Los Angeles Kings: Brad Richardson And Wayne Simmonds Are Quite The Surprise

LA Kings forward Brad Richardson celebrates after scoring a
goal against the New Jersey Devils on January 31, 2010
at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — During the Los Angeles Kings’ recent run to fourth place in both the Western Conference standings and in the overall National Hockey League standings (through games played on February 7), two role players have contributed a lot more than what has been expected of them. Indeed, forwards Brad Richardson and Wayne Simmonds have surprised most by playing key roles in the Kings’ surge in the standings.

Last season, injuries and uneven play limited Richardson, 24, to just five assists in 31 games. He was unable to find his niche on the team after being acquired by the Kings on June 21, 2008 from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a second round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Read the rest of this entry »

New On KingsCast: Overtime Episode 41 – Let’s Go Streaking

KingsCast is back at it again, as Keith Korneluk and Chris Kaliszewski bring us Overtime Episode 41 – Let’s Go Streaking. Read the rest of this entry »

LA Kings Activate Davis Drewiske From Injured Reserve

LA Kings defenseman Davis Drewiske.
Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

EL SEGUNDO, CA — On February 8, the Los Angeles Kings activated defenseman Davis Drewiske from injured reserve, and he is expected to be in the lineup tonight when the Kings face the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim. Read the rest of this entry »

Los Angeles Kings Are Flying High, But Are Still In Rebuild Mode

The LA Kings young core has improved this season,
and are a big reason for their success.
Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

UPDATED: February 8, 2009, 1:54 AM PST: Added comments from Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi about his team’s scouting and development infrastructure.


 

LOS ANGELES — With the Los Angeles Kings flying high, having won nine straight games, setting a franchise record for consecutive wins with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Red Wings on February 6, many have probably forgotten one important thing.

The Kings are still in rebuild mode.

Indeed, even with the Kings currently living in the rarefied air of fourth place in the Western Conference, they are still not where they want or need to be.

“It clearly shows that we’re [going] in the right direction,” said Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi. “In terms of what you’re pleased with, it’s always been about getting better every year, having a nucleus start to form and to become a contender. So what that record represents to me right now is that we’re clearly headed in the right direction.” Read the rest of this entry »

Frozen Royalty Audio And NHL Video: Michal Handzus Leads LA Kings To Record Ninth Straight Win

LA Kings center Michal Handzus.
Photo: Harry How/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — During a matinee contest at Staples Center on February 6, the Los Angeles Kings set a franchise record with their ninth consecutive win, coming back from a 3-0 first period deficit to defeat the once mighty Detroit Red Wings, 4-3, in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans.

As they have many times in Saturday afternoon games, the Kings came out flat, gift-wrapping three goals for the Red Wings in the first period.

Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg opened the scoring at the 8:44 mark, taking a pass from line mate Pavel Datsyuk and, while all alone in front of the net, easily tapped the puck past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, who had no chance.

Just sixteen seconds later, Detroit center Valtteri Filppula banked a backhand from the left circle in off of Kings defenseman Sean O’Donnell to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead. Read the rest of this entry »

New On KingsCast: Overtime Episode 40 – Duck Soup

Keith Korneluk and Chris Kaliszewski are back at it with another episode of Overtime by KingsCast, this time, after the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks on February 4. Read the rest of this entry »

Frozen Royalty Audio And NHL Video: Kopitar, Johnson Lead LA Kings to 6-4 Win Over Anaheim

LA Kings center Anze Kopitar
celebrates after scoring a late
third-period power play goal against
the Anaheim Ducks on
February 4, 2010 at Staples Center.
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Despite blowing a three-goal lead in the third period, Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson racked up four-point performances to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 6-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in front of an announced sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans at Staples Center on February 4.

The Ducks opened the scoring at 5:40 of the first period, as they took advantage of another sluggish start by the Kings.

The Kings finally woke up about fifteen minutes into the period and they tied the game on Kopitar’s 25th goal of the season at the 18:54 mark.

The two teams tallied just four shots each in the second period, but the Kings scored the only goals.

While a delayed penalty was being called on the Ducks, Kings winger Wayne Simmonds took a centering pass from Kopitar and scored his fourteenth goal of the season at the 1:04 mark.

Center Michal Handzus scored his thirteenth goal of the season with the Kings on the power play at the 17:00 mark, giving the Kings a 3-1 lead going into the third period.

Johnson scored his sixth goal of the season at 1:44 of the third period on a one-time blast from left point with Handzus screening Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller. Read the rest of this entry »

Has Dean Lombardi Solved The LA Kings’ Goaltending Woes?

LA Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick.
Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — With the exception of should-be-a-Hall-of-Famer Rogie Vachon, Mario Lessard and Felix Potvin (for about one season), “goaltending” and “Los Angeles Kings” should not be used in the same sentence unless the idea is to cause uncontrollable laughter or crushing despair, depending on who you might be talking to.

But all indications are that the old joke that has been Los Angeles Kings’ goaltending is about to be put to rest, perhaps for the long-term.

Although it is way too early in his career to compare him to Vachon, Jonathan Quick could be the solid, number one goaltender the Kings have lacked for what seems like an eternity. Read the rest of this entry »

Frozen Royalty Audio And NHL Video: Anze Kopitar Leads LA Kings To 7th Straight Win

LA Kings center Anze Kopitar after scoring a shorthanded goal
against the New York Rangers on
February 2, 2010 at Staples Center.
Photo: Harry How/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth scored goals while Jonathan Quick stopped twenty shots to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in front of an announced sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans at Staples Center on February 2.

After a scoreless first period, Kopitar opened the scoring on a two-on-one shorthanded break at 16:43 of the second period.

Smyth scored his 17th goal of the season at 11:14 of the third period, taking a nice pass from winger Dustin Brown after a turnover by the Rangers in the neutral zone.

Quick has now won seven consecutive games, and has earned a 1.95 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage in that span.

The Kings have won their last seven games and are 9-1 in their last ten games after losing three straight games to the Detroit Red Wings on January 7, the St. Louis Blues on January 9 and the San Jose Sharks on January 11. Read the rest of this entry »

LA Kings Sweep Five-Game Road Trip On NHL Video

The Los Angeles Kings have returned to Southern California after accomplishing what no one thought possible…they won all five games on their recent road trip that took them into Detroit, Toronto, Columbus, Boston and New Jersey. Read the rest of this entry »

New On KingsCast: Winning And Awesome

Keith Korneluk, Chris Kaliszewski and Connie Kim are back with another episode of KingsCast, the official fan podcast of the Los Angeles Kings. Read the rest of this entry »

Gann Matsuda Appears On The Hockeywood Insider

On January 27, I was a guest on the Hockeywood Insider podcast, hosted by Jesse Cohen and Matt Murray.

We briefly touched on the controversy surrounding the story I wrote on Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi’s thoughts on young defenseman Jack Johnson, but they were more interested in my pretty long journey moving from fan, to writing about the Kings and hockey from a fan’s perspective, to becoming a journalist. We also touched on how new media covers the National Hockey League and the challenges it still faces in embracing what is clearly the future of hockey coverage as we move further into the 21st century.

Murray and Cohen also discuss all the Kings-related news and much more. Read the rest of this entry »

Dean Lombardi: Can Purcell Build Confidence, Add Grit?

LA Kings winger Teddy Purcell (left) needs to display this kind of grit more often and on a consistent basis if he expects to find his game again.
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — On June 27, 2009, during the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft, then-Los Angeles Kings center prospect Brian Boyle was traded to the New York Rangers for a third round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Much was expected of Boyle, a 6-7, 248-pound center with a scoring touch who was selected by the Kings in the first round (26th overall) in 2003 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, former Kings General Manager Dave Taylor said that he would be a project, but in Boyle’s four years at Boston College, he excelled.

Even at the American Hockey League level, Boyle was a solid contributor offensively for the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate, even though the Kings tried to convert him to a defenseman, an experiment that failed miserably.

But even with his great physical gifts, especially for a player with his size and strength, Boyle has still been unable to figure out, even with the Rangers, that he has to use his those gifts in order to succeed in the NHL, something the Kings tried to get him to learn.

Although Boyle showed flashes of the grit he will need to succeed at the NHL level, most of the time, he failed to win the physical battles along the boards and in the corners, or worse, was a spectator, just a few feet away. Read the rest of this entry »

Dustin Brown Leads LA Kings To 5-3 Victory Over Maple Leafs On NHL Video

Dustin Brown contributed three assists to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on January 26. Read the rest of this entry »

Dean Lombardi: Jack Johnson Is Learning His Craft…Belatedly

LOMBARDI ON JOHNSON: In part 4 of a series, Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi talked about young defenseman Jack Johnson and the challenges he faces in his development. Look for part 5 later in the week.

 


LA Kings defenseman Jack Johnson begins a rush up ice.
Photo: Harry How/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — This season, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson has wowed fans with end-to-end rushes, nifty shootout goals and better offensive play. But on defense, even though he has improved since his rookie season, he has blown coverages in the defensive zone and has gotten caught up ice on several occasions, giving up outnumbered attacks.

In other words, the 23-year-old native of Indianapolis, Indiana has been both breathtaking and aggravating to watch, all at the same time.

Now in his third full season in the National Hockey League, Johnson has shown the offensive skill and athletic ability that made him a first round pick (third overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. But his decisions in the defensive zone often leave people shaking their heads after he makes a bad read or blows a coverage.

During a recent interview, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi explained that Johnson is learning his craft…belatedly.

“This guy has never had any coaching [at the University of Michigan],” Lombardi said. “Jack just did what he wanted.” Read the rest of this entry »