Kings: Playoff Schedule Set- Facing Off Against Vancouver

Lord Stanley's light is finally shining in Los Angeles as the Kings go into the first round of the NHL playoffs for the first time in 8 years. It has been a long wait for the faithful, but we have finally been rewarded with post-season play.

As you may know, I am an avid Kings fan since the days of the old purple and yellow. When the team on the ice looked like the team on the hardwood floor. My earliest Kings memories include Marcel Dionne skating with Dave Taylor, a mean and gruff Tiger Williams scaring everybody and a young fresh faced Luc Robitaille scoring his first goal on his first shot on the very first shift in NHL play. They don't call him "Lucky" for nothing.

Well, the schedule for the first round has been set and our opponents are the Vancouver Canucks. For up to the minute news go to the LA Kings Insider run by Rich Hammond. It is a must read for fans.

Below is the schedule. All games will be on Fox/Prime Network with Bob Miller and Jimmy Fox.

Game 1 — Thursday at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Game 2 — Saturday at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Game 3 — Monday, April 19 at Staples Center, 7 p.m.
Game 4 — Wednesday, April 21 at Staples Center, 7 p.m.
Game 5* — Friday, April 23 at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Game 6* — Sunday, April 25 at Staples Center, time TBD.
Game 7* — Tuesday, April 27 at Vancouver, time TBD.
* if necessary

Playoffs! Baby!!

UPDATE: Here is the best article so far about the series from Battle of California titled "Sister City Slap Fight."

REA: Dodgers 1953 Topps Drawings

Straight from the personal collection of former Topps executive, Sy Berger, are some unique and one-of-a-kind original card artwork drawings that were used create the 1953 Baseball card set. A collection of over 100 drawings from the set are available for auction from REA. Below are the Dodger offerings.

These little drawings are great memorabilia items that truly embody a remarkable set. Not only that, the drawings association with Sy Berger ads to its mystic. As you may know, Berger is considered the "Father of the Modern Baseball Card." He developed many of the early Topps designs, including the 1953 set, as he rose from a summer intern to Vice President of Licensing at Topps.

Pee Wee Reese

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Jim Hughes

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Bob Milliken

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Jim Gilliam

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Ben Wade

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Chuck Dressen

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Here is a great interview done with Sy Berger.

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Parks Diarrhea

This is funny. (Hat Tip: Alyssa Milano)

"After being horrible in the first game of the 2010 season, Chan Ho Park pitched 3 innings of score-less relief in Game 3. Reporters asked him what was the difference. This was his answer......"

Got to love his honesty.

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Blog Kiosk: 4/11/2010

Forgive me as I geek out on some LA Kings hockey this coming week. Playoffs, Baby!

• Pic of the week. Beto Duran with one of the Chipmunks, via TweetPhoto.
  
• Dodgers Blue Blog reaffirms their love for the Blue even as some express displeasure at the current teams ownership.
• GCRL contributes his first 2010 Goose Joak original cards right here. Below is the Manny. He also makes his last 2009 versions, as well. Be sure to check them out.
• Dodger Bobble watches the Antique Roadshow, easily one of the best shows on public television, and sees a Don Drysdale jersey.
  
• Clubhouse Cancer shows off some mighty fine looking hot dogs from around the Major Leagues. I must admit that the Angels-Halo Dog looks tasty.
• Here is a great Kings video from some fans in Brazil. Playoffs! Playoffs!! Playoffs!!!
  

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Dodger Videos

Here are a bunch of Dodger videos.

The 1965 World Series between the Dodgers and Twins.

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Here is some soundless video from an exhibition game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Milwaukee Braves from Oiler Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1957.

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In case you missed it. The Chipmunks were on hand for an exhibition game between the Dodgers and Angels last weekend.

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1965 Hollywood All-Stars Game (Hat Tip: Walk Off Walk)

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An older Hollywood All-Stars game. (Hat Tip: Walk Off Walk)

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Cutting Up Cards

A great American hobby transformed into great American art- through a little bit of cutting and pasting.

For the past 10 years, LaVern Brock has been doing the unthinkable. He has been taking perfectly good Baseball cards and cutting them to shreds. You should see the photos on his website- he does it with a smile. On top of that, he spares no expense. He is happy to cut up overproduced cards from the 80's to expensive Hall of Famers like Sandy Koufax. Call him a Baseball card guerrilla.

Now, this isn't some wanton desire to heap destruction and fright to the collector in us. He does all of this to create works of art worthy of display in anyone's living room. Check out some of his pieces below.
The above collage was commissioned as a 40th birthday present to a lucky Dodger fan. The greatest thing about it is that the piece consist of only Dodger cards. Not only that, the artist uses no duplicate cards. Below is a Jackie Robinson piece that reproduces the cover of a vintage comic book from 1948.
A great report found on AOL tells a story about a commissioned work featuring the Mets.

Of course, since all his works are commissioned, Brock has to cater to customer whims, like the New York Mets fan who wanted a collage version of a Mets jersey that featured all of the team's players, save one.

"For some reason, he insisted Tom Seaver not be featured," Brock said. "He's a Hall of Famer, but the guy hated him. I ended up using a Seaver card, but cut his face out of it. The guy loved that!"

Brock's Website:
Hat Tip: Sports Card Report: