Oh look it's another home game against one of the worst teams in the league. No idea what that must feel like.

Kings by numbers:
Actual record: 17-14-5
Adjusted record: 14 wins, 16 losses, 6 shootouts
Goals scored per game: 2.139, 30th
Goals allowed per game: 2.361, 6th
Leading scorers: Anze Kopitar (10+24 in 36), Mike Richards (13+9 in 28)
Last 5: 4-3 W v. Coyotes, 2-1 SOL @ Sharks, 3-2 SOW v. Ducks, 3-2 SOW v. Leafs, 8-2 L @ Wings (earned 7 points, gave 6)

Blackhawks:
Actual record: 23-9-4
Adjusted record: 19 wins, 10 losses, 7 shootouts
Goals scored per game: 3.278, 4th
Goals allowed per game: 2.778, 15th
Leading scorers: Hossa (16+24 in 35), Sharp (19+18 in 36), Toews (20+17 in 36), Kane (9+25 in 36, < point-per-game, oh noes!)
Last 5: 4-1 W v. BJs, 5-1 W v. Habs, 3-2 L @ Pens, 4-2 W v. Flames, 4-1 W v. Ducks (earned 8 points, gave 2)


So the Kings brought in Darryl Sutter to "change the culture," but so far the only sign of a culture change is that they semi-convincingly beat Jason LaBarbera and some old guys. Other than that, it's been the same old LA Kings, with Jonathan Quick keeping them in games while the skaters struggle to score their two goals a night. It's easy to look at Mike Richards, Anze Kopitar, Crosscheck Darling Dustin Brown, and Drew Doughty, and say "this team should be much better than their record indicates!", but their depth is quite wretched in a conference where you need depth, and so it actually kinda follows that this team as constructed would be under .500 with a few more goals allowed than scored.

Still, the Hawks often played lazily against Montreal and Columbus, and they could easily get caught napping against A Team With Something To Prove. No 18-shot efforts tonight; throw everything you've got at Quick in hopes that something goes in.

Not sure who our goalie is, but with two one-goal wins, probably Crawford.

Win it for Dan Bernstein, and convincingly so, or else he's just going to complain about white people!

_________________

Maybe I'm not keeping up with my hockey gay but what is the deal with Adjusted record?

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Sigh, yours is better I hate you...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

It takes the "loser point" out of the equation. Regulation and overtime wins are considered wins, regulation and overtime losses are considered losses, and shootouts, whether won or lost, are considered ties. This becomes important as we end the season, because regulation/overtime wins are a tiebreaker for playoff seeding. If two teams have 98 points, whoever got to 98 with the most actual wins gets the edge. Also important because there are no shootouts to muddle things in the postseason, so seeing the standings in won-lost-tied can paint a clearer picture.

It's a good way to deflate the records of teams who tie actual games and win shootouts. The Devils, for example, are 8-1 in the shootout, and would see their semi-respectable 19-15-1 record busted down to 11-15-9, which more accurately represents their play. Or the Avs, who would drop from 19-18-1 to 13-19-6 without being 6-0 in the shootout.

_________________

Gotcha. Thanks. I probably should have figured that out.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

I dunno dude, that's some Avaya level 6 type knowledge


Hi Darko

_________________

Not gonna be an Avaya guy much longer dudes.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Oh, and this team should be much better than their record indicates...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

You know CH, if only you had a brother that has played and coached hockey on some level you might be as good as shakes at discussing hockey. Kane maybe a ppg player but really seems like he's not making an impact out there too often. Full disclosure , I'm with crosscheck on Stalberg.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

You're not wrong. Kane falls off the score sheet for games at a time. So too, much more stealthily, does Toews.

_________________

Maybe its because Toews makes his presence known even when he's not scoring ( faceoffs, kills penalties). When Kane isn't scoring he doesn't add much else.

_________________
Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Whom do you have in mind? I don't think they can get a bona fide first-line forward, but there are plenty of perfectly acceptable second-line guys out there. You can go get Prospal from the BJs, but he's more a playmaker than a scorer. PA Parenteau intrigues me, but I'm worried about guessing wrong on a guy who's been scoring his team's points because someone has to. Ruutu could work. Bobby Ryan would be terrific, but the Ducks have no reason to part with him when they can just draft high and flesh out their strong core.

_________________

The deal should clear easily as long as Brunette puts enough money on the books for Carolina to reach the floor.

aaand Capgeek says it works, but there's no reason to part with any pick higher than a third-rounder when it's just shuffling each other's expiring contracts and helping Carolina cut costs for the rest of the year (down from $51.44MM to $49.25MM).

_________________

Only if the hawks can turn Ruutu around for Ladd again...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Big nite for Towes and Bolland lites the lamp

_________________
I'm going to bounce from the spot for awhile but I will be back at some point to argue with you about this hoops stuff again. Playoffs have been great this season. See ya up the road.

I'm out.

What a thug that John Scott is...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Already sick of John Scott. Sure has a way of getting penalties that should coincide but don't. Ugh.

EDIT: sure blows that six of the first ten minutes were spent killing penalties, but hey, at least they killed said penalties

EDIT2: is it me or does Tracey Myers never seem particularly happy to be reporting?

_________________

Yeah I was just coming here to say that. Nice 6 minutes of kill, and even though this team can's score, they should still be dangerous over 6 minutes of PP. Any NHL team is.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Cheap call, let'em play refs...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

The hook? That was a legit call. Certainly a legit call for a home team that just killed 6.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

She's a 3 who never really reports anything... I don't get it..

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Lots of pucks sailing inches wide...

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

It takes 2 people to take the puck away from Kane sometimes. He was really good the second half of 2010 but would agree he disappears at times. Toews never does.

I don't always like the way Sharp plays. Waits too much, it works out a lot though.

Ugh, I can't believe fuckin' SANDSTORM has to play before every power play. What, did you scratch the CD with "Get Ready For This" on it?


Still cuter than Josh Mora.

_________________

I predict!
1st star of the game: Jonathan Quick

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Says you...

_________________
team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Fourth game in a row that the Hawks have been a steaming pile in the first period, and yes, I will define having to kill six minutes of penalty time while scoring on neither power play (one of which was a gift), as a steaming pile. You can get away with that against lost souls like the Canadiens and Blue Jackets, but, um, guess who's coming to dinner.

_________________

Montador and O'Donnell: The Clusterfuck Brothers

_________________

Man Crawford has been fucking good tonight. Nice to see he's back.

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014