Guess who's baaaaaaaack???

PennerPoint™ was a huge success for this blog last season... a success in the sense that I didn't have to give out that many free t-shirts to people who correctly guessed which period and at what time of that period Dustin Penner would score his 1st goal of that game. We thought that after Dustin Penner scored one of the greatest goals in LA Kings history that we would retire PennerPoint™... but with Dustin Penner returning to the lineup tonight in Anaheim... much like Peter Forsberg... we can't let it go. 

The Greatest PennerPoint™ of All-Time.

The rules are simple... just guess the exact time and period that Dustin Penner scores his 1st goal of the season tonight against the Ducks... and you win a free t-shirt from The Royal Half Gift Shoppe.

Wear our t-shirts with pride to your local bar!

Wear our t-shirts with pride on national television!

Now remember... hockey is played with a clock that counts down from 20:00... so your prediction for PennerPoint™ has to match the time from the official box score.

Using this screenshot, the goal is scored at 13:08 of the first period. NOT 6:52 of the first.

You can put your predictions in the comments below or reply to me on Twitter with #PennerPoint. You MUST use the hashtag #PennerPoint to be eligible. Good luck! Entries end at 7pm Pacific Time tonight.

The thing is... I've never really had an issue with the Nashville Predators. In fact, until the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup last season I was kind of jealous of the Predators and their ability to make the playoffs 6 out of the last 7 years. Thankfully, we have Brigitte from One Girl, One Puck. With her unique weekly feature here at The Royal Half, "Know Your Opponent"... she is actually able to work through a lot of the pent-up anger she has towards the NHL's Smashville franchise. 

I mean seriously... how can you hate the Predators?

Oh... ok. I guess they do kinda suck.

Click Here to Read the Know Your Opponent for the Kings vs Predators on January 31st, 2013!!!

I wish there was some way to visually represent what LA Kings fans felt like when their team came from behind to beat the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.

Nope.

Closer.

Almost.

So close.

Nailed it.

KINGS 3, CANUCKS 2 (SO)

Click Here to Read The Royal Half Recap!!!

Before you listen to a brand new episode of All The Kings Men Podcast... be sure to read my TRH GAMEDAY PREVIEW for the Los Angeles Kings vs the Vancouver Canucks tonight at Staples Center. You can read it here at LAKings.com and you better hurry... not because it will be taken down... but because I might get killed by Canucks fans today.

Once you've read the Preview of tonight's game... be sure to listen to myself, Jesse Cohen and John Hoven from Mayor's Manor dissect the 1st week of LA Kings hockey! You can check out the brand-new episode of All The Kings Men Podcast here, subscribe to it on iTunes or listen below:

Today is Wayne Gretzky's birthday. It's always a special day in The Royal Half Household because if it wasn't for Wayne Gretzky... there would be no Royal Half. And today KingsVision has given us the greatest gift of all!

Wayne Gretzky's Above and Beyond was daily viewing when I was a kid. I'm dead serious. I watched that tape on a loop. In fact, I still have it today in my VHS hockey library.

Now all I need is a VHS player.
Mainly so I can watch the Guns N' Roses videos.

Spend your Saturday relaxing and watching the Above and Beyond video. It should bring back some great LA Kings memories. You know... when they didn't win the Stanley Cup. Remember those days??? Nope, me either.

Also, don't forget that the TRH GAMEDAY previews are now being featured at LAKings.com. We've made it to our fourth game! And I'm pretty sure the preview of the LA Kings vs the Phoenix Coyotes will be the one that will get us kicked off forever. Check it out here.

KINGS 1, AVALANCHE 3

Hey, Fox Sports West... is there anyway you can tell me which LA Kings player was injured 
and what the injury was and when the surgery will be?
I can't quite see it.

If things don't work out for Davis Drewiske as a fill-in NHL Defenseman...

...he can always be a regular cast member on Mad Men.

The best part of finally seeing our Los Angeles Kings on Fox Sports West was not being able to hear Bob Miller and Jim Fox call a game for the first time in nearly 11 months...

Nope, it was Bob Miller humblebragging his new bling for all the world to see.
Well, at least the part of the world that gets this particular regional sports network.

My name is Daniel Plainview. And this is my son and partner, H.W.

I love that we live in a world where Jim Fox's Twitter handle makes it on screen graphically.

Worst. Episode of the Charlie Rose Show. Ever.

Talk about living in the past... Anze Kopitar is still wearing his 2012 Playoffs branded underwear.
Or Fox Sports West just used an old shot of Anze before last nights game.

Avalanche fans... please keep your babies far away from the action on the ice...

...otherwise Kyle Clifford will eat them.
Seriously... it's been over 3 years... does anyone know if Kyle Clifford has a soul?!?

This guy is walking into the Pepsi Center just looking for a fight.

Aww... nice try Gabe. But don't worry... it's still a cute Cup.

Hey, Philadelphia Flyers fans... I know that the LA Kings haven't won yet either this season...
but we'd like to give you an "A" for effort.

I just wish there was some way to visually describe how I felt watching the defending Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings play a great period and half before completely running out of gas in the high altitude of Denver...

No.

Still no.
(FYI, this is a full 2 minutes later than the one above.)

Nope.

Warmer.

Way colder.

Nailed it.

FYI, in case you forgot... my TRH GAMEDAYS posts are now exclusive to LAKings.com. You can check out the one previewing the Kings-Avalanche game from last night (SPOILER ALERT: The Kings lost) over at LAKings.com.

Well, we are only 1 game into the 2013 Los Angeles Kings season and already Brigitte from One Girl, One Puck is cranking out her special series, Know Your Opponent, where she takes an "in-depth" look at the LA Kings' opponent the only way she knows how... like a crazy person. So with everyone cheering the return of Anze Kopitar, take a moment to get up to speed on Colorado Avalanche.

If Brigitte was of age in 1996, this photo above is what her blog would look like.

Click Here to Check Out the "Know Your Opponent" for the Kings vs Avalanche on Tuesday, January 2nd!!!

The season is a go! And that means brand new All The Kings Men Podcasts where Jesse Cohen, John Hoven from Mayors Manor and myself actually have some ice hockey to talk about. Check out our thoughts on the Stanley Cup Banner Ceremony and the subsequent awful game that was played immediately afterwards!

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

After a 100 day delay that was caused by a NHL Lockout... the time had come for the Los Angeles Kings to finally take their place among the elite of NHL Franchises with the celebration of its first Stanley Cup Victory. And Hollywood put out all the stops... partying the only way it knows how....

WITH A GIANT TEAM NAME CUSTOM TOPIARY!!!
Woooo-hoooooo!!!

BLACKHAWKS 5, KINGS 2,
WHO CARES, WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT F'ING BANNER!!!

I think I'm going to have this photo embedded on the
windshield of my car so I can stare at it constantly.

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

Well, the NHL season is upon us and this year we have decided to host our Gameday Posts on an alternate server. You can check them out here.

WHAT-WHAT?!?

We are absolutely honored/slightly terrified to bring you @theroyalhalf Gm1 preview exclusively on LAKings.com ow.ly/gWSxr

— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 19, 2013

Honestly... I give this gig 4 games before it explodes in a blaze of glory. But man... oh man... what a 4 games it will be. I have a feeling it will end up like this:

Party On, Anze. Go Kings Go!!!