alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />For those in and around the South Bay, there will be a Kings watch party (with the Ice Crew) today at the Redondo Beach Cafe, located at 1511 S. Pacific Coast Highway (corner of Avenue H). This is, of course, the cafe with the famous Jim Fox Chicken Soup, and I would also recommend the Montreal smoked meat sandwich.
Here at the hotel, I actually have a distant view of the Manhattan skyline. Unfortunately, the view is from New Jersey.
Zing!
Bridge and Tunnel!
More national media props for the Kings on ESPN.com:
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nhl/columns/story?id=4873875
Ouch! White board material for the Devils….
Off topic, but I have to say that Calgary really made a nice deal in getting rid of Phaneuf. They rid themselves of a disgruntled star player who was underachieveing, get some decent offense in return, and flexibility to go out and make a deal for a big name player.
As for the Ducks/Leafs deal, the writing has been on the wall for Giguere, and it got a fresh coat of paint yesterday when they signed Hiller to a four-year deal. I think the Ducks had to get out from under Giguere’s deal before they could start rebuilding their team, and Giguere needed a change because he was never going to get back the #1 spot.
Bottom line, I think Calgary made the best deal, and Anaheim helped themselves by opening up some room. Not sure it helps either team get to the playoffs, but they’re both good moves. I’m curious to see if this starts a flurry of deals before the Olympic break.
The Kings really need this one, not to mention ALL of them, lol. Calgary just got a lot better and will now be coming on strong again. I really can’t believe Burke made that deal, but oh well, nothing really changes from our point of view, we just need points!!!
But I’m curious if, as some of you believe, Calgary really is stockpiling players to make a serious play on Kovalchuk what does this do from our/DL’s side? If we really are planning on getting in that game, does this mean we now have to put up a better package? Like most on here I see the plusses and minuses of a potential Kovi deal, and I really wouldn’t care so much should he end up staying in the east. But I really don’t want to see him in the west unless it’s in a Kings jersey. I honestly don’t want to see all these western conference teams getting the best skilled players from the east year after year if we’re not gonna do the same to keep up. It looks like the trading dominoes may have started falling… here we go………
@mark4kings
Yeah, funny how the heart of the article is a misquote of what Kopi said… “Not a full robbery,” Kopitar said. “But it was still a steal.” WRONG. Kopi did NOT say that.
The correct quote is: “It wasn’t a full robbery, but it was a LITTLE steal.”
Kinda changes the meaning, huh?
The writer is implying Kopi thinks the Kings stole the games straight up. Not true. Kopi is clearly hedging on the question and implying it’s really not a steal at all but Kopi being Kopi, he was being polite.
That’s how I read it anyway…
thanks for the ling mark4kings.
“Most of the Kings’ young players, of course, have no clue how a playoff team is built. The closest most of them have come to the postseason is watching it on TV or driving to Anaheim to watch the Ducks.”
OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@roadtripper: “does this mean we now have to put up a better package?”
No. Absolutely not. As of now, Kovi is a rental. In no way shape or form do we give up any of our core roster players or prospects for rental. Period. If our flaming friends to the north want to, let ‘em. Then we see where his heart is in July.
O and whos shot in SO is on the front page? Kopi that is who.
NHL.com that is sorry
Is it me, or has Parse completely fallen off of the board here as an everyday NHL’er. He often looks way out of place and confused. I like the way he came in to the team, and hoped he would be a huge surprise, but he just is sticking out way too much for the wrong reasons.
If anyone didnt know
Phaneuf went to the Leafs
Giguere to leafs for toskala
Hope the smoke stacks didn’t get in the way of the view.
@jmiller: Others said the same thing you did last night. I personally saw some really great passes as usual from him. But he didn’t play the 3rd period and had the 3rd least amount of ice time ahead of only Segal and Ivan (the 2 scratches today). So basically it was a mixed bag game for him. Of course, that one pass was almost a goal and a great scoring chance so…
jmiller
Parse belongs on a strong 4th line with a big center. I am not sure moving people all around on different lines has been good for his development.
Someone said above (I am too lazy to scroll up) something to the effect that the Kings are really only rolling three lines.
I have said in the past that it seems like this year, the Kings are really missing one whole line. The Stoll Smyth Brown line is really a third line in the Chicago mold: a stopper line but one such in name because they maintain puck contorl and they score goals, not because they are a glorified fourth line with a goon.
The Kings can construct a very good fourth line with what they have. What was really needed was Schenn centering a top two line. Then we really would be only a trade or two away from having a complete team.
I love the Kings, but we still need a few more players to be able to ball in the playoffs! We also need a second goalie that the coach has some faith in.
Rich – Does it still smell as bad as it looks? I remember flying to Newark once, getting off the plane it was 100 degrees, humid, and the first thing I thought I smelled was sweaty arm pits.
I was by myself with nobody around, walking down the tunnel to the gate at the time. That is a ‘Fragrantly challenged’ place.
Today’s watch party in San Diego:
Bub’s Dive Bar in Pacific Beach…Oh Yea…GO KINGS!