Down the road from the Kings’ hotel are three tennis courts. Perhaps the team can get in a little practice there tomorrow, although ice skates on a clay court might not work. It couldn’t be much worse, though, than what the Kings and New Jersey Devils faced last night at Prudential Center, where the ice surface was more conducive to making snow-cones than playing hockey. After the game, Dustin Brown told reporters that trying to handle and pass the puck “was like playing with a tennis ball, quite honestly.’’
Of course, as Devils coach Peter DeBoer points out below, both teams had to deal with the ice, but there was chatter during the Eastern Conference Finals that the Prudential Center ice was subpar, so perhaps the Devils have adjusted a bit easier. Of course, the Kings don’t play on the world’s most beautiful sheet of ice in the world, at Staples Center, either, but this was something different. In the Western Conference Finals, the Kings played in Phoenix, where the air temperature exceeded 100 degrees. It’s humidity, though, more than air temperature, that is the enemy of ice, and it was humid in New Jersey for the previous couple days. Jarret Stoll and DeBoer talked about the ice, with both essentially minimizing its impact…
STOLL: “The ice wasn’t very good out there, so you never know if the puck is going to bounce or not. It was pretty sloppy. We got a lot of snow buildup as the game went on. You saw some bouncing pucks out there, but it was the same for both teams. You’ve got to battle through it and find a way to make crisp passes and plays, and find a way to get pucks on net.’’
DeBOER: “It’s the same for both teams. The ice conditions this time of year, regardless of where you’re playing, aren’t going to be great. It’s something you have to deal with.’’
It wasn’t just the ice, though. Independent of attempting to maintain good ice, it was just plain warm inside the building, even for the pampered reporters sitting high atop the building in the press box. It must have been torture for the players, working hard in all the gear. Anze Kopitar said the players will try to adjust a bit for Game 2.
KOPITAR: “You’ve just got to get a few more bottles of water in you, as much as you can. That’s about it.’’
This bolster’s Luc’s argument for L.A. to host an outdoor game. “Well, it’s better than what you allowed in the Stanley Cup Finals…”
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@Mel Powell,
Nice!
Where is ‘G’?
–I want to see some interesting hockey commercials…
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Anyone know why Penner only gets about 12 minutes of ice time, per game? He’s been playing well. Is it cuz he’s out of shape? Cuz coach doesn’t trust him? Never plays specialty teams play? What? He gets like six less minutes of ice time than his linemates
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fsd1 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:36 pm
@Justin, pk, no time
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paige Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:44 pm
@Justin, it’s because he doesn’t play on the specialty teams
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Jon G Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:47 pm
@Justin, He seems to take shorter shifts than his linemates. I would prefer that he be in better shape to take longer shifts, but at least he knows to come off when he’s tired.
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RedBear Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:07 pm
@Jon G, Not anymore. If you watch him now, he’s the last one on his line off the ice usually.
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luc20rules Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 7:55 pm
@Jon G, He does there is not question about it, but if he gets tired he needs to get off the ice rather than becoming a liability out on it. I also see King get an extra shift or 2 on the 2nd line now and again.
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vicarious Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:13 pm
@Justin, If Sutter needs to mix things up, one adjustment Sutter might make wld be to play Penner on some of the special teams. Hopefully not because, if not, that means what Sutter’s got in place already is working.
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Kenny44 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:47 pm
@vicarious, Let the top two lines be the two power play units, instead of putting Kopi with MR and Carter (two “quarterbacks” and no strong net presence). The second unit is a hash with Stoll, Williams and Brown (no playmaker). It just seems so obvious to me, but maybe the reason is to limit Penner’s minutes to keep him effective throughout the game? If that’s the case, I’d rather King play with MR and Carter and keep Kopi’s line together. Stoll has shown nothing on the PP.
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Diego Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:21 pm
@Justin,
Maybe he needs to pick up his hits, he’s a big man that let’s guys off the hook when he could paste them legally.
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 6:37 pm
@Diego,
If he destroyed opponents like he could/should, the Kings would be a constant formidable force (physically) and he would gain himself veritable legend status on this hockey club!
As it is, he’s a guy that’s at once appreciated for his marked increase in contribution in recent times, while conversely he’s reviled for his part in getting the Kings in deep guano in the first place and not contributing when it might have been most critically needed.
Fortunately, tomorrow is another day right now for him, though he almost ran out of tomorrows, not so long ago, now.
(Try making sense of that one, after a couple of early evening cocktails!)
[Reply]
InTheCrease Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 7:06 pm
@Duncanz,
Whaaa? Made serpect pense…
Kenny44 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:49 pm
@Duncanz, He grizzlied a few guys out of his way last night, but he’s not going to become Cam Neely all of a sudden. I’m happy when he creates space for his linemates and makes good quick plays around the net like he’s been doing.
Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:18 pm
@Kenny25,
I’d be happy if he became Cam BARKER all of a sudden, sometimes.
Agreed on the other facets.
He’s making some good hockey plays down low for his line.
I think it was @Dessert and one other that mentioned it earlier that several times last night he made great attack quashing backchecks, which he did, although one of them was after he committed a horrible giveaway that presented NJD with a rush opportunity they might have scored on.
Still credit to him.
He’s a lot less apt to quit on plays anymore, and therein lies his greatest value to the team on nights when he’s not tallying on the scoreboard.
Kenny44 Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 12:05 am
@Duncanz,
You know, Penner actually reads plays on the rush very well. Trouble is, sometimes he reads the play better than his teammates but still follows through with the play that he expects SHOULD be there. His turnover you mention was on a cross-ice pass to Richards, where Penner expected MR to stay higher and cut to the open middle to receive a pass. That would’ve been beautiful, if MR had cut to the middle. But for some reason MR kept following closely in Carter’s wake (where it would have been much harder for MR to make a play after taking a pass). So Penner’s pass ended up way behind MR and was intercepted.
The curse of potential has always been with Penner. May he realize it’s a blessing and help lift our curse, as well.
Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 1:50 am
@Kenny44,
Well yes, and I’ll have to confess I was watching the game in a crowded bar with the volume drowned out, so I retain a few patchy, hazy memories of the game. I did catch a decent portion of the CBC replay today, without analyzing it to your lofty degree of excellence.
My impression of Penns is that he plays by Braille sometimes, in other words in blind assumption of the whereabouts of his linemates that never arrived because they either took a lateral turn while he was passing to some other unoccupied lateral, or they’d skated off for a linechange already, leaving him to forage on his own in a forest of bodies and sticks, or to take a low %age shot with little or no support in the case a rebound occurred.
Offensively, that CPR line is a shambles actually, and it derives any (near) effectiveness from sheer individual graft (Penns), random long distance wrist-snipes (Carts), or unorthodox, improvisational lucky dips (Richie), incorporating a trailing D man or a forward from another line just coming onto the ice.
Fortunately, as the esteemed @DDsucksinick will tell you, that trio is, on the whole, pretty well disciplined defensively and normally gets the diversionarily tougher line matchups.
So, even though the plebs are shreiking for more goals from them, they’re actually maintaining an effective shutdown posture which is pivotal to the functioning of the system in its entirety.
What the heck!
Somehow or other it’s all functioning.
Just like you and I are somehow functioning.
Looks like there’ll be a tomorrow for us all … after all.
Good, good times in Kingdomland.
Right?
Having to play at Staples to get better ice! Who’d a thunk it?
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FdoFmFull Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:34 pm
@FdoFmFull, I know the players aren’t comfortable sweltering in their uniforms as they expend all that energy on the ice, but at least the temperature just above the sheet of ice tends to be somewhat lower than at the top of the building, IOW at the press box, where all the hot air, mostly coming from Doc Emmerick and the 17,000+ fans end up!
Sorry to hear the Prude has poor temperature/ moisture (ambient) control!
GkG!
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cromartee Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:53 pm
@FdoFmFull,
“temperature just above the sheet of ice tends to be somewhat lower than at the top of the building”
I’m sure it’s cooler than “somewhat lower” but what matters might be what temp the players are used to and also I wonder at what temp high humidity is really a fatigue problem? Perhaps once the players get to the rink, temperature and humidity is mostly an excuse? To me it looked like all the players were off on both teams – the play was like one might expect the first week of the season – and embarrassing for a Stanley Cup Final. It didn’t look like the bad ice could have been the biggest factor either.
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luc20rules Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 7:59 pm
@cromartee, But isnt the poor play in the Finals what Bettman is going for when he sets the schedule to have such a large break between the Conf & Stanley Cup Finals? This is also the reason that I think the Super Bowl is usually a blowout.
cromartee Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:52 pm
luc20rules,
I’ve been asking because it’s unclear to me the reason for the epidemic downgrade in play for game 1. I remember watching the Vancouver series and thinking what a high level of play I was seeing which was not there yesterday. You may be right but I thought if the reason was the long layoff then most players would have sharpened up throughout the game. I didn’t see that. And the Devils probably shouldn’t have been affected (with only a few days off) but I think they were the same lousy. Maybe it was a combination of everything: first game nerves or some resulting Stanley Cup stress, humidity even if it wasn’t a big factor once on ice, and lastly, the bad ice. Hopefully, things will go back to normal and we can get the maximal pleasure out of our win (and the series will look great to outsiders too).
Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:28 pm
@cromartee,
I have a take on exactly what you ask here.
I believe both teams were pulling their punches last night in a gambit-counter-gambit to not give away any trade secrets till the more crucial Game 2, on Saturday.
For further Grandiloquence, you can see the full version somewhere below Rich’s “Game 1 Jitters” article.
cromartee Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 10:25 am
@Duncanz,
You are a creative thinker – it’s funny how we will analyze stuff to death (while waiting) for the next big game
Well, best thing to do is just finish of at Staples then.
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Who has the best conditioning? Both roll 4 lines and all 6 D. Could make a difference.
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Need more Munters.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:40 pm
@Diego,
Seriously! This is a huge black mark on Munters. FAIL!
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Diego Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:43 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
Hopefully Rich will use his connections to make it right.
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Cynic Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 6:59 pm
@Diego, I told you, All the Munters units in New Jersey were put in shipping containers until after the finals per the Governor. I told you as long as we know where they are, it doesn;t matter, the luck still holds. THey need to reinstall them. That ice was brutal last night.
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So where do we put Gagne?
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vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:38 pm
@Lake Forest,
On the driving range?
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Lake Forest Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@vplaza, which hotel though?
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KC23 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@Lake Forest, Replace Richardson on the 4th line.
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Shakes Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:40 pm
@Lake Forest, On the manual fanning squad
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Scott Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:40 pm
@Lake Forest, LOL first Gagne this thread….
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:51 pm
@Lake Forest,
North America..
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http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/05/31/devils-look-for-ways-to-deal-with-implacable-kings/
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Devils can’t afford Munters, that’s the problem
They still use those ice resurfacers from the early 1900′s
“Kenny your poor”
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Anthony Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:51 pm
@Lake Forest, “Ice resurfacing 75 years ago”
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Real 7 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 4:53 pm
@Lake Forest, they spent all the Munters money on Kovalsuck…
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SpencerMaze Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:47 pm
@Real 7, Would love nothing more than to show Kovalsuck what a huge mistake he made by not signing with the Kings
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There is a modern technology called “Air-conditioning” available. Don’t they have one?
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:49 pm
@goldielocks,
Their building is obsolete … built halfway through the last decade!
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Kenny44 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:51 pm
@Duncanz, It’s not the buidling, it’s the fanbase. Bunch o’ mouth breathers!
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:06 pm
@Kenny100,
Those 100s Section %ers again !!!
Kenny44 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:55 pm
@DuncanC
You sir, have a mind like a steel trap!
Either that, or your a blog alter ego I’ve created in my own mind. Who else could recall this stuff?!
Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 12:52 am
@Kenny44,
Ha ha, Ken, it’s really like a big steel sieve.
Only the lumpy stuff gets caught.
Your posts are full of … substantially globular factoids.
Makes for easy anally retentive retention sometimes, you see.
Real 7 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:49 pm
@goldielocks, the problem with the soft ice is primarily humidity….
that’s why all the talk about Munters, which company produces de-humidifiers….
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Would seem to me that since the devils play their home games at this arena that they would be much more prepared to deal with the bad ice than we were. It only makes sense that this was not the first time they had to skate in these conditions. Seems that should have given them an advantage.
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:47 pm
@plywood,
In a way, maybe it did.
They took the Kings to OT!
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plywood Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 6:18 pm
@Duncanz, I agree. It was a definite advantage for them. However, playing possibly their worst game this playoff, we stiill pulled out a win. Good sign of things to come?????
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 6:50 pm
@plywood,
Sure, but note also that the Devils are claiming it’s their worst game of the playoffs too, so …
Lucky that wasn’t the prime time Saturday game or a lot of neutrals around the hockey universe might have tuned out for the rest of the shebang.
As it is, both get another opportunity to redeem their SCF qualifying merits and win some newbie fans and influence people on the greater TV viewing day, Saturday.
plywood Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 7:05 pm
@duncanz, funny, vancouver, st. Louis and tbe yotes all say they played their worst games, too. A coincidence—ummmm, I think not.
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Could it be that the Devils are trying to slow down the faster team? I know both teams have to skate on it but it seems all is fair in love, war and playoff hockey!!
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When the ice is that bad you just have to adjust and try flipping pucks and chipping them into the offensive zone. It becomes more of a dump and chase game. The Kings passing appeared to be more crisp in the first ten minutes of the opening period. Later things seemed to get sloppier.
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It just keeps getting better… Now you can add ABC to the list of TV screw-ups…
http://tinyurl.com/c8hz9wm
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Pasadena Hockey Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:36 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), It’s only a 4 billion dollar a year league. These mistakes are amazing.
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Diego Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:42 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
Next Newscast…
King: Now, shall Mr. DeBoer be winning this war he is fighting at present?
Anna: No one knows really.
King: Well, does he have enough forwards and defense to score?
Anna: I don’t think they have, your majesty.
King: No wonder he is not winning!
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:43 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
No one would make such an egregious error!
This must be an old shot from the teams’ Feb meeting, surely!
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rumpa#19 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:49 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), Thats so funny Paul, thanks bro.
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SpencerMaze Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 6:22 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), It is truly amazing the incompetence of some of these local news affiliates.
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Besides the bad ice, I have never seen the funny bounces either with the boards and then the guy pringing out the hammer to try and smash it back into place.
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rumpa#19 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 5:52 pm
@Pasadena Hockey, You would think it was the Burbank rink, or the little rimk acroos from the Van Nuys court house.
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Kenny44 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:53 pm
@rumpa#19, or the old rink in Pasadena!
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Timere Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 8:03 am
@rumpa#19, I’ve skated on both those rinks, and as bad as the ice gets sometimes at Pickwick Burbank and the half sized rink in Iceland Van Nuys, still better than the rock for game one of the SCF.
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If ‘Prudie’ ice is twice as nice
As Hoboken you take me to ….
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Brewhemoth Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 7:33 pm
@Duncanz, In response to you not doing the sutter postgame quotes:
I don’t know who told you it was annoying but it has been one of my favorite things to read when i get home from a late night at work. Keep it up buddy. I miss the Duncanz sutterisms and i expect one after the game 2 win.
cheers
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Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:55 pm
@Brewhemoth,
Tell you what, @Brew’
Just for you, baby!
Where in the Kingosphere are you domiciled, incidentally?
Anywhere near Pahrump, NV?
We have free pretzels and PBR at Kings watch parties in my trailer!
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Brewhemoth Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:04 pm
@Duncanz,
It’s hard to turn down free pretzels and Pabst Blue Ribbon but I am in so cal so it would be quite a drive for me. You Making it down to any finals games?
Duncanz Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:35 pm
@Brewhemyth,
Yes!
Will be bussing it over on Foggy Doggy Roadways, on Saturday to hang with whomever denizens of the SoCal Kingdom I can find.
Leave your email.
1st free sample size bag of pretzels is on me!
Brewhemoth Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 12:04 am
@Duncanz,
lol well I will be working Saturday night but definitely hit me up. javier@unleet.net
pretty patheic ice that bad in jersey but kings will deal with it nothing bothers this team becasue its a TEAM. 3 to go yes 3 to go baby
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Go Kings Go!
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This is the premier spot for hockey to the masses and the NHL can’t make sure the ice is in condition for the Finals??? Shame on you Bettman. But then maybe the Devils know they won’t be back there until next Octoeber and they started a slow thaw.
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The Prudential center needs to crank up the AC.
Open all the Fridge and Freezer doors.
Pull all the shades.
Tape up the doors.
Put a 20 pound bag of ice on each seat.
and kill the lights
Chill that place down!
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Gretzky said as a kid he would practice stick handling with an actual tennis ball. He said once you do that for a while handling a puck is cake, plus you get much better with bouncing pucks and bad ice. I have to wonder how much that contributed to his playmaking ability. When the ice is bad, and you are the one guy who can wrangle a wild puck effectively, you are going to look like you are on another level.
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It is so lame that they can’t keep the air colder in the building. The inside of jobing.com arena was freezing and it was 108 outside!! Get with it Jersey!!!
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