Post Practice Comments - Kevin Westgarth

Earlier today I posted comments from Michal Handzus and Jarret Stoll following the Kings practice this morning in El Segundo.

Next up is Kevin Westgarth...

MM: Let's get to the elephant in the room first. Everybody wants to know, we're four games in and no scraps yet - what's going on out there?

KW: There's no takers, it's tough sometimes. Especially, when you get down - guys don't want to risk losing a fight to lose momentum for their team. I'm itching a bit, for sure. It's all kinda part of the game, part of the line I have to walk anyway. You know, being a smart hockey player combined with being the guy that wants to show the fans, especially, that he's willing to get out there and scrap if he has to. The moments haven't really presented themselves. I'm trying to create 'em. But, I feel like our guys are still protected and that's the most important thing. Nobody has done anything too stupid or too crazy, so I haven't had to get over the line just yet. I have no fear that it will be coming!

Looks like the itch will have to wait at least another game, coach said you wont be playing against Carolina.  What were your thoughts when you heard the news?

Camping Guide 2010 - Interview w/ Michal Handzus

The Zeus is loose. Just look at the hair.

When Dean Lombardi signed Michal Handzus to a four-year free agent contract in the summer of 2007, he hoped Zeus would return to the player he was out east (where he posted back-to back 20 goal seasons for the Flyers) - not the player he was the prior year in Chicago. A knee injury saw his numbers go south with the Blackhawks, only eight games played the entire year.

Year one in LA was almost like an extended rehab assignment. He didn't score his first real goal that season until December 6th (his goal on opening night in London, vs. the Ducks, was actually an empty netter).

That appeared to be the start of his stats heading north again though.  He posted four goals in seven games, three of them short-handed!  Yet, after December 17th, he wouldn't find the back of the net again until March 22nd.  Just a tough year no matter you slice it.

He turned the page in the summer of '08 and has really never looked back.  In fact, for the last two years he's arguably been the Kings MVP.  A durable, third line center - with a knack for scoring timely goals.

First the knee returned.  Next was his goal scoring.  Now, he's looking to complete the hat-trick...the hair is back.

While not as famous as say Jaromir Jagr's mullet, Zeus used to have a fresh Euro-hockey look.  One that was uniquely his.  Call it part-Michael Bolton, part-Kenny Powers.

How about the important questions though, like what does he think of Frolov being Eastbound and is he down with Poni being his new linemate? 

It's all here, in an exclusive interview with Michal Handzus.

MM:  As things started to shake out over the summer with the Kovalchuk situation, for a brief moment it looked like Frolov may come back to the Kings.  Was that something you were excited about or mentally had you already moved on?

Negative Nancy Night at Staples Center

Saturday night's game was a sellout...and it brought out plenty of Negative Nancys.

Finding some positives in the game may be difficult, but let's give it a try:

* First off, I'll get the obligatory Easter reference out of the way...can somebody please find the egg holding the key to the Kings offense? It's probably hidden well though, so search behind all the bushes and around all corners.

* A long list of players and coaches have...um, "exchanged pleasantries" with the folks in Section 119 as they come and go from the ice. However, the one coach I never expected to break was Randy Carlyle of the Ducks. This guy is usually so calm and in control. Like a machine. Nothing seems to get to him. And the irony of it is, I never said anything to him last night during the game (unlike previous games). Apparently he missed my jabs though, as he practically came running into the tunnel to bump his gums when things were over last night. Keep it up Randy. We miss McToilet in Edmonton and need a new coach to befriend.

Kings out-snookie the Ducks

Before the game even started we knew we had a situation.

The Anaheim Ducks were on their way to Staples Center, bringing with them a five game winning streak. Then, the Red Wings beat the Hurricanes today 3-1, which - temporarily - put the Kings 9th in the Western Conference. Both were just adding salt to an already open wound caused by LA's three game losing streak.

Among the 18,118 fans at the sold out game tonight in downtown were several of the cast members from MTV's new hit reality series Jersey Shore.

How appropriate. The house they all lived in during the taping featured a "friggin' duck phone" as some on the show have called it. It had a very annoying ring.

Not nearly as annoying as some of the cast members though. That said, their Jersey Shore life inspired plenty of comedic background to a great game for the Kings. It was an old fashioned beat down. Just like the brawls on Jersey Shore most weeks.

The Shore kids also like to "beat-up-the-beat" with their fist pumping dancing. On the ice the Kings were beating up the Ducks left and right. Not only with goals, but with their own fists. Wayne Simmonds led the Kings with 12 penalty minutes.

Michal Handzus continued his strong play of late, scoring his fifth goal in the 10 games since Christmas. It was the only goal of the first period. 1-0 Kings at intermission.

If the Ducks were trying to rattle the Kings in the second with their physical play, it back fired. Scott Parse netted his 8th of the year about 6 minutes in. Later in the period Dustin Brown scored his 100th NHL goal, putting the Kings up 3-0.

Then, the Kings finally scored a goal late in a period after giving up so many of them the last few weeks. Simmonds got credit for the goal, with an assist to Kopitar. It was Kopi's 23rd point in 22 career games vs. Anaheim. JWOW indeed.

Simmonds was on fire at this point, perhaps causing several of the Ducks to be thinking "chill out Freckles McGee.”

Given that LA was sporting a gelled up record of 17-0-0 when leading after two periods, Anaheim couldn't have been happy with the score at this point.

Wayne the Train was back for more fisticuffs in the third, taking on Sheldon Brookbank. More Jersey Shore flashbacks, this time the episode where JWOW said "She called Snookers fat & that like triggered me...I was gonna try to uppercut her, but at that point I had too many bouncers wrapped around me. I just wish for like 3 more seconds. I woulda done justice." Simmonds was like, EXACTLY!

DJ Pauly D once reminded his fellow cast mates "It only takes nine pounds of pressure to break a nose." Perhaps Raitis Ivanans watched that episode. He tried to test Pauly D's theory on Ryan Carter late in the third, bloodying him up in the process.

Although Simmonds may have liked that episode too, his favorite was probably the one where a housemate claimed "When we’re out on the battlefield, I’m like the first strike. It’s sorta like they send me out, first, like the Navy SEALs." Which left Wayne thinking 'me too'!

When Oscar Moller started getting in on the roughhousing in the third all I kept thinking about was Paulie D saying "Through the scuffle Snooks gets hit in the face, again. Poor girl… she needs to take some karate classes or somethin’. She needs self defense. Somebody’s got to teach her how to fight or duck." He didn't want Snookie fighting and the Kings probably didn't want the little Swede trying to channel his inner Marty McSorley either.

Although Kings coach Terry Murray has probably never watched Jersey Shore, he'd probably be a big fan of Mike aka the Situation. Murray is always preaching shot mentality. Here's the Situation on women - "There is definitely a numbers game when it comes to girls. Let's just say, ya know, ten girls have slipped you their number within that particular week. There is a possibility that, like, five or six may no answer. Somebody may pick up but they're busy, but probably on three or four they're probably coming over...As long as you keep calling there will be success in your numbers game, it's just like anything." Coach Murray agrees. About the numbers game. When it comes to scoring. Oh, never mind.

Snookie often talks about her love of pickles. Maybe she's a Sharks fan. Perhaps she needs to come to the game next Tuesday when San Jose is in town.

Either way, Kings win 4-0...FINALLY giving Jonathan Quick his first shutout of the year.

G.T.L. baby. Gym, Tanning, Laundry.

Better hurry though. Next game is Saturday afternoon vs. Boston.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

note: if you haven't watched MTV's Jersey Shore, most of this post makes no sense to you...that's OK, it's like watching the show - when it's over, you're better off just erasing it from your brain and moving on...the Kings won convincingly, that's all you need to know.

Kings-Flames : By the Numbers

Hockey is such a simple game - offense, defense and goaltending.

Offensively the Kings need some help. One goal isn't going to get it done most nights...and it didn't this night either. The Kings lost to the Flames for the second time this month by a score of 2-1.

Defensively there were four guys in this game that were the talk of Alberta all day. Many Flames fans were in an uproar over Drew Doughty making the Canadian Olympic team, while Flames d-men Dion Phaneuf, Jay Bouwmeester and Robyn Regehr did not.

In the net...well, both goalies played excellent. However, the rules state only one can get the victory.

Breaking everything else down by the numbers here's what you get:

ONE - the number of goals scored by the Kings for the second straight game against the Flames

TWO - the number of goals Calgary scored against LA for the second straight game

THREE - the number of powerplays the Kings couldn't convert on in this game

FOUR - the number of guys Ivanans hit in one scrum before being ejected...seriously, four guys - Moss, Johnson, Bouwmeester and Jokinen...it looked like he was fighting off an attack in a video game

FIVE - the number of consecutive losses the Kings will try to avoid when they play in Minnesota on New Year's Eve

SIX - the number of goals Scott Parse now has, after scoring just 15 seconds into the second period

SEVEN - the number of wins Calgary has against LA in their last eight meetings

EIGHT - the number on the back of the only defenseman in this game to make Team Canada's Olympic roster - that's right Phaneuf, his name is DOUGHTY

NINE - the number of consecutive losses at the Saddledome for the Kings

TEN - the number of points the Kings have in their last 10 games, making it their worst stretch of the year

and for good measure...

31 - the number on the back of Erik Ersberg, the guy who stood on his head in goal for the Kings tonight...rock solid performance

37 - the number of games gone by since Craig Conroy last scored for the Flames...seriously, no goals since April 11th...thanks

59 - the number of penalty minutes in the first period. The FIRST period!

This was a very physical game. The Flames took runs at Kopitar and Brown all night long.

LA was tough as well, handing out receipts left and right.

Obviously though, the Kings still haven't figured out how to win in Calgary. Let's hope that's not a problem come playoff time. Or, let's hope they can start winning some games soon so there are even playoff games to worry about.

Mama said there'd be days like this.

One19
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

LA Kings HockeyFest 2009: Day One - Offhanded Observations

It's late, so here are just a few notes on opening night of the fest:

* Overall, I give it an 'A'. Great job by McChris and his entire staff. Obviously, a lot of work (and thought) went into the event. Good job. Extra kudos to the video guys. Those were simply perfection.

* Dustin Brown's speech made me believe in him as a captain. I've always loved him as a player. Over the last year I've grown tired of people bitching about his questionable leadership skills. The story about the conversation he had with Greene on the plane home last year should have told you all that you need to know. His whole speech was incredible. "These 20 guys to my right are no longer 20 individuals..." WOW - I still have goose bumps. I'm pumped! Seemed to me to be very heartfelt. He looked deadly serious (sure he was nervous - yet, I believe he meant every word he said). It backed up what Dean told me earlier this month about how impressed he was to have so many players in town in July for their voluntary camp.

* It's about damn time they pulled so many of the alumni together. Quite impressive to see so many former Kings greats all in one place. I hope the organization treats each one of them with class and dignity all weekend. Then word will spread on what a great event it was and more former Kings will want to come next year. I know its hard because lots of guys are employed with other teams (see Gretzky, Rychel, Granato, Robinson, Deadmarsh, etc.). Still. The more the merrier.

* We all have our favorites. However, if I could pick two guys that clearly deserve to be there it would have to be Kurri and Sandstrom. Jari has to be one of the most underrated guys in league history. He scored over 600 goals in his career, yet NOBODY talks about him when discussing the greatest goal scores of all time. He had such a touch. And Sandstrom? Come on! This guy gets taken out by Craig Muni (of the hated Oilers) in the playoffs...then comes back the next game and scores a goal - WITH A BROKEN LEG! Legend status for me, right then, that night. BTW - neither of you were ever Ducks. I've blocked that from my brain. UGH, it still hurts.

* Russ Courtnall - thanks for the cup of coffee you had here. You seem like a cool guy. However, your brother...well, we still need to talk about those playoffs vs. the Kings in 1996.

* Steve Duchesne - I still want my money back. You fleeced the Kings when you signed that big money free agent contract to return in 1998. However, at Luc's retirement dinner in Marina del Rey you were a good sport about all the grief I gave you in the later years in Detroit (after you skipped town with all of that money). So, I'll give you a 10% discount on the money owed all Kings fans.

* Will there ever be a playoff series better than '93 vs Toronto? Doubt it. Funny side note on that series...back then Jim Rome just did a local sports talk show here in LA (long before he was such a big hit nationally). He had Wendel Clark lined up for an interview on one of the off days. I'll never forget he missed the interview, so they booked Coach Burns instead. When he asked what happened to Clark, Burns said he was taking a nap. I love naps too. And I know athletes play at night, so they need their rest. Still, I found it funny. Not as funny as the Cubs' Mark Grace explaining slump busters to Rome...but that's a different story.

* Great to see the team mend fences with guys like Dionne and Taylor. Theses guys are major parts of the Kings history and should be treated like royalty.

* Where's the beef? Noticeably absent during the player introductions was Raitis Ivanans. Although teams like Philly and Washington have been speculated, Dean isn't saying anything just yet. If it is Washington, somebody better tell Kip Brennan (yes that Kip Brennan). The former King, more recently of the AHL, was reportedly trying to hook up with the Caps after Brashear went to the big apple. He thinks he'd be a good fit there. Whatever.

* According to several sources, it does in fact look like the Kings are looking for one more key player before the season starts. Interesting. However, it's not Heatley (who appears headed to SJ after today's deal). And it might not involve Frolov. Even more interesting.

* NHL.com did a piece on the fest - click here to read

* If you aren't lucky enough to be attending this weekend in person, the Kings will be streaming the event HERE. Super cool. Some of the sessions with former players should be amazing.

Saturday includes -
* Noon – NHL Experts Panel with Jim Fox, Ray Ferraro & Kelly Hrudey
* 2pm - The Enforcers with (the lawyer) Stu Grimson & Brad Norton
* 4pm - The Triple Crown Line (no explanation needed)

More info tomorrow after what should be another fun filled day at the fest.

The PLAYOFF PUSH began tonight.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
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