Coaching Change Happens, and Craig Button Goes King Bashing Again…

December 13th, 2011 by Jeremy Smith

It finally happened. My last post at this blog, over a month ago, called for a change behind the Kings’ bench. While a small handful of wins – most of them due to Jon Quick’s stellar play, may have put off the inevitable for a short amount of time, the Kings’ entered this week dead last in the NHL in goals for and riding a 4 game losing streak. On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Times reported that Kings’ executives were planning to fire head coach Terry Murray this week.  Reading this, I half expected Murray to be given at least the first two games of the team’s road trip to right the ship. Instead, it happened fast and General Manager Dean Lombardi flew to Boston to relieve Murray of his head coaching duties.  Assistant coach John Stevens will serve as interim head coach, but there is much speculation that Stevens may also be dismissed once a permanent replacement is found.

Stevens employs the same system as Terry Murray, but will provide a fresh voice. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted earlier that he spoke via text with a Kings’ player that wished to remain anonymous saying “I think it had to happen. We were dead.” That should dispel the idea that the players hadn’t tuned Murray out, something that’s been a point of contention among bloggers and reporters covering the team. Among the alleged frontrunners for the Kings’ coaching job are former Flames and Sharks coach Daryl Sutter and former Kings’ player and current Penguins Assistant Coach Tony Granato. The leash on Stevens should be very short, and his tenure will kick off with the toughest of tests, a matchup with the defending Cup champs in Boston. We’ll learn a lot about this team on the upcoming road trip. Lombardi reportedly had a meeting with all the players this afternoon in which he blasted the team for their effort of late. Lombardi didn’t want to fire Murray but felt his hand forced by the team’s disappointing play. Which brings us to another uncomfortable topic…

Lombardi is embarking on a search for the Kings’ 3rd head coach under his tenure. With the investment ownership has made in the team, the expectation is to win now. For as much as Lombardi has done building the Kings into a winner, if a deep playoff run isn’t made this spring, Lombardi’s job could be next.

Nobody in the hockey media was harder on Lombardi today than NHL Network “On the Fly” Analyst Craig Button. Button, a former GM of the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames; bashed the Kings in the NHL Network’s Pacific Division Preview in September, and he made good on the opportunity to bash the Kings again tonight. Button blasted the Kings’ team, claiming they were working plenty hard but simply aren’t good enough to be contenders. He lambasted Dean Lombardi, questioning his leadership ability in the front office, and blaming him for the team’s struggles for “..putting together all these guys who can’t score”. Button bordered on scornful anger, and if nothing else, came off as extremely unprofessional in his delivery. “All these guys who can’t score” includes a top 6 who have all had a MINIMUM of one 30+ goal season in their career. It’s evident that Button hasn’t spent much time watching the Kings this season either. One other facet worth mentioning here: Button never has anything derogatory to say about San Jose. His lips have been firmly attached to their collective anuses for as long as he’s been an NHL Network Analyst. That he refuses to give the Kings any credit whatsoever is of no surprise.

I have another theory about Mr. Button. The hockey world knows Dean Lombardi’s seat is getting hot. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this is a make or break year for everyone on the Kings’ coaching staff and in the front office. I think it’s a distinct possibility that Button is panicked at the idea that a coaching change will make the Kings’ better…because if they do improve it will mean his rants about the infallibility of San Jose will be wrong, AND, perhaps more importantly there will not be an opening for the GM job in Los Angeles next summer. I believe Button covet’s Lombardi’s job, and covets the opportunity to work with one of the most talent laden rosters in the Western Conference, if not the entire NHL. Button’s rants are borne out of pure jealousy.

Guess what, Craig. You can kiss my hairy white ass. Consensus among most of the hockey media is that the Kings’ lineup is far too talented to be struggling as they have been. Only person who didn’t call them a Cup contender, or at the very least a West contender was you, Mr. Button. Feel free to keep poking your Dean Lombardi voodoo doll, hoping the team will fail so you might get a shot at an office in El Segundo come summer. Will you be man enough to eat crow if the Kings turn this season around, win the Pacific Division, make a deep playoff run or gasp…win the Stanley Cup? The team is just 3 points out of the division lead right now. All it takes is one spark to turn the tides. Are you willing to admit you were wrong? I doubt it. Your remarks reveal your agenda, plain as day. Fuck you, Mr Button.

I hope John Stevens replays the clip of Button’s rant on “NHL On the Fly” for the team in the locker room tomorrow, and every day thereafter. I hope it pisses them off the same way it pissed me and the rest of Kings’ nation off tonight…

It’s time to make Craig Button eat his words.

GO KINGS!

-JS

 

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Why the Terry Murray Era Needs to End in Los Angeles.

November 8th, 2011 by Jeremy Smith
Terry Murray

It's time for the Kings to replace Head Coach Terry Murray.

Dump and chase. Cycle, cycle, cycle. Shot mentality. Compete. Heavy board play. These are all Staples of Kings’ coach Terry Murray’s vocabulary. On the bright side, Murray has taken the Kings’ to the playoffs the past two seasons. But his four seasons as head coach have been marked by long stretches of inconsistent, underachieving play.

This past Summer, the Kings went out and acquired Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. On paper this team should be Pacific Division favorites and a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup. As of right now, the Kings have lost 5 straight games and have played perhaps 4 good periods in that stretch. It would be fair to say that the only two players who’ve showed up in every game they’ve played have been Anze Kopitar (on pace for a 104 point season) and Jonathan Quick. The rest of the roster has had moments where they’ve looked outstanding, but for the most part, looks far too comfortable. Unmotivated, with not nearly enough hustle.

Tonight, the Kings played in San Jose, a team that as usual has gotten enough verbal fellatio from hockey media to dry out Peter North. They haven’t been impressive much this season. Guess what? The Kings played well…for all of about 25 minutes. Sharks coach Todd McLellan made in game adjustments to counter the Kings strong play, and Murray sat smug faced on the bench and watched the team surrender 4 straight goals. It was reminiscent of game 3 of last season’s playoff series – Murray unable to keep up with in-game adjustments and the Kings losing as a result.

Is it a reach to say the Kings are playing like they’re trying to get their coach fired at this point?

I give Terry Murray credit, he has contributed a lot to the development of some of the younger guys. He instilled a defense first system that gives the team a chance to win most nights. He’s led the team to two straight playoff appearances. But, let’s look at the now. When you look at the Kings, do you see the man behind the bench that can lead them to glory? After much deliberation, I think, the answer to this question for me is decidedly NO.

It is the job of a head coach to get the most out of the players on his roster. GM Dean Lombardi has provided Murray with one of the most talented rosters in the entire NHL. He has depth at forward to rival any team in the league, a defense corps that most coaches would kill for, and perhaps the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. On paper, this team should not just be good, they should be dominant. They have, other than a handful of games, not been anywhere near that. Murray seems to be simply unable to get the best out of his players on a consistent basis. I’ve run out of excuses for him, and I’ve yet to see anyone provide any good statement of defense for him.

Simply put, it’s time for Murray to go. The Kings need a wakeup call right now, something to jolt the players into action. Murray isn’t capable of giving them that jolt. This is a team with Stanley Cup talent playing like a lottery pick club. This is unacceptable. The fans know it. The players have to know it (which is why I question whether or not this is a deliberate attempt to get Murray fired). Dean Lombardi has to know it. It’s time to make a change.

C’mon Dean. Each additional loss makes it that much more work to a punch a postseason ticket in the ultra competitive West. It’s time for the Terry Murray era to end in LA.

GO KINGS!

-JS

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Sending the Wrong Message?

October 26th, 2011 by Jeremy Smith

The NJ Devils Celebrate a 2nd Period goal. (Photo:AP)

The Kings had won 4 straight games. Their solid play in all 3 zones had been punctuated by Jonathan Quick’s record setting 3 straight shutout games, 188:10 seconds without allowing a goal. Quick, much like the start of last season, has been the Kings’ best player through the first 8 games and has been in goal for each of the Kings 5 wins, with a shootout loss in New Jersey the lone blemish on his record. With a .81 goals against average and a .972 save %, it would be more than fair to say that Quick has been the NHL’s top netminder through his first six starts.

Enter Kings’ Head Coach Terry Murray, who said prior to the start of the season he would ride the hot hand in goal rather then penciling in a rotation for his two goaltenders. In fairness when the other half of your tandem is 2006 first round pick Jonathan Bernier, a guy who could probably start for 2/3 of the teams in the NHL; this is a pretty smart philosophy to keep as it creates an optimal, competitive environment in which the guy playing has to earn his games. Ideally this pushes both guys to be at their best, and so far this seems to have helped to elevate Quick’s game to a level among the NHL’s elite. Why then, did Terry Murray stray from his “ride the hot hand” philosophy by starting Bernier at home against the Devils on Tuesday? Bernier was average at best in his lone start of the season, a 4-2 loss against the Buffalo Sabres in Berlin; and there’s no hand in the league, much less in the Kings’ organization hotter than Quick. Murray’s reasoning for the change was well documented by Rich Hammond. His thought process was, with 3 games in 4 nights starting Thursday, and 15 of 17 games against the Western Conference, he wanted to make sure to get Bernier some playing time, as he will most certainly be needed during that stretch. Murray eludes to the fact that if not Tuesday, Bernier perhaps doesn’t play until December. So, it’s Bernier vs. the Devils on Tuesday, that’s that.

What happens next? The Kings absolutely stunk up the joint. Uncharacteristically bad turnovers that led to goals-against, and an inability to mount much offensive zone pressure. While Devils’ goalie Johan Hedberg was indeed very good, the number of high-octane scoring chances the Kings had against him was minimal. It might be worth noting that the breaks did not go the Kings’ way most of the game either: The Devils had a first period goal disallowed because Devils’ defender Henrik Tallinder was in the crease behind Bernier, and Dainus Zubrus’ first goal in the second period should have been disallowed: Bernier had possession of the puck and Zubrus ran him over like a Mack truck jarring the puck loose and into the net. If the first one was interference (and I’ll say for the record it was perhaps marginal but was the correct call as Tallinder did make incidental contact with Bernier), the second one DEFINITELY was. In a one goal game, I’d have been absolutely livid about that call. Once that goal was on the board it was all Devils. A rare but costly turnover by Anze Kopitar led to a one-timer by Patrik Elias that made it 2-0. Minutes later another turnover led to Zubrus’ 2nd goal of the night, a slapper from the right circle that was definitely stoppable to make it 3-0 New Jersey. The rest of the game the Kings made Hedberg look like the second coming of Patrick Roy. Game, set, match.

 

Let me make clear one point: The play of Jonathan Bernier wasn’t the reason the Kings’ lost this game. The first NJ goal shouldn’t have counted in the first place, the second one would’ve been tough for anybody to stop. The third goal was the only one of the bunch I’d call soft: Zubrus takes a slapshot with a long windup and shoots from the circle, giving Bernier time to come out and challenge (he didn’t). Any shot from that range without a screen or a deflection, save the absolutely perfect off the bar and in type shot, should not go in. Zubrus’ shot fell within none of the above parameters.

The team in front of Bernier played their worst game of the young season thus far on Tuesday, and while Bernier himself isn’t directly responsible for that, let me provide some food for thought.

What kind of message is Terry Murray sending to his team by sitting the man who has been it’s best player all season? What are you telling the guys in the room by saying you’re giving Quick the night off because 15 of 17 upcoming games are in-conference? Would you sit your best player in an important game? Me neither.

Quick’s streak is as important to the other guys in the room, if not more important than it is to Quick himself. It’s a testament not only to outstanding goaltending but excellent team defense – something Terry Murray’s system prides itself on. The longer that streak continues, the more it says not only about Quick, but about the team in front of him. Sitting Quick Tuesday night might have left enough wiggle room in players’ minds (we’re not defending Quicker’s streak tonight, so…) to allow the type of lackadaisical effort we saw from the Kings in this loss. You end up feeling bad for Bernier because, while he wasn’t outstanding by any means, he also wasn’t playing behind an inspired team, not his fault.

I’m not attempting to strike up the “Fire Terry Murray!” crowd yet, but I do question his decision to sit Jonathan Quick Tuesday night. While I think Murray is a fine coach, certainly capable of helping the Kings win the Cup, for one night at least he seemed to be out of touch with the psychological effects that a seemingly harmless personnel decision can have on the entire team.

Of course, nobody will ever know if the result would’ve been any different had Quick led the team onto the ice Tuesday night, but it’s something to think about.

Kings will be in Dallas Thursday night, with Quick in net.

GO KINGS!

-JS

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1-1-1… Some Thoughts About the First 3 Games

October 14th, 2011 by Jeremy Smith

The regular season is upon us now, and the Kings have played a trio of games thus far. Opening day in Stockholm saw the Kings beat the New York Rangers on a Jack Johnson power play goal in OT 3-2. The next day in Berlin, the Kings were outworked by the re-tooled Buffalo Sabres and beaten 4-2. Tonight in New Jersey, the Kings suffered a 2-1 shootout loss to the Devils. So, all things being symmetrical I thought I would give some of my thoughts on the team’s play thus far.

A Dustin Penner injury brought head coach Terry Murray to move Simon Gagne up to the top line with Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. That line has accounted for 3 of the team’s 5 goals thus far, and while Murray’s original idea was to have Penner flank Kopitar on the left, the seemingly instant chemisty between Kopitar, Williams and Gagne should see that line combination stick around awhile. The Kings’ lone regulation goal tonight was a beauty by Gagne, who was set up by Williams and Kopitar. This line has been dangerous in all 3 games and should continue to be going forward.

Much has been said about Jack Johnson needing to be a plus player this season. Through 3 games, Johnson is a -2. Jack has done much to contribute offensively, particularly in the first two games; but he has yet to escape being caught standing around on an opponents goal in any game this year. Johnson has been on the ice, and has made key mistakes in at least one opposing goal against in each of the Kings’ first three games. This is going to have to change in order for Johnson to make the leap from a good second pair defender to a very good defender, period. It’s early but what we’ve seen from Jack so far is what we’ve always seen – and that isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Alec Martinez was the Kings’ best defenseman in their opening game in Stockholm, hands down; and he continued that solid play into the first period against Buffalo in Berlin. After that, Martinez has vanished. In a sense this is good – he hasn’t made any glaring mistakes worth remembering, but he also hasn’t stepped up and made any significant contribution either. If Martinez can regularly play with the intensity he did in the opener, it would be a huge asset to the club. If he’s invisible, it could prompt the team to give Slava Voynov – who had a dynamite preseason – a look during regular season competition.

Scott Parse’s time with the Kings may be coming to an end soon. After having a terrible preseason and contributing nothing in the opening pair of games in Europe, Parse is a healthy scratch yet again. He’s a guy who probably doesn’t fit into any available role on this Kings’ team right now, and his career as a fringe NHL’er has lasted three years on the strength of one fantastic goal against Mikka Kipprusoff three seasons ago. It would be no shock to see Parse end up on the waiver wire soon, where he’s likely to go unclaimed, punching his ticket to Manchester.

Veteran Trent Hunter has looked good in a bottom 6 role so far, much better suited for that role than the aforementioned Parse. While he doesn’t possess the same scoring touch, Hunter could prove to be a worthy replacement for Wayne Simmonds as the season wears on.

It’s far too early to forecast, but Jonathan Quick has been sharp in his pair of starts for the Kings (he was first star in tonight’s SO loss) while Jonathan Bernier was good but not terrific against Buffalo. Based on Terry Murray’s “play the hot hand” comments in preseason, it’s safe to assume we’ll see a lot more of Quick if these first three games are any indication. Ideally Bernier will step up when his next opportunity arrives and that will continue to push Quick – healthy competition can only be a good thing after all. I expect it to be about like last season. Bernier will play well when needed and Quick will be stellar. In short, the Kings will be fine in goal, and I expect Quick to be part of the Vezina Trophy conversation at season’s end.

How is it possible that Dustin Brown doesn’t have a single hit in the Kings’ first three games? Please tell me that’s a typo.

Speaking of Dustins – Penner’s season debut tonight was less than impressive. He didn’t seem to have a lot of jump and the only time of note he used his size was taking a charging penalty at the end of regulation. One game does not a season make, but Penner looked like the Penner of last season – a colossal disappointment – in tonight’s game.

Now that Drew Doughty is making 7 million a season, he needs to be a guy that can take over games. While he missed all of camp and only played in one exhibition game, and hasn’t been bad by any means, he is being paid like the Kings’ best player, and he hasn’t been that so far. Which leads me to…

Just who has the Kings’ best player been so far? No surprise, it’s Anze Kopitar. 5 points in 3 games so far, you can see the effect that having a legit #2 center like Mike Richards is going to have on Kopitar’s season. The 40 goal, 100 point mark is well within his reach, and ESPN analyst Barry Melrose said on the NHL Network’s “On the Fly” last night that he thinks Kopi might win the Rocket Richard trophy this season. This may be the year the rest of the hockey world officially finds out, just how good Anze Kopitar is.

Mike Richards had a key goal to tie the opener against the Rangers, but he still looks to me like he’s not quite dialed in with his teammates yet. I expect it’ll happen relatively soon – and perhaps if Penner continues to disappoint, moving Brad Richardson to 2nd line Left Wing would better benefit Richards’ play. It’s too early to judge, and Richards has already contributed, albeit not quite as consistently as we’d all like.

All in all, the sky is not falling. The Kings have played 3 games, all of them against good teams. As good as the Kings’ are, you could look at the schedule and say it isn’t out of the range of possibility that they could be 0-3 right now. I’m in no hurry to reach for the panic button.

Much will be revealed Saturday afternoon, as the Kings venture into Philly to take on the unbeaten Flyers, perhaps the toughest test yet.

 

GO KINGS!

-JS

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Set to Rule the Pacific

September 7th, 2011 by Jeremy Smith

Jonathan Quick and Anze Kopitar

 

At the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, Kings’ rookies are set to start camp in 3 days. The veterans will arrive a week later. The Kings’ annual HockeyFest is this coming Sunday. It all means one thing – hockey season is right around the corner.

This season will be one of buzz and heightened expectations in Los Angeles. The Kings, having made two consecutive playoff appearances – and consequently two consecutive first round exits – have made moves to turn the team into a bona-fide Cup contender.

LAST SEASON

I am of the belief that last season’s team was capable of much better than it achieved. For a couple of stretches in 2010-11, the Kings were flat out the NHL’s best team – including their fantastic 12-3 start out of the gate. The Kings’ system under 3rd year coach Terry Murray stresses responsible play in their own end, and defense and goaltending were the team’s strengths without question. Once again, the Kings had trouble producing 5 on 5 offensively, and the power play was mired in a funk that seemed to be never-ending. Inconsistency and key injuries were ultimately the Kings’ demise. Without leading scorer (and the team’s best defensive forward) Anze Kopitar, the team finished 7th in the West and earned a matchup with the division winning San Jose Sharks. Minus the team’s best player, the Kings had San Jose on the ropes after the first period of game 3, with a 4-0 lead at home; but the Kings stopped doing the little things that had been working up to that point, and defensive breakdowns (as well as a phantom goal by Joe Pavelski at the end of the 2nd period that appeared to hit the crossbar and never go in but wasn’t reviewed) led to a collapse and an eventual 6-5 OT loss. The loss seemed to deflate the team – and while Jon Quick stole a game 5 victory on the road, the Kings would sign their own death warrant by their inability to score on a 5 minute power play at the of regulation that carried into overtime. San Jose’s Greg Louganis…err, Joe Thornton took advantage of a fortuitous bounce in OT and ended the series. It was disappointing on a lot of levels – the Kings’ had the series in their grasp and allowed it to slip away, and the Sharks, much like their fans were more than a little unsportsmanlike about the victory. If anything could make this longtime fan hate a team more than Anaheim, this was it.

The loss highlighted some holes the Kings would need to fill in order to make a serious Cup run in future years – lack of a true 1/2 punch at Center, lack of scoring punch and speed in the top 6. Dean Lombardi had clear goals headed into the Summer of 2011. I’ll take a look at the 4 areas of the Kings organization and talk about my outlook for the team’s forwards, defensemen and goaltenders; as well as the team’s coaching staff and management.

2011-2012 OUTLOOK – FORWARDS

This is where the majority of the Kings’ roster changes have taken place. The Kings made perhaps the offseason’s biggest splash by acquiring Philadelphia Flyers captain and All-Star centerman Mike Richards. In doing so, the Kings had to part ways with gritty winger Wayne Simmonds – a fan favorite  - and the team’s top prospect in center Brayden Schenn. While the Kings lost out on the Brad Richards’ sweepstakes to the NY Rangers, the wasted little time in going after target 1A – former Flyer and Tampa Bay LW Simon Gagne. In addition, the Kings accomodated LW Ryan Smyth’s request for a trade back to Alberta for family reasons. The Kings head into training camp with a projected first line of Left Wing Dustin Penner – who is reported to be in excellent shape going into a contract year, Center Anze Kopitar and Right Wing Justin Williams. The Kings second line should be new additions Gagne at LW and Richards at C, joined by captain Dustin Brown on RW. That’s perhaps the most formidable top 6 in the history of the Kings’ franchise. The addition of Richards at Center adds another reliable, gritty two-way forward and will take a ton of pressure off of Kopitar. No longer is the drop off at center as steep as in the past. Every member of the Kings’ top 6 has been a 30 goal scorer at least once in their career, and it’s safe to assume with Richards at C2, Kopitar could hit the 40 goal mark this season.

The Kings 3rd line should look something like 2nd year man Kyle Clifford at LW, Jaret Stoll at C and likely either Trevor Lewis or Brad Richardson at RW. Youngsters Tyler Toffoli and Brandon Kozun will get looks at RW3 as well, but it might be safe to assume either are a year away from cracking the lineup.

The 4th line will consist of either the aforementioned Lewis and Richardson, Newcomer Ethan Moreau, tough guy Kevin Westgarth and when healthy, Colin Fraser who was acquired from Edmonton as part of the Smyth deal.

The Kings possess a talented group of forwards, with depth at Center to rival or surpass any team in the Western Conference right now, and scoring punch on both wings; and solid two way play throughout 4 lines.

 

2011-2012 OUTLOOK – DEFENSEMEN

The only offseason loss suffered by the Kings was that of Peter Harrold, a utility type player who spend time both at forward and on D in limited action the past two seasons. Harrold was a healthy scratch most of the time, so his loss won’t have any noticeable effect on the team.

The Kings return all of their defensive pairs from 2010-2011 (pending an RFA signing expected to happen before camp opens). Drew Doughty and Willie Mitchell figure to be the team’s top pair yet again; while Jack Johnson and veteran Rob Scuderi round out the top 4. Veteran leader and Alternate Captain Matt Greene should pair with Alec Martinez to complete the top 6. The only guy of those 6 that could potentially have to look over his shoulder is Martinez, who has had essentially half a season of NHL experience and came out of nowhere to seize the #6 D-spot from now veteran David Drewiske and youngster Jake Muzzin.

Perhaps the most hotly contested spots on the entire roster will be those #6 and 7 defensive slots. Martinez has the advantage on #6 as the incumbent, but Drewiske and Muzzin figure to make a strong push, as will youngsters Slava Voynov and former #1 pick Thomas Hockey. This is a quality problem for the Kings – a glut of quality young defensemen who compose a strong defensive pipeline for the Kings’ organization. While Voynov and Muzzin are clearly knocking on the door and can’t remain in the AHL indefinitely, either could seize opportunities in the event of a slump or an injury, or serve as trade bait should the Kings want to strengthen their lineup at any point during the course of the season.

Regardless of how it shakes out, the Kings have the best defensive corps in the Pacific Division. San Jose has attempted to keep pace with the Kings defensively by adding Brent Burns – who is an outstanding puck mover but is extremely inconsistent defensively, and Colin White – who’s best seasons are far behind him. The Kings corps is superior in almost every facet to San Jose’s, and Anaheim, Phoenix and Dallas all lack depth on the back end. Advantage Kings, to say the least.

 

2011-2012 OUTLOOK – GOALTENDERS

Another strength for the Kings. Jon Quick has established himself as the Kings’ best goaltender since Rogie Vachon. While Quick can safely be considered one of the NHL’s elite goalies, he remains perhaps the most underrated goalie in the league. Both of the Kings’ playoff victories of 2010-11 were stolen wins for Quick, including a superb 51 save performance in game 5. Quick’s reflexes and lateral movement are much like his surname and his size doesn’t give opposing shooters much net to look at. Quick is in many ways similar in style and disposition to Boston’s Tim Thomas, who willed the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup as playoff MVP.

Behind Quick is 2006 first round pick Jonathan Bernier, who is considered by many as a future NHL elite. With Quick established as #1 and Bernier under contract for two more seasons, the Quebec born Bernier will have to earn every opportunity – which in the end makes both of them better. Bernier’s development will motivate Quick to stay on top of his game and Bernier will have to be motivated to work hard to take advantage of any opportunity he’s afforded. The combination gives the Kings one of the league’s best tandems, and the Kings would be in good hands if Quick were to slump or suffer an injury of any kind.

The Kings cupboard is well stocked in goal as it is on defense. Martin Jones, who had a stellar first pro season last year, should get the lion’s share of work for the Kings’ AHL affiliate in Manchester. Jeff Zatkoff will compete for playing time there, and J-F Berube should spend his first year as a pro with Ontario of the ECHL. 2011 2nd round pick Chris Gibson will return to Chicoutimi of the QMJHL for at least one more season.

In Quick and Bernier, the Kings have the division’s best goaltending tandem. Better than Niemi/Nittymaki. Better than Hiller/Ellis. Certainly better than Smith/LaBarbera and Lehtonen/Raycroft. Look for Quick to be a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2011-12.

 

2011-2012 OUTLOOK – COACHES/MANAGEMENT

The Kings enter 2011-12 with no turnover in this department. General Manager Dean Lombardi has guided the Kings from also-ran to legitimate contender in five seasons. He’s done that largely though the draft…acquisition of top prospects and some key trade acquisitions. If there’s one area on Lombardi’s resume that might be his inability to attract marquee free agents to LA. In the past three seasons, Lombardi has targeted Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk and Brad Richards and all 3 have signed elsewhere. As the cliche goes “If you built it, they will come”, and Lombardi has built a winner in LA now. Challenging for the Stanley Cup in 2012 will go along way toward attracting the big fish.

Head Coach Terry Murray enters his 4th season behind the Kings’ bench. Murray has been a stabilizing figure there, and has helped tutor the Kings’ youngsters in a defense first system which has allowed them to get the most out of limited offensive production. While the Kings’ offensive production looks to have undergone a drastic upgrade, they will still be responsible in their own end. With expectations high for the coming season, Murray’s job might be in some jeopardy if the Kings were to struggle out the gate.

Assistant Coach John Stevens works primarily with the defense and on the penalty killing portion of the special teams, areas where the Kings excelled and should continue to do so.

Probably the biggest sore spot among Kings’ fans is Assistant Coach Jamie Kompon, responsible for the forwards and the power-play. Kompon has come under heavy criticism for the power plays lack of production in long stretches. Often times the Kings’ power play appears to lack creativity. If there’s one member of the Kings’ staff who is legitimately on the hot seat, it would be Kompon. With weapons like Doughty, Johnson and even Martinez on the points, the Kings have few excuses not to be near the top of the league in power play statistics.

Goaltending coach Bill Ranford has done an outstanding job with both Quick and Bernier. Having moldable talent makes a big difference – remember Jason LaBarbera who couldn’t be coached to competence no matter how hard Ranford tried. It’s a good relationship both ways here, as Ranford is fortunate to have talent like Quick and Bernier to work with; and in turn they’re fortunate to have Ranford working with them.

 

CONCLUSION

Last season I thought the Kings were the best team in the Pacific Division and for stretches they proved me right. In the end, lack of depth in key spots and inconsistent performances, as well as key injuries forced the Kings into a lower playoff seed. The 2011-12 Los Angeles Kings are perhaps the best team in franchise history. With all-world depth at Center, one of the NHL’s best defensive units as well as one of it’s best goaltending tandems and a solid coaching staff and upper management team, look for the Kings to march to the top of the mountain known as the Pacific Division and plant their flag as Champs.

But, there is a bigger task ahead. Division titles mean little without the hoisting of Lord Stanley’s chalice (just ask San Jose). Next time, I’ll talk about why this Kings’ team could be the one to end fans’ long wait for the hallowed Cup.

See you at HockeyFest Sunday. GO KINGS!

-JS

 

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Thoughts on Penner, Richardson, Doughty

July 12th, 2011 by Jeremy Smith

The Kings have addressed perhaps their most glaring weaknesses via trade and free agency this off season, and while they’re considered favorites in the Pacific Division and among the favorites in the Western Conference, there are still questions to be answered.

Last season’s marquee trade deadline acquisition, Dustin Penner, was, to put it mildly a bit of a disappointment. GM Dean Lombardi criticized Penner’s conditioning and work ethic – even going so far as to say it was up to Penner to decide if he wanted to play in the NHL or for a beer league softball team (I’m paraphrasing the quote he gave to Rich Hammond). Kings’ fans got to see first hand why Penner’s relationship with the fans in Edmonton was one of love/hate proportions. No doubt the man has skill, but at times his effort seems to be lacking.

The buzz out of El Segundo this week from names well known among Kings’ fans on twitter – Mayor’s Manor, Frozen Royalty and Dennis Bernstein of The 4th Period – was that Penner has been training hard in Los Angeles and has slimmed down by at least ten pounds. The Mayor tweeted earlier today that Penner says he wasn’t offended by Lombardi’s softball comments and instead used it as kindling for his fire. It’s encouraging news to be sure, and the hope is that it translates to big on-ice results for him. A productive Penner alongside Anze Kopitar makes the Kings’ top line as dangerous as any in the West, especially when you factor in how good the second line will be with Gagne, Richards and likely Dustin Brown.

Speaking of Kopitar, Mayor’s Manor also stated via twitter today that Anze Kopitar has been cleared medically and will begin skating before the end of July.

Now, to contracts for a moment. The good news – Kings have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with forward brad Richardson. Richie has been a key role player on the Kings’ roster the past two seasons, and the Kings avoid arbitration by locking him up now.

The bad news – although it’s safe to say not disconcerting at this point, is that Drew Doughty and the Kings have yet to agree to terms. Dean Lombardi told Rich Hammond today that both sides are still discussing money as well as contract length. I agree with what Bobby at Surly & Scribe has to say about it – Dean Lombardi will get it done. Drew Doughty is the cornerstone of the Kings’ franchise right now, and figures to be in any conversation about the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the next decade. Doughty wants to be an LA King, and he will be. Contract negotiations are a smorgasbord of speculation for media, both mainstream and bloggers alike. I’ve already seen Dean Lombardi called “stingy”, Drew and his agents called “greedy”, and seen speculation in the mainstream media that Doughty wants to be the highest paid King – all without any citation or shred of evidence. Articles get more reads and websites get more clicks based on speculation and fabricated drama, the “OH NOEZ WE CAN’T SIGN DREW NOW!” makes for more readers than it does to simply acknowledge the fact that there’s no pressure to get a deal done yesterday, as much as we fans would love it, and that negotiations will continue until the two sides reach an agreement.

Rest assured, Drew Doughty will be a Los Angeles King when camp opens in September, and for many more after that. He’s a key piece of the puzzle that Kings’ fans, coaches, players and management alike hope will get LA hockey’s ultimate prize – the Stanley Cup

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Serious About Winning

July 4th, 2011 by Jeremy Smith

It has been many moons since I’ve posted a new blog entry here. Hard to believe my last post was in November of 2010. How time flies when you’re busy I suppose. It’s good to be back in the saddle here, and I hope to be able to post more frequently leading up to and during the 2011-2012 season.

When the 2010-2011 season ended, the Kings found themselves on the short end of a 6 game series with San Jose. Kings were minus their best player, and it still took the Sharks 3 overtime victories to vanquish a resilient Kings’ squad. I’ll not discuss this much, as I’m still bitter we lost to the most overrated NHL franchise of the last decade, and every time I see anything teal I want to kick babies. OK, maybe not babies. Anyway…

The loss of one player made a significant dent in the Kings, particularly defensively. The Kings were thin up the middle without Kopitar, and it cost them. Fortunately. Dean Lombardi took notice of this and made it his priority to shore up center ice for the Kings. Just before the 2001 NHL Draft, Lombardi was able to engineer a deal with Philadelphia to acquire Flyers’ captain Mike Richards. The Kings had to part with fan favorite Wayne Simmonds, top prospect Brayden Schenn and a second round pick in 2012; but for a guy with Richards’ credentials, that’s more than a fair price to pay. The emergence of Kyle Clifford made Simmonds expendable, and Schenn is still probably a season away from full time NHL duty. In acquiring Richards, the Kings now have a 1-2 punch at center that matches up with any team in the West.

Winger Ryan Smyth in the meantime, requested that Lombardi send him home to Alberta if a trade could be worked out. The event created a bit of a shitstorm in the local hockey media, with Smyth denying his trade request initially. After what ended up being days worth of drama, Smyth was sent to Edmonton for Colin Fraser and a pick. Fraser was found to be injured, and Lombardi neglected to reverse the deal. The Oilers owe the Kings additional compensation over the mishap but don’t expect that to be much. Smyth will be missed, but the Kings do gain a TON of cap space from the deal and Fraser, if healthy, can be a serviceable bottom 6 player who has a Cup ring from his time in Chicago two seasons ago.

Smyth’s departure left a gaping hole in the Kings top 6 heading into the start of free agency on July 1st. Lombardi and company- an entourage including the Kings’ coaching staff and AEG CEO Tim Lieweke – made a hard pitch for Brad Richards that included testimony from Wayne Gretzky and Kobe Bryant about the joys of playing in LA on Friday. Richards chose the Rangers and former head coach John Tortorella on Saturday, and the Kings immediately took to plan 1A and signed LW Simon Gagne, the longtime Philadelphia Flyer most recently a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, to a two year deal. Gagne has scored 20 or more goals 7 times in his career, 30 or more goals 4 times, and 40+ goals twice. He comes with some risk as he’s had some unfortunate injuries later in his career, but Gagne is a gifted scorer who has spent several productive seasons alongside new Kings #2 Center Mike Richards in Philly. Provided Gagne can stay healthy, he can score 30 + on Richards’ flank, and he makes the Kings a much better team. Unlike last summer, when the Kings had no plan beyond their pursuit of Ilya Kovalchuk, Lombardi and co went out and got the necessary pieces to make the Kings a contender right now, without giving up their entire farm system to do so.

So, as of July 3rd, the Kings’ top 6 looks like Penner-Kopitar-Williams and Gagne-Richards-Brown. The best and most balanced top 6 the Kings have had in a decade or more. I expect the Kings to add perhaps another serviceable bottom 6 guy before camp, but that’s perhaps not even necessary as the Kings have Bud Holloway, Tyler Toffoli and Brandon Kozun on the cusp of cracking the lineup. We’ll see how it plays out, but Lombardi has options.

One interesting thing for those in the twitterverse: Dennis Bernstein of The Fouth Period has hinted over the past couple of days that he thinks the Kings have one more big move coming before camp, and has indicated it involves a forward. I’ll not speculate much here now, but one has to wonder if it doesn’t have something to do with Zack Parise – who’s arbitration award may be more than the Devils can swallow. NJ needs an heir for Martin Brodeur, which leads me to believe hypothetically at least that Bernier would be part of any such deal. Again, pure speculation on my part as Bernstein hasn’t divulged any info on the Kings’ possible dance partner, and for all we know it could be something off the board. It all remains to be seen.

The sum of all the moves that have been made up to now, and the potential of another big move on the horizon is this: The Kings are contenders, right now. Dean Lombardi has responded to critics who’ve hung the “Can’t make the big move” tag on him with two dynamite additions to the roster. Lomardi knows these Kings are ready to make a run at the Cup this season. It would be fair, and by all means accurate, to call them frontrunners for the Pacific Division title in 2011-12, and one of the teams to beat in the West. I’ll withhold my in depth analysis of that as there’s a lot of time between now and the opening of camp in September.

Needless to say, if you’re a Kings’ fan like I am, there hasn’t been this much excitement surrounding our team in a long time. I know it’s got me waking up daily asking “Is it October yet?”.

GO KINGS!

-JS

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Standin’ On Top of the World

November 7th, 2010 by Jeremy Smith

Kings celebrate Ryan Smyth's 2nd period goal in last night's 4-1 win over Nashville. It was Smyth's 1,000th NHL game.

Yeah, I know, it’s a Van Hagar reference. The goal is to be able to use a Queen reference sometime in June, and the way things have gone through 13 games, that would be a plausible prediction to make.

The haters can hate, and those who haven’t been paying attention will look at the NHL’s standing and claim it as some sort of mistake, some sort of farce. Let them. The simple fact of the matter is this: Right here, right now, the Los Angeles Kings are the best team in the National Hockey League. Believe it, Kings’ fans. We’ve been waiting a long time for this. Two weeks from now, the Kings’ may merely be leading the Pacific and holding a #2 or #3 seed in the West, but at the present moment, there is no team better.

So what’s contributing to the Kings success? Maybe the more pertinent question would be “what isn’t?”.

First and foremost has been the defense. I will admit to being a little biased, but I can’t remember seeing a more dominant, suffocating defensive unit in the post-lockout NHL. Opposing offensive juggernauts are kept the permimeter, their scoring chances limited. The backcheck has helped to eliminate opponents’ speed entering the zone. And when they find their chances, they’re left to face yet another formidable challenge: The Kings’ goaltenders.

If you had to name 3 goalies who have been dominant thus far this season, the obvious answers would be Tim Thomas of Boston, Jaro Halak of St. Louis, and the Kings’ Jon Quick. Quick is 8-1 with a 1.62 goals against average and a save percentage of .942 (94.2% for those following at home). He has been first star of the game 5 times in 9 starts this season, including a home shutout of Tampa this past Thursday. When it’s Quick’s night off, the bad guys have to face Jonathan Bernier – considered by many to be the best goalie playing outside the NHL prior to this season. Bernier has recovered nicely from an early case of the jitters and has looked solid. Like I said prior to the season starting, the Kings’ have one of the most formidable goaltending tandems in the entire league right now.

Then there’s the balanced scoring. Heading into this season, most cited the Kings’ primary concern as secondary scoring. Those concerns have been answered – loudly. The Kings’ second line has, not even arguably been their best all season – with Jaret Stoll, Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams accounting for 35 points (15G, 20A) thus far. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar on the top line have 6 and 4 goals respectively. The third “shutdown” line has contributed as well with Ponikarovsky, Handzus and Simmonds potting 2,2, and 3 goals respectively. 5 on 5 goal scoring has not been the issue – the Kings have both improved in 5 on 5 goals for AND against. All this without a goal from Drew Doughty or Jack Johnson yet.

While the Kings’ penalty kill has been nothing short of awesome (defense and goaltending will do that – they’re PERFECT at home through 6 games), the power play is still a bit behind the curve. Based on what we saw last season, they will get going sooner than later.

Then there’s the stuff not on paper. This is a TEAM, a tight knit group that cares about one another’s well being. They want to win for one another, they fight for one another, and they look to be enjoying every moment of it. The last two games have been case in point:

Thursday against Tampa, one of their notorious goons, Steve Downie, attempted a charge on Drew Doughty during the last half of the 3rd period (it was retaliation for a clean hit by Doughty a shift earlier). Downie, who had run away from Kyle Clifford 3 times prior in the game is the worst kind of gutless player there is – has a propensity for dives and cheap shots, but isn’t man enough to answer the bell when called on the carpet for it. He is alongside Matt Cooke in this category leaguewide, just a gutless, cheap shot, no talent bitch (of course, the Tampa fans are the only ones who don’t see it that way – no surprise). Thursday night, Willie Mitchell made him answer, rushing to the aid of his star defense partner- fresh off recovery from a concussion. Downie, in predictable fashion, didn’t throw a punch until Mitchell was restrained and then cried a river to the officials when Mitchell returned the favor. The message had been sent: If you f**k with one of us, you f**k with all of us.

Saturday the team wore mullet wigs to the morning skate and in the pre-game warmup to honor teammate Ryan Smyth’s 1,000th NHL game. Perhaps a small gesture, but it shows the tight-knit nature of this team. During the game itself, the Kings looked to be trying to get Smyth a goal on his milestone night early on, and it paid off when Smyth tallied to make it 3-0 Kings in the second period.

We’ve had some pretty good Kings’ teams in the past, but I can’t ever recall a group that played more cohesive than this one does. When Mitchell left the game in the second period, the defensive corps rallied and didn’t miss a beat. Drew Doughty and Davis Drewiske morphed themselves into masters of the shot block. I don’t know if I’ve EVER seen Drewiske play a game like that before – he was carrying the puck up ice like Drew and Jack, shooting the puck and effortlessly breaking up attempted passes. Kid is really coming into his own.

As a result of all of the above and more, the Kings are 6-0 at home. Their last two wins have come against teams that have historically owned the Kings at home. That this is changing shows that these are not your mother’s LA Kings. Not by a long shit. These are the 2010-11 Los Angeles Kings – and right now – the NHL’s best.

It might be early to start planning the Cup parade in downtown LA, but let there be no doubt: This team is for REAL.

GO KINGS!

-JS

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Kings (and fans) to Kovalchuk: “Suck It!”

October 31st, 2010 by Jeremy Smith

Kings' Jack Johnson muscles Ilya Kovalchuk off the puck. Kovalchuk was a non-factor in the Kings' 3-1 win in LA tonight. (Getty)

If you paid any attention to the Kings during this past offseason, Ilya Kovalchuk’s name should be very familiar to you by now. Kovalchuk, who was considered the most dymanic player available via free agency during the Summer of 2010, was courted by the Kings, flown to Los Angeles and offered a 13 year, 80 million dollar contract. In the end it turned out he used the Kings as leverage to get more money to remain in New Jersey. The move may have been strictly business (even if one pretentious, self-important East Coast hockey blogger decided to take it upon herself to make it personal by insulting Southern California residents), but it made Kovalchuk public enemy #1 for Kings’ fans. Many of us circled the night of October 30th on our calendars and looked at it as a chance for a little vindication.

Turns out we didn’t have to wait until Saturday night. Our vindication began when the puck dropped on the 2010-2011 NHL season as the Kovalchuk contract, along with some other contract blunders executed by New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello have left the Devils in bad shape. They were unable to roster more than 15 players for a game at one point because of cap issues. Martin Brodeur has been mediocre (or he’s just being exposed without a solid defense in front of him), and team has had little cohesion. Kovalchuk’s “me first” attitude, from an outsider’s perspective anyway, seems to be rotting a once solid organizational fabric from it’s core.

So, the Kings’ mission tonight, was to make sure that they contributed to the Devils’ mounting misery, and maybe, just maybe to let Kovalchuk know he is stuck in New Jersey for the rest of his career with an aging team that looks far past it’s prime.

Both parts of that mission tonight were a resounding success. The Kings’ got on the board early and never looked back. Justin Williams took a drop pass from Jaret Stoll after a well executed breakout, made an adjustment and slipped a no-look shot past Brodeur low stick side. It was a soft goal at best, and the Kings’ would never look back with that lead. Before the first period ended, New Jersey winger Zach parise – and Olympic teammate of Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson and Jon Quick – took a run at Anze Kopitar well away from the puck that went unnoticed and unpunished. If I believed in karma, it’d be fair to say it’s a bitch, as it was Parise who later left the game with a lower body injury.

The second period saw the Kings extend their lead to 2-0 with a power play goal by Michal Handzus, who swatted the rebound of a Jaret Stoll one-timer past Brodeur. The Devils’ got on the board with a bit of luck later in the period on what was undoubtedly a shift Davis Drewiske would like to have back. Drewiske got muscled off the puck twice with an opportunity to clear the puck, then Matt Taormina’s point shot deflected off Drewiske past Quick. Just as fast as New Jersey climbed back in the game though, the Kings’ took them back out. Rob Scuderi shot wide from the point and Stoll pounced on the rebound off the end boards. Brodeur looked to be in position but the puck trickled through him to make it 3-1 Kings.

In the third period, Jon Quick stopped all 20 shots the Devils threw at him. Quick stopped 39 of 40 for the game, and curiously wasn’t named one of the game’s 3 stars. My personal opinion, and most of the fans I spoke with leaving Staples Center – Quick was the game’s first star. He outplayed Brodeur tonight by a wide margin and looked under control doing it.

I have always been of the opinion, having seen Brodeur since his rookie season, that he is a great goalie but nowhere near the all-time great that the hockey media portrays him as. He has spent his entire career until now on a team predicated on air tight defense, where he faced less than 20 shots a game on many nights. That’s not to discredit him, but to put things in proper perspective. I always thought Patrick Roy was better – he carried two average at best Montreal teams to Cups (one at the Kings’ expense), won two more cups in Colorado and is the only player in history – much less goalie, to win the Conn Smythe trophy three times. Roy was at his best when the game was on the line – in the playoffs. Meanwhile Brodeur post-lockout has been a perennial playoff disappointment. Also shouldn’t go without mention that Brodeur wasn’t able to break Roy’s all-time wins record until the no-tie era and is still well behind Roy in all-time playoff wins. In a nutshell, Roy in my opinion was always better. His personality is somewhat polarizing so it’s easy for people to attempt to discredit his on ice achievements because they viewed him as arrogant or abrasive. I always looked at it as he had a winning attitude, and he was good enough to warrant a little cockiness.

Brodeur tonight was average at best. Three seasons or so ago, two of the Kings’ goals probably don’t go in. Watching him play is definitely entertaining – his style is one of a kind in the modern era – but it also looks as if the current skill level of players in the NHL may soon make it obsolete. If I’d walked in off the street and not known who he was, nothing I saw tonight would’ve convinced me I was watching a guy who’d won more games than any other NHL goalie in history.

I’ve digressed a little bit, sorry. The biggest story of the night was the Kings making Kovalchuk a non factor. His time and space was taken away, and without looking at the stat sheet, I only remember seeing him get three shots off, none of them dangerous. The Kings defense, and in particular the Kings’ shutdown line of Ponikarovsky, Handzus and Simmonds were relentless tonight. Even without Doughty in the lineup they managed to make Kovalchuk essentially a zero-sum on the ice.

Kings, at 8-3-0 sit atop the National Hockey League with 16 points. With the team off until Thursday night’s game with Tampa, that will no doubt not be the case next time they take the ice, but it’s ground they’ll soon be able to make up.

Fans, believe it: The Kings are the best team in the National Hockey League right now – and they’re doing it without their star defenseman and without much production from their top line (the second line has been outstanding however). They’re scoring by committee and getting superb goaltending from Quick. The team is far from hitting it’s peak too. If you’re starting to think there could be a parade in downtown LA come June, you’re not alone. Lots of hockey remains to be played though, before we can realistically start planning the parade route.

Kings face the new look Lightning at Staples Thursday night. That #8 guy might just be in the lineup too.

I for one, am grateful the guy wearing #17 for the Kings is Wayne Simmonds of Scarborough, Ontario and not Ilya Kovalchuk of Russia.

GO KINGS!

-JS

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Quick Backstops Kings to Win In Dallas

October 29th, 2010 by Jeremy Smith

Jon Quick played so hot in Dallas, he had to cool himself off! (Roland Martinez/Getty)

The Kings looked like a team playing it’s second game in as many nights for long stretches of the game in Dallas tonight, all except for one guy: Jon Quick. Kings’ coach Terry Murray’s plan to play Jonathan Bernier once a week and keep Quick well rested has thus far paid dividends – Quick has played very solid this season and is sitting at 6-1. Perhaps the most telling stat: Quick has been the first star in 4 of those games. Tonight was no exception – a good number of Quick’s saves were of the breathtaking, acrobatic variety. When he didn’t need to be acrobatic, he was positionally solid and focused. Oh, while I’m at it on those 6 wins, they’re also currently best in the NHL. In a season where many expected Quick to concede the starting job to Jonathan Bernier, he is instead establishing himself as one of the league’s elite goalies.

The Kings’ most dominant effort up front tonight came from the third line, the so-called “shutdown” line of Alexei Ponikarovsky, Wayne Simmonds and Michal Handzus. Ponikarovsky broke a 1-1 tie in the second period on a putback of a Simmonds shot from a steep angle. Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen made the initial save but the rebound was ripe for the picking and Ponikarovsky shoveled it in on the backhand. 9 seconds later, Simmonds would score after Handzus cleanly won the center ice faceoff back to Jack Johnson, who fed a breaking Simmonds. Simmonds went hard to the net with the puck and beat Lehtonen before running the net off it’s pegs. After a brief review it was determined that the puck entered the net before it came off it’s moorings, and it was 3-1 Kings, just like that.

It was at this point in the game that Quick did his best work to keep Dallas off the scoreboard, as he had a 14 save 2nd period. In the third period the Kings would get a shorthanded goal from Willie Mitchell of all people, who banked it off the skate of Dallas defender Phillip Larsen. The Stars would pull Lehtonen in favor of Andrew Raycroft. Dallas would make it 4-2 on a perfectly placed wraparound shot – upstairs over Quick – from former King Brandon Segal to make it 4-2. The Stars would pull Raycroft for the extra skater, but Justin Williams scored an empty netter – his second goal in as many nights – to seal the deal. Not that Dallas was going to beat Quick anyway.

The win puts the Kings first overall in the Pacific Division, first overall in the Western Conference, and first overall in the National Hockey League. I realize it’s only late October, but it’s nice to see this team coming together and winning. The good news is, they’re doing it without arguably the league’s best young defenseman, AND not all cylinders are firing yet. Kopitar hasn’t turned on the “score at will” switch yet. None of the puck-movers on the blue line have a goal yet, and aside from 5 on 3 situations, the power play hasn’t gotten near the level we know they’re capable of. The rest of the NHL should be on notice – this is one hell of a Kings’ team.

The bad news: Wayne Simmonds left the game with a lower body injury in the third period after just a shift. The extent of the injury isn’t known yet. One would expect he’d be evaluated in LA tomorrow and more info sh0uld then be available.

The Kings have a home game against New Jersey on Saturday, then don’t play again until the following Thursday – that time should allow Drew Doughty – and hopefully Simmonds and Scott Parse as well – to get healthy and return to the lineup.

Anyone else looking forward to booing Ilya Kovalchuk on Saturday. I guess that all depends on whether or not he’s a healthy scratch again. New Jersey is a mess right now, and I guarantee you everyone in that Kings’ locker room, everyone in the front office, and even the janitor who cleans the toilets at Staples Center would love to see the Kings absolutely hammer the Devils as a “Hey Ilya, how’s New Jersey again?” sort of message. He’s stuck there for 15 years, and an interview with former teammate Bobby Holik on Hockey Night in Canada Radio this week revealed that Kovalchuk might not be the best teammate and may be a big part of the team’s troubles. One thing is for sure, the entire Kings’ organization and at least the majority of the fans are glad Dean Lombardi didn’t risk blowing up the core to give Kovalchuk the money he wanted.

Saturday night at Staples should be interesting indeed. As well as the Kovalcircus coming to town, it’s Mattias Norstrom night, and the Kings’ will honor the former captain with a ceremony before the game. On hand will be former Kings including Ian Lapperiere, Luc Robitaille and Rob Blake. Should’ve told Blake to stay home and suck a nugget pouch. Matty is one of the class guys and one of THE warriors in Kings’ history, and it’s awesome to see the organization honoring him like this.

Kings and Devils – Norstrom Night – Saturday at Staples. See you there.

GO KINGS!

-JS

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