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)

Many frustrations for Ontario Reign President Justin Kemp

The Ontario Reign, proud affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings (that's their slogan), have been in the news quite a bit lately.

First, there were grumblings they were looking to create an affiliation with a second NHL team. This wasn't completely shocking news, as their team President, Justin Kemp, gently voiced his desire to get more support from the Kings in his pre-season interview here on MayorsManor last October.

Like he acknowledged then though, the Kings' number one priority is winning a Stanley Cup in Los Angeles. Thus, they need to do what's right for the parent organization first (when it comes to player development). Unfortunately, that may mean they don't have many prospects available for the ECHL.

The second Reign news item was that coach Karl Taylor had left to become an assistant with Vancouver's AHL affiliate in Chicago.

Oh by the way, that hiring came out of discussions the Reign were having with the Canucks about becoming that second NHL affiliate.  Sound a little fishy?

Earlier today, I sat down with Kemp again to address the entire situation.

Rather than splice it all up and just use selected quotes for an article, here are some of his raw comments...

- On the idea of adding a second NHL affiliate - "It started at the end of this last season. I went to Karl and asked him, we had struggled to get some help from the LA Kings over our first three years. Missing the playoffs the last two seasons, obviously, we needed some sort of a jolt - something to get the fans excited about. So, we inquired about what other affiliations were out there as a possible secondary affiliate. Vancouver seemed to be the best choice. They were going deep into the playoffs at that time. So, those discussion initially began between Karl and the Canucks. I came into the picture a few weeks later. We thought we're about a phone call or so away from getting a deal done. Ultimately, what happened is, they pulled back because LA was not in favor of us having a secondary affiliate. I think Vancouver wanted to be respectful of that."

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

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

The Mayor's Playoff Preview with Bob Miller

Kings fans aren't the only ones that have waited eight long years for the team's return to the playoffs.  The man who has probably seen more Kings games live than any other human on the planet has had his patience tested too.

The voice of the Kings for over 35 years...the hall of fame broadcaster...heck, the man has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame...

Bob Miller stopped by MayorsManor for a playoff preview.

He gives his predictions on each series in this year's first round of the Western Conference playoffs...plus he gives thoughts on who might be a playoff hero this year, as well as weighs in on the debate of the Forum or Staples Center, which arena is better.

It's another MayorsManor exclusive...an interview with Bob Miller.