When Alexei Ponikarovsky is considered to be a GM’s ‘Plan B’ while musing the free-agent market, things aren’t good. When Alexei Ponikarovsky is shipped to Carolina simultaneously as  a ‘Plan B’ of Simon Gagne is inked in Los Angeles, things are downright stupendous.

What a fu*king train-wreck that Ryan Smyth deal turned out to be, eh? Might’ve been better off trading him for a bag of pucks, but chances are, those would’ve come with defaults too. We wouldn’t want Steve Tambellini sending fair product or anything.

But far more important are the stellar acquisitions Dean Lombardi executed this past week to land Mike Richards and Simon Gagne from the Philadelphia Flyers. The additions of Richards and Gagne add some serious credibility to the Kings being tabbed Stanley Cup contenders next season. If there’s reasonable dispute to that, th – - there is no such thing.

Out of Town

Alexei Ponikarovsky and Michal Handzus have found new digs, riding free-agency out of Los Angeles. Ponikarovsky has a new home with the Carolina Hurricanes, agreeing on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. Good riddance, attributing for a lowly 5 goals and 15 assists in 61 games this season. Ponikarovsky, who was brought to Los Angeles to replace Alexander Frolov, was a non-factor all season long. Carolina may be Ponikarovsky’s final stint in the NHL, with the KHL likely to embrace the final years of his pro career. A more notable departure is that of Michal Handzus, who has commited to the San Jose Sharks for two years at a combined salary of $5 million. Handzus ends his 4-year tenure in a Kings uniform, marking his symbol with the franchise as a solid, dependable, 3rd-4th line centerman. He honored his quiet, under appreciated duty, and always with pure class. Unfortunately, the team is straying away from his need, which is not to say he doesn’t still belong in the league – just as San Jose has noticed.

Is this Wade, James, Bosh status? Just call 7 Cups with some smoke machines behind you.

Along with Ilya Bryzgalov, Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn found their way to Phildadephia, prime assets in the deal that brought Mike Richards to the Kings.

Philly West

Adding these two players to the Kings’ roster is absolutely outstanding, and has the writing on the wall to elevate the team to being a serious Stanley Cup threat. Richards brings a prominent name to the 2nd line centerman position, totaling 158 points in his last two seasons – including the postseason. He’ll add security for Anze Kopitar, who will most likely remain atop the centerman depth chart. When you’re talking Richards, you’re talking prominent – you’re talking elite. The Kings haven’t just added another offensive outlet, but one that instills a resume with serious playmaking ability.

After falling short in the Brad Richards‘ sweepstakes, the Kings agreed to terms with Simon Gagne for 2 years at $7 million. Gagne, who spent last season with the Tampa Bay Lighting, is coming off of consecutive 40 point seasons with 17 goals and 23 assists. Gagne, at this point, can be considered as a fixture on any of the Kings’ top three lines.

The Ryan Smyth deal couldn’t get any uglier, as reports are claiming that Colin Fraser is still recovering from an injury that will keep him out for the first four months of the season. Fraser was the second player offered in the Smyth talks, after Gilbert Brule was nixed from the initial deal for his concussion history. Man, talk about leaving a sour taste.

Filling that Kings hockey void is Part 5 of the 2011 KingsCast Roundtable series. In this brand new episode, the experts discuss who’s played their last game as a King, who’s got a future with the team & how the roster compares to that of current Cup contenders. Detailed debate on Stoll, Smyth, Handzus, Mitchell, Richardson, Lewis and more! In memory of Jon Moncrief.

After a brief hiatus, the LA Kings Media Roundtable is back! In this installment. the group discusses the defensive & offensive philosophies of the present & future, talks about some prospects in the system and breaks down the play and potential of Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson. In memory of Jon Moncrief.

Like a drunken townie reminiscing their high school athletic career, we’re taking a look back at the TOP FIVE LA Kings games played this season. The NHL Playoffs are in full-swing, and we’re just getting started with offseason coverage here at KingsCast.net. Look out for a new episode of Overtime by the end of the week, Chris and Keith will be at you with a Season Review in Episode 107. For the time-being, let’s get to #5 on the list.

November 20, 2010 – Regular Season Game #19
Los Angeles Kings 4 – Boston Bruins 3 (SO)
TD Banknorth Garden – Boston, Massachusetts

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Highlights can be seen below, unfortunately we’re working with the Bruins’ NESN feed here. Enjoy yourself a nice helping of Jack Edwards, the same guy who related a Bruins playoff victory to the Revolutionary War. Please now.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Why It’s #5: When targeting the low points to the Kings tumultuous season, the second-half of November stands out as the worst stretch of hockey played by this club. From November 14th to December 1st, the Kings earned just one victory over a span of eight contests. That single victory is the one we’re talking now, the epitome of a diamond in the rough. Although the Bruins were able to recover from a 3-goal deficit, the Kings stabilized the onslaught to extend the game to a Shootout – where the Kings absolutely own Boston. In fact, the Kings are 5-0-0 against the Bruins dating back to the 2008-2009 campaign, locking down three victories by way of a shootout, a win in OT, and a win in regulation.

Quick Fix: Tim Thomas may have been higher on Team USA’s goalie depth chart in the 2010 Winter Olympics than Jonathan Quick, and he may have been selected to the 2011 NHL All Star Game while Quick was questionably ignored, but he has no business in a shootout against the Kings goaltender. That’s three head-to-head shootouts between Thomas and Quick since 2009, and Quick is eating his cake too.

You know what that means, time for another…

At least he doesn’t throw milk crates like Tuukka Rask.

Secondary Scoring: Another great aspect to this game, with Kings goals coming from Brad Richardson, Michal Handzus, and Jarret Stoll. It just goes to show how crucial depth in the offensive department can be, consistency with that was the problem for this roster.

Early Signs: Trevor Lewis had one hell of a game here folks. His puck control in the neutral zone opened a lane for Brad Richardson to coast in for the Kings’ first tally, one of Richardson’s few appearances this season. Don’t let a 6-game playoff series fool you, SEE YA Brad. Lewis then took part in Handzus’ goal, beating Boston’s defense to a rebound off of a Dustin Brown shot, and utilized time and space low in the zone to structure the play.

‘Zus On The Loose: Michal Handzus had quite a performance, netting the game-clincher in the 6th round of a scoreless shootout. Handzus’ regulation goal saw him make use of open space in the slot, where he found himself alone, hammering home a rebound from a Davis Drewiske point shot. That would be Drewiske’s final point of the season.

The Countdown: Be on the lookout for the next installment of TOP FIVE, where I’ll break down #4 on the list. Anyone else have the Tampa Bay Lightning as this year’s sleeper team? I sure do.

Throughout the remainder of the NHL season, ‘Dancing in the Reign’ will be recapping each week in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. Track the Kings’ push for a second consecutive playoff berth, see which teams are hot and who’s not, and note on key divisional and conference match-ups. This edition of Sunday Night Scoreboard Watch recaps the week of March 7 with a look ahead to the week of March 14.

——————————————–

The Week That Was: Offensive outlets surging, goaltender turntable in smooth operation, and 4th place, and also 4th place. Could you ask for much more? The Kings bounced back from last week’s faltering finish to the homestand with three consecutive victories on the road. Overall, the Kings added seven points — in seven days, with a 3-0-1 record. The week’s slate both started and ended with the Dallas Stars. The Kings approached both meetings just one point behind Dallas, and almost surrendered extra points in both contests. A late collapse on Monday night did just that, the Stars leaving Los Angeles with two points earned in a 4-3 OT victory. Sunday afternoon flirted with deja vu, as yet another breakdown was briskly avoided at American Airlines Center. After Dallas’ Jamie Langenbrunner tied the score with just :43 remaining, Michal Handzus countered before the final horn with just :21 to play. The 3-2 victory cued the leap over the Dallas Stars in the standings. Redemption was certainly attained Wednesday night, a stellar performance from Jonathan Quick fueled a 2-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings. A huge victory for both the Kings and Quick, ridding any lingering aftertaste of Detroit’s recent visit to Southern California. Anze Kopitar single-handedly delivered the season-ending blow to the sinking Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night. Kopitar notched the second hat-trick of his career, contributing to his monster week with four goals and three assists.

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                  GP      W     L      OT     PTS
San Jose               69      39    22     8        86
LOS ANGELES     69      39    25    5       83
Phoenix                70      36    23    11      83
Dallas                   69      37    24     8       82
Anaheim               69      37    27     5       79

Pacific Division Notes: The Kings’ seven points maintained pace in the division, and more – as they climb to second place. The San Jose Sharks continue to sit atop the group, picking up points in all three contests this week. Extra time was needed to decide all three San Jose contests, they dropped both Shootouts, and picked up their only victory in Overtime. Not one club in the Pacific Division is showing any signs of excluding themselves from the playoff race, everyone continues to win. The Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks went 2-1-0 during the week respectively, and the Dallas Stars posted an honorable record of 2-1-1. As intriguing as it may look, the Pacific Division standings are almost irrelevant at this point. With every team in the division at-pace for playoff positioning in the Western Conference, that goal becomes the bigger picture. Never in the NHL‘s history have all members of a certain division made the playoffs. The 2010-2011 Pacific Division is certainly making a strong case to change that.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                      GP     W     L     OT   PTS
1. Vancouver            70    45    16     9     99
2. Detroit                 69    41    20     8      90
3. San Jose               69    39    22     8      86
4. LOS ANGELES    69    39    25    5      83
5. Phoenix               69    36    23    11     83
6. Dallas                  69    37    24     8      82
7. Chicago               69    37    24     8      82
8. Calgary                69    36    26     9      81
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
9. Nashville             69    35    24    10     80
10. Anaheim           69    37    27     5      79
11. Minnesota         69    35    27     7      77

Western Conference Notes: How attractive is that 4th seed? If the season ended today, the Kings would be looking at the Staples Center advantage in the opening round. Don’t ride the high-horse for too long, as only three points separate home-ice in the playoffs, from not even qualifying at all. Three points – unbelievable. So with that, enjoy it while you can, not a ton of security here. In a realistic mindset, contention isn’t plausible for teams behind the 11th-seed Minnesota Wild. Separation is slowly taking form, with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the newest representative. It’s simply coming down to late-season success. From the third place to eleventh, it’s a matter of winning games. Teams are too close to analyze it any different, the marathon has turned into a race. Consistency has been the trend in the Western Conference. Aside from the Vancouver Canucks‘ five-game win streak, and the Los Angeles Kings‘ three-game win streak, all other clubs in contention are maintaining pace in subtle form. Every point instills huge implications, and regulation victories become the all-important factor, especially for the Kings. The remaining schedule strictly calls for Western Conference opponents, and if extra points present themselves, they can’t afford to be surrendered.

The Week Ahead

- March 14 Through March 21 -
Tuesday: AT Nashville Predators
Bridgestone Arena, 5:00 PM PST
Thursday: VS St. Louis Blues
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST
Saturday: VS Anaheim Ducks
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST

The Week’s Outlook: Another Western Conference slate for the Kings this week. They’ll cap off the current four game road-trip Tuesday in Tennessee, and make way back to Staples Center for the next four dates. As for Tuesday, the Nashville Predators aren’t the most desirable opponent to hit the calendar. Coupled with the Kings’ recent troubled history with the Predators, is the fact that they currently sit at 9th place in the Western Conference. A win in their building won’t come easy. The return to Los Angeles welcomes the St. Louis Blues. The Kings have to win this game, there are absolutely no justifications for explaining a loss on Thursday. St. Louis is done, and playoff-caliber teams execute on sullen clubs. When you’re talking the finish to the week, you’re looking at a grand finale. I’d be shocked if the game wasn’t sold-out already. It’s the Anaheim Ducks, it’s a Saturday night, and the implications are fu**ing ginormous. This is hockey at it’s finest, folks. Let’s Go Kings.

- – - – - – - – -
*Photo Credits:
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary: Michael Zampelli
Alexei Ponikarovsky, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary : Associated Press
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary: Getty Images/Jamie Sabau
Wayne Simmonds, Los Angeles Kings, Away Primary: Getty Images/Victor Decolongon

Getty Images / Harry How

After quite an impressive start to begin the season, Jarret Stoll‘s offensive production came to a halt. The stats don’t lie, Stoll marked the scoresheet frequently and consistently recording 7 goals and 17 assists for 24 points in the first 19 games of the campaign. The next 19 games? 0 Goals, 5 Assists. Near the end of Stoll’s recent drought, Terry Murray called out the struggling forward. Per Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times, here’s what Murray had to say about Stoll’s recent play:

“One goal, five assists in the month of December and that was Dec. 2. I’m aware of it. The line, we need it to get going. That’s the line that played very well for us at the start of the year.”

Shortly thereafter, Terry Murray demoted Stoll to the third line. Since the move, he’s answered with 5 goals and an assist. Among the numerous line changes that have jumbled the lineup, you can give a thumbs up to this one. Let’s be honest, Jarret Stoll is not a second-line caliber centerman on a good, playoff contending team. For some time, that’s where he’s been for the Kings, and it’s due to the lack of having a solid core of top six forwards. This has been a good fit, yet it’s only been five games. There’s no question he’ll continue to see time on the powerplay as well, and we saw changes last night that fit Stoll’s approach. The Kings are shooting more, they’re creating traffic by putting the puck on net. Stoll’s got the shot, and he’ll find success in the low slot when he’s on par.

At this point, you can’t help but ride the streak and keep him put. When you’re getting points from depth players such as Jarret Stoll, it opens opportunities for the top two lines. It’s going to give the third line faceoffs, with Anze Kopitar and Michal Handzus still spreading their traits with their respective sets. When trade talks arise, Jarret Stoll‘s name usually graces the discussion. He’s locked down through the 2011-2012 season with a cap hit of $3.6 million a season. If a big name does in fact catch the eye of Dean Lombardi as the trade deadline approaches, the Kings are going to need to dump some cash. If Stoll continues his success on the third line, and proves he can be a valuable asset on the back end of this offense, he may not have to depart if we do acquire a top six forward.

Sometimes you’ve got to pull your starting goalie to catch the attention of the defense. Tonight, that had be in Terry Murray‘s mindset. By my count, Jonathan Quick was only fully responsible for one of Phoenix’s six tallies. Hung out to dry. It happens, just one of the consequences of the profession. Find a proven NHL goaltender who hasn’t been forced to make way for the 2nd stringer a few times, I’d be shocked. Even though Quick wasn’t at fault, it was a good move. Before tonight’s game, Jonathan Bernier was named the starter for tomorrow night’s return to Staples Center. His premature appearance tonight midway through the 2nd period shouldered the responsibility on our defense. They woke up, Bernier got some looks, now you’ve got some chemistry leading into tomorrow night’s faceoff. If you’re looking for a positive outtake on tonight’s blunder in Arizona, look at Bernier’s appearance. Perfect on 13 shots faced in almost 30 minutes, and sent a message to a defense that exposed Jonathan Quick in harsh form. I don’t enjoy doing this, but here’s where you can finger the blame on Quick’s….quick appearance.

First Goal: Jack Johnson unable to handle the puck in defensive zone transition, Scottie Upshall feeds Shane Doan.
Second Goal: Not to take anything away from Keith Yandle, but four Kings’ stared at his back-door feed to Shane Doan. Goals don’t come that way in this league with four defensemen in the slot. They shouldn’t.
Third Goal: Scottie Upshall buries his own rebound from the top of the circle with four Kings’ on the backcheck. Here, you can argue Jonathan Quick allowed a bad-angle goal, but Upshall has no business recovering that puck.
Fourth Goal: Powerplay for Phoenix, but no excuses for this mishap. Scottie Upshall feeds Brett Maclean through Matt Greene, Rob Scuderi, and Michal Handzus.
Fifth Goal: Clear shot from the top, not going to let Quick off the hook on this one.
Sixth Goal: Bad neutral zone turnover, I’ll pin the blame on this even though Kyle Turris‘ shot should’ve been handled.

Expect Jonathan Bernier to extend his time in net tomorrow night. He’s yet to start consecutive games this season, and now he’s got the opportunity to feed off of a promising appearance. The bigger test is this defense recovering from tonight’s mess. Regain composure in front of your back-up, and get your #1 guy back in the crease on good terms.

The Los Angeles Kings PreSeason at Staples Center begins with a split squad series against the Phoenix Coyotes. Keith & Chris discuss the young Kings looking to make the team, the projected line combinations and the overall fan experience. Who do you want to make the squad?

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.

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.