Los Angeles Kings News

Kings' hopes get boost with Smyth, Kopitar, Williams back together
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March 17
L.A. Daily News
 
"Has it been six months already since the start of the season? Since those early games when the Kings' trio of Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams were playing like the most potent offensive line in the NHL? Timeout. Stop reminiscing. "That's the beginning of the season," Williams said. "This is where it really counts. This is where you really need to show up. This is the fun part of the year." Forgive Williams for not recalling that this isn't usually the fun part of the year for the Kings. Usually thoughts of potential are needed to sustain a team through six consecutive seasons of no playoffs. It was that early season potential that made Williams' return to the lineup last ..."
For a change, Kings have magic number for clinching playoff spot
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March 17
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings have a magic number of 19 for clinching a playoff spot, and it's worth mentioning because in the past few seasons the only number relevant to them in March was tied to their elimination. Any combination of 19 points earned by the Kings or NOT earned by the ninth-place Calgary Flames will assure the Kings their first playoff berth since the 2001-02 season. Calgary, with 13 games left, has a maximum of 103 points; the Kings, who next face Chicago at Staples Center on Thursday, have 85 points. Nineteen would give them 104 and put them beyond the Flames' reach. Coach Terry Murray said the only number that concerned him is two — the number of points he hopes his team will earn on ..."
Kings interfered with in latest loss
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March 15
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Kings always lose to the Nashville Predators, but usually they don't have their collective heart ripped out in the process. That biting sense of injustice lingering in the Kings' locker room Sunday wasn't the Predators' fault, however. Blame it on two fateful interpretations of Rule 69 - interference on the goaltender - which turned a potential win into a 3-2 loss to Nashville in front of 18,118 at Staples Center. At 3:50 of the third period, the Kings' Justin Williams had a goal waved off when referee Dean Morton ruled that Ryan Smyth interfered with Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne on the play; replays showed Smyth's stick making incidental contact with Rinne's leg pads. Instead of a ..."
Calls don't go Kings' way in 3-2 loss to Predators
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March 15
Los Angeles Times
 
"For Ryan Smyth, it was like trying to explain the inexplicable. The best he could do was shrug, shake his head and offer a question of his own. "If it's goaltender interference, that's a penalty, right?" he said. "The guy should be in the box. That's what the rulebook says." But it's not what referee Dean Morton said. As a result, the Kings lost a go-ahead goal on a penalty that the officials said really wasn't a penalty but was called one anyway. And when Nashville scored minutes later on what the Kings said really was a penalty that wasn't called, the Predators skated out of Staples Center with a 3-2 win that left the home team's players with a foul taste in their mouths. "That's two ..."
Goalie Jonathan Bernier shakes off nerves in a hurry in Kings win over Stars
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March 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"Ignorance can be bliss - and an effective way to keep your blood pressure down during a game that dripped with playoff implications. Jonathan Bernier made four saves and got help from a post and the crossbar in a six-round shootout to lead the Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Friday, but not until afterward did Coach Terry Murray realize that his goalie, pressed into service after Jonathan Quick returned to Los Angeles for the birth of his daughter, was 0-5 in shootouts this season with Manchester of the American Hockey League. "Some things are best not known," Murray said, his comic timing as sharp as Bernier's reflexes were Friday at the American Airlines Center. Jarret ..."
Kings top Stars in shootout, 2-1
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March 13
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Stars fixed their defensive problems Friday night, but is it enough? Dallas closed down passing lanes, cleaned up the front of the net and held the Los Angeles Kings to 28 shots through 65 minutes at American Airlines Center. But the Kings' Jarret Stoll was the only scorer in the shootout, giving his team a 2-1 win. Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier, a 21-year-old called up from the American Hockey League and playing his first NHL game in two seasons, made 29 saves and stopped all six Stars in the shootout. "We did a lot of good things in the defensive zone," Stars coach Marc Crawford said. "We really protected well. We blocked a lot of shots, we were in lanes. They didn't get anything ..."
Jonathan Bernier to replace Jonathan Quick, who is with his wife for the birth of their first child
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March 12
Los Angeles Times
 
"Jonathan Bernier is likely to start in goal for the Kings on Friday night against the Stars while Jonathan Quick is in Los Angeles awaiting the birth of his first child, a girl. Quick left the team early Thursday after his wife, Jaclyn, went into labor. Bernier, who played four games with the Kings early in the 2007-08 season, was recalled from Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. He arrived in Dallas on Thursday night. Quick's backup, Erik Ersberg, hasn't played since Feb. 11, but Bernier played Wednesday and has a 26-18-5 record, 2.08 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and eight shutouts in 50 games. "I want to see him. I know he's had a great ..."
Now with Kings, Modin is on the right side in L.A.'s victory over Columbus
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March 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"Fredrik Modin didn't pass to the wrong jersey. The Kings' newest left wing did have to be careful, though. Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin, his teammate just a week ago, was closing in on Modin's new linemate, Wayne Simmonds, at the Kings' blue line. But Tyutin couldn't get a stick on Modin's long pass out of his own zone. Simmonds did while spinning and tracking down the puck as it caromed off the boards before finishing the solo breakaway for his 15 th goal of the season at 5:49 of the first period Monday. As symbolic moments go, you couldn't draw up a better one for two teams headed in opposite directions. Modin, thanks to a deadline-day trade with Columbus last Wednesday, ..."
Fredrik Modin savors Kings' 6-0 win over Columbus
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March 9
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliot
"When the Kings acquired forward Fredrik Modin from Columbus last Wednesday for a conditional seventh-round pick in the June draft, they never specified the condition. Here's the scoop: The Blue Jackets will get the pick if the Kings win the Stanley Cup but will get nothing if the Kings don't win Lord Stanley's trophy this season. The Kings probably won't have to surrender that pick. But they will have a shot in the playoffs -- and Modin will have the satisfaction of knowing his goal and assist in a 6-0 rout of his former team Monday at Staples Center helped carry the Kings closer to their first postseason berth since the 2001-02 season. Alexander Frolov scored a goal and tied a career high ..."
Kings broadcaster Bob Miller to miss more games because of shingles
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March 8
Los Angeles Times
 
"Broadcaster Bob Miller, who is in his 37th season as the voice of the Kings, will miss at least three games while he recovers from shingles, a painful rash on the body that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Miller, 71, missed the Kings' game against Montreal on Saturday, only the 18th broadcast he had missed and the first since Nov. 2, 2002. He will miss Monday's home game against Columbus and won't travel with the team for its game Wednesday at Chicago. He was not scheduled to call the Kings' game Friday at Dallas, which is on radio only."
Kings lose their second in a row
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March 7
Los Angeles Times
 
"Playing at home for the first time in three weeks, the Kings on Saturday did little to reward the 16th sellout crowd of what has been, to this point, a season of exceeded expectations. Unable to get their power play going -- and so vulnerable that they surrendered a short-handed goal to the Canadiens in the second period -- the Kings fell to Montreal, 4-2, at Staples Center. Coupled with their loss Thursday at Nashville, the Kings have lost consecutive games in regulation for the first time since Jan. 9-11. In winning the Canadiens vaulted into eighth in the East. The Kings remained fifth in the West but on tiebreakers: The Kings and Avalanche each have 80 points, but the Kings have more ..."
Kings start fast, then sputter in 4-2 loss to Nashville
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March 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"A fast start to Thursday night's game for the Kings quickly evaporated after goaltender Jonathan Quick misplayed a puck behind his net less than five minutes into the opening period. With their early momentum lost, the Kings could not recover and suffered a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Nashville Predators. Nashville has defeated the Kings six consecutive times, and in eight of their last nine meetings. The teams play twice more in March. The first minute of the game was all Kings. They registered four shots on Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne before the contest was a minute old. Alexander Frolov made that fourth shot count at the 54-second mark of the first. Jarret Stoll won a draw against ..."
Kings sign Schenn to three-year deal
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March 5
TSN.ca
 
"The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Brayden Schenn to a three-year entry level contract. Schenn, a first round draft pick (fifth overall) by the Kings in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, played in one game with the Kings this season after signing a One-Day Regular Season Amateur Tryout Agreement. He has 54 games under his belt this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League and leads his club with 85 points and 56 assists."
Lightning trades Jeff Halpern to Los Angeles Kings for Teddy Purcell
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March 4
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Lightning general manager Brian Lawton said his intention was to be a "buyer" at Wednesday's trade deadline. But after completing one deal by the 3 p.m. cutoff — acquiring left wing Teddy Purcell and a 2010 third-round draft choice from the Kings for center Jeff Halpern — Lawton characterized himself more as a smart shopper. "We're trying to do something to better ourselves in the short term but also trying to maintain our focus and discipline for the long term, and that's what we accomplished," he said. "We got younger. We got a little more skill. We added a draft pick for the future." But where was the pop, the sizzle, the puck-moving defenseman or the established scoring wing the team ..."
Kings acquire veterans, Ducks make five deals
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March 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"When the dust had settled on the NHL trade deadline Wednesday, with a record 31 deals involving 55 players complete, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi enjoyed the moment. "It's fun to improve your team," he said. "It's a subtle sign your franchise is getting better." The not-so-subtle sign is the Kings' 38-20-4 record, good for fourth in the Western Conference standings. The two trades Lombardi struck reflected a team gearing up for a playoff run, with the acquisition of veteran forwards Fredrik Modin and Jeff Halpern. The Kings got Modin from Columbus in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the June draft. The cost was greater for Halpern, for whom the Kings sent 24-year-old ..."
Kings acquire veterans Modin and Halpern
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March 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"When the dust had settled on the NHL trade deadline Wednesday, with a record 31 deals involving 55 players complete, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi enjoyed the moment. "It's fun to improve your team," he said. "It's a subtle sign your franchise is getting better." The not-so-subtle sign is the Kings' 38-20-4 record, good for fourth in the Western Conference standings. The two trades Lombardi struck reflected a team gearing up for a playoff run, with the acquisition of veteran forwards Fredrik Modin and Jeff Halpern. The Kings got Modin from Columbus in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the June draft. The cost was greater for Halpern, for whom the Kings sent 24-year-old ..."
Kings acquire Modin from Jackets
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March 3
TSN.ca
 
"The Los Angeles Kings have added some offensive punch as they have acquired Fredrik Modin from the Columbus Blue Jackets for future considerations. The 35-year old Modin, who has an Olympic gold medal and a Stanley Cup ring on his resume, has been limited to 24 games this season due to knee and foot injuries. He has two goals to go along with four assists."
Kings Acquire Halpern From Lightning For Purcell, Draft Pick
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March 3
TSN.ca
 
"The Los Angeles Kings have acquired veteran forward Jeff Halpern from the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 55 games this season, the 33-year old Halpern has nine goals and eight assists. In exchange for Halpern the Lightning get forward Ted Purcell and a third-round draft pick."
For Kings, it's probably no big deal
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March 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Kings have salary-cap space and, for the first time in years, have won enough games to be considered buyers as Wednesday's NHL trade deadline approaches. But Dean Lombardi is still maintaining his usual conservative approach when he scours the trade market. And this year, the Kings general manager said, "there's not a lot out there. "Everything we've done the last three, four years has been methodical," Lombardi said. "I had to make some adjustments - but there's clearly been a sense of direction. It makes no sense for me to go this far and do something out of character." So what kind of a trade would be in character for a team that sits in fifth place in the conference standings, and ..."
Avs take early break, fall to Kings
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February 14
Denver Post
 
"The anticlimactic feeling was tough to deny, no matter how many of the proper things were said by Avalanche players and coaches prior to Saturday's game with the Los Angeles Kings. Sure, the Avs had a game to play, one they wanted to win to maintain a first-place grip in their division. But in the back of everybody's mind was knowledge that today would be the first day of a two-week break for the Winter Olympics. Try as they did, an Avs team that looked tired and perhaps a little distracted lost a 3-0 decision to the Kings at the Staples Center. Former Av Brad Richardson's deflected shot past Craig Anderson gave the Kings a 1-0 lead after two periods, and the Avs flat-out mailed it in ..."
Johnson calls participation in Olympics opening ceremony 'coolest thing I've ever done'
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February 14
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kings defenseman Jack Johnson returned to Los Angeles about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, his whirlwind trip to Vancouver for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics leaving him both exhausted and inspired. "It was a great experience. Probably the coolest thing I've ever done," said Johnson, the first American NHL player to take part in the opening ceremony in Winter Olympics history. "It was worth every minute of it to get there. It was everything I thought it would be. And more." But making it there required some sacrifice -- and a good deal of planning. Less than seven hours after the Kings' shootout loss to Edmonton on Thursday, Johnson was heading to the airport for a two-hour charter ..."
Kings not expecting big deals
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February 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings made a roster move Friday, beating the league-mandated freeze on transactions by assigning rookie forward Scott Parse to Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey League. Although not a blockbuster move, it made a huge statement about how Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi sees his team. In his first three seasons as GM, Lombardi made major moves at the NHL trading deadline. Yes, there is still time to do that -- Friday's noon PST roster freeze expires when the Olympics ends, after which teams will have until noon PST March 3 to make a trade -- but the best deal for the Kings this year may prove to be no deal at all. "I'm done trading veterans for picks," Lombardi said. ..."
Jack Johnson wasn't going to miss this
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February 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"To march with Team USA on Friday in the opening ceremony, Kings defenseman Jack Johnson awoke at 5 a.m. on a day between games, jumped on a charter flight from LAX to Bellingham, Wash., and hired a car and driver for the 50-mile trip to Vancouver. Johnson wouldn't say what he paid to charter the six-seat plane for himself, his parents and his little brother. To him, the experience is priceless. "I had to take extreme measures to get here, but it was worth every bit of it," said Johnson, the lone NHL player in the procession. "To have the opportunity to walk alongside the Olympians from my country and walk in the opening ceremonies is something I will never forget, and there was no way I ..."
Smyth leads by example in Los Angeles
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February 12
Edmonton Journal
 
"Ryan Smyth, who has been a vagabond since 2007, when the Edmonton Oilers foolishly traded him in a war of wills over a fistful of dollars, has changed hockey sweaters three times in the three years. But, his style of play never changes. It's all about punching the clock, no shortcuts. "His work ethic is contagious ... our forwards can learn a ton from Smytty," said Los Angeles Kings defenceman Matt Greene, who was thrilled when his club got his old Oilers teammate from the Colorado Avalanche last July for Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing. So far, Smyth, who didn't play the two games at Rexall Place against his old club because he damaged some ribs, but scored the Kings' second goal on ..."
Oilers beat Kings in shootout
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February 12
Edmonton Journal
 
"The Edmonton Oilers are no longer the NHL's Road Worriers. Goalie Jeff Deslauriers stopped 41 shots over 65 minutes, and another seven in the 10-round shootout and former Los Angeles Kings defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky stuck it to his old team with a nifty winner on goalie Erik Ersberg as they ended a two-month, 11-game road losing streak with a 3-2 victory on Thursday night at Staples Center. The Oilers hadn't won away from Rexall Place since a Dec. 11 victory in St. Louis. They coughed up a two-goal lead midway through the third period playing not to lose rather than to win like all bad hockey teams. Dustin Brown and Ryan Smyth beat the overworked Deslauriers, but they still managed to ..."
Bruins withstand late Lightning rally
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February 12
Tampa Tribune
 
"Structure has been such a key component during the Lightning's run of success the past month as Tampa Bay has played strong within its system. On Thursday night, that structure crumbled to the ground for a 12-minute stretch that left Tampa Bay settled in behind Boston's dust. The Bruins scored four times in the first period, then held off a furious Tampa Bay rally for a 5-4 victory in the Lightning's final home game before the Olympic break. The loss drops Tampa Bay out of a playoff position, in ninth place behind Boston. Michael Ryder, who had one goal in his previous nine games, scored twice in a span of 1:35 in a first period in which Tampa Bay allowed a franchise-record 21 shots on ..."
Kings lose trade-off with Oilers
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February 12
L.A. Daily News
 
"Jarrett Stoll and Matt Greene were reminded sports is a business - as the clich goes - when they were traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Kings in June 2008 for Lubomir Visnovsky. But when they were reminded Thursday morning of their friends still playing in Edmonton and the Oilers' position at the bottom of the NHL standings, Stoll and Greene conjured up some sympathy often lost in the mire of business. "I know what type of character is over there," Stoll said. "You expect them to pull through. It's a tough climb, but hopefully they can dig themselves out a little bit and start winning some games." Greene added: "They'll pull through, I'm confident of that. They'll make the best of any ..."
Kings rally from 2-0 deficit, then fall in marathon shootout
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February 12
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kings Coach Terry Murray has made no secret of the fact he likes the makeup of his team. But he may want to reconsider just how much he likes it after Thursday's shootout loss to the hapless Edmonton Oilers. Sure, it came in dramatic fashion, at the end of a franchise-record 10-round shootout. But the game still ended with the Kings losing for the second time in as many games. For the Oilers, meanwhile, it was their first win on the road in two months. And it didn't come cheaply, with Edmonton playing as well as the Kings did poorly -- something the Staples Center sellout crowd of 18,118 began to recognize midway through the second period when it started booing the home team. The end came ..."
Stars acquire ex-King Brandon Segal
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February 12
Dallas Morning News
 
"The Stars on Thursday claimed right wing Brandon Segal off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. Segal (6-2, 209) brings size, a right-handed shot and solid all-around play, said Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk. "He's a good, solid player that [director of player personnel] Dave Taylor has seen a lot, so we decided we would take him," Nieuwendyk said. "He offers us a right-handed shot and adds to our depth.""
Ducks finally solve Kings
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February 9
Orange County Register
 
"There are enough things that challenge the flawed Ducks, but winning at home isn't one of them. Ten was the key number Monday night, and the Ducks' home winning streak reached that figure with 4-2 victory over the red-hot Kings at Honda Center as the Ducks kept their rivals from extending their club-record winning streak to 10."
Kings' winning streak ends at nine, thanks to Ducks
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February 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"There are few memorable, high-stakes games in the head-to-head history between the Ducks and Kings. The last one is usually the most memorable, and the Kings' victory last Thursday at Staples Center was no exception - except for the fact that, by beating the Ducks five days ago, the Kings tied a franchise record with eight straight wins. They were going for No. 10 on Monday at Honda Center when the Ducks chose to claim their first victory in the rivalry series this year, winning 4-2. For two teams that have never met in the playoffs, this is about as good as it gets. "The last couple times we've played (the Kings), we were on the second half of a back-to-back," Ducks head coach Randy ..."
One streak ends, another goes on
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February 9
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings' winning streak ended Monday at a club-record nine games, halted not by lack of effort but by a more desperate effort by the playoff long shot Ducks. It took every bit of determination the Ducks had to subdue the Kings, 4-2, at the Honda Center and set a record of their own with a 10-game home winning streak. It took Scott Niedermayer frantically batting the puck away from Dustin Brown while on his knees near the net midway through the third period. It took Corey Perry contributing a goal and two assists despite losing his center, Ryan Getzlaf, to a sprained ankle in the second period. It also took Teemu Selanne adding a goal and an assist and goaltender Jonas Hiller weathering a ..."
Kings leave an impression on Ducks
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February 8
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings' record nine-game winning streak is hardly news to the Ducks -- after all, they were victim No. 8. "They're a good hockey club that is rolling along, obviously, and yesterday was an example again, coming back from a 3-0 deficit," Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said Sunday, the day after the Kings rallied to beat Detroit, 4-3. "For them to come back and beat the Detroit Red Wings, that's no easy feat." The Kings -- who play the Ducks on Monday night in Anaheim -- have won six of their franchise-record nine in a row by comebacks, and six by a one-goal margin. Their record in one-goal games this season: 20-8-3. Their record when they take a lead into the third period: 22-0-0. "They play ..."
Kings rally for record win
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February 7
Los Angeles Times
 
"When the Kings stepped onto the ice at Staples Center on Saturday afternoon, they were greeted by a sellout crowd waving signs that read "We Believe." When they skated off 2 1/2 hours later, they left to a raucous standing ovation. But the big news is what happened in between, when the Kings rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-3, setting a franchise record with their ninth consecutive win. Which, according to Coach Terry Murray, is nothing more than a good start. "I know the [NHL's] undefeated record is 35 games," he said with a grin. "So we'll see." The Kings would have to go unbeaten into the postseason to match that record, set by the 1979-80 ..."
Young Kings have chance to make history
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February 6
Los Angeles Times
 
"The first Kings team to win eight consecutive games was a rugged fan favorite anchored by goalie Rogie Vachon and legendary defenseman Terry Harper. The second time it happened, the roster included future Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille. On Saturday afternoon at Staples Center, the current Kings have a chance to erase their predecessors from the record book by winning a franchise-best ninth in a row. But whether that will also win these Kings a special place in team lore may take longer to sort out. "We're trying to find out what kind of team we're going to be," said Kings Coach Terry Murray, whose squad faces the Detroit Red Wings in a 1 p.m. matinee. "We're very young. ..."
Kopitar leads Kings to franchise-best-tying eighth consecutive victory, defeating Ducks
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February 5
L.A. Daily News
 
"It's not quite the white elephant in the locker room. Touchy subjects usually aren't this cool. But the Kings aren't talking about their winning streak, now at eight games, tying a franchise record. That Thursday's 6-4 victory came against the rival Ducks merely had the announced crowd of 18,118 at Staples Center sitting closer to the edge of their seats. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar scored in the final six minutes of the third period to break a 4-4 tie, and lift the Kings to their third win in three games against their Southern California rivals. "It's definitely not how we wanted to win," said Kopitar, who finished with two goals and two assists, "but in the end we got two points that's ..."
Kings make it a great eight in a row, beat Ducks, 6-4
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February 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings were in the hunt for high-scoring winger Ilya Kovalchuk until almost the last minute, intrigued by what he could do for their power play but adamant that they wouldn't give up Dustin Brown, Wayne Simmonds and Jack Johnson -- or any two of that trio -- for a player who could walk away July 1. General Manager Dean Lombardi decided he would do better to look for a support player later and not tear his team apart to get Kovalchuk, and it was difficult to debate his choice Thursday. Brown, Simmonds and Johnson each scored a goal and Anze Kopitar had two goals and two assists in a wild 6-4 victory over the Ducks at Staples Center that gave the Kings a club-record-tying eighth ..."
Kings run winning streak to seven
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February 3
L.A. Daily News
 
"Not since the 1974-75 season have the Kings won as many as five consecutive games on the road, which they did last week to reach fifth place in the Western Conference. Tuesday's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers in front of 18,118 at Staples Center was their seventh straight - their longest since 1991 and one away from tying a franchise record. These are just two of the historic markers of success that have been threatened this season, and the Kings have been at this juncture before. Actually they've been better, rising all the way to the top of the Western Conference standings at one point in December. But their recent run bears a different meaning than anything they've achieved to this ..."
Kings game pinch-hits for a silent Frank McCourt
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February 3
Los Angeles Times
 columnist T.J. Simers
"I'm sorry, I really am, and that doesn't even begin to make amends for what I'm about to do to you. You deserve better, and it's too bad USC and UCLA have crummy basketball teams -- nothing to write there. The Lakers are off, the Clippers are away and Super Bowl media day is best covered by the media that is there. I had planned on better, a treat really for each and every one of you because Frank McCourt is talking again, making that announcement for some reason while I was on vacation. Saw it in the paper, though, the headline reading, "McCourt gets back in the game." It was such big news The Times had two reporters, Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin, write the story. You can imagine my ..."
Kings avoid getting comfortable at home, extend win streak to seven
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February 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"After sweeping a five-game trip, the Kings came home and played a perfect road game to earn their seventh straight victory. Playing their first game at Staples Center since Jan. 21, the Kings on Tuesday were energetic, patient and opportunistic against the New York Rangers, capitalizing on two key breaks to earn a 2-1 victory before an announced sellout crowd. "That was a real hard game with a tremendous effort," Coach Terry Murray said. "They understand their responsibility to come out and play hard." That they did, from start to nerve-wracking finish. Anze Kopitar scored a short-handed goal at 16:43 of the second period after Marian Gaborik made a bad pass in the Kings' zone, and Ryan ..."
Kings stun Devils with two goals inside final two minutes
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February 1
Bergen Record
 
"The ghosts of the frightening end to the Devils' 2008-09 season suddenly resurfaced at Prudential Center this weekend. Twice in less than 48 hours, the Devils gave up late goals to blow leads. They got away with it Friday against Toronto, but were not as fortunate Sunday as the Los Angeles Kings scored twice in the final 1:46 to pull out a 3-2 victory. "It stings any time you give up late goals, but when you can't recover and get the two points or even a point in overtime, then definitely it's a lot more disheartening," Mike Mottau said. The Devils led, 2-0, before Michal Handzus scored with 28.7 seconds remaining in the second period and still were up by one goal after failing to convert ..."
Kings score twice in final two minutes to hand NJ Devils 3-2 loss
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February 1
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The ghost of games blown in the final minutes or seconds of play is haunting the Devils again. That was how last season ended, and for those who endured the crushing Game 7 playoff loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on April 28, Sunday night's collapse against the Los Angeles Kings was a reminder that heartbreak is never very far away. "It's a confidence thing. I think we're not playing as well, so definitely when you get into that situation everyone starts squeezing (their sticks) a little more because we don't feel comfortable being in these situations," goalie Martin Brodeur said. "When you play well, you do good things. When you're not doing as well, it seems bad bounces happen ..."
Kings enjoy the perfect ending against the Devils
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February 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings began this journey with a comeback win against Detroit and ended it with comeback wins at Boston and New Jersey, taking home their first-ever perfect record on a five-game trip and much, much more. "This game today, I think, was a real good look at the type of team we're starting to become," Coach Terry Murray said after Wayne Simmonds and Drew Doughty scored on Martin Brodeur in the last two minutes Sunday to lift the Kings to a 3-2 victory over the stunned Devils and win for the eighth time in nine games. "A lot of character, big heart, never gave up. It looked at times like it was slipping big-time on us and just to dig in in the third period and find a way to get it done was ..."
Kings score twice in final 1:46 to stun New Jersey
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February 1
New York Post
 
"A moment after Jacques Lemaire answered his last question, the emergency alarm went off. It was completely appropriate after last night's 106-second collapse. After breaking up his new ZZZ Line in the third period for the second straight game, just before the Devils fell apart each time, Jacques Lemaire says he's dismantling it for keeps tomorrow night in Toronto. Where he gets offense will be the question. The threesome of Dainius Zubrus, who will center another line, Zach Parise and Travis Zajac accounted for five goals in their parts of two games together, and had a hand in one of the other two New Jersey scored. But that's tomorrow. Today, after losing 3-2 to the Kings in Newark last ..."
Devils fall to Los Angeles Kings, 3-2, after letting up goal with under two minutes left
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February 1
New York Daily News
 
"Two day after giving up two late third-period goals before rallying to beat the Maple Leafs in overtime, the Devils had another collapse in the waning minutes yesterday - and this time there was no way to bounce back. Wayne Simmonds scored the tying goal for the Los Angeles Kings with 1:46 left, and Drew Doughty beat Martin Brodeur on a slap shot with 27.3 seconds to go, sending the Devils to a 3-2 loss at the Rock in Newark. "It's tough, in back-to-back games we are losing our lead," said Brodeur, who made his 33rd consecutive start. "We had our chances. We had two big power plays in the third and didn't do anything with them and left them hanging around. "We paid the price tonight." The ..."
Brodeur and Devils Are Tired Out by Kings
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February 1
New York Times
 
"Long after the Los Angeles Kings swarmed defenseman Drew Doughty, celebrating his last-minute goal and an improbable comeback Sunday, Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur was asked to recount what he saw on the play. He said softly that he did not see much of anything. Brodeur said he was screened on both of the Kings' goals in the final 1 minute 46 seconds as the Devils stumbled and lost to Los Angeles, 3-2, before a capacity crowd of 17,625 at Prudential Center that was set to salute them for a hard-earned victory. But the Devils (35-17-2) lost for the seventh time in 10 games - and for the first time in 25 games this season when leading after two periods - and Brodeur found himself ..."
Kings get away clean with 3-2 win in Boston
Comment
January 31
Los Angeles Times
 
"In other seasons the Kings probably would have lost this game. They would have been swamped by Boston's second-period push, and their penalties -- including 19 minutes against Wayne Simmonds for avenging Mark Stuart's hard but clean hit on Anze Kopitar -- would have halted their momentum. On Saturday, as has happened so often this season, the Kings took another significant step forward in their evolution. Despite falling behind early in the third period, they earned a 3-2 victory over Boston in a six-round shootout at TD Garden, extending their winning streak to five games and rising to fifth in the West in a game that featured a lot of grit and a dose of larceny. Asked if the Kings had ..."