When the Kings’ schedule was released in late June, eyes were drawn to the bottom, to the season-ending home-and-home set with the San Jose Sharks. With the Kings and Sharks expected to contend for the Pacific Division title, it stood to reason that those games would hold major significance. Indeed, they will. Who would have guessed, though, that the teams would be fighting for the division title, but that one of the team might miss the playoffs altogether? The thought would have been shocking last June.
The Kings host San Jose tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Before that, Dallas plays at Nashville in a game that starts at 5 p.m. Pacific time and holds huge significance. If the Stars lose that game — in regulation, overtime or a shootout — the Kings will have clinched a playoff spot right around the time of their opening faceoff against the Sharks. Of course, there is the division title still up for grabs — more on that later — but Sutter laughed when asked whether he would want his players to know the result of the Dallas game before their own opening faceoff…
SUTTER: “You think they wouldn’t know? [laughs] I think they’d know.’’
Question: Maybe a couple back slaps in the locker room?
SUTTER: “I doubt it. That’s not how our players are.’’
Regardless, Jarret Stoll said the players are looking forward to the significance of the home-and-home series against the Sharks…
STOLL: “Maybe halfway through the season, we were starting to see that, and I think a lot of people did. It’s two good teams. it’s going to be fun. It’s the way it should be. It’s a battle right down to the end and there are no easy games. It hasn’t been easy for us, for sure, but we’ve put ourselves in a good situation, to be where we want to be if we can take care of our own business like we have been lately.’’
Only one team in the division is going to feel good about itself at the end. It’s the one that finishes in first place. The other two will have limped into the playoffs and while that might be okay for Phoenix considering their ownership problems this season it won’t be truly acceptable for LA or SJ.
Prove the early season struggles were just an abberation take the division, the home ice, and knock the Sharks down to 7th, 8th or out of the playoffs altogether.
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TheDryer5 Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
@Weasel,
Are you saying that if the Kings finish with a Win and OT Loss, while Phoenix wins both and gets 3rd place, that the Kings limped into the playoffs and won’t feel good about the mountain they needed to climb after the terrible record under Murray and playing their best hockey the final month of the season? They’re 11-4-1 since the beginning of March. My scenario where they finish in 7th would be a 12-4-2 finish. That’s not a limp, that’s a surge. Not one team wants to face the Kings in the first round.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Tomorrow needs to be their best game of the season.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 6:46 pm
@TheDryer5, Phoenix won’t win both in regulation. Might not win either in regulation.
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ForumFan Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
@Weasel, At the time of the coaching change I would have been happy to just make the playoffs. I don’t feel like we would have just ‘limped’ in.
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Osaka Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:54 pm
@Weasel, Just making the playoffs would be huge for the Kings, it would be more than acceptable for the Kings. How the Kings have played down the stretch after the early season struggles is something to be proud of. The playoffs is a new season and wether you finnish in 7th, 8th, or 3rd you start fresh. I guarantee no team wants to face LA, even if we finnish in 8th. The ranking only determines match ups and home ice advantage.
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puckbob Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
@Weasel, Out of the playoffs altogether gets my vote! that would be sooo sweeet
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“I doubt it. That’s not how our players are.’’ Good lord that says a lot about this time. And given the source, I buy it completely
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370455VinSD Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
@370455VinSD, “team”, not “time”
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Duncanz Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
@370455VinSD,
“A couple of manly Kings’ backslaps or towel-flicks in the locker room perhaps … ?” [winks]
SUTTER: “I don’t think so. That’s not how this team roll. Well, apart from maybe a little ‘low cheddar’ grabbing by Drew. You remember that one on that goal we got, December in Chicago? Jeez you sure picked the right fool to interview after me, didn’tcha?!” [chuckles heartily]
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Stuart Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
@Duncanz, low cheddar behind the bike shed? lol
Duncanz Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 9:49 pm
@Duncanz, Stolly might get a SC after all – if he plays his cards right. # $7 mil Dairy Dive ..
I dont know about our boys…but i definately will be “scoreboard watching”
Lets just focus on our game tomm and im almost sure we will come out as winners tomm….i predict another JQ shutout!!! GKG!!
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Baloney!!!
Everyone in the King’s organization from DL and TL on down to every sales person and vending counter employee will be glued to that result from the Dallas game. To many of them home ice advantage means more working income, ticket sales, job security, etc etc, etc
The players won’t be the only ones watching, lol.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
@Gustavo, Well, nice to see some people fired up early after spending way too long kickin’ back in Europe..
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Osaka Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
@Gustavo, What are you disagreeing with? Sutter said the players would know the score of the Dallas game, he admitted they would be glued to the results. He said the players wouldn’t back slap each other meaning they haven’t accomplished their goal of beating SJ yet and they will be focused on that.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
@Osaka,
“Honey, don’t you think the girl did a nice job on my nails?”
” Baloney !!!! ” ):
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Nice piece on JQ and the Vesina, Rich. You could easily make the exact same arguments to justify Quicker getting the Hart as well.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
@370455VinSD, Somebody said you have to give the Hart to the Penguins, so Quick can’t win it.
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I disagree every single player/coach/trainer/gm/equipment manger/ticket rep./ etc. will have thier eye’s glued to the Dallas game and will know what needs to be done before the puck drops in the San Jose game.If they are’nt watching then they don’t care about the team or the game of hockey!!!!
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Adam Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
@mike, I think they already know what needs to be done regardless of the outcome with Dallas. Win.
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Osaka Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
@mike, If the players don’t watch they don’t care about the team or the game? Really? Maybe they have a different perspective.
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Elijah Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 7:05 am
@Osaka, I am pretty sure that baby Jesus cries if you don’t care about Kings hockey.
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“eyes were drawn to the bottom, to the season-ending home-and-home set with the San Jose Sharks.”
Everybody but FSW… C’mon, 2 critical end of season games and they broadcast on PRIME & KCOP?
Lucky for me the local cable recently added FSSD and I have CenterIce.
GKG!!!
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Diego Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
@Diego,
Update, just noticed Versus (NBC) will carry the last game (hopefully w/o Rodeo Drive roenick).
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IceGuy Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
@Diego,
Yeah, but do we get Bob and Jim, or “their” guys?
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Diego Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
@IceGuy,
I would think they’d give it to the homers who are horrible.
sh27696 Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 5:41 am
@IceGuy, We will get Hahn, and Remenda Saturday night they work for Comcast who owns NBC, Bob & Jim don’t. If the Kings win in regulation tonight, and Phoenix only has 2 points combined in STL & MiNN, Kings will be Pacific Division champions, and you won’t care as much about Shark announcers on the game, of course you can always mute your. TV and listen to Nick & Darryl . It’s too bad that NBC Sports doesn’t work like Gamecenter Live and let you chose home or away commentary.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
@Diego, Oh, Crap! That means we’ll have to listen to those damned Sharks homers!
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Diego Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 7:56 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?,
Goes something like this:
Big Joe perfectly passes to Lil Joe who was in the exact (and I mean exact) position and he fires the best shot ever taken in all of hockey!!! Lucky for Quick he happened to be in the way, talk about lucky, Hmmph!”
jt Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 10:29 am
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, if you listen to radio it does not mesh well with the action because the TV feed is delayed a few seconds, thus it makes for poor game experience.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Yup…it’s why I don’t do it…works even worse with a DVR.
370455VinSD Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
@Diego, No kidding, just in the nick of time for FSSD. Here’s to hoping the contract remains the same for next year for the Prime games.
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Diego Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
@370455VinSD,
Yep, and we get to watch the KINGS vs the foul fowls w/o NHL blackout.
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And if they don’t know DS will keep them updated on his Twitter account
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DAL/NASH should be playing on all monitors and the jumbotron when we all walk in tomorrow… just saying
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Wouldnt mind a Detroit victory or OT loss tonight so they catch Nashville. I want an EXTREMELY motivated Preds team tomorrow night.
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BluLiner Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
@bbb7, How about St. Louis to win, so that they are extremely motivated to beat both Phoenix and Dallas for top record in the West? Seems either scenario works well for the Kings.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
@BluLiner, St Louis seemed motivated last time we saw them. I don’t think that will be an issue.
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Im hoping passover dinner w the family will b done by the time sat game starts
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Gail Web Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
@Scott, Go Kings Go
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JackKent Cooke Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
@Scott,
Feel free to leave dinner early. Have this biblical reference ready to handle any complaints: “He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.” Proverbs 17: 9
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Lake Forest Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 5:02 pm
@Scott, Doing my taxes saturday. i was invited out and told my buddy no.
Trying to see if the wife can go visit her parents with the kids for a few hours tomorrow!
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
@Scott, Oh, boy. Tough one. Maybe you can get a DVR by then?
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Duncanz Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
@Scott, This game might be HUGE!
Suggest you pass over on the passover.
By its very definition it gives you exactly that prerogative … right?
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Stuart Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
@Duncanz, [laughs]
“have you ever seen me period?” [chuckles]
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Duncanz Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
@Stuart,
“Awnly awn Sawndoys, Mary!”
[yuks]
sh27696 Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 5:52 am
@Duncanz, No in fact Passover which is an 8 day festival, is considered so important, that if you miss it for some reason, you are supposed to celebrate it a lunar month late. I think your commment was not intended to be anything but humorous, and the rules of the blog forbid religious discussions, expressly because a post like yours could be deemed offensive. Think twice before you hit the submit comment button.
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sh27696 Reply:
April 5th, 2012 at 5:44 am
@Scott, 2nd Seder is a female dog., but that’s what DVRs are for.
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If this home and other home game
Comes down to Goal-tending….
I really like our odds with Quicker…
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Now that we are all back in practice with math, let’s do a simple exercise of subtraction:
10 april 2012 – 30 years = the Miracle on Manchester
Happy anniversary, Daryl, Jim, Bob and all those involved in that amazing game!
I treasure my memories from a seat in the last row next to the section with the organ. Ah, the Forum!
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can someone tell DD to keep his mouth shut until he has proven himself on the ice.
Why is sending home SJ a focus this year but last year they didnt have that focus in playoffs. up 4-0, remember that.
stop the chatter and leave it on the ice.
Win thursday then do it in SJ.
then talk smack on SJ.
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fsd1 Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
@funking, Why dont you step up to his face and tell him that.He is a proven talent.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 7:32 pm
@funking, He didn’t say anything anyone else wouldn’t say. He said he wants to win those two games, and sending San Jose packing would be an exclamation point on the season. San Jose would say the same in reverse.
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Shotongoal Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
@funking, Not even worth a comment, so………No Comment!!
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Duncanz Reply:
April 4th, 2012 at 9:57 pm
@Shotongoal, Nice comment.
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