Stars-Kings live running blog

Gonna try something tonight that I haven't done since the 2005 NFL conference championship games... I'll be liveblogging this evenings Stars-Kings game, so feel free to follow along with my commentary here.

Kings win, 3-2
7:57pm PT

Stars pulled the goalie but couldn't even manage a shot on goal. The Kings played well, but the Stars dug themselves too deep a hole with so many penalties. Dallas crushed the Kings in PIM (which means nothing except Dallas played extremely undisciplined tonight), 18-10. No, that's not a massive amount of penalty minutes, but late in the first period and in the early second period, each time one Kings power play would end, another would start up.

Final score:
Los Angeles - 3
Dallas - 2

This team is in trouble. Oh, and if you could just ignore that prediction of mine, that'd be great.

Marty the wall
7:47pm PT

Toby Petersen turns the puck over with just under 7:00 to go in the third period, but Marty Turco stones Brian Boyle's shot to keep the Kings lead at 1. Kings going on the power play now after a tripping call on Mark Parrish.

UPDATE: Stars kill it off. Penalty kill clicking, and Marty is coming up big.

Offense looking consistent
7:36pm PT

The Stars have been putting pressure on the Kings defense so far in the third period. Much more so than in their match up on Tuesday. If the can keep this pressure up, it's only a matter of time before something gets behind Ersberg.

Stars will win
7:20pm PT

We're in the second intermission with Dallas trailing Los Angeles, 3-2. With goals by both Richards and Ribeiro - the two guys who are - or in theory should be the offense, the Stars need to find a way to limit all the penalties they've been taking. You can argue if they don't take some of those penalties, the Kings would have scored. Only problem is the Kings did anyway.

But I'm declaring it right now (taking a time out from the journalistic perspective of this blogger, and for right now I'm speaking as a fan)... The Stars will win this game. This is going to be one of those "defining games" that a team can build upon for the next few weeks. With this comeback tonight, after so many early struggles, the Stars will use this win as a springboard to put their season back on track.

Of course, if I'm wrong, let's just ignore I said all that. I believe it. But I might have to eat those words.

Richards, Ribeiro team up for goal
6:59pm PT

Stars actually on the other side of all these penalty kills. Richards puts hard-angle shot on net and it looks like it went off Ribeiro past Ersberg for the Stars second goal of the night. This might actually not be the blood bath it was looking like.

3-2, Kings.

Kings back on power play 2.0
6:46pm PT

Stephane Robidas for tripping.  The Stars are just flat out shooting themselves in the foot while the Kings continue to shoot themselves silly at the Stars' net.

UPDATE: Hey, what do you know. The Stars killed a power play. even had a chance for a shorthanded goal in the process.

Kings back on power play
6:42pm PT

That was fast.  Tripping on Ribeiro.  This is the fifth time Dallas is shorthanded. ... And now it's a 5-on-3 thanks to a Toby Petersen hi-sticking. Could this be ANOTHER Kings goal coming up?

And another Kings goal
6:39pm PT

Kyle Quincey slung it past Turco.  Now 3-1, Kings.  This is really getting ugly early.  So much for any Dallas momentum.



Another Dallas penalty

6:36pm PT

Stephane Robidas had to take this hooking to prevent a breakaway goal by Dustin Brown.  Let's hope the Kings don't have similar results as last time.

Stars on the board
6:18pm PT

It happened on a 5-on-3 power play, but Dallas got on the board.  Morrow to Zubov to Richards to the back of the net.  A great one-timer from Brad Richards that may have been deflected by one of the Kings defensemen.  Someone write the Kings a thank you note for the pair of interference calls that put Dallas two men up.

That goal wraps up the first period.  Stars take a little momentum into the intermission.  They'll have a little over a minute left on a power play when they take the ice for Period #2.  Ideally the Stars can take advantage of some additional power play time, unlike the end of Tuesday's game.

Kings lead, 2-1.

Another LA goal

This time it's Alexander Frolov.  Lots of traffic in front of the net and there were a pair of Kings that could have put that one away.  This could get ugly.

2-0 Kings.

Avery to the box, Kings on the board

Sean Avery tripped Kings goalie Erik Ersberg leading to an LA power play. Kings' Michal Handzus quickly buries the puck in the back of the net.

Avery might not have been trying to trip the goalie, but his reputation will always work against him in that situation. No surprise he went to the box, and the no surprise the Stars shaking penalty-kill surrenders the first goal.

1-0 Kings midway through the first period.