LA Kings (12-12-4) vs. Minnesota Wild (15-11-1)
1:00 PST, Fox Sports West
It was exactly 2 weeks ago that I woke up, severely hungover, and wrote some terrible post about how Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown needed to be broken up. I argued that Brown had taken more puck-handling responsibilities this season and it was screwing up the chemistry he and Kopitar had built. Before this season, Kopitar carried the puck while Brown went to the net. This season there has been a 50/50 split in puck-carrying duties, But Kopitar has seemed lost without the puck in his own zone. I think it's because he's concentrating on staying in a good defensive position or maybe it's because he's retarded; whatever the reason, he's not loooking good without the puck. Splitting them up, I argued, would give the Kings two complete lines that could score, instead of one that could kind of score.
Well, it took Terry Murray a little time to find this her site of ours (I assume he found us when we moved to SBNation), but he apparently read my little idea and split Brown and Kopitar up in the last game. The results? Brown had a hat trick and Kopitar scored two goals. Umm, you're welcome. Brown played with Jarret Stoll and Kyle Calder, while Kopitar played with Patrick O'Sullivan and Ted Purcell. Both lines were effective because Kopitar and Brown were both effective carrying the puck into the zone and setting up offensive pressure; they, along with Alex Frolov, gave the Kings 3 good offensive lines that could control the puck. And it's all thanks to me.
Now, I'm not saying that I'm the smartest man alive, but I think top 5, top 10 sounds about right. Would you like to see me work my magic again. OK, hold on... the ol' noggin is working... got it! I think Oscar Moller will move up and take Kyle Calder's spot on the 2nd line, while Calder will either get waived or Wayne Simmonds will get sent down. Bam! Whew, I'm tired. Someone go get me a sandwich.
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I also wrote some post a while ago pointing out that the Kings never deflect the puck into the net, and lo and behold they finally get a few puck deflections in the net by Brown and Frolov against the Blues. Seriously, if you're reading this Nelson Emerson (I'm assuming you're the only one that can use the internet), give me a call. I'm full of great ideas. Maybe I could even suit up and play! Hahaha... just kidding... but seriously, I have my own gear.
Prediction: Kings win, 4-2. Goals by Stoll, Handzus, Moller and me, afterwhich I am banned from Staples Center for life.
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