Some notes from last night’s game…
– The Kings suffered a big loss but won on the ice, as they beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.
– The Kings completed a four-game season sweep of Colorado and outscored the Avalanche by a combined margin of 19-8. It was the Kings’ first-ever season sweep of the Avalanche. The Kings have defeated Colorado in five consecutive games and are 8-0-1 in their last nine meetings with the Avalanche.
– The Kings outshot the Avalanche 25-21, including 11-5 in the first period.
– The Kings went 1-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. The Kings are 4-for-11 on the power play in their last three games, after an 0-for-12 stretch. The Kings have killed 39 of their last 40 penalties.
– The Kings improved to 23-12-3 at home, 33-10-2 when scoring the first goal, 19-3-2 when leading after the first period and 25-0-1 when leading after the second period.
– Anze Kopitar had a first-period assist, but then suffered a broken right ankle with less than five minutes remaining in the second period. Kopitar is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks. Kopitar leads the Kings with 48 assists and 73 points and is tied for the team high with 25 goals in 75 games.
– Jonathan Quick stopped 20 of 21 shots and has a 3-0-1 record in last four games.
– Ryan Smyth had one goal and one assist. Smyth, who had gone 14 consecutive games without a goal, recorded his eighth multi-point game of the season.
– Trevor Lewis had one goal and one assist. Lewis scored his third goal of the season, and his first since Dec. 27, and recorded his third multi-point game of the season.
– Michal Handzus scored a power-play goal, and has one goal and two assists in his last four games.
– Willie Mitchell scored a goal, his career-best fifth goal of the season. Mitchell has goals in his last two games.
– Dustin Brown had two assists, including one on the power play, for his second consecutive multi-point game, his 17th multi-point game of the season and his sixth multi-assist game of the season. Brown has three goals and two assists in his last four games.
– Drew Doughty had a power-play assist, for his 38th point of the season.
– Oscar Moller recorded a team-high five shots on goal. Kyle Clifford was credited with a team-high five hits and Rob Scuderi was credited with a team-high two blocked shots.
– Drew Doughty played a game-high 24 minutes, 15 seconds. Michal Handzus led all Kings forwards in ice time at 18:06.
– The Kings won 20 of 53 faceoffs (38 percent). Michal Handzus won 9 of 17 draws (53 percent) and Jarret Stoll won 1 of 10 draws (10 percent).
The loss of Anze makes this win bitter sweet to say the least. But it’s a glorious opportunity for EVERYONE on this team to step it up!!! So come on boys and show the rest of the league what we have known all along – HOW GOOD YOU REALLY ARE!!!!!!!
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Wow, didn’t realize we were that bad on the face off circle last night. I hope you a quick a speedy recovery Kopi. But, I know the Kings can step it up right now. GO KINGS GO! WE CAN DO THIS!
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This could be what brings the team together!, playing for kopi Come on I believe were not done.
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I’m just sick about Kopi. Sick, I tell ya. I can’t even imagine how HE’S feeling. Buck up, Mr. Kopitar. Your team will rally and you WILL be back for the Western Conference Championship series, and then play for the Cup. It WILL be done – oh yes – it WILL be done. (Repeat ten times per day, Kings fans.)
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I see this as a test on the coaching system. TM has ha dthe team buying in to the system for a couple seasons now and the system is not designed around any single player or group of players. I think the Kings can continue to do well, but it will depend largely on how players like Poni and Brown respond. I’d also love to see Stoll pick it up a notch on offense but that will depend on what role he needs to fill now.
Kings are deep in that they have players that can act as stop gaps in case of injury. Losing the top two scorers will hurt but with a combo of defensive intensity and a combined effort offensively, they can hang on long enough.
I’m keeping the faith. Go Kings.
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bbb7 Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 11:54 am
@PK, Good points… we shall see.
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I feel sick to my stomach. Nothing can be this cruel…
He is the franchise. I love Doughty and think he’ll be a perennial all star, but Kopitar is the God of this franchise. To take him away at a time like this..damn..wtf did I do in a previous life?
I seriously had high expectations, including the cup, but this puts the dagger in me.
I’m sure by Tuesday I’ll be ready and psyched for the guys to pull this out, but right now, I can’t imagine a worse feeling as a Kings fan.
Get well Kopi..You’ll be back at it again next year…You’re the best!
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number 6 Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 10:37 am
@nykingfan,
Yeah, I was sitting at my computer – dealing w everything that one has to do when your old hd has crashed and a new one installed. So, it had been like not the best week, when I hear Nick say Kopi’s gone down. I’m thinking, well I’ve heard this before, he’s just shaken up. Not.
I was thinking in the middle of the night, in spite of how awful we all feel, how must HE feel? Not just physically but psychologically. I’m sure he’s got to be so down right now plus feeling (even though it’s totally irrational) as though he’s letting his team down by not being there for them.
So yes, I absolutely share your sentiments.
Really a shame. Some people saying he’ll be back this year, but the reality is that he has a very serious injury. If it had happened a month ago I’d tend to say yes, but given the timing they really have some very heavy lifting to do to make that happen.
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Eric Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 10:43 am
@nykingfan,
I think you’re going a little too far there… Kopitar is a very good player, but they weren’t going to win the cup this season. With that said, it would have been fun to watch a HEALTHY King lineup in the playoffs and see how much they improved/matured since playing the Canucks last year in the playoffs… Oh well, I guess we can look forward to a one-two punch down the middle in Kopitar and Schenn next season and hopefully a good showing this post-season.
Call me crazy, but this team without Kopitar is better than last season’s team with Kopitar, if that makes sense. I like the system and the team defense. Not to mention Quick is phenominal in goal.
As long as Randy Jones is not one of our D-men in the post season, this team will be fine!
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 10:53 am
@Eric, good summary
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puck73 Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
@Eric, After that thesis, you are now ready to join the elte at Phi kappa Lombardi ! Totally agree
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Murray should bump stoll to the first, Handzus to the second, Lewis to the third, and Richardson to the fourth… Play Westgarth. I’m telling you, the guy can freakin play. Every time he’s on the ice, the kings are in the offensive zone, grinding it out, creating momentum for the other lines…
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 10:56 am
@Eric, Bad summary…kidding….
Stoll to C1
Lewis to C2
Zus line no change
Richardson C4 and add defensive forward
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Blue Coconuts Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 11:05 am
@USHA#17, Handzus is the 2nd line center right now, let him stay there.
Lewis can play the shut down center. He has good defensive play, that’s actually similar to Kopitar, but he lacks the scoring ability to play in a top 6 role.
Stoll, Handzus, Lewis, Richardson most likely will be the centers. They will either call up someone to play on the fourth line wing, or just play Westgarth. I’d rather see someone get called up, though so we have a little more flexibility.
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i faith in the team, i would like to hope this will bring them together, i would really like to hear from kopi to know how he is doing..
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Hello, you have reached the voicemail for Dean Lombardi, General Manager of the playoff bound Los Angeles Kings hockey club. I can’t come to the phone right now, so please follow the prompts. For Canadien, please press “2.” If you are from the media and are seeking a comment regarding our season ending right now, please press “3.” Your call will be returned in order as soon as the playoffs are over. If you are that Mr. Miyagi guy that the Insider bloggers keep referring to, press “4″ to be connected to Human Resources and hired immediately. If this is Penner calling about getting the ping-pong table, the answer is no, I need you scoring on the ice and not in the rec room. If you are a fat lady seeking a singing position, please hang up and dial 1-800-Smucks. They will probably have some work for you. If this is Chicken Little calling again, I have 2 words for you -LOOK UP. The sky is still up there. Yes, there are a couple of clouds up there, but when has there not been. If this is the replay booth in Toronto, please press “0″ to be connected to our lazer eye surgeon. “0″ is the button at the bottom of your keypad. For everyone else, please leave a message and Go Kings GO!
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LF13 Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 11:13 am
@DesertKing, hahaha good one!:D
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From the midway of the season…we have Penner and Moeller instead of Kopi and Williams….Plus from the start of the season…Martinez instead of DD..from last year…Mitchell instead of Jones….Just trying to look for bright spots!!!!I know Penner and Moeller dont equal Kopi and Willy but its not the drop off that it seems…
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What time is practice today
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DesertKing Reply:
March 27th, 2011 at 10:59 am
@39scars,
No practice today.
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Moller has had team high SOG in both games he’s played…
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Here’s a theory. I noticed in photo that against SJ and Calgary Kopitar was wearing his usual Bauer Vapor X60 skates. Against Col he was wearing the new Bauer Vapor APX skates which have a new ankle support structure according to Bauer. It’s Bauer’s fault. Ok I’m gonna go throw up some more.
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Hey,guys. If Mitchell continues scoring at his current “goal a game pace” and Lewis continues with “multi point nights” in a top 6 role, no problem …..!!! With our goaltending duo, the cup is ours.
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Too bad for Penner: He has lost both of his linemates in a week.
It’s interesting that Smyth and Lewis clicked. Maybe they should play together
Lately also Brown and Handzus seem to like to play together.
I hope Westgarth isn’t the player replacing Kopi. I want to see someone else.
Possible top 3 lines for now?:
Penner – Handzus – Brown
Smyth – Lewis – Moller
Poni – Stoll – Simmonds
I would put Stoll on line 2, but I liked Smyth & Lewis together.
Actually line 3 can also be like a line 2.
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When Gretzky got injured he returned for the playoffs and we made it to the Cup final.
But nothing is gonna replace Kopi — on either side of the puck. When I saw him go down I almost threw up on my shoes.
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I’m not sure what’s worse… losing Kopitar to injury or Stoll going 1 for 10 on faceoffs.
Okay, actually, losing Kopi is way worse, but what the heck, Stoll?
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Shakes Reply:
March 28th, 2011 at 6:17 am
@Rob,
Stoll’s faceoff percentage is something that can be fixed by next game (and most likely will).. Kopi won’t be fixed next game =(
The only bright spot I have is that at least it was nothing to his head, or a ligament, or anything like that. Bones can heal properly
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