The game arrived exactly as expected. No false advertising. The Kings brought their forecheck game, rolled four lines and got strong goaltending. So did the Devils. With all the bodies flying around, and all the sticks outstretched to deflect pucks, there wasn’t any room on the ice to make plays for most of the game. Part of that had to do with the ice itself. The Titanic would have crashed on the Prudential Center surface last night. The Devils put things together in the latter part of the second period, and into the third period, and had a number of just-miss scoring chances in a 1-1 game, but the Kings stayed poised and kept fighting.
In fact, the way the Kings handled the final five minutes of the third period might have set the tone for overtime. The Kings didn’t score, but they generated some quality chances and got the game back under control. That, if nothing else, allowed them to go into the break with some confidence. Overtime hockey in the playoffs is fantastic. The players push themselves to the brink for almost three hours (sometimes more), and the game comes down to who can muster enough energy, poise and skill to make one memorable play. Last night, the Kings did it, and won an ultra-tight game. What was the key aspect of the Kings’ 2-1 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 1? I present three options at the link below, and you can vote for your choice…
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For those who enjoy the traditional game recap, it can be found by clicking here.
The fourth line was crucial to the game, but had to give the nod to Kopi’s goal. That was a thing of beauty.
[Reply]
FKA PakiFro Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:48 am
@vplaza,
Fraser’s goal means every Kings regular forward has at least one goal.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:04 am
@FKA PakiFro,
Just incredible what this TEAM has been able to do. I said this during the Phoenix series, what this team has done so far is nothing short of amazing.
[Reply]
Token Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:33 am
@FKA PakiFro, Cliffy missed out in his 3 games so far.
That leaves Scuds and AMart as the only skaters left in the playoffs that played all games without scoring a goal.
Step it up boys!
[Reply]
FKA PakiFro Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:37 am
@Token,
I didn’t count Cliffy cuz of his limited action.
dahack11 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:33 am
@vplaza, I voted fourth line b/c, “winning a brutally ugly SC game” was not an option.
I’m just glad we won the game that neither team deserved.
[Reply]
Marc Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:57 am
@dahack11, There’s no such thing as deserved. You either win or you don’t.
[Reply]
Itchy Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:43 am
@vplaza,
Kopi knew what he was doing on that goal. Look at all those SO attempts he tried in the regular season to shoot from out far and got stopped. He knew Bro would be active with his stick looking for a pokecheck so he opened up the blade WAY out between the faceoff circles and froze Bro like a peewee goalie in his first game. The deke got the job done.
Before that though, the devils made a couple mistakes… not keeping the shifts short in OT and not controlling their own blue line.
I’m going to quote Foxy here… “Kings bent but didn’t break,” and caught the devils napping. Solid team game and The Kings took advantage of the devils mistake in OT.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:50 am
@Itchy,
I also think Kopi had some idea that BroDONE was going to lift his pad to block a high shot, the way he did that scorpion-type save against the Rangers.
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:51 am
@vplaza, something tells me that scorpion save is going to rival that jordan hand-switch layup against the Lakers that everone fell in love with… sucks
Howard Berger Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:55 am
@vplaza, Hey guys… Howard Berger [bergerbytes.ca] here: Three more W’s and the Cup is yours. What a ride! Enjoy my photo-blog from Game 1… http://www.bergerbytes.ca/2012/05/new-series-old-story/
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:13 am
@Howard Berger,
Hey Howard, I meant to check out your site this morning. Just hadn’t had a chance. Thanks for the great pics of the Kings’ run through the playoffs.
[Reply]
Well we brought the Coyote Ugly with us from Arizona. It was not pretty, but a win is a win!
Let’s get back to our Kings Style sharp passing, puck support and execution on scoring chances and all will be good.
Great job Kings! Great Win!
Go Kings Go!!!!!!
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:45 am
@King Cobra,
I think part of that can be blamed on the horrible ice (and they say Staples has bad ice?), humid conditions, and a good Devils team that clogged things up. Part of it also looked like rust (and I thought rust never slept).
But the result is what mattered and DS will have them focused on the things that need to be focused on. (Even the PP, I think, though that’s the proverbial dead horse that can’t be beaten enough.)
[Reply]
King Cobra Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:52 am
@vplaza,
Yes, you would think they would do a better job with the ice, it is only the Stanly Cup Final for crying out loud!
All is good in the Kingdom.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:14 am
@King Cobra,
I guess when you play in hell, the ice is tough to keep in good conditions.
ForumFan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:30 am
@vplaza, definitely agree, and the conditions were disgraceful.
[Reply]
Maybe the Coyotes and Devils deserve more credit, but it seems like the Kings’ play has been fairly sloppy these past three games. Granted, the end result was fine, but they need to pick their game up the rest of the way.
[Reply]
dahack11 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:36 am
@Tyler, absolutely……
And yes, their play has gotten progressively sloppier, IMO. I hope we have 3 wins left in us.
I will say, I do expect us to play better next game, but I think NJ will too.
[Reply]
It wasn’t pretty but our Kings got the win. I actually liked the game we played in general. Controlled as much of the game as possible and when NJ turned up the heat, the team responded like they have throughout the playoffs. NJ got some HUGE misses but so did we. Come on saturday! Hurry up and get here
[Reply]
Go Kings Go!
[Reply]
Weasel Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:40 am
@Gailweb,
Clap–Clap–Clap-Clap-Clap
[Reply]
Goal Number One by Fraser was all Nolan. What an amazing effort on his part. Bravo.
[Reply]
YooperSkip 24 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:41 am
@Krusher, That was a special effort to knock the guy off the puck, retrieve the puck and make a great pass to Fraser. Also, Nolan(who I have previoulsy referred to as a hitting machine) contributed 4 hits in a little oveer 10 min of ice time. The kid really works hard out there, as do all the Kings. DS has them focused plus. GKG!!!
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:56 am
@YooperSkip 24, yes, Nolan had his best game last night! I was happy to see that.
[Reply]
FdoFmFull Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:08 am
@Krusher, Don’t forget that sequence later in the game when Nolan banged away at Brodeur’s pads trying to jam the puck in at any cost after some great forechecking. Also like the fact that he didn’t let that Devil take liberties with his face after the action – he gave back!
On a slightly different topic but realted – really glad the officials let them play for the most part. Neither of these teams is viscious like we saw earlier. They’re both very disciplined and won’t give away the cheap penalty. The rest of the hockey world ia also going to find out about the Kings physicality and Brown’s play in general. So many were calling him a cheap shot artist from their limited sample of the Roscival incident.
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:10 am
@FdoFmFull, I too thought the refs did a good job of calling the game. I was A-ok with all the holding going on. it’s the finals for x sakes!!! nothing is going to be easy out there and every inch will be contested!
[Reply]
PRMan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:41 am
@Krusher, Our large forwards + their small defensemen = mismatch
[Reply]
Some interesting facts that probably only interest me:
-The Kings haven’t allowed a goal after the 2nd period for 7 sraight games.
-The Kings are now 6-0 and the Devils are now 4-4 when tied after the 2nd period.
-That was the Kings’ first win of the playoffs in which they were outscored in the 2nd period.
-That was the Devils’ first loss of the playoffs in which they outscored the opposition in the 2nd period.
GO KINGS GO!
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:38 am
@aeon,
But the Kings weren’t outscored in the 2nd by the Devils…the Kings outscored themselves.
[Reply]
aeon Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:40 am
@vplaza, Right, that leads to the other stat: the Kings are undefeated in games where Voynov scores on Quick.
[Reply]
PhillyKing Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:46 am
@aeon, Maybe we should get that out of the way earlier in the game then. Opening face off, Slava gets a break away on Quick…
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:47 am
@aeon,
I wonder if Voynov beats Quick much during practice…
FdoFmFull Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:18 am
@aeon, Not able to grab stats right now, but allow me to add to your observations:
The Devils have scored the bulk of their goals in the 1st period with a few in OT. They have not been good at scoring in the 2nd and 3rd periods, in general, with a few exceptions.
On the other hand, the Kings have learned to also come out the gates “fast” since Sutter’s arrival, but unlike the Devils, the Kings are outstanding finishers, outscoring the opposition in the 3rd period by a wide margin during these playoffs!
One characteristic of this Kings team that has struck me is how well conditioned and energetic they’ve looked late in games. That was evident against all their playoff opponents late in games, but even more so against Phoenix and St. Louis.
I realize they’re a young team, avg. age ~26, but it’s also the mental aspect of their game when the chips are down that is so impressive.
Ultimatelly, this is my key to last night’s game – the Kings ability to adjust their game to the bad ice, bad bounces, and the Devils up-ice pressure in the second half of the game. A sort of “bend-but-don’t-break” quality that starts with the veteran leadership and is being put to practice by the whole team! WoW!!
[Reply]
aeon Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:48 am
@FdoFmFull, I’ve got the stats for you:
Kings:
1st: 15 GF, 7 GA = +8 GD (+0.533 GD/G)
2nd: 12 GF, 12 GA = 0 GD (0.000 GD/G)
3rd: 12 GF, 4 GA = +8 GD (+0.533 GD/G)
OT+: 3 GF, 0 GA
Tot: 42 GF, 23 GA = +19 GD (+1.267 GD/G)
Devils:
1st: 23 GF, 10 GA = +13 GD (+1.211 GD/G)
2nd: 7 GF, 17 GA = -10 GD (-0.526 GD/G)
3rd: 18 GF, 15 GA = +3 GD (+0.158 GD/G)
OT+: 4 GF, 2 GA
Tot: 52 GF, 44 GA = +8 GD (+0.421 GD/G)
[Reply]
aeon Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:30 am
@aeon, Made a mistake…
Devils 1st period GD/G should be +0.684
‘”I think it was probably the worst game in the playoffs for us,” said Devils leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk, who was limited to one shot. ‘ (ESPN)
Yeah, Kings opponents are getting in the habit of saying that.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:39 am
@Lavamantis,
I’m sure we can find the video of Hitchcock, Tippett, etc. that say pretty much the same thing after playing the Kings.
[Reply]
ForumFan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:33 am
@Lavamantis, the post games comments from the enemy are starting to sound identical.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:38 am
@ForumFan,
Almost like Groundhog day, except they’re wearing different jerseys.
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I thought the game was equally played. I think the Devils have a little more speed then the Kings so I think the bad ice had a more negitive effect on the the Jersey. And because Jersey was jacked up with the home crowd, I think the bad ice really frustrated them. I also think the bad ice is why JDub and Brownie did not look as good last night. Between the bad ice and the Jersey forechecking the Kings were constantly doubling back in their own zone instead of pushing the puck forward many times. I think it’s also why how fourth line played well because the speed of the game was slowed down to much. Will be interesting to see how the ice is on Sat.
[Reply]
FdoFmFull Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:20 am
@SB Larry, Great analysis – could not agree more!
The next time these teams see better ice will be Game 3 at Staples on Monday!
[Reply]
trytodethroneus Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:21 am
@FdoFmFull,
It will also be thin ice for the devils
[Reply]
Our 4th line was better than their forth line. Quick was better than Marty and almost everyone else was even. They probably had more quality chances but we made the best of ours. I just wish Doughty would have faked the slap shot and gone around Marty after he committed for the easy put away. There was so much room after he went down for the two pad stack. Happy with the outcome though. Kopi is the man!!! BELIEVE!!! GKG!!!
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:58 am
@LuckyEleven, there was too much body traffic for him to try to get any closer than he was when he shot it! There is no way he would’ve been able to get around him without being knocked off the puck. I just wish he would’ve shot it a little higher… oh well we won!!!
[Reply]
LuckyEleven Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 12:25 pm
@Stuart, After watching the replay several times, albeit in slo-mo it sure seemed like all the traffic was on the left side of broduer. I think there was a lot of room on his right though. Yeah, either way we won, so I’m a happy camper!!
[Reply]
FdoFmFull Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:21 am
@LuckyEleven, I felt that if Brad Douty shoots inside the left post, no way Marty has a chance. Also, Richards was there in case of a rebound…
[Reply]
LuckyEleven Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 12:27 pm
@FdoFmFull, Douty got called up too? What a team we have with Doughty, Doty, AND Douty!
[Reply]
I think it was rust, the Kings did it but it was not pretty at all. I think and hope we look way better next game and get back to Kings hockey.
[Reply]
micwoo Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:44 am
@Sandy, Our second game has always been our strongest. Look for more of the same.
[Reply]
Sandy Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:46 am
@micwoo, Agree.
[Reply]
PhillyKing Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:48 am
@micwoo, I have noticed that too. Game 1 is fairly even, game 2 we dominate, game 3 they take dumb penalties, game 4, they finally figure us out.
[Reply]
The Kings are now 1-3 in overtime in the SCF’s. I like the way this one went compared to the 3 in ’93
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I Think it just shows that on a night when the KINGS dont have their best effort,they can find a way to come up big.This team is not only going to go down as one of the best KINGS teams,but one of the best playoff teams ever…GO KINGS GO.
[Reply]
ForumFan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:36 am
@DC4STANLEY, I thought our effort was actually very good. We limited Jersey to very few shots, and forced them into long periods without even getting a shot on goal. The conditions were the main reason we looked sloppy.
[Reply]
I voted Other. I gotta say that I disagree with a lot of the analysis and even DeBoer’s words that we deserved it and they didn’t play well enough to win. I read several Devils blogs and their fans are right IMO… The key last night was “follow the bouncing puck.” They had wide open nets twice and shanked it. If Parise doesn’t glove that one in, they have a guy on the doorstep with stick position to slam it home. We were lucky to even get to OT, much less win it. You know that NJ will be better on Saturday… So we have to be too.
[Reply]
Sandy Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:47 am
@Texas King, Strongly agree
[Reply]
ForumFan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:38 am
@Sandy, strongly disagree. This game could have been out of sight early with the way we limited Jersey to so few shots. Also, DD had a grade A opportunity to end things in regulation from the Richards pass in the slot.
[Reply]
SpencerMaze Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:16 am
@Texas King, Uh, are you forgetting all the chances the Kings had as well? You’re right though, the game shouldn’t have gone to OT……the Kings should have won in regulation easily.
[Reply]
Texas King Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:29 am
@SpencerMaze, no, not forgetting those at all. It just seems like, if you didn’t watch the game and just read the clippings, it looks like we rolled all over them. Fact: the ice was awful for both teams. Fact: Brodeur is an all-world goalie and kept NJ in it early. Fact: It could have been a 5-4 game either way just as easily as a 2-1 game.
All I’m saying is that we didn’t outplay them by as much as a lot of fans and media want to make it out to be. If they find another gear and we play the same we did last night it won’t be pretty for Kings fans.
[Reply]
TerryCrisp'sTie Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:08 am
@Texas King, Hey. Is it Texas King or Texas Devil???
[Reply]
Texas King Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:37 am
@TerryCrisp’sTie, a 25-year King. I’ve seen a lot and lived thru disappointment. Just not calling a Cup victory after a sloppy win and keeping some perspective.
[Reply]
Fourth line had their best game of the playoffs last night. They gave us a tremendous boost of energy on each of their shifts. Going into the game I was worried that the Devils fourth line would give us fits. But they were non-existant compared to what Nolan, Fraser and Richardson brought to the ice.
[Reply]
King Cobra Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 8:59 am
@LomitaKingsFan,
That was really great, especially after all the hot air blown about how great the Devils 4th line is and that could be the x factor.
[Reply]
Zeley Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:22 am
@King Cobra,
That hot air of which you speak is the culprit for the bad-ice conditions. And here I thought it was explained scientifically by atmospheric developments.
While it’s great to have fun with words, I thought the same reaction after reading Lomita’s comment.
[Reply]
THe key was totally getting in the passing lanes and blocking NJD’s passes. Marty said on media day NJD will have an easier time getting pucks on goal because LA doesn’t block as many shots as NYR did, but what he didn’t know is LA blocks a lot of passes.
[Reply]
I wanted to say 3 players, one play but however significant it was, it only 10 seconds of the game. So I said other. Surviving the long lay off, rust and bad ice was I thought was more key.
[Reply]
More interesting factoids:
“For all his brilliance, Brodeur now has lost 23 of 39 playoff overtime decisions during his career. He’s struggled even more in the Final, where he’s dropped his last three and is 1-4 all-time — though the one victory came in the 2000 Cup-winner at Dallas.” — I guess I like our chances if we take NJ to OT in this series.
“It was a tough night for the New Jersey trio of Zach Parise, Dainius Zubrus and Travis Zajac. All three were on the ice for both Los Angeles goals, including Kopitar’s breakaway tally in overtime.” — So funny, didn’t the top lines for Vancouver, St. Louis, and Phoenix also have a tough time? Were any of them on the plus side?
“Though he didn’t get on the scoresheet, Kings center Jarret Stoll found other ways to make an impact. Stoll tied for the team lead with five hits — and went 9-1 on his 10 faceoffs, helping the Kings to a 31-25 margin in the circle despite a 5-10 showing by Mike Richards.” — 90%??? Unreal. But we’ve seen that from Stoll in the past.
[Reply]
aeon Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:04 am
@vplaza, Kopitar also did well at 14-10, but Stoll was just a beast, even going 4-0 on offensive zone faceoffs!
[Reply]
What really stood out to me was how fast our transition from defence to offense was. Every time nj turned it over we were really quick to get it going the other way
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Darth Kopitar strikes again!!
Don’t underestimate the power of the dark side!
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it was a sloppy game for both squads, but I don’t care about NJ… we made too many bad passes, too many TOs, and too many times that their forecheck made us cycle it backwards instead of pushing it forward.
It seemed that DB got a little gunshy after that terrible flop by MB in the 1st. 90% at the dot by JS is A-mazing!! our boys looked a step behind, King, Richardson, Penner (there was a play where Carts shot and it deflected to the front where Penns had been cruising rather than crashing the net where he would’ve been able to put in an open net rebound)… but a win is a win and I am still on cloud 11!!!
Also, did anyone else think that Zoo-bris left his feet on the hit on Carts that NHLnetwork showed OVER and OVER again???
[Reply]
TerryCrisp'sTie Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:17 am
@Stuart, Didn’t see that on NHL. I was too busy watching Kopi’s amazing game winner OVER and OVER again on my DVR!
[Reply]
wow. first two tabs on the NHL.com front page are about lidstrom… what a non-classy move by everyone involved!!!
[Reply]
SpencerMaze Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:10 am
@Stuart, I know – what, you couldn’t wait a couple weeks Nick?? What do you expect from a Red Wing though. What a punk move by the future HOF’er.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:11 am
@Stuart,
Just a guess, but if the Devils would have won, I think the news on the site today would be bigger for the SCF.
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:14 am
@vplaza, no kidding… and Weaksy would’ve been a lot happier on the NHLNetwork postgame… and we would’ve heard how now we can all see how the Kings run was a fluke and they never played anyone like the NJD, and how Kovupchuk did make the right decision and whatevers!!!
Even though ESPN only covered it for 3.6 minutes, Levy and Melrose were all about the Kings!!! That made me smile!
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:17 am
@Stuart,
That 3.6 minutes was preceded by almost 20 minutes of non-stop basketball talk about game 2 of the Heat/Celtics game. On and on and on about Rondo, blah blah blah.
Jimminy Christmas, the Kings just can’t get any freaking respect from the media.
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:21 am
@vplaza, agreed… I had to wait along time through Angels Live and basketball clips before the SCF were given a partial due…
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:22 am
@vplaza, btw what happened to your car? not an accident, I hope!
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:29 am
@Stuart,
Fortunately, no accident. But, I had to leave the car at a dealer near work since I didn’t get too far. Had to take the train down home and back up today. Will be hearing the damage (car threw a check engine light, started running rough, and stuff). I didn’t want to do more damage by driving it all the way home.
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:33 am
@vplaza, that [stuff] always happens at the worst possible time, not that there’s ever a good time to drop 2bills on car repairs, but I’m gald it wasn’t an accident!
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:36 am
@Stuart,
Thanks! Yeah, I kept asking myself, “why now, why not yesterday”. And my wife called me while I was talking to the service writer that they scored and the texts came in from others. And I couldn’t enjoy the moment.
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:39 am
@vplaza, I totally had that moment too… got home and the wife’s grandmother (who’s been staying with us the last few weeks) is sitting in the living room with her elderly brother and a couple of my wife’s aunts chatting up with no intention of leaving anytime soon… I was forced to watch the game in the bedroom. I was beyond pissed!!
Why now, why not yesterday or tomorrow was definitely being asked!!
LOL GKG!
ForumFan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:42 am
@Stuart, agree that the NHL network coverage afterwards was terrible. All about how the Devils didn’t play up to their capabilities, and almost zero credit to our Kings (or Quickie’s performance – could easily have had a stut out except for one unlucky bounce).
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:43 am
@Stuart,
LOL, oh man, at least you got to WATCH most of the game. I was stuck with trying to get a good signal on the train, which gets lousy through San Clemente and Pendleton, so the stream was going in and out.
Any of you guys catch Roger Lodge on the KTLA morning news this morning? He had the nerve to say that Kopi got lucky on the OT goal and that it was a fluke!! Jeez, we can’t even get respect from OUR OWN local sports talk radio hosts! What a moron.
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:12 am
@SpencerMaze, he’s a ducks hoser… glad I didn’t hear him, I usually listen to him on the drive in (otherwise it all NFL in the middle of their offseason on 710 and 570) but his hockey knowledge is ATROCIOUS!
He and Rogan should bowl together…
[Reply]
nykingfan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:12 am
@SpencerMaze,
How was that a fluke????????????????????????????????
the fact that he may have fanned somewhat on the shot? damn, if that’s his angle, what a tool!
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:13 am
@SpencerMaze,
Seriously? What an idiot. Seems like he knows nothing about hockey. Why do these local news stations even try to cover hockey? They obviously don’t care and their attempts are half-hearted at best and insulting at worst.
[Reply]
todd Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:35 am
@SpencerMaze, Yes. Waiting for Brodeur to lift the pad for the high shot and slide it under is a fluke. This guy is a bonehead.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:38 am
@SpencerMaze, He covers the Ducks on AM 830, what did you expect.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:41 am
@puck73,
Well that explains it. I repeat, what an idiot. Did he go to the Hazy “School of Duck-Loving & King-Hating?”
[Reply]
Geez Rich can you make it any more difficult to choose?
I went with the goalies. Both of them made saves that kept the game from ending in regulation. Both goalies were on top of their games and while JQ didn’t see many shots, the Devils had some quality scoring chances that he denied whether it was thru a great save or just positioning. He didn’t give the Devils much to shoot at.
the 4th line played outstanding..especially Nolan and the the OT goal was just a thing of beauty..especially the Kopi move.
I remember way back before we became a playoff team. I thought Kopi would be our Crosby. He’s crtainly that for the Kings.
He excels in every aspect of the game. I’m obviously biased as all hell but there’s not a player in the game of hockey that I would trade Kopi straight up for. calling him a stud is an injustice to Kopi. He’s the Kings Superman!
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:17 am
@nykingfan, did you catch the quote/blurb that @Russ Dynda posted about describing Beliveau and why he always thought Kopi would be our Jean: “To watch Beliveau in action was to marvel at the deceptive grace of this big bear on skates. A Gulliver in the icy world of comparative Liliputians, he didn’t appear to skate quickly but few could keep up with him. He had all the right instincts and all the right shots. Rival players were awed by Beliveau’s size and strength when he broke in. In those days he had only one flaw in his makeup. His disposition was better suited to the priesthood than the savage atmosphere of the hockey rink. He was crosschecked, hooked and belted in every NHL rink. He didn’t hit back because, he said, ‘I want to play hockey.’ He maintained that attitude until his third season when he decided to retaliate. No longer did rival ruffians pick on Jean Beliveau.”
totally sounds like our #11!!
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FdoFmFull Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:28 am
@Stuart, Thank You!!!!!!!!!!
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nykingfan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:51 am
@Stuart,
Wow..that sounds exactly like Kopi.
Not a bad comarison..Kopi and Beliveau.
Ive picked on Dave Taylor for some of his brutal trades and signings, but picking Kopi makes up for every lousy pic/trade he ever made.
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trytodethroneus Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 11:29 am
@Stuart,
I have said that Kopitar reminds me of Jean Ratelle
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I HATE MIKE MILBURY!!!!!!!!
just had to say it.
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vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:13 am
@thecupinla,
So does the kid he assaulted.
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King John Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:30 am
I like Mike Milbury during these playoffs!
Aside from him wondering about Brown’s hit on Rozsival, about everything else he says has been positive about the Kings. He really seems to like the team. I think you guys are being way too harsh.
And now the game announcers are good too. It was horrible during the Phoenix series. But Darren Pang of course gave a few minute lesson on how to beat Quick (but not Brodeur) before the game. How dumb. But maybe the Devils watched it because they kept shooting high—and over the net!
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I think the line changes really were a key factor last night. In overtime ever chance Sutter got he changed the line and that kept the Devils trying to search for their man while it changed constantly. It was an amazingly beautiful thing to watch.
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Should be 50/50 for the fourth line and the 3 “real” amigos….What a great day it is today…..all of the radio stations are talking Kings, my co-workers are giving congrats,(which is met by “it’s only one game”)The sun is shining, and I’m walking upright and breathing….great day all around….Go Kings Go!!!
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I think we were not clean leaving our zone and often through center ice. This definitely affected our entry to the O-zone and controlling play. I think we played well though when it came to limiting quality chances and quickie shut down the ones we did give up. I have heard a lot of talk about the 2nd line not playing well. I think MR and Pens had strong games and were involved on some of our better chances. Carts seemed pretty invisible for a great deal of the game but I believe some of that was due to NJ wanting to limit his space and that fast release. He has not been close to the most prolific Kings scorer. He did show what he could do to a very talented goalie though with the hattie against the puppies. I think he probably contributed by freeing up space for Pens who had a few good looks. The 4th line looked strong especially Fraser and Teddys Boy. Richardson didn’t do a lot. We need to fix our timing on passes and play a more complete game. If we do we should be okay… if not it could be a lot more of last night. Personally I would not mind seeing King moved down with Fraser and Nolan, having Richardson come out, and giving Gagne a shot to play with Lewis and Stolly. Just a thought given SGs past success against Marty. Coach has it well under control though and will do whatever gives this team. The best chance to win.y
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http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/devils_confident_they_can_boune_back_affer_another_game_1_loss/#comments
Not sure if anyone wanted to take a peek at what the little nickys are saying about the game lol. GO KINGS GO!!!!
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We’ll take the wins however we can get them!
I thought the Kings played well yesterday considering the appalling ice surface, which was really a disgrace for game 1 of a Stanley Cup final. As others have noted, it’s hard to imagine worse ice than at Staples but it was dreadful and had a big impact on the game.
Afterwards the TV talking heads barely acknowledged the impact, instead droning on about how it wasn’t the Devils best game and giving the Kings very little credit for making the best of the circumstances both teams were dealt, conditions wise.
We definitely weren’t sharp but, even so, we could easily have had the game put away by the time Jersey got anything going. I expect game 2 will follow a very similar pattern if the humidity is still so high on Saturday.
Also (as is to be expected) in an effort to find a silver lining the Devils said afterwards that they lost game 1 of prior series and came back but weren’t they road games, not home games? I think a game 1 win is huge, and didn’t see anything in the Devils team so far that raises big concerns for us yet.
I love Sutter’s single minded focus on taking each game as it comes, deflecting questions about road win streaks that the media want to talk about. Superb play on the winning goal. Great skill by Kopi and great awareness by everyone involved on the set up.
GKG!!!!!
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Here’s another familiar line that opposing coaches/players have said after playing the Kings:
“We’re going to have to find another level,” DeBoer said. “I feel we have another level.”
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Anyone hear anything about Trevor Lewis? I know he got shaken up but came back to play…
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vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:41 am
@Stuart,
After the hit he took, I heard Nick and Daryl comment on a shift for Lewis and it sounded like he was skating full speed. But, that said, I don’t recall hearing his name called much more after that shift.
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I THINK 18 DIFFERENT PLAYERS HAVE SCORED IN THE PAYOFFS, AMAZING.
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palmspringskingsfan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:17 am
@frazier king, 16
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Anze Kopitar is an amazing player, and an even better person. We are lucky to have him here in LA!
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vplaza Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:44 am
@Kings Win, Ducks Lose,
I like him more than that Kopidor fella, but he wasn’t too bad either. He scored that basket for us in the other series.
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Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:45 am
@Kings Win, Ducks Lose, it was awesome to see his deadpan crack Quickie up! You can tell they would’ve laughed for a lot longer about that one! The laughter was contagious, even I started to bustup! And then after Kopi pulls himself together and starts answering, he almost loses it again with a little laugh and head bow for more composure! They’re having a friggin grand ole time!!!
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ForumFan Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:45 am
@Kings Win, Ducks Lose,
Agree. and not getting Kovi seems like a blessing in disguise now
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Waddler Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:07 am
@ForumFan, Kovi does not appear to be a stand up, character guy. And we all know what wins Cups!
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This was the first game where it looked like the players were just exhausted. In OT everyone looked like they were just moving in molasses (although the bad ice probably made that look worse). The winning play was a perfect example of wanting it more. 5 exhausted players trying to a make a play, but critically three Kings and only 2 Devils and the Kings players won at point of contact freeing Kopitar to score the slowest, slickest breakaway goal I have seen in a long time….
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Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 9:46 am
@Weasel, I tolf my wife, it seemed like Kopi was cruising on a shoot-out breakway not an OT break from the blue line!! LOL it did seem very slow!
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The 1st period, both teams played tight. Lots of whistles, which I felt probably benefited both teams. We don’t want to make a bad play and they didn’t want to make a bad play. Fraser’s goal, although not pretty, gets an A for effort. They created that chance all on their own. Kings won game 1 back in ’93, so I put more stock into game 2.
Now that we’ve seen them and know what to expect, the adjustments are being made on both sides. Their forecheck caused Kopi to be so open. Will that cause them to be a bit more tentative or will they push them to be more relentless? Either way, the positive is we didn’t play our best. The passing was not as crisp as the previous series, which you can credit the Devils for forcing the issue. Darryl and crew need to make the adjustments, which he has done wonderfully so far. Jarrett Stoll winning 90% of his faceoffs. That’s getting it done. Go Kings!
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Stellar play by the 3 who touched it last – DD off the wall, JW behind the back, and AK see the opportunity, call for the puck, stretch, gather, settle it, deke/deke and with “Kopi-Cool,” slide it in, bang the glass, get mobbed by teammates, go up one zip, enjoy it, settle down before meeting the press, game face on for G2.
Even with the closing play, the L4 stepping up, and JQ (Vezina/Smyth), really seems a win for “the Kings system” — 4 lines rolling, 6 d-men playing solidly, and error-free g-tending (really a soccer “own goal”) — that overcame first game jitters/excitement, unpredictable bounces, bad ice, bad boards, and for stretches and bursts, an aggressive and skilled push from the EC champs, AND from some less than stellar play form some of our own (not naming names) who’d no doubt would say, they can/will do better in G2.
To we lucky fans/viewers on board the train (virtually to exclusion of all other activity, I might add), it’s amazing to see how hard these guys play, their solidarity as a team unit, and how incredibly and uniformly focused and committed they remain — to a man — that there’s still work to be done. Having experienced, even in this season, “the worst of times,” clearly this is the best. 3 more LEGS to go and the Kings will have the DOUBLE-OCTO. IT’S OUR TiME.
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Whoever won the game last night was going to get away with one..glad it was us! Now the Kings need to play with more of a sense of urgency cuz the Devils will.
I really liked the Jersey PP. They had one guy between the forwards and defense of the Kings waiting for the one timer makes for a tough PK. This is the set up I suggested we move to because we have Carter to snipe but we’d rather run around the side boards and overload nowhere.
Overall it was the result we needed but there are a few things we need to tighten up if we’re going to get this done.
GO KINGS!!
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puck73 Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:10 am
@KOHO, I think the Kings have too many playmakers on the powerplay and not enough shooters. I dont think Kopi and Richards should be on the same powerplay unit together. I also think Richards is a much better qb on the 1st unit pp then Kopi.
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Stuart Reply:
May 31st, 2012 at 10:26 am
@puck73, too bad the qb is more often DDD…
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In the last three series’ the Kings were able to drive their opponents nuts with frustration, forcing them to lose composure for at least two or three games. The Devils weren’t bothered at all, either because of their discipline or our lack of a sustained effort.
With both the Kings and the Devils playing with this kind of discipline, it’s going to be a wild ride….
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The 4th line looked great, but I can only wonder how it would look with Gagne on LW instead of Richardson.
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