Pre-Game Notes: Ducks vs Kings for the 100th Time

It's been more than a decade since both the Kings and Ducks were in the playoff hunt this late in the season.

Surprisingly, the two teams have never participated in post season play at the same time. Could this be the year?

When it comes to regular season match-ups, this will mark the 100th time the Kings and Ducks have squared off. LA holds the edge in the lifetime series 45-36-18, including 2-1 so far this season.

How many goals does your favorite Kings forward have against the Ducks?

Take a look - Anze Kopitar 12 goals in 29 games, Dustin Brown 12 goals in 40 games, Michal Handzus 9 goals in 41 games, Ryan Smyth 8 goals in 55 games, Justin Williams 6 goals in 14 games, Jarret Stoll 5 goals in 29 games and Wayne Simmonds 5 goals in 15 games.

TRIVIA QUESTION - How many total goals do the Kings six defensemen have against the Ducks lifetime? (answer below)

Other notes and links of interest...

Kopitar vs. Ovechkin at Super Skills Event

In a few short hours the second wave of this year's NHL All Star Weekend will get underway with the popular Super Skills Competition.

Team captains Nicklas Lidstrom and Eric Staal met with Brendan Shanahan, NHL Vice President of Hockey and Business Development, earlier this morning to determine which of their players would participate in each event.

Last night, the Kings' Anze Kopitar was selected by Lidstrom in the 15th round (30th overall) of the All Star Fantasy Draft. He now knows which events his team captain has assigned him to...

First, he'll be part of a three-man unit (also comprised of Florida's Evgeny Dadonov and Vancouver's Henrik Sedin) taking part in the Breakaway Challenge.

Fans at home will be allowed to vote on the winner of this event - something that will certainly be needed for Kopitar's group, as they're taking on Alexander Ovechkin (the two-time defending champion of this event), Corey Perry and PK Suban.

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?

OHL season kickoff w/ Windsor GM Warren Rychel

Several of his former teammates will tell you, 'Warren Rychel' wasn't exactly the first name that came to mind when thinking of which players would turn into coaches or general managers after their days on the ice were over.

Yet, there's no arguing with the results.

The former Kings tough guy is coming off back-to-back championships at the helm of the Windsor Spitfires. He was voted the 2008-09 OHL Executive of the Year and appears as hungry as ever to continue winning. Some of his current peers even say he may just be the hardest working GM in the league.

So, how did a guy who once posted consecutive NHL seasons of 300-points in penalty minutes make the successful transition from enforcer to executive?

Prior to his Spitfires taking the ice tonight for the start of the new OHL season we went looking for answers to that question and several others.

It's an exclusive interview with Warren Rychel...

MM:  Five years prior to going to the Stanley Cup Finals in '93 with the Kings you were playing junior hockey in the OHL.  It's 20 years later and you're a successful executive running a team in the league.  Catch us up, how did you go from NHL tough guy to running the Spits?

Draft 2010 - Interview with Cam Fowler

He'll be the first American player taken at the draft tomorrow night at Staples Center.  He's expected to go very early in the first round, perhaps even third overall.

If you guessed Cam Fowler, the 6'1" defenseman from Northville, MI, you're correct.

Although he was born in Canada (Windsor, Ontario), he moved to Michigan before his second birthday and has represented the United States in international competition - even though he technically has dual-citizenship.

Having already won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championships in January, then picking up a Memorial Cup Championship with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires last month, the high point - call it the hat trick of happiness, if you will - should come tomorrow night around 5pm Pacific Time when one NHL team stands at the podium and says "We're proud to announce the selection of Cam Fowler."

What would a trip to LA be without a conversation with The Mayor though?  Well, Cam didn't want to find out.  So, we chatted earlier this afternoon and here's what he had to say:

Tomorrow is a big day for you.  What are you do you doing to keep the nerves from getting the best of you...and what are you going to do tonight to try to get a little sleep?

Actually, I couldn't sleep very well last night.  So, I'm a little concerned about tonight.  I'm like a little kid the night before school starts.  Doing things like this (the clinic at TSC with youth hockey players) is helping take my mind off of things for the time being.

CHL Prospects Game wrap-up

Last night was another showcase event for players looking to be drafted by an NHL team this June in Los Angeles. The CHL - comprised of all three major Canadian junior leagues - put on their annual Prospects Game in Windsor, Ontario.

Nearly all of the players on both rosters are ranked in the top 100 by the NHL's Central Scouting, including the top three ranked North American players: LW Taylor Hall (first), C Tyler Seguin (second) and D Cam Fowler (third).

Another guy on the roster was the kid that should be called 'number one with a bullet' the way his stock is rising, Swiss superstar-to-be Nino Nierderreiter. He had another strong game, netting one of the two goals for Team Orr (Bobby Orr).

You can catch Nino on TV again this Friday. He'll be playing for his regular junior team, the Portland Winterhawks, when they host the Everrett Silvertips (Oscar Moller's old team). The game can be seen on FoxSports Northwest (channel 687 on DirecTV).

Team Cherry (Don Cherry) won the game with four goals from Ryan Spooner (ranked #38), Emerson Etem, Jordan Weal (ranked #45) and Louis-Marc Aubry (ranked #89)

Although Hall was held to just an assist in the game, he was named player of the game for Cherry.

Jeff Skinner (ranked #47) scored the other goal for Team Orr and was voted his team's player of the game. He also won the breakaway contest in the prior night's Skills Competition.

"It's just an honour to play for Bobby Orr and it was a great game," Skinner said. "It was a tough one to lose but I think our team battled hard and it was a lot of fun."

Seguin ended the night with zero points and a minus-2 rating. Fowler, also held pointless, was a much better plus 4 in the game.

Click here to see the official game story and game sheet.

Click here to see the current player rankings by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.

The draft will be here before you know it. Read up!

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119