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Out of gas. Hit a wall. Wasted. Pooped. Spent. Beat. Bushed. Drained. Dead. However you want to phrase it, the Los Angeles Kings have simply run out of energy. Following one of the league's toughest schedules in March, by all accounts and purposes, the over-performing Kings have crashed back down to the Earth in the most ungraceful manner with a stinky 0-3 road trip, in which their recent matchup against Minnesota saw them not only blow a 3-0 lead in a very short amount of time, but also surrender six goals against.
Nothing about the team has been consistent over the past 74 games--aside from the consistent rash of injuries. On nights that their goaltending is superb, their offense fails to show up. When they could use some help from their goalie, both Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen have turned in average-at-best replacement level performances. This is not to pin the team's woes on them. While they aren't performing at a Vezina quality, the skaters in front of them aren't exactly all playing at Norris/Hart/Selke levels, either.
Much of that is due to the aforementioned injuries, which has seen players forced to elevate their games beyond their readiness or roles (i.e. Olli Määttä being thrust into a first pairing role or asking 21-year-old rookie in all senses Jordan Spence to be a reliable third pairing NHL defenseman). Alex Edler missed three months and has been slow in his return to the lineup. The losses of Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty (who is now out for the rest of the season following a wrist surgery) are also weighing heavily on the blue line where Matt Roy and Määttä are forced to shoulder the load along with the rusty Edler and Troy Stecher. The former Red Wing has been a big boon to the weary Reign players, but as expected, has not been the team's saving grace--though that was never the intention in trading for him.
What looked like a sure bet two weeks ago to make the playoffs is now looking like dicey odds. The Vegas Golden Knights, with a game in hand, have managed to win their way back into a bubble spot whilst the Kings have slipped into the third spot behind the red hot Edmonton Oilers with blow points against the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and Seattle Kraken looming large.
In this short podcast episode, Sarah and Robyn discuss the team's potential to make the postseason (despite head coach Todd McLellan's insistence that this is the team's "playoffs") and how disappointing it could be if the team manages to miss out on playing more games in May.
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The trade deadline may have come and gone very quietly for L.A., but other teams around the league were busy making moves for what they hope will be a deep playoff run. On this special episode, Ryan Dunn and Sarah Avampato join James and Robyn to discuss the Kings' (lack of) trades and what will hopefully be a lengthy playoff for the team's AHL affiliate, Ontario Reign. Questions pondered include how will Troy Stecher fit in with the team and what are they going to do with their 12 restricted free agents and how that impacted the deadline day? "Dry Island" makes a special appearance in this episode and all four take a strange trip down memory lane.
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On Thursday, at the morning ahead of their final season tilt against the San Jose Sharks , the Los Angeles Kings and their fans got possibly the best trade deadline acquisition news possible: Alex Edler would be returning to the lineup. Out with a broken ankle for 110 days, the team’s inexperienced blue liners sorely missed Edler’s calm, stabilizing presence.
On this episode of Crown Conversations, James and Robyn discuss potential trade deadline moves for the Kings. With Ken Hughes getting quite a haul in return for Ben Chiarot, should Rob Blake consider moving on from some of the young players? But does that help the team? And what kind of moves could the team make over the summer? Injuries forced the issue and the prospects have responded in a big way. It’s good and a great problem to have. But now difficult decisions abound for Blake and the front office. What the future of this team looks like is still anybody’s guess.
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Injuries and illness are a natural part of being human and nothing epitomizes that more than sports, particularly at the professional level. Rivaling 2018 for their oddest rash of injuries, though, the Los Angeles Kings are limping into the home stretch of their season more than a little banged up and bruised. All six of their defensemen who started on the opening roster have now been placed either on Injured Reserved or Long-Term Injured Reserve.
The first domino to fall was Sean Walker, when he suffered season-ending ACL and MCL tears in his knee in a collision with St. Louis' David Perron back in October. Drew Doughty also missed an extended period of time after he bruised his knee during a Dallas Stars game. In Doughty's first game back, Alex Edler broke his ankle a minute into the Minnesota Wild game.
Stepping up in their stead has been the team's younger defensemen Matt Roy, Mikey Anderson, and Tobias Bjornfot along with occasional Ontario Reign call up Christian Wolanin. Olli Maatta, who was expected to be the 6-7D, also stepped in.
But as the pages of the calendar turned from January to February and then March, the Kings were not so lucky to escape the early injury bug. Within the span of one week, Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty (again), Matt Roy, and Tobias Bjornfot all left the lineup with various maladies of some sort. Anderson took a reverse back check from Brad Marchand in Boston, came back for two shifts and didn't return to the game. In that same game, Doughty also injured his right hand at some point. He was seen on the bench closely testing and looking at his hand, though he finished the match and even took shifts in overtime. To add insult to the already lengthy list of injuries, the very next game, Matt Roy suffered some kind of upper body ailment. He played the entirety of the game, but was unavailable for the team's trip to the Tank the next night.
For those keeping score, that's (in order of loss) Walker, Edler, Anderson, Doughty, and Roy unavailable with various upper and lower body afflictions. But wait, there's more! Because the immediate losses of Anderson, Doughty and Roy weren't enough, Tobias Bjornfot also got hurt in the game versus the Florida Panthers. None of this accounts for the injuries to Viktor Arvidsson, Brendan Lemieux, or Dustin Brown--all three of whom went down at or around the same time as the defensemen.
This podcast episode was recorded prior to puck drop of the Panthers game and the loss of Bjornfot in OT. The Kings' season now rests on the shoulders of four rookie d-men in Jordan Spence (who hasn't even completed his first full pro season), Jacob Moverare, Austin Strand, and Sean Durzi along with veteran Olli Maatta and Ontario Reign call up Christian Wolanin. On the forward front, Martin Frk, Gabriel Vilardi, and Rasmus Kupari are getting another chance to shine and all hoping impress enough to make their recalls permanent.
The trade deadline looms large as 3:30 p.m. EDT on March 21 rapidly approaches. General Manager and the Kings' front office have some big decisions to make. If none of their big name key players are ready by or before Monday, how patient should they be? Further, how reliant should they be the on the Ontario Reign's defensemen whose next matchup isn't until Friday, March 18 but are sitting in second place and look poised to make the Calder Cup payoffs? Should the Kings cannibalize the Reign's roster for their own self interests? As it stands, Ontario only has five defensemen on their current roster. Sarah and Robyn touch on these topics and ponder the team's pitiful lack of offense with an eye towards the future. Plus, with all things considered, how close really are the Kings to being contenders?
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Not Dead Ryan Dunn makes his miraculous return from the grave to chat with James and Robyn about the Los Angeles Kings' over reliance on Philip Danault and Anze Kopitar, who are leading the way for their lines and the team as a whole. But the lines with Brendan Lemieux and Dustin Brown have been struggling off and on for much of January. Who is this team? According to James, they're Chaos Creators. But for Robyn, the lack of consistency is tied to a still-unknown identity three years into head coach Todd McLellan's tenure.
The trio also consider who, if anyone, the team should target at the trade deadline and what could make the Kings more successful overall (spoiler: playing the kids).
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The Los Angeles Kings are, at best, a highly streaky team with a seeming identity crisis looming over them for the third straight year. Meanwhile, their Stanley Cup Final foes from 2014 New York Rangers have a solid understanding of who they are and what they excel at--namely, excellent goaltending with timely goal scoring. Their special teams are also among the tops in the league with a sparkling 84.4% on their fifth-ranked penalty kill and eighth on the power play, clipping along at a remarkable 24.8%. But don't overlook their 5v5 offense -- it's tenth in the league at 8.4%. No matter where you look, it seems the Rangers have turned into excellent team with their abbreviated rebuild.
Mike Murphy from Blueshirt Banter joins Crown Conversations to give some highlights about the Rangers and how they've transformed over the last couple years since these two teams have squared off.
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Recorded after the Los Angeles Kings lost to the visiting Calgary Flames and Darryl Sutter, James and Robyn discuss the team's woes and what can be done. Is trading for Jake DeBrusk the answer? What about Kale Clague? (This was obviously before the Montreal Canadiens claimed him off waivers) At the time of the recording, both Brendan Lemieux and Brad Marchand had been suspended for breaking the rules. Plus, the pair play Armchair GM and Armchair Coach. Hear their takes on how they'd slate the current roster and who they'd trade for, if anyone.
Click here for the full transcript.
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Do you love Crown Conversations, but you’re not sure when the next episode will drop? Never fear, you can keep tabs on our podcast by hitting the subscribe button down below, right there just beneath the audio. You can follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or Google Podcasts.
And as always, we’d love to hear from you so if you ever have any questions or comments, leave ‘em below! Shoot us an email at [email protected] or hit us up on Twitter (@crown_podcast) and we’ll be happy to include that, or better yet, include you, in any of the next podcast episodes.
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Unlike Disney, James and Robyn are NOT going to make you wait an entire year for this highly anticipated follow up to an incredible first part. It’s just going to feel like it.
In part 2 of this interview with Jim Fox, the oenophilia and hockey analyst goes behind the scenes (so-to-speak) of his wine label, Patiné Cellars, and its origin story (hint: it involves a lot of travel). Fox also shares how he calls games fair and balanced and the secret to his puns.
Thank you once more to Jim Fox who was extraordinarily generous with his time and was so forthcoming with this wonderfully engaging interview. Who would you like to hear from next? Tell us in the comments below!
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“What’s ‘Luff’ got to do with it!” Jim Fox shouted right after Matt Luff scored his first NHL goal. These silly puns make his broadcast partner Alex Faust groan and roll his eyes, but it’s all in good fun—and levity something Fox likes to sprinkle into his calls every now and again.
Have you ever wondered how the former Los Angeles King and current color analyst comes up with his jokes? Or wondered how he got his start in the wine business? How about where this faved bon vivant likes to eat on the road?
Jim Fox joined Crown Conversations to talk about his side hustle, his analysis style, and how covid changed his work habits. In part one, he touches on preparing for games and chats about his background, what it was like coming to California as a top junior scorer from a small town in Canada, and some of his expectations upon arriving in the City of Angels.
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Viktor Arvidsson was a pretty popular guy on the Nashville Predators, so it’s no surprise that two of his closest teammates were... disappointed to learn that their pal had been traded. But, in terms of a culture add, this should bode well for Los Angeles. Arvidsson, 28, has a keen nose for the net and likes to shoot the puck. A lot. For a team that struggled mightily to get shots off and ended up middle-of-the-pack in terms of unblocked shot attempts, this should be a very big boon for them. Where he’ll slot in, only time will tell. Bringing his stats with him, Bryan Bastin from On the Forecheck joined Crown Conversations to tell us more about Arvidsson and back it up with numbers.
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The Los Angeles Kings finished with the meekest of mehs to end their season. Instead of going out with a bang to prove they were fighters, they quietly disappeared about four games before the year officially ended. James and Robyn reflect back on the good, the bad and the woof. Joining them is special undead former BOC writer Ryan Dunn to discuss what went right with the Kings and where they can improve in the future. Plus, they look at potential trade targets (no, Jack Eichel is not a good fit for the Kings) and predict whom the Seattle Kraken might take in this year's expansion draft (probably not Jonathan Quick, despite the rumors). One name thrown out there? Joe Pavelski. If he's available this summer, should the Kings look at trading for him from the very cap-strapped Dallas Stars?
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The Kings and Ducks are playing a mini playoff series with only pride at stake since neither are making the actual postseason. That said, these "rivalry" games are always treated intensely and there's even more at stake with hot prospects Trevor Zegras and Quinton Byfield (possibly) seeing NHL time. With CJ's help, we go in-depth on the Ducks' problems, the Shea Theodore trade, and how youth does not equate automatic success. He defends Frederik Andersen, stating that the Toronto Maple Leafs actually did get a good goalie in him, but much like Carey Price, is overworked and feeling the burden.
Anaheim is also in desperate need of a full rebuild, but GM Bob Murray seems to be in denial about that while his counterpart in LA, seems to be going about it in the right way. Come for the sad Ducks fan, stay for CJ's piping hot prediction about who will their next Stanley Cup Championship first.
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In somewhat of a surprising move, the Los Angeles Kings traded Jeff Carter to the Pittsburgh Penguins just ahead of the NHL's official trade deadline. While Carter was the most expendable veteran who could be moved, fans were still disappointed to see him dealt away, signaling what is likely the final crushing blow to the team's (extremely slim) playoffs hopes for this year. It's also the end of an era as all the members of 2014's famed "'70s Line" are no longer with the Kings. On top of that, Carter's exit leaves only four players from 2012 and 14's Cup wins: Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick.
But, it's not all doom and gloom for the team. There's hope on the horizon as the kids are starting to look comfortable, even as they struggle for consistency. Alex Iafallo signed a nice extension, that could prove to be a huge boon to the Kings down the road.
Finally, in other Deadline Day news, the Ducks did... something, Kyle Dubas worked cap loopholes like Swiss cheese, and Steve Yzerman swindled Brian MacLellan out of a lot of stuff for Anthony Mantha. How is he so magical??
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Inconsistency is the name of the game for the Los Angeles Kings as they frustrate and falter in their attempts to make the playoffs this year. Some nights they look incredible while other nights, they don't look like they've ever played a single game together. Will Brendan Lemieux's gritty presence help the Kings in any way on the ice? He's great at drawing penalties, but that seems to be his only skill. Rob Blake also traded Mike Amadio for Christian Wolanin in what appears to be a minor league swap. Should the Kings look at trading their big name veterans of Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown, or Jeff Carter? These questions and more answered on the podcast!
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With 28 games in the books, it's time to pull out the spreadsheets and do some math. Or, rather, use a rudimentary understanding of hockey statistics to analyze the Los Angeles Kings' performance so far this season. The Kings are notoriously streaky (thus, the nickname Cardiac Kings), but sometimes corsi and xG (expected goals) can give a pretty clear overall picture of how a team is doing.
In short: Not bad; not good, but not bad, either. No longer Corsi Kings of the past, this team with a lot of inexperienced young players has seen its share of struggles in attempting to close out close games or even generate offense, despite James' assertion that Todd McLellan seems to be tailoring his system to fit guys better. However, as the NHL hits the midpoint of this weird, short season, the underlying statistics paint a very different picture than the eye test. That is, the Kings appear to be trending in the right direction.
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We are back with another fantastic episode! Sorry it's been so long, but life gets in the way sometimes. We take a look at the Kings' youth--is it experience or size that the team truly lacks? James is insistent that the line of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Alex Iafallo is the only one with size and that's why it's succeeding (despite the fact that Gabe Vilardi and Adrian Kempe are both 6'0 or taller, so maybe, as Robyn believes, it's not "size" but inexperience)?
Plus, we discuss Rasmus Kupari's first game and the rotating door of players going from NHL roster to taxi squad to the AHL and back to the NHL.
There's a rumor floating around Canada that Jack Eichel could land either in Los Angeles or New York. Does it make sense for the Kings to try and trade for him?
Then, we go down a rabbit hole of wait, what year is it? No really, what year is it?? Will the Flames trade Johnny Gaudreau? Should Calgary be the ones to trade for Eichel? What year is it again? Matthew Tkachuk: Friend or foe to his own teammates? Will James please stop trying to make division rivals better?
And finally, James gives everyone more disturbing imagery to end the podcast.
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The Los Angeles Kings are off to a disappointing start. So instead of focusing on them, Robyn (sans James, who was busy working today, womp womp) chatted with Erica Ayala, journalist and media member covering all things NWHL. Erica joined Crown Conversations to preview the #NDubble season which kicks off this Saturday, January 23 when newcomers Toronto Six take on hearty fan favorite Metropolitan Riveters.
Erica and Robyn also reflect back on the business aspect of the persistence of the NWHL and how they’ve not only managed to survive thus far, but are actually thriving. It’s an amazing story of perseverance and a determination not to fail in spite of all the odds stacked against them.
Then Erica lays out the NWHL’s bubble situation (two weeks, five games each, plus a sort of “pre-playoffs” round) and discusses whether or not the Connecticut Whale finally have the mojo to make an impact. Plus, are the Buffalo Beauts now the low-key underdog? Can anyone topple the mighty Boston Pride? Will any team be able to slow down the extremely speedy Minnesota Whitecaps? Will Digit Murphy, one of the winningest coaches in women’s hockey, be able to guide her dark horse team (the Six) to a victory? All these questions and more pondered on the podcast.
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New year, new podcast! On this episode, James and Robyn delve deep into the IIHF World Junior Championship and some of the notable Los Angeles Kings prospects playing for a chance at glory, among them being Alex Turcotte, Quinton Byfield, and Alex Kaliyev. James makes note of Turcotte and Kaliyev playing on a line and thinks they almost look like they’re auditioning for a spot on the NHL roster. TSN said Drew Doughty sucks and that made him mad—but is this really “fired up” Drew Doughty or merely irritated on a typical level Drew Doughty? Plus, James introduces a new segment called “James on Jamsen”. Then stick around until the end for a new game of NHL, taxi squad, or Ontario Reign.
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It’s (the end of) December, which means that the holiday season has come and almost gone by this point. ’Tis to be merry and mad! How ever you plan to celebrate with friends and family, be it in person or virtually, there’s sure to be someone who says something stupid and starts some kind of argument with everyone else.
With only New Year’s Eve as the other big holiday remaining, James and Robyn take a look back at some of the most memorable fights and best chirps. Kyle Clifford getting dropped, Anze Kopitar dropping the gloves the one and only time in his career, and Dion Phaneuf tripping over his own skates make the top highlights. Plus, James tries to turn the podcast into a Patrick Maroon Appreciation Lovefest.
What are your favorite fights? What smack talk gets your goat when you hear it? Comment below, we’d love to hear from you!
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Hope everyone had a lovely (holiday) weekend. We dropped the first part of our discussion on the NHL’s latest cash grab shortly before (American) Thanksgiving, so here we are again with the rest of the teams we didn’t discuss the first time around! On this episode, we chat about whatever it is that the Edmonton Oilers are doing, the forgettableness of both the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators ‘ jerseys are as well as the Philadelphia Flyers ‘ disappointing miss (hello, Bernie Parent anybody?)
James also has a dirty suggestion on what former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt should eat for the rest of his life and then we cover the latest news (up to that point) on the NHL’s potential January 1 start date (which is looking more and more unlikely by the hour).
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