Thanks Matty!

Mattias Norstrom: A Class Act

The Kings really know how to throw a party.  Nothing says, "Thank you Matty!" like a Swiss Coffee Maker.  Did you know that Matty was a two-time All-Star?!?!  It was great to see fan favorites like Ian Laperriere and Rob Blake (I kid...I kid) back at Staples Center.  Ilya Kovalchuk haters filled the arena as he was booed every time he touched the puck.  Kovalchuk had his moments but the Kings took the game 3-1.

• The Kings 'secondary scoring' continues to carry the offensive load for the Kings.  Justin Williams (1G, 1A) and Jarret Stoll (1G, 2A) continue their strong play.  Jack Johnson (7 points in 6 games) continues to improve with each game in the absence of Drew Doughty.
• I appreciate Rob Scuderi and the simple game that he plays but I really wish he'd threaten a shot every once in a while.  He's guaranteed to slap the puck into the corner without even looking to shoot and it drives me crazy.  The one time Scuds shoots; the puck deflects off the end boards and leads directly to Stoll's goal.  Just saying...Shoot!
• The Devils took their game to a different level in the third period.  New Jersey out shot the Kings 20-4 in the final period.  Jonathan Quick stood tall and and turned away all 20 shots; stopping 39 of 40 shots.
• The Devils have a ton of talent and are better than they've shown in the first three weeks of the season.  They are sorely missing defenseman Anton Volchenkov who will instantly become their top defenseman when he's fit to play.
• I love that the Kings have the best record in the NHL but watching Kovalchuk play live.  I really wish he was a King...
• P.S.- I had the answer to the second trivia question last night on Kings Talk.  Who's the only King in franchise history to be chosen to two NHL All-Rookie Teams?  Jamie Storr.  Storr was a better goaltender than you think.  Kings selected him 7th overall in the 1994 Entry Draft and rushed him into their net for the 1994-95 season; he would shuttle between the Kings and their IHL affiliate for the next four seasons before establishing himself as an NHL backup.  Every time I heard a fan clamor for Jonathan Bernier; I couldn't help but think about 'what could have been' with Storr.
• I was super excited to see Martin Brodeur play.  And he was just as awesome as he is in NHL 11.  Check out the pictures I snapped of Brodeur, Kovalchuk, and the Swiss Coffee Maker on my Flickr page.  I'll post a few of my favorites below.

Martin Brodeur

Jamie Langenbrunner

Ilya Kovalchuk