Kopitar, Richards, Mitchell on tonight's Frozen Fury game

As most of you know, the Kings did not have their traditional morning skate at MGM Arena in Las Vegas today. Instead, they stayed back in SoCal after their 3-1 win in Anaheim last night and then took a flight over this morning.

However, prior to departing for Sin City, I gathered a few thoughts on tonight's 14th annual Frozen Fury...

Anze Kopitar - "I haven't had any bad things happen to me in Vegas yet. Hopefully I can keep it that way. The best thing is just the atmosphere around the game. Obviously, it's an exhibition game - but, it has so much hype to it, with lots of build up before the game. So, it's pretty fun to play in the game every year."

Willie Mitchell - "You're asking the wrong guy. I've only been to Vegas once and it was last year for Frozen Fury. Go figure, the only time I ever went was when I had to play a game! This will be my second time and we don't even get a night in Vegas (because they're leaving for Europe immediately after the game). So, my favorite part was getting to Vegas and my second favorite part was leaving because that's all I remember (he tried to blurt out while laughing)."

Mike Richards on any disappointment about not getting to spend at least one night in Vegas, like most years at Frozen Fury - "I don't think I need any time in Vegas right now. That's more of a summer city. But, I've heard a lot of good things about the game actually. I'm excited to see what it's all about."

Richards on what teammates have told him about Frozen Fury - "It's as close to a regular season game as you can possibly get. So, I think it's going to be an exciting game to be part of."

Tonight's projected Kings line-up:

Simon Gagne - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Dustin Penner - Mike Richards - Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford - Jarret Stoll - Ethan Moreau
Brad Richardson - Trevor Lewis - Trent Hunter

Willie Mitchell - Slava Voynov
Alec Martinez - Jack Johnson
Rob Scuderi - Matt Greene

Jonathan Quick - Jeff Zatkoff

If you haven't already done so, be sure to take today's Frozen Fury Trivia Challenge - 10 questions, how many can you get right?

The Mayor
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LA Kings Frozen Fury XIV Primer - TRIVIA TIME

Yes, what happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas. In this case though, let's see how much of the action on the ice has seeped into your brain - or at least how much of it you retain.

For the 14th time, the Kings will host their annual pre-season game in Las Vegas later tonight. Ask anyone who's ever attended and they'll tell you the same thing, it's unlike any other pre-season hockey game.

A lot has gone down in the last decade-plus. 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. How many wins do the Kings have at Frozen Fury?

3. Who scored the first ever Kings goal at Frozen Fury?

Saturday cuts - LA Kings send three more to Manchester

The pruning of the Los Angeles Kings 2011 training cam roster continues.

Three players are on their way back to Manchester (AHL) - defensemen Andrew Campbell and Thomas Hickey, along with left wing Dwight King.

This has to be good news for Russian defeseman Slava Voynov, who is hoping to join the team on their season opening trip to Europe.

At the same time, it's another disappointment for Hickey, the Kings first round pick at the 2007 NHL Draft.

Just a few weeks ago, Hickey spoke with MayorsManor about the pressure he was feeling camp this year - that article, along with coach Terry Murray's reaction to his comments can be found here.  The former Team Canada captain and WHL standout also did a more in-depth interview (linked here) right before last season's AHL playoffs got underway.

Hickey was ranked ninth among the Kings top 10 prospects in the MayorsManor list that came out just as camp was opening last month.  Voynov was ranked sixth.  To see the full rankings, click here.

More notes from Vegas later this afternoon.

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Anze Kopitar in the lead for 3rd annual Eddie Joyal Award

Eddie Joyal, early LA Kings star

At the end of Spring Training, the Dodgers hand out the Roy Campanella Award, to a player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the team's former Hall of Fame catcher.

On a more humble note, for the past few seasons, MayorsManor has recognized the player who leads the Kings in pre-season points with the Eddie Joyal Award. It's a small way of recognizing and remembering one of the early stars in Los Angeles.

As the Kings were assembled for their first season in 1967-68, they were a hodgepodge of guys picked and plucked from various clubs across North America. Jack Kent Cooke's upstart group was made up of pieces acquired from the original six teams; plus some free agents, misfits, leftovers, cast offs and other assorted guys on skates. Nobody was quite sure what would emerge.

Joyal, a 6-foot center who had played only 121 NHL games for two different teams over the previous five years, broke out of the pack as one of the early stars. He went on to lead the team in points that year with 57, after assisting on the Kings first ever regular season goal.

More on Joyal in a moment though.

Let's take a look at past award winners and this year's current standings...

The inaugural award was given out in 2009 to Anze Kopitar. That year, he finished the NHL's exhibition season with eight points (5 goals, 3 assists), just ahead of defenseman Jack Johnson's seven points (2g, 5a).  Then, last season, Johnson moved from bridesmaid to the top of the heap. He actually posted the exact same numbers, yet beat out Kopitar for the award.

Entering tonight's game in Las Vegas - with only two pre-season games left for the Kings - Kopitar again leads the team with five points (4 goals, 1 assist). Close behind are Trevor Lewis and Dustin Brown (each with four points), followed by Slava Voynov, Justin Williams, Jarret Stoll and Johnson (all with three points).

Kopitar is also the all-time leading scorer over the course of the previous 13 Frozen Fury games (5g, 4a, 9 points), so that bodes well for his outlook later tonight.

Now back to Joyal...

LA Kings at Ducks: pre-game notes, line-up, Doughty, more

The game in Anaheim is starting in less than hour.

Last Sunday at Staples Center, the Kings lost to the Ducks 3-1. LA's lone goal came from Andrei Loktionov, who was sent to Manchester (AHL) earlier this afternoon. You can read the post-game notes and quotes from that contest here.  Coach Terry Murray wasn't happy with the performance of Scott Parse that night - pause the thought for a moment though.

Here are a few other Kings-Ducks articles that have appeared on MayorsManor previously. These should get you warmed up and ready to go:

Mike Richards on Corey Perry and not doing stupid things

LA Kings players on favorite moments in Anaheim

Kings prospect Ray Kaunisto calls Ducks fan 'a lost cause'

In the plans:  LA Kings vs Anaheim Ducks outdoor game

Kings-Ducks:  The first time it mattered this much

Tonight's projected line-up for the Kings is as follows:

Simon Gagne - Anze Kopitar - Scott Parse
Dustin Penner - Mike Richards - Dustin Brown
Kyle Clifford - Jarret Stoll - Ethan Moreau
Brad Richardson - Trevor Lewis - Trent Hunter
[update: Dustin Penner was a late scratch, replaced by Dwight King]

Willie Mitchell - Slava Voynov
Rob Scuderi - Thomas Hickey
Davis Drewiske - Matt Greene

Jonathan Bernier - Jeff Zatkoff

This may very well be the final shot for Parse, especially considering the Kings just signed Trent Hunter to a one-year deal earlier today.

Parse was on MayorsManor recently, claiming the ineffectiveness he's displayed in camp is a 'problem between his ears' - read that article here.

Hunter was also on MayorsManor recently, talking about his knee and playing with skilled guys like Kopitar and Penner (linked here).

The game starts at 6pm PST, you can listen live via the KTLK website.

As for Drew Doughty, he's been signed to a new eight-year contract (detailed here) and is not expected to play his first game until the Kings get over to Europe - more on that later this weekend.

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LA Kings go eight for eight - Drewmageddon is over

If the summer long drama between the Los Angeles Kings and defenseman Drew Doughty has been resolved with an 'all's well that ends well' solution, we'll know soon enough.

The primary fact at the moment though is that a contract has been agreed upon and he'll be rejoining his teammates soon, as they prepare for what many expect to be a big year for the Kings.

Doughty is set to receive $7 million per season for the eight next years. That's slightly more than the $6.8 million Anze Kopitar is under contract for and pushes Doughty's potential free agent years out a bit. Thus, it appears to be a win-win for both sides.

There are still many questions to be answered - like when will he practice, when will he play his first game, etc.? Most importantly though, he'll be in the line-up next Friday when the Kings open the season against the New York Rangers in Stockholm.

Doughty was originally selected by the Kings with the number two overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. At the time, he was coming off of being named the Ontario Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Year for the Guelph Storm - coincidentally, the same team Kings' captain Dustin Brown had played for a few years prior.

The 21-year old native of London, Ontario has also received several accolades and awards since then - including being named the Kings Outstanding Defenseman for three straight seasons (2011, 2010, and 2009), being voted as the Kings Best Newcomer (Mark Bavis Memorial Award) in 2009, selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team for the 2008-09 season, winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics and he was nominated for the Norris Trophy (best defeseman) the same year.

Last season he led the team in minutes played (25:38) and was tops among all Kings defensemen with 11 goals.

In 239 regular season games in his young NHL career, Doughty has recorded 126 points (33 goals, 93 assists). He's also picked up five goals and six assists in 12 post-season games with the Kings.

Regarding his immediate future, Doughty has been confirmed by the team as traveling with the club to Frozen Fury this weekend. But, will he play in Las Vegas?

According to Helene Elliott of the LA Times, Doughty says he thinks he can play as soon as the team asks him to - including this weekend. "I think I'm in great shape," said Doughty. From various reports, it appears he'll be leaving for LA soon to complete a physical and officially sign the deal.

Goalie Jonathan Quick wasted no time thumbing out the following tweet upon the news being released tonight - 'Congrats to drew doughty on his new deal, who's pickin the restaurant? #thanksdewey #surfnturf'

Kevin Westgarth tweeted - 'I missed our little guy! #noonewasworried #8isgreat'

For the first time in months, Kings GM Dean Lombardi is probably going to sleep like a baby. Mission accomplished - he now starts the year with the best Kings roster in team history.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

...oh, and yes - those Drewmageddon shirts are now available for sale in the MayorsManor store ...see below for more info...pick one up!

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Cruising the mall with Doughty and Simmonds

10 Tidbits on Drew Doughty

Drew Doughty vs. The Mayor

Doughty and Drewiske - forever linked to Kansas City

Kings players sing an American classic

Drew Doughty vs. Dustin Brown? - say it ain't so

Doughty's interview tonight with Rich Hammond - talking contract signing, Slava Voynov, Europe, etc.

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POLL: What should the LA Kings do with Scott Parse?

Last night in Colorado, Kings forward Scott Parse recorded his first point of the pre-season.

However, just a few days ago, coach Terry Murray said he wasn't necessarily looking for goals or assists out of the 27-year old winger right now. Instead, he wanted to see his feet moving - something Murray claimed has been lacking.

While a dozen or so players have been fighting for one of the few roster spots available on the Kings team this season, Murray practically gave Parse a job heading into camp - even saying he planned for him to be part of the line-up during every pre-season game, in an effort to let him get back into game shape after missing most of last season.

As of Monday, Parse had yet to 'grab the opporuntiy' according to Murray, which led to a subsequent sit down meeting and him being scratched from Tuesday's game in Kansas City.

With guys like Ethan Moreau, Brad Richarson, Trevor Lewis, Andrei Loktionov and others all pushing for a spot on the Kings third and fourth lines, time may be running out for Parse.

Or is it?

If you were in charge of the Kings, what would you do...



Poll closes Friday at 3pm PST.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Scott Parse thinks it's all between his ears, coach Murray isn't sure

10 Tidbits on Scott Parse

Training Camp 2011: updates on injured players - including Parse

LA Kings trim two more from training camp roster

The Kings have announced two more players being cut from training camp in LA and reassigned back to Manchester (AHL).

Forward Justin Azevedo, who played in his third pre-season game last night in Colorado, is headed back to the Monarchs - where he played 79 games last season. The 5-foot-7 forward was originally selected by the Kings in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Draft - following a breakout year with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL), where scored 43 goals. Last season was his third year in Manchester and his 53 points (18g, 35a) were second best on the team - trailing only Bud Holloway's 61 points.

Joining him on the flight back will be tough guy Jordan Nolan. The 6-foot-3 center was a rookie with the Monarchs last season, posting 17 points (5g, 12a) in 75 games. He played for three different teams during his junior hockey career, including the last two with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds - where he was teammates with fellow Kings prospect Jake Muzzin. Nolan was a seventh round draft pick in 2009.

During the Kings' rookie camp that preceded main camp, Nolan was one of the stars in the second game of the Rookie Tournament. He scored two goals against the Phoenix Coyotes that day, including the game winner with less than two minutes to go.

He also played two games for the Kings during the NHL preseason this year.

The Kings are now left with 28 skaters (including the injured Colin Fraser) and three goalies in camp. They'll need to be down to 21 skaters before opening night next Friday. As reported previously, they'll be taking all three goalies - Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Bernier and Jeff Zatkoff - with them to Europe.

For notes on the previous roster cuts this year, see below.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Coach Terry Murray evaluates Tyler Toffoli's 2011 training camp

Coach Murray on Brandon Kozun - 'He needs to work on his game'

High / Low with Terry Murray... on players cut from roster

Clarifying the goalie situation - from LA to KC to Europe

Top prospects talk disappointment of not playing tonight

LA Kings roster cuts - details on who was shipped out

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VIDEO: Las Vegas game highlights - a Frozen Fury primer

It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since the Kings made their Las Vegas debut.

They say the first time is always the most special. In this case, it rings even more true because it was the first time an NHL game had been played outdoors.

Caesar's Palace, made famous by huge boxing matches in the 80's was the site for a game between the NY Rangers and the LA Kings back on September 27, 1991.

The blueshirts went up 2-0 and then...well, just watch the video...

Kings at Avalanche: post-game notes, Kopitar goal video

Last night, the Kings beat the Avalanche 6-0 in Colorado - powered by four goals in the second period. Below are some key stats from the game and fan-filmed footage of Anze Kopitar putting one of his three goals in the net.

* Justin Williams led all Kings with six shots on goal (one went in). Kopitar was second, with five. Trevor Lewis had four.

* The Kings, after playing the night before in Kansas City, came out of the gates slow - putting only six shots on goal in the first. They then outshot the Avs 14-9 and 12-7 in the final two periods.

* Jonathan Quick played the entire game in net, stopping all 27 shots he faced.

* Dwight King, Justin Azevedo and Andrew Campbell all made a rare start. And they showed up on the box score - in the penalty section. Campbell and Azevedo each received two minutes for tripping, while Kings was give a four minute double-minor for high sticking in the third.

* Jack Johnson led the Kings in total ice time (23:30). Rookie Slava Voynov wasn't far behind at 23:16.

Kings at Avalanche: pre-game links, rosters and listen live

A few quick links to get you ready for tonight's game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche:

* Over the summer, the Avs signed free agent defenseman Shane O'Brien - that's a name Kings fans may remember from the 2010 NHL playoffs, when he was with the Vancouver Canucks. Kevin Westgarth and former King Wayne Simmonds spoke about his antics on MayorsManor last season (article).

* Brad Richardson - a one man wrecking crew against his former Avalanche teammates - was featured in a MayorsManor article earlier today. He's fighting to land one of the the final roster spots on the Kings third or fourth lines.

* The guy who seems to be on the hot seat right now, Scott Parse, is back in the line-up tonight. Earlier this week he thought his problems were between his ears. Coach Terry Murray was going to meet with him late Monday to see what was going on. Full story here.

Projected Kings line-up:

LA Kings forward Brad Richardson - the human avalanche

LA Kings Brad Richardson (photo: C. Ikiri)

The old 'put me in coach' saying could possibly be modified for Brad Richardson. 'Plug me in' coach may be more appropriate for the versatile forward.

Last season he played just about every position among the Kings four offensive lines, including a few stints on the top line with center Anze Kopitar.

Given his choice, Richardson says he'd rather be in the middle.

"I like center - that’s my natural position. But, it's pretty tough on this team to be a center - unless someone’s injured, like last year," said the Kings utility man. "I'm comfortable on the right side, left side — the wing positions don't matter to me, it's just a side. Any forward position is fine with me."

When he plays in Colorado though, like the Kings are tonight - he simply looks for quality minutes.

Hockey players have long been known for performing well against their former teams and Richardson is no exception. Originally selected by the Avs in the fifth round of the 2003 NHL Draft, he was traded to the Kings in 2008 for a second round pick. Since changing jerseys, he's scored five goals in nine games against the Avs. In 171 other games for the Kings, played outside of Colorado, he's scored 13 goals (a conversion rate of 8%).

Further, in 244 total games played outside of Denver, Richardson has 27 NHL goals (a conversion rate of 11%). Conversely, in his 72 games at the Pepsi Center, he's found the back of the net 10 times (14%).

In two pre-season games this month, he's been on the move again.

Kings-Pens: post-game notes and (quick) video highlights

Jarret Stoll scored in the shootout again.

That may be the highlight of last night, as the Kings lost 3-2 to the Penguins in front of a sold out crowd of more than 17,000 in Kansas City.

For the number crunchers, here are some key stats from the game...

* Dustin Brown and Alec Martinez led the Kings with three shots on goal. Richard Park and Ben Lovejoy led the Penguins with five shots each.

* Trent Hunter was a minus-2. He was actually on the ice for three of the four goals scored in the game. However, the Kings second goal was scored on the power play, so it didn't count towards his plus-minus.

* The shots on goal for the two teams were polar opposites. The Kings declined from 10 shots in the first period, to six and then just three shots in the third. Meanwhile, the Penguins increased their shots from nine in the first period, to 12, to 15 in the third. Pittsburgh also out-shot LA 5-2 in the overtime.

* In the shootout, Kings coach Terry Murray went with (in order): Jack Johnson, Mike Richards, Jarret Stoll, Brown, Justin Williams, Dustin Penner, Hunter and Trevor Lewis. Only Stoll scored. While, the Penguins picked up shootout goals from Evgeni Malkin and Matt Niskanen.

* Total ice time numbers are not available for this game.

There are several fan-filmed highlights floating around - however, here's a clip from the local KC news...

Is Kansas City more of a hockey town than Los Angeles?

On the surface, you might not think of Kansas City as a hockey town. Instead, your sports mind probably first takes you to baseball's Royals or football's Chiefs.

But, eight miles down the road from the home stadiums of those two teams, a pair of NHL hockey clubs will square off in a sold out arena - setting a pre-season attendance record for games held in non-NHL cities.

Get out your time machine though, because today's New Jersey Devils were once the Colorado Rockies and before that, they began as the Kansas City Scouts.

The city was awarded an NHL franchise in 1972. Two years later they began play in Kemper Arena, along with the Kings. No, not the LA Kings, but the NBA's Kansas City Kings - who had been the Cincinnati Royals for decades prior, but changed their name to the Kings, so not to be confused with the local baseball team.

Speaking of the LA Kings, remember those two dismal stretches last season when the team was struggling to win games? That pales in comparison to what the Scouts went through in their second season.  First, they went winless in 16 games coming out of the Christmas break. They finally won a game, then began another downward spiral - finding a way to go twenty-seven games without a win down the stretch and finished 1-35-8 in their final forty games.

They didn't make the playoffs that year. Just sayin'.

The Scouts weren't the area's first hockey team though.

Kansas City's pro hockey history began in 1928, with the Pla-Mors of the American Hockey Association.

Drew Doughty, Davis Drewiske and their link to Kansas City

Inside the Sprint Center, Kansas City

Tonight's NHL pre-season game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings is sold out.

Now, I'm not sure if hockey fans in Kansas City are similar to the ones in California. But, I'm going to assume there is one major difference - when they look over the game rosters, they're going to skip right past names like Dustin Brown, Mike Richards and Anze Kopitar. The name they're probably most excited to see this evening is Davis Drewiske.

Wait...Davis Drewiske?

Yes, it was LA's seldom-used defeseman who scored the very first goal in the new building, back in 2008.

The game-tape - if there even is any - will show it wasn't a highlight reel goal though. In fact, with the Kings on the penalty kill, Drewiske was simply trying to clear the puck. The shot on goal wasn't picked up by St. Louis Blues goaltender Chris Mason and the Kings were up 1-0 early in the second period.

They held on to win the game 2-1, with the other goals coming from Brad Richardson (Kings) and Paul Kariya (Blues).

Something else took place that night that probably meant little, if anything, to the 11,603 in attendance - Drew Doughty played his first NHL game.

I think it's probably safe to assume there were a few more people hoping to see him tonight than even noticed him on the ice last time.

So, come to think of it, maybe hockey fans in Kansas City and Los Angeles do have something in common after all.

Here are the projected line-ups for the game.

Clarifying the goalie situation - from LA to KC to Europe

It's true - the same glass of water can be seen as half full or half empty, depending on your perspective.

With the latest round of roster cuts at LA Kings camp, one goaltender is headed to New Hampshire and another one will soon be packing for a trip to Europe.

On the surface, it may not seem like Martin Jones got the better end of the deal. However, he's now in Manchester preparing to be the starting goalie for the Monarchs.

Sure, Jeff Zatkoff will be joining the Kings on their trip to Germany and Sweden next week. However, it's highly unlikely he'll even dress for either of the two games being played.

Following the announcement of Jones being assigned back to the AHL, coach Terry Murray shared these thoughts on the young goaltender...

"Jonesy's played very well. He has a really good year in Manchester last year. It looks like he has the right demeanor, the right attitude and the right make-up to be a very good goaltender. His numbers coming from junior (WHL) right through last year in Manchester identify him to be a pretty good goaltender down the road. So, it's very important that all these young guys just continue to play (referring to Jones, Tyler Toffoli and Brandon Kozun, who were all cut from camp on Sunday). They're now in a more important role. They're going to play in critical games, critical minutes and critical situations. It's learning how to handle those situations. That's where you take the next step."

Over the weekend, Zatkoff spoke at length about his time in camp this year, his relationship with Bernier and even about the possibility of being the 'extra' goalie when the Kings head overseas. You can read his interview here.

Yesterday, Murray offered camp evaluations for the other top prospects just released - Kozun and Toffoli.

Later tonight, the Kings will play the Pittsburgh Penguins at the sold out Sprint Center in Kansas City. Jonathan Bernier is scheduled to be in net for LA, with Zatkoff backing him up. Jonathan Quick will start tomorrow in Colorado versus the Avalanche.

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Kings coach Murray - 'Kozun needs to work on his game'

File this one under the peaks and valleys of life.

Just ten days ago, Brandon Kozun was the talk of training camp in Los Angeles. Today, he's headed back to Manchester, New Hampshire to play in the AHL.

He was the breakout star of the two-game Rookie Tournament against the Phoenix Coyotes - scoring a pair of goals in the first game and setting up all three goals in the second one.

It was a performance that he proudly followed up with by stating 'I kind of put the ball in their court,'

Readers of MayorsManor liked what they saw - voting him 'most impressive' in both games. And Kings coach Terry Murray agreed.

Kozun, a sixth round pick in 2009, then played nearly 13 minutes in the team's first preseason game - generating zero points and one shot on goal.

After practice yesterday, Murray spoke about the decision to include Kozun in the most recent round of (training camp) roster cuts...

"He has the speed, he has the quickness. Obviously, he can score some goals. But, he needs to go and work on his game," explained Murray. "He needs to go back down to Manchester, where there's more time - there's a lot more to the game than what I just talked about. Those are the areas that are going to take some time and are going to take some attention in order for him to nail that part of it down."

So, Kozun will play right wing for the Monarchs this season. Who will be his center? That remains to be determined, as Andrei Loktionov remains in camp with the Kings. His short-term fate should be determined in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Kozun is currently ranked fourth on the Kings top ten prospects list. To view the full MayorsManor rankings click here.

Murray also spoke about another highly rated Kings prospect yesterday, Tyler Toffoli. For the coach's evaluation of his camp performance click here.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Kings prospect Brandon Kozun goes high, low and yard

Brandon Kozun on challenges of physical game

VIDEO: Watch the third period, Rookie Tournament game-two - plus The Mayor on the post-game

  

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LA Kings coach Murray evaluates Tyler Toffoli's 2011 camp

Tyler Toffoli at Kings camp (photo: C. Ikiri)

Coming into Rookie Camp the headline was clear - Tyler Toffoli vs. Brandon Kozun, which prospect would make the biggest impact?

Kozun fired the first shot, being the star of the two-game Rookie Tournament against the visiting Phoenix Coyotes. Days later, Toffoli responded by scoring a goal and assisting on another one during the Kings first pre-season game.

Now, considering they both were cut from camp on Sunday, we're probably left without a definitive answer.

It was announced last night that Toffoli would be heading back to his junior team, the Ottawa 67's, to defend his OHL scoring title.

Kings coach Terry Murray didn't get a chance to meet with the talented right winger before he headed back to Canada. However, he did share a few thoughts after practice earlier today...

"He was one of the better players on the ice (during the Kings pre-season game in Phoenix last Wednesday). He played tremendous hockey," Murray stated. "He was looking like a real pro, right from the very first day of rookie camp, through the rookie camp and on into the main camp. He's never missed a beat. His play making, his attitude about taking pucks to the net and playing in the hard areas are tremendous. I think he's going to be a real top pro."

Scott Parse thinks it's all between his ears, Murray unsure

Scott Parse of LA Kings (photo: M. Zampelli)

Against the Ducks last night, Kings coach Terry Murray wasn't happy with the way Scott Parse was moving - or not moving - out on the ice.

When his post-game press conference included comments like 'There’s not much happening on either side of the puck for him right now' and 'His plays and decisions with the puck are not real good,' things didn't sound well for the 27-year old forward - who GM Dean Lombardi once said he hoped turned into a Kris Versteeg type player.

Today after practice, Parse said Murray hadn't shared his feelings with him - yet.

"He hasn't talked to me yet, but he's right. I have to skate better and play with more energy," Parse said.

"Nope, I'm good," was the reaction when I then asked if maybe he was still nursing some nagging injuries.

So, is it all between the ears then? "Yep," was what he quickly said.

Knowing that camp started with upwards of ten players vying for spots on the Kings third and fourth lines doesn't seem to be placing any additional pressure on him though.

"It's not about that. It's about going out there and playing," Parse explained. "I have to do my job and just play. Don't think - have fun and play."

About ten minutes later, down the hall from the Kings locker room at their training facility, Murray acknowledged he has tried to be patient and understanding with a player coming off major surgery.

Parsing through the Kings-Ducks post-game notes, quotes

Yes, the Kings lost 3-1 to the Ducks - or at least that's what the box score said, even though Anaheim's roster read more like an AHL team.

And for a guy who has yet to record a single point in two pre-season games, Scott Parse is quickly becoming one of the key focal points of the team's news items right now.

Below are ten tidbits from last night's second (and final) pre-season game at Staples Center...

* Andrei Loktionov scored the lone goal for the Kings. He also had two shots on goal and two takeaways. In the faceoff circle, he only won two of seven draws (29%).

* For the second game in a row, Alec Martinez led all Kings players with 22:25 of total ice time. Slava Voynov wasn't far behind, with 22:20 total.

* Voynov only had one official shot on goal in the game. Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams each had five shots on goal.

* Dustin Brown, Dustin Penner and Matt Greene led the team with three hits. That wasn't much of a consolation for Greene, who said this about the game - "No real positives at all, actually. Just a bad game for us. We got outworked. We didn’t really have a great effort, great execution... We just got outworked in our own building."

* Back to Martinez - "He had a couple good looks and missed the net," said coach Terry Murray. "He had some problems receiving passes tonight. There were a lot of pucks that hit his stick and went underneath."

LA Kings Roster Cuts - details on who was shipped out

Boy how times have changed.

Gone are the days when the Los Angeles Kings were simply looking for warm bodies to round out their roster.

Since April 2006, GM Dean Lombardi and his staff have worked tirelessly to stock the farm system, while simultaneously finding the proper mix of veteran leadership and talented youth at the NHL level.

While the playoffs may still be more than six months away, today's roster cuts continue to show just how deep their main roster is.

Prized prospects are no longer forced to learn on the job, while playing in a league of men. They're being sent back to their respective junior and AHL clubs to further their development.

Earlier in the week, the Kings 65-man training cup roster was trimmed by 11, as eight invitees and three prospects left LA. Coach Terry Murray talked in-depth about the big names from that group - Jordan Weal, Michael Schumacher and Christopher Gibson - in an interview here.

Today, camp came to an end for nine more players.  Here's the list:

FORWARDS

Andy Andreoff – 6-foot-1 center, drafted in 2011, third round - played 66 games for Oshawa (OHL) last season, scoring 33 goals and was impressive at the Kings' July Development Camp - his most recent MayorsManor interview is linked here

Ray Kaunisto — 6-foot-3 left wing, signed as a free agent in 2010, following his college career at Northern Michigan - played 57 games for Manchester last season - one of the best (and most respected) chirpers among the prospects - recently gave an epic interview on MayorsManor, where he provided his 'bucket list' - check it out here

Brandon Kozun — 5-foot-8 forward, drafted in 2009, sixth round - has proclaimed he's 'ready for the NHL' - played 73 games for Manchester last season (23 goals, 25 assists) - frequent guest on MayorsManor, including his partial follow-up to Kaunisto's bucket list, linked here

LIVE STREAM: Anaheim Ducks at LA Kings pre-season

Thanks to KingsVision you can watch a free live stream of tonight's Kings game, as they host the Anaheim Ducks in LA's second (and final) preseason game at Staples center.

The stream below will began at 6:30pm PST, featuring Nick Nickson and Daryl Evans calling the action.

To get you ready, be sure to check out a few of the Kings-Ducks articles that appeared on MayorsManor last season...

Kings prospect Ray Kaunisto calls Ducks fan 'a lost cause'

Mike Richards on Corey Perry and not doing stupid things

In the plans:  LA Kings vs Anaheim Ducks outdoor game

Kings-Ducks:  The first time it mattered this much

LA Kings players on favorite moments in Anaheim

The game will feature several of the Kings top prospects, who were profiled over three different articles a few weeks ago when camp was just getting started - - forwards, defensemen and goaltenders

Finally, to see the recently released MayorsManor rankings of the top ten Kings prospects, click here.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN STREAM

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LA Kings will take extra goalie to Europe - Jones or Zatkoff?

Martin Jones vs. Jeff Zatkoff

Which defensive prospect could potentially take Drew Doughty's spot in the Kings starting line-up on opening night isn't the only question coach Terry Murray is wrestling with as he prepares for the team's departure overseas.

Per NHL rules, teams opening in Europe are allowed to take an extra goaltender with them.

Just what he needs - more goalie drama.

Already bombarded with weekly questions about the 'Jonathan battle' - Quick versus Bernier - now he'll get to deal with 'the third goalie' inquires for the next week or so.

Although Murray has yet to reveal who will be going, this much is clear - it's expected to be one of the two goalies from Manchester, either Martin Jones or Jeff Zatkoff.

For now, Zatkoff says he's trying to put it out of his mind.

"I think we all knew the situation going in, Beriner and Quick are great goalies. Both could be number one in this league. I'm just trying to make the most of my opportunity when I'm out on the ice and prove that not only can I play here, but that I can win at this level too."

He also says he finally has his head clear, after letting the impressive start to Jones' rookie season get between his ears for a few months.

"I think I got caught up with everything that was going on earlier in the year (referring to Jones' strong play in net) and I wasn't playing to the best of my capability. As the year progressed, I was able to overcome that and play more of my game. My numbers the last third of the year, that's the way I'm capable of playing."

Top prospects talk disappointment of not playing tonight

Yesterday afternoon, Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray announced he was going with a more veteran line-up tonight vs. the Anaheim Ducks - with Andrei Loktionov as the lone prospect included in the group of forwards.

After talking a look at prospects Brandon Kozun, Tyler Toffoli and others vs. the Phoenix Coyotes, they'll sit out tonight's contest.

Here's some reaction from a few of the Kings prospects on that decision and their experience from Wednesday...

Toffoli - "I always want to play. But, I just have to work hard every day. It's their decision...I think I've done well so far. I've done everything that they've wanted me to do - work hard, get myself into better conditioning...and I thought I played well in the game (vs. Phoenix)."

Kozun - "We played against basically (the Coyotes) entire roster, they weren't missing many guys. So, that was fun. I went to Phoenix trying to do my best and, honestly, I think played a pretty good game. The biggest thing I took away from it is I know I can play against those guys. I know I can have success against them and now I just have to wait for my opportunity."

Ray Kaunisto - "It's a little (disappointing), but I was kind of expecting that - they want to get their regular line-up in and get some games under their belt before the regular season starts. So, you kind of have to expect that."

Over on defense, Nic Deslauriers had slightly different expectations...

"I was waiting to play a game," he shared. "Now, I'll just keep proving myself and preparing myself for what's next. That's the main point. For sure, I thought I maybe had a chance to play with the two games (on Wednesday). But, I'll get over it and think about Manchester now."

Two of the other defensive prospects getting the bulk of attention so far, Thomas Hickey and Slava Voynov, will both patrol the blueline again, as they did on Wednesday at Staples Center.

The longer Drew Doughty isn't signed - and if he plans on joining the team in Europe, he needs to be in camp by Friday at the latest - the more likely one of those two will be in the starting line-up on opening night.

Coach Murray evaluated the play of both in an interview here.

The full line-up for tonight is as follows: