Jewels from the Crown: for Los Angeles Kings fans

The Los Angeles Kings are, at best, a highly streaky team with a seeming identity crisis looming over them for the third straight year. Meanwhile, their Stanley Cup Final foes from 2014 New York Rangers have a solid understanding of who they are and what they excel at--namely, excellent goaltending with timely goal scoring. Their special teams are also among the tops in the league with a sparkling 84.4% on their fifth-ranked penalty kill and eighth on the power play, clipping along at a remarkable 24.8%. But don't overlook their 5v5 offense -- it's tenth in the league at 8.4%. No matter where you look, it seems the Rangers have turned into excellent team with their abbreviated rebuild. Mike Murphy from Blueshirt Banter joins Crown Conversations to give some highlights about the Rangers and how they've transformed over the last couple years since these two teams have squared off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded after the Los Angeles Kings lost to the visiting Calgary Flames and Darryl Sutter, James and Robyn discuss the team's woes and what can be done. Is trading for Jake DeBrusk the answer? What about Kale Clague? (This was obviously before the Montreal Canadiens claimed him off waivers) At the time of the recording, both Brendan Lemieux and Brad Marchand had been suspended for breaking the rules. Plus, the pair play Armchair GM and Armchair Coach. Hear their takes on how they'd slate the current roster and who they'd trade for, if anyone. Click here for the full transcript. -- Do you love Crown Conversations, but you’re not sure when the next episode will drop? Never fear, you can keep tabs on our podcast by hitting the subscribe button down below, right there just beneath the audio. You can follow us on Spotify, Apple Music, or Google Podcasts. And as always, we’d love to hear from you so if you ever have any questions or comments, leave ‘em below! Shoot us an email at crownconvopodjftc@gmail.com or hit us up on Twitter (@crown_podcast) and we’ll be happy to include that, or better yet, include you, in any of the next podcast episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unlike Disney, James and Robyn are NOT going to make you wait an entire year for this highly anticipated follow up to an incredible first part. It’s just going to feel like it. In part 2 of this interview with Jim Fox, the oenophilia and hockey analyst goes behind the scenes (so-to-speak) of his wine label, Patiné Cellars, and its origin story (hint: it involves a lot of travel). Fox also shares how he calls games fair and balanced and the secret to his puns. Thank you once more to Jim Fox who was extraordinarily generous with his time and was so forthcoming with this wonderfully engaging interview. Who would you like to hear from next? Tell us in the comments below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What’s ‘Luff’ got to do with it!” Jim Fox shouted right after Matt Luff scored his first NHL goal. These silly puns make his broadcast partner Alex Faust groan and roll his eyes, but it’s all in good fun—and levity something Fox likes to sprinkle into his calls every now and again. Have you ever wondered how the former Los Angeles King and current color analyst comes up with his jokes? Or wondered how he got his start in the wine business? How about where this faved bon vivant likes to eat on the road? Jim Fox joined Crown Conversations to talk about his side hustle, his analysis style, and how covid changed his work habits. In part one, he touches on preparing for games and chats about his background, what it was like coming to California as a top junior scorer from a small town in Canada, and some of his expectations upon arriving in the City of Angels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Viktor Arvidsson was a pretty popular guy on the Nashville Predators, so it’s no surprise that two of his closest teammates were... disappointed to learn that their pal had been traded. But, in terms of a culture add, this should bode well for Los Angeles. Arvidsson, 28, has a keen nose for the net and likes to shoot the puck. A lot. For a team that struggled mightily to get shots off and ended up middle-of-the-pack in terms of unblocked shot attempts, this should be a very big boon for them. Where he’ll slot in, only time will tell. Bringing his stats with him, Bryan Bastin from On the Forecheck joined Crown Conversations to tell us more about Arvidsson and back it up with numbers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Kings and Ducks are playing a mini playoff series with only pride at stake since neither are making the actual postseason. That said, these "rivalry" games are always treated intensely and there's even more at stake with hot prospects Trevor Zegras and Quinton Byfield (possibly) seeing NHL time. With CJ's help, we go in-depth on the Ducks' problems, the Shea Theodore trade, and how youth does not equate automatic success. He defends Frederik Andersen, stating that the Toronto Maple Leafs actually did get a good goalie in him, but much like Carey Price, is overworked and feeling the burden. Anaheim is also in desperate need of a full rebuild, but GM Bob Murray seems to be in denial about that while his counterpart in LA, seems to be going about it in the right way. Come for the sad Ducks fan, stay for CJ's piping hot prediction about who will their next Stanley Cup Championship first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In somewhat of a surprising move, the Los Angeles Kings traded Jeff Carter to the Pittsburgh Penguins just ahead of the NHL's official trade deadline. While Carter was the most expendable veteran who could be moved, fans were still disappointed to see him dealt away, signaling what is likely the final crushing blow to the team's (extremely slim) playoffs hopes for this year. It's also the end of an era as all the members of 2014's famed "'70s Line" are no longer with the Kings. On top of that, Carter's exit leaves only four players from 2012 and 14's Cup wins: Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick. But, it's not all doom and gloom for the team. There's hope on the horizon as the kids are starting to look comfortable, even as they struggle for consistency. Alex Iafallo signed a nice extension, that could prove to be a huge boon to the Kings down the road. Finally, in other Deadline Day news, the Ducks did... something, Kyle Dubas worked cap loopholes like Swiss cheese, and Steve Yzerman swindled Brian MacLellan out of a lot of stuff for Anthony Mantha. How is he so magical?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inconsistency is the name of the game for the Los Angeles Kings as they frustrate and falter in their attempts to make the playoffs this year. Some nights they look incredible while other nights, they don't look like they've ever played a single game together. Will Brendan Lemieux's gritty presence help the Kings in any way on the ice? He's great at drawing penalties, but that seems to be his only skill. Rob Blake also traded Mike Amadio for Christian Wolanin in what appears to be a minor league swap. Should the Kings look at trading their big name veterans of Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown, or Jeff Carter? These questions and more answered on the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With 28 games in the books, it's time to pull out the spreadsheets and do some math. Or, rather, use a rudimentary understanding of hockey statistics to analyze the Los Angeles Kings' performance so far this season. The Kings are notoriously streaky (thus, the nickname Cardiac Kings), but sometimes corsi and xG (expected goals) can give a pretty clear overall picture of how a team is doing. In short: Not bad; not good, but not bad, either. No longer Corsi Kings of the past, this team with a lot of inexperienced young players has seen its share of struggles in attempting to close out close games or even generate offense, despite James' assertion that Todd McLellan seems to be tailoring his system to fit guys better. However, as the NHL hits the midpoint of this weird, short season, the underlying statistics paint a very different picture than the eye test. That is, the Kings appear to be trending in the right direction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back with another fantastic episode! Sorry it's been so long, but life gets in the way sometimes. We take a look at the Kings' youth--is it experience or size that the team truly lacks? James is insistent that the line of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Alex Iafallo is the only one with size and that's why it's succeeding (despite the fact that Gabe Vilardi and Adrian Kempe are both 6'0 or taller, so maybe, as Robyn believes, it's not "size" but inexperience)? Plus, we discuss Rasmus Kupari's first game and the rotating door of players going from NHL roster to taxi squad to the AHL and back to the NHL. There's a rumor floating around Canada that Jack Eichel could land either in Los Angeles or New York. Does it make sense for the Kings to try and trade for him? Then, we go down a rabbit hole of wait, what year is it? No really, what year is it?? Will the Flames trade Johnny Gaudreau? Should Calgary be the ones to trade for Eichel? What year is it again? Matthew Tkachuk: Friend or foe to his own teammates? Will James please stop trying to make division rivals better? And finally, James gives everyone more disturbing imagery to end the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Los Angeles Kings are off to a disappointing start. So instead of focusing on them, Robyn (sans James, who was busy working today, womp womp) chatted with Erica Ayala, journalist and media member covering all things NWHL. Erica joined Crown Conversations to preview the #NDubble season which kicks off this Saturday, January 23 when newcomers Toronto Six take on hearty fan favorite Metropolitan Riveters. Erica and Robyn also reflect back on the business aspect of the persistence of the NWHL and how they’ve not only managed to survive thus far, but are actually thriving. It’s an amazing story of perseverance and a determination not to fail in spite of all the odds stacked against them. Then Erica lays out the NWHL’s bubble situation (two weeks, five games each, plus a sort of “pre-playoffs” round) and discusses whether or not the Connecticut Whale finally have the mojo to make an impact. Plus, are the Buffalo Beauts now the low-key underdog? Can anyone topple the mighty Boston Pride? Will any team be able to slow down the extremely speedy Minnesota Whitecaps? Will Digit Murphy, one of the winningest coaches in women’s hockey, be able to guide her dark horse team (the Six) to a victory? All these questions and more pondered on the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New year, new podcast! On this episode, James and Robyn delve deep into the IIHF World Junior Championship and some of the notable Los Angeles Kings prospects playing for a chance at glory, among them being Alex Turcotte, Quinton Byfield, and Alex Kaliyev. James makes note of Turcotte and Kaliyev playing on a line and thinks they almost look like they’re auditioning for a spot on the NHL roster. TSN said Drew Doughty sucks and that made him mad—but is this really “fired up” Drew Doughty or merely irritated on a typical level Drew Doughty? Plus, James introduces a new segment called “James on Jamsen”. Then stick around until the end for a new game of NHL, taxi squad, or Ontario Reign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s (the end of) December, which means that the holiday season has come and almost gone by this point. ’Tis to be merry and mad! How ever you plan to celebrate with friends and family, be it in person or virtually, there’s sure to be someone who says something stupid and starts some kind of argument with everyone else. With only New Year’s Eve as the other big holiday remaining, James and Robyn take a look back at some of the most memorable fights and best chirps. Kyle Clifford getting dropped, Anze Kopitar dropping the gloves the one and only time in his career, and Dion Phaneuf tripping over his own skates make the top highlights. Plus, James tries to turn the podcast into a Patrick Maroon Appreciation Lovefest. What are your favorite fights? What smack talk gets your goat when you hear it? Comment below, we’d love to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hope everyone had a lovely (holiday) weekend. We dropped the first part of our discussion on the NHL’s latest cash grab shortly before (American) Thanksgiving, so here we are again with the rest of the teams we didn’t discuss the first time around! On this episode, we chat about whatever it is that the Edmonton Oilers are doing, the forgettableness of both the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators ‘ jerseys are as well as the Philadelphia Flyers ‘ disappointing miss (hello, Bernie Parent anybody?) James also has a dirty suggestion on what former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt should eat for the rest of his life and then we cover the latest news (up to that point) on the NHL’s potential January 1 start date (which is looking more and more unlikely by the hour). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James and Sarah join Crown Conversations to discuss the NHL's latest cash grab: The reverse retro jerseys. Some are fine, some are fire, and some are just plain bad (looking at you, Winnipeg Jets). In Part 1, topics discussed include the LA Kings (obviously), the Anaheim Ducks (project incomplete), the Calgary Flames (Blasty!), the Buffalo Sabres (and their pitiful lack of Buffaslug) jerseys and Tyler Toffoli's choice of footwear. Plus, Jeff Carter looks like a Los Angeles hobo (but the rich kind) and it's kinda fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whew, what a day! The second round, which typically takes only a few hours to complete, took an astonishing eight-plus hours to wrap up. But in that time, the Los Angeles Kings, holding nine draft picks, selected eight young men from four different countries (USA, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia). James Nicholson and Sarah Avampato join me once again to discuss LA’s shiny new boys and grade the draft. We also talk about what a potential coup it could be if Lias Andersson pans out. Rob Blake flipped the 60th overall pick for the former seventh overall New York Rangers centerman, who has had some notable issues, leaving the Rangers in order to deal with his mental health. But, if he can live up to his draft pedigree whenever he eventually joins the Kings, Blake could look like a genius. This leads us to a discussion about Todd McLellan and his development of young players as compared to Alain Vigneault. (Note: I realize now that the head coach of the Rangers is actually David Quinn as AV is now coaching the Philadelphia Flyers, but my brain keeps thinking he’s still in New York.) We also talk extensively about Brock Faber and Helge Grans, two very different defensemen who play very distinct styles, but seem like they could fit in very well with the Kings’ organization. Listen out for James’ hot take on who Byfield actually reminds him of. Scouts said Byfield is Anze Kopitar 2.0, but there’s a certain other large center playing for a rival California team that James thinks he’s more like. Lastly, we grade the overall draft and briefly discuss some of the highlights of the day (including an angry Craig Button, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ strange announcement from Day 1, and some of the curious moves the Nashville Predators made). Barring any radical moves the Kings make on Friday during Free Agent Frenzy, this will be the last podcast for the 2019-20 season. I will be back once hockey returns. Be sure to listen and subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you ever have any questions or comments, leave them below or feel free to email crownconvopodjftc@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Sarah Avampato joins me to discuss Tim Smith, the man inside the Bailey costume, and the lawsuit brought against him. In a Friday news dump, the organization quietly announced that Smith “has been terminated by the organization following an internal investigation” after a former member of the Ice Crew filed a lawsuit against Smith, AEG, and the Kings in August. Smith was subsequently suspended on August 14 pending an internal investigation before eventually being fired on Friday. There is no word yet on who, if anyone, will play Bailey or if they’re even going to have a mascot at all. It could be a moot point as fans (at the moment) aren’t even be allowed in the building. And no one is really sure when the NHL will actually return to play. Again. Then we chat about the impending NHL entry draft coming up soon. We chat about which top prospect the Los Angeles Kings could possibly grab at second overall and wishing for some chaos. We go into depth about what the Kings need and if Quinton Byfield or Tim Stützle is the right kid to fill it. Should they go with their prototypical Large Boy (Byfield is listed at 6’2, 215lbs) or should they go the kid with dazzling playmaking skills with a high hockey IQ? If the Tampa Bay Lightning are now the model (and to be fair to the Dallas Stars, they matched up pretty well in terms of high-end skilled players) being the most recent Stanley Cup winners, does that mean that Stützle is the right pick? Or does LA’s desperate need for a center outweigh the potential of the German? Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you’ll never miss an episode and leave a comment below. Got questions or want to be on the pod? Hit me up at crownconvopodjftc@gmail.com. (PS: I know I said that the last podcast would be penultimate, but I had wanted to address the Tim Smith stuff and Sarah is super knowledgeable so we got to learn a bit about the coin flip headed LA’s way. Barring any additional breaking news, the post draft podcast will be the last one[s] until the NHL season starts back up.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Logan Stark from Defending Big D joins CC to discuss the Dallas Stars, their roster makeup, and depth vs depth. We talk at length about her hometown favorite boy Tyler Johnson and the potential of seeing the league shift towards a more dynamic, offensive-focused roster similar to the Lightning. Plus, how good has Anton Khudobin been, why is he such a delight, and would anyone truly mind if he just swiped the Stanley Cup and ran away with it? We also discuss Dallas' coaching drama and the shutdown line of Radek Faksa, Andrew Cogliano, and Blake Comeau. And yes, we did talk about Corey Perry, but mostly how the DBD staff cursed his signing into existence. This is our penultimate podcast for the 2019-20 season. The last one will cover the draft and then there will be a break until the new season starts up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hardev Lad from sister SBN blog Raw Charge joins Crown Conversations to talk about the Tampa Bay Lightning and their quest to lift Lord Stanley’s shiny silver chalice. Steven Stamkos remains an unknown factor, but if he were to suit up, where could he fit into the lineup? How would Jon Cooper best utilize the star forward’s skills? We also talk about the magical postseason that Brayden Point is having as well as Tampa’s insane depth (seriously, Tyler Johnson is on the THIRD LINE, Cedric Paquette is on the FOURTH line). It hasn’t been an easy Cup run for the Lightning so far, but after being swept out of the playoffs last year, the Bolts are proving that they’ve learned a lot and will not be an easy out for any team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A little bonus episode to talk about the Vancouver Canucks and why you should support our dear boys Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson with the Vancouver Canucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices