Los Angeles Kings Will Need Repeat Performance From Third and Fourth Lines Against St. Louis Blues

April 27, 2012 by Leave a comment

Los Angeles Kings rookie right wing Jordan Nolan (foreground)
has not looked out of place so far in post-season play.
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Looking back at the Los Angeles Kings’ first round playoff series win over the Vancouver Canucks, the first things that come to mind are the play of right wing Dustin Brown, and goaltender Jonathan Quick.

There was also a series-winning overtime goal scored by center Jarret Stoll, which, by itself, is significant. But that goal has even greater significance when you look below the surface.

“If you look at the series we just finished, if you think about it, you want to handle the three big guys on their team, even though [center] Ryan Kesler didn’t have as a big a year, numbers-wise,” said Kings head coach Darryl Sutter. “Even strength goals—they didn’t score one, the Sedins and [Kesler]. From our side of it, we got five goals from Jarret Stoll, Dustin Penner, Trevor Lewis, and Brad Richardson, so it’s not always about stars. In fact, we just showed that it wasn’t.” Read more of this post

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Forward Prospects Dwight King, Jordan Nolan Give LA Kings Energy, Added Net Presence

February 15, 2012 by 4 Comments

Forward prospects Dwight King (left) and Jordan Nolan (right) scored
their first NHL goals on February 12, 2012 at Dallas.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — A few nights ago, people in the small Canadian city of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan shared reasons to celebrate with residents of the Ojibway (one of Canada’s First Nations) reserve in Garden River, Ontario.

On February 11, Meadow Lake’s Dwight King, and Garden River’s Jordan Nolan, each made their 2011-12 debut with the Los Angeles Kings—for Nolan, it was his National Hockey League debut as well—in a 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Islanders.

Although the loss may have tempered the celebratory mood, both King and Nolan gave the folks back home more reasons to celebrate less than 24 hours later, when they both scored their first NHL goals in a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Dallas. Read more of this post

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Down On The Farm With The Manchester Monarchs: Zatkoff Having An All-Star Season In Goal, While Jones Takes Small Step Backwards

January 31, 2012 by 3 Comments

Jeff Zatkoff (left) and Martin Jones (right), shown here during the
Los Angeles Kings 2011 Training Camp on September 23, 2011.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES — Although Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is garnering more and more consideration as one of the National Hockey League’s best goaltenders—something that has been virtually unheard of when discussing Kings netminders over their 44-year history—and with Jonathan Bernier possessing the skills, if not the opportunity, to be a starting goalie in the NHL, as the old saying goes, a team can never have enough goaltending.

As such, the Kings have continued to draft and develop young goaltenders, and they have two young netminders having solid years with their primary minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings Forward Prospects Brandon Kozun and Linden Vey Face Similar Challenges

January 29, 2012 by 2 Comments

Right wing prospect Brandon Kozun, shown here speaking to the
media during the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California,
July 11-12, 2011.
Photo: Gann Matsuda

LOS ANGELES — As years pass, National Hockey League players continue to get bigger, stronger and faster, so much so that the size, speed and strength of the players has driven much of the game’s evolution into what we see on NHL ice today.

But with the rule changes after the 2004 NHL lockout that have brought speed and skill back into the game by clamping down on obstruction, smaller, speedier players once again can thrive in the NHL, but only if they can hold their own with the big boys.

Size, or lack thereof, is something Los Angeles Kings right wing prospect Brandon Kozun has been hearing about since he started playing hockey. Read more of this post

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Down On The Farm With LA Kings Blue Line Prospects Deslauriers, Hickey and Muzzin

January 27, 2012 by 5 Comments

Nicolas Deslauriers
Photo: Scott Slingsby

LOS ANGELES — While the National Hockey League pauses its season to put on its annual All-Star festivities this weekend, what’s a hockey writer to do if the NHL All-Star weekend is not their cup of tea, especially since the game itself has become a complete bore, barely resembling the game we normally enjoy?

Sure, I could have watched the All-Star draft (yawn), and I will watch tonight’s skills competition, the only redeeming spectacle during All-Star weekend. But with some extra time on my hands, why not see how the kids down on the farm are doing?

Indeed, the time has come to take a look at some of the Los Angeles Kings’ young prospects, and, in this installment, the focus will be on the blue line corps. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings: Dustin Penner, Slava Voynov Are Both Anxious Get Off To Strong Start

October 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

After being sidelined by leg injuries, LA Kings left wing Dustin Penner is working to get off to a strong start.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — After being the target of heavy criticism for his poor play and physical conditioning late last season after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings left wing Dustin Penner dedicated himself to improving his strength and conditioning during the off-season.

Even then, Penner had fans up in arms about his alleged poor conditioning after a photo appeared on Twitter back in August that “proved” he was badly out of shape.

The photo turned out to be totally misleading—an understatement of epic proportions, as Penner’s dramatically improved strength and conditioning had already been well-documented.

After all that, Penner was looking forward to getting off to a strong start, but you may know what author John Steinbeck wrote about the best laid plans…

Indeed, instead of starting off on the right foot in the Kings’ season opener against the New York Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden on October 7, and against the Buffalo Sabres on October 8 in Berlin, Germany, Penner was sidelined for those games by multiple injuries. Read more of this post

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