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From Murray To Sutter: What’s Changed For The Los Angeles Kings?

May 8, 2012 by 18 Comments

Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter (right), shown here with defenseman Drew Doughty (left), during a recent practice session.
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

EL SEGUNDO, CA — With the Los Angeles Kings set to face their Pacific Division rival, the Phoenix Coyotes, in the 2012 Western Conference Finals—just the second time in the Kings’ 44-year history that they have reached the conference finals—many are still shaking their heads, blown away at the dominance the Kings have displayed in dispatching the Vancouver Canucks in five games, followed by a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues in the second round.

The Kings have accomplished all that by getting solid contributions from throughout their lineup, as 15 players have scored goals in the post-season, and their top players have outplayed their counterparts by a wide margin.

As much as the focus has been on the stellar performances of right wing Dustin Brown, center Anze Kopitar, and goaltender Jonathan Quick, Darryl Sutter has had a tremendous impact Read more of this post

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Filed under News, NHL, Stanley Cup Playoffs Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

May 6, 2012 by 3 Comments

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

Filed under Audio/Video, News, NHL, Stanley Cup Playoffs Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Los Angeles Kings: No, That Guy Wearing Number 25 Is Not An Impostor

May 3, 2012 by 1 Comment

Los Angeles Kings left wing Dustin Penner has improved his play so much during the playoffs, that he bears little resemblance to the player he was during the regular season.
(click to view a larger image).
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

EL SEGUNDO, CA — At the same time that fans of the Los Angeles Kings are rejoicing in their team’s early success in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, having eliminated the Vancouver Canucks in five games, and jumping out to a 2-0 lead over the St. Louis Blues in their second round series, they are also scratching their collective heads while asking, in unison…

…who’s wearing number 25, and what did he do with Dustin Penner?

All kidding aside, Penner, who has been the target of so many for his poor play throughout much of the season, has looked nothing like the player who raised the ire of fans, game after game.

In fact, Penner began to raise the level of his play over the last few weeks of the regular season, and it continued to improve in the first round of the playoffs. He scored the game-winning goal in Game 1 of the Kings’ first round series against the Canucks, and tallied an assist in Game 2 Read more of this post

Filed under Audio/Video, News, NHL, Stanley Cup Playoffs Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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