Some notes from yesterday’s game…
– The Kings closed in on a playoff spot with a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.
– The Kings’ “magic number” for making the playoffs is now two. The Kings will make the playoffs if they win at least one of their final four games, or if Dallas loses at least one of its final five games or if the Stars have at least two overtime/shootout losses among their last five games.
– With 45 wins this season, the Kings are one short of tying the franchise single-season record. The 1990-91 and 2009-10 teams both won 46 regular-season games.
– The Kings finished the season series against Dallas with a 4-1-1 record. The Kings have not lost a season series against the Stars since 2006-07.
– The Kings outshot the Stars 32-25, including 10-5 in the second period.
– There were zero power plays in the game (the Kings’ Brad Richardson and Dallas’ Mike Ribeiro drew matching roughing penalties late in the second period). According to the Kings, not since March 31, 1984, had the Kings not allowed a power play in a game.
– The Kings improved to 35-11-2 when scoring first.
– Jonathan Quick stopped 24 of 25 shots in goal for the win. In four games against Dallas this season, Quick had a 4-0 record and allowed a total of six goals.
– Matt Greene had the game-winning goal in the third period, his second goal of the season and his seventh career goal in 375 games. Greene has never scored more than two goals in any of his five previous NHL seasons.
– Wayne Simmonds had one goal and one assist, for his sixth multi-point game of the season.
– Dustin Brown had an empty-net goal, for his team-high 28th goal of the season. Brown has five goals in his last five games.
– Willie Mitchell had one assist, his fifth of the season. Mitchell has two goals and one assist in his last five games.
– Jarret Stoll had one assist, for his 41st point of the season.
– Trevor Lewis had one assist. Lewis has one goal and four assists in his last four games.
– Kyle Clifford had one assist. Clifford has one goal and one assist in his last two games.
– Dustin Brown recorded a game-high seven shots on goal. Wayne Simmonds was credited with a team-high six hits and Drew Doughty was credited with a team-high three blocked shots.
– Drew Doughty played a team-high 24 minutes, 26 seconds. Dustin Brown led all Kings forwards in ice time at 20:36.
– The Kings won 33 of 55 faceoffs (60 percent). Jarret Stoll won 11 of 15 draws (73 percent).
gkg
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Gmo Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 10:57 am
@steve,
GKG
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I can’t believe nothing was called on that hit on Zues. And nothing as far as suspensions go right?
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Lvhatrick Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 11:50 am
I’m with you this is just wrong. There is no doubt that should be a suspension. That could have easily knocke MH out for the season…
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nking11 Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:10 pm
@friarking, I hate to complain but the Kings have gotten the shaft this year on numerous occassions. But still, can you smell Stanley?? mmm, can’t wait for the playoffs
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steve Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:44 pm
@friarking, two games in a row it seems like handzus has scared us. is he a marked man by the other teams or is it just chance that this happened twice in a row?
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Quick stopped 24 out of 25 shots against Dallas, but that didn’t stop the outrage when he let 1 in. Considering he’s 4-0-0 against Dallas I’d say he’s doing everything right. There is only 3 goalies in the entire league who let in less goals per game than Quick. 3. Yet Quick gets dumped on because every goal he gives up is a softie. Regardless of the fact that he lets in less goals than almost any other goalie out there. Sometimes I just want to scream at Kingsfans to pull your head out and realize what your saying, and who your saying those things about.
Every goalie in the league lets those shots in, and Quick lets them in less than any goalie out there except for Thomas, Rinne, and Luongo. So Kingsfans, lets grow a pair and stop the madness.
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GkingsG99 Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 11:19 am
@Dominick, Yep, well said! Just like in that Blues game when people were sarcastically cheering him on after that bad goal. Yet he single handedly stole the game up until that point, and if it weren’t for him, the Kings probably would have been down MUCH worse then they were… not only in that game, but many games.
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Belexes Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 11:22 am
@Dominick,
Quick is HUGE for this team and the knowledgeable fan knows this. We are very fortunate to have him, and owe a great deal of our success to our strong goaltending.
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xeropoint Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:25 pm
@Dominick, Thank you, Dom!
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Lindsey Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:48 pm
@Dominick, THANK YOU for saying that. Quick has saved this team more times than I can count. Hearing the sarcastic cheers/boos just makes me sick–to me it makes the fans look stupid, imho….
Go Kings Go!
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Slim Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 1:31 pm
@Dominick,
Quickie has to sop every goal and have nothing but shutouts…ever..
And then I woke up…
Fans will be Fans…
Dallas calls their goalie Kari-Let=Them-In..
This season I have heard that Kopi, Brownie, just about everyone should be fired..
That’s why I come on here with a grain of salt each time..
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Dominick Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 1:45 pm
@Slim,
I know. I’m just trying to inject some commen sense. Some have even nicknamed him Mr.Softy, which is so off base I don’t even know how to respond to that without getting angry.
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mcsorleyfan Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 9:13 pm
@Dominick, Thank You Dominick!
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Not bashing K Westgarth but I hope we call a scorer up for the playoffs . I have seen the arguments about putting a kid in that situation and it is a poor argument. Will KW’s 3 assists in 52 games and 1 hit per game avg really be better than a kid who has scoring potential? Plenty of rookies get called up for playoffs with no NHL experience and out perform NHL experienced 3rd & 4th liners in the playoffs. Most have been on the AHL team so they know the system, but some come straight from juniors and are more effective than an enforcer in a 4th line playoff role. It really makes no sense to play a guy like KW when the other teams enforcer is wearing a suit in the press box and their best prospect is gaining valuable experience and chipping in. If he isn’t then you double shift a fwd like you would with Westgarth in the lineup so what’s the difference?
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Ask Montreal about playing a rookie with no NHL experience, PK Subban ring any bells?
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just saw rich hammonds undisputed , the sprained my thumb part was hilarious, fun to watch lol
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Newf Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 11:43 am
@Guss, lol yeah i’m watching it too now. omg. Rich that is awesome.
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Blake Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 11:49 am
@Guss, link?
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Dominick Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 11:53 am
@Blake, http://video.kings.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=1152
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LBlocal Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:35 pm
@Rich Hammond >>> Genius.
gKg!
tuan jim Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 3:03 pm
@Dominick,
It’s good to hear how Rich overcame his career-threatening thumb injury. His chaps-and-lasso upbringing was also a genuine surprise.
But as I watched him sitting quite still, telling us his story as if he were a repressed, manic, deviated pree-vurt in the act of confessing his sins to Baba Wawa, I yearned to see the REAL Rich, the Rich who reads our contributions to this site, the Rich who reacts to what WE say.
Rich,
That picture of you in your cowboy duds, Priceless. All your missing is a ciggerette and you’d be a real Marlboro Man. LOL
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Harty Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@Dominick, or the black eye, as he would rather fight then switch, was that Marlboro or another cigarette company?
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Dominick Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:23 pm
@Harty, Ha! I can’t remember.
I put that picture up as a wall paper for a joke, and my little 10 year old nephew looked at it and said “Is that your girlfriend”. Little smart-allick, Wonder where he gets it from?
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Kings are gonna be the “underdog champions” this year I think. The league tries to keep them down: a) luongo gets to throw a stick with no penalty shot b) Ribeiro should get a suspension for that elbow forget about penalties that was ridiculous. But still, the Men in black win!!! Can’t keep us down!!! Enjoy you summer vacation Stars.
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Okay looking at things realistically, we asked the Kings to make the playoffs (*they have), most asked for a trade (*they completed a trade), we have asked the Kings to bring guys up from the minors (*they have). Now we are asking for much more………..
-win a series now in Stanley Cup playoffs
-bring in Schenn
-bring in the 67′s rookie
-bring back someone from Manchester
-send some back to Manchester
-make a trade prior to deadline
…….the only things the Kings org. hasn’t done that we have asked is fire TM. Why he has the club in back to back playoffs, and they could set a record for most games won by a Kings team. Again lets be real………
-they are making the playoffs, be happy
-Schenn has gotten the call
-no talk yet about the rookie from Ottawa 67′s
-they brough Moller up
-soon maybe to send Moller down if Schenn comes
-made the trade to get Penner, well he might put out next season in his last year of the contract
………season almost met all expectations of fans. Some want the Stanley Cup this year, really!
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nking11 Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:14 pm
@Harty, wait, what’s with the fire TM part, it seems like your praising him but I don’t get that little comment. Is anyone asking to have Murray fired??
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threepwood Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:36 pm
@nking11,
and who is ‘we’?
The people who come out in droves anytime the Kings lose to say that the sky is falling?
The people who think Lombardi is an idiot?
The people who think that DL can do no wrong?
The people who hate Westgarth?
…the subsets of ‘we’ are as limitless as TM’s line combinations.
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DesertKing Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:56 pm
@Harty,
Forgot one thing – Fire Kompon then you will be batting .1000
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Good news Kings fans! Willy is on the ice, in a non contact jersey.
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friarking Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:16 pm
@Harry, is this Peter Harrold? lol
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Guss Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:37 pm
@Harry, that’s awesome, but just hope he takes it easy, don’t want to rush it, as much as we all want him geared up.
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Scot Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 12:43 pm
@Harry,
That is good news. I think if he gets back this year, he will be better than when he tried to come back last year from the broken leg. He has played with so much more confidence this season, I bet he will spark the team in a good way if they are able to stay alive long enough for his return.
I have dislocated both of my shoulders, and, yes, you are able to skate within a couple days of it happening, but contact, I’m guessing, is still weeks away for Williams. I was able to go back to work, as a bartender, within 2 weeks of my injury. But I wasn’t cleared for contact (dancing on top of the bar while intoxicated) for at least another 3 or 4 weeks.
GKG.
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This team is really playing the way they have to. We are lucky to have Martinez. He has really been solid as a #6 D man on a young team.
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No.
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Hey Rich,
Couple of questions for you, are the Kings planning anything before or after the game on Sat. the 9th? In years past the had a fans appreaction night, I haven’t heard about this year yet.
Also was JW skating @ practice today? if so any update on his status?
Again thanks for all your insight this year. Great job Rich!
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Hard to compare this season’s point total with 90-91 or any season pre-shootout. That extra point after OT makes it impossible to compare to Kings teams of the past. But, 45 wins is great either way. Lets make it 49!
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If the Ducks help us clinch, can we get some rest for Smyth and Zues? Maybe move them to the 4rth line for the games against the Ducks and cut their minutes down a little to around 10. I know 4rth place is at stake, but so is the first round, and I wouldn’t be opposed to getting them some rest if we can figure it out.
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It makes me think if quick needs contacts or glasses. Because it seems like he has some troubles with long range shots. He is money 1 on 1 or in close when he can use his flexibility and agility.
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threepwood Reply:
April 3rd, 2011 at 1:52 pm
@ty32LA,
Just a wild guess, but I would think that an NHL goalie takes a vision test more often than the average person.
That one from just over the red line this year was a head scratcher though…
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The magic number is not 2. It’s only 1. If Dallas loses in OT or the shootout, the Kings are in.
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