Game is also on Y98 FM. Just couldn't fit that into the subject line.
12 hours to go...
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KINGS (27-16-5) at BLUES (29-17-2)
TV: CNBC, CBC
Last 10: Los Angeles 5-3-2; St. Louis 7-3-0
Season series: The Los Angeles Kings not only swept the St. Louis Blues out of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, they picked up where they left off by taking all three meetings during the 2012-13 regular season. Jeff Carter scored three goals and six different Kings recorded four points.
Big story: The Kings begin their defense of the Stanley Cup against a team that hasn't beaten them in nine meetings, combining the regular season and playoffs, dating back to Feb. 3, 2012. Don't expect this matchup of No. 4 and 5 seeds to be a cakewalk, though. The Blues once again have home ice and come in having won six straight at Scottrade Center. They also have one of the NHL's hottest goaltenders in Brian Elliott, who went 11-2 in April, allowing one goal or less 10 times.
Team Scope:
Kings: This series could have started in Los Angeles, but the Kings lost back-to-back road games in Minnesota and Detroit during the final week of the regular season to slip out of the fourth seed. However, they avoided dropping to sixth and having to face a division winner in Vancouver by edging Pacific Division rival San Jose 3-2 in the regular-season finale. Jonathan Quick, last year's Conn Smythe winner, stopped 23 shots as he looks to rediscover his playoff form.
"We know what we're getting [in St. Louis]," said Anze Kopitar, who led the Kings in scoring this season with 42 points. "They have some big bodies and they play a heavy game. We have some big bodies, and we're pretty familiar. We've played them enough in past seasons."
Blues: A three-game winning streak to end the regular season allowed St. Louis to claim home ice in the first round. The Blues are 15-8-1 in their building, with their only loss in the past month a 2-0 setback to the Blackhawks on April 14. Jaden Schwartz scored a pair of goals and Elliott made 22 saves as they concluded the regular season with a 3-1 victory against a Hawks team resting many of its regulars. While fellow veteran Jaroslav Halak is healthy again and able to play, Elliott's hot streak has made him the undisputed No. 1 heading into the playoffs.
"He's back playing the way he did all of last year," coach Ken Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "He was very good when Jaro got hurt in the playoffs and then he had the inner-ear infection and didn't really play up to par until the last game when he was healthy. I just like his frame of mind. I like his disposition. He's a confident guy right now and we're going to need him."
Who's hot: The Kings won last year by getting contributions up and down the lineup, and Kyle Clifford enters Game 1 with goals in each of his past two games. … Elliott posted a 1.28 goals-against average and .948 save percentage for the Blues in April.
Injury report: Los Angeles forward Mike Richards (illness) played less than 10 minutes in the season finale but is expected to see regular duty in Game 1, but the status of defenseman Matt Greene (undisclosed) is less certain. … St. Louis hopes to activate forward T.J. Oshie (foot) off injured reserve to play in the opener. Defenseman Barret Jackman (ankle) is also likely to suit up.
Last edited by dmiles2186 on Tue Apr 30, 2013 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Woke up this morning feeling good. This Blues team enters the playoffs on a much better run than they did last year. Elliott doesn't have an inner ear infections like last year (that we know of), Petro hasn't been unceremoniously boarded yet, our D is in much better shape, and Oshie is on his way back. The Blues have all the motivation in the world to come out of the gate smacking the Kings around.
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The chatter around the hockey world is that if the blues can beat the kings its a sute thing it will come down to hawks vs blues here in the west........we shall see.
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APOD wrote:The chatter around the hockey world is that if the blues can beat the kings its a sute thing it will come down to hawks vs blues here in the west........we shall see.
Well, not really. If there are no upsets in the first round, we'll see the Hawks in Rd. 2.
The winner of that series goes to the finals IMO...which is probably what the chatter was implying.
I don't like seeing Tank sit, but you can't touch that 4th line and I've been screaming all year that putting 57, 21, 74 back together would be the best thing based on the way all three were playing this year....so no complaints.
With the physical game and the size LA is bringing.....if 10 has a bad game, I'd find a way to get him out of the line-up and reinsert 91.
I know Andy Mac has been magic in the post season before, he's just been so small and ineffective this year that I think it bears monitoring.
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Reaves is who I would sit for Tarasenko if it came down to it. But, I don't mind Reaves playing. 4th line has been incredible and I'm not looking to break that up, but it's hard to see our production dropping by sitting Reaves and playing Tarasenko. I wonder if Reaves dressing has anything to do with it being game one. I bet tonight is extremely physical with both teams trying to set the tone for the series. If that's the case, I like Reaves in the lineup.
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I agree. The Kings beat us up in Game 1 last year (I keep referencing the boarding on Petro that wasn't called) and we never responded. Having Reaves in the lineup means if that happens again, the guilty party will have to answer for that. Plus, the 4th line has been our best line for at least a month. No reason to break that up.
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I keep hearing people talk about the no call on Petro last year when he was boarded. Dwight King did get a two minute minor for boarding. Why are we upset again? Do we think it should have been a major?
abc789987 wrote:I keep hearing people talk about the no call on Petro last year when he was boarded. Dwight King did get a two minute minor for boarding. Why are we upset again? Do we think it should have been a major?
He should have been tossed from the game & been a major penalty.