Honestly, Simon Gagne is just trying to be honest

Gagne in no contact jersey (photo: D. Sheehan)

When Ryan Smyth was traded to the Oilers last summer, the Kings were left with a big hole on the left side - a position they were already thin in. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when GM Dean Lombardi signed free agent Simon Gagne to take his place. The seven-time 20 goal scorer, was given a two-year contract. But, he had missed about 20 games each of the two seasons prior with various injuries.

Even so, his 17 goals in those injury-shortened campaigns were enough of a hope for a team needing offense. With only seven goals for the Kings this year though, LA sure could have used 10 more.

Yet, these days, stats aren't the primary focus for Gagne. He's been out of action with a concussion since the day after Christmas.

Having already missed 29 games and without any real timetable in place for his return, Gagne has recently started skating again - by himself and usually before or after the Kings practice. It's given him a chance to be around the team again while he and the doctors assess what's next.

Over the weekend, we caught up with him...

First question, of course, was how's he doing?

"Not bad, it's getting there," began Gagne. "Still not 100%, but there are no setbacks right now. It's improving and that's a good sign. Sometimes with these injuries you see guys having a setback, they need to take it easy. Sometimes they push themselves and (the symptoms return). So, right now, every time I'm pushing it's OK. So, it's a good sign."

How difficult has it been to sit out on the sidelines the last few months while the team has struggled to score...and, more recently, to not be able to play with Jeff Carter, his former teammate from Philadelphia?

Why Andrei Loktionov needs to be sent to Manchester

Before all the Loktionov lovers lose their mind, relax.

If you've heard any of my recent radio/podcast interviews, the kid has talent. He's still young, he'll be fine. The Kings thought the cake might be done, they pulled it out of the oven, had a bite and it's not fully cooked yet. Put it back in the oven for a little longer (in Manchester) and everything will be just fine.

At the end of last season and over the summer, Loktionov talked of only wanting to play center, he felt more comfortable there. Then, when he was called up this year, he was put on the left wing - because that was the need at the time. Everybody tried to put a smile on and power through it. Fact is, it didn't work. The same issues from last season were still there.

A few weeks later he found himself at center when Mike Richards went down and that should have been his chance to shine. It didn't happen. Fifteen games into his call-up he has no goals and two assists to show for it. Don't buy into the 'he's not being used properly' line of thinking. Good players make things happen when given the ice time. He hasn't done that by any stretch of the imagination.

The only reason he's still with the Kings right now is because of the NHL's holiday trade freeze. When Richards came off of IR last week, the team should have needed to make a corresponding roster move to make room for him. Yet, the freeze allowed them to carry an extra player through today.

But, as timing would have it, with the injury to Simon Gagne last night, the Kings might not need to make a roster move today - other than putting #12 on IR.

What's wrong with the Kings? Geez, it's simple - just ask!

There are many guesses on how to fix the LA Kings right now. However, the final verdict on if the coaching change will be the thing to do the trick won't be known for several months.

In the meantime, message boards and social media outlets continue to be a haven for conspiracy theories, including 'The Curse of the Gretzky Statue' and the absence of Heidi Androl.

Here's a quick spin around the twitterverse from earlier today...

- @Lemay_C has a good memory, recalling something that took place when the ice was installed at Staples Center this season, saying 'I think it's obviously that 2002 penny that Luc has planted at center ice. Red Wings memories jinxing team.'

Solution: Dig up the pennies.

- @TheRealFakeTim has a much longer memory, adding 'I still think the "curse" goes 2 when McSorley started helping out on the broadcast last playoffs. #IllegalStick #LAKings'

Solution: Don't invite Marty back.

- @Project_305 said 'I blame the hype and pressure of acquiring Richie and Gagne and locking up Drew..."Flyers West" they called us'

Solution: Acquire another Oilers player and go back to calling the Kings 'Oilers South.'

- @karenberan couldn't pick just one thing, saying 'Two month post-Europe Hangover!...It's the Randy Jones Curse - it's ALWAYS his fault!...It's the Dan Cloutier Curse - It's ALWAYS his fault too!'

Solution: No more trips to Europe on the books and Dean has promised to not bring back Cloutier or Jones (at least for the rest of this season).

Making the case for Darryl Sutter as coach of the LA Kings

Life at the top is hard.

It doesn't matter if you're the CEO of a major corporation, a head coach in the NFL or the GM of the LA Kings.

The reason those people get paid big money is to make big decisions.

There's a sign in Dean Lombardi's office at the Kings training facility in El Segundo that reads 'When bluffing, a pair of balls beats everything.'

Reports suggest that within the next 48 hours the Kings will be announcing Darryl Sutter as their next head coach. While that may not be a bluff of any sort, it may take a brass set to make that decision. After all, Sutter will quickly be labeled as a 'retread' and a 'repeat of past mistakes' or some other tired cliche.

Many other articles over the next few days will tell you why Lombardi should have hired this guy or that guy. But, the fact remains, if Sutter is the coach, none of that matters. So, instead of playing the 'should have been' game, let's look at why Sutter is a good fit for the team.

POLL: LA Kings Player of the Month - November 2011

Time for some more house cleaning. Sure, this poll should have gone up on Thursday morning. Life happens. And yes, this poll is for the month of November. So, it does not take into account anything that occurred Thursday night vs. Florida or Saturday afternoon vs. Montreal.

Here we go...

First, a look back at the team as a whole. In the month of November, the Kings were 6-5-2, a little worse off than their 6-3-2 record in October. Their 28 points were second best in the division (behind Dallas, 29) and placed them sixth in the Western Conference. LA is also 6-1-2 vs. Pacific division opponents.

The power play, which had been converting at 23.1% in October, had fallen to 17.4% at the end of the NHL's second month. On the penalty kill, things had dropped a few points as well, going from 86.1% down to 84.4%.

Individually, here are your nominations for Player of the Month, November 2011:

{listed in alphabetical order)

Simon Gagne - four goals, four assists

Anze Kopitar - four goals, six assists, still leads the team in points

Jonathan Quick - 4-5-2 record, .924 save percentage, one shutout

Mike Richards - nine goals, one assist, moved into team goal scoring lead

Slava Voynov - one goal, one assist, 10 shots on goal in seven games since being called up

Who gets your vote?



Vote now, poll ends Wednesday morning at 11am PST.

For the record, last month's winner was Jonathan Quick. He captured 63% of the votes, the most ever in one of our 'Player of the Month' polls. Full results are available here.

The Mayor
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LA Kings player of the month - November 2010

Simon Gagne on LA's loss to Montreal - 'We kind of shut down'

What I've learned so far... by Mike Richards

Warming up the leftovers with Clifford, Greene, Westgarth

Things have been a little busy lately, so it's time to play catch up this morning. Sometimes, you have 'extra' quotes that just never see the light of day because of timing, other news stories popping up, etc. Then, they're lost forever. Rather than let that happen, let's back track for just a moment. After all, this should be a slow Monday...

Below are comments from Kevin Westgarth and Matt Greene after the physical game vs Florida on Thursday - plus, Kyle Clifford following Saturday's contest with Montreal.

Westgarth on the surprising amount of rough play in the Kings-Panthers game - "There was a bit of frustration on both of the teams. Then, when their player takes a bit of a run at one of our better players, it pisses everybody off. It was great to come out with the win. We weren't as good as we should be tonight and it's pretty awesome that we came out with the win. It's great to see some of the snarl out of the boys. I think it should be quite a game when we get back over there in Florida."

NOTE: The Kings will play the Panthers in Florida on Thursday, February 9. Also, to see the hit Sean Bergenheim put on Mike Richards, click here.

Westgarth on watching much of the Kings roster get involved in the physical aspect of the game - "I love seeing the boys take care of each other. That's why I'm here. But, that's the whole mentality. If everybody has each other's back, then we can all play that much more confident and that much better. Sometimes I grit my teeth a little too much maybe and just want to do something to deal with it. But, I think the guys did a great job of stepping up, being real physical, and going right back after them. Hockey teams, and especially our team, have memories. We'll keep this one close to our chest."

Simon Gagne on LA's loss to Montreal - 'We kind of shut down'

With the injury to Mike Richards, Kings coach Terry Murray was forced to mix up his lines. Simon Gagne found himself on the top line, reunited with Anze Kopitar.

On Saturday afternoon, Gagne had four shots on goal in over 21 minutes of total ice time.

After LA lost 2-1 to the Habs, here's what he had to say...

On the overall game - "Today was a tight game and you are hoping that you find a way to score and you just shoot the puck at the net. I thought we had a good first 20 minutes. We had a lot of pucks on net, a lot of shots. After that, the second period I thought was not very good from our side; we took a lot of penalties and gave them a chance to go on the power play. From that point on we found ourselves down 2-0. We got a goal late in the second and after that, in the third, we kind of shut down. They played really well defensively and for us we were okay the last 20 [minutes] but it was not enough to win or tie the game."

On playing with Kopitar and Dustin Brown - "It was our first time together--me, Kopi [Anze Kopitar], and Brownie [Dustin Brown]. I know Brownie likes to go to the net so you try to create some chances and you try to go out there and get some pucks at the net and make some plays. I thought we had a couple good looks but you have to do it for 60 minutes."

Coach Terry Murray agreed with part of Gagne's assessment, adding this during his post game presser - "I thought we backed off in the second period. I didn’t think the intensity was quite the same as what it was in the first period. Then you get into the third [period] and it’s a 2-1 game. You’re trying to get things turned around but end up with six or seven shots in the period only. We left it too late and on top of that you take a bad penalty. When you’re on a power play in the third it’s a formula for losing games."

More post game quotes: comments from coach Murray on Dustin Penner are up now (link)...and Jarret Stoll talks about the missed penalty late in the third period here.

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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.

Coach Murray on shots - 'That's how you score you goals'

If you thought the Kings looked like a different team against Detroit than the group who played Anaheim and Minnesota in the previous three games, Murray would agree with you.

"That was the one thing that maybe disappointed me as much as anything in the game, is that we were not skating anywhere near the way we skated in the last three games."

He also shared some thoughts on what it's going to take to get some secondary scoring out of the Kings, as they can't only rely on Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards and Simon Gagne - the trio have accounted for roughly half of the team's total goal production.

"I'm encouraging the shots," said Murray. "We've been putting better numbers up at the end of the day - shot attempts, shots on net. When you watch a team like Detroit, they're the number one team in the NHL for shots on goal, average per game. They're at about 34.6 shots per game, on average. And you can see why they're a good hockey club. That's been their mentality throughout the last 15 years. That's how you score goals."

And win games apparently. Last season, five of the NHL's six division winners finished in the top seven for average shots taken per game.

Currently, the Kings are 19th in the league, averaging 29.3 shots on goal.

Given the lack of production coming from the blue line, are some of the Kings defenseman tentative to get shots off?

Ducks at Kings Freeway Faceoff - pregame primer

Tonight will be game number 103 between the Kings and Ducks.

Last year, Anaheim took the season series four games to two.

Through 17 games played by each team, the scales are titled towards the Kings - they have more wins (8 to 6), points (19 to 15), have scored more goals per game (2.41 to a league low 2.00), given up fewer goals per game (2.24 to 2.82), have a better power play (20.3% conversion to 13.6) and have won a greater percentage of faceoffs (51.9% to 46.6%).

What does all of that mean? Not much. The Ducks come in having won the last three games played between the two clubs, including the last two in Los Angeles.

Don't expect a heavyweight fight tonight either. George Parros is out recovering from eye surgery. Kevin Westgarth will be a healthy scratch.  (If you want to read a great story about Parros and a Chewbacca suit when he was a Kings prospect playing in Manchester, click here.)

Over the summer, Mike Richards was on MayorsManor talking about his relationship with Corey Perry (here) - which followed up Bobby Ryan talking about his friendship with several Kings players (here) the previous off season.

Still, don't expect a love fest out on the ice. The tension has been growing between these two teams over the last few years.

Halloween costume pics, stories from the LA Kings party

On Tuesday, October 25, it may have been some other players dressed up as the Kings - because coach Terry Murray's team just didn't look like themselves in a 3-0 loss at home to New Jersey.

A few nights earlier, the Kings did actually trade in their sweaters for a variety of different costumes at the team's annual Halloween party.

In something that sounds more like a joke - but it's the truth - the big winners of the night were Simon Gagne and his wife, who dressed up like clowns. "They really went all out," said forward Trevor Lewis and defenseman Matt Greene called the pair "awesome."

Apparently, it was so good they won the 'award' for best dressed - a small 'Emmy-like trophy' according to Jarret Stoll.

Several players commented they also liked Rob Scuderi's choice of outfits (he and his wife came as Duff Man and Marge Simpson). Another popular get up was worn by captain Dustin Brown, who came as one of the tight clothed officers from Comedy Central's Reno 911.

However, the always sharp dressed Stoll had high praise for an unlikely forward, one who barely ever shows a personality to the media and is known for being a man of very (and I mean VERY) few words.

Jarret Stoll - LA Kings players were 'fed up' with things

With two assists last night, Jarret Stoll doubled his output for the season...and reached a milestone, his 300th NHL point.

It was a 'team win,' with four different players scoring goals and several guys having breakout performances.

After the game, Stoll shared a few thoughts...

On the overall game - "We played a little bit desperate. We knew we had to stop this before it got out of control. We needed to work hard, be determined, be first on loose pucks, play with an attitude and be a little bit mad out there. I think we were that tonight. You could see on the offensive side of the puck we were jumping, we were first on loose pucks, we were getting pucks back to the net - therefore, they were back on their heals a little bit. That's kind of what we've been doing the last couple of weeks, we've been on our heals. I think tonight we were on our toes, we were jumping and we were getting our feet going."

How to fix the Kings - the line combos Murray should use

They call him the juggler.

Kings coach Terry Murray has been known to mix up the line combinations, to the point he recently joked about keeping a line together 'for three or four more games.'

However, one thing that isn't too funny is the Kings lack of scoring this season. Over the summer, they added Mike Richards and Simon Gagne in the hopes of giving more punch to a line-up that ranked 25th in the league last year in goals scored.

After 13 games, they're ranked 28th so far this season, dropping from an average of 2.55 goals per game last year to 2.15 at the moment.

Back in training camp, Dustin Brown said that he and Justin Williams had already talked about the fact that it was only a matter of time until they were flip-flopped as the number one and two right wings.

That time should be now. And, in one man's opinion, this is how Murray should set up the offense...

Line Four - Murray has said that Ethan Moreau is a better left winger, yet he's been playing him on the right side 'because it's the only spot open.' Time to fix that. Moreau should be the fourth line left wing, with Trevor Lewis at center and Kevin Westgarth/Trent Hunter on the right side. Westgarth played great hockey in the playoffs last year and if he can return to that form, he's perfectly capable of being in there most nights. LA is 3-2-1 with him in the line-up this year (just saying). Hunter hasn't shown much, nor would you expect him too coming off major knee surgery. Scott Parse is also an option, but again - he's a natural left wing and you'd be asking him to play the off side. Thus, Westgarth seems like the best option.

What I've learned so far... by Penguins dman Kris Letang

Penguins Kris Letang - sharp dresser

ZZ Top were right. Every girl's crazy about a sharp dressed man.

Just ask center Jarret Stoll.

Most of his Kings' teammates have selected him as 'best dressed' guy in the room - although Brad Richardson disagrees. Regardless of who can lay claim to being the cat with the sharpest threads in LA though, based upon what I saw from the Penguins on Saturday morning, the title in Pittsburgh clearly belongs to Kris Letang.

And now that Scott Hannan has pulled a Metallica-like mistake and gone from long to short, Letang may also have the best hair in hockey.

Quick side note, can somebody please remind me to work up a 'Hannan cut his hair and his stats have never been the same' article when he and the Flames come to town next month, thanks.

Now that that's all behind us, let's see what Letang has learned so far this season. We chatted for a bit yesterday and here's what he had to say...

About Evgeni Malkin - "He's better with his English than he used to be."

About Matt Cooke - "He loves In-N-Out burgers. He's probably already been there twice today."

About Steve Sullivan - "He's old."

Penguins at LA Kings - Pregame Primer with Tony Granato

It's too bad the Kings won't be wearing their white jerseys tonight. Sans the logo on the front, they're modern versions of what Tony Granato wore with the team during the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals.

Nearly 20 years later, he's back in town for tonight's game at Staples Center. It's a building Granato played in only three times, as a member of the Sharks at the end of his career (coincidentally, a team he was signed to by then-San Jose GM Dean Lombardi). He's also coached a few games in LA, first with the Colorado Avalanche and now with Pittsburgh.

After the Penguins' morning skate today, we spent a few minutes one-on-one. Here's what Granato had to say...

On playing in LA, against his former team - "It's always nice to get back and see some friends. I have a lot of good memories from being part of this organization. When you come here and see the state of the franchise, they have some tremendous players and it looks like they're real close. So, it's exciting for me to see how well they're doing."

On Mike Richards - "He's an elite player and a great competitor. The more physical you try to be on a guy like that, the more intense and the more he gets into the game. So, I think being under control defensively against him (is important). You need to be aware of when he's on the ice because he can beat you so many different ways. He's a great asset to the organization and it was a great trade for them."

What I've learned so far... by Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier

Goalie Jonathan Bernier (photo: C. Ikiri)

Sorry ladies, he's off the market now. Kings goaltender Jonathan Bernier was recently engaged, so he still has plenty to learn in the coming years.

A happy wife is a happy life - that's all I'm saying JB.

However, at the rink and around his teammates he's already picked up on a few things so far this season.

For starters, he learned that Terry Murray doesn't change his mind easily. The Kings' coach went through with his plan to play Bernier vs. New Jersey last week, even though many in the media and plenty of fans thought he was crazy for resting Jonathan Quick after he shutout three straight opponents.

Murray offered up his reasons here. Yet, that logic didn't seem to fly with most people, including former Kings coach Barry Melrose - who told NHL Live he would have never made such a move, regardless of what was told to a player ahead of time.

As for some other nuggets of info he's learned over the past month or so, here's what Bernier he had to say...

About Dustin Brown - "He's the type of guy you call a 'nerd.' He likes computers and all that electronic stuff. I always knew he was kind of like that. But, then we went to Europe, I sat with Brownie and we chatted a bit. Now I know for sure."

About Simon Gagne - "He seems quiet, but he's a pretty funny guy. It's great to have another French guy on the team too. It's nice to make jokes that somebody actually really understands!"

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings Brad Richardson

Brad Richardson chirping (photo: M. Zampelli)

Like the LA Kings, the 'What I've learned so far' series has had the last few days off - but, it's back today!

Recently, we've heard some interesting comments from Drew Doughty, Kevin Westgarth, Ethan Moreau and several others.

Now, it's time for the multi-purpose man, Brad Richardson, to step up and take a swing. The crafty forward is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and coach Terry Murray has no qualms about plugging him in just about anywhere - including at least a few games on all four lines last year.

With the first month of the new season now in the books, what has Richardson learned so far...

About Dustin Brown - "He's really not as quiet as a lot of people think. I don't know if people think that because he's kind of shy. But, once you get to know him, he's pretty witty and very funny."

About Rob Scuderi - "I've learned that he's not changing his style. He's the worst dresser on the team and (that award) isn't going anywhere."

About Anze Kopitar - "His golf game has come a long way. He likes golf a lot and he's come a long way. We played the other day and it was the best round I've ever seen him play."

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings blueliner Matt Greene

Matt Greene on Thursday (photo: LA Kings)

Now entering the ring, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 232 pounds, originally from Michigan, now repping the South Bay - he's the two-time comedy champion and perhaps the only man who loves blood more than Abdullah the Butcher, it's Matt Greene.

Through the 'What I've learned so far...' series, several LA Kings players have shared their observations from the first month of the season. So, it's only appropriate that Greene took us all the way back to the first game of the year for his article.

Here's what he's learned so far...

"Sweden is an expensive place," was Green's opener.

So, just what was the most expensive thing he purchased on the trip?

"Probably a beer, those things aren't cheap over there. That's a lot of Kronor! You don't really think about it until you do the addition in your head."

Before this segment turns into 'Math with Matt,' let's move on to his teammates. Here's what he's learned about a few of them...

About Mike Richards - "He's a pretty good dude. Good player too, real good player. It was tough during the exhibition games. But, once we got into the regular season games and saw all the little things he does really well - wow, it's pretty amazing. He loves to fish too, really enjoys it. He has a pretty sick place, I've seen some pictures of it - that's a nice house."

Because you demanded it...

Many of you were on your way home from work when it happened.

Knowing that Kings fans wouldn't want to miss out on this, we worked closely with the NHL over the last few days... and after concocting an elaborate agreement, we were able to pull video of Scott Parse's goal Thursday night vs. Dallas.

Defenseman Slava Voynov also scored a pair of goals in the game. However, with Drew Doughty back in the line-up tonight, the Russian rookie has been sent back to Manchester for the time being.

One other quick note - Simon Gagne will not play tonight, Dustin Penner will take his place on the top line.

Now watch and enjoy.

Pre-game notes for tonight's Coyotes-Kings game will be up later today.

The Mayor
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What I've learned so far this season... by Simon Gagne

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings dman Alec Martinez

Alec Martinez of LA Kings (photo: C. Ikiri)

Perhaps if Drew Doughty wasn't out injured the last two weeks, the play of Alec Martinez would be under more scrutiny. Instead, most of the blueline focus has been on rookie Slava Voynov.

It's not that Martinez has been particularly bad. However, coach Terry Murray did rest him a few games ago, wanting the 24-year old Michigan native to be more focused.

Last season, he posted 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and was plus-11 in 60 regular season games. He's yet to pick up a point this season and has a minus-2 rating entering tonight's game in Dallas. He also took six shots, his biggest output of the season so far, against New Jersey on Tuesday. 

If he keeps firing like that, everything will be fine.  Overall, there's no reason to panic either, as the Kings haven't even played 10 games yet.

Off the ice, several Kings' players have commented over the last month or so that he's coming out of his shell more when socializing with teammates. Kevin Westgarth went so far as to call him a nerd away from the rink - something later confirmed by Dustin Brown (well, the captain actually said 'geek').

What has Martinez learned about some of his teammates so far this season?

Here's what he had to say when interviewed for the latest installment of this series...

About Justin Williams - "He makes a hell of a DJ Pauly D on Halloween"