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Inside the Kings
Inside the Kings (insidesocal.com) has great Los Angeles Kings news, photos, videos and more
Today
Kings 2, Ducks 0
Wayne Simmonds scores 37 seconds into the second period, on a shot that appeared to be deflected right after it was taken, and Ducks coach Randy Carlyle had seen enough. It's Jean-Sebastien Giguere out, Jonas Hiller in, as the second...
Kings 1, Ducks 0
Six seconds before the end of the first period, Dustin Brown picked up the puck at his own blue line, skated through the neutral zone and got just enough space on Ducks defenseman Brendan Mikkelson to get a shot off. Brown shot to the far post and beat J.S. Giguere to give the Kings the lead going i...
Tonight's scratches
As expected, Oscar Moller, Derek Armstrong and Tom Preissing are scratched for the Kings. In goal, it's Jonathan Quick vs. Jean-Sebastien Giguere.... As expected, Oscar Moller, Derek Armstrong and Tom Preissing are scratched for the Kings. In goal, it's Jonathan Quick vs. Jean-Sebastien Gig...
Moller: fractured clavicle
Well, now we know what happened to Oscar Moller in the World Juniors. He fractured his clavicle in the game against Russia. Typical of a hockey player, he returned for the rest of the tournament and practiced Wednesday with the Kings before tests revealed the injury. Moller will be out until a...
``Voices'' profiles Nick Nickson
Thanks to Paul from Oxnard for pointing this out...the NHL Network show ``Voices'' will profile Nick Nickson today at 5:30 p.m. (Pacific time). The show profiles radio play-by-play guys from around the league, so Nick gets his shot today.
Murray discusses Frolov
Below, you'll find Terry Murray's response to my question about Alexander Frolov, and the best way to utilize Frolov's game. Frolov's most consistent line this season has been with Michal Handzus and Wayne Simmonds, and Frolov had scored a team-high...
Where Moller fits in
If, as expected, Oscar Moller plays tomorrow, Terry Murray will need to find the right spot. The Kings seem prepared to go forward with a Frolov-Kopitar-Simmonds line, while O'Sullivan-Stoll-Purcell also seems to make sense. Calder and Brown have been playing...
Kopitar + Frolov = offense?
KOPITAR: ``He's a guy who can hold onto the puck for a long time. He's always making plays. If he doesn't have to dump the puck, he won't dump it. He's going to make plays. It seems like he never panics with the puck. He's a really good player with the puck and really good around the net, so I'm really lo...
Post-practice notes
Today's line shakeup could be tweaked again tomorrow, since Oscar Moller is expected to play. Looking at the way the Kings skated today, I'm not really sure where he might fit in, although that spot currently occupied by Kyle Calder, with Michal Handzus and Dustin Brown, might seem to make...
Yesterday
FINAL: Ducks 3, Kings 1
The Kings held the Ducks to 25 shots, a respectable total, but the Kings recorded only 18 shots themselves, including only three in the third period. That's not going to lead to many victories. Special teams carried the night, as... The Kings held the Ducks to 25 shots, a respectable total, but t...
Ducks 3, Kings 1
Rob Niedermayer tosses the puck into an empty Kings net in the final seconds, and the Ducks will get the home victory...... Rob Niedermayer tosses the puck into an empty Kings net in the final seconds, and the Ducks will get the home victory...
Ducks 2, Kings 1
The Kings had nearly killed off a penalty when Drew Doughty took another one, one you don't see very often. In an attempt to clear the puck from just inside his own blue line, Doughty rocketed the puck over the glass at the far end. That's a delay-of-game penalty, and the Ducks scored only 18 sec...
Kings 1, Ducks 1
The Kings take advantage of a 5-on-3, as Kyle Quincey threads a slap shot through traffic to beat Jonas Hiller and tie the game 1:14 into the second period.... The Kings take advantage of a 5-on-3, as Kyle Quincey threads a slap shot through traffic to beat Jonas Hiller and tie the game 1:14 into t...
Ducks 1, Kings 0
The Kings have been outstanding on the penalty kill of late, but the Ducks needed only seven seconds to score on their first power play of the game. Bobby Ryan set up shop about eight feet from the net, took a centering pass from Ryan Getzlaf and blasted a shot from one knee to beat Erik Ersberg w...
Moller recalled
As expected, the Kings recalled Oscar Moller after his stint with Sweden's junior national team. Because there was an open roster spot, the Kings won't need to make a corresponding move. Moller is expected to practice tomorrow and probably will play Thursday against the Ducks.
Monday, Jan 5
Quick will start Tuesday
After practice today, coach Terry Murray said Jonathan Quick will start in goal tomorrow against the Ducks. Here's what defenseman Sean O'Donnell told the Kings' website about Quick's recent play. More notes from the Kings... KINGS NOTEBOOK (JAN. 5)
Grading out
What grade would you give to the Kings' forwards? polls) What grade would you give to the Kings' defensemen? surveys) What grade would you give to the Kings' goalies? polls) What grade would you give to the Kings' coaches? surveys)
Sunday, Jan 4
Quick or Ersberg?
Terry Murray faces a question that a Kings coach rarely faces: which quality goalie to start? Jonathan Quick has been outstanding in his seven games, with a 1.59 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage, but Erik Ersberg was also...
Sacrificing some offense?
MURRAY: ``Oh yeah, absolutely. Right now, I'm seeing Kopitar a lot with the puck on the attack, with speed. He's starting to get that part of the game back again that we were seeing in training camp, with the puck-possession time especially. When you have a player with that kind of skill, havin...
Murray praises Kopitar
Anze Kopitar's production has been a big topic of discussion this season, not only on an individual basis but because the Kings have struggled to find a high-scoring first line. Kopitar has 10 goals and 19 assists through 38 games, which would put him on a full-season pace for 22 goals and 41...
Saturday, Jan 3
Kings win 2-1, shootout
Patrick O'Sullivan and Dustin Brown scored in the shootout to give the Kings a 2-1 shootout win over Philadelphia. Jonathan Quick, playing in his first overtime and shootout game, stopped 31 of 32 shots in a terrific game.... Patrick O'Sullivan and Dustin Brown scored in the shootout to give t...
Rink tour reminder
WHO: Los Angeles Kings WHEN: TOMORROW (Sunday, January 4) WHERE: Southern California The Los Angeles Kings will visit eight Southern California area ice rinks for the fourth-annual 2009 LA KINGS RINK TOUR tomorrow (Sunday, January 4), beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Reunited, again
Patrick O'Sullivan, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown will be back on the first line for the Kings tonight. That's a line that had strong success last season, but has played together -- at least 5-on-5 -- in only brief spurts this season. It's well known that Brown, Kopitar and O'Sullivan are goo...
When will Jack be back?
Jack Johnson continues to skate vigorously in practice, albeit in a yellow non-contact jersey. The Kings are still officially saying that Johnson won't return until after the all-star break at the end of this month, but last I heard, Johnson was scheduled for a strength test on his surgic...
Time to sink or swim
This week's trade of Jason LaBarbera to Vancouver left the Kings with two goalies, Jonathan Quick and Erik Ersberg, who enter tonight with a combined total of 36 career NHL starts. That's not very many, but each goalie's total figures...
A familiar foe
If there's a franchise that Terry Murray associates with, other than the Kings, it's tonight's opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers. As a defenseman, Murray played in the Philadelphia system for parts of six seasons (1975-81) and played 115 games with Flyers...
Murray's thoughts on Boyle
Here's what Terry Murray said this morning about Brian Boyle's return to the Kings and what Boyle needs to do better this time around. Boyle will center the Kings' fourth line, between Raitis Ivanans and John Zeiler... ----- Question: It...
Friday, Jan 2
Moller (pseudo-)update
There are conflicting reports out of Ottawa about Oscar Moller's status. He's dealing with some type of shoulder injury, but depending on which report you believe, he will either play in Saturday's semifinal game OR he requires further evaluation. It's hard to tell, since I'm not in Ottaw...
Wednesday, Dec 31
Winter Classic in L.A.?
Probably not, but wouldn't it be fun? With a nod toward tomorrow's Winter Classic game between Chicago and Detroit at Wrigley Field, the Kings' website looked back at the NHL's first-ever outdoor game, the exhibition game played between the Kings and New York Rangers at Las Vegas' Caesa...
Tuesday, Dec 30
More on the trade
Here's the story I filed for the paper regarding the LaBarbera-to-Vancouver trade... By Rich Hammond Staff Writer The Kings' long quest to find stable goaltending took another twist Tuesday when they traded Jason LaBarbera to the Vancouver Canucks for a...
LaBarbera traded to Vancouver
The Kings have traded Jason LaBarbera to the Vancouver Canucks for a seventh-round draft pick in 2009.... The Kings have traded Jason LaBarbera to the Vancouver Canucks for a seventh-round draft pick in 2009.
Praise for Purcell
Teddy Purcell's time with the Kings this season has been an up-and-down experience, and now it seems to be trending upward again. Terry Murray said today that he expects Purcell to play right wing on the first line Saturday against Philadelphia. That's where Purcell started out, after the...
More on the Lewis move
As you already know, Trevor Lewis got assigned to Manchester today. Lewis had one goal, two assists and an even rating in six games with the Kings. He started as the fourth-line center, then moved up to first-line right-wing duties. In Monday's game, Lewis took only three shifts in the third p...
World juniors update
Viatcheslav Voynov had two assists and a plus-one rating today in Russia's 8-1 victory over Slovakia. That was the only World Juniors game today involving a Kings prospect. Tomorrow, it's Sweden vs. Russia and Canada vs. USA on the final day of round-robin play. Quarterfinals are Friday, wit...
Quotes on Quick
Here are the best parts of the interview I did with coach Karl Taylor, about Jonathan Quick. Taylor coached Quick when Quick played for the Reading Royals of the ECHL last season and was credited by Dean Lombardi for helping Quick improve. Taylor is now the coach of the Kings' ECHL affiliate i...
Jon Quick feature
From the shameless-promotion department, here's the feature I wrote for this morning's paper on Jonathan Quick. I have a bunch of extra quotes about Quick, from goalie coach Bill Ranford and former Reading coach Karl Taylor (who now coaches in...
Monday, Dec 29
Defense leading the way
After consecutive rough games against Buffalo and Detroit, in which they gave up a total of 11 goals, the Kings have put up two shutouts and a 2-1 loss. Defenseman Matt Greene talked about the Kings' ability to bounce back and put together three consecutive strong games.
Sunday, Dec 28
Roster situation
So if Quick stays with the Kings, which seems increasingly likely, a move will have to be made. Changing Richardson's status would help, but here's another wild card... The Kings have been very impressed with Brian Boyle's play in Manchester, and might look for an opportunity to recall him so...
Meet Jonathan Quick
For those who might not know a lot about Jonathan Quick, he's a 22-year-old Connecticut native who was drafted by the Kings in the third round (72nd overall) in 2005 and played two seasons at UMass-Amherst before he turned pro. Quick spent the 2007-08 season at three levels, as he played 38 g...
Saturday, Dec 27
FINAL: Kings 4, Phoenix 0
Quite a nice turnaround for the Kings tonight, as Jonathan Quick made 26 saves for his second shutout of the season, and his second shutout in six NHL starts. It was made all the more impressive by a third period in which the Kings had to kill five minor penalties.
Friday, Dec 26
FINAL: Phoenix 2, Kings 1
Phoenix outshot the Kings 26-25. The Kings totaled 11 shots in the third period and a combined 14 in the first two periods. The Kings went 1 for 3 on the power play while the Coyotes went 1 for 4. Peter Mueller scored a first-period goal and Shane Doan scored a second-period goal.
Game thread, 12/26
Kings scratches: Derek Armstrong, Erik Ersberg, John Zeiler. Phoenix scratches: David Hale, Viktor Tikhonov, Daniel Winnik Kings lines: O'Sullivan-Kopitar-Lewis Calder-Stoll-Brown Frolov-Handzus-Simmonds Ivanans-Purcell-Zeiler
World Juniors update
Canada beat the Czech Republic 8-1, after a first period that was scoreless until Canada scored in the final minute. Neither Thomas Hickey nor Colten Teubert recorded a point. John Taveras scored Canada's first two goals. All of the Kings' prospects next play again on Sunday.
It's World Juniors time!
Russia, with Viatcheslav Voynov, plays Latvia at 11:30 a.m. Pacific time. Sweden, with Oscar Moller, plays Finland at 3:30 p.m. and Canada, with Thomas Hickey and Colten Teubert, plays the Czech Republic at 4:30. Also, the United States plays Germany at 12:30 p.m. and...the Kings host Phoenix at 7:...
Friday, Dec 19
FINAL: Buffalo 5, Kings 0
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Ryan Miller made 40 saves for his third shutout of the season and 10th of his career, and Derek Roy had a goal and two assists in the Buffalo Sabres' 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night. Miller was solid throughout the game, especially in the first two periods w...
Thursday, Dec 18
You make the call
I'm pretty sure I know what the popular answer will be -- get someone now! -- but is that the correct answer? Are you willing to lose a prospect or a draft pick just for the possibility that the Kings might sneak into the No. 8 playoff spot? Remember, this is exactly how Dave Taylor dug a hole for h...
Saturday, Dec 13
Postgame notes/quotes
KINGS HEAD COACH TERRY MURRAY: KINGS GOALTENDER ERIK ERSBERG: KINGS DEFENSEMAN MATT GREENE: KINGS NOTES: · The Kings are 9-for-22 on the power play in the last six games (40.9%). · Patrick O'Sullivan has 11 points in the last 13 games (4-7=10).
Thursday, Dec 11
Murray, on the defensive changes
The Kings made a defensive change today as well. Kyle Quincey swapped spots with Sean O'Donnell, meaning Quincey will skate with Drew Doughty in a pairing that should get huge minutes. O'Donnell will skate with Matt Greene while Denis Gauthier...
Friday, Nov 14
Doughty does it all
From the moment the Kings drafted Drew Doughty in June, the expectation was that Doughty would make the team this season. Few could have guessed, though, that Doughty would arguably be the Kings' best defenseman and regular leader in ice...
Opinion: Short but sweet
Practice today clocked in at just about a half-hour, short by NHL standards but not shocking given that the Kings played in Dallas last night and have a home game tomorrow night. In general, Terry Murray seems to keep his practices shorter than both Andy Murray and Marc Crawford did, and the...
Thursday, Nov 13
Opinion: Murray gets technical
The second game of the home-and-home Kings vs. Dallas series will get underway in a little more than an hour. Yesterday, Terry Murray gave a bit of a breakdown of Tuesday's game. By all accounts, the Kings played a strong final 30 minutes, and Murray talked about the Stars' strengths, what mak...
Wednesday, Oct 29
Opinion: Tom Feuer: Let them eat cake
Here's something Kings and Ducks fans seem to agree upon: ``Rinkside View'' isn't good. The comments here have been overwhelmingly negative, and apparently they've been the same on Ducks-related outlets, such as the Orange County Register's blog.
Thursday, Sep 18
Opinion: Forum answers II
Here's the second, and final, part of the ``open forum'' questions. Seems as though there's only one big question left to answer: when will the Kings sign Patrick O'Sullivan? We'll see... Here's the other answers... Give me your strangest, funniest or most interesting Kings-related story.
Thursday, Jul 10
Opinion: Justin Azevedo interview
Here's an interview, after today's morning session, with Justin Azevedo, the Kings' sixth-round draft pick this year. Azevedo has attracted some attention after being named the Ontario Hockey League's most outstanding player. He had 43 goals and 81 assists in 67 games last season with K...
Tuesday, Jul 8
Solomon interview
Here's the full interview with Jeff Solomon, the Kings' director of hockey operations and legal affairs, in which he discusses Patrick O'Sullivan and the restricted free agents in general, plus his thoughts about the amount of spending that is...
Thursday, May 22
Opinion: ``Roundtable'' breakdown, part 1
McGowan answered and said fans could expect ``more timeliness and programs'' from the Kings going forward and said a lack of returned calls was ``definitely unacceptable.'' McGowan said the Kings had recently hired someone from the Vancouver Canucks to be in charge of their season-tic...
Wednesday, May 14
Futa/Yannetti interview I
Here's the first part of the long interview I did on Saturday with Michael Futa and Mark Yannetti, the Kings' co-directors of amateur scouting. The interview took place after I sat in on their session, so you'll read a couple... Previously, Yannetti worked as a scout for the Kings and the Toron...
Sunday, Apr 20
Moller, Holloway sign
MANCHESTER, NH - The Manchester Monarchs, the primary affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, have signed right wing Bud Holloway and center Oscar Moller to amateur tryout agreements, Monarchs Director of Hockey Operations Hubie McDonough announced today.
