As noted in the last piece, we’ll be finishing the TOP FIVE segment here at KingsCast in compact fashion, breaking down the top three games in one blog. You can only flirt with the past for so long, plus there are more important things to get to. Look out for an in-depth interview coming soon with Jonathan Moncrief, your go-to voice for the Los Angeles Kings at the LA Examiner. What was once considered the impossible has reveled into existence! Your TOP THREE Los Angeles Kings games of the 2010-2011 campaign crunched into one segment. Hit it now!

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March 24, 2011 – Regular Season Game #74
Los Angeles Kings 4 – San Jose Sharks 3 (SO)
Staples Center – Los Angeles, California

Why it’s #3: All was right in the world for the Los Angeles Kings after this respectable victory. However, the game to follow would put a premature ending to Anze Kopitar‘s season – but that’s beside the point. The powerplay showed some late-season glimpses of existence, with Dustin Brown capitalizing on two man-advantage opportunities. The final minutes were quite wild with the Kings taking a 3-2 lead with 1:42 remaining, only to see the Sharks tie the contest with just :05 to play. Alec Martinez, who has become my favorite defenseman on the roster, posted assists on both of Dustin Brown‘s PP goals. Jarret Stoll continued to be automatic in the shootout, cranking one off the cross-bar to juice up his 8-9 record in breakaways this season. Dustin Brown with the unnoficial hat-trick to clinch a crucial win later in the shootout.

December 4, 2010 – Regular Season Game #25
Los Angeles Kings 3 – Detroit Red Wings 2 (OT)
Staples Center – Los Angeles, California

Why it’s #2: The Kings were fresh off of a much needed victory against the Florida Panthers, which happens to be #4 on the list in TOP FIVE. Even with the win against Florida, the Kings were stumbling, allotting just two victories in their previous nine games. The Kings overcame two deficits in this contest, eventually pocketing two points with Anze Kopitar‘s goal in OT. Kopitar’s goal was huge for this team, a game-winner from your premier player can certainly be a shot in the arm for any group. The Kings would go on to win seven of their next ten games, proving the worth of Kopitar’s finish. Justin Williams was his brilliant self netting the first Kings goal, and Alec Martinez continued to solidify his roster position with the second tally. Peter Harrold notched an assist on Martinez’ goal, likely to be his last ever point in a Los Angeles Kings uniform.

November 4, 2010 – Regular Season Game #12
Los Angeles Kings 1 – Tampa Bay Lightning 0
Staples Center – Los Angeles, California

Why it’s the best: These two teams should meet more often. The night this game took place, I recall mentioning the fact that this could end up being the contest of the season. Well, it was. It was also determined by the Kings’ top goal of the year as well – argue if you wish. Holy jeeze, Justin Williams. Earlier in the year, I related the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Kings, but just one year behind our process. I’m either wrong, or playoff success has too many variables to dictate credibility. This was an honest game throughout; the numbers in Shots Taken, Hits, and Faceoffs were shoulder to shoulder. Tampa Bay’s coach Guy Boucher said “That was a real playoff game,”, while Kings coach Terry Murray mentioned “There were a few hits, a few confrontations, a little old-time hockey.” Those two excerpts almost say it all.

Guest Services

And the manager ain’t in, either.

You look for any positive outlook on the Kings’ situation, and I’d have to say it’s getting back on the road. For whatever reason, this team isn’t the same at Staples Center. In the first two games in San Jose, the Kings allowed just 3 goals combined, and left the Bay area with a win to their name. Back to Los Angeles, friendly confines, right? In two games, 12 goals allowed, two losses, and a gut-check at the door. All of the pressure is on the Sharks in front of their home fans, even tonight. They’ve got some of the most miserably hungry playoff hockey fans in the league, I mean they’ve been tortured with postseason failure. For the Sharks, tonight is a chance to push the underdog to the side, a team without it’s top player, hanging by a thread as elimination looms. Why does this setting sound somewhat good for the Kings?

One More Ride on the Carousel

“So Terry, what astonishingly terrible, senseless, and downright laughable line changes will we be seeing for Game 5?”

He had me at Dustin Penner and Kevin Westgarth…playing together. Wow.

In all seriousness, I’m quite perplexed with Terry Murray‘s line-shuffling, and that’s nothing new from a personal standpoint. Tonight, you’re looking for a roster that can provide the absolute best last-ditch effort possible. You’re looking for scoring touch, speed, and players who can create and/or finish on scoring opportunity. So with that, Terry scratches Alexei Ponikarovsky and Oscar Moller in favor of dressing Kevin Westgarth and Dustin Penner on the fourth line. Not just that, but Jarret Stoll is centering these two. Immediately you’re hampering Stoll’s value, face-offs aside. Maybe Penner takes off the rental skates for a pair of his own, and Westgarth does nothing with no negative consequence. There’s some positive outlook on the situation for you. Sheesh.

Final Tidbits

- Glad to see Terry Murray stick with Jonathan Quick for Game 5. Yes, he’s allowed 12 goals in his previous two games, but you can hardly fault Quick for any of them. He’s been victim of defensive zone coverage collapse, viciously hung out to dry. Calling for Jonathan Bernier could provide a spark, but goaltending hasn’t been the problem.

- A good omen? Today in Los Angeles Kings history, 10 years from the date, Adam Deadmarsh scored two goals including the OT winner in route to clinching the Western Conference Quarterfinals series against the Detroit Red Wings.

- Scott Parse returns to the lineup for the first time since November, fully healed from a hip injury that he suffered back in August during training camp. Happy to see Parse return, but is it the right decision? In just five games played this season, does he have more value than Alexei Ponikarovsky and Oscar Moller? Tough to say. The guy hasn’t seen live ice in over five months, and both Ponikarovsky and Moller have had decent showings in the postseason.

- The current white/purple away uniforms could be making their final appearance in team history tonight. They’re being scrapped for a white version of the current alternate uniforms next year. The Kings have been donning this template since 1998, although with numerous tweaks being made through the years. Don’t die on me now.

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*PHOTO CREDIT
Kyle Clifford, Jack Johnson, Kevin Westgarth – ‘Sharks Page’ at http://www.sharkspage.com

Keep that remote control idle, Chris and Keith are coming at you with the recap to tonight’s glorious victory with Episode 102 of Overtime. Stay on that couch.

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I was harping on conservative defensive play tonight, and boy was I wrong. But really, can you blame that mindset? The Kings’ powerplay has come out of nowhere and has suddenly become the storyline of the series. Jack Johnson with two points, and Drew Doughty doubling the pleasure riding the four-wheeler.

Jack and Drew, I sure don’t mind it, do you?

DIRECT DEPOSIT

The one aspect that has proved to be a struggle throughout the year for the Kings has become the most domineering factor for the club’s offensive production in the playoffs. Save yourself the trip to Downtown, Los Angeles for the weekly ‘Art Walk’ and watch video of the Kings’ powerplay in the first two games of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Vincent van Gogh has got to be rolling over in his grave. Remarkable puck movement, astounding control and use of space in the offensive zone, and executing on open lanes for shots. No hesitation, and utilizing opportunity to stretch the twine in San Jose. Folks, we’ve got a roster that can win this series.

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Quick Satisfaction

You can’t ask much more from a goaltender than what Jonathan Quick has provided for this team in the first two games of the series. Although a loss in the opening contest, Quick maintained poise and posture after surrendering an early goal to keep the Kings in the game. You can’t pin Joe Pavelski‘s OT winner on Quick, there’s nothing you can do to defend a shot like Pavelski unloaded on a smooth transition odd-man rush off of an offensive zone turnover. Not only does the guy regroup from such a heartbreaking finish, but he epitomizes a brick-wall and silences the Shark-Tank with a shutout. The HP Pavilion was quieter than a college library during finals week, and boy was it a beautiful thing.

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And for Dessert, Kyle Frank Clifford

I’ll take another goal, please. Your chocolate cake tastes like shit.

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The White Hem-Lines Survive Another Day

My cult-like addiction to hockey uniforms took another step forward tonight. If the Kings were to get swept in the series, tonight’s contest would be the final installment of the current road uniforms. Well, you can stamp a ticket back to San Jose, and throw those white hem-lines in the washing machine. They’ll need something to wear for Game 5, and these beauty’s are what the closet will be calling for. Fashion show.

Hey fellas, thinkin’ what I’m thinking?

And it ain’t politics.

To have any chance, defense must be stressed as the primary factor every shift. That will feed to Jonathan Quick‘s success, and will provide the forwards with more opportunity to transition off of turnovers. You look at the Sharks’ game-winning goal Thursday night, and notice how vulnerable we can be when our defense creeps into the offensive zone. Especially in overtime, we cannot afford to be playing with the puck up-top, granted there’s powerplay and/or ample time and space available. Neither of those were the case. You give San Jose open opportunity, and we’re all but finished. We maintained that mindset throughout, but faltered at a terrible time. Now, I will call myself out here. If Alec Martinez does control that puck, and/or Wayne Simmonds is able to posses it, you’ve got a prime scoring chance in the works. That’s playing the risk and reward game, guess how that turned out.

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Stoll-en from the Lineup

Jarret Stoll will serve a one-game suspension for his hit on Ian White. Don’t enjoy saying it, but Stoll deserved the suspendo. So, how did Oscar Moller end up filling his void?

Hey, looks like Oscar’s playoff beard is improving by the year!

I’d be grouchy myself if I was victim of seriously questionable roster choices, time after time. Well, the Kings opted not to call up Brayden Schenn after his team was eliminated from the WHL playoffs. Even though he still had a one-game cushion before burning a year off of his NHL contract, the Kings looked the other way. Not saying I like the decision, but can’t hate it. Maybe playing it a little too safe, Dean? The kid could’ve come out and had a huge influence, even for just one game. And hey, who knows, maybe the Kings would’ve sought burning a year off of his deal worth his addition.

The Kings then pursued calling up John Zeiler from the Manchester Monarchs. What?

Zeiler couldn’t clear waivers in time for the NHL to grant his presence to the Kings’ lineup tonight, so Oscar Moller slips back into Terry Murray‘s notepad again. Moller will manage his duties on the 4th line, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some in-game shuffling for the Swede. He’s solid in winning races to loose pucks, especially on the forecheck. He won’t necessarily win those battles, but he’ll certainly disrupt the opponent enough to have an impact.

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Trap Game

This is most definitely a trap game for the Kings tonight, but the other way around. Usually when you’re talking this terminology, it means overlooking a sullen opponent and losing because of it. For tonight, it’s about the Kings not expecting to be neck and neck with the Sharks like the case was Thursday. A heartbreaking loss like that can often translate into a complete abomination in the contest to follow. Don’t come out just as hard, come out harder – with a vengeance. Focus on maintaining stay-at-home defense, protect Jonathan Quick, and execute on every offensive opportunity available. Get back what they took from you on Thursday, and head to Los Angeles with home-ice advantage.

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*Photo Credit:
Kyle Clifford, Jack Johnson, Kevin Westgarth – SharksPage at www.sharkspage.com

Kings Will Need A Miracle To Win First Round Series Against San Jose – Gann has decided to go against “blind faith” and write the truth. This is an uphill battle here, my friends. Big time. Gann grabs some quotes from the team and Terry Murray. He also peppers in the reality of the situation. Great read though, if you’re one of those fans who is predicting Kings in four, this might enrage you.

Being Offensive Would Be A Good Thing For The Los Angeles Kings – If you’ve been watching the Kings with any sort of regularity since Anze Kopitar (and Justin Williams) went down, you know that scoring goals has been an issue. Coach Murray stresses the importance of Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty stepping up during the playoffs. This story is complete with notes, quotes and the raw audio interviews that Gann assembled.

Yeah, Kings fans, we’re really behind. Gann also had some nice commentary before the Kings actually made the playoffs. Here we go!

LA Kings Want 4th or 5th Place In West, But Don’t Control Their Own Destiny – Remember that brief but fleeting moment when the Kings were hoping to cling to fourth in the West so they could secure home ice advantage? That didn’t last long. Here, Gann breaks down the where they could land and who they could face. Damn those Ducks!

LA Kings Would Be Court Jesters If They Don’t Take Final Two Games Seriously – The final two games against the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks who were surging and Corey Perry who is making a strong case for the Hart Trophy. We were going to win both, right? One? None? They certainly ended up court jesters at the end of it. But, going back to Gann’s latest article: if they can pull off a miracle, we can can take away that title.

As always, there is some highly informative and interesting reading from Gann at Frozen Royalty and there will be much more as we get into the thick of the playoffs. But, don’t worry, if you’re too lazy we’ll always post his stuff here. Go Kings!

These guys sure look ready, ARE YOU?!?

Maybe something a bit stronger, Anze.

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Season Series

Taking a look back on the six games played between the Sharks and Kings, you’ve got your share of lopsided scores, but the season series played out evenly with both teams going 3-3-0. San Jose outscored the Kings 18-13 in regulation, but the Kings were able to snag wins in both contests that extended to extra shots. Both teams have recorded shutouts in the meetings, Jonathan Quick on December 27 and Antti Niemi on January 1. The final meeting of the season was one you’d like to forget, the Kings got dropped like 5th period algebra in a 6-1 nightmare. However, that has failed to really have any significant lingering after-effect. An off-night for Jonathan Quick – he’s human, and a complete collapse by the defense. And of course, out Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Both aspects have recovered in decent form, and Williams looks to be making a postseason return. That’s a good thing, even if at 80%. As for venues, both the Kings and Sharks went 2-1-0 on home-ice, and 1-2-0 on the road.

November 15:   Los Angeles     3 @   San Jose   6
December 27:   Los Angeles   4 @    San Jose    0
January 1:         Los Angeles     0 vs    San Jose  1
January 26:       Los Angeles   3 vs    San Jose   2   SO
March 24:         Los Angeles   4 vs    San Jose   3   SO
April 2:             Los Angeles     1  @    San Jose  6

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Keys to the Series:

Not talking car keys, but some solid f*cking defense.

*FUN FACT: Davis Drewiske ALSO ties Matt Greene’s skates.

*** Maintaining Quick: Goaltending is going to be an enormous factor for the Kings, much like the defense. Jonathan Quick is coming off of six consecutive starts, going 2-4-0 during the season-ending string. He’ll need to be solid, the Sharks have the clear advantage on the offensive side. Jonathan Bernier‘s previous start resulted in a shutout performance in Edmonton on March 29. Bernier logged 34 minutes of ice in relief of Quick on April 4, but you can hardly leverage anything on that. Bernier hasn’t shown signs of rust after lengthy periods on the bench, and he’ll have to do the same this time around.

*** Conservative Defense: This is how the Kings, coupled with goaltending, are going to win in the playoffs. It’s the best thing going for them right now, and it has been throughout the season; granted a few breakdowns. As long as the Kings’ zone is clogged and Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier are protected from odd-man rushes and open scoring opportunities, we can maintain the Sharks. Sticking to a consistent defensive scheme is crucial, its not their responsibility to make up for lost assets on offense. After Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams went down with injuries, too often did the defense get caught deep in the opponent’s zone. If the Kings’ defense can create turnovers and instability for the Sharks’ offense, that feeds to offensive opportunity for our forwards. Which brings me to…

*** Executing on Mistakes: And this is huge. We’re not going to see many comprehensive end-to-end offensive pursuits with the roster we’re icing. The forwards must work with our defense. This means being in position to transition on loose pucks, turnovers, and tight coverage. They’re going to have to fill support roles, and be able to hound on any small opportunity available.

*** Forecheck: Another major factor in the Kings’ offense creating opportunities. Grungy goals, plain and simple. Eliminating cluster and troubles in the neutral zone must be avoided with getting the puck deep, and hounding. You’ve got to work San Jose’s roster for everything they’re worth. Continue to dump the puck, and disrupt on the forecheck. Here, you’re keeping the defense in safe position, while implementing constant penetration against San Jose’s defense.

*** Special Teams: If the Kings can solve their powerplay woes, it could be the deciding factor in the series. This has hampered the offense throughout the season, and the Kings didn’t end the regular season on good terms with the man-advantage. A powerplay is an opportunity, and opportunities are going to be the storyline for this offense. Any chance they get, they must take advantage. Traffic, shots, smooth entrance into the zone, it’s vital. As for the penalty-kill, you can’t head into tomorrow night feeling nervous about it’s stability. Defensive zone coverage a man-down has been a consistently solid aspect throughout the season. If you think we can afford powerplay goals to San Jose, you’ve got another thing coming.

He’s Back!

It’s official, Justin Williams will be in the lineup tomorrow night in the series opener. Williams has been skating with the Kings for the past few days, even participating in contact drills. He was cleared by the medical staff, and gave Terry Murray the “good to go” after today’s practice. Huge, even if he’s not at 100%. Williams accounted for 57 points with 22 goals and 35 assists until missing the final nine games of the regular season after suffering a separated left shoulder. His recovery was a lot faster than initially perceived, his presence is huge. It has yet to be determined what line Williams will group with tomorrow night, but you’ve got to be grateful for the simple fact that he’s back in the lineup. Just-in time? Nope, it’s Justin Time!

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Prediction

San Jose Sharks in 6 games.

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Series Schedule

Game 1: Thursday, April 14, 7:00 PM PST – HP Pavilion

Game 2: Saturday, April 16, 7:00 PM PST – HP Pavilion

Game 3: Tuesday, April 19, 7:30 PM PST – Staples Center

Game 4: Thursday, April 21, 7:30 PM PST – Staples Center

Game 5: Saturday, April 23, 7:30 PM PST – HP Pavilion

Game 6: Monday, April 25, Time TBD – Staples Center

Game 7: Wednesday, April 27, Time TBD – HP Pavilion

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Don’t Forget!

Make Sure to head over to KingsCast on Facebook for your chance to win a Bernie Nicholls autographed stick blade! Just hit us up with your prediction for the series, and the winners are entered into a raffle for the prize!

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 14 with a look ahead to the week of March 21.

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The Week That Was: Tuesday night’s 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators made history for the franchise. This was the final game of the Kings’ four game road-trip, which was traveled perfectly with a 4-0-0 record. This is the first time in franchise history that a Kings team has been perfect on a four-date road slate. This would be the high point of the week, as the Kings returned to Southern California to grace the torture chamber that has been Staples Center. The Kings have won just seven contests in their home confines since December 26th, and those struggles ensued this past week. Thursday night queued the start to five consecutive dates at Staples Center in horrific fashion. The 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues was simply inexcusable, all aspects of the Kings’ play failed miserably. Don’t want to harp on Tuesday’s monstrosity any further than that. As for the week’s finale, the Kings stumbled at home yet again. The Anaheim Ducks, who refuse to drift out of contention, left Los Angeles with a 2-1 overtime victory. Jonathan Quick saved the game, Ray Emery took it away. The week resulted in a 1-1-1 record for the Kings, picking up three of six points on the board.

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                   GP     W     L     OT     PTS
San Jose                73     42    23     8      92
Phoenix                74     39    24    11     89
LOS ANGELES      72    40   26     6      86
Anaheim               72     40    27     5      85
Dallas                   72     38    25     9      85

Pacific Division Notes: We’ve got two hot teams in the division, both the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks reeled off perfect weeks, both clubs riding three game win-streaks. With that, the Sharks maintain their stance atop the Pacific Division, and the Ducks find themselves back in playoff positioning. The division continues to dominate the Western Conference‘s top eight, with the Dallas Stars as the only club excluded. Dallas is far from out, however. They’re standing pat with Anaheim’s 85 point-total, which is the current line that marks the edge of the Western Conference‘s cliff. Although the standings in the Pacific Division look quite intriguing, they’ve become quite irrelevant in the postseason race. The bigger, more important picture falls under the stat-line in the NHL‘s western regions.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                      GP     W     L     OT   PTS
3. San Jose              73      42    23     8     92
4. Phoenix               74     39    24    11    89
5. Chicago               72     39    25     8     86
6. LOS ANGELES    72     40   26     6     86
7. Nashville             73     38    25    10     86
8. Anaheim             72     40    27      5     85
9. Dallas                 72     38    25      9     85
10. Calgary             74     37    27    10     84

Western Conference Notes: The Kings, even after a sub-par week, continue to maintain a position in the Western Conference‘s playoff picture. There’s no time to etch this into your comfort zone, as they’re only two points ahead of the 10th-seed Calgary Flames. To add to the stress, both clubs trailing the Kings in the standings are surging. The Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks are doing some heavy tailgating, both teams coming off of perfect a week with three consecutive victories. Slowly but surely, separation in the conference continues to evolve. Looking past the Calgary Flames, playoff contention is a long-shot for the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. Although yet to be mathematically eliminated, both clubs must finish the regular season with near-perfect records to make a case for the Western Conference‘s top eight.

The Week Ahead

- March 21 Through March 28 -
Monday: VS Calgary Flames
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST
Thursday: VS San Jose Sharks
Staples Center, 7:30 PM PST
Saturday: VS Colorado Avalanche
Staples Center, 1:00 PM PST

The Week’s Outlook: This week has three contests on the slate, with the storyline being home-ice. The Kings will finish their five-game homestand at Staples Center, a building in which this team has struggled mightily as of late. At this point, wins are needed regardless of location, unfortunately Los Angeles has been a difficult venue. The week’s schedule commences tonight against the Calgary Flames, who fell victim to Corey Perry and the Anaheim Ducks last night in similar fashion as the Kings did on Saturday. The Flames are 1-3-1 in their previous five games, they’re sitting in the Western Conference‘s 10th slot, just two points behind the Kings. Thursday night will be the San Jose Sharks‘ final trip to Los Angeles, and is the fifth of six meetings between the two clubs this season. They’re holding steady atop the Pacific Division and continue to soldifiy their 3rd-place spot in the Western Conference. San Jose enters the week on a roll with three consecutive victories. The week’s final date welcomes the Colorado Avalanche, one of the few teams out of playoff contention. For the Kings, winning games against sullen teams is just as important as the contenders. They failed to execute on the hopeless St. Louis Blues last week, the Kings cannot afford another loss to a team out of contention. Wins are a must at all costs, and rekindling success at Staples Center plays a crucial role.

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*Photo Credits:
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Home Primary: Michael Zampelli
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks – Home Alternate: Associated Press
Colin Wilson and Blake Geoffrion, Nashville Predators – Away Primary: Getty Images/Rick Stewart
Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi, Los Angeles Kings – Home Primary: Michael Zampelli

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 February 7 with a look ahead to the week of February 14.

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The Week That Was: The week started with a four-day break from action as the Kings prepared for an East Coast swing which called for a contest on Thursday night and a pair of matinees on Saturday and Sunday. The Kings, with a 2-0-1 record this week, have recorded at least one point in their last ten games with a record of 8-0-2. The injury-ridden Pittsburgh Penguins were the downpoint to the week, the Penguins recovered from a shocking loss to the New York Islanders with a 2-1 overtime victory with the Kings in town. Jordan Staal continued his strong return to Pittsburgh’s lineup with the OT decider against the Kings. Saturday afternoon called for 3rd period goals in bed. In what was a 9:30 AM puck-drop Pacific Standard Time, the Kings’ overwhelmed the Washington Capitals with three unanswered third period goals, leaving the Nation’s Capital with a 4-1 victory. You couldn’t have asked for a sweeter finale on Sunday, the Kings knocked off the Eastern Conference‘s elite with a 1-0 shutout victory. The win snapped the Philadelphia Flyers‘ three game win streak, a team who is also a stellar 13-3-0 in their last 16 contests. Anze Kopitar tallied his first goal in 11 games in Washington, just his second goal in his previous 20. Goaltenders Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier enter the week on good terms allowing only 3 goals combined with no regulation losses.

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                GP     W       L      OT      PTS

Dallas               56     31       19       6         68
Anaheim           57     32       21       4         68
Phoenix            57     29       19       9         67
San Jose           57     30        21      6         66
Los Angeles   56     31      22       3         65

Pacific Division Notes: Although the Kings have grabbed points in ten consecutive games, they continue to vacate the cellar of the Pacific Division. The San Jose Sharks, who jumped to 2nd in the division last week find themselves back in 4th with a 2-2-0 record this week. The Dallas Stars manage to maintain the top slot with a 1-1-1 record following three consecutive losses. They’ve surrendered their cushion with a 3-6-1 record in their last ten games. The Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks continue to win, both clubs snagging six points this week with 3-0-0 records respectively.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                   GP      W      L      OT       PTS
5. Nashville           56      30     19      7        67
6. Phoenix             57      29     19      9        67
7. San Jose            57      30      21      6       66
8. Minnesota         55      30      20      5       65
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9. Los Angeles   56      31     22      3       65
10. Calgary           58      28      22      8       64
11. Chicago           56     28      22      6       62
12. Columbus       56      28      23      5       61

Western Conference Notes: For the second consecutive week the Kings pocketed five out of the possible six points on the board. Even without a regulation loss, the Kings dropped out of the top eight, just goes to show how tight things are this year. The Pacific Division remains a stronghold in the playoff picture with the Kings as the only team in the group out of playoff position. A week away from the Western Conference allowed for point-implications to center in on this team, with extra points only available to the Eastern Conference. The previous two weeks have done little in separating contenders from pretenders, which may have an effect on moves initiated at the trade-deadline. The only way to keep pace in the conference is with wins. Three teams are within striking distance of the Kings’ 9th slot, with only 4 points separating the 12th seeded Columbus Blue Jackets. Add the Colorado Avalanche to the list of outsiders, they’re sinking fast with seven consecutive losses. You can safely count out the St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers from playoff contention as well. 12 out of the 15 teams in the Western Conference are wholeheartedly in the playoff hunt. Not a ton of room for error.

The Week Ahead: Three games are slated for the week, two more contests with Eastern Conference opponents along with the third meeting of the season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The franchise-record ten game road trip hits it’s 7th, 8th, and 9th installments with a Midwest twist. The Kings start the week in Ohio against a Blue Jackets team that is riding two consecutive wins, just four points behind the Kings in the Western Conference. The remainder of the week calls for New York, Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers and Saturday night in Uniondale against the Islanders. The Rangers hold the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference, the Islanders own the 14th position. Extra points are for the taking in New York, but Wednesday night’s visit to Columbus can’t afford much but a regulation victory.

The Week That Was: The Kings resumed play with a donut in Minnesota, but managed to snag five out of the six points on the board this week. Extra points were surrendered to Western Conference counterparts Minnesota and Calgary with shootout implications in each contest. After Niklas Backstrom blanked the Kings in 65 minutes of play and three rounds of a shootout, the Kings responded with six goals in their next two games, three of those goals coming on the powerplay. The offense has seemed to embrace a heavy-shooting approach since the drought in Minnesota. Jonathan Quick has two consecutive wins, and Jonathan Bernier is riding a shutout. Justin Williams was a factor in Calgary, and it’s been too long. Williams’ tallied three points in the game, equaling his total in his previous eight games. Dustin Brown decided to take part in Saturday night’s scoresheet as well, with a goal and an assist. Brown recorded his first goal since December 8th, and his two points in the game eclipsed his total in his previous eight games.

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                   GP    W     L      OT    PTS

Dallas                  53     30   18     5        65
San Jose               53     28   19     6        62
Anaheim              54     29    21    4        62
Phoenix               54     26    19    9        61
Los Angeles      53     29    22    2       60

Pacific Division Notes: The San Jose Sharks were the story of the week, jumping from 4th place to 2nd in the division. San Jose knocked off Pacific Divison clubs in the Anaheim Ducks and Phoenix Coyotes to return from the break. The Sharks finished the week in Boston with a shutout victory over the Bruins, giving them a 2-0 start to their season-long seven game road trip. Just as notable, the top spot in the division remained idle, as the Dallas Stars failed to add to their 65 points with three consecutive regulation losses. Anaheim and Phoenix fell one spot in the division standings respectively. The Coyotes finished the week with a 1-2-0 record, and the Ducks split their two games going 1-1-0. What seemed far-fetched just a week ago suddenly becomes a realistic goal, a Pacific Division championship. The Kings, although still sitting in the basement, are only five points out of first place.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                      GP    W      L     OT     PTS
4. Nashville              53    28    18      7        63
5. San Jose               53    28    19      6        62
6. Anaheim              54    29    21      4        62
7. Phoenix               54    26    19      9        61
8. Los Angeles      53    29    22     2        60
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9. Minnesota           52    27     20      5        59
10. Calgary              54   26     21      7        59
11. Chicago             52    27    21      4        58

Western Conference Notes: With the 5 points pocketed this week, the Kings find themselves back in the Western Conference‘s top eight. In a matter of three games, the Kings hopped three slots to improve from the 11th seed they held last week. This makes the Pacific Division the only grouping in the NHL to have all of it’s teams in the playoff picture. Breaking the top eight is no reason to sit satisfied, six teams are within six points of the Kings. 14 of the 15 teams in the conference are contending, the Edmonton Oilers have a furnished basement. You really can’t argue security unless you’re talking the Vancouver Canucks, who are undefeated out of the break, riding five consecutive wins and atop the Western Conference with 77 points. The Kings take a break on conference opponents this week, slated for contests with three teams that make up the Eastern Conference‘s top five.

The Week Ahead: The franchise-record 10 game road-swing continues with three games scheduled for the week. And boy, does it look difficult. The Kings visit Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin for their only meetings with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals this season. Pittsburgh holds the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference, and Washington is in the shadows in 5th place. For the Penguins, they’ll be without Evgeni Malkin, who is out for the season with two torn ligaments in his right knee. Crosby has yet to return from his concussion syndromes, his status for Thursday night is unclear. Pittsburgh is 8-2-0 in their previous ten games. As for Washington, they’re slowly recovering from January with two consecutive victories and a 5-2-3 record in their previous ten games. Defenseman Mike Green, who took a puck to the head off of a Brooks Orpik shot earlier today, isn’t expected to miss any time. The Kings will cap off the week while finishing their back-to-back weekend matinee series in Philadelphia. The Flyers are atop the Eastern Conference with 75 points, and hold an 8-2-0 record in their last 10 games. The Philadelphia Flyers are 1-0-0 against the Kings this season with a 7-4 victory on December 30th in Los Angeles.

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

The Week That Was: Like the rest of the league, the Kings’ had a short week of work due to this weekend’s NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, NC. Only two games were on the slate this past week, an Eastern Conference opponent in the Boston Bruins and a Pacific Division rival in the San Jose Sharks. With victories against both opponents, the Kings entered the break on a three game win streak. The Kings now have 55 points through 50 games, here’s where they stand in the Western Conference and Pacific Division:

Pacific Division Standings

TEAM                GP     W     L      OT   PTS

Dallas                50    30    15     5      65
Anaheim            52    28    20     4      60
Phoenix             51    25    17     9      59
San Jose             50    25     19    6      56
Los Angeles     50    27   22    1      55

Pacific Division Notes: If you’re looking for a surprising division, look no further. Out of this group, there were two highly touted favorites to win the division; the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings. Hasn’t really worked out. The Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars have shocked the league, and they continue to win; Anaheim and Dallas have 7 wins in their last 10 games respectively. As of now, the Kings’ attention must be centered on a top 8 seeding in the Western Conference. A division championship seems far-fetched at this point, and quite frankly shouldn’t even be stressed.

Western Conference Standings

TEAM                     GP      W     L    OT     PTS
5. Anaheim             52    28    20    4       60
6. Phoenix              51    25    17    9       59
7. Chicago              50    26    20    4       56
8. San Jose             50    25    19     6       56
9. Colorado            50    25    19     6       56
10. Minnesota        49    25    19     5       55
11. Los Angeles  50    27    22    1       55
12. Calgary            51    24    21     6       54

Western Conference Notes: This is as tight of a conference you’ll see at this point of the season. There are six teams within five points of the final playoff position, only the Edmonton Oilers can truly count themselves out at this point, sitting in the basement with a lowly 38 points. With 55 points, the Kings sit at 11th place, but only one point from breaking the top eight. Talk about Pacific Division dominance this season, the Kings are the only team in the group out of the top eight.

The Week Ahead: The schedule out of the All-Star break certainly doesn’t favor the Kings. A season-long 10 game road swing begins tomorrow night, with three games slated for this week. Looking at the upcoming three opponents, you could tag them as “should win” games. Unfortunately, “must-win” is the only manner in which these opponents can be approached. Tuesday night calls for the Minnesota Wild, who sit one spot ahead of the Kings in the conference with 55 points. The Kings are 1-0-1 against Minnesota this season. Wednesday night is slated for the Edmonton Oilers, the cellar dwellers of the West. The Kings are 2-0-0 against Edmonton this season. The week will continue, and finish in Alberta. The Kings’ will skate with the Calgary Flames Saturday night; Calgary sits one spot behind in the conference with the 12th seed with 54 points. The Kings are 1-1-0 against Calgary this season.

On Attendance:
I’ve just about accepted the fact that section 325 will no longer be completely vacant for my pleasure for the remainder of the season. The days of scalping any ‘ol 300 level seat without care or concern about the 14th row corner section I just shelled out 10 bones for, an automatic ass-cushion in the three-two-five…are over. I noticed the sudden boost in attendance after the holidays last year, and likewise this year on the 28th against Minnesota. It’s gotta be the holiday ticket packages. It’s gotta be!

On Stolly’s Return:
Hammy said it, Jarret Stoll will be back in the lineup tomorrow night at the Pavilion. Good to hear, but don’t expect a full serving of Stoll right away. If there’s one player to feel comfortable with taking draws, its #28. I’d like to see him work his way back on the PP as well. There’s nothing like a Stoll-Doughty or Stoll-JMFJ tandem feeding each other juicy D to D passes across the blue-line resulting in absolute bombs from the point.

On Scuds:
Rob Scuderi has proven to be a great off-season acquisition for Los Angeles. Not a player that gets a whole lot of love from fans because of his style of play. He gets the job done in the defensive zone. Not a flashy player, and sticks to his priority of playing a defensive-minded game. This gives his defensive partner, whomever it may be, Doughty or Johnson, to step up in the offensive zone and take a couple of chances. Great example here from back in September.

Scuderi’s play is underrated, and I love it. When you can sign a veteran defenseman who can not only teach the youngsters in Doughty and Johnson, but give them the support to allow them to make an offensive presence, you have yourself a key player. One with a lot of playoff experience and a ring on his finger. Expect Scuds to be a gamebreaker later on this year.

On Tonight @ San Jose:
Huge game, no question about it. Like I said previously, the Kings need victories in at least two of the three meetings with San Jose this month in regulation to have any hopes of a shot for the Pacific Division Title. Jarret Stoll will be back with the 4th line centering Ivanans and Moller. Randy Jones is still out recovering from his concussion symptoms. Brown – Kopitar – Smyth leading the top line again. What do you expect to see from this game? Predictions? The win against Washington was huge, and following it with a victory against San Jose would be a shot in the arm for the Kings.

January presents the Los Angeles Kings with 14 games; and, with a look at the schedule, the results will play a large factor in the outcome of the season as 9 games feature Western Conference opponents. Staples Center will play host to eight of the fourteen contests, a great opportunity for the Kings to take advantage of home ice. The Kings currently stand at 3rd in the Pacific and 8th in the Western Conference with 49 points.

Ovie and the Washington Capitals welcome 2010:
Los Angeles will kick off the new year as host to a team that sits in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. A tough opponent indeed, but all of the pieces are in place for a victory to inject a boost of momentum into this young, injury bugged club. Washington, led by Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom are coming off of losses to Carolina and San Jose. Expect the guys to come out hard in front of a home crowd in an effort to shut down the poster-boy of the NHL and start 2010, and more importantly, this month right.

Seven Game Home-stand:
Starting on the 7th against Detroit and ending on the 21st against Buffalo, the Kings have their longest home-stand of the season. A wonderful opportunity for the team to get back on their feet in the comfort of their home building. However, the opponents don’t provide Kings fans much comfort. We see the Western Conference leading Sharks twice, a Red Wings team that is close in the rear-view mirror standings-wise, and a team in Buffalo who is holding their own with a 3rd spot in the Eastern.

Five Game Road Trip:
This month ends with five consecutive matchups on the road. Tough opponents yet again including Detroit, Boston, and the Eastern leading New Jersey Devils with a couple of no-excuses stops in Toronto and Columbus against a couple of struggling teams.

Saturated with San Jose (left):
Arguably the most important three games the month of January has to offer for Los Angeles. Twice at home, once at the Pavilion, the Kings will be meeting a surging division-foe that is suddenly 10 points ahead of the Kings in the standings as well as current leaders of the Pacific Division and Western Conference. If Los Angeles wants to pose any threat as Pacific Division champs, two of these games must be regulation victories.

Erik Ersberg:
I’d like to see Erik Ersberg get a couple of starts in January, and expect him to get the call. As I mentioned in my last post, I think a key part to building his comfort and confidence is to put him in goal in front of the home crowd. Terry Murray was quoted as saying “Quick gives us the best chance to win at home” earlier in the year. That may be true, but I’m not completely on board with his statement. I could harp on this forever but here’s how I see it: Quick is a 2nd year goalie tied for the league lead in starts. Fatigue is bound to set in at some point, he’s tabbed to play in the Olympics (as a backup), and it’s vital to keep your starting goalie fresh. This may not be an issue to some, but developing your backup goaltender, and keeping your 1st stringer fresh throughout the season can eventually.. well, save your season.

Final Thoughts:
Jarret Stoll’s return from a groin injury is much anticipated, especially in the face-off circle. Will this be the month we find a winger who can mesh nicely with Kopitar and Smyth? I expect the Brown experiment to last a few more games to see how things work out. Purcell as their line-mate looks all but finished. I don’t expect Lombardi to make a trade in the near future to replace Williams’ absence, rather as a trade-deadline deal if the transaction is plausible. There’s no question we’re struggling to find a working option, but more time is needed to find the guy who can step up, and Dustin Brown may be that guy.

How do you Kings fans feel about the possibility of a trade to fill Williams’ hole? Sooner or later? Any possible transactions floating through your heads? Let’s hear it!

While viewing the game on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks, I did not realize how much their roster had changed until I saw the lineup. Gone are Christian Ehrhoff and Jonathan Cheechoo; in are Dany Heatley and Manny Malhotra. The make up of their team seems to have remained the same but the difference in this equation is a better Kings roster. That being said, the Kings dominated the first period while the Sharks came back in the second, and the teams battled it out all the way to the shootout. My question here is, “Why was Alexander Frolov left out of the top three shooters?” He had the only Kings goal of the game and was grinding it out as much as the other players, so your guess is as good as mine. It also must be noted that he was left out of the top three shooters against the Canucks as well.

Jonathan Quick played both games and looked solid while Sharks’ Evgeni Nabokov and Canucks’ Andrew Raycroft looked just as steady. First off, who knew Raycroft could still play! He was hit with 31 shots while Quick had just 15 sail his way. Second, did the Kings not realize that Nabokov was going to stop every shootout shot that went directly towards his chest? I don’t get the logic used by the players; subsequently, the Sharks left the arena with two points.

This picture’s purpose is solely to show how ridiculous/awesome Bailey is.

Points of interest:

• Scott Parse notched his first NHL goal of his career and has made quite the statement.
• Anze Kopitar is still among the league leaders in point production.
• Hockeywood, L.A. is growing nicely and every Kings fan should check it out!

In looking at the positives of the game first, I’m not sure which of the Kings 6 goals was the best but I will say that Jack Johnson‘s aggressiveness and willingness to get to the net can only lead to great things. As long as he has the defensive support on the back end, I can only encourage his spark to get his stick on the puck. Michal Handzus‘ pass to the front of the net couldn’t have been better timed during the 4-on-4 play. Another positive was Anze Kopitar’s goal in that he should be scoring like that every single game. His was just about the nastiest and sickest goal I’ve seen from a King in awhile and Evgeni Nabokov never saw it coming.

My mantra of the Kings being “consistently inconsistent” continued last night by their sheer meltdown in the middle of the game. Yes, their passing and transitions were impressive, but the inevitable excitement and inability to immediately calm the nerves after their lead was built lead to the Kings suffering 4 unanswered power play goals from the Sharks. The most blatant penalty was the Too Many Men call while they were on the power play. The Kings were all over the place during their penalty kills and the bloom was quickly off the rose as the Sharks tied the game with less than five minutes in the game. Yet hope was renewed by Teddy Purcell, the player under arguably the most scrutiny, and his “hail mary” shot from a ridiculous angle. Thomas Gresiss didn’t have any control over it whatsoever and the Kings were back within getting the well-deserved two points.

I was very impressed with the 3rd line of Alexander Frolov, Handzus, and Wayne Simmonds. These guys were playing against the Sharks’ better players while generating offense at the same time. Their chemistry last night proved that this could potentially happen every single game, which makes this line more of a threat than the 2nd line of Purcell, Jarret Stoll, and Dustin Brown.

According to the stats sheet, Frolov was on the ice for only 17:29 but he utilized every single second by producing 2 points while also being double shifted on the 4th line, which disappeared pretty quickly. Raitis Ivanans did his duty playing less than 5 minutes but letting the opposition know what he really thinks about them. Here’s Raitis landing some dome shots on Jody Shelley after Davis Drewiske was slammed into the boards. Thanks, Ivanans for sticking up for the rookie!

All of the Kings were nicely either even in the +/- column or on the plus side while it was just the opposite on the Sharks end. Interestingly, Dany Heatley collected three points and was a -2, Devin Setoguchi got 2 points and ended at a -2, and Joe Thornton got three assists and had almost a team-worst -3.

Lastly, props to Drewiske for scoring his first NHL goal. Yes, it was on an empty net, but it was with full traffic between him and the goal mouth and it put the game away for the Kings.

Kings center Anze Kopitar led the way for the Kings with a goal and two assists, while defenseman Davis Drewiske scored his first National Hockey League goal and added an assist. Center Michal Handzus contributed two assists.

After taking a 4-0 lead past the midway point of the second period, the Kings collapsed, allowing four straight power play goals, the tying goal scored by Sharks forward Dany Heatley at 14:24 of the third period.

But just 26 seconds later, Purcell got the puck in the right corner of the Sharks zone and wristed it towards the net. The puck snuck in between the pads of San Jose backup goaltender Thomas Greiss, who replaced starter Evgeni Nabokov at 12:16 of the second period after he allowed the Kings’ fourth goal of the game, a long wrist shot by Kopitar from high in the right circle, a shot Nabokov should have stopped easily.

Drewiske’s empty-net goal at 18:41 of the third period gave the Kings their final margin of victory.

NOTES: Kopitar’s two goals and three assist for five points in the first two games; the line of Kopitar, Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams has scored three goals with six assists for nine points in the two games; Defenseman Drew Doughty bounced back after playing the worst game of his young NHL career against Phoenix on Saturday. Against the Sharks, Doughty contributed an assist and earned a +3 plus/minus rating after recording a -2 rating on Saturday; Jarret Stoll won eleven out of fourteen face-offs (78.6%), but the rest of the Kings’ centers were awful in the face-off circle. Handzus won 30.4% of his face-offs, Kopitar won 35.4% and Brad Richardson won only 33.3% of his face-offs; Smyth has eighteen goals in 49 games against the Sharks.

Post game audio courtesy of Frozen Royalty

I watched this game on a massive delay last night and I’ve come to realize that I don’t think I made a bad decision in not renewing my season tickets. The utterly poor performance of the Kings was quite embarrassing, and I don’t think it mattered that they played the Phoenix Coyotes. They could have played anyone and it would have been just as bad.

(lakings.com)

Is it season-starting nerves? Do all the players have the flu? What do you supposed it is? The Coyotes dominated the Kings for basically the entire game, and not all 6 goals against were Jonathan Quick’s fault. There were plently of mistakes coming from all over the Kings roster. Drew Doughty was particularly noticably making a some timely (bad) decisions while players like Teddy Purcell and Anze Kopitar were nearly invisible. The most frustrating part of the game was the 2nd Kings goal where they spent nearly the entire PP trying to get the puck past Ilya Bryzgalov. Missed shot after missed shot finally found Kopitar getting the puck in the net off a Ryan Smyth rebound. Ugly.

I must end this post here since I have other things to attend to. The season opener was a poor excuse for effort on behalf of the fans and themselves. I’m sure no one was happy with that so-called performance, so we’ll see what happens between now and Tuesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

What did you think? The ridiculousness of the Sharks organization for naming Blake their captain, the hilarity of Sharks organization for naming Blake their captain, or the utter inadequacy of Joe Thornton to pick up the reins?

[Update]: Check out Sharks Hockey Analysis and Fear The Fin for some further questions, thoughts, and discussion.

I can fully breathe a sigh of relief at this outcome now that Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll are safe (for now). I’m not sure what the rest of the day will hold as training camp starts tomorrow! I’m hoping to be there checking out the potentials for the remaining roster spots.

LOS ANGELES — When San Jose Sharks superstar center Joe Thornton dropped the gloves with Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf just two seconds into Game 6 of their Western Conference quarterfinal playoff series, it was too little, too late.

Thornton, who scored just one goal and contributed four assists in the six-game series, failed to show any fight in his game until it was too late, helping lead his team down the drain, losing the series in six games.

The Sharks have a reputation of being playoff busts, failing to get out of the second round in four straight seasons. This is also a team that reached the Western Conference Finals in 2003-04 and has been among the elite teams in the conference since then.