Game 12: Kings 6, Blue Jackets 2

W.F.O.: Wide F*#&ing Open. That's what the Kings game was last night. Every was kicking on all cylinders, and the machine mowed through Columbus like wet grass. There were even pieces of Blue Jackets left speckled on Staples Center ice. Looks like the Kings have their own Bellerophon to Columbus' Chimera. (Sorry, had to drop an obligatory Greek mythology reference in there. Yes, I'm a nerd.)

Now, about that hit. There's going to be a penalty levied against Scuderi, no doubt. But it wasn't the worst hit I've ever seen. Some of the comments I've read make it sound like it was Joe Theismann-esque.

It's hockey, people. He didn't get hurt, and had enough presence of mind to complain about it after the game. The only reason why people are freaked out was of Harry How's tremendous shot of the aftermath of the hit, and the instant replay in hi-definition that show Chimera's face plant in gory detail.

People get checked. People get hurt. If you have a problem with Scuderi's hit, Chimera, come find him Jan. 28, when these two teams play again. It makes their next game a must-see road game, to see if there's any retaliation. Because quite frankly, what's the draw to Columbus/Los Angeles game? That's what makes hockey great: the revenge factor.

Enough about the hit. The game itself was an example what what happens when the team is fully operational. Kopitar and Frolov with two goals, 10 Kings players with points. L.A. was dominant in the faceoff circles, especially Brad Richardson, who won all six of his. Drew Doughty leading all skaters in ice time, continuing to build off his super rookie campaign. All in all, a satisfying win over a tough division rival.

That's two four-game winning streaks, and we're still in October. Can you believe it? Me neither, but I'm digging it.

• AP: Kopitar’s 2 goals lead Kings to 4th win in row

About 9 minutes into Los Angeles’ 6-2 victory on Sunday night, Scuderi sent Chimera somersaulting face-first into the ice with a classic old-school hip check along the right boards in the Kings’ zone. Chimera came up bleeding from his right eyebrow, and teammate Derek Dorsett

• Canadian Press: Kopitar, Frolov each net two as Kings cruise past Jackets

Handzus and Kopitar connected on Los Angeles' first two shots against Steve Mason, who won the Calder Trophy last season as rookie of the year.

• LA Times: Kings win fourth in a row, beating Columbus, 6-2

Kings Coach Terry Murray said the special-teams unit is "getting better." "That helps you get where you want to go as far as a structure and a system," Murray said. "Moving your feet and getting things going in the other zone, we're starting to figure that part out."

• LAKings.com:  Kings beat Columbus 6-2

Many highs, and one low hit, colored the Kings' impressive victory Sunday night.

They said it

“The two games, back to back like this, they’re important games. Early in the season, the points are always important, but I thought the game last night, to go in and play well in that building after losing opening night, and the same here tonight. ...The game was what you want, what you ask for, and to come right back with the second goal a few minutes later, that was a really good thing.” – Terry Murray, on winning games on consecutive nights.

Around the Kingdom

• LAKingsNews.com: Kings undress the Jackets

The Los Angeles Kings played a solid 40 minutes last night in Phoenix and beat the Coyotes. Tonight, they played a relentless 60 and destroyed the Blue Jackets.

• The Royal Half: Secret of their successes

Ryan Smyth has done everything that Kings thought he was going to do and more. He has been a strong veteran leader. (He's 33 by the way.. no one refers to me as a "veteran leader" at my office)

• A Queen Among Kings: 4 In a Row via Kopitar: Kings Over Coyotes and Blue Jackets

This was a 5-3 win for the Kings but, let's be honest, it could have resulted in another OT stint or just a straight up loss. Instead the Kings readjusted themselves and finished the game with two more points.

• L.A. Kings Insider: Chimera upset with Scuderi’s hit

Tonight’s game was colored, early on, by Rob Scuderi’s hit on Jason Chimera midway through the first period. Was it dirty? It was a hip check that certainly appeared to be a clip, one in which Scuderi took Chimera out below the waist, at the knees.

• Battle Of California: Scuderi's hit of Chimera

*I'll always remember a Kings game a while ago where Marty McSorley got a penalty for slew footing.  They zoomed in on him as he went to the penalty box and I read his lips as he said, "What the f*%# is slew footing?"  I ask myself that sometimes.

• The Throne Room: Hey Columbus Fans, Want Some Cheese With That Whine?

After listening to Chimera whine in the post game interview, I’m convinced he needs to go play shuffleboard for a living, and after hearing the response of some Columbus fans I’m thinking they might be the biggest collective group of whiners in the NHL right now.

• Purple Crushed Velvet: The Backups Get the Cold Shoulder

Scuderi definitely is not a dirty player; it looked like he timed the hit wrong and lowered himself way too low than would normally be expected for a hip check. 

• Kings Kool-Aid: You think that check was low, because it was kinda sorta maybe in the neighborhood of the knee?

as I have said a million times now, the low hit issue is a red-herring. It’s the face into the ice that’s freaking people out, and that has nothing to do with whether the hit was low or not.

• Frozen Royalty: Kopitar, Frolov Lead Kings Past Blue Jackets, 6-2

From across the aisle, the Columbus viewpoint

• The Columbus Dispatch: Listless Jackets lose big

"I don't care if Scuderi's a good player or what," Chimera said. "At least stand up and fight after a hit like that."

• The Cannon: Kings beat up on Jackets

It was 2-0 after the first, but the big story was "the hit". I'm not a ref-basher, but I am going to stray from that for a moment. The decisions made by the officials in regards to the hit were complete idiocy.

• Puck-Rakers: Game No. 10

This wasn’t a hip check. Maybe it was intended to be, but it wasn’t even close. Scuderi essentially dived at Chimera’s knees, undercutting him and sending him airborn, skates over tin cup one might say.

• HFBoards: Game 10 | Jackets @ LA Kings

    MattTheMask: Scuderi is a punk and it was completely bogus he didnt receive a penalty or a game misconduct. He could of ended Chimera's career right there. I hope he is fined AND suspended. And I also hope one of our guys drops the gloves with him when he comes to Columbus.
    MFRONE: Take your blinders off Kings fans, the hit looked just as dirty in real time as it did during the replay.
    Robert: It was an illegal hit imo and he should be fined or suspended at last one game, hip checks that hit the knees can injure.
    CapnCornelius: If you didn't watch this team get bullied last night, go back and watch the whole game. After that hit the Kings played physical the rest of the game and the Jackets rarely even bothered to finish their checks.

Peeping the dailies



Here's the hit in question