Ryan Smyth’s postgame thoughts… (on his long-range goal in the third period…) SMYTH: “Well, my first NHL goal was from the blue line, so I think I’ll remember that one forever. But that was a little ways out, and obviously it was toward the end of a shift. I just wanted to get it on [...]

Drew Doughty’s postgame thoughts… (on the power-play success…) DOUGHTY: “We’ve been working on it a lot in practice and we’ve been watching a lot of video. When you’re seeing the other team’s penalty kills, and you’re seeing their flaws, you kind of open those up. We’ve been working on it every day, so I think [...]

Jack Johnson’s postgame thoughts… (on the secret to the power-play success…) JOHNSON: “There’s no secret to it at all. We’re just taking what’s given. Drew and I, especially at the top, we need to try to be able to create things for the forwards. If we had a chance to shoot, we did. If one [...]

Anze Kopitar’s postgame thoughts… (on rallying after Vancouver’s early physical play…) KOPITAR: “They came out really strong. That’s the thing we expected, too. It’s one of those things where, coming back here after a split, we knew they were going to get out of the gate strong and try to kind of intimidate us, but [...]

The Kings lead the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 to be played Wednesday night at Staples Center. It was a night for the Kings’ power play, which went 3-for-3, and for Michal Handzus (two goals, one assist) and defensemen Drew Doughty (one goal, three assists) and Jack Johnson (three assists). More from the locker [...]

The Kings got a little breathing room back when they scored 9:21 into the third period for a 5-3 lead. Ryan Smyth took a long-range slap shot from the left side, and the shot deflected off the stick of Christian Ehrhoff and over the left shoulder of Raycroft.

The Canucks thought they had pulled within one goal, 3:06 into the third period, but after a video review, officials said Henrik Sedin kicked the puck into the net. The Canucks scored, for real, 1:12 later, as Daniel Sedin scored to make it 4-3 at the 4:18 mark of the period.

Shots are even 18-18 after two periods, and after the Kings scored three third-period goals to take the lead…

Vancouver got back in the game with Mikael Samuelsson’s goal with 5:07 remaining in the second period. The Canucks’ forecheck forced the puck away from Doughty behind the Kings’ net, and Kesler centered to Samuelsson, who scored from the left circle to make it 4-2.

Just 63 seconds after Handzus’ goal, the Kings scored again and chased Luongo from the game. Brad Richardson battled for the puck in the right faceoff circle, got control for a moment and turned, shot and beat Luongo with a medium-range shot. Luongo was replaced by Andrew Raycroft after the goal, having allowed four goals [...]

The Kings scored their third power-play goal, on three chances, to take a 3-1 lead. Drew Doughty took a slap shot, and before Luongo could cover the rebound, Michal Handzus was there to knock it in from close range with 7:42 left in the second period.

The Kings took a 2-1 lead with another power-play goal, 4:06 into the second period. Jack Johnson shot from near the top of the right faceoff circle, and Luongo made the save but the long rebound kicked out to Michal Handzus, who skated in and knocked it into the net.

The Kings scored a power-play goal to tie the game and are now 5-for-10 on the power play in this series. Rich Clune and Ryan Smyth both left the game for a stretch of the period, after hits, but returned. Shots were 11-7 Canucks in the period.

Drew Doughty tied the game with a power-play goal exactly 11 minutes into the game. Doughty took a pass from Michal Handzus and brought the puck to the high slot. With Luongo leaning right, Doughty beat him with a wrist shot to the left to tie the game 1-1.

The Canucks took the lead 2:09 into the first period. Ryan Kesler brought the puck behind the Kings’ net and fed a centering pass through the crease to Mason Raymond, whose one-timer beat Quick from close range.

The Kings closed the regular season with five consecutive overtime games, and now have played two more to start the playoffs. The Kings and Canucks aren’t alone either. Of the first 20 playoff games this season, six have gone to overtime, including last night’s bizarre Colorado-San Jose ending. “It’s great for the fans, great for [...]

The Kings finished the regular season with the seventh-best power-play percentage (20.8) in the NHL and the fifth-most power-play goals (64). So far in the postseason — and yes, it’s very early — the Kings are tied for most power-play goals (four) and best power-play percentage (44.4). Terry Murray talked this morning about his team’s [...]

This is Matt Greene’s second go-around in the playoffs. He was a rookie in 2006 when the Edmonton Oilers made their Stanley Cup run, a part-time player who appeared in 18 playoff games that season after appearing in only 27 regular-season games. Now, after four more NHL seasons under his belt, Greene is considered a [...]

The Kings, tonight, will play their first home playoff game since April 27, 2002, which was a 3-1 victory over Colorado in Game 6 of a first-round series. A reminder…tonight’s game starts at 7 p.m., not 7:30. How much of a boost will playing at home be for the Kings? They were decidedly average at [...]