A few pregame notes on tonight's Kings-Flames match-up at The Stapler...
- LA has beaten Calgary three straight games at home, all by the final score of 2-1.
- Curtis Glencross, the Flames leading goal scorer (with 18) was sent back to Calgary after suffering a lower body injury in San Jose on Tuesday.
- The Flames are expected to have four former Kings in the line-up tonight (and it could have been five if Raitis Ivanans wasn't sent back to the minors a few weeks ago). Their projected line combos are:
Mike Cammalleri - Mikael Backlund - Jarome Iginla
Blake Comeau - Olli Jokinen - Tim Jackman
Tom Kostopolous - Blair Jones - Lee Stempniak
Lance Bouma - Roman Horak - Matt Stajan
Note: The Flames played with a extra defenseman vs the Sharks. If they do that again tonight, Horak will likely be scratched in favor of Anton Babchuk.
- Miikka Kiprusoff will start for the Flames and the Kings will counter with Jonathan Quick in net. Kipper is 17-8-3 lifetime vs. LA, with a 2.17 goals-against average. However, at Staples Center he's only 6-5-2. Quick is 5-3-0 vs the Flames overall, with a stellar 1.84 GAA.
- Coach Darryl Sutter is not expected to make any line-up changes tonight, so expect to see the following line combos:
Dustin Brown - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Dustin Penner - Mike Richards - Jarret Stoll
Brad Richardson - Andrei Loktionov - Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford - Colin Fraser - Trent Hunter
Finally, we'll be giving away a free pair of tickets in tonight's MayorsManor First Goal contest. It's easy to play, simply leave a comment below with the LA player you think will score first vs. the Flames...or reply to the facebook / twitter updates that will come out around 6:30pm. All correct answers will be pooled together and one random winner will get a pair of tickets to see the Kings and Avalanche on Saturday night. Good luck!
The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor
Showing posts with label Kiprusoff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kiprusoff. Show all posts
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Saturday, June 25, 2011
LA Kings Draft Update: Round two - goalie Chris Gibson
LA traded away their first round selection in the Dustin Penner deal earlier this year. So, the team didn't hit the podium until the second round, where they announced 'We proudly select Finnish goaltender Christopher Gibson.'
He played last season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he led all goalies with a .920 save-percentage and was second overall with a 2.42 goals-against average. He was named a First Team All-Star.
Gibson lists Mikka Kiprusoff as his favortie athlete - a netminder Lombardi is very familiar with from his days in San Jose.
The Kings also know about goalies coming out of the QMJHL, having recently taken Jonathan Bernier and JF Berube from the junior circuit.
To see what the Kings did in the third round click here.
The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor
RELATED ARTICLES:
Interview with Kings 2010 first round pick Derek Forbort
Interview with Kings goaltending prospect JF Berube
Clearing the Crease with Jonathan Bernier
Thursday, December 9, 2010
STAT CHECK - LA vs CALGARY
Besides the two points, losing to Calgary in the second game of the year meant little in the big picture. It was a throw away game, coming on the second night of a back to back weekend series. More importantly, it came after an emotionally charged opening night in Vancouver just 24 hours prior.
This Kings team isn't filled with Gretzky, Robitaille and Blake. They don't hate the Flames, circa 1990. After making the playoffs last season for the first time in eight years - and the first time ever for most of the team - losing to the Canucks is what hurt. Thus, that's the game that's going to get them up this season.
So, that was the excuse last time.
How about the other games over the last few years, where the Kings have dropped 14 of 17 to the Flames?
Other stats to consider...
* Jarome Iginla - for all the talk a few weeks ago that he was about to be traded, perhaps even to the Kings, he's still with the Flames. In 20 career games at Staples Center he has 23 points (13g, 10a).
* Olli Jokinen - he's one of those players that "newer" Kings fans probably don't have a connection to. For those unfamiliar, think Brayden Schenn 10+ years ago. At the 1997 NHL Draft the Kings selected him third overall, behind only Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. He was supposed to be a a big time center with tons of promise. Instead of being the guy in LA for the next decade, he was traded for Ziggy Palffy a few months before the Kings moved downtown. In 10 career games at Staples Center he has seven points (4g, 3a).
* Alex Tanguay - he's a big fan of MayorsManor. Enough said.
* For all the talk about the weird schedule this year, how about last year - where the Kings played the Flames three times over a 10 game stretch in December? Was that really necessary? LA went 1-2 with their only win coming at Staples Center on December 7 by a 2-1 final. That was the Kings’ first victory over Calgary since February 2008.
* Their overall power play percentages are nearly dead-even, 14.6% for LA and 14.9% for Calgary. However, LA's penalty kill is much better, 86.6% compared to 83.3, including a perfect 43-for-43 at home.
* Justin Williams has arguably been the Kings' best player this season. How has he fared against the Flames? In 11 career games he has just one goal...and one assist to keep that goal from getting too lonely in the stats column.
* How about Dustin Brown? Well, #23 has played 23 career games vs. the Flames and produced just nine points (3g, 6a). Only one of his three goals has come at Staples Center. However, he did have the lone goal against them earlier this year in Calgary. So, that's somewhat encouraging.
* Ryan Smyth has 20 goals in 71 games vs. the Flames. Yet, most of those came when he was an Oiler. Not to mention, 12 of the 20 have come at the Saddledome.
* Kopitar, you say? Anze has found success against the Flames, with 14 points (7g, 7a) in 17 career games.
Regardless of the stats listed above, this game will more than likely come down to goaltending. Jonathan Quick and Miikka Kiprusoff are two of the best in the Western Conference. History suggests it will be tough to get the puck by either of them.
The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor
RELATED ARTICLES:
Remembering a Rivalry - Kings vs. Flames (w/ video of one of the best Kings goals ever scored)
Painting By Numbers With Ryan Smyth - his thoughts on key milestone games
The Complete Story on Brayden Schenn
Kings-Flames - A Playoff Preview? - published December 2009
Kings-Flames - By The Numbers - published December 2009
.
This Kings team isn't filled with Gretzky, Robitaille and Blake. They don't hate the Flames, circa 1990. After making the playoffs last season for the first time in eight years - and the first time ever for most of the team - losing to the Canucks is what hurt. Thus, that's the game that's going to get them up this season.
So, that was the excuse last time.
How about the other games over the last few years, where the Kings have dropped 14 of 17 to the Flames?
Other stats to consider...
* Jarome Iginla - for all the talk a few weeks ago that he was about to be traded, perhaps even to the Kings, he's still with the Flames. In 20 career games at Staples Center he has 23 points (13g, 10a).
* Olli Jokinen - he's one of those players that "newer" Kings fans probably don't have a connection to. For those unfamiliar, think Brayden Schenn 10+ years ago. At the 1997 NHL Draft the Kings selected him third overall, behind only Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. He was supposed to be a a big time center with tons of promise. Instead of being the guy in LA for the next decade, he was traded for Ziggy Palffy a few months before the Kings moved downtown. In 10 career games at Staples Center he has seven points (4g, 3a).
* Alex Tanguay - he's a big fan of MayorsManor. Enough said.
* For all the talk about the weird schedule this year, how about last year - where the Kings played the Flames three times over a 10 game stretch in December? Was that really necessary? LA went 1-2 with their only win coming at Staples Center on December 7 by a 2-1 final. That was the Kings’ first victory over Calgary since February 2008.
* Their overall power play percentages are nearly dead-even, 14.6% for LA and 14.9% for Calgary. However, LA's penalty kill is much better, 86.6% compared to 83.3, including a perfect 43-for-43 at home.
* Justin Williams has arguably been the Kings' best player this season. How has he fared against the Flames? In 11 career games he has just one goal...and one assist to keep that goal from getting too lonely in the stats column.
* How about Dustin Brown? Well, #23 has played 23 career games vs. the Flames and produced just nine points (3g, 6a). Only one of his three goals has come at Staples Center. However, he did have the lone goal against them earlier this year in Calgary. So, that's somewhat encouraging.
* Ryan Smyth has 20 goals in 71 games vs. the Flames. Yet, most of those came when he was an Oiler. Not to mention, 12 of the 20 have come at the Saddledome.
* Kopitar, you say? Anze has found success against the Flames, with 14 points (7g, 7a) in 17 career games.
Regardless of the stats listed above, this game will more than likely come down to goaltending. Jonathan Quick and Miikka Kiprusoff are two of the best in the Western Conference. History suggests it will be tough to get the puck by either of them.
The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor
RELATED ARTICLES:
Remembering a Rivalry - Kings vs. Flames (w/ video of one of the best Kings goals ever scored)
Painting By Numbers With Ryan Smyth - his thoughts on key milestone games
The Complete Story on Brayden Schenn
Kings-Flames - A Playoff Preview? - published December 2009
Kings-Flames - By The Numbers - published December 2009
.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
A Rubber Match, of sorts
The Kings and Flames have met twice already this season. And by some strange stoke of scheduling, the teams are playing each other three times this month in an 11 day period.
Will familiarity breed contempt?
Game one in November was a lopsided affair, Flames captain Jarome Iginla had a hat trick and Calgary downed LA 5-2.
With the way the Western Conference standings are starting to shake out these two teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs. Thus, I prefer to think of this month as a three-game playoff preview.
The Kings took game one of the fictitious mini series, a tight 2-1 contest in LA on December 7th. Game two is tonight and the final match-up will be Dec 30th, also in Calgary.
Injuries have to be a big part of the pre-game story. The Kings have been playing without Ryan Smyth for quite some time already. Then more recently Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson, Jarret Stoll and Randy Jones have joined him on the sidelines.
Returning to the Kings line-up is defenseman Alec Martinez, he played one game earlier in the season (opening game of the season, where he was a -2 with 16 minutes of ice time). Corey Elkins will also play again, after making his NHL debut Tuesday night in Edmonton.
Over the past few years Miikka Kiprusoff has been one of the best goalies in the league, if not the world. Jonathan Quick will once again try to outplay him and prove to his doubters that he is for real and a netminder whose status is on the rise.
While Quick and his teammates have had a great month so far, the Flames have lost three straight entering tonight. Can the Kings keep rolling and hand Calgary their fourth straight loss?
It wont be easy. Not only is LA all banged up, putting the line combinations in disarray; they're also finishing up a horrific part of the schedule where they will have played six games in nine nights. Not to mention the fact that the Flames have beaten the Kings in their last seven trips to Calgary.
No worries says coach Terry Murray. It's just another game. One team will pick up two points. Coaches usually follow that with 'whichever team wants it more.'
After it's over the Kings will fly home to begin a much needed break for the holidays.
One19
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
Will familiarity breed contempt?
Game one in November was a lopsided affair, Flames captain Jarome Iginla had a hat trick and Calgary downed LA 5-2.
With the way the Western Conference standings are starting to shake out these two teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs. Thus, I prefer to think of this month as a three-game playoff preview.
The Kings took game one of the fictitious mini series, a tight 2-1 contest in LA on December 7th. Game two is tonight and the final match-up will be Dec 30th, also in Calgary.
Injuries have to be a big part of the pre-game story. The Kings have been playing without Ryan Smyth for quite some time already. Then more recently Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson, Jarret Stoll and Randy Jones have joined him on the sidelines.
Returning to the Kings line-up is defenseman Alec Martinez, he played one game earlier in the season (opening game of the season, where he was a -2 with 16 minutes of ice time). Corey Elkins will also play again, after making his NHL debut Tuesday night in Edmonton.
Over the past few years Miikka Kiprusoff has been one of the best goalies in the league, if not the world. Jonathan Quick will once again try to outplay him and prove to his doubters that he is for real and a netminder whose status is on the rise.
While Quick and his teammates have had a great month so far, the Flames have lost three straight entering tonight. Can the Kings keep rolling and hand Calgary their fourth straight loss?
It wont be easy. Not only is LA all banged up, putting the line combinations in disarray; they're also finishing up a horrific part of the schedule where they will have played six games in nine nights. Not to mention the fact that the Flames have beaten the Kings in their last seven trips to Calgary.
No worries says coach Terry Murray. It's just another game. One team will pick up two points. Coaches usually follow that with 'whichever team wants it more.'
After it's over the Kings will fly home to begin a much needed break for the holidays.
One19
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
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