competition is so inferior. It’s like watching a pro athlete beat the shit out of a bunch of little kids in his sport. The competition is so bad, it reflects poorly on the winner, I guess.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Oct 26, 2009 2:03 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I give the edge to Mario, because Mario had to do it so many fewer advantages. Less time in the retarded 80’s, less skilled teammates through large portions of his career, injuries, cancer, he actually played a somewhat physical style, etc. etc. etc. To me, Mario was the best.

In all honesty though, I simply cannot watch anything from the 80’s. As you said, the defense was just terribad, the goaltending wasn’t good either, and every goal you see scored, it looks like the kind of ugly shit you’d see in a beer league game. Yuck.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Oct 26, 2009 2:00 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I give the edge to Mario…

Oh, so you’re retarded, then. Should’ve said that at the start, I could’ve saved myself some time.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 26, 2009 11:27 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

Mario beat cancer, Rudy.

When I'm not battling in California:
Cycle Like The Sedins

by jamestobrien on Oct 26, 2009 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Dammit, Garon’s not playing tonight.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 25, 2009 6:12 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Hahahaha oh Fro, you puck-hogging son of a bitch.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 25, 2009 6:18 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Blue Jackets? Sure seem yellow to me..

by Nut on Oct 25, 2009 7:49 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Interesting fact

As of right now, our BoC Game Thread has 13 more comments that The Cannon

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

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 25, 2009 8:18 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I think people are too intimidated to write because the name is too awesome.

Also, if you don’t think I was pumping my fist and startling my neighbors when Frolov scored that goal you are sadly mistaken.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 25, 2009 8:20 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

ditto. After all the drama of the past week and the heightened emotions of this game, it was more satisfying to see than any of the other goals I saw tonight. And then to finish it off with a (semi-lucky) sharp angle shot was nice.

Go Kings!

by andrewHarkins on Oct 25, 2009 11:00 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Gotta love the way Frolov is playing tonight. He’s really showing some intensity out there. He’d be much more effective if he played like this more.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Fehr and Balanced on Oct 25, 2009 8:31 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

My favorite part was when Jason Chimera punched him in the back of the head and he got up with that same stupid look he always has on his face. Never change, Fro.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 25, 2009 8:40 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think Fro’s stupid look might have had something to do with Bailey going absolutely apeshit on the other side of the glass right after that hit.

Oh, Bailey! You’re so kooky!

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

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 25, 2009 8:42 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

That Bailey reaction was hilarious, even Fox was laughing about it.

by Donzo on Oct 25, 2009 9:02 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Hey do you guys think that Kopitar’s recent play has anything to do with the addition of Ryan Smyth this season? Thanks… and I’ll take my answer off the air.

by ChrisKontos on Oct 25, 2009 11:10 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Andrew Raycroft is leading the league in GAA? And that’s what his grin looks like?

Shocking.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 26, 2009 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I thought someone drew a ’stache on him.

When I'm not battling in California:
Cycle Like The Sedins

by jamestobrien on Oct 26, 2009 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Kopitar has been awesome (!)… no fun for Stars fans. Robidas has gotta find a way to stop the dude. His confidence must be sky high! Great player, solid team outta LA. Tough Pacific this year!

by KStars on Oct 26, 2009 7:37 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

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