It's perhaps what every athlete, their families, front office personnel, team owners and sports fans fear most...a plane crash.
In what was absolutely devastating news to the hockey world today, we all learned that a tragic accident occurred in Russia - killing more than 30 members of the KHL’s Lokomotiv organization.
Among the lives lost was former LA King Pavol Demitra.
It's interesting when you think about it, some players are part of a team for years and really don't make much of an impression. Others, in a relatively short time, can become very memorable.
Demitra was the latter.
He played only 58 regular season games for the Kings, during the 2005-06 season. However, he posted 62 points - third best on the team - and was the only point-a-game player on the roster. Additionally, his 25 goals were just one shy of leader Mike Cammalleri - who played in 80 games.
Demitra also led the team with a plus-21 rating. And a remarkable five of his 25 goals were scored short-handed.
Needless to say, when he was on the ice, fans and opponents paid attention.
From his spectacular head-fake shootout goals, to scoring a hat-trick on hat night, he knew how to make an impression on those watching the game.
Of the 35 kids participating in the Kings annual Development Camp, only one player - David Friedmann - still calls the OJHL home. It's a junior-A hockey league, one step below the more well known major-junior leagues, like the OHL and WHL.
Back in the day, reigning NHL Rookie of the Year, Jeff Skinner, wore an OJHL sweater - long before anybody knew him as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
And another Kings camper, Andy Andreoff - fresh off of being drafted in the third round two weeks ago, also spent some time in the league a few years ago. He played for the Pickering Panthers, his hometown team, before moving on to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
Soon, Friedmann will be taking his skills elsewhere too, as he'll eventually head off to Robert Morris University.
However that's another year away. This season he'll be back in familiar territory. He was traded this past season from his long-time team, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, to the stronger Georgetown Raiders. Yet, it was a short term deal that called for him to return to the Canadiens once the season ended.
Before that part of his life resumes, he'll be taking part in the Kings Development Camp. In the interview below he talks about how that all came together for him, which player he's already met, playing oversees, Sidney Crosby and much more...
MM: Let's talk stats. Your numbers saw a huge spike up at the start of this season - going from four goals in 47 games two seasons ago to 16 goals in 33 games before the trade. What changed for you?
It's just not for a spot on the Kings. Instead, they'll square off at the IIHF World Championships in Slovakia.
With Canada looking to lock down the top spot in their pool on Monday, coach Ken Hitchcock has announced he'll start Jonathan Bernier in goal for their final game of the qualification round.
Bernier picked up a 3-2 win yesterday vs. Norway, stopping 25 of 27 shots. It was his first game played in the tournament.
At the other end of the ice for his second game will be Erik Ersberg of Team Sweden. The former Kings goalie was in net when the Swedes lost their opening game of the tournament to Norway, 5-4 (via a shootout).
Sweden hasn't lost a game since and Ersberg hasn't seen any game action since. However, having already won their pool play, he's being given another shot before the quarterfinals start mid-week.
In other news...
* Slovenia lost in the relegation round to Belarus by a final score of 7-1. They've now been dropped out of the main pool for 2012. Just like Kings fans wonder how the team would have done vs. San Jose had Anze Kopitar been in the line-up, hockey fans in his home country now wonder the same thing about the national team. (read more about Gasper Kopitar's dreams for Slovenia here)
* Even though the U.S. had Sunday off, they still qualified for the quarterfinals due to Switzerland's loss to Sweden. Team USA plays their final 'qualification round' game tomorrow vs. the Swiss - that game airs live on VERSUS at 7am PST. Jack Johnson continues to lead the team in ice time in most games...and is an even-player through five games (he was minus-21 for the Kings this season). He also leads the team with 18 shots on goal..
* Alexander Ovechkin made it to Europe in time for the game, but Russia lost to the Czech Republic 3-2 on Sunday. Jaromir Jagr had the second goal of the game for his country. Ovi was held pointless.
* Michal Handzus and Team Slovakia haven't played well at all. Let's just leave it at that. They'll play Denmark Monday. It will likely be the final game of Pavol Demitra's international career.
Quarterfinal match-ups will be announced tomorrow night and played Wednesday/Thursday. Regardless of the outcome of Monday's games, seven of the eight slots have already been secured by Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, Sweden and the USA. Norway is the most likely eighth team. However, Switzerland has a slim chance at it.
[Monday morning update: Norway beat France earlier today to secure the 8th seed. Switzerland will not advance to the quarterfinals, regardless of the outcome vs. Team USA.]
And while it won't have the same meaning of last year's Winter Olympics, the two countries will square off once again today in the Qualification Round at the IIHF World Championships.
Jack Johnson is part of the defensive group for the U.S., who went 2-1 in the preliminary round, beating Austria and Norway - and losing to Sweden. In those three games, he had two assists and tied for second-best on the team with 11 shots on goal.
Meanwhile, Canada went 2-0-1, with wins over Belarus and France. They needed overtime to beat Switzerland in their last contest. Kings goalie' Jonathan Bernier is on the Canadian roster. However, he has yet to see any game action.
After today's game, Canada will finish out the Qualification Round with games against Norway tomorrow and Sweden on Monday. Team USA will play France tomorrow and Switzerland on Monday.
In other news from the tournament, Slovakia - featuring the Kings Michal Handzus - also advanced to the Qualification Round and their next game will be against Jaromir Jagr and the Czech Republic.
For a look back at some USA-Canada hockey news, check out these articles:
Vancouver, BC - A mere two weeks ago things looked awfully murky on the international hockey front. Sweden entered the games as the reigning Olympic champion, having won the gold at the 2006 games in Italy. Canada was the heavily favored team entering these games, while Finland and Russia felt they deserved to be included in any conversations about medals this time around.
On the outside looking in for most people were two teams far apart geographically - the U.S. and Slovakia.
With a team stocked full of current and former Kings, team Slovakia might have accomplished the most in this year's Olympic tournament - yet, left town with the least. They beat perennial powerhouse Russia, the defending champs from Sweden - plus, gave Canada and Finland all they could handle...falling just short in each game. Ziggy Palffy will now retire without a medal.
The other afterthought played on Sunday for the gold medal. Brian Burke, architect of the Anaheim Ducks 2007 Stanley Cup championship and current GM in Toronto, was tasked with building Team USA's roster for the games and he utilized a team of fellow NHL GM's - including the Kings Dean Lombardi - to complete the task. In every interview he uttered his now famous 'nobody is betting a dollar on us' statement, usually followed with something like 'but, we're coming to win the whole thing.' If nothing else, his team gave it a valiant effort...coming into the final game undefeated and having never trailed in a game.
Team Canada seemed to be a mess from the start. First, they needed overtime and a shootout to beat Switzerland. Then, the Sunday prior to the gold medal game - a week that seemed like a lifetime in the hockey world - they lost to the U.S. in somewhat embarrassing fashion...getting outplayed on every inch of the ice.
Somehow, that woke them up. Canada came back and destroyed a German team that was sadly over matched talent wise. When it came time for their next game with Russia, in-arena host Marc Denis told fans this was the most anticipated game in Canada since 1974. Somebody forgot to tell the Russian defenseman though because it was basically over before it started. After a day of rest on Thursday, Canada survived a scare by Slovakia on Friday to advance to the game they desperately craved - a rematch with the U.S., this time with gold on the line.
On the other side of the tournament ladder, Team USA was a methodical, workman like group. Never rattling, continually pushing forward towards their unlikely goal of gold. After handily dispatching of the Finish team in the semi-finals they looked more than ready for a rematch with the host country.
Sunday was a tight contest from the very beginning. You had to think the U.S. needed to score first - as much for their own confidence as to keep the mental pressure on the Canadian players and fans packed into the arena temporarily known as Canada Hockey Place.
It didn't happen. Canada was up 2-0 before the U.S. began to claw their way back into the game. A goal in the second period by Vancouver Canuck Ryan Kesler served notice to all that the U.S. wasn't going to pack their bags and head home without a fight.
Team Canada kept the pressure on throughout the third, while Ryan Miller didn't let anything past him in the U.S. net either. Just when all hope seemed lost, as timed ticked away on the clock to less than a minute left in the game...and with Miller on the bench...Zach Parise tied the score with about 30 seconds left in regulation.
The reaction at that point would most definitely depend on which side of the rivalry you were sitting. For Americans, pandemonium ensued. We're alive! For Canada, instant panic and concern. We're about to lose the gold medal!
Wednesday's game between Russia and Canada was supposed to be the Crosby and Ovechkin show. It never happened, with both players non factors in the outcome.
Sid the Kid wouldn't let the same thing happen again on Sunday. He scored 5-hole on Miller seven minutes into overtime to end the drama. Canada got what they HAD TO HAVE for the entire psyche of their country - the gold medal.
For the U.S., it was a well deserved silver medal in a year few picked them to be among the top three teams in the tournament.
You'll rarely see a group of people look so sad while receiving their medals. Someday soon they'll appreciate their silver. However, they were so close to perfection. So close to running the table. So close to beating Canada twice and skating off with the gold.
But, you know what they say about being close.
Silver will have to do for now...Sochi is only four years away.
For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive photos - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.
Vancouver, BC - With five current or former LA Kings, the Slovakian national hockey team had a decisively royal feel to it throughout the Olympics.
Michal Handzus has scored 40 goals over the past two and half seasons for the Kings. Lubomir Visnovsky scored 70 goals with the crown on his chest and was arguably the Kings best defenseman over the last decade. Jozef Stumpel netted 76 goals between his time at the Forum and later Staples Center. Pavol Demitra posted an amazing 25 goals in just 58 games during the 2005-06 season in LA. Ziggy Palffy tallied 150 goals for the Kings after being acquired just prior to the team's move into Staples Center in the fall of 1999.
All were wearing the sweater of Slovakia at the 2010 Olympics.
Tonight they faced a Finish team led by Anaheim Ducks legend Teemu Selanne. His team also featured a guy who once wore a Kings sweater, albeit briefly.
Olli Jokinen was drafted third overall by the Kings at the 1997 NHL Draft, behind only Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. He made his debut with the Kings in 1998, playing 8 games. He came back the following season - the Kings final at the Forum in Inglewood - posting nine goals in 66 games. He scored in the final regular season game at the Forum and fans seemed to have something to look forward to as the team was about to move downtown.
Then, partially in an attempt to bring a 'star' to the team, he was dealt to the Islanders in the aforementioned deal that (ironically) brought Ziggy Palffy out west to Los Angeles.
After already beating Russia earlier in the week...and then pulling a major upset over the reigning Olympic champions from Sweden...Ziggy and the SlovaKings were looking to earn their first Olympic hockey medal.
Standing in their way was Teemu Selanne and Team Finland. Like Palffy, this was Selanne's last kick of the can on such a grand stage.
Demitra, who was within inches of scoring at the end of the semi-final game with Canada...and entered the game with the most points in the tournament...scored again in this game. Either he or Brian Rafalski of the U.S. have to be the Olympic MVP at this point.
With a 3-1 lead in the third period it seemed like the SlovaKings were well on their way to a bronze medal. It would be an incredible accomplishment for their entire country. It would also mean that all LA Kings players would return to SoCal with medals on their necks.
However, the 'other' former King - perhaps, the forgotten King - had other ideas.
Jokinen, scored two goals just minutes apart and Team Finland survived a last minute rush by the SlovaKings to earn the victory and the medal....denying Palffy the grand goodbye he so desperately sought.
What a sad ending to a memorable tournament for Zues, Lubo, Demitra, Stumpy and Palffy.
For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive photos - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.
Vancouver, BC - Two legends of the game will bid farewell to the Olympics later tonight. One will definitely leave with the record for the most points scored in Olympic history. He could also leave with a bronze medal...or it will hang from the neck of his former cross town rival in Southern California.
Ziggy Palffy, a star for the LA Kings a decade ago, and Temmu Selanne, still chipping in goals for the Anaheim Ducks, will lead their respective countries. Truth be told, neither was really expected to medal this year. Just don't tell Ziggy or Teemu that - they don't want to hear that type of noise.
Palffy had 329 goals in the NHL, 150 with the Kings. He's now playing in Europe and has been telling reporters all week long the only reason he came back this year is to play in these Olympics. He's one game away from going home with his first medal.
Selanne has 597 NHL goals and is the all-time Ducks leader in games played, goals and points. He also won a Stanley Cup with the team in 2007. He's expected to retire this spring.
So, this is it. The swan song for two of the best players of their generation. Like most games, this will probably come down to goaltending. As recently as three days ago many would have said that favored the Finish team, with Miikka Kiprusoff in net. However, after getting shellacked by Team USA on Friday he pulled himself from the game and headed straight to the locker room. He may already be back in Calgary or Finland by now. Who knows if he'll be right between the ears come game time.
Kings fans will have plenty to cheer for in this game. Joining Palffy on Team Slovakia are former Kings Pavol Demitra, Lubomir Visnovsky, Joseph Stumpel and current Kings warrior Michal Handzus.
The final North American game for Ziggy Palffy. Can he and the EuroKings defeat Teemu and the Fins? Come on Ziggy - make Kings fans everywhere proud...down the Duck!
For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive photos - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.
Vancouver, BC - Be it gold or silver, the Team USA hockey team is guaranteed to be coming home with medals around their necks after destroying Team Finland earlier today at Hockey Place.
Some game notes and observations:
* In the thousands of games I've witnessed in the last 20 years I don't recall ever seeing a goalie pull himself from the game, but it sure appeared that way after the U.S. scored their fourth goal. Calgary Flames netminder Miikka Kiprusoff skated away from his Finish goal crease, he made a beeline for the bench and proceeded directly to the locker room. One of the strangest things I've seen during the Olympics. Like Russia on Wednesday, I would have bet the team was switching goalies when they called the timeout. Nope. They left him in there and the results were pretty much the same.
* Poor Dustin Brown. He's having a solid tournament, no complaints. Big hits, solid passes, the whole nine. But, damn - he can't buy a goal in the tourney so far. His line mates are cashing in, yet it's a big fat zero in the goal column for #32 after five games. Perhaps he's saving up for a big finish on Sunday.
* Jack Johnson on the other hand - he's reestablished himself as a rock solid dman. Doughty has deservedly taken the spotlight in LA over the last 18 months, but there is no doubt about it...Jack is on a mission to make a point here.
* I just can't say enough good things about Ron Wilson. I've had tremendous respect for many, many years. Heck, after the '96 World Cup he pretty much can do no wrong in my book. That said...he's found a way to take it to the next level. He has shown such patience and poise it's amazing. He's matched the guys up with line mates in ways that allows each of them to play their own game and play as a unit. Today he used the youth and speed of Team USA to dominate the experience of Team Finland. He deserves a ton of credit for getting the Americans to the game on Sunday.
* More on Wilson - nice move by the coach to put Tim Thomas in net for the third period. Obviously, the U.S. had the game in hand and it was a courteous thing to do - let the guy get some real action on the ice, after Ryan Miller had taken the team this far. Class all the way.
* And Wilson part 3 - taking nothing away from Terry Murray, just thinking back... the Kings fired Marc Crawford a few summers ago and looked around to see who was available to coach in LA. They hired Terry Murray. Either the next day or two days later the San Jose Sharks surprisingly fired Ron Wilson. Just think. If things had gone different by a few days, he PERHAPS could be the coach of the Kings. Again, taking nothing away from Terry Murray. He's doing a more than fine job. Just kinda reminds me of that movie Sliding Doors. Mere minutes one way or the other can change your life.
* The EuroKings are back for one more go at it tonight. Two funny stories about the last Slovakia game. One, I'm wearing an old school Slovakia Palffy jersey (when he was wearing #33, rather than the #24 he's wearing this time) and a guy walks by me in the lobby of Hockey Place - only seeing the number on my jersey - and says "Bad call, everybody hates Chara!" Then, during the next intermission a guy comes up to me as I'm leaving the restroom and says "Oh I love Ziggy, too bad this will be his last game in North America." I usually just ignore these type of people, but I turned and said "I think he has a few more in him." Thankfully, I was right. Slovakia downed the heavily favored Swedish team...or the Euro Red Wings if you prefer.
* Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson will have to battle one of their LA King teammates on Sunday for the gold. Will it be Doughty and Team Canada? Or will it be Michal Handzus and Team Slovakia?
* Can the EuroKings do it? Can Ziggy, Stumpy, Zues, Lubo and the gang rally one more time? It would be incredible on so many levels. To see Canada go down in flames would be crushing for the red leaf army. More importantly, to see the EuroKings play for the gold would be one of my personal high points of the tournament. And before you write me - yes, I'll be pulling for Team USA on Sunday regardless of their opponent.
For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive pictures - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.
Vancouver, BC - After another four games played on Wednesday, all of the Kings players are still alive at the Olympics!
Team USA beat Switzerland in the morning game and will now meet Finland (winners over the Czech Republic) in the semi-finals on Friday.
The other semi-final game will be Canada vs. Slovakia. The host country won in a blowout over Russia in the afternoon game. This was expected to be a close, exciting game - featuring two of the best players in the world in a Sid vs. Ovi match-up...instead, Russia never looked comfortable and Canada looked like they were out to make a statement.
Sweden was upset in Wednesday's late game by Slovakia. Ziggy, Stumpel, Lubo, Demitra and Zues just weren't ready to go home yet. The EuroKings live to play another day. Their semi-final game with Canada looks to be a tough one though.
The views today were amazing. Row 4 behind the U.S. bench for the first game. Row 2 next to the penalty box for the Canada-Russia game. Then, row 4 behind the Slovakia bench in the nightcap. What a day.
I'll have tons more news and views in the days to come. That was nine hockey games in four days! For now, I need some sleep.
There will be tons more pictures too...here are some to get you started...
For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive pictures - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.
Vancouver, BC - That's all I kept thinking when the guy behind me kept screaming "We Want Russia" early in the third period. Sure, Team Canada was dominating Germany. But, come on. All in good time brother. The game will be epic - Sid vs. Ovi...the NHL has to be thrilled.
Before we get to that game though, let's start with the morning game: Switzerland vs. Belarus.
Igor Larionov was in the house to catch the game. I had a chance to chat with him for a few minutes and he remains very high on Kings prospect Andrei Loktionov. You may recall Loktionov was working out with the Russian legend when he first came to North America. Larionov also played with Loktionov's father as a youngster in Moscow.
Along with the sold out Hockey Place (it will return to 'GM Place' after the Olympics), he was treated to a rather dull game for the first forty minutes. Belarus came out with all guns blazing in the third and turned it into a thrilling finish. They came up short though, still tied after 10 minutes of overtime...and eventually losing in the shootout. The Ducks' Jonas Hiller was in net again for the Swiss. He and his countrymen will now get a rematch with the U.S. in the Quarterfinals on Wednesday at noon PST.
All of Canada was probably secretly holding their breath for the 4:30pm game with Germany. Sure, they were supposed to beat them soundly. However, if the sea of red maple leaf wearing fans have learned anything this past week, it's that nothing should be taken for granted.
That said, things finally went according to plan for Team Canada - as Scotty Bowman looked on from one of the many corporate suites. Not to far away was a collection of former Oilers in another suite - Craig MacTavish, Kevin Lowe and some guy named Gretzky.
On the ice, Jumbo Joe Thornton had the only goal in the first, giving Canada a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. They must have taken a giant exhale during the intermission because from that point on it was all Canada and they came in waves. When it was all said and done, the 8-2 victory earned them a game with Russia tomorrow at 4:30pm PST. Can you say big game?
LA Kings phenom Drew Doughty was his usual stud self. He finished the game with 1 assist and was a +4 in just over 15 minutes on the ice. He seemed to do no wrong and even had a couple of near miss goals. One thing I can't stress enough is how much the Canadian fans LOVE this kid. They can't stop talking to me about him. Praise, compliments, astonishment and more - all rolled up into one. Some guy said to me tonight 'You watch him every night - is he really this good all the time or is he just having an outstanding tournament?' and before I could even answer he added 'He's probably been our best defenseman.' I keep hearing this over and over this week. The secret is out folks.
The night cap was the Euro Kings (Team Slovakia) vs. the upstart Norway team. For some reason all the Canadians in the arena were cheering hard for Team Norway. Perhaps they fed off the energy because some how Norway made a game of things. LA Kings (underrated) forward Michal Handzus put Slovakia up early 1-0. Former Kings Stumpel, Palffy, Lubo and Demitra seemed to be on the ice all the time in the first half of the game - each picked up an assist before the night was over. The Euro Kings won 4-3 and will face off with Sweden tomorrow evening. That could be a tall task for the Slovaks.
Interesting game note - Ziggy is playing with a wooden stick. Don't see much of that anymore.
At the other arena across town it took overtime, but the Czech Republic knocked off Latvia to advance to Wednesday's Quarterfinal game vs. Finland.
For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive pictures - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.
Random Ramblings from Thursday's Olympic hockey match ups...
We had the USA-Norway at noon, followed by Canada-Switzerland and then Russia-Slovakia. Let's start with the Canada game. Why not, that's what the hockey media throughout North America seems to be focusing on.
In that game I felt sick. My stomach seriously hurt as I found myself cheering for Jonas Hiller. For three periods I was forced to suspend reality. I tried as hard as I could to forget that he's a Mighty Duck. For today, he was just some kid goaltender on an otherwise anonymous team from Switzerland. A team playing in a jersey that was so ugly, it was actually cool.
The Swiss are physical. Damn! They played rough against the Americans on Tuesday and brought their bounce house style of play again today. Perhaps the coach told them Sidney Crosby is just an overgrown Raggedy Ann doll (or would it be Andy?) because they were throwing him around from one end of the ice to the other. I guess Sid got the last laugh with his game winning goal in the shootout through. Which, by the way was his SECOND turn. You see, after the first three shooters, guys can go again. What? Who came up with this crazy rule? So weird.
Extremely exciting game - just a disappointing result. So close, so close. In fact, for a few hours it was the best game of the tournament so far.
But first, notes from the U.S. game played earlier in the day...
Nobody should be wearing #9 with USA across their chest unless the guy wearing it is Mike Modano. Period. Not even open for debate.
Jack Johnson is the man! Period. He played strong in game one and upped his game again vs. Norway today. He picked up an assist and could have easily had a goal or two. And his defense looks real good too. The short handed goal was not his fault. So don't even start. He was left out to dry on a two on one. Keep it up Jack. Sunday's your chance to show that Doughty isn't the old young stud the Kings have on D right now. Don't look now, but Jack is tied for the team lead with a +3 rating.
Dustin Brown? Well, that's a different story. It seemed like he would go long stretches without seeing the ice. Was Wilson triple shifting Drury / Parise / Kane? It sure seemed like it.
Remember when the Kings hosted Hockey Fest back in August? Tons of former players were brought back to tell stories, take pictures and sign autographs. Well, the 2010 Winter Olympics are kinda like that - just different. Everywhere you look there are current or former Kings. However, rather than mingling with the fans - they're here to play!
Tim Gleason? Hi, how are you.
The night cap featured names like Palffy, Demitra, Grebeshkov, Visnovsky, Stumpel and Handzus. I will say, it's weird not seeing Frolov out there for team Russia though. And every time I see Palffy I think of Andy Murray. Is that weird?
Zues - my man...you were a hot mess in overtime. First you lost your helmet. Next shift your stick. Thankfully both skates were strapped to your feet.
There were also two coulda been Kings - Kovalchuk and Gaborik.
And...oh no...another goalie with ties to the Ducks...Bryzgalov for Russia. Thankfully, I was cheering against him - hoping for a Slovakia win.
What a game. Slovakia-Russia was the best game of all the (men's) hockey played this week. It very easily could have been a game 7 for the Stanley Cup...only with a shootout to decide it. Slovakia had so many chances in the third and in overtime. Then came the shootout...
First up for the Kings, Stumpel. 1-0 Slovakia.
Russia's captain, Morozov up next. Miss.
Second shooter for the Kings, Demitra. Poke checked away. Still 1-0 Slovakia.
Who else for Russia but #8? The greatest player in the NHL ties it up 1-1.
Hossa denied. Then, Datsyuk denied. So, it's 1-1 after the first three shooters.
Ovi again for Russia? Didn't we already see the 'do over' thing in the Canada game? Yep. Thankfully, different result this time. Ovi can't score on his second try of the session.
The Kings press repeat themselves and send Stumpel back out. No goal. On to round 5.
Kovalchuk for Russia...wide.
Here we go...MICHAL HANDZUS to win it for the Kings...denied. DAMN IT!
OMG! Ovi again for Russia. Third time is a...denied.
Gaborik is stopped by Bryzgalov. We're still tied.
Malkin skates in for Russia, plays with the puck and just can't get a shot off. No goal.
Demitra up next. He does the big wide turn-in thing that he does...shoot, score. In my best Bob Miller voice "Kings Win! Kings Win! The Kings win the game!"
I know it was Slovakia, leave me alone.
AWESOME GAME!
For a final tie in to former Kings...Friday will be Wayne Gretzky day over at Molson Hockey House...the place that has quickly become The Place to be in Vancouver.
LA Kings Captain Dustin Brown will be joined by teammates defenseman Jack Johnson and goaltender Jonathan Quick on Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Brown, a veteran of international play for Team USA, was one of the leaders on the American squad that played at the World Championships last May. It was his 4th time playing in the tourney and he led the team in points in '06. He also played at the World Jrs twice, including in '02 where he was the youngest player on the team.
Johnson has also suited up for the USA in multiple international tournaments before, including two trips to the World Junior Championships. He was named to the All-Star Team there after his performance in the 2006 WJC.
Quick is predicted by most to be the future of the U.S. program at this level. He will be the third goaltender on the team, thus not likely to get much playing time. However, the experience will be valuable in his development.
Two other Kings are headed to the Olympics as well - Michal Handzus for Slovakia and Drew Doughty for Team Canada.
To see a complete list of Kings players that have played in the Olympics (and how they each performed), click here.
If you were scripting the perfect hockey game you'd have to add the following ingredients - two undefeated teams, stacked rosters on both sides, an important reward on the line for the victor, a short handed goal, a penalty shot, three periods of hard hitting action, multiple lead changes, wild momentum swings, overtime and a shootout.
Did I leave anything out? Because the Canada-USA game had all that...and more.
Ten players in this game were taken in the first round of the NHL draft - which is quite a bit more than you'll find in most NHL games.
Team Canada had a line-up of nearly all NHL drafted players. The lone hold out, Taylor Hall, is expected to be a high first round pick in June 2010 - perhaps even going first overall.
Team USA also had a roster full of NHL drafted players...and they had a storyline favored by script writers - the old man and the kid. Veteran Jordan Schroeder, playing in his third and final WJC tournament, entered the game still looking for his first victory over Team Canada. In goal, they had the rookie, Jack Campbell - the seventeen year old future of the program, playing in his first WJC.
In a preview of things to come, the two teams traded goals in the opening five minutes. Washington Capitals draft pick Stefan Della Rovere scored for Canada just 2 minutes into the game, followed two minutes later by Philip McRae for the U.S. (a 2nd round pick of the St. Louis Blues in '08).
Jordan Schroeder, aiming for Jeremy Roenick's American points record, gave Team USA the lead 7 minutes into the second...with a short-handed goal nonetheless.
Five minutes later Canada tied things up again when Jordan Eberle scored, showing why the Oilers made him their first round pick in '08. LA Kings prospect Brayden Schenn assisted on the goal.
With the drama seemingly already at an unbelievable high, it escalated with a penalty shot. Chris Kreider of Boston College (and a NY Rangers draft pick) was stopped by Canadian netminder Jake Allen, leaving the game tied.
After several great scoring chances throughout the second period, the Americans were finally able to take the lead with just seconds left in the period. It was Tyler Johnson putting the U.S. up 3-2 after forty minutes.
Then, just one minute into the third, U.S. forward Danny Kristo silenced the sold out Canadian crowd. Using some fancy stick work he beat Allen to give Team USA a two goal lead.
After last year's disappointing come from ahead loss though, fans of Team USA couldn't start celebrating yet. And sure enough, Canada came back and scored two goals in the final ten minutes (including a second goal of the night from Eberle, with a second assist from Schenn) to force overtime.
The nail biting five minute OT didn't include a goal from either side, so it was on to the shootout.
And what a shootout it was.
First shooter, goal. Second shooter, goal. Third and fourth shooters, goal-goal.
So with things tied in the shootout Canada sent out LA Kings prospect Brandon Kuzon. He scored.
Then it happened. Team USA went with experience and desire. It was Jordan Schroeder's turn. Could he score for the U.S. to keep hope alive? Could he tie things up and give the Americans a chance to beat Team Canada for the first time since 2004?
No. He didn't score. Team USA didn't beat Canada. Another heart breaker.
An emotionally draining, classic game. Enjoy some of the highlights in the official WJC video package:
More than twelve hours later I'm still in awe. Rarely when sporting events are hyped for weeks prior do they deliver. From big fights to important football games, the actual events usually have a hard time delivering on the predicted greatness. In this case, Canada and the U.S. over delivered.
Other WJC notes from Thursday, the final day of opening round play:
* In the game to determine the winner of Pool B, Sweden beat Finland 7-1. Oilers first round pick Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson continued his hot play, picking up another goal. That brought his point total to 9, trailing only Eberle of Canada for the overall lead.
* Switzerland beat Slovakia 4-1. Nino Niederreiter, a 2010 draft eligible player, scored twice for the Swiss. Tampa Bay Lightning pick Richard Panik has been one of the few bright spots for the disappointing Slovakian team this year. He scored his fifth goal, tying him for the overall lead in the tourney.
* Russia beat the Czech Republic 5-2. The game was tied with 6 minutes left in the third. Russia then scored three times to win it. Vladimir Tarasenko, the top rated Russian skater eligible for the NHL draft in June, had two goals in the victory.
Friday is an off day for the WJC. Games will resume on Saturday with two quarter-final contests, Russia-Switzerland and USA-Finland.
The winners will face Canada and Sweden in the semis on Sunday. If everything plays out perfectly, Canada and the U.S. could play in a rematch on Tuesday...for the gold!
It was a day of hats, hats and hits. Chris Kreider scored a hat trick for Team USA. Hours later Ryan Ellis had a had trick for Team Canada. Slovakia and Latvia, undermanned in the offensive department, decided to dish out hits by the dozen instead. And several Kings prospects had shining moments on Tuesday.
Czech Republic 7, Austria 1 Hard to believe, but this was the first win for the Czechs in three games this year. Seven different players scored for the Republic, led by 2010 draft eligible defenseman Vladimir Roth, who had four points (1g, 3a).
United States 12, Latvia 1 Mike Lee was back in net for the Americans after Jack Campbell's stellar performance in game two vs. Switzerland. This was a little bit of a surprise. Lee looked shaky at times in the opening game vs. Slovakia, although he eventually got the win. Campbell, on the other hand, was brilliant vs. the Swiss and was probably more deserving of the start here.
Prior to the game Danny Kristo (Montreal Canadiens) was moved from the top line to to the fourth line. Obviously, he wasn't happy about it and played like a man possessed. He scored the first of his two goals less than three minutes after the puck dropped.
The second goal of the game was a sweet one. Ray Bourque's son, Ryan, set up Team USA's youngest player - Jason Zucker (who also finished with two goals).
Chris Kreider (New York Rangers) had a fairly dramatic hat trick, getting his third on a penalty shot late in the game.
Overall, Team USA continued to get goals from guys taken in previous NHL drafts: Derek Stepan 2 goals (New York Rangers), Danny Kristo 2 goals, A.J. Jenks (Florida Panthers) and Jeremy Morin (Atlanta Thrasher).
Jordan Schroeder picked up two more assists, moving him within 3 points of Jeremy Roenick's all-time USA points record.
Sweden 4, Russia 1 The machine that is Team Sweden just keeps rolling on. Oilers prospect 'MPS' Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson backed up his five point performance in the last game with three points vs. the Russians (1 goal, 2 assists). His linemate (Ottawa Sens prospect) Andre Petersson also had a pair of goals. In net for Sweden was 6'5" Florida Panthers prospect Jacob Markstrom.
Canada 8, Slovakia 2 Coming into this game Jake Allen was in goal for both of Canada's games in this tournament. Both were shutouts. Kings prospect Martin Jones got the call for this game and gave up two goals. However, that's a bit deceiving. He was brilliant at times and neither goal were really his fault. One was on the powerplay after Team Canada captain Patrice Cormier had taken a stupid penalty.
And don't let the final score fool you - this was one of the most exciting 8-2 games you'll ever see. Slovakia was banging bodies all night long and the physicality of the game was reminiscent of a good NHL playoff game.
While much of the Canadian press will be gushing about Hall's hat trick and this being his probable coming out party - that will probably lead to him being taken number one overall at the June NHL draft - one of the best moments in the game involved two Kings prospects. 2009 sixth round pick Brandon Kozun came flying down the wing and dished it off to '09 first round pick Brayden Schenn for one of the prettiest goals scored in the tournament so far.
What's next?
Wednesday will be an off day for most of the big boys - the only two games scheduled are Finland-Austria and Switzerland-Latvia.
Thursday features four games, but to be honest, the only game everybody will be talking about is the big one...Canada vs. USA. With both teams at 3-0 in pool play the winner will get a bye into the semi-finals on Sunday.
Since the USA beat Canada for the Gold Medal in 2004 the two teams have met five times...with Canada winning all five, including last year's thriller on New Year's Eve where John Tavares scored a hat trick to beat the Americans. Yeah, him - the guy that went on to be the #1 overall pick in last June's NHL draft.
Team USA vs. Canada can be seen live New Year's Eve on the NHL Network at 5pm PST. See two teams stocked with current NHL prospects and 2010 draft picks. Enjoy the stars of the future putting it all on the line for international bragging rights.
Every spring fans of the NBA watch the NCAA's March Madness to see future superstars do battle in the annual college basketball tournament. In turn, puck heads from throughout North American and Europe tune in to the World Junior Championships each holiday season to get a glimpse of future NHL stars. You'd be hard pressed to name 10 elite hockey players who didn't play in this tourney when they were 18-20 years old. It's the best of the best and it makes for some great hockey. Here are the highlights of day two:
Sweden 7, Austria 3 For the second straight game Austria played a strong game, but took the loss in the end. Sweden continued pressuring their opponents with a roster stacked full of legitimate NHL prospects. In fact, all seven of their goals came from recent draftees: Oliver Ekman Larsson 2 goals (Phoenix Coyotes), Anton Rodin 2 goals (Vancouver Canucks), Jacob Josefson (New Jersey Devils), Mattias Ekholm (Nashville Predators) and Andre Petersson (Ottawa Senators). Not all of their top talent is offense though, they started New York Islanders draft pick Anders Nilsson in net.
USA 3, Switzerland 0 The Americans picked up their second victory less than 24 hours after their tournament opener. Most of the credit goes to the second youngest player on the team, goaltender Jack Campbell. He was a rock star in the first period, stopping all 14 shots the Swiss threw at him. This just continued his stellar play in nets when wearing USA on his jersey.
Last year at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships he was an obvious choice for the tournament's all-star team. Campbell didn't allow any even strength goals while posting a 6-1 record with a 0.75 GAA and two shutouts. Oh yea, and he was the winning goaltender when the U.S. beat Russia for the gold medal. Remember his name when the 2010 NHL draft comes along in June.
In this game, things were scoreless after one period. From that point forward, Team USA's defense kicked in (allowing just 8 shots over the final 40 minutes) and the offense did enough for the win, with goals by Chris Kreider, Matt Donovan and AJ Jenks.
The top line for USA is now being called 'the Original Six' line...because they were all drafted by O6 teams: Danny Kristo (Montreal Canadiens), Derek Stepan (NY Rangers) and Jerry D'Amigo (Totonto Maple Leafs).
Team USA is now 17-0-2 USA all time vs Switzerland at the WJC.
Finland 4, Czech Republic 3 The Fins were down 2-0 after the first and 3-1 after the second. They came storming back in the third with the unanswered goals - including a pair from Anaheim Ducks prospect Sami Vatanen - to defeat the Czechs 4-3 in a wild game. Somewhere Teemu Selanne is smiling right now.
Slovakia 8, Latvia 3 Slovakia netted five goals in the first period and never looked back. Five of their eight goals on the night came from a trio probably bound for the NHL within two years - TB Lightning prospect Richard Panik had two goals, as did 'Mr Excitement' Tomas Tatar (Detroit Red Wings) and San Jose Sharks draft pick Marek Viedensky put one in too.
On Monday Canada will play it's second game of the tournament, against Switzerland. Team USA will take the day off and prepare for Latvia on Tuesday.
Ryan Smyth in, Justin Williams out. Is it really that surprising? After all, it is the LA Kings...a team notorious for doing things the hard way. For the better part of a month it's been that way and why should it change now.
While many Kings players and fans were downright giddy about the reuniting of the top line prior to the game, those visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads have gone sour yet again. Williams broke his right leg before the game was even five minutes old.
It was just one of those things. He was tangled up in the corner with Ed Jovanovski and Anze Kopitar. Unfortunately for him, he got the worst of things. No timetable has been established for his return and more details should be available late Sunday afternoon.
As for the rest of the game...well, they say Captains need to be leaders. Dustin Brown certainly did his job then. He put the Kings on the board first, not long after the team had to watch Williams carted off on a stretcher agonizing in pain.
Much of the pregame buzz centered on Smyth's return and Frolov being left off the Russian Olympic roster yesterday. Perhaps Brownie was making his final push before the Team USA group is announced on Friday. Interestingly, another hopeful for the Vancouver games, Michal Handzus (Slovakia), scored the other Kings goal.
It was a tie game up until about the half way mark of the third period. Then, the Coyotes went up 3-2 and that was pretty much it. A power play in the final minutes of the game for LA provided some excitement, but nothing made it past Phoenix netminder Ilya Bryzgalov.
The loss was only the second for the Kings this season against a Pacific division foe. Both came against the Coyotes.
Two points lost. A top-6 player lost. Not a good night.
If you're a fan of the LA Kings, you had plenty to cheer about. If you're rooting for Team USA, you had plenty to worry about early on in their game against Slovakia.
Day One recap:
Canada 15, Latvia 0 - It wasn't even close. The host Canadians put 67 shots on goal. That should tell you all you need to know. Hang on...
Sorry, I had to check. Canada might have scored again.
Canada hadn't lost an opening round game in the WJC tournament in 12 years. Make it 13 now. Gabriel Bourque, a Nashville prospect, was the star of the game - setting a new Canadian single-game record with 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists). Kings prospects did well too - Brandon Kuzon 5 points (2g, 3a) and Brayden Schenn 2 assists. To see video highlights of the game click here.
Sweden 1o, Czech Republic 1 - Last year the Czechs opened the tournament with a 8-1 loss to Canada. They outdid themselves this year in another lopsided affair. Edmonton prospect 'MPS' Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson put up 5 points (1g, 4a) for his homeland.
Russia 6, Austria 2 - Team Russia featured Anaheim Ducks prospect Igor Bobkov in net. Offensively, they received three goals from guys hoping to hear their names called at the 2010 NHL Draft in Los Angeles - Yevgeni Kuznetsov (2) and Vladimir Tarasenko (1).
United States 7, Slovakia 3 - The first period was wild. Slovakia was playing big, physical, smash mouth hockey. They had the Americans rattled and were up 2-0 early on. To Team USA's credit, they gathered themselves together and came storming back in the second period to take the lead. USA captain Jordan Stepan stepped on the dreams of any Slovakian upset. His goal put the Americans on top and they never looked back. Six different guys put in goals for the USA, including Jordan Schroeder (who is trying to chase down Jeremy Roenick's tournament record for points by an American...he needs five more to tie).
The tournament continues Sunday with three games, including Team USA taking on Switzerland at 1pm PST. It will be televised on the NHL Network. Check it out.
Vancouver, BC - A mere two weeks ago things looked awfully murky on the international hockey front. Sweden entered the games as the reigning Olympic champion, having won the gold at the 2006 games in Italy. Canada was the heavily favored team entering these games, while Finland and Russia felt they deserved to be included in any conversations about medals this time around.
Vancouver, BC - With five current or former LA Kings, the Slovakian national hockey team had a decisively royal feel to it throughout the Olympics.
Vancouver, BC - Two legends of the game will bid farewell to the Olympics later tonight. One will definitely leave with the record for the most points scored in Olympic history. He could also leave with a bronze medal...or it will hang from the neck of his former cross town rival in Southern California.
.JPG)
Vancouver, BC - That's all I kept thinking when the guy behind me kept screaming "We Want Russia" early in the third period. Sure, Team Canada was dominating Germany. But, come on. All in good time brother. The game will be epic - Sid vs. Ovi...the NHL has to be thrilled.
.JPG)
