Um, I think this is for real.

Well, it wasn't a victory against the NHL's 4th best team like Thursday was... but the Los Angeles Kings will have to settle for a solid, dominating win against the NHL's 5th best team tonight, the New Jersey Devils. The Kings outplayed the NHL's hottest team and inched a bit closer to the dream of making the playoffs this season. There wasn't a flaw in tonights game... the Kings came out strong and continued to play that way. This roadtrip has been a great example of how pro athletes learn... the team gives up a lead in the 3rd period to Montreal and loses. They sneek by a really bad team in Ottawa 1-0. They play 2 incredible periods against one of the NHL's best in Washington and then barely hold on in a wild 3rd period. And then tonight, the Kings are in charge from the start of the game and they shut down the Devils in the 3rd.... Man, it is exciting to be a Kings fan right now. How long until the MainStreamMedia and the Hockey BlogOsphere start chatting up the possibility of the Kings grabbing that 8th spot. I give it 2 days.

Kings 3, the NHL's 5th Best Team 1


Damn, that feels good.

I know there is still a lot of hockey left. But this team is starting to feel like Edmonton Oilers of 2006. A team that hovers around .500 all season and then completely turns it on the last 2 months. I'm not saying the Kings have a chance to go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals like the Oilers did as an 8th seed... I'm just saying this is the most perfect time for a team to get hot.

Last season, The New Jersey Devils moved into a brand new, state of the art rink in beautiful downtown Newark. Well, like most of Jersey... it seems like it's turned to shit within a year.

Seriously? This is the visiting locker room?

I've seen bigger locker rooms in kindergartens. And are you telling me the visiting professional hockey team shares the room with the Seton Hall Pirates?

I also know that after the lockout, the NHL has made the players more accessible for interviews and interactions with the fans. But this is ridiculous.

Apparently, it's not only the Super Bowl that is having porn spliced in.

Yeah, I'd call that Kings All-Access for sure. And the Kings also finally found the perfect spot in the organization for defensman Denis Gauthier...

I'm surprised that Gauthier didn't fall out of the booth
and give up a goal for the Devils in the 2nd.

But the best thing I saw all night? Why that was this teams' 21 year old Assistant Captain being the a team leader and the last player off the ice after a great victory.

Yeah, I'm glad he's around for the next 7 years.

6-1-1 in their last 8 games. They must destroy the New York Islanders on Tuesday who seem to be where the Kings were last year.... last place.