Knights on Ice — Russian Collusion

Special Counsel Robert Mueller spent two-plus years looking for Russian collusion. By contrast, in one night, in the L.A. Kings’ 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, there was enough Russian collusion at the Staples Center to ban all vodka sales in the state of California for years.

Ilya Kovalchuk, who was born in Tver, Russia, scored the first and last goals of the game that sent the VGK limping into the playoffs with a 1-5-2 record in their last 8 games.

The Russian collusion began early in the game when Valentin Zykov, who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, gave away the puck at the blue line of the VGK’s offensive zone to Kovalchuk, who skated uncontested in on Marc-André Fleury, playing in his second game since returning to the lineup. Kovalchuk skated left to right across the net and waited long enough for Fleury to overcommit before he lifted the puck past Fleury for the 1-0 lead.

Zykov was trailing Kovalchuk and made a half-hearted attempt at chasing him down. Kovalchuk is 35 years old, Zykov is 23. One would assume that Zykov didn’t use all the power in his young legs to at least try to impede Kovalchuk’s progress. Zykov also mustered up a feeble wave of his stick at Kovalchuk in his last attempt to prevent a breakaway on Fleury. Unacceptable.

This kind of effort is not what you want to see going into the playoffs. I fully understand that this game had no meaning, but at least put your head down and skate hard to try and make up for your giveaway.

To make matters worse, just 2:46 after Kovalchuk’s opening goal, Zykov lost the clearing pass from Fleury just inside the blue line that led to Jeff Carter’s goal, putting the VGK behind by 2-0 in the first period. Zykov took Fleury’s pass and, with his back facing the blue line, blindly threw the puck toward the middle of the ice. A dangerous play to say the least; chipping it the other way along the boards was the safer play. The puck found its way back toward Fleury on a shot that Fleury would save 100% of the time, but it was deflected by Jeff Carter. Fleury made that save, only to see the rebound bounce right back onto the stick of Carter, who beat the defenseless Fleury.

When Matt Roy scored at the 10:35 mark of the second period to make it 3-0, the game for all intents and purposes was over. Coming back from 3-0 in the NHL is not an easy task, especially against a team that pretty much despises yours and would like nothing more than to end their own disappointing season by beating you. Keep in mind, the VGK ended the Kings’ season last April in a four-game sweep in Round 1. Hockey players are like elephants: They forget nothing.

Brandon Pirri scored his 12^th goal of the season to trim the lead halfway through the second period. Zykov tried to make up for the two goals he gift-wrapped for the Kings when he scored his second of the season just 2:18 after Pirri’s goal. But Anze Kopitar, who was playing in his 1,000th NHL game, scored his first power-play goal on a play that was challenged once again for goaltender interference on Fleury. Call me crazy or extremely biased, but it seems like the War Room in Toronto has it out for the VGK. On this play, the Kings’ Carl Grundstrom is clearly in the blue paint. It appears he’s there before the puck enters the paint and his presence prevents Fleury from sliding over to his left to defend against Kopitar, who has a wide-open net to shoot at since Fleury’s movement is clearly impeded. Toronto rules against the challenge by Coach Gallant.

Another call was made to Toronto, as it appeared that Cody Eakin pushed the puck past the goal line with Jonathan Quick’s glove covering the puck from view. It looked like a good goal to me, but Toronto didn’t see it that way as usual.

Ilya Kovalchuk completed the Russian collusion with an empty-net goal to send the L.A. Kings to the golf course with smiles on their faces and usher the VGK with a worried look heading into the playoffs.

The Round 1 schedule is as follows:

Game 1 in San Jose: Wednesday April 10

Game 2 in San Jose: Friday April 12

Game 3 at T-Mobile: Sunday April 14

Game 4 at T-Mobile: Tuesday April 16

Game 5 (if necessary) in San Jose: Thursday April 18

Game 6 (if necessary) at T-Mobile: Sunday April 21

Game 7 (if necessary) in San Jose: Tuesday April 23

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