Jonathan Quick seen here in practice last April – Photo: D. Sheehan

FINAL: KINGS 1, BLUES 2 (Blues lead 2-0)

Game Photos | Box Score | Event Summary | Play-by-Play

STARS OF THE GAME: #1 Jackman | #2 Elliott | #3 Schwartz

From KingsNewsDaily.com by Paul Armbruster

Worried yet? Do you have faith? Do you believe? These are some of the questions Kings fans are asking themselves this morning after last night’s 3rd period “collapse” by the defending Champs as they gave up 2 goals in the third and saw St. Louis take two in a row from LA after losing their previous eight. Not a great time for a momentum shift for the Kings but the fact remains, the Kings are down in the first round and now need to drag themselves off the canvas just to have a chance to get to the second.

“Must wins” are often overhyped and Saturday’s game will be no different as the Kings will not be eliminated if they happen to go down 0-3 in the series. Many will say they must beat the Blues tomorrow (and I’m one of those people) but as we all know, stranger things have happened. What I do know is if they should find themselves in that unfortunate position, it will mark a very critical moment for the Kings organization overall. Will they be able to rally and stay convincingly positive? Or will there be a palpable sense of panic and “old Kings” mentality as they implode? Will Sutter stick with Quick? Or will he put Bernier in with the hope it will spark the Champs?

Of course, these questions are all hypothetical at the moment but the reality is, even if the Kings win the next 2, they still need to win one in St. Louis after flailing yet again at the end of the regular season, this time by giving up home-ice. Last night’s game proved at least one thing to me. The Blues are for real and they are very hungry. Perhaps even hunger than the Kings. Sure, tomorrow isn’t a true ‘must win’ but if the Blues should eek out victory #3 (or worse, kick the Kings butt) then the boys from St. Louis might as well be called the Killers because that is exactly what they will become.

From the LA Times by Helene Elliott
If there’s anything to blame Jonathan Quick for in the 2-1 loss that left the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings winless two games into their opening-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues, it’s that he didn’t score a goal. Someone’s got to do it or the Kings will be on vacation soon and the gap between repeat Cup winners will grow by another year.
Read the rest…

From Inside the Kings by Elliott Teaford
There are probably a million ways to analyze the Kings’ overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Tuesday. It’s possible to trim them  down to just two and still cover all the basics of a 2-1 Kings loss, however.
Read the rest..

From NHL.com by Louie Korac
The Kings, who last trailed 0-2 in a playoff series in the 2002 conference quarterfinals against the Colorado Avalanche, got a first-period goal from Dustin Brown. Quick stopped 23 shots for Los Angeles, which was 19-1-2 in the regular season when leading after two periods. ”We didn’t expect to be in [this position], but it’s our own fault,” Doughty said. “We’re in this position. We’ve been fully prepared for their game, fully prepared for what they’re going to do against us and we just haven’t stepped up to the plate.”
Read the rest…

From the St. Louis Post Dispatch by Jeremy Rutherford
The Blues entered the offensive zone and Chris Stewart, who had the puck, heard teammates Andy McDonald, with 18 playoff goals in his career, and Barret Jackman, with no playoff goals, calling for it. So as Game 2 of the Western Conference series between the Blues and Kings sat tied and slipped under the final minute of regulation, how did Stewart’s pass go to Jackman?
Read the rest…

From the St. Louis Post Dispatch by Joe Strauss
What to believe about these Blues? Are they the team that dominated Game 1 of their conference quarterfinal against the defending Stanley Cup champions or the bunch that struggled mightily for momentum in the first two periods of Thursday’s Game 2 at Scottrade Center?
Read the rest…

From the Belleville News-Democrat by Norm Sanders
Jackman took a pass from Chris Stewart as he crossed the blue line and sent a shot past Quick as the crowd of 18,681 erupted. ”It ranks No. 1, it’s pretty big,” said Jackman, who had never scored a goal in 22 previous playoff games. “Any time you can contribute in the playoffs, especially a a game-winner late … to hear the crowd go as nuts as they did, it’s a great feeling.
Read the rest…

In his natural habitat, Nordy eats rowdy Wild fans. – Matt Zambonin/Freestyle Photo

Editor’s note: Enjoy this game day preview by a Minnesota Wild blog. It gives you a good accounting of where the Wild stand and what they will be trying to do tonight as the Kings visit the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

From Hockey Wilderness by The Nooge

Good morning Wilderness! There is really nothing like a little late April snow storm to remind us it is still hockey season and your Minnesota Wild are playing for their playoff lives right now. They aren’t getting any help from the likes of the Phoenix Coyotes who got stomped by the Detroit Red Wings last night, bringing the Wings within a point of their 22nd consecutive playoff birth.

Read the rest…

Matt Greene prior to Game 1 on January 19th, 2013 – Photo: IKIRI

From Kings News Daily by Paul Armbruster

This morning’s pregame skate was not typical in many ways. I believe it was the first time this season only one goalie came out and that goalie was Bernier, which means Quick would be the starter by default. Regehr, Scuderi, Richards and Richardson also stayed off the ice.

The skate was very short at about 20 minutes. Fraser and Toffoli stayed behind to do extra work along with Martinez and Ellerby, which means Matt Greene, who was activated this morning, will be in the lineup tonight for the first time since being injured in the first game of the season on January 19th. It also appears the forward lines will stay the same.

Goalie Jonathan Bernier chatting with goaltender coach Bill Ranford, Colin Fraser behind them on the right, Richardson and Lewis leaving on the left with King and Nolan looking on.

From Kings News Daily by Paul Armbruster

After their shootout loss last night to the San Jose Sharks, it was all men on deck this morning at the Kings practice in El Segundo. Typically it would figure to be an optional but not today. With their practice scheduled for noon, the boys hit the ice early at around 11:30am and started right away with team-wide entry drills on both ends of the ice. The mood was fairly relaxed and all business with the guys getting more work than usual after a late night return from the road. There were no apparent changes to the lines or defensive pairs. Matt Greene continued his practice participation, skating with Alec Martinez.

Next up for the Kings, they will face the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow night at Staples. Who will be in goal? Bernier or Quick? I have Quick starting the rest of the games except one of the back-t0-back games next Tuesday (the Wild) or Wednesday (the Red Wings). But I will note Bernier saw a lot of action today in practice so don’t be totally surprised if he makes his way off the ice first in tomorrow’s pre-game skate.

Clifford seen here at practice early last season – Photo: IKIRI

Editor’s Note: In this feature piece, writer Doug Ward examines Kyle Clifford’s disappointment during last season’s playoff run and his determination to stay in the lineup this time around.

From LAKings.com by Doug Ward

Some hockey players raise the Stanley Cup to take a swig of beer from it. When Kyle Clifford lifted Hockey’s Holy Grail, he was doing bench presses with it at his home gym. Maybe that’s why Clifford got off to such a strong start this season, showing no traces of a Stanley Cup hangover.

Or maybe it’s because of the way last year’s postseason played out for Clifford.

The 22-year-old power forward suffered a concussion in the first game of the Kings postseason run last year, after which he played in just two of the team’s remaining playoff games. As a result, Clifford was the rare player who went into an off-season with a Stanley Cup ring on his finger and unfinished business in his heart.

“When (Kyle) left last spring, he was so happy that we won it, but so disappointed that he didn’t get to play after he got hurt in the Vancouver series,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said. “That was his whole purpose when he left; he wanted to put himself in a position to play regular. He did that.”

Read the rest here…

Quick seen here at practice in February 2013 – Photo: SpatzShots

FINAL: KINGS 2, SHARKS 3 (SO)

Game Photos | Box Score | Event Summary | Play-by-Play

STARS OF THE GAME: #1 Niemi | #2 Burns | #3 Quick

*Kings practice set for 12pm today via Frozen Royalty

From KingsNewsDaily.com by Paul Armbruster

In the silly world that is the NHL standings, where teams with fewer points can be ranked higher and head-to-head records are considered 3rd class tie-breakers, the Kings can thank those rules for remaining ahead of the Sharks despite last night’s shootout loss. Even the  NHL Network folks are confused by the rules as they put the Sharks ahead of the Kings in their game recap (see video below). With just 5 games left in an astonishingly short season, the Kings are tied in points with the Sharks (53) but have more regulation losses and are down 2-1 in the season series against their northerly foe. The reason the Kings are ahead, in case you didn’t know, is because they have won more games excluding those won in the shootout. As if winning in the shootout is worth less somehow. If so, why not make those wins worth fewer points? But I digress…

Still clinging to 4th, which is likely the best position they can achieve, the Kings still have their destiny firmly in their hands. If they win, they get home ice advantage over their 5th place opponent. If they lose, they can easily drop to 6th or even 7th place. Of course, we all know what rankings mean once the playoffs start and if the Kings were to finish 6th, they would likely head up to Vancouver where Canuck fans would pretend not to be scared but not-so-deep down they would be terrified of another 1st round exit. Looking at the standings today, I’d say as long as the Kings don’t finish 8th and face Chicago, they have a great shot at getting past the first series.

From the LA Times by Lisa Dillman
Can everyone just agree that the Kings and Sharks need to do this again, in a best-of-seven-game series? This was a (potential) sneak playoff preview: The Sharks pushed hard. The Kings pushed back even harder. San Jose scored twice in the second period and the Kings matched those two goals by the end of the second. Sharks goalie Antti Niemi was flawless until the final 6:01 of the second period, and his counterpart, Jonathan Quick kept the Kings afloat with a superb performance in occasional moments of disarray.
Read the rest…

From the Associated Press by Josh Dubow (via ESPN)
Even Raffi Torres was surprised when Sharks coach Todd McLellan tabbed him for his first shootout chance in more than two years. Torres delivered on his coach’s hunch, and goalie Antti Niemi did the rest to help San Jose move into a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.
Read the rest…

From the Sports Network
After the first four shooters came up empty, Torres skated in and slipped a backhander through the five-hole of Jonathan Quick to put the Sharks in front. ”I’ve got to start shooting more, I still have a lot more I can bring to the table,” said Torres. “Once I get my confidence, once I get a few goals, I can get them in bunches.”
Read the rest…

Quotes from Darryl Sutter here…
Quotes from Justin Williams here…

From the San Jose Mercury News by David Pollak
At the end, it came down to Sharks forward Raffi Torres — a player known more for his hard hits than his soft hands — sliding the puck through the legs of Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. With that shootout goal, the Sharks moved into a virtual tie with the Los Angeles Kings for fourth place in the Western Conference with a 3-2 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions Tuesday night at HP Pavilion. ”Oh yeah, I don’t play in overtime so, I don’t know, I was kind of cold on the bench,” Torres said. “But when you get called, you’ve got to trust your practice habits. I have one move. It was either that or just try and shoot and hope and pray.”
Read the rest…

From Working the Corners also by David Pollak
Truth is, that game only whet the appetite for a first-round series between the two teams. There was some genuine dislike mixed in with some pretty high-end skill tonight, and that combination bodes well in a series.
Read the rest…

From Fear the Fin by mymclife
Tonight, anything could have happened. The Sharks were coming off a back-to-back, the Kings were rested, and things were all topsy-turvy with the Sharks wearing road whites at home.* The Sharks were coming off two pretty dominating performances, even if one failed to result in any points. The question was whether the Sharks could continue their strong play, or if they were going to revert to Columbus mode.
Read the rest…

Can’t see this video? Try here…

Matt Greene warming up at this morning’s pregame skate

Matt Greene skating April 3rd, 2013 in El Segundo – Photo: D. Sheehan

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

Practice Viewing Tip: When the water bottles are not lined up on the ledger in front of the benches, you know it’s not going to be a regular Kings practice. And that’s exactly what happened this morning at the Toyota Sports Center after the Kings shootout loss to the Ducks last night.

The only two players to take the ice were Matt Greene and Dustin Penner, both of whom are on injured reserve recovering from their respective injuries. But as you can see in my video reports below, Matt and Dustin look very good out there on the ice. They skated hard with assistant coaches for 30 minutes, doing drills, taking shots and working on some conditioning.

Next up, the Kings will fly to Dallas to face the Stars tomorrow night at 5:30pm pacific. Darryl Sutter came out to observe for a few minutes and had this to say:

Sutter on Greene: “This is his 2nd back-to-back, so he’s still in the rehabilitation stage of it. Not really where you can say ‘40 lashes’.”

— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) April 8, 2013

Jonathan Bernier seen here in practice – Photo: SpatzShots

FINAL: KINGS 3, DUCKS 4

Game Photos | Box Score | Event Summary | Play-by-Play

STARS OF THE GAME: #1 Perry | #2 Beleskey | #3 Brown

From KingsNewsDaily.com by Paul Armbruster

Sure it was a back-to-back, but the Ducklings were missing their Kopitar (Gets-a-laugh) and the Kings had a rested, super-sharp Bernier in net. So there was no excuse for the slow start tonight in Anaheim. The Kings got behind early and were a step behind for most of the period. They were out-hit and had only 1 blocked shot to the Duckling’s 5. The Kings committed 3 penalties but it seemed like more as the Ducks committed 2 of their own but kept up the pressure for most of the 20. However, the Kings finally found a rythm towards the end of the first, spending quality time in the Ducklings zone. The big missed opportunity was by Brown, who failed on a break away.

The second period saw an almost opposite result as the Kings continued their strong play from the end of the first and saw DD bury his 3rd goal of the season. A brief breakdown gave Corey Perry a break away of his own late in the period, but on this occasion, it resulted in a blistering weak-side shot, beating Bernier and giving the Ducklings the lead once again. The Kings, however, did not give in and came right back with a sweet pass from Richards to Carter who stuffed it past Not-so-Fasth to tie it up heading into the final frame.

In the 3rd, the Ducks capitalized on a Carter slashing penalty by taking a rare Bernier rebound (more like a dropped wallet) and tucked it home giving the hated ones the lead despite a ton of pressure by the Kings. But with less than 5 minutes remaining, Brown slammed home a classic “front net presence” loose puck that ultimately gave the Kings at least one point. I thought the Kings would control overtime but the Ducklings kept the puck in the Kings zone and Bernier on his toes.

In the end, the game came down to the dreaded shootout where Bernier is seemingly most susceptible. And that’s exactly how it turned out as JB couldn’t do what he did 9 times prior; win his 10th start. Corey Perry sealed the deal as the Ducklings scored on all three shootout attempts. And so it was, the Kings of Hockey gave the Pond Dwellers the extra point by dropping their 10th-game-left-in-the-season.

This game proved something to me (at least in the short term) that while Jonathan Bernier is a starting goalie in this league, he is still 1b when it comes to the Los Angeles Kings. And that is not necessarily a good thing as Jonathan Quick has also been a 1b for much of the short season. The Kings and their fans, however, need a solid 1a goalie and there are only 9 games left for him to appear. Barring the April 24th game against the Red Wings (the last back-to-back of the season) I would not be surprised to see Quick in net for 8 of the 9 remaing games.

From the LA Times by Helene Elliott
(The Kings are) a solid fourth now, eight points clear of ninth-place Phoenix. They should make it without too much difficulty and, maybe, get home-ice advantage in the first round. “The hardest part is just getting in,” right wing Justin Williams said. “And once you’re in — and we obviously proved it last year — anything can happen. A 48-game season, the hardest part is just getting in and staying with it.”
Read the rest…

From Frozen Royalty by Gann Matsuda
Corey Perry scored a breakaway goal and another in the shootout to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings in front of a standing-room only crowd of 18,494 fans at Honda Center in Anaheim on April 7.
Read the rest…

From the Sports Xchange by Forrest Lee (via Yahoo)
Corey Perry scored the game-winning goal in a shootout as the Anaheim Ducks earned a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings before an announced sell-out crowd of 17,494 at Honda Center on Sunday. Goalie Viktor Fasth stopped 35 shots for the Ducks (26-8-5). Jonathan Bernier finished with 19 saves for the Kings (22-13-4), who outshot Anaheim 19-7 in the third period.
Read the rest…

From the Associated Press via Fox Sports
The Ducks were outshot 38-22, but the Pacific Division leaders were perfect in the shootout. Bobby Ryan and Saku Koivu scored on Jonathan Bernier before Perry ended Anaheim’s fourth win in six games with a wrist shot. Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who had won five of seven.
Read the rest…

From Examiner.com by Charles Smith Jr.
This one was as good as advertised. On Sunday, April 7, NHL division rivals separated by less than 40 miles, playing in front of a standing room only crowd of 17,494 at Honda Center in Anaheim, put on quite a show. The Anaheim Ducks were again without the services of Ryan Getzlaf. Getzlaf was injured in the third period of a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars last Wednesday night. It was a “lower body injury”, the Ducks’ best center is now listed as day-to-day.
Read the rest…

From Anaheim Calling by Jen Neale
How the Ducks managed to survive the final 3:30 is beyond me. Los Angeles continued to throw everything at Fasth. King nearly scores when the Ducks allow him to skate right to the front of the net. Stoll is open on the far side, ready to receive King’s pass when Beleskey ‘accidentally’ knocks into Stoll, sending the net off its pegs. Stoll lobbies for a penalty (he probably should have received) but the refs would have none of it.
Read the rest…

KND VINES

KND TWEETS

Wow. 100th game for Fraser. I’ll pass that along to Terry Murray. #LAKings

— Kings News Daily (@KingsNewsDaily) April 8, 2013

Ref Note: This is what you call an onside play not offside. #LAKings #Ducks twitter.com/KingsNewsDaily…

— Kings News Daily (@KingsNewsDaily) April 8, 2013

Carter at practice in April 2012 – Photo: D. Sheehan

FINAL: KINGS 4, OILERS 1

Game Photos | Box Score | Event Summary | Play-by-Play

STARS OF THE GAME: #1 Carter | #2 Quick | #3 Richards

*There will be no pregame skate in El Segundo tomorrow

From KingsNewsDaily.com by Paul Armbruster

A Catch-22, of course, is basically a no-win situation and that’s exactly what the Oilers must have felt like after giving up an early goal to Mike Richards. But it was Jeff Carter’s power play, uh, bank-shot that proved to be the deciding goal.

Jeff’s 22nd on the season keeps him in 3rd place on the NHL’s most-goals list, behind John Tavares (23) and Steven Stamkos (25). It also coincides with the Kings 22nd win on the season putting them in 4th place in the West with 47 points with just 10 games remaining.

LA now needs 4 wins to reach the coveted 55 point mark many believe will be the cutoff for those who golf and those who continue to skate. Some have held out hope that the Kings would catch the dreaded Ducks but that ship sailed long ago. As for this writer, I side with the Champs who have been clear that the only thing that matters is getting in, not where they finish.

Remember, this will be the 4th year IN A ROW that the Kings will make the playoffs (assuming they do). How soon we forget, it wasn’t just 4 years but SIX YEARS STRAIGHT without the Kings making the post-season prior to this run. Players understand just how critical it is just to get in, let’s hope fans do too.

The Kings are now 2-0 with “Reggie” Regehr in the lineup and have outscored opponents 7-1. If that is a sign of things to come, the Kings could not hope for a better lineup going into the playoffs. And yet, they will get one if Matt Greene continues to rehab at a pace that may put him into game action just before the season ends.

So, what was your take on the game? Surprised? Think the Kings will win tomorrow?

From Inside the Kings by Elliott Teaford
Jonathan Quick returned to the Kings’ net Saturday afternoon against the Edmonton Oilers and his teammates eased his burden with a fast start at Staples Center. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter scored first-period goals and Quick made 23 saves in a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Read the rest here…

From NHL.com by Curtis Zupke
Speed and youth vs. methodical defense? The Los Angeles Kings threw that storyline out the window when the Edmonton Oilers came to their barn Saturday afternoon. Los Angeles won a special-teams contest with two power-play goals in a 4-1 win at Staples Center.
Read the rest here…

From the Associated Press by Greg Beacham (via Yahoo)
Jeff Carter had a goal and an assist, Jonathan Quick made 23 saves, and the Los Angeles Kings kept moving forward in the Western Conference playoff race with a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Mike Richards and Slava Voynov also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who have won five of seven to climb back into fourth place in the West.
Read the rest here…

Postgame with Coach Sutter (read quotes here)

Postgame with Jeff Carter (read quotes here)

Postgame with Jonathan Quick

Postgame with Anze Kopitar here…

No Video? Try here…

From the Edmonton Journal by Joanne Ireland
The host Kings, who are now a commanding 14-4-1 on home ice, wasted no time taking control of the game. Mike Richards wristed a shot by Devan Dubnyk at 1:38, then Jeff Carter, clogging up the blue paint on a power play, had his 22nd of season go in off his leg before the first intermission.
Read the rest here…

From EdmontonOilers.com by Marc Ciampa
“We definitely dug ourselves a hole right off the bat. We were trying to avoid some kind of chase of a score and we started with a soft play in the second shift of the game and right away we got punished for it,” said Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger.
Read the rest here…

From the Edmonton Sun by Derek Van Diest
The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup last season for a reason. And with essentially the same team this year, the Edmonton Oilers kept giving the Kings reasons to score, making a steady parade to the penalty box in a 4-1 loss at Staples Center.
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Postgame report with Tom Gazzola

No video? Try here…

Postgame with Coach Krueger

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Postgame with former King Jerred Smithson

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KND VINES

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Friendly Fire

The PumperNeal

Regehre in his first practice as a King – Photo: D. Sheehan

FINAL: KINGS 3, WILD 0

Game Photos | Box Score | Event Summary  | Play-by-Play

STARS OF THE GAME: #1 Williams | #2 Bernier | #3 Regehr

From Inside the Kings by Elliott Teaford
Regehr also was on the ice for Williams’ first goal of the game. He also was credited with six hits and two blocked shots and played 18:25. He started out with Keaton Ellerby as his defense partner, but was later paired with Drew Doughty in the second period. “Really, really happy for a few different reasons,” Regehr said Wednesday of joining the Kings, who sent second-round draft picks in 2014 and ’15 to the Sabres. “First of all, being in a position to win again with a team it proved can do it in the past and wants to do it again. I’m very excited about that.”
Read the rest here…

From the LA Times by Lisa Dillman
This now seems like some sort of payback for once-struggling Kings forward Justin Williams. At least that was the verdict after Thursday night. Williams went game after game — weeks, actually — without a goal in this lockout-shortened season and dutifully kept at it. Now the goals are coming, one after another, and he had his first multi-goal performance of the season, scoring twice in the Kings’ 3-0 win against the Minnesota Wild as goalie Jonathan Bernier had his first shutout of the season.
Read the rest here…

From NHL.com by Curtis Zupke
The addition of Jason Pominville is a much sexier move than that of blue collar defenseman like Robyn Regehr, at least on paper. But plain old solid defense, backed up by a great start, equated to a more successful debut for Regehr and the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-0 victory against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
Read the rest here…

From the Associated Press by Joe Resnick (via Yahoo)
Justin Williams and Jeff Carter scored 98 seconds apart on the first two shots of the game, Williams added a goal on Los Angeles’ first shot of the second period, and the Kings beat the Minnesota Wild 3-0 on Thursday night behind Jonathan Bernier’s first shutout of the season.
Read the rest here…

From the Wild.com by Mike Doyle
Following Wild games, Managing Editor Mike Doyle will give the Five Takeaways that he’ll remember from each contest. Today, he’ll look back at a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings: #1 The Wild dropped its third-straight game, a sluggish affair with both teams combining for only 35 shots on goal (Minnesota actually tied a team road record by only allowing 14 shots on goal). Minnesota was done in by a quick Kings start, with LA jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first three minutes of the contest.
Read the rest here…

From TwinCities.com by Chad Graff
Twenty-four hours after a slow start cost the Wild a pivotal road game, 24 hours after Zach Parise talked about not being prepared enough in the first period, the Wild opened a road game against the defending Stanley Cup champions with another thud.
Read the rest here…

From StarTribune.com by Michael Russo
It’s too early to panic, but the Wild is heading into crisis mode. Two veterans are hurt. Its defense has become leaky. Niklas Backstrom has shown signs of cracking. Scoring chances have become harder and harder to come by. And fundamentally, the Wild has lost focus. Thursday night in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center, the Wild turned pucks over, created odd-man rushes because of coverage mistakes, and committed some foolish line changes.
Read the rest here…

Coach Yeo

Jason Pominville

KINGS QUOTES

Read quotes from Sutter

Read quotes from Regher

Read quotes from Williams

Read quotes from Bernier

Interview with Lombardi

POSTGAME HIGHLIGHTS

Full Highlights

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Looking forward to it

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Identity leads to culture

Kings gathered around Sutter at the start of the pregame skate

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

It’s the day after the trade deadline and you can just feel the energy at the rink ramp up a few notches this morning ahead of the Kings matchup against the Minnesota Wild tonight at Staples Center. It’s crunch time and the Kings roster is essentially set for the duration of the season (12 games). There have been a number of story lines over the past few days surrounding the team, which I will cover along with my observations of the pregame skate.

THE LINEUP

Martinez: The biggest news coming out of this morning’s skate is that Alec Martinez will indeed be scratched tonight, making him the Kings 7th defenseman. You can watch this development unfold as it happened in my pregame video report below. 55% of those polled yesterday correctly chose Alec as the odd man out. Will it stay that way? Or will there be a rotation in that bottom pairing? It’s safe to say the answer will be dictated by play on the ice but I do believe come playoff time, the roster will be mostly set. Although if Greene comes back it will obviously complicate matters.

Bernier: As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, JB was the first net minder off the ice, which means he will likely start tonight. This is a surprise to many who believed Quick would get the nod. If you recall, it was against the Wild that Quick lost his temper, breaking his stick. Perhaps that played into the decision to put Bernier in.

Penner: Dustin came out later in the morning with a trainer to work on rehabbing whatever lower body injury is ailing him. I noted yesterday that he was on the ice and participated in drills, which led me to believe he was ok. Clearly something changed since then and he will remain out of the lineup at least until he gets fully healthy.

Regehr: There’s been a lot of speculation this morning about who Reggie will pair with tonight on defense. The pregame skate didn’t reveal a whole lot as Regehr spent a lot of time not paired with anyone in particular. He did, however, pair with Doughty a few times leading me to believe that may show up at some point tonight. That said, Jon Rosen reported that Sutter said he wasn’t going to split up current pairings just because a new player arrived. Do I buy that? Not necessarily. Sutter has been known to throw a few red herrings out there so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Robyn and Drew paired at some point during the game.

Lines: As you can see in the photo above, the forwards all skated in white jerseys, leaving line combinations open to interpretation based on drills. Rosen reported that Sutter didn’t know if Richardson was going to remain in the lineup or not. Lines during a pregame skate are not certain as you know. However, they often are accurate and Richardson skated a lot with Stoll and Lewis. You can see below how the lines skated this morning for the most part. I do believe Toffoli will be the extra forward sitting out but this, of course, is just an educated guess.

The KND Pregame Report – Kings vs. Wild (4/4/13)

*I covered the mic towards the end like a rookie.

Newly aquired defenseman Robyn Regehr talks systems with Assistant Coach John Stevens

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

Shortly before the trade deadline, the LA Kings took to the ice for an optional practice Wednesday morning at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo. I’ll get right to my observations and video report as I’m sure there will be many quotes to come from the locker room that hopefully give us some details on some interesting developments.

Most of the guys on top lines and top d-men chose to stay off the ice.

Skating in his first practice as a King, Robyn Regehr (along with Alec Martinez, Keaton Ellerby and Jake Muzzin) were the only healthy defenseman on the ice. Regehr participated in drills and some handshaking early on in practice but spent a lot of time talking with John Stevens presumably about systems.

He wore a helmet with the #44 on it, which I thought was Drewiske’s but upon further inspection, the Kings roster page shows Regehr as #44 so there you go. Robyn wore #28 in Calgary and #24 in Buffalo.

Here’s my video report, followed by more notes:

The other defenseman on the ice was Matt Greene, who participated in a “non-contact” jersey and to my eye, looked remarkably nimble for a guy about a month away from possible game action. Here’s a vine showing a hard cut by Matt. Click to play.

Also of note was the appearance of “Injured Reserve” player Dustin Penner who was NOT in a “non-contact” jersey and looked to me to be perfectly healthy, although he did leave the ice at about the same time as Greene. Penner took part in drills along side everyone else so I can only conclude that he is available to play.

I found it interesting that the other three defensemen on the ice with Regehr were the likely group of 3 who are competing for 2 spots now that Robyn is here. I conducted a poll this morning asking, “Who will be the new Drewiske?,” which so far has shown a preference for Martinez to sit, although it is important to note that this is hardly a black & white decision as I would think Sutter would rotate guys based on what team the Kings are playing. So really the question is, who sits tomorrow? And I tend to agree it will be Alec.

Robyn Regehr’s first Kings interview

Coach Darryl Sutter post-practice

GM Dean Lombardi speaks to the media

Who will sit? Muzzin, Ellerby or Martinez – Photos: D. Sheehan

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

“It’s a good problem to have,” they say. But it’s still a problem, right coach? With the acquisition defenseman Robyn “Reggie” Regehr, Darryl Sutter is now tasked with having to pull a regular out of the lineup to make room for the “new guy.”

After the departure of Davis Drewiske yesterday, the Kings now have 6 defensemen who have been with the team most of the season. We can remove 3 from the list of potential healthy scratches right now. Drew Doughty, Slava Voynov and Rob Scuderi are all considered too good to sit by just about everyone.

That leaves the 2nd newest Kings defenseman, Keaton Ellerby, the rookie Jake Muzzin and the sometimes-struggling Alec Martinez as the candidates for a seat in the press box. So now that you know the ‘good problem,’ who do you sit? And why? Vote then comment below.

Update: I’ll note that while I doubt someone will sit for as long as Drewiske tended to, I do think Sutter will find a preference and stick with it most games. Also, the real fun will start once Greene comes back. Then we’ll be taking about even more ‘good’ problems!

Former Kings goalie Jason Labarbara seen here in 2012 – Photo: bridgetds

FINAL: KINGS 1, COYOTES 3

Game Photos | Box Score | Event Summary  | Play-by-Play

STARS OF THE GAME: #1 Labarbara | #2 Yandle | #3 Klinkhammer

From NHL.com by Jerry Brown
With their playoff hopes dwindling and the trade deadline hours away, the Phoenix Coyotes wanted to show there was still some life and fire in a dressing room lobbying for a chance to prove they can still salvage the season.Backup goalie Jason LaBarbera was brilliant with 39 saves and defenseman Keith Yandle matched a career high with two goals as the Coyotes kept their flickering playoff hopes alive with a 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night at Jobing.com Arena.
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From the LA Times by Helene Elliot
The difference on Tuesday was a 39-save performance in goal from ex-King Jason LaBarbera, who was beaten only by a shot by Justin Williams that deflected off Phoenix defenseman Michael Stone at 12:12 of the second period. The Kings could have gone to the net more, sure. ”We had a lot of shots, created quite a bit of chances. We just didn’t finish,” center Anze Kopitar said. “We didn’t play poorly, but you’ve got to finish.”
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From The Sports Network
Justin Williams scored the only goal for the Kings, who went 3-1-1 on their five-game road trip. Jonathan Quick surrendered three goals on 30 shots to take the loss. ”Not the way we wanted to finish, but we had some strong games, had some character wins,” Kings forward Anze Kopitar said of the road trip.
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From the Sports Exchange by Jonathan Dalton (via Yahoo)
Phoenix Coyotes coach Dave Tippett gives defenseman Keith Yandle a great deal of leeway in the offensive zone. Tuesday night, the coach’s confidence paid off. Yandle scored twice, his first two-goal game in more than three seasons, and Jason LaBarbera made a season-high 39 saves as the Coyotes beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 at Jobing.Com Arena.
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From the Glendale Star by Darrell Jackson
Sitting precariously on the outside looking in for the National Hockey League playoffs, and with the trade deadline staring them in the face, the Phoenix Coyotes battled the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday, pulling out a 3-1 victory in front of 12,943 at Jobing.com Arena.
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From AZ Central by Sarah McLellan
The Coyotes had one final chance to prove they are a playoff contender instead of a pretender. A loss Tuesday to the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings wouldn’t have mathematically spoiled their chances for a fourth straight playoff berth, but it would seem to push the Coyotes into the seller category for today’s NHL trade deadline, which expires at noon.
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From Five for Howling by Jaime Eisner
With Mike Smith still injured, Jason LaBarbera got the start and had his best game of the season against his former team. LaBarbera stopped 39 of 40 shots and said after the game that he currently feels, “the best I ever felt.” He added that it is “way easier” to play as a starter than wondering when he will ever play again as a back-up.
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Coach Dave Tippett

Jason LaBarbera

KINGS POSTGAME QUOTES

Jarret Stoll

Darryl Sutter
Anze Kopitar
Mike Richards
Jonathan Quick

POSTGAME HIGHLIGHTS

Game Highlights

KND VINES

-Vines are looping 6 second videos
-Click to start/stop & click speaker to unmute

Hand me my bottle, now!

What? It’s on! I put it on!

Mitchell seen here skating in January 2013 – Photo: D. Sheehan

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

It’s been almost 2 months to the day since I shot the following video of Willie Mitchell taking the ice for brief test on what has proved to be a very problematic knee.

There was sparse information about his condition since, leading fans to understandably speculate that he was perhaps done for the season. Sure, he was supposedly ‘medically cleared’ to play but who knows how long that lasted. A day? A week? Willie’s knee problems are not new as swelling and inflammation has a way of coming and going, which I imagine can be extremely frustrating for a player.

Dean Lombardi did reveal a little more than a month ago that Willie underwent a platelet-rich plasma procedure to help the healing process in his knee, which added to the evidence he was still not close to game-ready status. Then last Friday, the LA Kings Insider reported Lombardi was convinced Willie would not play again this season.

That’s about as good a source as there is for anyone to safely conclude Willie was done. Lombardi then proceeded to make a deal for a Mitchell replacement in Robyn Regehr so as to put an exclamation point on the subject.

Case closed, right? Well, not exactly.

Then came ‘news’ this morning that ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun was told by a ‘source’ that Willie Mitchell was… wait for it… done for the season. Amazing! That ‘news’ generated over 250 comments on the Insider, who posted a tweet by Bob McKenzie referencing LeBrun’s redundant revelation. Whereas the original report above, which quotes the General Manager, yielded a mere 83 comments in comparison.

Forgive the thick application of sarcasm in this one but I find it inexplicable how west coast fans complain about so-called east coast bias, yet fawn and the very mention of a Kings related story (or non-story such as this) by a national east coast reporter as if Kings news isn’t really news until they say it is.

Davis “Whiskey” Drewiske seen here during last year’s playoffs – Photo: IKIRI

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

I have no idea if the guy even drinks but little used Kings defenseman Davis Drewiske, affectionately known by fans as “Whiskey,” has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens for a 2013 5th round draft pick, thus ending a 5 year career in a Kings uniform.

I always respected Whiskey’s team-first attitude but felt like there was something missing from his game that prevented him from sticking in the Kings lineup, despite multiple opportunites to do so. None more golden that at the beginning of the season when “the big two” (Mitchell and Greene) went down with injuries. Yet, he couldn’t impress Coach Sutter enough to remain in the lineup as he was benched in favor of newly acquired Keaton Ellerby, Alec Martinez and even rookie Jake Muzzin.

With the writing written in bold on the wall that his time with the Kings was drawing to a close, then came news of yesterday’s trade for Robyn Regehr, making it even more apparent his time was up. Needing to make a roster move to make room for Regehr, a KND POLL revealed 61% of respondents favored waiving Drewiske as the solution. Later, it was revealed that Dustin Penner was injured, thus negating any need to place anyone on waivers.

I am very glad to see this trade for three reasons. One, it puts a cap on Davis’ 5 year career with the Kings, which clearly needed to happen one way or the other. Two, the Kings got something in return for him, which is better than nothing of course. And most importantly, the move gives Davis another chance to play and establish himself as a regular player in the NHL. I’ll be rooting for him in Montreal and wish him nothing but success, except against the Kings of course.

Here’s to you Whiskey! We’ll always remember you as a Champion.

Sutter leads practice in February 2013 – Photo: J. Escalera

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

When it comes to Kings prospects, Dean Lombardi is known as a general manager who makes a kid earn his spot on the big club. He prefers to leave guys in the minors where they gain experience and learn the Kings system over and over again until one day, they get the call. That routine, if you will, might occur more than once, just as it did with Dwight King who had a short stint in LA before going back down — or just a single time, as was the case with Jordan Nolan last year. The current Kings lineup is littered with such players including Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez and Slava Voynov.

That’s why I’ve been scratching my head when it comes to Tyler Toffoli’s call up a couple of weeks ago and his apparent permanent stay here in Los Angeles. It does not follow Lombardi’s M.O. by any measure. Sure, some players are too good to keep in the AHL, like Drew Doughty who never played a single game for the Manchester Monarchs or Kyle Clifford who only played a handful of playoff games back in 2010.

But Tyler isn’t one of them. At least on the surface. I recall hearing multiple reasons why Toffoli could use some seasoning down in Manch both from Lombardi and Assistant GM Ron Hextall. Reasons such as he has work to do on defense as well as needing to improve his strength if I recall correctly. Toffoli has played just of 61 games in the AHL before the call. He now has 7 games under his belt in the NHL along with 5 points. Not bad at all.

But what was it that seemingly changed Lombardi’s usual pattern in the development of players? I asked my self this question again and again. After all, it’s not like the Kings needed Toffoli. They were playing very well ahead of his arrival. Plus, the Monarchs are fighting for a playoff spot and have spiraled downward in Tyler’s absence and can certainly use him as he was their leading scorer. I thought maybe Lombardi just wanted to give Tyler some experience before sending him back down but 7 games is quite a stretch. Of course, that sill may happen. But I doubt it.

Ahead of the big trade news yesterday, Jon Rosen posted Darryl Sutter’s post-practice quotes that included this revealing answer to a question about Brad Richardson’s return to action against Dallas:

“Gave us some energy. If he wouldn’t have, he would have been on trouble. He should’ve had a full tank. Hey, you know what? Brad works his ass off every day, right? You know what? He can play anywhere in your lineup, but it has to fit with who he’s playing with, too. Hey, that’s what I said when we brought Tyler up. You know what? The schedule forced us to carry a full roster. I asked Dean if we could. I wanted another kid who can score in the lineup in case we needed him. Some nights you need size. Some nights you need a scorer. Some nights you need the energy. Some nights you need the right winger. Some nights you need a left winger.

And with that little off-the-cuff remark, the mystery (at least in my mind) was solved. It wasn’t (necessarily) Dean Lombardi’s desire to bring up Toffoli at all. Rather, it was a request by the coach to have more firepower added to his arsenal and the GM granted it. Of course, Lombardi relies on a team of hockey experts to help him make decisions, including Special Assistant to Dean, Jack Ferreira, who was instrumental in lobbying for the Nolan and King call up ahead of the playoffs last year.

So what do you think? Do you like how the move is working out? More to the point, do you believe Dean thinks it’s a good idea overall? Or do you think maybe he’s doing his coach a favor that goes against his better judgement?

Robyn Regehr seen here on Calgary in 2008 – Photo: Mark Mauno

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

UPDATE: The Los Angeles Kings have announced that Dustin Penner has been placed on injured reserve with a lower body injury, presumably suffered during yesterday’s win over the Stars. This leaves a roster spot open for Regehr to join the team.

The LA Kings added a critical piece to their blue line today in hopes of repeating as Stanley Cup Champions, trading two 2nd round draft picks for Buffalo Sabers’ defenseman Robyn Regehr. Exciting, isn’t’ it? The Kings now have a solid replacement for injured Willie Mitchell who was instrumental in the Kings Cup run last year.

Now comes the next step for Kings GM Dean Lombardi. How to make room for Robyn. The Kings currently have a full roster so someone will need to go and fast. Who is it going to be? This assumes no other trade will be made to make room before Robyn joins the team.

Former Kings center Handzus seen here in 2011 – Photo: SpatzShots

By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •

Former King and fan favorite Michal Handzus was traded today from the San Jose Sharks to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 4th round draft pick according to this report by NHL.com. Zus, as he is known, is as a sturdy and defensive center, a fantastic face off man and a great veteran presence in the locker room.

Will he see time on the power play or penalty kill? He will be reunited with former Kings assistant coach Jamie Kompon. Zus played 327 games for the Kings, scoring 57 goals and 78 assists over 4 seasons from 2007-2011.

Zus played 8 games for Chicago in 2006 before a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He signed with the Kings the following summer. Of all the recent Kings alumni, he’s the player I think most deserved to be with the club during their Cup run last year.