Westgarth and Simmonds on Nashville's O'Brien

Many professional athletes have memories like elephants. They rarely forget key moments in a game, even many years down the road.

Some situations are more recent. Thus, they're still fresh in the minds of the participants.

Case in point, Shane O'Brien took on Wayne Simmonds in game five of the Kings playoff series with Vancouver last spring. After the scrap, O'Brien (a heavyweight - 6'3", 230 lbs) skated off while playing things up to the hometown crowd.

Some thought it was showboating. Others saw it as just part of the entertainment.

How about Simmonds (who is more like a UFC middleweight, listed at 183 lbs.)? Well, he'll get to see O'Brien tonight when he shows up at Staples Center with his new team, the Nashville Predators. So, we picked up these exclusive comments...

MM:  After you fought O'Brien in the playoffs he did quite a bit of showboating to the home crowd.  Is that still in the back of your mind at all?

Game Preview w/ 'Kings Killer' Steve Sullivan

In 37 career games versus the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville's Steve Sullivan has 10 goals, 23 assists (33 points) and is a plus-nine. When playing at Staples Center, he has eight goals and five assists (13 points) in 15 games.

On the short list of guys known for being 'Kings Killers' - a group including Shane Doan of Phoenix and Mike Ribeiro of Dallas - Sullivan has to be near to the top.

In his inaugural stop into MayorsManor we talk about that and he gives a few keys to night's match-up...

MM: Is there anything that motivates you a little more when playing the Kings for some reason?

SS: No, I don't think so. I had no idea (of his numbers against the Kings).  Those are unexplainable stats.  I don't know why I have such good numbers against LA.  Maybe I just love California (he laughs).

Kings Game Preview w/ Nashville Captain Shea Weber

Here in Los Angeles, Kings fans know all about the awesome Can-Am duo of Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson. Yet, over in Nashville, they have their own dynamic pair of young blueliners in Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.

Back in the February the four were part of one of the best hockey games you'll ever see, when Canada took on the U.S. in the gold-medal game at the Vancouver Olympics. Doughty and Weber helped lead Canada to a win that day over Johnson, Suter and the Americans.

As for the Kings-Predators game today, unfortunately Suter is out hurt. However, we had a chance to catch up with Weber, Nashville's captain, for a few thoughts prior to tonight's game at Staples Center...

MM: We're only a month into the season and the two teams haven't met yet.  What do you know about the Kings so far this year?

Five Fun Facts for Ryan Smyth's 1000th NHL Game

Only 256 players in NHL history have played in 1,000 games. Later tonight that number will increase by one when Ryan Smyth suits up for the Kings.

In honor of Rhyno's accomplishment (or Smitty, or Captain Canada, or Captain California...or whatever you may call him), here are Five Fun Facts to get you primed for the game:

* He's bookending the collection with the Kings. Game number one was back on January 22, 1995 when the Edmonton Oilers visited the Kings at the old Forum in Inglewood.  Who knew all these years later he'd be playing in LA?

* In the 100-marker games (i.e. game #100, 200, 300, etc.) Smyth has an overall record of 5-3-1. He's also currently riding a two game win streak, having beaten Pittsburgh in game #800 and Detroit in #900 - both games were when he was a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

* He's never had more than one point in the marker games - three games with a single goal (#200 vs. New Jersey, #500 vs. Colorado and #700 vs. Columbus), three games with a single assist and was held scoreless in the other three.

*  Excluding the three main cities he's called home (Edmonton, Colorado and Los Angeles), in which building has he scored goals in most often?  It's a tie between Calgary and Vancouver, having scored 12 goals in each arena.

*  Against all opponents, which team has he found the most success against?  It's also a tie.  He's put up 24 goals in his career when playing the Kings and Coyotes.

Long live the mullet.

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Coach Murray on Mitchell and Clifford

A few quick comments from Coach Terry Murray following the Kings practice today at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, Ca...

MM:  Given Willie Mitchell's injury situation last year, were you holding your breath a little when he was engaged in the fight with Steve Downie?

TM:  No.  It didn't even cross my mind.  All I looked at it as was a teammate jumping in there and playing for a teammate in a situation that was...well, it's what we like to see.  But, I wasn't thinking of anything else.

Regarding Kyle Clifford, was there anything you liked or didn't like about his game last night?

There's nothing about his game I don't like.  If I didn't like his game, as a 19-year old he wouldn't be in the line-up.  It would be time for him to go somewhere else and play if that were the case.  We like his game.  We like his presence, his physical play.  I thought his reads of the system last night were really good.  He was very involved in the game.  He only played seven minutes.  But, at the end of the day, I noticed him as a contributor to our win.

[To see what Kevin Westgarth had to say about Mitchell's fight with Steve Downie and hear his thoughts on the post game celebration from last Saturday, CLICK HERE.]

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Kyle Clifford on the Impending Roster Decision

Brayden Schenn on the Impending Roster Decision

Kevin Westgarth on Willie Mitchell's fight

In an interview here on MayorsManor a few weeks ago, Kings' enforcer Kevin Westgarth said he was "itching a bit" to get into his first fight of the year, and added "there's no takers."

Last night versus Tampa Bay might have given him just the opportunity. However, he was about as far from the ice as you can get inside Staples Center - resting in the press box after being given the night off.

We checked in with Westgarth at practice today for some thoughts on what played out between the Kings and Lightning though...

MM:  Seeing how physical the game was last night, how bad were you wishing you were out there?

KW:  Ah, pretty bad! It's definitely one of those games where I feel like I can have a big impact. Obviously, you never know which game it's going to be.  I understand the way things work.  By the same token, I'm up there (in the press box) and I see guys like Doughty and Brownie getting kinda some cheap shots on them and that gets me pretty good.  I definitely want to be the guy out there to make sure it doesn't happen.  Hopefully me sitting on the bench makes sure it doesn't happen.  It's too bad we're not playing them again this year.  But, it always comes back around.

Recap of Justin Williams on NHL Live

Justin Williams was on NHL Live radio this morning.  Here are some very quick highlights...

*  He thought with all the injuries the last few years he had lost a step.  That's something he worked hard on over the summer - to regain that step, his quickness and his confidence.

*  The Kings didn't score on the five minute power play last night.  Who is credited for keeping the team from getting down?  Jonathan Quick.  He's playing the best hockey of his career.  He's making stops and seeing everything.  He's in the zone right now.  We played a great defensive game.

*  What has Willie Mitchell mean to the team?  He has given us extra confidence.  By choosing us it helps everybody believe in ourselves more.  We want to be a top echelon team.  Willie is a great shut down guy and a great character guy in the locker room.

Jack Johnson Enjoys Playing the East

Kings defenseman Jack Johnson seems to agree with most fans, the NHL schedule needs a little more balance.

Hear what he had to say when asked if it he liked having the extra days off this week to prepare for a team like Tampa Bay, an Eastern Conference opponent they don't see very often...


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For our game preview with Wayne Simmonds posted earlier today, please click here.

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LA vs TB Game Preview w/ Wayne Simmonds

Through 11 games so far this season Kings forward Wayne Simmonds has six points, identical to where he was last year at the same marker.

Later tonight he'll be facing the Lightning, a team he hasn't seen very often in his career. In the only match-up last season between LA and Tampa Bay he had zero points and 14 penalty minutes, including a 10 minute misconduct.

Here's a few thoughts from Wayne regarding the match-up:

Question: The Kings are off to a great start this season, especially at home. What do you attribute the success too so far?


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Question: Although the rest of the lines have been in flux, your line has been pretty much intact. How do you feel things are coming together with Michal Handzus and Alexei Ponikarovsky after 11 games?



Question: Last year's game in Tampa featured some controversy.  They thought they scored in overtime to win, only to have the goal disallowed and then the Kings came back to win in the shootout.  Do you think the Lightning will have that in the back of their mind tonight or is it all in the past when a new season starts?



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10 Tidbits on Scott Parse (updated)

Whenever Kings GM Dean Lombardi is speaking to a group of people, there are usually a few memorable quotes.

HockeyFest in September was no exception. He got the attention of quite a few people by claiming "Scott Parse is near the top three on the team in terms of skill."

When coach Terry Murray later announced that Parse would start the season on the second line along side Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams, people could see what the two were working - even if they didn't necessarily agree.

And now, things are about to kick into high gear here for Parse. After sitting out the first month of the season with an injury, he'll return to the line-up tonight against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning...however, he'll be on the top line with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown.

Looking back to October 24th of last year when Parse made his NHL debut, here are 10 Tidbits on the highly-skilled-still-has-a-lot-to-prove left winger...

Coach Murray on the Keep or Return Decision

Yesterday we heard from Kings rookies Kyle Clifford and Brayden Schenn, with some thoughts as we get closer to an announcement about their immediate future in the NHL.

Clifford has played seven games, Schenn eight. GM Dean Lombardi and Coach Terry Murray must make a decision on what to do with each player before they play in their 10th NHL game. Will either of them be heading back to juniors in the next few days?

Here are some comments from Murray regarding both young players:


[note: if the audio does not play in your browser, click the twaud.io logo to play in a separate window]

We're getting close...

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LINKS to player comments on the impending roster decision:
Kyle Clifford . . . and . . .  Brayden Schenn
.

Brayden Schenn on Impending Roster Decision

We're clearly getting down to crunch time.

Earlier we looked at Prop 13 (Keep Clifford or send him back to juniors?). Now let's get into Prop 10, the Brayden Schenn question.

Coach Terry Murray isn't expected to announce his full line-up for tomorrow's game against Tampa Bay until the morning. It may or may not include Schenn on the fourth line. As previously noted, the Kings need to make a decision on Clifford (Barrie Colts / OHL) and Schenn (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL) quickly because the all important ninth game for each is coming up. To date, Schenn has already played eight games and Clifford seven.

Once they take the ice for a 10th game, the first year of their entry-level contracts will be activated. If either player isn't going to significantly contribute this season, the team may want to hold off on burning a year of inexpensive talent. In the salary cap era, those contracts can prove valuable down the road - both in being able to plug in a player with a small contract and in prolonging a player's arbitration / restricted free agency period.

Here are some comments from Schenn about the situation...

MM: Any thoughts with the big decision looming?

Kyle Clifford on the Impending Roster Decision

For Kings GM Dean Lombardi and Coach Terry Murray 'decision day' wasn't Tuesday.

For now, they remain undecided on Propositions 10 and 13.

Something should be announced soon though, as they're going to have to vote one way or the other on Kyle Clifford (Barrie Colts / OHL) and Brayden Schenn (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL). Neither player can be assigned to the AHL due to their age. So, at this point, it's either back to junior hockey or keep them with the big club.

To date, Clifford has played seven games, one fewer than Schenn. Once they take the ice for a 10th game, the first year of their entry-level contracts will have been used. That's a tough pill to swallow in the salary cap era. Unless a young player can contribute in a big way, most teams would prefer not to use up that first year so early on in a player's career.

While on the surface, yesterday's roster move assigning Andrei Loktionov to Manchester (AHL) may have seemed like good news for the two younger players mentioned above, not so fast. That was just something designed to make room for the returning Scott Parse. Because Loktionov is eligible to go back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL, if Schenn or Clifford are returned to juniors, he could possibly be recalled. Regardless, that's something down the road a bit. First things first.

Let's check in with Clifford and see where his head is at as the impending decision on his future draws nearer...

MM:  We're down to just a couple of games left.  Are you getting nervous about what the decision may be?

Counted Out Too Quickly?

LOS ANGELES, CA -- When asked for one word descriptions on his recent play, forward Michal Handzus and Jarret Stoll said "calm" and "awesome"... rookies Kevin Westgarth and Kyle Clifford used "dependable" and "unbelievable"... meanwhile, veteran defenseman Willie Mitchell said "he's a battler."

From the moment he was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 2006, the hype surrounding Jonathan Bernier began to escalate at almost an alarming rate.

In the coming months compliments and rave reviews came pouring in on the teenage phenom, with phrases like 'the savior' and 'future of the franchise' nearly always included.

So, it would have been very easy for Jonathan Quick to get lost in the shuffle after being drafted by the Kings in the third round the year before. In some ways, the deck almost seemed to be stacked against him.

First off, he was part of a rather mediocre draft class. Sure, the 2005 NHL Draft featured the ultimate prize - Sidney Crosby - and other big names like Bobby Ryan and Anze Kopitar. However, after the first round just take a look at the names drafted by the Kings that year: Dany Roussin, T.J. Fast, Quick, Patrik Hersley, Josh Meyers and John Seymour. Slim pickings to say the least...

[note:  The remainder of this article appears exclusively on TheFourthPeriod.com, where The Mayor will be providing additional Kings coverage throughout the season. Please click here now to continue reading.]

Vote for Your Kings Candidate

In sticking with the national theme of the day, it's time to vote!

Because there's only one political party here - the LA Kings Nation - think of this more like a primary election, where people of somewhat like minds are voting for a common candidate to represent their collective beliefs.

Below are the five best candidates worthy of being named the Player of Month for October 2010. A brief case for each guy is made and then it's up to you to vote...

(in alphabetical order)

Dustin Brown - tied for team lead in goals (five) and power play goals (two)...also has two assists, for seven points total...finished with a plus-two rating...had team high 27 penalty minutes (includes questionable game misconduct call)

Willie Mitchell - had the only goal among all defenseman on the team (and it was short handed!)...with one goal and four assists he is second on the team among scoring by defenseman...tied for the team lead with a plus-six rating...played second most minutes on the team, averaging 23:20 of total ice time per game...finished the month with zero penalty minutes - the only player among the top five defenseman to stay out of the box entirely

Jonathan Quick - had a 7-1 record in eight games...goals-against-average of 1.84...gave up only one goal in four of his eight starts...save percentage of .936...one shutout...four times voted number one star of the game

Jarret Stoll - second on the team with 10 points (four goals and six assists)...fourth among forwards in total ice time (second in total short-handed time on the ice and power play time)...tied for the team lead with a plus-six rating...number one face-off guy on the team, finished month with a 58.2 winning percentage...went 1-1 in the shootout

Justin Williams - the only point a game player on the team in October...tied with Dustin Brown for team lead in goals and leads everybody in points...five goals and six assists (11 points) in 11 games...leading scorer is averaging only 16:32 of total ice ice time per game, sixth among forwards...finished with a plus-five rating...went 0-1 in the shootout

What do you think?




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800 and Other Numbers

Saturday night at Staples Center was a lot of things to many different people.

It was Mattias Norstrom tribute night. It was Ilya Kovalchuk's only appearance on LA ice this season. It was a night of nostalgia, seeing several former players that were here during the Andy Murray years - guys like Glen Murray, Mathieu Schneider and Ian Laperriere. It was Rob Blake's first return to the arena as a retired player. It was Jonathan Quick putting on another spectacular performance. And it was another win for the Los Angeles Kings.

The thing is though, it wasn't simply just another win.  It was the 800th regular season home victory in franchise history.  Prior to moving downtown they had picked up 572 wins at the Forum in Inglewood, eight wins at the LA Sports Arena and two wins at the Long Beach Arena.

Here a few of the other key numbers from the weekend...

0 - Kevin Westgarth is still sitting at zero fights for the year.

1.84 - Quick lowered his goals-against-average again...it now sits at 1.84, with a record of 7-1 in his eight starts. He should have been one of the three stars of the game. Come on, the guy saves a season-high 39 and doesn't even get a mention?

4 - Having the former players skate onto the ice for the pre-game ceremony was a nice touch, something unique. However, did you ever think you would see Blake skate onto the ice in a Kings jersey again?