Kings with Another Four-Game Win Streak

Red-hot Anze Kopitar and Alexander Frolov each netted two goals tonight as the Kings improved to 8-4 with a 6-2 trashing of Columbus at Staples Center. Kopitar's two goals give him a league-high 10, and he continues to lead the league, now with 21 points. The Kings also lead the league with 44 goals in 12 games, and their 16 points are second-most in the West behind Colorado's 18. Pittsburgh also has 18 in the East.

The Kings are off until Thursday when they host Vancouver.

Another Win Last Night

Kings beat the Coyotes 5-3 in Phoeniex in front of a half-empty Jobing.com Arena. Jarret Stoll had two goals and Anze Kopitar picked up three assists and now leads the league in overall scoring with 19 points. Kings improve to 7-4.

Kings are back home tonight against Columbus.

Kings Sign Two For Three

Both Jon Quick and Davis Drewiske have signed three-year contract extensions, effective next season.

Kings Beat Stars Again

This is almost becoming routine again.

Anze Kopitar netted a hat trick and Michal Handzus netted the game-winner less than a minute into overtime in a 5-4 win at Staples. The Kings played two solid periods and skated out to what appeared to be a rout in the making, leading 4-1 after two periods. But they become lackadaisical defensively in the third period and allowed the Stars to hit the back of the net three times to tie the game at four apiece before Handzus's winner.

Meanwhile, to go along with Kopitar's three goals to give him a team-high eight, Ryan Smyth assisted on one of them to give the Kings top line four more points. Between Kopitar, Smyth and Justin Willaims, the top line now has 39 points in 10 games. Dustin Brown and Alexander Frolov, who returned to action tonight after being benched on Monday night in Dallas, each grab a pair of assists, as well.

Next up, the Kings take to the desert to take on a revitalized Phoenix Coyotes club on Saturday.

Kings Snap Skid

So, I almost didn't go to the game tonight. Bought tickets a couple of weeks ago not knowing that the Dodgers would be playing tonight in Game 4 of the NLCS. After what I just saw, I'm glad I went. (And I took my camera but forgot I had it and didn't take any pictures.)

The Kings rolled into Dallas here tonight and ended a three-game skid with a resounding and convincing 4-1 trumping of the Stars. Jon Quick was solid in goal tonight, and the Kings first line of Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams provided all the scoring the Kings would need in the second period.

The Stars had taken a 1-0 lead late in the first period, but Smyth, Kopitar and Williams each scored in the second to give the Kings a 3-1 lead. Smyth's goal was on the power play. He assisted on the other two goals. The first line totaled six more points tonight. Wayne Simmonds scored a back-handed empty-netter late in the third to ice the game for the Kings.

The finished the six-game trip 3-3, and head back to L.A. 5-4-0 (10 points) to take on the Stars again on Thursday night.

Kings Drop Third Straight

Well, this wasn't how they planned this road trip. After winning the first two on the current six-game road trip in St. Louis and on Long Island, New York, the Kings have dropped three straight, to the Rangers on Wednesday night, Detroit on Thursday and Columbus tonight. With the 4-1 loss tonight, the Kings are now a break-even 4-4-0 on the season. Dustin Brown had the lone goal for the Kings tonight, his second of the season. A win in the road trip finale in Dallas on Monday night would certainly be nice.

Kings Win Again

For the second straight road game, the Kings managed just two goals but made it stand up in a 2-1 win on Long Island against the Islanders. Anze Kopitar netted his fourth of the season on a late second period power play, and Drew Doughty added his second on a hard shot in the third period. Jon Quick, the league's Second Star of the Week last week, stopped 28 of 29 shots he faced, allowing just a late third period goal by Matt Moulson.

The penalty killing unit has done a complete about face, killing off its last eight penalties after giving up seven goals in its first nine penalty kills.

The win is the fourth straight for the Kings since their season opener loss.

So far, so good!

Kings Improve to 3-1

After a couple of solid wins in which they scored six goals apiece against San Jose and Minnesota following the loss on opening night, the Kings took to the road to begin a six-game road trip and came away with a well-played defensive effort in St. Louis, beating the Blues 2-1.

The Kings were just 4 of 11 on the penalty kill going into the game, but tonight they killed off all five St. Louis power plays.

Ryan Smyth, his fourth of the season, on a power play, and Michal Handzus, his second, recorded the two goals tonight. The Kings top line of Smyth, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams has now combined for a total of 20 points in four games.

Meanwhile, Drew Doughty took a puck to the face midway through the second period and left the ice, but returned for the start of the third period.

The Kings hit Long Island in New York for a date with the Islanders on Monday afternoon.

Kings Drop Opener

And it wasn't pretty. The Kings lost 6-3 to Phoenix in their season and home opener last night, and were booed off the Staples Center ice after the game. They made several turnovers defensively in their own zone that led to at least two Coyotes goals. The Kings didn't handle or pass the puck well all night.

Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov and Drew Doughty had the three Kings goals.

One other note, Dustin Brown has a muscle strain in his glute and was held out of today's skate-around. He is expected to be back on the ice tomorrow.

Hammond's New Kings Blog

Rich Hammond's new Kings blog is up and running on the Kings website. Other than the location, expect nothing less than the great insight he was already providing over at Inside the Kings. In other words, only the address is changing.

Enjoy!