Even though the New Jersey Devils threatened offensively for parts of Game 1, the Kings never trailed. That’s a huge emotional advantage for a team, and in Game 1, Colin Fraser scored 9:56 into the first period and the Kings made it hold up until late in the second period. Regular-season statistics make it clear that the team that scores the first goal puts itself in an outstanding position, in terms of chances (percentage-wise) of winning the game.
In these playoffs, the Kings have scored the first goal in nine of their 15 games, including five of their nine road games. It might be even more important to the Devils. In this postseason, the Devils have an 8-2 record when they score the first goal, compared to a 4-5 record when they allow the first goal. This is nothing groundbreaking, as it is a point of emphasis for every team, but with the Devils seeking some momentum early in Game 2 tomorrow night, Anze Kopitar knows the Kings will have to be mindful of the first goal.
KOPITAR: “We’ve been focusing on starts, and our starts have been pretty good, getting the first goal. It’s easier when you’re not playing catch-up hockey, and obviously everybody knows that. It’s easier with the lead.’’
The Devils are so poor they can’t even pay their electric (air conditioning) bill!
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Hipcheck Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 1:49 pm
@King Cobra, to e fair the Prudential Center has the new Smart Meters. lol
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DesertKing Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:12 pm
@Hipcheck,
They would have been better off to install a Munters.
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Kostamojen Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:25 pm
@DesertKing, I see what you did there!
MmmmYummy Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@King Cobra, Devils are so poor they have the Ducks throw bread at them!
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:07 pm
@MmmmYummy, Ha Ha Ha!!
Devils are so low they play handball against the curb!
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MmmmYummy Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:37 pm
@King Cobra, Devils are so poor… they have to wear their game worn jerseys to church.
Devils are so poor… that when I saw one in the rink with one skate and said “Hey dude, lost a shoe?” he said “Nope, just found one!”
Devils are so poor… that I sat on the Zamboni and they said “Hey, get off our ride to LA!”
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:55 pm
@King Cobra,
Devils ice is so poor that even Juraj Mikus could only cool the air around his own skates & freeze the ice under his own blades, if he were ever to skate on the Prudential Center ice… #SmoothNFast #MostInterestingManOnSkates
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cromartee Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Devils ice is so poor it’s dry cooled with Prestone green (apparently non-working) anti-rust inhibitors
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Kenny44 Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 5:46 pm
@King Cobra, It’s a Mickey Mouse organization. I remember hearing that somewhere.
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King Cobra Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 8:40 pm
@King Cobra, The Devils are so poor _______________________ (keep it going, I love it!!
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This team is built to play with a lead (from the goalie on out). But, what about the first win in a series? does anyone know those numbers, particularly for the finals?
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blahblah Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 1:41 pm
@tornado12,
i remember reading something earlier that said the team to win game 1 in the finals has gone on to win somewhere around 76%. not bad
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romwarrior Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 1:43 pm
@blahblah, If only the Kings weren’t already part of that other 24%…
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Weasel Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:30 pm
@romwarrior,
the result of a coin flip has no bearing on subsequent flips….
Go Kings Go!
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It’s a GD huge emotional advantage for us fans also. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I sure do relax and enjoy the game a lot more when we are in the lead than down or even tied…
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It’s always good to score first but this Kings team has shown the ability to play from behind too. They’ve been able to win so many different types of games.
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I’ve been a Kings fan since the age of 10. I’ll never forget my first Kings game. My brother took me. He was busy drinking beer and chasing women while I sat and watched the Kings play the Canucks. My most memorable Kings experience was not that long ago when the Kings came here to Salt Lake and played a pre season game vs the Sharks. I sat right on the glass and remember watching Kopi and Brown play for the first time. I knew then some 4 years ago that these two were going to be special. From that day on I have had Center Ice and have not missed a Kings game since. I’m all in as far as this team goes. I had the opportunity to meet many Kings fans who belong to this family of Insiders. Without this blog site I would be lost. Thanks to everyone who posts. My only regret is that I had the chance to go to a game in Phx for game 1, thanks to @Duncanz. I so missed it.
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KC23 Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:17 pm
@King Charles of Salt Lake, Was hoping to buy you a drink before a finals game.
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King Charles of Salt Lake Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:26 pm
@KC23, If you can get me in I’ll be there. Tickets are like 500 for nose bleeds.
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:24 pm
@King Cinds of Salt Lake,
You can still go to the ball, Charlierella, but you need BIG ONES just to get there!
# bon scott ..
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King Charles of Salt Lake Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:28 pm
@Duncanz, You got the biggest Balls of them all!!! He’s got big balls, she’s got big balls, but the KINGS got the biggest balls of them all…
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I can’t even imagine how loud game 3 is going to be at Staples. The Devils are in for a surprise about King fans.
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Wow! So Marian Gaborik was playing the last several months with a torn labrum and needs immediate reparative surgery.
Who knows what currently hidden secrets we we will discover come the end of the SCF campaign?
NJD fans are convinced that Kovi is still carrying a hangover from the lower back injury that caused him to miss Game 2 of the Philly series.
He’s a mercurial player for certain, and he didn’t show much sign of life in Game 1 vs the Kings.
Game 2 is going to be incredibly interesting!!
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BringBackButchGoring Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:27 pm
@Duncanz, Not minimizing a torn labrum since I’ve had that repair for both shoulders but it’s something a person could definitely play with. In most cases, it’s a degenerative thing based upon overuse so he probably just had some pain when lifting his arms. I’d think a lower back problem would be a worse injury for a hockey player.
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Lake Forest Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@BringBackButchGoring, you mean from the weight of guilt from being over paid (a la $100,000,000 contract)….
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Weasel Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:32 pm
@BringBackButchGoring,
Tough guy huh? I have a mangled rotator cuff and a few days ago I caught my arm on the stairs and jammed the shoulder — so after a few minutes I was able to stand up again…..
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Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:07 pm
@BringBackButchGoring,
Are there different degrees of tearing?
You wouldn’t need surgery if it wasn’t affecting your play to serious extent.
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KC23 Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:40 pm
@Duncanz, Biggest secret finally came out in the playoffs. The King’s are the best team in hockey.
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Lake Forest Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:44 pm
@KC23, Seriously…..but who knew?
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Reading some of the Devils blogs, I cant believe they seem so upset over this quote from DD:
“Heading out there for the start off the game with the fans going crazy for them, it’s so much fun as the game goes on to keep them quiet,” Doughty added. “You saw last night when we got the overtime goal how quiet they were and how disappointed they were. It’s fun to do that.”
Their venom is strong over what seems to me to be just a comment on how visiting teams know they are playing well. The other thing is, they sure do like to call players names; they have nicknames (and not polite ones) for practically every Ranger, and now DD is nicknamed Dorothy for them.
Interesting to see the other side. Many are just ardent Devils fans rooting hard for their boys, but so many seem to take the loss personally, like the Kings were dissing THEM.
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KC23 Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:44 pm
@bbb7, I know a lot of hardcore hockey fans from the east and the King’s have been the butt of hockey jokes for a long long time. Not to mention the hate the Laker fans have generated every where. Back east call us LA LA land and still invision us as we were 30 years ago. There are 10x more hardcore King fans than the east think we have. They just have no idea.
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vplaza Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:52 pm
@bbb7,
At least DD didn’t do the “SHHHHH!” motion after the game.
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Can somebody help me out here? Who’s the guy wearing the crown asking the questions to all the players in the post practice videos?
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Lake Forest Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 2:46 pm
@TripleNickel, link the video. not sure which ones you are referring to.
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TripleNickel Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:14 pm
@Lake Forest, It’s the post practice Kings Vison interview with Anze Kopitar. He’s the first to ask questions, and wears glasses has a mustache and the crazy crown.
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Stuart Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 3:02 pm
@TripleNickel, does he have a funky mustache and a poncho on??? Sounds like VTB! feeeeling you!!
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TripleNickel Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:17 pm
@Stuart, No poncho. Has on a Kings home jersey. Yes on the funky stache tho.
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Stuart Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:34 pm
@TripleNickel, sounds like Vic “the Brick” Jacobs. He’s a local sports talking head in socal. He and Steve Hartman are in NJ covering the Kings. something they NEVER do… and I wished they never did! total bandwagoners.
Duncanz Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 5:08 pm
@Stu, Naaaah, really?
I remember VTB talking puck at length back in the 90s..
Also he’s a NYMAer (Hey @Kenny44) so it all makes total sense to me to send him over there.
TripleNickel Reply:
June 1st, 2012 at 4:45 pm
@Stuart, Yeah, thats him. What a clown, or at least he looks like one.
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Just had several laughs about the SCF over at Devilsrule.com. It’s funny to read comments that echo those of the fans of the Kings’ previous vanquished and helpless opponents, and their utter inability to recognize the deep hole their club is already in.
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we’re in uncharted waters here ~ICE!~ the Kings will make history by winning game #2 tomorrow…
we will either be the immovable force ~ICEBURG!~ or go down with the ship ~NO!~
no, not really; even if we lose tomorrow we’ll be in good shape, but psychologically it would put The Boot On The Neck to win it….The Season starts tomorrow!…
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I had a dream this past night in which Kopi scores two goals, the things got blurry after that, so it could be he got another one, just can’t recall the ending part…Win is safe if that happens I guess.
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