Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Kings penalty-killing unit finds success

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November 7

Los Angeles Times

"After the Kings began the season with a four-for-11 effort in penalty kills in their first three games, defenseman Sean O'Donnell thought the team's unit was, as he put it, "behind the 8-ball." The picture looks much different now. "We were in decent position, but we just weren't mentally there," O'Donnell said after practice Friday in El Segundo. "We were in the right position, but our stick wasn't on the ice, or our stick was here instead of being here. Just little tweaks, and I think we've done a good job with attention to detail." The Kings enter Saturday's game at Staples Center against the Nashville Predators (6-7-1) with an 88.8% clip in penalty kills (24 of 27) in their last eight ..."

Ducks are struggling to find their rhythm

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November 7

Los Angeles Times

"Optimism -- of the cautious variety -- could be heard in the Ducks' dressing room after practice at Anaheim Ice on Friday, the day after a 4-0 shutout of Nashville. "We're still not a winning team," said winger Bobby Ryan, who has four goals in the last five games. "That pressure is not going away until we right the ship." Teemu Selanne, the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer whose eight goals rank second on the team to Corey Perry's 10, said the Ducks' 2-1-1 record in the last four games is a start after falling into last place in the Pacific Division. "This game is all about confidence," Selanne said. "We've gotten confidence the last four games. We played pretty good. We all know we can ..."

Kings win battle of the best

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November 6

Los Angeles Times

"As much as Kings Coach Terry Murray had insisted his team's game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday would not measure anything, it could become a pivotal moment in a season that is crystallizing into something very, very interesting. The Cup isn't won in November, but the Kings' performance in rallying for four goals in the third period of a stunning 5-2 victory at Staples Center indicated they are not intimidated by anyone, even a team that knows what it takes to be the last team standing in June. "They're the defending Stanley Cup champions, they were 7-0 on the road," Dustin Brown said. "But I think it's more about what we did than anything they ..."

Penguins royally flushed by Kings in third period

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November 6

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Their expectations are so high that a loss like this one will really stick. That is the reality of life for the Penguins, who were stunned by a four-goal flurry from the Los Angeles Kings in just over 11 third-period minutes Thursday night, leading to a 5-2 defeat at Staples Center. "We are pretty bothered," Penguins winger Craig Adams said of his club's first road loss in eight games and their only failure to protect a third-period lead in nine contests. "This team wants to win every night, expects to win every night." Goals by Kings centers Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll and Michal Handzus were scored in a span of roughly six minutes, and winger Dustin Brown finished the frenzy late. ..."

Penguins fall in Los Angeles

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November 6

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"This was such foreign territory that it stung just that much more. The Penguins had not given up more than four goals in a game before last night. Then they lost, 5-2, to the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center. The Penguins had not lost through their first seven road games. Then they fell to 7-1 away from Mellon Arena, missing a chance to set a club record for consecutive wins away from home. They had not lost in regulation in 20 games under coach Dan Bylsma when they led after two periods. Then they squandered a 2-1 lead and watched the Kings score four times in the third period, including the second goal of the game by NHL leading scorer Anze Kopitar."

Rob Scuderi, Kings have royal opportunity against Penguins

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November 5

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Rob Scuderi knows what his upstart Los Angeles Kings can gain tonight against the Penguins at Staples Center. "Every team in the NHL is trying to be the Penguins; ultimately, you look at them and see what you can become," the Kings' defenseman said Wednesday of a showdown between his club - third in the Western Conference (9-4-2, 20 points) - and the Penguins, who are 7-0-0 on the road and own the NHL's best overall mark (12-3-0, 24 points). "I'm looking forward to seeing how we respond." So are many hockey observers that have compared these Kings to the 2006-07 Penguins that went from talked-about youngsters to playoff-bound Cup contenders. Scuderi, nicknamed "The Piece" by Penguins ..."

Defenseman Drewiske rates very highly

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November 4

Los Angeles Times

"For someone who views plus/minus ratings with what he says "a grain of salt," Kings defenseman Davis Drewiske maintains he also doesn't think much of his own mark. He held a team-leading plus-10 rating that also tied for third in the NHL with Washington's Alex Ovechkin, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Colorado's Ryan O'Reilly through Monday's games. Yet, Drewiske says the rating is "more of an indication our team is playing well." The Kings and Drewiske agreed last month to a three-year contract extension worth $600,000 annually, and Kings Coach Terry Murray says the defenseman has "got a nice upside to his game." Murray also likes Drewiske's size (he's listed at 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds), ..."

Coyotes let win slip away vs. Kings

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November 3

Arizona Republic

"A game that a home team should win: leading by two goals with time running out in the second period. It all boiled down to poor execution for the Coyotes on Monday night. They had their 10th win of the season in sight but were not able to maintain momentum in the final period and dropped a 5-3 decision to the Los Angeles Kings in front of 5,855 at Jobing.com Arena. "Tonight, we just weren't very good," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "Right from theof the puck it was disappointing." The Coyotes (9-5) had a three-game winning streak snapped and lost for only the third time in the past 10 games. The Kings, another NHL surprise this season, improved to 9-4-2. Overcoming a ragged first ..."

Kings rally to beat Coyotes, 5-3

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November 3

Los Angeles Times

"Drew Doughty scored the go-ahead goal with 4:51 remaining and the Kings rallied to beat the Phoenix Coyotes, 5-3, on Monday night. Ryan Smyth scored twice, Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists, and Justin Williams also scored for the Kings, who won for the first time in five games this season when down after two periods. The Kings ended a two-game losing streak. Shane Doan, Martin Hanzal and Scott Upshall scored for the Coyotes, who saw their three-game winning streak ended. Upshall had given Phoenix a 3-1 at 14:44 of the second period, taking a backhand pass from Robert Lang and sliding the puck between Jonathan Quick's pads. But then the Kings stormed back for their first win in three ..."

Safety first nets Canucks 2-1 shootout win over Kings

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October 30

Vancouver Province

"Monty Python made dismemberment fun with the Black Knight character who guards a tiny bridge for unknown reasons. As his limbs are hacked off one by one, he claims invincibility. It's absurd. So too now is the Canucks' injury situation. It is as ridiculous as the Holy Grail, but without any of the fun. Alex Bolduc became the tenth Canuck this season — remember, it's just four weeks old — to be felled by injury. He left the ice in Thursday's second period with his arm lifelessly dangling. When it was over, his arm was in a sling. You can probably count him out for Friday night. The injury bug is so bad it's making H1N1 look good. Even the injury replacements are getting hurt. Of course, the ..."

Canucks winger Michael Grabner catches up with an old foe, Anze Kopitar

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October 30

Vancouver Sun

"Thursday night's game was only his eighth in the NHL, but in one respect it felt just like old times for Vancouver Canuck winger Michael Grabner. There he was, out on the ice again with Anze Kopitar. Grabner and Kopitar grew up less than an hour from one another. Grabner hails from Villach, Austria, while Kopitar was raised in Jesinice, Slovenia. Their respective minor-hockey teams played one another several times each season. "I played against him my whole life growing up," Grabner said before the Canucks met the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. "We started playing each other when we were seven or eight and that continued until when we were 14 and he went to play in Sweden." They ..."

Canucks beat Kings 2-1 in a shootout

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October 30

Vancouver Sun

"he Vancouver Canucks warned it might not be pretty and it wasn't. But in the end, it was a win and that's all that really mattered. Artistic merit be damned. The Canucks got Life Without Luongo off to a positive start Thursday night with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings before an announced crowd of 16,838 at the Staples Center. Ryan Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson scored on Kings' goalie Jonathan Quick in the shootout. Jack Johnson was the only King to beat Vancouver goalie Andrew Raycroft, who was making his first start of the season. Samuelsson beat Quick with a deke to his backhand for the shootout winner. He also scored Vancouver's only goal of the game. Raycroft was ..."

Kings struggle in shootout for second night, lose, 2-1, to Vancouver

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October 30

Los Angeles Times

"Holding a good opponent to one goal but losing a shootout became repetitive for the Kings, who came out on the short end of a 2-1 loss after the NHL's entertaining but absurd tiebreaking procedure for the second straight night. Mikael Samuelsson, who scored Vancouver's only goal in the first 65 minutes, beat Jonathan Quick on a backhander in the third round of the skills contest to give the Canucks the victory Thursday at Staples Center. It came 24 hours after the Kings fell to the Sharks in the tiebreaker at San Jose. "I hate the shootout," Kings Coach Terry Murray said, a mantra he repeated several times. "It's a useless part of the game. . . . Boy, do I hate it." It's good for the ..."

Flyers lose defenseman Jones to Kings

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October 30

Philadelphia Inquirer

"The Flyers tried to push defenseman Randy Jones through reentry waivers, but one of his former coaches wouldn't let it happen. Jones, 28, was claimed yesterday by the Los Angeles Kings, whose head coach, Terry Murray, was a Flyers assistant in charge of the defense when Jones was part of the team. The Kings and Flyers will share Jones' $2.75 million cap hit - $1.375 million apiece. Jones spent parts of five seasons with the Flyers and is in the final year of a two-year, $5.5 million deal. "He certainly would have helped us," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "That's the risk you take, and what are you going to do?" Holmgren said the Flyers had talked to a few other teams to get a ..."

Kings pick up defenseman Randy Jones off waivers

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October 30

Philadelphia Daily News

"WE KNOW THE Flyers are willing to roll the dice.You simply need to glance at the Flyers' net and see Ray Emery to know that. They are never hesitant to spend the money necessary - and bump against the upper limit of the NHL's rigid salary cap - to try to win their first Stanley Cup since 1975.That much is a positive.But the Flyers rolled their first "7" of the season yesterday when they lost defenseman Randy Jones to the Los Angeles Kings on re-entry waivers. It was a significant hit to their chip stack.They now have to eat half of Jones' $2.75 million cap hit, splitting the cost with LA."I knew that teams would have an interest in Randy," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "We ..."

Clowe lifts Sharks in shootout

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October 29

San Jose Mercury News

"Ryane Clowe is still looking for his first goal of the season, but that didn't stop Sharks coach Todd McLellan from sending him out in the sixth round of a shootout Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings. In that high-pressure situation, Clowe delivered, lifting a backhand shot past Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. And when Evgeni Nabokov stopped Los Angeles center Jarret Stoll at the other end of the ice, the Sharks skated off with a 2-1 victory that put them in a tie with the Kings at the top of the Pacific Division. McLellan said the coaching staff had been trying a lot of different ways to get Clowe into the scoring column — and using him in the shootout was another. "We've tried ..."

Kings and Kopitar hit on winning combination

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October 29

Los Angeles Times

"It's too early in the season to dream too big and these are the Kings, after all, masters of selling hope, if nothing else. But it's impossible not to be impressed that they are leading the Pacific Division and that center Anze Kopitar is leading the NHL in scoring, and neither of those feats would be possible without the other. Kopitar, in his fourth season and still awaiting his first playoff experience, has 10 goals and 21 points in 12 games. Drawn away from the fringes and into the action by linemate Ryan Smyth, who has made a living creating and potting rebounds in the trenches around the net, Kopitar has produced grand results. The 22-year-old Slovenian has been held scoreless only ..."

Kings and Kopitar hit on winning combination

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October 28

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"It's too early in the season to dream too big and these are the Kings, after all, masters of selling hope, if nothing else. But it's impossible not to be impressed that they are leading the Pacific Division and that center Anze Kopitar is leading the NHL in scoring, and neither of those feats would be possible without the other. Kopitar, in his fourth season and still awaiting his first playoff experience, has 10 goals and 21 points in 12 games. Drawn away from the fringes and into the action by linemate Ryan Smyth, who has made a living creating and potting rebounds in the trenches around the net, Kopitar has produced grand results. The 22-year-old Slovenian has been held scoreless only ..."

Rob Scuderi fined for low hit on Columbus winger

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October 27

Los Angeles Times

"Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi was fined an undisclosed amount by the NHL on Monday for his low hit on Columbus' Jason Chimera on Sunday at Staples Center. Scuderi wasn't suspended for the hit, which occurred during the first period and wasn't penalized by the on-ice officials. The NHL reviews debatable plays and can impose a fine or suspension. Scuderi crouched before hitting Chimera at or below the right knee as Chimera skated up the right side, sending the Blue Jackets' winger tumbling head over heels. Chimera hit his head on the ice and reopened a cut above his right eye, but returned to the game. Colin Campbell, the NHL's senior executive vice president of hockey operations and chief ..."

Kings win fourth in a row

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October 26

Los Angeles Times

"Relying on their offense and special teams, the Kings rolled to their fourth victory in a row, beating Columbus, 6-2, for their best start since the 2005-06 season. The Kings' offense was led by Anze Kopitar and Alexander Frolov, who had two goals each and are part of a unit that leads the league in goals scored (43) through 12 games. The Kings' special teams were two for four on power plays and three for four on penalty kills. Kings Coach Terry Murray said the special-teams unit is "getting better." "That helps you get where you want to go as far as a structure and a system," Murray said. "Moving your feet and getting things going in the other zone, we're starting to figure that part ..."

Contracts for goalie Jonathan Quick, defenseman Davis Drewiske

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October 24

Los Angeles Times

"The morning after he allowed the Dallas Stars to score three third-period goals on seven shots, Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick on Friday acknowledged, "I wasn't happy with my performance at all." The Kings' 5-4 overtime victory Thursday night helped ease the pain, though. Getting a three-year contract extension worth $1.8 million a season, which was announced Friday, probably helped too. "I don't want to look down on it too much because we were able to get the two points," he said at the team's practice facility in El Segundo. Kings Coach Terry Murray unequivocally called Quick "our No. 1 goaltender" and said there would be no splitting time with backup Erik Ersberg in the team's games ..."

Dallas Stars' latest thrill ride ends in 5-4 OT loss

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October 23

Dallas Morning News

"The Dallas Stars have moved on from the roller coaster and seem to be trying out new amusement park rides every night. It was like they jumped from the Tilt-a-Whirl to the Salt-and-Pepper Shaker on Thursday, falling behind 4-1, mounting a three-goal comeback in the third period and eventually walking out of Staples Center with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings. It was a game rife with mistakes and spectacular plays, and it leaves Dallas at 4-2-4, good for 12 points after 10 games. They are third in the Pacific Division, behind Phoenix's 12 points in eight games and the Kings' 12 points (and six wins) in 10 games. But, just as important, it leaves the Stars with quite a bit of ..."

Handzus wins it for Kings in OT

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October 23

Los Angeles Times

"It shouldn't have been this difficult. But these are the Kings, after all, and no gain comes easily to them. Michal Handzus' shot from just above the left circle 55 seconds into overtime gave the Kings a 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday, allowing them to save face after losing a three-goal lead in the third period. It also allowed them to more enthusiastically enjoy Anze Kopitar's first career hat trick, which he had completed in the second period. Yet, they couldn't forgive themselves for a rally by a Dallas team that was playing its second game in two nights. "Games like that can't happen for this team," Dustin Brown said. "That's why we went through all those learning ..."

Kings face former coach Crawford tonight

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October 22

L.A. Daily News

"Marc Crawford was asked Wednesday about Jamie Benn, the latest 20-year-old wunderkind to come into his stable, and the compliments began to flow until they bordered on gushing. You can bet Benn reminded the Dallas Stars' new head coach, at least in some way, of someone he recently saw in a Kings uniform. From 2006-08, Crawford coached a Kings team whose best players were younger than 25. He was fired after compiling a 59-84-21 record, missing the playoffs both seasons and missing out on some of the best years of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov, Patrick O'Sullivan, Mike Cammalleri, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick's careers. But if the experience left a bad taste in Crawford's ..."

Frolov is back in the Kings' lineup

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October 22

Los Angeles Times

"After taking the surprising step Monday of scratching a healthy Alexander Frolov from the Kings' game at Dallas, Kings Coach Terry Murray said he left "an opening in the door" for Frolov to return. "And that was whenever you're ready to come back, knock on my door come in and sit down and look me in the eye and talk to me and tell me you're ready to get going and play the game that I know you're capable of bringing," Murray said, "and that's what happened here this morning." Murray reinstated Frolov for Thursday night's game against Dallas at Staples Center but in a new spot. Frolov, who has only one goal after scoring a team-high 32 last season, will flank Michal Handzus and Dustin Brown. ..."

Kings end three-game losing streak by beating Stars, 4-1

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October 20

Los Angeles Times

"Ryan Smyth had a power-play goal and two assists, Justin Williams added a goal and an assist, and the road-weary Kings ended a losing streak at three games with a 4-1 victory against the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds scored, and Jonathan Quick made 29 saves as the Kings wrapped up a season-long, six-game trip. Kings Coach Terry Murray gave his team the day off Sunday to rest about a dozen players recovering from cases of flu picked up during the nine-day trip that included stops along the East Coast and through the Midwest. The Kings (5-4-0) scored three straight goals in the second period while outshooting the Stars, 18 to four."

Murray sends message to young Kings by sitting star winger Frolov

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October 20

Los Angeles Times

"It wasn't one terrible pass in a loss at Columbus that led Kings Coach Terry Murray to scratch a healthy Alexander Frolov from the lineup Monday at Dallas. It was the conviction a message had to be sent that the Kings, still learning how to win and accelerate an eternal rebuilding process, cannot accept less than a total commitment from every player in every game. That was paramount, no matter that they had a three-game losing streak and Frolov had led the team in goal scoring three times. And it's a conviction shared by General Manager Dean Lombardi. "It's not a player making a physical mistake. It borders on not caring and that's not tolerable," Lombardi said by phone Monday. "And what ..."

Los Angeles Kings dominate second period in 4-1 win over Dallas Stars

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October 20

Dallas Morning News

"If the Stars learned anything Monday, it's that the trek through the Pacific Division isn't going to be easy. Starting a run of three games against divisional foes, Dallas had a horrendous second period and lost a 4-1 game to the Los Angeles Kings at American Airlines Center. "This is a league where all 30 teams are going to be tough, where you can beat the best team and get beat by any other team on any given night, and we have to realize that," said center Mike Ribeiro. "We had a great start, and we were good at the end, but you can't just go to sleep for 10 or 15 minutes like we did. You can't do that and expect to win." The Stars were playing without four injured players - Brad ..."

Jackets extend their hottest start

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October 18

Columbus Dispatch

"Playing with two of their top four defensemen out of the lineup and their top two lines sporadically effective might require the Blue Jackets to win ugly for the next little while. But, really, in the midst of the best start in franchise history, who cares about style points? Rick Nash's short-handed goal early in the third period was a glimpse of skill and finish last night, and it propelled the Blue Jackets to a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings before 15,251 in Nationwide Arena. Jason Chimera, Raffi Torres and Jake Voracek (empty-netter) also scored for the Blue Jackets, and goaltender Steve Mason had 27 saves. "It's extremely huge the way these guys are stepping up right now," Mason ..."

Jackets-Kings preview

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October 17

Columbus Dispatch

"The series The Blue Jackets are 16-14-1-1 against the Kings, including 10-5-0-1 in Nationwide Arena. This is the first of four meetings this season. The setup Without defensemen Mike Commodore (groin) and Jan Hejda (sprained knee), the Blue Jackets face a stern test against the energetic Kings forwards. The Blue Jackets are 5-1-1 at home against the Kings dating to the 2005-06 season. This is the fifth stop on a six-game trip for the Kings. Since opening with wins over the Blues and Islanders, they've lost to the Rangers and Red Wings."

Red Wings 5, Kings 2: Nicklas Lidstrom notches his 1,000th point

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October 16

Detroit News

"It took about half a period, but Detroit finally shook off whatever cobwebs lingered from their horrendous night in Buffalo on Tuesday and, behind a milestone night for captain Nick Lidstrom and a lot of help from goalie Chris Osgood, beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 on Thursday. The Wings got goals from Jonathan Ericsson, Tomas Holmstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Kirk Maltby and an empty-net goal by Brian Rafalski. And with two assists on the night, Lidstrom became the eighth defenseman in NHL history to amass 1,000 points. He was given a long standing ovation and a video tribute during a television timeout. The Wings are 21-2 against the Kings dating to 2002, 11-1 at Joe Louis Arena. Besides ..."

Wings' Pavel Datsyuk won't play vs. Kings

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October 15

Detroit News

"Pavel Datsyuk (upper-body injury) will not play against Los Angeles on Thursday night, and the Red Wings are listing him as day-to-day. He did not take part in the morning skate, nor was he available for comment. Without Datsyuk, coach Mike Babcock has had to redraw the lines, again. Here's how they will go Thursday: Dan Cleary-Henrik Zetterberg-Todd Bertuzzi Ville Leino-Valtteri Filppula-Jason Williams Kirk Maltby-Kris Draper-Tomas Holmstrom Darren Helm-Justin Abdelkader-Patrick Eaves "What happens when you are short-staffed is that everybody has to grind it out and you find a way to win," Babcock said, adding that his top guns have to start firing, namely Zetterberg. Zetterberg has yet ..."

Vinny Prospal's two goals lift the New York Rangers over the Los Angeles Kings, 4-2

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October 15

New York Daily News

"You won't find any argument from the Rangers that they were outworked and on their heels Wednesday night, easily the second-best team on the ice. But you also won't find any Rangers apologizing for taking the two points. The Rangers won again, this time with a recipe they may call upon again this season when their game isn't quite there: throw a couple world-class players in the mix and watch the dough rise. They leaned on Henrik Lundqvist more than they had all season, and their franchise goaltender made 34 saves while Marian Gaborik capped a dynamic night with a goal that would warm any sniper's heart, snapping one in 4:22 into the third period to send the Blueshirts on their way to ..."

Gaborik, Rangers top Kings for 6th straight

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October 15

New York Post

"It's Alex Rodriguez up at the plate, Peyton Manning in the pocket, Kobe Bryant with the ball in his hands. It's Marian Gaborik with the puck on his stick. Playing their third game at the Garden in four nights, the Rangers were pinned in their own end much of the night by the quicker Kings, but they entered the third with a 3-2 lead on the strength of two more power-play goals, their eighth and ninth in six games. Yet just as it appeared that the ship was sinking, there was Gaborik receiving a headman feed from Vinny Prospal and gliding in on the left side before ripping one upstairs to beat Erik Ersberg at 4:22 on the Blueshirts' only credited shot of the period to give his team breathing ..."

Kings can't finish the job in loss to Rangers

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October 15

Los Angeles Times

"Sure the NHL's Pacific Division standings look a little odd right now, what with the Kings in first place and all. But Kings fans might want to enjoy it while they can. Because while the team's climb was hardly a fluke -- they beat two of last year's playoff teams during the four-game winning streak that carried them to the top of the division -- in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers, they showed they haven't completely put last season's last-place finish behind them. That was evident in a mistake-filled third period in which the Kings outshot the Rangers, 10-1, but had trouble handling the puck and failed to take advantage of three power plays. If that's the bad news, though, ..."

Kings' Streak Ends as Rangers Stretch Theirs to Six

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October 15

New York Times

"The Rangers passed a stern test at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, stretching their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory against the stubborn Los Angeles Kings. Vinny Prospal struck twice, Brian Boyle, a former King, scored the decisive goal and Marian Gaborik notched his sixth of the season. All of Gaborik's goals have come in the third period. He and Prospal are tied for second in the league with 10 points each, two behind Alex Ovechkin. Gaborik's goal Wednesday night was the Rangers' only shot in the final period, when they were outshot by 10-1 as the Kings racked up a 36-21 overall shooting advantage. "We just couldn't catch up to them," Rangers Coach John ..."

Los Angeles Kings keep New York Islanders winless with 2-1 victory

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October 13

New York Daily News

"Four games into the season and the young Islanders are still looking for their first win. After one overtime loss and two shootout losses to start the season, the Islanders were beaten, 2-1, in regulation bu the Kings in a Columbus Day matinee in front of 12,145 at Nassau Coliseum Monday. "It's four games now, one-goal games, that's the difference in the league," Islander goalie Martin Biron said. "We're finding that out the hard way." Yesterday, the Islanders gave up a power-play goal in the second period and never seemed to recover. "We got lazy," Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. "We had a pretty good first period and a pretty good third period, but we took a lot of shortcuts in ..."

Season finally starts for Kings' Sean O'Donnell

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October 9

Los Angeles Times

"Before he stepped on the ice, Kings defenseman Sean O'Donnell compared his mind-set to that of a "kid being on timeout." That's because O'Donnell played in his first regular season game Thursday in the Kings' 6-3 victory over Minnesota at Staples Center after serving a five-game suspension for cross-checking the New York Islanders' Matt Martin in an exhibition game. In a game where he finished with a plus-1 rating and two penalties, O'Donnell described his play as "OK." "I'd like to have a couple pucks back," he said. "I gave it away a couple times. Little things, but I think that's to be expected. As far as it being my first game when everybody had two or three to play, I was pretty ..."

Kings defeat Minnesota, 6-3, but struggle with penalty killing

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October 9

Los Angeles Times

"Last season, the Kings were one of the league's worst teams at scoring while playing five-on-five and one of the best teams at killing penalties. They've reversed those habits this season, a pattern they reinforced Thursday by scoring five times at even strength and giving up two power-play goals in a 6-3 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Staples Center. Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams contributed four goals and nine points as the Kings (2-1-0) extended their winning streak against their conference rival to five games. That line was superb, scoring off the rush, by going to the net and on a power play at 11:02 of the third period when Smyth's centering pass deflected off ..."

This time, a three-goal deficit is too much

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October 9

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"It's probably not the best recipe for success anyway, but the Wild discovered Thursday night you can't spot both SoCal teams three-goal leads and expect to win. Trying to repeat history two days after rallying to beat Anaheim, the Wild was unable to stage a similar comeback on the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. The Wild, eventually losing 6-3, tried though. Trailing 3-0 after one period and 4-1 in the second period, the Wild got second-period power-play goals from Martin Havlat and Nick Schultz and a third-period goal from Kim Johnsson to cut the deficit to 4-3 with 13 1/2 minutes left. But the Kings, who coughed up a 4-0 lead Tuesday against San Jose before eventually winning, ..."

Kings defeat Minnesota, 6-3, but struggle with penalty killing

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October 9

Los Angeles Times

"Last season, the Kings were one of the league's worst teams at scoring while playing five-on-five and one of the best teams at killing penalties. They've reversed those habits this season, a pattern they reinforced Thursday by scoring five times at even strength and giving up two power-play goals in a 6-3 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Staples Center. Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams contributed four goals and nine points as the Kings (2-1-0) extended their winning streak against their conference rival to five games. That line was superb, scoring off the rush, by going to the net and on a power play at 11:02 of the third period when Smyth's centering pass deflected off ..."

Sharks come back from four-goal deficit but lose to Kings

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October 7

Oakland Tribune

"Coach Todd McLellan didn't know which Sharks team would show up Tuesday night - the "slow and sloppy" one that lost to Colorado or the "fast one that executed well'' in dismantling Anaheim. Turns out he got both. The Sharks looked terrible in the first half of the game, falling behind 4-0 before four San Jose power-play goals evened things up with a little more than five minutes left to play - only to have the Kings score two more and come away with a 6-4 victory. For McLellan, the bad definitely outweighed the good. "We're not going to win games giving up six goals," he began. "We're not going to win games not scoring five-on-five. We're not going to win games with goaltending like that. ..."

Sharks rally from four goals down, but fall to Kings

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October 7

San Jose Mercury News

"Coach Todd McLellan didn't know which Sharks team would show up Tuesday night — the "slow and sloppy" one that lost to Colorado or the "fast one that executed well" in dismantling Anaheim. Turns out he got both. The Sharks looked terrible in the first half of the game, falling behind 4-0 before four San Jose power-play goals evened things up with a little more than five minutes left to play — only to see the Kings score two more and come away with a 6-4 victory. For McLellan, the bad definitely outweighed the good. "We're not going to win games giving up six goals," he began. "We're not going to win games not scoring five on five. We're not going to win games with goaltending like that. ..."

Kings almost let a big one get away

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October 7

Los Angeles Times

"Teddy Purcell had the right idea. "The nice plays weren't going in," he said, so he simply threw the puck in front of the net and hoped for an ugly goal. And got it. His sharp-angled shot glanced off Thomas Greiss' pad and between the San Jose goalie's legs with 5:10 left in the third period Tuesday, ending the Sharks' four-goal comeback and lifting the Kings to their first victory of the season. Their 6-4 triumph wasn't one for the textbooks -- the Sharks scored four times on the power play -- but it was their first and that was enough. "It's a win, and I thought it was a good game," Anze Kopitar said. "We were shooting the puck a lot: My shot from way out went in and Teddy got one from ..."

Sharks' Rob Blake admires Kings' team

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October 6

Los Angeles Times

"Rob Blake was frustrated after the top-seeded San Jose Sharks were upset by the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs last spring. The way he and his teammates are handling it suggests they're ready to shed the tag of being postseason flops. "The anger part is going to be there, but this falls directly on our shoulders," the veteran defenseman said Monday before the Sharks flew to Los Angeles to face the Kings tonight at Staples Center. "It's not often you play on a Presidents' trophy team. You think you're going to have a good run in the playoffs after you have that type of regular season. You don't get those kinds of chances all the time."

Kings' bad loss exposes myriad problems

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October 5

Los Angeles Times

"It's understandable that Kings defenseman Alec Martinez was nervous in his NHL debut Saturday against Phoenix. It's beyond comprehension why franchise defenseman Drew Doughty played the worst game of his NHL career and the team imploded in a season-opening 6-3 loss at Staples Center. Coach Terry Murray said Sunday he might replace Martinez with Peter Harrold on Tuesday against San Jose because he didn't like the defense pairings and "passes that were bobbled and kind of end up being soft plays that were turnovers coming back at us." Or he might continue to mix the pairs, as he did in mid-game. Fixing the other problems could be more difficult."

Murray says Jonathan Quick's status won't change after loss

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October 5

Los Angeles Times

"In what eventually became a Kings' 6-3 season-opening loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, Coach Terry Murray says he never considered pulling goalie Jonathan Quick. "I had no thoughts on that," he said. "He's our No. 1 guy going in from the start here. Sometimes you have to work your way through things." Quick was named the team's starting goaltender after coming off a rookie season featuring a 2.48 goals against average and a .914 save percentage in 44 games. On Saturday, he allowed Phoenix to score six goals in 30 shots, including a shot at 14:08 in the third period from Radim Vrbata that hit him in the chest before going past him in the net."

Coyotes are guests, but it's the host Kings who play ugly

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October 4

Los Angeles Times

columnist Helene Elliott

"The Kings approached this season with hope, stability and a lineup that oozes promise at every position. The Phoenix Coyotes approached this season with Coach Dave Tippett in place for only a week, no clue about where they'll play next season and a hodgepodge lineup sprinkled with untried kids and retreads. The clueless team Saturday was the Kings, whose defense collapsed in a 6-3 season-opening loss before a stunned sellout crowd at Staples Center. "This is definitely not the start we wanted," Anze Kopitar said. "I don't know what went wrong. We didn't handle the puck good and we had breakdowns in our defensive zone. "Nobody expected it to be like this, our home opener and the crowd so ..."

Kings have a familiar beginnning, and it isn't good

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October 4

L.A. Daily News

"The goal for the Kings going into this year was to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and in order to do that the team was going to have to score more goals. In Saturday's sold-out season opener against the Phoenix Coyotes at Staples Center, the team looked a lot like last year's squad, struggling offensively and giving up easy goals. The Kings spotted the Coyotes three goals - two in the first period - and lost 6-3. The Kings in 2008-09 were 27th out of 30 teams in goals scored, with a 2.46 average per game, and went the first 30:37 without a goal, but the problems were surprisingly in the defensive end, a problem the team didn't expect. "That's probably the worst scenario ..."

Even when team has snowball's chance, Kings fans are there

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October 4

L.A. Daily News

columnist Tom Hoffarth

"This isn't supposed to head you into a center ice trap of public ridicule. It's more an exercise into what the h-e-double-hockey sticks is going on between your heart and wallet. Please finish the sentence: I'm still a Kings' season-seat holder because ... C'mon. There must be a good reason. The water container in that Zamboni machine circling around down there is half full, right? The pucks gods must give extra blessings to Kings fans, still the most optimistic, and least realistic, in Southern California, decked out in black and white sweaters on a warm October evening, taking in the season opener against Phoenix. If the Kings' faithful followers are by nature kind-hearted souls ..."

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