Kings Gameday: The Sky is Falling

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 1:02 PM PDT

LA Kings (0-1) vs. San Jose Sharks (1-1)

7:30 PST, Fox Sports West

Well that was fast.

All summer there was palpable optimism about the Kings, a feeling of hope that permeated all corners of the Kings blogosphere. Then the first game happened and you got stupid emo shit like, well, this.

The truth is the Kings are not doomed; not yet, anyway. They played one of the more craptastic games I've ever seen a Kings team play (the last one I remember crushing me that much was this one), but it's still only one game. And really, it's almost better to lose a game like that then it is to lose a close game that exposes some sort of flaw in your team. If you play hockey then you know there are some games where the puck always bounces the wrong way; if I let in 8 goals in one game, it's easier for me to shrug my shoulders and look ahead to the next game than if I let in 2 goals in the exact same spot and think about my mechanics for 2 weeks. Drew Doughty (twice!) and Wayne Simmonds (once!) each made bone-headed passes that pretty much handed goals to the Phoenix Coyotes, while Jonathan Quick did just enough to not stop the puck on about 4 attempts. Other games, pucks will bounce off Quick and hit the post. It was just one of those games.

The Kings don't have it any easier tonight, though; play like shit against the Coyotes and you'll lose 6-2, but play like shit against the Sharks and you'll lose 10-0. The Sharks had their own Game from Hell in their first game against the Avalanche but then rebounded nicely in a destruction of the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. The Kings mixed up their defense a little bit to account for the Sharks' top line of Danny Heatley, Joe Thornton and Devin Setoguchi. Alec Martinez (who was pretty terrible on Saturday) is out, Peter Harrold is in alongside Jack Johnson, and Matt Greene is partnered up with Rob Scuderi. I imagine Greene will assume his usual role as Thornton-Stopper tonight, while Scuderi will account for everyone else. Who is going to play against the Marleau line? I don't know, but whoever it is has their work cut out for them.

Prediction: Kings win, 4-3. Goals by Frolov, Johnson, Stoll and Williams.

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Comments

but play like shit against the Sharks and you’ll lose 10-0.

That’s an exaggeration. The Ducks tested this theory in the preseason — play like shit against the Sharks and you’ll lose 6-0, with Douglas Fucking Murray scoring a hat trick.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 6, 2009 1:20 PM PDT reply actions

I’d like to put forth that losing 6-0 to the Sharks when Douglas Murray scores a hat trick is more demoralizing than losing 10-0 when people who are actually supposed to score do the damage.

by Evilducks on Oct 6, 2009 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions

That’s almost worse than losing 10-0, because Douglas Murray has 2 career goals in 5 seasons.

"I think I realized after the second or third punch, I should have taken his helmet off sooner." - Ryane Clowe
Proud member of the "Don't Trade Marleau" Club
Fools and Sages

by mymclife on Oct 6, 2009 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions

ha

but, is it as bad as losing to the eight seed when you’re the president trophy winning team?

by ScottyKnows on Oct 6, 2009 1:46 PM PDT reply actions

It’s going to be like this all season, isn’t it? I hope so.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 2:07 PM PDT up reply actions

All season? It will be like this until the Sharks win a cup… we could die of old age (or severe alcoholism) before we hear the end of it.

by Evilducks on Oct 6, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Probably not as bad as forty years of futility.

Fear The Fin: Where Selling Your Soul Is The Likely Solution

by Mr. Plank on Oct 6, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

+1!!

by Pizzle on Oct 6, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions

-1!!

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

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 6, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions

It’s 41 years of rebuilding Plank. There’s a goal involved. Eventually. So they say…

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

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 6, 2009 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions

You hope

It takes a big man to cry and it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. -Jamie Baker
Proud member of the "Don't Trade Marleau" Club

by Lurker Shark on Oct 6, 2009 8:28 PM PDT up reply actions

How come every prediction on these blogs is 4-3?

by SLOSharks on Oct 6, 2009 2:39 PM PDT reply actions

Television has stunted our imagination, I suppose.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 6, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions

That’s when you know the blogger thinks “I’m actually fairly certain my team will lose, but my fantegrity is at stake so I’ll just say we’ll win in a close one.”

Put the Prozac away, what you need is Rat Poison.

by brokenyard on Oct 6, 2009 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions

It’s more, “Wait, I have to put up a prediction don’t I? Ahh, fuck… fuck it, 4-3. Where’s my whiskey? Mom!”

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Just to give everybody the head’s up, Yahoo! is streaming the game tonight.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 3:45 PM PDT reply actions

Since Marleau was "almost" traded to the Kings...

he’ll appear a lot on the scoreboard tonight.

by Ivano M on Oct 6, 2009 4:01 PM PDT reply actions

Prediction: Sharks win, 4-0. Marleau scores all four goals, and Stoll and Frolov get game misconducts for a huge brawl on the opening faceoff.

Yep, that would’ve been such a bad trade for us.

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 6, 2009 4:32 PM PDT reply actions

(sneaks in)

GO SHARKS!!

Ever get the feeling we are on a collision course with reality? (boycott Hollywood!)

by ang6666 on Oct 6, 2009 7:35 PM PDT reply actions

/has your back

by princessminako on Oct 6, 2009 7:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Rob Scuderi looks like Seth Green and/or a dad.

Fear The Fin: Where Selling Your Soul Is The Likely Solution

by Mr. Plank on Oct 6, 2009 7:39 PM PDT via mobile reply actions

Rob Blake looks like a pedophile. Maybe it’s because of all those flyers I made with his face on it that said, "This man is a pedophile.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 7:44 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

by princessminako on Oct 6, 2009 7:50 PM PDT up reply actions

Pedophile? Really?

I would have used pederast myself. Just sounds better. 8 year olds Dude.

It takes a big man to cry and it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. -Jamie Baker
Proud member of the "Don't Trade Marleau" Club

by Lurker Shark on Oct 6, 2009 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions

MEAT TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 7:48 PM PDT reply actions

That’s something the Ducks never gave Nabokov on Saturday — a chance to earn his paycheck.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Oct 6, 2009 7:48 PM PDT reply actions

“Goddamnit!”

That’s one.

Fear The Fin: Where Selling Your Soul Is The Likely Solution

by Mr. Plank on Oct 6, 2009 8:34 PM PDT reply actions

I take solace in the fact that was scored by Rudy's favorite player ever.

It takes a big man to cry and it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man. -Jamie Baker
Proud member of the "Don't Trade Marleau" Club

by Lurker Shark on Oct 6, 2009 8:35 PM PDT reply actions

My brother rationalized by saying we were applauding Doughty’s wonderful effort to keep the puck in the zone.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 8:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Holy shit, Ivanans looks like he could withstand getting hit with a horse tranquilizer in the fucking jugular.

Fear The Fin: Where Selling Your Soul Is The Likely Solution

by Mr. Plank on Oct 6, 2009 8:56 PM PDT reply actions

I’m not lying when I say that if I saw Ivanans come at me with that look on his face I would literally shit myself and probably cry. Holy God was he pissed.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 8:57 PM PDT up reply actions

He reminds me of the big bearded guy in Superman 2. He scared me when I was younger too.

by Nut on Oct 7, 2009 12:18 AM PDT up reply actions

The puck control by that forward combo of Smyth/Handzus/Williams was amazing!

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

by DodgerBlueBalls on Oct 6, 2009 9:41 PM PDT reply actions

Yeah, that was a beautiful adjustment by T. Murray: he put Smyth-Handzus-Williams out with Greene and Doughty against Thornton, and then Frolov-Kopitar-Simmonds with Scuderi and Johnson after Thornton got off the ice. Shut down Thornton and then got a few good chances. I wouldn’t mind seeing that again.

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Oct 6, 2009 9:44 PM PDT up reply actions