A little bit of Kings news and a lot of Olympics hype to share today. Today’s links are presented by the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Taking place on July 4 every year, it is perhaps the most American event in existence. Go USA.
Los Angeles Kings News
- Yes, the Kings are doing things again! The team returned to practice yesterday, and they had the entire team (aside from their six Olympians) present. The team also included three new, yet familiar, faces. Tyler Toffoli, Linden Vey, and Tanner Pearson were all called up from Manchester yesterday. Once the rest of the team comes back, we should have a better idea on where they’ll fit into the lineup.
- Via LA Kings Insider: Darryl Sutter had some excellent quotes on Slovenia, women’s hockey, and the shootout after practice today. (He doesn’t like the shootout, by the way. Good man.)
- With Martin Jones left in Manchester to get some game action during the break, Jean-Francois Berube handled goaltending duties in practice, along with… Jamie Storr?! Berube is having a good season in Manchester, especially for his first stint as an AHL starter; he’s 19-13-2 with a .914 SV%. Again, Jon Rosen has more on Berube.
- Not the longest or most detailed article, but the Los Angeles Times reports that the Kings may not continue to pursue Edmonton’s Sam Gagner.
- Finally, a cool off-ice note: the “We Are All Kings” campaign was awarded by the National Sports Forum as the best print and best Internet campaign in sports this year. Given how the “We Are All _______” phrase has become a recurring theme on Twitter and fan sites this year, we can agree it was extremely effective.
Olympics News
- The American women were up 2-0 with four minutes to go, but Canada came out on top once again in the gold medal game after tying the game with 55 seconds left. Grrrrr. Hockey Canada has all the info because I’m bitter.
(Tremendous effort by the US Women’s Hockey Team though.)
- Of course, that’s not the only time the USA and Canada will be facing off on the ice in Sochi. Tomorrow at 9:00 AM Pacific, the men’s teams take to the ice, with two Kings on each team vying for a spot in the gold medal game. How’d they get there?
- Jonathan Quick once again played reasonably well, but once again, it was the US offense who carried the day in the quarterfinals. Dustin Brown scored his second Olympic goal as the Americans took down the Czech Republic 5-2. You can bet that Brown-Backes-Callahan line will stay together, as they were superb against the Czechs’ offensive threats in addition to their offensive contributions.
- As for Canada, they had a rough time with Latvia, but inevitably came out on top 2-1. Drew Doughty assisted on Shea Weber’s game-winner in the third period, continuing his streak of picking up a point in every game in Sochi. Jeff Carter once again led Team Canada with six shots.
- Not a big surprise, but Jonathan Quick will indeed start against Canada in tomorrow’s semifinal. He’s 3-0 so far, but this game will be a defining one for him… and for anyone who’s taken a side in the Quick vs. Miller debate.
- Team Russia was beaten by Finland 3-1 in their quarterfinal matchup, meaning the hosts will go home empty-handed. Slava Voynov played an unfortunate role for Russia in the first period, as he failed to keep the puck in the offensive zone and was burned down the wall by Mikael Granlund. Granlund set up Teemu Selanne to make it 2-1; the goal would stand as the gamewinner.
Finally, thanks to Slovenian reader Mojca Crnigoj, who sent us a link to photos and video of Team Slovenia’s homecoming. Translated from the accompanying piece, the returning athletes included “silver and bronze ski jumper Peter Prevc, Bronze Teja Gregorin and Vesna Fabjan and phenomenal Slovenian hockey players.” I can get on board with that.
(Ales MuĊĦic, via images.24ur.com)
