The Stage Is Set For The Los Angeles Kings, Again
By Jon Gillette
Well, Los Angeles Kings fans, here we are. For one generation this is uncharted waters. For the rest of us, well, we remember racing home after work with that 6 pack of beer to sit in our lucky seat 19 years ago. I remember being so broke I was lucky to have a 6 pack and a lucky seat. These days, I can actually afford to go to the games with my wife, grab some decent seats and cheer the boys on with the rest of you at Staples Center (though it is typical for me to remain anonymous when I’m there).
What I remember most about ’93 was that I was nervous as hell prior to each game. I suppose that comes with being in unfamiliar territory. This time around, I find myself excited for the games and my nerves are adequate until the Kings have the lead with a few minutes to go in the game. At that point I have trouble remembering to breathe and, on at least 2 occasions, found myself physically shaking with nervous excitement. Yes folks, I’m a fan… I have a tattoo of the Kings logo on the back of my right leg. I have all the jerseys. I have the wallet, the license plate frame, the beads hanging from my rear-view mirror, the shirts, the towels, the autographed pucks and framed photos – I lose sleep when the team does something that, in my opinion, could have been done better. I could keep going but I think you get the point. This is the best time of the year to be watching our beloved team play hockey and we should enjoy every second of it while it lasts.
The Phoenix Coyotes are a great matchup for the Kings and this should be the best Western Conference series yet. It’s only fitting that it happens to be the Western Conference Finals. If you take a look out east, you’ll see teams that have been kicking the crap out of each other which leaves some wondering if any of them will have anything left in the tank when they get to the finals. The Coyotes and Kings, in contrast, have come out of the first 2 rounds relatively unscathed. This, by no means, will be an easy series for either team. I read some of the comments on various sports forums and see that fans of each team are saying how their team is going to sweep the other. Nonsense! Let the players play, do your job as a fan and let them hear your support while they’re playing. That, my friends, is when it matters and is the only time you can make an impact on the outcome.
To Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Colin Fraser, Dwight King, Anze Kopitar, Trevor Lewis, Jordan Nolan, Dustin Penner, Mike Richards, Brad Richardson, Jarret Stoll, Justin Williams, Drew Doughty, Matt Greene, Alec Martinez, Willie Mitchell, Rob Scuderi, Slava Voynov, and Jonathan Quick: THIS IS THE TIME!!!
Side note: It’s a tragedy that Brian Hayward has contributed more to the recent Kings broadcasts than Bob Miller and Jim Fox. Such blasphemy should not be allowed and I have a feeling the hockey gods will haunt Hayward for the next 7 years. I wish I knew how to translate ghost noises into words…