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.

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!

Matt Greene is hilarious. But, to get the true sense of his sense of humor, you need to watch this video!

This is a great little video from Matt Greene and Kings Vision simply asking what gifts each Kings player would get for one another. Matt Greene may be a tough, rugged defenseman on the ice but he is hilarious off of it. Enjoy the video while the Los Angeles Kings enjoy some well-deserved time off.

In another back-to-back the Los Angeles Kings win one and drop the other over the American Thanksgiving holiday. On Wednesday they won against the Edmonton Oilers (3-1) but lost to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday (4-1).

Since this weekend has altered my schedule a bit, I’m going to go back to the quick bullet-point style that I find so useful on this type of occasion. I hope everyone has had a great 4-day weekend because I definitely have.

• Matt Greene got his first goal of the season, which was also the game-winning goal against the Oilers. It was a pass out to the point and a lob to the goalmouth that beat Jeff Deslauriers over his shoulder.
• The Andrei Loktionov experiment halted to a standstill with a dislocated shoulder at the end of the game against the Oilers, which is completely unfortunate for him and the team.
• Thank you, Patrick O’Sullivan.
• The Kings were atrocious in the faceoff circle at 42% and 38%, respectively. A certain number 28 needs to get back in the lineup ASAP.
• I’ve actually liked Teddy Purcell’s play in these two games on the top line. He’s not the greatest replacement but I think he’ll be an adequate stand-in while not adding too much in terms of offensive production. It’s a shame Terry Murray is changing it up again by putting Alexander Frolov back on the left wing.
• Michael Handzus took out Ales Hemsky and he is now out for the rest of the season with shoulder surgery.
• The other rookie experiment of Brayden Schenn took only one game as well. He was signed to a one-game contract and will not be returning to the lineup for tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
• The Vancouver Canucks presented a much harder challenge to the Kings than the Oilers on Thursday and they fell 4 to 1. Roberto Loungo was the wall for the Canucks and Jonathan Quick was playing well until the third period with a collapse of three goals against. The last goal was by Kyle Wellwood who is such a great player he hit the post before scoring in the empty net. Great job, guy.
• The player of these two games was definitely Wayne Simmonds. He had the most jump of everyone and was the only to get a goal in both games.

That’s all I got, folks. Thanks for stopping by. I truely appreciate it! Also, please check out the new episode of KingsCast titled Injury Bugged.

LOS ANGELES — Washington Capitals superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin has been leading the National Hockey League in scoring to start the 2009-10 season, which should not be a surprise to anyone who follows the NHL.

But, at least for one night, Ovechkin has some company at the top from an unexpected source.

On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Kings held on for a 5-4 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars in front of 15,042 fans at Staples Center.

The Kings were led by center Anze Kopitar’s three goals, his first NHL hat trick, giving the Kings a three-goal lead heading into the third period.

Kopitar has now scored eight goals and has added eight assists for sixteen points, matching Ovechkin, who has nine goals and seven assists for sixteen points through games played through October 22.

But Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick had a poor third period, allowing the Stars to tie the game on two soft goals allowed by Quick and another while he was partially screened.

Center Michal Handzus was the Kings’ savior in the overtime period, scoring 55 seconds into the extra frame.

Listen to Anze Kopitar, Matt Greene, Dustin Brown and Terry Murray courtesy of

This is a heck of a video for the Los Angeles Kings fan. This organization is brewing. Expect big things from the LA Kings next year!

 

 High and Wide [25:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

In this episode we’ll analysze the games up to now, bring back the old classic segment “Throw Out Some Numbers,” profile defenseman Matt Greene, update you on some former players in a “How’s that One Guy Doin?” bit and we’ll discuss the new 3rd jersey. So, let’s grip it and rip it, KingsCast is on!