Dustin Penner’s goal, 8:42 into the first period, gave the Kings a 3-0 lead and chased Niemi from the game. Penner took a nice pass from Kevin Westgarth and slapped a rolling puck in the high slot, and the shot deflected off the skate of Sharks defenseman Ian White and into the net. Antero Niittymaki [...]

The Kings took a 2-0 lead 7:14 into the first period, as Richardson’s line struck again. This time, Richardson forced a neutral-zone turnover, then fed Wayne Simmonds for a 2-on-1 break. Niemi saved Simmonds’ shot, but Kyle Clifford knocked in the rebound for his second goal.

The Kings got on the scoreboard first, 3:36 into the game, on their first shot on goal. Rob Scuderi took a slap shot from the left point, and the puck deflected off Clifford, then Simmonds, and past Niemi.

Will the Kings follow the Tampa Bay Lighting or the New York Rangers? Tampa Bay won Game 5 on the road today to stay alive in its series, while New York bowed out of its series in a Game 5 on the road. Thus far in these playoffs, teams facing elimination have a 3-2 record. [...]

Tonight, the Kings will try to break one trend — 12 goals allowed in their last two games — while continuing another. Road teams have had astonishing success thus far in the first round of these playoffs. In the eight series, the road team has a combined record of 22-14, and the Kings and Sharks [...]

After today’s morning skate, Dustin Penner peeled the tape off his shin pads, rolled it into a large ball and, as hockey players are wont to do, aimed for the nearest trash can a few feet away. Penner’s shot deflected off a nearby shelf into into the net/receptacle. “Finally got a break,” Penner said with [...]

Here’s what Terry Murray said, after today’s morning skate, about the decision to put Scott Parse in the lineup, in place of Alexei Ponikarovsky, and put Dustin Penner, Jarret Stoll and Kevin Westgarth together on a line… MURRAY: “Against this San Jose team, they’ve got three dominant lines. I’ve said this before. They’ve got three [...]

The Kings will go with a fourth line of Jarret Stoll centering Dustin Penner and Kevin Westgarth. Alexei Ponikarovsky and Oscar Moller are the healthy scratches as Scott Parse returns to the lineup on a line with Michal Handzus and Justin Williams. Once again, it’s Jonathan Quick vs. Antti Niemi in goal. More notes and [...]

The Kings face playoff elimination tonight, and so do their top minor-league team. The Manchester Monarchs lost to the Binghamton Senators 2-1 in overtime last night in Game 6 of their first-round series. Game 7 is tonight in Manchester. Last night, the Monarchs had taken a 1-0 lead 9:02 into the second period, when Justin [...]

Will this be the final “morning view” of the season? That will be up to the Kings and San Jose Sharks, in Game 5 tonight. The Kings will have their morning skate at 11:30 a.m., after which hopefully we will learn their lineup for tonight…

On Wednesday morning, the morning after Game 3, the mood around the Kings’ practice and locker room was light and cheerful despite the loss. The same could not be said today, as the players and coaches went through what could be described as a quiet, serious practice. After drills ended, Terry Murray pulled the players [...]

After last night’s game, Terry Murray was none too pleased with Drew Doughty’s decision to engage San Jose fourth-line center Scott Nichol in a second-period scuffle, one that resulted in matching roughing penalties and, during the ensuing 4-on-4 period, the Sharks’ first two goals. After practice today, Doughty also expressed disappointment in himself, but provided [...]

After weeks of skating, skating, skating and…skating, Scott Parse is ready to go. Terry Murray admitted today that he’s taking a bit of a risk by inserting Parse into the lineup, given that Parse has played only five games this season — and none since Nov. 15 — because of a hip injury that required [...]

There a couple things we know about the Kings’ Game 5 lineup. Scott Parse is going in. Kevin Westgarth is staying in. The unit of Kyle Clifford, Brad Richardson and Wayne Simmonds is the only one that will remain intact. Otherwise, it’s a free-for-all. On the fourth line, it’s reasonable to assume that Terry Murray [...]

Terry Murray discussed his thoughts on the line-combination changes — more on that later — and the benefit that can come from change, but Murray was quite forceful when asked if he would consider a change in goal. Jonathan Quick has played every minute of this series and has now allowed six goals in each [...]

Terry Murray was adamant that Jonathan Quick would remain the Kings’ starting goalie, but said he hadn’t yet decided on the complete fourth line. Murray did commit to playing Kevin Westgarth, which leaves two spots for Jarret Stoll, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Dustin Penner and Oscar Moller. Murray was asked directly about Penner’s status but declined to [...]

Here’s how the Kings’ forwards are skating this morning, with the first three lines listed in no particular order… Parse-Handzus-Williams Smyth-Lewis-Brown Clifford-Richardson-Simmonds Penner/Stoll/Ponikarovsky/Westgarth/Moller The last five forwards are all in green jerseys, so it’s impossible to say how that line might look, but it would appear as though Scott Parse’s return might be on the [...]

Some notes from last night’s game… – The Kings were pushed to the brink of elimination after their 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of their first-round series on Thursday night at Staples Center. – The Kings now trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 5 to be played Saturday [...]

There’s no question that the San Jose Sharks are sitting pretty right now. In their franchise history, the Sharks have held a 3-1 series lead seven times, and they have never lost a series. Meanwhile, the Kings have trailed 3-1 in a series 10 times, and won once. That was in the 1989 first round, [...]

After last night’s game, Terry Murray was asked if there were any personnel changes he could make, going into Game 5, that might help turn things around… MURRAY: “I’m playing what I’ve got. Kopitar is not coming back, guys. He’s got a broken leg. So you play with what you’ve got. I can make some [...]