Facts on the Fly: 2/20/2013 Los Angeles Kings @ Calgary Flames
I do not normally go about and make bold predictions like guaranteeing a Kings win; but when I do and the Kings win; I let everyone know that I called it and I rule. So I guess I have to call the next one as well, but I already did. I said this would be the beginning of a streak and I stand by it, at least until the Kings lose and make a big fat liar out of me. Two games is a streak, and it will be at least two games in a row with a win for the Kings; besides with more wins comes more What They’re Saying from rcc!!! And the world can always stand a good read where we see what the other fans are saying about the Kings and their own team.
(Image of a Dream)
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2/20/2013: Los Angeles Kings @ Calgary Flames
During the 1999/00 season the Kings beat the Flames all 4 games that they played.
The LA King’s Olli Jokinen scored his first NHL goal against the Flames in a 5-4 OT loss on 11/10/98.
(Image of Jokinen)
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On 11/19/84; Marcel Dionne got his 24th hat trick as a King, (it would also be his last as a King) in a 5-4 win over the Flames. Jim Fox scored the game winning goal in a game that had the Kings down 3-1 going into the second period.
(Image of Fox)
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The Flames might be the only hockey team that has moved, (Atlanta) and kept their team name. In hockey it is unheard of, (the Stars were the North Stars, so depending on who you ask it is unheard of); the Seals became the Barons who after joining the North Stars, moved to San Jose and became the Sharks; the Nordiques became the Avalanche; the Jets became the Coyotes; the Thrashers became the Jets; the Scouts became the Rockies who became the Devils; the Whalers became the Hurricanes; and even the original Ottawa team became the St. Louis Eagles. Here are some facts from those Atlanta days.
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The Flames made their NHL debut in Long Island against fellow expansion team New York Islanders, on October 7, 1972; they won the game 3–2. They made their home debut one week later on October 14. The Flames played the first event in Omni Coliseum history; tying the Buffalo Sabres, 1–1, before a sellout crowd of 14,568.
(Image of Team)
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Starting off as the Atlanta Flames as an expansion team in the 72/73 season, the Flames would have a respectable start. They finished with a 25-38-15 record, better than four other established teams and more than double the points of fellow expansion team NY Islanders.
The team lost seven consecutive playoff games over three playoff seasons before finally earning a victory. Eric Vail scored the game winning goal in a 3–2 victory over the Kings on April 7, 1977.
Willi Plett the Flames 1975 draft pick would emerge as a young star for the Flames. He scored 33 goals in his rookie season of 1976–77 and won the Calder Trophy.
(Image of Vail)
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The highlight of the 79/80 season for the Atlanta Flames had to be the acquisition of Jim Craig. Craig is the goalie that would lead Team USA to a gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Just 6 days after capturing the gold, Craig played to a rare The Omni, (arena Flames played in) sellout where he stopped 24 of 25 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
(Image of Craig)
http://www.goaliesarchive.com/z/afla...lies/craig.jpg
How about something a little different than the count up, the Kings have actually played exhibition games against teams like Team USA and former Soviet Union teams and believe it or not, I was there for one of them.
On 12/10/1991 - Goaltender David Goverde got the shutout as the Kings beat Team USA, 5-0 in an exhibition game at the Forum. Interestingly, Tom Webster, who was five games into a 12-game suspension for throwing a stick from the bench at referee Kerry Fraser, was given permission by the NHL to coach the Kings in the exhibition. Also, Tomas Sandstrom, who had four games left on a five-game ban for high sticking Kevin Haller on Nov. 14, 1991, also played, scoring twice.
(Image of Goverde)
http://www.goaliesarchive.com/kings/goalie/goverde.jpg
On 12/3/1990; Steve Duchesne scored two goals to lead the Kings to a 5-1 win over Khimik Vorkresensk in their second ever exhibition with a Soviet team and their first win during the Super Series 1990. The Kings held the Soviets to just one goal on 20 shots, in a game which opened up a 21-game series between NHL teams and Soviet teams.
(Image of Duchesne)
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On 12/26/ 1985; The Kings battled the Soviet Red Army in an exhibition game at the Forum. The Red Army team won, 5-2 as the Soviet team opened a 10-game, 10-city exhibition tour at the Forum. The Soviets scored three goals early in the third period to snap a 1-1 tie. Viacheslav Fetisov also scored a first-period goal for the Red Army. Marcel Dionne scored both goals for the Kings. Future NHL players Igor Larionov, Slava Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov were in the Red Army lineup. The Red Army went 5-1 during Super Series 1986, losing to the Quebec Nordiques, 5-1.
(Image of Kings vs. Red Army)
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Did you Know?
Did you know that Justin Williams had a great-uncle named Jerry Toppazzini who played 12 seasons in the NHL and at one time set a NHL record for short-handed goals in a season with 7?
(Image of Williams)
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Did you know that King’s coach Darryl Sutter finished his NHL career with 161 goals?
(Image of Sutter)
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Did you know that LA King Dustin Penner was never drafted by an NHL team?
Sources: LAKINGS.com; NHL.com; TSN.ca; HOCKEY-REFERENCE.com; HOCKEYDB.com; GOOGLE IMAGES
