Secret of their Successes

I submit to you, the valued reader of The Royal Half, the opening paragraph to the NHL.com game recap of tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.


Okay... there is a lot going on in those 2 paragraphs. Anze Kopitar is tearing this league up... the Kings are leading the Pacific Division... the Blue Jackets are almost at the top of the Central?!? Is this some sort of "alternate" NHL universe? One that exists just to terrorize Los Angeles Kings fans? Nope... this is the real NHL.

SNAKE EYES!

It's simple really. Anze Kopitar waited until his 6.8 million dollar a year contract kicked in before he really started to play hard. And with the way that Anze has played over the first 12 games of the season... Dean Lombardi's 7 year contract with Kopitar might end up being a bargain. But the biggest addition to Kopitar's game this season?

This muppet looking guy. That's who!

Ryan Smyth has done everything that Kings thought he was going to do and more. He has been a strong veteran leader. (He's 33 by the way.. no one refers to me as a "veteran leader" at my office) He's given the Kings a great chance to market the game of hockey to Canadians in Los Angeles. Oh... and he's become the goal-scoring winger that Anze Kopitar has always wanted at his side.

Not too shabby #8!

Even though OG Blogger RudyKelly wasn't thrilled with the arrival of Ryan Smyth in Los Angeles... he has to appreciate the awesomeness of Ryan Smyth by now. Right?!? And hey... remember when everyone was worried that Dustin Brown wasn't scoring as much as he was expected to?

Yeah, I'd be a happy Kings fan if Dustin Brown scored at a point per game pace.

And when will people finally shut up about Anze Kopitar and start paying attention to the real star on the Kings... 19 Year-Old Drew Doughty.

Who the hell is Michael Del Zotto?

That's right Kings fans, Drew Doughty is the 2nd highest scoring defenseman in the NHL. Drew had 27 points in 81 games last year. In 12 games this year... he has 11 points.

Hey Ladies... you think Jon Quick and Davis Drewiske are rich?
Wait till my contract year comes up.

The Kings are playing so well this young season that Fox Sports West HD decided to get a fancy new set for the post-game wrap up show Kings Live.

Worst episode of Good Morning America ever!

I applaud Fox Sports West HD's idea to move the Kings Live set outside into LA Live. But maybe you could have come up with something a little more interesting than 2 chairs and flat screen. Kings President of Business Operations (and all-time leading goal scorer) Luc Robitaille didn't seem to mind.

Kopitar and Smyth remind me of myself and Jim Fox.

I wonder if this set is here to stay. I mean... what could possibly go wrong with conducting live television interviews out among the public streets after a sporting event?

So tonight, stopping by after the game to be the first Kings Live guest with an audience was former Los Angeles Kings 1st line winger, Justin Williams. (ED. NOTE: Apparently, Justin Williams is still a member of the Los Angeles Kings)

Yeah... that shouldn't be distracting at all!

I wonder how long Fox Sports West HD will let this go on for. As for Justin Williams... well Wayne Simmonds sure has done a great job on the first line in his absence. Which really means that Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth are the ones really doing all the work.

Okay, so I'm Gretzky and you are Kurri.
No! I'm Gretzky and YOU are Kurri.
Fine, I'm Henrik Sedin and you are Daniel.
No way! I'm Daniel. YOU are Henrik.

Justin Williams' absence from the Kings lineup over the past 3 (soon to be 4) games has gone so unnoticed that Kings Live host Patrick O'Neal said thank you to Jason Williams at the end of the interview. But, when the show came back from break... he did apoligize. Classy move, Patrick.

So how did the Kings do this weekend?

KING... SMASH!!!

Kings 5, Phoenix 3
Kings 6, BJs 2

What do these two games tell the rest of the NHL? "Don't beat us... cause then we'll beat you!"

This is shaping up to be a pretty decent division... well except for one team. Kings are in San Jose on Wednesday. Another chance to make a statement against a big opponent.