LA KINGS OUTSIDER 2.0

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.

Brent Sopel or Bruce Wayne?...You Be The Judge Although his time with the Kings was short-lived, Brent Sopel quickly became a fan-favorite amongst hockey fans in Los Angeles....OK...who am I kidding.  Nobody liked Dave Taylor's last ditch effort to save his job by trading former first-round picks Denis Grebeshkov and Jeff Tambellini to the Isles for an injured Sopel and Mark Parrish . But Halloween is this weekend and who wouldn't want to see an NHL defenseman dressed as Batman and babble on for a couple minutes.  He actually writes a blog too that I stumbled upon (Life of a Hockey Widow) .

I was watching 30 Rock last night and I spot Paul Giamatti in a guest-spot wearing a Tavares Isles Jersey.  And then out of nowhere...well just watch the video.  It's the only video on youtube I could find. Matt's got a Twitter : 30 Rock tonight there's a new character on the show who's an Isles fan...chirps me...all in good fun

I promise I won't keep updating you on what Frolov does during the regular season.  Well, unless he scores 40 goals this year like I think he will.  He was the game's first star last night and had this nice little dangle.

Do Kings Fans Miss Cammy More Now? I Do! Michael Cammalleri has put together one of the most dominating playoff performances in recent memory; netting 12 goals and 18 points in 14 games through the first two rounds of the postseason.  He's currently leading all skaters in playoff goals. Cammy is one of the purest snipers in the league.  He's not like Ovechkin or Kovalchuk; Cammy doesn't need to dominate the puck to score.  What makes Cammy so valuable is his ability to find open-ice in the offensive zone and get off his shot quickly similar to Hall of Famer Brett Hull.  He doesn't need alot of time or space to score.  His down to one-knee quick release should be pantented.  Looking back, it's unfortunate that the Kings and Cammalleri couldn't work out their differences.  It's obvious now that Kopitar needs a finisher to play with on the top line.  After watching Cammy have success in Calgary and now Montreal; I really think Lombardi let one get...

Got to Staples Center a bit late.  Was able to snap a couple photos of former Kings: Lubomir Visnovsky, Patrick O'Sullivan and Denis Grebeshkov.

Lauri Tukonen: What Happened? Rich Clune will always be linked to Lauri Tukonen . I still remember buying a Monarchs jersey and contemplating putting Brown or Tukonen on it.  Tukonen seemed like the prototypical power forward: size and scoring touch.  Unfortunately, he didn't develop as quickly once the competition was ramped up and his stock fell pretty quickly.  He's considered a 'has-been prospect' at 23.   The Kings selected Tukonen with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 Draft.  His performance in the U20 World Junior Championships was outstanding; finishing third in tournament scoring (7GP, 3G, 7A).  He led Finland to a Silver Medal and was recognized on the Tournament All-Star team. He moved to Manchester the following season; where he had three consecutive 30+ point seasons for the Monarchs.  Tukonen battled injuries in each of his three seasons in North America.  His AHL career numbers are respectable: 185 GP, 36 G, 67 A.  Hi...

Dallman: Russian Superstar Before Drew Doughty; the Kings had another former Guelph Storm standout on the blueline.  Kevin Dallman.  Dallman signed with the Kings after spending three years with in the Boston Bruins organization.  After two years split between Los Angeles and Manchester; Dallman left for Barys Astana of the newly-formed KHL.  Last season, he led all KHL defenseman in scoring (28 G, 30 A, 58 PTS) while also earning the KHL's Best Defenseman Award.  Yahoo's Puck Daddy interviewed him after his outstanding debut in the KHL.  I knew he had a good season last year but had no idea he was so popular. Dallman earned the most votes for this weekend's KHL All-Star game.  Having another fantastic season with 12 goals, 26 assists and 38 points in 49 games. Per en.KHL.ru The absolute winner of the fans’ vote was last season’s best defenseman, Barys captain Kevin Dallman, who received 114,957 votes. Pretty cool that Dallman's found a home in the...