.

The Kings will stay within California State boundaries for their Western Conference Semifinals series after their triumphant comeback to oust the St. Louis Blues in six games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, winning four straight contests against St. Louis after facing an early, and gut-checking two-loss deficit.

How they continue to grow.

A best-of-seven date is slated to start against the San Jose Sharks in Downtown Los Angeles Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Everything was aligned for the Kings’ second-round series to involve our neighbors from Orange County – the other NHL club from Southern California.

The Anaheim Ducks just couldn’t keep up.

The Kings will move up, and do so against their Pacific Division opponent from up North, who they have recent postseason history against.

San Jose was the opponent in the Kings 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals series, and it was a lopsided affair that turned out to be much closer than expected, and was certainly closer than the results that series ultimately showed.

The Sharks prevailed against us in the 2011 NHL Playoffs, but it was so against a much younger, weaker Kings roster.

If you compare the growth and improvement of each of these rosters since that 2011 postseason bout, the Kings’ plus-side blows the Sharks out of the water.

The Kings were without Anze Kopitar in that one and only previous postseason matchup with the San Jose Sharks, while he was recovering from a broken ankle that left him out of the lineup indefinitely.

But the young stars were definite.

Doughty’s dos

No Dought

Drew Doughty, who was moderately quiet throughout the majority of the regular season, but ended up with a respectable six goals and 16 assists for 22 points at season’s end, reignited his clutch offensive ways Friday night against the St. Louis Blues in Game six, notching the Kings’ first goal of the contest with the kind of moves and suave we’ve come to know all too well from #8 the previous two years.

Playoff ‘Bout

Youth Hangout

Plus Some: The Kings’ youth carried them through their last postseason matchup against the San Jose Sharks in 2011, but their development – plus some absolutely crucial additions to the roster via the aggressive ways of GM Dean Lombardi, should make this upcoming Western Conference Semifinals series a great opportunity not just for revenge, but overall self-proof of what this roster has beautifully grown to become to be.

Kyle Clifford‘s the one player who you can connect with both the Kings’ current position, and the Kings’ playoff matchup against the San Jose Sharks in April of 2011.

He was, at times, the best player for the Kings in this past Western Conference Quarterfinals series against the St. Louis Blues.

And as an NHL rookie, he was rocking the same type of impact.

Red Dog, Light

Purple light: The Kings, in that series, would retire a bit of history, wearing purple on the road for the final time in their 3-1 victory in Game 5 of the 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals.

The player to tally the third and final goal for the Kings in their purple visiting sweaters was Dustin Penner, the same player to bury the game-winning tally on Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues.

Oil left in the Tank

The White/Purple road uniforms were retired that year.

The Black/Purple home uniforms were retired this year.

Dustin Penner won’t be a King next year.

It’s just mother nature’s cycle.

Laser Penner

Don’t get caught up with Dustin Penner now, just love his current play. It’s like a dying light bulb shining it’s brightest before it’s, well, ending.

If playoffs was in her Pepsi cup

This innocent little girl would be choking.

Whether it be like Old Times

Or what Today finds

Just let it Roll

Fresh Feelings

The Kings played the San Jose Sharks only four times during this season’s shortened and compacted schedule due to the NHL‘s rather lengthy lockout.

They pulled out ahead in the end, but just barely, finishing with a 2-1-1 record against Northern California’s black and teal.

Each team has earned two points when playing in home confines. The Kings, however, were able to snag a point from San Jose at HP Pavilion on April 16th, forcing that night’s date with the Sharks to go past regulation.

The Kings outscored the Sharks 13-10 during regulation play.

It’s all off the books now.

Don’t depend on anything.

Not even a Hail Mary

Puck drops against the San Jose Sharks for Game 1 of the NHL‘s Western Conference Semifinals Tuesday night at 7:00PM PST in Downtown Los Angeles at Staples Center.

Episode 194 KingsCast TV: LAK-STL Game 5 WCQF RECAP – HERE
Episode 195 KingsCast TV: LAK-STL Game 6 WCQF RECAP – HERE
Follow the blog on Twitter HERE
Get your Official KingsCast Apparel HERE
KingsCast Hockey Podcast on  —  Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Youtube

For the second consecutive year, the Los Angeles Kings have defeated the St. Louis Blues to advance in the NHL Playoffs. In this new episode, Chris is once again joined by hockey blogger Alex Kinkopf to discuss Game 6, present a Playoff Beard Update (sort of), give an official See Ya! to the Blues and breakdown the Pros & Cons of playing the Sharks or Ducks in the next round. Go Kings!

The tide has turned! In a series momentum shift the Los Angeles Kings have taken a 3-2 lead after a tight OT win against the St. Louis Blues. In this episode, KingsCast blogger Alex Kinkopf co-hosts as we discuss Game 5, breakdown the scoring, goaltending & physicality of the series, present a Playoff Beard update, preview Game 6 and read the best post-win comments from Facebook. Close it out Kings!

Boom! The LA Kings storm back to take the game and even the series with the St. Louis Blues at 2 games a piece. In this new installment we breakdown Game 4, discuss the full team effort, give a Playoff Beard update and preview Game 5 in St. Louis. Go Kings!

.

A trip home can do it all.

For the Kings, the two game return to Staples Center in their Western Conference Quarterfinals dance with the St. Louis Blues saw them pull off two consecutive wins, tying the series 2-2, while rediscovering their offense that trudged through an uncharacteristically cold and ugly start to the postseason.

They rediscovered their winning ways before rejuvenating their offense, winning 1-0 Saturday night at Staples Center in Game 3 of the series. The Kings maintained their one-goal-per game quota in Game 3, but this time around, Jonathan Quick made sure no off-hand mistakes were made to grant St. Louis any success.

Talk about a save.

The Kings were lifted by a defenseman offensively in their Game 3 shutout victory, Vyacheslav Voynov tallying the lone goal of the contest that would ultimately breathe new life into the Kings’ playoff run.

*NEW KingsCast TV: Episode 192 – LAK/STL Game 3 WCQF RECAP

Voynov, who is playing in only his second NHL season, has looked like a veteran from the day he joined the Kings’ roster as a 21 year-old on the evening of October 18, 2011, his debut game which came against none other than the St. Louis Blues.

Since then, he’s solidified himself as an absolute staple to the Kings’ blue-line.

A staple that locked up Game 3.

Debut Strut

Pro Cut

Game 3 Kaput

Nothing New About it

Quick Fixin’

Cement in the Crease: The Kings, without Jonathan Quick, would not have had a prayer in even coming close in Games 1 and 2 in this series against the St. Louis Blues without last year’s Conn Smythe Trophy winner’s stalwart play.

You can’t expect much when you score just once in 60 minutes.

Unfortunately, though, Quick’s costly mistakes to Alexander Steen‘s penalty-kill pressure in Game 1 and Barret Jackman‘s hapless shot in Game 2 cost the Kings their two losses.

This was as much the fault of the Kings’ offense as it was Jonathan Quick‘s, but Quick proved to be the bigger asset first – granting the Kings a win without a shutout performance, stopping every single one of St. Louis’ 30 shots Saturday night.

The Kings’ struggling offense was saved in Game 3, but two nights later, they took matters into their own hands in Game 4.

*NEW KingsCast TV: Episode 193 – LAK/STL Game 4 WCQF RECAP

Monday night proved to be a barn-burner at Staples Center, the Kings overcoming two deficits offensively, recording four goals against the St. Louis Blues to land their second-straight win, while finally giving Jonathan Quick some well-deserved support.

The scoring itself came in abundance, and it leaked to just about half of the Kings’ roster.

11 Kings players recorded at least one point in Game 4 Monday night.

Record it with a Penner and Paper

Circuit City

Purposeful Penner: Throughout his two-year tenure with the Kings, which will likely come to an end after this season, Dustin Penner‘s presence has been portrayed in a rather negative fashion, which, at times, has been the cold-hard and honest look at the veteran winger’s performance.

He’s found a new wind in the Kings’ playoff series against the St. Louis Blues, looking faster and more prone to induce production than he ever has in a Los Angeles uniform.

In his four games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, Dustin Penner has been a hot commodity for the Kings’ offensive pressure.

Penner has laid 10 hits on St. Louis, he’s directed nine shots Brian Elliott‘s way, and he’s scored a goal, that quite frankly, the Kings couldn’t have done without in order to pull away with a win in Game 4 Monday night.

Who says you can’t still pull some moves as an aging NHL forward, on and off the ice, even after a nasty divorce.

It’s better than that pancake sh*t.

Speaker City

Kopitar Fitting

20 games, 41 days

That was the span Anze Kopitar had gone without recording a goal until he keyed on Dustin Brown‘s outstanding puck possession and the needle-thread like pass he fed to Kopitar in the 3rd period Monday night.

The Kings were just 12:46 minutes away from a dreadful 3-1 series deficit.

And then, the two most tenured players on this roster, the two names that have been the strongest identities to this organization, the two that have grown together during some of the darkest days this franchise has been through, came through.

Dustin Brown, who built the Kings’ game-tying goal in Game 4 Monday night with his utterly dominating possession of the puck deep in the Blues’ zone, was waiting anxiously for some help to execute on the defensive scramble St. Louis found itself in.

He was waiting for Anze Kopitar to come back.

Family Time

Anze Kopitar came home.

Nothing wrong with coming through the back door.

Rally back, Monkey off the back

Game 5 Jive

How do you want it: The Kings, fresh off a win that saw their rejuvenated roster record points from 11 different players in Game 4, head back to St. Louis, Missouri for Game 5 in the same exact fashion – rejuvenated. 

It’s back to Scottrade Center.

You couldn’t trade the game’s setting for the world.

Because when you’re playing, you’re playing.

Where? It shouldn’t matter.

Keep it going, now.

Puck drops in downtown St. Louis, Missouri Wednesday evening for Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center at 6:00PM PST.

Episode 192 KingsCast TV: LAK-STL Game 3 WCQF RECAP – HERE
Episode 193 KingsCast TV: LAK-STL Game 4 WCQF RECAP – HERE
Follow the blog on Twitter HERE
Get your Official KingsCast Apparel HERE
KingsCast Hockey Podcast on  —  Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Youtube

That’s more like it! The Los Angeles Kings hold on for a 1-0 win against the St. Louis Blues at Staples Center in Game 3, making the series 2-1 Blues. In this episode we breakdown the game, preview Game 4, discuss Staples Center concessions, update our Playoff beard tracker and provide genius commentary. Go Kings!

.

How do ya do?

Down 0-2, that’s new.

Here’s the story of Jarret Stoll‘s shift during Barret Jackman‘s game-winning goal in Game 2 Thursday night by the way.

It was so f*cking brutal the empty rage sickens, so I’ll avoid it.

Jarret Stoll was candy to St. Louis’ approach during the final minute.

Candy.

Tell me how happy you are.

Stomach it

How’s my hair

F*cking sh*t it was brutal.

Want to talk about leaving a goalie hung out to dry?

*NEW KingsCast TV: Episode 191 – LAK/STL Game 2 RECAP

Quick’s been hanging on clothes pins folks.

Roll with it

On to the Next One

The Kings begin a playoff series at Staples Center like no other way they have in recent history. They’re accustomed to hosting the third game of a series, but never have they done so when facing an 0-2 ditch in the past 12 years.

They’re going to have to prove themselves where they have the most all season long, on home-ice at Staples Center, where in 24 games, the Kings solidified the NHL‘s best home record, racking up a 19-4-1 record.

The Kings came back home to Staples Center 1-1 against the Vancouver Canucks in April of 2010, they came back home 1-1 against the San Jose Sharks in April of 2011, and came back home in all four postseason series’ with a dominating 2-0 series lead last spring during the 2012 playoffs.

If you were seeking adversity, it’s here; loud and clear.

If you want to look for an answer, don’t succumb to history.

Every playoff series the Kings have played against the St. Louis Blues in NHL history has been decided in a sweep, each club either winning every matchup, or losing in whole.

Looking back to last year won’t help you either, the Kings find themselves in completely new territory.

Even adversity ain’t free.

Old Times

Stoll’s Dimes

Take a Knee

Home Cooking

Save my Spot

Three’s Key: Scoring, and most notably, scoring first, will be a major factor for the Kings in Game 3 Saturday night at Staples Center. The Kings have been cold as ice against Brian Elliott this series, scoring just twice on a combined 67 shots on the Blues’ goaltender.

The Kings are in an offensive tangle, struggling not only to score, but develop any kind of constant threat or pressure to the Blues’ defensive corps.

If the Kings are to settle the nerves, they need to act early at in Game 3 Saturday night at Staples Center.

In the Kings’ previous 10 wins against the St. Louis Blues, they’ve recorded the first goal in each of those contests.

Hit ‘em early and often Saturday night at the Stape.

Fits into the pattern, no?

Square Dance

Anze Kopitar.

Are you here?

Puck drops in Downtown Los Angeles for Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the St. Louis Blues at Staples Center at 7:00PM PST Saturday night.

Episode 191 KingsCast TV: LAK-STL Game 2 WCQF RECAP – HERE
Follow the blog on Twitter HERE
Get your Official KingsCast Apparel HERE
KingsCast Hockey Podcast on  —  Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Youtube

The Stanley Cup title defense has begun! In this episode we breakdown Game 1 between the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues, make witty observations & give our Top 5 changes Coach Sutter should make for Game 2. Go Kings!

.

Did you feel a pinch?

Tuesday night hurt.

The Kings’ 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals was a slap back to reality if you will, a little jolt to refresh you on what life in the NHL playoffs is really about.

Snap out of that 2012 magic.

The scoreboard didn’t do Tuesday night’s contest justice. Jonathan Quick was turning away digit changes on Scottrade Center‘s score clocks under St. Louis’ name at a rate faster than his own last name.

Quick saved the Kings Tuesday night, absolutely stood on his head in a phenomenal effort to give our lackluster roster any prayer of a chance to win the contest.

Ironically, and in utterly painful fashion, Jonathan Quick also lost the game for the Kings.

*NEW KingsCastTV: Episode 190 – LAK/STL Game 1 RECAP

It was a missed opportunity to wreck and absolutely bury St. Louis’ psychological state.

It was a missed opportunity to, and I say this in the most literal way possible, steal a game from the St. Louis Blues.

Because to be fair, level-headed, and accountable about the Kings’ performance in their postseason opener on Tuesday night; they certainly, and without a doubt, did not deserve to win that contest. The fact Justin Williams found a sliver of open space atop the left shoulder of the Blues’ Brian Elliott with just :31.6 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime was a steal in itself.

A steal, that is, that the Kings would get caught loose-handed with in the overtime frame.

Where Momma keeps the Cookies

Quick Bounce

Dancing with the Disc: The St. Louis Blues were looking for a glimmer of hope against the Kings Tuesday night, one that would provide a boost of confidence to a team the Kings had defeated eight consecutive times, and in 10 of their previous 11 meetings.

All it takes is one bounce, one play.

When you’re as unfortunate as the Blues have been against the Kings, you’re not so much leaning on the execution of a set play, but the advantage of a unique, jaw-dropping instance that figures into a magnificent development that revives you more than a lay after a dry period.

That happened to the Blues, the Kings felt it. It came at the 6:34 mark of the first overtime period, just after the Kings had been granted a golden opportunity from the act of a stick hitting face.

Kevin Shattenkirk caught Dustin Penner with a high stick behind the net just :41 seconds of game-play prior to Alexander Steen‘s game-winning tally.

Shattenkirk’s stick didn’t just strike Penner’s mug, it struck blood, signaling an automatic double-minor 4:00 minute powerplay for the Kings. This, just as the Kings were showing signs of their old selves, deep into a period that saw them reclaim momentum on St. Louis, outshooting the Blues 10-5 and controlling the majority of puck possession.

Script it as a steal, the Kings were running away with absolute robbery.

Then they got caught, caught sleeping when the St. Louis blues were not just down, but short-handed.

Dabble with it

Short handed, hot handed

Your Medicine: The Blues beat the Kings Tuesday night, the same way the Kings beat the Blues in last year’s Western Conference Semifinals series, where the Kings swept St. Louis convincingly with four straight victories.

Matt Greene recorded the Kings’ game-winning goal in Game 1 of their series with the St. Louis Blues last season on April 28, 2012 at Scottrade Center in short-handed fashion.

Alexander Steen potted the game-winner for St. Louis in Game 1 this time around, also in short-handed fashion.

Call it walking on flip-flops.

The Kings scored two short-handed goals in all against the St. Louis Blues last postseason, with Anze Kopitar netting the eventual game-tying goal en rout to the Kings locking up a 5-2 victory on March 30th, 2012 at Scottrade Center.

For the first time in five postseason series’ the Kings have lost the opening contest. The four previous series’ began on the road as well, the Kings regaining home-ice advantage with each of their Game 1 victories.

Scoring first against the Blues has proven critical to the Kings success against them in the past. Scoring in general is key as well. The Kings outscored the Blues 15-6 in four playoff meetings last season, and outscored them 14-7 in their three regular season meetings this year.

The Kings, after last night had lost to the Blues just one other time in 12 meetings. Offensive struggle was a factor, the Kings getting shutout 1-0 on February 3rd, 2012 at Scottrade Center.

All you can do is regroup.

All ‘Willy-Nilly’ Like

F*ck I forgot

The Game 2 Blues

In form.

Play it out now

This one’s bigger than you think.

The start-time almost mirrors the Kings’ regularly scheduled starts on Staples Center‘s rink.

Puck drops for Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the St. Louis Blues Thursday night at Scottrade Center at 6:30PM PST.

St. Louis wants to stay up late for this one.

Bueno!

Episode 190 KingsCast TV: LAK-STL Game 1 WCQF RECAP – HERE
Follow the blog on Twitter HERE
Get your Official KingsCast Apparel HERE
KingsCast Hockey Podcast on  —  Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Youtube

.

No matter how favorable history may be, just don’t lean on it.

One bounce, one fidget is all it takes to swing momentum, which at this time of year, you know, can spread faster than a flame in open air.

It’s playoff hockey for the Kings, a thing that has become all too familiar with this organization as of late; the Kings now making their fourth consecutive appearance in the NHL‘s postseason tournament, the familiarity seemingly fitting the expectations.

*NEW KingsCast TV: Episode 189 – LA Kings lock up 5th in the West

The Kings’ Western Conference Quarterfinals opponent is familiar as well, one the Kings defeated in stunningly dominant fashion during last spring’s Stanley Cup Championship run, and one the Kings have, for the past two years as a whole, yes you said it – dominated.

It’s the St. Louis Blues for the Kings, who will play host to the start of the series, the first puck slated to be dropped Tuesday evening at the Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

Have your Number

Digits: It’s without a doubt that the Kings have been flirting with complete command over the St. Louis Blues as of late, and last season’s four-game sweep of the Blues in the Western Conference Semifinals is just the tip of it.

The Kings ousted the Blues from the playoffs last season in an absolute ruthless fashion. In their four straight wins, the Kings outscored St. Louis 15-6, sending the Blues’ young roster into a state of timid dysfunction from start to finish.

In all, the Kings have beat the St. Louis Blues eight consecutive times, dating back to March 22nd of 2012 when the Kings earned two points with a 1-0 shootout victory over St. Louis at Staples Center.

They’ve also beaten St. Louis in 10 of the last 11 games overall, the lone St. Louis victory coming in a 1-0 fashion on February 3rd, 2o12 at Scottrade Center.

This season, the Kings posted a 3-0 record against the St. Louis Blues, matching Missouri’s blue-notes two goals for their every one, outscoring the Blues 14-7 in their three contests between each other during the regular season.

Like it was Easy

Blues’ Plus

Two of the three Kings’ contests against the St. Louis Blues this season were played in Missouri at the Scottrade Center, the other in Downtown Los Angeles at Staples Center. All results favored the Kings, and at times, those results carried on.

The Kings’ first meeting against the Blues on February 11th ignited this roster just as soon as the season’s schedule started to grow legs. The Kings entered that contest with a sub-par, completely mediocre 3-5-2 record on the season.

After two goals from Jeff Carter, two assists from Vyacheslav Voynov, and a 21-save performance from Jonathan Bernier, the Kings were in business.

The Kings would pull off an 11-3-0 record after that win in St. Louis on February 11th, washing away the distaste of their 3-5-2 start, fueling the push that has landed them in the NHL playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

That 11-3-0 aftermath included the Kings’ biggest comeback of the season, the Kings overcoming a three-goal deficit in defeating the St. Louis Blues 6-4 at Staples Center on March 5th.

What’s the Muzz?

Comeback City: The Kings, with two goals from Rookie defenseman Jake Muzzin and points from 10 players on the roster, overcome a slow start that saw head coach Darryl Sutter pull Jonathan Bernier from the game in favor of Jonathan Quick.

Jonathan Quick would make five saves during the 38:46 minutes he played in relief of Bernier, allowing just one goal.

The Kings, during that 38:46 minutes Jonathan Quick played, would match Quick’s save-total with goals, dropping five unanswered goals on the St. Louis Blues to run away with a stunning 6-4 victory.

The game-winner came off the stick of Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar followed up with an insurance claim.

Cart Dart

Anzsurance

Cold but Bold: Since that game-closing goal on March 5th at Staples Center, Anze Kopitar has recorded just two goals for the Kings. That’s a 26 game span, and Kopitar’s in a scoring drought we’ve rarely seen the franchise’s forward trudge through.

But this is the playoffs.

Just as meaningless as Anze Kopitar‘s goal-drought is come Tuesday night in St. Louis, is the Kings’ recent string of overwhelming success against the St. Louis Blues.

That’s why they call the playoffs the second season. All prior happenings are wiped clean from the slate, it simply comes down to a race to four victories.

Quick to the Point

“We both start at 0-0. And we’re going to have to outwork them. They’ve got some big forwards, strong forwards, they go hard to the net. Strong on the back end, a couple skilled guys that can really create stuff on the power play, and obviously they’ve got great goaltending.” – Quick via LA Times

Don’t get caught Short

Puck drops for Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals Tuesday at Scottrade Center against the St. Louis Blues at 5:00PM PST.

Episode 189 KingsCast TV: LA Kings lock up 5th in West – HERE
Follow the blog on Twitter HERE
Get your Official KingsCast Apparel HERE
KingsCast Hockey Podcast on  —  Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Youtube