Kings On Ice

Kings Win Opener in Sweden

2011-10-07T17:13:00.001-05:00

Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards - his first as a King, and Jack Johnson all scored in the 3-2 win.

Richards' goal came in the last three minutes of regulation to tie the game.

Johnson's goal came in overtime to win it.

The Kings play Buffalo tomorrow in Germany while the Rangers skate with the Ducks in Sweden.

The Sabres defeated the Ducks 4-1 today.

Opening Day Has Finally Arrived

2011-10-07T07:54:00.001-05:00

Kings take on the Rangers in Sweden in their season opener today.

Drew Doughty will be on the ice and Mike Richards will make his official debut for the Kings.

Jonathan Quick gets the nod in net.

Dustin Penner will not play due to a lower-body injury suffered in Germany against Hamburg.

Game time is 1pm on the East Coast, 10am L.A. time and can be seen nationally on Versus.

And here's an interesting tidbit to think about...

Each of the last three Stanley Cup Champions all started their seasons in Europe (Chicago in 2008, Pittsburgh in 2009 and Boston last season in 2010).

Game on!

Kings Have Deal with Doughty

2011-09-29T22:51:00.004-05:00

Don't know all the details but reports are the Kings and defenseman Drew Doughty have a verbal agreement on an 8-year, $56 million deal.

Check out the LA Kings Insider for all the latest info on the deal...

An Ugly Picture

2011-09-23T22:43:00.000-05:00

Last night, former Kings forward Wayne Simmonds, who was traded in the off-season by the Kings to the Flyers as part of the Mike Richards deal, was at the center of attention in London, Ontario, Canada in a disgusting way where the Flyers were taking on the Red Wings in a preseason game. At least twice during the game, a fan threw a banana in the direction of Simmonds while he was on the ice.

Simmonds, the professional that he is, handled the situation with dignity and class, and simply shrugged it off. The fan who supposedly threw the banana has not been found.

All I'm going to say is the whole thing makes me sick. It's disgusting and ignorant. There's no place anywhere in sports for racism in any way, shape or form. There's no place for it in society, period. It's sad and unfortunate that it happened to such a good kid in Simmonds. I always thought Canadian fans in particular were better than this to stoop to such stupidity.

I really hope it was an isolated incident and it doesn't happen again. Hockey is too good of a sport and too proud for something like this to paint a black eye on it.

It's 2011, people. Let's get with the program.

Doughty a No-Show as Camp Opens

2011-09-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to sit here and type out all of the details about Drew Doughty's contract holdout. You can get all of that by checking out the Kings Insider.

All I'm going to say is this is something that needs to get done. The Kings have made their best offer and it's entirely up to Doughty at this point. Doughty is a very important part of the Kings plans this year, as well as the future, and he knows that. So let's just sign on the dotted line and get this party started.

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The lone player, Alexander Galimov, who survived the Russian plane crash last week that killed the entire Locomotiv team of the KHL, as well as several high-ranking members of the organization, died earlier this week from his injuries.

Thoughts and prayers go out to Galimov's family, and continue to go out to the entire hockey world.

Former King Demitra Among Dead in Russian Plane Crash

2011-09-07T18:14:00.004-05:00

Such a sad day in the hockey world. As if it hasn't been a rough summer already for the sport.

Former Kings & NHL star Pavol Demitra was one of 43 people killed today in a Russian plane crash that also claimed the lives of most of the Russian KHL team Locomotiv.

Also reportedly killed in the crash were former Kings prospect Jan Marek, Locomotiv's head coach Brad McCrimmon, a former NHL defenseman and assistant coach with Detroit, former Ducks forward Ruslan Salei, and former NHL players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek and Karlis Skrastins.

The plane was carrying the Locomotiv team on its way to Belarus when it crashed on the banks of the Volga River after takeoff from an airport in nearby Yaroslavl, about 150 miles northeast of Moscow. Locomotiv was scheduled to play against Dinamo Minsk in Belarus in its season opener.

Russian player Alexander Galimov and a flight engineer survived the crash and are both listed in serious condition at a nearby hospital.

Demitra, a three-time NHL All-Star, played most of his NHL career with the St. Louis Blues from 1996-2004. He was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 1993 and was up and down between Ottawa and their AHL team on Prince Edward Island, Canada from 1993-1996. Demitra left the NHL after 2004 and played one season in his native Slovakia for HC Dukla Trencin before signing with the Kings before the 2005-2006 season where he scored 25 goals and had 62 points in 58 games. After just one season in L.A., Demitra was traded to the Minnesota Wild. He played two seasons in Minnesota before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks, where he played for two more seasons. Last season was his first with Locomotiv.

In 16 NHL seasons, Demitra scored 304 goals and registered 768 points. Last season, he scored 18 goals and tallied 60 points in 54 games for Locomotiv.

Demitra and Salei were both 36. McCrimmon was 52.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the entire hockey world, the NHL, KHL, the entire Locomotiv organization and to all the families and friends of those who lost their lives in today's tragedy.

Kings Unveil New Jerseys

2011-08-30T16:20:00.005-05:00

The Kings will be wearing new jerseys beginning this season.

Sort of.

What was previously the third alternate jersey will now be transitioned into the new home jersey.

A white version of that jersey will be created to be the new road jersey.

And the previous home jersey will be shifted to become the third jersey, with one small change.

That change is the absence of purple from the former home sweater chest crown. The crown is now completely silver and black.

The Kings say the changes are being made due to overwhelming feedback from the fans and the players.

The team will continue to wear their purple and gold vintage sweaters during selected home games.

A Day Late...

2011-08-22T08:34:00.000-05:00

The Kings have added former Oilers winger Ethan Moreau, 36, to the mix with a deal expected to be worth $600k for one-year.

The deal is expected to finalized and announced tomorrow.

Richards to NY; Kings Land Gagne

2011-07-02T16:23:00.007-05:00

Hours after center Brad Richards signed a 9-year deal with the Rangers, spurning the Kings and two other teams, the Kings turned around and inked LW Simon Gagne to a two-year deal worth $7MM, reuniting him with recently acquired Mike Richards.

Gagne, a 40-point scorer last season in Tampa and in 2009-10 with Philly, will get $4.5MM from the Kings next season, and $2.5MM in 2012-13. He tallied 74-points for the Flyers in 2008-09. Gagne will like play on the second line with Richards in the middle and Justin Williams on the right. First line should be Anze Kopitar in the middle with Dustin Brown and Dustin Penner on the wings.

This is a solid deal for the Kings as they get a veteran scorer and add some depth. If Gagne stays healthy, he should do well lining up with Richards.

Ok, So I Was Wrong

2011-07-01T14:21:00.004-05:00

The Kings apparently are making a very big push for Brad Richards. They sent a big contingent of top executives to Toronto to meet with Richards and his agent. AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke, team president and GM Dean Lombardi, head coach Terry Murray and the entire coaching staff all made the trip to make their presentation to Richards and his agent. Richards is fielding offers from a handful of other teams including Toronto and the New York Rangers, so no decision is expected to be made any sooner than tonight or tomorrow.

I'm under the assumption that if the Kings are able to sign Richards, a trade would almost certainly have to follow to move a center, most likely Jarret Stoll.

The Kings are also working feverishly hard to get restricted free agent Drew Doughty signed, as well. Doughty, the centerpiece of the youth movement and the defensive core, could become the team's highest paid player if all goes accordingly.

More to come... Stay tuned...

Free Agency Starts Friday

2011-06-30T19:53:00.006-05:00

In baseball, the free agency signings are dragged out throughout the long winter months. There is very little activity on the first day. In the NBA, there's usually a two-week moratorium in which teams and players can negotiate but can't make any official announcements until the moratorium period ends. In the NHL? It's open season on the first day that's usually filled with a flurry of activity.

This year should be no different with free agency opening up tomorrow. And for the Kings, who have been active in recent years, just not on the first day, usually missing out on the top tiered guys who prefer to play on the east coast rather than in sunny Southern California, with players citing travel concerns and a lack of fan interest, tomorrow could be busy.

The Kings are not expected to be in pursuit of any of the top free agents this year. Aside from center Brad Richards, the top guys this year appear to be defensemen and goalies, two positions the Kings are in pretty good shape. Richards won't go to L.A. to play on the wing as the Kings are pretty well set at center after acquiring Mike Richards from Philly last week. They do seem to be a little thin on the wing, especially on the left side, and could look for some depth there among the second- and third-tiered wingers available.

As for the top free agents, Brad Richards is drawing interest from about one-third of the teams. Dallas, his former employer, is not one of them. And if he has his way, expect him to sign with a smaller market team, perhaps Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Nashville or Winnipeg. Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, whom the Kings coveted last off-season when he signed in Edmonton, is off the market. His rights were traded twice this off-season from Edmonton to Long Island, New York to Buffalo yesterday, where he signed a 10-year deal today. Defensemen Tomas Kaberle, James Wisniewski, and goaltender Tomas Vokoun round out the top five. Another defenseman, Ed Jovanovski, is in the Top 10.

The players that are drawing some level of interest from the Kings are all wingers, and as expected, all left wingers. Ville Leino, who had a breakout season for Philly last season, Tomas Fleischmann, Simon Gagne, Eric Cole and Scottie Upshall would be decent fits for the Kings. If they don't land one of these guys tomorrow, or if any of these guys end up somewhere else either tomorrow or in the days to follow, it will be an otherwise quiet day and free agency period for the Kings this season.

Major Realignment Overhaul Coming

2011-06-29T10:51:00.004-05:00

With the move of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg now official, the league has started talks of realignment to accommodate the relocated team. The Jets, as they will be called again, will play out of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference for one final season with Tampa Bay, Washington, Florida and Carolina.

Originally, the league was going to just simply shift Winnipeg, but with teams like Detroit, Nashville and Columbus playing out of the Western Conference and creating traveling nightmares for them, as well as West Coast teams, the league has decided to do a complete overhaul effective with the 2012-2013 season.

The plan is two break up the league into four divisions - two in each conference - with one conference getting two 8-team divisions, likely the east, and the other getting two 7-team divisions.

The new realignment plan is likely to be approved at the Board of Governors meeting in December. So for now, for one more season, the league will continue under the current format.

I personally think they should just keep the current format and just do the overhauled realignment under it. With so many teams in the league now, seven and eight team divisions just seems to be too much. The idea of competing within a five-team division seems favorable and more competitive.

Smyth Finally Traded

2011-06-26T15:18:00.002-05:00

Yes, he's going back to Edmonton. No, it's not the same deal that was nearly completed Friday during the draft.

In return, the Kings will get Colin Fraser and a 2012 seventh-round pick.

Fraser is nothing more than a depth forward who makes less than $1MM, so this will allow the Kings some room to find someone to replace Smyth.

That player will likely come via free agency and not a trade.

News From the Draft

2011-06-25T20:56:00.005-05:00

This should be a short post because I won't pretend like I know who the Kings, or anyone else, drafted or know anything about them. Having said that, there was other news.

It appeared Ryan Smyth had been dealt back to Edmonton at one point early during the draft yesterday but as the night went on, it become more clear that the deal had not been finalized. In fact, the entire deal fell completely through, in large part, based on reports, due to the health concern of Gilbert Brule, whom the Kings would have then turned around and bought out or flipped to another team. (League rules prohibit a player from being bought out or traded while they're injured.)

So for now, Smyth is still with the Kings, but he could still end up in Edmonton any minute or day now, or he could still wind up in Calgary. The Flames were hot in on the talks for Smyth, but many felt they fell out of it when they inked Alex Tanguay to a five-year, $17.5MM extension. However, it appears they could still be in on Smyth now that the aforementioned deal has fallen through.

Stay tuned.

Kings Pull Off Blockbuster Deal

2011-06-23T16:27:00.006-05:00

Kings have acquired center Mike Richards from Philly.

Philly gets prospect Brayden Schenn, RW Wayne Simmonds and a draft pick.

2011 Entry Draft is tomorrow.

Could this be a precursor to something else?

Rumors have it Ryan Smyth wants back in Edmonton for personal reasons.

We shall wait and see.

As for Richards, he is signed through 2019-2020 season.

He's played six seasons in NHL, averaging 70 points over last four.

I'm still on fence over this deal because of length of his contract and his reputation.

But here's hoping Richards can shed that reputation and fit in and help this team.

Kyle Clifford should slide into Simmonds' slot in lineup.

But it leaves a big hole at RW on 3rd line.

Let's hope Kings GM Dean Lombardi has other plans.

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Congrats to Kings Captain Dustin Brown on winning NHL's Foundation Award at last night's NHL Awards Show. The Foundation Award is given to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich lives of others in their community.

Boston Wins Cup

2011-06-15T22:14:00.007-05:00

For the first time in 39 years, the Boston Bruins are Stanley Cup Champions after defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in Game 7 of the Finals on the road after trailing in the series 2-0 and 3-2. Boston goalie Tim Thomas was named series MVP and finished the series with most saves ever in Finals history.

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As you can see, it's been a while since I've checked in on this here blog. The Kings were down 2-1 to San Jose in the first round of the playoffs the last time I was here, and unfortunately lost the series in six games.

This Kings team played their butts off in the San Jose series despite the Game 3 meltdown, but they're still a young team learning how to play through playoff adversity. They could have easily won that series as they lost three of the games, including Game 6 at home, in overtime. One lucky bounce their way in those overtime losses, and who knows what might have happened.

In any case, we've reached the official end of the 2010-2011 season with Boston hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup tonight, and I'm sure Dean Lombardi and co. have been hard at work for weeks now looking for ways to improve the Kings as they head into the 2011-2012 season.

One thing is for certain, this team will only get better. A healthy Anze Kopitar should help the offense, as should a full season with Dustin Penner. And with one of the best defenses with young superstars such as Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, and one of the best young goalies in the league in Jonathan Quick, the sky could be the limit for this team for years to come!

What Just Happened?

2011-04-20T01:21:00.002-05:00

Did I really just witness that?

I could sit here and list all the reason why the Kings never should have lost this game.

Instead I'm only going to say, there's no excuse for it.

Ok, maybe not. I can't leave it alone. I can't keep quiet.

Sure, this is a young team still.

But to build a 4-0 lead on 10 shots through the first 24 minutes of play, and lose?

Inexcusable.

This was en epic defensive fail. And an epic goaltending fail, too.

How do you give up five goals in one period, and then lose in overtime after such a great start?

How they respond on Thursday through the adversity after this game on will really tell us if this team is ready to handle playoff hockey.

This is disheartening and discouraging. But it's not time yet to bow out.

Series is best of seven, not three.

Kings fans did their part tonight. Now it's the team's turn Thursday night.

Let's go Kings!

Back Home

2011-04-19T14:32:00.003-05:00

And back in black after a 4-0 shellacking of the Fishies on Saturday night.

Gotta love how well the Kings played in first two games on road, especially Game 2.

Took advantage of Sharks stupid penalties.

Jon Quick was amazing in goal, and Drew Doughty was about as good as he's ever been.

Series could easily be 2-0 Kings, but we'll take the 1-1 going back to Staples.

Ok, Kings fans, lets show the hockey world what we're really made of tonight!

Get loud, Staples Center! Let's go Kings!

Tough Loss

2011-04-15T11:39:00.002-05:00

Kings played extremely well all around last night but suffered a 3-2 OT loss in Game 1.

There's not much more to be said about last night's game.

Game 2 is Saturday night in the Shark Tank.

Go get 'em Kings!

Playoffs Set

2011-04-14T21:28:00.003-05:00

After two lackluster performances against the Ducks to end season, Kings finish with 98 points and the seventh seed, and drew division-rival and champion San Jose Sharks in the first round.

Without Anze Kopitar and much of a power play, this will be long (or short) series for the Kings, despite their stellar defense and goal-tending.

On the plus side, Justin Williams is ready and playing in Game One tonight.

So far, 1-0 Sharks. Just under nine minutes in the first...

It's Official

2011-04-08T00:31:00.003-05:00

Kings are playoff-bound again after a 3-2 shootout win last night at Staples over Phoenix.

Kings currently sit in fourth place in West with 98 points, just three points off last year's 101 points, with two games left in the regular season.

As of right now, half of the Western Conference playoff spots are occupied by Pacific Division teams, with Dallas just two points back of Chicago for the 8th and final spot, both with two games left.

No entire division has ever made the playoffs under the current three-division format per conference.

Magic Number Just Two Points Away

2011-03-28T20:55:00.002-05:00

That number is 94 and the Kings currently sit at 92 points, good for fifth in the conference.

They're picking up points left and right, winning big games, but with costly consequences.

Both Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar suffered season-ending injuries in recent games.

Perhaps the deadline acquisition of Dustin Penner looms even larger now.

Despite a few hiccups along the way, the Kings defense continues to be stellar.

And Jonathan Quick has been even better in net, especially during shootouts.

Quick is a perfect 9-0 in those situations.

And we all know how big defense and special teams are come post-season.

It's time to see how resilient this young team really is now by showing they can play through adversity.

Rollin' Through DC...

2011-02-12T20:48:00.002-06:00

And putting a Cap in Washington with a solid 4-1 win.

Four different players scored goals for the Kings, including Kopi.

Ovechkin with lone Caps goal.

They pick up yet two more points. Perhaps biggest win of season so far.

Streak is now at 6-0-2 in last eight; 3-0-2 on current roadie.

Next stop: monster game in Philly tomorrow.

It's All in the Point

2011-02-10T22:00:00.003-06:00

Just keep picking up those points.

They pick up one in the standings despite the overtime loss in Pittsburgh.

Streak is now 5-0-2 in the last seven, and 2-0-2 on the road trip.

Next stop: DC to face Alex Ovechkin and the Caps.

Streaking...

2011-02-07T14:27:00.002-06:00

Right back into a playoff spot. 5-0-1 in last six.

The entire division holds a playoff spot now. Yes, all five teams. That's insane and unheard of.

11-10

2011-01-30T19:36:00.003-06:00

All-Star Game final. Team Kopitar... I mean... Team Lidstrom wins. Kopi with two goals.

Patrick Sharp of losing Team Staal wins MVP.

Kings back in action Tuesday in Minny. Then Wednesday in Hockeytown.

Oh Lookie Here!

2011-01-27T00:24:00.002-06:00

That's three in a row!

Folks, imagine this: we have ourselves... *gasp*... a winning streak!

Big win over those Little-Fishies-to-the-North.

On to the All-Star Break. Sweet Carolina! (Yes, I know it's Caroline...)

Well, Well...

2011-01-23T21:20:00.003-06:00

Kings finally remembered how to win a game.

After all the close games they've been losing of late, it's nice to finally win one of those.

Boston's next at Staples tomorrow night.

Back-to-Back

2011-01-18T22:01:00.004-06:00

2-1 losses on back-to-back nights. One in Dallas last night, and one in St. Louis tonight.

That puts the streak at 2-8 in their last 10.

Ouch.

Hey Look at That!

2011-01-16T12:31:00.001-06:00

A win last night! While wearing their retro purple and golds! 2-0 in those games!

1-7

2011-01-15T15:31:00.004-06:00

That's where the current streak is after another poor offensive performance Thursday night against the Blues, which is what the Kings are feeling these days. And to do it on Dodger Pride Night with new Dodger manager Don Mattingly and a handful of Dodger players in house to christen the night.

So is tonight's game just what the doctor ordered? They get the lowly Oilers at home. You would think they should beat them pretty handily, but we'll see how they come out tonight.

There's no reason to be in a panic mode, but some of these losses of late are just flat out frustrating.

Not So Fast...

2011-01-11T14:41:00.002-06:00

Another loss to another mediocre-to-bad team. Frustrating.

On the bright side, Kopi's going to the All-Star Game! Congrats, Anze!

Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye

2011-01-09T21:44:00.001-06:00

And that was all she wrote... down goes the five game losing skid. And throw in a nice seven-year extension for J.J.

All is good again in Hockeywood, right?!

Well Isn't This Just Great

2011-01-07T14:42:00.002-06:00

Not a good time to be playing your worse hockey and riding a five-game losing streak on top of it.

Yes, there is a cause for concern here...

Another Night...

2011-01-04T00:36:00.003-06:00

Another loss. This is becoming very frustrating, the inconsistencies.

But damn the Blackhawks and their cheap-ass fluke fourth goal late in the game. What a joke! What a way to lose a game.

Another Loss

2011-01-02T14:55:00.001-06:00

But this time, the defense showed up, and the offense stayed home. Well done.

Say What?

2010-12-31T12:53:00.003-06:00

Those were two horribly pathetic performances by the Kings the past two games. Way to ring in the New Year... find your defense, please.

In Case You Missed It...

2010-12-28T16:54:00.002-06:00

Check out this incredible pass from Anze Kopitar to Dustin Brown in last night's Kings 4-0 shellacking of the Sharks...

Mile High Rout

2010-12-22T10:52:00.001-06:00

Well, that was a fun night. Kings 5, Avs 0. Dustin Brown with two goals. Marco Sturm made his Kings debut. Life is good again in Hockeywood!

Ok, Much Better

2010-12-18T22:26:00.001-06:00

Kings 6, Nashville 1. That's more like it.

On to Chicago to face the Stanley Cup Champions tomorrow!

Yikes!

2010-12-16T22:22:00.000-06:00

I think I'm glad I missed tonight's game. That is all.

Kings Complete Trade

2010-12-14T21:38:00.003-06:00

The Kings have officially completed a trade today for winger Marco Sturm from Boston that was originally reported several weeks ago. Sturm passed his physical this afternoon, and will travel to St. Louis to join the team. Sturm hopes to be ready to play sometime next week.

The trade comes on the heels of an impressive win for the Kings last night on the road in Detroit, where they slammed the Red Wings 5-0. Jonathan Quick saved a whopping 51 shots in the shutout for the Kings, and Willie Mitchell was back in action and played a big role in the game defensively. Mitchell took Brad Richardson's roster spot as he was placed on injured reserved with an unknown injury.

After a rough stretch in which the Kings lost six of seven following their great start, the team has turned it around and won four of its last five games, picking up points in all five contests, including two big, impressive wins against Detroit.

The Kings currently sit in seventh place with 35 points in a hotly-contested Western Conference which also has four of the five Pacific Division teams in the Top 8, and all five teams within just four points of each other.

Great Start

2010-10-25T23:19:00.003-05:00

You kind of had a feeling it could be like this. This Kings team is too talented to not be this good. The Kings picked up their sixth win of the season in eight games with a 3-2 shootout win tonight in Minnesota.

The strange thing is they're doing it with injuries slowly beginning to pile up and with two forwards earning game misconducts in each of the last two games. But it hasn't slowed down the Kings.

Drew Doughty was placed on injured reserve today with what's being called an upper body injury, though we already know he suffered a concussion several games ago. And team captain Dustin Brown, the team's leading scorer early in the season, received a game misconduct in the second period after he lowered his shoulder to hit Wild forward Antti Miettinen while he was Miettinen was taking a shot. Brown's shoulder connected with Miettinen's head and shoulder. Wayne Simmonds received a five minute major in Saturday's game at Colorado.

But none of that mattered as the Kings continue to find ways to win games. They've won five of their last six games. Their 12 points in the standings are second most in the NHL.

And the power play finally found it's groove in tonight's win.

Brad Richardson recorded the first hat trick of his career when he netted three goals in the 6-4 win against Colorado on Saturday night.

While Doughty was placed on IR today, defenseman Matt Greene was activated before Saturday's game and played in tonight's game as well.

Next up for the Kings, they travel to Chicago to take on the defending Stanley Cup Champions on Wednesday.

New Season

2010-10-04T21:07:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again. The weather is changing outside as summer turns into autumn, and 30 NHL arenas around the North America are preparing their buildings for a new hockey season.

It's been six long months since the Kings were eliminated from the playoffs last season. In the time since, the Kings prepared for what would be very high expectations in the upcoming season, and rightfully so. The Kings finished as the sixth seed out West with 101 points last season before being ousted by Vancouver in the first round of the playoffs, and with the bulk and core of the team returning, the expectations are sky-high.

The Kings were never able to land their much-coveted top-line scorer such as Ilya Kovalchuk, but they were able to add other pieces which many feel could make this team better than last season. For starters, left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky was brought in to add depth to the middle lines, and perhaps the most important signing of the off-season, defenseman Willie Mitchell was added to a very solid and arguably one of the top defensive cores that already includes Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Rob Scuderi.

On offense, Ponikarovsky joins Captain Dustin Brown, who returns along with Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar, Brad Richardson, Wayne Simmonds, Jarrett Stoll, Justin Williams and Michael Handzus. Hopefully, scoring goals won't be an issue this season, and a healthy Smyth and a more consistent Kopitar should help.

Jonathan Bernier, who signed a two-year extension today, will back-up Jonathan Quick in net for the Kings this season after Erik Ersberg was placed on waivers. He eventually cleared and was sent to Manchester.

With the high expectations comes added pressure for the Kings to improve on last season's 101 points and go deeper in the post-season. Both ESPN and TSN have the Kings ranked fifth in their pre-season Power Rankings, so the recognition is definitely there.

The keys for the Kings will obviously be the same for any other team: staying healthy. But with a year under their belt together, the defense should be better with the addition of Mitchell, and that should make life a little easier for Quick down the stretch. Offensively, the Kings hope Brown steps up from his down year and contributes more in the way of putting pucks into the net. And hopefully the addition of Ponikarovsky will help ease the loss of an inconsistent Alex Frolov, who took his skills to the Big Apple as a free agent.

All in all, the Kings continue to grow as a team. General Manager Dean Lombardi has a done a nice job of drafting and tweaking the roster to build a solid future for the Kings, and hopefully they get over the hump this year and are playing beyond April, and even May under the guidance of Head Coach Terry Murray.

Kovy Turns Down Kings?

2010-07-04T17:05:00.004-05:00

UPDATE (5:08pm CT): Helene Elliott has now posted this report on the LA Times Sports Blog, The Fabulous Forum.

Not good.

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Reports are starting to surface that Ilya Kovalchuk has rejected the Kings offer. Helene Elliott of the Times is the first to report it via Twitter.

More as this story develops.

Catching Up

2010-07-03T13:53:00.003-05:00

Well it's been a while since the Kings were eliminated from post-season play by Vancouver. They played well at times against the 'Nucks, and looked almost unbeatable at times during those stretches, but when it mattered most, they were dreadful in closing out games. The defense, and to an extent, the goal-tending, as well, was awful. But it is what it is.

Since then, they've hired a new assistant coach to replace Mark Hardy. The NHL Entry Draft was held at Staples last weekend over a two-day frame. And the free agency period went into full swing starting on Thursday.

The Kings have two glaring needs: they need a premier front-line scorer on the top line, and they need veteran depth at defense. I think the goal-tending needs to be addressed as well.

They have not been very busy as far signing anyone over the first two plus days, but they've been busy behind the scenes trying to get things done. They've been mentioned in numerous rumors regarding Ilya Kovalchuk, the top forward in this year's free agent class. And being well below the cap, they have plenty to spend, and would like to. But so far, it's been relatively quiet.

The general consensus is Kovy will wind up in L.A., but at what cost? Reports out there say his camp wants max money (10 years, $10MM per), and as far as we know, only one team is apparently willing to go that far: the Islanders.

Now, I don't think the Kings should go that far to get him. Ten years seems to be a bit much for a 27 year old forward, granted he's one of the top scorers in the league. But even if the Kovy camp wants that much and the Islanders are willing to give him max money, is he really going to take it when the Islanders are so far away from winning? I don't think so, and that leads me to believe Kovy winds up in L.A., and hopefully at half of what his camp wants as far as the years go.

Stay tuned. My gut tells me there will be a resolution on this in the next 24-to-48 hours.

On top of all that, the Kings have also been tied to numerous trade rumors, as well. They were in on two of the top defensemen available through free agency, but Paul Martin signed with Pittsburgh and Dan Hamhuis inked a deal in Vancouver. So where does this leave the Kings? The said trade rumors have them linked to Sheldon Souray and even Tomas Kaberle. (My gut tells me neither ends up in L.A.)

They've also been tied to Simon Gagne, who waived his no-trade yesterday, and more recently, Vincent Lecavalier. (Yes, I know they're not defensemen, but my guess is if something happens with either of them, it's all contingent on what happens with Kovy.)

Kings ownership is pretty peeved at this point that nothing has happened yet. They want to make a big splash because they are that close to being a Cup contender, but obviously Dean Lombardi has a plan and wants to stick to it. In the end, I think they still end up with Kovy, and they'll probably move one of the goalies (either Jon Quick or Jonathan Bernier) for a defenseman. Question is, who?

They'll make their big splash.

Kings Clinch Playoff Spot

2010-04-05T16:14:00.003-05:00

Even after coughing up a 1-0 lead late in Saturday night's game against the Ducks and eventually losing 2-1 in a shootout, the Kings still managed to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday. With Calgary's loss Sunday afternoon, the Kings are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

The Kings obviously don't want to let up and get lackadaisical now that they're in. They still have some unfinished business, and with four games left on the regular season schedule, 100 points is still within reach. They currently sit in seventh place in the conference with 95 points.

They probably want to win these last four games to gain some momentum heading into the post-season, as well. After scoring eight goals last Thursday in their win over Vancouver, they only managed one against the Ducks on Saturday. If the Kings are going to advance deep in the playoffs, they need their offense to be consistent. It's no secret the hottest teams heading into the playoffs are generally the teams that do well and advance deep into the post-season.

On an unrelated note, Jeff Halpern could return tomorrow night in Anaheim after suffering an upper body injury last Thursday when he was checked into the boards by Vancouver's Tanner Glass.

Back on Track?

2010-04-02T18:21:00.006-05:00

Well, we can only hope after the last two wins.

The Kings had struggled all season against Nashville and Vancouver. For some reason, they just couldn't find a way to beat either team. But in the last two games, with Jonathan Bernier in net giving Jon Quick a little rest, they found a way. On Tuesday, Bernier pitched a shutout as the Kings beat the Preds 2-0 in Nashville.

Last night's game was even more impressive. In fact, it might have been their best game of the season, at the most important time of the season.

The Kings erupted for five goals to start the game before the Canucks ever got on the scoreboard, and with the help of Dustin Brown's second career hat trick, the Kings walloped Roberto Luongo and the Canucks 8-3 at Staples.

The Kings dominated this game from start to finish on both sides of the ice despite Bernier giving up two quick goals to Vancouver in a 39 second span in the middle of the second period.

They did lose Jeff Halpern in the process, unfortunately. He took a hard check into the boards in the first period on a charge from Tanner Glass that resulted in the infamous upper body injury. There appeared to be contact from Glass to the head, which resulted in a power play for the Kings. Glass could receive additional supplemental discipline from the league for the hit.

Meanwhile, Bernier, who was called up last week to backup Quick after Erik Ersberg suffered an injury, was sent back to Manchester this morning. Ersberg will return Saturday as Quick's primary backup.

Last night's offensive outburst, coupled with some stingy defense was exactly what the Kings needed, even as they followed up a pretty impressive win in Nashville two nights earlier. The important thing for the Kings is to not let up. Keep going forward. Keep up the intensity from last night, as well as the sense of urgency.

Next up for the Kings, two against the Ducks: Saturday at Staples, next Tuesday in Anaheim.

So Much For That...

2010-03-29T15:03:00.003-05:00

Just as quickly as the Kings seemed to have rebounded from their recent struggles, they fall right back into it. They've lost their last three games, and look to rebound yet once again tonight in Minnesota and tomorrow in Nashville.

The offense is sputtering once again, and the defense and goal-tending haven't been much better. After their 4-3 shootout loss in Denver on Wednesday, the Kings scored just one goal in their last two games against St. Louis and Dallas.

They get Matt Greene back on defense tonight, replacing Randy Jones, and Jonathan Bernier has been recalled to replace Erik Ersberg, who's out with an injury, as Jon Quick's backup.

One thing I've noticed in the past few weeks aside from the fact they seem to be playing in a panic mode is there seems to be a lack of a sense of urgency. Some guys are playing with that sense of urgency, but some guys are playing like it's just another game, and now's not the time to act as if these final nine or ten games are just that. There have been a lot of mistakes that have led to goals that should have never happened, and when you get into the playoffs, it's nearly impossible to recover quickly from such mistakes.

It's time to buckle down. The time is now!

Big Win for Kings

2010-03-23T01:13:00.004-05:00

They got what they set out to do tonight: get two points. It wasn't pretty at the end of regulation, but they got the two points.

Drew Doughty netted a blast on the power play in overtime for the 4-3 win over Colorado, salvaging what almost became a disastrous night. With the Kings trailing 1-0, Ryan Smyth tied the game midway through the first period, and Wayne Simmonds gave them a 2-1 lead late in the second. The Avs tied it again early in the third, but Smyth gave the Kings the lead back midway through the period. Then with 10 seconds left in regulation, Colorado tied it again after pulling their goalie for the extra attacker.

It was definitely an exciting game to watch. The Kings played with a sense of urgency and they proved with this game that they're ready to compete in the post-season.

Now the two teams head to Colorado and square off again in Denver on Wednesday night.

Certainly, another very important game as all their remaining 11 games are. The Kings need all the points they can get to give themselves some breathing room in the standings.

Kings Struggles

2010-03-21T14:09:00.004-05:00

Well, as expected from such a young team, the Kings have been struggling since their win at Dallas back on March 2nd. They're 3-5 since with wins against Columbus, Dallas again, and the Islanders last night. But despite two of those wins being shutouts, including a dominating 6-0 performance against the Jackets, the Kings haven't played well since the Olympic break.

There's no question the effort has been there for the most part. But they've looked sloppy, slow and tired. They're making mistakes defensively, and it's costing them games. And to make matters worse, the offense has been virtually non-existent in the last five or six games.

One has to wonder if desperation or panic is beginning to set in. There is a difference between the two. From my vantage point, it seems more like panic than desperation, although the panic is a result of desperation. To me, desperation is okay because, as Head Coach Tom Murray noted yesterday, it gets the players adrenaline going and they become more focused. But when there's a reluctance to make plays out of fear of making a mistake, then the panic sets in and they try to do too much.

The Kings are certainly playing with some desperation but when they lose focus for fear of making a mistake, they begin to panic, and this is where I think the Kings are right now.

The Kings have 12 games left, starting with a home-and-home series Monday against Colorado. They're still in great shape to make the playoffs. They've got 87 points after their big win last night, and sit in fifth place in the conference, but they need to keep pushing forward.

They fought through adversity once during the season when they had a two-week lull in December. They rebounded nicely and have been playing solid hockey since, until recently. There's still enough time for the Kings to get some momentum going into the playoffs. A nice, long winning streak would be good right about now.

**********

I don't know if anyone else has taken notice, but the Phoenix Coyotes are just one point behind San Jose for the division lead, and just two points behind Chicago for the top seed in the West. While San Jose has been reeling of late with a five-game skid, the 'Yotes have been rolling with an impressive eight-game winning streak. Former Kings assistant Dave Tippett has done a fantastic job in his first season as Phoenix's head coach.

**********

Also, just wanted to welcome back Bob Miller to broadcast booth. Miller missed a couple of weeks while battling a case of the shingles. Radio guy Nick Nickson filled in nicely on television in Miller's absence.

Welcome back, Bob!

Kings Add Two

2010-03-03T21:06:00.004-06:00

The Kings picked up two players before today's trade deadline.

In separate deals, the Kings picked up center Jeff Halpern from Tampa Bay in exchange for Teddy Purcell and a 3rd round pick, and they picked up left-winger Fredrik Modin from Columbus for a conditional draft pick. Both players are expected to be in uniform for tomorrow night's game in Nashville.

Kings Pick Up Right Where They Left Off

2010-03-02T23:52:00.002-06:00

And it really wasn't even that close of a game.

In their first game since the break, the Kings ripped the Stars here in Dallas tonight, 5-1.

There had been some talk about whether or not the layoff would hurt Jonathan Quick. Quick was a member of the U.S. Olympic team but never once suited up. He was the third string goaltender behind starter Ryan Miller, and Tim Thomas. So Quick simply sat and watched.

Well, obviously it didn't affect him too much. Quick looked very sharp, and the Kings as a team simply outplayed Dallas all night, and it showed in the score. The Kings got goals from Jarrett Stoll, Alexander Frolov, who also had two assists, Brad Richardson, Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar with his team-leading 29th goal of the season. Olympic Gold Medalist Drew Doughty also picked up three assists on the night.

The Kings now sit in fourth place in the West at 80 points, fourth most points in the league. Jon Quick continues to rack up wins, adding to his single-season franchise record with his 36th win, which is also tops in the league.

So, next up for the Kings is Nashville on Thursday, with the trade deadline tomorrow afternoon. I don't expect the Kings to be very active, and if they are, I don't expect much more than a role player or two. And don't expect Frolov to be moved either.

An Olympic Review

2010-03-01T19:16:00.005-06:00

I must say in all my years of watching Olympic hockey, and hockey in general, the past two weeks in Vancouver were arguably the best two weeks of hockey I've ever seen. What we saw was a display of twelve countries showcasing the best players it has to offer, and none of them disappointed. It also didn't hurt that NHL represented about 60% of all the players in the tournament, including the entire rosters for the U.S. and Canada.

And speaking of which...

Yesterday's Gold Medal game between the U.S. and Canada was arguably one the greatest hockey games ever played. And to think the U.S. almost pulled off a miraculous upset against arguably the best team in the tournament in which no one gave the U.S. much of a chance to medal, let alone play for the Gold Medal. Many felt the U.S. was probably, at best, the fifth best team in the Olympics behind powerhouses such as Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and perhaps even the Czechs and Slovaks.

But instead, the U.S. held its own throughout the tournament, and behind Ryan Miller's spectacular goal-tending, earned a well-earn chance at the gold medal.

Down 2-0, the U.S. got a late second period goal from Ryan Kesler, who tipped in a shot from Patrick Kane to make it a game again. With the same 2-1 score late in regulation, the U.S. pulled Miller for the extra attacker. It paid off. With just a little over 24 seconds left on the clock, Zach Parise netted a rebound past an outstretched Roberto Luongo for the equalizer, sending it into a sudden death overtime.

It wasn't until the overtime, when the teams were forced to play four-on-four, that we really saw how much of an advantage the Canadians really had over the U.S. And with about 13-plus minutes left in the overtime, Sidney Crosby netted a give-and-go from Jerome Iginla to give Canada the win, and the Gold Medal.

Still, the U.S. has nothing to hang their heads about. They saved their best game for last, and nearly beat the odds. And in a sense, they did beat the odds because they weren't expected to even medal in Vancouver, and came away with a Silver Medal.

Sadly, though, yesterday's Gold Medal game was getting many unfair comparisons to the "Miracle on Ice" in which a team of U.S. amateurs upset a powerful Soviet Union team during the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York. To an extent, the comparisons are valid because this year's U.S. team, albeit a team full of NHL players just like Canada, was a far younger team than the group of veterans the Canadians put together. But in all actuality, the circumstances of the two games were far different.

Anyway you slice it, though, the game (and the tournament) didn't disappoint. For the U.S., Miller was at his best in goal as he had been throughout the entire tournament. Despite giving up the three goals that would help give Canada the Gold Medal yesterday, Miller was named the tournament's MVP, and deservedly so.

Miller played out of his mind throughout the Olympics, and was the sole reason the U.S. beat Canada last week to earn the top seed heading into the medal round, despite the fact the U.S. managed to score five times on Marty Brodeur.

Four of the five Kings players who participated in the Games also received medals. Drew Doughty picked up a Gold Medal for Canada while Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick earned well-deserved Silver Medals for the U.S. Only Michal Handzus of Slovakia returned empty-handed after his Slovakian team lost to Finland in the Bronze Medal Game.

I was really pulling for the Slovakians to medal for other reasons than Michal Handzus. The Kings also had four former players on the Slovakian team (Ziggy Palffy, Josef Stumpel, Lubomir Visnovsky and Pavol Demitra), as well as one additional player they currently own the rights to (Lubos Bartecko).

But looking back on the entire tournament, especially after yesterday's Gold Medal game, you can't help but think the sport might have won over many new fans, and perhaps even a handful of fans who gave up on the sport after the 2004 NHL lockout, especially here in the U.S.

Think about it. This game was originally going to be aired on a tape-delay here in the States. Instead, the entire country got it live - yes, including the West Coast, who was getting most of these games on a three-hour delay, anyway - and it turned out to be the most watched hockey game in the U.S. since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" game, which wasn't even broadcasted live.

NBC earned a solid 15.2 share overnight. That equates to approximately 26.7 million viewers, up 45.5% over the 2002 Salt Lake City Gold Medal game between the same two countries.

And in Canada, the game shattered records country-wide. The game there, aired on nine different networks and in eight different languages, was the most watched television broadcast ever. Roughly half of the nation's population watched yesterday's game.

When all is said and done, the real hockey Gold Medal winner of these Olympics was the sport itself.

That said, the Kings are back in action tomorrow night in Dallas.

Quick Makes History

2010-02-13T23:55:00.005-06:00

Record-settings seem to be going around L.A. quite often these days. With his 35th win of the season tonight, Jon Quick became the single-season winningest goaltender in Kings history. Quick now also leads the league in goaltender wins heading into the Olympic break.

Quick is one of three goalies for Team USA, which kicks off Olympic competition on Tuesday afternoon in Vancouver vs. Switzerland. He will be joined by teammates Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson (more on Johnson's journey coming soon) on Team USA. Drew Doughty will represent the Kings for Canada, and Michal Handzus will get the honor for Slovakia.

As for tonight's game, Quick and the Kings shutout Colorado 3-0 with goals from Brad Richardson, Anze Kopitar and Oscar Moller. After the Ducks snapped the Kings franchise-record nine-game winning streak on Monday, the Kings lost to lowly Edmonton on Thursday night in a shootout. But they got back in the win column tonight and head into the break in fourth place in the Western Conference with 78 points. The 78 points is also fifth-most in the NHL. Three of the top five teams in points come out of the hotly-contested Pacific Division.

Prime 9: Kings Make History

2010-02-06T17:28:00.006-06:00

They've just defeated the Red Wings 4-3 after trailing 3-0 after the first period to set a franchise-record with their ninth straight win, and 11th in their last 12 games.

Michal Handzus recorded two goals, including the game-winner late in the third period. Jon Quick continues his record-setting streak with his ninth straight win. He leads all goaltenders with 34 wins.

Streak Reaches 8

2010-02-05T00:08:00.007-06:00

The Kings continue to roll. Tonight, in another Freeway Face-off against the Ducks, the Kings staved off a third period Ducks rally, and won 6-4 with two late goals of their own out at Staples Center.

Jon Quick became the league's winningest goalie with his 33rd win of the season, and Anze Kopitar added two more goals and two assists, including a pretty move on the power play in a little one-on-one with Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller for the Kings sixth goal of the night. With the win, the red-hot Kings moved into a tie for 4th place in the West with Phoenix with 73 points.

The Kings looked like they were gonna roll to an easy win when the 3rd period got under way. They had a comfortable 4-1 lead early in the period, but the Ducks answered with three goals of their own to tie before the midway point of the period. Talk about giving me, and every other Kings fan a heart attack! But the Kings shut them down defensively and went back to work offensively with about 5:30 left when Dustin Brown notched the tie-breaker.

The Kings are really playing well and with confidence while playing through adversity, and when they fall behind, they don't crumble under pressure to get back into the game as they have in recent years. They've really learned to trust themselves and each other as a unit under tough circumstances.

Chalk up another win for the Kings when they lead after two periods. They improved to 23-0-0 in those games.

The two teams meet again next Monday down in Anaheim to continue the Freeway Face-off. First, the Kings host Detroit on Saturday.

*****

It had been widely reported and speculated that the Kings were one of the leading candidates to land Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk in a trade in recent days. Yesterday, Atlanta's GM Don Waddell told Kovalchuk to start packing his bags, that he would be traded "in a few hours or a few days." Well, today, after Waddell announced that Kovalchuk had turned down a 12-year, $101MM contract extension from the Thrashers, he was eventually traded to New Jersey for three players and a first-round pick.

Maybe a lot to give up for a two-month rental (or more depending how far the Devils parade through the playoffs), but they were willing to meet Waddell's demands. I'm just glad the Kings didn't cave in to his demands. It could have cost them any number of players, and it didn't make sense to me for them to break up a winning chemistry. They're playing very well right now as it is without Kovalchuk.

Now the question is can the Devils sign him now before he becomes a free agent after the season, or can they re-sign him once he does become a free agent? Time will tell. It's always possible the Kings could make a run at him if he does hit the market.

That's Seven Straight

2010-02-02T23:57:00.002-06:00

Wins, that is. Kings continue to roll, and edge the Rangers 2-1 back at Staples tonight after their perfect east coast roadie. On top of it being their straight win overall, they've now won 9 of their last 10. Another win for Jon Quick, and another goal from Anze Kopitar, who scored the first goal for the Kings short-handed, his 24th of the season.

Battle of SoCal on Thursday night.

Perfect!

2010-02-01T18:17:00.004-06:00

Wow! What a road trip! The Kings finished their five-game trip with arguably their grittiest win of the season, a 3-2 shocker in Jersey, completing their perfect 5-0 trip.

The Kings have now won six straight overall and eight of nine. They've won eight straight on the road and have a league-best 19 road wins. And more importantly, they're racking up points in the standings that they left behind in December during their little mid-season slide.

Couple things stood out to me watching yesterday's win in Jersey. First, was the goal by Wayne Simmonds late in the third period. The goal they scored at the end of the second period probably kept them in the game, but Simmonds' goal from the sharp angle to the right of Devils net-minder was a huge blow to the Devils. It not only tied the game, but it set up their third goal about a minute and a half later when Drew Doughty's slap shot from straight out just inside the line on the power play gave the Kings the lead for good.

By tying the game, it allowed the Kings to keep Jon Quick in net without having to pull him for the man-advantage, and then they went on the power play and got the man-advantage that way.

The other thing that stood out to me aside from the Kings grinding it throughout the game even though they looked liftless and tired for most of the first period was the play of Quick in net. Quick made perhaps the save of the year about mid-way through the third when he made a no-look glove save from a point blank shot from his left. That, folks, was the turning point in the game.

You can't help but be in awe of this Kings team. In years past, they wouldn't have recovered from their December slide. Instead, they battled through adversity and have turned it around that quickly, and are now playing important games into February. The way they have fought through the hiccups of December to get to where they are now tells you a lot about the character of this team. The kids have learned to grow up and it seems like they're ready to take this to the next level.

Let's hope they keep this rolling tomorrow against the Rangers back at Staples, and let's hope the upcoming Olympic break doesn't slow them down they get back at the end of the month.

Perfect Trip and Ilya Kovalchuk

2010-01-30T16:48:00.008-06:00

The Kings have four straight games overall and six of seven, and are currently 3-0 on the current five game trip that started with wins in Detroit, Toronto and Columbus. Tonight, they try for 4-0 in Boston, and then wrap up the trip tomorrow in Jersey, probably the toughest game of the trip.

The trip is already a success in that no matter what happens tonight in Boston or tomorrow in Jersey, they finish the trip with a winning record. They'll be without Jack Johnson tonight, and perhaps tomorrow, as well, who is suffering from the infamous "upper body injury." He's listed as day-to-day. Randy Jones gets the nod in his absence for tonight.

There had been some speculation that this Johnson injury was all just a cover-up to a possible trade with the Thrashers that could net the Kings Ilya Kovalchuk, but the injury is obviously for real. Johnson has been mentioned in trade rumors with Atlanta for Kovalchuk.

Also, with Boston, the other front-running suitor for Kovalchuk, moving on to other trade options, there's growing sentiment that a Kovalchuk deal is close. Kings beat writer/blogger Rich Hammond did confirm mid-week that the Kings did in fact make an offer to the Thrashers for Kovalchuk, but Atlanta made a counteroffer back to the Kings. So far no deal has been consummated.

Meanwhile, Atlanta's GM made it clear that teams will not be given a chance work out an extension with Kovalchuk, who will be a free agent after the season, before completing a trade, but his trade demands remain too high at this point. This has forced most suitors for Kovalchuk to look elsewhere.

If I'm Dean Lombardi and the Kings, I do what I have to to get him. I know the price is steep right now, but you gotta give up something to get something. Obviously, Lombardi is smart enough to know when too much is too much. If Atlanta is willing to grant teams a window to work out an extension, then they need to lower their demands for Kovalchuk, who would then be solely a two-month rental. If they want to keep the price where it is, you gotta give something back in return, in this case, a window to work out an extension.

Stay tuned...

Kings Continue to Roll

2010-01-27T19:55:00.005-06:00

They've now won five of six after their 5-3 win in Toronto last night, and they're getting noticed again by some of the national media. Case in point: ESPN's Pierre LeBrun posted this nice column today on the Kings. Just as quickly as they went through their 4-8 mid-season slide, they've battled through adversity and rebounded nicely. And now, they're also among the front-runners for a possible Ilya Kovalchuk trade before the deadline in March.

But back to last night. The Kings looked sharp. They pounded the Leafs all night in the offensive zone, and the Leafs defense really couldn't do much to stop them. The Kings scored three times in the second period sandwiched around single tallies in the first and last periods. And it was Drew Doughty's 10th goal of the season that got the Kings going last night, and also caught the attention of LeBrun.

All-in-all, it was a good night. The Kings got their mojo back. They have a ton of confidence in themselves, so much so, they believe they can beat any team on any given night now. And that could be trouble for other teams come playoff time.

Kings Get Big Win in Hockeytown

2010-01-23T20:44:00.006-06:00

After falling behind early in Detroit, the Kings battled back down 0-2 with two very impressive periods and earned a very important 3-2 win against the Wings to start the long road trip. Anze Kopitar, Peter Harrold, his first in 29 games and his first of the season, and Brad Richardson, his second in as many games, all scored for the Kings, who moved into a tie with Nashville for sixth place in the conference.

The Kings are now just two points behind Phoenix, who lost 4-2 in Washington, for fourth place. They also put a little breathing room between themselves and eighth place Detroit. The Kings have now won four of their last five games.

Jon Quick earned his 27th win of the season while making 31 saves in goal.

It's always fun to watch the Kings play Detroit. While there's no "real" rivalry here, the two teams are rivals of one another anyway. It's even better watching the Kings beat the Wings. For years the Wings were always the more dominant team of the two but I sense the tables are slowly beginning to turn a little as the Kings continue to gain more experience and get better and better with each passing game.

Next up for the Kings, north of the border in Toronto on Tuesday.

Kings Rebound Nicely

2010-01-23T14:58:00.004-06:00

After the Kings got slammed on Tuesday 5-1 against the Sharks, their second loss to San Jose on the home stand, the Kings rebounded nicely to end the home stand on a high note with a 4-3 shootout win against a very good Buffalo Sabres team.

The Kings got a lone goal from Wayne Simmonds against San Jose, while Brad Richardson, Sean O'Donnell and Ryan Smyth netted the goals against Buffalo. Smyth's goal tied the game mid-way through the third period that would eventually send the game into overtime. Neither team score in the overtime, but Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar netter the shootout goals against Sabres netminder Ryan Miller.

Jon Quick took the loss against the Sharks, but got the win with 26 saves against Buffalo. And Drew Doughty continues to play very well on both ends of the ice.

The Kings currently stand in third place in the Pacific and seventh overall in the Western Conference with 59 points, just four points back of Phoenix who are second in the division and fourth overall in the conference, and just one point ahead of both Detroit, tonight's opponent as they begin a five-game road trip, and Calgary.

Now the real test starts.

Sharks Slam Kings

2010-01-20T18:53:00.001-06:00

The Kings looked awful last night against the Sharks. Just thought I'd mention that. Nothing else to really talk about after that horrid game last night.

That's all.

Long Layoff

2010-01-19T21:43:00.003-06:00

When we last spoke about a month ago (and my apologies for the long layoff on my part) the Kings were in the midst of an eight-day break between games. When the mini-vacation started, the Kings were riding high, leading the division and the conference despite a 3-1 loss in Calgary heading into the week off. But during the layoff, the other teams behind them in the standings continued to play, and they continued to win. Before we knew it, when the Kings resumed play on December 26, they picked up where they left off and started the stretch losing the first three games in Phoenix, against Minnesota, and in Calgary.

When they did resume play, the Kings got Ryan Smyth back from injury. In those three games, the Minnesota loss was probably the toughest. Down 3-2 late in the game, the Kings tied the game at 3-3. But just a few seconds later, former King Eric Belanger netted the game winner for the Wild and the Kings woes would continue. In all, the Kings lost four in a row before getting back on track and getting revenge on the Wild with arguably their best game of the season in a 5-2 win in Minnesota on New Year's Eve.

The Kings followed the Wild game with two very impressive wins to start the new year, edging Washington at home 2-1, and slamming the Sharks 6-2 in the Shark Tank up in San Jose. After that win in San Jose, the Kings hosted Detroit to start a seven game homestand and played what some say was their best game in years. After trailing much of the game 1-0, the Kings got the equalizer late in the game, only to give up the game-winner shortly after, for a very tough loss. The Kings that night took 52 shots on Wings rookie goalie Jimmy Howard. He stopped 51 of them.

The next two games were probably just as tough, as they lost both by just one goal while playing well enough to win, 4-3 to St. Louis and 2-1 to San Jose. But just as quickly as they won three in a row after that four-game skid, they were back on another three-game skid heading into a tough match-up against a red-hot Ducks team. But the Kings literally fought their way to a nearly perfect game as they upended the Ducks 4-0. The two teams combined for a total of 69 minutes in penalties in third period alone. Dustin Brown also recorded his 100th career goal in the win.

The Kings then battled Boston on Saturday afternoon, earning a hard-fought win in a shootout, 4-3. The Kings trailed 3-1 in this game before battling back to get the win. Tonight, the Kings are battling the Sharks mid-way through the first period, and trail 2-0 already. The Kings are 3-2 against the Sharks so far this season.

It's been a tough stretch for the Kings since their eight-game mini vacation. They started the stretch atop the division and conference, but with a four-game skid and a three-game skid sandwiched around a three-game winning streak, the Kings actually briefly slipped out of a playoff spot in a very tight Western Conference. They currently stand at 57 points, third in the division, 15 points back of the Sharks and four behind Phoenix, but just four ahead of Dallas, and they have a tight hold on the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference.

With a win tonight, the Kings would have yet another three-game winning streak with one more to go on the seven game homestand before heading out on the road for a five-game roadie. The Kings need to start picking up points again.

Also, before I forget since I already did once in the month since I last blogged here, I wanted to congratulate the five Kings players who were selected to play for their home countries in the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver set to start on February 12. Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick were selected to play for Team U.S.A., with Brown being named one of the Alternate Captains. Twenty year-old Drew Doughty was selected to play for Team Canada while Michal Handzus will play for the Slovakian team. Congratulations to all five Kings players, and good luck in the Olympics.

(Sharks just scored again, so it's now 3-0 with about a minute and a half left in the first period. This is not how the Kings wanted to start this game.)

Random Stuff

2009-12-20T17:32:00.004-06:00

So the Kings are off for another six days. It's been two-plus already. They went 1-2 on their trip through Western Canada, losing in Vancouver, winning in Edmonton, and losing in Calgary. They played well enough to win all three games, but of course, you can't win 'em all.

Now they're in the midst of an eight-day vacation. Wish I could have vacations like that!

So far, they've surrendered the top spot in the West because of the long layoff while San Jose keeps playing. They've also relinquished the division lead, as well. But, they did get Ryan Smyth back. So the next time the Kings play - next Saturday in Phoenix - they will have Smyth back, and Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams should be thrilled! Those two have missed Smyth immensely over the last five weeks.

In the meantime, with the long layoff, I've been trying to get my hockey fix elsewhere. But when you're a Kings fan with Center Ice living in Stars territory, it's kind tough. I don't get as amped for games like I do for Kings games. Seriously, the Stars just don't cut it for me. And some of these other games on the dish just seem to bore me to death.

I suppose the busy holiday will keep me preoccupied until next Saturday night. So until then, I leave you with a litte something-something...

Another Shootout Win

2009-12-13T00:19:00.004-06:00

Is there any stopping this team now? The Kings continue to roll as they earned another shootout win with a 3-2 win on Dodger Night at Staples Center over the Dallas Stars. The Kings improve to 21-10-3 on the season, good for 45 points and a pull into a tie with San Jose for the division and conference lead, who lost in Phoenix tonight, 2-1. (The Kings technically leapfrog the Sharks by virtue of having more wins.) The Kings have the most wins in the West and second most in the league.

It was well played game on both ends of the ice by both teams as they skated to a 2-2 tie through overtime. But in the shootout, after Michal Handzus scored in the fourth round for the Kings, Stars center Mike Ribeiro took his turn. But Kings goalie Jon Quick poked-check the puck away as Ribeiro approached, but it ricocheted off Ribeiro and into the net for what appeared to be the equalizer. The referees got together and ruled it a no-goal because once Quick touched the puck with his stick before it went into the net, the play was considered dead.

Kings win.

Anze Kopitar picked up his second goal in as many games, his 16th of the season, and Alex Frolov added his eighth goal of the season for the Kings. Quick picked up his 19th win of the season, second most in the league.

As I mentioned earlier, this team is really starting to impress. They are now 7-0-1 in their last eight games, with seemingly no end in sight the way they're playing. The Kings now travel north of the border for three tough road games in Western Canada next week at Vancouver on Monday, Edmonton on Wednesday and Calgary on Thursday.

This Team is Really Starting to Impress

2009-12-12T15:44:00.004-06:00

Who would have thought that the Kings would be the first team in the West to win 20 games this year? Certainly not me, but with a three-game winning streak that includes two big shootout wins against division rivals San Jose and Phoenix this week, the Kings did just that. And, with those wins, the Kings pushed themselves to within a point of first place and the top spot in the conference with 43 points. (They currently sit two points behind San Jose, who lost in another shootout last night, this time to Dallas.)

The Kings still do have some questions, though. Their penalty kill unit is near the bottom of the league, they're dealing with injuries to key players such as Ryan Smyth, and now Wayne Simmonds, and Anze Kopitar has struggled in his last 12 to 14 games to put points on the board, mainly because of the loss of Smyth.

But they are getting solid contributions from everyone on the ice. They have the most players with at least 20 points than any other team in the league, Jon Quick has been stellar in net and is tied for second in the league with 18 wins, and they got an important player back from an injury on defense in Rob Scuderi.

Add it all up, and the Kings are off to one of their best starts in team history with a 20-10-3 mark.

And, for the Kings, the important thing is keep pushing forward, and keep picking up points in the standings. Tonight, on Dodger Night at Staples Center, they'll get a chance to add two more points to their season total when they host the Dallas Stars.

2010 NHL Draft in L.A.

2009-12-04T13:33:00.003-06:00

The Kings and the NHL announced today that the 2010 NHL Entry Draft will be held in L.A. at Staples Center on June 25th and 26th. The first round will be held on Friday the 25th with the rest of the draft (rounds two through seven) to be conducted the following day. This is the first time ever the draft will be held in California.

Kings Offense Breaks Through in Win Over Sens

2009-12-03T23:46:00.005-06:00

Justin Williams took advantage of two Ottawa turnovers in front of their own goal late in the game and converted them into two goals, turning a close 4-3 lead into a 6-3 win out at Staples. With the win, the Kings have now won three in a row and four of its last five, including a 3-1 win at Edmonton last Wednesday, a 2-1 shootout win at home against Chicago this past Saturday, and a 4-3 shootout win at Staples against the Ducks two nights ago.

The Kings improve to 17-10-2 on the season, good for 36 points and second place in the division behind San Jose, who lost tonight in a shootout at home to St. Louis. The Kings pick up a very important point in the standings.

Drew Doughty got credit for tonight's game-winner that gave the Kings the lead for good late in the second period, and Jon Quick earned his 16th win of the season while in net for the Kings. Wayne Simmonds added a goal on a penalty shot late in the first period.

On the flip side, Anze Kopitar's streak of games without a goal continues to grow as it has now reached 11 games. It's pretty obvious the loss of linemate Ryan Smyth, who isn't expected back until the middle or the end of the month, has had a major impact on Kopitar's game.

As for St. Louis, they head south down the California coast and take on the Kings Saturday afternoon at Staples.

Kings Rebound Nicely

2009-11-19T22:54:00.003-06:00

After an ugly week last week, the Kings have looked much better in their last three games, at Tampa Bay, at Florida and back home last night against Philadelphia, going 2-1-0 while posting two shootout wins in the process. But the news hasn't been all good.

Defenseman Rob Scuderi has missed all three games with a lower body injury, but he is listed as day-to-day. And before last night's 3-2 loss to Philly, the Kings learned they would be without the services of Ryan Smyth for up to a month with what is being described as an upper body injury.

Smyth was off to fantastic start for the Kings, netting nine goals and posting 14 assists. The top line combination of Smyth and Anze Kopitar had made for one of the league's top scoring lines so far in the young season. Kopitar continues to lead the league in overall scoring with 32 points (14 goals and 18 assists).

But with Smyth out for a while, the Kings have opted to move Alex Frolov onto the top line with Kopitar and Justin Williams. Only time will tell if Kopitar can continue to lead the league in scoring with Frolov to his left instead of Smyth.

The Kings, second in the Pacific Division with a 13-8-2 mark for 28 points, are off until a date with Calgary at Staples on Saturday.

Ugly Week for the Kings

2009-11-13T22:39:00.005-06:00

After an impressive win against the Stanley Cup Champions last Thursday night, the Kings have suddenly taken a nosedive losing three of its last four in pretty ugly fashion: a 3-1 loss at home last Saturday to a poor Nashville team, a 4-1 loss in Chicago on Monday night, and a 7-0 blowout loss tonight in Atlanta.

In the middle of all that, they managed a solid 5-2 win in Carolina on Wednesday, but that's been the only bright spot for the Kings all week. And with that, Anze Kopitar continues to lead the league in scoring with 30 points.

Fortunately, I was unable to watch the Nashville and Chicago games as the Nashville game wasn't televised and the Chicago game was a Versus exclusive, which wasn't exclusive to me since I don't have access to the network on DirecTV. And I almost wish I didn't waste two and a half hours of my evening tonight to watch that ugly game.

The game was scoreless midway through the second period when the Thrashers rattled off four goals on what seemed like four shots in about five minutes time. Starter Jon Quick was then yanked for Erik Ersberg, who didn't fare much better, when he gave up three more goals.

Definitely not a game to remember. This was one of the ugliest losses I've seen by a Kings team in quite some time.

The Kings still have 24 points, good for second in the division, five points behind San Jose, and fifth in the conference.

Next up: at Tampa Bay tomorrow.

"Lucky" Gets his Ring...

2009-11-09T21:14:00.002-06:00

His Hall of Fame ring, that is. Kings legend Luc Robitaille, the all-time leading scorer (1,398 points) and goal-scorer (668 goals) for left wingers, got his ring this morning, then was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight in Toronto, along with Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, Brian Leetch and New Jersey executive Lou Lamoriello.

Congratulations, Lucky! You're still one of the most humble, down-to-earth and one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Thank you for all the great memories!

Kings Slam the Champs!

2009-11-06T00:06:00.004-06:00

The Penguins were 7-0 on the road this season heading into tonight's game with the Kings in L.A. They led 2-1 midway through the third period. Then the Kings took over.

The Kings scored four unanswered goals in the latter half of the third period, including Anze Kopitar's second of the night, and ripped the Penguins 5-2. Kopitar now has 13 goals, second most in the league, and 26 points on the season, most in the NHL.

The Kings improved to 10-4-2 on the season for 22 points, good for second in the division behind the Sharks who have 24 points. They're also 6-0-2 in their last games.

Kings Win in the Desert

2009-11-02T22:30:00.003-06:00

Final: Kings 5, Coyotes 3.

Anze Kopitar got the scoring going for the Kings with his 11th goal of the season. But down 3-2 heading into the third period, the Kings scored three times to ice the game. Ryan Smyth picked up two more goals to give him eight on the season. Along with Justin Williams, who added a goal of his own, the Kings top line poured in eight points (four goals and four assists).

With the win, the Kings improved to 9-4-2 for 20 points, good for second place in the division, one point behind San Jose. The 20 points tie them with Washington, who are without Alexander Ovechkin for an extended period time with an upper body injury, for fourth most in the league.

Shootouts

2009-11-01T20:00:00.003-06:00

The Kings have lost their last two games by identical scores of 2-1. Both "losses" were in shootouts, in San Jose on Wednesday night, and at Staples to Vancouver the following night.

I've never been a big of the shootout, but I'm also not a fan of games ending in ties. Kings head coach Terry Murray doesn't like the shootout either. But losing in a shootout doesn't really constitute as a loss in my book because the losing team actually earned a point in the standings by getting the game into overtime.

So how do we solve that issue of no shootouts without games ending in ties? Some people might not agree with me on this but I think the best solution would be to scrap shootouts altogether, and keep playing five-minute overtime stanzas until someone scores, keeping the overtime format just as it is now: 4-on-4.

I'm still 'OK' with both teams earning a point for getting into overtime, but maybe give the winning team two extra points instead of just one, for winning.

Just an idea.

Anyway, Kings are back in action tomorrow night in the desert as they take on the Coyotes in Phoenix.

Kings with Another Four-Game Win Streak

2009-10-25T23:11:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-25T12:57:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

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

Kings Beat Stars Again

2009-10-23T00:10:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-19T23:34:00.000-05:00

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

2009-10-17T21:49:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-12T16:09:00.005-05:00

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

2009-10-10T23:02:00.005-05:00

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

2009-10-04T17:50:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-01T21:47:00.003-05:00

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!

Opening Night Roster

2009-09-30T18:03:00.003-05:00

With the season opener just days away, the Kings announced their roster for Saturday's season/home opener against Phoenix. There are no major surprises.

Kings Hire Beat Writer Hammond

2009-09-25T23:10:00.004-05:00

The Kings on Wednesday hired Kings Daily News beat writer Rich Hammond for the same role with the team's official website. Hammond spent the last 10 years with the newspaper covering the Kings in numerous aspects, including the "Inside the Kings" blog, which consistently ranked as the top pro sports blog on the paper's website.

Hammond had this to say on his Daily News Kings blog just after the announcement was made.

In reaction to this, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had this to say about the move.

At first, I wasn't sure why Cuban had not only responded to this kind of news, but why he responded the way he did. But after thinking about his background, and all of his endeavors as a businessman, it dawned on me that this sort of hiring is right up his alley.

A quick background: Cuban completely revolutionized television viewing and the industry as we see it today. He launched the first-ever high-definition channel for DirecTV in 2001. His HDNet now includes several different high-definition networks, and today, nearly every major network and cable network broadcasts in digital high-definition.

Cuban is also an avid and active investor in leading and cutting-edge technology. He uses his blog as a forum to share his thoughts and ideas on topics such as politics, entrepreneurship, as well as technology.

So how does this all tie in to the Kings hiring Hammond? Well, the newspaper as we know it is a dying breed. We've already seen the Daily News alone lose two of its top beat writers in Hammond, and former Dodger beat writer, Tony Jackson, because of the sign of the times. While the internet is now the number one source for the general public to get its daily news, papers such as the Daily News are starting to struggle to hang on to its precious insiders because of cost-cutting, including those like Hammond, who use their blogs as an avenue to give us information as they see and hear it without having to have their thoughts regulated by the powers that may be.

So the Kings hiring of Hammond to do just that makes perfect sense. Hammond will be able to provide the fans inside information directly from the team. And in the future, we'll probably see many more teams begin to hire beat writers like Hammond, not just in the NHL, but in all of the major sports.

NHL Realignment Plans?

2009-09-24T16:09:00.004-05:00

With the current messes that are the Phoenix Coyotes and New York Islanders, the big Four-Letter Sports Network that is partially responsible for the NHL receiving very little national exposure since the strike five years ago decided it would be fun to have four of its hockey-thumpers play NHL Commissioner and offer up some ideas for realignment in the NHL.

Here are some of idea highlights:

John Buccigross adds 10 new teams in smaller markets, including adding another team in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, as well as another in the Toronto area) without dumping or or relocating any of the current 30 teams, and splits the league up into two monster conferences (the Gretzky Conference and the Orr Conference) with no divisions. His idea is simple: to have an aggressive shared-revenue system that could create more total revenue than the current system.
Scott Burnside offers a simple plan, as well. He suggests not eliminating the Coyotes altogether, but rather have them as a roving, nomad-ish kind of franchise. They'll play in whatever city can sellout at least two games. He, too, offers adding another team in the Toronto area. His realignment also eliminates the Panthers since no one cares about them in Miami, or anywhere else. And his divisions are basically the same other than renaming them with corporate sponsors (Atlantic: Shales Cafe; Northeast: Upfront; Southeast: Flying Saucer; Pacific: Paul's Cocktail; Central: Rossi's; Northwest: Sherlocks) and moving one or two teams around.
Pierre LeBrun's realignment has the most changes, and might be the most far-fetch idea of the four. He's eliminated eight current teams and relocated five of them overseas to Europe. The eight eliminated: Phoenix, Tampa, Atlanta, Florida, Carolina, Nashville, Long Island and yes, Jersey. The five new Euro-teams: Prague, Stockholm, Moscow, Helsinki and Cologne. He's also added another team in Toronto courtesy of the Islanders, moved the Coyotes back to Winnipeg and added a team in Seattle. The conferences have been renamed back to Wales and Campbell, and four of the six divisions have the old names back, as well: Adams, Patrick, Norris and Smythe. The last two divisions would be Salming (the European teams) and (Jack Kent) Cooke (the current Pacific Division with Phoenix substituted for Seattle).
Barry Melrose's idea is the most simplest idea of them all. The Mullet has relocated three teams (Phoenix, Atlanta and Florida) to Toronto, Saskatoon and Portland. He's left everything else unchanged.

And just for the sake of this post, I have a plan, as well. I would take bits and pieces of the four ideas above to come up with my own new NHL.

As much as I like the idea of Euro-teams, the travel would be brutal, thus making that idea almost impossible. So instead of five Euro-teams, I would relocate six teams: Phoenix, Atlanta, Florida, Tampa, Carolina and the Islanders. Three of them go to Canada (Coyotes back to Winnipeg, the Islanders become Toronto's second team and one team goes to Saskatoon in Central Canada), one goes to Milwaukee, one goes to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area as a second team there and the last heads to Seattle or Portland on the west coast.

I like the idea of renaming the conferences and divisions back to the way it was before they went to six divisions. The Wales Conference would house the old Patrick (NY, NJ, Philly, Boston and Washington) and Adams (Pittsburgh, Columbus, Nashville, Milwaukee and St. Paul) divisions and add the Gretzky (Montreal, the two Toronto teams, Ottawa and Buffalo) division, while the Campbell Conference gets the old Norris (Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Minnesota and Colorado) and Smythe (Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon) divisions while adding the Cooke (LA, Anaheim, San Jose, Dallas and Seattle/Portland) division.

O'Donnell Suspended Five Games

2009-09-24T14:50:00.004-05:00

Defenseman Sean O'Donnell has been suspended for the final three pre-season games and the first two regular season games by the NHL for his cross-check on the Islanders' Matt Martin in K.C. two nights ago during a pre-season match-up. O'Donnell received a match penalty during the game for his hit on Martin.

Gretzky Quits

2009-09-24T12:34:00.001-05:00

The drama that is the Phoenix Coyotes has taken another turn. Wayne Gretzky, who had yet to report to training camp in light of his contract status due to the organization's financial woes and ownership situation, has finally stepped down as head coach. Former Kings assistant and Dallas head coach Dave Tippet is expected to replace him.

Heatley Finally Traded

2009-09-12T13:50:00.005-05:00

These Dany Heatley trade reports are taking on its own life now. Word now from TSN and ESPN is Heatley has indeed been traded to San Jose, but not as part of a three-way deal with the Kings, and not involving Patrick Marleau. Heatley reportedly has been traded, along with a fifth round pick, for LW Jonathan Cheechoo, RW Milan Michalek and a second round draft pick. Here is TSN.ca's report.

BREAKING..................??

2009-09-10T20:02:00.009-05:00

Update (10:10 PM CT): How about another link. This one has a little more to the story in that it breaks down how ESPN seems to be ahead of the game in reporting deals and whatnot of late.

Not to say this is dead or alive, but something about this Puck Daddy story tells me there's more to this than we know, and that this one is far from over as I mentioned an hour ago.

In other words, there's still tomorrow.

Stay tuned.

**********

Update (9:15 PM CT): Kings GM Dean Lombardi, as well as Ottawa GM Brian Burke and San Jose GM Doug Wilson, has denied this trade. In a two-word text back to ESPN and to the Daily News' Rich Hammond, Lombardi says the deal is "complete bull".

So much for that!

The deal didn't make any sense from the Kings standpoint anyway.

Stay tuned. We probably haven't heard the last of this one.

**********

UPDATE (8:06 PM CT): Here's ESPN's link to the trade. Still no confirmation from any of the teams.

Talk of this deal was reported yesterday by The Fourth Period.

**********

ESPN's John Buccigross is reporting a blockbuster three-team trade that sends Dany Heatley to San Jose, Patrick Marleau to the Kings, and Alexander Frolov and Jarrett Stoll to Ottawa.

More on this as information becomes available.

Kings Add Scorer in Smyth

2009-07-04T00:02:00.003-05:00

With a sudden surplus in defenseman, and a much bigger need for a scoring left-winger, the Kings pulled the trigger on a trade with the Avalanche, sending defensemen Tom Preissing and Kyle Quincy, along with a fifth round draft pick in exchange for Ryan Smyth.

Smyth is a 33-year older who spend the bulk of his 12-year career with Edmonton. A contract dispute in 2007 resulted in him being traded to the Islanders. He signed with Colorado as a free agent after the 2006-2007 season.

Smyth should provide some much-needed scoring for the Kings.

Kings Ink Blue-liner Scuderi

2009-07-02T17:27:00.006-05:00

While it's not the signing the Kings had hoped for, they did make a solid splash in the free agent market on Day 2, reaching out to Rob Scuderi, defenseman formerly of the now Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Rob Scuderi and the Kings agreed on a four-year deal worth approximately $13.6MM over the duration.

Scuderi isn't what you would call an offensive-minded defenseman, which is just fine with the Kings. What they wanted was another defensive-minded veteran presence at the blue-line to go along with Sean O'Donnell. The Kings feel they have their man.

Meanwhile, a Daily News report says the Kings were very much players on Day 1 yesterday, only to come up short on a number of free agents. According to GM Dean Lombardi, the big name who got away, Marian Hossa, nearly signed with the Kings, but ultimately chose Chicago because they were closer to being a 100-point, Stanley Cup champion-caliber team. But Hossa supposedly had some very nice things to say about the Kings and the direction they're headed, saying they are the next Chicago Blackhawks, referring to the quick turnaround made by the team from mediocrity to serious Cup contenders.

The Kings were also very much involved with Marian Gaborik, who signed a ridiculous five-year deal with the Rangers, Martin Havlat, who signed a five-year deal with the Wild, and Mike Knuble, who chose to stay on the East Coast with Washington. They have no turned their attention to Alex Tanguay and Alex Kovalev.

Scratch Gaborik Off The Kings Wishlist

2009-07-01T19:24:00.006-05:00

He just reportedly signed with the Rangers as I was typing out my previous post. Deal is five years, $7.5MM per year.

Yikes! Good luck with that contract, Rangers.

All Quiet on the Kings Front

2009-07-01T19:10:00.006-05:00

Free agency started earlier this afternoon, and the Kings had been linked to a number of players. So far, however, it's been a relatively quiet day for the Kings. They are rumored to have made an offer to winger Marian Gaborik, and word is they were interested in winger Martin Havlat. For the time being, both players remained unsigned.

Meanwhile, there were some other big free agent signings today. Among others, Marian Hossa inked a 12-year deal with Chicago. Nikolai Khabibulin signed a four-year deal with Edmonton. Former King Michael Cammalleri signed with Montreal for five years. Defenseman Mike Komisarek is headed to Toronto for the next five years. The Sedin twins re-upped in Vancouver for five years, as well.

For a complete list of who went where, TSN has a free agent tracker up and running.

Yesterday, Jay Bouwmeester, whose rights were traded to Calgary on draft day by Florida, signed for five years with the Flames. The Rangers traded Chris Gomez to the Canadiens for Chris Higgins as part of a six-player deal. And the Oilers and Senators agreed in principle on a deal that would send disgruntled forward Dany Heatley from Ottawa to Edmonton, pending Heatley's approval as he has a no-trade clause. So far, the deal is still waiting a decision from Heatley.

After Much Speculation...

2009-06-26T19:27:00.008-05:00

The Kings have selected center Brayden Schenn with the 5th overall pick in tonight's NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. Schenn is the younger brother of Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn.

Dean Lombardi appeared to be busy just before it was the Kings turn to pick. He was up and down from the Kings table several times right before the pick was made. There was speculation this pick could be dealt, but for now, Schenn is a King.

Solid pick for the Kings. If you were watching the draft on Versus tonight, the look on Toronto GM Brian Burke's face when this pick was announced was priceless! Burke and the Leafs really wanted Schenn.

The Islanders selected center John Tavares with the first overall pick, followed by Tampa Bay who selected defenseman Victor Hedman second, while Colorado took center Matt Duchene third, and Atlanta took center Evander Kane fourth just ahead of the Kings.

Also, the Ducks traded defenseman Chris Pronger to the Flyers in exchange for winger Joffrey Lupul, defenseman Luca Sbisa, two first round picks (one tonight, and one next year) and a conditional draft pick. Philly also gets a minor leaguer in the deal.

As much as it hurts me to admit, this is a great deal for the Ducks. The Flyers just got owned by the Ducks.

Lucky Luc Headed to the Hall

2009-06-23T20:30:00.011-05:00

No surprise here. Luc Robitaille is headed for the NHL Hall of Fame. He joins a stellar 2009 class that includes Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman and Brian Leetch. Luc's 668 goals are the most ever by a left winger.

Robitaille was drafted by the Kings in the 9th round of the 1984 draft. (That same season, the Kings drafted future MLB Hall of Famer and 300-game winner Tom Glavine in the 4th round, but Glavine opted to pitch in the Major Leagues for the Atlanta Braves). He won the Calder Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1987, where he recorded 45 goals and 84 points, and quickly became synonymous with the Kings, becoming a fan favorite. Luc played his first eight seasons with the Kings, his best season coming in 1992-93, where he scored 62 goals and 125 total points. That same year, Luc helped lead an all-star roster that included Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Rob Blake, as the Kings reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first and only time in franchise history. The Kings lost to Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

Luc was then traded to Pittsburgh after the 1994 season, and played there for one season before being traded to the Rangers for two years. The Rangers then traded him back to the Kings after the 1997 season, and Luc played for the Kings for four more seasons. As a free agent after the 2001 season, Luc signed with Detroit for two seasons, where he helped the Red Wings win a Stanley Cup in 2002, along with Yzerman and Leetch. Luc then returned to L.A. for his third and final stint with the Kings, which lasted two seasons.

Along the way, Luc broke the all-time records for goals and points (1,394) by a left-winger, and in his last season in the league, he set the Kings franchise record for goals and points. On the night he surpassed former Kings great Marcel Dionne as the all-time leading scorer in frachise history, he fittingly recorded the 15th hat trick of his career. On April 11, 2006, he officially announced his retirement from the game, and retired from the game following the 2006 season after 19 stellar seasons in the NHL. Luc retired as the most popular player in Kings history, and his sweater No. 20 was retired and raised to the rafters of Staples Center on January 20, 2007. His jersey is one of five retired by the Kings, along with Dionne's No. 16, Dave Taylor's No. 18, Rogie Vachon's No. 30, and Gretzky's No. 99.

Congratulations Luc, on a well-deserved honor for your hard work and dedication to being one of the greatest hockey players ever, and one of the nicest and humble people I have met.

Pens Win Cup in 7

2009-06-12T23:40:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to congratulate the Pittsburgh Penguins on a job well done. The Pens beat the Wings tonight 2-1 in Game 7 of the Cup Finals to earn their third Stanley Cup title in franchise history. Tonight's game was perhaps one of the best games in years from what I heard. The Pens won the the Cup in back-to-back seasons way back in 1991 and 1992 during the initial Mario Lemieux years. The Pens and Wings met in a rematch of last year's Finals, which was won by Detroit. Evgeni Malkin was named Finals MVP.

On a personal level, I'm thrilled the Pens won. Whatever has to be done to prevent the Squids (Red Wings) from winning is fine by me!