The season has now come and gone for the Arizona Coyotes. What a learning experience it has been!
I originally was going with the all black, but decided against it because that’s just too depressing. An oxblood skirt and some new shoes obviously ease the pain of the imminent offseason… Leather jackets and heels are a winner just about always for me. The simplicity, yet chicness make my life so much easier.
I’ll be posting a fashion recap from my favorite Press Level Looks of the season, so stay tuned.
See you all next season!
xx Allison
Shirt: H&M
Skirt: Nordstrom
Jacket: Zara
Shoes: Joe’s Jeans
On Wednesday morning, following the devastating loss my LA Kings experienced at the hand of the Edmonton Oilers – a team they had just pounded a week prior by a score of 8-2 – I came across a piece written by one of the local LA Kings bloggers called “The Cost of Success” that resonated with me. Like most fans, I had not yet given up hope that the Kings could make the playoffs. Sure, their destiny now depended on others, but all they had to do was win in Calgary on Thursday, followed by a win against San Jose on home ice, Saturday and fate could do the rest. The gist of this blogger’s heartfelt piece was a recognition of how spoiled LA Kings fans have been the past three years and how high our collective expectations have been raised since the mostly forgettable eighties and the just slightly improved nineties. We had enjoyed two Stanley Cups and a Western Conference final appearance in three years. In 2012, we had watched an eighth seed squeak into the playoffs only to win it all. In 2014, we’d watched them claw their way back from a seemingly impossible 0-3 hole in the first round of the playoffs only to win that series, then conquer two more including two more game 7s on the road, to once again, win back the Cup. We were indeed, a lucky bunch.
This particular blog reminded us all of our good fortune and our possibly unreasonable expectations and told us that win or lose on Thursday – we should all be thankful and celebrate our team’s season. With these words ringing in my ears, I jumped online and bought tickets to Saturday’s final regular season game. I was determined to be part of the fan base that remains appreciative, stands by its team, win or lose, whether this game was just the finale of the regular season or the end of it all.
As we now know, it turned out to be the latter. Thursday night was rough. I even shed tears watching the post-game interview with center Anze Kopitar where he looked to be holding back his own emotions. Twitter was a savior in that fellow Kings fans were there to comfort each other. It was also the opposite in that there were opposing teams’ fans ready to pounce and use the opportunity to rub salt in the wound.
Friday wasn’t much easier with the reality setting in. But I was even more determined than ever to head to Staples Center on Saturday, watch the final game of the season, cheer on my team and let them know how much we fans appreciate their accomplishments.
I wasn’t sure what to expect given the last game I’d attended this season – though a loss – was during the thick of the regular season when the Kings were still very much in playoff contention. True, some of the nicest people I’ve “met” on Twitter are Kings fans. The LA Kings social media program – in particular, the Twitter account – has been lauded for its strategy and execution and for good reason – they do an amazing job of building loyalty, creating bonds and spreading the message of one of the Kings’ best marketing campaigns, “We Are All Kings” (and for a reminder of how important this is, you can read about another NHL team whose social media strategies have gone wrong here). Even the writers and broadcasters who cover the Kings, largely an impartial and objective bunch in their reporting, clearly demonstrate an admiration and appreciation for this team. That said, in loss and disappointment, other emotions bubble to the surface and some fans are bound to lash out, trying to place blame on a particular player, the coaching staff or the GM. Rumors fly about who is out and who is in for next season. I also remembered reading about the loud boos the San Jose Sharks encountered in their home closer last week and though we all know every team has bad fans, I wondered how many might rear their ugly heads at the Kings’ last game of the season – especially if the Kings lost the game.
So, what did I encounter at Saturday’s game? In short, everything I could have wanted except, of course, a playoff berth for the Kings.
From the time the Kings took the ice during warm-ups until they left the ice post-game, after a special presentation where they gave the jerseys off their backs to lucky fans chosen at random, there were cheers, standing ovations, loud chants of “Go Kings Go” and tons of fans standing at the glass, holding up signs most of which were variations on “Thank You”.
The Sharks took an early lead and the Kings didn’t get on the board until ten minutes into the second period, then came back with a very strong third to put the Sharks away by a score of 4-1. But the score didn’t matter all that much. After all, neither team was playing for points or positioning; both teams are set to hit the golf course early. But there were a few things that did matter and stuck with me:
– Tyler Toffoli, who could have easily put the empty netter in at the end of the third, looked up, and instead tossed the puck over to rookie, Andy Andreoff, allowing him the glory of his second-ever NHL goal.
– Jarrett Stoll, whose future with the Kings is uncertain, picked up the puck at the end of the game and gave it to Robyn Regehr, who he knew shortly thereafter, would announce his retirement to the media.
– A special crew of fans wore jerseys, each with one letter of the word “Believe” so that when they turned their backs to the ice during warm-ups, the players could clearly see their message.
PHOTO COURTESY OF @LAKINGS TWITTER
– Although the score was such that the outcome was clear with five or six minutes left in the game, virtually no one left until the very end. In fact, even after the jersey presentations and the final sign-off from the Staples announcer, many fans lingered, not wanting to leave. The standing ovation was noted by the broadcasters covering the game for NBC (for the first time ever, a combination of Sharks play-by-play announcer, Randy Hahn and Kings color analyst, Jim Fox).
– It was fan appreciation night (or day, since the game began at 12pm) and among all of the giveaways and games, there was also the opening video, created especially for the last game of the season, which spotlighted players, coaches and fans alike. With a nod to fans who have been asking to hear it again since the first Cup win in 2012, there was also a revamp of “Welcome to the Black Parade” (the original seen at this link). The Kings organization sent the message that they truly appreciate their fans and Kings fans sent a clear message back that they’re not going anywhere, playoffs or not.
There was also some hugging and high-fiving and a few tears. Appreciation for a game well-played and a happy outcome. Sadness for a season over too soon for the no-longer defending Stanley Cup champs. In short, it was a game I’ll always remember and it was everything I wanted it to be.
The puck drops Saturday night on the final of the Frozen Four as the Boston University Terriers take on the Providence Friars in a game that not only pits two New England schools against each other, but two schools in the same league—Hockey East. All eyes are on Jack Eichel, who won the Hobey Baker Award on Friday night, for the Terriers and is expected to go second in this summer’s draft as well as Jon Gillies, goaltender for the Friars. Eichel’s impressive talent has resulted in attention being paid to the college level of hockey like never before. And while Boston College is out of the run for the championship, they are the alma mater for Johnny Gaudreau, Kevin Hayes, and have on their current roster Noah Hanifin, who is expected to be selected third overall in the NHL Draft this summer.
John Buccigross and Barry Melrose have been giving television viewers of the Frozen Four games the play-by-play and the color commentary. Friday night they could be found at The Greatest Bar in Boston, just a few yards from TD Garden, discussing what is anticipated to be one of the best competitions on the ice as both teams have been remarkable this year. The Pink Puck was there and had a chance to chat with both of them.
John Buccigross and Barry Melrose talking college hockey
The college hockey route doesn’t come without some thought and preparation, and is perhaps not a perfect fit for all hockey players.
“It’s a great sport for the late bloomers. It’s a great sport for people wanting to get the degree. If they don’t make it, then they can transition into the working life smoothly,” said Buccigross. “Great schools. Free education. They see the benefits of more time to train as opposed to more games in junior, so [the player can] get bigger and stronger and [he] can get time to develop.”
Buccigross, who most see on ESPN as part of SportsCenter, does a lot to promote college hockey—including the Twitter hash tag #cawlidgehawkey—considers himself to be a “late bloomer” and said that as such they are close to his heart.
Melrose believes that the increased attention to college hockey because of the likes of Eichel opens the eyes to those players who might want to take the college route.
“Obvously you’ve got Jack Eichel who’s going to be the number two pick this year. You’ve got Noah Hanifin who will be the number three pick,” commented Melrose. “Auston Matthews will probably be the number one pick next year. So you’re getting a lot of high profile kids playing in American college hockey.”
One option for the college-bound player is to go through the USHL. This gives the player a taste of the “junior” style of hockey without losing their college eligibility. And for coaches of some colleges, though they are reaching out to players when they are in 7th and 8th grades or as freshmen in high school, a good balance to getting those young players in as freshman is to have a couple of older players as well. The USHL is where they often find them.
“Some coaches just don’t want an 18-year-older. They’d rather have a 20-year-older, so again [the USHL is] a good way for a late bloomer to gain some weight, get some experience, get a little stronger, move away from home if you’ve never done that before,” Buccigross expanded. “It gives you one or two years of American junior hockey to keep your college eligibility, because if you go play Canadian junior, you can’t play college hockey, Twenty, 30, 40 years ago, the kids didn’t have that option in America, so the USHL has really helped college hockey,”
This doesn’t mean that all American players should choose the college route.
BU Terriers – Eichel, Grzelcyk, Hickey
“If the kid doesn’t want to go to school anymore, he doesn’t have to go to class. If he doesn’t like school, doesn’t want to go to classes, he can play junior hockey,” Buccigross said. “And maybe not everybody was meant to go to college.”
“I’m a believer that you don’t have to hurt junior hockey in Canada to make American hockey stronger. I think that they can both cohabitate and I think that they can both be very, very strong,” added Melrose. “I think certain kids want to play junior hockey. I think for certain kids it’s better for them to play college hockey. So I don’t think it has to be one or the other.”
Though he doesn’t have a son, Melrose has given the two routes to the professional leagues a great deal of thought.
“I always said that if I had sons, that if my son was a Blue Chip kid, I would have him play junior hockey. It teaches you how to be a pro. You’re playing 75 games. You’re traveling like a pro. You’re learning how to practice and be ready,” he explained. “If my kid was maybe a little bit slower developer, maybe a smaller kid or a skinny kid. I’d have him in college hockey, where he can practice five days a week and lift weights. Where he’s not playing 72 games, he’s playing 36, 38 games.”
In many instances a player may elect to go the college route, but then gets an offer that he simply can’t turn down. Such may be the case with Eichel. Seldom does the Hobey Baker Award winner return to college the year after winning, electing instead to go into the professional leagues. Of course, usually the Hobey Baker is given to a junior or senior player. However, Eichel’s talents, despite his young age, may mean he too will head off to the team that drafts him this summer.
Jack Eichel
“He’ll reach the point where, if he came back, there would be games next year that he’d be like ‘What am I doing out here? I might get hurt. I’m so much better. I’m just not challenged enough.’ And there were some games like that this year, you could see, where he almost looked bored,” Buccigross commented. “Now, the big lights, national TV, he wants to show what he’s all about, and he is so far. No, he’ll go. He’ll be in the NHL next year and he’ll make his million dollars and he’ll be pushed against big time competition and it’s probably the right move.”
“I think Eichel’s a special kid. He’s a generational kid, we talk about, who only comes around once [for] a short period of time,” Melrose agreed. “Whoever drafts him is going to want him in that team the next year, so I think Jack Eichel is probably a one and done.”
That doesn’t mean that Boston University won’t be a good team next year, if they do lose Eichel to the pucks and checks of the NHL.
“They’ve got a big class coming in. They’ll be a tournament team for sure. They might not be a national championship-level team, but they’ll be a Top Ten team,” Buccigross declared. “Before the season even starts they’ve got big prospects. You know, they’ve got four freshmen on defense. Those guys will all come back. They’ll be fine. They’ll reload quickly.”
I couldn’t finish the interviews though without asking Melrose his take on the perfect college hockey team.
“Obviously I would have kids from every state in the United States. I would have kids from every province in Canada, so they could interact and get to know each other. I would probably have it in the northeast because this is sort of the hot bed of hockey in America,” Melrose said, warming to the vision in his head. “I would probably have a coach like [Jack] Parker or Jerry York, you know a guy that’s been through the wars, that have coached in every level and every area, you know Dean Blais, a person like that.”
As playoffs begin in a few days for the NHL, scouts and other management are also doing their last investigations on the draft-eligible players before the NHL Combine and final interviews begin to mark the beginning of the “draft season.” This season’s draft looks to have one of the strongest college presences. Eichel and Hanifin are already in college, as is University of Michigan’s Zach Werenski, who is anticipated to go ninth. In addition there are at least three others expected to go in the first round. College hockey has definitely found its stride.
Photo: NY Islanders
He looks up into the top left rafters of the ice rink. He spots the image of the old farmer that sits there. The farmer, a proud father? This is the Nassau Coliseum, home rink to the New York Islanders. Home to a defenseman who really is far from his childhood home, which happens to be south of Winnipeg in Canada. Number 3 Travis Hamonic looks up at the rafters at the beginning, of every home game. He is looking for the image of his father who passed away in 2000. His father used to sit in the top left rafter seat to watch his son play hockey. After the death of his dad nothing was the same again.
Picture now. A mature Travis Hamonic. A player who has a seven-year contract with the New York Islanders worth over 27 million dollars. A man who still looks at the top left rafters at the beginning of each home game.
In January 2012, Travis started a club. He calls it “a sh–ty club.” It is for kids who love hockey but who’s lives have changed because of a parent’s death. Similar to a one-on-one exchange of emotional feelings club, it is a kind of self imposed therapy group. Both parties feel the same and can express these emotions to each other in a safe place, which happens to be in the New York Islander’s locker room. Travis gives these kids guidance when the kids feel lost. He hands out his personal email address so the kids can reach him in a crisis. An immediate bond usually happens when the child meets Travis. It’s the grief that brings them together. He sees himself in some of the fans that join this club. Travis keeps reminding the kids that they are not alone and he is always there for them. This group is healthy for both parties, a therapy session like no- other.
The kids believe that Travis is helping them, but number 3 believes that the kids are really helping him instead. I believe it is a two-way street and both parties get what they need. Tomorrow will come and it is supposed to get easier, but that doesn’t mean the hurt and pain goes away. That is something that is important for the kids to understand and accept. I believe that Travis Hamonic is still learning that rule of life.
On Tuesday night, the Minnesota Wild beat the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 2-1 in what many would consider to be their most important game of the year. This game was so important because it secured their spot for a playoff berth, and what could be something even more special: a Stanley Cup title.
Though the Wild are a very young team, it is still very possible that they could win the Stanley Cup this year; or at least make a deep playoff run. Lately, the team has been working extremely well together, and has seemed to be able to beat, if not at least put up a good fight against any team that they face.
Another reason the Wild have a good shot at winning the Stanley Cup is because of their star player, Zach Parise. His style of play consists of working hard and not being afraid, even against the biggest opponents. Many argue, and could make a good case, that he is the hardest working player in the league. No matter what situation the Wild are in, he continues to work his hardest. This fact was shown by his performance when the Wild were in their slump earlier in the year, and he still managed to wrack up points consistently. Parise’s continued work ethic will definitely be a positive factor for the Wild’s run at winning Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Having Devan Dubnyk in goal also sets the Minnesota Wild up to be a Stanley Cup contender. Dubnyk is considered to be the Wild’s season savior by many fans, so much so that there have been signs brought to the games that say exactly that; and chants of “Duuuuuuub” every time he touches the puck. The January 15th trade has helped turn the Wild into a winning team, and has turned them into the hottest team since the all-star break. Dubnyk holds a save percentage of 93.8% and a GAA of 1.73 in his 38 games for the Wild, which is the best statistics he has ever had in his NHL career; and it may earn him a nomination for the Vezina Trophy. The Wild have always seemed to lack a goaltender, and now that the void is filled, they could see a much longer Stanley Cup run.
The Wild possess many young guns that are thirsty for a Stanley Cup ring. Jason Zucker, in specific, stands out because he just returned to the lineup after a long-term injury. With Zucker back, the Wild get a player who has a knack for scoring, as he has 19 goals in just 49 games. In fact, he has already scored in his first game back versus the Blackhawks. The Wild performed well without him, so having him back in the lineup will allow them to have an even stronger squad in preparation for the playoffs.
Finally, this team could make a Stanley Cup run because they have shown they are a tough team. Not many teams can look completely lifeless and then turn around to be a team that is in Stanley Cup talks amongst NHL experts. With this crazy turnaround, it would be surprising to see the Wild go out without a bang. They finally seem to have found all of the pieces they were missing, so do not be surprised if the Minnesota Wild are your 2015 Stanley Cup Champions.
(Source: Royalshockey.com)
Coming off of a 5-4 loss against the Orlando Solar Bears, the Reading Royals played the Wheeling Nailers Wednesday night. The Royals were fighting for the home-ice advantage while the Wheeling Nailers were fighting for a spot in the playoffs.
1st
The night started off with some scrappy-looking play and a fight between Royal forward David Marshall and Nailer defenseman David Makowski at 9:33. Both would receive five for fighting. Not long after Wheeling’s forward Derek Army would fire a snap shot past Connor Knapp to score the first goal of the night. Despite the Royals out-shooting the Nailers 16-12, Nailer goalie Franky Palazzese was too hot on his game to allow the Royals to score.
The Royals have recently added some new faces to their roster as well, including Curtis Leonard, Justin Crandall, Ryan Misiak and Joe Rehkamp. Justin Crandall is a spirited newcomer who managed to take the most shots on goal during the game with 6 shots. He has come to Reading straight from college, University of Minnesota Duluth, and is planning on playing with the Royals during the playoffs.
“It’s a really good group of guys in there and a really good hockey team, so any time you get to play with good players it’s going to help you out a little bit. The guys have been great. They’ve really been helping me out and taking me under their wing. It’s been great to play with two veteran guys like Cruthers and Marshall. It’s a little bit different game than a college game, obviously. It’s a little more skilled with puck support, but overall it’s been a good transition so far,” Crandall explains.
2nd
At the beginning of the second period, Nailer Paul Cianfrini was sent to the box for tripping which led to Olivier Labelle tying the game up at 6:40. This was Labelle’s 30th goal of the season, 101st career goal and 200th point. Greg Hogeboom is the only other Royal to ever accomplish this 30-goal feat back in the 2006-2007 season. Labelle is currently the all-time leading goal scorer for the Reading Royals and although he was the one to score the goals, he gives most of the credit to his teammates.
“I try my hardest and I get rewarded. I get the chance to play with really good players here, and my style of playing Larry likes it and puts me in situations that allow me to score some goals. It’s a mix of a lot of things, but especially the way I play, it’s not that I get greedy in front of the net. If nobody it shooting the puck, if nobody makes the play, you can’t score goals. I think it’s just a testament of me playing with good players and having the opportunity here and making the best of it.” –Olivier Labelle
Coach Larry Courville is also proud of Labelle and commented, “He’s had a great year for us. He works extremely hard. He gets rewarded because he works so hard. He’s definitely a big asset for our team.”
As the second period winded down, the Nailers took the lead again when their forward Josh Archibald scored with a hard shot that flew by Knapp. This goal would later prove to be the game winner. Once again, the Royals managed claim more scoring chances than the Nailers by out-shooting them 19-11. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t get the puck past Palazzese and his team.
3rd
In the third, the Royals kept the heat on the Nailers, this time outshooting them 12-7. By the end of the period they would pull their goalie and claim multiple goal-worthy shots, but unfortunately ended up going home with a 2-1 loss. “I felt like we definitely played well enough to win the game,” Coach Courville commented, “Some games you’re supposed to win, you lose, and some games you’re supposed to lose, you win.”
What’s Next?
The Royals will continue to fight for the home-ice advantage against the Indy Fuel this Friday and Saturday. They are currently at near the bottom of the Northern Division. Throughout the season the Royals have played the Fuel a total of six times and manage to beat them each time. Overall, the Royals are looking forward to the playoffs and are hoping to go far.
Images by Colleen De Neve/Calgary Herald.
Calgary Flames and L.A. Kings
The Los Angeles Kings will not have the opportunity to defend their title.
After a season full of ups and downs, the Calgary Flames 3-1 victory over the Kings effectively eliminated them from playoff contention, while simultaneously securing the Flames a playoff spot in the form of third-place in the Pacific Division.
It’s a disappointment, certainly, for the reigning Stanley Cup Champions to miss the playoffs, but after having played through the first two weeks of June last season, at least this tired group of players will have the chance to rest and prepare for next year.
The Kings knew what was at stake when they left L.A. for a three-game road trip with stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, and finally, Calgary. Los Angeles’ road trip struggles got the best of them during their visit to Western Canada. The Kings suffered a 2-1 loss in a shootout against the Canucks, followed by a frustrating 4-2 loss to the Oilers and finally tonight’s 3-1 loss against the Flames.
A lot of things could have gone better for the Kings this year, leaving head coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi with a lot to think about over the extended offseason.
The problems on the road that may have contributed to the Kings losing three must-win games have also had a larger impact on the season as a whole. With only one game left to play in the regular season, the Kings road record stands at 15-18-8, which, compared to their home record (24-9-7), ended up hurting L.A. down the stretch. Sutter has spoken about the impact that playing through the postseason has had on his team, namely that his group was experiencing some fatigue toward the last third of the season, but they couldn’t seem to get over that hurdle when it came to away games.
The resurgence of the Calgary Flames was not something that the Kings had expected necessarily. The Flames were consistently playing good hockey in the first half, and then they got hot at the right time. Calgary head coach Bob Hartley’s focus on endurance helped them to stay hot through the final stretch of the season. L.A. simply couldn’t count on the Flames to lose crucial games.
A midseason slump also had a lasting impact on the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings had a rough December and January. While it would be unreasonable to say that the Kings weren’t allowed to slump at all (after all, all teams struggle at some point or another), the caliber of the teams in the Pacific Division and Western Conference just didn’t allow for that kind of prolonged losing streak.
The Kings have a talented group — the same group that won the Cup last season, but they had a tired core group. There were times when it seemed as if the roster was missing the depth it had last season, especially with injuries to players like Alec Martinez, who only returned to the line-up on March 20th. However, there was also a lot of promise that shone through, like in the month of February for instance when the Kings returned to their postseason form, winning eight-games straight. Lombardi didn’t make a mistake by bringing back most of the same guys who were on the 2013-14 roster, but the exhaustion took its toll on the L.A. Kings and made it harder to adapt to and bounce back from unpredictable circumstances.
Lombardi will have a lot to consider after Saturday’s final matchup against the visiting San Jose Sharks. Justin Williams (18G, 22A) and Jarret Stoll (6G, 10A) , two key players for the Kings, will enter the free-agent market at the end of the regular season, as will Tyler Toffoli (as a restricted free agent) and Jonathan Quick’s back-up goaltender, Martin Jones. It would be wrong to blame any individual guy for the Kings missing the playoffs, but it would be misleading and unreasonable to place the blame L.A.’s current predicament purely on circumstances as well.
The Los Angeles Kings have captured the Stanley Cup twice in the past four years, both times defying some incredible odds to get there. Kings fans may be disappointed, but they have a lot to be proud of, too.
It’s finally over for the Los Angeles Kings. It took more than 40 cans of bug spray and a dismal 3-12 OT/SO to finally bring down the defending champs.
On the one hand, this gives them six months to rest, heal and get ready for next season. It’s been a grueling three years of gutting it out in defense of their two titles but alas, this is just not their year. On the other hand, for a city that’s used to seeing their sports teams go far, this is going to be a very, very long summer.
So where did it all go wrong? What finally killed their season? Was it leaving points on the table in the extra session? Is it really all Slava Voynov‘s fault? Did losing Tanner Pearson hurt them more than they thought it would? In short: It was death by a thousand cuts.
In order to truly answer these questions, we have to go back to last June shortly after the Kings had won the Stanley Cup. During the exit interviews, GM Dean Lombardi informed left-handed left-shooting defenseman Willie Mitchellthat they would not re-sign him due to lack of cap space. Mitchell was a very steady second-pairing defenseman who played big minutes and was a valuable penalty killer.
Now jump to October when Voynov was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife. The news was stunning at the time. With Voynov suspended indefinitely until the investigation had finished, the Kings were down another valuable defenseman. Six games into the season and the Kings had lost their entire second pairing on defense. That forced them to move Alec Martinez, a third pairing defenseman throughout most of his career with Los Angeles up to fill Voynov’s spot.
It was quite a struggle to overcome Voynov’s absence for quite some time. Martinez has done an admirable job and has grown into his role on the second pairing, but it took a while for him to really find his niche there, especially since he was playing on his off-side. There was that struggle, but Voynov also carries a $4.1 million cap hit and a rash of injuries in early November complicated call ups from the Manchester Monarchs, their AHL affiliate. On top of that, the Kings were breaking in 23-year-old defenseman Brayden McNabb, who was forced into the lineup probably more often than Darryl Sutter would’ve preferred.
That’s not a knock on McNabb at all, who has performed very well all season. However, every young player goes through growing pains and McNabb’s came at a time when the rest of the defense couldn’t seem to get it togetherand Jonathan Quick was having the worst month of his career.
This was further complicated by Drew Doughty playing well above his career average, often surpassing 30 minutes a night. Despite being only 25 years old, there was concern about wearing out the team’s best defenseman, especially considering his heavy usage on the PK. Towards the end of the season, those fears appeared to be founded as Doughty made uncharacteristic mistakes and couldn’t seem to make the right decision — something he has rarely struggled with in the past.
Doughty joins Matt Greene, Jeff Carter and Dustin Brown as the only Kings not to miss a game all season. McNabb remained healthy but was often scratched in favor of experienced veterans rejoining the lineup.
Promising rookie Tanner Pearson has been out of the lineup with a broken fibula since January 10, after he collided into the end boards. He started off the year red hot and was cooling down quite a bit, but his presence had finally given the Kings some sorely needed depth and balance on the left side, something they’ve been searching for the last several years. His spot was primarily filled by Dwight King, a good depth player, but not quite an adequate replacement. King lacks the speed and skill that Pearson had but he did a suitable job skating to the left of Carter and Tyler Toffoli.
Missing Toffoli for six games to mononucleosis threw another wrench at the Kings as he went out the same time that Pearson did. The team was fortunate that he was able to make a speedy recovery and didn’t suffer from many of the symptoms related to it. They also caught a break that they had a few days in the schedule with the All-Star Game that afforded Toffoli a little extra rest. However, it took a few games for him to get his stride and his timing back following his bout with mono and the team’s offense and play driving suffered a bit.
The acquisition of Andrej Sekera was a great pickup by Lombardi. Once he finally got comfortable and gelled with the team, things finally seemed to be looking up. Then, with seven games remaining, someone fell on his leg and he was forced to miss the rest of the season. Sekera was a great stabilizer and allowed Sutter to scale back some of Doughty’s minutes. But it was yet another blow that the Kings really couldn’t afford, especially at such a critical time.
The severe drop off in play of Jarret Stoll and Mike Richards was unexpected and challenged the team’s center depth, which they had so boasted about not even a year prior on their way to their second Stanley Cup. Nick Shore was an adequate replacement for Richards and made his linemates better, though he did little in the way of providing sorely missing scoring depth. While his line has chipped in with a few goals since his arrival, it wasn’t enough.
There’s also the matter of being historically bad at shootouts. If they’d managed to pick up seven points (roughly half) in the extra sessions and skills gimmick, instead of being stuck at 93 points, they’d have 96 points and would hold the third spot in the division over the Calgary Flames.
From the beginning, the Kings were behind the eight ball and were playing catch up all year. This time, they couldn’t manage a miracle come back. Don’t read too much into their records this year, particularly OT/SO, which tends to be random and is not likely to happen again.
After a summer of rest, they’ll be back to contend again. Lombardi has built a very good roster.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just one week away and the NHL is giving hockey fans their own version of March Madness, just one month later.
The NHL is introducing the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoff Bracket Challenge to allow fans to predict each series through the playoffs and share and compare their picks with other fans, friends, family and even celebrities, for prizes.
Beginning April 12th, fans can register for this year’s Bracket Challenge at NHL.com/Bracket in either English or French and can create leagues to challenge their fellow fans. Once the league match-ups are set, they can make their predictions in the online bracket up until April 15, the first day of the playoffs.
New this year are advanced stat resources and a Match-up Analysis tool courtesy of SAP to help fans complete their brackets. The Match-up Analysis uses analytics to examine each series based on a predictive model that incorporates 37 variables including road record, goals against, penalty kill percentages and more.
Once fans have created their brackets, they can share them publicly or create private leagues. The “Famous Hockey Fans” league will again feature brackets submitted by celebrity fans across TV, music, movies and sports including Michael J. Fox, Jon Hamm, Taylor Kitsch and Alyssa Milano. And for those of us mourning the current playoff hopes of the LA Kings – which hang by a thread – note that Milano was last year’s sole winner in the “Famous” league, as she was the only one who correctly predicted the Kings would beat the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final. In fact, according to the NHL, less than 1% of participants worldwide chose the Kings as the champions in last year’s Bracket Challenge. Kudos to Ms. Milano! You can see from the following interview that she takes her hockey very seriously!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcT34fZGBnk
Recognizing today’s hockey fans are a mobile and social bunch, the NHL will let fans access NHL.com/Bracket via their computers or mobile devices, where they can then share their picks via email or post to Facebook and Twitter using the official hashtag #NHLBracketChallenge. They can also access and play through the official NHL app.
The grand prize winner of this year’s Bracket Challenge will receive an all-expense paid trip to the 2015 NHL Awards in Las Vegas and courtesy of sponsor, Samsung, a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge smartphone. Other prizes include Samsung’s SUHD 55-inch Curved TV.
So whether your team is in (fingers and toes crossed!) or out of the playoffs this year, the NHL Bracket Challenge gives you a way to continue enjoying a successful hockey season well into June.
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