VIDEO: Dustin Brown's natural hat trick in 4-0 win last night

If you like the horn at Staples Center, you're going to love the video below.

These highlights from last night's Kings game vs. the Blackhawks feature clips of Jeff Carter, Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll, Dustin Penner and several others. Yet, the night belonged to Dustin Brown.

After the game, I asked him which of the three goals were his favorite - "The first one. Stolly probably made the play happen. He skated all the way up the ice, drove the 'D' back. That gave me a little bit of room to cut to the middle and I just found a way to score."

On Friday, Brown sat down for a one-on-one interview with us where he opened up about how he was dealing with recent trade rumors. If you missed it, be sure to give it a read here.

On Saturday, he made the ultimate 'actions speak louder than words' statement.

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

Comments from Blackhawks locker room after 4-0 loss in LA

Blackhawks fans will likely dismiss their 4-0 loss in LA as not that big of a deal, especially considering they were without captain Jonathan Toews.  On the other side of the ice, Kings captain Dustin Brown figured prominently in the outcome - scoring the game's first three goals and assisting on his team's other marker.

Chicago entered the night holding a 10-1-1 record in the last 12 match-ups versus LA, with their only loss in regulation being a 2-0 game at the United Center on December 28th.  So, the Kings now hold back-to-back shutouts over the team with third best offense in the Western Conference. Even with the win though, the Kings are still on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs, while the 'Hawks sit sixth in the standings.

After the game, here's what they were saying back in the locker room...

Patrick Sharp on the overall game - "There’s room for more offensive chances; there are ways to get stronger and get more pucks to the net. There’s nothing really more to say, we’ve got to find a way to put one in the back of the net. We need to get some guys on it, and do the things that we’re doing and find a way to get it in the back of the net and it’ll be a huge positive for us."

Doughty and Stoll comment on the love tap celebration

If you were watching closely during Wednesday's game in Chicago, Drew Doughty was very excited when Jarret Stoll scored to put the Kings up 2-0 early in the third period.

For those who missed the celebration, here's a short clip, followed by some reaction from both when asked about it after practice today.

Stoll - "I haven't seen the video yet, to be honest with you. Obviously, I didn't even realize it at the time. It must not have been that good (laughter ensues for all around). I need to take a look at it, I think. He told me about it and I said, 'Really? I didn't even realize it.' I was just too happy that we finally scored a goal."

Doughty - "It wasn't pre-planned. It was just spur-of-the-moment. I don't know what I was thinking. It just kind of happened, I guess. There's nothing behind the scenes. I was just excited that we got the second goal. I don't know why I did it, probably won't do it again though."

So what happens if Stoll gets a hat trick some time soon?

Doughty - "Well then I guess I, ah..."

Several of his teammates began chiming in with lots of laughter and stuff that doesn't need to be printed.

Let's just say, your parents were right - boys will be boys.

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

Kings coach Murray looking for some 'greasy, ugly' goals

Goals for a hockey team, like life itself, can have an uncontrollable ebb and flow. For much of the season, the Kings have been looking for the elusive 'secondary scoring' to kick in.

Wednesday night in Dallas, Kevin Westgarth scored his first-ever NHL goal and the Kings lost in overtime. Last night, Jarret Stoll netted just his second goal of the year (first in 18 games too) and the Kings lost 2-1 to the Blackhawks.

As could be expected, goal scoring was a popular topic inside the Kings locker room after the game, as well as at coach Terry Murray's postgame presser...

Murray on the overall game - "Holding them at two goals is good. They are the leading scoring team in the conference. We had lots of good looks here tonight. We ended up tying the game at 1-1. Then they won a faceoff to make it 2-1. After that, we had four or five tremendous looks and we are just having a tough time finding the back of the net right now. There’s not a better look that you could hope for in a couple of those situations, but it’s just not going in."

More from Murray - "Extra passes are not a good thing for us right now. We want to get pucks to the net. We have to score some greasy, ugly goals, as they say, and that might be the crack in the door and we can kick it open and start to feel more comfortable scoring goals."

Anze Kopitar on the overall game - "We had our share of chances but we couldn’t bear down. A couple of times the puck was just laying around there and we couldn’t quite get it in there. It’s tough but we can’t feel sorry for ourselves."

Quotes from Blackhawks locker room after def. Kings 2-1

With Chicago's 2-1 win last night, that pushes their streak to seven straight over Los Angeles and 10-0-1 in the last 11 games vs. the Kings.

Following the game, here's what was being said in the Blackhawks locker room...

Head coach Joel Quenneville on the overall game - "I think that the game that got us back on track was against San Jose, losing 1-0. We talked about being consistent with that kind of an effort and playing that type of style and game and we got rewarded the next two nights. It was a very competitive game tonight. Crawford made some big saves on a few bouncing pucks and we found a way to get through."

Quenneville on scoring - "Scoring first certainly helped. I thought we had a good start to the game and they had some stretches there where they scored and we got a response to it later. I thought we responded to a poor start yesterday and getting the win is important."

Chicago captain Jonathan Toews on the overall game - "It was probably in some ways our best game of the trip. We knew it was going to be a tight one. When you come on the road and you play a team like that, they use the home crowd and play with energy at home. We were smart, we didn’t have many chances against and they had some good penalty kills and chances on the power play. I think all around we played a good game. It’s fun to win those tight ones, especially at the end of this road trip."

Blackhawks game - three points of view from LA blueline

Tonight will be the first match-up of the year between the Kings and Blackhawks. Last season, Chicago took all four games in the series, pushing their win streak over Los Angeles to six straight and they're 9-0-1 in the last 10 meetings overall.

Last hour we looked at some fun facts leading into tonight's game - including notes on Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Sean O'Donnell, Daniel Carcillo and more (link).

Now, three of the Kings' starting defensemen weigh in with some thoughts...

Drew Doughty - "We know how good they are. We know all their skilled players and what they're all about. It's going to be a tough task for us. We need to come out with a win. We can't be satisfied with only getting three out of four points every time. We need to be winning every game if we can against teams like Chicago, and we have San Jose right after that. There are two huge games for us and we really need to win both of them."

Jack Johnson - "They're still a great team, they still have their top players there and they're some of the top players in the league. Kane, Toews, Hossa, Sharp - those are great players. They're going to be a tough team to play, for sure. I feel like every time we talk about the next team, we're going to say 'they're a tough team.' But, that's just the way it is now. That's the NHL wants it. The margin for error is so small, a bounce here or there can determine a hockey game."

Kings vs Blackhawks pregame primer - a few fun facts

Before we get into the fun of hearing from a trio of Kings defensemen regarding tonight's match-up with the Blackhawks, let's first run through a few quick notes and stats...

- For Simon Gagne and Mike Richards, today's game may be a little more personal than it is for other members of the Kings. It was the Blackhawks who beat their then-team, the Flyers, in overtime for the Stanley Cup back in 2010.

- During the regular season, Richards has only played Chicago five times in his career, posting two points (both goals). He was also clocked a few times during a fight with Troy Brouwer in one of those game back in 2008 (video). However, Brouwer has moved on to Washington this season, so any thought of a rematch will have to wait until the Capitals visit LA in January.

- Also, don't expect Blackhawks' pest Daniel Carcillo and Richards, his old pal from Philly, to have too many beefs on the ice - they're friends off of it. Now, Kyle Clifford on the other hand...

- And speaking of fights, it looks like Kevin Westgarth won't be getting another dance with John Scott tonight. Almost one year ago to the day, these two squared off in a battle at Staples Center that saw Westgarth leave the ice in a bloody mess (video).  Then, they met up again the following month and things only went slightly better (video).  Scott is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight, while Westgarth will be playing in his third straight game.

NHRA champ Tony Schumacher talks Blackhawks, Kings

Tony Schumacher (photo: NHRA)

Tony Schumacher may drive an NHRA top fuel car for a living, but he easily relate to the pressure that must come from playing in overtime of a game seven during the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yes, he's a seven-time World Champion. Yet, perhaps his defining sports moment was in 2006. Entering the final race of the season he and his U.S. Army sponsored crew needed to do just about everything to overtake the points leader - including win the race and set a new elapsed time record. In one of the most unlikely scenarios, it all came down to what's now known as 'The Run' - where he made one pass down the track to win the race, set the record and capture the championship.

Sudden death if there ever was one.

Away from the drag strip, his passion is simple to understand.

"I love hockey," said Schumacher during a recent conversation. "I grew up playing hockey with the St. John's Military Academy. If I'm not racing, and people ask me what kind of sports I'm watching, I'm watching guys on ice knock each other over and scoring goals. It's amazing what the sport has done since the rule changes a few years ago - it is so fast, so good. It's mind boggling, how a man can put on a pair of skates and be that good at anything."

When the Kings and Blackhawks battle on the ice tonight, you can bet 'The Sarge' will be watching.

"I live in Chicago, so I'm obviously a Blackhawks fan," Schumacher shared. "But, the only other jersey I have hanging there is an LA Kings jersey, signed about four or five years ago by the whole team."

Originally from Southern California, Schumacher still marvels that hockey has become so popular on the west coast.

UFC Fighter Clay Guida talks hockey and haircuts

Through the years, we've had a variety of celebrities and athletes on MayorsManor - like Greg Hetson of the band Bad Religion, Hall of Fame pro wrestler Nick Bockwinkel and Dodgers' left fielder Matt Kemp - to talk about a myriad of subjects.

With the UFC in town for a big fight card this Saturday night, we spoke with lightweight title contender Clay Guida after today's presser downtown. And, like usual, the conversation found it's way back to hockey.

MM: Let's start with your mom, she's always cageside when you fight. What's the best or worse advice she gave you growing up?

Guida: 'Don't put your hands on someone unless you have a good reason for it.' She would always tell me, my brother and sister growing up, 'Keep your hands to yourself.' So, it's funny - that's what I do for a living now, I get to put my hands on other men. Competitively! (then he laughed quite a bit)

MM: How did that work out with Jason then, your older brother?

Guida: I was his wrestling dummy my whole life, still am. (more laughter)

NHL 2011-12 season predictions - timing is everything

Predictions - everybody loves them and if you're correct about half the time, you're doing pretty well.

Two years ago I had the Los Angeles Kings finishing sixth in the Western Conference. Nailed it.

Last season, I slotted the Kings at fourth during my NHL season preview article. That's certainly where they should have finished, if not for their horrible losing streak in November. As such, they ended up seventh - three notches back.

Further, as noted at the time... If GM Dean Lombardi added a high-end player before the trade deadline, the Kings would challenge the Sharks for the Pacific Division.

Which sort of brings us to this present.

Sure, Lombardi added Dustin Penner at the deadline last February. And getting a guy to play on the top line with Anze Kopitar definitely qualifies as a big move. However, the addition didn't net the desired results. Couple that with a power play that saw a huge drop off from the year prior and the aforementioned losing streak to dig out of - well, the timing wasn't right for a run at the Sharks.

Things have now changed.

Penner spent the summer committing himself to conditioning. Check.

Lombardi went out and acquired the long-needed second line center in Mike Richards. Check.

With Ryan Smyth's departure to Edmonton, the Kings had a new hole at left wing.  They could have moved a prospect in - an unproven commodity - or have relied on a role player to fill the hole, essentially asking somebody to try and overachieve. Instead, Lombardi signed veteran forward Simon Gagne.  Second line, check.

On defense, all six starters from last season - and arguably the best collective unit of six in the Western Conference - return and are back on the blueline. Check.

In net, it's Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier reprising their roles in Battle of the Goalies part II. Quick has spent two years rewriting the Kings record book and Bernier was lights out in the second half of the last season. Coach Terry Murray says he's going with the hot hand this year, rather than a planned 60 games-22 games split. So, goaltending - check.

What does this mean for the Pacific Division and the Western Conference?

After hearing bits and pieces leaked over the last few weeks during various radio appearances and on twitter, here are the official MayorsManor predictions for the 2011-12 NHL regular season...

Which Team Won't Be Back?

The NHL's 2010-11 season is now over, with the Boston Bruins crowned as Stanley Cup Champions.

For those ready to turn the page and look ahead, let's talk about the Western Conference standings.

Every year there is a certain amount of turnover within the eight teams qualifying for the post-season. For example, last season, four 'new' teams made it in the West compared to the 2008-09 campaign.

However, this season, only one team didn't return - Colorado was replaced in the pack by Anaheim.

So, of the eight Western teams that took a shot at the Cup this year, which do you think is most likely to have a drop off...and not return to the playoffs next season?



Results will be posted Monday.

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

RELATED ARTICLES:

Interview with Nashville captain Shea Weber

Interview with San Jose captain Joe Thornton

Kings players on Columbus captain Rick Nash

Interview with Coyotes center Eric Belanger

Interview with Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks

Ranking the Ponda and Other NHL Buildings

Occasionally when you come across something of interest you file it away in the back of your brain for later.

While preparing for the trip down to Anaheim tonight my thoughts were drawn back to a recent article from Rich Hammond of LAKingsInsider.com , where he ranked his favorite NHL cities.

Having been to 27 different NHL markets, including two that no longer exist, I started to line them up in my head to see how my list compared with his.

Before we begin, there are five buildings I haven't seen the Kings play in yet - Florida, Montreal, Nashville, Ottawa and St. Louis.

However, I have seen NHL games in over 35 arenas.

Wait a minute, you say...how can that be when it's a 30 team league?

Well, in addition to the current buildings housing the 30 teams, I can check off places like Winnipeg Arena, Hartford Civic Center, Met Center (Minnesota), Old Chicago Stadium, Boston Garden, Maple Leaf Gardens, Capital Centre (old Caps building), America West Arena (original home for Phoenix Coyotes), Arco Arena (LA/EDM when the NHL used to play two regular season games at neutral sites), San Diego Sports Arena, MGM Grand Garden Arena (exhibition games) and of course, the Fabulous Forum.

With five cities to go, here's how I arranged things, largely based on four criteria (in no particular order) - vibe of the city, local food, passion/knowledge of the local fan base and the music scene (because you have to do something besides see hockey while you're there)...

Recap of Jim Fox on NHL Live

Kings' TV analyst Jim Fox joined the crew of NHL Live this morning for a brief interview. Here's a quick recap of the conversation, where they talk Marco Sturm, Jarret Stoll, the Blackhhawks, the Ducks, his now famous red jacket and more:

- The Kings have struggled against the Blackhawks this year. It seems like they can't figure out a way to generate enough offense against Chicago. (note: they've scored one goal, one goal and two goals in the three games vs. Chicago)

- The Ducks Jonas Hiller is underrated because of his ability to single handedly win games - something we don't see much in the NHL any more.

- The battle in the Western Conference is so tight. There are going to be some real good hockey teams that don't make the playoffs this year. San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan commented that the only way to guarantee a playoff spot is to win your division. After that it's wide open.

- The two games where the Kings gave up a lot of goals (six vs. Phoenix and seven vs. Philadelphia) were uncharacteristic of this year's team. Coming into the season most people looked at the Kings and wondered if they could get balanced scoring from the offense. The Kings are a team that has to rely so heavily on their system that if get a little bit off, it's going to hurt them. That's what happened the last few games.

- The quote of the interview: In two other recent games, the 5-0 win at Colorado and the 4-0 win over San Jose - "I haven't seen a higher top end of a Kings team in my 20 years as a broadcaster." They played as well as any Kings team I've seen.

Toews, Smyth, Momma and What You Missed...

Researchers say one of the most popular vacation weeks among the American workforce is the time between Christmas and New Year's. With that behind us, it's now on to 2011.

The Kings are home tonight to take on the Chicago Blackhawks. Ryan Smyth had this to say about the game "Chicago set the barrier high with winning the Stanley Cup last year. They have a couple of wins against us this season, which we felt we played fairly decent for the most part. But, (we) fell short of the points."

Jonathan Quick will start in goal for Los Angeles, who will be looking to bounce back after dropping three in a row to Phoenix, Philadelphia and San Jose.

Corey Crawford was in net for Chicago last night, losing 2-1 to Anaheim (their third straight loss also). So, perhaps the Kings will face Marty Turco.

In somewhat surprising news, 'Hawks captain Jonthan Toews will return to the line-up. He was expected to be out several more weeks with a shoulder injury. Instead, he was out just six days.

...And Now You're Caught Up (12/20/2010)

Hockey has a certain rhythm to it. Every shift, every game and every season is inevitably packed with ebbs and flows. Teams are never as bad as they appear during their lowest points. Never as good as they seem during their highest ones. The very best clubs then must be not just talented, but resilient. Not just hungry, but focused.

That's form the new HBO documentary '24/7' - where they're providing a raw, behind the scenes look at the Penguins and Capitals leading up to the Winter Classic. The first episode was unlike any hockey show you've ever seen and should be mandatory viewing for all fans. You can check out the PG-rated version online for free here.

Rumor has it the Kings are working on a similar all-access type show to be produced by their Kings Vision team for online viewing.  It should debut in early 2011.

Now, if shopping, back-to-back Kings games, holiday parties, etc. has been keeping you from the HBO special and other key hockey stories over the last few days, don't worry - we're here to help. Below are the twelve puck related news items you need to know coming out of the weekend...

*  Donald Fehr was approved as the new head of the NHL Players Association, effective immediately.  Exactly what this means when it comes to the impending negotiations with the league office and rumors of a possible work stoppage is pure speculation at this point. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the story (for now) is that the NHLPA constitution is publicly available on their website.  That may be a first in sports.

*  One of the greatest American born players of all-time, Chris Chelios, was honored before the Red Wings - Blackhawks game on Friday night.  Video of the ceremonies can be seen here.

[After the jump - notes on Bernier/Quick, San Jose Sharks, Mike Cammalleri, Matt Greene, Brayden Schenn, Manchester, injury updates, trade rumors and much more.]

Cam Janssen's Five Minute Major Preview: LA v StL

Cam Janssen is in his sixth NHL season, the last four with the St. Louis Blues. He's posted only two goals while racking up 589 penalty minutes in 219 games. It's what you call 'knowing your role.'

In the interview below he helps us preview tonight's Kings - Blues game. We talk about LA's tough guys, playing for his hometown team, scouting NHL enforcers, BizNasty's tweets, Keith Tkachuk's retirement, adding Jaroslav Halak...and he even gives a prediction for the game.

MM: Although the Blues didn't make the playoffs last year and the Kings did, you guys took the season series from LA 3-1. Tonight will be the first match-up this season. What will be the keys to the game?

CJ: They're a good young, skilled team. They're playing good solid hockey right now and they're one of the best teams in the Western Conference. We have a lot of injuries right now. So, we have to come out and immediately get our feet going on our forecheck.  Also, the first five strikes back are so key for us. Catching up with an odd man rush or what could be an odd man rush is important, knowing that we don't have the skill or power we're used to because of our injuries. So, we need to be effective with our details - that's skating hard, being in the right position and back checking with a purpose. The Kings offense is good. So, if we don't do that, they're going to take advantage of us.

Over the summer there were a few significant changes to the Blues' line-up. What were your first thoughts when you heard goaltender Jaroslav Halak was coming to St. Louis?

...And Now You're Caught Up

Now that everybody has had their turkey and a day of shopping it's time to get back to hockey.

In no particular order, here are the ten things you need to know heading into the game tonight:

* Brayden Schenn scored his first two professional goals last night in a 7-2 win for the Manchester Monarchs (AHL). Kings GM Dean Lombardi was recently quoted as saying he expects Schenn to stay there for the full two week conditioning assignment. He's more than half way home now, with his final game expected to be Sunday.

* The Kings put John Zeiler on re-entry waivers (per Bob McKenzie of TSN). That's a somewhat curious move.

* Defenseman Alec Martinez was called up a few days ago. If you missed it, be sure to check out '10 Tidbits on Alec Martinez', you'll be well versed in the young blueliner.

* Dustin Brown visited the gang from Yo Gabba Gabba yesterday during their live performance across the street from Staples Center. Video of him doing the Peanut Butter Stomp is available here.

* In more Brown news, he's moving to left wing tonight to make room for the newest option/solution/choice at right wing, Wayne Simmonds. The second line remains the same. And the Colonel, Kyle Clifford, moves up to the third line.  (nickname story here)

POLL: Which goalie should start vs. Chicago/Dallas?

Later today Kings Coach Terry Murray will probably tip his hand on which one of his goalies will start on Wednesday night vs. the Chicago Blackhawks. More than likely, that will leave the other guy to start vs. Dallas on Thursday.

Last season Murray had mentioned a preference to start his best line-up in the home game of home-road contests played on consecutive nights. He broke from that formula last week by starting his back-up goalie, Jonathan Bernier, in the first game (at home vs. Carolina) - thus, "saving" Jonathan Quick for the road game in Phoenix the following day. His reason given was the division game was where he wanted to start his #1 goalie.

Polls closed, see the results after the jump

Predictions for the 2010-11 NHL Season! What if....

They say it's best to go out on a high note. John Elway did it. Very few others have.

In my case, some probably think I should stay away from predictions from this point forward.

Prior to the puck dropping on last season, I perfectly called the Kings finishing in sixth place (link is here for you Doubting Thomases). Most thought I was crazy for even thinking that at the time, as the mainstream hockey media had the Kings sneaking in around 8th...if they even made the playoffs at all.

Boy have times changed. The Kings are one of the trendy picks coming into this season. It's hard to believe, yet some even have them winning the Stanley Cup this year. Now, I'm not going to go that far (just yet).

However, after carefully reading the tea leaves, consulting with Sylvia Browne and having my palm read on Venice Beach yesterday, I'm ready. Below are my predictions for the 2010-11 season.

Western Conference

Season Preview w/ NHL Insider Kevin Allen

It's safe to say that Kevin Allen knows a thing or two about hockey. He's been covering the sport since the early 80's - including nearly 25 years for USA Today - and is a featured guest each week on NHL Home Ice (radio and television), as one of their NHL Insiders.

Today, he brings his view on the game and upcoming season to MayorsManor for an exclusive season preview.

Of course, we'll get into all the big issues in the Western Conference -covering topics like why did the Ducks keep Cam Fowler in Anaheim, what should the Sharks do with Joe Thornton, can the Coyotes have another 100-point season, which free agent signing last year was a major bust, who will and won't go through sophomore slumps, did the 'Hawks lose too many players, are the 'Wings too old and much more.

First though, we just had to find out how in the world he lists Slap Shot so far down the list of the best sports movies of all time. Not even top five? Really?

MM: Slap Shot only made it to #9 on your list of the greatest sports movies. How is that even possible?