Love is in the air today.
For those who are equally as passionate about freshly cut ice, hits in the corner, going five hole, penalty shots and hip checks – here are the ten stories to help catch you up on what’s been going on in the world of hockey.
This week’s notes include items on the Kings-Ducks rivalry, interesting things in Pittsburgh, future Kings, former Kings, roster changes and much more. Take a look…
* The Kings suffered a disappointing overtime loss in Pittsburgh last Thursday night. However, the feel good moment of the game may have come when the Penguins welcomed back defenseman Rob Scuderi with a tribute video. It was nice to see them honor a member of their recent Stanley Cup team, even though he was now playing for the opposition. If you missed it, you can watch it here.
* Staying in Pittsburgh for a moment, check out the picture of this giant, over-sized goalie mask the Penguins have put on display in their new building. Love it!
* So much has been written about prospect Brayden Schenn this year some tend to forget about the defensive depth the Kings are stockpiling as well. Sure, most people know about former first round draft pick Thomas Hickey, Russian Viatcheslav Voynov and free agent pick up Jake Muzzin (all playing in Manchester). Yet, what about young Nic Deslauriers in the QMJHL – he’s been impressive at several Kings camps and he’s working his way up the rankings over at HockeysFuture.com too. Their latest article has him listed as the third best blue liner in the Q.
* Also on the prospect front, GM Dean Lombardi gave an interview recently with the guys from the Calgary Hitmen (WHL), where he updated listeners on the progress of former Hitmen Brandon Kozun and Martin Jones – both are now with the Manchester Monarchs. Listen to the 10-minute interview here.
* With the trade deadline just around the corner you’re going to hear all sorts of names involved in possible deals. Well, here’s a whopper to possibly look for this summer – how about the return of Jaromir Jagr to the NHL next season? That’s what the folks at ESPN brought up here.
* The guys over at The Hockeywood Insider podcast tackled a timely topic – gay players in pro sports. Supposedly, the Rangers Sean Avery is all for it. So, they had a guest on this week to look into the issue further. It’s definitely worth a listen.
* Are you confused by the NHL standings – with all the overtime losses and games played to try and factor in? Well, there is a website to help you out. Check out the True Standings blog here. They do all the math for you. Any way you look at, the most exciting part may be the Kings are only three points back of Dallas right now for first place.
* Back to Pittsburgh – Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato was a featured guest this week on the latest MayorsManor Podcast. He tells some great stories about his days with the Kings, including the 1993 playoffs and several of his former teammates. If you missed it, give it a listen here.
* The Kings ECHL affiliate (Ontario Reign) took two out of three games in a weekend series vs. the Ducks affiliate (Elmira Jackals). We previewed the series here on Friday, with several notes on the match-up. Corey Perry’s little brother, A.J., plays for the Jackals and as luck (or the script) would have it, Friday’s game went to a shootout. Who was the last shooter? Perry – he missed.
* Looking ahead – Columbus is expected to activate Ethan Moreau off IR before they meet the Kings on Wednesday, the Rangers will be without Alexander Frolov and Derek Boogaard on Thursday (who will Kevin Westgarth dance with in his Broadway debut?) and in two weeks from today, the Detroit Red Wings are saying they’ll have Mike Modano back in the line-up when they come to Staples Center. If you recall, he suffered a horrible injury the week before their last game in LA.
And now you’re caught up.
The Mayor
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