With less than a minute left in overtime Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson scored on a power play to lead the Kings past the New York Rangers by a score of 3-2. Johnson tallied the game winner after receiving a swift pass from the Kings newly acquired center Mike Richards.

The Kings started their 2011-2012 season overseas by facing the Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday. While the team wore their home jerseys, they were far from being the home team. The sold-out arena fully supported the Rangers mainly to support goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, a living legend in Sweden. While it may have been a home crowd for Lundqvist, he had to share the spotlight with a King.

Kings center Anze Kopitar put his team on the board first halfway through the first period and silenced any doubts about overcoming last season’s ankle injury. While in the Rangers’ zone, right-winger Justin Williams capitalized on a turnover and fed the puck to Kopitar, who rifled it past Lundqvist. Kopitar would continue on to play a solid two-way game with multiple chances and eventually snagging an assist in Johnson’s overtime goal. It appears the “Slovenian Superstar” is picking up right where he left off last season before his injury.

While the Kings dominated most of the first period, setting quite an impressive tempo for them compared to last season, the Rangers regrouped and tied the game five minutes after Kopitar scored. Rangers’ captain Ryan Callahan was able to cash in on a bad-angle shot, beating Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick who wasn’t square with his post.

Photo Via JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

The second and third periods saw a much different game however as both coaches began the chess match of line-swapping. Both teams took to their strong defensive games until halfway through the third period, Marian Gaborik put the Rangers up 2-1 with a shot from just outside the crease. Richards would tie the game for the Kings with under five minutes left in regulation with a center-line drive that has only further excited Kings fans to see how he’ll fit in this season. He would earn his first goal and assist as a King in his first game as a King.

Johnson would earn the game-winning goal in overtime while on the power play. Rangers’ defenseman Ryan McDonagh opened the door for the Kings at a critical moment when he was called for holding. While the game winner was scored on the power play, the Kings still need to tweak their power play system. Going 1 for 4 on the power play seems to show signs of last season’s issue of having trouble with special teams scoring.

The Kings traveled to Berlin, Germany directly after the game in order for Saturday’s game. Awaiting the Kings in Berlin are Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres.

Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter – @TheCrazyWhls

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

A article from Dan Gross of The Philadelphia Daily News / Philly.com was published yesterday insinuating that the Philadelphia Flyers dealt both captain Mike Richards and Jeff Carter due to their partying lifestyles. 

Two unnamed Flyers reportedly told Gross that Richards and Carter refused to join in on head coach Peter Laviolette’s challenge to his players.  The substance of the “Dry Island” invitation was for the players to commit to not drinking alcohol for a full month.

Paul Bereswill / Getty Images

According to Gross, the players were to write their numbers on a board in the locker room to dedicate themselves to the cause – and in affect, also to their teammates.

It is estimated that there were six different occasions in which Laviolette implemented the initiative since his arrival as coach midway through the 2009-10 season.  

Curiously, numbers 17 (Carter) and 18 (Richards) were absent from the board on every one of those requests.  In a position to show a real and true leadership – even in an off-ice situation – both failed the test.

The local media’s long-standing view from the microscope into the social lives of the pair dates back to the days when Scottie Upshall and Joffrey Lupul still played in the City of Brotherly Love.  When Upshall and Lupul were eventually sent packing, team management had to have hoped that Carter and (especially) Richards would mature into the leaders they had envisioned.

While the “Dry Island” situation in itself seems like a great story, the crux of the respective depatures of both Richards and Carter is the lack of direction exhibited by the duo.  

The unnamed players claimed that the decision to not participate in Laviolette’s appeals disenchanted the front office regarding the pair, as well as worrying teammates about their drinking habits.

After such a promising start to the campaign - in which the Orange-and-Black battled the Vancouver Canucks for the overall NHL points lead - the year came to an abrupt and disquieting conclusion.

There was obviously something askew in the locker room as the Flyers struggled during the latter portion of the regular season and playoffs.  During player interviews you would get the standard “We just have to do this better and that better”, but the feeling was that of attempting to cover up deeper problems in the room that were the real difficulties.

Don’t expect Flyers’ management to ever admit just how much the skipping of the “Dry Island” opportunities played a part in the dealing of both Richards and Carter.

GM Paul Holmgren maintained yesterday that the trades were just good hockey moves, and gave Gross the following quote:

“As far as Mike and Jeff are concerned, we made two good hockey trades that will better suit us now and for the future.  Columbus is happy, L.A. is happy, and the Flyers are happy with the deal.”

From every report, all of upper team management (yes, Ed Snider included) met and was involved in the decision to move Richards and Carter.

As a matter of fact, it’s kind of a funny coincidence that Laviolette’s challenge was called “Dry Island” by the players.  It’s almost as if the pair was “voted off the island”, akin to a reality show like “Survivor”.

Defenseman Chris Pronger, who is likely to be named the next Flyers’ captain, gave this quote two weeks ago on the “Mac and Noodles Show” (Scott MacArthur and Jamie McLennan)  on Toronto’s TSN Radio 1050:

“With the way we exited the playoffs last year, and our owner coming out and asking to get a goalie, that puts a little bit of cash restraints on the team with respect to the salary cap.  Moves have to be made.  In order to free up money, you have to give up good players, and we obviously did that in both Mike (Richards) and Jeff (Carter).

Both of those guys are obviously going to be sorely missed.  They were a big part of the Flyers for a number of years, and hopefully we don’t miss them too much this year.”

Pronger is correct, the talents of both Richards and Carter will be missed.  But in the long run - as well as the short - it may just facilitate a team growth that could push Philadelphia over the top.

A Second Chance for Richards?

As the organization patiently awaited Richards’ metamorphosis into a modern-day Bobby Clarke, it became more evident as time passed that he would never be comfortable in that role.

Nick Laham / Getty Images North America

The move to Los Angeles for Richards could actually be a blessing in disguise.  It appeared that his development as both a player and leader had hit a wall here in Philadelphia, so a change of scenery may be a good thing.

Despite playing in 81 games – much with a wrist injury that required surgery following the season – Richards finished with the least amount of goals (23) since the 2006-07 campaign.  In 11 playoff contests, he managed just a single goal and seven points.

He seemed bored during post-game interviews, often murmuring under his breath about the “same old questions” while the team he was supposed to be guiding continued in a tailspin toward its ultimate destruction.  Richards appeared to long for that one bloated silent pause when the questions stopped for but a brief moment, so that he could make a quick getaway from the inquiries.

Richards’ relationship with the Philly media was tenuous, at best, so it may not be a fluke in the timing of the release of Gross’ story.  There is a press conference scheduled for tomorrow to introduce the Kenora, Ontario-native to the Los Angeles media.

The City of Angels does have its share of temptations, and some on a much grander scale than what is found here.  At just 26 it’s hard to say if this is a make-or-break stage of Richards’ career as he heads into what should be his most-productive years. 

But needless to say it would bode well for him to concentrate on hockey. 

Helping an ever-improving Kings’ squad attain the next level of success may assist in repairing his somewhat damaged reputation.

L.A. can sometimes be an unforgiving town, but hockey does not garner the large-scale interest seen in Philly.  It is not the most-popular professional sport in the city, but hockey’s popularity would be on an even lesser scale in Los Angeles. 

With the Lakers, Dodgers, the beach, the ocean, and some of the afore-mentioned other temptations to sidetrack interest, the Kings are much lower on their city’s measure of adoration.

The Kings are also blessed with a very good captain in Dustin Brown – as well as a nice cast of forwards which includes Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, Simon Gagne, and Dustin Penner - Richards may not see the same amount of all-encompassing attention that he received from the media in Philadelphia.

There will be some familiar faces for Richards in L.A. in which to help him get acclimated.  The Kings are affectionately called ”Flyers West” in the Philadelphia area:  

• GM Dean Lombardi and his assistant, legendary Flyers’ goaltender Ron Hextall, came from Philly to help rebuild the Kings.  They are doing a fantastic job in turning the franchise around. 
• Head coach Terry Murray is a former Flyer and Flyers’ coach, and assistant John Stevens was Richards’ head coach with the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms (when they won a Calder Cup championship in 2005), as well as with the Flyers.  
• Gagne is a former teammate in Philadelphia, and Williams played for the Flyers, as well.  

Star defenseman Drew Doughty was even a teammate during Team Canada’s Gold Medal run at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

The dealing of Richards was one of the more surprising moments in a summer of Holmgren’s overhauling of Philadelphia roster, providing something of a second chance for the now former-Flyers’ captain to prove the club wrong for giving up on him.

Maybe the perfect ending for a script of the 2011-12 campaign would be a Flyers-Kings meeting in the Stanley Cup Finals.  In that scenario, the absolute opportunity to deliver the last and decisive word would be hanging in the balance. 

Far-fetched?  Just remember, we are talking about Richards going to a team that plays in Hollywood.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

As the weekend starts to wind down, the opening days of what is now known as Free Agency Frenzy have come and gone. Players were moved and contracts were inked, insuring that the upcoming season will be great for the Pacific Division. Who came out on top? Many could say the Los Angeles Kings did.

It was well-known that the Kings would be making some big moves in the free agent market with over $16 million in cap space. The surprise came when it was revealed who the Kings were making their move for. Apparently not wanting to settle for just one Richards, the Kings put all their pucks in one net and made their pitch to the jewel of this year’s free agency market, Brad Richards.

It seems that everyone in the Kings management took a trip to Toronto in order to  meet with Richards and his agent. Now, when I say everyone, I mean pretty much everyone but Bailey. The CEO of AEG, Tim Leiweke, General Manager Dean Lombardi, Head-Coach Terry Murray, and Assistant Coaches John Stevens & Jamie Kompon were just a few of the visitors Richards met with during the two-hour presentation. Leiweke told Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider, that this pitch was probably the greatest in Kings history.

“This is the best effort I’ve ever seen, in chasing a player for the Kings. That’s for sure. They were very impressed with the video, and I’m hoping one day we will share the video. We had a lot of people help us and a lot of people speak on our behalf. Some of the people who spoke on our behalf shocked Brad and his agents, and they will shock our fans a little bit, the help that we got here. So this was a good L.A. effort. L.A. showed well here, and I’m proud of the job we did.”

The video Leiweke referred to included the likes of the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant, Kings’ Right-Winger Justin Williams, and even the newly acquired Mike Richards. The fact that Mike Richards appeared in a pitch video already should silence the critics on the topic of his motivation. Sadly, Brad Richards decided to sign with the New York Rangers, wishing to be near his parents and returning to a coach he won a cup with. Panic started to set in across Los Angeles as many fans began thinking their Kings had entered into another “Kovalchuk Drama.” In reality, going all-in on Richards can be seen as a great move by the Kings.

The Kings seemingly ignored the rest of the free agents in hopes of signing Richards and while they came out empty-handed, they came out ahead. The first day of the free agent frenzy saw many players signing overpriced contracts. Did the Kings inadvertently save themselves from overpaying for talent like Erik Cole, Ville Leino, and Scottie Upshall? By not signing these players to inflated contracts, the Kings left themselves flexibility in cap space to sign talent and not worry about signing their own talent like Drew Doughty.  Who would the Kings sign if the top picks are already taken? Let’s just say Lombardi had a trick up his sleeve.

Photo Via Jim Cristantiello

Shortly after Richards decided to sign with the Rangers, the Kings signed Tampa Bay Lightning Left-Winger Simon Gagne to a two-year, $7 million contract. The 31-year-old winger will add a great boost to the Kings offense as he is a two-time 40 goal scorer and is no stranger to the playoffs. While many question his health and ability to play a full season, Gagne says he feels great and is looking forward to camp in September. Another perk to signing Gagne is that in a way, he won’t be a stranger to the team. The skilled winger should fit in nicely considering he will be reunited with former teammates in Richards & Williams. Gagne will also get to say hello again to Murray & Stevens, playing for both of them during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers. If Gagne can stay healthy, the Kings now have a formidable top-six.

The weekend wasn’t all exciting signings for the Kings however. Fans bid farewell to two more Kings as Michal Handzus and Alexei Ponikarovsky signed with other teams.

It should be no surprise to hear Ponikarovsky didn’t resign with the Kings. After finding himself misused and often in the dog house with Murray, Ponikarovsky signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Many fans are finding it harder to swallow the news of Handzus’ departure however. While the third-line center was commonly seen as too slow, Handzus was a key component to the success of the Kings’ penalty-kill. Goaltender Jonathan Quick jokingly mentioned Handzus’s departure on Twitter:

“San Jose’s PK got better today, I think zus blocked more shot than I did this year, best of luck this year.”

Nicknamed “Zeus” by the fans and his teammates, he will be missed on the “PK” for sure. To make it sting worse, Handzus ended up signing a two-year, $2.5 million-a-year contract with Pacific Division rivals, the San Jose Sharks. It was expected that Handzus would sign with another team unless he was willing to take a massive cut in pay. His role has been seen as replaced with the improved play of Trevor Lewis and the addition of Richards was the final push. However many fans were left with a wounded feeling and asking, “why the Sharks?!”

With these recent moves, it is clear that Lombardi is pushing the Kings to make a serious run at the cup this season. Gone are the players that were deemed slow and bulky. The roster now looks stacked with talent and the view from the kingdom is looking extremely nice. It should be noted that there is still work to do though.

Doughty must be re-signed. Doughty will be re-signed. The rumors of Doughty being traded or taken by an offer-sheet grow with each passing day that he isn’t signed, but fans need to realize it is crazy to think the Kings would let him go. That would be like Tampa Bay letting go of Steven Stamkos. It won’t happen. Once Doughty is re-signed, the other Kings’ RFA’s will be resigned and the Kings will move on. Move on to where?

Looking at the free agent pool as it stands now, there aren’t many blockbuster deals left out there. Only time will tell if Lombardi has another trick up his sleeve. The Kings still need to fill a few holes at wing positions but there is no telling if that filler will arrive via prospect or trade. Either way, it is a good time to be a King.

Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter – TheCrazyWhls

With their backs against the wall and facing another first round elimination, the Los Angeles Kings defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 Saturday night.

After having complete meltdowns in Games 3 & 4 in Los Angeles, the Kings found themselves in a must-win situation. This team was looking for redemption and thanks to an outstanding performance from goaltender Jonathan Quick, they found it on the road. The Kings came into San Jose after making what some may consider drastic line changes. Every line combination was changed with the exception of the currently hot line of Kyle Clifford, Brad Richardson, and Wayne Simmonds. The most noticeable changes however were the benching of Alexei Ponikarovsky for Dustin Penner and the addition of Scott Parse. That’s right gang, Parse is back. After missing 81 consecutive games, Parse made his playoff debut with Michal Handzus and Justin Williams.

While Quick was the star of the show with an impressive 51 saves, the Clifford, Richardson, & Simmonds line continues to amaze. This line accounted for two of the three goals scored by the Kings. Simmonds would put the Kings on the scoreboard first with a nifty deflection that got past Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi after deflecting off of Clifford’s stick. Moments later Clifford found himself recording his fifth playoff goal when he capitalized on Niemi’s rebound from Simmonds’ initial shot. To the surprise of many, Dustin Penner would quiet the speculations of his effort when he rifled a shot from the high slot, making it 3-0. All three goals were on the Kings’ first four shots and within the first 8:42 of the game. Sensing trouble, the Sharks quickly gave Niemi the yank and placing Antero Nittymaki between the pipes.

Seeing as how the last two games saw an explosion of goals in the second period, it would be a lie to say it wasn’t a concern Saturday night. The Kings improved their defensive coverage compared to the last game and did not allow themselves to wind up chasing the puck. Patrick Marleau was able to poke in a rebound past Quick’s foot however it would be the only goal the Sharks would find. Quick would make several critical saves and appeared calm under pressure, except for when Dany Heatley took a jab at him after the whistle. That referee got an ear-full. Both Nittymaki and Quick would make impressive saves and hold both teams at bay till game’s end.

Even though the Kings fought off elimination, they are still in a must-win scenario. There is still plenty of work to be done and aspects that the Kings still need to improve upon. For instance, the Sharks out-shot the Kings 52-22. While the defensive play was solid, the Kings cannot expect deeper playoff success if Quick is seeing this many shots. There is no doubt that Quick can constantly stand on his head, but he shouldn’t always have to. More pressure needs to be applied to the Sharks’ defense while maintaining a lead. The third period found the Kings playing mostly a defensive game and often simply dumping the puck for a line change.

Game 6 will take place on Monday night as the Kings will look to force a Game 7. This has easily become a must-see series.

Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter: @TheCrazyWhls

By Jeff Quirin
NHLHS NHL correspondent

San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings

We came close to a Battle: LA worthy of such a title (because the movie wasn’t), but the hockey gods decided that the LA Kings should not face their local nemesis Anaheim Ducks. Instead they travel up the coast to San Jose and jump in the tank with the Sharks.

Let Battle: California begin!

During the 82 game primer, the Pacific Division rivals squared off six times. San Jose took the season series 3-1-2. Outscoring the Kings 18-13. In games where the teams combine for 6 goals or less, LA has won three of the four contests. In the barn burning affairs San Jose is two for two.

What do such figures this tell outsiders? LA better keep these games close and play to their strengths.

At season’s end, Terry Murray’s Kings boasted the NHL’s 6th best GAA (2.4) and 4th rated penalty kill (85.5%). Putting young stud defensemen Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson as well veterans Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi in the spotlight for this series. Their ability to control the pace of play and lock down their defensive end will determine how effective the Sharks top two lines can be.

The other factor to consider is of course Kings netminder, Jonathan Quick. The US Olympian put together a solid season. Posting 35 wins (T-9th) in 61 games (60 starts) with a 2.24 GAA (5th) and .918 save percentage (T-13th). Assuming the top two pairings keep the shots to a minimum, which they should given they were 3rd best with just 27.9/game against, Quick will just need to make the routine save. Something he has for most of the season, against San Jose at least. In 5 starts against the Sharks he has a 2.19 GAA, .910 save percentage and a shutout.

The challenge for LA comes up up front. They were the 25th rated offense this season. Averaging just 2.55 goals/game (209 overall). As if scoring was hard enough, they lost team offensive leader, Anze Kopitar, to an ankle injury. Gone are his 25 goals and 73 points in 75 games. Second leading scorer, Justin Williams, may also miss time due to a shoulder injury. The time is now for another US Olympian, captain Dustin Brown, to step up and take over the reigns on the big stage. Trade deadline addition Dustin Penner must improve on his two goals and six point pace over 19 games pace if the Kings will be able to counter the Sharks attack.

…and the Sharks will be attacking. After a turbulent first half of the season Todd McLellan settled the veteran group down and powered up to the second highest position in the Western Conference. They’re style is the yin to the Kings yang. San Jose was the league’s 6th more prolific offense. Scoring 2.96 goals/game.

Even if LA can contain the super trio of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley, another unit must step up and stop Ryane Clowe, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Devin Setoguchi. That group of seven has combined for 182 of the Sharks 243 goals, roughly 75%.  That said, the dynamic also presents a major concern if LA strongly plays the matchups and Quick catches fire. There will be no secondary punch from the Sharks energy lines.

Defensive responsibility is also at a premium for San Jose. They finished 2010-11 with the 8th lowest shots against/game average (28.9) and 10th lowest GAA (2.54). Dan Boyle, Douglas Murray and Marc-Edouard Vlasic remain as names most know and will be counted on to eat minutes on the back end. Ian White and Jason Demers are not, but consistently hold down an average close to 20 minutes a night as well. their puck moving abilities will be key to help break LA’s sure to be tight coverage.

Last but not least is 2010 Stanley Cup winner Antti Niemi. Many chastised the Sharks for rolling the dice on a netminder who ‘earned his ring” by playing behind the Chicago Blackhawks. His second half surge has put some of those doubters back in their place. Finishing the campaign with numbers comparable to Quick. Posting 35 wins (T-9th) in 60 games, a 2.38 GAA (11th) and .920 save percentage (12th). He could be the “x factor” that carries San Jose further than exiled Evgeni Nabakov.

Who Has The Edge?

Forwards: San Jose
- Even if Kopitar and Williams were in the lineup, the top two lines of LA just don’t match up against the brute force, size, speed and skill the Sharks roll over the boards. Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll and Michal Handzus provide a needed veteran balance to the youg core, but are not as dynamic as the likes of Pavelski or Couture.

Defensemen: LA
- Boyle is as good as they come on the back end, but the remainder of the group leaves much to be desired when compared to the potential impacts of two very dynamic youngsters in Doughty and Johnson. Add in the cup winning experience of Scuderi and LA has the advantage.

Goaltending: San Jose
- Niemi is a Cup champion. Quick has one playoff series loss and Silver Medal earned from opening the door to the bench. Winning validates no other athlete in such a defining way than a NHL goaltender.

Prediction: San Jose in 7
- LA is going to grind as hard as they can and force a full set of seven tilts. How efficient the Kings are in their own end will determine if the series runs short or not.

__________________________________________________________________

Battle of California: Kings vs Sharks

By Stephanie Lee
NHLHS San Jose Sharks correspondent

In what turned out be one of the toughest divisions in the National Hockey League, the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings will face off for the first time in either teams history.  So what make the Los Angeles Kings scary good this year and why will the San Jose Sharks will have a tough time:

1. Jonathan Quick – For a guy whose last name is pretty much the epitome of what he is, it’s hard to watch a Kings game and not get caught solely watching him. His six shutouts and 2.24 goals against average landed him in the top ten among all NHL goalies. He only allowed five or more goals in three starts this season, and put together a seven game winning streak back in the first half of the season.
2. Justin Williams & Anze Kopitar – Both players led the Kings in goals before going down with injuries. Okay, yes Kopitar is done for the season, but he still finished the season leading the team in assists, points, +/-, game winning goals and shots on goal. Williams tallied 22 goals before his shoulder injury kept him out for the final nine games of the season. And according to coach Terry Murray, Williams might be able to return to the line up for the start of the first round on Thursday.
3. Dustin Brown – Yes, the almighty Captain. Leading the team goals (28) and hits (300), Dustin Brown knows how to score goals and do his job quite effectively. He is especially good on the penalty play, scoring seven goals and adding eight assists.
4. Penalty Kill – Los Angeles ended the season ranked 4th in penalty killing compared to San Jose’s 24th ranked penalty kill.

So, then what makes San Jose tough for the Los Angeles Kings?

1. Joe Pavelski – The man we call Joe Pa isn’t anywhere near as good as our top line, but his ten game point streak, including 12 assists makes him quite lethal. Pavelski reached career highs in just about every category this season, achieving 66 points and 46 assists with a +10 rating.
2. Logan Couture – Because if you have been following the Calder race closely, then you would know why. Although Couture is in his second season in the NHL, his twenty five games played last season still allows him to be considered for the Calder this season. He led the rookies early in the season in all categories and is second among the Sharks in goals (32), +/- (18), and game winning goals (eight).
3. Power Play - San Jose’s 68 power play goals puts them 3rd among the NHL for most goals on the man advantage but 2nd over all on the power play with 23.5%.
4. Seven 20+ goal scorers – Los Angeles only has five available players at the moment with 20+ goals, assuming Williams will be ready for action come Thursday.

In what turned out be one of the toughest divisions in the National Hockey League, the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings will face off for the first time in either teams history.  So what make the Los Angeles Kings scary good this year and why will the San Jose Sharks will have a tough time:

1. Jonathan Quick – For a guy whose last name is pretty much the epitome of what he is, it’s hard to watch a Kings game and not get caught solely watching him. His six shutouts and 2.24 goals against average landed him in the top ten among all NHL goalies. He only allowed five or more goals in three starts this season, and put together a seven game winning streak back in the first half of the season.
2. Justin Williams & Anze Kopitar – Both players led the Kings in goals before going down with injuries. Okay, yes Kopitar is done for the season, but he still finished the season leading the team in assists, points, +/-, game winning goals and shots on goal. Williams tallied 22 goals before his shoulder injury kept him out for the final nine games of the season. And according to coach Terry Murray, Williams might be able to return to the line up for the start of the first round on Thursday.
3. Dustin Brown – Yes, the almighty Captain. Leading the team goals (28) and hits (300), Dustin Brown knows how to score goals and do his job quite effectively. He is especially good on the penalty play, scoring seven goals and adding eight assists.
4. Penalty Kill – Los Angeles ended the season ranked 4th in penalty killing compared to San Jose’s 24th ranked penalty kill.

So, then what makes San Jose tough for the Los Angeles Kings?

1. Joe Pavelski – The man we call Joe Pa isn’t anywhere near as good as our top line, but his ten game point streak, including 12 assists makes him quite lethal. Pavelski reached career highs in just about every category this season, achieving 66 points and 46 assists with a +10 rating.
2. Logan Couture – Because if you have been following the Calder race closely, then you would know why. Although Couture is in his second season in the NHL, his twenty five games played last season still allows him to be considered for the Calder this season. He led the rookies early in the season in all categories and is second among the Sharks in goals (32), +/- (18), and game winning goals (eight).
3. Power Play - San Jose’s 68 power play goals puts them 3rd among the NHL for most goals on the man advantage but 2nd over all on the power play with 23.5%.
4. Seven 20+ goal scorers – Los Angeles only has five available players at the moment with 20+ goals, assuming Williams will be ready for action come Thursday.

I could sit here and gloat over how the San Jose Sharks were the far superior team in last nights 6-1 beat down of the Los Angeles Kings; how the Sharks now have captured their fourth consecutive Pacific Division Championship and how the last time the Kings won their division was the year before the Sharks joined the NHL, but I won’t. Okay, okay, I’ll leave that to the fans who don’t know when enough is enough.

It wouldn’t take a genius though to figure out that the Sharks dominated the game from the very start. Joe Pavelski continued his point streak to ten games with a goal and assist last night, giving him a career high points (65) and assists (46). It has also been quite the season for Marc-Edouard Vlasic who leads the team in blocked shots with 139, and is third on the team in the +/- with a plus-15. Vlasic was awarded two goals last night, until a review of his second goal confirmed that it belonged to Kyle Wellwood, who walked away with a three point game himself. And if you have been following along, you would know that Sharks Captain Joe Thornton is on the verge of reaching 1000 career points. His two points last night brought him within one of reaching that milestone. Patrick Marleau also ended the night with two assists.

This season in particular with players of such high caliber as Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, the Los Angeles Kings have taken themselves to a whole new level of playing. Before losing both Kopitar and Williams to injury this season, they collectively have 47 goals (22% of goals scored by LA.) Williams held a eleven game point streak at the start of the season, and had a five point one shortly before going down with a separated shoulder, while Kopitar stacked fourteen games together over three streaks from February 12 through March 15. It’s unfair to not include Dustin Brown in that category, as he leads the Kings in goals (28), hits (283), and is second among the team in +/- (plus-16), but he hasn’t been able to put together a point streak longer then three games since December when he went on a seven game point streak. Truth be had, Los Angeles has always been one of the top competitors in the Pacific Division and have always given the Sharks tough competition.

But if you really take a look at the season series between these two teams, you would see that it’s never really changed over the years. This season in their six meetings, the Sharks went 3-1-2 against their Southern California rival and in 27 meetings since the 2007-08 season, San Jose holds a 15-8-4 record. Not to mention that three of those six games were decided by one goal and two of those one goal games were shootouts with the Kings coming out on top. However, San Jose’s offensive outburst has led them to win 21 of their last 29 games.

Should the Kings and Sharks meet in the playoffs this season, it would mark the first time in either franchises’ history that they’ve faced each other in post season.

Two nights after claiming the #1 seed in the Western Conference, the Canucks captured the Presidents’ Trophy by beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. The Canucks stormed out of the gate and looked like a team on a mission from the drop of the puck.

While they looked much more energized on home ice than they did on their recently concluded road trip, they still gave up the 1^st goal of the game. The goal, a wrist shot by Kyle Clifford, came on a misdirection play that found Roberto Luongo sprawled on the ice, leaving a full net for Clifford to shoot at. The goal didn’t seem to faze the Canucks though. They continued to press and almost scored to tie it as time ran out in the 1^st, but unfortunately for the home team the puck didn’t cross the line before the clock ran out.

Just like the Canucks did on their recently concluded road trip, they came out flying in the 2^nd and eventually tied the game on a goal by the NHL’s leading scorer Daniel Sedin. This really ignited the crowd and the team fed off the energy. They kept the pressure up shift after shift and that hard worked eventually paid off as they scored at the end of the 2^nd. The goal was somewhat similar to the action at the end of the 1^st, but this time Christian Erhoff beat Jonathan Quick with less than a full second left in the period.

One of the best teams in the league when leading after 2 periods (37-0-3), the Canucks came out and simply dominated the Kings. Granted Los Angeles is missing both Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar, but they did not look like the team that had won 4 in a row and was 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. Eventually the Kings began to lose their cool and Clifford checked rookie defensemen Chris Tanev from behind into the end boards. Clifford received a 5 minute major and game misconduct. About 40 seconds later Matt Greene took a cross checking penalty and gave the Canucks a 5-3 advantage. Vancouver hadn’t scored on a 5-3 yet this season which is hard to believe given their success on the power play. Quick continued to come up big over the next minute or so, making stop after stop. Eventually, the Canucks relentless attack was too much and Ryan Kesler scored to make it 3-1.

That was all she wrote for the Kings. They couldn’t mount any kind of attack after that and the Canucks continued playing with the same energy they had all game. The Canucks didn’t even surrender a shot in the 3^rd period.

Those of us who’ve followed the team for many years have never seen them play with this kind of killer instinct. Teams of the past would’ve wilted under the pressure of winning such a huge game at home. Not this team. They look like they are prepared for a long play-off run that hopefully ends with a Stanley Cup victory.

Even with all of the team and player records and milestones achieved though, it’s what happens in hockey’s second season that really counts.

I-5 Canucks – Will & Valerie Wittstruck
NHLHS Vancouver Canucks Correspondents
I-5Canucks@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

Gaining another two points and avoiding a trap game were the main concerns of the Los Angeles Kings as they faced the Colorado Avalanche. Now the Kings are concerned with how they will cope without Anze Kopitar. Missing a minimum of six weeks, Kopitar is now sidelined with a broken ankle. Kings training staff reported that Kopitar will undergo an MRI on Monday to find out the full extent of the damage done.

After being lightly checked by Ryan O’Byrne, Kopitar fell backwards and appeared to badly twist his leg. Kopitar lay on the ice for several moments before being helped off the ice by Michal Handzus and Dustin Penner. Initial reports from the locker room were that he suffered a lower-body injury. The news would end up being far worse.

While many panic and start to feel like the Kings are destined for an early exit during the playoffs, that isn’t the case. The Kings are no strangers to the injury “bug” and went through several stretches without key players like Drew Doughty, Willie Mitchell, and Alexei Ponikarovsky. They are currently also missing Justin Williams who suffered a dislocated shoulder during Monday’s game against Calgary. While Kopitar is seen as a critical part of the team, he is not the only part of the team’s success. Credit can be given to Dean Lombardi in the sense that he has built the team around a core of players rather than just one superstar. If there was ever a time, now is the time for the Kings to show the NHL what they can do. Now is the time for the team to step up and succeed in Kopitar’s absence.

“He’s our best player. We’ve got to find a way, either way. Injuries happen during the year,” said Captain Dustin Brown. “You don’t want to have your best player go down, but if that’s the case, we need to shoulder the responsibility collectively and find a way. No other team is going to feel sorry for us.”

While Milan Hejduk put Colorado on the board shortly after Kopitar’s injury, the Kings came out in the third period focused on gaining those two points and answering whether or not they could do so without Kopitar.

Ryan Smyth answered first by re-establishing the Kings’ two-goal lead by scoring with a wraparound 1:36 into the third period. This gave Smyth his second goal in 25 games and follows a noticeable improvement in his play.

Another King to step up is Trevor Lewis. Oddly enough it was Smyth who set up Lewis to extend their lead to 4-1. Lewis scored on a two-on-one attack with Smyth following a bad Colorado turnover. Both Smyth and Lewis snapped their scoreless streak and were two of the three stars of the game. Jonathan Quick was the third star, giving another great performance and making 20 saves.

Ryan Smyth said it best. “Not one guy can replace a guy like Kopitar,” Smyth said. “Everybody has to collectively come together and regroup. Everybody has got to fill a good role and it’s all about opportunity.”

The Kings will get their next opportunity on Tuesday when they travel to Edmonton. The Kings may have been dealt a severe blow, but they are far from out.
Chris Van Deusen
NHL Hot Stove Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter: @TheCrazyWhls

Coming into the final match up of the season with the Calgary Flames, the LA Kings needed a good performance after a sub-par game against the Ducks and the worst performance of the season against the Blues.  The Kings are again struggling to find the back of the net.  After a four goal performance in Nashville, the Kings managed only seventeen shots against the Blues and struggled to score on new Ducks goalie Ray Emery.  Finally, after almost five and a half periods, Dustin Brown beat Emery and got the Kings on the board.

Calgary came to Staples coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Ducks the night before with obtaining two points as their primary objective.  Coming into the game, the Flames found themselves two points out of the final playoff spot in the west despite having played two to three more games than everyone else in the Western Conference.

The game was, as expected, a very tight checking affair with few quality scoring chances.  The Kings had one power play in the first period with Jarome Iginla off for hooking, but failed to even muster one shot struggling to get set up.  Calgary had two power plays of their own, but posed no real threat.  Jonathan Quick made two key saves, and the teams went to the locker room with no score.

The second period was the same as the first, tight checking and little room to move for the skilled player.  Calgary had the best chance on an early power play where Iginla and Mark Giordano both hit the left goal post.  On their second power play, the Flames missed a golden chance to score as they held the zone for over a minute and had both Matt Greene and Anze Kopitar trapped on the ice without sticks. Michael Handzus was able to clear the zone on a diving play and allowed his teammates to get off the ice.    The Kings also had two chances with the man advantage, but failed to score.  Kings assistant coach Jamie Kompon called the Kings second power play” the best of the season” as they held the zone for over a 1:30.   However, they failed to score.  The period ended with the Kings getting their fifth power play of the night, which carried over to the 3^rd period.

The third started with the Kings having the power play for thirty-nine seconds.  The Flames were able to kill it off.  The period flowed a little more openly, and the teams exchanged several odd man rushes.  Finally, with just under six minutes remaining, Wayne Simmonds made what my coach growing up called a” hustle play” and drove from behind the net.  Miikka Kiprusoff made the save, but left a large rebound that Jarret Stoll converted for his 19^th goal of the season putting the Kings up 1-0.  Just sixty-five seconds later, former King draft pick Olli Jokinen converted a breakaway and tied the game at one.

Overtime was very tight as no team could take advantage of the open ice.  With 1:03 left in extra time, the Kings were called for a”too many men on the ice penalty, but were able to hold the Flames to just one shot.  The teams headed to the shoot out.

The shoot out opened with a miss by usually reliable, Handzus, and then, Alex Tanguay opened with a goal.  Next up for the Kings was Stoll.  He beat Kiprusoff with a wrist shot low, blocker side.  Calgary followed with a miss by Rene Bourque when he lost control of the puck on the way in.  Kopitar was up next.  He out-waited Kiprusoff and slid the puck five-hole putting the Kings up 2-1.  Curtis Glencross had to score, but missed the net high right. The Kings held on for the two huge points.

After the game, the Kings received bad news when it was announced that winger Justin Williams, the second leading scorer on the team, will miss the rest of the season and post season with a should injury.  The Kings recalled Oscar Moller from Manchester to take the roster spot.

Game Notes

Jonathan Quick improved to 9-0 in shoot outs this season.
The Kings had their 30^th sell out of the season, one shy of the franchise record.
Up next for the Kings is a match up with the San Jose Sharks in Los Angeles.

Mike Murangi
NHL Hot Stove Los Angeles Kings Reporter