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

January 12, 2012 by 4 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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LA Kings Drew Doughty Honored At NHL Awards…Just Not With The Norris Trophy

June 23, 2010 by 2 Comments

LAS VEGAS AND EL SEGUNDO, CA — At the 2010 National Hockey League Awards, held at the Palms in Las Vegas, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty finished third in the voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s best defenseman during the regular season. Read more of this post

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NHL’s Norris Trophy Should Go To Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty

June 10, 2010 by 7 Comments

LOS ANGELES — With the Chicago Blackhawks winning the 2010 Stanley Cup on June 9, the 2009-10 National Hockey League season is over and attention now turns to the league’s annual awards, which will be presented at the Palms in Las Vegas on June 23.

Perhaps the most interesting race for the awards will be for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman during the regular season.

The finalists are Chicago’s Duncan Keith, Mike Green of the Washington Capitals and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings.

Green, 24, led all defenseman in goals, assists and points with 19 goals and 57 assists for 76 points. He ranked tenth league-wide in assists, led all defenseman with ten power play goals, ranked second among defensemen with a +39 plus/minus rating and was second among blue liners with four game-winning goals and ninth in time on ice per game (25:28). Read more of this post

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Dean Lombardi: Anze Kopitar Must Learn To Handle Success

January 15, 2010 by 25 Comments

LOMBARDI ON KOPITAR: Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi talks about his star center, Anze Kopitar, and his struggles this season after starting the year on fire. Part 2 of a series. Look for part 3 early next week.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings started the 2009-10 season on fire, as did center Anze Kopitar.

The Kings were scoring goals in bunches, as the line of left wing Ryan Smyth, right wing Justin Williams and Kopitar were torching just about every opponent they faced.

Kopitar was largely responsible for that, as he opened the season on a serious tear with fourteen goals and seventeen assists for 31 points in the team’s first 21 games (October 3 – November 14, 2009).

Indeed, with Smyth going hard for loose pucks and consistently parking himself in front of the opposition’s net, Kopitar found himself with more room to maneuver in the offensive zone, giving him more scoring chances.

But it was much more than Smyth that made Kopitar the scoring terror that he was early in the season.

Off-season conditioning and strength work added muscle and endurance to Kopitar’s 6-3, 222-pound frame. That gave him more speed and power to get past defenders and to help him win more loose puck battles. Read more of this post

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Frozen Royalty Audio And NHL Video: Quick, Richardson Lead LA Kings To 2-1 Win Over Ovechkin, Capitals

January 3, 2010 by 1 Comment

LOS ANGELES — Brad Richardson assisted on the game-winning goal by Michal Handzus in the third period and made one solid play after another while Jonathan Quick was stellar in goal, stopping 26 shots, the two combining to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Alexander Ovechkin-led Washington Capitals in front of a sell-out crowd of 18,118 fans during a matinee affair at Staples Center on January 2.

The Kings dominated the first period, which ended with Kings left wing Ryan Smyth opening the scoring on the power play with his eleventh goal of the season at the 19:01 mark.

The Capitals took over control of the game in the second, putting the Kings way back on their heels. But on the strength of Quick’s play in goal, the Caps scored just once on a power play goal by defenseman Mike Green at 2:13. Read more of this post

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