I WILL TRY TO PICKUP WHERE ADAM LEFT OFF WITH MY FAVORITE TEAM THE LA KINGS

So the NHL kicks off coverage on the 30th ( woo-hoo!!!) and opens with the Ducks and Kings in London?! That should be interesting!

Where as yesterday the weather was gorgeous, today, the temperature has dropped 20 degrees and there has been an onslaught of rain. Though that does not affect the team in any manner on the ice, it does limit the amount of tourist type activities that the team will do.
As a result, the planned further description of the area on LAKings.com will be scrapped for the time being, and today's coverage will focus more on the game.

Tonight the Kings will take on the EC Red Bull Salzburg tonight at 5:30 p.m. in Austria, 9:30 a.m. on the West Coast in California. We were trying to get the game streamed online via LAKings.com but were unable to dot all of the i's and cross all of the t's for today's game, we will try and explore that again for tomorrow, however. We will blog through the game to keep the Kigns fans informed of what is going on in Austria.

Tonight's game will be played at the Eisarena Salzburg, which is an Olympic rink, which is approximately 15 feet wider than an NHL rink.

The standard NHL rink is 200 feet by 85 feet, whereas an Olympic sized rink is 100 feet wide and has additional room behind the net. Fans will notice that the passing lanes open up, as a result and a good passing team will has an advantage on a bigger rink.

The Eisarena Salzburg seats about 3,500 and is an older building that is being renovated by the good people at Red Bull. In fact, at the morning skate, maintenance was on going with walls being painted in preparation for the evening’s festivites.

Despite the increase in size of the rink, Crawford does not see this as any reason to change his team’s style of play.

When there is time to transcribe our interview, we will insert a quote here.

Believe it or not, one Kings player has performed in this rink before. Anze Kopitar played in the first of these tournaments back in 2005 when it was called the “Red Bulls Face Off.” Kopitar played for Södertälje SK, which competed in the first event in Sept. 2005. The Red Bulls also participated in the inaugural tournament along with, HC Buedjovice from the Czech Republic and ERC Ingolstadt from Germany, which won the event.

And a quote here from Kopitar.

In 2006, the Tournament changed format, inviting six teams and playing three games each in three days. Alongside the Red Bulls, and 2005 winner ERC Ingolstadt, was Finland's Jokerit HC, the Czech Republic's long-standing ice hockey club Sparta Prague, Switzerland's top team ZSK Lions and Sweden's high-flyers Skelleftea AIK - to show what they were capable of at the Red Bulls Face-Off.

The final results of the Red Bulls Face-Off 2006: 1. Zürich Lions, 2. ERC Ingolstadt, 3. Sparta Prague, 4. EC Red Bull Salzburg, 5. Jokerit HC, 6. Skelleftea AIK.

Kopitar has many family and friends in attendance as his child hood home is just 2.5 half hours a way.

Speaking of family, there will be one extra person on the Kings bench tonight/this morning as Crawford’s nephew and sister are in town from Rome visiting. His nephew will be sitting on the bench with the team.

Crawford believes that his team will get a game tonight and thinks this tournament will be a competitive one with the best teams of each of the leagues involved being represented.

“What will happen, I'm sure, is that many of the teams we're playing, or all of the teams we're playing, will be extremely motivated to play the National Hockey Leaguers. There's lots of ex-NHLers on all the teams, especially the teams from the Swiss elite league and the Swedish league. There's a couple former players on the Red Bull, and with that motivation I'm sure there will be a little emotion and a little bit of passion in the game.

One of the players Kings fans will remember and recognize is Josh green. Taken with the Kings second round pick, 30th overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Green skated in 27 games with the Kings scoring 1-3=4 with the club in 1998-99. Overall, Green, a left wing, has seen action in 322 NHL games with the Kings, Islanders, Oilers, Rangers, Capitals, Flames, and Canucks, scoring 35-39=74 with 193 PIMs.

He has played for the Red Bulls since last season.

Other former NHL players for the Red Bulls include goaltender Reinhard Divis, who has seen action in 28 NHL games, defensemen Rick Jackman (231), Doug Lynch (2) and Brad Fast (1) and forward Frank Banham (32).

In addition to the Red Bulls, former players are spotted all over the rosters, we will discuss this in greater detail shortly.

Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s/this morning’s game, the one thing on the club’s mind is preparing for Anaheim and London.

“We've got to stay focused on the preparation that we've got for our game against Anaheim. We want to really zone in on how we're playing in our own end, make sure our line combinations and our penalty-killing combinations and power-play combinations are continuing to develop and continuing to improve.”
Recent Team Info:►KINGS VS. RED BULLS►LAKINGS.COM IN AUSTRIA II►LAKINGS.COM IN AUSTRIA►KINGS ASSIGN HARROLD►HISTORY OF HOCKEY IN VEGAS►DEAN LOMBARDI ON DAN CLOUTIER►Game Recap 09/22/2007: COL 2 @ LAK 3►KINGS ANNOUNCE PLAYER TRANSACTIONS ►KINGS ANNOUNCE OPENING NIGHT FESTIVITIES►KINGS UNVEIL NEW MASCOT
Subscribe | More team news Statistics:
2006-2007 Regular Season
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
M. Cammalleri 81 34 46 5 80
A. Frolov 82 35 36 -8 71
A. Kopitar 72 20 41 -12 61
L. Visnovsky 69 18 40 1 58
D. Brown 81 17 29 -21 46
D. Armstrong 67 11 33 13 44
R. Blake 72 14 20 -26 34
J. Heward 71 6 18 2 24
T. Kostopoulos 76 7 15 -2 22
B. Willsie 81 11 10 -20 21
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
M. Garon 13 10 6 .907 2.66
S. Burke 6 10 5 .901 3.11
Full Team Stats >>
Upcoming Games:vs. Tue 09/25 8:30 AM vs. Sat 09/29 9:00 AM Tickets @ Sun 09/30 9:00 AM vs. Sat 10/06 7:30 PM Tickets @ Wed 10/10 5:30 PM Complete Team Schedule >>



The Kings will have numerous alumni at the home opener on Oct. 6 vs. the Blues. Of the four announced, which alum are you most excited to see?
Marcel Dionne

Adam Deadmarsh

Marty McSorley

Rogie Vachon

SALZBURG, Austria (AP) -- Anze Kopitar scored with 46 seconds remaining to give the Los Angeles Kings a 4-3 win over Swedish champions Farjestad BK on Wednesday in the final of an exhibition tournament.

Kopitar, who just got back on the ice after a 2-minute penalty, scored after a rush through the Swedish defense.

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After a scoreless first period, Eero Somervuori and Emil Kaberg scored to give Farjestad BK a 2-0 lead, but Patrick O'Sullivan and Lubomir Visnovsky evened the score in the next five minutes.

Mathias Johansson put the Swedish club in front again, but the Kings, who defeated Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg 7-6 in the opening match on Tuesday, rallied again as Mike Cammalleri and Kopitar scored in the final period.

It was the last exhibition game for the Kings before opening the NHL season with a two-game series against the Anaheim Ducks in London on Saturday.

Earlier Wednesday, Red Bull Salzburg defeated Swiss champions HC Davos 5-3 to finish third in the Red Bull Salute tournament

Kings place G Aubin on injured reserve
Kings place G Aubin on injured reserve

October 3, 2007
LOS ANGELES (TICKER) -- Jean-Sebastien Aubin's tenure with the Los Angeles Kings is not off to a good start.

Aubin, who appears to have landed no higher than third on the Kings' goaltending depth chart, on Tuesday was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.

The move is retroactive to Wednesday.




Signed as a free agent in August, Aubin was expected to challenge for Los Angeles' backup goalie job. But the emergence of 19-year-old Jonathan Bernier, who put on a strong showing in the Kings' season opener - and his NHL debut - against the Anaheim Ducks in London on Saturday, has pushed Aubin behind both the 2006 first-round pick and Jason LaBarbera.

Last season, the 30-year-old Aubin appeared in 20 games for Toronto, posting a 3-5-2 record and 3.34 goals-against average.

A third-round pick of Pittsburgh in 1995, Aubin has played in 199 career games with the Penguins and Maple Leafs, going 75-77-15 with seven shutouts and a 2.91 GAA. The Montreal native registered a career-high 23 wins with Pittsburgh in 1999-2000.

Kings practicing in town after long trip
By Lonnie White and Lisa Dillman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 4, 2007
The Kings returned to practice Wednesday, their first since completing a trip to Europe that included two games in London against the Ducks to open the NHL regular season. Yet, in many ways, some players said Saturday's home opener feels more like the real start.

"We were aware that the games meant two points in the standings, but it still felt different," forward Scott Thornton said of the London games. "In a way, that's good because we get to be fired up all over again for our home opener."


Scott Thornton
click to enlargeThe Kings, who play host to the St. Louis Blues, are glad to have the extra time off after their trip, which began with an exhibition game in Denver on Sept. 20.

The Ducks, meanwhile, had to play at Detroit on Wednesday, face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

"If you're the Anaheim coaches, you're telling your team that it is better that we keep playing," Thornton said. "But of course, for us, it's good to be able to get a couple of practices in and to get time with your family."

So the father-and-son reunion is only a slap shot away.

You would have thought rookie Brady Murray would have grabbed the NHL schedule when it was released and circled this Saturday. Not only is it the home opener, but it is against the Blues, led by former Kings coach Andy Murray, Brady's father.

"I didn't really know," Murray said. "I was more concerned about making the team."

Consider that done.

Murray is one of the 14 forwards on the 23-man roster, and his mother is flying in for the game.

The younger Murray was asked whether, if he scored a goal, he would skate over and give his father the puck. "That'll be pretty special if I can score against them," he said.

He also talked of making the leap to the NHL without his dad's influence. "Definitely gratifying to be here to know I've made it on my own," Murray said.

Coach Marc Crawford did not name a starting goaltender for Saturday but said rookie Jonathan Bernier, who won the season opener, 4-1, making 26 saves, has been impressive.

"We're going to look at him on a day-to-day basis," Crawford said. Of goalie Jason LaBarbera's effort in Sunday's 4-1 loss, he said, "You can't fault him. I thought the Ducks played a much better game. . . . "



Anze Kopitar, a native of Slovenia, on the fan support he received in Europe: "I didn't expect that many fans from back home coming to the games. But a lot of people wanted to see me play in a Kings jersey for the first time."

THANK YOU LA TIMES

SAW THIS ON CENTER ICE
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- It took Erik Johnson just two games to make an impact in the NHL.

Johnson scored his first goal on a power play with 7:17 left in the third period to give St. Louis the lead for good, and the Blues beat Los Angeles 5-3 Saturday night to spoil the Kings' home opener.

Johnson connected on a one-timer that deflected off Kings captain Rob Blake and past Bernier's stick while defenseman Jaroslav Modry was serving a slashing penalty. The Blues' 19-year-old defenseman, who was picked first overall in the 2006 draft, went pro after totaling four goals and 20 assists in 41 games as a freshman at Minnesota.

"Erik does what he does -- he shoots the puck," coach Andy Murray said. "He was like a young player tonight. I mean, the first couple of power plays he made some mistakes. Then the guy that passed the puck to him put it right in his wheelhouse, and he hammered that puck."

Jamal Mayers had two goals, one of them into an empty net with 47 seconds left. Keith Tkachuk and David Backes also scored for the Blues, who trailed 3-1 after two periods and outshot Los Angeles 15-4 in the third.

DALLAS (AP) -The Stars are counting on more offense from Niklas Hagman, a defensive specialist during his first five NHL seasons.

Four games into the season, he's giving his team everything they need and more.

Hagman matched his career high with two goals, one short-handed, Marty Turco stopped 32 shots and the Dallas Stars once again beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Hagman has four goals in his team's first four games.

Last season Hagman notched a career-best 17 goals, but the Stars want more, placing him on a scoring line centered by the team's top setup man, Mike Ribeiro.

"I have to concentrate on scoring a little more when I get a chance to play on a scoring line," Hagman said. "Every game now I'm going to get a couple of good chances. I've got to be ready to bury them."

Antti Miettinen, Ribeiro and Joel Lundqvist added goals for the Stars (2-2), who've won both home games by a combined score of 9-2.

Ribeiro thinks Hagman has the ability to be more of a force on offense.

"He's so fast he keeps the defense on its heels," Ribeiro said. "He has good hands. He has a lot of skills."

The Stars swept all eight games from the Kings last season, and Dallas continued that trend with the help of Hagman's fourth career two-goal game.

"We've got to change that," Kings coach Marc Crawford said of the recent disparity between the teams. "There's no magic formula. We have to execute better. We had three giveaways and they all ended up in the back of our net, which isn't characteristic of our club.

"Tonight the big story was Turco. We had way more great chances. He was the difference-maker for them."

Kyle Calder scored on a rebound at 9:03 of the third period for the Kings (1-3).

Hagman gave the Stars a 1-0 lead at 7:25 of the opening period while the Kings were on their second power play of the night. Hagman stole the puck from Kyle Calder at the right point, skated in alone and beat Jason LaBarbera through the pads on a backhander.

"I kind of read where Calder was going to try to pass and the puck hit me on the glove," Hagman said. "I was able to get on a breakaway and went through 25 different scenarios before I decided to go backhand."

Turco faced 11 shots in the first period, making a sharp glove save at 15:04 when he robbed Anze Kopitar on a rising attempt from low in the right circle that seemed ticketed for the upper right corner.

Hagman made it 2-0 at 4:18 of the second period, skating up the left side and converting Brenden Morrow's pass from behind the net for Hagman's fourth goal of the season.

Turco denied Alexander Frolov of the Kings on a short-handed breakaway at 8:20 of the second period, and Miettinen extended Dallas' advantage to 3-0 nearly five minutes later with his first goal of the season.

Ribeiro, activated off injured reserve earlier in the day, knocked a loose puck past LaBarbera from in front of the net on a power play at 16:05 of the second period to stretch the lead to 4-0. Lundqvist connected on a breakaway 16 seconds into the third period to pad Dallas' advantage to 5-0.

Notes: Hagman's last two-goal game was on Feb. 12, 2004, against Pittsburgh while a member of the Florida Panthers. ... The Stars have outscored the Kings 14-2 in the first period of their last nine meetings. ... Stars G Mike Smith was placed on IR because of a bruised arm, meaning he'll miss at least three games. Rookie Tobias Stephan will replace Smith as Turco's backup. ... Kings C Patrick O'Sullivan was back in the lineup after taking a puck in the mouth during the first period of Saturday night's 5-3 home loss to St. Louis. O'Sullivan lost three teeth and had extensive dental work on Monday. He also had six stitches and sustained a broken bone below his nose.

Associated Press
Three star selections:
1st: NIKLAS HAGMAN
2nd: MARTY TURCO
3rd: MIKE RIBEIRO
Winning Goaltender:
Marty Turco

Losing Goaltender:
Jason Labarbera


I WATCH THIS GAME IT IS THE WORSE HAVE EVER EVER SEEN MY TEAM PLAY ON THE ROAD
WE COULDN'T LEAVE FAST ENUFF FROM DALLAS. JUST 2 MANY TURNOVERS IN THE GAME.

Los Angeles @ Dallas 1 - 5 FINAL Wed Oct 10, 2007 700K St Louis @ Los Angeles 5 - 3 FINAL Sat Oct 6, 2007 700K Los Angeles @ Anaheim 1 - 4 FINAL Sun Sep 30, 2007 700K Anaheim @ Los Angeles 1 - 4 FINAL Sat Sep 29, 2007 700K More Highlights!
GAME REPORTS:Scoresheet Super Stats 700K
Boxscore Faceoffs Play-by-Play
Shift Chart Rosters TOI - LAK|DAL
SCORING SUMMARY1st Period Scoring 07:25 SHG - Niklas Hagman, Backhand - Assists: none
2nd Period Scoring 04:18 Niklas Hagman, Snap Shot - Assists: Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro
13:03 Antti Miettinen, Snap Shot - Assists: Joel Lundqvist
16:05 PPG - Mike Ribeiro, Wrist Shot - Assists: Jere Lehtinen and Sergei Zubov
3rd Period Scoring 00:16 Joel Lundqvist, Wrist Shot - Assists: Jeff Halpern
09:03 Kyle Calder, Wrist Shot - Assists: Raitis Ivanans and Jack Johnson
PENALTY SUMMARY1st Period Penalties 01:31 Derek Armstrong : Hooking - 2 min
04:05 Mattias Norstrom : Holding - 2 min
05:43 Trevor Daley : Holding - 2 min
14:37 Antti Miettinen : Hooking - 2 min
2nd Period Penalties 06:06 Alexander Frolov : Hooking - 2 min
07:20 Brad Stuart : Hooking - 2 min
13:53 Dustin Brown : Holding - 2 min
15:26 Jack Johnson : Slashing - 2 min
3rd Period Penalties 05:26 Philippe Boucher : Slashing - 2 min
10:28 Mattias Norstrom : Holding - 2 min
12:30 Scott Thornton : Interference - 2 min
SHOTS ON GOAL
1st 2nd 3rd T
Los Angeles 11 3 19 33
Dallas 11 9 7 27

Saves - Shots
Goalie Team EV PP SH Total
Labarbera L.A 14 - 17 8 - 9 0 - 1 22 - 27
Turco DAL 20 - 21 9 - 9 3 - 3 32 - 33

LOS ANGELES (AP) -Facing a goaltender with just two games of regular-season NHL experience who was playing in front of an undisciplined defense, the Boston Bruins scored three more goals than they had managed in their first three games.

Boston 8, Kings 6 | Post Game Interviews

Phil Kessel had his first career hat trick and an assist to lead the Bruins to an 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.

Marc Savard scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period against 19-year-old Jonathan Bernier, and also had three assists. Aaron Ward scored for Boston, Milan Lucic got his first NHL goal and Glen Murray added a power-play score before setting up Savard's goal.

Three of the Bruins' goals came with the man advantage.

"We capitalized on every power-play chance, it seemed," Savard said. "We've got the weapons. We've got the guys who can move hots."

Manny Fernandez recorded his first victory with the Bruins, who obtained the 33-year-old goaltender in a July 1 trade with Minnesota.

Anze Kopitar scored two power-play goals for Los Angeles. Brad Stuart connected with the man advantage for the Kings, while Michael Cammalleri got his fifth goal in five games and Brady Murray recorded first goal in the NHL.

The Kings tied it 5-all with 11:41 remaining when Kopitar's rising shot struck the right post and caromed off Fernandez's back before the goalie inadvertently swept it into the net with his left arm.

But the Bruins regained the lead for good when Glen Murray corralled a bouncing puck in the left circle, faked a slap shot and made a cross-ice pass to a wide-open Savard about 10 feet from the net. Bernier could not get over in time to prevent the first goal of the season by Savard, who sat out Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Anaheim because of a groin strain.

"It felt 95 percent, so I wasn't going to sit out because of that," Savard said. "I knew it was there at times, but you just battle through it. Hopefully it feels good (Saturday) morning so I can go (Saturday) night."

The Bruins scored on three of their first six shots in the second period to take a 4-1 lead. Los Angeles narrowed the gap to 4-3 on Brady Murray's unassisted goal and Kopitar's first goal in the final 2:15 of the period. Kessel completed his hat trick on a rebound less than 1 1/2 minutes into the third period for a 5-3 lead.

"It was pretty exciting," said Kessel, last season's Bill Masterton Trophy winner. "It was one of those nights. I got lucky on a couple. We just went out there and played hard, got some bounces, and things happened for us. We had eight goals, which was good for our offense, but we've got to clean up the defense. Giving up six goals doesn't cut it."

Glen Murray put Boston ahead 2-1 at 4:05 of the period with Savard recording his 500th NHL point with an assist on the play. Ward made it 3-1 less than 2 minutes later, scoring his first goal in 17 career games against the Kings on a screened slap shot from a few feet inside the blue line.

"You just have to turn the page and get ready for the next game," Bernier said. "You are going to have games like this during the season. What makes the difference between a good and a bad goalie is bouncing back - and that's what I'm going to try to do."

Notes: This was the teams' only meeting of the season. ... The Bruins have lost the battle of faceoffs in each of their first five games. ... Glen Murray, who spent parts of six seasons with the Kings, led Boston in goal scoring in three of the previous four seasons. ... Former Bruins coach Dave Lewis is an assistant coach with Los Angeles. Mike O'Connell, who spent six seasons in Boston as V.P. and general manager, is the Kings' director of pro development. ... The Bruins conclude their season-opening five-game road trip Saturday night at San Jose - their last one this season outside the Eastern time zone. Their home opener is Thursday against Tampa Bay. ... The Bruins played their first game at Staples Center since Oct. 18, 2003, when they prevented the Kings from getting a single shot on net in the third period and overcame a three-goal deficit to win 4-3.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POST GAME QUOTES

KINGS HEAD COACH MARC CRAWFORD:
(Re: Jonathan Bernier) “Anytime you have that many goals scored on you, it’s a sign that it wasn’t a good performance, but we left him alone on a lot of those chances. The game was on the line and they got a break. It would have been a great save had he made it.”

KINGS GOALTENDER JONATHAN BERNIER:
(Re: game recap) “You just have to turn the page and get ready for the next game. You are going to have games like this in the season. What makes the difference between a good and bad goalie is bouncing back, and that’s what I’m going to try to do now.”

BOSTON FORWARD PHIL KESSEL:
(Re: hat trick) “It’s pretty exciting. I got lucky on a couple. On the second goal, Savard hit me with a perfect pass, I didn’t even have to move my stick, I just tipped it in. It was nice.”

BRUINS HEAD COACH CLAUDE JULIEN:
(Re: game recap) “We really showed our guys that we had to bear down on our corner passes and get a little better finishing them. There’s no doubt we were much better there, but unfortunately it’s almost like we forgot about the other part of the game, where we had done so well. Our defensive game was extremely poor.”

NOTES:

Kings forward Anze Kopitar collected his first and second goals of the season in tonight’s game. His seven points (2-5=7) are tied for the club’s scoring lead.
Kings rookie forward Brady Murray scored the first goal/point of his NHL career tonight against the Bruins.
Post Game Quotes Compiled By: Michael Becker and Andre Delsol



Associated Press
Three star selections:
1st: PHIL KESSEL
2nd: ANZE KOPITAR
3rd: MARC SAVARD
Winning Goaltender:
Manny Fernandez

Losing Goaltender:
Jonathan Bernier






Boston @ Los Angeles 8 - 6 FINAL Fri Oct 12, 2007 700K Los Angeles @ Dallas 1 - 5 FINAL Wed Oct 10, 2007 700K St Louis @ Los Angeles 5 - 3 FINAL Sat Oct 6, 2007 700K Los Angeles @ Anaheim 1 - 4 FINAL Sun Sep 30, 2007 700K More Highlights!
GAME REPORTS:Scoresheet Super Stats 700K
Boxscore Faceoffs Play-by-Play
Shift Chart Rosters TOI - BOS|LAK
SCORING SUMMARY1st Period Scoring 16:54 Philip Kessel, Wrist Shot - Assists: David Krejci
19:47 PPG - Brad Stuart, Slap Shot - Assists: Alexander Frolov and Ladislav Nagy
2nd Period Scoring 04:05 PPG - Glen Murray, Wrist Shot - Assists: Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara
05:56 Aaron Ward, Slap Shot - Assists: Milan Lucic and Phil Kessel
08:56 PPG - Philip Kessel, Tip-In - Assists: Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron
17:45 Brady Murray, Wrist Shot - Assists: none
19:11 PPG - Anze Kopitar, Tip-In - Assists: Mike Cammalleri and Dustin Brown
3rd Period Scoring 01:27 Philip Kessel, Tip-In - Assists: Marc Savard and Andrew Ference
04:37 Michael Cammalleri, Wrist Shot - Assists: Derek Armstrong and Alexander Frolov
08:19 PPG - Anze Kopitar, Slap Shot - Assists: Lubomir Visnovsky and Rob Blake
09:42 PPG - Marc Savard, Wrist Shot - Assists: Glen Murray and Peter Schaefer
15:19 Milan Lucic, Tip-In - Assists: David Krejci and Zdeno Chara
18:33 Chuck Kobasew, Tip-In - Assists: Per Johan Axelsson and Marc Savard
19:55 Patrick O'Sullivan, Wrist Shot - Assists: Michal Handzus and Ladislav Nagy
PENALTY SUMMARY1st Period Penalties 06:06 Jack Johnson : Hooking - 2 min
09:24 Zdeno Chara : Hooking - 2 min
12:47 Milan Lucic : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
12:47 Raitis Ivanans : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
14:54 Michal Handzus : Holding - 2 min
18:28 Aaron Ward : Hooking - 2 min
2nd Period Penalties 03:25 Kyle Calder : Too many men/ice - bench - 2 min
07:41 Brady Murray : Hi stick - double minor - 4 min
14:59 Patrice Bergeron : Hooking - 2 min
18:49 David Krejci : Hooking - 2 min
3rd Period Penalties 07:07 Glen Murray : Hooking - 2 min
09:04 Kyle Calder : Hooking - 2 min
15:19 Kyle Calder : Abuse of officials - bench - 2 min
SHOTS ON GOAL
1st 2nd 3rd T
Boston 12 11 8 31
Los Angeles 11 13 7 31

Saves - Shots
Goalie Team EV PP SH Total
Fernandez BOS 19 - 22 6 - 9 0 - 0 25 - 31
Bernier L.A 12 - 16 10 - 13 1 - 1 23 - 30




WE JUST KEEP LOSING

Henrik Zetterberg had a goal and two assists and the Detroit Red Wings beat Los Angeles 4-1 on Sunday night, sending the Kings to their fifth consecutive loss.

They have just one win so far, beating the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks in the season-opener in London. The Kings' start is their worst since they were 1-6-0 to open the 1987-88 season, including five consecutive defeats.

"I thought we were better tonight, but felt like it was the same story," Kings coach Marc Crawford said. "We made critical mistakes at critical times of the game.

The Red Wings scored two goals each in the second and third periods against Jonathan Bernier, the Kings' 19-year-old rookie.

Detroit backup Chris Osgood made 27 saves in his 600th NHL start, and second of the season.

"To come into another team's building and your goalie makes some big saves, it gives you that calming influence," said Kris Draper, who scored in the second. "The previous games, we kind of let a team get back into it."

Leading by a goal in the third, the Red Wings scored goals less than 2 minutes apart to take a 4-1 lead. Tomas Holmstrom scored from the left side at 5:39 on a pass from Zetterberg, who followed with his fourth goal of the season.

Zetterberg stole the puck while surrounded by three defenders, skated behind the net and went top-shelf on Bernier at 7:21. The Red Wings are 2-0 on the road, having won at Chicago in overtime.

"If you have good confidence, you make the right plays," Zetterberg said. "We have a little more depth this year and special teams are better."

Detroit was whistled for six penalties. The Kings' two minor penalties, totaling four minutes, were their lowest of the season.

"We got a lot of penalties; I have no idea why," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "Then we had to kill penalties and Ozzy did a good job.

Michael Cammalleri, the Kings' leading scorer with six, prevented the shutout with a power-play goal at 1:44 of the third.

Draper's boarding penalty carried over from the second period, then Andreas Lilja went off for high-sticking, giving Los Angeles a 5-on-3, which Cammalleri converted with a slap shot from the left circle.

After a scoreless first, Detroit got goals from Pavel Datsyuk and Draper in the second.

Datsyuk's shot went through Bernier's legs and dribbled across the goal line as the rookie reached back with his left glove in a futile attempt at the puck. Zetterberg assisted 40 seconds into the period.

Draper scored on a short-handed backhander at 3:06.

Bernier stopped 26 shots on the 40th anniversary of the Kings' first game.

Notes: Cammalleri is tied with Ottawa's Dany Heatley for the NHL goal-scoring lead. ... The Kings beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on Oct. 14, 1967, at Long Beach Arena in the club's first game. ... The Red Wings opened a four-game West Coast swing, with Anaheim next on Monday night.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KINGS HEAD COACH MARC CRAWFORD:
(Re: game recap) “I thought we were better tonight, but felt like it was the same story. We made critical mistakes at critical times of the game tonight. They [Red Wings] are a good team and their top players were their best players tonight, and we made mistakes when they were on the ice.”

KINGS DEFENSEMAN ROB BLAKE:
(Re: game recap) “They [Red Wings] are obviously one of the top teams in the league and were very patient tonight. They weren’t worried about a 2-1 lead. They came out and made two or three plays off their top line with Datsyuk and Zetterberg that resulted in goals.”

RED WINGS HEAD COACH MIKE BABCOCK:
(Re: game recap) “We got off to a real good start, and took it to them territorially right at the start. Then the next thing you know they were on the power play three times in a row and then they got some opportunities.”

RED WINGS CENTER KRIS DRAPER:
(Re: Osgood’s performance) “It was big, no doubt. To come into another team’s building – starting off a road trip – and your goalie comes up and makes some big saves for you, it certainly gives you that calming influence. I think we responded well in the second period, and then kind of got into some penalty trouble again and Ozzy had to make some big saves down the stretch.”

NOTES:

Kings forward Michael Cammalleri scored his team-leading sixth goal 1:44 into the third period. He is now tied with Ottawa’s Dany Heatley for the NHL goal-scoring lead.
Tonight marked the 40th anniversary of the Kings’ first-ever game in franchise history (Kings beat Philadelphia 4-2 on Oct. 14, 1967 at Long Beach Arena)
Scott Thornton is now only two games away from 900 in the NHL
The Kings were only whistled for two minor penalties tonight (four minutes total), their lowest penalty-minute total of the season.


Associated Press
Three star selections:
1st: HENRIK ZETTERBERG
2nd: PAVEL DATSYUK
3rd: KRIS DRAPER
Winning Goaltender:
Chris Osgood

Losing Goaltender:
Jonathan Bernier






Detroit @ Los Angeles 4 - 1 FINAL Sun Oct 14, 2007 700K Boston @ Los Angeles 8 - 6 FINAL Fri Oct 12, 2007 700K Los Angeles @ Dallas 1 - 5 FINAL Wed Oct 10, 2007 700K St Louis @ Los Angeles 5 - 3 FINAL Sat Oct 6, 2007 700K More Highlights!
GAME REPORTS:Scoresheet Super Stats 700K
Boxscore Faceoffs Play-by-Play
Shift Chart Rosters TOI - DET|LAK
SCORING SUMMARY1st Period Scoring none2nd Period Scoring 00:40 Pavel Datsyuk, Wrist Shot - Assists: Henrik Zetterberg
03:06 SHG - Kris Draper, Wrist Shot - Assists: none
3rd Period Scoring 01:44 PPG - Michael Cammalleri, Slap Shot - Assists: Lubomir Visnovsky and Alexander Frolov
05:39 Tomas Holmstrom, Wrist Shot - Assists: Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk
07:21 Henrik Zetterberg, Wrist Shot - Assists: Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk
PENALTY SUMMARY1st Period Penalties 11:32 Niklas Kronwall : Interference - 2 min
16:57 Brian Rafalski : Tripping - 2 min
18:40 Dustin Brown : Interference - 2 min
2nd Period Penalties 01:46 Brian Rafalski : Hooking - 2 min
03:47 Lubomir Visnovsky : Interference - 2 min
19:49 Kris Draper : Boarding - 2 min
3rd Period Penalties 01:31 Andreas Lilja : Hi-sticking - 2 min
14:38 Niklas Kronwall : Tripping - 2 min
SHOTS ON GOAL
1st 2nd 3rd T
Detroit 10 14 6 30
Los Angeles 14 5 9 28

Saves - Shots
Goalie Team EV PP SH Total
Osgood DET 15 - 15 10 - 11 2 - 2 27 - 28
Bernier L.A 21 - 24 5 - 5 0 - 1 26 - 30








Oct 15, 2007, 5:12 PM EDT
Bernier LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings and Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi Monday announced the following player transactions: goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin has been activated from the injured reserve list; forward Brady Murray has been assigned to Manchester of the American Hockey League; and goaltender Jonathan Bernier has been returned to Lewiston of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Crawford

Aubin, 30, has not played in a game for the Kings this season after being placed on the injured reserve list on October 2 (retroactive to September 26) due to a groin injury. The 5-11, 180-pound native of Montreal was signed by the Kings as an unrestricted free agent on August 28, 2007. In 199 career NHL games, he has a 75-77-11-4 record, seven shutouts and a 2.91 goals-against-average for Toronto and Pittsburgh. He wears No. 1 with the Kings.

Murray, 23, has played in four games for the Kings this season, including his Kings/NHL debut on September 29 against Anaheim in London, and he has one goal (his first NHL goal came on October 12 versus Boston) and six penalty minutes. The 5-10, 185-pound native of Brandon, Manitoba, was originally selected by the Kings in the fifth-round (152nd overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Bernier, 19, has played in four games for the Kings this season, including his Kings/NHL debut on September 29 against Anaheim in London, and he has a 1-3-0 record (with first NHL win came on September 29) and a 4.03 goals-against-average. The 5-11, 177-pound native of Laval, Quebec, was originally selected by the Kings in the first-round (11th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

“We feel the decision to return Jonathan to the Quebec League is the best means to ensure that Jonathan reaches his potential," Lombardi said of Bernier. "This young man is 19 years old and if he continues to mature properly he has a bright future ahead of him."

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -The Calgary Flames have been turning in a daily double ever since the season began.

And now they're in the record book.

Daymond Langkow had two goals and an assist Thursday night as the Flames erased an early deficit and beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. It marked the seventh straight game to start the season that a Calgary player has scored twice.

As it was in the opening two games, it was Langkow's turn again. His 200th NHL goal at 6:11 of the second period tied it 2-2, and after Craig Conroy gave the Flames the lead at 11:33, Langkow struck again.

On a power play, Kristian Huselius slid the puck over to Langkow, who zipped a high shot over Jean-Sebastien Aubin's glove from the top of the crease. That broke the mark of six games set by Ottawa in 1917 and matched by the Senators three years later.

"That's a real unselfish play, he could have made one move to his backhand and put it in but (Huselius) chose to give it to me and I had an empty net," Langkow said.

After Langkow opened the season with consecutive two-goal games, Huselius, Matthew Lombardi, Huselius again, and Jarome Iginla followed. Langkow's second on Thursday was his 500th NHL point.

"It's a neat thing, for sure, hopefully we can keep it up," Huselius said. "That (record) was a long time ago, but it's nothing we really think about, it just happens and if we can keep it alive that's great, but we don't focus on it."

Huselius also scored for the Flames (3-2-2), who kicked off their seven-game homestand with their first home victory in three tries.

"The win is definitely the icing on the cake, that's what you play for," Langkow said. "The other stuff is just a bonus."

Mike Cammalleri, Dustin Brown, and Anze Kopitar scored for Los Angeles (2-6), which has lost six of seven. Kopitar added two assists giving him a team-high 11 points.

"I don't think that we played terrible but we made a few lazy mistakes in the second period that you can't make against a good team," Cammalleri said.

The Kings took a 2-0 lead 10 minutes into the game.

Cammalleri slapped a shot past Miikka Kiprusoff during a two-man advantage at 3:59. Brown doubled the lead when he cruised down the wing and whipped a wrist shot past Kiprusoff at 10:17.

Calgary cut it to 2-1 when Huselius snapped a shot from the slot past Aubin with seven seconds remaining in the first period, a goal that came with the Flames on a two-man advantage.

The Flames' comeback came on the heels of a 5-4 shootout loss Tuesday night in Denver in which the roles were reversed. Calgary led 4-0, but the Avalanche rallied to win.

"This is a big win, obviously, coming off that loss in Colorado," Langkow said. "We got down early but we were able to come back. It's a good character builder."

Making his second straight start after returning from a groin injury, Aubin struggled on a couple of shots and finished with 25 saves.

Kiprusoff stopped 31 shots.

Notes: Calgary coach Mike Keenan shuffled his lineup with D Anders Eriksson and C Mark Smith sitting out for the first time. C Wayne Primeau was inserted and D David Hale made his first appearance of the season. ... Los Angeles LW Ladislav Nagy, signed as a free agent in the summer, was a healthy scratch for the Kings for the second straight game. ... Calgary began a stretch in which it will play only two road games in 30 days. ... Kiprusoff is one of three goalies who have played every minute of his team's games. The others are Philadelphia's Martin Biron and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.



Associated Press
Three star selections:
1st: DAYMOND LANGKOW
2nd: ANZE KOPITAR
3rd: ROBYN REGEHR
Winning Goaltender:
Miikka Kiprusoff

Losing Goaltender:
J-Sebastien Aubin






Los Angeles @ Calgary 3 - 4 FINAL Thu Oct 18, 2007 700K Minnesota @ Los Angeles 3 - 4 FINAL SO Tue Oct 16, 2007 700K Detroit @ Los Angeles 4 - 1 FINAL Sun Oct 14, 2007 700K Boston @ Los Angeles 8 - 6 FINAL Fri Oct 12, 2007 700K More Highlights!
GAME REPORTS:Scoresheet Super Stats 700K
Boxscore Faceoffs Play-by-Play
Shift Chart Rosters TOI - LAK|CGY
SCORING SUMMARY1st Period Scoring 03:59 PPG - Michael Cammalleri, Slap Shot - Assists: Anze Kopitar and Lubomir Visnovsky
10:17 Dustin Brown, Wrist Shot - Assists: Anze Kopitar
19:53 PPG - Kristian Huselius, Wrist Shot - Assists: Alex Tanguay and Daymond Langkow
2nd Period Scoring 06:11 Daymond Langkow, Wrist Shot - Assists: Robyn Regehr and David Moss
11:33 Craig Conroy, Snap Shot - Assists: Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regehr
16:02 PPG - Daymond Langkow, Wrist Shot - Assists: Kristian Huselius and Jarome Iginla
3rd Period Scoring 11:40 PPG - Anze Kopitar, Wrist Shot - Assists: Alexander Frolov and Lubomir Visnovsky
PENALTY SUMMARY1st Period Penalties 02:45 David Hale : Hooking - 2 min
03:22 Robyn Regehr : Delaying Game-Puck over glass - 2 min
15:31 David Moss : Holding - 2 min
16:50 Craig Conroy : Hooking - 2 min
18:05 Alexander Frolov : Too many men/ice - bench - 2 min
18:56 Jack Johnson : Holding - 2 min
2nd Period Penalties 02:01 Matthew Lombardi : Cross checking - 2 min
04:08 Jaroslav Modry : Hooking - 2 min
15:08 Jaroslav Modry : Hi-sticking - 2 min
3rd Period Penalties 01:58 Brian Willsie : Interference - 2 min
04:35 Stephane Yelle : Cross checking - 2 min
10:14 Daymond Langkow : Roughing - 2 min
10:14 Daymond Langkow : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
10:14 Dustin Brown : Fighting (maj) - 5 min
11:03 Dion Phaneuf : Delaying Game-Puck over glass - 2 min
13:56 Scott Thornton : Roughing - 2 min
13:56 Jarome Iginla : Roughing - 2 min
SHOTS ON GOAL
1st 2nd 3rd T
Los Angeles 13 13 8 34
Calgary 7 11 11 29

Saves - Shots
Goalie Team EV PP SH Total
Aubin L.A 11 - 13 3 - 5 0 - 0 14 - 18
Labarbera L.A 10 - 10 1 - 1 0 - 0 11 - 11
Kiprusoff CGY 23 - 24 7 - 9 1 - 1 31 - 34




we can't handle succes 1 victory at a time



LOS ANGELES (AP) -The Los Angeles Kings insist they're not as bad as they started this season. How they played against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night reinforced that.

Postgame Interviews


KINGS 4, WILD 3 SO
Anze Kopitar scored a short-handed goal in the third period, and the Kings connected on all three shots in the shootout to beat Minnesota 4-3, the Wild's first loss of the season.

"We followed through on our game plan for the entire 65 minutes," Kings coach Marc Crawford said. "We limited the top team in the league to very few chances. We forced them to take a lot of penalties, and that's very uncharacteristic of a Minnesota Wild team."

Scott Thornton and Kyle Calder also scored for the Kings, who had lost five straight after beating defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim in London in the season opener. Dustin Brown and Michael Cammalleri also scored in the shootout against Nicklas Backstrokm.

"We really needed that game, and to do it against them is awesome because we knew how well they've been playing," Cammalleri said. "You're always dangerous when you're desperate."

Pavol Demitra, Mikko Koivu and Brian Rolston scored for the Wild, who remain the only team in the league that hasn't lost in regulation. Their only goal in the shootout was by Petteri Nummelin.

"We took a lot of penalties, a lot of questionable calls, but we battled and we deserved the point that we got tonight," Minnesota center Eric Belanger said.

Jean-Sebastien Aubin, who began the season on injured reserve because of a groin injury, made 28 saves in his 200th NHL game and first with the Kings. Rookie Jonathan Bernier, who was in net for the Kings' opening-night victory, was returned to his junior team in Lewiston, Maine on Monday after allowing 15 goals over his last three starts.

"I didn't feel too much pressure. I just wanted to play a good first game because first impressions are always a big thing," said the 30-year-old Aubin, who also played for Pittsburgh and Toronto since making his NHL debut in 1988-89. "I've got to get used to everything we do, and I'm going to learn more and more about these guys and be even more comfortable."

The Kings grabbed a 3-2 lead with 13:34 left in the third on Kopitar's third career short-handed goal. Kopitar knocked the puck off Demitra's stick about 10 feet inside the Kings' blue line, carried it into the Wild zone and beat Backstrom with a wrist shot from the left circle.

Rolston tied it with exactly 12 minutes left in regulation, beating Aubin to the stick side with a slap shot from the top of the right circle.

Koivu put Minnesota ahead 2-1 just 43 seconds into the second period, beating Aubin to the stick side from the low slot after Rolston took the puck away from Kings center Patrick O'Sullivan behind the net. But Calder tied it at 7:42 of the second on a tip-in of Brad Stuart's one-timer from 45 feet on the power play.

"Discipline was something that wasn't there tonight," Rolston said.

Minnesota did not get a shot on net until Demitra converted a rebound of Marian Gaborik's 40-foot slap shot at 7:25 of the first period.

Referee Stephane Auger had his arm raised to call a delayed penalty against the Wild when Thornton tied the score for the Kings, 30 seconds after Minnesota finished killing off a four-minute penalty.

"We seemed really desperate on the ice," Kopitar said. "We were grinding and really buying into the system. We executed the game plan real well and didn't give up a whole bunch of chances, and the ones we had we put in the net."

Notes: It was the eighth overtime in the last 13 meetings between the teams. ... Minnesota RW Mark Parrish played in his 600th NHL game. His mother Barb was one of 17 players' moms who were guests of the Wild during the team's three-game western swing. So was Tuire Koivu, and Camilla Backstrom, who came from Finland. ... Aubin, who signed with the Kings as an unrestricted free agent in August, made 16 saves in the second period after facing only four shots in the first. ... Minnesota was 0-for-3 on the power play, making them 1-for-22 altogether. ... The Kings came in with a league-worst 4.60 goals-against average.

KINGS PLAYER TO WATCH OILERS PLAYER TO WATCH
BRIAN WILLSIE
Brian Willsie signed as an unrestricted free agent on July 4, 2006, coming off a year in which he set career highs in all statistical categories, scoring 19-22=41 in 82 games with Washington. Last year, however, was a bit of a dissappointment for Willsie, scoring just 11-10=21 in 81 games with the Kings. I was a little frustrated last year with my play and I worked hard all summer and I wanted to come in here with some confidence," Willsie said. "I had a good preseason, but I wasnt in the lineup at the start, but I am feeling pretty confident right now.
Willsie had a solid preseason, but when the season started, he was a scratch for five of the first six games. However, Willsie has seen action in the last five games, scoring 1-1=2 over that span, including a beautiful goal that tied the game at one last night vs. Dallas on a rebound of a Michael Cammalleri shot.

He got his start in Colorado as the Avs' 6th round choice, 146th overall, in 1996, playing in parts of three seasons with the club, his best year being in 2001-02, scoring 7-7=14 in 56 games. The London, Ontario native was traded to Washington at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and scored 10-5=15 that first year in Washington. For his career, he has posted 48-46=94 in 287 games including 2-1=3 vs. Edmonton in seven games.
MATHIEU GARON
The former Kings netminder Matheiu Garon makes his return to STAPLES Center tonight for the first time since signing with the Oilers as a free agent on July 3, 2007. For the season, he is 1-1 with a 4.34 GAA and a .833 SV% playing second fiddle to Dwayne Roloson in the Oilers net.
His first start was Oct. 6, vs. Philadelphia, as the Chandler, Quebec native stopped 22-of-25 shots to earn the win. His next start came six days later and he was pulled after 23:12, surrendering three goals on 11 shots. No indication on whom will start in net tonight for the Oilers, but Edmontonoilers.com is reporting that Roloson is the "'probable starter," we will have to see.

Since being Montral's 2nd round choice, 44th overall, in 1996, Garon has gone 61-57-9 with a 2.88 GAA and a .902 SV%.
LA acquired his services with a 3rd round choice in the 2004 Entry Draft for Radek Bonk and Cristobal Huet on June 26, 2004. He spent two years in LA, the first in 2005-06 when he became just the third netminder in Los Angeles history to post a 30-win season, going 31-26-3 with a 2.66 GAA and a .907 SV%.

Last year, however, Garon struggled to stay healthy and went just 13-10-6 with a 2.66 GAA and a .907 SV%. For his career vs. LA, he has gone 1-1-0 with a 2.02 GAA and a .949 SV%.

LaBarbera made 34 saves, Patrick O'Sullivan had his first two-goal game in the NHL and the Kings beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.

Anze Kopitar and Ladislav Nagy also scored for the Kings, who have won five of six following a 1-5 start. LaBarbera has allowed only four goals over the last four games while facing 109 total shots.

"I feel really relaxed out there right now, and for me that's the biggest thing," LaBarbera said. "If I'm pressing and nervous and my head's spinning, I get in trouble. But I'm calm, and I'm not worrying about things. And if I just play my position and play big and let the puck hit me, then I'm usually all right."

Nagy put Los Angeles ahead 2-1 at 12:21 of the second with the teams skating 4-on-4. He got his stick in the way of an attempted clearing pass by defenseman Tom Gilbert in the left corner of the Edmonton zone, caught up with the bouncing puck and sent a short backhander past goalie Dwayne Roloson's stick.

"Our team has a lot of speed," O'Sullivan said. "So if we're able to get in to forecheck and cause some disturbance with our puck movement, we've got some offensive guys who can capitalize on those chances. A perfect example was Nags' goal."

Kopitar gave the Kings a two-goal lead less than 3 1/2 minutes later, carrying the puck through the right circle and backhanding a centering pass toward the crease that banked in off Roloson's skate.

O'Sullivan completed the scoring with 3:45 remaining. He fanned on a cross-ice feed from Kyle Calder near the crease, but kept his focus and did a complete spin with the puck before backhanding it into a wide-open net from a nearly impossible angle with Roloson out of position.

Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
7-7-0, 1st Pacific Other Teams Anaheim Ducks Atlanta Thrashers Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Calgary Flames Chicago Blackhawks Columbus Blue Jackets Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers Florida Panthers Los Angeles Kings Minnesota Wild Montreal Canadiens Nashville Predators New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers Phoenix Coyotes Pittsburgh Penguins San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks Washington Capitals




Last Game

Nov 2, 2007 at San Jose, W 5-2 Highlights
Goals LOS M. Cammalleri, L. Nagy, M. Moulson, D. Brown (2) SAN P. Marleau, J. Thornton
Goalies LOS J. Aubin (W, 47/49 SV) SAN E. Nabokov (L, 29/33 SV)

Next Game

Nov 3, 2007 San Jose, 10:30 pm
Add to Calendar - Buy Tickets




News

Kings enforcer Ivanans leaves Friday's gameKings enforcer Ivanans leaves Friday's game
PA SportsTicker, Nov 3, 2007
Los Angeles Kings left wing Raitis Ivanans left Friday's 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks early in the third period with a fractured cheekbone. ...More

• Dustin Brown scores 2 goals, Jean-Sebastien Aubin stands on head in Kings' 5-2 win over Sharks - Nov 3 (AP)
• Kings place LW Calder on IR - Nov 2 (PA SportsTicker)
• Rumor: Kings lose Calder with fractured thumb - Nov 2 (Yahoo! Sports)
• Kings recall LW Moulson - Nov 1 (PA SportsTicker)


amazing effort but can we win a back to back

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Michael Cammalleri isn't one to carry a chip on his shoulder.

If he was, it might explain the extra motivation behind a lightning fast start. His 10 goals through 10 games led the league until Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg nudged past the Los Angeles Kings' 25-year-old left wing.

To counter, Cammalleri broke a three-game goalless streak Friday night by scoring his 11th to ignite a three-goal second-period rally the Kings rode to a 5-2 win over the homestanding Sharks.

You see, while most of his NHL brethren were enjoying R&R during the summer months, Cammalleri was preparing for an arbitration hearing. As a restricted free agent, the native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, was coming off the best year of his young career. He led the Kings with 34 goals and 80 points.



Often a last-minute resolution is struck so management and the player in question don't have to go through the awkward and uncomfortable process of a hearing that can leave emotional scars. Neither side enjoys having to prepare a case for and against each other when the rest of the time they're trying to accomplish a common goal.

In Cammalleri's case, not only was the Aug. 2 hearing unavoidable, but he had to wait a few extra days to find out the neutral third party sided more with management's numbers ($3.1 million this season and $3.6 next year) than his figures – $6 million annually.

Harsh feelings? Carryover sentiment? And, worst case, a negative distraction for the Kings?

Try none of the above.

"I knew what I was getting into so I don't have much comment on that," said Cammalleri, who also added two assists in Friday's win to increase his team-high points total to 16. "I only know how to play this game one way so I wasn't going to let it affect the way I play."

Management isn't disappointed either.

"We really like Mike, he's one of our favorite players here and it's because he has so many attributes needed for people to be successful," Kings coach Marc Crawford said.

Since the drop of the first puck in London, it's been full-speed ahead for Cammalleri, who has very much flown under the radar in terms of publicity and notoriety.

"I think it has more to do with playing out West, playing in L.A. instead of Canada or the East Coast," Cammalleri said. "It's not surprising. I'm not suggesting it's a bad thing, I don't know the difference between one or the other. This is just all I know."

A closer look at goal scoring, shooting and minutes played statistics reveal an interesting basis to argue Cammalleri has been the most productive goal-scorer during the season's first month.

After Friday night's games, only five players have put more rubber on goal than Cammalleri, who has cranked off 58 shots in Los Angeles' 14 games. Players with more include Zetterberg (76), Brendan Shanahan (70) of the Rangers, Washington's Alex Ovechkin (68), Florida's Olli Jokinen (64) and Calgary's Jarome Iginla (61).

But take a closer look at those five plus Cammalleri, it's the Kings' forward who has the best shooting percentage (19 percent) and he's the only one averaging fewer than 20 minutes of ice time per game. Cammalleri, in fact, sees approximately 18:30 of ice time.

More accuracy with less time on the ice – not a bad combination for Cammalleri to boast.

"He's been patient," said Crawford, the man who doles out the ice time. "He's not used on the penalty kill and in games where we've taken a lot of penalties he's sat for a long time."

"He loves the pressure," teammate Scott Thornton said. "He loves to have the puck and he loves to score. He's probably most comfortable in a game when he has the puck on his stick."

Take the same group of six shooters, and there's another glaring difference. Cammalleri is listed at 5-feet-9 and weighs 185 pounds. That's smallest in the group by far. Does it hamper him? Not in the least, apparently. His goal Friday was scored at the side of the net.

"He goes into high-traffic areas, he gets shots and he's a very determined player," Crawford said. "He's a wonderful example for our whole team with the passion he plays with, especially in scoring areas."

No one has to remind Cammalleri to shoot. He has a hard, accurate shot and he isn't afraid to pull the trigger. Regardless of what anyone might think about his lack of size, Cammalleri gets his chances. He's snapped off at least five shots six times and never fewer than two in a game this season.

"He's like a dog chasing a ball. Even if things are bothering you, a dog is going to chase the ball. Mike is very much like that," Crawford said. "He's like all great scorers, you have to have a hunger to score, a passion to score and maybe a little bit of a greed to score."

An argument can be made that Cammalleri broke into the league at the right time. A knee injury limited him to nine goals during 31 games in 2003-04 when he was otherwise poised to become a regular. He starred for Manchester of the AHL with 46 goals and 109 points (second only to Jason Spezza's 117 points for Binghamton) in 2004-05 while the NHL was locked out.

Along with labor harmony in 2005-06 came strong enforcement of obstruction, which theoretically would allow the smaller player to compete and succeed.

"I'd be ignorant to say the game hasn't changed," said Cammalleri, designated this season as an alternate captain for the first time. "I just don't know if it's as tough or not. I played before the lockout. I think I would have been OK either way. You try to adapt. There are positives and negatives on both sides of it."

Thornton isn't so sure changes in how games are refereed make a difference.

"It's not to say he wouldn't have been good 10 years ago," Thornton said. "Definitely it helps skill guys who love to have the puck down low and around the net, which is where he likes to play.

"He's a great little player, I don't think he's afraid out there," he added.

Cammalleri isn't afraid either. He'd take team success this season over skating in the spotlight. In fact, it's all that really matters to him.

Cammalleri's debut into the league – 28 games in 2002-03 – coincided with the first of four straight non-playoff seasons for the Kings, who have never gone as many as five years in a row without appearing in the postseason.

The Kings offset a 1-5 start with a recent four-game winning streak to put them back in the thick of what appears to be a wide-open division race. Los Angeles is in the midst of playing 11 straight games against the Pacific as only San Jose (4), Anaheim (3), Phoenix (2) and Dallas (2) are on its November schedule.

"We have a lot of optimism with the way we can play," Cammalleri said. "We lost four in a row early and in the room it was sort of like 'Oh, oh', but then we won four in a row and maybe we realized we weren't playing all that bad in the losses and that we were doing some right things.

"I think if we all buy into what we're trying to do here we can have a lot of success."


Ross McKeon is the NHL editor for Yahoo! Sports. Send Ross a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

thanks to yahoo for this great article

SO I GO AWAY FOR AWHILE THE KINGS TO PROCEED TO LOSE 7 WIN 2 THE SUFFERED A BAD ROAD TRIP IT ISN'T ANY BETTER AT HOME WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS TEAM I COULD SEE ADAM SHAKING HIS HEAD IN DISGUST WELL IT CONTINUED BY THEM LOSING LAST NITE
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -Ryan Getzlaf is crediting his Anaheim teammates for his recent scoring binge.

Getzlaf and Chris Kunitz scored third period goals and the Ducks rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night.

With his team trailing 2-1, Getzlaf shifted to his backhand to whisk the puck past Kings goalie Jason LaBarbera for his second goal of the game to draw the Ducks even with 11:58 to play.

"Right now things are going in for me and it's the result of the teammates around me," said Getzlaf, who skated on a line with Corey Perry and newly acquired Brian Sutherby Sunday. "I think we are moving the puck real well and the puck's finding the net."

Anaheim then got the winner on a pinball-like play as both Kent Huskins and Todd Bertuzzi hit the post with shots before Kunitz swiped in a rebound with 3:06 remaining.

"One hit the left post, one hit the right post and then it hoped on my stick," Kunitz said. "It's nice to get one in, I felt the puck was (not bouncing our way) but it's nice to get one at the end."

The late rally allowed the Ducks to close out a 10-game stretch against Pacific Division teams with a 6-2-2 record, earning 14 of a possible 20 points. The defending champions moved within two points of Dallas for the division lead.

Getzlaf has been a big part of the team's success during this stretch. His two goals against the Kings extended a career-best, eight-game point streak, during which he has six goals and six assists.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO IS GOAL WIN ARE HARD TO COME AND LEADS ARE HARDER TO KEEP.


WITH ALL THESE LOSSES ONLY ONE MOVE

Klemm LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Jon Klemm from the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi today announced.
Klemm, 37, has not played for the Kings this season. He has played in 17 games this season with Manchester, where he has served as captain, and has zero points and 16 penalty minutes. The 6-2, 205-pound native of Cranbrook, British Columbia, is a veteran of 14 NHL seasons, and he has recorded 142 points (42-100=142) and 426 penalty minutes in 751 career NHL games.

The Kings play the Ducks tonight at Anaheim at 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KTLK AM 1150, along the Kings Radio Network and on FSN Prime Ticket (Ducks broadcast).
Recent Team Info:►QUICK LEADS MONARCHS TO A WIN►KINGS RECALL KLEMM►Game Recap 11/25/2007: LAK 2 @ ANA 3►CALDER, IVANANS ACTIVATED; THORNTON ON IR►PIRATES STEAL TREASURE FROM MONARCHS IN OT►Game Recap 11/24/2007: LAK 2 @ SJS 1►SHARKS DROP MONARCHS, 3-1►KINGS NOTEBOOK (NOV 23)►Game Recap 11/21/2007: LAK 1 @ PHX 4►MONARCHS FALL, 4-1
Subscribe | More team news Statistics:
2007-2008 Regular Season
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
A. Kopitar 22 9 11 -1 20
A. Frolov 21 4 16 -6 20
M. Cammalleri 22 12 7 -6 19
D. Brown 22 9 6 -2 15
L. Visnovsky 22 1 13 -11 14
L. Nagy 20 4 7 2 11
D. Armstrong 22 0 9 -3 9
P. O'Sullivan 22 4 3 -1 7
K. Calder 14 3 3 -5 6
B. Stuart 22 2 4 -7 6
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
J. LaBarbera 5 7 1 .916 2.51
J. Aubin 3 2 0 .885 3.64
Full Team Stats >>
Upcoming Games:@ Wed 11/28 7:30 PM vs. Sat 12/01 7:30 PM Tickets vs. Mon 12/03 7:30 PM Tickets @ Wed 12/05 6:30 PM vs. Thu 12/06 7:30 PM Tickets Complete Team Schedule >>



Which one of these Kings would you want taking a make-or-break penalty shot?
Dustin Brown

Michael Cammalleri

Alexander Frolov

Anze Kopitar

Ladislav Nagy

Patrick O'Sullivan


A POLL QUESTION AND AN UPDATE FROM KINGS.COM

WE WON 3 BUT IT WASN'T A GOOD YR

Two thousand and seven was a year with some ups and a few more downs for the young Los Angeles Kings. Fans bore witness to a historic comeback, some personal milestones, a new captain, eight different goaltenders, four of which made their NHL debut and a historic set of contests in London, England. Michael Cammalleri scored the most goals and scored the most points in 2007, scoring 36-41=77 in 76 games during the calendar year, Anze Kopitar was second with 25-39=64 in 70 games.

Without any further adieu, here is LAKings.com's month by month breakdown of 2007:

JANUARY
The club posted a 3-8-2 mark during the first month of year 2007, which began with a lot of promise when Alexander Frolov was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week on Jan. 2 for the period ending Dec. 31. Frolov led all NHL scorers over that span, posting 10 points (four goals, six assists) in just four games.

The next night the Kings shut out the Blue Jackets, 3-0, with former Kings netminder Mathieu Garon stopping all 26 shots he faced in the win.

On Jan. 5, then-Kings prospect Jack Johnson, along with current prospects Jeff Zatkoff and Trevor Lewis won the Bronze Medal with Team USA following a 2-1 win over Sweden at the World Junior Championships in Sweden.

On Jan. 6, the Kings prevailed 4-2 over the Red Wings, extending the team’s point streak to three games with a 2-1 OT loss to the Oilers on Jan. 8 before suffering a six-game losing streak from Jan. 11 – 20.

During the streak a couple of interesting events occurred:

Jan. 13: Lubomir Visnovsky was selected to play in his first NHL All-Star game, while Anze Kopitar was selected to play in the YoungStars game in an announcement on Jan. 13. Later that night, the Kings made history with Yutaka Fukufuji becoming the first Japanese-born athlete to play in the NHL in a 6-5 loss to the Blues.

Jan. 18: Veteran goaltender Sean Burke was claimed off of waivers by the Kings to help stabilize the goaltending position, hit with injuries to Garon and Cloutier. Burke would appear in 23 games with the Kings posting a 6-10-6 mark with a 3.11 GAA and a .901 SV% before retiring in the fall.

Here is a feature on Burke.

Jan. 20: The Kings retired Luc Robitaille’s sweater in a ceremony prior to the Kings hosting the Coyotes at STAPLES…Fans flooded LAKings.com with emails filled with memories of No. 20. Did you miss the ceremony? Do you have 58 minutes on your hands?...enjoy.

The All-Star beak came at a good time for the Kings and saw Kopitar introduce himself to fans of the rest of the NHL, scoring two goals and adding three assists, but the East defeated the West, 9-8 at the NHL YoungStars Game. The next night, Visnovsky had a goal and an assist in the West’s 12-9 win at the All-Star Game.

Fresh off the break, Frolov scored two goals - the second in OT

My only experience with this year's Kings was on December 13 in Dallas, where they lost 4-1.

They looked awful! My thought was, "What a nothing team!" There weren't memorable players: indeed, Jon Quick started in goal! He was pulled for Aubin not long into the game.

The Kings need a solid goaltender (maybe a healthy LaBarbera?) and some offense. And, maybe most of all, some marquee players people could get excited about. Rob Blake isn't enough.

I found a NSFW video of Dustin Brown in the locker room....

http://omgblog.ning.com/video/video/show?i...868%3AVideo%3A7