What an exciting game at Staples last night! Up and down hockey, great saves on both sides, and the Kings emerge victoriously 2-0. 1-0 lead they take in the Semis against the Sharks, but it's still so early.
I have more analysis, but I'll save it for the podcast tonight at blogtalkradio.com . Instead, here's some more quickies...
Dodgers game... my Dad and his friend invited me to a Dodgers game last night, so I didn't get to see much of the Kings game, but I kept getting updates on the phone. This isn't the first time this happened:
Remember Game 2 of the Quarters against Vancouver? I was at a Lakers game that night too. You get invitations to go see a game and it comes before you even know when playoff games will be played in the NHL. I had to take the chance... the Dodgers vs the Nationals was an interesting matchup and they were great seats.
So I bit the bullet and hoped the Kings could get the W, and they did! Do you believe it? San Jo will get one back in Game 2 however, I'd just as much guarantee it.
I got to Dodger Stadium *very* early this time. I was fortunate to get an early release from work yesterday and left at 4pm. Then, seeing the 10 freeway was backlogged with traffic, I took a very unusual route that got me to the park in just 55 minutes!
I took Sunset Blvd east from UCLA, then made the turn at La Cienega to get to Fountain... of course, the jokers who make the maps don't give you any intication that it is IMPOSSIBLE to turn into Fountain Blvd going Southbound on La Cienega. So I motored all the way to about SM Blvd, but not quite, turning at a side street, then turning again to get back to Fountain. It was weird, but worth it.
I took Fountain all the way to Gower, and then went north on Gower, made a right on Franklin then followed that to Western. Turned on Western which became Los Feliz road, followed the sign to the 5 freeway, and who *knows* what the heck street it was by then, I just followed the sign. I nearly missed the onramp too, but fortunately there weren't very many cars on the road so a car saw me struggling and pulled a *solid* to let me onto the ramp. Whew! I took the 5 south, hit 110 south, got off at Academy, meandered through tight neighborhood streets and made the Academy Gate into Dodger Stadium.
See how easy that was????? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahaha
Bear in mind, those 55 minutes also included the walk from my office to the car, and an extra couple of minutes I spent parking the car at the Stadium.
I should tell you, the Dodger Stadium Club is terrific. The original premium lounge at the park, and still pretty good. They boast a big buffet spread for $36.50, but I took a look. They had some good items there, but it wasn't a spread worth the price, so I passed. My pop and his friend and I ordered some fish tostadas and we split a hamburger. Good times.
Stadium Club did have the hockey on but we only got to catch a few minutes of Sharks/Kings as the game started. Then we went to our regular seats on Field Level. The seats were great, and the stadium was packed! I told you guys about those Bobblehead nights... automatic sellouts. I could not believe how many fans showed up early! It felt like a World Series game in there.
Just incredible! And I tell you, something about Clayton Kershaw, whenever I go to see him pitch he does something amazing. One time I went and he shut down the Giants. Another time I went, and he got his 20th win (maybe this was against the Giants too.). Tonight, I went over to the stadium and he struck out 11 batters, 7 of them in the first three innings! He nearly pitched a complete game but missed it by one out.
Lest we forget, Kershaw pitched against the N a t i o n a l s. Pretty good lineup, I think. I know the Dodgers still don't have much to offer this season but between this and the return of Zach Grienke tonight, there's at least something to get interested in with the Dodgers this year. Expectations are still low but I can say that there's something *to* watch.
"Finding things" was the theme of the night at Dodger Stadium. The camera guy lost his lens cap during the game and everyone around him was frantically looking at it. Then I saw it in the next row in front of us and retrieved it for him. In the 9th inning, my Dad was *freaking out* because he couldn't find his sunglasses cover and once again I looked in the row in front of us and found it sitting there on the floor. He was so happy to get it back too.
The Dodgers seemed to find their groove.
The Kings found a rare home playoff Game 1 and won the thing.
Dave Strader may have found his voice after nearly shouting himself hoarse in that Leafs/Bruins Game 7.
San Antonio found their mojo and blew out Golden State.
It was quite a night.
It took a little longer than usual, but still a reasonable amount of time, to get home. My neighbor comes up, and it's 11pm by then... she apparently had a long day at work, but fun story, she's chatting about her day and one of her cats runs all the way down the stairs to the ground level at our apartment building. Our apartment doors are set up outside, akin to a Motel. It was funny to see the cat scamper all the way back... poor lady had to go down just to get her cat and finish the conversation. This is why I don't own cats. They're pesky creatures!
Our apartment building is true to its good characters. I will miss the place once I move out to the new apartment in SM.
Ooh... these are not quickies are they? Ah well, the mind works in mysterious ways. Catch you all again tomorrow!
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