rob blake's #4 rises to the rafters

Saturday night (January 17, 2015) the LA Kings retired the second of my two, all-time favorite players' numbers.

Rob Blake's #4 will now forever hang in the rafters next to Luc Robitaille's #20, in addition to some other guys you may have heard of named Dave Taylor (#18), Rogie Vachon (#30), Marcel Dionne (#16) and Wayne Gretzky (#99).

Rob's jersey retirement ceremony included 30-ish of Rob's ex-teammates standing by to honor him, with Luc, Kings GM/Rob's current boss Dean Lombardi, current Kings Captain Dustin Brown, and Rob's defensive partner Mattias Norstrom (who flew in from Sweden) speaking about him and his accomplishments both on and off the ice.

People mentioned his records as a defensemen (that Drew Doughty will probably break). They noted he's the only King's defensemen to win the Norris Trophy (Drew will do that eventually too). And they spoke of his Hall of Fame induction last November. But that's all public knowledge.

Dustin Brown, who was beginning his career as Rob's was ending, spoke of how Rob set an example for the younger players like him and Anze Kopitar of how to carry oneself as an NHL player and how to be a leader.

And Luc spoke of how Rob, even when he no longer played for the Kings, paid for Kings season tickets for a family who's three children had muscular dystrophy. The family had attended one game as guests of the Kings, and afterwards while visiting the team in the locker room, the dad told Rob that the game that night was the happiest he'd ever seen his kids. Rob called up the front office the next morning and bought them season tickets that year, and continued to do so every year until, sadly, the kids had all passed away. But that dad -- Luc noted -- was in the crowd Saturday night to see Rob's number go up in the rafters.

That story, my friends, is why I love hockey and hockey players. They are just good guys. And in Rob's case, a good farm boy from Simcoe, Ontario, who made it to the big time, worked hard, developed a booming hipcheck when a shoulder injury made it too painful for him to check the normal way, broke a lot of records, won a Stanley Cup (with the Avs), and stayed humble.

Here's Rob's speech that demonstrates a little of that, and how he feels about his teammates:

The view from Section 205: 

#4 rises to the rafters

Close-up of #4 before being moved over next to #20

great day for a parade... the 2014 championship edition

Been a little busy at work since I played hooky on June 16th to go downtown and cheer on my TWO-time Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings, so here's a bunch of the photos I took two weeks ago on an awesome Southern California Monday-Funday :)

Ranger Hater Juanita and Me waiting for the Parade

Jeff Carter (77), Marion Gaborik (12) and Mike Richards (10)

Trevor Lewis (22), Drew Doughty (8) & Alec
Martinez (27) with the Campbell Bowl

Tanner Pearson (70), Tyler Toffoli (73), Martin Jones (31),
Jeff Schultz (55) and Dwigtht King (74)

Jarret Stoll (28), Matt Greene (2), Willie Mitchell (33) and Justin Williams (14)

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner Justin Williams (14)

Jonathan Quick (32), Dustin Brown (23), Anze Kopitar (11) and Lord Stanley's Cup

Jonathan Quick (32), Dustin Brown (23) and Anze Kopitar (11)... with confetti 

KOPI!

QUICKIE! 

The party bus... Alec Martinez (27), Drew Doughty (8) and Trevor Lewis (22)

Team photo with lots of trophies :) 

don't stop believing

When these Stanley Cup playoffs started back in April, I had little hope for anything spectacular to happen for my LA Kings. I love them dearly, but the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks had dominated them -- and most other teams -- this season and, while you always hope for the best, I didn't want to let myself get too invested.

I felt this was an extremely good strategy once the Kings went down 0-3 to the San Jose Sharks in Round 1.

But then something happened. They did what most thought impossible -- and made history in the process -- by becoming only the 4th team in NHL history to come back from 0-3 to win a playoff series. And this became the new battle cry/hashtag of Kings fans:

Then they did something even more unexpected. They beat the Ducks... again in a hard-fought 7-game series.

And with that win, I started to hope... I got invested. The Kings went up 3-1 against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. I couldn't believe it! It seemed too easy. But it didn't stay that way for long. The Kings were one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals ... for 3 games (including a nauseating Game 5 double OT loss). That's how much the Blackhawks refused to go away quietly. They kept fighting. They were winning. And we were once again headed to Game 7. I began to talk myself out of my investment... it would be easier to watch the Kings start golfing if I was mentally prepared in advance.

All day today I was prepared for the worst...  even though the players in tonight's Kings lineup had a combined record of 64-2 in Game 7's. (A factoid of hope :)

I could only half-watch the game today... I busied myself with other things in view of the TV because it was too stressful, too close a game to really pay close attention to. Chicago went up by 2 goals early. The Kings got one goal back. Then "Mr. Game 7," Justin Williams, tied it up. 12 seconds later Chicago scored again. Then the Kings tied it again. Then Chicago went up 4-3. Then, the Kings tied it again, 4-4.

Then there was a 4.2 earthquake in Southern California. I took this as a sign... of what I wasn't sure. But when the game went to sudden death overtime three minutes later, I decided to watch from my kitchen, because that's where I'd been for at least two of the Kings four goals. (Yes, I'm totally superstitious when it comes to the Kings. Anyone who knows me should know this by now.)

While I was in there, pacing about, trying not to care, Mr, Game 7 fed a pass to Alec Martinez, who took a shot from just inside the point. That shot flew over Corey Crawford's shoulder and the game was over. The Kings were taking their second trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in three seasons!



With that shot, the LA Kings became the first team in NHL history to win three Game 7's on the road in order to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

I screamed. I rewound the Tivo to watch it again... closely. I started typing a Facebook status update. My phone started going nuts with texts. My brother, the big game jinx, called from the Chili's in Temecula (where he was watching the game before he joins the San Diego Forestry Service tomorrow) to explain they won because he was able to do Jim Beam rally shots at the bar, and they don't carry Jim Beam at Staples Center, which is why they lose when he's there. (Umm... okaaay.)

Then this happened, and like a good Captain, Brownie did NOT touch the Clarence Campbell Bowl, awarded each year to the Western Conference CHAMPIONS! (That's bad luck for those of you who aren't superstitious. I hope the Rangers touched their trophy.)



The Kings need to win four more games to win hockey's holy grail. So now, we start the insanity all over again on Wednesday at 5pm at Staples Center. Game 1 vs. the mostly hated (at least by everyone I know) New York Rangers. It's the NHL's dream Final: New York vs. Los Angeles. And the Kings finally have home ice advantage. Which means the next Game 7 they win will finally be at home. However, if they'd like to win Games 1 and 2 at home, and then one in New York, and then win that 4th game at home in Game 5, that would be totally acceptable.

They can do it, right? We just have to #believe!

random (biased) thoughts on saturday morning olympic pucks

It's 8:30am PT and I'm currently on a social media blackout as I watch the USA vs. Russia hockey game on Tivo. The second period just started and there is no score. But I have some thoughts thus far that I will add to this before I hit "publish." (Warning: this post will be heavily weighted towards comments about LA Kings players in this game -- there are three: USA's Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown, Russia's Slava Voynov.)

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First off, during the intermission, they showed highlights of the Slovenia vs. Slovakia game that probably no one outside of Slovenia and Slovakia watched today. But Slovenia, who is competing in their first Olympic hockey tournament, won. It was their first Olympic win.

We care about this because the one NHL star on Team Slovenia is LA King Anze Kopitar, whose dad is the team's coach. Kopi scored one of Slovenia's three goals today.

Yesterday I was complaining on Twitter about how Kings Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty are all of the sudden goal scoring machines in their Team Canada uniforms, and it would be nice if they'd score some goals in their Kings uniforms.

Kopi has been the Kings' only goal scoring machine of late. So to him I just say: Yay Kopi! That goal was a beauty!

------------

Now back to USA vs. Russia.

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As the first period was going on, I thought, if this goes well for Team USA, all of the world will now know the awesomeness of my former Baby Goalie. (That is my pre-Stanley Cup Championship nickname for LA Kings/Team USA starting goaltender Jonathan Quick, who, until he grew a beard during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, looked like he was 12.) Since he is now the "former" Baby Goalie, we will refer to him by his real nickname now, "Quickie."

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Still no score. Russia is on their second powerplay. USA defensemen and the goal posts are really helping Quickie on this one. Phil Kessel just took a shot to the hand. Ouch. He's off to the dressing room. Uh oh. 

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I may have just jinxed Quickie. Oh look... that ass Putin is here watching the Russians score their first goal. Blech. 0-1 Russia. But Kessel is back from the dressing room. That's good. His sister is playing for the Team USA women, by the way.

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The commentators just said, "Jonathan Quick has been huge for Team USA." Yes, yes he has. That's because he's very used to playing for a team that can't score goals. 

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Wow. A Russian just leveled Dustin Brown. Is that what they call karma? :-P 

The NBCSN commentators that annoy me* say that was a bad, selfish penalty since Brown was nowhere near (like 2 zones away from) the puck. Agreed. But it's now time for a Team USA power play. Come on guys!

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Team USA scores!! 1-1 Uh oh... off Cam Fowler's skate. But he didn't kick it in. The goal is good! Whoo-hoo!

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End of the 2nd. Still tied 1-1. Shots - USA 23, Russia 21. 

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Now into the 3rd period. Uh oh. Brownie apparently broke the rules. He doesn't agree but the refs don't care. Another power play for Russia.

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Thank god NHL fans aren't obsessed with these annoying horns. I would shoot myself. 

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Quickie makes a big save and now we're back to even strength.

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Is it just me, or does it sound like the crowd is chanting "Go Kings Go?" If so, then I will believe in my mind that the chant is for Quick and Brown, not Voynov (although in reality, it's the reverse.) 

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Team USA on the power play. Please score a goal! Please score a goal!  (If Jeff Carter was on Team USA in his Team Canada jersey I bet they'd score a goal....)

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Whoo-hoo!! Joe Pavelski scores on a beauty of a pass from Patrick Kane. Team USA leads 2-1! I normally hate Patrick Kane, but not this week.

10 minutes to go. Quickie be a wall. Quickie be a wall....

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Argh! Brown gets another penalty. Knee on knee hit. You really must stop doing that Dustin. Oy.

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AHHH! Russia scores. Quickie was looking around the wrong side of the giant Russian screening him. And we're tied again. I can't take this. 7:16 to go. (BAD Brownie!!)

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They're chanting "Go Kings Go" again ;) 

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Russia just scored again. Argh. Right over Quick's shoulder, after he'd just made an amazing save too. Wait... the ref is reviewing. Was it deflected with a high stick? NO GOAL!!!! Ahhh! But on NBCSN's replay it didn't actually hit that stick. Wow. That should have been a goal. Putin is gonna be pissed. OH, wait. The in-goal camera is showing the net was slightly off its peg. In international play, that means no goal. In the NHL, that goal would've counted. 

(It also counts in the NHL if the puck goes out of play into the net above the glass and no official sees it, and then bounces back in and off the goaltender's back into the net... just in case you were wondering. No, I'm not bitter.) 

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Russia takes a penalty with 1:32 left. Still tied 2-2. Wow. Wow. Wow. Both USA goals have been on the power play. Could this be Miracle on Ice, Part 2? (No because this USA team is not that outmatched, but it still adds some drama.)

------------

And we go to Overtime. AHHHH! I do believe our remaining power play time carries over with these international rules, though right? Oh NBCSN commentator dudes who annoy me, please confirm... Yes, 29 seconds of power play carries over. Come on guys! Score a goal (And by guys, I mean the American ones. It would be awesomesauce if it ended up being the Dustin Brown one.)

------------

Power play is over. Now back to 4-4 for OT. "Go Kings Go!" These Russian fans are so nice to Quick and Brown.

------------

Patrick Kane just had a breakaway and missed. Argh.

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I think we are going to a shoot out. (No jinxes since we're currently in USA's defensive zone with 6.2 seconds left.) Yes. We're going to a shoot out. Quickie BE A WALL. I'm serious this time. In international play, you can use the same 3 shooters over and over. Interesting... I guess that means Dustin Brown won't be getting a chance here.

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TJ Oshie is up first for Team USA. Scores! That was the slowest shoot out approach I've ever seen.

Now Malkin for Team Russia. DENIED by Quick!

James Van Riemsdyk for USA. Denied. USA still up 1-0.

Pavel Datsyuk for Russia. DENIED by Quick! USA still leads 1-0. 

Joe Pavelski next for Team USA. Score and we win. No pressure. Denied. 

Alright Quickie. No pressure. Be a wall. Kovalchuk next for Russia. He scores. Ahhh. Tied 1-1.

Now Russia gets to go first. Kovalchuk again. Denied.

Oshie for Team USA. If he scores, we win. Denied.

Datsyuk up for Russia. Scores. ARGH. Russia 2-1. 

Last shot for USA if we don't score. Oshie again. Scores! Thank god. 2-2. Knocked the water bottle off.

Kovalchuk again. Scores. Russia 3-1.

Oshie again. This poor guy. Scores! 3-3. 

Datsyuk for Russia. Denied! Ahh! Good Quickie. Good Quickie.

Come on Oshie!! Denied. Ahhhh! This is making me nauseous. 

Kovalechuk. Denied by Quick!

Oshie again. Round 8. SCORES!!! Team USA WINS 3-2!!! AHHHH!!! That was AWESOME!!!!  (Take THAT Putin!) 

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Now I have to go read 11 hours of my Twitter feed. Bye!

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* This is mostly because they are not Bob Miller and Jim Fox, and include Jeremy Roenick. No real offense to Doc Emrick. You're pretty good. You're just not Bob Miller. 

things that make me smile

Getting lots and lots of hockey tickets from the Fed Ex man :) 

happy in hockeywood

This past Thursday was an EXCELLENT day in LA Kings-land... especially for people like me who own a Dustin Brown jersey and at least one, if not two (shut up!) Rob Blake jerseys.

"Captain Crush" Dustin Brown, acting as his own agent, negotiated his contract a season before it was set to expire and is now a signed, sealed, toothless member of the Kings through the 2021-22 season. He's the first LA King to touch the Stanley Cup and he sends players on opposing teams flying through the air at mid-ice. Oh and he scores goals at really clutch moments too. So YAY! My jersey will get more than two years of use :p

And then, in a more controversial move (because some Kings fans are stupid, hold grudges and don't understand how the team owners like to screw over the Player's Association [go research Rob Blake leaving the Kings to play for the Avs and/or the Sharks... I can't remember which one was him sacrificing himself for the union]), the Kings named my second favorite player of all time -- Blake -- their new Assistant General Manager. So this means my favorite player of all time -- Luc Robitaille -- and Blakey, who played together during the beginning of my Kings fandom, and quite honestly are the two main reasons I became such a huge fan, are now reunited in the front office of the Kings. Now let's just hope Blakey is as good at nurturing and retaining talent as he was at throwing hipchecks.

All this, plus the facts that the 2013-14 schedule was just released, and tomorrow is the day I get to enter the Kings virtual online seating system and potentially improve my already pretty okay seats, has me very eager for October to get here. Go Kings Go!

things that make me smile

... Reliving the LA Kings' Road to the 2012 Stanley Cup.

This is a great retrospective video series they've been showing during intermissions at games this season. I'm mostly posting it here for me so I can watch them all in one place whenever I want to, but hopefully the hockey fans amongst you will enjoy it too :)

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 1: Stoll's OT Winner

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 2: Penner's OT Winner

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 3: Scuderi Hit

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 4: Daryl Sutter Hired

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 5: The Trade Deadline

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 6: Brown Hits Sedin

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 7: Kings Sweeps St. Louis

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 8: LAX Arrival

Added 3/30/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 9: Kopitar's OT Winner

Added 4/5/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 10: Carter's OT Winner

Added 4/8/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 11: The 5-Minute Major

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 12: The Final Minutes

Added 4/12/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 13: The Stanley Cup

Added 4/16/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 14: Looking Back

Added 4/20/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 15: The 16-4 Playoff Record

Stanley Cup Moments Episode 16: Quick Wins the Conn Smythe

Added 4/23/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 17: Champagne Shower

Added 4/26/13
Stanley Cup Moments Episode 18: Championship Parade

great day for a parade

Today was the LA Kings Stanley Cup Victory Parade, an event I never thought I'd ever live to see ;) It was great to see all the players so relaxed and having so much fun after working so hard for the last two months. It was also great to see that really pretty shiny Cup in their hands :)

Here are a few pics from the day:
(The majority are on my Facebook page. If we're friends, go check them out there)

My "money shot" -- Dustin Brown lifts The Stanley Cup, while Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick hug it out. Awww.

I was taking pics of Mike Richards, Drew Doughty, Dustin Penner and Jeff Carter and didn't even notice Luuuuuc Robitaille standing right behind them until now :)

President of Business Operations Luuuuuc Robitaille addresses the team and fans 

Team photo with the hardware :)

Today was a celebration for every player who's ever worn a Kings jersey, and all the fans who cheered for them over the last 45 years. It was also for all the personnel who've worked within the Kings organization over the years to mold the team that won that Cup on Monday.

That's why this photo -- taken at the 9-11 Memorial by Kings fan Dave Krasne in New York, and posted today on Twitter with the message, "As a Kings fan in NYC, I couldn't let Mark Bavis or Ace Bailey miss the festivities" -- is so poignant.

Mark Bavis and Garnet "Ace" Bailey were LA Kings scouts who perished on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center on 9-11. (The Kings mascot "Bailey" is named after Ace.) There is a rumor that the team is petitioning the NHL to put Mark and Ace's names on the Cup. I hope they succeed.

things that make me smile

This is awesome! I know I've always wanted to blow chocolate milk bubbles in the Stanley Cup while wearing Spider Man PJ's ;)  Dustin Brown's kids are so lucky!

la kings = 2012 stanley cup champions!

I don't really know how to put into words what I'm feeling tonight. I just watched the LA Kings win the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 45-year history, live from Section 206 at Staples Center. I expected to cry at the game when it looked like they'd win. Well, they looked like they'd win in the first period after taking advantage of a 5-minute major penalty and scoring three power play goals. I didn't cry then. I cheered. I didn't cry at the end of the game either. Instead, I started shaking with about 10 minutes left in the game. My hands, my legs... and I'm still not sure my hands have completely stopped shaking. But I didn't cry till I got home and watched my favorite current King, Captain Dustin Brown, lift the Cup, kiss it and hand it off to 35-year-old, first time Champion Willie Mitchell...



Seeing their faces close-up, hearing them speak. So happy! They worked so hard. And they did something truly remarkable. The Kings were a 75-1 long shot to win the Stanley Cup at the beginning of the season. Since then, they fired one coach, and hired another. They struggled to score goals and barely made the playoffs, scraping in as the 8th seed just two games before the end of the regular season. But once they got there, they knocked off the #1, #2 and #3 seeds in the West.

Then they took a 3-0 lead against the Eastern Champions, and one of the best goaltenders -- Martin Broudeur -- to ever play in the NHL. Games 4 and 5, which they lost due to bad luck and stupid mistakes, nearly broke me as a fan. All my doubts -- ingrained over 24 years of disappointment -- about their ability to win came back. I actually thought about selling my tickets tonight -- they were going for $1,200 to $9,999 each on stubhub.com, and I knew I couldn't sit through another three hours of nervous nausea like I'd experienced in Games 4 and 5.

But I also knew if they won tonight and I wasn't there, I'd slit my wrists. So I drove to Staples Center, for the 9th time in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, this time with my Dad because if they were going to win, I wanted a family member there with me to experience it. (My little brother had come with me to Game 4.) I was wearing what I wore last Monday when they won 4-0. I ordered the exact same drink and food. And I sat in the exact same seat -- row 7, seat 8. And tonight, I watched my Kings completely eviscerate that future Hall of Fame goaltender... scoring 6 goals (5 with him in net) before it was all over. They came out hard. These were the Kings of Game 3, not the Kings who let nerves get to them in Games 4 and 5. And because of that, these Kings ARE the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions!


Here are some of the sights of Game 6 -- the game when the Kings were finally crowned Champions!

From the awesome pre-game video:

After goals by Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter and Trevor Lewis during the 5-minute major boarding penalty (Rob Scuderi really took one for the team with that hit. So glad he wasn't seriously injured and came back to play. He's really gonna feel that tomorrow, but something tells me he won't care :)

Jeff Carter scores goal #2 for him and #4 for the rest of us :)

Me and Dad during 2nd intermission... kinda grainy cuz I had to pump up the color levels to make us visible under the super-bright florescent lights.

The final stats

Dustin "Pancakes" Penner (who said he'd mix pancake batter in the bowl of the Cup if he won it again ;) passes Lord Stanley's Cup to Jonathan Quick.

Conn Smythe Winner, Stanley Cup Champ and most likely Vezina Trophy Winner Jonathan Quick hoists the Cup!

Drew Doughty celebrates!

The Captain presents the Cup to the Kings elusive owner Phil Anschutz at the bench.

Luuuuuuuuuuc Robitaille finally lifts the Cup as a KING!! (He won it as a player, but had to go to Detroit to do it)

Willie Mitchell with the Cup, surrounded by press, players and their families

The photo I've been waiting 24 years for! (Love that Luc and former King/now special assistant to the coach Bernie Nicholls snuck in there on the right :)

And this just makes me smile.. Dustin Brown with one of his three mini-me sons (photo stolen from the awesome LA Kings twitter feed :)

1 more win (knock on wood. no jinxes. no whammies)

I was really nervous today. My brother is coming to LA from Vegas for Game 4 on Wednesday. Everything has fallen into place thus far for us to possibly witness history together in Section 206, Row 7 on our mom's birthday, June 6th. But the Kings had to win tonight for that to still be possible. So I was slightly uneasy all day.

But once this beautifully amazing goal was scored in the 2nd period by Anze Kopitar, with the awesome assists from Dustin Brown and Justin Williams, I was able to breathe for a while. This gave us a two-goal lead.

 

Two more goals came after this. At which point it hit me: This is really happening. The Kings have a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. They are actually, more than likely (knock on wood. no jinxes. no whammies) going to finally -- after 45 years -- win the Stanley Cup!

AHHHHHHHH!

This is REALLY happening! The Kings need to win ONE MORE GAME. Please let that happen on Wednesday so I'm there to see it. (Knock on wood. No jinxes. No whammies.)

These statements were heard around me in Section 206 tonight in the 3rd period. They helped me believe what I was seeing ;)

"This is total domination."

"We are seriously going to win the Cup!"

And from the 7 or 8-year-old sitting next to us in a giant Kings crown + a kids-sized Dustin Brown jersey: "Trying to get a slapshot past Jonathan Quick? Ha. Yeah, right." :)

I've never heard Staples Center louder than tonight. But something tells me it might be a tad louder (Knock on wood. No jinxes. No whammies) on Wednesday night...

Scenes from Game 3

The calm before the storm

The man (previously known as Baby Goalie ;) mentally preparing during warm-ups

Glow-stick-o-rama before the game starts

The Great One was on-hand for the ceremonial puck drop at center ice

1:49 remaining in Game 3. Kings lead 4-0. Everyone was on their feet chanting "We Want The Cup!"

The Final Stats.
The LA Kings are the first team in NHL history to lead 3-0 in all four series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Madness on Chick Hearn Court, between Staples Center and LA Live. NHL Network's camera on a crane only helped excite the crowd, switching chants between "We Want the Cup!" "Go Kings Go!" and "Marrrrr-tyyyy"

For my fellow-Disney peeps, even Wreck-It Ralph joined the party :) 

"The Sandley Cup" sculpture has been updated since I last saw it :) 

Best promo of the night -- text to a number, reply with your name and email, get a psuedo-autographed pic of The Great One at center ice back in your inbox