Saturday’s game was more like a mini-series since there were so many stops, starts, sub-plots and turning points that turned. (Really) I hope many of you took me up on my suggestion to watch this matinee that had something for every hockey fan – regardless of one’s favorite team.
Harrold, the recipient of his first NHL goal, actually named this blog (unbeknownst to him) from his post-game interview. Basically, get talent from the draft, develop the Kings’ own talent and build an organization – the exact same recipe for success being employed by Chicago. Oh yeah, and throw pucks on the net at every opportunity, good things seem to follow. So simple and so hard to execute consistently. On to the game...
Period One
The first eight minutes could easily have led to the rout the Kings enjoyed bringing in the New Year. The problem was at that point Los Angeles had out-shot the Blackhawks 6-1 were up by one and then got into penalty trouble early and predictably it cost them. Stuart sat for tripping Bolland. Keith shot through traffic; Sharp deflected it and predictably boos followed. It makes sense since Cloutier is in net and that programs Kings’ fans to blame him. That would be misplaced and wrong.
The only thing Cloutier really did wrong on his way to letting in five goals is be the face of the score – rather than the cause of it. On that first power play goal against, Cloutier is attempting in vain to see through traffic. His teammates forechecked no one, blocked exactly no opportunities and just like that a tie score. For the next ten minutes, the Kings took one shot on goal while the Hawks took 10. Enough said.
Period Two
In the second, the Kings started strong with three quick shots to start the middle period. The problem is Los Angeles then watched as Chicago scored on their first two shots of the period a scant 15 seconds apart. Then, as Harrold said in a post-game interview, that became the six minutes when the home team “went to sleep” and found themselves down by four before they knew what happened to them. Cloutier was mercifully pulled and left the ice to a chorus of boos. It would be convenient to blame him when the entire team in front of him hung him out to dry.
There was more to the Hawks success in the second than the Kings becoming spectators with the best seats in the house, all the control to change things and watching nonetheless. That is too easy an assessment to what really happened.
The Blackhawks’ turnaround of the middle period was more than just Brown being in the box for seven minutes as Crawford assessed. At first when I saw Seabrook instigate a fight against Brown, I speculated that it was advantage Kings for taking out Seabrook from 17 minutes of ice. It turns out that Seabrook gave his team the cattle prod to their backsides that they needed. Absent that singular effort and spark, maybe the game plays out entirely differently. A key defenseman sat for the visitors; but his team picked up the baton he left and seemingly sealed the game – or not.
I hope some watched the video clip of Toews’ goal I linked in my preview of the game blog. For those who did, they had an opportunity to see a very special player earlier this season and today where he was robbed by not being named any Star of the Game. He dominated in the circle, scored unassisted and had a hand in Williams’ goal as well. Kings’ fans really got a first look of a very special player and the kind of gold available in the draft even if they pick at #3 instead of #1 as the Hawks did in the 2006 draft.
My favorite part of watching Toews was actually his penalty killing. It is common knowledge this is one of the weaker part of the Kings’ game. As much as I applaud Giuliano for his penalty kill efforts, Toews brings it to a whole new level. He not only keeps his stick moving to take away passes, he keeps his feet moving, forechecks on the puck carrier to create a turnover and generally takes over the ice. Memo to Kings’ Video Department: Make a CD of Toews on the kill, duplicate copies for every King Player and then make it mandatory viewing before every game. Seriously.
It wasn’t just the invisible play of the Kings’ skaters that created the four goals against; it could also be tagged on the team playing as individuals and not as a team. The second half of the second, I count singular efforts by Johnson and Kopitar as stellar... Alone. This is a team game.
When Johnson took the biscuit alone with three Hawks on him to the net, where was anyone else to help, be there for the rebound, and create the second and third efforts it takes to score at this level. The same can be said of Kopitar who dipsy doodled himself around three Hawks to no avail since he too went in alone. Ellis had a nice moment himself when he chased a surging visitor into the King zone and caught his opponent despite being a fair amount back before he took off.
This is a team game and the Kings’ inability to play like a unit almost became the story of the game. There was Kopitar, Johnson and Ellis showing how to do it.... Alone. This isn’t basketball so individual efforts while inspiring, if one's teammates don't follow, that is a good way to lose.
Third Period
This so easily could have gone on to be a 5-1 loss against. The Blackhawks did everything right, or did they? In the last period, the Kings began to play as one and it showed. Like the Royal Rebound, I must admit that when Cammalleri scored, I thought ‘Here we go’. This is the only time I had that feeling all year and darn if that didn’t turn out to be the way it went down. Almost.
Over the last half of the third, the Kings did near everything right and the Blackhawks were the ones who got outplayed, outworked and out scored. The home team started going to the net or throwing the puck at the net, basically started playing ugly effective hockey. Besides the goals, there were other highlight moments:
• Visnovsky stopped a breakaway shot against by treating the ice and the puck like a soccer field and turning the play around;
• Johnson split the D and nearly scored alone;
• Ersberg stops a Sharp breakaway in a one on none attempt and looked strong doing it;
• Ersberg stopped the next two shots as well and the last one, he basically juggled the biscuit after the catch in one of the cockier goaltending moments I have ever seen. (Love it or hate it, I cannot remember any other Kings’ netminder since the lock-out hold their head quite that high with that kind of swagger for even a nanosecond and it instilled confidence in his teammates.)
• In a Murray-esque move, Crawford pulled Ersberg for the last 2:37 of the game and the team scored twice (Wow.);
• Johnson made the last second heroics of Kopitar possible by his diving effort to stop an empty net goal and help complete the comeback which followed. (This singular effort was credited by Kopitar as the confidence he and Cammalleri needed to go back and tie the game with 15 seconds on the clock.)
Overtime:
There were two shots on goal in the final potential five minutes of the game. The first by the Kings and the last by the Blackhawks which gave the visitors the two points they nearly lost by allowing the home team to score four 3rd period goals. The loss notwithstanding, I really enjoyed watching the Kings go up as a group and applaud and support Ersberg who helped the team earn a point in his first NHL game.
Showcasing Disaster:
In a move that cannot be blamed on anyone other than Lombardi, there was Handzus on the power play twice no less. The first time out with Frolov and Cammalleri where they took a selfish full minute shift where possession was lost twice starting where it always does with Handzus losing a face-off. (Shocker.... #!@@?) The second attempt looked no better....ouch!
What Statistics Show and Don’t Show:
When I had the privilege earlier this season to participate in the Kingscast Christmas episode, they asked me to discuss the Kings’ future netminders of Bernier and Zatkoff. I suggested they were leaving someone out, namely Erik Ersberg.
At that time, he and Cloutier were sharing the Manchester net and their statistics were deceiving. They both had similar GAA and save % at the time but very different wins and losses. I had no way then to reconcile the material difference in results at the time. I can speculate now the potential cause.
Ersberg carried himself in net Saturday with an air of confidence I rarely see by anyone wearing a Kings’ jersey including LaBarbera whom I have supported since the lock-out. If this weekend matinee was typical, then this team will be treated to a Kings’ first, depth in goal and no locks for the spot. Whoever gets between the pipes is going to have to not only earn it, but keep earning it because others will fight for ice like never before. The fans and this organization will be the better for it. Finally.
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