LA KINGS OUTSIDER 2.0

I didn't want to be right with my prediction. I thought the USA had it after Parise tied it. Anyone but Crosby...anyone but Crosby... His legend is building quicker than Gretzky's....seriously...think about it... USA played a fantastic tournament.  No regrets.  Well besides Rafalski's turnover that led to Canada's first goal.  Or the fact that Ryan Malone and Joe Pavelski failed to backcheck on Canada's second goal.  But other than that!  No Regrets! Trade Deadline is Wednesday.  NHL starts up again tomorrow...the stretch run!  How can anything follow these last two weeks of hockey.  How are players like Sidney Crosby going to go from playing with world class players like Jarome Iginla and Mike Richards to scrubs like Ruslan Fedotenko and Pascal Dupuis?  Should be fun!

Sort of.  MSNBC's Willie Geist was duped !  The victim of a prank call...

Barry Melrose brought Tony Robbins into the Kings Locker Room during their Stanley Cup run in 1993.  Maybe Ron Wilson will give this kid a call...

Chris Drury Is A Winner I owe an apology to Brian Burke and Team USA.  I was highly critical of one selection on their 23-man roster.  Chris Drury just didn't fit in my eyes.  Drury had 22 points in 57 games for the Rangers leading up to the Olympics.  He had been relegated to fourth-line duty at times this season.  He didn't seem to earn his spot on this roster.  I felt that Blues young forward T.J. Oshie had done everything to solidify his place on this team.  I still feel that way but I understand now, after Drury's performance vs. Canada, why the Rangers captain is on this squad. He does everything and anything his team needs to win the game.  He always makes the smart play and rarely makes a mistake.  He's one of Team USA's best penalty killers; he constantly gets his stick in the passing lanes and blocks shots with the best of them.  His sprawling block attempt on Drew Doughty's point shot epitomizes the type of player Drury is....

It's Miller Time In Vancouver So my predictions were a bit off.  And I couldn't be any happier. The United States Men's Ice Hockey Team stunned an entire country with their 5-3 victory over Canada.  I'll keep it simple and point out my three keys to the game. 1.  GOALTENDING Surprise surprise.  The team that got the better goaltending won the game.  Brodeur's ability to handle the puck was supposed to be an advantage for Canada especially without the trapezoid behind the net.  Brodeur's skill (or lack thereof) ended up being his downfall on Sunday.  He made three mistakes handling the puck that led directly to goals for the Americans.  ESPN's Pierre LeBrun thinks Brodeur's Olympics should be over. On the other end, it was Miller Time for Team USA.  Ryan Miller was spectacular making 42 saves on the night.  USA wasn't great in front of him and Miller stood on his head for most of the game.  Miller showed a glimpse of why he's st...

USA Defeated A Tough Swiss Team 3-1 Finally.  The Olympics have arrived.  Let the games begin.  PRE-GAME My pre-game prediction : 5-1 USA   Did Jeremy Roenick really sneak on the broadcast team?  Good Lord!   I love these Swiss jerseys.  They look like a bunch of paramedics skating around the ice.   T.J. Oshie deserves to be on this team.   FIRST PERIOD Ryan Whitney = overrated.  David Backes is a beast. Dustin Brown draws the game's first penalty. That PP was a mess & did Dustin Brown really just take the faceoff on that PP? The Swiss aren't a bad team at all. Bobby Ryan rips a shot high-glove side on Hiller.  Finally.  Thank you David Backes for your hard work.  USA 1 Swiss 0 SECOND PERIOD I told you Backes was a beast!  Backes goes coast-to-coast and drives to the net with a power move; noseplug and all.  USA 2 Swiss 0 Ryan Malone finds the loose puck as the US crashes the net on PP.  ...

Team USA Needs This D-Man When Jack Johnson was selected for Team USA, I thought JJ was probably the fourth-best American defenseman on the Kings this season.  Scuderi, Greene and Drewiske were all playing better hockey at the time of his selection.  I'm sure JJ's international experience and performance in last year's World Championships helped his selection. Now, ESPN reports that Team USA defenseman Paul Martin has not healed quickly enough from his arm-injury to skate for the Americans in Vancouver.   Martin's replacement has not been announced yet but a few have speculated on Martin's possible replacement being Ducks defenseman Ryan Whitney. Per USA Today's Kevin Allen Conference call tomorrow decided Paul Martin's replacement on U.S. squad, but bet on it being Anaheim's Ryan Whitney. Bob McKenzie also agreed with the report.  I'm not familiar enough with Martin's game but I've seen enough of Whitney to know that he's not the bes...