Game #2

LA KINGS
40-27-15
95 pts, 8th in Western Conference, 13th in NHL
vs
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
51-22-9
111 pts, 1st in Western Conference, 1st in NHL

Regular Season Series Tied 2-2

Kings Lead Playoff Series 1-0

7:00pm, Rogers Arena
Vancouver, BC
KCOP 13
NBC SN

BEST NHL TWITTER FEED THAT TALKED TRASH TO THE FANS:

Oh man! That Canucks Twitter feed is talking some mad trash... to Vancouver.

BEST OPPOSITION BLOG THAT I'VE ATTENDED A PLAYOFF GAME WITH IN PERSON:
Benched Whale

BEST OPPOSITION BLOGS:
Pass It to Bulis
Canucks Army
Nucks Misconduct
Pucked in the Head

ARE THE LA KINGS IN THE NEXT ROUND?
NO!

It's been just under 48 hours since the Los Angeles Kings beat the Vancouver Canucks... and I think Indiana Matt has created a photoshop for each one of those hours.

Hello, boys.

If you are gonna dive, at least do it with style.

Look, ma! I can haz somersaults!

And because this is Hollywood... and going down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings would be a nightmare scenario for the Vancouver Canucks.

Who cares if the LA Kings win tonight... they already won by taking Game 1 in Vancouver and then talking trash on Twitter.

We all have our roles here at The Royal Half Headquarters. I am the creative genius and driving force behind the site. Indiana Matt is the photoshop expert and in-house Midwestern Farm Boy. And the latest addition to our team, Brigitte from One Girl, One Puck, is the resident raging alcoholic. No, seriously guys... she really, really has a problem. We shouldn't make light of it one bit. So instead... we are going to let her make fun of it! So if you are watching at home or watching at an awesome Watch Party in Cerritos (where ever the hell that is!)... presenting, the Official Los Angeles Kings Playoff Drinking Game!!!

The good thing is that you know Drew Doughty will always pick up the tab.
Cute white iPhone, Drew. 

Click Here to Read How to Play the Los Angeles Kings Playoff Drinking Game!!!

It's the Million Dollar Nerdtet!!! Myself, Podcaster General Jesse Cohen, The Mayor John Hoven and Matt from Life In Hockeywood break down the Los Angeles Kings Game 1 victory and subsquent @LAKings tweet that has sent the country of Canada into a tizzy fit. 

Check it out here, subscribe to it on iTunes or you can listen below.

What is the only thing worse than losing Game 1 at home to the 8th overall seed? Losing Game 1 at home by a goal from the worst player on the 8th overall seed.

I call it the Penner Pump. And it's sweeping the nation.
Just like the panic over the Canucks is sweeping Canada.

Dustin Penner might have scored the Game Winning Goal... but the real #1 Star tonight was the LA Kings Official Twitter account which had all of Vancouver crying. Even more than usual!

As a mktg professional, not just a fan, I'm stunned how subjective some #NHL teams tweets are, including @LAKings tonight. #unprofessional

— Jason Baker (@jason_baker) April 12, 2012

@jason_baker Man, unbelievable .. As another marketing professional, that behavior is ridiculous. I'd be firing someone if it was my bizness

— Bryan Bass (@iambbass) April 12, 2012

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh, man... LA Kings Twitter... you are funny!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ROYAL HALF GAME 1 VERSUS VANCOUVER RECAP!!!

Game #1

LA KINGS
40-27-15
95 pts, 8th in Western Conference, 13th in NHL
vs
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
51-22-9
111 pts, 1st in Western Conference, 1st in NHL

Regular Season Series Tied 2-2

7:30pm, Rogers Arena
Vancouver, BC
KCOP 13
NBC SN

BEST PLAYER TO WEAR BOTH COLORS IN THE PLAYOFFS:

BEST OPPOSITION BLOG THAT I'VE ATTENDED A PLAYOFF GAME WITH IN PERSON:
Benched Whale

BEST OPPOSITION BLOGS:
Pass It to Bulis
Canucks Army
Nucks Misconduct
Pucked in the Head

ARE THE LA KINGS IN THE NEXT ROUND?
NO!

If there is one thing I've learned from reading every single Los Angeles Kings-Vancouver Canucks series preview... it's that LA Kings goaltender Jon Quick needs to play great in order for the team to win this series. And this would be different from every other playoff series anywhere in which apparently the goalie doesn't need to play great. Let's be honest... this series doesn't come down to whether Daniel Sedin is in the lineup... or whether Jeff Carter can score with an injured ankle... or any sort of elite-on-elite goaltender battle. The biggest key to this series is whether or not the Vancouver Canucks can adapt to the only proven system that can beat the Los Angeles Kings in important games.

Playing the puck from the bench.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ROYAL HALF GAME 1 PREVIEW!!!

Before you sit down to watch the Los Angeles Kings take on the Vancouver Canucks in the 1st game of their Playoff Series... kick back, open up a Coors Light Iced Tea and listen to a bunch of awesome people talk about the Kings and Canucks. 

Nothing screams playoff hockey like Coors Light Iced Tea.

First off... a few brand-new episodes of All The Kings Men Podcast. On the 1st Playoff Mega Pod... Jim Fox, Helene Elliott, Keith Korneluk of KingsCast and Greg Wyshynski from the Puck Daddy blog on Yahoo! Listen below or here.

On the 2nd Playoff Mega Pod... Daryl Evans, Missak Tokhmanian, Dennis Bernstein, Dave Joseph, The Mayor and Matt from Life in Hockeywood. Listen below or here.

And the final All The Kings Men Podcast Preview is with Celebrity Kings Fan John Ondrasik from 5 For Fighting and Celebrity Vancouver Canucks Bloggers Harrison Mooney and Daniel Wagner from Pass It To Bulis. Listen below or here.

As always, you can subscribe to All The Kings Men on iTunes. Well thank god that is all right? WELL WAIT.. THERE'S ONE MORE!!! I was honored to be asked by the fellows over at The Pensblog to be on their Playoff Preview Podcast since the Penguins are pretty much matched up against the best former LA Kings players in their 1st Round Series against the Philadelphia Flyers. You can listen to me kick off the action here or listen to it below.

And I have to say... this is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me... especially considering it's coming from the amazing Pensblog commentors known as the "C-Blog."

You like me. You really, really like me.

Even though she's played less games than Jeff Carter, Brigitte from One Girl, One Puck has been voted best newcomer at The Royal Half... finishing a few points ahead of Dustin Penner's Sad Face. You can check out her in-depth "Know Your Opponent" series here and here. You see, Brigitte is a young woman who can't afford a therapist to work out her issues with hockey players. So instead, she tackles her deep psychological issues by taking a look at the Los Angeles Kings opponent for this 1st Round Playoff Series... the incredibly good-looking Vancouver Canucks. I like to refer to her as the Dr. Ruth of The Royal Half... but you just might think she's crazy. Either way... enjoy reading Brigitte's thoughts on the Kings taking on the Canucks starting tonight in Vancouver.

Click Here to Check Out "Know Your Opponent" for the Kings vs Canucks 1st Round Series!!!

Because it's been nearly 2 years since the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks have met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs I thought it would be best to show the fans in Vancouver how much this Kings team has changed since April of 2010. In fact, a lot of players from that LA Kings team that finished with 101 points and was the 6th seed in West have come and gone. So I thought it would be helpful to the influx of Canucks fans who are suddenly taking an interest in the current Kings team to identify the players who are no longer with the team and those players that have replaced them on the roster. Especially because I'm not sure if they have the internet or NHL.com in Canada.

2010 PLAYER - JACK JOHNSON

6 Playoff Games
0 Goals, 7 Assists, -5

Jack Johnson was a Top 3 Draft Pick who seemed to struggle to fulfill his potential on the LA Kings blueline. He would show flashes of brilliance in one instance and then have complete defensive breakdowns the other. The player from the current LA Kings roster that best represents 2010 Jack Johnson is...

2010 JACK JOHNSON = 2012 DREW DOUGHTY

Click Here to See the Rest of the 2010 LA Kings and their 2012 Counterparts!!!

Earlier today, I appeared on the The Bill Good Show which airs on CKNW AM 980 in Vancouver. Bill Good was on assignment (or he smartly refused to talk to hockey bloggers) so instead Mike Smyth chatted with myself and JJ Guerrero from Canucks Hockey Blog as we previewed the upcoming Canucks-Kings series. And since I predicted a Canucks win in 7... I'm apparently now a Canadian Folk Hero.

props to @theroyalhalf for picking the Canucks to beat the Kings.even if it was only because he was on canadian radio

— big ticket (@Crookswood) April 9, 2012

So the Los Angeles Kings tanked the last 2 games of the regular season so that they may play against the one opponent they match up best against... the Presidents Trophy winner and last year's Stanley Cup Finalist, Vancouver Canucks??? Man... the LA Kings can't even lose right!

We are busy here at The Royal Half getting our Playoff Preview ready... and we better make it quick since this series is going to go by fast. Except for the 3 days between Game 3 and 4. So expect some fun stuff from myself, Indiana Matt and Brigitte from One Girl, One Puck... especially because we love making fun of the Vancouver Canucks and their fans.

I guess this is now Season 2.

In the meantime... check out one of the greatest TRH posts of all time... my trip up to Vancouver where I watched the Los Angeles Kings win Game 3 of the 2010 1st Round with my blogger buddy Benched Whale.