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Lakers Are In ‘Seventh’ Heaven

By
Christopher Floch
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LOS ANGELES, CA– The Los Angeles Lakers clinched the NO. 7 seed in the Western Conference after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in Overtime, 108-102 on Tuesday, April 11th at Crypto.com Arena. With the hard fought victory, the Lakers will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Although LeBron James has gone on record proclaiming his disdain for the NBA Play-In Tournament, he and the Lakers have provided classic moments for fans of the Purple and Gold. For instance, their furious comeback as the T’Wolves built a commanding fifteen point lead in the second half.

Dennis Schroder scored 21 points, drilling a clutch 3-pointer on a pass from James with 1.4 seconds left in regulation before icing the win with two free throws with 8.4 seconds remaining in the extra session for the Lakers. They started the season 2-10 and sat six games below .500 at the trade deadline.

Minnesota has a knack for blowing big leads- leading the NBA with 19 losses after having a 10 point lead. It was a sloppy, fierce matchup in which both teams made critical errors down the stretch.

When Schroder buried the potential game winner with 1.4 seconds left, everyone thought the game was over.

Anthony Davis implored his teammates in the huddle not to foul the shooter, then AD inexplicably fouled Mike Conley on a desperation three with 0.1 seconds left in regulation.The Timberwolves forced overtime when Conley hit his free throws after the foul.

Davis and James said they had a mix-up about who was supposed to defend the shooter in the corner. “That was totally on me,” said Davis, who had 24 points and 15 rebounds.

That California cool attitude certainly payed off in the extra five minutes. With the T’Wolves confidence shattered, the Lakers pedigree combined with their playoff experience signaled winning time for the Lakers.

Another sloppy aspect of this nail-biter game was the questionable officiating.

Fans at Crypto.com Arena were shaking the rafters loud, hollering at the refferees for their calls. LA sports fans have a notorious reputation for being blase, quiet fans. More interested with their cell phones and spotting celebrities, rather than paying attention to the game being played.

This stereotype proved to be blatantly false, a big assist goes to the 20,000 passionate Laker fans, who never quit believing the Lakers would find a way to win.

Minnesota went scoreless for six minutes in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles began its comeback after Karl Anthony Towns had to sit with his fifth foul, and it took the lead for good on a 3-pointer on the opening possession of overtime by Rui Hachimura, who had 12 points.

LeBron James had 30 points and 10 rebounds, while Anthony Davis had 24 points to go alongside 15 rebounds.

Now it’s off to Tennessee to face JA Morant and the NO. #2 seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The first game of the first round of the playoffs will take place on Sunday, April 16th at 12:00 p.m. at FedEx Forum. The game will air on ABC

Kraken continue to climb, tighten up before Playoffs with 7-3 rout of Chicago 

By
Charles Hamaker
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Seattle Kraken (Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News)

Seattle, WA – A game off their playoff berth clinching victory, the Seattle Kraken sought out to continue their positive momentum in the final four games of the regular season. Seattle, with some hiccups along the way that they’ll want back, pummeled Chicago and were able to keep the good vibes pushing as their winning streak now rests at four games. With the Kraken win, the two points they gain secures their spot as the top Wild Card team in the Western Conference at very minimum, as they still have a shot at overtaking the third seed in the Pacific Division. Seattle must continue their winning ways and the Los Angeles Kings need to drop a few more games, which won’t be an easy road for the Kraken as after they face the Arizona Coyotes on Monday, take on the Las Vegas Golden Knights twice to round out the season. 

The Kraken’s success story this season has primarily been because of their depth in their four forward lines, and in another key victory, that shown through in this win. Seattle had 12 different skaters tally a point in the victory, while all four of Seattle’s forward lines recorded a point in the game and two of the three defenseman pairings got in on the fun with a point. The Kraken have been able to do this sort of thing all season long, and it’s arguably the biggest reason why they have been so successful in just their second year as a franchise. Getting this level of production all year long at this time of year is crucial for Seattle to start clicking at the right time as they head into their first ever postseason.   

““Especially [when] you’re playing teams that can shut you down pretty well and shut down one or two lines… I think it’s huge that four lines could put pucks in,” Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak on his team’s depth 

Kraken defenseman and alternate captain Adam Larsson, jubilant about his breakaway goal scored in the second period, noted that the team needed to address some things on their end as Chicago tallied three goals in the contest and could’ve had a fourth if it hadn’t been for a video review overturning it. Seattle’s defensive play had its typical issues, turning over the puck in their own zone and allowing persistent pressure throughout the course of the game to a Blackhawks team that has struggled all season as the second to worst team in the NHL. The vibe and general feeling of this game was unique, as the Kraken dominated the matchup, but the Blackhawks hung around and snuck in their shots when they found them.  

It wasn’t as if Seattle was doing anything different or like Chicago’s offensive attack was something special, the Kraken were sloppy in their own zone and turned the puck over like they were trying to. The passing lanes were relatively open for the Blackhawks, the Kraken turned the puck over twice in their defensive zone, and Seattle generally played a bit down to their opponents’ level in the game following their playoff berth clinching victory. If there is one area of their game that I would change or improve about the Kraken, it easily would be their defensive play. With a rock-solid defensive effort game in and game out, Seattle could be unstoppable.  

“There were sloppy portions of the game and [some of that’s] inherent coming off of a big win the other night… The guys know we got to make sure that we clean that back up,” Seattle Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol on his teams defensive play 

The Kraken continue their final steps to the postseason, now with just three games left before they take on their first ever playoff opponent. That opponent still must be determined and will be sorted out of their next three games, which begin on Monday, April 10th inside of the infamous Mullett Arena when the team battles the Arizona Coyotes for the third and final time this season. Puck drop for the battle in the desert is at 7PM PST, and the Kraken will need to be careful about the trouble that the Coyotes may get into considering the number of fights that Arizona started in the past two games the teams played last season. 

Seattle Kraken clinch playoff berth with inspired victory over troublesome Coyotes 

By
Charles Hamaker
-
Period 3

Seattle, WA – Thanks to a satisfying 4-2 victory over the aggressive Arizona Coyotes, the Seattle Kraken have clinched their first postseason berth in franchise history. Seattle will head to the playoffs in just their second season in NHL existence, getting to this point as a complete team that rolls deep with contributors all over its roster. The Kraken have shown that they don’t need a superstar to be successful, and it was the line of two formerly “bottom-six” skaters and Calder Trophy front runner Matty Beniers who tallied three of the four goals that Seattle scored in the win. With the win and their playoff ticket punched, the Kraken will learn their first-round opponent as the final week of the regular season is up next. 

Seattle’s top line of Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, and Jordan Eberle came to play in this historic game for the franchise. One of, if not the most, productive groups for the Kraken, these three feature veterans in Eberle and McCann who have been able to revitalize their careers in Seattle. And then centering them, the young star Matty Beniers, Seattle’s first ever draft pick and the Calder Trophy front runner that could be the face of the Kraken franchise for years to come. The three combined for nearly all of the Seattle goals tonight, and perhaps it’s a bit fitting considering the production that they have all had for this team this season.  

“You look at the leap that we made, I mean, it’s special,” said Kraken forward and alternate captain Jordan Eberle. “We’ve got a special group here, and I think from Day one, a lot of people have written us off. And to get to this point is obviously an accomplishment.” 

Jared McCann began the scoring as the first period was winding down, as Beniers sprinted up ice to corral a loose puck behind the net, passing it to Eberle from behind the goal, who then found McCann open on the back door to give the Kraken a one-goal lead heading into intermission. Eberle got on the board next, on a play started by an excellent forecheck by Matty Beniers. Beniers took on two Coyotes skaters, Jared McCann was able to snag the loose puck and sling it to Eberle, who had acres and acres of space for Eberle to easily fire away and score. Finally, it was Beniers’ turn, flying down the ice on a breakaway to beat Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka and ice this victory. 

Not only does this victory clinch the team’s first playoff berth in just its second playing year of existence as an NHL franchise, but it shows the type of turnaround that the Kraken have had. With many of the same faces still on this team from its inaugural group in 2021-22, Seattle acquired key additions in names like Andre Burakovsky, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Justin Schultz to help them get known veteran contributors that could help their near bottom of the league scoring and defense. They haven’t been the complete answer to the problems the Kraken faced last season, but their impact helped in putting the right pieces together for Seattle that have them ready to potentially surprise teams once the postseason begins. 

“We’re new, right?” said Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol. “Everybody in this room a year and 10 months ago was new, but we’ve grown a little bit. So that belief has shown itself, and we probably put just a little building block of tradition in place by solidifying a playoff spot tonight.” 

The next game for the Kraken comes on Saturday, April 8th, when the team hosts the Chicago Blackhawks in one of the last games they play in the regular season and the second to last one that they will host. Chicago, just like the last two teams Seattle has played in Arizona and Vancouver, has struggled all season. Taking into account that the Kraken have already secured their playoff berth, Seattle’s strategy may be a bit different when the puck drops on Saturday at 7PM PST takes place.  

Kraken overwhelm Coyotes with tidal wave of goals in critical victory in playoff race 

By
Charles Hamaker
-
Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken begin the final two weeks of the NHL regular season, with the first of two games in three days against the struggling Arizona Coyotes. Seattle washed Arizona away, tallying eight goals total and four in the third period to really emphasize their victory. Jared McCann potted two goals in his 500th career NHL game, while 15 of the 18 Kraken skaters and even goaltender Philipp Grubauer recorded a point for the largest margin of victory in franchise history. With the win, and the Nashville Predators loss, the Kraken magic number to clinch a playoff berth sits at six points.  

Kraken forward Jared McCann is on his way to becoming a “legend of the deep” for the Seattle franchise, as he was the first player in team history to sign a contract extension and led the team in goals during the inaugural season. Again, he leads the team in goals (and is on pace for 40, at 37), while sitting just a tick behind the team lead for points. He got those marks with today’s performance, on a special day, as he scored two goals in his 500th career NHL game. McCann’s goals came short-handed (he now has the most short-handed goals in franchise history), and then off a nifty toe-drag to sling the puck against the pipes. Seattle’s top sharpshooter continues to knock ‘em down for the Kraken, and they will need McCann’s play to continue as they approach and hopefully enter the postseason.  

“Yeah, I’m not a guy that’s really focused on numbers. I want to win the Stanley cup. That’s the main thing, right? Your time in the NHL goes by so quickly. Ask anybody on our team that’s been in league, Jordan, Jaden, those guys, even some of the guys that have won a cup. You work so hard for it, you have to work so hard for it. And if you get in the playoffs, it’s special and you need to take advantage of it,” Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann reflected when asked about approaching 40 goals on the season. 

It’s been stated all season, and tonight’s blowout victory highlighted it to a tee, the biggest strength of the Kraken is the scoring depth that they have up and down the lineup. Up and down their four forward lines, and even the same through the three defenseman pairings. It’s been displayed throughout the course of the year, as all the players who have played more than 15 games have tallied at least 15 points and Seattle is the only team with 13 ten+ goal scorers (if Jamie Oleksiak scores again, they will have 14). This victory displayed that to a tee so well, that the Kraken saw their first ever goalie point as starter Philipp Grubauer got the secondary assist on Jared McCann’s second goal. The depth of this Seattle team is serious, and they will need it to click once again as the playoffs approach.  

“Yeah, we’re moving the puck well. We’re getting pucks on net. We’re playing with confidence on the power play, and we’re taking the chances we need. And the looks are there, we’re capitalizing on it, so it’s good momentum for us, especially near the end of the year.,” Seattle Kraken forward Daniel Sprong on what went right tonight.  

Seattle has a quick turnaround following this massive victory over the Coyotes at home, as they’ll travel up North to Vancouver for their final game of the season against the Canucks. While things seem good for the Kraken after scoring eight goals tonight and having beaten Vancouver the last time that the two division rivals met, Seattle cannot afford to try and cruise through this game. The Canucks have been a massive thorn in the Kraken side for Seattle’s existence as an NHL franchise, and Vancouver has a winning record in their past ten contests. The Kraken must again put together a 60-minute effort and handle business against the Canucks, so that they can continue their march to the playoffs. That game is on Tuesday, April 4th with a puck drop at 7PM PST.  

Kraken fail to find offense until too late in tight loss to Kings 

By
Charles Hamaker
-
Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – For the final time this season, a Pacific Division battle between the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings took place, and this contest vastly differed from the one played in Los Angeles back in November. It was no high scoring matchup, unlike the November 29th game that saw both teams combine for 17 goals, and defensive play was the theme as the Kings prevailed three-to-one over the Kraken. With the loss and a Nashville Predators win, Seattle’s magic number remains at nine points.  

Los Angeles is a team that has become very comfortable in close games, playing many of them over the course of the year despite their hot form since All-Star break. Seattle, on the other hand, is still learning to dig deep and secure points in those instances, as was the case tonight when the Kraken failed to break the ice until late. By then, the Kings had put two on the board, and Seattle needed to bring an extra skater on late, allowing Los Angeles to find an empty net goal to finish things off. The first Kings goal highlighted a Kraken mistake, as all five skaters were caught on one side of the ice, leaving Los Angeles’ Sean Durzi all alone back door to tap the puck past Seattle’s Martin Jones. A second goal came off a pickpocket of Brandon Tanev, and with their plays at the right time, Los Angeles built their lead. 

“They kinda sit back and play good defensively, it makes it hard to get chances. You really gotta work hard for your shots, net presence, and so on. It was kind of a playoff-like game,” Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand reflected.   

Seattle was able to get on the board late, as Oliver Bjorkstrand was able to punch home a rebound chance that had sizzled off the stick of Daniel Sprong. Sprong’s initial one-timer was stopped at first by Kings goaltender Pheonix Copley, but it leaked behind him and into the crease, where Los Angeles failed to clear it. Bjorkstrand was in the right place at the right time, pushing the puck into an empty net for a power play goal, giving the Kraken a lifeline late. Seattle failed to generate much danger before they ultimately had to pull their goalie and put a sixth skater on the ice with a minute left. The Kraken weren’t able to get the puck past Copley, and the Kings found an empty netter to finish things off.  

“Both teams checked really well, it’s getting to that time of the year where teams are getting ready for playoffs. There’s just not a lot of room out there, neither team was able to really break free and make a lot of plays offensively. I thought that we had a good push in the third, but their goalie played pretty well,” Seattle goaltender Martin Jones reflected 

The Kraken return to action on Monday, April 3rd when they host the Arizona Coyotes in the first of three contests that the teams will play this month. In the first game of a back-to-back, the Kraken will host the Coyotes with a puck drop of 7PM PST before immediately leaving for Vancouver following the conclusion of the game against Arizona. While the Coyotes have struggled as of late, dropping their last three, they remain a scrappy team that’s will surely put up a fight against Seattle in all their matchups.  

Kraken handle business, inch closer to playoff berth with 4-1 victory over Ducks 

By
Charles Hamaker
-
Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – Returning home to Climate Pledge Arena following a four-game road trip where they secured five points, the Seattle Kraken pulled away in the third period to defeat the Anaheim Ducks. A team with nothing to play for, despite going down by two goals in the first period, Anaheim kept their head in the fight and put even more pressure on Seattle when they scored in the second period to bring the score within one. The Kraken dug deep, as fourth-liner Daniel Sprong pounded home a power play goal to extend Seattle’s lead and effectively put the game to rest. The Kraken, with their win and a Nashville loss, pushed their magic number to make the postseason down to nine.  

With the regular season ticking down and every point ever important, urgency is critical for the Kraken. Seeking their first postseason berth in just their second year of existence as an NHL franchise, Seattle has a tricky road to the Stanley Cup playoffs as they face some teams with a bit of a Wild Card aspect to them. Playing known winners in Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the end of the season schedule, teams such as Arizona, Vancouver, and Chicago all make appearances. While these look-like easy points on paper, Seattle has had its struggles against mediocre opponents throughout the season, and you can never count an opponent out.  

“It’s the National Hockey League. You build wins through 60 minutes. Everybody’s playing for something. Everybody is motivated by something and it’s no different for [Anaheim] them… This group inside of this room has continued to find a way to push for some things that we’ve wanted to push for. We continue to be in that position. There’s still work to do. [But] tonight’s a great two points,” Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol on tonight’s win.  

With that urgency coming into play, the Kraken have needed to find their offensive touch once again and they need to do so in whatever method possible. Seattle has slowly and gradually improved at getting net front to score those greasy goals, but they must continue to improve in that area and at finding those sneaky goals in general as we approach game 82 on the NHL’s regular season. The Kraken were able to do that tonight and get production from three different lines in this win against Anaheim.  

“We want to take advantage of every game, we want to get better, we want to keep improving. The two points are big. Obviously, if you look at the standings, teams are trying to move up, and you don’t want to leave it to the last two games of the year to have to win, to get in. You want to build as much of a lead as you can. So, these are big, and we want to play a little bit better at home, too. Our record hasn’t been quite where we want it to be,” Kraken forward and alternate captain Jaden Schwartz on the importance of finishing the season strong.  

Kraken goaltender Martin Jones got his first start since March 13th in tonight’s divisional contest, and Seattle desperately needed him to find a better form than his last seven starts, as he had allowed at least three goals in all of them. With Philipp Grubauer dealing with an illness that he had been trying to return from since March 18th, the Kraken opted in favor of emergency-usage goaltender Joey Daccord for two starts before Grubauer returned, which may tell you something. Jones was solid in his first start back in action, stopping 18 of the 19 shots that he faced and having to bail his skaters out a few times.  

Seattle will continue a three game homestand in just two days when they host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, April 1st with a puck drop of 7PM PST. The Kraken will have their hands full as they host a Kings team that’s won six of their last ten and have been on a general tear since the All-Star break. The Pacific Division continues to be a troublesome territory for the kraken to navigate, but with Seattle taking care of business tonight and Nashville (the team they need to lose to help their magic number go down) facing a brutal schedule, the postseason is within reach.  

 Austin Reaves Erupts For 35 Points In Lakers Victory

By
Christopher Floch
-

LOS ANGELES — After losing to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were in need of a win to make the playoffs in the congested Western Conference. Austin Reaves scored career high 35 points for the Lakers in a 111-105 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers snapped a two-game losing streak, the crowd chanted “MVP” as Reaves took over down the stretch, with both teams tied at 101-101 in the final minutes of the game.

The young, gritty Laker made key shots to save the Purple and Gold, nailing challenging jump shots en route to a career high.

Reaves was spectacular in leading the Lakers to victory with 13 points in the fourth quarter, including the team’s last 10 points during the final 1:33 minutes of gameplay. D’Angelo Russell added 18 points, while Anthony Davis had another double double with 15 points and 14 resounds.

The undrafted second-year pro has earned a vital role his star-studded team, and Reaves factored in almost every big play, repeatedly earned trips to the line in the fourth quarter.

Reaves shot a career-high 18 free throws, while the Magic shot 17.

The Lakers entered this game off back-to-back losses to Houston and Dallas, gravely affecting their tenuous position in the playoff race. This win put Los Angeles (35-37) back in ninth in the Western Conference, tied with Minnesota.

“I thought it was (Reaves) being his normal self,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. “What he’s been all year. Coming up in clutch moments for us, trying to make plays downhill, putting the defense in uncomfortable situations with his ability to attack the paint and draw fouls. He was great. He ended up with 35, and we needed all of them.”

On this night, the Lakers were scorching from beyond the arc. Troy Brown Jr, D’Angelo Russell and Reaves knocked down several three pointers. 

Despite the record, the Magic are a better team than their record indicates with their 29 victories. This is an up and coming NBA franchise that upset the LA Clippers on Saturday, 113-108.

Led by soon to be NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, who scored 21 points for Orlando, he displayed lightning speed to get to the basket and his high arching floaters and teardrops found the net.

Cole Anthony hit a tying 3-pointer with 2:37 left for the Magic, who trailed throughout the second half. Banchero fouled Reaves on a 3-point attempt a minute later, and Reaves hit two free throws before Wagner tied it again.

Reaves responded by hitting a mid-range jumper with 57 seconds left and grabbed the long rebound of Wagner’s missed 3 before making two more free throws. Banchero missed a layup and got the technical foul that helped the Lakers to seal it.

The Lakers improved to 6-5 during the latest injury absence for LeBron James who has been out for three weeks with a sore right foot. Ham reiterated before the game that Los Angeles expects James to return before the regular season ends in three weeks.

Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns will take on the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on March 22nd.

Kraken can’t clean up sloppy play, watch as Oilers pull away late in crucial contest 

By
Charles Hamaker
-
Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – In a key divisional matchup for the Seattle Kraken as they are aiming to secure their first playoff berth in franchise history, in just their second season, Seattle battled hard and kept the game within reach until the third period when everything fell apart. The Kraken would fall to the visiting Edmonton Oilers by a score of 6-4, as the Oilers were able to pull away on Seattle mistakes. As every game and point matters in these critical last two months of the season, the Kraken showed flashes of good play that could have pushed them over the edge but ultimately poor showings from both goaltenders on Seattle’s active roster and defensive miscues doomed this game for the home team.  

Unlike the last two times that these teams have met where the Kraken simply can’t keep up with the Oilers firepower, let alone stop it defensively, Seattle was able to generate consistent pressure through the game and force Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner into some difficult situations. A key characteristic that the Kraken had in this battle was that they continued to push back whenever the Oilers played their fast paced, high-octane game. Seattle showed that they in-fact could keep up with Edmonton, with a decent power play and offensive pressure of their own throughout the course of the 60 minutes. Ultimately, it wasn’t necessarily the Kraken offensive zone production that spelled doom for then.  

“I thought that we played well, but against a team like that that’s going to score goals, we have to be better about the little details and you gotta bear down and find a way to make it closer through goal scoring,” Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand stated.  

Seattle’s issue in this game, like what’s taken place in most of the games that the Kraken have played against Edmonton in their time as a franchise, was their defensive play. Had the Kraken come fully prepared to play in this contest, Seattle would have secured two critical points in their own building against a divisional opponent that’s been flying high. Instead, Seattle was out of position a few times, Philipp Grubauer allowed a soft goal to begin the game before having to leave due to a “non-covid illness,” and Martin Jones continues to look poor in net.  

“Our team played a good hockey game today, that was an even hockey game. We worked extremely hard, especially on the offensive side of the puck, we worked hard and grinded for our offensive opportunities and generated really good ones for the majority of the 60 minutes. It’s a disappointing outcome, our team played hard, and our team played well, we had to play a little too much from behind, but we did that for 60 minutes,” Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol reflected.  

Seattle will get a few days off, hopefully enough to get Philipp Grubauer and John Hayden healthy, before they continue this critically important month of March. The Kraken will not see a potential “road to the playoffs” get any easier for them, as their next matchup is against the same Dallas Stars team that Seattle only took one point from over the course of back-to-back contests. When the Kraken and Stars do battle this time, it’ll be in Dallas on Tuesday, March 21st with a puck drop at 5:30PM PST. At their current state, Seattle sits only two points ahead of the Winnipeg Jets for the Western Conference’s first Wild Card spot.  

UCLA Rolls In First Round Of March Madness 

By
Christopher Floch
-
The UCLA Bruins on March 17,2022. (Photo by Evan Luecke/FI360 News)

SACRAMENTO– UCLA opened up their March Madness by crushing UNC Ashville, 86-53 on Thursday, March 16. The second-seeded Bruins (30-5) scored the first 14 points of the game and rolled from there.

Amari Bailey also had 17 points and David Singleton scored 11 as UCLA bounced back from a close loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 title game.

The 33 point smackdown was the most lopsided victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 17 points and UCLA raced out to a fast start and never looked back.

A Hallmark of March Madness is upsets, and this year has already broken hearts and busted brackets. The NO.2 Seed Arizona Wildcats were stunned by the NO. 15 Princeton Tigers, 59-55. The NO.4 Seed Virginia Cavaliers were also upset.

We don’t take losing well at UCLA,” coach Mick Cronin said. “We spell fun, W-I-N. We lost our last game. These guys took it personal. You saw how they came out tonight. Our defensive intensity and our deflections early in the game I think really rattled them. They could never really get comfortable.”

UCLA advanced to play seventh-seeded Northwestern in the second round of the West Region. The Wildcats beat Boise State 75-67 earlier in the day.

UCLA made sure this game was never in doubt, making its first five shots and taking a 14-0 lead on a 3-pointer by Singleton just 3:06 into the game.

UCLA made sure this game was never in doubt, making its first five shots and taking a 14-0 lead on a 3-pointer by Singleton just 3:06 into the game.

On Friday, March 17; the NO.10 Seed USC Trojans were defeated by the Michigan State Spartans, 72-62.

UCLA faces Northwestern tomorrow at 5:40 pm.

Kings Rain On Islanders Parade

By
Christopher Floch
-
PHOTO: Michael C. Floch / fi360 News

LOS ANGELES—After trailing 1-0 at the end of the first period, the Los Angeles Kings went on a scoring rampage to open up the second period on route to a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday, March 14 at Crypto.com Arena.

Like the pouring rain descending upon the fans who braved the harsh weather, the Kings poured it on the Islanders scoring four goals in the second period. As New York proved helpless against the overwhelming Kings offensive deluge.

The Kings got goals from five different players in the victory – Quinton Byfield, Drew Doughty, Alex Iafallo Blake Lizotte, Trevor Moore – and points from 14 different skaters.

Kings Trevor Moore was impressed by the team converting on the power play, one of the few weaknesses in an otherwise Stanley Cup caliber team.

“It’s huge we scored. Last year we relied on our 5-on-5 game and we still have to rely on it, we still have to be a better 5-on-5 team, but now we have the added boost of having really good special teams. I think it’s been great,” said Moore postgame.

New York scored the lone goal from the first period to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Defenseman Ryan Pulock sprung forward Pierre Engvall into a 1-on-1 situation and he pulled the puck to his forehand in the slot and fired past Korpisalo for the game-opening goal.

The Kings evened the contest less than two minutes into the second period, through Lizotte, to tie the game at one. Off a won faceoff by Lizotte, the puck found Sean Walker at the left point and he fired toward the net, with Lizotte getting the deflection on the way through.

Los Angeles had gone an icy 3 for 31 conversion on the power play since the All-Star break. Taking advantage of a 5-on-3 power play, the Kings struck twice to open up a 3-1 lead midway through the second frame.

First, on a two-man advantage, forward Anze Kopitar hesitated and fed Doughty in his wheelhouse, with the veteran defenseman hammering the one-timer past Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin for the go-ahead goal. Iafallo made it 3-1 59 seconds later, the team’s second power-play goal of the night.

Forward Viktor Arvidsson fired off the post, with his rebound deflecting off of Iafallo’s chest, right to his stick and into the net for his tenth goal of the season, the athleticism combined with the thunderous and spontaneous roar from the crowd made it the play of the game.

Moore made it 4-1 just past the midway point of the middle stanza, his first goal since returning from injury. The Islanders added one late in the second period, pushing the score to 4-2 through 40 minutes of play.

New Kings Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo improved to 3-0, making crucial saves as the Islanders attempted a spirited come back effort late. Korpisalo as he made 26 saves on 28 shots faced.

Los Angeles Kings improved to (39-20-9) on the season. Second place in the Western Conference standings behind the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

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