Quick Makes History

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

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.

Long Layoff

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.)

Another Shootout Win

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.

Kings Beat Stars Again

This is almost becoming routine again.

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

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

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

Kings Improve to 3-1

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

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

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

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

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

What A Finish!

I didn't get a chance to react here after the Kings pulled off another dramatic win at home last week against Dallas, but all I gotta say about that game was, "Wow!"

This is the second time in as many seasons that the Kings have pulled off an amazing rally against the Stars. Last season, you might recall a game in November at Staples where the Kings were down 4-0 with just over seven minutes left in the game against Dallas, and then ran off five goals on six shots to take the lead. Dallas would eventually tie it to send the game to OT, where the Kings would eventually win that game, 6-5.

Well last Thursday night, the Kings faced a similar predicament, and trailed Dallas 4-2 at Staples with just over three minutes left in the game. Michal Handzus would score to make it 4-3. Dallas committed three bad penalties late in the game, including a bone-headed one by Stars' net-minder Marty Turco. Handzus's second goal of the night came on a two-man advantage. But with just 14 ticks left on the clock, Anze Kopitar took a shot from just inside the right wing blue line, kind of a "hail mary" type shot that deflected off a Dallas defender, and scored to tie the game. The Kings would eventually win it about a minute and a half into OT on a Handzus wrap-around that just got by Turco as he slid back across the crease to try and stop the puck. Handzus' shot just got in between Turco's skate and the post for his third of the night... a hat trick!

And from there, the Kings have been on a roll again. They've won their last three games (including the Dallas win) and are just four points back of the final playoff spot in the West with 67 points. Obviously, with 16 games left, things are still iffy as the odds are against the Kings. As they stand now in 13th place in the conference, they have to leapfrog five teams just to get to the 8th spot, and they play the bulk of their remaining schedule on the road.

Either way, should be a fun ride down to the finish line!

Kings in DC

Nice win by the Kings tonight in DC. I didn't get to see much of the game since the Lakers took priority tonight in Boston, but what I did see of it was a solid game plan to attack early.

Caps scored first before Anze Kopitar netted the equalizer mid-way through the first. The game was tied as the second stanza started and two quick Kings goals (one by Kopitar, one by Micahal Handzus) gave them a two goal lead. The Caps would get a quickie back before the Kings would add another in the 13 minute mark of the second. Alex Ovechkin would tally his 37th goal mid-way through the final period before Kyle Calder would give them a two goal lead again with about a minute and a half left. That would prove to be the game winner with the final score of 5-4.

The Kings have been playing solid hockey most of the season despite battling three teams at the bottom of the conference. However, with so much parity at the bottom end of the conference standings, and the teams closely bundled up, the Kings are not out of the playoff chase. The true test will most certainly come in March and April, when they finish the season with 12 of 16 on the road. In any case, we'll deal with that when it comes. In the meantime, the Kings climb over the .500 mark with a 22-21-7 record, good for 51 points, a tie for 12th in the conference but just three points back of the eighth and final playoff spot, with a date in Jersey Saturday afternoon/evening against the Devils. Game time is 4 PM PT.

Tonight...

UPDATE (11:42pm CT): Still 3-2. It's getting late here... gonna watch the end of this in bed and comment and follow-up in the morning...

UPDATE (11:30pm CT): Handzus with a ripper @ 4:46! Kings back in it 3-2...

CORRECTION (11:25pm CT): Brownie gets the goal (#15). Credit Blakey with an assist...

UPDATE (11:22pm CT): Woo-hoo! Blake puts one in (#3) :36 into the 3rd! Kings on the board... 3-1 the team from the Rockies...

UPDATE (11:01pm CT): Much better period for the Kings defensively... still gotta find a way to put the biscuit in the basket. Anyway, end of 2, 3-0 'Lanche.

UPDATE (10:11pm CT): End of 1st period... 3-0 bad guys. Another bad start for the Kings. Defense has GOT to step it up and the offense has GOT to do better with the puck-handling and taking better shots... this is ridiculous... Not sure if it's fortunate or unfortunate that there are two periods left in this game...

UPDATE (10:03pm CT): Avs score again... 3-0 at 14:12 in the first...

UPDATE (9:45pm CT): LaBarbera is back in net for the Kings... not off to a good start... two goals (Smyth #11, Hlinka #5) for the Avs in the first four minutes... 2-0 Colorado...

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Av's in town tonight. Game's about to start on Prime Ticket. Let's hope for a better outcome than the last few games....