LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings “varsity” faced the Anaheim Ducks “junior varsity” team in pre-season action at Staples Center on Sunday night, but the results were not what you would expect, as the Ducks were dominant from start to finish, handing the Kings a 3-1 defeat.
Indeed, the Ducks dressed veterans Andrew Cogliano, Jason Blake, and Lubomir Visnovsky, but they surrounded them with young prospects.
Nowhere to be found were the likes of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, or Teemu Selanne.
Nevertheless, the Ducks outworked and outhustled the listless, out of sync Kings throughout, and put the game away with three second period goals by Kyle Palmieri, Andrew Gordon and Patrick Maroon, the latter two coming just twelve seconds apart, and with less than one minute left in the period.
Center prospect Andrei Loktionov scored on a breakaway at 5:43 of the third period to prevent the sluggish Kings from being shutout.
Jason Deslauriers made 32 saves in goal for Anaheim to get the win, while Jonathan Quick allowed three goals on 18 shots in a losing effort.
The Kings were 0-for-6 on the power play.
During the game, the Kings announced their second set of training camp roster cuts:
Assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League
Andy Andreoff – LW
Nicolas Deslauriers – D
Martin Jones – G
Ray Kaunisto – LW
David Kolomatis – D
Brandon Kozun – RW
Patrick Mullen – D
Linden Vey – RW
Assigned To Junior Team
Tyler Toffoli – C (Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League)
Raw audio interviews
(Extraneous material and dead air have been removed)
Simon Gagne (2:35)
Terry Murray (5:21)
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Is Hickey just that good that he simply does his job without any flash? Not Sure yet. Liked Voynov. Maybe he needs to have a “heads up display” installed in his helmet projecting “Стреляйте шайбу!” (shoot the puck!) his visor. You know, like the one Fro needed.
It was the first full squad game. You could sure see the rust out there – trying to sync up and get a feeling where linemates would be. However there were at least 3 or 4 times guys drove the net and the pass was there, just didn’t connect on the stick (Kopi did this at least twice). It will come. But that movement is good.
Stolly needs to continue his KFA (Kings Faceoff Academy) with the rest of the team.
Cliffy was much better this game, jumping across defenders ala Simmer, and I loved the way he carried the puck out of our zone along the right boards with 2 Ducks draped all over him. Sad to say, I think Parse needs a year in Manchester to find his game again. Lokti? Good again.
It was the first full squad game, and looked like it. I’m giving them ’til Forzen Fury. Then we’ll know what the team looks like.