LA Kings’ Dustin Penner: The Irony Of It All

May 27, 2012 by Leave a comment

Los Angeles Kings left wing Dustin Penner’s resurgence
during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, capped by the
overtime game-winning goal in the Western Conference
Finals, is not only a major shock, but ironic as well.
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

EL SEGUNDO, CA — No one is going to easily forget that Los Angeles Kings left wing Dustin Penner was invisible for much of the 2011-12 regular season, scoring a measly seven goals with ten assists for 17 points in 65 games.

Penner’s time with the Kings started off poorly, as he was a non-factor from the moment he joined the team after a trade deadline deal on February 28, 2011.

A veteran forward with size and skill, Penner was expected to give the Kings’ struggling offense a boost, but he scored just two goals and tallied only four assists last year, after joining the Kings, and he chipped in with a goal and an assist in the playoffs against the San Jose Sharks.

Those are some rather lousy numbers in 19 regular season games with the Kings, to say the least, especially for a player who ended up scoring 23 goals and contributing 18 assists for 39 points in 81 regular season games last season (with the Edmonton Oilers and the Kings). Read more of this post

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Phoenix Coyotes Say They Have More To Worry About Than Los Angeles Kings’ Top Lines

May 15, 2012 by 3 Comments

Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (left) and goalie Jonathan Quick (right), shown here at a recent practice session, led their team to a
decisive 4-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 1 of the
Western Conference Finals in Glendale, Arizona, on May 13, 2012.
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

Heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals (scheduled for tonight, 6:00 PM PDT, Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona), the Phoenix Coyotes know that their biggest challenge will be finding a way to contain the Los Angeles Kings’ top lines, most notably, their first line of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Justin Williams, who totally dominated whenever they were on the ice, and picked apart the Coyotes.

“Obviously, their top two lines are really skilled, real strong on the puck,” said Coyotes center Martin Hanzal. “We’ve got to make sure we can be hard on these guys, physical, and take the time and the space away from them. That’s going to be the key.” Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings: Doughty’s Maturity Starting To Show In Post-Season

May 6, 2012 by 1 Comment

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty has grown up considerably
this season, and that is starting to show on the ice during the playoffs.
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

EL SEGUNDO, CA — After making quick work of the Vancouver Canucks, sending them off to an early summer vacation after just five, first round playoff games, the Los Angeles Kings have a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven, second round series against the St. Louis Blues, with Game 4 coming up today, at noon PDT (Staples Center in Los Angeles).

As one of the many clichés about playoff hockey goes, a team’s best players must be just that if that team expects to be successful in post-season play, and for the Kings, that has been exactly the case.

Indeed, the Kings’ top players, including Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings Are All Singing The Same Tune After Game 4 Loss To Vancouver Canucks

April 20, 2012 by 1 Comment

Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin, shown here being mobbed by the media
after practice on April 17, one day before he led his team to a Game 4 victory
over the Los Angeles Kings in their first round playoff series
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — After blowing their chance to sweep the Vancouver Canucks out of the first round of the National Hockey League playoffs after a 3-1 loss in Game 4 on April 18, the Los Angeles Kings were singing the same tune, so to speak, after watching brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin skate circles around them in the second and third periods.

“We had chances to finish, but I don’t think we finished as many checks as we should have on those two, in particular,” said right wing and team captain Dustin Brown. “Both of them were good. They’re pretty dynamic when they’re together. We have to take their time and space away, and be physical with them if we want to nullify them in Game 5.” Read more of this post

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Credit Goes To Dean Lombardi, Darryl Sutter For Los Angeles Kings Coming From Behind To Make Playoffs

April 7, 2012 by 1 Comment

Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter (right)
talks things over with center Jarret Stoll
during a recent practice.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — As the National Hockey League enters its final day of the 2011-12 regular season, the playoff teams in the Western and Eastern Conferences have been determined. But even on the last day, there is still something to play for in both conferences, as the winners of the Southeast and Pacific Divisions have yet to be decided, as of this writing.

The Washington Capitals, currently second in the Southeast, and eighth in the Eastern Conference, could win their division, and could switch places in the conference standings with the current division leader, the Florida Panthers.

In the West, the Phoenix Coyotes moved into the top spot in the Pacific Division after blowing out the St. Louis Blues on April 6, 4-1, in St. Louis.

The Los Angeles Kings could still wrest the Pacific Division crown from the Coyotes, but the scenarios are a bit complicated… Read more of this post

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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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