Canucks fans….Welcome.

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At least give your Hockey Fest ticket to someone else, man. Those b*tches are SOLD OUT.

An offer of nine-years at $61.2 Million has reportedly been denied by Drew Doughty‘s camp.

Leaning Toward Dean: Here’s my chance to be blunt about the Drew Doughty contract situation, straight forward. That door was opened today amidst reports of Doughty’s most recent contract denial offered by Dean Lombardi. Lord help me if I didn’t worship Doughty’s timeline to re-sign and waste more important thoughts this summer. If the Kings weren’t trying, it’s another story. That’s three offers Lombardi has thrown on the table this summer, the most recent offer carrying Anze Kopitar-type money. Still, not good enough. The guy is 21 years-old, arguably the highest-touted young defenseman in the NHL, and a celebrity in the Canadian hockey market after his stellar performance during the 2010 Winter Olympics with Team Canada. So yes, Doughty’s camp is in the hunt for serious pay and solid job security; But is nine seasons while equaling the yearly salary of Anze Kopitar not good enough?

Thinking it’s time for a gut-check.

Shut the f*ck up Penner. Christ.

Back To The Future
Queue the first installment of June’s KingsCast Summer Hockey Roundtable for a serious dose of honest Doughty critique. Food for thought.

Sour Aftertaste: Please realize here, the members in this group of hockey media in the Episode above are not bashing Doughty’s skill, his value to the Kings blue-line, or his career potential. That’s been well advertised by Doughty himself, but the issues at-hand center on his attitude, his conditioning, feeding to the question that’s building solidity: Is Drew Doughty really worthy of being the highest paid-player on this team?

Attitude wasn’t the only downfall last season.

Trying To Find A Balance: Let’s swap those statistics, and if Doughty’s camp is being this stingy with contract negotiations, then so be it, you can’t argue with 82 games and 59 points. However, a pretty drastic downfall is the reality here, and there seems to be a bit too much demand for the supply – at this point in time. On August 30th, less than ten days ago, Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times reported what seemed to be a concurrence of terms between the Kings and Drew Doughty:

“Lombardi said he spoke Monday with Doughty’s agent, Don Meehan, and made an offer that “codifies what we’ve been talking about for a while.” Lombardi said the offer includes “different lengths for him to consider,” likely six to eight years.”

I consider this report to still be deemed ‘recent’ the way this summer has gone, and the Kings’ latest offer of $61.2 million over a 9-year span must be a result of it. Once the funds are broken into a yearly-salary, Doughty is earning just as much as Anze Kopitar – and situated until he’s 30 years-old. I’m lost here, what’s wrong? They may not want more money overall, but a chunkier yearly-salary over a shorter term, positioning him young and rich with NHL freedom in a few years.

Thirsty for Attention.

M.I.A. – Missing In Appearances: Doughty’s lack of public appearances have jolted the nerves of fans all summer, stemming from his cancellation to boarding the LA Kings Fan Cruise to the recent revelation that #8 will not attend Sunday’s Hockey Fest. The common justification for this will be something along the lines of “Doughty is afraid of getting hammered with contract questions.” If Doughty and the Kings were seriously on the same page, and confident in negotiations, this problem is fixed in an instant. What do scrap employees go for these days, 8.50 an hour? That’s what I make, so I’d consider that fair. “No contract questions for Mr. Doughty, Ma’am”. Simple. If everything is on-par internally with the Kings and Doughty, there’s no shame in shielding certain questions from fans in public environments.

Speaking of Hockey Fest, let’s back-track to last year’s event to take another look at Dean Lombardi‘s “Passionate Proclomation”. Check 3:19 – 5:10 in KingsCast‘s Episode 69.

What’s It Going To Be?: It’s starting to have a negative effect on the Kings’ fanbase, who will miss Doughty’s presence at yet another team event Sunday at Staples Center. That, a team can withstand, but when it begins to have an effect on the team itself, that’s when we’ve got real problems; and the way negotiations have been going, they’re flirting with that possibility. As Keith stressed to me earlier tonight, you don’t want to play games with team chemistry, and any sort of holdout from Doughty would do so. Believe me, I want Drew Doughty to re-sign, and I think Drew Doughty will re-sign. But, does he deserve what he and his agents are asking for? How much more will Dean Lombardi‘s stiff reputation on the hockey market withstand the displeasure coming from Doughty’s camp? One of the sides needs to swallow a slice of pride here, and the way this process has been trending, its time for Don Meehan and Drew Doughty to sacrifice a slice of that cake.

Get your fix. Get it here, and get it now. No looting on this side of town, folks.

KingsCast‘s annual Summer Hockey Roundtable has all six episodes running LIVE. If you’re behind on the times, or itching for a double dose of satisfaction, we’ve got you covered with clear-cut HD streams filled with offseason Kings analysis right here – all on one page. Keith and Chris bring this high profile cast straight into your living room with Kings banter from all angles.

While it’s hot!

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Take a break from those talking heads on the collective networks tracking the NHL‘s Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ve got eight local Los Angeles-based analysts and media members in this segment providing predictions to the outcome of the final series, which sees the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins getting together for a few dates.

Straight-cut here, with each member predicting the series winner, the number of games needed, and who they see as best fit to win the Conn Smythe trophy. We’re repping ESPN, The Fourth Period Magazine, INSIDE SPORTS, Hockeytalk.biz, Frozen Royalty, and NBC Sports – and it isn’t Pierre McGuire!

Series Outlook

These two clubs met just once during the regular season, the Boston Bruins coming out on top on February 26th in the Vancouver confines that houses one of the toughest atmospheres in the NHL. The Bruins won 3-1, overcoming an early one-goal deficit with a Milan Lucic go-ahead tally with under five minutes to play, and Patrice Bergeron shutting the door with some empty-net insurance. Roberto Luongo faced 24 Boston shots, with 22 saves. Tim Thomas took on a heavier load, facing 28 Vancouver shots with 27 saves. The Boston Bruins finished the campaign with 103 points, winning the Northeast Division and taking the third slot in the Eastern Conference. The Vancouver Canucks finished with 117 points, and not only won the Northwest Division and Western Conference, but took the NHL‘s Presidents’ Trophy. Predictions from some of the top Los Angeles hockey media and analysts are below, with mine included at the end.

Dennis Bernstein – Senior Writer/Director at The Fourth Period Magazine

Vancouver Canucks in 5 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“It’s the Canucks year, after slaying the Blackhawks dragon, they’ve gotten better with each round. Roberto Luongo, thought to be the weak link, put up his most impressive effort of the post season in the elimination game vs the Sharks. The Bruins were life and death against the East’s 5 and 6 seeds and are 2nd best in every facet of the game.”

Charles Smith – Executive Producer at INSIDE SPORTS

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“Roberto Luongo should have no problem being the equal of Tim Thomas between the pipes. Bruins are tough, but lack the mobility on defense to shut down the Sedins. Ryan Kesler has taken his game to a stratospheric level. Vancouver has been building up to this for the past several seasons, and finally, the team has achieved critical mass.”

Matt Reitz – Writer at Pro Hockey Talk for NBC Sports

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“If the Bruins thought the Lightning power play was tough, just wait until they see the Canucks who were the best with the man advantage this year. Then there’s the Bruins’ PP that has been absolutely anemic, which won’t get any easier against Vancouver who had one of the best PKs in the NHL. Tim Thomas is the kind of goaltender who can steal a few games in a series, but the Canucks are just too good in every facet of the game to be denied.”

Dave Joseph – Morning Sportscenter Anchor at 710 ESPN Los Angeles

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Roberto Luongo for Conn Smythe Trophy

“The Canucks’ offense will exploit a less-than-mobile Boston defense while Vancouver’s back line will neutralize the Bruins offense. Roberto Luongo will continue his stellar play this post-season and bring the Conn Smythe and the Cup back to Canada. Vancouver’s depth will prove too much for Boston.”

Gann Matsuda – Executive Publisher at FrozenRoyalty.Net

Vancouver Canucks in 5 or 6 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“With the Sedins and Ryan Kesler leading the way, Boston won’t have the answers to what the Canucks will be throwing at them, not with the Canucks holding an advantage in terms of skill and speed, which should negate Boston’s ability to play a physical game. The Canucks also hold a huge advantage on special teams, which spells big, big trouble for the Bruins.”

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Chris Kaliszewski – Co-Editor and Producer at KingsCast.net

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Roberto Luongo for Conn Smythe Trophy

FOOD FOR THOUGHT. EATING AND THINKING. AND KINGS HOCKEY. HELL YEAH.

Kopitar’s tint is more publicly acceptable to me than most of the sunglasses people wear these days – helmet included. Circa 2007. Circa Still Awesome.

TOP FIVE Update: Due to time constraints, which are the cause of me roughing through the last week of a semester at College, and the mind edging away from the hockey scene as the summer commences, there will be some changes to the TOP FIVE countdown here at Dancing in the Reign. The top three games will be crunched into one final segment, due by the end of the weekend. Look out for it, cause it’s going to be an absolute f*cking crisp dollar – I assure you. You can catch #5 on the list HERE, and #4 on the list HERE. Get ready for some memory remedy with recaps of vital victories against another Florida club, a California counterpart, and a Detroit dandy.

Someone Set The Table, We’re Coming At You With Summertime Kings Talk.

That’s Right Folks, The Off-Season Roundtable Is Taking Place This Weekend.

KingsCast Roundtable: Keith and Chris will be hosting yet another off-season roundtable this weekend. They’ll be welcoming a slew of guests to recap the 2010-2011 Los Angeles Kings season, while looking ahead to next year. Here, you’ll get insight analysis on free-agents, trade possibilities, and how the Kings look going into the 2011-2012 season. You can expect to see some solid names in the discussion:

Keith Korneluk & Chris Kaliszewski – KingsCast.net
Jonathan Moncrief – LA Examiner and Inside Sports
Charles Smith – Inside Sports and HockeyTalk.biz
Dennis Bernstein – Senior Writer & Producer – Fourth Period Magazine
Gann Matsuda - Frozen Royalty
Matt Reitz – View From My Seats
John Hoven – Mayors Manor
Dave Joseph – ESPN Radio & ESPN Los Angeles

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Leaving a Trail

Purple to the side, Black and White’s All Right

Purple Nurple: The Kings have all but confirmed uniform changes, it’s all hinging on a public showing, which I expect to come on September 11 at the annual Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fest. The Kings’ website has dropped purple from it’s repertoire like 5th period Algebra, leading you to believe what the club’s future color scheme will look like. The marketing directed toward the 2011-2012 season has been predominantly coded in black and white, further adding substance to the non-official official announcement from Rich Hammond of the LA Kings Insider. Ever since I realized the new “LA” logo was supposed to mock a shield, I’ve grown to like the template a bit more. It took me two and a half years to not see it as a “home plate” or “UPS” design, and that instantly jacked up it’s credibility. I’m shocked at my inability to see this, as it has me questioning my self-proclaimed NHL uniform expertise. But still, they need to knock it off with the unnecessary shoulder piping, and how about adding some shoulder patches?

It’s a clear-cut photoshop job, but figure this as the most credible first look at the new Road uniforms for the 2011-2012 season. Anze, watch that f*cking walk signal and keep the pressure off of that right ankle.

If you’ve yet to see Keith and Chris’ post-game analysis of Game 6 on Episode 106 of ‘Overtime‘, don’t get left out. You can watch here or simply click on the screen-shot below. Both of those options are pretty simple, though, so it’s your preference on how to approach them.

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To most, they weren’t even considered to have a chance, yet the Kings lost this series themselves. It’s saddening, it’s heartbreaking, and it happened in the worst way it possibly could have. To be positive, I can now try and have some sort of life, but those are overrated and filled with too much stupid sh*t anyway. Today I found myself not entrenched with feelings of anger and disgust, but a serious appreciation for how this team finished the season. Anze Kopitar‘s broken ankle didn’t do any damage to the mental capacity of this roster, that’s what’s so great about it. They kept moving, and locked up a playoff position in a heavily saturated group of contenders vying for postseason play in the Western Conference. This, they did without Justin Williams as well, respect is given where it’s due, there’s a tough team here folks. The playoff matchup with the San Jose Sharks looked like an uphill battle from the start. I predicted the Sharks in 6 games, but if two bounces take different routes, the Kings very well could still be playing hockey. Three overtime losses, and the failure to hold a four-goal lead on home-ice. That’s not gonna do it, but it certainly was close.

What’s wrong with this picture? Not only did it happen in the harshest, most absolute worst way possible, but look at the staff on-hand for first-person experience…

The heads were down, but it’s hands-down when we’re talking top defensive defensemen on this roster – Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi. And poor Jonathan Quick – who was magnificent. Yet, a funky bounce finds Joe Thornton’s stick like it had a directed GPS System and this thing’s over. Done.

Actually, a good friend of my mine saw Jonathan Quick without his uniform on the other day and was lucky enough to snap a picture.

Good side or bad side? Tough call.

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The summer awaits us, a time that seems more refreshing by the minute. An 82-game regular season and a chunk of playoff contests can get to the head. Everyone needs a break, time for things to slow down a bit. Before you know it, El Segundo will be in full-swing in just four months for training camp. There are a few players with expired contracts who will be dealt with, a blockbuster-type deal that I could see coming, and the draft. Talking about any of that would take us to overload central, my mind can’t take much more right now.

Thanks for Attention Deficit Disorder

I figure that’s the only reason my blog gets traffic, anyway.

And no, I didn’t photo-shop that. I know.

But really, I want to thank everyone for the readership. I really do appreciate it, and I enjoy working to put together decent content for Kings fans to enjoy. Whether it’s for a quick moment, or something that sticks with you for the day, I enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions with you. Even though I’m a dislocated fan for the time-being, the strength this team’s community exudes is just about the best I’ve ever been a part of. Special thank you’s to:

Keith Korneluk and Chris Kaliszewski: Happy to meet you guys on the Wilshire/Western Purple Line two years ago, and even more happy to have developed a steady partnership. ‘Overtime’ is quite possibly the best independent analysis in the entire NHL, the fan-base is lucky to have such coverage.

Jonathan Moncrief of the LA Examiner: Jon took me under his wing earlier during the season, and even asked for permission to grant me into the Staples Center Press Box so I could shadow him. It didn’t work out, but his effort was satisfying enough. We were able to catch a couple of Kings practices together, he included me as best he could, much appreciated.  He went above and beyond in providing me with advice and guidance. Look for an in-depth interview I had with LA Kings reporter Jonathan Moncrief in the coming weeks right here on ‘Dancing in the Reign‘ on KingsCast.net. Thank you, Jon.

Meg Jarrell of LA KingsCourt: Thank you for the free-use of your photography, for the sharing of my content, and for your ability to satisfy my social-network fix of LA Kings news and media in a matter of minutes.

‘MayorsManor‘, ‘The Royal Half‘, ‘Surly&Scribe‘, ‘DieHard Los Angeles Kings‘, and of course Rich Hammond of ‘LA Kings Insider‘ – Just for some damn good coverage.

Tender Loving Care

He was at the Hospital for his ankle, I was there because the Kings are retiring the uniform Kopitar’s donning here. They’re shedding these for some lame white concept of the current third jersey. I hate that template and design. I’ve tried to like them, because I know our wardrobe is going to hell, but it’s almost impossible. Put these new concepts next to ‘Bland’ in the dictionary.

That’s it for now. I’ll be back periodically throughout the off-season, including some pretty good stuff in the coming weeks. Look out for notes on Kings’ free-agents, an exclusive interview with LA Kings reporter and journalist Jonathan Moncrief of the LA Examiner, and honest coverage of other news and notes to come out of Los Angeles Kings camp this summer. Goodnight, and good luck.

No one on this roster is going to replace the offensive presence Kopitar beheld, I think that’s a no-brainer. We’re coupling the loss of Kopitar with that of Justin Williams, who hit the injured reserved just days ago with a separated shoulder. That’s two assets of the first-line…gone, in a matter of days. Thankfully, this roster has developed some depth on the offensive side, where a lot of chipping away will be needed to make up for the value lost. A group effort it must be, where secondary assets must shoulder primary responsibilities. Dustin Brown, who’s shown some resurgance as of late, needs to continue that drive with consistency. Players like Jarret Stoll, Michal Handzus, and Wayne Simmonds need to be inking their name on the scoresheet…consistently. I’m killing the term, and it’s not due to my grammar capabilities. Look, enough of these streaky point-parties that we’ve been getting from the majority of the roster throughout the season. There’s no secret that full-on group efforts are a must from here on out. The goals may come ugly, and so may the wins. But at this point, you take what you can get. Can we get it? That’s the nauseating lingering aftermath to Kopitar’s injury.

Turn to the defense folks, because that’s what the remainder of the season hinges on. In order to give this offense opportunities to subdue the losses of Kopitar and Williams, the defense must continue it’s stalwart play. The Kings are an impressive 6th-best in the NHL with just 2.39 goals allowed per game. The Kings are also a respectable 4th-best in the NHL with an 85.8% success rate on the penalty kill; not to mention they’ve cleared 40 of 41 of the opponents’ previous powerplays. The goaltending has been terrific as well, Jonathan Quick is clearly in better spirits than he was at this point last season, getting more rest with the dependable Jonathan Bernier in the back-up slot. For the back-end of this roster, the gameplan must continue to be stressed as if today never happened. If solid play can continue to be attained, the more opportunity for the hampered offense to make up for two crucial losses. Things aren’t looking good, that doesn’t mean they can’t be. Keep your heads up, because the way I see it, this team is on track for a postseason berth. No reason to waive the white flag, hardships have been overcome multiple times throughout the year, time to bite the bullet and continue to push forward. Get well soon, Anze.

So who’s coming?

MGM Grand Las Vegas
3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109