***LA Kings @ Seattle Kraken GDT 12/16/23 7:00pm on KCAL Ch9***

[Dr. Tran]

Anderson nearly cost the Kings game with that late 3rd period gaffe and the Kings likewise got a bit mentally disoriented with the penalty but eventually they were able to hang on and break through in the shootout. You would have lost it too if the Kings had lost that game because of one mental mistake by one player, especially in the dying minutes of a period to end regulation. To think otherwise would be dishonest. Let's be frank here, not all of us fans are that iron-willed and you should be considerate and cut some of us fans some slack.

I wouldn’t. If we lost I’d think for sure that sucks. But I wouldn’t just blame 1 player. Especially if it’s a mistake that anyone could make. Mikey’s not a stupid player & doesn’t normally make stupid mistakes. If it was something he did over & over, that would be different. But adversity happens all the time in a game, whether it’s deserved or not. In order to win you have to get through the adversity & the Kings did that.

 

[Clif]

Two key blocked shots in the 3rd, and he was 6 for 8 at the dot. He is doing things other than scoring. Do I wish he would do more? Of course, but I'm not ready to start labelling the trade as a "steal for Winnipeg".

PLD had some good hits along the boards, especially against Beniers in the last seconds of OT followed immediately by another blocked shot. I like how he got involved in the Mikey incident too.

We all want to see the scoring but his physical and defensive play in this game was really encouraging. I don’t believe he’s found a role on this team but more games like that and he’s going to be way more valuable than he has been so far.

 

[Statue4Deano]

PLD had some good hits along the boards, especially against Beniers in the last seconds of OT followed immediately by another blocked shot. I like how he got involved in the Mikey incident too.

We all want to see the scoring but his physical and defensive play in this game was really encouraging. I don’t believe he’s found a role on this team but more games like that and he’s going to be way more valuable than he has been so far.

I believe, on this roster, the bulk of PLD’s productivity is going to come on the PP. Unfortunately our PP is bad so he’s not collecting those easy points. That means he has to do more of the dirty work 5 on 5 and he is. So I really can’t complain about him too much.

 

[Clif]

I believe, on this roster, the bulk of PLD’s productivity is going to come on the PP. Unfortunately our PP is bad so he’s not collecting those easy points. That means he has to do more of the dirty work 5 on 5 and he is. So I really can’t complain about him too much.

I’ll hold out until Arvy is back and in game shape until I really worry anymore about PLD’s production, which I guess means I won’t sweat it basically the rest of the season.

Can’t fault his effort these last two games. Dirty work is fine - someone has to do it and again if it makes him a more complete player in the future I’m all for it right now.

 

[Rog or Reg?]

Was there in Charlotte this weekend. Finalizing all the home stuff.

I was wonderin' where you went and if ye' made it thru COVID Glad you have! We're about 2 hours from Charlotte. I think ICE24 sort of half moved out here? as well, but North Carolina. We've been here ~18 months? Wife's 14 weeks pregnant. It's alright so far. About 100 more days of sun than Oregon, which is why we're here. I don't mind the humidity at all - it's the damn bugs and gnats that get me. I enjoy summer here. Winter gets oddly cold (people lied to me - it gets like 18 at night - which I don't consider "hot and hotter" like people say here - in LA it actually is like that), and the house is drafty, but the housing market was =insane= when we bought so I'm just glad we got anything before interest rates went stupid.

I kind of miss mountains (Gandalf) and hills (LA/Oregon), but here it's all new flat topography and swamps, which are cool. Southern hospitality is not a thing whatsoever in my experience... but overall I think we're glad we moved. The cicada's are insane. Our first month here was in the summer and I wouldn't go outside at night, we live out of the city in farmland and our back yard was like the Amazon jungle or something at night. I hardly care now.. and I step in fire ant/ground hornet nests every time I mow the yard and then take my revenge and am used to it. The sunsets are quite lovely - I didn't see any fireflies this year - last year our backyard was full of them. What's impressed me the most is the summer lightning storms. They're like the most intense thing I've ever seen. We get full rolling thunder, thunderclaps, like waking me up and end of the world type sounds. We sit on the covered porch and watch them for an hour at night - it's a free light show. It's almost more impressive than seeing a full eclipse, and is guaranteed all summer nights.

I know this has a lot to do with the Kings, I could go on but I won't, but overall we're pretty happy about the whole move. The healthcare situation sucks, but we kinda knew that moving in. I will say, the 10:30 starts are brutal Glad to see ya!

Oh yeah - we caught the Kings vs Canes this year in Raleigh where they choked the 0/1-4 lead or whatever in the 3rd. It was nice, first Kings game since.. 2014? Beating the Ducks out of the Pond playoffs game. But uhh, someone keyed me car with a tasteful "LA" logo, not too bad or noticeable, but 3 hour drive -- so IDK. Next time maybe I'll put on the jerseys farther from the car.

I was actually trying to reply directly to pevsfreedom, but his message just vanished and when I attempted to reply, I got a message it was no longer available. Weird...

...anyway, the highlighted portion was his original reply to my post...

Glad you are doing well and adapting to the East Coast! I had no intention of living back east, but I got job offers in DC and subsequently moved to Rockville MD with my lady. But, of course, the start of the project was delayed and I ended up taking a temporary position with the US Postal Service wiring new offices around the East Coast: Winchester, Burtonsville, Front Royal, Knoxville, et al, and I really enjoyed it. The heat and humidity and the bugs and thunderstorms took some getting used to, but winter was a trip and fall was absolutely gorgeous. Another downside, as you mention, were the 10:30pm starts for Kings games. Went to work with one eye open a few times, but Die Hard Kings fans don't watch recorded games...it's live or nothing!

Even got to see the Kings at the old Cap Centre (we came back from a 0-3 deficit to beat the Caps in regulation).

I left a good job to come back to LA...got homesick...and thought I'd skip another winter back there. But all-in-all it was a great experience. And as I mentioned in my original post, it was like living on another planet it was so different than the West Coast. But I'm still glad I was there for two years. Made a lot of good friends and had a great time!