Los Angeles Kings Need Early-Season Version Of Mike Richards To Return

February 8, 2012 3 Comments

Center Mike Richards has struggled since returning from a concussion on December 22, 2011. The Los Angeles Kings desperately need him to regain his early-season form.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — With an assist on Dustin Penner’s goal at 17:46 of the second period, giving the Los Angeles Kings their final margin of victory in a 3-1 win at Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, center Mike Richards ended an eight-game point scoring drought.

Richards’ performance in this game may have been his best since returning to the lineup after missing eight games due to a concussion that he suffered on December 1, 2011, when the Kings handed the visiting Florida Panthers a 2-1 defeat.

But since returning on December 22 (a 3-2 shootout win against the Anaheim Ducks at Staples Center in Los Angeles), Richards has been a mere shell of his former self. Read more of this post

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Key To Unlocking The Los Angeles Kings’ Offense Is Getting Pucks, Bodies To The Net

January 12, 2012 3 Comments

Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown spoke extensively with the media following practice on
January 11, 2012, at the Toyota Sports Center
in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — On January 9, the Los Angeles Kings, owners of the worst offense in the National Hockey League, averaging just 2.09 goals per game, miraculously scored five goals against the Alexander Ovechkin-led Washington Capitals, in a decisive 5-2 victory, shocking a sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

That night, fans were so thoroughly shocked at the Kings’ offensive explosion that throughout the arena, they were pinching each other to make sure they weren’t dreaming. Some made appointments with psychiatrists, fearing that they were suffering from some sort of mental breakdown. Others were fearful that the end of the world was upon us, and began to get their affairs in order.

Seriously speaking, that massive offensive output from the Kings was a rarity this season. After all, they have only scored three goals or more (during regulation play) twelve times in 43 games this season (through games played on January 11). Read more of this post

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Frozen Royalty Audio: Varlamov, Avalanche, Steal 2-1 Shootout Win From LA Kings

January 3, 2012 3 Comments

Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (center) scored his tenth goal of the season, but it was not enough, as the Colorado Avalanche won a 2-1 shootout decision over the Kings on January 2, 2012, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NHLI via Getty Images and the LA Kings

LOS ANGELES — Despite controlling the play, often dominating the game, the Los Angeles Kings came up against a white hot goaltender in Semyon Varlamov, who led the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 shootout win over the Kings at Staples Center in Los Angeles on January 2.

Dustin Brown scored his tenth goal of the season to give the Kings a 1-0 lead at the 1:34 mark of the second period to give his team a 1-0 lead. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings: Smarter, Better, More Disciplined Play Needed From Ethan Moreau

November 26, 2011 1 Comment

Los Angeles Kings veteran left wing Ethan Moreau has been
noticeable for all the wrong reasons lately.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — When the Los Angeles Kings signed rugged, checking winger Ethan Moreau to a one-year, unrestricted free agent contract on August 20, 2011, the expectation was that he would bring energy, physical play, solid forechecking and strong defensive play to the Kings’ third and fourth lines.

The 36-year-old, 6-3, 223-pound native of Huntsville, Ontario, a former captain of the Edmonton Oilers, also brings veteran leadership, and years of National Hockey League experience.

But so far this season, Moreau has played well in spurts, but has not given the Kings anywhere near enough of what is needed or expected.

“His role is basically to be that fourth line left winger—grit, size, experience, and to give us that harder game, and that’s been there…in and out,” said head coach Terry Murray. “But there’s been times that it’s been very good, and I think, in the last couple of games, I’ve seen more of it [from him while playing with right wing Kevin] Westgarth and [center Colin] Fraser, and that’s stuff that we need.” Read more of this post

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Frozen Royalty Audio: Los Angeles Kings Prepare For 2011-12 Home Opener

October 18, 2011 Leave a Comment

Rookie defenseman Slava Voynov will make his NHL debut on October 18, 2011, when the LA Kings host the St. Louis Blues at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA —The Los Angeles Kings are back from their four-game, European/East Coast trip to start their 2011-12 season, and they were hard at work at practice on October 17, 2011, at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.

Left wing Dustin Penner, who suffered what was called a knee contusion during the first period at Philadelphia on October 15, left the ice after about twenty minutes. He went to see Kings doctors for an evaluation.

Defenseman Slava Voynov, who was recalled from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League on October 16, due to an apparent shoulder injury suffered by defenseman Drew Doughty at Philadelphia (he was placed on injured reserve), practiced with the team and was paired with defenseman Willie Mitchell.

Voynov is expected to see a lot of ice time on October 18, when the Kings host the St. Louis Blues in their home opener. Read more of this post

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LA Kings Open 2011-12 Season With 3-2 OT Win Over New York Rangers On NHL Video

October 8, 2011 Leave a Comment

The Los Angeles Kings got the new season off to a roaring start with a 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers in Stockholm, Sweden as part the NHL Premiere Series.

Center Anze Kopitar opened the scoring for the Kings at 10:51 of the first period, after right wing Justin Williams picked up a loose puck inside the Rangers blue line. He skated through the left circle before tossing a saucer pass across to Kopitar, who one-timed his shot from just below the right face-off dot, beating Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist top shelf, just inside the right goal post. Read more of this post

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