Below are the 8 most recent journal entries recorded in kingsmiller's LiveJournal:

Monday, January 29th, 2007
6:55 pm	Fantasy Hockey Goalie News for Jan.13 2007. Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres - Miller is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Lightning. Probability of start occurring: 85% Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks - Luongo is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs. Probability of start occurring: 85% Andrew Raycroft, Toronto Maple Leafs - Raycroft is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Canucks. Probability of start occurring: 85% Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils - Brodeur is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Islanders. Probability of start occurring: 90% Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders - DiPietro is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Devils. Probability of start occurring: 85% Johan Hedberg, Atlanta Thrashers - Hedberg is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Hurricanes. Kari Lehtonen started last night but took a loss against the Devils; however, he didn't play badly and could get a second consecutive start. Probability of start occurring: 55% Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes - Ward is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Thrashers. Probability of start occurring: 75% Peter Budaj, Colorado Avalanche - Budaj is now the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Ducks, reports the Rocky Mountain News. Horrible news for Jose Theodore and his owners and if it was us, we'd go ahead and drop Theodore in most leagues as there's no hope in sight for him getting his job back. Probability of start occurring: 85% [ UPDATED ] Curtis Joseph, Phoenix Coyotes - Joseph is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Sharks, reports the Arizona Republic. He's also expected to start on Monday. Probability of start occurring: 85% [ UPDATED ] Ty Conklin, Columbus Blue Jackets - Conklin is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Predators, reports the Columbus Dispatch. Probability of start occurring: 75% [ UPDATED ] Nikolai Khabibulin, Chicago Blackhawks - Khabibulin is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Red Wings, reports the Chicago Tribune. Probability of start occurring: 90% [ UPDATED ] Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins - Thomas is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Rangers, reports the official Bruins website. Probability of start occurring: 85% [ UPDATED ] Cristobal Huet, Montreal Canadiens - Huet is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Senators, reports RDS. Probability of start occurring: Probability of start occurring: 85% [ UPDATED ] Ed Belfour, Florida Panthers - Belfour is now the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Capitals, reports the Miami Herald. Probability of start occurring: 85% [ UPDATED ] Antero Niittymaki, Philadelphia Flyers - Niittymaki is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Penguins, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette & the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. We're not sure what to think here as Niittymaki wasn't very strong his last time out in losing his 12th straight game. Because of that, we'd have normally listed Robert Esche in this spot but if both Pittsburgh newspapers are listing Niittymaki, perhaps they know something we don't. We'll attempt to get an update before the game but that may be asking for too much since it's a very early start. UPDATE: The Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News has now confirmed Niittymaki. Probability of start occurring: 85% [ UPDATED ] Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings - Osgood is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Blackhawks, reports the Detroit News. Probability of start occurring: 90% Chris Mason, Nashville Predators - Mason is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets, reports the Nashville Tennessean. Probability of start occurring: 90% Ray Emery, Ottawa Senators - Emery is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Canadiens, reports the official Senators website. Probability of start occurring: 90% Barry Brust, Los Angeles Kings - Brust is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Blues, reports the LA Times. Mathieu Garon and Dan Cloutier are both injured so expect Brust to see the majority of games for his team unless the Kings decide they want to trade for a more established goaltender. Probability of start occurring: 90% Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins - Fleury is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Flyers, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette & the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Probability of start occurring: 85% Manny Legace, St. Louis Blues - Legace is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Kings. Probability of start occurring: 90% Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers - Lundqvist is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Bruins. Probability of start occurring: 75% Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals - Kolzig is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Panthers. Probability of start occurring: 75% Marc Denis, Tampa Bay Lightning - Denis is now the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Sabres, reports the Tampa Tribune. Okay, so we had it right originally even though we didn't mean it but this time, the Tribune blog confirms it. Probability of start occurring: 90%. [ UPDATED ] Ilya Bryzgalov, Anaheim Ducks - Bryzgalov is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Avalanche. Probability of start occurring: 85% Jussi Markkanen, Edmonton Oilers - Markkanen is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Flames. Probability of start occurring: 55% Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames - Kiprusoff is the probable starter for Saturday's game against the Oilers. Probability of start occurring: 90% Dan Cloutier, Los Angeles Kings - Cloutier will undergo surgery today in Colorado to repair torn cartilage in his hip, reports the LA Times. The exact recovery period is unclear, but Cloutier has a very real danger of missing the rest of the regular season with the injury. It doesn't really matter though as Cloutier was pretty useless before going down. Mathieu Garon, Los Angeles Kings - Garon will be sidelined for at least one week due to a broken finger, reports the LA Times. He underwent X-rays after Thursday night's game against the Sharks and his finger was placed in a splint. Coach Marc Crawford indicated that Garon will be re-evaluated next Friday but this is obviously terrible news for Garon himself and those who own him in fantasy leagues as he will not get to show his stuff while starting in place of Dan Cloutier. Barry Brust will be thrust into the starter's role with Yutaka Fukufuji serving as the backup. (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 2nd, 2006
1:19 pm	Game 8: Los Angeles Kings @ Phoenix Coyotes 4:0 Power play explosion brings feel-good victory in the desert Mathieu Garon shuts the Snakes out big time (Photo courtesy of AP/Rick Scuteri) LA goals from: Alex Frolov, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Mike Cammalleri PHO goals from: none The pros: First game this season where power play clicked (all four goals were score with a man advantage) and was effective at the same time. Great effort by Mathieu Garon, saving 40 Coyote shots for a shutout. Very positive outing by Rob Blake. Penalty kill fluid 100% with a lot of sacrifice. First goal of the season from Brown. "It seems like it's always easier when you get a couple-goal lead," Garon said. "Tonight, we played awesome. The defensemen in front of me, they blocked shots. I don't think [Phoenix] got any rebounds." The cons: Hardly any. Granted it was only Phoenix, but the trip to Arizon can be a confidence builder before Sunday's home game against Anaheim Ducks. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 18th, 2006
11:45 am	THE GRETZKY TRADE PT 1 - The Hockey World Stands Still August 9 marks the 18th anniversary of the trade that changed the landscape of hockey - The Wayne Gretzky Trade To L.A. It may not have played itself out as hockey's biggest blockbuster deal ever, but it remains the games most shocking transaction. To say the hockey world was caught off guard would be an understatement. The deal touched nerves on issues of national pride and was analyzed from more than just a hockey perspective. It was by and large a business deal, as Gretzky was often mentioned in the following days as an asset as much as he was a player. As the Great One had recently married, domestic slants infiltrated the opinions of the player and his bride. Some went so far as to compare Janet Gretzky to Yoko Ono! In Wayne Gretzky's book, "An Autobiography", 99 gave his version of the events that unfolded in the days leading up to the deal, and the days that followed. At the time of the trade, fingers were pointed ramdomly, as every fan of the game, thought there should be someone to blame. The trade's two main instigators were Oilers owner Peter Pocklington first and foremost, then Gretzky himself, as he has admitted. I'd like to be able to reference Pocklingtons book, trouble is nobody bought it. That goes ditto for the spin he put on the trade. The root cause of the deal was not so much a hockey issue. It was well known at the time that Pocklington's main financial interests lie with a meat packing firm that was taking on losses. With bankruptcy facing the Oilers owner, his solution became Gretzky. The owner felt for some reason that 99 was a declining asset of sorts who was fast approaching the age of free agency. Fearing that he would either lose him for no return or that his value would continue to diminish annually, Pocklington sought out the players market value. After finding a handful of takers willing to suit his needs, Pocklington began the bidding process. It is here that Gretzky stepped in. The Great One got the word from another player of what Pocklington was up to. He was furious to say the least, not wanting at all to leave Edmonton. When the owner insisted the trade had to happen, Gretzky forced his hand by demanding he be traded to a destination suitable to him. If not, he used not reporting and retirement as leveredge to get his way. At this point, with little bargaining room, Pocklington let Gretzky in on talks with others teams involved. Prior to this, the frontrunner in talks was Nelson Skalbania and the Vancouver Canucks, whom Gretzky knew and didn't altogether trust from his days as an Indianapolis Racer. As Gretzky spoke with a few prospective team owners, Los Angeles emerged as his likely suitor. He was charmed by the sly manners of Kings owner Bruce McNall, who saw in Gretzky a future partner in a variety of undertakings. Throw in the fact that the Kings played in the Western Conference, and that Janet lived in L.A. and Gretzky was seduced by the idea. Most importantly, McNall had the money to solve Pocklingtons woes. Having hatched a deal, Pocklington, McNall and Gretzky talked of a media plan to offset (as if they ever could) the obvious fallout from the media, the hockey world, and Canada in general. All would later admit they underestimated the consequences of what they were about to bring down. It was planned that Gretzky being the biggest long term benefactor of the deal would play scapegoat. Unfortunately the media had done its homework on Pocklingtons troubles, and the plan went awry. Once all the arrows had found Pocklington, he started the mudslinging at Gretzky. In the end none of it stuck. August 9, 1988, the deal was announced to the world. Edmonton sends Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyshi and Marty McSorley to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, the Kings first round draft choices for 1989, 1991, and 1993, and 15 million dollars cash. Canada and the hockey universe were stunned, shocked, and in disbelief. It would always be one of those moments in one's life where you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news. I had returned to work from an out of town payroll run to find the entire male population of my workplace gathered around the radio with pale faces and sushed lips. Thirteen years later, the exact scenario played out for me again in the very same way as two planes struck the World Trade Centers. The consequences are hardly comparable, but it is an odd similarity for me in many ways. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 11th, 2006
11:05 am	EDSBS Roundtable Since I'm one of the few that have to work today and with no real work to do what better time to do another Roundtable, this one from EDSBS. I'll discuss the Lakers signing of Vladimir Radmanovic later in the week. 1. Education. List the region of the country you were born in, what universities you attended and at least one other you would have attended if your alma mater didn’t exist. I was born and raised in Southern California and I attended the University of Michigan. I never really liked the local schools, except UCLA, but I knew I'd live in So Cal for the rest of my life so I wanted to experience something different for college. If Michigan didn't exist I probably would have ended up at North Carolina or Texas. 2. Sports Affiliations. List your top 10 favorite teams in all of sports in decending order. For instance, your alma mater’s football team may be number 1, but perhaps there is a professional team that squeezes in before you get to your alma mater’s lacrosse team. 1a. Michigan Football 1b. Los Angeles Lakers 2. Michigan Basketball 3. Michigan Hockey 4. Los Angeles Dodgers 5. Oakland Raiders 6. North Carolina Basketball 7. UCLA Basketball 8. Los Angeles Kings 9. Whoever is playing Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, Nebraska or Tennessee 10. Georgia/Texas/UCLA Football 3. Movies. List the movie you’ve watched the most, your favorite sports related movie, the movie you secretly love but don’t like to admit it (possibly a chick flick or b film), and the movie you were (or still are) most looking forward to from this summer’s season. Not really a movie person but the movie I've watched the most would probably be The Mighty Ducks. Growing up I was really big into hockey with Gretzky in LA and watched the movie so much that I ended up memorizing the entire script since I watched it so much. Favorite sports related movie would probably be Rocky IV or Friday Night Lights. Movie I love but don't like to admit: Can't Hardly Wait Movie I was looking forward to: Nacho Libre, and it met my expectations. 4. Music. List your favorite band from middle school, high school, college and today. Also, as with the movies, include the song you secretly love but don’t like to admit. If Nickleback is involved in any of these responses, please give a detailed explanation as to why, god, why. Middle School: Boyz II Men, Hootie and the Blowfish, Bryan Adams High School: Tupac, Gangstarr, Wu-Tang Clan, Brian McKnight College: DJ Quik, Tupac, The Roots, Jay-Z Song I secretly love but don't like to admit: O-Town - "All or Nothing" 5. Books. Favorite book you’ve finished, worst book you’ve finished and the book you really should read but haven’t gotten around to it. Favorite Books: "Holla If Ya Hear Me" a book on Tupac and "Fab Five" Worst Book: anything I had to read for school Book I should read: the GMAT Prep books that are sitting at home 6. Travel. Favorite city you’ve every been to and the one place you still must visit before you shuffle off this mortal coil. Vancouver/Victoria Island, I think that's what it was called, went there a long time ago with my family but it was real nice. Place I must go: Brazil, I second EDSBS's statement. 7. What do you love most about college football in 20 words or less? The connection with my school, the unparalleled highs and lows that no other sport can match. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
6:03 pm	Gauthier heads to LA By Pat Rooney, Special to the Rocky Mountain ... Gauthier heads to LA By Pat Rooney, Special to the Rocky Mountain News July 8, 2006 In 1988, Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, a move that broke the hearts of hockey fans in Canada while sparking a new generation of hockey enthusiasts in the previously untapped Southern California region. One of those youngsters who immediately became enamored of the game in general, and the Kings in particular, was Gabe Gauthier, of Buena Park, Calif. After a standout career at the University of Denver, Gauthier is going home. The former Pioneers forward has agreed to terms with the Kings and will fly to Los Angeles today or Sunday to sign a two-year contract. . "It's close to home, which is good for my parents, and I grew up watching the Kings," Gauthier said. . "I grew up watching those teams with Gretzky and Tony Granato and Luc Robitaille. Now I have the opportunity to wear the same uniform they did." . Gauthier, an undrafted free agent, finished his career 16th on DU's all-time scoring list in points, with 155, and ranks second in power-play goals, with 31. He served as the Pioneers' co- captain last season and was a key component of DU's back-to- back national title teams in 2004 and 2005, often displaying a knack for producing in big games. Gauthier scored the Pioneers' only goal in their 1-0 victory against Maine in the 2004 final and registered three goals and three assists in two games at the Northeast Regional in 2005. Gauthier said he also received interest from Boston, Anaheim and the Avalanche before his choices narrowed to the Kings and Bruins. . "It's a huge relief," said Gauthier, who will participate in the Kings' conditioning camp next week. "Now it's done and over with and I couldn't be happier." (Comment on this)
Monday, July 31st, 2006
10:02 pm	LOS ANGELES, THE CITY OF ANGELS Los Angeles History With a population of nearly four million people, Los Angeles, California is the second largest city in the United States. The “City of Angels,” as it is known, stretches for 76 miles along the Pacific coast. Also known as the “entertainment capital of the world,” “Tinseltown” and “La La Land,” the city sprawls inland near the Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains Los Angeles history dates back to the 1700's. The first European land expedition was being led through the area that is now California at the time by Captain Fernando Rivera y Moncado. Accompanying him was Father Juan Crespi, a Fransiscan priest. Father Crespi was keeping a journal about the group's exploring. In his journal, Father Crespi wrote about “a beautiful river from the northwest.” The group named the river Nuestra Senora de los Angeles de la Porciuncula. The name came for the celebration feast of the Perdono at the tiny Assisi chapel of St. Francis of Assisi. Later on, Felipe de Neve, Spanish Governor of California, believed that there needed to be a pueblo establishment along the River Los Angeles north of the mission at San Gabriel. The primary purpose for this pueblo would be to reaffirm Spain's claim over the region. The pueblo would also help to keep Spain's California military garrisons supplied and fed. The site Governor de Neve had in mind was actually the site that Father Crespi had written about more than a decade earlier. Governor de Neve received permission through King Carlos III of Spain to establish the pueblo on the site. Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada, who was Lt. Governor of California at the time, was appointed to oversee recruitment of colonists and accompanying soldiers for the new settlement. Governor de Neve immediately began designing the new pueblo. The effort to recruit settlers for the new settlement, however, was much more challenging. The Spanish government was willing to offer money, land and livestock. However, Rivera y Moncada found it difficult to find promising and willing candidates. This was due, in part, to the fact that what we know today as southern California was remote and desolate. It did not represent the type of opportunity that people found attractive. Rumors began to circulate that soldiers serving in the area did not get paid. The rumors were somewhat truthful. This was not to mention that getting to the area was arduous and dangerous. In spite of all of this, recruiting efforts revealed 12 families willing to relocate. On September 4, 1781, the settlers, along with Governor de Neve, arrived at the location for the new settlement along the Los Angeles River. The named the settlement El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles, which means The Town of the Queen of the Angels. Over the years, the city grew from a cow town to a Gold Rush town to an oil town. Settlers began to flock to the area for its climate and, of course, gold. The city of Los Angeles, or more commonly L.A., was incorporated in 1850. In the 1920's, the fledgling film industry in the United States realized that it was sunshine that was missing from their films. With this in mind, the industry packed up and moved west from New York City. Hollywood, then just a simple district, became famous. Today, with major studios such as Paramount, Universal, Fox and Warner Brothers all making their homes in Hollywood, it truly is the “Entertainment Capital of the World.” However, there is much more to Los Angeles than Hollywood. The city is the home to many educational and cultural institutions. The city is home to California State University, as well as the University of California, Los Angeles, or, as it is more commonly known, UCLA. The Museum of Contemporary Art, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Getty Museum, are all located in Los Angeles. Disneyland, America's most famous family fun park, also makes its home in the city of angels. Every year, millions of tourists visit Los Angeles for numerous reasons. Many come to see the giant Hollywood sing in Griffith Park. Others are more interested in the mansions of the stars in Beverly Hills. The nightlife on Sunset Strip, the beach life and the car culture are a few more reasons why people flock to Los Angeles. The city is also home to many professional sports teams. The Los Angeles Lakers, of the NBA, is probably the most famous. However, the city has another NBA team, the Los Angeles Clippers. The Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL also make their homes in the city. Los Angeles has a very diverse population. Its residents represent over 160 different countries and speak 96 different languages. On top of everything else that the city has to offer, it also experiences about 329 days of sunshine each year. Los Angeles truly is a city that has it all. (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006
4:54 pm	Kings Sign Rob Blake The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenceman Rob Blake to a two-year contract worth $12 million. Bergmans Expert Dialysis: This came out of nowhere. Apparently, talks broke down between the Avs and Blakes camp because The Avs still owed Blake a bonus of $2.3 million from 2001. The bonus will count against the salary cap and The Avs couldn't find enough room to sign Blake. This was reported by The Denver Post not more than an hour ago. I wonder if The Kings did indeed offer Chara a contract as was reported, before he signed with the Kings. If that was the case, that might explain why it took Blake no more than thirty minutes to sign with The Kings. I would say two years at $6 million a year is a reasonable price since Blake is one of the best defencemen in the league. Good deal by Lombard. (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
10:53 am	Dan Cloutier to the LA Kings. There was much rejoicing in the kingdom as the Canucks managed to find somehow nice enough, the Pavol Demitra-free Los Angeles Kings, to take Dan Cloutier and his $2.55mil contract off of their hands and free up some much needed cap space. A familiar sight... Now, I dislike Cloutier more than I should (not personally, just as a goalie). He's a great fighter and not a bad guy at all, but he's just not a good NHL Goaltender. He gets injured often and at the worst times (we can partially blame Marc Crawford for that), and who can ever forget the Nick Lidstrom goal of doom. The problem is that many people are fooled by the fact that, prior to this season, Cloutier was always able to rack up some nice win totals because the Canucks had a good team in front of him and Cloutier played a lot of games. Look at the disparity between Cloutier's league rank in WINS compared to SAVE PERCENTAGE. 2004: Wins 33 (4th-T), SV% .914 (19th) 2003: Wins 33 (7th-T), SV% .908 (22nd) 2002: Wins 31 (11th), SV% .901 (33rd!) Cloutier never finished in the upper half of starting goaltenders in SV% and always hovered at average or below-average. Overall, Cloutier was the typical replaceable goalie that could have good games now and then, but was never going to carry the Canucks to anything glorious. We're still waiting to hear the full details of the deal, but I'll be happy even if the Canucks get nothing in return. Being able to dump Cloutier's full salary on someone else and have him let in goals against the Canucks is reward enough. (edit: Canucks are getting a second-round selection in 2007 and a conditional selection in 2009 according to TSN.ca. Not a bad return for a salary dump. ) (Comment on this)