SoCal HockeyCast

In today's Chicago Sun-Times, Dave Tallon, the current GM of the Chicago Blackhawks briefly commented on his concerns that Eric Daze's back may not allow him to return effectively. In our Podcast, we mentioned a rumor from the same paper that stated that Daze may be traded.

Hopefully Daze, a big winger with great hands, will recover. Of course, with the lack of consistency the 'Hawks are playing with, perhaps it will be a race to see who will leave Chicago first... Dave Tallon, Eric Daze, or head coach Trent Yawney. My bets are on Yawney leaving first if they 'Hawks don't wake up soon. Tallon will want to blame someone... and isn't it always the coach's fault first?

Another game, another big ol' goose egg for the Kings on the powerplay. The problems didn't end at the powerplay, though. The Kings, seeking to find their place within the hockey elite this season, looked totally out of place the whole game; they were out-played, out-worked, and just plain out of it.

The Kings' "powerless play" was embarrassing at times. The Wings on the other hand executed a textbook powerplay with good movement with and without the puck; taking shots, clogging the front of the net, and cycling a lot. The Kings continued to play on the perimeter and looked hesitant to shoot on the PP. Will somebody please tell John Van Boxmeer (the Kings' Assistant Coach in charge of special teams) to get the players to just Keep It Simple, Stupid!

They lost 5-2 to the Red Wings, but it didn't even seem that close. One of the only bright spots for the night was the penalty shot by Joe Corvo in the second period (even though it was a bad call by the referee).

On a positive note (for the Wings), Yzerman didn't look like a 40-year-old man (like he did against the Ducks). Scoring a goal and an assist, he had a jump in his step and looked like he had way more energy than the entire Kings team did.

Are the Kings one of the "elite" teams this year? Not according to this game. The real question is whether this was just one bad game against one of the better teams in the league, or was it an indication of some glaring difficulties to come? The next game against Chicago (whom the Kings have beaten twice already this season) should be easier, but Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto are also coming up, and none of them will go easy on the Kings.

Listen to our enhanced Podcast for news about the past week's action in the NHL. We introduce "The Good, Bad, and Ugly" in Hockey. Our special feature this week is a Rookie Smackdown analysis of Ovechkin and Crosby, the two exciting players from the Caps and Pens.

SoCal HockeyCast also welcomes two special guest analysts who contribute thoughts on our field trip to the Mighty Ducks vs. Red Wings game on Friday, November 25th. We had a great time watching the Ducks triumph 3-1 versus the Wings, and we were able to assess whether Win/Loss records tell everything.

Don't forget, you can subscribe to our Podcast through iTunes or any other Podcasting Client Software. This is an enhanced Podcast, so you will need iTunes or another application that will show the chapters, images, and URLs. You can copy and paste our rss feed to your subscription box in your Podcatching software...

http://socalhockey.libsyn.com/rss

Copy and paste the above rss feed address or press the iTunes button below to go straight to our iTunes site.

Happy Hockey!

Today I went on a field trip to the Arrowhead Pond. Ducks versus Red Wings. Are the Ducks as bad as their record? Are the Wings as good as theirs? By now you know the score... but I got to see them live for better assessment.

My thoughts, rants, and raves on this will all be revealed in the next podcast! Join me!

Happy Thanksgiving folks!

I'm thankful that the Kings, Predators, Rangers, Thrashers, Canucks, and Sharks are playing today, but I wouldn't be sad if they got a day off too! Even hockey players have families and loved ones to be with.

But, at the same time, since I'm home, I'm glad I get to enjoy some hockey! The key match-up today will be the Kings and the Preds. Nashville has cooled down a little since their amazing run at the start of the season, but they still only have 3 losses on the season.

By the way, one of my favorite places to go is the Online Kingdom, a site dedicated to everything hockey but especially the Kings!

To all my listeners and readers... enjoy your food, family, and hockey today (not necessarily in that order)!

Here is an enhanced podcast of my thoughts and opinions after the first quarter of the NHL season. You will need iTunes or another podcast client that will play the enhanced podcast AAC format.

Enhanced podcasts are more than just audio. You can embed images, video, text, and URL addresses. Enjoy!

Wow! One quarter of the season has already been completed. A big round of applause for the top teams in the divisions. Did anyone predict that Ottawa, Carolina, and NY Rangers would be atop the East and that Detroit, Vancouver, and Los Angeles would be sitting pretty in the West? Sure, lots of us predicted Ottawa, Detroit, and Vancouver would do well, but Carolina, NY, and LA? As a life-long Kings fan, I've got to admit that I wasn't surprised, but I've always been an optimist where they're concerned.

Three quarters of a season to go and we've got a lot of great hockey ahead of us. There are approximately 17 players on pace for 100 point seasons, and there could be even more than that! There are also at least nine players who could have 50 goals this season. Looks like the glory days (for scorers) of the late eighties and early nineties are back!

I'll have my first official Libsyn podcast up in the next day or two, so stay tuned!

Contrary to popular belief, the trading of Sergei Fedorov is not just about the salary cap. Fedorov has been injured and ineffective thus far this season, and, although the season is still relatively early, he's expendable. In this new-look NHL, the Ducks have fared relatively well without the six-time All-Star forward. They aren't the top of the league, but they aren't the bottom either. The emergence of youngsters like Andy McDonald and Joffrey Lupul, and the re-birth of Teemu Selanne has made the team competitive even without the aging, injured Fedorov. Would the Ducks be better with him? Sure. But they also have have a lot of youngsters who have responded well, and the team isn't too far out of the playoffs yet despite a current losing streak that is at five games. I think the Ducks can still do better, and with this trade, the management is sending a clear message that anybody can go, but they think the team has done fine without their "star."

Meanwhile, Columbus, reeling from the loss of their best player, Rick Nash, need an injection of anything to get them back on track. It's a good trade for both teams because the Ducks get some character players who will continue to bring effort to the rink each game. Shedding Fedorov's multi-million dollar contract is a bonus, but not the whole story.

Other than my love of hockey, I am a life-long learner and educator. Here's a sample of the type of work I do with students. It's an enhanced Podcast of an Ancient Egyptian rap that my students wrote, recorded, and edited. They used GarageBand, a free tool for all new Mac users.

Although I've been a hockey fan since the age of 7, I love teaching as much as hockey. Enjoy!

Now, back to hockey!!!

It's hard to believe that the LA Kings are top of the Pacific at this point in the season. Sure, it's early in the season, but they are surprising a lot of opponents by coming out with a balanced attack, solid defense, and some high-quality goaltending. True, the best goalie on the team actually started the season as their number two, but when Garon faltered, Labarbera picked up the opportunity and has responded. The Kings have played well against good and bad teams alike.

An all-star year from the NHL's top-scoring defenseman, Lubomir Visnovsky, and great play by Pavol Demitra and youngsters Alex Frolov and Dustin Brown have helped the team immensely. We'll see if this continues as they begin to play more road games and teams above .500.

Welcome to my new Blog and Podcast. This was formerly on a generic Blogger account, but what I want to do with it requires more than that! Hence the move to libsyn, an awesome service when you want to work with media files.

What you will find in this Blog and Podcast are insights, information, entertainment, rumors, and opinions on ice hockey from a Southern California perspective.

I've been a hockey fan since 1977, and you can tell that I'm a true fan because my favorite team, the LA Kings, have never won the Stanley Cup, and I still LOVE hockey. Please join me for a new adventure in sports podcasting.