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.

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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

FIRST.... read today's GAMEDAY PREVIEW for tonight's 2nd Round Game 1 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 2nd Round Edition of All The Kings Men Podcast!!! Jesse Cohen and I chat with Jon Hoven from Mayors Manor about the LA Kings chances with the San Jose Sharks. But we mainly waste time talking about the merits of the #ReverseSweep. Plus, the Stanley Cup-less Brad Lee from St. Louis GameTime stops by to bury his team and we talk with Fear The Fin about San Jose's insecurities with Los Angeles. 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 OUR RESIDENT CREEPER AND OPPONENT-PREVIEWER, ONE GIRL, ONE PUCK*
 

Let's do this one more time shall we? So much has already been said about the Sharks, but there is something that has always been kind of creepy about them. I'm not talking creepy, like me creeping on the Red Wings in Anaheim, I'm talking sinister. I've long held firm to my belief that the Sharks are somehow doing some weird genetic experiments with their players.  Apparently those experiments create some ugly results. Lately though I've had to call some of my theories into question. For example, I have always believed that Jason Demers was some sort of mutant offspring of Ryane Clowe and Logan Couture.
 

 

 

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

KINGS 2, BLUES 1

Down 2-0 in the series and facing the possibility of being put on the brink of elimination, the Los Angeles Kings had to answer back in Game 3. The atmosphere inside Staples Center was a bit reserved. Sure, the defending Stanley Cup Champions were home for the first time in the playoffs, but they were trailing in the series, their ace goaltender seemed rattled, and it just didn't seem like the team was poised for another run.

But a strange thing happened as the game progressed. Once Slava Voynov scored the game's lone goal in the 2nd period, it's almost as if the fans realized this team did still had it. The belief carried over to Game 4, where despite falling in the hole early, the Kings battled back and evened the series.

There will always be a large majority of the fanbase that will expect the worse even when things are going well. It's been engrained in our hockey DNA. Small victories on the path to ultimate heartbreak is all this franchise had known for four decades. But now, the culture is changing right before our eyes.

The Kings were no longer a team we wanted to win, they have become a team we expect to win. While this belief may just lead to more dejection for fans, it's not something people seem to be concerned about any longer.

This was never more evident than in Game 6, where it became clear that fans hadn't shown up to watch a game, they came to see the Kings win.

Let's see how it all played out:
 

I believe the St. Louis blues my home city will fuck the kings up tonight and take this series #LGB
— Jake stowers (@jstowerz) May 10, 2013

Dear Lord, excuse my language, but please let the Blues kick the living shit outta the Kings tonight. Sincerely, all of St. Louis
— DJ Humphrey (@DJ_Humphrey_) May 10, 2013

LETS GO BLUESSSSS!!!! #LGB fuck the kings for real. twitter.com/Renegade_Joey/…
— Joey MLG Renegade (@Renegade_Joey) May 11, 2013

Lets go BLUES.... Fuck the fucking KINGS!!!!!!!!!
— DIRTY O™ (@Dirty_O12) May 11, 2013

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3 California Hockey Teams in the 2nd Round!
Well the Anaheim Ducks sure screwed this concept up, huh?
Flags inspired by Battle of Cali.

Kings-Sharks. Round 2. In more ways than one.

Let's do this.

It's always an honor and a pleasure when Hockey Blogging Overlord Greg Wyshynski from Yahoo's Puck Daddy asks you to write a eulogy for a NHL playoff team that has been eliminated. Last year, I did one for the San Jose Sharks. This year... the St. Louis Blues. You can read it exclusively over at Puck Daddy.

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