Episode 40: Cannot Get Started

Beginning the 2015-16 NHL season with three losses was not in the plans. Sean consoles a despairing Keith as they recap the first three games of the Kings season, using some patent-pending postgame analysis.

After a thorough recap of the Canucks-Kings games and a skimming of the Sharks and Coyotes games, Keith and Sean walk through their predictions of the 2015-16 season. They review each team in the Pacific Division and the winners of the other divisions. Before they conclude with teams to enjoy following from afar, Robin makes an appearance to brighten everyone’s day.

Episode 37: The Reckoning

Yeesh. Is it over yet?

You know it’s a bad sign when it takes a full week to recover from the end of the season and record a podcast… and then it takes over a month to finally put that podcast online! All apologies, but that Game 81 loss kind of crushed our spirits for a while there.

In this triple-length episode, Keith and Sean take stock of the 2014-15 LA Kings season. Sean attempts to talk Keith down off the ledge as they discuss the significance of the Kings missing the playoffs (just after winning the Cup!), and what this means for the current legacy. They give the entire season a three-period breakdown–including a patented Keith “theory of brilliance.” They also look ahead, briefly cheering themselves up thinking about the draft (and fantasizing about landing the number 1 pick), before agonizing over what to do with Mike Richards and free agents in the off-season.

But for just a little while longer, we are still the Stanley Cup Champions!

Episode 36: Total Richards Recall

Long form, because this is several weeks of Kings chatter crammed into one episode!

Sean and Keith discuss the wild, wild West, the restoration of Mike Richards to the LA family, and the current New York road trip. Keith has a bone to pick with NHL standings, Sean crystal balls potential playoff matchups, and they digress into the GM proposal of revised overtime rules.

And what podcast wouldn’t be complete without a discussion of Nintendo Ice Hockey.

P.S. Congrats Scotty!

Episode 30: Midseason Review

So this is the new year?

Kings are struggling to find consistency, they sit in the middle of the standings just barely in a playoff spot, trade rumors are swirling–feels like we’ve been here before. Thus Sean and Keith are not losing heart, though they are happy to play armchair GM and offer their solutions to improve the team. They also take a look around the league at this halfway point and take solace in the suffering of other teams, suggest their award front runners, and make some predictions.

It’s been a while, so enjoy an extended episode.

Episode 26: Let’s Get Silly

Still behind, but slowly picking up steam. Just like the Kings?

Sean and Keith discuss Kings defensemen who aren’t right-handed, they recap the Canucks blowout, and Sean proffers his own theory of brilliance (which Keith of course disputes).

They wrap up with a discussion that they can both agree on–the scourge of impending jersey advertisements.

Episode 15: Let’s Get Rid of NY

Sean and Keith wrap up our August review by taking a closer look at the final round of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, when the Kings beat the Rangers.

Highlights, lowlights, and the moment we knew the Cup would be ours. And we get meta.

2014 Cup Run: Round 4, Game 5

So… after four games of the Stanley Cup final, the Kings win the first three games (two in overtime) and then lose the fourth game to a New York-area team. This sounds… exactly like the 2012 Cup run.

Would the Kings lose Game 5 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and cause Los Angeles fans tremendous heartburn yet again? Or could they actually close this series against the Rangers before it reached seven games?

We encourage you to follow along with our text message thread from Friday June 13th below, which is a little disjointed but includes just about everyone. And Keith had the good fortune to attend in person, which will become apparent.

Today’s link: Hey, remember that glossy magazine that was synonymous with sports journalism (and annual swimsuit editions)? Yeah, Sports Illustrated is still around, and even exists online, where they dip their toe into ice hockey at times. Several writers pen some excellent hockey pieces, including Allan Muir who provides this Game 5 preview.

______________________________________

June 13

 

[Pre-game]

 

11:39am

 

Keith:

Can we talk about the inner chemistry and quiet production emerging from the Stoll Williams King line?

 

Sean:
Yes. They’re like the perfect Nintendo hockey line. One heavy, one medium, one skinny.

 

Keith:

Yes!

Though they function differently—one big body to screen and finish around the net, one to hold onto the puck, pass and dig it out of corners, and one to snipe with wicked wristers (though I wish Stoll did this more)

 

Sean:

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen a wicked wrister from Jarrett Stoll.

 

 

11:41am

 

Keith:

Matt—do you have all your hexes and talismans lined up for tonight’s game?

 

Anthony

Ahhhh gaaaaaaaaaad

 
[Game time]

 

5:23 pm

 

Ryan:

Let’s do this!!!

 

 

5:34 pm
Keith:

Woo!

 

Ryan:

CLUTCH. All day long.

 

Keith:

This is our game seven.

 

Sean:

Cuz Justin Williams scored?

 

 

5:40pm

 

Sean:

Stupid f_____g penalty by Doughty.

 

Ryan:

Very much so.

 

 

6:40pm

 

Sean:
Quick looks locked in.

 

 

6:58pm

 

Sean:

Nevermind.

 

Ryan:

Barely off his angle, and an exceptional shot. Not worried. Lundqvist is beatable.

 

Keith:

Umm, I’m worried. Not a good period.

Where the F___ is our power play?!

 

Sean:
Stop with the negativity.

 

Ryan:

Not good, no. But not bad either. And remember who owns the 3^rd.

Rangers barely generating offense, and relying HEAVY on Lundqvist. HEAVY.

 

 

7:37pm

 

Sean:

MMFG

 

Ryan:

True story: Lundqvist had a hard time stopping pucks with his balls.

 

Keith:

So this is our template: send in Gaborik to tie it in third, then choose a hero to score the game winner. By default, Williams if you can’t decide.

 

Ryan:

KOPITAR

 

 

7:59pm

 

Keith:

Another dominant third period. Feel on better.

 

Ryan:

Feel on, Keith. Feel on.

 

 

8:52pm

 

Ryan:

Not worried. Not worried.

 

Sean:
Can’t take much more of this.

 

Keith:

You’re telling me.

Rangers came out better that period

 

Sean:

My video feed keeps seizing up so I’m only getting audio which I can barely hear cuz I’m working. This is a f_____g nightmare.

 

Keith:

Batteries dying.

 

 

[Post-game]

 

9:28pm

 

Ryan:

Let your batteries die Keith!!!!

 

Sean

F___ YES!

 

 

9:28pm

 

Anthony:

F___ TO THE YEAH

 

Sean:
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!

 

 

9:30pm

 

Sean:

Can’t talk now. Done with work in half an hour. Where you at??!!

 

 

9:33pm

 

Richard:

Did you get to see the game live?

 

Keith:

[Snapshot of Cup presentation on ice]

 

Richard:

That would have been a fun place to be

 

Keith:

You betcha

 

 

9:56pm

 

Matt:

Martinez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Anthony:

Headed downtown now. Not joking

 

Matt:

F_____g love it!

 

Sean:

Where you gonna be Anthony?

 

Anthony:

Some bar? Join if you want

 

Sean:

Who else are you meeting?

What bar?

 

Anthony:

I can’t talk on the phone and handle the money at the same time

And dude, I dunno. Somewhere near Ham and Eggs.

Or Hotel Fig, apparently

Yes?

 

Sean:

On my way. No clue where to park though.

 

Matt:

I’m about to ___ off to Alex Martinez in Petaluma if anyone wants in…

 

Anthony:

Keith, you in?

 

Matt:

He’s probably already looking up bus times

 

Anthony:

Now relocating to El Compadre because Hotel Fig is all f____d up

 

Sean:

Hotel Fig on Figueroa and Olympic, yeah?

 

Anthony:

Yeah, but now elsewhere

F___ it homie

Keith: MIA

 

 

2:41am
Keith:

Sorry boys. Phone battery died while celebrating.

2014 Cup Run: Round 2, Game 2

Relive all the lows and highs of Game 2 between the Kings and Ducks below with Sean and Keith.

Also, today’s link: Thx Bud is another delightful blog and podcast formed by a pair of Kings fans, and throughout the playoffs they provide entertaining recaps of each game. They’re just like us, only female!

_____________________________________

May 5

 

[Game time]

 

7:17 pm

 

Sean:

Guess who?

 

Keith:
Omg.

 

Sean:

Because Quick does ____ like that.

 

Keith:
Missed it. What happened.

 

Sean:
Stacked the pads like a maniac.

 

Keith:
Oof. Saw that ____.

 

Sean:
Off Muzzin’s stick.

 

 

7:48pm

 

Sean:
AMFM!!!!!

 

Keith:

You know I love him.

And now Gabby.

 

Sean:
[amazing GIF of Gaborik winking at camera]

 

 

8:49pm

 

Keith:

Scary moment w/ Doughty.

 

Sean:
Looks like it was just a stinger to the thigh. I saw our whole playoff run flash before my eyes.

 

 

9:43pm

 

Sean:
____ YES.

 

Keith:

Such a great play by Williams

 

Sean:
Mr. Clutch.

 

 

9:49pm

 

Keith:
Hey Anaheim, that’s how you handle a 2-1 lead.

Sean calls it: LOCKDOWN