Expectations haven’t been met, injuries have haunted him, Justin Williams is entering a season which is both huge for the Kings offensive success and his NHL future, as he is slated to become an Unrestricted Free Agent next season. Williams has more on his shoulders heading into the 2010-2011 season with the lack of off-season activity from the Kings front office. Chances are, Williams will be provided another shot to skate alongside Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar on the first line. Williams was a huge part of this trio’s success early last season, tallying 24 points in 33 games. However, after being struck by the injury bug, an obstacle he has been hit with more often than not, Williams struggled in his comeback to the lineup. Williams only played three games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Vancouver Canucks, and had little to no impact when in uniform. This was no surprise, as he provided little help to the offense in his return late in the regular season, recording a lowly 2 goals and 3 assists in 16 contests. When healthy, which hasn’t been the case most of his career, Justin Williams has produced numbers that fit the bill of a premier forward. Justin Williams was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes on March 6th of 2009 in part of a three-team deal that has amounted to inconsistency with health and point production that have damaged his reputation in Los Angeles.

Early Success: It’s unfortunate that most of my frustration toward Williams, and I’m sure with many others, is his history to being prone to injury. Williams hasn’t had too much luck escaping bad breaks, but survived to find glory in Carolina. Williams found himself on top of the 2005-2006 NHL season, netting the final goal in the clinching game of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, putting the nails in the coffin to the Edmonton Oilers, who had finally regained hope for the Cup for the first time since the late 1980′s. Williams was a force when healthy, playing complete 82 game seasons from 2005-2007. In two seasons at full force, Williams recorded 143 points, eclipsing the 30 goal mark in both seasons. He had labeled himself as a reliable first-line winger; And more importantly, on a team that won the Stanley Cup. In 2009, the Kings acquired Justin Williams for Patrick O’Sullivan and the Calgary Flames 2nd round 2010 Entry Draft Selection.

Career in Los Angeles: Dean Lombardi snagged the veteran winger, coming off of two productive seasons, and a third hampered by injury, in March of the 2008-2009 season. Williams resume had him noted as a forward who had success under his belt, and more importantly, a Stanley Cup. In an agreement that cost the Kings Patrick O’Sullivan, who had expressed frustration with the Kings, hopes and expectations were high for Williams as the Kings made their first serious push for post-season play in seven years. When healthy, Williams proved himself as a valuable asset to playoff-caliber rosters. Unfortunately, injuries have followed Justin to Los Angeles.

The Justin Wiliams Factor: There’s no question, especially with the lack of additions this summer, that Williams health and production will be a major factor in the Kings success this season. Williams never seemed to regain confidence after sitting out three months with a broken leg last season. The big question is how Williams’ off-season conditioning and training camp factor into his comeback. He proved to work well with Smyth and Kopitar, but his consistency in that department is the biggest worry. At only 28 years old, Williams still has the opportunity to rejuvenate his career. Whether he is able to do so this season is one of the biggest question marks the Kings face this season. Proven to be the most consistent line-mate with #11 and #94, a healthy, productive season is key.

The summer for the Los Angeles Kings has been one of the slowest in history. In this episode we talk about the signing of Alexei Ponikarovsky and the many players that have worn the 27 in the past. We also discuss the team moving into next season, look at some crazy Kings schwag on the market and say “See Ya” to a few former players.

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty is slowly dolling out the interviews he did at this summer’s prospect camp. Here are his quotes from Oscar Moller who’s had several cracks at the NHL roster. Enjoy!

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Two seasons ago, forward prospect Oscar Moller made the Los Angeles Kings’ roster out of training camp and after putting in some effective minutes where he showed a good scoring touch, it appeared that he could be on his way to solidifying a spot at the National Hockey League level.

Fast forward to 2010 and Moller now finds himself just trying to make the Kings roster.

The 5-10, 186-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden started the 2009-09 season with the Kings and showed some ability to finish right from the start, including his first multi-goal game in the NHL against Calgary on November 1, 2008.

Moller, who played in forty NHL games that season, also captained Sweden’s team in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships, but suffered a fractured clavicle during the tournament, forcing him out of the Kings’ lineup upon his return to the NHL.

For all intents and purposes, that injury finished Moller’s season.

Last Fall, Moller, 21, was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, to start the 2009-10 season, a demotion of sorts. He played in 43 regular season games with the Monarchs, scoring 19 goals and adding 28 assists for 47 points with 26 penalty minutes.

Moller also scored two goals and tallied five assists for seven points in 16 AHL playoff games as the Monarchs advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

“The first year, when I made the [Kings], the team wasn’t as good as it was this year,” said Moller, who was selected by the Kings in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. “Then I got hurt at Christmas my first year and I didn’t really make the lineup after I came back from injury. The year after, I didn’t make the team out of training camp.”

“It was tough,” added Moller. “It sucks to get sent down after playing up pretty much all year. But that’s the business, I guess.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

Alexander Frolov‘s tenure as a Los Angeles King officially came to an end yesterday, as he reportedly agreed to terms with the New York Rangers on a one year contract. The 20th overall pick of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft spent 10 seasons in the Kings organization, 7 of those years in a Kings uniform. Last season, the final year of his contract, was a huge disappointment. Held to his lowest point total since the 2005-06 season, Frolov became the centerpiece of criticism. Other than a couple of offensive spurts, Frolov never was the offensive powerhouse scouts and fans alike knew he could be. His drop from the first line to the third was well deserved by many, and his inefficiency to work with Terry Murray‘s offensive gameplan didn’t help his cause. His departure is no surprise, as Kings GM Dean Lombardi noted earlier in the off-season there was a “slim chance” Frolov would return as a King next season. However, there was an offer on the table for Frolov after the failure to lure in Ilya Kovalchuk. The meetings were short, with both sides understanding it was time to move on. The 28 year-old winger out of Moscow, Russia leaves a small imprint on Kings history, recording 169 goals and 217 assists for the franchise. Was I frustrated with him the majority of last season? Yes, as I’m sure most of you were. However, the contributions Frolov attributed to the Kings franchise cannot be ignored. Here is a look at the career of Alexander Frolov in a Los Angeles Kings uniform:

2000 NHL Entry Draft: Alexander Frolov was selected 20th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. A talented winger out of Russia, Frolov’s expectations weren’t low. His ability to handle the puck in the offensive zone was intriguing. Here, you had a player that was able to create chances for linemates, as well as finish opportunities himself. Frolov knew how to create a comfortable offensive presence, giving teammates ample opportunity to find open space, and always dependable with puck presence behind the goal line. The Kings had a sure winner, a skilled winger with offensive smarts, and the strength to do so. I’ll continue to say it, Alexander Frolov may have the best puck protection skills behind the goal-line I’ve ever seen. Frolov chose to play in Russia for two seasons instead of opting for the American Hockey League. Frolov joined the Kings in the 2002-2003 season.

LA Kings Debut: Alexander Frolov made his debut for the Los Angeles Kings in 2002, making the team out of training camp. In his seventh game, Frolov tallied his first career goal against…who else? The New York Rangers. Frolov immediately made an impact on struggling Kings rosters recording 31 points in his rookie season, and eclipsing that total in 2003-2004 with 48 points before the 2004-2005 NHL lockout sent him to CSKA Moscow to join them in the regular season and Dynamo Moscow for a short playoff stint.

2004-2009: Frolov came out with a vengeance after the lockout, with a 54 point season, again with a struggling Kings roster. His future always looked bright, as he often sparkled surrounded with a roster of average at-best players. He continued to grow into a blossoming NHL star, recording his career high in points with 35 goals and 36 assists. Frolov had stapled himself as a face of a Kings roster that was beginning to look toward a bright future full of young talent. Frolov’s point production went down the next two seasons, as the Kings began to dump veterans for young prospects. It may have not been obvious at the time, but Frolov didn’t seem to mesh well with the incoming core of young players. Frolov began to show signs of his nonchalant play that slowly began to turn heads. Heading into the 2009-2010 season, Frolov was playing for his contract. A one year option was up in the air with the Kings front office as well as his value to other teams if he was granted Unrestricted Free Agency.

2009-2010: You’d expect a strong season from Frolov, especially in a contract season coupled with the talent around him. Talk about playing under expectations, Frolov continued his trend of disappointing from seasons before. Lackluster effort may have been the biggest problem with the fan-base. With the organization? Terry Murray felt the need to bench Frolov out of frustration with his play, and Kings GM Dean Lombardi expressed a lack of communication between him and the Russian winger. The relationship between the team and Alexander was falling apart, even amidst a playoff season. Frolov showed signs of life in the second half with a couple of 4-game point streaks, even carrying the offense at times. However, he wasn’t consistent. That’s what you need if you’re going to be pay 4 million a season. The season ended in the 1st round of the playoffs and so did Alexander Frolov as an LA King. To have a gut feeling a player is gone before it actually it happens is not a good sign. It was clearly time to move on for this player and this organization. I wish the best of luck to Alexander Frolov with the New York Rangers, as well as hoping the signing of Alexei Ponikarovsky is a solid substitute. What do you think?

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty had an opportunity to sit down with new Kings assistant coach John Stevens at Development Camp this summer. Here’s his interview.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — While fans of the Los Angeles Kings are up in arms over their team’s inability to improve themselves to this point in the 2010 off-season, venting their frustrations in no uncertain terms on virtually every Kings-related forum on the World Wide Web, life does indeed go on.

With the departure of assistant coach Mark Hardy, who resigned on June 11 (see LA Kings Assistant Coach Mark Hardy Resigns), the Kings strengthened their reputation as “Flyers West” when they hired John Stevens as an assistant coach on June 24, 2010 (see Los Angeles Kings Name John Stevens As Assistant Coach).

Stevens, 44, earned a 120-109-34 record as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, a position he accepted on October 22, 2006, after the Flyers got off to a 1-6-1 start that season.

The native of Campbellton, New Brunswick began that season as an assistant coach and wound up leading the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007-08, before being fired on December 5, 2009, after the team was shutout in two consecutive games.

Coming from the Flyers, Stevens was familiar to Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi and Vice President/Assistant General Manager Ron Hextall, who both worked for the Flyers before joining the Kings.

Stevens should be able to mesh well with Kings head coach Terry Murray, who was a Flyers assistant coach under Stevens.

“Terry and I worked together for a couple of years,” said Stevens. “When you work with another coach for that length of time, you’re pretty comfortable with the way things are run.”

“It’s a great organization,” added Stevens. “Development Camp has been pretty neat for me to be involved with, to see how things are run. It’s only been a few days, but it’s been great.”

Although Stevens has only had a couple of months to get his feet wet with the Kings, so far, so good.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

The auditions continue for the 2010-2011 Los Angeles Kings Ice Crew and the good folks over at Kings Vision have another video up. This important series of try-outs determine which hot bodies women get to pose for the bestselling LA Kings Ice Crew calendar. Enjoy the vid!

Picking up where the original, ‘Waiting for Kovalchuk,’ left off, this sequel captures the continued back and forth uncertainty of the Ilya Kovalchuk saga, including Kings fans reactions to him ‘signing’ in New Jersey.

It’s that time of year again. It’s the dead of summer and the Los Angeles Kings are looking for hot nice girls to be a part of their Ice Crew. Enjoy the vid!

The push for Ilya Kovalchuk to become an LA King officially came to an end today. Kovalchuk reportedly agreed to terms with the New Jersey Devils, with an official announcement to come tomorrow afternoon at the Prudential Center. Fans held their breath for almost three weeks in hopes of acquiring the most coveted free agent on the market. Up until the first day of free agency, the Kings were considered the front-runner to sign the 27 year old Russian. However, Dean Lombardi and the front office never seemed to offer a contract to Kovalchuk’s satisfaction. Multiple times the Kings cut talks with the winger, and multiple times they were back in the hunt, even hosting Kovalchuk last week for negotiations in Los Angeles. In the end, Lombardi clearly wasn’t ready to commit the money or years Kovalchuk demanded. And why not? There’s a young core to build for the Kings, and that should be top priority. The Kings still need a top-caliber forward, and there’s no question that vacant space will be filled via free agency or a trade before the season starts. Below I’ll break down the possible free-agent options the Kings have to acquire the missing piece in their offense:

Frolov now an option? Before I start with the attractive free agents still on the market, and possible trade bait, Alexander Frolov suddenly becomes an interesting topic. Coming off of an average year, with a few bumps along the way, many feel he and the Kings are parting ways. However, does Kovalchuk’s decision to sign with New Jersey put Frolov back in the picture for the Kings? Maybe. Maybe not. His lackluster effort has been his biggest downfall, but have we taken his point production for granted? Terry Murray made a point in sitting him last season, stressing his need to follow the “system”. Frolov was mum on responses to his benching, but came back solid. You can expect 50 points from the winger, averaging near 20 goals and 30 assist a year. Bottom line: The KHL is appealing to Frolov, which would offer more money, a lengthier contract, and provide an opportunity to play in his home country.

Free Agents that could fit:

Alexei Ponikarovsky: Ponikarovsky, at 30 years old, is coming off of a pretty productive season. Dealt to the Penguins at the trade-deadline from Toronto, Ponikarovsky never really meshed well with his new team. He had a career high 61 points in 2009, and recorded a combined total of 50 points with Toronto and Pittsburgh last season. At 30 years old, a lengthy contract may be desired, which may scare Lombardi away. Ponikarovsky is a great fit to a 2nd or 3rd line, and has a very impressive two-sided game, recording 18 takeaways, 43 blocked shots and 146 hits.

Sean Bergenheim: I like the guy. I see this as low risk, high reward. Bergenheim, only 26 years old out of Finland, is coming off of his third NHL season. Bergenheim, another winger who plays well on both ends of the ice, would be a great fit for the young roster we have. Many won’t find Bergenheim enticing, as he won’t provide instant star power, but his upside is very pleasing. In his three seasons, Bergenheim has hit the 20 point mark, and recorded 10 goals each year. A big plus, much like Ponikarovsky, are his stats in his own zone. Last year Bergenheim recorded 57 takeaways, 37 blocked shots, and 127 hits.

Ruslan Fedotenko: Yet another UFA winger out of the Ukraine from the Penguins. Fedotenko is about the same player you’re going to get out of Ponikarovsky. Physical, solid two-way game, and good for about 30 points. Fedotenko’s -17 rating is a bit scary. Quite frankly, there’s not too much to be excited about with Fedotenko, except being one of the best available UFA wingers still on the market.

As for Restricted Free Agents, there are a few on the board, but the problem is acquiring them. The Nashville Predators have yet to agree on terms with Patric Hornqvist, who would be a great fit. Young in age, and coming off of a 51 point season. Steve Downie, who’s rights belong to Tampa Bay, would also be a spectacular fit. Also 23 years old, and coming off of a 46 point season, I’m surprised Tampa Bay has yet to agree on a contract. I’m only throwing a couple of RFA’s out there, because I could list them all day long. The big factor is the team who owns their rights. They hold the key, and players such as Downie and Hornqvist demand higher pay than their current club, and often times, draft picks as well.

Trade possibilities? Free agents may not be the option for Dean Lombardi and the front office. In fact, the possibility of acquiring a winger via trade could very well be a better deal. I want to hear your thoughts on possible trades. Who do you have your eyes on? Who would you be willing to give up? Any other free agents catch your eye? The page turns on Ilya Kovalchuk, let’s get chatting on new options.

The Los Angeles Kings have been active in the front office the past couple of days, re-signing five players. Are they the moves fans have been hopefully anticipating? No, but building a solid roster does not entail glamorous front office activity. What Dean Lombardi and Co. have done is extended the progress of young talent in the Kings system for one more year. More importantly, the Kings agreed to terms with RW Brad Richardson before taking the the route of arbitration to court. Below I’ll break down Richardson’s deal, and the four RFA’s who were recently granted new contracts:

Richardson Signed: On Saturday, the Kings announced the re-signing of Brad Richardson to a one-year deal, paying the right winger $900,000. Not a surprising move here, and I never expected the Kings to take this to court. In two seasons with the Kings, Richardson has recorded 11 goals and 27 assists. His first season was marred by a foot injury. However, Richardson proved to be a key player last season, contributing by finishing offensively and creating chances for others with his hard work low in the zone. You’re not going to find a better 2nd/3rd line winger who can grind to create opportunities like Richardson.

Reports have shown that the Kings recently signed Trevor Lewis, Rich Clune, Corey Elkins, and Marc – Andre Cliche to one year deals. In no position to negotiate a lucrative deal, each player is said to have taken Lombardi’s initial offer.

Trevor Lewis, the 2006 1st round Entry Draft selection, has the clock ticking on his development in the Kings organization. Lewis missed the majority of the season last year with Manchester with an upper body injury. However, his comeback was strong, and may have been the clincher for the Kings in holding on to him for one more season. Lewis had a solid post-season for the Monarchs, and needs to continue to build on that in training camp.

Rich Clune provided some energy and intensity to the Kings roster for 14 games last season. Clune recorded a measly two points, but scoring isn’t his role. He quickly made his presence as an enforcer, and his quick uprise with the big club last year made it no surprise to me that the Kings allowed Raitis Ivanans to walk, especially with Kevin Westgarth developing as well. I’d bet on Clune making the team out of training camp as a 3rd/4th line enforcer. Westgarth is clearly his biggest competition.

Corey Elkins is the oldest of the RFA’s, but showed plenty of promise last year with the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. In his first year of professional hockey, Elkins recorded 21 goals and 22 assists. His post-season performance was impressive as well, tallying 8 goals in 14 games. His opportunity of making the Kings out of training camp is up in the air, although I fully expect Elkins to start the season in Manchester to continue to develop in only his second year of professional hockey.

Marc – Andre Cliche, the Alternate Captain for the Manchester Monarchs last season, has yet to separate himself from the rest of the talent in the AHL. I don’t expect Cliche to start the season in Los Angeles, but wouldn’t be surprised to see a lengthier NHL appearance (one game) than last season, to truly test his stature as a centerman.

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty had a chance to sit down with former #4 overall pick Thomas Hickey to talk about his development. Definitely worth a read on a guy who really needs to make the team this year.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — The 2009-10 season could not have gone much worse for Los Angeles Kings defenseman prospect Thomas Hickey.

After completing his career in Canadian junior hockey in 2008-09 with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, turning in his best season in the WHL with 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points in 57 games, the 5-10, 182-pound native of Calgary, Alberta graduated to the American Hockey League.

But once Hickey donned the sweater of the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL [the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate] this past season, his hockey career was put mostly on hold due to injury—a shoulder injury suffered in late November, 2009 that required surgery, keeping him off the ice until April 1, 2010, just four games before the Monarchs began their run in the AHL playoffs.

“I got into four [games] before the regular season was over,” said Hickey.

But Hickey’s bad luck was not yet over, as he wound up on the shelf once again just before the playoffs began.

“It was the day before the playoffs [began],” Hickey lamented. “It was sort of a freak high ankle sprain. It’s one of those aggravating things.”

Hickey would miss the first two rounds of the playoffs before returning to the lineup for the Eastern Conference Finals.

“It’s tough going down just before the playoffs, but I was thankful to get healthy just before we were finished in the last round when I got to play,” he said.

To say that Hickey’s 2009-10 season was somewhat of a lost season would be an understatement.

“It’s been really tough,” said Hickey. “It’s been frustrating more than anything. You’re anxious and you start to play good and then something happens.”

“It’s just been a series of [injuries] over the last two years,” added Hickey, who also suffered an ankle injury that required surgery after the 2008-09 season.

To be sure, the time lost this past season has delayed Hickey’s development. But the season was not a total loss.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

Shot over 15 days, this documentary/short film captures the up and down roller coaster ride of the Ilya Kovalchuk saga with the Los Angeles Kings.

If you ask the majority of Kings fans how their off-season is going, don’t expect a pleasant response. But, were we expecting too much? As some say, were our eyes bigger than our stomachs? (Not literally, of course). In no way am I saying the Kings are staying mum for the remainder of the season transaction-wise, but a lot of expectations have been built up for Dean Lombardi to make some big moves early, and he has failed to do so. The Kings were labeled as buyers, and certain ones at that, when it came to the free agent market and the off-season in general. Many fans are griping, and they have reason to. However, that doesn’t mean I agree. Below, I’ll be breaking down the market that has eluded Dean Lombardi, what could still happen, and other off-season headlines:

Chuck any thoughts of Ilya: Consider the Kings attempt at signing free-agent left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk all but over with. Rich Hammond of the LA Kings Insider quoted Dean Lombardi responding to a question about Kovalchuk’s “choices”. “We are not a choice.”, said Lombardi. Many are upset, not I. Never did I have a comfortable feeling in regards to Kovalchuk joining the Kings roster. Yes, we need a talented winger, but Kovalchuk never felt like the right addition to me. I’ll admit, Russian free-agents scare me. Don’t pull the discrimination card. Did Kovalchuk seem like an odd-ball in a locker room full of youngsters and solid, seasoned veterans such as Ryan Smyth, Rob Scuderi, and Dustin Brown? I pictured it….not working. But what do I know? Honestly. I just hope Kovalchuk works out better for the Isles than Alexei Yashin. But not really. Deano, can’t blame you for staying idle on this one.

Richardson getting Richer?: It was reported yesterday courtesy of Rich Hammond of the LA Kings Insider that Brad Richardson has filed for arbitration. And the man deserves to get paid. Arguably the hardest working player on the roster, Richardson earned a salary of $587,500 last season. He won’t rack up astounding points, but his effort makes up for it. A right-winger who develops offensive-zone possession with his ruthless work in the corners, I’d be surprised to see the Kings take this to court. Richardson deserves the raise, and with the Kings quiet in the market, expect them to reach an agreement.

Gagne? I say, NO WAY: The Kovalchuk talk is dead, and now reports have been popping up regarding Kings interest in Philadelphia’s Simon Gagne. Yeah right. Maybe four years ago, like Keith mentioned. Not worth it. Rumors show Philadelphia is interested in either Jonathan Quick or Jonathan Bernier along with winger Wayne Simmonds. It’s really simple to me. Gagne costs too much to take the risk with the young core we have. Lombardi is smarter than to break up the young offensive group we have to acquire an 11-year NHL veteran who is on the down-slide. If we’re talking about acquiring a defenseman, different story. With the exit of Sean O’Donnell, the Kings don’t necessarily need a top-four defenseman, but a smart, proven veteran.

Final Thoughts: I’m happy with a quiet off-season. Give this young roster another year to mature together. Lombardi had, and still has, the opportunity to make moves. I’d like to see the Kings acquire a veteran defenseman, but I won’t push for a trade for an elite forward. I have confidence in the growth of the team we have. What are your thoughts? Trade possibilities? Any remaining fee agents you’d like to acquire?

Gann Matsuda went over to the Toyota Sports Center to see some of the Kings top prospects (and new draftees) participate in the 2010 Development Camp. Check out Gann’s impressions.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — While many who follow the Los Angeles Kings were glued to the World Wide Web and Twitter to follow the news about what unrestricted free agents were going where, most notably, superstar left wing Ilya Kovalchuk (who is still unsigned as of this writing), the Kings were busy conducting their annual Development Camp for their young prospects, which began on June 28 and ran through July 3.

LA Kings 2010 first round pick Derek Forbort participated in the team’s
2010 Development Camp.
Photo: Harry How/Getty Images
Three days of the six-day camp were open to the public and the media, comprised of a scrimmage game sandwiched between two practice sessions, featuring prospects ranging from those who have been in the system for awhile to their most recent draft picks.

“I’ve been impressed with some of these players, and, certainly, everybody as far as the work ethic,” said head coach Terry Murray. “It’s been outstanding with the conditioning level and what they’ve been through over the past several days, on and off the ice.”

“A lot of focus, a lot of digging in, hungry and they want to learn,” added Murray. “Attitude. It’s really coming along well. As a group, it’s been tremendous.”

Murray also took note of his team’s five 2010 draft picks, who were all present at the camp.

“All the draft picks seem to be really good kids,” he said. “They’re good people with good character.”

For the 2010 draft picks, who were selected by the Kings just days before during the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft on June 25-26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the camp was the culmination of a whirlwind couple of weeks that opened their eyes to what lies ahead.

“The draft picks who came—they had no idea what was going to happen,” Murray noted. “Surprise! You’re coming to a development camp and we’re going to do a lot of hard off-ice work, we’re going to have some games going on. They’ve really stepped in and have done an excellent job.”

“The tempo was great,” defenseman prospect Derek Forbort said about the scrimmages. “The guys out there are unreal hockey players. I was just doing my best to keep up.”

“[The camp has] been a great experience so far,” added Forbort, a 6-5, 198-pound defenseman out of the United States Under-18 National Team Development Program. “I’m starting to get the hands back after not skating for awhile. I’m starting to get used to how they do things. It’s been good.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

The Los Angeles Kings have been touted as the front-runner for free agent left-winger Ilya Kovalchuck throughout the off-season. We’re two days into the NHL free-agent market, and little to no progress has been reported as far as negotiations go between Dean Lombardi and the 27 year-old Russian. Rich Hammond, of the LA Kings Insider, was declined of comment from Lombardi regarding the push to sign Ilya Kovalchuk on July 1st. Lombardi, however, released a statement through Mr. Hammond earlier today, citing: “We have been, and continue to, work, on a number of different scenarios. We do not anticipate any resolution tonight. if something changes, we will let you know.” If you’re looking for optimism Kovalchuk-wise, this won’t satisfy your fix. In what was a quick turnaround, and quite a surprise, the New York Islanders have been reported to be finalizing a deal that would make Kovalchuk an Islander for 10 years, at 10 million each season. With plenty of cap space available, the Islanders can afford to make this addition. What makes Kovalchuk to the Islanders even more attractive is the organization’s push for a new arena. With 2009 NHL Entry Draft 1st Overall selection John Tavares already on board, this could be a huge shot in the arm for an Islanders franchise that has been struggling for decades. Helene Elliott of the LA Times heard firsthand: “A source who is familiar with the situation but isn’t authorized to speak about it publicly said the New York Islanders were offering Kovalchuk $10 million a year for 10 years to become the centerpiece of their team and their campaign for a new arena. The source said the Islanders, who are about $9 million beneath the cap floor, were close to finalizing a deal with Kovalchuk.” The Kings have one huge advantage: Their future. For New York, it’s too early to tell, even for John Tavares. With a solid, young core continuing to grow in Los Angeles, the future is bright. There’s no telling what Lomardi will do, or has done. Go under, match, or exceed New York’s offer. Whatever happens, it will be a combination of Kovalchuk’s character and determination, and Lombardi’s game-plan now that the pressure is on. Remember Alexei Yashin?

In the second round, Dean Lombardi traded the 49th and 109th pick to the Colorado Avalanche to choose center Tyler Toffoli from the Ottawa 67′s of the Ontario Hockey League with the 47th overall pick. While Toffoli is listed as a center, at 6’0″, 181 pounds, he could easily be transitioned to a wing role with the Los Angeles Kings. In 65 games with Ottawa, Toffoli posted an impressive 37 goals and 42 assists for 79 points.

Los Angeles Kings co-director of amateur scouting Mike Futa told Rich Hammond:

“My scout from Owen Sound is his head coach, the same guy who was the guy on Wayne Simmonds. There’s always that tributary that leads back to the right river. He coaches him in Ottawa, and he said this kid is just scratching the surface, when you start to look at the intangibles and the work ethic. I’m assuming that’s why he dropped to where we got him. We were thrilled to get the guy. His hockey sense is off the charts. He’s an exceptional goal scorer, great nose for the net, and he’s just a young kid who is still just getting it, as far as the conditioning.”
Courtesy of LA Kings Insider

As Dean Lombardi shifts the Los Angeles Kings out of re-building, he’s starting to take some longer term “projects”. In Toffoli, his conditioning is something of an issue at this point. Then again, so was Drew Doughty’s back in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. However, Lombardi is known to challenge prospects and get terrific results (note that Doughty’s nickname “Doughnuts” has now changed to “Dewey”).

Long-term Toffoli is going to have to work on his skating and conditioning to crack the big club. Expect Tyler to head back to Juniors for a couple of years with another year in Manchester. The kid seems to be determined and have a good heart. If he can continue to get better, we’ll have a nice prospect on our hands.

Interesting note, according to NHL.com, is that Toffoli’s favorite book is Twilight. Could be worse….

Keith’s Take: It’s a kid who lacks conditioning in an organization that focuses on it. Given the strength of our development system, I don’t think this will be an issue for long. Long-term I see Toffoli on a wing in the top-six for Los Angeles. Grade: A-

Chris’ Take: The Tyler Toffoli pick adds continued depth to a system chalk full of centers, 6 ft tall, under 200lbs, who have decent stats, average skating ability and may or may not be good someday. Grade: B-

E.J. McGuire on Tyler Toffoli:

Daryl Evans Interviews Tyler Toffoli (via Kings Vision)

Other Picks:
1st Round Pick: Derek Forbort

I doubt there was any Kings fan who walked into Staples Center on Friday night for the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft expecting Dean Lombardi to draft a defenseman. With a lack of pure-scoring wingers in the system, no mock draft had Lombardi taking a blue-liner. But, in typical Dean Lombardi fashion, he went the other way trading up four spots to draft 6’5″ defenseman Tyler Myers Derek Forbort from the US Development Program.

International Scouting Services had Frobort ranked 10th overall and when he dropped, Lombardi knew he had to trade up to get his guy. Frobort had an impressive Under-18 World Championship scoring two assists and posting a plus-nine rating. Many scouts said that Derek Forbort has the most talent of any prospect in the draft.

Minnesota native Derek Forbort is known as a strong smooth-skating two-way defenseman whose offensive game is just starting to develop. In 26 games in the US National Development program, Forbort had four goals and ten assists for 14 points with 26 penalty minutes. Forbort himself states that he tries to model his game after Chris Pronger. Forbort will start the 2010-2011 season in the NCAA at the University of North Dakota (a development powerhouse).

Dean Lombardi stated that Forbort’s two to three years away from making the big club. If he continues to develop, there’s no telling where Forbort’s ceiling is. With a very stocked farm of defenseman, this allows Lombardi to deal from a position of strength when it comes to acquiring offensive-minded wingers.

One of the startling facts about Derek Frobort is his favorite “pump-up song” according to NHL.com is Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror. Ummm, all right.

Keith’s take: I love this pick. Sure it wasn’t California native Emerson Etem or another winger with top-six potential but this guy has such a potential to be a stud. If he develops his offensive game and his toughness, the Kings will be even harder to play against. He loses a point due to his choice of “pump-up” song. Seriously? Man in the Mirror?Grade: B+

Chris take: We should have taken 6’7″ Tyler Myers two years ago instead of Colten Teubert. We didn’t. Now we get Tyler Myers 2.0. I’ll take it. Grade: A-

Heidi Androl of the Los Angeles Kings talks with the newest Kings Derek Forbort:

Post-draft press conference:

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty attended the 2010 NHL Entry Draft this weekend. Here’s his in-depth analysis of Kings’ first-round pick Derek Forbort.

LOS ANGELES — At the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft, it became clear early on that the Los Angeles Kings’ draft philosophy had taken a significant detour from what had been their standard operating procedure.

The last few drafts have seen Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi use his picks, especially the higher round selections, to go after prospects who might be able to contribute at the NHL level sooner rather than later.

But with the 2009-10 Kings making the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and with the franchise poised to take the next step towards becoming a Stanley Cup contender, the Kings now believe they can be more patient in terms of young prospects they bring into the fold, and that was evident right off the bat with first round selection Derek Forbort, a 6-5, 198-pound defenseman out of the United States Under-18 National Team Development Program.

In order to get their hands on Forbort, the Kings sent the 19th overall pick in this year’s draft, along with a second round pick (59th overall), also in the 2010 draft, to the Florida Panthers in exchange for the 15th overall selection.

Forbort, 18, a native of Duluth, Minnesota, scored four goals and contributed ten assists for 14 points in 26 United States Hockey League games that his NTDP team played in. Overall, Forbort scored five goals and added 23 assists for 28 points in 65 games.

Forbort also played in the 2010 Under-18 World Championships, recording two assists and a +9 plus/minus rating in seven games, helping lead the United States to a gold medal. In 56 games with the U.S. Under-18 team, he scored five goals and added twenty assists for 25 points.

Possessing a good combination of size, strength and agility, Forbort is a good decision-maker and a good passer, but needs to work on his puck-carrying skills and grit.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft took place at Staples Center and the Los Angeles Kings traded up to grab 6’5″ defenseman Derek Forbort. In this show, Keith and Chris talk about the draft experience, upcoming free agency and interviewed a few Michal Jackson fans about hockey. Your thoughts about the draft?

Read Alex’s post-draft blog on all of the new Los Angeles Kings prospects here.

The Los Angeles Kings added five players to their organization this weekend at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Playing as hosts to the other respective 29 teams in the NHL at Staples Center, Dean Lombardi and his peers in the front office made sure to be active, racking up four trades to move ahead in order to snag three of their five prospects. The NHL draft is a bit different from those of other professional sports leagues, where immediate impact of the player drafted is seen quite often. With the majority of the draftees continuing their careers at the collegiate level, or on the junior hockey stage, it is very difficult to predict the outcome of the selections. Teams rarely base their picks based on position, since growth and maturity to the NHL is such a long, difficult process. The best player on the board will be taken, especially past the first round. The Kings have the money to spend on a premiere left winger during the off-season, so building the defense with use of their first pick in Derek Forbort (Right) was a very sensible selection. Below I’ll have notes on Derek Forbort and the other four draft selections for the Los Angeles Kings in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Dean Dealing: Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi was active in the trade market this weekend, making four trades. Three of the deals allowed the Kings to move up on the board in order to make selections. Another trade gained a third round selection for the Kings in the 2012 Entry Draft. Here’s a quick run-down on the transactions:
*Kings trade 19th and 59th overall picks to Florida for 15th overall pick
*Kings trade 49th and 109th overall picks to Colorado for 47th overall pick
*Kings trade 79th overall pick to Toronto for a third-round selection in 2012 NHL Entry Draft
*Kings trade 169th and 199th overall picks to Atlanta for 148th overall pick

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Derek Forbort – 1st Round, 15th Overall
United States Development Team
Defense – 6’5″ 198
The Kings already have a young core of defensemen. Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson are thriving and developing into premiere players with the help of the veteran presence with the big club. Forbort is only 18 years old, but there is no reason to rush his progress. With 2007 1st round selection Thomas Hickey still developing in Manchester with the Monarchs, both players won’t be ready for the stage in Los Angeles until Johnson and Doughty become young veterans. The upside of the defense outlook for the Kings future is sky high. Not to mention, Forbort will be attending North Dakota to play for the Fighting Sioux, Matt Greene‘s alma mater. I’d expect a lot of dialogue and advice coming from Greene, which is spectacular for Forbort’s experience at North Dakota. I love the pick, and so does The Hockey News, who tweeted the following: “L.A. trades 19th, 59th picks to FLA for 15th, take D-man D. Forbort. Kings could have league’s best blueline in 5 years.” What can’t you not like about this selection?
Grade: A
————————————————————————————————————————————-
Tyler Toffoli – 2nd Round, 47th Overall
Ottawa 67′s of the Ontario Hockey League
Center – 6’0″ 178
The Kings acquired Toffoli by jumping up on the board. LA’s 49th and 109th overall selections were traded for Colorado’s 47th pick. Coming off of his second season with the Ottawa 67‘s, Toffoli recorded 79 points with 37 goals and 42 assists. Not a big player, but is said to make up for it with his effort. A two way offensive threat with a quick release and superb accuracy, Toffoli knows how to read the ice and has showed his ability to create and finish plays.
Grade: B-
————————————————————————————————————————————-
Jordan Weal – 2nd Round, 70th Overall
Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League
Center – 5’10″ 162
Weal is the only player the Kings didn’t make a move up on the board to acquire. Coming off of his second season with the Regina Pats, Weal recorded 102 points with 35 goals and 67 assists. Touted by scouts as a player who “beats the odds” with his small stature, Weal led the Pats in points as their smallest player. His playing style is compared to that of Jason Blake, with his great movement in the offensive zone and the ability to finish plays with flare. Another small center taken, but has showed his ability to make that a non-issue.
Grade: B
————————————————————————————————————————————-
Kevin Gravel – 5th Round, 148th Overall
Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League
Defense
6’4″ 185
An 18 year old defenseman with a season in the NAHL and USHL respectively, Gravel is a stay-at-home defenseman but also has shown glimpses of offensive ability. There’s no question he needs plenty of work, growth, and experience. His name probably won’t pop up with Kings fans for a few years to come. Gravel is said to be great with his stick in the defensive zone, along with his quick foot movement and quick instinct with the puck.
Grade: B-
————————————————————————————————————————————-
Maxim Kitsyn – 6th Round, 158th Overall
Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the Kontinental Hockey League
Left Wing
6’2″ 194
The Kings traded their 169th and 199th picks to the Atlanta Thrashers to move up to 148 and snag Kitsyn from the board. At 19 years old with two years of experience in the KHL, Kitsyn and his agent are in the works of backing out of the remaining three years of his current contract with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Kitsyn hopes to play major junior hockey next season. Ranked 6th overall among European skaters, Kitsyn’s fall in the draft was due to his rough season in the KHL. Out for two months with an injury, Kitsyn only recorded one goal and one assist in 21 games.
Grade: C

This season, history will be made….from your boys at KingsCast.

Now that the Stanley Cup has been awarded (congrats, ‘Hawks!), the next thing we have to look forward to is the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Normally, as Kings fans, we wouldn’t really care because no King ever gets nominated for an award. Last year, Chris made the case that the Kings needed some more trophies. This year, young Drew Doughty has a shot for the Norris Trophy. Here’s Gann Matsuda’s case on why Doughnuts should get that award.

LOS ANGELES — With the Chicago Blackhawks winning the 2010 Stanley Cup on June 9, the 2009-10 National Hockey League season is over and attention now turns to the league’s annual awards, which will be presented at the Palms in Las Vegas on June 23.

LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty could become the second-youngest player to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy on June 23, 2010.
Photo: Rich Lam/Getty Images
Perhaps the most interesting race for the awards will be for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman during the regular season.

The finalists are Chicago’s Duncan Keith, Mike Green of the Washington Capitals and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings.

Green, 24, led all defenseman in goals, assists and points with 19 goals and 57 assists for 76 points. He ranked tenth league-wide in assists, led all defenseman with ten power play goals, ranked second among defensemen with a +39 plus/minus rating and was second among blue liners with four game-winning goals and ninth in time on ice per game (25:28).

The 26-year-old Keith also had solid offensive numbers, scoring 14 goals and adding 55 assists for 69 points. Among defensemen, he ranked sixth in goals, second in assists and in points, ninth in plus/minus and second in ice time per game (26:55).

Among NHL defensemen Doughty, 20, ranked third in overall scoring with 59 points on 16 goals and 43 assists, second in goals, fifth in assists, and eleventh in plus/minus (+20). He tied for second in power play goals among defensemen with nine and ranked first with five game-winning goals among the blue liners. League-wide, Doughty ranked thirteenth in ice time per game (24:58).

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

With the 2009/2010 NHL season now officially complete, KingsCast continues it’s offseason programming with a brand new episode of collected material from the past year. Unreleased interviews with players, media, fans and colleagues, cut segments, behind the scenes looks and stuff too risque for prime time. Enjoy!

The Los Angeles Kings are keeping things fresh this summer with Fight Club. They’ve assembled some of the best classic fights by the LA Kings over the years and put them online for your viewing pleasure. Remember the Dave Taylor days when LAKings.com would be stagnant for three months? Not anymore. So here’s Marty McSorley vs. Craig Berube.

Not necessarily earth-shattering news but LA Kings forward prospect Geordie Wudrick and defenseman Niclas Anderson were not signed by the Kings and are no longer part of the organization. Following the announcement, Kings Nation let out a collective “Who?”.

Drafted in the 3rd round (88th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Geordie Wudrick as a tough 6’4″ winger who became a fringe fan favorite in his first development camp. Injury kept Wudrick out of training camp this past season however. With the emergence of Wayne Simmonds, Kyle Clifford and Brayden Schenn, there’s not much of the future for Wudrick in the organization. Wudrick is now eligible to be drafted this year. I wonder where he goes.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Niclas Anderson beside a few grainy photos on Google. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Anderson has stayed in the Swedish Elite League to hone his skills. Given the defensive depth in Los Angeles, there was no place for Anderson in the lineup. It’s another Dave Taylor/Al Murray draft pick gone awry.

Let’s face it, if you bet against these guys at a sportsbook, you wouldn’t be walking away with any money. I know there’s a few of you out there who thought Wudrick could be a Dustin Brown type but it ain’t happening with the Kings. We have enough depth in the organization that we can live without him. As for Anderson, does anybody really care?

It’s the summer guys, what kind of news were you expecting?

Now that the playoffs are almost over and the Los Angeles Kings have been enjoying early tee times, the boys at KingsCast too are taking a little breather. It’s not easy producing a video show and as much as Keith and Chris would like to think they’re perfect, they’re not. So we bring to you our biggest screw-ups and bloopers this season. (There is mildly offensive language).

Great interview with Washington DC lawyer David Benowitz on Mark Hardy’s arrest for indecent sexual contact. via Surly & Scribe

The Fourth Period takes a look at everybody’s favorite Russian (no, not Ovechkin) and if the Kings should sign him. via The Fourth Period

Will Alexander Frolov go to the KHL? via Frozen Royalty

Rich Hammond caught up with LA Kings assistant GM Ron Hextall on the wingers in Manchester (part of a series). viaLA Kings Insider

Finally, the fine folks at KingsCast bring you a 5-part roundtable with the most respected names in local media that cover the team. Check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.

There was a lot of video from the fine folks at Kings Vision. Check it out below.

Dean Lombardi appeared on XM Radio’s NHL Live.

Drew Doughty appeared on XM Radio’s NHL Live.

It’s no real shock that Alexander Frolov will not be a Los Angeles King next season. His time with the team is over. Here, Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty gives his take on the enigmatic winger and his possible destination.

COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS: Winger Alexander Frolov likely has a little over five weeks left with the Los Angeles Kings before heading elsewhere to continue his playing career…this should come as a surprise to no one.

LOS ANGELES — For all of you Alexander Frolov fans out there, I regret to inform you that his days with the Los Angeles Kings are very, very likely over.

On May 26, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi appeared on Neilson and Chase In the Morning on Edmonton Sports Radio Team 1260 in Edmonton, Alberta. When asked about Frolov, Lombardi said that he was not optimistic about being able to re-sign the enigmatic winger.

“When you talk about building today, it’s certainly different from prior to the lockout,” said Lombardi. “You really get tied in with, ‘Do you like the player?’ Yes, but do you like him at ‘X’ price? Because you now have to get the right price, if you’re going to be able to keep your core together. So would we like to keep him? Yes, but if the price is prohibitive and maybe would prevent us from filling other holes and making sure we keep [defensemen Drew] Doughty and [Jack] Johnson and all these kids coming through, then you have to walk away.”

“I’m not too optimistic, given what he’s looking for,” added Lombardi, who went on to say that Frolov’s salary demands exceed his actual value in the National Hockey League, but added that one cannot blame a player for being attracted by the ungodly sums of tax-free money that the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia is throwing at players, and you can bet that the KHL is doing whatever it can to get Frolov to play back home.

One thing that Lombardi’s comments on the Edmonton radio show revealed was that nothing has changed since earlier in the season in terms of his stance on Frolov or in terms of the salary Frolov is seeking from the Kings and, presumably, other NHL teams that might be interested in his services when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

In fact, it appears that Lombardi has not budged one bit from his position held earlier in the season.

“Our problem under this new system [with the salary cap], is OK, I can’t pay you as a forty-goal scorer,” Lombardi said in a January 2010 interview with Frozen Royalty (see “Alexander Frolov Creates Dilemma For Dean Lombardi). “I’m not sure I can pay you as a thirty-goal scorer. I like you, even if you stay the same, I think I can win a [Stanley] Cup for you in this role. But if a player has to get X amount of dollars, he has to fill [the] role [that fits that dollar amount].”

“That’s the quandary as a manager—there was an article today about all the guys making $9 million,” Lombardi elaborated. “If you’re making $9 million you have to be the leader, you have to carry the ball, score—you have to be everything.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

Granted, the Los Angeles Kings 2010 playoff run was a relatively short one (though we did win a couple of games). But, if you look at the makeup of this team and the prospect depth, it was only the beginning. The Vancouver Canucks were the better team but we put up a huge fight. Re-live the action from just a couple of months ago.

In the final installment of the Los Angeles Kings Post-Season roundtable, the group discusses the needs of the Kings next season, the Free Agents available and the future of Brayden Schenn. What do you think the Kings need to make that next step?

If you missed a segment, check out Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

As expected during this roundtable, the subject of goaltending for the Los Angeles Kings came up. Here we talk about Jonathin Quick’s performance, whether or not Terry Murray trusts Erik Ersberg and if Jonathan Bernier is the future netminder for the team. Which goaltender do you think starts the majority of the games next season?

If you missed a segment, check out Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

When Dean Lombardi drafted Kyle Clifford in the second round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he was clearly looking for a big physical presence that had been lacking on the team. But this year with the Barrie Colts of the OHL, Clifford tallied 28 goals, 29 assists and 111 penalty minutes. It looks like the Kings have a hell of a prospect on their hands. Here’s a great video of some of his fights this year.

The Los Angeles Kings Post-Season Roundtable discussion continues with Part 3. In this installment, the group breaks down the pros and cons of acquiring the Russian star forward Ilya Kovalchuk with some interesting arguments from both sides. Should the Kings go after Ilya Kovalchuk?

Miss a segment? Check out Part 2 and Part 1.

The Los Angeles Kings Post-Season Roundtable continues with the media that covers the Kings on a regular basis. In this segment we talk about the progress and future of Kings defenseman Jack Johnson as well as Alexander Frolov’s status with the team and contract situation for next year. Should the LA Kings re-sign Frolov?

In case you missed Part 1, you can find it here.

Now that the LA Kings season has concluded, it was time to sum up the season and talk about the future. That’s why we assembled some of the brightest minds in local media to talk Kings hockey. In this segment we talk about the coaching, line combinations, staying on message and Drew Doughty. Stay tuned for much, much more!

As always, we hope you find the content we provide for you here at KingsCast to be entertaining and worth while. If you like something, why not Like it on Facebook or re-Tweet it. Thanks for spreading the love! Here’s some of the latest LA Kings news from around the blogosphere:

Eulogy: Remembering the 2009-10 Los Angeles Kings by Earl Sleek of Battle of California via Puck Daddy.

The IIHF World Championships are starting in Germany. The question here is does anybody really care? via Battle of California.

Excellent analysis from Quisp: What to expect from Kings’ 19th or 20th overall pick via Jewels from the Crown.

The Manchester Monarchs (the Kings farm team) are having a decent playoff run. Here’s some insight via the Mayor’s Manor.

Keith offers you a few suggestions on what to do during a summer when the Los Angeles Kings are playing hockey via KingsCast.

The Los Angeles Kings sent out a survey this week to the fans. Here’s a breakdown via Jewels From the Crown.

Making a case for Ilya Kovalchuk (a good one I might add), via Surly & Scribe.

Our favorite Ice Girl, Ice Captain Debbie runs the emotional gamut now that the Kings season is over via Hockeywood LA.

Jack Johnson was just named captain of Team USA for the IIHF World Championships. Here’s Rich Hammond’s evaluation of Jack this year (part of a continuing series) via LA Kings Insider.

We’re going to be talking about Alexander Frolov until he’s no longer an LA King on July 1st. So let’s get into it via Hockeywood LA.

Are Kings fans becoming Raider Nation? via View From My Seats.

Did we miss something? Leave it in the comments…downstairs.

Our good friend Fernnando over at LA Kings Brasil (yes, it’s really the country Brazil) has compiled some of our best moments of the playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks. I just wish it ended with us going into the next round. Enjoy the vid!

Subscribe to LA Kings Brasil’s YouTube page.

When you’re a Los Angeles Kings fan, summer’s can be a long drawn out affair filled with other hockey teams playing for the Stanley Cup, re-playing the entire Kings season on your Xbox in Rookie mode and just lamenting on that simple phrase: “what if…”. We know, it sucks. We feel it too. That’s why we have, for you, some simple things that you can do to occupy your summer and get ready for next season…in October.

1. Read a Book – If you’re a crazed hockey fan who lives it day-in, day-out, there are a ton of great books out there that you can read. Check out Playing With Fire by Theo Fleury (Amazon Affiliate link). Read about the sex-crazed, drug-addicted boozer who tore up the National Hockey League for years. I challenge you to sit down on a Sunday afternoon and put the book down (you won’t be able to). Another great one is Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer by Bruce Bodreau (Amazon Affiliate link). You remember Bruce: a former head coach of the Manchester Monarchs and recent Jack Adams Award winner for the Washington Capitals. It’s an incredibly insightful book about a guy who lives and breathes hockey. He’s probably reading something as well at this moment.

2. Get Acquainted with Your 2010 Draftees – I know, in years past it was easy. You only had to get to know five or six guys because the Los Angeles Kings have drafted in the top five for the last three years. Fortunately, the time has passed for us to draft a “savior”. As of right now, the Kings will draft either 19th or 20th overall. So get yourselves familiar with players like Stanislav Galiev, Riley Sheahan and Tyler Pitlick. And, no, Dean Lombardi is not trading up to number one overall just because the draft is in Los Angeles.

3. Visit Toyota Sports Center – When it’s hot and the sun is shining and you’ve survived a month without a mention of Kings hockey, you can often get the shakes. That’s why it can be refreshing to throw on some shorts (maybe a jersey) and head on over to the LA Kings practice facility. We did. You can go inside, watch the midget Kings and scout potential standouts for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

4. Detoxify Your Liver – If you watch our show, you know that in those red plastic cups we drink from resides enough hard liquor to kill most of the sober population. We suggest that cramp on your left side isn’t just a cramp, it’s your liver crying for help. We suggest now is the time to give it some help. Have a glass of water. Drink some cranberry juice. Switch to beer. But, for saftey’s sake, perhaps 11 shots of Jagermeister in the middle of the summer is not going to get you healthy for training camp. Curb it.

5. Or You Can Just Get a Life – It’s the summer. The Los Angeles Kings are scattered across the globe relaxing, golfing and not thinking about hockey. Maybe you should too. If you’re marking the days off of your calendar until training camp starts, you might have a problem.

Then again, KingsCast will be here all summer with new shows and blogs. Yeah, we pretty much suck too.

So what do you do to keep your mind off of Kings hockey?

Keith Korneluk a the co-host of Overtime by KingsCast. Friend him up on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. This pleases him.

The Off-Season has officially started for LA Kings fans. KingsCast starts the transition with an upcoming Season Finale, 2nd Round Playoff breakdowns and a look into the past year. Stay tuned…

All good things must come to an end. The Los Angeles Kings season came to a screeching halt on Sunday night to the 3rd seeded Vancouver Canucks. KingsCast breaks down the pivotal 6th game, says goodbye to Staples and closes out the Kings playoff run.

If you’re a Los Angeles Kings fan, you know last night sucked. The Vancouver Canucks steamrolled the Kings in Game 5. Jonathan Quick was pulled. Erik Ersberg was pulled. Everybody was downright awful. Game 6 is a must-win for the boys in black. Can they do it? Question of the Day: Where do you golf in the offseason?

When you’re in the playoffs, your level of play should resemble playoff hockey. Not so for the Los Angeles Kings last night. What an awful effort. There’s not much to say. Just take a look at the video.

Watch Keith & Chris break down the game on Overtime

After some interesting fan interaction at the Kings playoff games, Keith posted a blog on a View From My Seats entitled Are Kings Fans Becoming Raider Nation? So hop on over and leave your thoughts!

For those of us expecting the Los Angeles Kings to take the series back to Vancouver ahead 3-1, we left Staples Center heartbroken last night. It was a constant seesaw of goals until Vancouver sealed it with an empty-netter. The Kings were playing well until the third period when they had just three shots. It’s all evened up now. Can the Kings pull it together?

Watch Keith & Chris break down the game on Overtime by KingsCast

It was a good effort by the LA Kings in Game 4 but the Vancouver Canucks came up the winners in regulation. With a series now a 2-2 tie, Keith and Chris talk about the Kings and the game that was and the games to come. Question of the Day: What does Terry Murray with the lineup in the upcoming game?

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — With Game 4 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks coming up tonight (April 21, 7:00 PM PDT at Staples Center), much of the focus has been on the Canucks’ inept penalty-killing, which has allowed seven power play goals on just twelve chances after three games.

The result: the Canucks are looking up at a 2-1 series deficit with a huge challenge ahead of them…fixing their penalty-killing woes.

But the problem for the Canucks is not just their penalty-killing. More to the point, their problem is two-fold and they go by the names Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, the young studs on the Kings’ blue line.

Indeed, the twenty-year-old Doughty and the 23-year-old Johnson are still very young, relatively inexperienced defensemen. But in the three games played in this series they have totally outclassed the Vancouver blue line corps, contributed huge minutes in situations where they were called upon to shut down the Canucks’ top forwards, and they have been unstoppable on the power play.

Throughout the regular season, Canucks forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin proved to be a deadly forward combination, with Henrik attaining superstar status after leading the league in scoring with 29 goals and 83 assists for 112 points in 82 games.

But through three playoff games against the Kings, the Sedin twins have combined for just two goals and four assists for six points.

Neither has scored a power play goal.

If you find all that hard to believe, you are not alone. Nevertheless, solid defensive play by Kings center Michal Handzus, who has gone up against the Sedin twins as often as Kings head coach Terry Murray can get him on the ice, along with Doughty’s smart defensive zone play, have combined to put a huge clamp on the Sedin twins.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

For the first time in eight years, the playoffs are back at Staples Center and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Vancouver Canucks in an action-packed game. Here, Keith and Chris talk about the atmosphere at Staples Center and re-cap game three of the playoff series. Question of the Day: Do we continue to bench Justin Williams for the series?

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty was up at a very spirited Kings practice yesterday and got some quotes from a team who won its first playoff game in eight years. Check it out!

EL SEGUNDO, CA — A lot of attention has been focused on the fact that the Los Angeles Kings are a young team that lacks playoffs experience, despite the presence of several grizzled veterans with playoff experience, including five with Stanley Cup rings.

The fact that none of the players wearing those rings are part of the young core that not only makes up the leadership group, but also are not among the team’s best players who will likely lead the team years from now, only encourages greater scrutiny.

That lack of post-season experience was apparent in Game 1 of the Kings’ Western Conference Quarterfinal playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks on April 15.

In front of a raucous, sell-out crowd at General Motors Place in Vancouver, the Kings got caught up in the excitement and their young players seemed to be a bit unnerved by the new and exciting experiences of the playoffs.

“We had a lot of guys playing in their first playoff game,” said veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi, who won the Stanley Cup in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. “It’s a different atmosphere. It’s really exciting.”

“There were a bunch of guys who played their first playoff game, including myself,” said center Anze Kopitar. “It was one of those things where you don’t know what to expect. Everybody was excited, but, at the same time, a little nervous. So it was mixed emotions.”

“There’s a lot of guys on this team who haven’t played in the playoffs,” said right wing Wayne Simmonds, who is also playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time. “It’s a huge difference between the regular season and the post-season.”

Scuderi had an explanation for what the younger players were experiencing.

“You’re not sure if you’re ninety percent nervous or ninety percent excited,” he said.

Whether you call it a case of nerves, over-excitement or jitters, the Kings failed to execute their game plan in Game 1 because of it.

“In Game 1, going into the third, we didn’t play as good and we didn’t know what to expect going into overtime,” Kopitar explained. “Nobody wanted to make a mistake. I felt we were just sitting back too much.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

It took another overtime and a somewhat controversial penalty but the Los Angeles Kings have a win in the playoffs and the series with the Vancouver Canucks is looking like a hell of a series. Quick continues to play very well (despite one soft goal last night) and Fredrik Modin found his scoring touch getting a goal in the win. Watching the Kings rush the ice after Anze Kopitar’s overtime goal was a treat. Monday at Staples Center will be war.

With the 2010 Playoffs in full gear, the Los Angeles Kings continue their battle against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 2 of the series. KingsCast breaks down the game, captures the roller coaster of emotions from fans and celebrates something that hasn’t happened in 8 years, a playoff win.

Take a quick look to the left of the screen; If you can bear to. It was that close. That close. But what good would harping on Roberto Luongo‘s last-ditch effort to stop a re-directed shot from the point do? Hard not to, but not necessary; as we saw a very impressive Kings performance. What a great opportunity to steal a game. Today, I don’t find myself quite as upset as I thought I would with a game 1 loss. Truth is, there were many good things to come from the Kings last night. From Jonathan Quick‘s spectacular play, to sound coaching from Terry Murray, you’ve got to believe they can rebound from a tough loss. Below I’ll share a few thoughts on where the Kings stand going into Game 2:

On Jonathan Quick:
The goaltender situation had me worried going into the playoffs. Jonathan Quick looked shaky, flat, fatigued. We had an under-played backup in Erik Ersberg, and thoughts of the playoff goalie shuffle ran through my head. Well, look who showed up last night. Jonathan Quick stood on his head. 41 saves, and cutting off a 1st period Vancouver ambush kept the Kings in the game. Quick will last the entire series, and will be a deciding factor in the result.

On Ryan Smyth:
The Vancouver defense had Smyth on target all night. Playing to keep him away from the front of the net, they took it to him physically. Smyth got handled in the corners all night long, but that’s not his game. If someone on this team wants the Cup, it’s Ryan Smyth. His passion showed in the hits he took last night.

On Who Stood Out:
Randy Jones saw plenty of ice time last night, and played well. He continued to move his feet with the puck, didn’t cough up the puck very often, and played the body. Michal Handzus had an outstanding game. He seemed to be in the vicinity of the puck all night. Leading the Kings in shots, and almost burying a game-winner in overtime, Handzus continues to be reliable. Fredrik Modin didn’t shy away from shooting the puck, and scored a goal in his trademark spot; in front of the net.

On Who Didn’t:
Anze Kopitar was surrounded all night. Vancouver’s defense did an impressive job containing Kopitar, rarely giving him much room with or without the puck. Justin Williams hasn’t looked great since his return from the injury, and failed to contruct any chances on the 1st line. Drew Doughty didn’t disappoint, but may have lost his head a bit. The intensity was good to see, but can’t cross the line to grant a power-play to Vancouver.

On Terry Murray:
Terry Murray coached a solid game last night. He didn’t so much concentrate on the match-ups as he made sure the entire dressed roster got their legs into the game. As much as I was pleased with this, I’m afraid he may hold back in Game 2. A few changes could be made in his strategy now that the Kings are down a game.

It was the Mikael Samuelsson show last night in Vancouver. Talk about a difference maker, this guy was the key for the Canucks as he played hard and scored two goals in the 3-2 overtime victory against the Kings last night. Jonathan Quick is back. He played in outstanding pre-Olympic form last night. The Kings showed they can compete but can we generate some scoring in this series?

I know, I know, it’s shocking: the Los Angeles Kings are in the playoffs. And, while unlikely, it is possible that this team can win. Here, Gann Matsuda from Frozen Royalty chimes in with his thoughts on the first round of the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks.

LOS ANGELES — Quit pinching yourselves, Los Angeles hockey fans. You are not dreaming.

Yes, the Los Angeles Kings have made the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and for just the fifth time since 1993, when the Wayne Gretzky-led Kings went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Like that 1992-93 team, this year’s Kings started the regular season hot. But unlike the 1992-93 team, which peaked at just the right time, this season’s Kings have struggled since the Olympic break and are not going into the post-season playing their best hockey.

Earning a 9-7-5 record since the break, the Kings were often plagued by slow starts, poor puck support, a non-existent forecheck, taking too many penalties, shaky goaltending, a lack of urgency…you get the idea.

In the last handful of games of the regular season, the Kings showed some improvement, but were unable to put it all together consistently. Indeed, if they got off to a good start, their puck support and forechecking was lacking. Or, when those aspects of their game were solid, they failed to get to the front of the net and get the puck there as well.

A prime example of that came on April 10, when the Kings poured 55 shots on backup goalie Devan Dubnyk, but lost to the worst-in-the-league Edmonton Oilers, 2-1, in a shootout.

“[Dubnyk was] real good, but I felt, and we talked about it between periods and on the bench, he saw a lot of pucks coming from the blue line,” head coach Terry Murray said. “We were doing a great job with our cycle, possession, low to high, getting shots through from the top end. But we didn’t have the traffic. There was a loose puck there on almost every shot that came to the net and we were not in position to put second and third opportunities to the net. That was really the story of the game.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty

The playoffs draught for the Los Angeles Kings has ended and KingsCast chimes in (Tiger Woods style) with the long, painful journey it took to get there. Remember the years of pain? The more it resonates, the more it makes today sweet. Go Kings!

That’s right, folks, the season ain’t over..yet. The Los Angeles Kings, for the first time in eight years (and four years of the show) have finally made the playoffs. In this episode we talk about the upcoming matchup with the Vancouver Canucks, give our ideas for fan giveaways and take your questions from Twitter and Facebook. So settle back and listen to the hockey talk!

In this exclusive guest blog for KingsCast, Clayton Corley from OpiatedSherpa.com stops by and gives us his breakdown, and the Canadian perspective, of the Vancouver vs. Los Angeles series starting Thursday, April 15.

Thankfully, it’s just about that time again. Time for the playoffs to get started around the NHL and as fans (of teams that made the playoffs), we get to see how our team test’s their mettle against the other qualified teams that each provide their own challenge and reason for winning. I suppose I wouldn’t be doing a guest blog here, if I wasn’t going to do one for the Kings and Canucks series, the latter being my favourite team; plus, I think this is going to be one hell of a series to watch for both sides. I like to be fair when it comes to categorizing some teams, that way I know what to expect when I watch two teams go head-to-head and I really think this young & exuberant Kings team will be jumping on the learning curve with a lot of enthusiasm against the Canucks team that has been trying oh-so-hard to build their team on patience and puck-possession and try to seize a winning opportunity.

Since I had Anze Kopitar on my fantasy hockey team this season, I actually watched a good number of Kings games this season and enjoyed watching them in their number of stages this year. When Kopitar was burning up barns to Quick being lights out and then a more well-rounded approach when both their superstars became a little bit more human. There is a lot to like about this Kings team, especially their desire to want to play hard, skate fast and not quit, which will make them a tough team to play against. With players like Dustin Brown, Wayne Simmonds, Brad Richardson and Jack Johnson, the Kings have a great core of players that should be able to lift their “x-factor” into new levels when Game One starts and really have an influence on the game.
I’ve watched the Canucks all year and the key to their success, as much as I hate to say it, has been coaching and the system in place. If it wasn’t for the two rounds in the playoffs in 2009, there probably would have been a little less hope for this team that had a very hard time getting started this season. With injuries to some key players early on in the season, the Canucks managed to stick to their game plan and brought some new players to the forefront, while some of the old favourites took their game to the next level. In this early round, I’ll be looking towards Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows and Kevin Bieksa to help build the team up when its slipping a little bit and earn their way out of some tough spots. That’s what the playoffs are really about in the end.
Thanks to the Kings website, I managed to look at some of the statistical comparisons between the two teams and it’s fairly safe to say that they do tilt in one direction a fair bit, north. In a lot of cases, the tilt isn’t that big or terribly significant, but in more cases than not, the Canucks do hold a slight advantage in categories. When we start the playoffs, there is plenty of excitement to get going that a lot of teams, especially the young ones that haven’t been to the dance before, get a little overexcited and try to do too much when it gets going and that leads to penalties and the special teams. I’m expecting a pretty physical series between Los Angeles and Vancouver, so the blood is likely going to boil over quite quickly and we’ll probably see more than our fair share of rough stuff from either side, but it will be the team that stays out of the box and/or the team that has the better special teams that will move on to round two. Both the power play and the penalty kill for both teams are exceptionally close, according to their regular season numbers and both have combined percentages over 100%, which is a good index for comparison for NHL teams. It will definitely be interesting to see what lessons learned during the regular season get applied to the meaningful games of the playoffs.
The Canucks hold an edge in the regular season series, going 3-1-0 against the Kings, but Los Angeles did avoid the season sweep in the last game of the season, thanks in large part to a big offensive push and a good outing from Jonathan Bernier on April 1st. I try not to hold too much stock in the season series, because there are a lot of mitigating factors when it comes to what it really means, but it also doesn’t hurt to use against your opponents in trash-talking or clever word play.
Like any good playoff series, goaltending will be front and centre and this series will feature a couple of goaltenders who have had their seasons questioned a little bit from some inconsistencies in their recent games. Both Jonathan Quick and Roberto Luongo are workhorses when it comes to their respective team’s nets, so it should come to no surprise to anyone when fatigue levels start to sink in a little bit. Quick was an absolute warrior in the NHL this season, ranking 2nd in minutes played by a goaltender and picking up 39 wins. Luongo did have a spell where he was injured, so his minutes played numbers are down to Quick’s, but an Olympic appearance and a 40-win season was still manageable for the Canucks keeper, which is likely considered to be a pretty big plus. Like I said earlier, it has been a shaky go of it leading up to the playoffs, as Quick has gone 0-1-3 in his last five appearances for the Kings, including two fantastic appearances in overtime against the Coyotes and Ducks, just falling short in extra time. Luongo, in his last five appearances, did go 3-1-1, but had some shaky performances, including the last game to the Kings, where he was in for all eight of the Kings goals in the 8-3 loss.
Looking at the stats again, the last bit of comparison that I think should be done should look at the experience levels of both teams. The Kings have a 11 players that have played in the playoffs before, while the Canucks have 23, thanks to keeping a good core from last year’s appearance. The Canucks do have a pretty big edge when it comes to playoff experience, but I don’t want to count out the Kings, because there are certain levels of leadership that the Canucks do not have that the Kings are spoiled with from Ryan Smyth, Sean O’Donnell and Rob Scuderi. Now, whether or not those three players can reel in some of the youth on the Kings team is another question that can only be answered on the ice, but you have to know that the Kings dressing room will have a fair bit of confidence oozing from the pores. If anything, Dustin Brown will get a very thorough learning experience on how to become a great NHL captain, thanks to these rugged, playoff-tested veterans.
I think all things considered, it’s pretty lopsided towards the Canucks to start this playoff run, but for Kings fans that saw an excellent regular season, there should be a lot of good taken from this playoff experience for a lot of the young leaders on the Kings, because the team is being built to be a contender for the foreseeable future. It might not be an immediate championship, but much like the Canucks and their slow build towards being an elite team, it does take a lot of time when you’re not drafting players like Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin 1st overall. Then again, that Drew Doughty guy is already blossoming into a purebred superstar himself and he’ll be the cornerstone of this franchise for years to come.
My official prediction is seeing the Canucks go through in five games, with the Kings taking one in front of their home fans. It’ll be a high-tempo, hard-hitting series, but experience and system should prevail, much like it did against the St. Louis Blues last Spring.

Visit Clayton Corley at his website www.opiatedsherpa.com.
Follow on Twitter: @opiatedsherpa.

It was another lazy first period by the Los Angeles Kings, going down 1-0. Jonathan Quick got the day off and Erik Ersberg came in and played very well. It was hard for the Kings to penetrate the Avalanche defense but it was offensive juggernaut Matt Greene that got the shot through which Jarrett Stoll tipped in. But it was Captain Dustin (off a great shot from Drew Doughty) who got the job done. LA will now play Vancouver in the first round!

The Kings entered today’s regular season finale in Colorado with nothing more to do than ensure positive vibes heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Mission accomplished. With their 2-1 Overtime victory, the Kings await the start of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Vancouver Canucks, coming off of an all-around solid performance. Backup goaltender Erik Ersberg got the call in the finale and impressed. With 31 saves, Ersberg may have strengthened head coach Terry Murray and the rest of the organization’s confidence in him entering the postseason. A solid defensive showing held the Avalanche to only one goal, while a poised offense tied the game late; And carried that momentum to clinch the victory in overtime. Below are my notes on today’s regular season finale:

Notes on the game:
– Let me reiterate on Erik Ersberg‘s strong performance. Quite comforting, especially with starting goaltender Jonathan Quick looking shaky in his recent starts. Look for Terry Murray to trust Ersberg if Quick struggles early in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
– As for Colorado’s only goal, you could argue a whistle should have been blown to stop play. Ryan Stoa shot from the top of the right circle and was able to crash the net to bury his own rebound. Can’t really blame Ersberg on this one.
– Another third period comeback results in another victory. This offense has consistently showed the ability to utilize poise and patience facing late-game deficits. Matt Greene‘s decision to put the puck on net was perfect. Jarret Stoll, parked in front of the net, was able to deflect the shot to beat goaltender Craig Anderson to tie the game with only 4:32 remaining.
– The Kings beat Craig Anderson in overtime as Dustin Brown, with great positioning, was able to score on a close-range rebound off of a Drew Doughty shot. The Kings continue to show their force in front of the net, capitalizing on outside shots.
– The Kings (6) will face the Vancouver Canucks (3) in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Keep posted here at Kingscast for a series preview.

The bet between Keith of KingsCast and Chris of The Hockey Zen has come to a close. The Los Angeles Kings finished 37 points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers (with one game left to play) this season which means Chris has to do some serious drinking. In this episode we discuss today’s shootout loss to the Oilers and celebrate the most lopsided bet in history.

When the NHL’s worst Edmonton Oilers come into town, we expect a good old-fashioned blowout. Not so today as whomever was tending goal for Edmonton looked like Martin Brodeur, stopping 52 of 55 shots. The LA Kings looked good but they couldn’t do anything until the final minutes of the third period. The game goes to a shootout and Edmonton finds a way to win. Jonathan Quick, who was unspectacular again, couldn’t win the game for the team. When is Bernier coming up?

With the (regular) season coming to a close, the Los Angeles Kings battle for Playoff positioning for the first time since 2002. KingsCast celebrates the post-season berth, discusses goaltending, roster issues and gives props to all the fans. Question of the Day; What players jerseys should we buy for the playoffs?

For those who have said a first round match-up between these two teams would be boring, you’re wrong. Both teams played well on each end of the ice, maintaining a fast pace and playoff-like atmosphere. The Phoenix Coyotes have certainly proved their surprising 4th place season with consistently solid play here at the end of the season. With 1 point earned in the shootout loss, the Kings bumped themselves up to 5th place in the Western Conference with 98 points. If the regular season were to end today, the Los Angeles Kings would face-off against the Phoenix Coyotes in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Former Kings goaltender Jason LaBarbera had a solid outing with 22 saves, and Jonathan Quick looked sharp in net stopping 25 Phoenix shots. Two young defensemen stepped up for the Kings tonight; literally. More on those d-men below along with my notes on the game:

Notes on the game:
– Both Kings goals came via aggressive offensive defensemen tonight. First, with Drew Doughty‘s spectacular split of two Phoenix defensemen who walked in alone on Jason LaBarbera and beat him to the far side. Note, Doughty risked the rush knowing Justin Williams was back on the play to cover. Williams fed Anze Kopitar up the sideboards, who saw the streaking Doughty, and led him perfectly to eventually score the 1st Kings goal.
– As for Jack Johnson‘s goal, it was almost impressive. Johnson caused the turnover, and finished the transition of that turnover with a goal. After winning the battle with two Phoenix defensemen, Johnson cleared the puck to an open Ryan Smyth in the neutral zone. Johnson caught up to the play, went straight to the net after reading Smyth’s fake shot, and capitalized on Smyth’s pass with a goal.
– Phoenix’s two regulation goals came off of face-off wins. First with Wojtek Wolski winning the puck in the corner, and feeding an open Matthew Lombardi who beat Quick from close range. The second goal came off a point-shot off of another face-off. Zbynek Michalek‘s point shot was deflected by Taylor Pyatt and beat Jonathan Quick with just under 6 minutes remaining.

Rough one at Staples Center tonight. A potential matchup between the Los Angeles Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes ended badly in the shootout. Jonathan Quick was “fine” but he didn’t carry the Kings on his back tonight. Adding insult to injury, Jason LaBarbara took Phoenix the distance into the shootout. The Kings got a point so it looks like we’ll end up fifth or sixth in the playoffs. How would this game be different in a 5-on-5 in the playoffs?

Fernnando of the popular LA Kings blog LA Kings Brasil cut this video for our 2010 playoff run and did an awesome job. Watching it makes me feel like we already won the Cup. Enjoy the vid!

What an ugly game last night. Randy Jones, Sean O’Donnell and Jonathan Quick were absolutely awful. It took a period and a half but the Kings remembered how to play hockey again. Erik Ersberg was outstanding in overtime and Dustin Brown showed why he wears the “C”. For the first time since the lockout, the Los Angeles Kings are in the playoffs and the Anaheim Ducks are not.

In what was a stunning comeback victory on the road, the Kings showed their poise and perseverance fighting back from a couple of three goal deficits to earn a shootout victory. Moments prior to Anze Kopitar‘s back-handed drag shootout winner, the Anaheim Ducks were officially eliminated from playoff contention. The Colorado Avalanche buried any of Anaheim’s hopes by clinching a spot of their own with a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. You’ve got to be impressed with the capability of this young roster to rebound being three goals down to earn a victory. Jonathan Quick‘s play? Not so impressive. Quick has shown signs of fatigue, and just hasn’t been nearly as sharp as he was earlier in the season. More thoughts on the goaltender below. With tonight’s victory, the Kings bump up to the 6th seed in the Western Conference. With 97 points, the Kings are only one point behind the 5th seed Nashville Predators, and have a game in hand. It’s safe to say Los Angeles is safe from falling to the 8th seed, as the final push could very well have the 5th, 6th, and 7th seeds jumble around quite a bit. Below are my notes on tonight’s game, as well as video of Anze Kopitar’s highlight reel shootout winner on Ducks goaltender Curtis McElhinney:

– It’s quite obvious to say Jonathan Quick has looked flat in net for a while now. If there’s one thing contributing to this, it’s fatigue. I’ve stressed this all season long now, and we’re seeing the results. Another possibility? Jonathan Bernier‘s footsteps. I am a believer that Quick may have a little more pressure on his shoulders now that Bernier has impressed the big club. Quick now not only has to perform well as the playoffs rapidly approach, but has a statement to make for training camp next season. This is your fault, Terry Murray.
– Even with Quick’s sub-par play, Anaheim earned most of their goals. Bobby Ryan showed great puck control and patience on a 1st period power-play to find a wide-open Jason Blake who opened the scoring.
– As for Anaheim’s second goal, Teemu Selanne simply beat Sean O’Donnell. Anaheim’s third tally came thanks to a flat-footed Randy Jones, who fumbled the puck behind the Kings net. Bobby Ryan jumped on the puck, and ended Jonathan Quick‘s night.
– If the comeback wasn’t impressive enough, the Kings showed strong effort and skill on all four regulation goals. Starting with Dustin Brown, who muscled his way to the net and recovered his own rebound to put the Kings on the board. Alexander Frolov used his strength to get to the front of the net as well, burying a rebound courtesy of Dustin Brown.
– You say comeback, I say Justin Williams. Wow. If there was one player to fuel the the third period for the Kings, it was Williams. Scoring the Kings third goal, Williams moved cross-ice as he entered the slot, turned toward the net, and held on to the puck to beat a helpless Curtis McElhinney. Williams was also the key to Michal Handzus‘ game-tying goal. Entering the zone with the puck on the side-boards, Williams fed a streaking Handzus who received the pass in the slot and scored thereafter.
– As for Anze Kopitar‘s game-winner. Man, oh man. We’ve seen it many times before, but it never gets old. Check it out below.

LOS ANGELES — Here in the Los Angeles area, if you listened carefully, one could probably hear sporadic cheers, glasses clinking, maybe even a few car horns honking in celebration…and, oh yeah…even the Earth moved.

Indeed, Los Angeles area hockey fans had great reason to celebrate on April 4 because with the Chicago Blackhawks handing the Calgary Flames a 4-1 defeat, the Los Angeles Kings secured a playoff berth for the first time since 2002 and just their fifth playoff appearance since 1993, when the Wayne Gretzky-led Kings went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Qualifying for post-season play was the goal for the mostly young Kings going into this season and, especially for some, it has been a long, long time coming.

“It’s a long time coming for me and a few other guys who have been here for awhile,” said right wing and team captain Dustin Brown. “We’ve grown a lot.”

“This is the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been in the league,” added Brown. “Just the prospect of playing in the playoffs and having these last ten games [of the regular season] mean something is always a lot of fun.”

But the big question facing the Kings now is if they are just going to be happy to have made the playoffs and be satisfied with that, or are they going to go into the post-season determined and ready to be a formidable opponent?

To be sure, the Kings’ highly inconsistent play since the Olympic break only raises serious doubts, and as their 7-7-3 record since the break indicates, intensity, urgency and effort have all been cited as deficiencies too many times in the last six weeks.

After two solid wins, at Nashville on April 1 and against Vancouver on April 3 at Staples Center, it appeared that the Kings had figured things out and turned their game around.

“We talked about bringing home the attitude we showed in Nashville,” head coach Terry Murray said after his team’s win over Vancouver. “We had a good game there. We started that game with energy and puck movement that was as good as any other game this year, and it’s time we did that at home. It’s what we needed.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

With the Calgary Flames losing to the Chicago Blackhawks by the score of 4-1 this afternoon at the United Center, the Los Angeles Kings clinched a spot for the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the playoffs were to start today, the Kings would meet the 2nd seed Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. With four games remaining in the regular season, the Kings stand at 7th place in the Western Conference with 95 points. The only possible rotations as far as seeding goes are the bottom four spots. Here’s how the bottom four teams stand:
Western Conference seeding (5-8)

5. Nashville Predators: 98 points, 46 wins with two games remaining.

6. Detroit Red Wings: 96 points, 41 wins with three games remaining.

7. Los Angeles Kings: 95 points, 44 wins with four games remaining.

8. Colorado Avalanche: 89 points, 41 wins with five games remaining.

As for the remaining four games on schedule for the Kings regular season, here’s a look at the opponents.

Los Angeles Kings remaining schedule:
Tuesday, April 6th @ Anaheim Ducks – Honda Center.
Thursday, April 8th vs. Phoenix Coyotes – Staples Center.
Saturday, April 10th vs. Edmonton Oilers – Staples Center.
Sunday, April 11th @ Colorado Avalanche – Pepsi Center.

In a game in which the Kings never really played well, Saku Koivu was able to steal the game with a late 3rd period goal, and snag a win for the Anaheim Ducks with a 3rd-round shootout goal. For the second consecutive game, Koivu has recorded a game-tying goal late in the 3rd period. Anaheim, who now stands at 10th place in the Western Conference with 85 points, continue to hold on the their slim playoff hopes. The Kings remain at 7th place in the Western Conference with 95 points. Goaltender Jonathan Quick returned to the starting lineup with a solid performance; Stopping 32 of Anaheim’s 33 shots. Quick was a positive note to a Kings team that struggled tonight. This is a good sign, after Quick sat behind Jonathan Bernier for two consecutive games. Jack Johnson, who has been playing well lately, including a superb game Thursday against Vancouver, recorded the Kings only goal of the night. Below are my notes on tonight’s game:

– Solid effort from Ryan Smyth to contain a loose puck on a first period Kings power-play. Smyth, who was able to set his feet and control the puck inside the zone, fed an open Jack Johnson on the point, who released a one-timer that deflected off Anaheim’s Troy Bodie to beat goaltender Curtis McElhinney.
– I was impressed with Jonathan Quick‘s performance tonight. With two consecutive games on the bench behind Jonathan Bernier, Quick looked sharp. Able to get some rest and concentrate on practice time, it certainly showed as though it paid off. Quick has consistently showed his ability to rebound from sub-par performances, and he did so tonight; Even in a losing effort.
– With the Anaheim Ducks desperate for points as they try to maintain their stake in the Western Conference playoff race, Saku Koivu came up huge. Koivu buried a rebound while crashing the net after a shot of his own, tying the game late with only 1:32 remaining. Koivu clinched a Ducks victory beating Jonathan Quick up top to the right in the final round of the shoot-out.

Keith and Chris are back talking LA Kings hockey. In this episode we take you back to 2005-2006 to experience our agony of what it’s like to barely miss the playoffs. We also introduce a brand new segment entitled “If I Were…” and talk a little goaltending. Question of the Day: Who Should be the Backup Goaltender Going into the Playoffs?

If you like offense, tonight was your game. Talk about an outburst; The Kings, who have recorded six goals in their previous four games, tallied eight tonight in a route of the Vancouver Canucks. Many players have suffered from the “Olympic Hangover”, and I think it’s safe to say Roberto Luongo is a victim. With 29 shots on goal, the Kings managed to put eight of those past an elite NHL goaltender. The Kings capitalized on 2 of 5 power-play chances. Vancouver, who could very well be a 1st round opponent come the playoffs, came out flat, and the Kings took advantage. With 94 points, the Kings remain in 7th place in the Western Conference, one point behind the 6th seed Detroit Red Wings and two points behind the 5th seed Nashville Predators. Roberto Luongo has not allowed 8 goals since January 7th, 2000 against the Boston Bruins. Below are my notes on tonight’s game.

Notes on the game:
– I’m going to start here on a hot 1st period. Although getting outshot 8-7, the Kings held a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Dustin Brown fed a streaking Alexander Frolov for the first goal. As for the second goal, Anze Kopitar set up shop in front of the net, and was able to react to a Jack Johnson shot and score on an easy rebound. Dustin Brown scored his first of what would be a hat-trick to polish off an impressive 1st period.
– Look, Scott Parse has been putting up points the past couple of games, but failed to do so tonight. However, he may have been one of the most impressive players on the ice. His speed to loose pucks, and his physical play on the defensive end caught my eye all night. His highlight? Clearing a sitting puck in front of a helpless Jonathan Bernier, and laying a hit on a forechecking Canuck immediately after.
– Dustin Brown had his second career NHL hat-trick tonight, recording a goal in each period. Talk about coming to play. With 4 points, Brown set the tone for the offense tonight, continually going hard to the net, and finding open lanes through the neutral and offensive zone.
– Drew Doughty, once again, showed his uncanny skill on the power-play. Controlling the puck on the point with a fake shot, showing poise and patience, Doughty rung a howitzer off the post to an open Jarret Stoll who buried the rebound.
– Jack Jonhson, who had a marvelous performance, utilized great puck control up-top to feed Dustin Brown in the first period.
– As for Dustin Brown‘s hat-trick, his third goal was the most impressive. Working through two Vancouver defensemen, Brown found room upstairs to beat Roberto Luongo.
– The Vancouver Canucks failed to clinch a playoff spot tonight.

LOS ANGELES, CA – President and General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today that Church & Dwight, Inc., makers of Trojan Condoms have acquired a 25 percent ownership stake in the Los Angeles Kings. Citing economic reasons, Phil Anschutz’s company AEG Worldwide completed the deal in the early morning of April 1st. The management team of Trojan will be flying into Los Angeles, CA this morning to begin looking at the organization.

“Church & Dwight, makers of important products such as Trojan Condoms, Nair Hair Removal Products and the nationally known Arm & Hammer brand are pleased to welcome the Los Angeles Kings into our investment portfolio”, the company said in a press release. “It just makes sense. We have been trying to penetrate the Los Angeles market with Trojan Condoms but have been unsuccessful at doing so. We believe that this will help leverage our brand into an exploding market.”

Dean Lombardi, President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings said “I don’t expect their to be any change in the way we have been running this team. However, there will some changes that fans may not like at first.”

Church & Dwight and AEG Worldwide announced this morning that the Los Angeles Kings would be changing their name to the Los Angeles Magnums. In addition, the Los Angeles Kings parted ways with fan-favorite mascot Bailey as they will now be utilizing the ever-popular Trojan Man. That night, the Kings Magnums will debut a limited-edition third jersey that night. No word on if the jersey will be ribbed for the fans’ pleasure.

The team will be celebrating this union with a Pleasure Pack Giveaway Night. The first 10,000 fans to Staples Center on April 3rd against the Anaheim Ducks will receive their choice of one Pleasure Pack or Multi-Speed Vibrating Ring.

Defenseman Drew Doughty and forward Wayne Simmonds issued the following joint statement: “As young players in the league who are making more than the average American, we use Trojan Condoms on a regular basis. They keep us from becoming Baby Daddies. We think Trojan Condoms are the right fit for all of the Kings.” The two declined to comment on which brand of Trojan was their condom of choice.

As you may have heard earlier today, Terry Murray has decided to start Jonathan Bernier for the second consecutive game. This, with a healthy Jonathan Quick on the bench. You’d be crazy not to describe Bernier’s two starts as impressive, or even stellar. He’s a great goaltender, and has proved he is capable of shutting down NHL opponents. I’m not here to criticize Murray’s decision for tomorrow night, but to explain why I’ve been miffed at his decisions regarding the goaltender spot this entire season.

There’s always talk about fatigue hitting goaltenders late in the season. Don’t tell me Quick’s recent struggles have had nothing to do with this. He’s played 68 games, c’mon now. Here’s the bottom line folks; Terry Murray has overplayed Jonathan Quick. Now, he could have avoided this quite easily. Erik Ersberg just never saw any ice. Why? Personally, I feel Murray gauged too much on Ersberg’s early season loss at New York; His first start of the season. You could tell post-game Murray was rattled he sat his hot starter. That was the breaking point, Ersberg never earned back the trust. His starts were few and far between, and against questionable opponents.

As the season went on, you got the drift that Murray just didn’t feel comfortable playing Erik Ersberg. You might say “he didn’t need to”. Yes, he did. There are plenty of opponents Ersberg is capable of starting against. Well, this drift was all but clinched when Jonathan Bernier was called up and immediately given the start; Ahead of Ersberg. Zing. Bernier won, and in spectacular fashion. I did not agree with Murray’s decision; Completely stomped on any confidence Ersberg still had. Afterward, Bernier was sent down. Back to Quick and Ersberg.

Now, since Erik Ersberg is still day-to-day with a strained back, we’ve got Jonathan Bernier starting in place of Jonathan Quick for the second consecutive game. Now he’s starting over Quick. And why? Someone looks a little tired. I don’t completely buy Murray’s explanation on Quick needing more practice. He needs rest. Now, we’ve got this highly touted prospect who may, just may, ruffle the confidence of Jonathan Quick a bit. And who knows? Is there a chance Bernier stays with the team into the playoffs? If not, will Ersberg get a start if healthy? There’s a whirlwind of questions and speculations going on right now, I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on the goalie situation at hand.

The Los Angeles Kings badly needed a win last night as they had lost four in a row. Jonathan Bernier got the start and was magnificent. Scott Parse scored his third goal in two games and Sean O’Donnell had a beautiful goal to close it out. With Bernier having two solid starts with the Kings, what do we do with Ersberg?

To say this victory was huge would be an understatement. Tonight’s shutout victory snapped a 4 game losing skid, and a 7 game losing streak to the Nashville Predators. Nashville, who has claimed themselves as a force in the Western Conference, was a crucial opponent for the Kings to beat. Tonight’s matchup turned into a goaltending battle. Both Jonathan Bernier and Pekka Rinne delivered impressive performances, but Bernier came out on top for his second consecutive NHL victory. The Kings remain in 7th place in the Western Conference with 92 points. You’ve got to believe we’ll see a boost in the confidence as the Kings are on home ice for their next two games. Tonight was a prime example of how well this young team is able to adapt to disappointment. You couldn’t ask for much more than what they showed on the ice tonight in Nashville. Solid effort all around. Below are my notes on the game:

Notes on the game:
– I’m usually harsh, but Randy Jones played well tonight. And the highlight of his play tonight resulted in the Kings first goal. Jones managed to skate the puck from the blue-line to low on the side-boards, showing great puck control and patience. There, he dumped the puck behind the net to Jeff Halpern, who then turned to find an open Scott Parse. With that goal, Parse recorded his third tally in two games.
– Not only did Sean O’Donnell score tonight, but he caused the turnover that lead to the goal, feeding what turned to be strong transition through the neutral zone. Once in the offensive zone, O’Donnel jumped on a rebound off an Alexander Frolov shot, made sure he had control of the puck, and scored on a quick release.
– There’s no question that I, and the rest of the Kings fan-base are impressed with the play of Jonathan Bernier. Bernier has two victories, stopping a respective 29 shots and 34 shots in each outing, allowing only one goal. Until updates on Erik Ersberg‘s back strain are released, you have to wonder if Bernier will be on the bench come the playoffs.

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier will be starting in-net tomorrow night as the Kings travel to Nashville, Tennessee to face the Predators. Bernier has been recalled from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions. It has been reported that Erik Ersberg is day-to-day with a back strain. This situation could very well welcome an issue leading into the playoffs. If Bernier manages to perform as he did in Dallas, we may have a backup goalie confrontation come the playoffs. Bernier was last in-net for the Kings in Dallas on March 12th; Stopping 29 of 30 Dallas shots, and winning in a six-round shootout. Bernier will be making his 6th career start tomorrow night in Nashville as the Kings try to break a 4-game losing streak. A highly touted prospect, Bernier will allow a struggling Jonathan Quick to rest, and hopefully provide a spark to a Kings team that has been struggling since the Olympic Break.

Getting Nervous? With tonight’s loss, the Kings stand at 7th place in the Western Conference; Only 5 points ahead of the 9th seed Calgary Flames. The Kings are an ugly 0-3-1 in their past four games, and have to face a Nashville Predators team that has beaten the Kings 7 consecutive times. As for tonight’s game, solid effort. The struggles on the power-play continue as of late, as the Kings were unable to capitalize on two 5 on 3 opportunities tonight. Niklas Backstrom was the difference maker in the game, shunning a 31-shot Kings effort. Jonathan Quick had a decent game as well, but recently hasn’t looked quite as sharp on the puck. I’d say the Kings need two more consecutive losses for people to really start loosening the collar. Keep things calm and simple. Go out and beat Nashville. Start Ersberg. Below are my notes on tonight’s game.

Notes on the game:
– When I mentioned above that Jonathan Quick hasn’t looked quite as sharp in the past few games, Minnesota’s first goal was a prime example. The Wild continued to jump on loose rebounds, Matt Greene may have screened Quick
– Brent Burns absolutely undressed Brad Richardson, beating him to the outside, going straight to the net to record Minnesota’s second goal.
– Tonight’s surprise was Scott Parse, who scored the Kings only two goals. For his first tally, Parse shot the puck through traffic from the point, got a couple of friendly bounces off of Minnesota defensemen, and the puck found its way behind Backstrom. His second goal came thanks to solid play in the corners from Brad Richardson and Wayne Simmonds. Great puck protection and solid cycling allowed Richardson to find a wide-open Parse in the high corner.
– Minnesota’s game-winner was the result of great offensive zone penetration. The Wild continued to move the puck while entering zone, finding space for an open shot. Once they did so, a few Wild players were able to crash the net, but didn’t need to as Martin Havlat beat Quick clean. Matt Greene may have been a screen once again.
– Couldn’t help but get bothered with Drew Doughty‘s late third period offensive zone turnover. With three Kings in front of Backstrom, Doughty was too fancy. Instead of a quick release on net, Doughty tried the toe-drag. Too fancy, you need the quick shot for a goal or to create a rebound.

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty, like most Los Angeles Kings fans, media, etc is pissed. This team isn’t giving the effort they should be. Check out his latest commentary with some great quotes (by Dustin Brown, especially.

LOS ANGELES — Given that the Los Angeles Kings are just 4-6-3 since the Olympic break and have put in mostly poor efforts since that time, one can imagine what an advertisement in the Lost and Found section of the local newspapers might look like:

LOST: Intensity, effort, urgency, enthusiasm. If found, please contact the Los Angeles Kings immediately.

Although their malaise began before the Olympic break, the two-week hiatus killed any momentum the Kings had going into the stretch drive for the playoffs.

“I think it was the break,” head coach Terry Murray lamented. “To me, it’s mental. This is an attitude game at this time of the year. Twenty percent talent, eighty percent attitude, and I think our attitude slipped over the break.”

Murray added that his team is not the only one suffering from this affliction.

“It’s around the league, it’s not just the LA Kings,” he said. “You’re seeing some teams taking a step back from where they were pre-Olympics. As a result, you get into these critical games and you don’t know how to shut’em down.”

Of course, some teams have been hit harder than others by the lag after the Olympics. Nevertheless, the Kings are right up there with those hit the hardest, and, to make matters worse, goaltender Jonathan Quick, who has been the Kings’ best player in many games this season, has been mostly mediocre since the break.

Although Quick represented the United States during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, he was their third goaltender and got no quality practice time in before jumping right back into the fray with the Kings.

In short, he was rusty upon his return to National Hockey League action and has not regained top form, despite what his 2.38 goals-against average and .910 save percentage since the Kings returned to action would seem to indicate. Indeed, what is more revealing is that Quick has had five games since the break in which his save percentage dipped well under the .900 mark.

But just as significant, if not more so, has been the lack of intensity and enthusiasm from the skaters in front of him.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

With tonight’s loss to the Dallas Stars, the Kings have now fallen to the 7th seed in the Western Conference. With 90 points, the Kings are one point ahead of the 8th place Colorado Avalanche and one point behind of the 6th place Detroit Red Wings. There isn’t a whole lot of pressure coming from the 9th seed Calgary Flames, as the Kings are simply fighting for playoff stature. But what came from tonight’s loss? Nothing positive. A reassurance of LA’s cold offense and their struggling defense. Goals have been hard to come by lately for the Kings, and struggles in the net have begun to show. Do I dare blame Terry Murray? Yes. He’s absolutely butchered any of Ersberg’s confidence, and has over-played Jonathan Quick. Folks, it’s starting to show, and I knew it all along. If Erik Ersberg doesn’t get the call a couple of times before the post-season, it’s going to be a short playoff-outing for the Kings. How many times do I have to say it? A backup goalie in the playoffs is a huge factor. Terry Murray has killed any chance of this being a helper to the Kings come the playoffs. Enough with this, I could go on forever, and get quite angry. Here are my notes on tonight’s game.

Notes on the game:
– Let’s start this out on a positive note. As for the Kings only goal tonight, how many times have we seen this sequence? Drew Doughty to Anze Kopitar on the sideboards, a hard wrister on net for a Michal Handzus rebound goal? Music to my ears, eye candy. Beautiful goal, an unfortunate high-point to tonight’s game.
– The Stars came out with a vengeance in the 2nd period. Dallas was able to capitalize on 3 of their 9 shots in the period, setting their tone to the game. The carousel that was the Stars power-play began to run in full-force. With three second period power-play goals, and four overall, the Stars keyed in on a struggling Kings penalty-kill.
– Former King Brandon Segal had a couple of solid scoring chances tonight.
– The Dallas Stars earned their first victory in tonight’s Pacific Division season-series finale.
– Every goal was recorded on the power-play. Tough outing for the Kings, as they only capitalized on 1 of 7 power-play opportunites, and allowed 4 goals when a man-down.

St. Louis managed to maintain their slim playoff chances tonight with a victory over the Kings. The Kings, who have now lost two consecutive affairs, have fallen to the 6th spot in the Western Conference standings. Did the Kings play poorly tonight? Far from it. Are they continuing to struggle on the offensive end? Yes, and you can sum up tonight’s loss on that. The Kings failed to make a statement with the multiple special teams opportunities, only capitalizing on one of seven power-plays; which happened to come off of a St. Louis turnover. Jonathan Quick, coming off of a terrible outing in Colorado, played decent. The defense in front of Quick wasn’t great, and when coupled with a cold offense, you get a turnout such as we saw tonight. With 9 games to go in the regular season, and a playoff spot almost solidified, these final games are crucial to get this team back on track. As for tonight, not the type of performance playoff hockey welcomes. Below are my notes on the game:

Notes on the game:
– Davis Drewiske needs to make sure that puck stays in the zone, or on his stick for that matter. When you’re the last guy in, all intentions to keep the puck inside the zone must be upheld. Tough break here, as B.J. Crombeen was able to beat Jonathan Quick on a 2 on 1.
– The Kings power-play, especially in the 1st period, failed tonight. With almost six minutes of time on the man-advantage, and fourteen overall, you need to take advantage. Good teams do this, the Kings have showed they can, but not tonight. Some kinks need to be worked out during these final 9 games.
– Speaking of special teams, good job by Dustin Brown to jump on a Barrett Jackman turnover, and release a quick shot from in-close to beat St. Louis goaltender Chris Mason.
– Two of St. Louis’ goals came off of rebounds in front of Jonathan Quick. Were both necessarily to fault on Kings defensemen? Not completely, but better coverage in front of the crease is needed when shots are put on net.
– With the Calgary Flames losing to the New York Islanders tonight, the Kings magic number is now 10.

The Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche are continuing to make a good case why they should play each other in the playoffs: it’d be goddamn exciting. It didn’t start well as Jonathan Quick was pulled (yes, Terry Murray, sometimes Quicker needs a rest). Erik Ersberg played well until the shootout. The Kings now have 90 points with 10 games remaining.

Yes, we all know I love LA Kings hockey. But in between the successes and heartbreaks of my favorite SoCal team, I do watch other NHL teams from time-to-time. I know, it’s shocking really.

So when Matt Reitz of a View From My Seats asked me to blog about non-Kings related material for him, I had to jump at the chance.

If you’re not reading a View From My Seats you should be. With the exception of yours truly, there’s some really great hockey writers over there.

So, without further adieu, my first blog entitled: Where the Florida Panthers Fans at?.

Check it!

How much fun would a Kings/Avalanche playoff series be? If last night was any indication, it would be awesome. Ryan Smyth had two goals, the Avalanche tied the game with 6.6 seconds left, Justin Williams showed he is, indeed back and Wayne Simmonds continued to show fans why he is a fan favorite. Not to mention, it was Star Wars night. Did you go?

The Playoff push is on! As the Los Angeles Kings battle for post-season positioning, we break down the Chicago and New York games, interview Philadelphia hockey fanatic John Morelli and present a new segment called “I’m Sorry…” QUESTION OF THE DAY; Where will the Kings finish?

If I told you that the leading scorer on the New York Islanders was Matt Moulson with 26 goals would you have believed me? Talk about a breakout season! Last night at Staples Center certainly wasn’t a blowout but the LA Kings did manage a win. Quick was awesome but the team still looked shaky at times. Better effort but still a ways to go.

Despite a win last night against the New York Islanders, the Los Angeles Kings still need to make sure they’re on a positive tilt going into the playoffs. Here’s the latest commentary from Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty.

LOS ANGELES — With thirteen games remaining in their 2009-10 regular season, the Los Angeles Kings find themselves headed in the wrong direction at the worst possible time.

The reason? Poor starts and shoddy, lazy play have been glaring problems for the Kings, who are just 3-4-1 since the Olympic break.

But even before that, when the Kings set a record with a nine-game winning streak from January 21 through February 6, 2010, the Kings got off to slow starts in most of those contests and had to struggle for come-from-behind wins.

Indeed, slow starts have been a problem throughout the season.

“We just need to get our game in order,” said head coach Terry Murray. “We need to come for sixty minutes and know the importance of every play, every pass, every face-off.”

“Getting through the middle of the ice to get your game established in the early part is critical and that seems to be something we’re not buying into throughout this year,” added Murray. “We have to figure that part out.”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

The Los Angeles Kings needed a win against the battered Chicago Blackhawks last night at Staples Center. Terry Murray sat Jeff Halpern in favor of Raitus Ivanans. That didn’t work out very well. The Kings took some untimely penalties last night but it wasn’t the refs fault. Is this a slide ala 2005-2006?

Don’t panic now, but the Kings are starting to flirt with the edge of the cliff that is a top 8 seeding in the Western Conference. Now only 6 points ahead of the 9th place Calgary Flames, the Kings are tied with the Nashville Predators in points (85) and have fallen to 6th place in the Western. Tonight’s performance can be summed up in one word. Abysmal. The Chicago Blackhawks dominated with a roster missing key players in Defensmen Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell and goaltender Cristobal Huet. The Kings put forth an embarrassing effort offensively, getting out-shot 37-17, and only managing 3 shots in the 2nd period. Tonight, the Kings had the opportunity to take advantage of a Blackhawks roster that was missing two of their top defensemen. That was not the case. Instead, a lowly display was put forth that included 3 Chicago goals via two horrendous turnovers (on goals 1 and 3) and a softy (on Chicago’s 2nd goal) on questionable positioning from Jonathan Quick. Yes, what may seem like an easy opponent in the New York Islanders, who sit at 13th in the Eastern Conference, come to town Saturday night; But not so fast. The boys from Staten Island are riding a 3 game winning streak. This roster needs to do some soul searching until then, and get serious about getting back on track. Below are my notes on tonight’s game:

Notes on the game:
– Can anything positive come out of tonight’s performance? Unseemingly so, as the Kings managed to kill off all 5 of Chicago’s power-play opportunities. The special teams have continued to perform well. The Kings have now had success on 19 consecutive penalty kills. However, Chicago managed to stay out of the penalty box tonight, not allowing a surging Kings power-play any opportunity.
– Chicago capitalized on two Kings turnovers tonight. Jordan Hendry stepped up on Dustin Brown, causing him to cough up the puck in the neutral zone. Great transition play, keyed by Patrick Kane beating Rob Scuderi to the outside, ended in a garbage goal finished off by Troy Brouwer.
– Jack Johnson‘s clearing attempt in front of Jonathan Quick failed miserably. Instead of looking to clear the puck to the sideboards, Johnson fed the puck up the middle to a wide-open Tomas Kopecky, who beat Quick thereafter. Give Johnson the assist on that one.
– Can’t put the blame on Jonathan Quick for this loss, but you certainly can on Chicago’s second tally. Sean O’Donnell played his man correctly, forcing him to the outside, but Tomas Kopecky beat Jonathan Quick on a quick wrister. I don’t know how, I don’t know why. NHL goaltenders need to stop that shot, especially from that angle.
– For the first time in almost 6 years, the Chicago Blackhawks came out victorious at Staples Center in regulation. Prior to tonight’s game, the Kings were 7-0-3 as hosts to Chicago in the previous six seasons.

As if adjusting to daylight savings time wasn’t hard enough, the Los Angeles Kings played Sunday’s game at 12PM. In this episode, we talk about the games against the Stars and Predators, discuss the Jonathan Bernier/Erik Ersberg situation and give some thoughts on the upcoming playoff run. Question of the Day: Which team do you want the Kings to face in the first round of the playoffs?

First there was the whole daylight savings thing. Then the Nashville Predators were in town. Terry Murray has yet to beat them as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. Anybody else smell disaster? This was a particularly spirit-less effort by the Kings today. A couple more losses and we will start falling rapidly.

Alex’s post-game blog here.

Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty was at the Kings’ practice the other day and picked up some great quotes. His first story is on Jonathan Bernier and his experience and journey with the organization. This is a fun read on one of our best prospects.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — For much of the 2008-09 season, Los Angeles Kings goaltending prospect Jonathan Bernier was not a happy camper.

First, he was upset that he was unable to crack the Kings lineup out of training camp, even though an injury contributed greatly to that.

Not long after that, when goaltender Jonathan Quick was called up from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, Bernier pouted.

“When we called up Quick, [Bernier] did not work hard in practice,” Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi said in an earlier interview. “He thought this was going to be an easy ride to the NHL.”

“[Bernier has] always been one of the top goaltenders in Canada his whole life,” Lombardi added. “It’s all been fairly easy because he’s so talented and he thought he would go right to the Kings. When it didn’t happen, he didn’t want to work hard. One of the biggest complaints we had was, ‘you’re not coming up here until you learn to work hard in practice.’ He didn’t do it. When we called up Quick, he kind of went the other way on us. We actually called up [former Kings goalie prospect] Danny Taylor. We played him in Manchester.”

A long talk with Kings assistant general manager Ron Hextall appears to have straightened Bernier out.

“I had a long chat with Ron Hextall,” Bernier explained. “He’s an old goalie. He told me that if I want to get back [to the Kings], I need to work harder in practice and that’s what I did.”

“I remember Hextall [later] went down [to Manchester] and said, ‘wow…what a change,’” said Lombardi. “He’s working his tail off in practice, he almost got that team in the playoffs, he played really well down the stretch in some big games. Now we can say, ‘OK…now he’s starting to figure it out.’”

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

If there is one team who’s had the Kings number the past two seasons, it is the Nashville Predators. With a 3-2 victory this afternoon at Staples Center, the Predators continue to own the Kings. For whatever reason, I don’t know. Los Angeles hasn’t been able to beat the Predators since March 13th of 2008; and lost to Nashville for the fifth consecutive time on home ice. The Kings came out of the gates slow, failing to record a shot before Steve Sullivan snuck home a bad-angle shot that slipped through the legs of Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles never seemed to catch their stride, getting out-shot each period, and often looking flat-footed in the defensive zone. The Kings scraped back to take a 2-1 third period lead, but lasted only 39 seconds only to see Colin Wilson tie the game. Justin Williams had a reviewable goal waived off by a questionable goaltender interference call. Speaking of which, you could argue Jonathan Quick was victim of interference on Nashville’s game-winning tally. Below are my notes on the game:

Notes on the game:
– On Nashville’s first goal, Randy Jones did everything right in defending Steve Sullivan. Jones forced Sullivan to the outside, making him have to release a shot from a low-percentage angle. Unfortunately, the puck slipped through the pads of Jonathan Quick, who had a shaky start.
– The powerplay continues its success as the Kings were able to capitalize on their only opportunity today. Drew Doughty utilized his control and presence with the puck when under pressure, and managed to not only get the puck down-low, but drag a couple of Nashville defenders with him. This cleared up space in the slot, which Michael Handzus took advantage of by feeding a wide open Anze Kopitar for the goal.
– Good job by Dustin Brown to walk the puck in from the side-boards forcing Pekka Rinne to move. Brown released mid-stride in the middle of the slot, catching Rinne off-guard.

Man, I love this team! The LA Kings were in Dallas to face Marc Crawford and the Dallas Stars. Young netminder Jonathan Bernier came in and played a very solid game while Jonathan Quick was with his wife delivering their first child. It was an all-around solid effort last night with a long shootout that the Kings excel in.

Alex’s post-game blog here.