Jimmy Bramlett

A day after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, Yasiel Puig started his fourth day in the Majors modestly. Until the eighth inning he went 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

A hush fell on STAPLES Center early in the third period save for the Blackhawks fans who dah-dah-dah-ed to "Chelsea Dagger". Marian Hossa's laser shot got past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick 70 seconds in the period, and the images of the season started flashing through the eyes of the 18,621 who were fans.

Baseball proves over and over that we are all human and mere pawns to the game. It dictates its own terms; no human in over a century has been able to bend the game to his own will.

Where the hell was this Kings team in Chicago? Looking like a completely different team to the one that showed up in Chicago, the Kings kept alive hopes of a repeat with a 3-1 win in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.

The beleaguered Brandon League was on the mound in the ninth inning to close out a 2-1 ballgame to pitch to the 4-5-6 hitters of the San Diego Padres. He entered the game with a 5.31 ERA, a rather bloated ERA for a closer.

For the sixth time this postseason the Kings lost on the road 2-1, this time to the Chicago Blackhawks. In fact every time the Kings have lost on the road it has been by a 2-1 margin.

It's one thing for me to rail against the NCAA and call them one of the shadiest cartels this side of Medellin. It's another to talk to a former "student-athlete" about what needs to be done about the system.

If you thought the Kings first two playoff rounds were something, you ain't seen nothing yet. On Saturday at 2 p.m. the puck will drop in the Western Conference Final at the United Center in Chicago with the reigning Stanley Cup champions facing off against the best regular season team in the Blackhawks.

For the first time in its over 50-year history, Dodger Stadium will play host to soccer. On August 3 Dodger Stadium will be a venue for the semifinals of the inaugural Guinness International Champions Cup.

Game 7. The seconds couldn't tick down quickly enough for the Kings holding on to a slim 2-1 lead against an always dangerous San Jose Sharks team.