LA Kings at Phoenix Coyotes - what to watch for

Yes, that fine graphic comes to you courtesy of the Phoenix Coyotes.

The two teams split their season series last year 3-3. And when they met last week for the first time this season, Jonathan Quick picked up a 2-0 shutout.

Here are a few things to look for tonight.

- Drew Doughty: After missing the last five games, the Kings get back their best defenseman. In the four games he played prior to the shoulder injury, he picked up one point (an assist) and two penalty minutes.

- Line Shuffling: Dustin Penner returns to the top line, while Simon Gagne will get a rest tonight (nothing serious, just a little sore/stiffness). Big #25 is still looking for his first goal of the season, while his center, Anze Kopitar, hasn't scored a goal in the last four games.

- Parse Watch: He's back in the line-up, following his first goal of the season on Thursday in Dallas. He'll be with Mike Richards and Dustin Brown on the second line.

- Phoenix roster moves: They claimed a Brett MacLean on waivers yesterday. He's not expected to play. However, they may suit up center Cal O'Reilly, who they just acquired from Nashville.

- Fun from twitter: Coyotes defenseman Kyle Turris recently asked for a trade, to which Hall of Fame winger Brett Hull tweeted 'Kyle Turris fire your agent ,19 career goals is not a position of strength in negotiations #grabearsfirmly'

- Attendance: Which game will be watched by more fans live - the one the other night in Dallas or tonight's game in Phoenix?

- Biz Nasty: You can't talk Kings vs Coyotes without talking Paul Bissonnette, Kevin Westgarth and Kyle Clifford. Comments from all three, about each other, were documented here last season. Westgarth's only fight of the season was with Bissonnette last week.

- Andy Miele: Last year's Hobey Baker award winner, as the top college hockey player, signed a free agent deal with the Coyotes this summer and was recently recalled. In a LA-Phoenix Rookie Game prior to training camp, he was a one man wrecking crew.

As usual, we will be running our first goal contest tonight too. If you'd like a chance at winning a free t-shirt from one of our sponsors, simply reply below with the name of the Kings player you think will score the first goal for LA tonight.

Entering is easy, you can even use your facebook profile.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings blueliner Matt Greene

Matt Greene on Thursday (photo: LA Kings)

Now entering the ring, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 232 pounds, originally from Michigan, now repping the South Bay - he's the two-time comedy champion and perhaps the only man who loves blood more than Abdullah the Butcher, it's Matt Greene.

Through the 'What I've learned so far...' series, several LA Kings players have shared their observations from the first month of the season. So, it's only appropriate that Greene took us all the way back to the first game of the year for his article.

Here's what he's learned so far...

"Sweden is an expensive place," was Green's opener.

So, just what was the most expensive thing he purchased on the trip?

"Probably a beer, those things aren't cheap over there. That's a lot of Kronor! You don't really think about it until you do the addition in your head."

Before this segment turns into 'Math with Matt,' let's move on to his teammates. Here's what he's learned about a few of them...

About Mike Richards - "He's a pretty good dude. Good player too, real good player. It was tough during the exhibition games. But, once we got into the regular season games and saw all the little things he does really well - wow, it's pretty amazing. He loves to fish too, really enjoys it. He has a pretty sick place, I've seen some pictures of it - that's a nice house."

Because you demanded it...

Many of you were on your way home from work when it happened.

Knowing that Kings fans wouldn't want to miss out on this, we worked closely with the NHL over the last few days... and after concocting an elaborate agreement, we were able to pull video of Scott Parse's goal Thursday night vs. Dallas.

Defenseman Slava Voynov also scored a pair of goals in the game. However, with Drew Doughty back in the line-up tonight, the Russian rookie has been sent back to Manchester for the time being.

One other quick note - Simon Gagne will not play tonight, Dustin Penner will take his place on the top line.

Now watch and enjoy.

Pre-game notes for tonight's Coyotes-Kings game will be up later today.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Audio:  Scott Parse on when he might play again

Parse thinks the problem is between his ears, coach Murray not so sure

What I've learned so far this season... by Simon Gagne

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings Mike Richards

Mike Richards - LA v Phx (photo: M. Zampelli)

From heated toilet seats to a good geek vs. nerd battle, this new 'What I've learned so far...' series has turned out some interesting answers from several members of the LA Kings.

Over the last two weeks, Simon Gagne, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and a handful of others have stopped by MayorsManor to share a few thoughts from the early part of the season.

Each had their own take on things, as expected. However, the one common thread has been Mike Richards.

Every time his name came up during the interviews, the first words were always the same - 'great guy.'

So, now we turn to the man they've nicknamed Ricky (explained, in detail, here by his road roommate - Trevor Lewis).

By all accounts, Richards has been fitting in nicely. Off the ice his teammates seem to love him and he's put up nine points in nine games - and almost always seems to be involved in the action.

Still, one thing bubbled up quickly and he was ready to get it off his chest.

"The dance music in the locker room is something that I did not expect," said Richards.

When are you going to take over the ipod then?

"Nah, that's not me, I'm not going to be doing too much of that."

Let's move on then. Here's what he's learned so far this season...

About Anze Kopitar - "He kills me on the game 'Words with Friends.' I don't know how though. It's his second language and he still kills me."

Audio: LA Kings coach Terry Murray after 5-3 win in Dallas

Following tonight's 5-3 win in Dallas, LA Kings coach Terry Murray spoke with the gathered media.

Among the topics discussed were Slava Voynov's future, the goal by Scott Parse, letting the Stars back into the game in the third period and more.



Eight goals total - seven of them given up by the top two goalies in the Western Conference entering play tonight. So much for Brett Hull's pre-game prediction of it being a 'low scoring' affair.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Kings at Stars - what to watch for, the Penner edition

Interview with Mike Modano - an extensive conversation between Mo and The Mayor

What I've learned so far this season... by Alec Martinez

Dustin Penner's special relationship with the Dallas Stars

Win a 4-pack of tickets to see Saturday's LA Kings Alumni and Ontario Reign games

LA Kings at Dallas Stars - what to watch for, Penner edition

In a pre-game story that reads much like Tuesday's script vs. New Jersey, much of the focus for the Kings will be on goaltending and Dustin Penner.

LA comes into the game with a 5-2-1 record and is looking to bounce back from an embarrassing 3-0 loss at home on Tuesday, where coach Terry Murray put the blame on poor puck management, resulting in bad turnovers.

Here are a few things to watch for as the Kings open a three-game road trip tonight vs. the Dallas Stars...

- Goaltending: After giving back-up Andrew Raycroft a chance in net vs the Kings on Saturday, the Stars will return to regular starter Kari Lehtonen tonight. He comes in with a 7-0 record this season, on the back of .955 save percentage and 1.54 goals-against average. The Kings will counter with Jonathan Quick, who has shutout his last three opponents and has a lifetime record of 11-3-0 vs the Stars, including wins in his last five against them.

- Dustin Penner: On November 23, 2005, Penner made his NHL debut for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Texas, against the Dallas Stars. He had five shots, zero points and two penalty minutes that night. He could really use a better performance tonight. Due to his recent play, and the Kings inability to generate much offense over the last three games, Penner will drop down a line tonight, playing with Jarret Stoll and Brad Richardson on the third unit.

- Scott Parse: He had only played in one game this season after a disastrous training camp, where he was routinely the focus of negative attention. Murray wasn't sure what to make of Parse's 'it's all between my ears' feeling a few weeks ago. It will be interesting to see if Murray has a short rope with him tonight on the second line with Mike Richards and Dustin Brown.

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings dman Alec Martinez

Alec Martinez of LA Kings (photo: C. Ikiri)

Perhaps if Drew Doughty wasn't out injured the last two weeks, the play of Alec Martinez would be under more scrutiny. Instead, most of the blueline focus has been on rookie Slava Voynov.

It's not that Martinez has been particularly bad. However, coach Terry Murray did rest him a few games ago, wanting the 24-year old Michigan native to be more focused.

Last season, he posted 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and was plus-11 in 60 regular season games. He's yet to pick up a point this season and has a minus-2 rating entering tonight's game in Dallas. He also took six shots, his biggest output of the season so far, against New Jersey on Tuesday. 

If he keeps firing like that, everything will be fine.  Overall, there's no reason to panic either, as the Kings haven't even played 10 games yet.

Off the ice, several Kings' players have commented over the last month or so that he's coming out of his shell more when socializing with teammates. Kevin Westgarth went so far as to call him a nerd away from the rink - something later confirmed by Dustin Brown (well, the captain actually said 'geek').

What has Martinez learned about some of his teammates so far this season?

Here's what he had to say when interviewed for the latest installment of this series...

About Justin Williams - "He makes a hell of a DJ Pauly D on Halloween"

Weal and Toffoli will be the only Kings representatives

Over the last few seasons, the LA Kings have been rated as having one of the top prospect pools among NHL teams. However, many of those players with high-end potential are starting to age out of junior hockey.

When it comes to Team Canada at the World Junior Championships (WJC), the Kings have also been well represented in recent years, with Thomas Hickey, Martin Jones, Brandon Kozun, etc.

Besides their annual summer evaluation camp, for the last eight years, Canada has tuned up for that event with a warm-up against a team of Russian players each November.

Dubbed the Subway Super Series, it's six games total, with the team of Russian all-stars playing twice against each of the three major junior leagues - the QMJHL, OHL and WHL.

Last year, the Kings were represented in every game - wtih Maxim Kitsyn (Russia), Nic Deslauriers (QMJHL), JF Berube (QMJHL), Tyler Toffoli (OHL), Jordan Weal (WHL) and Linden Vey (WHL) participating. Each of those players also appeared on MayorsManor during the tournament, offering their perspective on the games (links below).

With all six of the Kings' draft picks this past June being ineligible - three of the picks are playing college hockey, Andy Andreoff is too old, Michael Schumacher is from Sweden and Christopher Gibson will likely play for Finland at the World Juniors - only two of LA's prospects were available for the Super Series this year and both were selected.

Kings need to be worried about different ice size vs Dallas?

After last night's game, center Jarret Stoll was ready to turn the page and move forward, saying that's what a team needs to do after such a listless performance.

Like the game versus New Jersey, the Kings' have already seen their next two opponents this season.

In the first match-up with Dallas, the game remained scoreless until the final minutes - when Jack Johnson beat goaltender Andrew Raycroft - and LA won the game 1-0.

Looking ahead to Thursday night, coach Terry Murray shared some thoughts on the Stars team they'll be facing for the second time in less than a week...

"We just saw Dallas and they're a very good hockey club. They have a lot of speed. They have a lot of skill and they're a very good team, a very good team. They have intelligent players - guys that have a high IQ and are very creative. They really put a lot of pressure on you in your own d-zone because they change the size of the ice from corner to corner and behind the net. And that's a very hard thing to defend. We need to be really aware of that going into that building."

More on the game tomorrow.

If you're in Southern California, we have 20 FREE tickets to give away for Saturday's Kings Alumni and Ontario Reign double header. Click here for more info.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Jarret Stoll comments after the Kings 3-0 loss to New Jersey

Terry Murray's quotes on Bernier from post-game presser

What I've learned so far this season...by Kings captain Dustin Brown

Dustin Penner's special relationship with the Dallas Stars

Interview with Mike Modano - an extensive conversation between Mo and The Mayor

What I've learned so far... by Kings forward Simon Gagne

Simon Gagne / LA Kings (photo: M. Zampelli)

In this month's 'What I've learned so far' series, several LA Kings players have shared which of their teammates are nerds (or geeks, depending on who you speak with...and apparently there is a difference between the two), who the best passer on the team is, who is coming out of his shell on the road and a few other tidbits.

Simon Gagne joined the team in early July and was already familiar with another new King, Mike Richards. However, he's still getting to know most of the guys in LA.

Through eight games played, he's fit in nicely on the top line with Anze Kopitar - posting seven points (three goals, four assists) and leads the team with a plus-5 rating.

After spending his entire career in the Eastern Conference, here's what he's learned so far this season...

About Dustin Brown - "As a player, Brownie is a guy who's known for his character and his role as a captain. Now I understand why he's a leader here. He's going all in every night. He likes to put himself out there and play physical on the ice, finish his checks and tries to get the momentum for the team. That's what you want from your captain and you really notice it when you play with the guy."

About Jack Johnson - "I knew that he was a really good, young defenseman. But, I think he's playing like a veteran already. He's playing some big minutes for us and he's a guy who's really strong on his skates. He's really strong physically too. Right now, he might be the go-to-guy for game winners. He has that touch right now."

Terry Murray's quotes on Bernier from post-game presser

Following tonight's 3-0 loss to the Devils, Kings coach Terry Murray said the following in his post-game presser...

(Overall game recap): “Tonight is about turnovers. All three goals that New Jersey scored ended up being plays that we had possession of the puck and we just don’t execute and then they come right back at us and they’re scoring. The bottom line again is that your best players on New Jersey – take a look at the scoresheet -- they’re the guys that determine the outcome of the game. We need to do better. Our best players need to be better players in order to win games in this league. We’re just not on top of them.”

(Play of Jonathan Bernier): “Bernier was fine. Bernier I thought made some big stops. We gave up some quality chances in the first period. He played well. This was not about the goaltending. This is all about managing the puck and turnovers and giveaways that ended up being very easy goals against."

(On Bernier's confidence after another loss): "As a young goaltender, you're always on top of and watching closely how his mechanics are and how aggressive he is in his play. Over the course of time, he's always shown me the ability to deal with what's going on."

(On any possible regrets about staring Bernier) "You can dissect this whole thing any way you want."

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Coach Murray explains why he went with Bernier over Quick

Coach Murray and Slava Voynov compare notes

Coach Murray helps close the loop on Brad Richardson
 

Jarret Stoll on Kings 3-0 loss to New Jersey Devils

Post-game comments from Jarret Stoll...

"Obviously, we didn't have our game tonight. We were pretty bad out there and this is definitely one of those games you put behind you the second it's over and refocus. We'll get to practice tomorrow and get ready for our next game in Dallas. That's our mindset, we need to forget about it right away - realize the mistakes we made, pay attention to them, fix them and try not to let them happen again."

On any differences vs. what they saw from the Devils in New Jersey a few weeks ago...

"No. They pressure hard, they work hard, they're strong on the puck. They outworked us tonight. We weren't pushing back, you could tell.  We didn't have that intensity in our game and they took it to us."

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Stoll had questions from Richards, has answers for Murray

Jarret Stoll will have a different view tonight

Summer vacation with the LA Kings players

Jarret Stoll wants to see some push back

Jarret Stoll gets physical with the Dallas Stars

New Jersey Devils at LA Kings - what to watch for

LA comes into the game with a 5-1-1 record, including wins in four straight and both of their games at Staples Center this season.

New Jersey is 3-2-1, splitting the two games they've played on the road.

Here are some things to watch for tonight...

- Goaltending: The Devils lost future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur when these two teams met up a few weeks ago. Johan Hedberg will fill in for New Jersey. He has a 2.24 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in five games played. The Kings will counter will Jonathan Bernier, making just his second start of the season. Terry Murray explained why he's resting Jonathan Quick in an article here.

- Dustin Penner: Contract year. Those two words alone should equal plenty of points. So far, they don't. In five games played - well, four and some change, considering he sat out of most of the game in Philly after a first period fight - he has one lonely assist to show for his efforts. All of LA's other top-six forwards have at least one goal and four points.

- Ilya Kovalchuk: Until he retires, he'll probably be the one player to never wear a Kings jersey who will forever be linked to the Kings franchise. GM Dean Lombardi's pursuit of the Russian sniper didn't end well last summer and it left a bad taste in the mouth of many people. Ultimately, it may have worked out better for LA. However, he's not expected to get a warm welcome by the home crowd tonight. Kovalchuk was also credited with the game winner when the Kings and Devils met in third game of the season.

Game time is 7:30pm PST.

As usual, we will be running our first goal contest tonight too. If you'd like a chance at winning a free t-shirt from Glass Bangers, simply reply below with the name of the Kings player you think will score the first goal for LA tonight.

Entering is easy, you can even use your facebook profile.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Jonathan Bernier on coach Murray's goaltending plans for the LA Kings

Terry Murray explains his reasons for going with Bernier vs. the Devils

Where has the shot mentality been in the third period?  - Murray tries to explain

POLL:  Did Murray make the right call by resting Quick vs. New Jersey

Summertime chat with Jonathan Bernier - what he's been up to

What I've learned so far...by LA Kings captain Dustin Brown

Our new 'What I've learned...' series has already brought forth a myriad of mixed information.

Drew Doughty shared who was 'one of the best passers I've seen' (and it wasn't Anze Kopitar), Kevin Westgarth may be man crushing on one of the new Kings forwards, Trent Hunter spoke about being mesmerized by somebody who can do amazing things with the puck, and Ethan Moreau let the world know which one of his teammates has been talking his ear off on the bus.

However, it was a comment by Westgarth - where he called captain Dustin Brown a nerd - that serves as the backdrop for today's article.

First though, here are some things Brown says he's learned over the first month of the season...

About Willie Mitchell - "What have I learned new about Willie Mitchell? Not much. He talks so much it's...(then Kopitar chipped in and reminded him of something) - he knows a lot of people. He has a lot of friends. Every city we go to, he has a friend, apparently."

About Simon Gagne - "I learned that he and Joe Bernier are really good friends."

About Jack Johnson - "I think he got a new car. I don't really know. Some red car I think I've seen him driving around in."

Win a 4-pack of tickets to Kings Alumni and Ontario Reign

This Saturday, the Ontario Reign and the Kings Alumni Association are teaming up for a special double header...and we have 20 tickets to giveaway!

At 3pm a team of Kings Alumni will skate in a special game vs. a group of local players. [UPDATE: The roster is scheduled to include Valeri Bure, Brandon Convery, Mark Hardy, Brad Norton, Jamie Storr, Ian Turnbull, J.F. Jomphe and Matt Kopitar - father of Kings center Anze Kopitar. Glen Murray will serve as the coach of the team.]

Then, at 6pm, the Ontario Reign will take on the Colorado Eagles. Of course, Hardy is now the assistant coach for the Reign, and Kings' goaltending prospect JF Berube is the team's number one netminder this season. As a special bonus, the Reign will be wearing a Kings themed jersey for the game.

Some of the Kings Alumni will be signing autographs during intermission of the Reign game.

If you'd like to win a 4-pack of some prime tickets - located in the 'wrap around attack' section of the lower bowl, valued at $23 each - simply send an email to ticketcontest@MayorsManor.com - all entries must include your name, address and phone number.

Good luck, we'll announce the winners on Friday morning.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Reign Preview:  Hardy behind the bench, Berube in net

JF Berube may need a new nickname

Luc Robitaille talks how and why the LA Kings changed jerseys

Where has the shot mentality been in the third period?

Last season, the Kings had a pretty balanced attack when it came to shots taken by period. Over the course of the full 82-game regular season, LA posted 2329 shots in regulation - with 33% coming in the first period, 35% in the second and 32% in the third.

Through seven games this season, the numbers tell a far different story. More than 38% of the Kings' shots have come in the first period and only 27% in the third.

For a team with a 5-1-1 record, you might quickly dismiss it as 'Oh, they've been protecting a lead late in games.' However, that isn't the case - as the Kings have only entered the third period with a lead in two of their seven games.

Is the team tired? Have they been instructed to play more defensively in the third period?

Coach Terry Murray offered this explanation - "I don't want to get into that kind of a mindset (to play more defensively) late in the game. I think it's just the way the game unfolds. Everybody is a good checking team right now. Heck, you have five guys back at their own d-zone waiting for you to come through the middle of the ice now - it's a hard thing to generate a lot of shots. There comes a time in the game when they (opponents) pull back even a little bit more and you have to just chip and try to recover pucks and maybe make something good happen off of that. Early in the game, everyone's kind of feeling their way. So, you can have some possession entries and you have more of a shot mentality. But, if you do have a lead, you're probably leaning a little more to that defensive first attitude."

LA prospect Michael Mersch on Wisconsin's big weekend

Mersch celebrates his first goal of the season

LA Kings GM Dean Lombardi had a plan five years ago and it was simple. Stock the team's farm system with goalies first, then defenseman and eventually get to the forwards.

And over the last few drafts he's picked up quite a few potential power forwards, including Michael Mersch - now a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin.

This weekend, he and his Badger teammates hosted the nation's fifth-ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux - a team that includes the Kings first round draft pick from 2010, defenseman Derek Forbort.

The two prospects had spent some time together over the summer, both at Development Camp with the Kings (in July) and an evaluation camp for Team USA the following month.

However, the two weren't very friendly this weekend. "We actually didn't even get a chance to talk," said Mersch. "We were both focused on the games. They're a huge rival and we both just wanted to help our teams out."

Mersch certainly did his part. He scored a goal in Friday's opening contest - a game Wisconsin won 5-3.

"We had a power play carry over from the first period and I slid off back door, the puck came across the crease and I just whacked it home," was how Mersch described his contribution in the second period.

POLL: Did coach Murray make the right call on Bernier?

The lively debate continues among LA Kings fans - who should start in goal?

Coming into this season, coach Terry Murray said he would ride the 'hot hand,' rather than follow a penciled in schedule. Which is part of the reason today's announcement caught some people off guard, Jonathan Bernier will be in goal Tuesday night vs. the Devils.

With four games scheduled this week, including back-to-back games on Saturday (at Phoenix) and Sunday (at Colorado), how would you have set up the goaltending rotation?

Would Jonathan Quick, coming off three straight shutouts, get the call again tomorrow night? Would Bernier play against Phoenix on Thursday?  Or possibly over the weekend?

Pretend you were the head coach for a minute and select your answer from the options below.



Poll closes Tuesday at 6pm PST.

If you missed Murray's explanation for going with Beriner tomorrow night against New Jersey, click here to read today's post-practice article.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

Kings coach Murray explains why Bernier will start vs NJ Devils

The biggest news item from today's morning practice was that Kings coach Terry Murray will put Jonathan Bernier in net vs. the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night at Staples Center.

Regular starter, Jonathan Quick, is riding a three game shutout streak - the longest in team history - having just defeated the Blues, Coyotes and Stars.

Why the change? Here's what Murray had to say about the decision for Tuesday, his conversations with both goalies and what he's thinking about doing next weekend vs. Phoenix and Colorado...

On why Bernier will start - "It's a decision I made a couple of days ago. I let Bernie know at the Saturday skate because I wanted to get him prepared and I knew Sunday was going to be a day off. I wanted him to have an opportunity to get himself ready and today he got a good workout in. We have a lot of games coming up and right now the schedule starts getting pretty busy. We have three Conference games right after New Jersey. So, it's an opportunity to get him going."

On interrupting Quick's streak -"I made the decision before the game and I'm not going to change that. I've talked to Bernie about it, I've talked with Quicker about it....that's the way it is."

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings dman Drew Doughty

Drew Doughty / LA Kings (photo: K. Spatz)

In our new series, 'What I've learned so far,' Kevin Westgarth has explained why Dustin Brown is a nerd, Ethan Moreau revealed which player is underrated and Trent Hunter shared thoughts on several of his new teammates.

Today, Drew Doughty steps up and takes on a few of the guys.

Less than a month after signing his new contract, here is what Doughty has learned so far...

About Mike Richards - "He's one of the best passers I've seen. Obviously, Kopi's a great passer. But, I think Richie is probably the best passer on the team. He has great saucer passes and stuff like that."

About Simon Gagne - "He's funny in his own way. Being French, his English isn't the best. But, he makes me laugh and he's a great guy. On the ice, he's so good at finding that open space. He seems to get so many chances every game. It's not by fluke."

About Alec Martinez - "He's kinda come out of his shell a little bit. He used to be more of a quiet guy because he was a rookie and just getting used to things. On the trip (to Europe), he had a lot of fun. It was great to get to know him more off the ice like that."

Los Angeles Kings Prospect Report - October 24, 2011

It wasn't a good week for the slew of goaltending prospects throughout the Kings organization.

First off, in LA, Jonathan Quick kept Jonathan Bernier from getting any playing time - especially after posting three straight shutouts.

In the AHL, things went south for the Kings' top two prospects in Manchester. After giving up a total of five goals in his first four starts, Martin Jones gave up four goals on Wednesday night and another five on Friday. Ouch! Jeff Zatkoff fared only slightly better, giving up three goals in a 4-2 loss yesterday.

Down in the ECHL, JF Berube - who was looking to rebound after a disappointing 5-4 loss on opening night a week ago - was back in the net for Friday's game in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he gave up another four goals and the Ontario Reign lost 4-1.

Here's a quick look at several of the Kings' other top prospects...

LA Kings forward Scott Parse on when he might play again

Scott Parse continues to be an interesting case study for the Los Angeles Kings. GM Dean Lombardi and coach Terry Murray have certainly given him plenty of praise over the last few years. However, his offensive numbers just haven't been there.

He's also found himslef under a constant microscope since returning from major hip surgery last November. First, Murray was less than pleased with his efforts in the playoffs (as discussed here).

More recently, after the coach first said he would play Parse in all of the pre-season games, the 27-year old forward was scratched a few games in. At the time, Parse thought his problems were all between his ears. Yet, Murray wasn't so sure.

Then, the twists and turns continued when, just as Parse seemed moments from being placed on waivers, Dustin Penner was injured, pushing him into the opening night line-up vs. the New York Rangers.

Parse played a total of 23 minutes, had two shots on goal and zero points in the first two games.

Yesterday, he offered a little perspective on where things stand...

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor

RELATED ARTICLES:

Scott Parse thinks the problems are all between his ears, Murray not so sure

Exclusive:  Dustin Penner provides full details of his injuries - exactly what's been going on

Coach Murray is NOT happy with Scott Parse

GM Dean Lombardi - 'Anze Kopitar may be the new Blake Griffin'

Lombardi on prospects Holloway and Moller bolting for Europe