Speed, Consistency and Trust Comes From LA Kings’ Balance Throughout Lineup

March 26, 2012 by 1 Comment

Newly-acquired forward Jeff Carter’s presence has
had a positive, cascading effect throughout the
Los Angeles Kings’ lineup.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — For a rather fleeting couple of days, the Los Angeles Kings got to enjoy the view from above, looking down from first place in the Pacific Division, and third place in the Western Conference, at several teams below them in the standings, all vying for the handful of playoff spots still up for grabs.

But after a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins on March 24 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Kings’ six-game winning streak came to a grinding halt. Even worse, they fell from third in the West all the way down to eighth.

For the Kings, the good news is that they are just one point behind both the Dallas Stars and the Phoenix Coyotes for the division lead. But the bad news is that they are tied in points with ninth-place San Jose, and tenth place Colorado. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar Returns From Serious Injury With Higher Expectations

September 14, 2011 by 3 Comments

PRE-TRAINING CAMP COVERAGE: Frozen Royalty continues its pre-training camp coverage with a look at Los Angeles Kings star center Anze Kopitar, his recovery from a serious leg/ankle injury near the end of the 2010-11 regular season, and his outlook for the coming year.

Los Angeles Kings star center Anze Kopitar spoke with the media about his recovery from a broken right ankle and torn ligaments during the Los Angeles Kings HockeyFest ’11 event at Staples Center in Los Angeles on September 11, 2011.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES — Late last season, although they were not exactly leaving a trail of melting ice behind them at the time, the Los Angeles Kings were heading into the playoffs with serious hopes of at least advancing to the second round.

But on March 26, 2011, when star center Anze Kopitar suffered a broken right ankle and torn ligaments in a freakish fall late in the second period of a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, Staples Center became as quiet as it has ever been during a game, as everyone in the building knew what Kopitar meant to the Kings and their playoff chances.

When Kopitar was helped off the ice and down the tunnel to the Kings dressing room, one could feel the air being sucked out of the building. Indeed, at that instant, fans were crestfallen, realizing that their team’s hopes of getting out of the first round of the playoffs were, for all intents and purposes, doomed. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings Head Coach Terry Murray Looks Back At 2010-11 Season

August 27, 2011 by 16 Comments

FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: Each summer, since his arrival in Southern California, Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray has graciously taken a break from his preparation work for the new season to talk with Frozen Royalty during a one-on-one interview. He did so once again this week, looking back at last season and ahead at the 2011-12 campaign. In this story, the first of a series, Murray shares his thoughts on his team’s up-and-down 2010-11 season.

Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray (standing; third from left) with his team during practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — One of the most talked about aspects of the 2010-11 season was the fact that the Western Conference playoff race was so tight from the first day of the season all the way to the last, as the eight playoff teams were not determined until the very end.

“The division, the conference was so competitive,” said Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray. “It came right down to the last game of the year, whether Chicago gets in, or Dallas gets in. It was that competitive.” Read more of this post

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2010-11 Los Angeles Kings Year-In-Review: Evaluating The Forwards

May 14, 2011 by 11 Comments

2010-11 YEAR IN REVIEW: Part 1 of a series.

Anze Kopitar (right) and Justin Williams (left) led the way among Los Angeles Kings’ forwards this season.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings suffered an earlier than desired exit from the 2010-11 season, when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks, who won the series 4-2.

To be sure, another first round exit from the post-season party was not what the Kings had in mind this year, as expectations, both their own and just about everyone else’s, was for them to at least advance to the second round.

Although they faced extenuating circumstances that affected their ability to enjoy post-season success, namely, the loss of leading scorer and top defensive forward Anze Kopitar to a devastating ankle injury in late March, the Kings showed that if they had the discipline to adhere to their system and structure, they could have won that series, advancing to the Western Conference Semi Finals. Given that, it doesn’t matter how you slice it. The fact remains that the Kings did not meet expectations for the 2010-11 season. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings Let It All Skate Away Against San Jose

April 29, 2011 by 1 Comment

LOS ANGELES — Four days after the Los Angeles Kings were eliminated in six games from the first round of 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the San Jose Sharks, the Kings dressing room at Staples Center has probably been cleaned out, not to be used (at least, not by the Kings), until next season.

Despite losing in six games, the Kings came close to, not just extending the series to a seventh game, but to advancing to the second round. Indeed, when they were on top of their game, their forecheck, defensive zone coverage and goaltending gave the Sharks fits.

“We had opportunities to win this series,” Kings right wing and team captain Dustin Brown lamented. “We had a 4-0 lead at home in Game 3, and two other overtime games. We were right there.” Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings Getting Offense From Surprising Source

April 25, 2011 by Leave a comment

p>EL SEGUNDO, CA — Going into the Los Angeles Kings’ first round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks, if someone predicted that their third line of Kyle Clifford, Brad Richardson and Wayne Simmonds would account for six goals and seven assists for 13 points after five games, they would be quickly dismissed as being insane.

Kyle Clifford (left), Brad Richardson (right), and Wayne Simmonds
(center, facing away) are the unexpected leaders of the Los Angeles Kings’
offensive attack in their first round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks.
Photo: David Sheehan

Further, if anyone predicted that Clifford, a wet-behind-the-ears, twenty-year-old rookie who is known for more for throwing his weight around, would lead the team in playoff scoring with three goals and two assists for five points, they would probably be laughed at.

But those nutty predictions have proven to be prescient, as Clifford, Richardson and Simmonds have been the Kings’ top line, not their third line that is only expected to be an energy line, a checking line. Indeed, they have led the way offensively for the heavily defensive-oriented Kings, who trail the Sharks in the series, 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for tonight at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Read more of this post

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