Williams realizing what he can get away with on the ice

Justin Williams (photo: D. Sheehan) 

Leave it to the the Blues to slow down the surging Justin Williams. He entered last night with points in nine straight games (four goals, seven assists). However, he has struggled against St. Louis throughout his career - finding the back of the net just once in 17 career games.

And like clock work, they shut him down again. Perhaps he'll find some solace though in the fact that Jaroslav Halak didn't let any of the other Kings score on him either.

Regardless, something seems to have changed in Williams' approach of late. For example, he led the team in assists (seven), points (10), power play goals (three) and shots (39) in the month of January. So, what's been going on?

"I've enjoyed the way Darryl (Sutter) has approached me, he's given me a lot of confidence," said Williams. "We've had a real good open dialogue. I've been able to consistently have a good effort day in and day out. I think as you get through the season, you get a little bit more in shape, you get a little bit more comfortable and you start to realize what you can get away with out there and what you can't. I think hard work, and mainly effort, is the thing that's driving me right now."

He also went on to share a little more insight into the dialogue taking place with coach Sutter...

"He's just instilling confidence in me. There are going to be mistakes. There's going to be times where pucks are turned over and he lets you hear it. But, he also lets you hear the good stuff too."

Tonight the Kings will try to get back on the winning track in Carolina, a city where Williams played for four-plus seasons before being traded to LA a few years ago. In 13 career games vs. the Hurricanes, he has seven points (three goals and four assists). He'll certainly be looking to add to those totals this evening.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

POLL:  Who was the LA Kings Player of the Month for January

Jack Johnson on 'creative and unpredictable' opponents

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

Dustin Brown on playing the Blues, plus tonight's tix contest

Beginning tonight in St. Louis, the Kings will play 14 of their next 18 games on the road. And the first one out of the chute won't be easy for LA, as the Blues have only lost three games on home ice this season. However, one of those came to the Kings in a 3-2 contest back in November.

Prior to heading out of town, here's what Dustin Brown had to say about the team's annual Grammy trip...

"The one game that stands out is that very first one. St. Louis has probably been one of the hottest teams since their coaching change. So, I think going in there, on the road, with the way they're playing, it's going to be a big test for us."

Here's a look at how several of the Kings have performed against the Blues in the past...

Anze Kopitar - 9 goals in 22 games

Brown - 13 goals in 27 games

Justin Williams - one goal in 17 games

Dustin Penner - eight goals in 20 games
Mike Richards - two goals in six games

Jarret Stoll - six goals in 27 games

Drew Doughty -  one goal in 13 games

Jack Johnson - no goals in 15 games

If you'd like to participate in the the MayorsManor First Goal Contest tonight, we'll be giving away a free pair of tickets to the next home game (2/16 vs. the Phoenix Coyotes). It's easy to play, simply leave a comment below with the LA player you think will score first vs. the Blues...or reply to the facebook / twitter updates that will be posted around 5:00pm. All correct answers will be pooled together and one random winner will be awarded the tickets. Good luck!

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VIDEO: Roenick breaks down Doughty's hit on Oshie

Earlier today, the National Hockey League let it be known that Kings defenseman Drew Doughty will not be suspended for his hit on the Blues' TJ Oshie in the final seconds of last night's game.

As a first time offender, the $2,500 fine levied against him was pretty much as expected.

In the clip below, Jeremy Roenick and Pierre McGuire show they play and then discuss why it was such a dangerous hit.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

To see more video of the incident, here's the VERSUS feed in full (link).

For more from Roenick, here's his MayorsManor interview last season, where we preview the Kings-Coyotes game and here is his preview of Canada-USA at the World Junior Championship.

Yesterday, Doughty talked about not being sure what's wrong with him this season in an article posted here.

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Westgarth goes from 'stewing in his juices' into the line-up

Westgarth remains positive (photo: M. Zampelli)

By all accounts, Kevin Westgarth had a great summer. He married his longtime girlfriend and signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings.

Things haven't been so good since though.

Coming off a season where he played 56 games, roughly two-thirds of the regular season games, he's only seen action in six of the team's first 20 games.

"It's frustrating," said Westgarth, when asked about his role basically being cut in half so far. "It just gives me opportunity to work hard and just try to improve in practice and just be ready to roll when I get the call and to take advantage of opportunities that are given."

The time is now, as coach Terry Murray will insert him into the line-up as the fourth line right wing tonight in St. Louis. He's faced the Blues four times previously and has been credited with a total of eight hits in those games, second only to his stats against the Dallas Stars.

Westgarth has only one scrap in those four games, it came last March vs. the much smaller Cam Janssen - who had previously come on MayorsManor and talked about using videos on HockeyFights.com to scout Westgarth and Kyle Clifford. It didn't help much that night and Janssen has since moved on to New Jersey.

Last week, Westgarth would have normally been an automatic start in the Kings back-to-back games with the Anaheim Ducks - however, they're resident tough guy, George Parros, is out of the line-up recovering from eye surgery.

Still, Westgarth says he didn't like being on the sidelines for those games.

Coach Murray and Voynov compare notes on his first NHL game

Unexpectedly, Slava Voynov received more attention than all but a few players during the Los Angeles Kings training camp this year.

With Drew Doughty unsigned, the Russian-born defenseman played in every possible exhibition game and was the last player cut before opening night.

He was off to a solid start in Manchester (AHL), picking up a couple of points in the first few games and was a plus-5. Then, Doughty was hurt early in the game with the Flyers and Voynov was on his way to back to LA.

After practice today, he shared the following comments (note: he speaks with a heavy accent and a small part of his responses are paraphrased)...

Earlier in the week, coach Terry Murray gave the impression they tried to be as positive as possible when notifying Voynov he would be going back to the AHL to start the season, but added 'We told him he was on the threshold of making the NHL.'

Voynov shed a little more light on that conversation today - "They said I played well and had improved. Coach Murray told me to give my best every year and he said don't stop, keep working."

On the thoughts going through his head during the plane ride back to LA this weekend, Voynov said - "I was so excited. I had been waiting for this moment for three years."

On any advice the coaches game him prior to last night's game - "Nothing. We just spoke about things a little bit right now during practice and he told me to correct a couple of (things), like d-zone play with the pucks. But nothing before."

Murray's reasoning for not talking too much to Voynov beforehand was simple.

Kings shutout the Blues 5-0, video and quick notes

The Kings defeated the Blues last night 5-0, paced by strong goaltending from Jonathan Quick (27 saves, earning his 15th career shutout and 99th NHL win) and two goals from Simon Gagne.

- Three Stars of the Game: Gagne, Quick and Jarret Stoll

- Math with Jack: defenseman Jack Johnson was plus-3 for the night, which is now also where his season rating sites after five games.

- Stoll (aka 'the visor' - as explained here) had a goal, an assist, two shots on goal and was plus-2 for the night. After the game, he had this to say - "I’m just trying to play good on both sides of the puck, be good in my zone if we have to play down there, play hard and play physical. On the other side of the puck, if I get a chance to put one in the net, just bear down and put one in. I (was) lucky enough tonight, Brownie [Dustin Brown] made a good pass once I was coming off the bench, and he can make those plays, so it was a great play by him and just a great team effort overall."

- Willie Mitchell led the Kings with 23:40 of ice time. Jack Johnson was second at 21:48. Interestingly, Stoll led all Kings forwards in ice time (19:29), a stat usually reserved for Anze Kopitar.

- Kopitar (4g, 5a) and Justin Williams (2g,5a) have picked up at least a point in each of the five games played by the Kings so far this season.

- Faceoff numbers are improving, with LA winning 54% of the total draws (31-of-57). Kopitar was tops here, winning 65% (11-of-17).

- LA was 1-for-4 on the power play and killed off all four chances St. Louis had with the man advantage.

– NHL Debut: Slava Voynov played 19:48 and earned a plus-2 rating

- Practice starts today at noon in El Segundo. Immediately following, we'll have live notes and quotes - follow along on the twitter/facebook links listed below. In the meantime, enjoy the video highlights from last night's game (after the jump)...

Blues at LA Kings - what to watch for II with Johnson, Greene

Earlier today we heard from Jarret Stoll, Anze Kopitar and coach Terry Murray - who offered their thoughts on the keys to tonight's LA Kings vs St, Louis Blues match-up.

While Stoll spoke of needing to play 'pissed off' about the fact the Blues defeated the Kings in all four games last season, Murray and Kopitar seemed to be more focused on having the team worry about their own game plan, and less on the one of their opponents.

Yet, it was Jonathan Quick who brought up something that you don't hear goalies talking about too often - the physicalness of the opposing team.

As a follow-up, here are some thoughts from four of the Kings more physical players in a special second edition of 'what to watch for'...

Matt Greene - "We just need to get ready to work. They've changed a lot of things. But, what St. Louis always has is a real hard working team. They've always had that and they bring a lot of energy to the game. So, I think it's going to be a tough game to play, like it always is - a gritty game. We need to meet their intensity and be ready for a tight, tight close game."

Blues at LA Kings - a 'pissed off' Stoll on what to watch for

If you needed an exhibit to submit in court demonstrating the Kings' struggles on offense last year, the four-game series vs. the Blues would more than suffice.

In their last three match-ups, LA managed a combined total of two goals. And over the four-game season series they were outscored 15-6, losing all four games.

Jonathan Quick, who played every game against the Blues last season, will get the start again tonight. On the other side of the ice, St. Louis comes in with a revamped roster, that now includes veteran forwards Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner.

So, what are the keys to tonight's game? Here's what Quick, Jarret Stoll, Anze Kopitar and coach Terry Murray had to say following practice...

Quick - "They were a playoff (caliber) team last year, I felt. They had a few injuries that hurt them though and they weren't able to get past them. We know that Based on what they had last year they were a great team and then they've added a couple pieces. They're a very, very physical team and we have to be prepared on the physical side of it. If we can't out battle them, it will make for a tough game."

Kopitar - "First of all, we just have to worry about ourselves and how we're going to play. We should make them adjust to us, instead of us adjusting to them - especially at home, where you want to get off to a hot start. We just have to play the game hard and play it with a lot of discipline."

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...

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.

Update on Kyle Clifford and Last Night's Fights

Brad Richardson will be in the line-up tomorrow night, playing left wing.

That's per coach Terry Murray after practice today.

You can extrapolate from that the fact that rookie Kyle Clifford will get the night off. Murray also talked about Clifford a little when talking about Kevin Westgarth's fight last night vs. the Blues.

MM: Earlier in the season you talked about Westgarth needing to pick the right spots when engaging in a fight. Last night, early on in the game, was that the right time?

TM:  "I thought it was great. I really do. I think that was absolutely what the team needed. We didn't respond the right way, it's what we needed though going in. Coming off a road trip like that you need a player to really take on some of that responsibility to fire your team up and say 'Hey, we're here to play. We're here to compete,' and he did the right thing. So did Clifford. He responds the right way to get us going. These are rookie players. Westgarth is a young guy, but a rookie. And Cliffy's 19 years old (MM: actually 20) and he recognized the need for something, again, to spark a fire here. He tried to do the right thing."

Regarding Clifford not coming back into the game, he went on to say...

Coach Murray: 'I screwed up' Preparing for St. Louis

OK, so fan-gate is behind us now.

Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray re-addressed his comments on the booing last night here.

Let's move on...

They say if you don't learn from your mistakes (and/or history), you're bound to repeat things in the future.

As such, after practice today Murray provided some thoughts on the Blues going 4-0 against the Kings this season and specifically the loss last night...

Murray - "They play a hard game. They play gritty and we're not matching the intensity. That's probably the bottom line. The other part of it too, in that game last night, is when you come back after four games and the way we dug in with the physical effort and the emotional effort that we had to put into it (the road trip), there's really not a lot left to draw on when you only have one day off. I think I screwed up. I think we should have practiced (note: Wednesday's scheduled practice was cancelled by Murray late Tuesday night). I think I should have brought the team to the rink for a 30-minute skill session only. Just to keep your mind in it, keep your body going, flush the legs out. I have to take a lot of responsibility for that. I think with a young hockey club, especially, it's very easy to take that sigh of relief again coming off the road and say 'Now it's going to be a little bit easier,' when it only gets harder."

Still more to come later.



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Blues' Janssen Still Studying Clifford and Westgarth?

Had it not been for several injuries, "I believe the St. Louis Blues could have challenged the Detroit Red Wings for the division title this season." Blues radio play-by-play guy, Chris Kerber, on NHL radio yesterday afternoon.

That's one man's opinion.

However, at this point, the St. Louis Blues don't have much to play for - except pride.

They last made the playoffs under former Kings coach Andy Murray two seasons ago. He was then let go a few months into the following season when it was thought the team was underachieving. Ninth place was where they finished then and they currently sit in 13th place.

So, in many respects they may be further away from postseason play than they were two years ago.  Add to that the fact that some of their best players were traded away over the last month and now their most veteran presence is Andy MacDonald - yes, the former Duck.

Even so, the Kings can't take this game lightly - especially considering the Blues have won all three games between the two teams this season.

POLL: Quick or Bernier?

The plane ride to Dallas is going to be a little less stressful after the Kings picked up a win last night vs. the visiting Edmonton Oilers.

Now comes the tough part though. Who starts in goal for the next two games? The Kings are scheduled for back-to-back games on Monday-Tuesday, so more than likely each goalie will get one start. Before answering the question, consider the following:

* Earlier in the season coach Terry Murray said his preference was to play Quick vs. the division opponents. He's deviated from that twice. In mid-November Jonathan Bernier lost in San Jose and then beat the Ducks in LA the day after Christmas.

* Jonathan Quick has struggled against St. Louis this year - giving up eight goals in two games and finishing with save percentages of .833 and .857.

* Quick has had four straight games with save percentages under .900. However, in two games this season vs. Dallas he's given up three goals total and won both games.

* Bernier has started on the road seven times this year.  His only victory was a 6-1 win at Nashville on December 18.  He did look good last night though, holding the Oilers to two just goals.

* Bernier has faced Dallas only one time prior.  Last March he beat the Stars 2-1 in a shootout - in Dallas.

Should Murray stick with the likely plan and play Quick vs. Dallas and Bernier vs. St. Louis?  Or should he stick with the winning line-up from Saturday and keep Bernier in net vs. the Stars?  What would you do?

[UPDATE: Poll closed early.  After practice today Murray announced Bernier will start tomorrow night in Dallas. He wants to stick with the hot hand...even though the majority of voters below feel differently.]

To see the results

Kings Ruin Dodgers Perfect Record

Seven was unlucky in several ways last night.

It was game seven of the Kings' season long eight-game homestand - the part of the schedule that was supposed to see them climb the ranks of the Western Conference.

It was also the seventh time the Kings and Dodgers had joined forces on the marketing front. For 'Dodger Pride Night' at Staples Center they had manager Don Mattingly on hand for the first puck drop, former player Billy Ashley (who wore number, you guessed it - seven!) available for autographs and even produced a special Dodger themed hockey puck.

Past joint efforts had produced a perfect 6-0 record for the home team.

Not anymore.

Similar to last month's visit to St. Louis, the Blues looked ripe for the picking. They had lost five in a row and were still missing several key players with injuries. On the other side, the Kings were desperate for a win, after losing six of their last seven (there it is again!), and coach Terry Murray had put last year's most successful line back together - Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams.

As they say, the games aren't played on paper.

The Kings were caught standing around several times on the ice and St. Louis looked like the team that wanted the victory more. They got it too, downing the Kings 3-1 in perhaps the most embarrassing home loss of the season.

Along with the defeat and further slide down the standings, the Kings-Dodgers perfect relationship is no more.

Here's a look back at their previous efforts...

*  On January 24, 2008 Tommy Lasorda drops the first puck and the Kings beat the Ducks 3-1.

LA vs St. Louis Blues - Pregame Quotes and Notes

To say the Kings season has been filled with peaks and valleys would be an understatement. Long winning streaks have been filled by horrible periods of loss after loss.

Coach Terry Murray, the players and fans don't seem to know which team will show up on a nightly basis.

One such example came in mid-December during a five game road trip. Although bookended by 5-0 shutouts to Detroit and Colorado, it was a game in between that perhaps received the most attention. When the Kings arrived in St. Louis they hadn't lost in regulation for five straight, Jonathan Quick was playing as well as he had all year and they were about to face a Blues team that was decimated with injuries.

LA lost 6-4.  Is there anything they can take from that game in preparation for the rematch tonight or do they start with a clean slate?

Jack Johnson - "We definitely scored plenty of goals. We scored enough goals to win that game. That was a rough game for both teams really, they just happened to score more goals than we did. I think (the rematch) will be a lot different. Both teams were pretty bad, in terms of giving up some great scoring opportunities. One of the things we can take out of it was our power play was great in that game. So, we should have some confidence going into it."

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?

Post Practice Comments - Kyle Clifford

Here's some thoughts from Kyle Clifford after the Kings practice this afternoon...

MM: A goal and a fight last night versus Calgary. What was the highlight of the night?

KC: We got the win. I think that's the most important thing. It's always fun to win and it's an added bonus when you score a goal.

MM: It sure looked like you were smiling during the whole fight with Tim Jackman. Were you just having too much fun out there last night?

KC: You know, anytime I'm dropping the gloves I'm always having a good time. I like to throw down and he's a tough customer. He's probably one of the tougher guys I've fought this year. But, yeah, I'm just going out there and having fun.

MM: You played against Calgary in the second game of the season. Were there any left over issues that had developed in that game or was it all new?

KC: Not really. We were pretty bitter that we lost that game though. That's pretty much what carried over. We came in with a good attitude after having a couple days off. We knew we had to come out strong.

MM: Last night you were back on the fourth line after playing a few on the third line with Michal Handzus. Are you more comfortable back on the fourth line and/or did you have to make any adjustments?

KC: I'm just going to stick to my game regardless of where I'm playing - fourth line, third line or where ever it is. It's a pretty simple, straight forward game. Up and down the boards. So, I'm going to stick to my role and whoever I'm playing with it's going to be the same every night.

MM: On the upcoming road trip there is only new team that you guys haven't seen yet this year, the St. Louis Blues. Any thoughts about facing them for the first time?

KC: Alex Pietrangelo is an old teammate of mine (with the Barrie Colts / OHL), so there will be a little bit of a rivalry there. But our attitude is to go in there and win.

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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

10 Tidbits - The Story of Zeus

According to Greek mythology, the God Zeus is often depicted by images of him striving forward with a thunderbolt in his hand.

Times have changed through the years, yet Michal Handzus is often seen skating forward, stick in hand...increasingly, the stick has been raised in the air as the Kings just scored another goal.

Things have never been better for Handzus here in Los Angeles. He's about to put a bow on his 3rd regular season with the Kings - one that will most likely see him in his first playoff series with the team. Today, on his 33rd birthday, he's the latest subject in our 10 Tidbits series.

Enjoy the Story of Zeus...

* While the God Zeus is known for his many children, Handzus may be known for his collection of jerseys - having played for a handful of NHL teams...five in all - St. Louis, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles.

* Perhaps Zeus was destined to sign with the Kings...not only because of Greek mythology, but because of former Kings owner Bruce McNall. While it's unclear if McNall sold or collected Zeus coins as part of his massive collection, there is a link nonetheless. According to various New York Times articles from back in the day, McNall sold several ancient vases to the Hunt brothers, one depicting the death of the Lycian prince Sarpedon, a son of Zeus.

* Almost immediately after signing a four year, $16 million contract in the summer of 2007 the criticism began. Fans and media alike thought that was a lot of scratch to lay out for a guy coming off of major knee surgery...and having played only 8 games the season prior. Did it work? Well, after Michal's first season in LA, Kings GM Dean Lombardi had this to say in an interview with the Daily News "We expected him to be better. He started skating better in the second half. He's not the fleetest afoot anyway. He got himself in a rut and started pressing. He'd be the first to tell you he wasn't where he expects to be. Until the last couple months his skating wasn't where he expected to be. Next year, I expect him to be more like we expected him to be when we got him." Yep - 7 goals, 21 points and a minus-21 rating is probably not what everybody had in mind.

* If year one was a failure, year two was more what Lombardi had in mind. For the second straight season with the Kings Handzus skated in all 82 games - this time netting 18 goals and 42 points (fourth best on the team, behind the big three of Kopitar, Brown and Frolov). Equally impressive was that he increased his shots on goal by 61%.

* Has worn #26 in each of his NHL stops, with one exception...during his brief stay in Phoenix he wore #16. Mike Sullivan was already wearing his number when he was traded to the Coyotes late in the 2000-01 season. Ironically, it wasn't like Sullivan was married to the number...he'd played on four teams in his career, each time wearing a different number. Maybe Zeus didn't want to 'compensate' him for changing.

* Thrives in international competition. When he's represented his home country of Slovakia the numbers are impressive - 9 points over 12 games at the World Jrs, 17 points in 25 games at the World Championships (note: he's represented Slovakia 4x at the WC) and 7 points in 9 Olympic games. He's earned two medals for his efforts, a silver at the 2000 WC and gold at the 2002 WC. Many of those teams included former Kings like Ziggy Palffy and Jozef Stumpel.

* On December 5, 2002, he became only the second player in NHL history to score a penalty shot goal in overtime when he beat the Rangers Dan Blackburn with just 37 seconds left in the extra frame. Coincidentally, the only other player to do it also beat the Rangers (when Nashville's David Legwand put one past Kirk McLean on December 23, 2000).

* Awards: Was runner-up for the NHL's Selke Trophy in the 1999–00 season, given out to the top defensive forward. Selected by the media as the Kings Best Defensive Player for the 2008-09 season, an award he may win again this year. Last season he also received an award from his teammates. The Unsung Hero award goes to the player they deem "contributed the most to the team yet did not get the proper recognition for their contributions."

* Was drafted by the St. Louis Blues and recorded his first two milestones with the team. 10/22/98 - first NHL point (an assist) at Ottawa. 11/28/08 (the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend) - first NHL goal in a home game vs. the Washington Capitals. The Blues won both games.

* In Monday's 6-0 win over the Blue Jackets Handzus recorded his 400th NHL point and his 100th point as a member of the Kings.

Zeus, per Greek mythology, is the King of the Gods. Handzus is primed for a triumphant return to the playoffs next month. And the Kings are hoping he can wreak havoc and put that thunderbolt to good use.

The Mayor
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