Prior to the Kings taking the ice tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers, the National Anthem will be performed by legendary rock guitarist Slash.
Below we take a look at five Kings players and their corresponding Slash songs.
Watch This – a song taken from his latest release (a cd simply titled Slash), could easily be a song title for an ode to Anze Kopitar. Long time Kings fans will tell you they just knew something was going to happen each time Dionne or Gretzky took a shift. The same can be said for Kopitar. He really came into his own last season and looks poised for another monster campaign this year. Just watch! With Slash at center on this song, his wingers were Dave Grohl and Duff McKagan. In the music world, that’s a triple crown-esque line.
Doin’ Fine – after Guns N’ Roses toured to support their double disc Use Your Illusion, Slash put out the first of his solo records – It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere. Truth be told, he wrote this while on tour with GnR and it could have been the follow-up record to Illusion. However, Axl Rose wanted no part of it. So, Slash hooked up with the highly underrated Eric Dover on vocals and put it out himself. Doin’ Fine is the perfect song for Michal Handzus – also underrated and a gem of a player.
November Rain – for Scott Parse, I was originally going to select What Do You Want to Be off of the first Slash’s Snakepit record. Then, I decided November Rain was more appropriate. Parse is currently injured. He needs to return to the line-up and rain down the goals next month if he plans on keeping his spot on the second line. If he can’t find the back of the net, he’ll be raining mightily on the Kings plans for a revamped offensive attack this season.
Do It For The Kids – is a song taken off the debut album from Velvet Revolver, a super-group of sorts and Slash’s second big rock band. This track is dedicated to Ryan Smyth, a 15-year NHL veteran who has yet to win the Stanley Cup. If the Kings are able to make it to the Finals anytime soon, the rallying cry may become ‘Win It For Rhyno.’ Until then, Smyth continues to share his experience and knowledge with the team’s younger players – showing them what it means to be a pro, both on and off the ice. For now, he’s doing it for the kids. Someday, they may repay him.
You’re Crazy – any Slash set list wouldn’t be complete without at least one track from the classic GnR album, Appetite for Destruction. I thought long and hard about giving Bernier Welcome to the Jungle (it seemed to obvious) and Sweet Child o’ Mine to Kyle Clifford (a kid playing in a man’s body according to coach Terry Murray). In the end, I had to go with You’re Crazy for the recently-sent-down Richard Clune. After all, with quotes like ‘I’ll fight (heavyweights), but the outcome isn’t going to be very pretty‘ – he is just that, crazy.
Feel free to dedicate your own songs before the headliners go on tonight. Slash is the opening band and he goes on around 7:30.
The Mayor
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