Matt Murray has been a Kings fan since the late '80s, when Wayne Gretzky grabbed headlines by defecting to the West Coast. Since then, he has been a card-carrying bandwagon member as the club soared in popularity with their sole Stanley Cup appearance to their position near the bottom of the Pacific. But things are looking brighter, as he is anxious to witness the rise of the new Kings.
LIVE FROM STAPLES CENTER!!!
Hey everybody... here live at Staples for the season opener.
Was out at the red carpet for the players earlier. The players seemed a little less than thrilled to run the gamut of fans leading into the VIP entrance. But the red carpet was maybe 20-25 feet, so many of the players politely waved and headed inside.
Saw Vic The Brick, wearing a huge crown and introducing the legends who are being honored tonight. Apparently the price of beer has gone up... again. Last season, it was eight bucks for a domestic brew. This season? $8.75. Yikes.
I was here reeeeeeeally early today. So early, I forgot to eat lunch. As I was setting my equipment up, they were testing the lights and sound system. And they were playing a Fox Sports commercial for the L.A. Kings. (Imagine that...)
It was your typical commercial, heralding the return of the team. They also referenced the new vets that the team has signed, but only showed Calder and Nagy. The voiceover was something to the effect of "with the additions of the new veterans, the Kings are close to returning to the playoffs..." So far, no problem.
But then it goes on to announce "If rookie goaltender Jonathan Bernier can man the pipes this season, the Kings can go all the way!" No pressure, right? Unbelieveable. I don't think Crawford and Lombardi are very happy about putting that kind of publicity on their young netminder.
