*THE FOLLOWING BELOW IS NOT WRITTEN BY THE ROYAL HALF,
BUT RATHER PUMPERNICHOLL, OUR MASTER RECAPPER*

KINGS 3, SHARKS 0

What a mess this series had become. Suspensions, injuries, controversial calls and non-calls all added up to 2-2 series with a combined 15 goals between the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. It wasn't exactly Mark Spector's favorite kind of hockey to watch, but this series had finally escalated the two teams into rivalry level.

The consensus amongst fans from both teams was that Game 5 would most likely decide the winner of the series. Kings fans knew it would be near impossible to win in the Shark Tank down 3-2, and Sharks fans didn't like their team's chances in a potential Game 7 back in Los Angeles.

So it was make or break time for both teams.

And each team's fan base brought their loud for an epic showdown at Staples Center.

going to make a great chicken salad for the SJSharks game tonight.. LETS GO SHARKS!!! BEAT LA!!!

— Greg Campbell (@GregCamp831) May 23, 2013

Lace the fuck up! It's game day Kings fans! Time to #BeatTheSharks and send them down 3-2. #GOKINGSGO

— Travis Pfahler (@socaltrav) May 23, 2013

fuck the kings lineups for tonight Daryl is setting us up for a loss

— sydney christman (@lovekopitar4ev) May 23, 2013

#SHARKSWIN #SJSVSLAK #BeatLA #BeatTheKINGS#SJsharks #StanleyCupPlayoffs #FUCKLA #SHARKSTERRITORY #BRINGYOURLOUD #BECAUSEITSTHECUP

— Mulatto❤Mixed Girls (@MixedNigga_) May 23, 2013

Fuck this LA traffic! I got a game to get too! #BEATLA #SJSharks

— Nolan (@MLSFAN20) May 24, 2013

Fuck homework tonight I'm watching the FUCKING sharks game #andgettingdrunk

— Gaby Cutini (@GabyCutini) May 24, 2013

If the kings lose tonight.....fuck everything.

— Tony Elmore (@1tony_tony1) May 24, 2013

#freeraffi twitter.com/ewinklebleck89…

— Ethan (@ewinklebleck89) May 24, 2013

Continue Reading

FIRST.... read today's GAMEDAY PREVIEW for tonight's Game 5 between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. Exclusively on LAKings.com.

This will make much more sense once you've read the GAMEDAY PREVIEW.

THEN...  it's a brand-new Game 5 Edition of All The Kings Men Podcast!!! Jesse Cohen and I chat about the LA Kings loss in Game 4 and the LA Kings Tweet you might have heard something about. You can check out the brand-new episode of All The Kings Men Podcast here, subscribe to it on iTunes or listen below:

THEN... read the incredible thing that Jon Rosen from LA Kings Insider said about yours truly in regards to the controversy over the Kevin Ryder tweet:

And check out what I'm going to start putting on my business cards:
 

@camcharron @theroyalhalf "edgy without the rape jokes" is his marketing slogan I think

— John Carroll (@toshanshuinLA) May 22, 2013

AND FINALLY... support something that Megan, girlfriend to the most amazing LA Kings player ever, is putting together to help some of her friends that had their home burn down. She has some great LA Kings autographed merchandise up for auction on eBay. You can bid on the items here, here, here, and here. And check out her Twitter feed for more information.

*THE FOLLOWING BELOW IS NOT WRITTEN BY THE ROYAL HALF,
BUT RATHER PUMPERNICHOLL, OUR MASTER RECAPPER*

KINGS 2, SHARKS 2

The maddening conclusion of Games 2 and 3 left both fan bases bitter. Borderline calls by the referees had swung the momentum for opposing teams in each game and ultimately decided the outcome. Fans don't go to hockey games to watch the referees, yet they were becoming the focal point of this series.

While neither team liked what transpired, they couldn't do anything about it now. What they could do was move on and realize that things had evened up, and this was assuredly the end of any referee interference that would determine the final score.

And it was a good day heading into Game 4. Kings fans were especially excited that longtime supporter Kevin Ryder from KROQ's Kevin & Bean was going to live tweet the second period from the @LAKings official feed!

The team was 5-0 this season when a guest tweeter took over the account (3-0 with @theroyalhalf, 1-0 with @johnondrasik, and 1-0 with @wilw), so it was a great omen heading into the game.

Refs were done evening up calls and the Kings had a celebrity guest to run their Twitter account.

Nothing could ruin this!

Twitter Takeover: Tonight Kings/Sharks, game 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the 2nd period, I'm taking over @lakings twitter!#GoKingsGo

— Kevin Ryder(@thekevinryder) May 21, 2013

@thekevinryder @lakings This concept scares me, just a little bit. Go #LAKings Go.

— Randy 'Raz' Ullon (@3dc_Raz) May 21, 2013

@3dc_raz @thekevinryder it scares all of us

— LA Kings (@LAKings) May 21, 2013

@thekevinryder @lakings did u really expect anything else. We have had the honor of heading u f shit up 4 almost 20 years. Part of ur charm

— Victor C (@VicCed) May 21, 2013

Continue Reading

FIRST.... read today's GAMEDAY PREVIEW for tonight's Game 4 between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. Exclusively on LAKings.com.

This will make much more sense once you've read the GAMEDAY PREVIEW.

THEN... apparently, The Royal Half... is huge in Canada.

You can follow Newcap TV Sports Anchor and huge Royal Half fan, Nahreman Issa, on Twitter.

We are now 3 games into the Los Angeles Kings 2nd Round Series against the San Jose Sharks... and there has been one big element missing...

@theroyalhalf when's the game day podcast going to be up?

— greg elbaum (@GregE_33) May 14, 2013
 

@theroyalhalf wheres the game day podcast today?

— greg elbaum (@GregE_33) May 16, 2013
 

@kingsmenpodcast @theroyalhalf alright guys. You know what I'm looking for right?

— greg elbaum (@GregE_33) May 18, 2013
 

Well, Greg Elbaum, here ya go... a brand new mega-pod edition of  All The Kings Men Podcast: Round 2 So Far!!! Jesse Cohen and I chat with Jon Hoven from Mayors Manor about the LA Kings Game 3 loss... but mainly Jesse and I talk about suspensions and pucks going over the glass. And when you listen to our discussion about the penalty for pucks going over the glass... remember this text message to me from TRH Ombudsman, Jack A. Wilson:

You can check out the brand-new episode of All The Kings Men Podcast here, subscribe to it on iTunes or listen below:

*THE FOLLOWING BELOW IS NOT WRITTEN BY THE ROYAL HALF,
BUT RATHER PUMPERNICHOLL, OUR MASTER RECAPPER*

KINGS 1, SHARKS 2 (OT),
JON QUICK PISSED OFF
 

Another Hollywood ending for the Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 made it six straight wins for the defending Stanley Cup Champions (and typing that will never get old).

Coincidentally, those six wins all came with Alec Martinez in the lineup. A fixture in the Kings top-six for the past two seasons, Martinez has helped stabilize the defensive corps since his return to the starting lineup in Game 3 against the St. Louis Blues. So it was rather shocking to read that Darryl Sutter decided to bench Martinez for the upcoming game against the San Jose Sharks. Sure, Martinez finished at a -3 in Game 2, but the general consensus around all sports is to never mess with a winning lineup. 

That said, it's hard to question the coach who led the team to its first championship less than 12 months ago.

So the Kings headed up to the Shark Tank coming off a huge comeback to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. The latest win came after a couple of penalty calls late in the game turned the momentum for the Kings as they scored 22 seconds apart in the dying moments of the game.

It was especially important for the Kings to win Game 2 not just because home-ice means so much to these two teams, but because referees never make series altering penalty calls late in a game.

Rest assured, borderline penalty calls like those won't be seen in a playoff game for years, if ever again.

Wait... what?

Click Here to Read the Rest of PumperNicholl's RECAP of Game 3 vs the Sharks!!!

FIRST.... read today's GAMEDAY PREVIEW for tonight's Game 3 between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. Exclusively on LAKings.com.

This will make more sense once you've read the GAMEDAY PREVIEW.

THEN... check out a few of these LA Kings-related blunders that happened over the past few days. First, from something called the Golden State Warriors...

Well, at least the Warriors are still in the playof I'M SORRY I CAN'T EVEN. 

And then today, via Tipster Adam... it's NBC just being NBC.

Never change, @nhlonnbcsports. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever change. twitpic.com/cripv2

— The Royal Half (@theroyalhalf) May 18, 2013

Go Kings.

*THE FOLLOWING BELOW IS NOT WRITTEN BY THE ROYAL HALF,
BUT RATHER PUMPERNICHOLL, OUR MASTER RECAPPER*
 

KINGS 4, SHARKS 3, MINDS BLOWN
 

Unsettled.

That's the best way to describe my state after the Los Angeles Kings shutout the San Jose Sharks in Game 1. Sure, I was over the moon because the Kings won, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I screwed up. "That's the game I should have gone to," I kept telling myself.

You see, I haven't been to a Kings-Sharks game since 2011, when this happened:

Worst money I've ever spent.

Continue Reading

FIRST.... read today's GAMEDAY PREVIEW for tonight's Game 2 between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. Exclusively on LAKings.com.

This will make more sense once you've read the GAMEDAY PREVIEW.

THEN... that's all I got. Go Kings Go. And if anyone is looking to get The Royal Half an early birthday gift... look no further.

*THE FOLLOWING BELOW IS NOT WRITTEN BY THE ROYAL HALF,
BUT RATHER PUMPERNICHOLL, OUR MASTER RECAPPER*
 

KINGS 2, SHARKS 0

Round 2 already? That was fast.

Fuck you sharks fuck Canucks fuck hockey fuck everything twitter.com/KesLeRoy/statu…

— Wayne (@KesLeRoy) May 6, 2013

Fucking shit cunt asshole titties whore pussy licking twat gobbler @stlouisblues fall to the defending champions LA Kings in 6.

— Jesse Magdanz (@JesseMagdanz) May 11, 2013