Concentrated Juice-The Winter Classic 2009, Part 1

Or as I am thinking of calling it…The Puck Bunnyhood of the Travelling Zetterberg Hockey pants: Winter Classic Stylee

All of this began as a fun idea, just a simple silly discussion between jleWings and I. The sort of “plan making” we all do that never really comes to fruition.

Trouble is, when you get two feisty chicka together like jleWings and I, and we come up with an idea- well its almost impossible not to execute.

Still with a bad economy, layoffs at our respective workplaces, and a general feeling that one should be extra cautious in these times I never thought I’d be sitting here at Gate 75A, waiting to board a New years Eve Flight to Chicago to attend the Winter Classic.

But here I am.

Holy snickers.

Yea holy snickers- they are packed with peanuts people, don’t you get it?

Seriously, people, I didn’t sleep all night, I am so incredibly excited to be at this game watching my red wings!!

jleWings, my partner in crime, is – as we speak- driving from the Upper Penn of Michigan – to Chicago, and will be picking me up fo the adventure of a life time. I am assuming that she is more comfy than I, because this terminal smells like baby pee.


But not even the smell of infant urine and the incredibly rude United employees can get me down right now.

Within 24-30 hours jle and I will be sitting 5th row, club section 30, right off the first base line, near the Red Wing goal, attending what can only be described as one of the most historic NHL events of our time.

And if the media reports are true, the City of Chicago is abuzz for this event.

Everythig from the weather to Ice quality to the fact that my Red Wings did what the do best last night in a surprising 4-0 shutout at the Joe last night have people talking about the event.

Btw- Good job Wings, your first period stunk it up, but you redeemed yourselves in the second and then did something you hve rarely done all season- held a lead, and not only maintained it, but increased it in the 3rd! I take it as a sign that you are as amped as me for this event tomorrow!

So Fun Winter Classic fact? I learned how they make the Ice. NHL Ice must be at least 2 inches thick. Dan Craig, NHL Ice Whisperer magnifique, described the whole process:

First a ¾ inch of water is poured and frozen. The NHL shipped Los Angeles’ ice making equipment to Wrigley just for this occasion. After the first layer is frozen, they paint it white, let it dry and then paint the lines. After those are dry they pour the rest of the water and let it freeze.

In order to get NHL grade ice, the temps for freezing the water need to be +/-4 degrees farenheit of freezing. I bet they had their hands full this week with the balmy 40 degree weather Chicago has “enjoyed”.

And speaking of the weather——-

Being a Cali girl, I had the worst time finding winter clothes, and after 5 trips to different sporting good stores, I have a pair of white Burton snowboarding pants, My red peacoat, a fuzzy white beret to wear with my vintage Igor larionov playoff issued sweater. I could not find thermal underware anywhere- except Sears, where all they had left were Men’s Extra large. Yea, I bought them- what else was I gonna do? I cant wait to see how ridiculous I look in them!

Even though I also bought about a hundred Hand and foot warmers, I still think the wind and cold will render me senseless!





Oh yea- Jle is bringing me mittens- I HOPE they are battery operated!

Dang, I am gonna freeze. But it will be so WORTH IT!. Ok kiddies, they are boarding us now, so I have to run, but look for jleWings and I at the game- we are making a “NHL Connect Sign” to hold up, because we love ya’ll so much!

Stay tuned for more on our day- I’m making jle pick me up and immediately drive me to Wrigley to go have a look see!

As No. 8 would say “Waa-hooo!”

Ed. Note: JleWings is my darling friend, red Wing fan extraordinare and amazing writer. You can check her blogs out at: http://jlewings.blogspot.com/

Originally posted on Wednesday December 31, 2008 @ 08:24 AM EST athttp://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/26239

Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved. No use or permission without the express written permission of the author.

Concentrated Juice: Juice’s Scouting Report- San Jose Sharks

Originally Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2008 @ 02:40 PM EST at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/25586

Confession time for the Joocer.

Last night as the Wings played our arch rivals, the Avs, I did the unthinkable.

I attended the Kings-Sharks game.

Yea I know. I am filled with a self loathing so deep that not even the bottom of my 5th $10 Blue Moon and a mug of Theraflu could mask the guilt or stop my shame spiral. Here is my list of pathetic excuses and rationalizations, pick your favorite or come up with your own.

Excuses and rationalizations

1. The seats were dead center ice, 13 rows up. A gift from a DIE-HARD hockey fan, who gave up one of the best games of the year just so I could go.

2. The Wings game ended before the Kings-Sharks started.

3. I was tricked, he said “Kings-Sharks” I thought Wings-Sharks? In LA? Santa got my list!!!!I do believe!!!!

4. I blame you all. Ever since becoming involved in this place and with all you rapscallions I have grown as a hockey fan. Result? I am completely obsessed with the GAME and any opportunity to see it live.

5.It was a legitimate excuse to wear my Larionov sweater in public, because marching around my neighborhood every time a Wings game is on wearing the jersey, a replica Stanley Cup hat and a red foam finger chanting “We’re Number 1” gets old after a while. (Hookaay, THAT never gets old…)

6. I needed to go to the game on behalf of my Wings.

Yea. I said it. I went to the Kings-Sharks Game to scout the Sharks on behalf of the Wings.

For Thursday’s game.

And if Monday night’s Wings-Avs game is any indication, the Wings need a quick jolt. Last night’s Wings game was a debacle. No excuse for it whatsoever.

Yes, the Wings need a jolt of life indeed. Having shipped my cattle prod to Miss jleWings in Detroit, I knew I would have to resort to my own guile and wit to help my boys in red figure out what Tiburonian weaknesses exist, can be exploited and how. (Insert, “The Wings are SCREWED” joke here.) I have never tried to scout a game, and I wanted to see if I could do it. Turns out to be pretty hard actually. I kept getting caught up in enjoying the game, cold medicine and the orangey Belgian malts.

Funny, it also turns out that there may not be a better game to scout than the Kings-Sharks to learn a little about Tiburonian weaknesses. Why, you ask? Well. First: All good teams are underestimating the Kings, who are quietly becoming the hardest working, most unsung team in the league. Second: The Kings broke down the Sharks system and really did an excellent job neutralizing the Sharks for 60. Third: Kings and Sharks play a game closer in style (and by “closer”, I mean Sharks play an identical style) to the Wings than other teams in the West, so it was ideal for anticipating how Thursday’s game might play out. And Fourth: I WAS GIVEN AWESOME SEATS!!!!!!! Did I mention the awesome seats?

This game did not disappoint, and I hope I have some decent scouting tips for my boys in Red. I don’t actually profess to be a brilliant hockey analyst, but how else are you supposed to learn?

Truth is, the Kings took the Sharks off their game and controlled 60 minutes of that game last night, and I saw first hand how they did it: Speed, lock up both wingers, force the turnover, chip it out in the corners, solid pressure out of your own zone. Nothing fancy, nothing pretty.

To Wit, Juice’s Scouting Report: San Jose Sharks

Kings played a far better game than the final score indicates. They owned that game for almost all of the 60 minutes. Containing the Sharks did not turn out to be rocket science. But for a terrible shootout, the Kings should have stolen that game, even after losing their King Midas, Ersberg to a groin pull. (So painful to see go down. Get better Iceberg, LA needs you!)

Speed kills.

The Kings were able to disrupt the whole Shark system and had them chasing/fighting to keep up with the play for most of the game just by out gunning them. This was the key to the Kings 60 minutes of dominance. It was so noticeable that I actually thought “This will be fun for 2 periods, but then the Kings will have exhausted themselves” (It turns out they held strong through 65 minutes). Kings executed a rather clever (but not necessarily pretty) game of run and chase. Just gain possession and rush down to the other end as fast as you can. Don’t worry about pretty passing, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

The Kings out skated the Sharks, or at least had the Sharks struggling to keep pace, the whole game. Kings were able to force multiple shark turnovers in their own waters (three alone in OT) and drive down at the speed of light.

Rather than executing a pretty passing game, the Kings drove down, taking the sharks off their system and before the sharks could set up, they were able to corner the pucks, and dig in, retain possession and set up scoring opportunities. No pretty passes or cherry picking (per se).

Bait and Hook the Wingers

This is a biggie: Like a silver tip on a bucket of chum, KINGS KEPT A MAN ON EACH SHARK WINGER, rendering Thornton and the other centers largely ineffective.

Sharks D

Sharks play vintage Wings LWL defense. It works. Kings play a very similar defense to the Wings too. I had Homer’s butt flashbacks watching the play at both ends of the ice.

Sharks kept 2 men in the neutral 80% of the time, but if you can tie up the wingers and then bolt, it shows its cracks. On nearly every play the Kings would get two or three men across, and I don’t think the Kings had more than one or two bad turnovers (could be wrong).

Physical Game

Once the Kings got into the Sharks zone they took the game to “relatively” physical level. I say relatively because neither of these teams are physical bruising teams, despite the Ivanais-Shelley scrum in the second. There weren’t a lot of hard checks, in fact, neither of these teams can finish a forecheck.

Smear the Grier

One caveat- Watch Mike Grier. He’s a thug, especially behind the net. And he never gets called. Of course, he is the fastest thug I have ever seen. When he can get to the right, he flies! Lock him up on the left and I bet you neutralize him. And while we are on Grier- he was one of the only Sharks to force any turnovers.

Goalies

Boucher likely won’t be in goal on Thursday, so I didn’t pay that much attention to goal tending. Boucher’s blocker side is his weak link- if he really has one. Goaltending must be reckoned with. Nabby is great. Wings need to find his weakness, just like we used to: Keep putting the puck to the net, something will go in.

Our own goaltending will need to be on for sure. Sharks aren’t proficient with the long range slappers- or if they are I didn’t see it in this game, but they are very patient goal scorers. They don’t get flustered after 4-5 shots on net, they find ways to get the rebound.

Penalty Kills

The Shark’s kill is totally disrupt-able, The Kings were able to easily set up at the points and the Sharks just let them cycle, without challenging the point at all. As a result Kings were able to close in and to push the Sharks defense into net. Surprisingly, the Sharks were using the body to stop shots.

Power Play

Hmm. I have nothing insightful to say about this. Watch Clowe. He scored on the PP, after patiently chipping away forever.

Face-offs

Marleau is slow on the face off- Draper and Z should be able to beat him every time. Heck, Homer could probably beat him.

Lines/Ice Time

Marleau never left the ice, Clowe, Grier, Vlasic and Setoguchi logged a lot of ice time too, telling me the Sharks eventually realized the Kings were not a push over. Thornton and Marleau get tired. Speed will kill them.

Bottom Line?

Sharks are beatable. That said I realize its probable that they will bring an entirely different intensity and energy level to the Joe in Thursday. But still if you out-gun them and tie up their wingers you will have neutralized a huge part of their game.

LET’S GO RED WINGS!

Avery is done in Dallas

Originally posted on Thursday December 04, 2008 @ 02:01 AM EST at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/24921

NHL Network broadcast a Coach Tippett interview tonight. Coach said “no sax before the game.”

No, no, that isn’t what he said. I just love that Brendan Shanahan quote.

When asked, Coach Tippett said, point blank, that he didn’t see how Sean could be welcome back into the locker room. He basically said no matter what the outcome of tomorrow’s hearing, Sean is really no longer welcome in Dallas. He said: “I find it hard to believe that Sean could come back into the dressing room and find the [kind of] continuity” the team has. Coach said that he didn’t want to be associated with the kind of character Avery epitomizes.

As many of us intimated earlier this day, Coach Tippett’s statement conveys to me that Sean Avery has clearly been causing turmoil (beyond ex-girlfriend comments) in the locker room, and Dallas seems to be relieved to have this incident and the League’s reaction to lean on in getting rid of him.

While we may never hear all that went on with Mr. Avery in Dallas, its clear that he wore out his welcome over time. Rather than being the biggest straw on the pile, the insult to Phaneuf and Cuthbert was merely just the one which broke the camels back.

One more day until Avery goes the way of the Emery (dodo) Bird, and we can all get back to real hockey issues.

Post-Post Edit: Response to some Commentors and other Blogs

It is short sighted to think that everything going on this week with Avery is about the content of this one statement.

Its an indisputable fact that Avery was aware that saying something like that, on camera, before a game against Phaneuf would cause chaos and incite the parties being maligned.

Accordingly, it can and should be argued that this was a premeditated and malicious instigation, intended to prompt an on-ice altercation.

Any player who takes highly public actions intending or knowingly acting so as to incite an on ice altercation should be heavily punished. This isn’t the WWF, after all.

It doesn’t matter how bad the particular statement was. Its about the intent, at the very least, proving that Sean knew saying something that inflammatory would have on-ice repercussions.

In that context, anyone who thinks the league should have set back and let it go once more, well your probably the sort of person who never believes your kid is the bully or bad at math, just because the kid tells you its not his fault.

Ersberg Iceberg

I know I’ve posted too much this weekend, but its likely that this is the last weekend before the holiday in which I just get to sit around with my family and enjoy hockey…so indulge me won’t you? At least this one isn’t about the Wings…

Its been three years of following the Kings out of the corner of a jaded eye through red tinted sunglasses. Smug giggling as the boys in black and purple fell over the boards on a line change against the Wings in 2006 turned, in 2007, to a cautious realization that I was starting to remember names and beginning to feel for this struggling young team. And now in 2008, I actually watch this growing team show poise and character with interest and hope.

This Kings team is playing exciting hockey and its fun to watch especially when you’re not totally vested in the win or the individual players. Reminds me of the early 1990’s when we Detroiters watched a young Steve Yzerman the quietest Nic Lids, a babyfaced Chris Osgood, a funny, cocky misunderstood Sergei Fedorov and the shyest Slave Kozlov all grow into the league’s finest.

Nooooooooo, I’m not making any comparisons here. AT ALL. There will never be another team like the Wings of the 1990’s. They were amazing and perfect and the very best. There will never be another team with as much talent, heart, courage, faith, teamwork, fight, drive, and desire as my 1990’s Wings. I don’t care what you say, it’s a closed case. Unless you mean the Red Wings of these 2000s… then yes well yes, you may have a point.

But watching a young team grow, like a colt getting its legs, is exciting and heartwarming. Especially in a town where such growth and talent is largely unappreciated. What can I say, I’m a sucker for an underdog.

So as I sit waiting for my beloved Red Wings game to start in just under a half hour I am finding myself delighted that the Kings are leading the Blackhawks 5-2. I’m starting to just adore Doughty, Kopitar and Brown. Not the way I love my Red Wings, who are like my own family, but more like the way you care about the kids in your neighborhood.

And while Doughty, as I have said, is really impressing me with his maturity and solid play- well beyond his 18 years, its a young swede once more catching my eye. My favorite King is fast becoming Erik Ersberg.

How Swede It Is

Ersberg’s path to the NHL was a bit unusual. He came to the Kings from the Elitserien (Swedish Elite League) in 2007. Ersberg was considered a late bloomer as he didn’t play at the national level in his junior or youth years.

However by the time he turned 24 he was nominated for Elitserien Rookie of the Year in 2006-2007, and won the Elitserien League’s Goalie of the Year in 2007. Despite such success he wasn’t ever drafted into the NHL. Instead, he was hand picked by the Kings in 2007, likely the result of Mr. Lombardi’s proven ability to see that European talent is out there.

Turns out to have been a shrewd move. When isn’t it where a Swede is involved?

As of November 25th Ersberg was ranked 4th in the league with a 1.98 GAA and 10 straight starts. (After a tough 6-2 loss to the Flames, He’s now 11th with a 2.32 GAA, numbers that should turn up a bit better after the 5-2 win against Chicago today).

Having had the last 10 starts for the Kings, He’s quickly showing up as a very solid netminder, who stands on his head, especially when his defense shows up.

Tonight he made a fantastic glove save off a close range wrist shot from Patrick Kane. It was a thing of beauty that made me gasp. And he got a solid 5-2 win, particularly appropriate since just last year he made his NHL debut against the Chicago Blackhawks. No doubt he had something to prove tonight.

Ersberg lost that February 2008 debut against Chicago 6-5 in overtime (after being called in to replace LaBarbera, and stopping 19 of 20 saves).

He then got his very first shutout in the NHL on March 6, 2008. A very impressive NHL debut week indeed. Since then he has played clean up for the streaky LaBarbera.

While he’s not yet considered the Kings’ Starting Goalie yet. You watch, you wait. Its coming.

Ersberg is the real deal folks. I have 5-2 odds says he could drop Dicaprio and Winslet quicker than you can say:

“It’s so cold.”

Post game update: Ersberg held his lead, and got the third star of the game- Great Job Kiddo, I am looking forward to following your career. You are gonna make some great waves in this league. Now its time for the Marquee game…On to my Wings!

Originally Posted on Saturday November 29, 2008 @ 08:02 PM EST at

http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/24683

All I Want for Christmas is a Healthy Team

It’s a bit early, I know. But given the state of the NHL right now, it seems like this is the holiday song we all ought to be singing this Holiday Season:

On the first page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 1 undisclosed injury

On the second page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 2 nasty flu bugs

On the third page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 3 back spasms

On the fourth page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 4 seasons ending

On the fifth page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 5 broken legs

On the sixth page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 6 strained abdominals

On the seventh page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 7 Groins pulled leaping

On the eight page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 8 ankles sprained

On the ninth page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 9 upper body injuries

On the tenth page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 10 concussions nursing

On the eleventh page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 11 shoulder surgeries

On the twelfth page of the Injury Report the NHL gave to me 12 ACLs blown

As of November 29, 2009, these numbers are freakishly accurate (there are more “upper body injuries” but we are almost 99 44/100% accurate with the rest.)

Here are the top 5 most banged up teams as of 11/29 according to CBS sports:

1.Tie for first:

The Washington Capitals (8 men out): Semin, Fedorov, Green, Clark, Erskine, Poti, Pothier, Schultz.


St. Louis Blues (8 players out): Legacy, Berglund, Hinote, Kariya, McDonald, Oshie, King, Johnson

2.Three way tie:


Islanders (6 men out): DiPietro, Comrie, Gervais, Okposo, Nielsen, Sillinger


Devils (6 men out): Brodeur, Rolston, Green, Holik, Madden, Mottau


Flyers (6 men out): Briere, Cote, Powe, Hatcher, Parent, Jones

3. Panthers (5 guys out): Zednik, Allen, Horton, Murphy, Stillman

4. Avalanche (5 guys out): Sakic, Liles, Tucker, Foote, Guite

5. Canadiens (3-4 men out): Tanguay/Laraque/ Komisarik

As of November 29th, there is only 1 team in the league without a single injury: The New York Rangers.

There are 8-9 teams who are without their starting goalies:

Devils- Brodeur


Canucks-Luongo


Islanders-DiPietro


Pens-Fleury


Ducks-Gigiere(personal reasons might not be a true injury)


Hawks-Khabibulin


Thrashers- Lehtonen


Blues-Legacy

And technically, Nabby (Sharks) isn’t quite 100% yet.

Our league is badly banged up, a quarter season in. Begging the question- IS THERE ANYONE IN THE NHL COMMUNITY WHO SINCERELY BELIEVES the phantom penalties, the even up calls and the over zealous interference, hooking and tripping trips to the sin bin are doing a darn bit of good, creating a “safer” NHL, a better game?

Because if you do, I know a fat guy in a red suit who is making a list, and will check you twice…

Seriously. The injuries this season are just out of control. I listened to Larry Murphy and Mickey Redmond talk yesterday about how fights are up in the league and it got me wondering just how many more injuries we have this year. And you know me and my infernal statistics.

As of November 29th, there are 107 players out for injuries (excluding guys out on suspensions). Last year at this time there were only 68 injuries and there were only 63 injuries by Nov. 28, 2006.

So yes Virginia, injuries are up to the tune of 36-40% over the last two years.

Thumpity Thump Thump

So if fights are up, and injuries are up, and so are penalty minutes, well then, maybe (”just maybe” she sarcastically whispered) its time to change the way the officiating has been impacting the game?

The NHL doesn’t track fighting, but I’m taking Larry and Mic’s word for it.

And as shown above, injuries are up.

Penalty minutes league wide this year? This year so far league wide there are 9,834 penalty minutes, with Anaheim leading the charge, having 475. Last year there were 9,719 penalty minutes league wide at this point in the season.

So. No great disparity in number of penalty minutes, and yet injuries are up 36%? Does that mean the officiating is working?

I think not. If fighting is up and injuries are up, but number of penalty minutes are essentially the same, then the begged question becomes, are the types of penalties being assessed working, or are they causing more injury and frustration? Is it possible that all the time spent searching out the phantom interference calls are causing the officials to miss the real action, causing/allowing players to take cheaper, dirtier shots behind the action?

Let me know what you think, I’ll be around- dare I say, I’ll home for Christmas? Yea well, so will a lot of guys in the league, and not because they want to be.

Originally Posted on Saturday November 29, 2008 @ 12:22 PM EST at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/24670

Concentrated Juice: 100% Pure Wings-Thanksgiving Weekend

Of Triptophan, Time off, and The Detroit Ice Trotters

Pasha (Datsyuk) flying high on a late shift break away, thwarted only by a Rick Nash desperado diving save,

Henrik Zetterberg with a left “hook” that hit the cross bar (too bad he shoots right…), followed in his next shift by a strong push to the net and a one legged wrap around,

Marian Hossa with two gorgeous goals, including a one timer off the face off,

Even Tyutin’s slapshot over Ozzie’s shoulder from center ice by nullified by Hossa and D,

And to top it all off, on the kill, an empty netter in the last 12 seconds, 6 on 3 against the Wings…

The first shorty of the season, all Draper all Day baby!!!!!!!!!!! (anyone else hearing Mr. Vitale when you read that?)

And after each of these plays all I could hear was that familiar whistling…

Wings looked good. Real good tonight. Great in fact. Honestly, there was nothing to even complain about- not even Ozzie letting in that slapper from center ice. Oh I’m sure he is beating himself up about it, but he had some terrific saves, he looked sharp and rested. Frankly, this game had a lightness and frivolity of – well a touch game in the driveway while the bird cooks and the pie cools.

Sharp passing, clean plays, Nic Lids with the gorgeous steals; Z, D and Filps everywhere in the ice, Hossa making all those gorgeous shots on net and two great goals; Lilja enforcing for Filps, dropping the gloves and Jared Boll (who obviously didn’t realize that Lilja is one Big Bad Bear of a man). This game was just a pleasure to watch.

Looks like it was also a pleasure to play. It was incredibly enjoyable to see the Wings look like they were having fun for once, rather than working so hard, intently, focused or tired. Skating looked sharp and light, everyone had a skip in their step.

I could talk about stats, how the Wings haven’t given up more than 2 in a row yet this season, or how 4 Wings (Hossa, Dats, Z, and Sammy) each wracked up 2 point in this game, or how Ozzie has 9 of 10 wins this season or how even with the bench clearer at the end of the game, the Wings have the lowest penalty minutes and the absolute best Power Play in the league…

But who needs stats when we have 12 seconds left, 6 on 3 pressure with Kris Draper, winning the face off and then shooting shorthanded, for the first empty netter of the season, while the Wings ended the game on the kill, 5 to 3.

AH what a day off and a turkey dinner can do for our boys in red.

Happy Thanksgiving all, time for some more pumpkin pie….See you all Sunday night.

Originally Posted on Friday November 28, 2008 @ 11:00 PM EST at

http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/24659

King-Sized Cap-Size

Wow.

Well. When I arrogantly predicted (in yesterday’s blog), a 3-2 win for the Kings over the Capitals last night at the Staples Center, I thought for sure I’d eat crow. And when I reiterated the prediction to all my colleagues and my brother as we munched caramel apples in the First American Title Co. suite at the Staple Center, I knew it was stupid and the beer was talking…

Then the clock ticked down to 5 minutes with just that score, I’ll admit it I almost felt a sense of satisfaction.

Ok, ok. I totally gloated.

But when the Kings then scored two more, well. My brother looked at me and said;

“Capsize!” to which I responded;

“Kingsized capsize”.

I’ll tell you everything I predicted yesterday in my blog, came true last night. Complacency, lethargy and the Kings completely overwhelmed the Caps. Add injury to that list and well, I could have taken up with a crystal ball.

Stifle it Ersberg

The Kings defense stifled the Captials.

When was the last time you heard that? Or that the Kings stifled anyone? But its true, at the beginning of the third, SOG were 23-9, in favor of the Kings. The Kings dominated offensively and their defense did it all, with Doughty scoring and Ersberg solid when he needed to be.

Ersberg, whom the Kings drafted from The Elitserien- the Swedish Elite League, is the real deal. He kept his cool and his head in the game, even though he took only 3-4 shots in each of the first two periods and never got pressured. I really like this goalie. As I have mentioned before, many goalies will tell you (My brother being one of them) that its often more difficult to stay mentally in the game when your not seeing any action. Ersberg did not disappoint.

Doughty worked hard and played front to back. I like this kid. Solid, team leader. Gonna be big. Poised beyond his 18 years.

Ov, Eight!?!?

The Caps though….wtf to infinity. They looked absolutely terrible.

Washington never really got going, I never saw a bit of the puck possession, smooth passing offense I was expecting from the likes of Ovie, Kozlov and Sergei. Fedorov apparently was there (they interviewed him pre-game on the Jumbotron) but he did not dress. There were no 2-1, or even 2-3 breakaways, no long passes, nothing resembling the sort of play you expect from a Russian line. I never once noticed Backstrom on the ice- except for the pretty assist to Kozlov in the first.

Ovechkin was everywhere and nowhere on the ice. At one point he went off the ice after a forecheck (by him, not against him) looking hurt. I actually think he is hurt.

His passing was absolutely off and at one point in the second, he tried to deke past and through Greene’s legs and ended up turning it over so the Kings could score. It was so pathetic and uncharacteristic that I initially reacted thinking that he got cherry picked.

He was working hard, but no one on that team was working smart. They failed to “Capitalize” on the power play, despite getting a 5 on 3 in the second- during which they barely kept the puck in their own zone.

Both teams looked slow and chippy for most of the game, at times it looked like they were playing in about an inch of gravel…and it wasn’t ice quality.

How do I know? Two things: no weird puck bounces and the Ice Girls, who apparently never disappoint, barely scraped a thing off the ice. There were a couple occasions where they pretended to dump ice scrapings into the big bucket.

Oh Eight!

Like I said, Fedorov was a no show, which was a huge disappointment for me. That disappointment was completely washed away by the fact that …..

Wait for it….

IGOR LARIONOV dropped the ceremonial first puck.

Igor in the Haus

Yes, my Igor, there in the Staples Center being honored for his recent HHOF admittance. I actually couldn’t breathe, I was standing there in the First American Title suite, chatting with people (trying to get all my talking in before the game started) when they stopped the irritating “Blackout/Back in Black” intro the Kings always use to start their games when I heard that familiar voice. I stopped mid-sentence and turned around checking the Jumbotron and they were running a montage on Igor, all the way back to the Red Army days and clips of him talking to Wayne Gretzky at the Olympics(?) and I looked around at my colleagues and gushed excitedly:

“Check the Jumbotron- Best player to ever play the game- Igor Larionov. My all time favorite. Just got admitted to the HHOF”

Someone asked me what the HHOF was, but before I could answer,

My brother said;

“Tine, Igor’s on the Ice.”

I totally flipped. My first completely insane reaction? “How do I get out of this suite and down to the ice?” Then I just sort of sunk down in a front row seat and leaned over the edge of the balcony. Hands over my mouth in astonishment.

I know this will solidify in your heads that I am some sort of crazy “Human Loser” (props to Bruce McCullough), but tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn’t help it. My friends and colleagues looked at me with bemused astonishment, and I didn’t even have the presence of mind to be embarrassed, I was just so shocked.

I think it was just the shock of seeing No. 8 in the same building, combined with the fact that they were honoring him.

I’m telling you I’m not sure I could ever handle meeting Igor. Certainly not in a surprise circumstance. I totally idolize him. Just never realized it before.

I mean Hollyweird is FILLED with celebrities and they are always in your way, or delaying something or causing chaos. I’m not terribly fond of the celebrity world. I’ve stood in line at the Beverly Hills CVS behind Charlie Sheen (his head is enormous) and merely felt irritation. I’ve costume shopped with David Arquette and thought he was a silly goof, I’ve taunted Britney Spears at the hair salon and I’ve eaten dinner with Beyonce (yea she eats) at a movie wrap party and never once felt star struck or in awe. Certainly neer got emotional or choked up.

Yet there I was, hundreds of yards away, tearing up because Larionov was in the same building as me.

HOMER!

Double Homerism that I turned this blog into a story about Igor Larionov, when its supposed to be about the Kings- Caps game.

You know I can’t help myself. Ok ok- here’s the Wrap, Hollywood style:

I felt bad for Ovie and I really think something is wrong. I mean it can’t all be explained as nerves that his mentor and personal hero was in the Haus, right? It must have sucked to have Igor there and play that badly, AND lose to the Kings. Ohhh-vvvviiee.

Truth is neither team looked fast or smooth, but the Kings dominated for 60 minutes. They went ahead early in the first and never lost the lead. At the 10 minute mark when I thought the Caps would give one last push a go, they were non-existent. Then with a little more than 4 minutes left in the third, the Caps scored their second goal. And to my surprise, the Kings answered by smothering them, hitting two more.

I called the win yesterday, and gave my reasons for it, including the fact that this Kings team might be young, but they are making all the right strides toward someday being a contender, I liked a lot of what I saw and was impressed by the gritty hard work. But the thing that actually touched me the most about this Los Angeles team? How happy they were at the end of the game.

As the buzzer sounded, the entire team leap from the bench and congregated center ice surrounding Ersberg and Doughty, cheering, and celebrating their win as if it were a playoff game. I was so proud of those boys. Got all choked up again..what a homer.

Kings Win 5-2, Igor in the Haus.

Originally posted on Friday November 21, 2008 @ 10:46 AM EST at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/24313

Ovie in the Haus, Los Angeles Stylee

What haus, Juice? Where? Are you hallucinating again? Don’t tell me you’ve sacrificed Z for Ovie and have Fedorov driving the limo this time, headed for Alaska…

(Insert requisite Palin-Russian joke here.)

Jooce, Put the parfait spoon down and back away from mint choco chip. Sllooowwlllyy

Alright, all right, I deserve that.

Yep, I’m talking about Ovie, Sergei, Alex and Nic right here at the Staples Center, in sunny, breezy, easy Los Ange-sleezy, home of the ravaging wildfires.

Hmm…, I wonder why there are no LA sports teams with that name…trust me it fits.

The Washington Capitals are making their way up the Pacific Rim to hit all the Cali teams this week, and after a lovely little routing of the Ducks last night, the Caps, happy to have Ovie firing on ALL Cylinders, are scheduled to take on the LA Kings tonight.

Ovie is in the Haus, tonight, here in LA-la, and I am stoked! Getting to see the league’s premiere offensive monster and my homeboy No. 91- seriously cool.

I woke today and tried to decide if I would wear my Red Wings jersey to the game I quickly decided not to, I mean if I had a Federov jersey, well that would be different.

Then I found myself thinking about who should win this game. Of course the first thing that came to mind was “Naturally, the Caps”. But as this day wore on, I realized, that was a presumptuous call. And the more I thought about it the more I felt strongly about predicting that there could be an upset win for the Kings…

Stop! Stop trying to take my spoon away from me and Listen.

Calling it

I’m calling the Kings for the upset tonight. OOOh this is fun! When you’re not personally vested in a team, its fun to say things like that. Oh wait- it sucks, because if they do, then my fantasy team tanks (I gots Ovie.).

But here it is again, I think the Kings will take this one. Yep. I know. The Caps are considered the better team -by far. I don’t disagree. Just hear me out….

Cap Guns, the “young” is implied

Caps are offensively explosive and their scorers are on fire, Ovie, Fedorov, Backstrom and Semin have been wicked excellent of late, with Ovie finally clicking, the Washington Capitals are one of the most exciting teams to watch. We can definitely expect a high shooting game. But they have weaknesses.

Other than Mike Green, their D needs to solidify and their goal tending is hot and cold. Theodore is not my favorite goalie and I think he is beatable. He’s 6-3 with a 3.19 GAA. Now to be fair, I’m not taking too much stock in GAA this season because I’ve seem way too many games with 6-5 scores. His SV% is .899, so you make the call. I think that is marginal. Their back up has a better record, 5-1, but I think Jose is getting the nod tonight.

What do I have to do to wake you up, Pop-a-Cap in yo azz?

Caps will come into to LA on the third game of a 5 game road trip and this is their second day in LA- the jet lag will start to hit, and playing at 7:30 our time is 10:30 their time. The third period comes at midnight for these guys.

Complacency with a Capital “C”

Washington hasn’t had a regulation loss since Nov. 1. That said, most teams don’t come into the Staples Center ever expecting to lose the game, some teams may be cocky enough to think it’s a gimmee. The back up goalie usually plays, and 3 and 4th lines get more ice time. Given the number of wins they have going in and the fact that they are on game 3 of a 5 game road trip, if anything will lull the team into complacency, it could be the perception of an easy win against LA.

Kingdom Comeback (Don’t call it)

Nobody expects anything of the Kings. I still hear people saying the Kings are the worst team in the league, when my eyes tell me differently. I’m here to say that the Kings are better than people are giving them credit for. And being underestimated can often give you the element of surprise. One thing I can tell you is this:

They are hungry. They are Burger King Hungry, they are Whopper Hungry, they are two all beef patties, special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun hungry. Wait- wrong sandwich…..? hmmm IDK.

Kings are playing better together than last year and they play a full 60 minutes. They don’t stop fighting and working. They have a better comfort level with each other. You don’t even see guys fall off the bench during a line change anymore… They don’t give up and even their 6-5 looked good the last time I saw them play.

Kopie, Ovie, Ovie, Uma

I’m not stacking Kopitar up against Ovie by any means here, but the Kings are running two solid lines that work their tails off. Their first line: Kopitar, Brown, and O’Sullivan (previously Calder) can compete with many other teams first lines, and their second line of Frolov, Moeller, and Stoll have been consistent, earning most of the goals in the last 3-4 games. True they have the second lowest number of goals this season in the league, but when they score these are the guys getting it done.

And Doughty, Quincey and Boyle are showing solid improvements over last year, and with Doughty I am seeing a maturity level I would not expect from an 18 year old kid.

Solid Goal (tending)

True, the Kings aren’t getting many goals, but more interestingly, they aren’t letting in many goals. The Los Angeles Kings haven’t let more than 4 in per game, yet this season. That is better than many of the leagues best teams can attest. Ersberg with his GAA of 1.95 and a 5-1 season start is a hot goalie right now and he will get the start tonight. Not that it matters since both Kings goalies have better stats than the Caps goalies: LaBarbera has a GAA off 3.01.

Kings will Cap italize on your mistakes.

Just ask Dallas. Brendan Morrow told us that the stars came out flat against the Kings last week, (though frankly given the roller coaster the Stars are on this season, they could use a bit more flat). For argument sake, lets say we agree with Mr. Morrow, The Stars were flat against the Kings. Well the Kings were able to capitalize on the lethargy and pull out the win against a team who is better than their record currently indicates and which should have beat them handily.

And by “handily”, I don’t mean dropping the gloves in last 5 minutes of the game, or by boarding someone into the opposing team’s bench.

Some Sun Sum

In short, this 7-10 Kings team can win a game. The Kings offense isn’t nearly as strong as the Caps, but the defense is more even than the experts would have you believe, with the Kings getting an edge from Doughty and Goaltending. Look for lots of shots, and if Ersberg stands on his head, something like a 3-2 score…And if the Caps can’t fight the jet lag, or if they underestimate the Kings, if the Kings have a really good night, with the new line changes clicking, look for this 3-2 score to be in favor of the boys in Black.

Of course if it ends up being a 6-1 game Caps over Kings, with Ovie getting 3 points, trust me, I will happily eat that crow and vow to never again make another prediction.

Originally Posted on Thursday November 20, 2008 @ 5:26 PM EST at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/24278

Concentrated Juice: The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Contains 100% Pure Juice and no High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Normally after a big Wings game I write my detailed edition of “The Good the Bad and the Ugly” and try to be funny and insightful…but I am sure there have been hundreds of Pens/Wings blogs talking about last nights game.. .so here is the “Concentrated Juice”- my thoughts upon waking up after that loss:

2012-An Ice Odyssey

It is not end of days, Doomsday, Armageddon, the Apocalypse or even the end of the Mayan Calendar. Its not a sign of anything. It was an exciting game. It was fun to watch. The Rapture Blondie? I think not.

Wings lost. Pens won. The better team, who wanted it more in the 3rd period clearly won. Wow, would you look at that, the earth didn’t open up and swallow me into fiery pits of hell…The Wicked Witch of the West hasn’t ridden in on her broom stick and demanded that I hand over my Larionov sweater.In fact the sun is shining, and it’s a gorgeous Malibu morning.

First Goal

Sid did exactly what any player with heart and a desire to set a tone and the will to win should do. He scored the first goal. I give him props, as Captain and (for the first time ever) for finally showing some character.

Officiating

I didn’t see the first period – damn work got in the way- but anyone crying about officiating in the 2nd, 3rd and OT is a fool, and should sit down, shut up and drink quietly from their sippy cup. The officials let a fast paced game run its course. True, Rafalski took a penalty for having someone else’s stick hook his bawls, but honestly, you ain’t a true Wings fan if you aren’t used to stupid game altering penalties by now. Red Wings play so as to over come whatever non existent penalty is called. That is what makes them champions even when Homer’s Butt is not in the crease.

Nico, Nic, Lids, Lids, The Captain

Two theories on the uncharacteristic mistakes and the sometimes “off” play of our Dear Cappy-tan:

First, my favorite. Its early in the season and Nick knows this and isn’t killing himself out there on the ice yet. I’m not questioning his character, in fact I’m lauding it. A captain killing himself and setting that tone 15 games into an 82 game season will have only himself to blame when the team exhausts itself by April. That said, this was a pretty important game, more on that later.

Second- either the eye or the Visor is really bothering him. That sucks, but if it’s the visor- that is a little odd. Plenty of guys play with one.

More importantly- “Lidstrom had two assists, giving him 949 career points to move past injured teammate Chris Chelios for ninth place among the highest scoring blue-liners in NHL history.” (nhl.com)

Embarrassment

It doesn’t happen often, but letting Staahl score a hat trick in our barn, in the scope of a single period? That is humiliating. And the second hat trick of the season against us? Frankly, We should have known. Someone should have been on the look out for Staahl. If you look at my “Good Bad and Ugly” playoff blogs from last year I talk about this kid not getting enough praise, but being all over the ice. Its as if the Red Wings aren’t even reading my blogs!!?!?!?!!! Srsly, tho’, watch for him. He’s the real deal.

One Minute of Play

If you’re a Wings fan and you weren’t having bone chilling sweat inducing paranoid flash backs as the clock ticked down to 60 seconds of regulation, you might be a dead cephalopod. I literally crawled onto the floor in front of the TV Watching that clock with 1:58 left in regulation thinking “Mothra Fauxer, I hate the last minute of play, especially those last 34 seconds”. Speaking of which…

The Chase is Always Better Than the Kill?

Look, I like a good game of chase as well as anyone boys, but if your gonna continue to do this, then you need to figure out how to win one against a good team once you let them back in it.

The Wings did what they always do. They go up a couple goals early and then settle in. Then they get bored and coast and zip zip zip, the other team comes back. I call this game: “Cat and Mouse –Wings Stylee”…flip the rodent a few times in the air, let it catch its feet and try to run again before you slap the paw down on its tail. I personally find it a bit exciting and fun. But it back fires, and has been back firing in crucial games this year. We really need to work our 6 on 5 drills. That is our weakest link.

I only expect my team to win a couple games this year: The Home Opener, anything I attend personally, and the SCF rematch. So far we are 1 for 2. And we lost what I considered a key game against the Sharks this year..so really 1 for 3, and you know how we lost those games?

In the last minute. Wings have let more games get tied up in the last minute of play this year than Zetter has goals. Ok not true but it sure feels that way. And never the less, the wings are letting teams catch up in the third. Letting 3 goals, in one period against a good team that clearly has something to prove, (as well as your number at home) is a complete inexcusable melt down in defense.

6 on 5, 6 on 5, 6 on 5- figure it out. Stop hovering around Ozzie, screening your own goalie and letting the other team cycle through their PP drills until the get a good shot.

Wow would you look at that, the sun is still shining and I have not been swallowed up by the earth. All of that could change later today when, due to this loss, I have to change my profile theme to penguin gold and photoshop my profile picture in a pens jersey- oh you know I’ll be diving or crying in this one…UGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

Losing SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted on Wednesday November 12, 2008 @ 11:00 AM EST at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/23786

Oh Eight: Part II

Igor Larionov and Hockey’s Rink of Dreams

In honor of Igor Larionov’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight, I offer the second installation of my “Oh Eight” series on the life of The Professor himself

Its 1968, maybe 69. Full blown Cold War Era. Snow falls softly from a grey sky, shrouding a line of tiny little “men” carrying bags far too large for their pee wee shoulders trudging past the fertilizer plant, up the long drive to the Voskresensk (or Воскресе́нск, if you prefer) Ice Palace. From this small, fertile hockey obsessed city whose name means “resurrection” came one of the greatest Russian talents to ever play the game.

One child, one tiny boy carrying his gear into the rink with the other kids would learn to skate and shoot and pass in the Ice Palace. A boy who would grow to be the most accurate passer and puck possession specialist in all of hockey. A soft spoken child who would grow only to the height of 5’9” and never weigh more than 175 lbs but would be instrumental in changing the face of North American and Soviet hockey.

Igor Nikolayevich Larionov (Игорь Николаевич Ларионов), born on December 12, 1960. Talented beyond measure, Larionov was groomed to play professional hockey for the Russian elite league. He would become one of Russia’s most legendary and heralded centers.

At age 16, growing up in a small industrial city obsessed with hockey, his life goal was to play center for the hometown team, the Khimik Voskresensk. An unimaginable chain of events would take him further from his home and the Voskresensk Ice Palace than maybe even he ever dreamed.

Rink of Dreams

Constructed in 1953 by Nicolay Epstein, the Voskresensk Ice Palace was built to give the local fertilizer plant workers a place to play hockey. With his own hands, Epstein is said to have fashioned its stained-glass windows and poured the water to make the ice. Along with the Ice Palace, Epstein was also responsible for founding the Khimik Voskresensk, (the “Chemists”), now one of the oldest hockey clubs in Russia.

Epstein’s Ice Palace is truly a hockey Field of Dreams. Or a “Rink of Dreams”, if you will so indulge me.

Considered a provincial team, the Khimik was never initially expected to compete with the likes of Dynamo Moscow and CSKA Moscow. But from Epstein’s efforts, the Khimik quickly grew to be a serious national contender.

From 1957 to 1989, the Khimik had great success, winning national championships, 3 bronze and one silver championship, with its own homegrown talent. Due to these historic feats, Khimik is well established amongst the best Russian teams of the Soviet era. Over the years the Khimik has consistently produced unparalleled local talent that garnered its team great national success.

Beside Larionov, Russian talent like Andrei Markov, Valeri Kamensky, Vyacheslav “Slava” Kozlov, Alexander Ragulin and German Titov came from this city and the Khimik organization. Vasilyev, the much lauded and revolutionary coach from the Khmik, is credited with creating the trap defense called “the sack of Voskresensk,” (Yes, created the very same trap D so effectively utilized by teams like New Jersey Devils). Coach Vasilyev was also famous in Russia for developing well-balanced teams with an even mix of gifted veterans and young guns, much like the system so perfectly exhibit by the Detroit Red Wings of the past 17 years.

The symbolism that some of the greatest Russian players came from a town defined by fertilizer and hockey is not lost on this blogger.

As a teenager it was Larionov’s dream to play for the Khimik. The lessons learned from hours of observation and play in that arena would carry through his entire career. However, because of his immense talent the Red Army would ultimately (and over his protests) force him to play for CSKA Moscow where he would earn an international reputation as the “Russian Gretzsky”.

More than a Hockey Player

Incredibly, Larionov’s legacy to the sport of hockey is much greater than his role on the ice. Because of his tireless efforts and an unwavering commitment his ideals, No. 8 would forever change the face of professional hockey. Larionov is responsible (along side Slava Fetisov) for opening the doors of Russia and convincing the Soviet government to allow Russian players to leave the country and play hockey in the NHL.

Russian players would not have made it into the NHL in the late 1980’s as they did without Larionov’s efforts. No. 8 was instrumental in fighting for years and years to convince the cold war Soviet government to permit it professional players the right to leave the country and play elsewhere. Without Larionov, many Russian players might have been forced to defect, risking their lives, as well as the safety of their families and loved ones, just for the opportunity to play in the NHL.

Only an incredibly valuable player, one with that rare combination of awe inspiring talent, intellect, diplomacy and ideals could have succeeded in so quietly bringing about the change that heralded in the Russian era of NHL Hockey. The Game as we know it today, a game where skilled, slick puck handling is revered, where puck possession and trap defenses produce amazing successes, well such incarnation of the sport might not exist without the strength of Larionov’s convictions and commitment to his ideals.

To work within a government seeking change where the individual was not granted a voice, where a belief in freedom was punished and to successfully challenge such a system is unfathomable. The idea that one individual could sway a system as oppressive and controlling as the Soviet government during the height of the cold war is almost incomprehensible. These are the things Igor Larionov accomplished off the ice.

You have to wonder how such strength of conviction and lifetime commitment to seeking change evolves. How does a slight 5’9” son of a factory worker, soft spoken and bespeck-ed, from a small industrial town 88 miles outside of Moscow come to so unwaveringly uphold the idea that people should be free and then fight for such rights?

Convictions and Ideals

Igor Larionov’s convictions and ideals were born from a childhood and family tradition that, despite living and directly suffering at the hand and sickle of a brutal Stalinist regime, still firmly entrenched notions of freedom, political participation and free will into the mind of the young hockey player.

The Larionovs were a family of free thinkers, radical and revolutionary during the Stalin era and at a time when paranoia was incredibly heightened by the Cold War. His entire family history is filled with stories of the horrors of an oppressive government with no regard for individual rights or liberties.

Larionov’s grandfather, Ivan Larionov was sentenced and banished to Siberia at the height of the Stalin regime, punished for his dissidence and outspokeness. In the middle of the night, the year 1937, KGB agents hauled Ivan Larionov away while his wife and their five sons slept. The family woke the next day to find their father gone and spent the next 14 years struggling to survive.

Igor Larionov’s father Nikolai, had been a boy at the time he lost his father to Siberia, and he grew up knowing nothing but the most abject poverty and fear. Nikolai was only 14 when he began full time work at a munitions and bombs factory. There were many occasions when the five boys nearly starved, sometimes sharing “one sugar cube a week." Larionov has said in interview with USA Today.

Ivan Larionov spent 14 years in the Gulag. Only after the death of Stalin in 1953 (the same year the Ice Palace was built), was Ivan finally able to return home. In interview, Larionov has said: "My grandfather was lucky, most people were either executed in the gulags or died there. … It’s the saddest part of our history.”

I don’t know how much the reader knows about Stalin’s Siberian gulags, but the stories that come from those times are as horrific as any genocidal story you can find coming out of Rwanda, Darfur or Bosnia. Tales of torture and cannibalism, only melt the tip of the iceberg.

As if one Siberian gulag story weren’t enough, Larionov’s maternal grandfather, Fedor Barankin, wounded during World War II, was taken to a labor camp in Norway. He was released at the end of the war, returning home, expecting to be recognized a hero. However, but the Soviet government decided he was a German spy and imprisoned him for several years.

“I still get goose bumps, comparing my life to theirs,” Larionov has said. “I can’t even imagine what it was like for them.”

A government that punishes you for speaking out, a government who wrongly accuses a war hero of being a spy. Here in the States we think nothing of finding such a circumstance abhorrent and unconscionable. We speak out on such things all the time and hopefully will never be able to imagine fearing death or prison for speaking our minds.

You might be tempted to think that one would be inclined to suffer at the hand of the Soviet government in fear and silence. Despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that the Soviet government had punished his family for its radicalism, Igor Larionov made his voice count. Larionov’s family legacy for questioning authority and strength of principle and purpose was firmly ingrained in the young Igor.

Larionov has often told the story of his family listening clandestinely to Voice of America radio broadcasts each night. “There was a fear of the KGB, so you had to be careful not to tell anybody you were doing this” he told USA Today,

“At 12 years old, I was already asking, ’What is really happening in the world?’ I was being taught something very different from what I was hearing on Voice of America. I was hearing songs by the Beatles. I wanted to know the truth, to taste freedom, to experience all that life had to offer.”

It was this background and system of principles that would guide and drive Igor Larionov to stand up for basic freedoms and civil rights. To bite the hand that fed him for the better of his comrades on skates. A strength of conviction and absolute courage that propelled him to take on the same government that tortured and nearly killed his grandfathers that which punished his family for ideals we North Americans take for granted. Larionov never let go of the ideals and principles bestowed by his grandparents and father and his actions honored their lives.

Funny, Voskresensk means “resurrection”, and is translated as “New Jerusalem”. I wonder if Epstein knew his Rink of Dreams would in fact create hockey’s second coming.

I know I know,- that is TOTALLY over the top, but come on, how was a character like me really gonna be able to ignore such symbolism? I’m only human you know, not like The Professor…

Still. Perhaps its not its taking it too far to say that in the year 1953, a year in which both Stalin died and a Rink of Dreams was built, a true “resurrection” of sorts took place in Voskresensk Russia, heralding an era that would eventually produce a man and player who could change an entire system.

Originally posted on Monday November 10, 2008 @ 05:28 PM EST at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/23689

Cali Hat Trick: Part 1: Wings-Kings October 27 at The Staples Center

There simply isn’t anything like seeing your own team play live and up close. But when you're a Red Wings fan living 2,297 miles from the Joe, well you just don’t get many opportunities.

If you have had the misfortune to stumble across some of my work before, you know that Red Wing Hockey means something extraordinary to my family.

Ever since moving to Los Angeles in 2003 and 2005 respectively, my brother and I have been pretty Red Wing deprived. Struggling with time zone issues and just being so far away, we have to work, - really work, to follow our Boys in Red. Watching our team at all, much less attending a live Wings game, threatened to become nothing more than a fond memory of the past. We would often lament this fact and try to remind ourselves that we should feel lucky to have greatest hockey team in the world as our home team and a part of our family history.

Lucky in the way "old timers" who remember attending Brooklyn Dodger games were "lucky" to have such indelible memories, the Detroit Red Wings are so firmly etched in the fabric of my family history, that we could never completely lose touch. Still once living far from the D, we knew we had to do everything we could not to allow such an important part of our lives diminish.

Maybe it’s more than just hockey. Maybe it’s a bit of the fact that we love this team, this 11 time Stanley Cup winning organization almost like family. That they share with their fans such revelry and joy; that all the players young and seasoned, continually embrace Wings fans, showing as much gratitude for us as we feel for them. That they’ve become so important to us because they participate in the community. That rather than a trip to a strip club, a Red Wing is more likely to take the cup to Baskin Robbins and let all the little kids in the community eat ice cream out of it. Maybe its because we feel like we know these players so well and we care so much about them and know they love us so that Red Wings fans continually show up 1,000,000+ strong to support the team when it achieves great things. Proving that from Helm to Mr. Ilitch, the Littlest Red Wing fan to Mo’Cheese, Detroit deserves to be called Hockeytown.

Maybe its one of the last links my brother and I maintain with our hometown and its memories. Maybe its because all the strength, success and memories these Wings give us cements a bond between a mother, brother and two sisters, who share their love of the game. Maybe all of the above.

Whatever the motivation, my brother and I made a deal- each year for his birthday I get him gets tickets to the first Wings-Kings game of the year. Obviously, we hope to see great hockey, but we also hope to show our love and respect for our team, reminisce a bit and to relive some of the magic and love this Red Wing franchise has brought our family over the last 20+ years.

Foolish mortals that we are, we thought a single Wings game, once a year would be enough… HEDHS (H-E-Double Hockey Sticks), I know guys who have waited 10 years to see a live game. My Uncle Rick who lives 20 minutes from the Joe, has been a Wings fans since before I was wearing double bladed skates and I am not sure he’s seen more than a handful of live games. Nevermind that during the original glory years we were incredibly spoiled by family members with season tickets who generously took us to home game after home game…..upon moving to LA, we convinced ourselves that "really, it would just be good to see a live game and watch the Wings, once or twice a year”…

My first year here, we sat 18 rows up behind the Wings goal for the October 2005 Wings-Kings Match Up, overwhelmed by the sea of red coating the Staples Center and loving every minute of the win. Feeling nothing but love, choking up just a little when we watched Stevie Y stand at the blue facing our section for the National Anthem and my brother said “could be the last time we ever see him play.” And when the announcer called “One Minute of Play” we knew it would never be enough. We actually walked out dejected and feeling like we had lost something.

Each year since we have added more games, picked better seats, justifying with the most transparent logic: “Oh well, what’s $200/seat when season tickets at the Joe are in the thousands??” or “It’s the only game of the year on a full moon where we will get to see the Wings play the Ducks- We have to go.”

We started increasing our attendance, hitting 2 Kings games and a Ducks game a season, joking about Cali hat tricks.

Then the idea took hold and we knew soon we’d have to achieve the great Californian Dream: To hit a Wings game against each of the Cali teams- a Natural Cali Hat Trick. And this year is the year.

Yesterday we kicked off our Great Cali Hat Trick- Detroit Stylee Tour. This Season, my Brother and I will (did) attend a Wings-Kings game (10/27/08), a Wings- Ducks game (1/15/09)with our Sister and for the piece de resistance,...

The January 17 match up between the Detroit Red Wings and Los Tiberons of San Jose…

Hence I bring you the first blog in my Cali Hat Trick Series: Wings Kings: October 27th, 2008.

Soo, Cats and Pajamas grab your Guinness and your favorite flavor of ice cream… it’s a long one…

*Warm Ups and Puck Bunnies.*

Ok ok. Really just one Puck Bunny- me. In all the years at the Joe, when my brother would insist on getting to the arena in time for warmups, I never went down and stuck my nose against the glass. If anything I hung back 4-5 rows and let the little kids all play. Not sure why… But this year, for some completely inexplicable reason 6 pm Downtown Los Angelean rush hour traffic on the 101 parted like a Red Sea, opening it up for my Brother and I to arrive at the Staples Center well before the warm ups began, and I knew I’d be sitting on the glass when the boys skated out. I was super excited.

First, Goyo and I wandered the Staples Center a bit, debating whether accepting/holding the Kings Calendars they gave out at the entry was bad luck or not, I decided it was and refused to hold mine. Quite a conundrum though, since I wanted to give the calendar to my co-worker who is a diehard and long suffering Kings fan. My brother was kind enough to carry both calendars around.

We grabbed some chow and brew and we made our way into the arena, which despite being colder than we ever remember the Joe being, would not produce a fast slick solid ice surface for 60 minutes (but more on the Kings “Ice Girls” later). We meandered to our seats, 13 rows up, high enough above the glass to see the ice clearly, but a little too near the goal end for my tastes, even if it was near Ozzie. My brother declined to accompany me to the glass, where some 150-200 Wings fans were slowly beginning to congregate around the edge of the arena. I hopped several rows of seats to land on the glass, three seats away from the Wings’ chute. Pucks were being stacked, sticks being set out.

And everyone waiting was just awesomely friendly and nice. I made friends with a record executive who had loved the Wings long before she landed in LA, who had flown back to the D, just to attend Game 5. She described the roller coaster of living through that game in the Joe: the way in the final minutes of regulation, the Wings staff had started prepping for celebration; the Crowd constantly chanting “We want the Cup”; the stunned heartbreaking silence that befell the Joe just 34 seconds before the end of regulation. A group of us were enthralled with her story until I felt a tiny tap on my shoulder ...

There stood three of the most adorable little boys you ever saw, a sandy brown shaggy haired, tan little surfer boy about age 10, a little feisty blondie who looked like _Calvin_ sporting a Phoenix Coyotes hat, and a towhead in a toddler sized Wings sweater- the spitting image of my brother as a baby all smiled shyly at me. I felt like I had been transported back to the days of watching my brother Goyo and his best buddy Jay sit on the glass at the Joe.

“You boys want to come down here?” I asked, looking around for their parents, but not seeing anyone who looked like they were claiming these rapscallions for their own. The boys just shyly looked at me, not blinking, not answering. I knew their dad had probably told them to stay put, but gosh!

Rock, hard place, meet Juice. You can’t just start picking up other people’s kids and lifting them over three rows of seats. Parents get really nervous about strange people touching their kids. But I knew those boys wanted to be in the front row, and there was plenty of room. I kept looking for the mom or dad or something, while _Calvin_ hopped up and down and said “Know what, know what?”

“Uh un, what?” I asked.

“I have a Phoenix Coyotes hat.”

“I can see that, are you a Coyotes fan?”

“Yep.” He said sticking his finger behind a loose canine and wiggling it. Still no parents. Ugh! The players would be out any minute.

“Well, are you boys ready for the game?”

“Yeah!” in a raucous singsong chorus.

“Whose your favorite player?” I asked each.

Surfer Boy responded “Doughty.”

Despite that fact that the boys were surrounded by five women all sporting Red Wings gear we were enchanted by these little hockey fans and we enthusiastically responded:

“Alright! He’s good!”

_Calvin_ jumped up and down, and raised his hand.

Yea, he _raised_ his hand. I loved this kid.

I could not help but laugh as I asked: “And who is yours?”

He responded with a super silly grin: “Ummmmmmmm,” as he thought about it putting one finger to his chin, then shouting, like a light bulb had just gone off “Shane Doan!”

“Alright!” we ladies said in chorus. Then I said “next to Wile E. Kenoyote, He’s my favorite Coyote too!”

(Hey, what can I say, the guy is nailing it for me in Fantasy) … Then I leaned down and asked the Littlest Wing Fan:

“And who is your favorite?” He pulled at his sweater and worked very hard to formulate his answer. He couldn’t have been more than 3 years old with the sweetest little chubby cheeks and big brown eyes.

“Brett Lebda” he whispered in that sweet toddler voice, and Calvin jumped in, blurting as fast and loudly as he could:

“BRETT LEBDA IS HIS COUSIN. HE GAVE US THESE SEATS. HE’S GONNA COME OUT OF THERE AND BE ON THE ICE, HE'S HIS COUSIN!!!!!!!” And the Littlest Red Wing prodigy suddenly ran back to the end of the aisle where a group of adults milled, grabbing hold of poppa's legs. The other boys followed suit. Just before _Calvin_ left though, he jumped up and down once more and raised his hand:

“oh oh, guess what?” he said.

“What?” I asked.

“I have a dentist appointment tomorrow.”

“Well,” I laughed. “Dental hygiene is important, ‘specially for a hockey player.” He looked at me curiously, trying to figure out what on earth I meant before bolting after his buddies.

Shortly thereafter, the team came out for warm ups, and we all went nuts. I had trouble with my camera battery, but there are a few pics. The boys just looked so great and it was a little overwhelming to be that close to the Stanley Cup Champs. Everyone had an air of concentration about them, but if you watched closely they also had a sense of ease, messing with each other, playing subtle tricks on each other…..it was awesome to see the Eurotwins with Lids, Rafs and Hossa execute the sickest 5 way pass drill…

We shot picture after picture, and I am sorry to report to my dear Red Wing fan friends Kiki and Jess that Z spent an inordinate amount of time right next to me, stretching…

And skating, "hanging out", pretending not to know I was there, as if that trip to Tijuana never happened…. Look, _I’m just saying_. I mean _sure_ he looked Jess right in the eyes at training camp with that "come hither" stare that would cause any mortal woman to drop her camera and crawl over the glass, but I’m 99 and 44/100% sure that despite the fact that he was playing me a little coy, he is completely in love.

See, in the picture below you can totally tell that he’s just about to whisper over his shoulder “You, me, Cabo, after the game.”

.

I don’t like to brag, but well, Z was not the only game in town. Because the moment he left my side, first Jiri Hudler and then Andreas Lilja magically appeared, it was eerily cyclical. Picture this: player after player just skating up to me there at the point, waiting a minute then skating off- I’m telling you, it was as if they were drawn to my space by something bigger than puck bunny karma…

By the time Lilja skated up, the only people left hanging out right there on the glass by the bench were the record executive lady Johanna, Mohawk/piercings guy and me.

Everyone else had moved down to the aisle or by the goal to watch Ozzie work it out. Even some of the other single girls had moved away, or were hanging back 2-3 rows. Curiously, Lilja just hung out there against the glass, at the point, never looking our way. I was waiting for him to jump into the play, ready to take a pic, when suddenly he turned, looked my way, winked and flipped me a puck.

And despite my utter surprise and the fact that all of the sudden there were about 4 other magically appearing “puck bunny bridesmaids” all lunging for the “puckquet”, I managed to catch Lilja’s puck high up, with one hand.

I was totally shocked and I yelped a little. Then in what can only be described as my worst puck bunny move EVER, I blew him a kiss and he grinned, skating off.

OH YEA. I DID! I blew a married guy a kiss- what a complete loser. To be fair, he’s really cute and I didn’t know he had a hot wife and two cute kids…no. Wait there is no justification for this.

I know. I’m an embarrassment to my gender, my family, my country.

You’ll be please to know that I quickly recovered my senses. As I turned around to show the puck to my brother (who was sitting bored in our seats, staring at the ceiling), something caught my eye. About 7 rows back, two of the cutest little blonde girls, one in a pink Red Wings jersey and the other in a red Lidstrom sweater wearing pigtails and glasses. They were clearly trying to run down near the ice, having seen that the players were starting to toss pucks. They stood dejected, realizing they had missed the opportunity. I tossed my puck to the girl wearing No. 5.

Oh please, you would have too!

Along with the kids and several other adults, we all were shouting players names as they wizzed by. We sounded silly, but HEDHS sometimes its just darn exciting to see Pavel Datsyuk fly by or Nic Lidstrom hang out 10 feet from you.

It wasn’t like we expected them to look at us and they didn’t really pay any attention to the fans on the glass, as they were focused on the task at hand. There was a sense of urgency that I held through the whole game, of *really wanting our boys to know how much support they have out here in LA.*

Then in the *ultimate flashback*, D-Mac (looking more fit than I have ever seen) started flipping pucks to kids in our section, until every last puck was gone, signaling the end of warm ups, just like he always used to do at the Joe. And all that nostalgia and love for my team just welled up and I could not stop grinning. And there was something in my eyes, ice chips, dust or something. They would not stop watering the entire time I watched MacAttack flip pucks to the kids.

I returned to my seat with inexplicable gleeful. I could not stop grinning for about 10 minutes. Goyo and I talked about the warm up games and he mentioned how incredibly fun it would be, to be in goal during that final drill where everyone was mobbing the crease taking shots on Conkblocker.

*BLOG INTERMISSION*

_Brought to you by Jack Rabbit Slims and Juice’s Mexican Adventures Travel Agency._ With Coach Jules Winnfield and Foxforce Five telling you to get up, stretch, twist, take a potty break, get a sandwich, question how someone can say so little with so much, and bemusedly shake your head that we haven’t even gotten to the game yet… Maybe ask yourself why you continue reading this 10-15 page blog….

*INTERMISSION OVER*

The stands started to fill up and much to the chagrin of myself and my LA Kings fan neighbors who lost their hearing during the game, I was one of only 14-15 Wings fans in Section 119. As much as I disliked being so far down the ice, let’s face it you don’t get better luck than sitting in Seat No. Lidstrom, Row Datsyuk, Section Yzerman.”

Ok ok- wow are you still here??? Well, in an effort not to turn one silly hockey game into a novella, I will resort to giving you highlights….

*Hockey Town Representing in LA: Octo-stylee*

I know I have already blathered excessively about Red Wings fans in this blog but Wings fans represented well, filling at least a third of the lower bowl with Red Hockey Sweaters. Of particular impress was that most of the first 5 row of sections 110, 112, 113 were filled with Red Sweaters.

Showing Flyers “Fans” How its Done: Why Toss Fireworks When You can Throw Animals???? (Yes, the sarcastic faced icon is implied- both sets of offending fans should be permanently banned from arenas.)

Not one, but two Octopi were lobbed onto the ice from a section right behind us, far too close over my head for my comfort last night. The first was about 30 seconds into the game, and you know what???? It disrupted a Wings breakaway. While it is a little difficult for me to begrudge an enthusiastic Wings fan his moment, I mean for all we know the guy had that thing in the freezer since last May, just dreaming and wishing he could be the one to toss seafood onto the ice,

*DUDE.*

*_Dude,_ you screwed up a play that could have taken us up 1-0*.

The second toss of the cephalopod (in the Third) was almost immediately followed by a Kings goal, that bounced in, off NICK LIDSTROM’S SKATE.

So tell me Octopi throwing people, are you trying to jinx us? Don’t you know that its not good luck to throw Octopi unless it the playoffs???? PLUS, if the League wants it can fine the Wings or issue a delay of game penalty for throwing the creatures. Please don’t let’s start such a trend for Wings away games…..its senseless and it wastes the life of an intelligent and interesting sea creature.

*Of Lion Kings and Ice Girls*

It is heartening to note that the arena was definitely filled with Kings fans, who were very very excited about their team this year and have reason to be. I want to send out a special hello to the Littlest Kings Fan who sat next to me during the game, whose entire focus was divided between Bailey the Lion (the Kings Mascot) and the Kings Ice Girls. The kid was adorable, telling his pop he liked the Ice Girls better than the players. And just when I thought he couldn’t get cuter, I caught him watching my brother and I as we jumped up to join in a “Let’s go Red Wings” chant coming from another section late in the Second. I winked and clapped my hands. The Littlest Kings Fan then turned to his dad and sang:

“Let’s go Red Wings.” …

over and over until the Ice Girls took to the ice. Kid had his priorities you know.

LA Ice Girls seemed to make frequent appearances- at least 3-4 times a period. And based on the number of young Wings who found themselves “milling” and skating nearby while the LAIGs pushed their shovels along the ice, I promptly recognized them to be a cheap distraction tactic. HEDHS, they didn't even scrape up any ice! When I said as much to my brother, he tried to argue that that they did actually pick up quite a bit of snow. I almost spit my beer out my nose, though I refrained from responding “Bro, you have to be kidding me. Those girls can barely lift their aluminum shovels, if there were any real snow on the shovel face, there is no way they’d be able to pick it up and dump it in the bins.”

Let him live in his delusion, we all know those girls are for show…(fo'sho').

*Beer Bets*

Alright Live_for_Hockey, where were you? True, we had not accounted for a 1-1 score after the first period in our bet, but unless you dressed in a Red Wings home jersey, sporting a full beard and pretending to be a 55 year old longshoreman named John, then by my account, you welched on our beer bet…Come on! I stood outside sections 112-113, by the 11th Street Exit for a good 10 minutes after the first period having my hand kissed by a kind, but grandfatherly sailor…You owe me a beer.

*Playing Cat and Mouse*

In hushed tones, while waiting for the game to start, I presented my brother with a certain theory I have been mulling over for about a week now. My theory that if the Wings were going to give up any game on this 4 game road trip, odds favored it being against the Kings. Hey. The Wings haven’t lost a single game that I have attended in the Staples Center and I have been here since 2005. In fact, the Wings have won all but one game in the Staples Center since 2002-2003. Also the Kings are really starting to show the effects of having a solid coach. They look like a relatively better organized, more solid team. In particular their starters look very good together and LaBarbera who saw rubber 37 times, was solid (almost always) when he needed to be. Further, the Wings were 4-0 on the road coming into this game, with three more road games on the West Coast before heading home. I had an idea in my head that if complacency were to rise up amongst these Wings it might be against an underestimated LA Kings team.

But I could not have been more wrong. In fact, this game strengthened my theory that the Wings are never complacent, but rather play cat and mouse with their opponents. Oh sure, at the beginning of the season I lamented that they were letting every lead slip away, and but for a stupid turnover last night by Kings veteran Gaulthier, the Wings would have lost. But one thing remains certain, no matter who the opponent, no matter how late in the game, when the Wings want to take control –they do so with a mind blowing intensity that often times leaves their opponents wondering “WTF” just happened?

_*Kings Came to Play:*_

The Kings starters, comprised of Kopitar, O’Sullivan, Calder, Greene, and Doughty are jelling well and will only get better under Murray’s guidance. The addition of Terry Murray as coach is the first near genius move the Kings' Front Office has made since 1993. They have significant holes, (like say, needing a veteran, experienced winning future HHOFer forward, perhaps one with ties to NY???) but they can no longer be taken lightly. And the Wings knew this. The tone of the warm ups conveyed a seriousness and focus I did not expect.

The Kings often had near break aways, and pressured our zone consistently until they began to tire after the second period. They had few but good scoring chances. They looked stronger than any recent year past.

_*OZZIE!*_

Winning his third straight game, Ozzie got the assist in the second, on Hossa’s PP goal. He looked calm and confy in the net. He may have only had 19 shots on net, but as my brother (Cali goaltender extraordinaire) always reminds me, “Its much harder to stay focused and in the game, ready to make the big save, when you see less shots.”

_*Work Smarter, Not Harder:*_ Valtteri “two T’s two P’s, Filppula

Filps was driving me crazy all night. He was all over the ice, but missing and dropping passes, often looking like he was lost or in the way. The fact that he tied it up with less than a minute left in the third, redeems the crazy play only slightly.

_*“Tomas, er, Daniel” Cleary*_

Ok I get it, you are taking a page from Homer’s “Buns of Steel, the“NOT IN THE CREASE” edition workout DVD/ playbook… but why you gotta block your own teammates shots???? Twice our shots on net bounced off of Daniel, one being a No. 5 special: A Slapper from the Blue. I'd crab about this more, but it seems like the welts he probably got from the Lidstrom slapper are punishment enough. Plus Cleary has really big blue eyes.

_*What’s Happenin’ Hossa Stuff????*_

Marian Hossa continued his streak of fire, playing three periods so strong and solid, his presence on the ice is incredible and he has totally jells with Homer. There is no doubt he fits this team well, and frankly after seeing how darn hard he works on the ice, and how he has that same Zetterbergian, Datsyukian, Lidstromian, Homerist, Osgoodian fire to win, I am totally in love with his play, and spent the better part of the drive home wondering how we can find salary cap space for him next year…

_*To the left the left, every puck you clear to the corner, not left*_

Kronner!!!! Quit turning toward your own goal when you spin into your clearing pass. How many times are you gonna shot on your own teammate before you figure this out bro???

_*Do U Datsyuk??? HEDHS yes!*_

I was particularly looking forward to seeing Pavel up close and in real live action and knew I wanted to follow his play most closely. I'm still trying to figure our if he and Hossa are clicking. Naturally, Dats is being constantly double teamed, but seeing him finish his checks, and seeing him really work – almost in grinder fashion to get the puck in front of the goal… well it gave me a real sense of the idea that Pavel can do it all, whatever is asked of him. And his shootout goal was thing of beauty….I expected no less.

_*Z*_

What can you say???? Z’s fire and desire to win consumed the entire game, he was everywhere and all over the place, he was the hardest working man in Hockeywood last night. Obviously his slow start this season was the product of that groin pull. There just is something intangible and mesmerizing about the intensity Zetterberg is bringing to the ice, each day, every game. He’s just a monster.

_One Minute of Play_

For me, there are few things as heartbreaking as hearing “One Minute of Play”. Worst part of the game, even if the Wings are winning.

My brother and I had the early misfortune of over hearing my neighbor alert everyone to the fact that there were only 5 minutes left in the second period. And we just gave each other the "look". The games go too fast, and it starts to get so painful to realize that it will be another 3 months before I get to see my Winged Wheelers live and in living color again.

As I wallowed in my self pity, wishing the game could go on forever, Valterri Filppula redeemed himself in my eyes and tied the game up.

How exciting was it to get an overtime and a shootout??? Oh I know its selfish, and presumptuous but when "2Ts, 2Ps" hit his third period tying goal, my brother and I stood up screaming “OVERTIME”…. (Maybe that is why I forgave him for looking sloppy on the ice through the whole game).

Thanks Filps, really thank you.

*Clearing the Ice*

A sister and a brother waited for the stands to clear, staring at the empty ice wishing for more. The 6'4" Forsberg lookalike with the enormous bear paw hands, gave his big-little sister a hug, kissed the top of her head and said "Thanks Sis, love ya." More ice chips in her eyes as a relocated family finds a way to re-invent a tradition.

Thank you, my beloved Detroit Red Wings.

*[Ed Note:* just in case wives, kids or girlfriends should have the misfortune of stumbling across my blogs mentioning certain professional hockey players, please note that all of my comments about flirting, winking, and Mexico trips are in complete jest, and especially everything related to Hank Zetterberg is a complete fabrication, a parody (if you will so indulge), of puck bunnies …there is no winking, kissing, and certainly no "Hanky Panky".]

Originally Posted on Tuesday October 28, 2008 @ 05:37 PM EDT at http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/boards/22889

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