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Los Angeles Kings News

L.A. Kings' Willie Mitchell in the big show while Canucks pals can only watch
May 27
Vancouver Province
 columnist Tony Gallagher
"When Willie Mitchell heads up to the West Coast Fishing Club for the Fishing for Kids charity derby in the Queen Charlotte Islands at the end of this summer and meets with various members of the Vancouver Canucks, they'll have a few stories to swap. Mitchell qualified for his first shot at the Stanley Cup this week when his L.A. Kings made the final, and now his former teammates will go through what he did last season — which is sit and watch someone else try to win hockey's ultimate prize. "That wasn't easy for me to watch last year when Vancouver made their great run, because in a way, I felt or thought I felt a part of it," said Mitchell from L.A., where he will soon get onto a plane"
Kings have interesting, some might say colorful history
May 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings arrived in Los Angeles for the first time in October 1967, the day after their last preseason game. Team announcer Jiggs McDonald, following owner Jack Kent Cooke's orders, had spent the previous afternoon scouring St. Louis for props — a Stetson for "Cowboy" Bill Flett, a Native American headdress for "Chief" Bryan Campbell and a beret for Real "Frenchy" Lemieux. The Inglewood High School band played. Players were introduced. The team was whisked away to a hotel and then toddled off to the Long Beach Arena for practice. Everything went as planned . . . except . . . "All the pucks were in storage and everything else was stacked on top of them," McDonald said. "No one could get to"
Kings have Flyers flavor
May 27
New York Post
 
"With all the former Flyers infesting the Kings, Los Angeles could be mistaken for Orange County. There's general manager Dean Lombardi, a former Flyers scout. There's assistant GM Ron Hextall, the former Flyers goaltender. John Stevens, an assistant coach with the Kings, was Flyers coach before incumbent Peter Laviolette. Coach Darryl Sutter is the un-orange exception, but there must not have been an ex-Flyer free when the Kings fired Terry Murray, who was yet another refugee from Philadelphia. The epidemic worsens on the ice. Simon Gagne is getting close to returning from his annual concussion, and Justin Williams also is on hand. Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, the Odd Couple so"
Kings' Gagne Cleared to Return for Stanley Cup Finals
May 27
New York Times
 
"Sometime between Christmas and New Year's Day, one of the N.H.L.'s leading wings contemplated premature retirement. The wing, Simon Gagne, a two-time All-Star in his first season with the Los Angeles Kings, sustained his third concussion in nearly five years on Dec. 26 against the Phoenix Coyotes. "For the first couple of days, it went through my mind," Gagne said about retirement. "You think about it. You're 32 years old. I've got two kids, and I had a couple of these in the past. "But I was feeling really good after maybe two, three weeks. I knew at that point I was going to play hockey again." Gagne skated with the Kings for this first time since the concussion during practice Friday"
Mike Richards, Peter DeBoer: Old friends, opposite sides
May 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"Memorial Cup winner. Olympic gold medalist. World Junior champion. Stanley Cup champion. All that is missing from the glittering resume of Kings center Mike Richards is the fourth item, and he came within two victories of holding the Cup two years ago with the Philadelphia Flyers. And now, coincidentally, standing between Richards and the Stanley Cup happens to be Devils Coach Peter DeBoer, who was his coach during their successful Memorial Cup campaign with the Kitchener Rangers in 2003. "It's hard to believe it's already been seven years," Richards said, laughing, referring to his last season playing in Kitchener, in the Canadian province of Ontario. "He's getting really old. I'm old."
Los Angeles Kings' collective effort is difference
May 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"They are taking timely turns with the Conn Smythe baton, almost. From captain Dustin Brown to defenseman Drew Doughty to center Anze Kopitar. Who knows? Pretty soon someone might write that goalie Jonathan Quick, his two playoff shutouts and .946 save percentage, managed to slip under the radar. Yes, it's that competitive in the race for the Conn Smythe — the trophy awarded to the player judged most valuable to his team during the playoffs. In fact, Kings President and General Manager Dean Lombardi noticed the collective effort emerging from his team going back to the final fourth of the regular season. "With 20 games left, it was different people every night," he said. "Now you're seeing"
The keys to their Kingdom
May 25
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"The Kings were five points out of a playoff spot and stood a wobbly 11th in the Western Conference on Dec. 22, the day Darryl Sutter made his debut as their coach. The team he took over was flailing. General Manager Dean Lombardi thought he had acquired the final pieces for a contender six months earlier when he traded for center Mike Richards and signed free-agent winger Simon Gagne, but the offense was sputtering. Coach Terry Murray's defense-oriented foundation had become the team's ceiling, leaving no room for skill or creativity. Player confidence sagged."
Finally, the Kings' Willie Mitchell makes it
May 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"For Willie Mitchell, it has been nine years since he just missed out on the chance to play in the Stanley Cup Final, and two years since his hockey-playing future was in serious doubt because of a lingering concussion. So what's another week of waiting for the Cup puck to drop? That may seem like an interminable amount of time for some of his younger Kings teammates, but not for the 35-year-old defenseman."
Current Kings team eerily similar to 2009-10 Flyers
May 25
CSN Philly
 columnist John Boruk
"While thinking prior to the playoffs that the 2009-10 Flyers and 2011-12 Kings were strikingly similar, it's now grown to the point of feeling downright eerie. In their respective seasons, the Flyers and Kings both had very high expectations coming in after a huge off-season acquisition. For the Flyers it was Chris Pronger, who left California for Pennsylvania. The Kings landed Mike Richards, who departed Pennsylvania for California. Bad starts forced both front offices to fire their head coaches in December and replace them with a guy who had been previously fired. The underachievement continued until the final week when the Flyers clinched their playoff spot by winning a shootout, while"
The more Kings play, the worse Hawks look
May 25
Chicago Tribune
 columnist Steve Rosenbloom
"I stayed up late Tuesday night so you didn't have to. I watched the Los Angeles Kings-Phoenix Coyotes go overtime so you didn't have to. And if you're a Blackhawks fan, you didn't want to see it because you'd see the future and it's ugly and painful. You already know the Coyotes. They're the team that waxed your Hawks in the first round. You might not know the Kings. They're the Coyotes on steroids."
Watching Los Angeles Kings' run has been really great for Wayne Gretzky
May 24
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"The voice on the phone was animated, a Kings fan talking about the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final with the passion typical of their loyal, long-suffering audience. "It's been unreal what they've done and what they've accomplished so far," Wayne Gretzky said Wednesday. "It's been unreal for the organization and it's been great for hockey in California and L.A. We live in L.A., so we're seeing it first-hand how fans are rallying around the Kings and hoping that they bring home the Stanley Cup."
No hearing scheduled on Dustin Brown hit
May 24
USA Today
 
"Dustin Brown's overtime hit on Michal Rozsival had the Phoenix Coyotes jawing at him in the handshake line and calling for his head afterward. But there's no hearing scheduled for the Los Angeles Kings captain. Brown, known for his physical play, hit Rozsival as he cut across the blue line. Though there was leg contact, Brown's shoulder also hit Rozsival's shoulder."
Los Angeles Kings never lost magic touch on road to Cup finals
May 23
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"The Clarence Campbell bowl, awarded to the champion of the NHL's Western Conference, is not what the Kings dreamed of lifting or kissing or winning this season. Always, their goal was to win the Stanley Cup, as preposterous as it seemed while their offense went stale and they struggled to score goals and went through the turmoil of a midseason coaching change. Sometimes it seemed that they alone believed, that they alone saw what they could become with the right tweaks and right coach and right approach. Their faith was justified Tuesday, when they earned a berth in the Stanley Cup finals with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena and won the West title in a"
Los Angeles Kings find success by thriving in enemy territory
May 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings got to the Stanley Cup finals by doing what they have done best the last six weeks — winning on the road. Dustin Penner's goal with 2 minutes 18 seconds left in the first overtime gave the Kings a 4-3 victory Tuesday. It gave the Kings eight consecutive road wins during the playoffs, an NHL record. "We like being the underdog, being in the other guy's barn, getting booed. We love that," defenseman Drew Doughty said."
Coyotes bitter taste from series loss shouldn't overshadow bigger playoff picture
May 23
Arizona Republic
 
"Bitter. Frustrated. Unhinged. "I bit my tongue this whole series," he said. "This whole series." The Coyotes' magical season came to an end Tuesday at Jobing.com Arena, and it was hard for the captain to bow out gracefully. Don't be too hard on him. The inconsistency in officiating that has defined the NHL postseason needs to be addressed, and it might just take someone as highly regarded as Doan to get the commissioner's attention. This is what you need to know about Doan's unleashing after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5."
Kings take high road to Stanley Cup finals, win 8th straight road win
May 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"There was the celebratory group hug taking place by the glass, followed by a loud chorus of boos and then objects being tossed on the ice by some fans. Yes, the Kings' long strange journey to the Stanley Cup finals — returning there again for the first time in 19 years — ended with one long thrilling night of hockey and in somewhat surreal fashion. Weren't they supposed to be showered with champagne, not debris? The final step of the journey back to the finals came courtesy of the man who received more criticism since he arrived in Los Angeles a little more than a year ago than any other Kings player in recent memory. The hero was left wing Dustin Penner who scored the game-winning goal on"
Kings want to regain power
May 22
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Kings' Monday practice may have been optional, but their commitment as a team was not. Going into today's Game 5 of the Western Conference finals with another crack at closing out the Phoenix Coyotes, the Kings stressed the need for a more opportunistic power play. "We let an opportunity slip by," captain Dustin Brown said. "Now it's up to guys to rally their own games and rally collectively to go into Phoenix with the attitude that we're coming out with a win. "No one said this series was going to be easy. Three games is not a series; we need to get that fourth one.""
Los Angeles Kings succeeding despite failings of power play
May 22
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"Special-teams play is considered crucial to playoff success, but the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup a year ago with a so-so power play and the Kings reached the Western Conference finals this spring without getting significant production with a man advantage. The Kings also won their first three games against the Phoenix Coyotes despite scoring only two power-play goals, each generated during a two-man edge in Game 2. But their power play's failings were magnified Sunday when they had a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup finals but were stymied six times in a 2-0 loss that sent the series back to Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz., on Tuesday. Since the Kings got this far with a"
Kings focus on knowing what needs to be done
May 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"He wasn't invoking the wisdom of hockey greats such as the legendary Gordie Howe or even Wayne Gretzky, a star with some serious Kings cred in his background. Kings Coach Darryl Sutter thought about the topic of playing with a lead, reached into his own coaching/playing past and landed in the Midwest — more precisely, in Chicago. "What was Michael Jordan's famous line? Structure gets me to the fourth quarter and then I take over," Sutter said on Monday in El Segundo. The third period would work just fine too."
Sutter is just what Kings needed
May 21
L.A. Daily News
 
"Kings general manager Dean Lombardi, once asked what he would like in his ideal coach, offered a terse response: "Darryl." Where Lombardi had to slam the door on another good friend, outgoing coach Terry Murray, he was able to open a window of opportunity for the Kings by hiring Darryl Sutter. "I think he's the right person at the right time," defenseman Willie Mitchell said. "You see the intensity in him, his passion for game day and it rubs off on everyone. "Like a leader in any company, CEOs, if they have that passion it's going to filter throughout the company. Your coach is your leader; he has to be that guy for us." Sutter had the Kings playing a game that managed to blend bold"
L.A. goes 0 for 6 on power play while Doan, Smith help Coyotes extend series
May 21
L.A. Daily News
 
"The ice under them seemed to have flown from the River Styx, but the Kings showed even in skates their Achilles heel could be struck. They fell 2-0 to the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Sunday at Staples Center in front of 18,402 fans who were left wanting. A feeble power play, a tepid performance in the faceoff circle and a tiny bit of noon-start sluggishness all factored in the loss. "They hung around and found a way to score some goals there, off of a faceoff and a power-play goal, that's the difference," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. The Kings are 6 of 70 on the power play this postseason. They had not won the majority of draws in a game since Game 1 of"
Don't fret, everyone; it just wasn't the Kings' day
May 21
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Jill Painter
"This kind of game was bound to happen for the Kings. The Kings were on a postseason tear that simply couldn't last forever. They were dominant in goal, scored at will, seemingly killed every penalty, got every bounce, avoided every post and won eight consecutive games. And then Sunday happened. When Dustin Brown shot wide from point-blank range with Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith out of the net late in the second period, you realized this was not the Kings' day. There would be no celebration for clinching the Western Conference. Smith was terrific with 36 saves and captain Shane Doan scored twice as the Coyotes avoided elimination with a 2-0 win over the Kings in Game 4 of the Western"
Phoenix Coyotes avoid elimination with Game 4 win over Los Angeles Kings
May 21
Arizona Republic
 
"In spite of the on-ice mismatch in the previous three games, a sweep just didn't seem to fit in the landscape of what's evolved into a surprisingly successful season by the Coyotes. All their triumphs, including victories in the first two rounds, would somehow have been overshadowed by a quick, four-game dismissal by the Kings in the Western Conference finals. It wouldn't have diminished what these feisty Coyotes have accomplished in a somewhat improbable run, but the gratification wouldn't have been as sweet. So with elimination looming in Game 4, the Coyotes finally swung back, delivering their best performance of the series en route to a 2-0 win in front of 18,402 at Staples Center on"
Phoenix Coyotes avoid elimination with Game 4 win over Los Angeles Kings
May 20
Arizona Republic
 
"In more ways than one, the Coyotes reverted back to what got them here. They reunited their top two lines, added Adrian Aucoin to the blue line and goalie Mike Smith was unbeatable. It's no surprise then for the first time in the series, the Coyotes actually looked like the team that prevailed against the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators. And because of that, the Coyotes finally had an answer for the Kings, posting a 2-0 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at Staples Center on Sunday to hold off elimination. The best-of-seven series, now 3-1 for the Kings, heads back to the Valley for Game 5 on Tuesday. The Coyotes didn't dominate the Kings, but they were"
Kings are not taking 3-0 series lead against Phoenix for granted
May 20
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings are headed to the Stanley Cup finals. It's a foregone conclusion, up 3-0 in the Western Conference finals. It is nearly impossible for the Phoenix Coyotes to come back at this point. The Kings, though, remain wary. They don't have to stray from their dressing room to find a couple of guys who did the near impossible. Forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards helped the Philadelphia Flyers rally from a 3-0 deficit to eliminate the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Flyers were the third NHL team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit, joining the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders. The Flyers reached the 2010 Stanley Cup finals, where they lost"
Kings are not used to this company
May 20
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings have substantially rewritten their postseason record book this spring. Now, they're poised to put a serious dent in the NHL's record book. A victory over the Phoenix Coyotes today at Staples Center would give the Kings a berth in the Stanley Cup finals with a 12-1 record, the fewest games any finalist will have played since the NHL expanded the first round to a best-of-seven format in the 1987 playoffs. The quickest route has been 14 games, taken several times, most recently by the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins. It's remarkable, and not just because of the Kings' woeful playoff history or because they entered this fray as the No. 8-seeded team in the West. It's that they've gotten"
Kings hit reset button with Finals berth in grasp
May 20
L.A. Daily News
 
"On the cusp of an unprecedented 12-1 start to the playoffs, the Kings have yet to break character and crack too wide of a smile. To a man, they stressed their 11-1 surge did not start with a goal of winning a game or a series but individual shifts and battles. The coaching staff has focused on "starting at zero" in terms of each series, each game and each period. "It's tough not to think ahead. But at the same time it's easy because, you know, all you're thinking about is that next game," defenseman Drew Doughty said with his team a win away from the Stanley Cup Finals, which the Kings can clinch today at Staples Center. But at least one player, the suddenly explosive Dwight King, showed"
Staples Center faces long Sunday
May 19
ESPN.com
 
"The folks who run Staples Center and the L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles like to call it the sports and entertainment capital of the world. But even this is a bit much. With the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Kings all hosting two home playoff games between Thursday and Sunday, and the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California cycling race set to finish in front of the building Sunday morning, Staples Center is preparing for a dizzying weekend. "It's going to be unprecedented for any arena anywhere," Staples Center senior vice president and general manager Lee Zeidman said. "No one will ever duplicate it except for us because we're the only arena with"
Still Kings of the ice
May 18
Boston Herald
 columnist Mark Whicker
"The Kings played a bad period Thursday night — i.e., Phoenix was allowed to actually feel the puck on an intermittent basis — and so they skated into their locker room in shame and anger. That's the bar they've established in this spring offensive of theirs. Sergey Bubka would have trouble clearing it. "A lot of things were said in here," Jarret Stoll said. "Not a lot positive. By everybody. The coach wasn't happy. The staff wasn't happy. We weren't happy. We were lucky to come in, after the first, with a tie game.""
After 19 years, it's nearly Cup time in Los Angeles
May 18
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Kings have changed their slogan many times this season, and there were justifiable reasons to do it. The first marketing campaign rolled out was "The time is now," followed by "It's our time," and the latest modification is "It's Cup time." The Kings don't have to dominate to win, although they've done that, and need one more win on their march to the Stanley Cup Finals. They don't have to score first, though that's been their recent method of operation, and they don't have to score on the power play, something they don't usually do anyway. Neither of those things happened Thursday, and yet the Kings still notched a 2-1 victory over Phoenix in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals."
Rookie Dwight King scores fourth goal of series as L.A. goes up 3-0
May 18
L.A. Daily News
 
"One more win will have four words on the lips of Angelenos: We Want the Cup. The Kings defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 Thursday night at Staples Center before 18,367 fans, moving them to within one victory of a Stanley Cup Finals berth. "That was the loudest I have ever heard this building, tonight and Game 4 against St Louis," Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. "It's a great feeling having this crowd behind you like that." Jonathan Quick stopped 18 of 19 Phoenix shots while Mike Smith turned aside 26 of 28 Kings shots in a defensive battle. Rookie Dwight King scored the winning goal for the Kings, his fourth in three games against Phoenix."
Kings try to maintain their edge against Phoenix, without Hanzal
May 17
L.A. Daily News
 
"Stop us if you've heard this one before: The Kings return home with a chance to close out a higher-seeded opponent at home. Only this time, two more wins would send them on to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history. Today's Game 3 at Staples Center will pit a Kings team that has skated hard, checked tight and scored by generating a high volume of opportunities against the reeling Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings have been on an incredible run by any account, except their own. "Obviously that's what we came here to do, to win games," said Jeff Carter, who had a hat trick in a Game 2 victory that pushed the Kings to 10-1 in the postseason."
Phoenix Coyotes routed by Los Angeles Kings in Game 2
May 16
Arizona Republic
 
"As soon as Coyotes captain Shane Doan left the ice in the second period, his team's discipline -- and possibly the series -- left with him. That discipline has been the cornerstone of the Coyotes' success, and it was challenged the moment the stars of Hollywood arrived in town. The Los Angeles Kings are big and skilled, imposing a physical threat the Coyotes have yet to encounter in the playoffs. That combination stymied the Coyotes in Game 1 and intimidated them in Game 2. A string of penalties, which included a game misconduct to Doan, unraveled the Coyotes as they fell 4-0 to the Kings on Tuesday night in front of 17,149 at Jobing.com Arena. The visitors snatched a 2-0 series lead in"
Los Angeles Kings' gritty play leaves Coyotes frustrated
May 16
Arizona Republic
 
"The Los Angeles Kings can smell the blood now. Brace yourself, Phoenix. It isn't likely to be pretty, not after a 4-0 Coyotes loss Tuesday night that gave the Kings a commanding 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference finals. They can't wait to eliminate the Coyotes now, especially after the way things got out of control in Game 2. The Coyotes, either recognizing they can't keep up with the Kings or simply frustrated by being so outplayed, lost their composure repeatedly and took far too many needless -- and dangerous --penalties."
Move over Lakers and Clippers for this weekend's Staples Center headliner ... the Kings
May 16
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Jill Painter
"The Kings are so dominant they've managed to get under the skin of the Phoenix Coyotes in their own house. Now that's the sign of a darn good team. The Kings flustered the Coyotes so thoroughly Phoenix captain Shane Doan was thrown out of the game in the second period after a 10-minute game misconduct and five-minute major for boarding. Kings center Trevor Lewis had blood gushing from the bridge of his nose after that boarding call, but the Kings had cut the Coyotes' legs out from under them. These Kings are good. They crushed the Coyotes 4-0 Tuesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals behind Jeff Carter's hat trick at Jobing.com Arena, otherwise known as Welostourcool.com Arena."
Kings are showing their youth and talent in postseason run
May 16
Los Angeles Times
 
"The blueprint was not original ... well maybe to the Kings, who spent too many seasons chasing success with a checkbook and patchwork trades. But General Manager Dean Lombardi followed a plan that was almost as old as the game, and had been successful during his time as the San Jose Sharks general manager. "You walk a fine line between getting younger and getting better," Lombardi said. The Kings have done both this season and are two victories from reaching the Stanley Cup finals after a 4-0 victory Tuesday over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. The Kings have gone deep in to the playoffs with a roster largely built through the draft. "We're living in a world"
Los Angeles now Kings of the road
May 16
NHL.com
 
"The Los Angeles Kings were among the poorest road playoff teams in NHL history -- until now. Before this spring, the Kings had won just 29 of 95 playoff games away from L.A. since entering the NHL in 1967 -- and that included wins in their last two games at San Jose during their six-game loss to the Sharks in 2011. The back-to-back wins matched the longest road winning streak in the franchise's playoff history. But the Kings have been flawless away from home this spring. They improved to 7-0 on the road Tuesday night by dominating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. The seven straight wins match a single-season record for consecutive road wins last"
Coyotes' Hanzal and Doan ejected from Game 2
May 16
USA Today
 
"The Phoenix Coyotes lost Game 2 big - and were down two players by game's end. Captain Shane Doan and forward Martin Hanzal both were ejected for hits from behind in the 4-0 loss. Doan's hit came after Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown's stick was broken by a slash from Daymond Langkow. Trevor Lewis had the puck while facing an approaching Doan but turned around and cut his nose on impact with the boards. Doan was called for boarding."
L.A. stays red hot in the desert, Carter nets hat-trick
May 16
L.A. Daily News
 
"Move over Hawk and Animal. The Kings are the new Road Warriors. They tied an NHL playoffs record by improving to 7-0 away from home after a 4-0 win over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 2 of the Western Conference series at Jobing.Com Arena on Tuesday in front of 17,149 disillusioned fans. That victory gave them a commanding 2-0 lead for the third straight series and pushed their overall win streak to seven games. Their seven straight road wins in one postseason and nine straight over two campaigns both tied NHL records. Jeff Carter netted a hat trick for the Kings to support Jonathan Quick's 24-save shutout."
Coyotes might have lost more than Game 2
May 16
Los Angeles Times
 
"As the sun and the Phoenix Coyotes sank slowly in the West, the key question after the Kings' 4-0 conference finals victory Tuesday was whether the NHL, which has operated the Coyotes franchise for three years, will suspend one or more of its players for the frustration-driven fouls they committed. The lesser of the evils was Shane Doan's hit on Kings forward Trevor Lewis at 16 minutes 29 seconds of the second period at Jobing.com Arena. Doan, the Coyotes' captain, drove Lewis into the boards after Lewis had turned his back, and got a major boarding penalty and a game misconduct while Lewis was treated for a cut and bloodied nose."
Familiar faces for Williams in first return to conference finals
May 15
Raleigh News & Observer
 columnist Luke DeCock
"Before the first game of the Western Conference finals on Sunday, Ray Whitney was interviewed on the ice. After it was over, Justin Williams was interviewed on the bench. Their national TV appearances are as close to sharing a conversation as the two former Carolina Hurricanes will come as they fight it out for a trip to the Stanley Cup finals. One way or another, the Hurricanes will be represented in the finals: Williams with the Los Angeles Kings, who struck first with a 4-2 road win Sunday, or Whitney and Radim Vrbata with the Phoenix Coyotes. Williams and Whitney have the ultimate bond, having won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006, but for the duration of this series, it's"
Kings continue to push right buttons in Game 1 victory against Phoenix
May 15
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Kings made Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference finals against the Phoenix Coyotes look like a video game with the difficulty set to rookie, but the force behind their success was much more than the push of a button. Heading into tonight's Game 2, they look to persist with their pack mentality and the uncompromising, 200-foot game that made them look faster, stronger and tougher in all areas of the ice Sunday. "We were quick all over the ice," defenseman Drew Doughty said. "Every time they thought they had a little bit of space, there was a guy right on them, taking the body, getting his stick on the puck and making that turnover. We were sacrificing the body, blocking shots and"
Los Angeles Kings' determination was key in Game 1 against Phoenix
May 15
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"The Kings were outshooting and outworking the Phoenix Coyotes in the opener of the Western Conference finals, beating them along the boards, in the faceoff circle and by almost every imaginable measure. But through two periods the score was tied, the only numbers that mattered. "There have been some times in games where we haven't been very good, but we've managed to hang around," Coyotes Coach Dave Tippett said. "A bend, don't break kind of thing." The Kings were doing all they could to break the Coyotes' resolve but were getting nowhere. "They're a pretty veteran team, one of those teams that keeps coming at you," winger Brad Richardson said. "They make those smart plays holding on to"
Line of Dustin Brown-Anze Kopitar-Justin Williams tough to handle
May 15
Los Angeles Times
 
"They won a mere two games in December and ended up using seven goalies during a not-so-memorable Kings season in 2007-08. But one of those goalies — Jason LaBarbera — recognized something special in two of the Kings' young forwards, Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. They had career breakthrough performances that season, scoring 33 and 32 goals, respectively. "You could see how great they were going to be," said LaBarbera, who is now the Phoenix Coyotes' backup goalie. "They've always been really good players. But they've never been on that pedestal they are on now. They're doing what they're supposed to be doing.""
Kings send almost-instant message to Phoenix
May 15
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings went with new media after their Game 1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs, posting, "To everyone in Canada outside BC. You're welcome," on Twitter. They appeared to go old school in delivering a message to the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday. Justin Williams employed traditional hockey social graces by barreling into Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith a little more than four minutes into the series. It provoked a similar response from Smith, who jumped Williams after the whistle and received a roughing penalty. "Obviously it got the better of me," Smith said. "It won't happen again.""
Gagne reportedly cleared for contact
May 14
NHL.com
 
"Los Angeles Kings forward Simon Gagne has reportedly been cleared for contact for the first time since suffering a concussion on Dec. 26. However, according to the L.A. Kings Insider blog on the team's website, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said Gagne will not be joining the team in Arizona and is still a longshot to return this season. Lombardi told the blog that Gagne is a "long way from playing," and that he "needs to get hit.""
Goalie is Quick to put mistake behind him
May 14
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Jill Painter
"It's never easy to know what Jonathan Quick is thinking, but you can imagine what was going through his mind after he allowed a game-tying goal here from the red line. Yes, the RED line. Quick, who has been unbelievably stingy in net all season and even moreso in the postseason, gave up a Derek Morris goal from about 98 feet, which tied Sunday's Western Conference Final game at 1-1 in the first period. There was no traffic in front of him. No Shane Doan. Not a single soul."
L.A.'s game plan doesn't get deserted in victory over Coyotes
May 14
L.A. Daily News
 
"The scoreboard showed a close game but what the Kings accomplished on the ice Sunday was utter dominance in the desert. They triumphed 4-2 over the Phoenix Coyotes in front of a Jobing.Com Arena crowd of 17,134 to take Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The Kings are 9-1 in the playoffs and have won six in a row. "I thought their whole team was better than our team," said Phoenix coach Dave Tippett, who added his club had not been out-worked this handily at any point in the playoffs. "We weren't close in that game. We got beat in every facet of the game." A goaltenders' duel was promised and, for the most part, delivered."
Los Angeles Kings' Jonathan Quick remains good despite bad goal
May 14
Los Angeles Times
 
"It was a knife to the gut for every Kings fan who was sure Jonathan Quick had ended their goaltending nightmares and freed them from screaming aloud at the mention of names like Roman Cechmanek, Dan Cloutier and Robb Stauber. Quick yielded a goal from the red line Sunday in the opener of the Western Conference finals, a shocking development on several levels. First, being beaten on an unscreened, 98-foot shot by Phoenix defenseman Derek Morris was uncharacteristic for Quick, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie during the season and a postseason MVP candidate. And it allowed the Coyotes to pull even in a game the Kings had been dominating, making it a potential tipping"