Frozen Fury 2010 - Johnson post-skate comments

Defenseman Jack Johnson had a few comments following the Kings pre-game skate this morning in Las Vegas...

MM: After your performance the other night, you're now tied for the team lead in pre-season points. Does that give you any extra confidence heading into tonight?

JJ: Not really, we're just having fun. I've been fortunate to pick up a few points the last couple of games because our power play has been great.

Any thoughts about the atmosphere here in Vegas versus the other pre-season games you guys play in?

It's such a different environment than the one we're usually in. It's a fun treat at the end of training camp though. Camp is long and pretty tough, so it's fun to come here and play a game like this. There's usually a lof of fans and they're pretty rowdy, which also makes it more fun than a usual pre-season game.

Frozen Fury 2010 - Clune post-skate comments

Earlier I posted some comments from Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar about tonight's Frozen Fury game.

Below are some exclusive comments from Richard Clune - talking quite a bit about possible linemates this season and his relationship with Kevin Westgarth.

MM: There is a real battle going on for the final few roster spots. You'll be playing on the fourth line tonight with Lewis and Westgarth. How do you feel heading into your second Frozen Fury?

RC: I'm loose. my mind is clear. There is nothing you can do about competition, it's good. It shows the organization is probably at a place where they want to be, as far as depth. It's going to bring the best out in me. I have nothing to worry about. I did all I could do this summer. I've prepared well and I've had good practices in camp. I don't have any pressure on me. I just have to go out and play loose, be myself on the ice. Whatever happens, happens.

Frozen Fury 2010 - Kopitar post-skate comments

Following the Kings pre-game skate this morning several players provided some exclusive comments for MayorsManor.

Earlier, I posted a few thoughts from Drew Doughty.

Here is what Anze Kopitar had to say...

MM: You didn't have any points in your first pre-season game and then had four assists against Anaheim on Tuesday. How do you feel going into tonight's game?

AK: The most important thing is to build the chemistry within the line. We played a little bit together last year. There are times when you play well and don't get any points though. Then there are times when you don't necessarily play that well but you get points. Obviously, you want to win the game and score some goals. But, I think we're mostly looking to build the chemistry, get to know everybody on the line and then read off of each other.

Frozen Fury 2010 - Doughty post-skate comments

The Kings took their pre-game skate at 9am today (way too early for Vegas by the way!)

Following their 25 minutes on the ice, several different players provided some exclusive comments for MayorsManor.

As the morning wears on here, I'll have more quotes posted from Anze Kopitar, Jack Johnson and Richard Clune. First up though, Drew Doughty...

MM: With so many guys in and out of the line-up during pre-season it's hard to carry momentum from game to game. So, how are you approaching tonight after such a dominating performance against the Ducks?

Frozen Fury 2010 - preview w/ Ryan Smyth

In 2007, Ryan Smyth made his Frozen Fury debut. Then with the Avs, he had a relatively quiet night, picking up two penalty minutes and posting three shots.

If his inaugural performance were to be rated as a Las Vegas hotel, it would probably be something on the outskirts - like, Boulder Station.

After skipping the '08 affair due to an injury, he was traded to Los Angeles the following summer...which, as luck would have it, meant he would be returning for a second skate in the desert in September '09.

Again, he missed two minutes of the game while observing from the penalty box. However, he upgraded his ranking by assisting on Anze Kopitar's game tying goal midway through the second period.

Let's call that a Downtown Vegas performance, somewhere on Fremont Street. Probably, the Golden Nugget.

This year, he's looking for something a little more grand when the Kings take on the Avs again at MGM. Is a goal finally in the forecast?

We're less than 36 hours away from the drop of the puck and the excitement is building.

It's time to check in with Rhyno and get his take on the game this weekend, plus his thoughts on Dustin Brown, Wayne Simmonds and Kevin Westgarth... 

MM:  You've seen this game from both sides.  Does either team, or even you as a player, view it as just another preseason game?

Frozen Fury 2010 - preview w/ Kevin Westgarth

It's not uncommon for a Kings prospect to end up as a major part of the game summary at Frozen Fury.

For example - Olli Jokinen, Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds all posted points in their Las Vegas debuts.

Other youngsters you may not remember at this point, who have also performed well in the series for the Kings, include - Pavel Rosa, Scott Barney and Jaroslav Bednar.

Which of those two groups Kevin Westgarth will ultimately end up in is still yet to be determined. For now though, he remains very much top-of-mind for many Kings fans when they think about the annual battle on desert ice.

Last September he single handedly put on a performance with his fists that will not soon be forgotten.

As such, we figured he'd be the perfect person to kick off our Frozen Fury Player Preview series.

Hope you enjoy this exclusive interview with Kevin Westgarth...

MM: You've played in two Frozen Fury games now. What's your mindset as you head out to Las Vegas later this week?

Frozen Fury Trivia

For over a decade now Kings fans have been making the pilgrimage to Las Vegas for the spectacle that is Frozen Fury weekend.

Any Kings fan that has made the trip surely returned home with numerous stories. And yes, we all know What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

However, for those that are Frozen Fury regulars, how much do you actually remember from the games?

Let's put your knowledge to the test with a (not so simple) 10 question quiz. How many can you get right?

You'll need at least eight correct answers to be considered part of Kings Royalty...

1. In the history of the Frozen Fury series, the Kings have played three different teams. Name them.

2. The 2004 game was cancelled due to the NHL lockout. Who were the Kings scheduled to play that year?

3. Which Kings player holds the record for the most career points at Frozen Fury?

10 Tidbits on Frozen Fury 2010

The Kings travel to Las Vegas this weekend for their annual Frozen Fury extravaganza. 

This isn't just any ol' preseason game though.  In fact, it's probably unlike any other exhibition played by two NHL teams.

As such, we're kicking off five days of Frozen Fury coverage.  Yes, five!  Several Kings players will be stopping by to help us preview the game - including Ryan Smyth, Wayne Simmonds and Kevin Westgarth.

First up, let's do a quick recap of the event using our popular 10 Tidbits format (and we even include a little trivia question along the way)...

2010 Eddie Joyal Award - game4 leaderboard update

Anze Kopitar has spoken.

The winner of last year's inaugural Eddie Joyal Award had gone silent last Thursday in his first official appearance since summer ended.

After posting eight points in five exhibition games last season (5 goals, 3 assists), he was showing a goose-egg this time around. Worse yet, with the Kings shortened schedule this year - only six preseason games - he wasn't looking like a strong contender to repeat.

Then Anaheim came to town.

The Kings seemed to appreciate the Ducks showcasing their probable back-up goalie this year, Curtis  McElhinney...so much so, that they posted eight goals on him...yes, you read that right.  EIGHT!

And that was more than enough to shake up the Eddie Joyal leader board.

Kopitar had four assists tonight to move into a tie with Jack Johnson, who he barely beat out for the award last season (when JJ had 7 points).

Here is the updated leaderboard:

Camping Guide 2010 - thoughts from Greene

Day by day, Matt Greene looks to be getting a little better.

That's good news for the LA Kings.

However, for fellow defenseman Alec Martinez and Andrew Campbell, it probably means it will be that much tougher to crack the NHL line-up this season. Both were sent to Manchester earlier this week, leaving Thomas Hickey and Jake Muzzin to battle it out for the (temporarily) open spot on the blueline.

After the morning skate today, Greene made his inaugural journey into MayorsManor...

MM: This camp has been filled with so many of the Kings high-end prospects. Because you haven't been out there skating in all the drills, have you seen anything different from that group - maybe a player that looks like he's improved quite a bit from the last time you saw him?

Camping Guide 2010 - thoughts from Stoll

Coverage from training camp continues today with two short articles, one each with Matt Greene and Jarrett Stoll.

After the players suiting up to face the Ducks tonight went through their morning skate, a second group took to the ice at TSC. Greene, Stoll, Rob Scuderi, Peter Harrold, Trevor Lewis, John Zeiler and a few others went through about an hour of drills and conditioning.

Afterwards, I caught up with (a healthy) Stoll...

MM:  You've played in two games so far and had two points (tying him for the lead in the Eddie Joyal Award standings). Do you focus on your stats at all during preseason or is it purely about getting your your legs under you at this point?

Camping Guide 2010 - Interview w/ Michal Handzus

The Zeus is loose. Just look at the hair.

When Dean Lombardi signed Michal Handzus to a four-year free agent contract in the summer of 2007, he hoped Zeus would return to the player he was out east (where he posted back-to back 20 goal seasons for the Flyers) - not the player he was the prior year in Chicago. A knee injury saw his numbers go south with the Blackhawks, only eight games played the entire year.

Year one in LA was almost like an extended rehab assignment. He didn't score his first real goal that season until December 6th (his goal on opening night in London, vs. the Ducks, was actually an empty netter).

That appeared to be the start of his stats heading north again though.  He posted four goals in seven games, three of them short-handed!  Yet, after December 17th, he wouldn't find the back of the net again until March 22nd.  Just a tough year no matter you slice it.

He turned the page in the summer of '08 and has really never looked back.  In fact, for the last two years he's arguably been the Kings MVP.  A durable, third line center - with a knack for scoring timely goals.

First the knee returned.  Next was his goal scoring.  Now, he's looking to complete the hat-trick...the hair is back.

While not as famous as say Jaromir Jagr's mullet, Zeus used to have a fresh Euro-hockey look.  One that was uniquely his.  Call it part-Michael Bolton, part-Kenny Powers.

How about the important questions though, like what does he think of Frolov being Eastbound and is he down with Poni being his new linemate? 

It's all here, in an exclusive interview with Michal Handzus.

MM:  As things started to shake out over the summer with the Kovalchuk situation, for a brief moment it looked like Frolov may come back to the Kings.  Was that something you were excited about or mentally had you already moved on?