LA Kings : Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down With JD Stylz
- Updated: October 26, 2015
I am back from my cousin’s wedding in Rhode Island and the Los Angeles Kings team I pleasantly found when I returned was not the team I had left behind before my trip. It’s funny what a few games (or days) can do to turn around a season. Here are my thumbs up and thumbs down opinions of what went down this past week (and a half) of LA Kings hockey.
Thumbs Up to the Milan Lucic, Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli line
They have only been together for a few games but the chemistry between these 3 have so far been unreal. Toffoli has 6 goals in 6 games (including 2 against Carolina on friday night), which as of this writing is as much as the entire Anaheim Ducks team has scored (sorry Mike). His deke of former LA Kings and Team Canada teammate Martin Jones in the 4-1 victory over the Sharks was the highlight talk of the NHL as was his breakaway goal against the Colorado Avalanche. Carter has become a leading force since his jersey had an “A” added to it and shined greatly in the same Sharks game by scoring 2 goals and 4 points! Lucic has also finally stepped up and may have now found a home on the “second” line. His size, hustle and physicality helps open a large portion of the ice to allow Carter and Toffoli work their magic. So far so good for this line.
Thumbs up to the Kings Goaltending
After allowing 9 goals (plus 2 empty net goals) in an opening of the season 3 game losing streak, the Jonathan Quick of old was back and helped the Kings come back and win the next two games by only allowing 2 goals (1 each) and making a combined 47 saves against the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche. Which is why it was such a head scratcher for coach Darryl Sutter to go with new LA Kings back up and former Buffalo Sabres number 1 goalie Jhonus Enroth instead of the back to solid form Quick for the re-match against Martin Jones and the Sharks. Made no difference though as Enroth was stellar with a 39 save performance in the 4-1 victory. Quick was back in the net against the Carolina Hurricanes the next night and shut them out by making 40 saves in a 3-0 shutout win.
Thumbs up to Los Angeles Kings organization for #KingsFCancer
Besides being game day, friday night was also #KingsFCancer night where booths and events around the Staples Center were placed and participated in to help raise donations and awareness in the hard-fought and long war against Cancer. This was a league wide NHL event which is an automatic thumbs up in itself but kudos to the Kings organization for going all out to help fight the deadly disease. Booths included BeTheMatch.org, Children’s Hospital for Los Angeles, Stand Up to Cancer, Camp Ronald McDonald For Good Times, National Brain Tumor Society, Face Off with Cancer, The Leukemia & Lymphona Society and ZEROCancer. #KingsFCancer merchandise including auto-graphed pucks and jerseys were being sold with all proceeds going to the Kings Care Foundation and my heart was so moved and touched when fans were given Stand Up to Cancer placards and sharpies to write down who they are fighting cancer for. This goes to show that the Los Angeles Kings team and organization, and the NHL and the sport of hockey is more than just a fast paced contact game played on ice with sticks and a rubber puck. It is also a movement to help society and communities, especially in the war against cancer. The ads on the boards were also colored pink to help Breast Cancer awareness in a subtle yet beautiful touch. Thumbs up to everyone involved in this.
Photo Credit: Denise Metcalf
Sidenote* I have included links to all of those cancer foundations. Please feel free to check them out and contribute donations as I have. I have had both my grandfathers, my uncle Joe, my wife’s grandfather and my friend Virginia (who was like a second mother to me) fall to the disease as I’m sure you all have been affected by cancer in some form as well. Together we can become the greatest team ever assembled and can punch and kick cancer right in its ugly face and knock it out. #FCancer.
Thumbs Down to the Power Outages at the Toyota Sports Center
I love the TSC. Going there with my wife last February and checking out the LA Kings go through their practices was an out of this world experience. You don’t have or see that anywhere up here in Canada. It’s a great venue but due to the major heat wave that was plaguing SoCal, the TSC lost power and this made the LA Kings have to cancel their practice sessions as the ice rink turned into a swimming pool. Sure some of the players could have used the extra day of rest and it doesn’t seem that cancelling these practice sessions hurt the players in any way (if anything it helped them) but if this were to continue then it would only hurt the team in the long run as the options of taking these practices elsewhere is slim to none. Even getting into the Staple Center for practice all the time would be hard to do (which is why they have the TSC to begin with) as the arena is used for many things including the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers games, concerts, WWE wrestling and other entertainment events. Despite what former NBA star Allen Iverson thought, practicing is important, especially when building chemistry with new lines, evaluating talent and using an intense and at times complicated system as Darryl Sutter does.
Hopefully these power outages were just an anomaly, never to return.
Los Angeles Kings MVP for the Week (and a half)
Tyler Toffoli
5 goals in 4 games with 6 goals overall so far this season! ‘Nuff said.
Okay Kings fans, who got your thumbs up and thumbs down for the week (and a half)? Who is your MVP? Let us know in the comments below! GO KINGS GO!!!
Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time!
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4 Comments
About Jeff Duarte
Skewlgal
October 27, 2015 at 7:17 am
Toffoli Carter Enroth Quick!!!
Jeff Duarte
October 27, 2015 at 8:17 am
Great choices!
ginadblasck
December 15, 2015 at 7:06 pm
MaryAnn,
Have you seen “Young Adult” with Charlize Theron? It tackles the same theme (alibeit in a more meloncholy way).
lenadanderson
December 21, 2015 at 10:34 am
Looked DIRTY to Me.. too Bad No Game Suspension. Guy played quite few in Minors.. picked up Bad Habits or Is just a Dirty Player. Whatever he now has a Red Flag /Target on himself. 🙁