Front Page Power

Back when the Los Angeles Kings were terrible (as recent as last season)... the Kings marketing department wouldn't so much sell the Kings team but rather the particular team they happened to be playing that night. Seen the front page of the Atlanta Thrashers website lately?

I still can't get over seeing "NHL Scoring Leader" and "Kopitar" in the same sentence.

It's true... the Kings have turned into a road draw. I never thought I'd see the day. But lest you think that Kovalchuk vs Kopitar is the only battle going on tonight in the great state of Atlanta. No... it's also the battle of the under 20, studly defensemen as 19-Year-Old Drew Doughty takes on 19-Year-Old Zach Bogosian. That particular storyline only made the front page of NHL.com.

'When Kids Collide' sounds like a Dateline NBC special.

It's the 20th game of the season for the Kings. 1/4 of the season gone. And the Kings are the 6th best team in the NHL.

As always, check out the incomparable HildyMac at Wazzupwitchu for all your Thrashers (and Blues!) needs.

ANZ-MAZING!!!

Holy Crap! Can you believe this scary looking dude is tearing up the NHL???

A little early for the Halloween costume huh Franken-Anze?
Oh.... I see... this is awkward.

Well, when you score goals like these... who cares how weird looking you are!

This is the very definition of pwning.

And with a hot NHL player on their roster, the Kings marketing department never misses a beat. Anyone remember "Think Quick and Win Big!"?

That's pretty ballsy to guarantee that Kopitar will get a hat trick
every game in October and November.

But I can understand how easily it is to get excited about how well Kopitar has been playing this young season. When's the last time you saw a Kings player hanging out with these dudes?


Tonight is another big test for the Los Angeles Kings. Really? Really? They are playing the first place (gulp?!?) Phoenix Coyotes in Phoenix. (Sure, the Kings share first place with the Coyotes but the Coyotes have played 2 less games.) I love that Phoenix is following the script of the great motion picture Major League. Team's owner wants to sell and move the team... team responds by going on an amazing run to the playoffs. And then Shane Doan sleeps with Rene Russo.

I'm pretty sure Conrad Hilton played for that team.

It looks like perennial Kings prospect Scott Parse will get his chance to play in the NHL tonight. This guy has been a prospect for like 5 years and now he has to start his career off playing with Jarret Stoll and Teddy Purcell. Everything else should be the same for the Kings as last game against Dallas... except for 2 of the Kings are now making it rain.

Presenting Los Angeles' two newest millionaires.
The one on the left is 24, the one on the right is 23.
Look out, ladies of Redondo Beach.

Sadly, I won't be able to watch this game until Sunday. So don't come here expecting a re-cap. And with a home game tomorrow evening against the Bizarro Kings, The Columbus Blue Jackets... I might just have to pull a doubleheader Sunday evening. In the meantime, check out the great Five for Howling for all things Phoenix or The Cannon for all things Ohio.

Perfect

What a gorgeous commercial. I'd like to think that the suits at the NHL finally got their act together in promoting hockey, but I'm guessing that it's more because of NBC Sports. Either way... this is how all hockey on television should look.