I'd like to imagine that after the game, somehow the conversation between Jon Quick and Jon Bernier went something like this...

Obviously, Bernier is in the one in the demin vest.
Oh wait... nevermind... that's Justin Beiber. 

DEVILS 3, KINGS 0

Is it me or does Matt Greene look 60 years old in this photo?
I guess defending Bernier in net will do that to a guy.

Well... at least no one got hurt. Besides Jon Bernier's pride.

Game #8

LA Kings 
(5-1-1, 5th in NHL)
vs
New Jersey Devils
(3-2-1, 20th in NHL)

7:30pm, Staples Center
Los Angeles, CA

BEST GOALIE TO WEAR BOTH COLORS:

BEST GOALIE WHO WILL NOT BE STARTING FOR THE KINGS TONIGHT:

BEST OPPOSITION BLOG:
Running with the Devils
In Lou We Trust

That sound you heard earlier today were the collective screams of Los Angeles Kings fans as they found out that Coach Murray will be starting Jon Bernier against the New Jersey Devils instead of Goalie of the Century, Jon Quick. While some fans feel like this is the right move for Coach Murray... others think he's bat-shit-crazy to not start Jon Quick after 3 consecutive shutouts. Rich Hammond forced Coach Murray at gun point to explain his logic in starting Bernier over Quick.

MURRAY: “It’s because of a decision I made a couple days ago. I let Bernier know on Saturday.’’

HAMMOND: And Quick’s shutout streak doesn’t influence that?

MURRAY: “Well, I made the decision before the game and I’m not going to change that. I’ve talked to Bernie about it, I’ve talked to Quicker about it, to let him know. I talked to him briefly about it. That’s the way it is. That’s the decision made.’’

Some Kings fans may be surprised to discover that this actually isn't the first time Coach Terry Murray has held steadfast about a decision he's made prior to a streak by one of his players. Like in 1984, when Wayne Gretzky was about to eclipse Guy Lafleur's 28 game consecutive scoring streak record... the rookie coach for the Edmonton Oilers made a controversial decision to sit his star center.

"Wait... Coach... are you seriously sitting Gretzky?!?"

"Look, I told Conacher he was playing tonight. So he's playing.
Let's drop the puck, eh?" 

Luckily, Wayne Gretzky snuck out during the 3rd period in his warmup clothes and scored an empty net goal to keep the streak alive. Gretzky would go on to set an NHL record by scoring in 51 consecutive games. But just a few years later... Coach Murray would find himself smack dab in the middle of another streak controversy.

"Look Cal...so we’ve got a lot of games coming up right now. The schedule starts to get busy.
What's the big deal? Maybe you could use the rest? 
Don't want to burn you out this quickly in the season."

It was the summer of 1991. Cal Ripken Jr. was in the middle of an MVP season in which he would hit .323 with 34 home runs and 114 runs batted in. And brand new Baltimore Orioles coach, Terry Murray, was looking to shake things up for his slumping club.

MURRAY: I mean, we are at the bottom of the East right now... only the Yankees are better than us. And they are used to being a lower rung team. I told Craig Worthington a few days ago that if this team didn't start winning, we'd make some changes. Well, we aren't winning... so I'm making some changes. Maybe these boys could use a wake up call."

Eventually, Sam Horn confronted Coach Murray in a dark hallway, and Murray made sure to start Cal Ripken Jr. that game. But when it came to actually stopping record-breaking streaks, Coach Terry Murray's shining moment came during the 1st game of the NFL season in 1988 against the New Orleans Saints. 

"Listen... I know that Jerry Rice has caught a TD in 13 consecutive games. So let's give his fingers a rest today, huh?
Don't want to burn him out."

"Ha... that's pretty funny, Coach. Ok, let's do it. Screw the bastard."

So to anyone that has followed Coach Murray's career for some time... the fact that he's benching Jon Quick in the midst of one of the greatest goalie performances in nearly 3 years shouldn't surprise you. 

"Johnson... that's 3 game winners now in 7 games...
you keep pulling that shit around here and I'll have you on the bench faster than you can say Drewiske." 

Sure, it may only be the 8th game of the season... but it's a pretty much meaningless game against an Eastern Conference opponent. Jon Quick has played in 5 straight games and seen nearly 30 shots in each one. So if Coach Murray wants to keep Quick sharp for the upcoming games against Dallas, Phoenix and Colorado... I'm okay with that. Because I think we've all seen what can happen to Jon Quick if he doesn't get enough rest during the regular season.

Also... be sure to play the Internet's hottest new game show... PennerPoint! That's right, if you can correctly predict what period and what time Dustin Penner gets his 1st point of the night in the game against the Devils... you win a free t-shirt just like Nolan Kwasney did against the St. Louis Blues. Feel free to enter in the comments below here or reply to me on Twitter with your predictions using the hashtag #PennerPoint.

When it comes to technology in its game, the NHL seems to be ahead of the other major sports. There are comprehensive explanations of illegal hits sent out via Twitter. There are cutting edge uniforms that help to increase the speed of the game... as long as you don't sweat. And soon there will be a tiny green line that tells us fans when it's safe to cheer for a goal. But none of that compares to the new technology that the writers of the NHL.com Pun Headlines busted out this past week.

But honestly.... those weren't even the funniest headline I saw this past week.

This was.

Click here to check out the best and worst NHL.com pun headlines from the past week!!!

Who were the only two guys at Staples Center Saturday night that weren't excited about Jon Quick's record-setting performance against the Dallas Stars?

Jamie Storr and Nelson Emerson.
Because they never got to play on a Kings team this good.

KINGS 1, STARS 0, JON QUICK 3

Click Here to Read the Rest of The Royal Half Recap!!!

Game #7

LA Kings 
(4-1-1, 7th in NHL)
vs
Dallas Stars
(6-1-0, 2nd in NHL)

7:30pm, Staples Center
Los Angeles, CA

BEST PLAYER TO WEAR BOTH COLORS:

I know he's retired now... but it still looks weird.

BEST OPPOSING PLAYER WITH THE CRAZIEST EX-WIFE:

Getting sent to the AHL was the least of Sheldon Souray's problems.

BEST OPPOSITION BLOG:
Defending Big D
Stars of Big D 

BEST OPPOSITION TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER:
DamnitJason
(Because he loves Dustin Brown's game) 

Everyone is talking about the Dallas Stars and their 6-1 start to the NHL season. But no one is really talking about the teams they've started the season against. 2-1 win over the Blackhawks, 5-2 loss to the Blackhawks, 2-1 SO win over the Coyotes, 3-2 win over the Blues, 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets and a 3-1 win over the Ducks. Not exactly the most dominating of opponents and because of that... this Dallas team is leading the Pacific Division. It's simple... the Dallas Stars will go as far as goalie Kari Lehtonen will take them. When he breaks down... they will soon follow. The Stars are a team that should be in the 3rd year of rebuilding... or at least be busy trying to find an owner.

I don't care if he can't find a job...
I'm yelling "TUUUUUURRRRRRRRRR-COOOOOOO" all night.

The biggest change in this team from last season is the arrival of offensive defenseman, Sheldon Souray, a former 64 point Power Play quarterback who has spent the last 2 years in hockey exile. (Not to be confused with Edmonton.) Until he suffers a season ending injury, Souray seems to be back to his All-Star play and greatly improves the offense of this Dallas team. Because after Loui Eriksson... the Stars don't have all that much that can score. Unless you count Radek Dvorak. Which you shouldn't.

There is zero truth in advertising.
Dvorak hasn't hit anything in his life. 

Sadly, the Dallas Stars wised up and fired Marc Crawford after 2 awful seasons. (Boy, does that sound familiar.) And now the Stars have some head coach with a name that no one can pronounce. And he'll probably inspire this team to succeed and they'll be back to being a pain in the Kings side in the Pacific Division. Let's get this season over with and get them moved to the Central already. 

The Pacific just makes sense.

Myself, Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy and Indiana Matt will all be in attendance. It's Dallas... so remember... don't leave early.

Also... be sure to play the Internet's hottest new game show... PennerPoint! That's right, if you can correctly predict what period and what time Dustin Penner gets his 1st point of the night in the game against the Stars... you win a free t-shirt. Feel free to enter in the comments below here or reply to me on Twitter with your predictions using the hashtag #PennerPoint.

Do you ever get the feeling that Mike Richards and Dustin Brown talk mad shit behind their linemate Dustin Penner's back?

"Yeah... no, really, Dustin. That's a great backcheck the way you swing your stick at the guy from 3 feet away.
I also think that purse goes well with your white jersey." 

I don't want to say that Mike Richards is quickly becoming the greatest Los Angeles King ever... but tonight he did this. On purpose.

KINGS 2, COYOTES 0

Click Here to Read the Rest of The Royal Half Recap!!!

Indiana Matt may still be learning his way around a hockey rink... but recently he came to me with an astute observation about a glaring hole in the Los Angeles Kings lineup. 

The lack of a proper camera phone for its Tweets.

That's right. Whoever does the Tweeting of photos for the Kings Marketing Department either has Parkinson's Disease or the world's shittiest camera phone. But we here at The Royal Half care. We care about the Kings... and we care about the quality of our favorite hockey team's Photo Tweets. This is what sets us apart from other Kings blogs. So we decided to do something. And we are holding a Kings Camera Phone Fund Drive for the rest of October. 

Click to Enlarge!

And to really get the message out about the Crystal Clear for the Kings Foundation... we put together a Public Service Announcement.

This is a serious problem... with a simple solution. Join our cause today.

Game #6

LA Kings 
(3-1-1, 11th in NHL)
vs
Phoenix Coyotes
(2-2-1, 17th in NHL)

7:00pm, Jobing.com Arena
Phoenix, AZ

BEST PLAYER TO WEAR BOTH COLORS:

BEST OPPOSITION BLOG:

Hipchecks
Yotesgurl
Five For Howling

I don't know about you guys, but I'm excited about the return of the Winnipeg franchise to the NHL. The Kings and Jets had some classic Smythe Division battles over the years and it's great that a franchise has returned to Can.... AWWWWW, it's just the Coyotes?!?

Wait... I'm so confused.

Tonight Jon Quick goes for his 100th win as a Los Angeles Kings goaltender... or as I like to call it.. "Ethan Moreau's Age." By getting his 100th win, Quick would be joining some pretty, pretty, pretty elite company.

I may have no idea what the word "elite" means.

That graphic pretty much sums up the position of goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings. Well, almost as well as this one does.

Buy yours now!

Can the Kings keep up the momentum from their impressive shellacking of the St. Louis Blues against another Western Conference team with sub-par goaltending?

Also... be sure to play the Internet's hottest new game show... PennerPoint! That's right, if you can correctly predict what period and what time Dustin Penner gets his 1st point of the night in the game against the Coyotes... you win a free t-shirt. Feel free to enter in the comments below here or reply to me on Twitter with your predictions using the hashtag #PennerPoint. 

Sure, the Los Angeles Kings might have been the home team last week when they opened up their season halfway around the world... but Tuesday night at Staples Center was the true home opener. And with the Kings expected to compete this NHL season, the Kings Marketing Department wanted to make sure the 18,000+ fans descending on downtown would get the most passionate, most raw, most intense hockey experience around.

Nothing screams hockey like the 2012 Toyota Prius V. Coming Soon!

KINGS 5, BLUES 0

Click Here to Read the Rest of The Royal Half Recap from the Kings 1st Home Game of the Season!!!

Game #5

LA Kings 
(2-1-1, 16th in NHL)
vs
St. Louis Blues
(2-3-0, 21st in NHL)

7:30pm, Staples Center
Los Angeles, CA

BEST PLAYER TO WEAR BOTH COLORS:

I mean... does Gretzky look ridiculous in that Blues jersey or what?

IN MEMORY OF A GREAT PLAYER TO WEAR BOTH COLORS:

Do your part to support the Lokomotiv Wives at the game tonight.
Information here. 

BEST OPPOSITION BLOG:

St. Louis Game Time
Thrashing the Blues 

Well, we are now 4 games into the season and we've got our first Los Angeles Kings controversy of the season! Thankfully, Jon Bernier did his part in Germany to make sure it wasn't a goaltending controversy. No, instead we've got a good ole fashioned Player/Coach Dispute Over Injury!!! And I have a feeling it looks something like this:

Apparently when Dustin Penner stepped in to start a fight after Drew Doughty's season was ruined, Penner tweaked his knee. So the Kings sent him to the Flyers Team Doctor. And via Mayors Manor... this is what Coach Murray had to say when Dustin Penner pulled out of practice yesterday:

"Obviously it's bothering him and he's been reassured by the doctor in Philadelphia and the training staff here. But, something's on his mind. So, we sent him to our team doctor."

Murray went on to praise the Flyers medical staff, a group he said he knew well, referring to them as 'world class' and 'top shelf' - and very helpful with the evaluation of Penner while the team was in Philly.

I'm glad that Coach Murray is so confident with the Flyers medical staff... because they've never made a mistake before.

"Let's see... internal bleeding. Concussion like symptoms...
I'm think we've got an ankle sprain here, Eric. Can you walk it off?" 

The best part about this recent controversy is it makes me look back fondly on one of the greatest Kings fights ever...

"You look fine to me, Allison. Get out there."

Yes, the great Andy Murray-Jason Allison tete-a-tete from 2003. And people wonder why Andy Murray loses his locker room eventually.

"We want our players saying they're going to be back," Murray said. "Jason's not a doctor. If it was Dr. Allison, then he could make that decision. But right now it's just Jason."

Damn, if only this blog existed in 2003... we'd have the sweetest Dr. Allison in ER photoshop you'd ever seen. But for now, we can only concentrate on the war of words at hand between the current Coach Murray and Dustin Penner. But I have to say... it's a little bit awkward of a time for the Kings Marketing Department to be launching their latest billboard campaign.

This photoshop was the 1st ever combined photoshop effort here at The Royal Half.
Kudos to Jersey Brian and Indiana Matt! 

Kings-Blues tonight at Staples Center. 7:30pm. Myself and Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy are starting our 9th season as Half Season Ticket Holders. Sure... I might have seen some "home" games overseas... but tonight is the real deal.