Leading up to tomorrow night’s match-up against the Division-foe Dallas Stars, the Kings face a big question in net. With Jonathan Quick staying in Los Angeles to be at his wife’s side as they deliver their first baby, Jonathan Bernier has been called up from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Which goalie should start; Erik Ersberg or Jonathan Bernier, immediately turned into a hot topic, and Terry Murray has an important decision to make. With every point being crucial as the Kings are in full-stride of a playoff stretch, Murray has to start the goalie who gives us the best chance to win. Do I think the popularity of a hyped prospect in Jonathan Bernier has swayed away from this frame of mind? Yes. Do I think Bernier has the capability to grab 2 points in Dallas? Yes. Do I think he should start tomorrow night? No. And in fact, I’m in very strong favor of Erik Ersberg. Let me explain my thoughts on why Ersberg should get the start.

Why Ersberg Should Get The Call:
Erik Ersberg will be on the Kings bench come the playoffs, Jonathan Bernier won’t. That, right there, is huge to me. Teams that expect to make a run for the Stanley Cup need a back-up goaltender they can trust. Now, Ersberg hasn’t played great, but the opportunites have come few and far between. Let’s not get into stats, because quite frankly those should be thrown out the door regarding this argument. Ersberg needs a couple more starts, some live-action, something to shake off the rust; loosen the nerves. Quick has been great, but goalies can hit a wall come post-season. The fatigue starts to set in, and playing the same opponent consecutive games can be difficult for a goalie to handle. Bottom line is, the Kings, and Terry Murray, should start to realize Ersberg needs to be a viable option down the road. And what better way than tomorrow night? If he loses? Well, I still think it’s the correct decision. Look folks, this is THIS SEASON, the Kings are striding toward the playoffs, and Erik Ersberg is THE back-up goalie. Save the Bernier – Ersberg competition for training camp. Right now, it’s time to test Ersberg; Give the guy a start, and look to build his confidence.

Who do you think should be between the pipes for the Kings tomorrow night? I’d love to hear your thoughts, disagreements, and opinions on the decision at hand in the comments section below.

The Los Angeles Kings are poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and they aren’t looking to slide in. Here’s the latest from Gann Matsuda on LA’s push. And, no, they can’t just sit back and slide in..

LOS ANGELES — For the first time since the 2001-02 season, the Los Angeles Kings are looking like a playoff team, so much so that even if they play just .500 hockey over their remaining sixteen games, they are still likely to earn an invitation to the post-season party.

Heading into the Olympic break, the Kings were hot, earning a 12-2-1 record in their last fifteen games prior to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. But coming out of the break, the Kings have been a mixed bag, with a decisive 5-1 win at Dallas on March 2, followed by two extremely poor efforts at Nashville (4-2 loss) on March 4 and against Montreal (4-2 loss) on March 6. The Kings responded with a 6-0 blowout over the feeble Columbus Blue Jackets on March 8, but then they suffered a tough, 3-2 overtime loss at Chicago on March 10.

The big question for the Kings with just sixteen games remaining is: even if they qualify for post-season action, will they go in with momentum or will they slide into the playoffs, putting them at a disadvantage right off the bat?

Based on their play over the last six weeks, there is cause for concern, especially when you consider the fact that even during their 12-2-1 run, the Kings often got off to slow starts and had to struggle to come from behind to win.

“The biggest thing for us has been our starts recently,” Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. “We’ve shown some real good character and an ability to come back in games. But a few of us have been talking here. When it comes down to the stretch, you’re not going to be able to come back against good teams.”

“The games [heading down the stretch] are going to be huge for us,” Scuderi emphasized. “We can’t make a habit of terrible starts.”

Slow starts continued to plague the Kings after the Olympic break as well.

Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.

The team is back in action and the LA Kings are surging into the playoffs. Tonight, Keith and Chris talk about the games up to now, enjoy the thoughts of the upcoming playoffs and say goodbye to Teddy Purcell. Enjoy!

Brad Richardson played like the Brad Richardson of last season when he coughed up the puck in overtime to seal it for the Chicago Blackhawks. It was a rough start for the Los Angeles Kings but they turned up the heat to take Chicago into Overtime. Not a bad game by any stretch and it was nice to grab a point. Your thoughts on the game?

Alex’s post-game blog here.

In what I knew was going to be a tough, but solid match-up for the Kings, the boys from Los Angeles certainly provided a quality performance; A game that had the thrilling intensity that some would relate to playoff-caliber. Two teams contested tonight; Teams with stability on both sides of the puck, and two teams who are built not only for now, but for the years ahead. The Kings were out-shot by a wide margin tonight, but produced 32 shots on Chicago goaltender Antti Niemi, not a number the Blackhawks allow very often.
The Chicago Blackhawks are tied for first in the Western Conference with the San Jose Sharks and are a favorite come the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, tonight was a big test for the Kings, and they proved they’re on the verge of becoming a playoff threat. On the road, in Chicago, where the NHL buzz revolves around two young hotshots known as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Kings were one neutral zone turnover in OT from having the opportunity to beat one of the elite teams in the league. Below are my notes from the game:

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Notes on the Game:
– On Chicago’s First Goal: I’m usually harsh on the Kings defensive play, but Chicago moved the puck down-low perfectly for their first tally. Patrick Kane and Adam Burish did a wonderful job of controlling the puck behind the goal line, ultimately finding Patrick Sharp for the goal. No blame on Kings defense here, kudos to the Blackhawks.
– On LA’s first Goal: Sean O’Donnell was the key to Dustin Brown’s wrap-around marker, making it possible as he stepped up from the blue-line to keep the puck in offensive territory that had all intentions of clearing the zone.
On LA’s second Goal: Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll work the puck on the blue-line beautifully to feed an open Anze Kopitar who rifled a gorgeous wrist shot to beat Antti Niemi on the power-play. Great puck control on the point with heavy pressure to construct a goal.
On Chicago’s second Goal: Matt Greene, on his back feet, failed to clear the puck, allowing Kris Versteeg to find the puck in front of the net, eventually capitalizing on his own rebound to tie the game.
On Chicago’s OT winner: Brad Richardson, who was defended well with control in the neutral zone, tried to make the best of it with a blind back-hand pass. A risky play in overtime, Dave Bolland cut off Richardon’s neutral zone pass and fed a wide-open Patrick Sharp who walked in alone on Jonathan Quick and ended the game beating a helpless Quick on the back-hand side.

Prior to Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, Chris Kaliszewski took part in an interview with Team 990 Montreal. Here he talks about the Los Angeles Kings and guarantees a victory. If the Kings don’t win, Chris has to wear a Montreal jersey in the next edition of Overtime. We all know who won and look forward to seeing Chris in a Habs jersey soon!

 

 Chris on Team 990 Montreal [11:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

It was like a game of NHL 2010 on Rookie Mode as the Los Angeles Kings notched six goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Staples Center last night. Alexander Frolov had a monster game with four points (1G, 4A) and newly acquired Fredrik Modin (1G, 1A) also had a great game. Incidentally, the conditional 7th round pick the Kings gave up for Modin only happens if the Kings win the Stanley Cup. I guess we’ll be hanging onto that pick!

Alex’s Post-Game blog on the win.

With the Olympic break finally over, the playoff push for the LA Kings begins. In this new installment; how the Olympics experience impacts the players, trade deadline fodder, exclusive coverage of the Stars game from Dallas correspondent Chris Bond and a special “international” shoutout.

The Vancouver Olympics are winding down and the Hockey medal race is in full swing. We take a look at the historic USA vs Canada game, present our game viewing experience and discuss this years hockey rules. Question of the Day: Who is the MVP of Mens Hockey at the Olympics so far?

Nearing the crucial games that will be documented as the “playoff-stretch”, I’m taking a look at each player on the Kings roster and evaluating them with a grade on their performance thus far. A roster that has worked together to post a 37-20-4 record (78 points) at 5th place in the Western Conference has to be doing something right, Right? Which players have contributed most? Which players have disappointed? In Part 2 of a 3-Part series, we’ll take a look at the defensemen of the Los Angeles Kings. With 166 goals allowed, the Kings stand at 8th in the Western Conference, and 12th in the entire NHL. Don’t give Jonathan Quick total credit for the success the Kings have had in their own zone this season, this group of defensemen have been solid all year.

DEFENSEMEN

DREW DOUGHTY #8
GRADE: A-
SYNOPSIS: The 19 year-old Defenseman for the Kings has been a strong asset on the blue line from the start of his NHL career. Playing in every game so far this season, Doughty has posted an exceptional stat-line of 11 goals and 34 assists. His awareness of the ice when he has the puck allows him to be an offensive defensemen. Once he controls the puck in his own zone, Doughty has the ability to create space and either move the puck up the ice laterally with a pass or take it himself with a rush. Doughty has also become a staple on the Kings PP with his puck movement up-top and his stellar shot. Bottom Line: Although Doughty is often a standout player, he’s had a few rough games this year. At his age, that is perfectly reasonable; his ability to recover from his mistakes is impressive.

DAVIS DREWISKE #44
GRADE: C+
SYNOPSIS: After signing a 3-year contract extension before the season, Drewiske’s play has been moderate. Not the type of player who’s going to rack up the points or drop the gloves, so his contributions often go unnoticed. Drewiske, with his lack of speed, has had a little trouble in the transition game, mainly in the neutral zone. Most of the time he knows where to look for passing lanes on the break-out, but we’ve seen a few too many turnovers from #44 this season. Bottom Line: A tough call on Drewiske because he’s not the solid stay-at-home guy you’d like to pair with Doughty or Johnson, or the guy you’d like to pair with another shut-down D-man. Drewiske, for this year, will continue to float around Murray’s D-line pairings.

MATT GREENE #2
GRADE: B+
SYNOPSIS: The guy is providing the Kings with exactly what they acquired him for. His physical play down low is some of the best in knocking opposition off of the puck. You’re not going to see a lot of anything else from the Alternate Captain. He makes the simple passes, and puts the puck on net when necessary. His mindset is always Defense; And this is key when you need a partner to pair with our flashy D-men. Bottom Line: Greene will bring a physical presence to every game, and is smart to not push it to the point where it hurts the team. His leadership in the locker room is vital, where his toughness rubs off on teammates and his humor builds camaraderie in the locker room.

PETER HARROLD #5
GRADE: C
SYNOPSIS: Harrold is a role player for Terry Murray. You could call him a “swingman”, as he accepts the call for taking the ice as a forward or defenseman. A guy like this is good for a team, yet underrated. Harrold, who’s only dressed in 36 games this season for the Kings, has played a conservative style of hockey this year. I haven’t seen a lot of big mistakes from #5 this season, but not too many impressive plays either. He’s not a skill player, but a smart player. Bottom Line: Harrold is a safe bet for Terry Murray when it comes to filling a spot on the bench. I think the word “fill” describes his play perfectly. For now, a good option to have on the roster down the line this season.

JACK JOHNSON #3
GRADE: B-
SYNOPSIS: In what was a tumultuous start to the season for Johnson, his game has stepped up as of late. Missing two games due to an arm injury, Johnson has posted 6 goals and 20 assists in 59 games for the Kings. I had to think for a bit on Johnson’s grading, and I find myself appreciating what he always brings to the ice. Quick feet, good vision of the ice, solid passing. What I see missing from his game this year was his physical play; stepping up on the top of the circles. Johnson also hasn’t been the offensive threat I think he is capable of. Less shots from the blue-line and fewer end-to-end rushes. Bottom Line: Johnson has the tools to be an elite defenseman. Don’t get me wrong, he’s close to having that stature, but right now Johnson seems to still be learning how to utilize his skills to become an exclusive player at the NHL level.

RANDY JONES #12
GRADE: D
SYNOPSIS: Randy Jones has been awful for the Kings this season. Acquired by the Kings off of waivers in October, Jones has posted 5 goals and 9 assists. His performance has been questionable all year; From wary physical play to terrible passes through the middle of the ice, Jones’ mishaps strongly overshadow the positives in his game. Bottom Line: I don’t think Randy Jones will make an impact on the rest of the season. He hasn’t done much to win over the fans, or Terry Murray; Who’s expressed frustration with him. Look for Jones to continue with his mediocre play.

SEAN O’DONNELL
GRADE: C-
SYNOPSIS: O’Donnell’s role on the team is to provide stability in the defensive zone while bringing veteran leadership to this young roster. While his experience is huge for this team, it seems that his game is slipping. O’Donnell’s age may be showing, as he’s getting pushed around in the corners more often this year. O’Donnell has blown coverage several times and is getting beat to the outside too easily. Bottom Line: O’Donnell is a key part to the Kings locker room. A player with his experience and wisdom will help this team as the playoffs loom. I can see O’Donnell lasting one more season with the Kings, but there’s no question his performance on the ice is on the downhill.

ROB SCUDERI #7
GRADE: B+
SYNOPSIS: A key off-season acquisition for the Kings, Scuderi brings playoff experience, solid defensive play, and more veteran leadership to the table. Scuderi has been a wonderful addition. He can be paired with any defenseman on the roster, as he is able to work with the offensive-minded and the stay-at-homers like himself. He’s been able to clear the front of the net and cut off passing lanes through the slot. Bottom Line: Scuderi may be the most important player on the roster when it comes to the playoff stretch. A smart, physical shut-down defenseman who has all of the post-season experience you could ask for, #7 will be a big factor later this season.

Part III: “Dancing in the Reign” on Kingscast.net will be pulling out the grade-book on Kings forwards on the next installment of Kings Grade Reports. What would you grade King’s defensemen so far? Please post comments downstairs!