Deja Vu For Dallas
March 6th, 2009 by puremetal33Michal Handzus scored the hat trick, including the game winning, in a wild 5-4 Kings’ win tonight at Staples. The Kings looked like last years’ team for the entire first period and a half of this contest. It was so depressing I was considering skipping most of the last half of the second period to make a grocery store run, and then all the sudden, 2 goals in 33 seconds and what seemed like an insurmountable 3-0 lead for Dallas had wilted to 3-2. It seemed like the Kings’ momentum would be crushed when Steve Ott tallied for the Stars in the last minute of the second period to make it 4-2.
The Kings took advantage of 11 Dallas minor penalties - scoring twice on the power play. It was difficult not having a home feed of the game. The Dallas play-by-play team of Ralph Strangis and Darryl Reaugh is hard to listen to when you’re used to Bob Miller and Jim Fox. Reaugh in particular, likes to talk out of both sides of his mouth. Tonight in particular he whined about every penalty Dallas got called for, while at the same time admonishing the Stars for taking stupid penalties. So which is it? For a guy who played in the NHL for some time, Reaugh’s hockey knowledge sure seems lacking. Jim Fox may have his homer moments, but at least he doesn’t argue with the referees calls. In fact, Foxy will point out on the marginal looking ones against the Kings, what the officials’ logic for the call was, a very well-informed touch. Reaugh is a joke in that category. Not to the same level that Anaheim’s Brian Hayward is, but he’s not too far behind. I would’ve argued tonight with Reaugh (after he accused Dustin Brown of “embellishing” when he got cross checked by Mark Fistric hard enough to give him whiplash) that Fistric got away with at least a half dozen penalties he WASN’T called for. But I digress…
Handzus’ second of the game on the power play brought the Kings’ within one, with just over 3 minutes left in regulation time. Dustin Brown appeared to tie the game just seconds later, but the goal was waved off because Brown made incidental contact with Stars goalie Marty Turco. While I don’t think Brown impeded Turco’s movement, he was backed up into the crease and did make contact with Turco. Hard to argue with the call - it was certainly fair. Once Dallas’ slough of penalties had expired, the Kings pulled Jon Quick (who was perfect but not busy in relief of Ersberg) for the extra attacker and Anze Kopitar flipped a harmless backhand at the net. It deflected in off the skate of Stephane Robidas and past Turco to tie the game with 13.1 seconds left. Skate or no skate, it was a bad goal surrendered by Turco, and it assured the Kings at least a point.
You knew by this point that Dallas was reeling. They had been for most of the last half of the third period. It was like the Royal Rebound all over again, albeit slightly less dramatic. 1:31 into overtime, Jack Johnson fired a shot from the point that went wide. Michal Handzus picked the puck up and wrapped it around the net. The puck appeared to carom off the skate of Turco, off Stars defenseman Trevor Daley, but most importantly it was in the net behind Turco.
Yet another colossal collapse by Dallas at Staples Center. They seemed to have the game completely at hand and the Kings seemed to be mailing it in for the night. All of that changed in the blink of an eye. Undisciplined penalties and the Kings’ key players coming to life spelled doom.
Erik Ersberg, coming off yesterday’s contract extension, did not look his best tonight. I’m a big Ersberg fan, but this guy is essentially staying in LA for backup duty and to spell Quick on occasion. Quick only faced 4 shots in relief and wasn’t really tested. I’d expect to see him in goal against Minnesota on Saturday.
Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Alexander Frolov each had a pair of assists. Handzus’ hat trick was only the second of his career.
Kings face the Minnesota Wild in an afternoon matinee at Staples Center on Saturday.
-JS
Posted in Kings
