Here is the leader-board through the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs:

1) Woodward –> 9-for-12

2) Philp –> 6-for-12

3) Levin –> 2-for-4

4) Muscat –> 6-for-12

5) Cohen –> 5-for-12

Eastern Conference

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Devils’ Record-Breaking Penalty Kill vs. Rangers’ Lifeless Power-Play

Philp– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Devils win in 7 . X-Factor –> Adam Henrique

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> New York’s Power-Play

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen–  Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Mike Smith vs. Jonathan Quick: Who Cracks First?

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Muscat– Kings win in 5. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Levin– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –> Drew Doughty

Woodward– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –>Mike Richards/Jeff Carter Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Philp (Edit #2)– Devils Over Coyotes

Muscat (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Levin–                    Devils Over Kings

Woodward (Edit #1)– Kings Over Rangers

Conn Smythe Award

Cohen– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Philp– Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils)

Muscat– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Levin– Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils)

Woodward– Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)

- Brown on having a few days off before the next series – “I think physically and mentally it’s pretty good, probably more on the mental side of things. When you get to this point in the year, physically you can find a way to get yourself going. But, mentally, you’re in a high-stress, high-pressure situation, day in and day out. So, just to have a day to not really think about hockey or the nerves and type of pressure that comes with being in the playoffs – it’s nice to get away from the game for a day or two and kind of let your mind reset.”

- Brown on using a wrist shot vs. slap shot in the playoffs – “Wrist shots are ultimately a lot quicker and a lot more accurate. The quicker you get your shot off, I find, the less time the goalie has to make the save. With a slap shot, you give him an extra second – just by winding up, it gives him an extra second. I don’t take all that many slap shots, partly because I don’t really have a good one. But, I find the more quickly you shoot the pucks, the more likely you are to have a chance at scoring. So, probably the wrist shot or snap shot, is definitely the quicker of the shots you can select from.”

- Does the back checking in the league/playoffs create pressure that prevents a big wind up? “Yeah, definitely. Not only the back checking and the pressure on you, but the pressure in front of you,” said Brown. “Blocking shots has really become a big part of the game and it’s not just one or two guys doing it. You’ll have three or four guys trying to block your shot in zone. It’s just a challenge to get it on net sometimes. It’s not really necessarily how hard you shoot it, but how quick and where you shoot it.”

- Brown on top players playing well in the playoffs – “We’re all clicking right now. A lot of it has to do with, we’re getting big games from different people each and every night. It’s not just our top guys that are playing well and getting us big goals. We’re getting depth scoring, which is huge at this time of year. Going along with that, no one is really having off nights, in the sense that we don’t have guys making mistakes. There’s guys who aren’t maybe finishing their chances every night, but every one is doing all the little things right and that goes a long way toward being successful. Just thinking about game three vs. Vancouver, we won that game 1-0 and that was because we had one opportunity to score a goal and we did. Every other opportunity, every other little play, was made from top to bottom – which allowed us to win a game 1-0. That’s what playoff hockey is all about, having everybody buy in and having big players step up.”

- Brown on physical conditioning – “A lot of the feeling good (physically) at this time of the year is (based on) what you do in the summer in getting yourself ready to play an 82-game season and beyond. The other side of it is taking care of yourself off the ice on a day-to-day basis. I think that’s something everyone is pretty good at at this level, getting the proper rest and eating right and doing all the little things that make you feel better at this time of year. The other thing is managing the practice times and all that. We have a day off today and that goes a long way in helping guys recover from a physical standpoint.”

- Brown on what it means to be a leader – “With the Kings, it’s one of those things where I was named captain and I probably didn’t really know what it meant to be a leader when I was named. It’s been a learning process for me. With this team in particular, it’s just setting an example on the ice, in the way that I play. I think if I do all the little things right and play the right way, it makes it really easy for everyone else to kind of fall in line. And being in LA, with the type of team we have, it’s not just me – it’s not just me and Kopi and Greener either. We have 10 or 13 guys in the room who are leaders. So, when it comes to the whole leadership responsibility, it’s not the burden of just one or two guys, which makes it a very comfortable place where you can lean on each other in times of need. That goes along way in having strong leadership.”

- Brown on maintaining focus when you’re only half way to the ultimate goal – “With this time off, it’s nice to get mentally and physically recovered. But, like I said, and this kind of touches on the group of guys that we have in the room – we have a lot of guys who have been through this before and have the experience. So, it’s just a matter of bringing awareness to it. This team, this group of guys has been really focused, not getting ahead of ourselves. In both series we had a 3-0 lead and found a way to close it out. When you get up 3-0, you could have a tendency to look ahead. We’ve been really focused – not only on game to game, but shift to shift. We need more of that over the next week here – just focusing in and not looking ahead. It will be a little easier once we know who we’ll be playing. Then, we can start getting ready, from a video standpoint and their tendencies. Then, you can start to really key in on what you need to do to be successful once we start playing again.”

Now, Dustin Penner – who had five points (one goal, four assists) and was a plus-5 in the sweep of the St. Louis Blues…

- Penner on how he’s feeling – “Dustin and I talked about it after the game (Sunday) night. We thought it would be a good chance to regroup mentally and physically, but more importantly, just that mental aspect because of the grind and the stress you go through on a daily basis when you’re focusing in on the task at hand.”

- Are you helping with the leadership in the room, given your experience in 2007? “I try not to stick my nose in too much. Maybe I look for the opportune times,” said Penner. “For me and the guys who have made long playoff runs before and won the Cup, I think we help out in a similar fashion. It’s more with more of the mental side of things. I see a lot of similarities between the Ducks run and this run we’re currently on. There’s still eight more wins to go. But, the mentality of the team, the focus and intensity we have each shift and each game – even at practice, the way we’re moving the puck – it’s breeding confidence. That’s a byproduct of our success. We’ve all bought in. You can tell by the way we carry ourselves as a team and as individuals on a daily basis.”

Penner on Brown as a leader – “He was named captain a while ago for a good reason. Everybody is becoming privy to that now. He’s a relentless, tireless worker. It helps open up the door for his skill to shine through. He’s a quiet leader, in terms of how he talks to the team. But, they say actions speak a lot louder than words and he’s yelling his leadership on the ice with the way he plays. We get the same Dustin Brown every night. It doesn’t matter who the other team is or if it’s (Daniel/Henrik) Sedin or (David) Backes or whoever, he is making them work for every inch of ice when he’s on it.”

Penner on moving from the third line to the second line – “I thought I played well with Stolly and Lewis. We had a good series with Vancouver. Yet, the one thing I think a team does when they make a long run is they adjust and adapt to each individual game and series. I was moved up to play with (Mike Richards and Jeff Carter) and we’ve worked well together as a line. They’re really good players. They’re both multi-faceted, talented players. It’s really easy to play with them and I’ve tried to step up my game so I could adequately support the line.”

Penner on what type of linemates he needs to bring out the best in him – “I don’t know. I’ve always thought I needed a big centerman to play with. That’s not the case, Ricky (Richards) plays big. But, it’s just learning as you get older, learning to adapt to different styles of players that you play with. That’s what I’ve done with Ricky. He’s a great centerman, he’s great on draws, he’s a defensive specialist, he has high-end offensive talent and the same goes for Carts. They’re both guys who have played center and know the game well. So, they’re easy to read off of.”

Yesterday, we also posted an in-depth interview with Kings GM Dean Lombardi on MayorsManor. You check out what he had to say about Brown, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick, etc. by clicking here.

Follow @mayorNHL//

Eastern Conference

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Marc Staal

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Capitals’ Penalty-Kill

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Michael Del Zotto

Woodward– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Dan Girardi

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

Cohen– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Philp– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Philadelphia’s Prolific Power-Play

Muscat– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Levin– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Patrik Elias

Woodward– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur’s Ability To Overcome Father Time

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen–  Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> David Perron

Philp– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> The Blues’ Defense

Muscat– Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> T.J. Oshie

Levin– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Jamie Langenbrunner

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –>Mike Richards

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Fisher

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Muscat– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Levin– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –>Patric Hornqvist

Woodward– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Phoenix’s Secondary Scoring

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit)– Rangers Over Predators

Muscat (Edit)– Blues Over Rangers

Philp (Edit)– Capitals Over Coyotes

Woodward (Original)– Rangers Over Predators

Eastern Conference

(8) Ottawa Senators vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Brandon Dubinsky

Muscat– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ryan Callahan

Philp– Rangers win in 5 . X-Factor –> Henrik Lundqvist/Rangers’ Physicality

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Chris Phillips/Filip Kuba

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Boston Bruins

Cohen– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Nicklas Backstrom

Muscat– Bruins win in 4. X-Factor –> Brad Marchand

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Alexander Ovechkin

Woodward– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Boston’s Power-Play

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (3) Florida Panthers

Cohen– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Muscat– Devils win in 5. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Philp– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> A Healthy Martin Brodeur

Woodward– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> Florida’s Secondary Scoring

(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Cohen–  Penguins win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Muscat– Penguins win in 6. X-Factor –> Marc-Andre Fleury

Philp– Penguins win in 5. X-Factor –> Pittsburgh’s Depth/Matt Cooke

Woodward– Flyers win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (1) Vancouver Canucks

Cohen–  Canucks win in 6. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Muscat– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Philp– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

(7) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Andy McDonald

Muscat– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Alex Pietrangelo

Philp– Sharks win in 6. X-Factor –> Joe Thornton Exorcising Playoff Demons

Woodward– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Antti Niemi

(6) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Blackhawks win in 6. X-Factor –> Keith Yandle

Muscat– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith/Phoenix Defense

Woodward– Coyotes win in 7. X-Factor –> Corey Crawford

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Nashville Predators

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Muscat– Red Wings win in 7. X-Factor –> Pavel Datsyuk

Philp– Red Wings win in 6. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Special Teams

Woodward– Predators win in 7. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Second Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen– Penguins Over Predators

Muscat– Red Wings Over Penguins

Philp– Red Wings Over Penguins

Woodward– Rangers Over Predators

After a scoreless first period, Patrice Bergeron would be the first to tickle the twine when he took advantage of a Los Angeles turnover (on the power-play) to score his 20th goal of the season at the 5:18 mark of the second frame. It was Brad Marchand who would intercept a Kings’ neutral zone pass and head up-ice to throw the puck towards Jonathan Quick. The rebound would kick right to the stick of Bergeron, who slid the puck into an empty goal.

Only eight minutes later, the Kings would get it back when fourth line pivot Colin Fraser converted on a 3-on-2 rush, immediately after Quick stopped Marchand on a breakaway at the other end of the ice.

Boston would regain the lead early in the third period when a quick transition play from David Krejci and Milan Lucic would result in Lucic’s 24th tally of the season. Just over a minute later, the B’s would add to their lead when a series of beautiful puck-possession passes from the third line would end with Chris Kelly‘s 19th goal of the year.  Scoring three goals against Quick is without doubt a herculean feat, as the United States Olympian has only allowed three or more pucks past him in twenty-one of his sixty-three starts this season.

The Kings turned things around late in the third after being revitalized by a superhuman stop by Quick after Milan Lucic set up David Krejci all alone in front of the L.A. net. Rookie blueliner Slava Voynov potted his seventh of the year at the 14:46 mark when he fired a wrist shot past Tim Thomas after a Justin Williams face-off win in the offensive zone.

However, the Kings’ comeback would be thwarted time and time again by the incredible efforts of Tim Thomas as the Black and Gold would hold on for the victory. In the “something you don’t see every day” category, Brad Marchand would be credited with an empty-net goal as time expired, making the final score 4-2 in favor of Boston.

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Tim Thomas (40 Saves)

2) Brad Marchand (1 Goal/1 Assist)

3) Jonathan Quick (22 Saves)

What’s Next?

– The Black and Gold will be right back at it on Sunday evening when they take on Corey Perry and the Ducks out in Anaheim. The Kings will be back in action on Monday in Vancouver against Henrik Sedin and the Canucks.

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Records: Boston 42-28-3 (87 Points) , Los Angeles 37-25-12 (86 Points)

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

Time: 9:00 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Last Game: Bruins 1 , San Jose Sharks 2 ……. St. Louis Blues 0 ,Kings 1 (SO)

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Lucic–Krejci–Caron

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Rolston–Kelly–Pouliot

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Ference

McQuaid–Zanon

GOALTENDER:

Turco

Thomas

Scratches– …… Mike Mottau, Trent Whitfield, Joe Corvo

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger remains sidelined with a concussion he suffered back on January 21.

Rich Peverley (MCL) – Peverley will sit out another game, but is with the team in California and reports have indicated that he has begun to participate in contact drills during practice.

Tuukka Rask (Groin) — The B’s back-up ‘tender is slated to be out of commission until mid-April with a lower abdomen/groin strain.

Last Time We Met: Kings 0 , Bruins 3

– When these two squads met at TD Garden back in mid-December, just about everything was going wrong for the Kings. They’d just fired head coach Terry Murray and were in the midst of a brutal six-game losing streak. Boston took full advantage of these outlying circumstances, pasting the Kings by a 3-0 score, thanks to a two-goal outing from agitating winger Brad Marchand.

Prediction: Look for veteran back-up Marty Turco to get the nod this evening for his second start in a Bruins’ uniform. If not, he should be in the crease on Sunday evening in Anaheim.  Rarely do I predict such a high scoring affair — especially between two squads struggling for offense–, but in this case, I think this one will be a back-and-forth contest that fans will not want to miss. The Kings are the more desperate team right now, which makes me think they’ll be able to get the extra point tonight on home ice.

Bruins 4 , Kings 5 (OT)

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Then, Laperriere was back last week – this time, to talk about Jeff Carter coming to the Kings. As part of that interview though, Laperriere was again talking up Richards - saying if he was to start a team, Richards would be on his short list of five players he’d have to have.

Here’s how Richards reacted upon hearing the comments…

“Coming from him, that means the world to me. He’s a guy who helped me out a lot, just being a professional. You take a lot of things from a lot of different players that you play with. But, he’s – I don’t even know the word to describe how awesome he is in the dressing room and on the ice, how much care and how much effort he gives. If you take half the knowledge that he put out there the year I played with him, you’re going to have success. So, coming from him, that means a lot. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s sad the way it ended for him. But, he’s a hell of a guy and I really appreciate that.”

To read more from Laperriere’s visit to MayorsManor and/or subsequent comments from Richards, please see the original articles linked below.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Ian Laperriere on Richards vs Pronger feud

Mike Richards – Laperriere guided me in the right direction’

Laperriere on the newest King, Jeff Carter

Simon Gagne – ‘Mike Richards is the type of guy I want on my team’

Trevor Lewis dishes on his new roommate – Mike Richards

MayorsManor podcast with Ian Laperriere – health update and memories of his time in LA

Now, as in any situation where a player as versatile as Brown is being shopped multiple teams will be lighting up the phone lines of Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi (Ludlow, MA). The six-foot, 205-pound Ithaca, New York native is a former United States Olympian and has reached the twenty goal plateau four times during his eight seasons in Los Angeles, with a career high of 33 coming in 2007-2008.

Not only is Brown a capable 20-goal, 50-point per season player, but he can also be used in a variety of situations including on the penalty-kill and power-play. Obviously a solid locker room presence, the former first round draft choice was named the youngest captain in Kings history back in October of 2008, when he was just 23 years old. Brown has also proven his ability to play in any number of roles, from being a prominent top-line scorer to being a shut-down player on a checking line (even once leading the NHL in total hits).

With top two right wingers Nathan Horton and Rich Peverley sidelined for an extended period of time, Brown would be the perfect fit for a gaping hole on the right side of Boston’s forward lineup. Brown also comes at an insanely cheap $3.1 MIL per season cap hit on a contract that runs through the end of the 2014-2015 season.

In dealing Brown, the Kings will likely be looking for cap relief and help up front, as well as assets to help increase the depth of their prospect pool after surrendering a first round pick in the Carter deal. In Boston’s case, one would assume any offer for Brown would have to look something like this (despite ESPN Boston’s proposal to include David Krejci):

To Boston: Dustin Brown

To Los Angeles: Ryan Spooner OR Jared Knight , Jordan Caron , 1^st Round Pick

To those unaware, Spooner and Knight are Boston’s two most coveted forward prospects who both hold a legitimate chance to make the big club next fall. Spooner, the 20-year-old Sarnia Sting center, nearly made the Boston roster out of training camp back in 2010-2011.

On the face of it, it seems as if Brown would be a perfect fit for a Bruins team that’s been mired in a mid-season slump as of late. However, B’s GM Peter Chiarelli will have his work cut out for him if he wants to get the Kings’ captain into a Black and Gold sweater before Monday’s 3 P.M. deadline as a plethora of other clubs are also rumored to be in on the Brown sweepstakes.

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In a blockbuster trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings acquired center Jeff Carter for defenseman Jack Johnson and a conditional 2012 first round draft pick.

Carter, who has 15 goals in 39 games with the Blue Jackets this year, will be reunited with his best friend Mike Richards in Los Angeles only seven months after both were traded by the Philadelphia Flyers.

For the Kings, Carter is a proven goal scorer who ought to improve the team’s scoring, which ranks 30^th in the NHL with 2.05 goals per game. Somehow, Los Angeles is still in playoff contention—tied for the eighth in the Western Conference with Dallas, but would be missing the playoffs due to tiebreakers.

But, trading for Carter brings a lot of risk for the Kings. Folks from Philadelphia know of the off-the-ice stories with Carter and Richards; the constant partying nights before games, the countless stories of sexual encounters and the list goes on.

Not only should that be a concern for LA, the fact that Carter shut things down when he arrived in Columbus should be worrisome. How he handled himself with the Blue Jackets was completely childish, and only supports the notion that he’s a cancer.

Nonetheless, Carter’s removed from Columbus. His attitude will change for the better, especially since he’s in a better situation and playing with Richards.

Reuniting Carter and Richards might be something that helps the team in the short term, but it also raises concerns from a long term perspective. We’ve seen their shenanigans in Philly, and now they’re in a city where there are a ton of beautiful women and a huge late-night party scene.

Who knows, the Richards and Carter tag team didn’t work out for the Flyers, but who’s to say that it cannot work for the Kings. Maybe they’ve learned from their experiences that they have to take their jobs a little more seriously.

Then again, TMZ could be jumping for joy knowing that two athletes who picked up so much media attention for off-ice partying in Philadelphia are now together again in a city where Hollywood drama happens 24/7.

The risks aren’t limited to just off the ice, but on the ice as well. It’s never a bad idea to have too many centers, especially when you have three top-line centers signed on long term deals.

But Andy Strickland reports that the Kings initial plan is to play Carter on right wing with Richards.

Carter has experience playing wing in the NHL; he played some of it last year for the Flyers, and in the Stanley Cup Finals against Chicago with Richards, but anyone who’s watched him play wing can tell you that he looks lost.

He’s a natural center who needs the puck on his stick to be successful, not because he’s looking to make plays, but because he shoots the puck from anywhere on the ice. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t.

If anything, the Kings should put Richards on the wing because he’s much more of a versatile hockey player than Carter. Or, they could just have three lines with top centers on it.

The idea with putting Richards and Carter together on the same line is to have a line that’s capable of scoring goals. The two have played together, and have chemistry together, but Carter’s more lost in the woods playing wing than Ilya Bryzgalov is playing goalie in Philadelphia.

Is Jeff Carter the answer for Los Angeles? I don’t think so, but there’s no question that adding Carter makes the Kings a better hockey team.

It brings a lot of risk, but it’s a hockey move worth the risk for the Kings.

Slava Voynov is on his way back to Manchester. It’s an easy move to understand, as the team was carrying an extra defenseman and it seems that coach Darryl Sutter has settled on Alec Martinez. Thus, it was time for Voynov to head back to the AHL, where he can play large minutes every night and continue his development.

Jarret Stoll was also placed on injured reserve with the ever-popular ‘lower body injury.’ No timetable has been set for his return.

And then there’s this – forwards Jordan Nolan and Dwight King were called up from Manchester. In a nutshell, they’re two of the Monarchs leading point producers and the two biggest forwards not named Ray Kaunisto. At 6-foot-3, both are just an inch shy of twitter phenom-to-be RayK71.

Speaking of 71, that’s the number Nolan will wear when he makes his NHL debut tomorrow vs. the Islanders. King will wear #74, the same jersey he sported during his six-game NHL stint last season.

King, originally selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, had posted 11 goals, 18 assists 20 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating over 50 games with Manchester this season.

Nolan, a seventh round selection at the 2009 NHL Draft, has probably been the Monarchs most improved player this season – with nine goals, 13 assists and 119 PIM. Both players also spent a little bit of time with the Ontario Reign (ECHL) after first turning pro.

At practice on Friday, they skated on the second line with Mike Richards and that appears to be the way Sutter will go vs. the Islanders – at least to start the game.

Missing out on all the fun was Brandon Kozun. The 5-foot-8 right wing was very impressive during the team’s Rookie Camp in September and has been consistently tallying points lately, after getting off to a slow start. His game is about speed and creativity. Plus, he recored 108 and 107-point seasons his final two years in the WHL. So, at some point, you have to figure he’s going to get a look. Just not this week.

For more on all the players listed above, please see the links below.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Prospect Brandon Kozun puts the ball in the Kings court

Terry Murray on Kozun being cut from training camp

Camping Guide – Interview with Jordan Nolan

Is Slava Voynov the LA Kings savior?

Alec Martinez loves Sutter, even when he scratches him

That story has gone somewhat viral since, with references and links on the Edmonton Journal, Puck Daddy’s Yahoo Sports blog, Canada’s National Post  newspaper, Spector’s Hockey, Grantland, BusinessInsider.com and many more.

So, what does Kings GM Dean Lombardi think about all this? Here’s what he had to say when asked just that by Mark Spector on his Edmonton-based radio show earlier today…

“When you’re in this position and trying to manage your team to (become) a winner, I guess maybe it’s not only the young kids that you have to put out some fires – [Lombardi was smiling and holding back laughter] there’s a perfect example of all the things that can happen as you try to keep your team focused and get to where you want to go. You never know where it’s coming from. But, he’s made a lot of progress here and – actually – he’s played pretty darn well here recently.”

Funny off the ice, playing better on it.  That’s all well and good. Now, Penner is now looking to score some goals. Will he break through tonight? There’s at least a good chance, as in the past he’s told us that he gets up for playing the Stars – the team he made his NHL debut against back in 2005.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

More from Lombardi’s radio interview today – apologizes to the Oilers, talks changes under Sutter

EXCLUSIVE - Open letter from Dustin Penner re: PancakeGate

Penner on the Ducks’ Corey Perry ‘milking it’ and the Hockey Gods

Goal celebrations may be on the decline in the NFL, yet the LA Kings sure seem to be getting into the act. Fresh on the heels of Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll doing the ‘love tap’ celebration a few weeks ago in Chicago, defenseman Jack Johnson posed for a quick ‘Tebow’ after he found the back of the net vs. the Washington Capitals this week.

“Have some fun while you’re scoring,” Johnson said when asked about it. “I was watching the Broncos game with some buddies that flew in from Michigan and they said that if you score, you have to ‘Tebow’. I said, ‘You’re on!’”

He also said that it was a one time thing and don’t look for him to do it again in the future.

To see video of the goal and his Tebow pose on the ice, click here.

As for the overall game, Johnson went on to say “It’s a great feeling to give our goalie some breathing room finally. They’ve been playing out of this world all year. It’s nice to kind of give them a break here finally.”

The game was also filled with plenty of intensity, something Johnson welcomed – “It’s fun, it’s refreshing to play a team like that. Everyone wants to see new teams and I thought it was a fun hockey game.”

What about that Ovechkin guy? “It’s fun to play against guys like that,” said Johnson. “It’s just as much fun for us to play against him as it is for fans to watch him. He’s a great player and it’s fun to play a team we don’t see very much.”

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Jarret Stoll and Drew Doughty talk about the ‘love tap’ celebration – includes video

Johnson and Sutter talk LA Kings power play

Darryl Sutter ends his first press conference in LA with a double peace sign – classic photo

However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

In the period leading up to Darryl Sutter being hired as the new Kings coach many were talking about his aggressive, heavy handed approach.  Yet, GM Dean Lombardi tried telling anybody who would listen at the team’s press conference last week, ‘He’s not a raving lunatic.’ In fact, to date, we haven’t seen much of the yelling and screaming that was so frequently advertised ahead of time.

One thing that has been noticeable though is his penchant for grabbing players on the bench. He practically yanked Jonathan Bernier right out of his skates following his first game behind the bench. Then, more recently, he’s been seen talking up Drew Doughty quite a bit.

So, what was he saying to the young defenseman during the game in Winnipeg?

“Just reinforcing what we’re trying to do,” said Sutter. “The skill set he has is pretty unique. So, getting him to maximize it. He was playing a lot of minutes. He played more last night than he did the night before. So we want to keep him mentally right there, every shift.”

When asked if he liked what he was seeing from Doughty vs. the Jets - compared to the four previous games - Sutter simply remarked, “He played 26 minutes.” Implying that if he had a problem with Doughty’s game, he wouldn’t have given him so much ice time.

Turning to Doughty now, here’s what he had to say about Sutter’s in-game chats on the bench…

“He’s always just trying to help. He’s never negative and if it is a negative thing that happened in the game, he’s telling you ‘If you do it right, you’re going to dominate that guy.’ So, it’s always a negative with a positive from him, which is a great thing. He really knows his game and he just wants you working hard. If you’re doing that, he’s not going to have any problems with you.”

Well, the talks certainly are working. Coming into the last game, Doughty had six points in the previous five – and the five game points streak was the longest of his career.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Doughty and Stoll explain the ‘love tap’ goal celebration – with video

Coach Sutter clarifies his plans for the assistant coaches - notes on Stevens, Kompon, etc.

Dustin Penner reimagines the LA Kings as pro wrestlers

Life at the top is hard.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of a major corporation, a head coach in the NFL or the GM of the LA Kings.

The reason those people get paid big money is to make big decisions.

There’s a sign in Dean Lombardi’s office at the Kings training facility in El Segundo that reads ‘When bluffing, a pair of balls beats everything.’

In a press conference later today, Lombardi will officially appoint Darryl Sutter as the new head coach of the LA Kings. While that’s not a bluff of any sort, it took a brass set to make that decision. After all, Sutter has already been labled by some as a ‘retread,’ a ‘repeat of past mistakes’ and several other tired cliches.

Many have already stated other opinions about who Lombardi ‘should have’ hired. But, none of that matters now. So, let’s look at why Sutter is a good fit for the team.

First off, the familiarity. The Kings have 49 games left to play and if they’re shooting for the playoffs – which they are (and then some) – they need to start collecting points quickly. If this were the summer, perhaps the Kings could gamble on a young, unproven coach and play for the upside. However, Lombardi doesn’t have the luxury of playing with ‘house money’ right now. It’s nearly the middle of the season. Time’s a-wasting.

The new coach needs to hit the ground running and the GM doesn’t have time to get to know somebody new and understand their system and style as they move forward together. Time is of the essence. He needs to grab somebody, lock arms and jump in the foxhole. Thus, the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. Making Sutter one of the few guys to even get on the ‘short list.’

Second, winning. Ownership spent a lot of money this off-season and the time to win is now, right now – as in, this season. Younger, unproven names may be sexier to the average fan, but the resume of Darryl Sutter points out that he knows how to win in the NHL – not that he might be able to win. Sutter’s teams have won 40 or more games five times, he improved his record in San Jose four years running, he took the Flames to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals and won his division with 103 points in his last year behind the bench (2005-06).

Finally, accountability. There is no denying that some – perhaps even the majority – of the Kings failings this year falls on the shoulders of the players. This team will live and die by the performance of 10 players – their top six forwards, plus Jarret Stoll, Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick. Of that list, the only one you can immediately not fault is Quick. I would give Johnson a pass as well. His plus-minus rating has improved over past years, the goals are there too. The only thing he’s missing are the assists and we’ll say that’s more on the others for not scoring.

Which leaves guys like Doughty (two goals in 28 games), Anze Kopitar (two goals in his last 19 games), Dustin Penner (who seems to be heating up lately, but still), Justin Williams (two goals in his last 24 games), Simon Gagne (no goals in his last 14 games) and others with a heavy portion of the burden.

So, for all the talk about a ‘player’s coach’ or something similar, go back to what many of the players talked about before the season started – ‘This team has the talent to win the Western Conference.’ What they’ve shown is they need a coach to hold them accountable.

Lombardi went ‘all in’ this summer by making the trades and signings necessary to improve his roster. Now, he’s chosen to double-down with Sutter behind the bench.

Even if it’s not the decision you would have made, it’s a decision that’s easy to understand. And more importantly, probably gives them the best shot – or least as good as any other coach would – of saving the season.

Sutter’s first task as coach will be to lead today’s practice at 10:30am PST. Then, Bob Miller – the voice of the team for nearly 40 years – will host a press conference at 1pm PST, where Lombardi and Sutter will talk about what lies ahead for the Kings.

We’ll be on hand for all the festivities tomorrow, so be sure to follow along on twitter and/or facebook for live notes and quotes.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

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Lombardi evaluates Murray’s performance following 2010-11 season

Dustin Brown – ‘We need more desparation and more intesisty’

Jack Johnson – ‘We have to do something different’

Lombardi – ‘Kopitar may be the new Blake Griffin’

In-depth interview with Bob Miller – great stories and insight about his time with the Kings

Unfortunately for supporters of the Staples Center’s “other tenant” — and despite the trade rumors, no I do not mean the Clippers — , the Kings looked dreadful for most of the evening. A mere twenty-four hours after GM Dean Lombardi announced his decision to fire head coach Terry Murray, the Kings were unable to respond, and dropped their fifth game in a row. Shutout for the 3rd time this season, Los Angeles 29th ranked offense couldn’t get anything past a flawless Tuukka Rask en route to their fifth straight loss. Playing through a transitional period such as this, with high levels of uncertainty surrounding the team, it’s coaches and management obviously an understandably difficult task. However, Kings’ netminder and Milford, CT native Jonathan Quick was not making any excuses for his team on Tuesday night:

“There is a lot of stuff going on, but there is no excuse. You can’t take stuff like that and call it a distraction, use it as a reason not to win the game.” – Jonathan Quick

It was only 6:32 into the game that the B’s would take the lead as Rich Peverley cashed in a beauty of a feed from Zach Hamill for his fifth goal of the season. A relatively uneventful first period would come and go with some back and forth play by both squads, and the score remaining 1-0 Boston. At the 7:43 mark of the second frame, it was Boston’s impressive prowess in the face-off dot that paid huge dividends as Brad Marchand snapped one past Quick after a clean win in the circle by Patrice Bergeron. Often the most underrated aspect of Bergeron’s all-around game is his proficiency in the face-off circle, something Marchand certainly understands the importance of:

“He’s if not the best, one of the top in the league. He’s very consistent every night. He’s very, very strong on the draws and it’s huge for our team. The amount we start with the puck because of how well he is on draws is, it’s a big thing.” – Brad Marchand

Early in the third, some hard work and battling in the corners once again paid off for Boston’s second line, as Bergeron and Marchand connected for the second time of the night. In what some might describe as a “typical Marchand goal”, the 6’1” winger dangled the puck onto his backhand and slipped it passed a downed Jonathan Quick. Boston’s third goal turned out to be more than enough for Rask, who continued to dominate the Los Angeles forwards, shutting the door each and every time the Kings had a chance to get on the board.

After tonight’s shutout and Saturday’s win in relief, Rask has won six of his last eight decisions.

“Well he was good tonight, arguably our best player tonight. He got better as the game went on and I thought he did a good job the other night coming in and kind of settling himself in in the third period and then he just carried that into tonight.” – Claude Julien

On a night when the B’s were without the services of their ever reliable captain Zdeno Chara, the performance of their goaltender was undoubtedly the most crucial factor to victory. Tuukka’s 41-save shutout tonight most definitely goes along way to solidifying no. 40′s spot on this team and perhaps earns the 24-year-old Finn a bit more playing time than usual. Normally goaltenders do not see action in both games of a back-to-back set, but when asked who would be in the Boston net tomorrow evening, Head Coach Claude Julien jokingly replied “That’s none of your business.”

From The Room:

Click here to view the embedded video.

LA Kings’ Jonathan Quick

KEY STATS

Goals–                       LAK (0)                BOS (3)

Shots–                       LAK (41)              BOS (22)

Power-Play–           LAK (0-5)           BOS (0-3)

Penalty-Kill–           LAK (3-3)             BOS (5-5)

• Three Stars– ….. 3.) Rich Peverley ….. 2.) Brad Marchand ….. 1.) Tuukka Rask

What’s Next?

It’ll be another quick turnaround for the Bruins as they will depart the Hub late Tuesday night on a flight to Ottawa. The Black and Gold are slated for a Wednesday evening contest against the Senators at ScotiaBank Place. The Kings will continue their four-game eastern swing as they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday at the Nationwide Arena.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Horton

Pouliot–Kelly–Peverley

Caron–Hamill–Thornton

DEFENSE

Seidenberg–Boychuk

Kampfer–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Rask

Thomas

Scratches– ….. Chara (Leg–OUT), Paille (Concussion — GTD), Campbell (Lower Body–OUT)

– Tonight’s game can be seen on NESN (Edwards, Brickley) and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers), the flagship radio station of the Boston Bruins.

NEWS & NOTES

– In net for Boston tonight will be their 24-year-old Finn Tuukka Rask, who steeped in o relieve Tim Thomas who allowed 3 goals in two periods in Columbus on Saturday. B’s head coach Claude Julien noted this morning that Thomas will be in net tomorrow night when the Black and Gold visit the Ottawa Senators at ScotiaBank Place. On the other side of the ice is Kings’ netminder Jonathan Quick. The UMass-Amherst product has been an absolute workhorse for the Crowns this season, starting 23 of his team’s 29 games.

– One day after firing head coach Terry Murray, the Kings will be playing their first game under the direction of interim bench boss John Stevens. Stevens takes the reigns amid rampant speculation that Kings’ GM and Ludlow, MA native Dean Lombardi has eyed former Flames’ coach Darryl Sutter for a possible hiring. Tonight’s game could very well be both the first and the last game for John Stevens as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

– Bruins’ agitator and beloved sports figure in the city of Boston Brad Marchand was today fined $2,500 by the NHL’s discipline committee on the heels of his slew footing of Penguins’ defenseman Matt Niskanen last Monday night in Pittsburgh. Coach Claude Julien denounced such actions, stating  “I want him to be a good brat, not a bad brat”.

– Former Philadelphia Flyers’ captain Mike Richards will be making his first appearance in the Hub since being dealt to Los Angeles this past June, in a deal that sent Wayne Simmonds, and top prospect Brayden Schenn back to Broad Street. Skating on the Kings’ second line this season, the 5’11″ native of Kenora, Ontario has posted 11-9-20 splits in 25 games of action.

From The Room:

Click here to view the embedded video.

B’s Captain Chara Speaks For The First Time Since Being Injured

Thanks For Reading!

“LIKE” Us On Facebook: HockeyIndependent Bruins

Give Me A Shout On Twitter! : @BWoodward_HI

Or You Can E-Mail Me At BWoodward.HI@gmail.com

I’ll use the top seven defensemen of each team as a reference and will take the financial numbers from CapGeek.com. Players that are injured are included in the calculation.

1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,33 millions 25 games 15 wins 7 losses 3 OTL 33 points (5th EC)
Kimmo Timonen – $6,333,333
Chris Pronger – $4,921,429
Andrej Meszaros – $4,000,000
Matt Carle – $3,437,500
Braydon Coburn – $3,200,000
Matt Walker – $1,700,000
Andreas Lilja – $737,500

2. Los Angeles Kings – $22.56 millions 26 games 13 wins 9 losses 4 OTL 30 points (7th WC)
Drew Doughty – $7,000,000
Jack Johnson – $4,357,143
Willie Mitchell – $3,500,000
Rob Scuderi – $3,400,000
Matt Greene – $2,950,000
Alec Martinez – $737,500
Davis Drewiske – $616,667

3. Winnipeg Jets – $22.30 millions 26 games 11 wins 11 losses 4 OTL 26 points (11th EC)
Dustin Byfuglien – $5,200,000
Ron Hainsey – $4,500,000
Tobias Enstrom – $3,750,000
Johnny Oduya – $3,500,000
Zach Bogosian – $2,500,000
Mark Stuart – $1,700,000
Randy Jones – $1,150,000

4. Toronto Maple Leafs – $22.04 millions 26 games 14 wins 10 losses 2 OTL 30 points (6th EC)
Dion Phaneuf – $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek – $4,500,000
John-Michael Liles – $4,200,000
Luke Scheen – $3,600,000
Carl Gunnarsson – $1,325,000
Jake Gardiner – $1,116,667
Cody Franson – $800,000

5. Phoenix Coyotes – $21.48 millions 25 games 13 wins 9 losses 3 OTL 29 points (9th WC)
Keith Yandle – $5,250,000
Michal Rozsival – $5,000,000
Rotislav Klesla – $2,975,000
Derek Morris – $2,750,000
Adrian Aucoin – $2,000,000
Kurt Sauer – $1,750,000
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – $1,750,000

6. Detroit Red Wings – $20.96 millions 25 games 16 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 33 points (4th WC)
Nicklas Lidstrom – $6,200,000
Brad Stuart – $3,750,000
Jonathan Ericsson – $3,250,000
Niklas Kronwall – $3,000,000
Ian White – $2,875,000
Mike Commodore – $1,000,000
Jakub Kindl – $883,333

7. Vancouver Canucks – $20.53 millions 26 games 15 wins 10 losses 1 OTL 31 points (5th WC)
Kevin Bieksa – $4,600,000
Dan Hamhuis – $4,500,000
Keith Ballard – $4,200,000
Alexander Edler – $3,250,000
Sami Salo – $2,000,000
Andrew Alberts – $1,225,000
Aaron Rome – $750,000

8. Chicago Blackhawks – $20.31 millions 27 games 16 wins 8 losses 3 OTL 35 points (2nd WC)
Brent Seabrook – $5,800,000
Duncan Keith – $5,538,462
Niklas Hjalmarsson – $3,500,000
Steve Montador – $2,750,000
Nick Leddy – $1,116,666
Sean O’Donnell – $850,000
Sami Lepisto – $750,000

9. Calgary Flames – $19.75 millions 26 games 11 wins 13 losses 2 OTL 24 points (13th WC)
Jay Bouwmeester – $6,680,000
Mark Giordano – $4,020,000
Cory Sarich – $3,600,000
Anton Babchuk – $2,500,000
Chris Butler – $1,250,000
Scott Hannan – $1,000,000
Derek Smith – $700,000

10. Washington Capitals – $19.07 millions 25 games 13 wins 11 losses 1 OTL 27 points (8th EC)
Mike Green – $5,250,000
Dennis Wideman – $3,935,500
Roman Hamrlik – $3,500,000
Jeff Schultz – $2,750,000
John Erskine – $1,500,000
Karl Alzner – $1,285,000
John Carlson – $845,833

10. San Jose Sharks – $19.07 millions 23 games 14 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 29 points (8th WC)
Dan Boyle – $6,666,667
Brent Burns – $3,550,000
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – $3,100,000
Douglas Murray – $2,500,000
Jason Demers – $1,250,000
Jim Vandermeer – $1,000,000
Colin White – $1,000,000

In comparison, the league-leading Minnesota Wild with 37 points, are spending only $12.36 millions on their defensive brigade.

As you can see, there is no guaranteed success if you spend a lot of money on your defensive brigade, as only the Chicago Blackhawks are leading their division amongst the teams that spend the most money on their blue line.

2010-11 rankings
1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,89M
2. Toronto Maple Leafs – $24.28M
3. Vancouver Canucks – $23.35M
4. Detroit Red Wings – $21.83M
5. Calgary Flames – $21.59M
6. Chicago Blackhawks – $21.29M
7. Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets) – $21.06M
8. Montreal Canadiens – $20.25M
9. Pittsburgh Penguins – $19.11M
10. Boston Bruins – $18.58M

———-
Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined HabsAddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.

Follow Fred on Facebook and Twitter

Yestereday on MayorsManor.com, we posted comments from Ethan Moreau regarding the penalty he took late in the game on Wednesday vs. the Dallas Stars.

Terry Murray was still a little hot under the under collar when asked about it yesterday, more than 36 hours later.

“He took a horseshit penalty, that’s ridiculous,” began the Kings coach. “You can’t take a slashing penalty with two minutes left in the game, a veteran player. Just come out and run over that guy. You don’t slash. I don’t like those penalties.”

He wasn’t done though. Murray was just getting warmed up.

“Ones in the crease, the scrums, where you’re grabbing a hold of a guy, giving him a facewash once and a while or cross checking a guy, whatever – I don’t mind those, we’ll kill those off. Those are hard penalties. It’s a part of the game and it’s a part of our team that we want to (continue with). But, penalties have to be timed, you have to have awareness, you have to know how the flow of the game is going. When you get into the latter part of the game, you have to move your feet and keep your sticks in – no slashing, no hooking. Don’t bring the referee into the game. Unfortunately, we’ve had some situations this year where we’ve brought the referee in a little bit too often.”

Moreau has played in all 22 of the Kings games this season. Will his ‘mistake’ cost him a spot in the line-up today vs. Chicago?

“No. He’s trying, he’s competing. There’s nothing – it’s not from a lack of caring and a lack of trying. It’s just one of those penalties that you have to have better awareness to. That’s his buddy (Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray), he didn’t want to run into him, I guess. I don’t know. But, again, you can’t put (things) into the hands of the referee and force him to make a call like that, at that time. It’s too critical. And that’s why I have him on that line – because he’s a veteran guy, he’s been through all these checking roles and that’s one of his strengths. He has to be better at it.”

If you missed Moreau’s comments on the penalty and on how he’s fitting in with the Kings, click here to read that article now.

Yesterday, several of the Kings stopped by MayorsManor to share which of their teammates they’re most thankful for this year. Click here to see what Drew Doughty, Jarret Stoll and several others had to say.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Ethan Moreau on his friendship with Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray

Jack Johnson explains his hit on the Stars’ Mike Ribeiro

Audio from Terry Murray’s postgame presser following 3-2 loss to Dallas

MayorsManor podcast – LA Kings players talk best/worst dressed and other funny topics

What I’ve learned so far… by Matt Greene – a little comedy from the master

What I’ve learned so far… by Mike Richards – includes a warning for Dustin Penner

What I’ve learned so far… by Alec Martinez – he calls out Trevor Lewis

What I’ve learned so far… by Dustin Brown - responds to Westgarth’s allegations

Two goals and five assists probably isn’t what GM Dean Lombardi had in mind when he signed the Kings top defenseman to an eight-year, $56-million contract in September.

It was something acknowledged over the weekend, when coach Terry Murray spoke about Drew Doughty not giving the team what they need offensively so far this season. However, he wasn’t sure why the points have been slow to come.

And time appears to be a concern, when looking at Murray’s comment – “Now, we’re 20 games in…it’s important that we find the answer and get him going.”

Just prior to the Kings leaving for St. Louis, I asked Doughty if maybe he could explain his lack of point production…

“I don’t really have a reason for it,” said the 21-year old defenseman. I feel like I’m creating chances. I hit the post last game. I’m getting chances, I’m getting shots on net. I feel like I’m making some good plays to set up other guys, as well. Sometimes, it’s just about getting those bounces. I had those five points in three games and it just seemed like I was making a breakout pass or the guys were doing the job to get the puck in. So, it kinda goes in spurts. I wish it didn’t. I wish I had an exact reason why I’m not getting more points. I know I’m definitely going to try and jump in the play a little more and help try to create some more offensive chances.”

Again, back to the comments by Murray, he thought there was ‘a little bit of the hangover there from missing all of the training camp.’

Does Doughty agree?

“No, no, no. It has nothing to do with missing training camp. I thought that when I first came back, the first couple games of the season, I thought I played really well actually, in the first two games over in Europe. Then, obviously, I was injured – which sucked – and kind of set me back. But, I don’t know. He did say I was doing too much at one point. Then, now, it’s the other way around. So, I have to figure it out, (see) what the median is. I don’t want to worry about too much though. I know the things I can do out there. I know I can play better than I have in the last couple games and that’s all I’m worried about doing.

With Alec Martinez out injured and Slava Voynov called up, Murray mixed up the defensive pairs. Doughty now finds himself with Jack Johnson, someone he’s played with in the past, as well. Any thoughts on being reunited with Captain America?

“It’s been good,” said Doughty “I think we move the puck really well together. Once they dump the puck in, if we have a chance to get there before the other team, there’s a good chance of us breaking it out and making a good play for each other. At the same time, I think we have some areas we can improve on – (like) our defensive zone. We aren’t really used to playing with each other just yet, so we don’t know where we’re going to be in the defensive zone. But, after playing a couple games with him, I think we’ve done alright. At the same time, I think we can be a lot better.”

Other notes from yesterday’s practice and related articles are linked below.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

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Murray on Doughty – ‘It’s important we find the answer’

Alec Martinez on injury recovery and Slava Voynov

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Is Slava Voynov the LA Kings Savior?

Coach Murray on shots – ‘That’s how you score goals’

What I’ve learned so far this season… by Alec Martinez

Drew Doughty identifies his most annoying teammate

(audio interviews) Exclusive comments from LA Kings players about the trip to Europe

GOON:

In our support of the lack of hockey movies, comes this info from the movie company to us.

“We have a great throwback hockey movie coming out and we would love to get your support. Its violent and insanely funny.”

Starring Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill and Liev Schreiber
Written by Jay Baruchel, Evan Goldberg (SUPERBAD and  PINEAPPLE EXPRESS)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Synopsis
Labelled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of underperforming misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

The film opens on VOD on 2/24 and In Theatres 3/30

Based from the book “Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey”

www.goonthemovie.com

Official Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/GoonFilm

Some more on the movie comes from Slash Film

ZZ Top were right. Every girl’s crazy about a sharp dressed man.

Just ask center Jarret Stoll.

Most of his Kings’ teammates have selected him as ‘best dressed’ guy in the room – although Brad Richardson disagrees. Regardless of who can lay claim to being the cat with the sharpest threads in LA though, based upon what I saw from the Penguins on Saturday morning, the title in Pittsburgh clearly belongs to Kris Letang.

And now that Scott Hannan has pulled a Metallica-like mistake and gone from long to short, Letang may also have the best hair in hockey.

Now that that’s all behind us, let’s see what Letang has learned so far this season. We chatted for a bit this weekend and here’s what he had to say…

About Evgeni Malkin – “He’s better with his English than he used to be.”

About Matt Cooke – “He loves In-N-Out burgers. He’s probably already been there twice today.”

About Steve Sullivan – “He’s old.”

About Tyler Kennedy – “He loves to tweet.’

About James Neal – “He doesn’t mind laughing about himself.”

From playing against two members of the Kings for the last few seasons in the Eastern Conference, he’s also familiar with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne.

On Richards – “He’s a really good two-way player, he plays well offensively and defensively. He can throw his body around out there. He’s always a threat for a defenseman.”

On Gagne – “Another great player and a great acquisition for the Kings. He can score goals and is a big-time player, a playoff player. So, that was a good asset for them to get.”

Finally, Letang offered up the following explanation as to why the Kings and Penguins have played each other so closely the last few years – “It’s two similar teams, they both have a young core group. They have great defensemen and great forwards. LA’s a young team, rebuilding at the same time as our rebuilding. So, it’s kind of a little rivalry to see who has the best young players.”

Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato was on MayorsManor prior to the game vs the Kings (link), as were Pittsburgh forwards James Neal and Steve Sullivan (linked here and here).

If you’d like to read more from the ‘What I’ve learned so far…’ series, please see the links below for interviews with several Kings players.

The Mayor
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What I’ve learned so far… by Mike Richards – includes a warning for Dustin Penner

What I’ve learned so far… by Simon Gagne - what it means to be a captain

What I’ve learned so far… by Dustin Brown - responds to Westgarth’s allegations

What I’ve learned so far… by Drew Doughty - on the ice and off the ice observations

What I’ve learned so far… by Kevin Westgarth - more good comedy from Westy

MayorsManor podcast – LA Kings players talk best/worst dressed and other funny topics

Our new ‘What I’ve learned so far this season…’ series has already brought forth a myriad of mixed information.

Drew Doughty shared who was ‘one of the best passers I’ve seen’ (and it wasn’t Anze Kopitar), Kevin Westgarth may be man crushing on one of the new Kings forwards, Trent Hunter spoke about being mesmerized by somebody who can do amazing things with the puck, and Ethan Moreau let the world know which one of his teammates has been talking his ear off on the bus.

However, it was a comment by Westgarth – where he called captain Dustin Brown a nerd – that served as the backdrop for this article.

First though, here are some things Brown says he’s learned over the first month of the season…

About Willie Mitchell – “What have I learned new about Willie Mitchell? Not much. He talks so much it’s…(then Kopitar chipped in and reminded him of something) – he knows a lot of people. He has a lot of friends. Every city we go to, he has a friend, apparently.”

About Simon Gagne – “I learned that he and Joe Bernier are really good friends.”

About Jack Johnson – “I think he got a new car. I don’t really know. Some red car I think I’ve seen him driving around in.”

About Justin Williams – “With Stick, you get to know him pretty well. So, there’s nothing really new to learn about him.”

[note: unknowingly, he just taught us something - now we know his nickname is Stick...that's new]

About Moreau – “I’ve played against him and known him off the ice for quite some time. But, one thing, and not in any specific way, it’s been fun to be around him off the ice. He’s a pretty funny guy.”

About Kyle Clifford – “Cliffy is the same ol’ Cliffy, pretty simple.”

About Jonathan Quick – “Other than he’s the new record holder, not much – that’s about it with him.”

About Rob Scuderi – “I can’t give you anything on him. I carpool with him and live right next to him. So, we know each other too well.”

In response to Westgarth calling him a nerd – “I’d say I’m more of a geek. He’s more of a nerd. He corrects you on your pronunciations all the time and proper grammar. It’s a whole Princeton thing, I guess. So, I think he’s more or a nerd. I might be a geek, but he’s a nerd, that’s for sure!”

Brown went on to confirm at least part of what Westgarth had said though when asked if he had learned anything new about Alec Martinez recently – “He’s a geek. He and I have computer talk all the time. So, he’s a geek like me.”

The hardest hitting geek you’ll ever meet, Kings captain Dustin Brown.

To read the other ‘What I’ve learned so far…’ articles, plese see the links below.

The Mayor

www.twitter.com/MayorNHL

www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

The one thing Matt Greene never wants to see again – EVER!

MayorsManor podcast – LA Kings players talk best/worst dressed and other funny topics

What I’ve learned so far… by Mike Richards – includes a warning for Dustin Penner

What I’ve learned so far… by Drew Doughty - on the ice and off the ice observations

Dustin Brown adds a new name into the Penner vs. Greene feud

the photo above appears courtesy of Michael Zampelli

Barry Melrose went on NHL radio yesterday saying he would have never made such a move and several people around the world of hockey have been agreeing with him.

Still, on paper, the move made sense – especially considering Murray had told Bernier he would start on Saturday morning (i.e. before Quick’s third straight shutout).

“It’s a decision I made a couple of days ago,” Murray said after practice on Monday. “I let Bernie know at the Saturday skate because I wanted to get him prepared and I knew Sunday was going to be a day off. I wanted him to have an opportunity to get himself ready and today he got a good workout in. We have a lot of games coming up and right now the schedule starts getting pretty busy. We have three Conference games right after New Jersey. So, it’s an opportunity to get him going.”

Would it have been better to change his mind and tell Bernier he needed to wait a little longer?

Many began asking that exact question almost from the start. Yet, when Murray was asked if he had any regrets after the Kings 3-0 loss to the Devils last night, his response was rather short – “You can dissect this whole thing any way you want.”

Coach Murray added – “Bernier was fine. I thought he made some big stops. We gave up some quality chances in the first period. He played well. This was not about the goaltending. This is all about managing the puck and turnovers and giveaways that ended up being very easy goals against.”

A theme he expanded on with these comments at the post-game presser – “Tonight is about turnovers. All three goals that New Jersey scored ended up being plays that we had possession of the puck and we just don’t execute and then they come right back at us and they’re scoring. The bottom line again is that your best players on New Jersey – take a look at the scoresheet — they’re the guys that determine the outcome of the game. We need to do better. Our best players need to be better players in order to win games in this league. We’re just not on top of them.”

Nobody needed to ask – but, it’s probably safe to say, Quick will be back in net on Thursday vs. the Stars in Dallas.

The Mayor
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Coach Murray explains why he went with Bernier over Quick

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note: the above photo appears courtesy of MichaelZampelli.com

Willie Mitchell has already revisited his past once this season and he’ll be doing in again on Tuesday night when the New Jersey Devils come to Staples Center in LA.

“Where it all started. That’s the first thing I think about when it comes to playing the Devils,” the 10-year NHL veteran said. “It doesn’t matter how many teams you’ve played for, and I’ve played for a couple, you always have fond memories of where it all started.”

He debuted for New Jersey on March 25, 2000, nearly four years after they selected him in the eighth round of the 1996 draft.

Life’s come a bit full circle for him, as he now hands out advice to younger players in LA about the experiences he went though as a prospect coming up through the New Jersey organization.

“I think in life in general, you try and learn your whole way. That’s the journey of life, learning. If you ever think you can stop learning, you’re in trouble,” Mitchell said, as we reflected back on pieces of his career that have molded him into the player he’s become.

“As a pro, I try to learn every day. I tried to learn from guys before me, guys who spent a lot of time in the league. I was fortunate enough to start in one of the best environments ever with the Devils – Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Larry Robinson, Jacques Lemaire, I could go on and on. There’s a lot of Stanley Cups there. And you don’t win those without having a good model for success. I tried to learn from those guys.”

Some of those lessons have steered him towards being a certain type of player, just don’t necessarily call him a leader.

He says he’s simply tried to be himself since joining the Kings – not a “rah-rah guy who tried to be overbearing at times.” Instead, he’s offered to be someone who guys can talk to, someone who’s there to listen and can offer a suggestion or two on how to navigate through difficult situations.

“A lot of times in this league, we think we’re a lot better than what we are and when we’re not playing well, we think we’re a lot worse than what we are,” he said. “That can be tricky. And I don’t think that experience happens overnight, you don’t learn that right away. That’s how I try to help out. So be it if people think that’s a voice or a leadership role. You don’t strive to be somebody like that. If it comes to you, then that’s flattering.”

He entered this season at the mid-point of his present situation, having signed a two-year deal with the Kings back in the summer of 2010. Still, he thinks the two halves in Los Angeles will be different, with the most difficult part behind him.

“There’s no doubt I was a player who had some risks (attached) to me coming in,” the 34-year old defenseman said. “Although I had a wrist and a knee injury last season, with the head, everything was good.”

This summer was different for him too, both on and off the ice. Last year, he wasn’t able to partake in most of the extracurricular activities he enjoys in his free time, nor was he able to work out much. This summer, not only was he able to do more, Mitchell says he probably hasn’t trained this hard in over decade.

“Outside of maybe when I was 22 or 23 years old, when you’re young and full of energy and the NHL is upon you and you’re just working out like a madman – and sometimes working out without a purpose, you’re working out so hard – this was probably the hardest summer of training I’ve had in a long time,” he admitted.

“The other part that’s just as important, I think, was that I did a lot of things I wanted to do. When you have a concussion, you can’t just go out fly fishing or go out on your boat and relax because the sun bothers you and all those things. Having a chance to get all of that out of your system makes you that much more excited for the season to start.”

That’s lead him to feel pretty confident of late – with one caveat, “Not that I’m going to run up and down the ice like a Drew Doughty. But, I’m going to have a much more consistent, better season.”

He’s not only happy about the work he put in this summer, he’s more than pleased with the changes GM Dean Lombardi made to the Kings roster.

“The organization made some great moves. Being a veteran player, that’s a place you want to be in. What goes a long way to players is when the ownership group and management goes out and brings in players like they did this year. To us, it says they believe in this group. And when you have your ownership, your management and your coaches believing in you, that says a lot. That gives you a big boost of confidence.”

He went on to say, “I absolutely enjoy it here.”

Which brings us to the future.

It’s understandable if Lombardi doesn’t want to talk contracts with any defensemen for a few months. But, if the Kings approached him at some point about signing an extension, is that something he’d be interested in?

“That stuff takes care of itself whenever it does,” he said.

Well, that’s not a very Willie Mitchell answer. All last year he was brutally honest – and insightful – when answering questions. And now he’s going to pull up easy, with a cliche?

“No, I’m dead serious with that answer,” he said when pressed harder. “I think no better experience than that for me was having my concussion and going into free agency (in 2010). I was in a similar situation than I am here. I was having an excellent season (in Vancouver) and if I got through that season, whether it’s term or dollar figures, it might have been a little bit different.

“As a player, all you can do is control the things you can control. For me, that’s going out and being the best teammate I can be for my teammates and being the best player I can be for the LA Kings. That’s what I’m going to try and do this year. If I do that, that’s going to work out quite nicely for the Kings and myself. I’ve done enough contracts after 12 years in the league. You come to know those things always work out how they’re supposed to.”

Fair enough.

There’s a long season ahead, size things up for the team.

“I’m really excited about this year and what’s ahead of us. I don’t want to get too far down the road. But, I think the number one thing for us is to win our division. I think we have a really good shot at doing that. Then, if we win our division, we get to where we want to be and that’s in the playoffs. That’s our first step and that’s our only focus right now. Once we get there, our next step is, obviously, the big prize. To have a shot at being one of 16 teams in the tournament is what it’s all about it.”

So far, so good. The Kings enter the weekend 4-1-1, with the overtime loss coming in New Jersey just over a week ago.

LA will take on the Stars tonight and then host the Devils for a rematch next Tuesday.

The Mayor
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www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

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Mitchell not sure what went wrong with the Kings

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Kevin Westgarth on Willie Mitchell’s fight

the photo above appears courtesy of Ikiri Photography