Dead Tree Media

I still get the LA Times newspaper. I'm not sure why, as the paper has become a shadow of its former self. But in this day and age of blog and Twitter and RSS feeds... the need for daily reports written on dead trees is rapidly becoming outdated. But for some reason... I still subscribe. Maybe its because my parents always read the paper or maybe it's just because I like to envision myself as some curmudgeonly hold-out (I'm the only one of my friends to not be on the Facebook).

My subscription is coming up for the Times and I'm giving serious thoughts to not renewing. Anything worthy in it can be accessed online. And for the last 5 years... their hockey coverage has been horrendous. With the exception of NHL Hall of Famer Helene Elliott... whom the LA Times can never seem to figure out how to use properly. It seems that none of the LA Times Kings beat reporters have the same passion for the game or the Kings that Rich Hammond at the Daily News has. And that's why his blog has become gospel for most Kings fans searching for actual news (not rumor) on their team.

So why am I writing about this? Well imagine my surprise when I got the LA Times this morning and read the one Kings article... and actually enjoyed the writing.

"It wasn't the iconic image -- or importance -- of Marty McSorley's stick, but when the Kings surrendered two goals in the final 1:53 and lost at Montreal to begin their 11-day East Coast swing, their season appeared to be plummeting on a trajectory that was just as sharp as that infamous blade.

Already on the far fringes of the playoff race, the Kings still had visits to two of the NHL's hottest teams, Atlantic Division leader New Jersey and Southeast Division leader Washington, as part of their five-game trip.

"I guess you can say we had a choice," Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick said. "Every team loses games like that -- even Detroit, Boston and San Jose. It's how you respond."

The Kings' response has been loud and clear. Surprisingly, it wasn't a thud."

And to end the article:

"As for that disheartening loss in Montreal, Murray said he tried to emphasize the positive -- that his team had played nearly 59 minutes of terrific hockey in a real hockey environment.

Even if it wasn't the old Forum, Murray joked that the Bell Centre had imported all the ghosts. Thanks to these Kings, he could afford to laugh. This curve has turned out to be a learning one."

In terms of hockey journalism in the LA Times (that isn't Helene Elliott) this wasn't half bad! I checked the byline: Billy Witz.

Even Billy's Game Day report for the Kings game against Calgary tonight included this line:

"Former Kings left winger Michael Cammalleri, who was traded to Calgary on draft day, has 28 goals and 24 points. The deal allowed the Kings to take 18 year-old Colten Teubert with the 13th overall pick."

It's not often that you see draft pick Teubert name checked in a Game Day report.

The real surprise here? The email address at the end of the hockey coverage.

billywitz@yahoo.com

Yup, the LA Times' 2nd best hockey reporter doesn't even have a latimes.com email address. Or one of those Wall Street Journal looking portraits.

A quick google search of Billy Witz shows that he was laid off by the Daily News in March of last year. And that he is incredibly well-respected amongst his peers. Check out this posting on Sportsjournalists.com.

"As an alum of a competing paper, I can tell you -- as I was once told by an editor: "Everyone in here knows who Billy Witz is."

The editor meant that in a good way, in an admiring nod to Billy's work at the time as the Daily News' UCLA beat writer.

Taking note, I began watching for and reading Billy's stuff more closely, and, sure enough, I quickly became a fan of his work.

Then, once, when I was covering the L.A. Marathon -- no, I am not out there today -- I finally met Billy for the first (and only) time, and was pleased when he took note of me.

I had asked several persistent but legitimate questions of a race official regarding a possible news story involving the event.

After we were done with the post-race press conference, and the official had walked away, a bit harried, somewhat hurriedly, and clearly happy to get away, Billy turned to me, smiled, and said, "Great job. Way to not back down."

It was just a little act of acknowledgment, and, I thought, a not-so-random act of kindness that, really, he didn't have to impart. Many competing writers wouldn't have.

And, as I recalled again my editor's long-ago recognition of Billy, I was honored.

If you're on here, Billy, consider this my way of returning that small but meaningful compliment."

LA is a first place kind of town. If a team is winning, it gets the attention. If not (especially if the team hasn't made the playoffs over the past 6 years), LA could care less. And that extends to the local newspaper.

Maybe Billy Witz is just a freelance hire and not staff yet. Maybe the LA Times is trying him out. I'm sure the newspaper business is not a fun one to be in right now. Billy Witz has only been writing about hockey in the LA Times for the last few weeks. But it's a step in the right direction. Will it keep me from canceling my subscription? Probably not. But at least there is the possibility of Kings hockey actually being covered again by the local paper. Even if I get it in my RSS feeder.

4 In A Row

It wasn't pretty... but it was a win. And the game wasn't even the shittest thing I watched all night... no, that honor went to those Buy.com commercials with Howie Mandel.

As in, "Up Yours, America."

Kings 4, New York Islanders 3

I consider myself a pretty serious hockey fan. I've been following the Kings for 20 years, played the game for the same amount of time, I'm in 2 fantasy hockey leagues (first place in one of them!)... but I had no freakin' idea who some of those guys skating for the New York Islanders were tonight. Hillen? Gervais? Okposo? Bailey? Luckily, I played NHL '94 so I knew who Bill Guerin and Doug Weight were. I've always secretly liked the Islanders organization and I really hope to make it to a game at the Nassau Coliseum before they are forced the shut the place down. But tonight I discovered why I love the Islanders so much... they have a retirement banner for Billy Joel!

Best. Banner. Ever.

The Islanders are where the Kings were 3 years ago. I feel for their fans, especially Schultz over at Barry Melrose Rocks who seems to cheer as hard for the Islanders as I do for the Kings. So if the Islanders are the Kings of 3 years ago... then where are the Kings today?

Three games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2005-06 season... that's where they are! Oh and the Kings are 2 points out of a playoff spot. 6-1 in their last 7 road games. 7-1-1 in their last 9 games. And they are the NHL's highest scoring team in the 2nd period since January 20th. What that last stat means, I have no idea.

Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy and I haven't experienced anything like this since... well since the end of the 2005-2006 season. It's almost mid-February and we are spending our afternoons handicapping which Western Conference team we want to win that night over IM.

We aren't dreading going to games or speeding through periods on Tivo. We are in a bonafide goddamn playoff race for the first time in what feels like forever. And man does it feel good. Who cares if every other team is in the race too?

So what happened tonight? Well, the Kings played horrible for the first 2 periods. But they got it together in the 3rd and dominated the Islanders like they should have all game. And I knew that if the Kings could get to a shootout, they would take home the extra point. But I had no idea that Jack Johnson would add to his legend with that sweet deke.

Say hi to your mom for me, McFly.

To say this road trip has been amazing would be an understatement. A record of 4-1, 8 out of 10 possible points, some props from East Coast hockey writers, AND they even got to ride the train from DC to Newark.

Welcome home Kings. Now get out there and beat Calgary on Thursday!

Jump On The Bandwagon

Remember on Saturday, how I mentioned that it would be 2 days before the MainStreamMedia and the Hockey BlogOsphere would be chiming in on the playoff chances of the Los Angeles Kings?
"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."

Well... it's been 2 days. Let's check in, shall we?

Starting with the BlogOsphere... 2 from PuckDaddy at Yahoo.

"Don't look now but a recent 6-1 surge and 3-1 start to a five-game road trip has put young Los Angeles into the thick of the playoff chase." - PuckDaddy 2/7/09

And a feature about The Royal Half's favorite 19 Year Old defenseman, 19 Year Old Drew Doughty.

"We're a very good team that just underachieved in the first half of the season. We're better than a lot of teams that are in the playoff race right now."

They have been since Jan. 1, going 8-5-1 overall and 3-1 on a long road trip that ends on Long Island Tuesday night. Powered by two good offensive lines, solid goaltending from Jon Quick and a growing confidence from its young core, the Kings are three points out of the eighth seed."

And here comes the MainStreamMedia:

The Hockey News - Kings of the Castle
"The Kings have more than enough hope for the future; what they need now is a playoff berth to accentuate the learning curve of the young players already driving the team."

Scott Burnside at ESPN
"For our money, seeing the youthful Los Angeles Kings sneak in would probably be the biggest boon for the league. Having Los Angeles back in the playoff picture after a five-season absence would do wonders for the West Coast market (especially if Anaheim continues to flounder its way out of the playoffs). And it just might happen given the inability of any of the teams in the bottom half of the bracket to separate themselves from the pack.

The Kings have won three straight and six of seven, including wins over playoff-bound New Jersey, Washington and Chicago, and begin the week just three points out of eighth place."

And the Kings have finally made the first page of the TSN Power Rankings. Number 14 with a bullet!
"The Kings have won six of seven behind the quality goaltending of rookie Jonathan Quick and a return to expected production levels from first-liners Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown."

And last, but certainly not least... 22 Year Old goaltender Jon Quick was selected as the NHL's First Star this past week.
"Quick stopped 95 of 100 shots in posting three consecutive road victories, lifting the Kings (23-21-7, 53 points) within three points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. He stopped 29 shots in recording his third shutout of the season in a 1-0 victory at Ottawa Feb. 3, made 41 saves in a 5-4 victory at Washington Feb. 5 and concluded the week by making 25 stops in a 3-1 victory at New Jersey Feb. 7. The 23-year-old Milford, Conn. native improved his season record to 10-6-0 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 18 games. He ranks third among NHL rookie goaltenders in victories behind Steve Mason of Columbus (19) and Pekka Rinne of Nashville (14)."

It seems that Dean Lombardi's Master Plan is all coming together.

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.

Drew Doughty Dating Digest

Breaking news on the recent story of whether or not 19 Year Old Drew Doughty and music sensation Taylor Swift are dating or not.... at Talk-Sports.net, a website dedicated to gossip about which pro athletes have girlfriends or not (what a country, the internet rules!), an anonymous poster has said the following on Jan 24th....

OMG! An anonymous source posting on a hearsay gossip site has said that Drew and Taylor are dating. IT MUST BE TRUE.

But wait... there is more. Another poster chimes in:

I know! I can't believe it myself.

And then even more info is revealed.... anonymously... through a 3rd party....

"He would not date her?" HE WOULD NOT DATE HER? I don't know "Anonymous Rookie", have you seen this?

I'm pretty sure 19 Year Old Drew Doughty would hit that if he had the chance.

Talk-Sports.net also has intel on the dating habits of other Kings players. There is a crazy thread going on about Patrick O'Sullivan and Jack Johnson. Okay, I'm overwhelmed. I'm going back to Scoreboard Watching.

Stuck In The Middle

I don't know what professional hockey league the Washington Capitals have been playing in for the last few years... but you don't win NHL games by allowing the opposing teams to skate right up the middle and get shots on your goalie. And for the first two periods of this game, that's exactly what the Los Angeles Kings did. In fact, after the 2nd period the Kings had 30 shots... and 27 scoring chances! Is that even possible mathematically? Holy shit... what a great game that was last night!

Kings 5, The 4th Best team in the NHL 4


Give me back that thing!

Let's give you a little sense of what the Kings did last night. According to the Caps Insider, the loss was just the fifth loss and only the fourth time this season the Caps have failed to record a point at Verizon Center. I'd say that's pretty impressive for a young team on a big road trip.

Alexander Frolov was great tonight. He played the exact kind of game us fans have been hoping he'd play for the last few years. Quick and dominant. Maybe he just gets motivated playing against other Russians.

Jon Quick might just be the real deal. Although this game was all over the place, he was steady in net and maybe it was just because I was listening to the game on wireless headphones, but when ever he would make a save, you would hear a loud boom. That means he is in the perfect position when making a save, the puck is hitting his pads exactly. With the trading deadline coming up, is it even conceivable that the Kings could trade one of their young goaltenders for a top 6 player?

The Kings are now 4 points out of a playoff spot. And each night, it seems that only those 8 teams fighting for the 8th spot are playing each other. The Kings face an even tougher team on Saturday, the New Jersey Devils, a team that schooled the Kings at home a few weeks ago. Over at Japers Rink, they said that the Capitals don't show up against "non-playoff" teams. I hope the Devils underestimate the Kings the same way.

Oh... and my new favorite site.... NHLOL.

Stream Weaver

I have a Slingbox. When traveling a lot for work and being the fan of a certain heart breaking Los Angeles hockey team, the Slingbox is indispensable. But when the Kings go to Canada and Fox Sports West decides to not broadcast the game on tv... what do you do? Well, in years past, I would get the Center Ice package and watch the Canadian broadcast of the game. But this season I decided to not get the Center Ice package, due to the fact that I was really just spending 150 bucks to watch 3 Kings game each year.

So thanks to a thread at LetsGoKings, I discovered a site that streams all sorts of live sporting events. Like all sorts. Like NHL hockey games. European soccer games. The Philippine Basketball Association. And the streaming is quite good, actually even better than my Slingbox. I have no idea quite how it happens, but until it gets shut down I'll be using it. With the power of illegal on-line streaming, I was able to watch the Los Angeles Kings beat the Ottawa Senators yesterday.

Kings 1, A Team in WAY worse shape than the Kings 0


Hurray for the internet!

I watched with the sound turned off in my office yesterday, but visually, it seemed like the Kings played a solid game. Ottawa had just fired its coach, so there was a chance the Senators could come out strong. But the Kings walked away with a much needed last minute victory (especially after the game that was stolen from them last Saturday in Montreal.)

So what does this all mean? It means it's time for some Scoreboard Watching!

This graphic makes 2 things clear. The Kings are only 4 points from being tied for the 8th and final playoff spot. They are also 2 points from being the worst team in the conference. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

There is a 4 way tie for 8th place. And a 3 way tie for 7th. Let's see... if you add the total amount of points and multiply it by games remaining and the carry over the remainder and divide by goals scored.... it's a recipe for some good old fashioned hockey fun!

Sure it's 7 teams all battling for one spot... but it's closer to the playoffs than the Kings have been in a long while so I'll take it while it lasts. It does make you wonder where the Kings could be today if they could have won a couple of those games they let get away earlier in the season... Denis Gauthier I'm looking at you!