Los Angeles Kings News

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
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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 ..."
It's another loss, but Bruins do prove a point
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January 31
Boston Herald
 
"The Bruins took a small step in the right direction last night, which, for a team that has been going the wrong way, was a positive development. The B's had their lineup as close to fully healthy as it has been for months and, after a sloppy and nervous first period, played a very strong two-way game at the Garden against the talented Los Angeles Kings. The payoff the Bruins perhaps deserved was only partial, as they dropped a 3-2 shootout decision. The shootout lasted six rounds and was decided by Kings forward Jarret Stoll. As has been the case innumerable times during this dud of a season, the postgame conversation was about the strong, if incomplete, B's effort. For a team in 12th ..."
Latest loss frustrates Mason
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January 29
Columbus Dispatch
 
"The last time the Los Angeles Kings visited Nationwide Arena, Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason looked like a player destined to build on his status as the NHL's top rookie from a season ago. He made 27 saves that night, improving his record to 4-1 and making his case for inclusion on the Canadian Olympic team. The date was Oct. 17, 2009, and it marked the last time Mason won consecutive games. His inability to gain any momentum continued last night in a 4-1 loss to the Kings. "That's the reason we're in the position we are because we haven't been able to put a string of wins together for a long time," said Mason, whose club has one winning streak since Nov. 19. "And it's why we are ..."
Jackets take their beating quietly
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January 29
Columbus Dispatch
 
"Watching the Blue Jackets play the first 10 minutes last night against the Los Angeles Kings, it was hard to imagine that this club isn't headed back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The puck moved from zone to zone as smoothly as it has all season. But the final 50 minutes -- which seemed to last six hours -- told the real story of the 2009-10 Blue Jackets. All it took was the Kings scoring the first goal to change everything. When the Kings pushed back, the Blue Jackets responded like tree sloths, which is to say they curled their bottom lips, pouted their eyes and took their beating without making a peep. The Kings won 4-1 before 13,709 in Nationwide Arena, many of whom were gone by early ..."
Kings make it four wins in a row
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January 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"Who needs Ilya Kovalchuk when you have Matt Greene firing up the Kings' offense? Outplayed and outshot by the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first 10 minutes Thursday, the Kings got new life when the rugged but low-scoring Greene took a pass from Alexander Frolov and let loose a slap shot that deflected past Steve Mason at 11:05. From there the Kings took off and took over, with Anze Kopitar scoring the 100th and 101st goals of his career to highlight a 4-1 victory before an unhappy crowd of 13,709 at Nationwide Arena. "The whole game changed," Columbus Coach Ken Hitchcock said of Greene's goal. "The energy changed and we didn't grab it back." In setting a path for the Kings to hit 3-0 on ..."
Dustin Brown leads Kings to a big win
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January 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings enjoyed a profitable night on several fronts Tuesday. Their most obvious gain was a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs that solidified their hold on a playoff spot and would have lifted them into fifth place in the West if the Phoenix Coyotes hadn't rallied to defeat the Red Wings. The Kings are four points clear of No. 8 Detroit and five ahead of No. 9 Calgary, a huge gap in a tight race. They also regained the presence of a formidable power forward when Dustin Brown, who has struggled offensively and too rarely displayed the assertive game that makes him so effective, set up all three goals the Kings got past Toronto goaltender Jonas Gustavsson during the second period. ..."
Kings' Wayne Simmonds to have homecoming in Toronto
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January 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Kings' game against the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday will be an expensive occasion for right wing Wayne Simmonds, but he doesn't mind reaching deep into his pockets to subsidize his own rooting section. Simmonds will play in his hometown for the first time, and he's expecting about 15 people to attend the game and cheer for him. He said today his three brothers, his sister, his best friend's family, his parents and "a lot of buddies" are scheduled to watch him at the Air Canada Centre, where the average cost of a Maple Leafs ticket is $117.49. That's more than double the NHL average of slightly more than $51 per ticket. "The most expensive tickets in the NHL," said Simmonds, who said he ..."
Red Wings lose two-goal lead, fall to Kings
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January 24
Michigan Live
 
"Uh-oh, it happened again. The Detroit Red Wings squandered a two-goal lead for the third time in four games while letting the Los Angeles Kings storm back for a 3-2 victory Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at Joe Louis Arena. The loss dropped the Red Wings (25-18-8) into ninth place in the Western Conference. "We had a good chance to gain a couple points on these guys, and after the first 10 minutes we stopped skating," Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said after falling three points behind the Kings. "We got outworked. The whole second period it felt like we spent in our zone. They carried most of the game." Detroit entered the matchup with a chance to pass the Kings and claim ..."
Kings stun Red Wings in Detroit, 3-2
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January 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"Each time Brad Richardson figured in the Kings' scoring Saturday at Joe Louis Arena -- he set up their first goal and redirected the winner past Jimmy Howard in a stunning 3-2 comeback victory over the Red Wings -- the public-address announcer called him Brad Richards, perhaps mistaking him for the Dallas Stars' prolific center. "They're both good players," linemate Anze Kopitar offered. "Richie's been huge for us with his intensity and his energy every night. He's been playing a really solid game." Richardson, a marginal forward until lately, is starting to make a name for himself. He played well Saturday in complementing Kopitar's one-goal, two-assist performance and helping the Kings ..."
Wings squander another lead; Fans climb on catwalk
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January 24
Detroit News
 
"Bad night for the Red Wings; odd night all the way around. On a night when security officials had to evacuate Section 124 at the start of the third period because three fans had crawled onto the catwalk high in the rafters at Joe Louis Arena, the Wings squandered a two-goal lead, two vitally important points and a chance to move up to seventh place in the Western Conference. "That's two huge points right there that we had and (kicked) away," said Todd Bertuzzi, after the Kings scored twice in the third period to steal a 3-2 victory Saturday. The Wings played 10 strong minutes, getting goals from Valtteri Filppula and Bertuzzi, and then spent the rest of the game chasing the Kings around ..."
Kings GM rips Red Berenson, Michigan hockey
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January 23
Detroit Free Press
 
"The college hockey message boards (yes, there are some) are going nuts over a blog post out of Los Angeles in which Kings general manager Dean Lombardi lambastes Michigan coach Red Berenson and his program. The reason U-M even comes up is because Kings defenseman Jack Johnson is a Michigan alumnus. Incidentally, Los Angeles visits the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. The comments, made to frozenroyalty.net, really are quite amazing in their candidness. Here's a sampling: "This guy has never had any coaching (at Michigan)," Lombardi said. "Jack just did what he wanted. Michigan is the worst. For hockey people, if you've got a choice between a kid - all things being equal - one's going ..."
Kings end long homestand with win over Sabres, 4-3
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January 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"Every game has been big for the Kings the last month, and every game the rest of the season will test a young team that's still learning how to navigate the physical and emotional tides of a grueling 82-game schedule. But the Kings felt they had even more than usual at stake on Thursday at Staples Center. They needed a win to feel better about themselves after being thrashed by the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, they needed the two points to stay in the top eight in the West, and they desperately wanted to end an often-rocky homestand on a positive note. The Buffalo Sabres didn't make it easy on them. The Kings didn't make it easy on themselves, taking some needless penalties and again ..."
Jack Johnson angry at Kings' general manager
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January 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi said Friday his harsh evaluation of Jack Johnson's old flaws in an interview on the blog frozenroyalty.net was intended to lend perspective to the defenseman's progress, not to disparage Johnson or the University of Michigan. In the interview, conducted by Gann Matsuda and published as part of a series, Lombardi said Johnson "never had any coaching" at Michigan and was "awful as a hockey player" before he joined the Kings and refined his game enough to be chosen for the U.S. Olympic team at the Vancouver Games. An angry Johnson told The Times on Thursday that Wolverines Coach Red Berenson is "one of the finest coaches and men that I've met. For my ..."
Kings edge Sabres in shootout
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January 22
Buffalo News
 
"Southern California has been under a deluge all week, with rain dominating the news. The Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings did their part to keep folks indoors. The teams failed to decide their game in either regulation or overtime, keeping the 16,884 fans inside Staples Center until a shootout. The Kings outscored Buffalo, 2-1, in the breakaway session, giving Los Angeles a 4-3 victory Thursday night. Buffalo has gone to overtime in four of its past six games. The Sabres have one overtime win and three shootout losses during this run of tight games. They are 6-6 in games decided in the five-minute session and 2-5 in shootouts this season. The Sabres spent the night in Los Angeles and ..."
Kings end long homestand with win over Sabres, 4-3
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January 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"Every game has been big for the Kings the last month, and every game the rest of the season will test a young team that's still learning how to navigate the physical and emotional tides of a grueling 82-game schedule. But the Kings felt they had even more than usual at stake on Thursday at Staples Center. They needed a win to feel better about themselves after being thrashed by the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, they needed the two points to stay in the top eight in the West, and they desperately wanted to end an often-rocky homestand on a positive note. The Buffalo Sabres didn't make it easy on them. The Kings didn't make it easy on themselves, taking some needless penalties and again ..."
San Jose Sharks follow rout with win over Los Angeles Kings
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January 20
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Credit special teams play. Credit solid goaltending. Credit secondary scoring. Heck, credit the NHL schedule-maker for putting the Sharks through yet another set of back-to-back games. "I think we might play a little better — at least a little smarter — when we're tired," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "We simplify the game a bit." For all those reasons, the Sharks skated away with a convincing 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night with Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe each contributing two goals. Dan Boyle added a goal and two assists as the Sharks defeated the Kings for the third time in 15 days. Special teams were a key, with the Sharks going 3-for-3 on the power play ..."
Sharks show teeth early in 5-1 victory
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January 20
Los Angeles Times
 
"When the San Jose Sharks play as well as they did Tuesday in manhandling the Kings, 5-1, at Staples Center, it's tempting to believe they'll finally win something other than good tee times in mid-April. Playing on the second night in a row, the Sharks outperformed the Kings in every crucial area and got better goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov than the Kings got from Jonathan Quick, who gave up five goals on 24 shots. The Kings previously had competed well against the Sharks and each team claimed a 3-2-1 record in the season series, but San Jose was perfect on special teams Tuesday in winning for the fifth time in six games. "They're a better team than we are and they beat us," Kings Coach ..."
Kings erase two-goal deficit to force overtime, defeats Boston in shootout
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January 17
L.A. Daily News
 
"If Saturday's game was a test for the Kings, the toughest question was this: When your opponent scores twice in 11 seconds to take a two-goal lead, what do you do? The options were multiple - a)panic, b)look to your superstar player to make a huge play, or c)stick to the basics - and the Kings tried all three after two quick goals gave the Boston Bruins a lead in the second period. The Kings eventually realized panicking would not work, they do not have a superstar player, and by sticking to the basics they could force overtime before they pulled out the victory 4-3 in a shootout at Staples Center. Consider the test passed. "We're not an elite team in the league to break away and have ..."
Grit ringing true for Kings
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January 17
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helen Elliott
"In six seasons Dustin Brown has seen the Kings' playoff hopes disintegrate slowly. He has seen their hopes crumble quickly. He has seen them so bad they made plans for April vacations in December. The Kings' captain is seeing something different this season, something he can't name. Resilience. Determination, maybe. A knowledge that success is within their reach and worth the unrelenting effort it demands. That attitude was on display Saturday at Staples Center. After Boston scored twice in 11 seconds during the second period the Kings pulled even on gritty third-period goals by Brown and Anze Kopitar. Those two scored in the shootout for a 4-3 victory that kept the Kings in the top eight ..."
A fall at end of trip
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January 17
Boston Globe
 
"At the Staples Center yesterday, as the Bruins completed a grinding three-game road trip up and down the California coast (they started in Anaheim, flew north to San Jose, then traveled back to Los Angeles), they found themselves without some of their top guns. No Patrice Bergeron (thumb). No Marc Savard (knee). No Marco Sturm (leg). No Dennis Wideman (sick). No Steve Begin (undisclosed) for half the game. What they had, surprisingly, was a two-goal lead in the third period. But just as players have disappeared from their roster because of an outbreak of injuries, the Bruins saw that cushion vanish."
Bruins trip up in
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January 17
Boston Herald
 
"The past four days represented a major test, not just of the skill and depth of the undermanned Bruins, but also the character. In both regards, they passed with flying colors. Yes, the Bruins would have liked to close out with a win and had to settle for a 4-3 shootout loss to the Kings, leaving them 1-1-1 on what figured to be a very difficult road trip. It was a game in which the B's led 3-1 in the third period via goals from Miroslav Satan (No. 2), Blake Wheeler (12) and Michael Ryder (11), but a couple of defensive-zone breakdowns let that lead slip away. The Kings then won in the shootout when Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown got pucks past a solid Tim Thomas, and B's David Krejci, ..."
Bruins ride upset win to LA
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January 16
Boston Herald
 
"It's highly doubtful many folks outside their dressing room believed the Bruins, with a mountain of adversity stacked against them, could pull off the NHL upset of the year as they did Thursday in San Jose. "I don't think anyone really expected us to win that one," said Shawn Thornton. Deep in their hearts, honestly, the players probably even doubted it could be done. But one of the big reasons we love sports is that enormous longshots do, every once in a while, come in first. And the Bruins achieved their 2-1 shootout stunner by simply working like dogs, playing with intensity and focus like never before this season. The Bruins, who got a well-deserved day off yesterday, will hope to play ..."
Kings end Ducks' winning streak
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January 15
Orange County Register
 
"If only the Ducks could rewind Thursday back to its beginnings, when the day seemed so promising. The NHL's hottest team entered a game against the reeling Kings on a five-game winning streak and was poised to close in on their rival and insert itself firmly into the Western Conference playoff picture. By night's end, red-hot goalie Jonas Hiller had been given the hook, the Kings' Jonathan Quick pitched a shutout and the streak was over for the Ducks in an odorous 4-0 loss to their rivals in front of a sellout crowd of 18,118 at Staples Center. Instead of the pulling closer to the eighth and final playoff spot, it was an opportunity blown as the Ducks (21-20-7) fell six points behind the ..."
Kings win physical Faceoff over Ducks
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January 15
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Kings came out with some fight in their sticks. By the time they trailed 4-0 after two periods, the Ducks were fighting back with their fists. And by the time the game was over, the story was less about how the Kings scored four goals to the Ducks' none than to how much bad blood was spilled - literally and figuratively - Thursday night at Staples Center. "Obviously, you have the score, 4-0, then the rivalry," Kings captain Dustin Brown said in trying to explain the teams' 19 third-period penalties that totaled 67 minutes. "It gets pretty heated out there." How heated? Ducks forward Bobby Ryan drew a game misconduct among 17 minutes' worth of penalties when he skated nearly the length ..."
Kings, Ducks going in different directions
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January 14
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"The Kings and Ducks always seem to be at opposite ends of competitive cycles, perhaps explaining why they have never made the playoffs in the same season since the Ducks entered the NHL in 1993. As they prepared for their second meeting of the season, Thursday at Staples Center, they were again on opposite paths. The Kings, after an impressive start, have lost three straight games and seven of their last 10 and are in danger of dropping out of the top eight in the West. The Ducks, thin on defense and plagued by injuries, have been following their post-lockout pattern of gathering strength in the second half of the season, cutting in half what was once a 12-point gap between them and the ..."
Sharks eke out win over Los Angeles Kings
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January 12
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Sharks thought they knew exactly which part of their game needed improvement Monday night when they faced the Los Angeles Kings, and events proved them right. "The focus for us was on special teams, both the power play and the penalty kill. I thought our PK did a real good job and the power play got us a big goal," forward Dany Heatley said. Classic understatement. One week after the Kings embarrassed the Sharks at HP Pavilion, San Jose eked out a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the Staples Center. One week after the Sharks penalty kill gave up three goals, the Kings went 0-for-5 on the power play. And that big power play goal that Heatley referred to? He scored it by batting his own ..."
Kings still can't get it going, lose to San Jose
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January 12
L.A. Daily News
 
"Terry Murray saw it coming. He saw it coming before the Kings lost to Detroit and St.Louis over the weekend, before his team briefly held first place in the Western Conference standings in December - even before his team took the ice for the first time in 2009-10. "That was a concern when the schedule was released back in July," Murray said Monday after watching his team drop its third straight, 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks in front of 17,821 at Staples Center. "The time off (in December) worried me," he continued. "The eight days without playing a game was a huge concern for me. I tried to put a positive spin on it - this is a great time to get a break, to get some quality practice time in, ..."
Once again, too little too late for the Kings
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January 10
Los Angeles Times
 
"After Saturday's morning skate, Kings Coach Terry Murray wondered how his team would fare against the Blues two days after losing a furiously contested game to the Red Wings. "It comes down to an attitude and pushing yourself through the adversity," he said, "and that's why I welcome adversity." Memo to Murray: Be careful what you wish for. The Kings were on the short end of a bizarre play in the opening minute and although they pulled even early in the second period on Brandon Segal's first NHL goal, they never got much going until it was too late and lost to St. Louis, 4-3. The Blues, winless in their previous seven games, gave new Coach Davis Payne the first victory of his four-game ..."
Blues hope to snap seven-game slide in game against Kings
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January 9
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Holding on to third-period leads has been difficult for the St. Louis Blues during their season-high seven-game osing streak. They also blew one in their last visit to Los Angeles but came away with a victory. The Blues try to avoid losing eight straight for the first time in more than three years Saturday night when they conclude a three-game road trip against the Kings. St. Louis (17-19-7) has owned a lead in the third period in four games during its seven-game skid, including the first two on this trip. The Blues led San Jose 1-0 on Wednesday night before falling 2-1 in overtime, and they allowed three unanswered goals in the final 12 minutes of a 4-2 loss to Anaheim on Thursday. "We've ..."
52 no pickup for Kings
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January 8
L.A. Daily News
 
"Jimmy Howard stopped pucks with his legs, his glove, even his bare forearm. Heck, the Detroit Red Wings goalie didn't even need to make the save to thwart the Kings - at times, it seemed the puck simply refused to go in the net. It's not that the Kings weren't trying hard enough in their 52-shot effort Thursday. The puck was simply trying harder in a 2-1 loss in front of 18,118 at Staples Center. The man with the best view of the action was predictably pleased by all this. "It was a lot of fun," Howard said after making a career-high 51 saves. "I enjoyed it.""
Kings take a lot of shots but lose to Detroit, 2-1
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January 8
Los Angeles Times
 
"This is what it takes to win championships: an indomitable will and a refusal to give in when adversity strikes again and again and again. Someday, if the Kings are lucky, they will win as many Stanley Cup titles as the Red Wings have captured. Until then, they can look at Detroit's 2-1 triumph Thursday and marvel at how thin the difference can be between victory and defeat and how close they came to bridging that gap. Detroit rookie goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped 51 shots before yielding a fluky power-play goal to Ryan Smyth at 15:38 of the third period. But the Red Wings -- undermanned because top goal scorer Tomas Holmstrom broke his foot Wednesday -- came back to score on Jonathan ..."
Wings win an L.A. thriller in final seconds
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January 8
Detroit News
 
"The Red Wings started their day with more bad news. Tomas Holmstrom, their leading goal scorer, suffered a broken bone in his foot at the end of practice Wednesday. But the day had a happy ending, as rookie goalie Jimmy Howard put forth an otherworldly effort in a dramatic, 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Darren Helm scored the winner with 17.3 seconds left. "You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself for a second," coach Mike Babcock said. "Actually, I called my wife and she told me to suck it up. I mean, you just got to find a way to win. It doesn't matter what the names are." The victory puts the Wings a point away from the eighth playoff spot. They have ..."
Kings are hardly intimidated
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January 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"Their world-class skills were undeniable and their newly minted Olympians were marvelous to watch. Was it the San Jose Sharks and their eight -- count 'em, eight -- Vancouver-bound superstars putting on a show Monday at a packed HP Pavilion? No. It was the Kings building up to a 6-2 rout that ended the Sharks' winning streak at eight games. "We have a good team," Anze Kopitar said, perhaps the understatement of the night. San Jose started an all-Olympic lineup of Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau of Canada up front, Canada's Dan Boyle and Sweden's Douglas Murray on defense and Russia's Evgeni Nabokov in goal. But the Kings' best players outdid the Sharks' best, and everyone ..."
Capitals lose third straight, 2-1 to the Kings
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January 3
Washington Post
 
"For the second time in two games on this trip, the Washington Capitals were awarded a five-on-three power play, and with it, the chance to change the course of the contest. But, once again, Alex Ovechkin and Co. did not capitalize, and on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center, the failure made all the difference in a 2-1 loss to goalie Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles Kings. The Capitals, who did not have first-line center Nicklas Backstrom for the final 39 minutes because of a migraine headache, have suffered three straight regulation setbacks, their longest such streak since March. "That's four in a row," an exasperated Coach Bruce Boudreau said referring to his team's streak of ..."
Three Kings, one Duck make U.S. Olympic hockey team
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January 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"As expected, the 2010 Olympics will represent "a changing of the guard" for the American men's hockey team. Much of that new guard plays for the Kings and Ducks. The Kings' Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson and Jonathan Quick and the Ducks' Bobby Ryan - all first-time Olympians, all 25 or younger - made Team USA's roster, which was announced Friday at the conclusion of the Winter Classic game in Boston. "This could be a once-in-a-lifetime shot," Brown said. It could be. But Brian Burke, the general manager of Team USA, chose a nucleus that may well represent the U.S. in international play for years to come. Gone are mainstays like Mike Modano, Scott Gomez and Keith Tkachuk."