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
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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
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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
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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

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

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

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
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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."

VIDEO: Stoll never shoots, Devils def Kings 2-1 in shootout

Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll was the definition of 'money' in the shootout last year, scoring on nine of 10 chances. Tonight, he sat on the bench and watched as the Kings were defeated 2-1 by the Devils in New Jersey.

With the game tied 1-1 after overtime, LA coach Terry Murray opted to go with Simon Gagne, Anze Kopitar and Stoll in the shootout.

Neither of the first two Kings scored, while Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise both converted - sending most of the crowd home happy.

- Gagne scored the lone goal for the Kings at 1:47 of the first period, his first with his new club.

- Goalie Jonathan Quick was the first start of the night (stopping 36 of 37 shots), Patrick Elias was second (1 goal on 7 shots) and Gagne was third.

- Dustin Brown led all Kings with five shots on goal. Rob Scuderi had four shots.

- Drew Doughty played 27:02, more than any other King. However, Kovalchuk topped all skaters in the game with 29:37 of total ice time.

- Ethan Moreau continued to be a physical force for the Kings, leading the team with four hits. Yet, for the second game in a row, Brown was not credited with any hits.

- The Kings again struggled in the faceoff circles, only winning 48% of the draws vs. the Devils (22 of 48). Kopitar won four of the 16 draws he took (25%).

Video highlights are after the jump.

LA Kings at New Jersey Devils - three things to watch for

Tonight's game between the Los Angeles Kings and new Jersey Devils will feature a pair of homecomings and a season debut.

The two clubs last met on October 30, 2010 in LA and the Kings were victorious 3-1, led by goals from Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll.

Here are three things to watch for on each side of the puck when things get going a little later this afternoon...

New Jersey Devils:

- The four-minute man returns: Cam Janssen was originally drafted by the Devils in 2002. However, he spent the last three-plus seasons with his hometown St. Louis Blues. This summer, he signed a free agent contract to return to New Jersey. Tonight he'll make his season debut. In his MayorsManor interview last season he talked about scouting Kyle Clifford prior to playing the Kings. So, what's in store there?

- Power play: New Jersey has converted on just 10% of their chances with the man advantage this season (one goal in 10 tries). Granted, they've only played two games. However, that's not too far off their 14% conversion rate last year, which was third worst in the league.

- Harrold Watch 2011: If you circled this game on your calendar in the hopes of seeing former Kings defenseman Peter Harrold, you'll probably be sad to hear he won't be in the line-up. Or even in the building for that matter. He's now in Albany, with the Devils AHL farm team.

LOS ANGELES KINGS:

LA Kings' Willie Mitchell on his past, present and future

Willie Mitchell will be staring at part of his past when he steps onto the ice tonight in New Jersey.

"Where it all started. That's the first thing I think about when it comes to playing the Devils," the 10-year NHL veteran said. "It doesn't matter how many teams you've played for, and I've played for a couple, you always have fond memories of where it all started."

He debuted for New Jersey on March 25, 2000, nearly four years after they selected him in the eighth round of the 1996 draft.

Nowadays, as he hands out advice to young players, they probably hear stories of the experiences he went though as a prospect coming up through the New Jersey organization.

"I think in life in general, you try and learn your whole way. That's the journey of life, learning. If you ever think you can stop learning, you're in trouble," Mitchell said, as we reflected back on pieces of his career that have molded him into the player he's become.

"As a pro, I try to learn every day. I tried to learn from guys before me, guys who spent a lot of time in the league. I was fortunate enough to start in one of the best environments ever with the Devils - Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Larry Robinson, Jacques Lemaire, I could go on and on. There's a lot of Stanley Cups there. And you don't win those without having a good model for success. I tried to learn from those guys."

Some of those lessons have steered him towards being a certain type of player, just don't necessarily call him a leader.

Bernier on coach Murray's goalie plans for the LA Kings

Bernier at LA Kings camp (photo by: C. Ikiri)

Jonathan Bernier knows all about the waiting game. He made his NHL debut on September 29, 2007 and would go on to play a grand total of six more games over the next three seasons.

Last year, he finally arrived. Well, sort of - he went 11-8-3, with a 2.48 goals-against average as the designated back-up to Jonathan Quick.

Things may be changing though...even if it's slightly.

After spending the better part of the last 18 months saying Quick was his starting goaltender, period-point-blank (exhibit one your honor), LA Kings coach Terry Murray appeared to soften his stance during training camp - expressing he'd be more willing to play the 'hot' goalie this year.

A few days later, I asked Bernier what he thought about Murray's sudden change in direction.

"I just have to do my thing. Last year, he said he was going to go with the hot goalie close to the end of the season. Then, the coach changed his mind. Coaches who don't change their mind, they're crazy, I think. So, it's a quick game and it can be a quick turnaround. If Terry has his mind set on something, for me, it doesn't really matter. At the end of the day, I need to play the way I'm able to play and win some hockey games for my team."

The reason this is all relevant today is because after just two games, Murray is likely faced with a tough decision. The Kings are now back in the U.S. and possibly still jet lagged from their trip to Europe. Even so, he'll have to decide on a goaltender for Thursday's game against the New Jersey Devils (and an offense that features Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk), plus another game on Saturday. That one will be in Philadelphia and there won't be any hype needed, considering the big trade that went down this summer between the Kings and Flyers.

So, earlier today, we posed the question - if you were the coach of the Kings, which goaltender would you start against the Devils and the Flyers?

Cast your vote here and see how other Kings fans are responding to the question.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

A summertime chat with Jonathan Bernier - we talk trade rumors, not playing in the playoffs and more

Clearing the Crease... with Jonathan Bernier

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POLL: Quick or Bernier vs. New Jersey and Philadelphia?

The impending goaltending battle in Los Angeles has been well documented.

It's supposedly been imminent for over a year now.

However, last season could be best summed up like this...

Jonathan Bernier entered the year with high hopes, came out of the gates slow, admitted that he didn't feel comfortable in the crease until after Christmas and then played lights out hockey when given the chance in the second half, including going 4-0-1 in March with two shutouts. The Kings also picked up a point in Bernier's final nine starts of the regular season. He didn't see the ice for a single minute in the playoffs.

On the other hand, Jonathan Quick won at least 35 games for the second straight season, while posting a 2.24 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.

During training camp, coach Terry Murray said he'll be going with the hot hand this year - rather than following a penciled-in schedule, like he did most of last season.

For the Kings opening weekend, Murray went with Quick in game one (where the Kings downed the Rangers in overtime 3-2) and Bernier got the nod vs. Buffalo on Saturday (a 4-2 loss for LA).

Taking all of the above into account, plus the fact the Kings could possibly still be jet lagged from the trip to Europe (Quick even tweeted as much yesterday), what should Murray do with the next two games?

The Kings are scheduled to play the Devils in New Jersey on Thursday night and then take on the Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday.



Poll closes Wednesday at 6pm PST.

The Mayor
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www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

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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.

Making The Case For Langenbrunner and the Kings

The NHL's trade season is nearly upon us and with it begins the wild speculation from fans and media alike.

Let's just try to mix in a little logic every once and awhile for good measure.

First off, Brayden Schenn isn't being traded straight up for Tomas Kaberle. Come on Leafs fans, seriously.

Ignoring bigger deals that could possibly come later - i.e. Jarome Iginla, Brad Richards, etc. - there's a small trade that's likely to get this week... Jamie Langenbrunner is on his way out of New Jersey.

As reported yesterday, the Devils have asked the 35-year old right wing to waive his no-trade clause. In fact, he sat out last night's game between New Jersey and Philadelphia, believed to be a precursor to a trade.

In LA, the question is would the Kings be interested...and (for some) if so, why?

Well, at the very least, they should be for the following reasons:

Painting by Numbers with Ryan Smyth

Over his four-plus-year reign as Kings General Manager there can be little arguing Dean Lombardi's incredible success at the NHL Draft table. However, the possible knocks on his rebuilding project in L.A. have been with free agent signings and trades for veteran players.

Some fans would have preferred a quick fix solution to the team he inherited in the spring of 2006 and have spent several summers hoping he would land a big name free agent forward. In 2007 many were hoping for Scott Gomez. They ended up with names like Kyle Calder and Ladislav Nagy instead. The following summer Marian Hossa signed with the Red Wings, not the Kings.

So, it was somewhat understandable when a portion of fans were underwhelmed when Lombardi's big move in July 2009 was acquiring Ryan Smyth.

Besides the track record mentioned above, Smyth was 33 years old and had a history of injuries. Some even wondered if he was on the down side of his career. After all, he had a lot of miles on him (over 900 games) and too many injuries to count from years of getting beat up around the net.

However, by now it's well documented, this turned out to be one of Lombardi's best non-draft moves. Smyth was essentially reborn in Los Angeles - starting last season as part of the hottest trio in the NHL, along side Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Just as important as his play on the ice though, he proved invaluable in the maturation and development of the Kings young core. Players like Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and Wayne Simmonds have all noted how Smyth helped them individually and the team as a whole.

It's probably more than just a coincidence that the Kings made the playoffs for the first time in eight years after adding Smyth to their stable.

800 and Other Numbers

Saturday night at Staples Center was a lot of things to many different people.

It was Mattias Norstrom tribute night. It was Ilya Kovalchuk's only appearance on LA ice this season. It was a night of nostalgia, seeing several former players that were here during the Andy Murray years - guys like Glen Murray, Mathieu Schneider and Ian Laperriere. It was Rob Blake's first return to the arena as a retired player. It was Jonathan Quick putting on another spectacular performance. And it was another win for the Los Angeles Kings.

The thing is though, it wasn't simply just another win.  It was the 800th regular season home victory in franchise history.  Prior to moving downtown they had picked up 572 wins at the Forum in Inglewood, eight wins at the LA Sports Arena and two wins at the Long Beach Arena.

Here a few of the other key numbers from the weekend...

0 - Kevin Westgarth is still sitting at zero fights for the year.

1.84 - Quick lowered his goals-against-average again...it now sits at 1.84, with a record of 7-1 in his eight starts. He should have been one of the three stars of the game. Come on, the guy saves a season-high 39 and doesn't even get a mention?

4 - Having the former players skate onto the ice for the pre-game ceremony was a nice touch, something unique. However, did you ever think you would see Blake skate onto the ice in a Kings jersey again?

Kovy Finally Arrives in LA

Later tonight Ilya Kovalchuk will rejoin the Kings for the first time since his visit to their training facility back on July 13th.

Only this time around, Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene probably won't be as accommodating as they were during his last trip to Los Angeles. Having spurned the team for a better contract with New Jersey, he'll be wearing a Devils sweater when he takes to the ice at Staples Center.

The entire summer romance - er, courtship - between Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Kovy, his agent Jay Grossman and all the parties involved has been chronicled to death. By now, everybody knows how it all turned out. Similar to the Rob Blake situation, fans appear to be split into two camps - some feel rejected (they're angry), others are glad he didn't sign here (they're happy, or at least neutral).

We checked in with three well respected experts from ESPN and Hockey Night in Canada to get their take on the situation. Hopefully, they'll be able to offer a little bit more of an impartial point of view...

He's Back... How Appropriate

When the New Jersey Devils tweeted "HE'S BACK: Ilya Kovalchuk signs with the Devils." around noon yesterday, it seemed like the NHL's summer reality show had come to an end.

Just like your parents always told you though - things aren't always what they seem.

Yes, He's Back!  In the news, on the market and so much more...thanks to this official statement from the NHL's Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly:

"The contract has been rejected by the League as a circumvention of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Under the CBA, the contract rejection triggers a number of possible next steps that may be elected by any or each of the NHLPA, the Player and/or the Club. In the interim, the player is not entitled to play under the contract, nor is he entitled to any of the rights and benefits that are provided for thereunder. The League will have no further comment on this matter pending further developments."

The NHLPA followed up with a statement of their own:

"The NHLPA is currently analyzing the basis upon which the NHL rejected the contract between the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk. We are evaluating the options available to us under the terms established in the CBA. The NHLPA will have no further comment at this time."

Devils' President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello jumped into the game with the following statement:

"We are extremely disappointed that the NHL has decided to reject the contract of Ilya Kovalchuk. The contract complies with the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. We will have no further comment until the process outlined in the CBA is complete."

Finally, Kovy's agent, Jay Grossman, added "No further comments until this matter is resolved."

No further comment on this story?  That couldn't be further from the truth.  The hockey media world is alive and buzzing again. 

The NHL hasn't had this much press in July since....um, never!

Yet, you just have to wonder if another old saying you may may have heard is still true - there's no such thing as bad press.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119


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Tuesday's 10 Tidbits... on the deal with the Devil(s)

Yes, it's true...as of 7am this morning, Wayne Simmonds is still listed as #17 on the Kings roster.

One of the many fascinating rumors surrounding the last few weeks of the Kings' negotiations with Ilya Kovalchuk was that Simmonds had been asked to change his number, should the Kings sign Kovy.  It's now a moot point.  The Russian superstar signed a bazillion dollar contract yesterday to stay with the Devils, leaving Wayne the Train still in possession of his coveted diecisiete.

After sleeping on it for a night - that's real popular in the hockey world these days - let's take one final spin around the Kovalchuk merry-go-round.  Then, we can finally put this thing to bed...well, until October 30th when the Devils come to town.

For now, here are 10 Tidbits from across the web...file it under 'The fallout on Ilya's deal with the Devils' -

* Adam Proteau of The Hockey News still isn't 100% convinced that Kovy will work out long term in New Jersey.  However he has tons of praise for Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello, saying "What isn’t up for debate is that Lamoriello is as dangerous and dogged of an adversary as any GM in the league.  He might look and talk like a benevolent librarian, but inside that serene demeanor beats the bulging heart of a competition junkie that aches for its next talent fix."

* Ken Campbell, a senior writer at The Hockey News added - "The fact is, the Kings wanted Kovalchuk badly, just not badly enough to blow their brains out and potentially compromise their roster for the next decade."  He likes GM Dean Lombardi's plan to build through the draft and applauds him for not throwing away his plan mid-game, with quotes like "Some people pay lip service to building through the draft, then look at their roster and, for example, deal two first round picks for a 40-goal scorer who might not make the roster appreciably better.  Kudos to Lombardi for not getting sucked into that way of thinking."