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.

LA Kings officially place Ethan Moreau on waivers

So much for waiting one more day to make a decision on which player had to leave in order to clear room on the Kings roster for Willie Mitchell's return - which is expected for tomorrow's game vs. Dallas.

Ethan Moreau has officially been placed on waivers. All other NHL teams will now have 24 hours to claim him. If he's not picked up by another team, his future is unclear at the moment.  He was a first round draft pick by the Chicago Blackhawks at the 1994 NHL Draft and he's played in 928 NHL games.

This season, Moreau had played in all 28 games for the Kings, bouncing between the third and fourth lines - and from the left to right side. He had one goal and three assists, to go along with a plus-minus rating of minus-3 and 20 penalty minutes.  His 50 hits were fourth on the team behind Dustin Brown (84), Matt Greene (79) and Kyle Clifford (60).

You have to wonder if Trent Hunter scoring that goal last night helped save his job or if Moreau was going either way.

Back when Moreau was still captain of the Oilers, he sat down for an in-depth interview with MayorsManor.  Click here to give it a read if you've never seen it before.  We cover some interesting stories together.

The timing of him going on waivers is at least a little ironic with the Stars coming in town tomorrow night.  You may recall, some of the sharpest criticism coach Terry Murray has had this season, directed at a specific player, came after Moreau's penalty during the Kings last game in Dallas two weeks ago.  The two events aren't connected, just ironic.

More info to come, as it becomes available.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

What I've learned so far this season...by Ethan Moreau

Kyle Clifford cements his spot on the fourth line, others are on the clock

What I've learned so far this season...by Kevin Westgarth

POLL:  What's the right roster move for the LA Kings?

Trent Hunter on his first goal and the postgame team meeting

POLL: What's the right roster move for the LA Kings?

As reported yesterday, Dustin Penner is set to return to the Kings line-up this Thursday. In order for that to happen though, the team needs to make a roster move to create a slot for him.

If you were the Kings GM, which of the following moves would you make?

To answer the question properly, first assume a few things... Penner isn't getting traded and/or waived, Bobby Ryan isn't moving across town to Staples Center and all other trades are temporarily off the table. Thus, one of the options below is what 'you' and your Kings management team are trying to reach consensus on.

For those unfamiliar with the finer points of the decision, some players can be sent to Manchester without a problem (i.e. usually younger players, with fewer games played in the NHL - like Andrei Loktionov). Others, usually more experienced players, would first have to be placed on 'waivers,' allowing another NHL team to claim them - which would also free up cap space for the Kings. If the waived player isn't taken by any other team, he can then be assigned to Manchester.

Weighing all options, which one is the right move?




Poll closes at noon on Tuesday or when the final decision is announced by the team.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/MayorNHL
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor 

RELATED ARTICLES:

Trevor Lewis talks about being on the outside looking in - ans shares a tidbit on Mike Richards

Coach Murray and Ethan Moreau on his recent penalties

And Now You're Caught Up - the quick roundup of all the Kings news over Thanksgiving weekend

Clifford getting help from Stoll, now he's ready to roll

Evaluating coach Murray's new line combinations - includes quotes from Loktionov

Kings win 2-0 - post game quotes from LA locker room

We can delve into the specific numbers tomorrow - but it sure seems like when the Kings take more than 30 shots on goal, the win.  Tonight they put 33 shots on Sharks' goalie Antti Niemi and skated off the ice at Staples Center with a 2-0 win.

After the game, Jonathan Quick and Ethan Moreau shared a few thoughts...

Quick on his 200th game in the NHL - "I didn’t even know it was my 200th game until Greenie [Matt Greene] let me know about five minutes before the game started. They go quickly and tonight was a big win. Everybody battled hard; it was a hard-fought game. They battled to on their side and this is a huge two points."

Quick on LA's penalty kill - "We had a little bit of a stretch there were we weren’t happy with the PK. We had a string of five or six games where we let up a goal in each. It’s something that we’ve been great at the past couple of years and it’s something that we’ve really been putting a big focus on in these past few games because of that little stretch we went through. I feel like everybody’s mentality that they are going into the PK with is great."

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.

Kings coach Murray not a fan of Moreau slashing 'his buddy'

LA's coach Murray (photo: D. Sheehan)

Last hour, we posted comments from Ethan Moreau regarding the penalty he took late in the game on Wednesday vs. the Dallas Stars.

Terry Murray was still a little hot under the under collar when asked about it today, more than 36 hours later.

"He took a horseshit penalty, that's ridiculous," began the Kings coach. "You can't take a slashing penalty with two minutes left in the game, a veteran player. Just come out and run over that guy. You don't slash. I don't like those penalties."

He wasn't done though. Murray was just getting warmed up.

"Ones in the crease, the scrums, where you're grabbing a hold of a guy, giving him a facewash once and a while or cross checking a guy, whatever - I don't mind those, we'll kill those off. Those are hard penalties. It's a part of the game and it's a part of our team that we want to (continue with). But, penalties have to be timed, you have to have awareness, you have to know how the flow of the game is going. When you get into the latter part of the game, you have to move your feet and keep your sticks in - no slashing, no hooking. Don't bring the referee into the game. Unfortunately, we've had some situations this year where we've brought the referee in a little bit too often."

Moreau has played in all 22 of the Kings games this season. Will his 'mistake' cost him a spot in the line-up tomorrow vs. Chicago?

Moreau - 'You can't give the referee an option on that play'

Moreau, LA Kings practice (photo: D. Sheehan)

Grit, sandpaper, character...

Those are just a few of the words that were used to describe winger Ethan Moreau when he signed a free agent contract with the Kings late this past summer.

The veteran forward was thought to be somebody who could come in, be a physical presence, chip in a few goals from time to time and help mentor some of the Kings younger players. After all, the former first round pick served as the captain in Edmonton, an assistant captain last season in Columbus and has been to the Stanley Cup Finals.

To date, he's played in every Kings game this season - recording zero goals and three assists. Among the skaters on the team who have played in all 22 games, the only one to see less total-ice-time than Moreau has been Kyle Clifford.

However, even with those limited minutes, he's fourth in hits (44) - and perhaps more disturbing though - he's third on the team in penalty minutes (20) and tops among players who don't have at least one fighting major to boost their totals.

His slashing penalty with less than three minutes to go in the game Wednesday night is what ultimately led to the Stars' tying the game.

After practice today, he spoke a little about the play:

Nashville Predators at Kings - pregame primer and contest

It's the third game in four night for the Kings and things won't be any easier than they have been recently.

Jonathan Bernier needs his first win of the season. Drew Doughty and Dustin Penner need their first goals. Anze Kopitar needs some help. Terry Murray needs to see a sign of life from his club that extends beyond the random 10-minute stretches he's seen of late. GM Dean Lombardi needs all of the above and more.

Bottom line, LA needs a victory...badly.

Here's a few pregame notes to get you ready for tonight's action...

- Bernier: When a goalie has only played 34 games in the NHL it's hard to talk about his 'best numbers,' but here something stands out. Bernier has played five games vs. the Preds, going 4-1 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .940 save percentage. If you like trends, take note that Bernier has also posted a .98 goals-against on Tuesdays - his only day of the week with a number under 2.00. Three of his four career shutouts have been on...yes, Tuesdays.

LA Kings at Dallas Stars - what to watch for, Penner edition

In a pre-game story that reads much like Tuesday's script vs. New Jersey, much of the focus for the Kings will be on goaltending and Dustin Penner.

LA comes into the game with a 5-2-1 record and is looking to bounce back from an embarrassing 3-0 loss at home on Tuesday, where coach Terry Murray put the blame on poor puck management, resulting in bad turnovers.

Here are a few things to watch for as the Kings open a three-game road trip tonight vs. the Dallas Stars...

- Goaltending: After giving back-up Andrew Raycroft a chance in net vs the Kings on Saturday, the Stars will return to regular starter Kari Lehtonen tonight. He comes in with a 7-0 record this season, on the back of .955 save percentage and 1.54 goals-against average. The Kings will counter with Jonathan Quick, who has shutout his last three opponents and has a lifetime record of 11-3-0 vs the Stars, including wins in his last five against them.

- Dustin Penner: On November 23, 2005, Penner made his NHL debut for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in Texas, against the Dallas Stars. He had five shots, zero points and two penalty minutes that night. He could really use a better performance tonight. Due to his recent play, and the Kings inability to generate much offense over the last three games, Penner will drop down a line tonight, playing with Jarret Stoll and Brad Richardson on the third unit.

- Scott Parse: He had only played in one game this season after a disastrous training camp, where he was routinely the focus of negative attention. Murray wasn't sure what to make of Parse's 'it's all between my ears' feeling a few weeks ago. It will be interesting to see if Murray has a short rope with him tonight on the second line with Mike Richards and Dustin Brown.

What I've learned so far... by LA forward Kevin Westgarth

Don Draper or Ethan Moreau? You decide.

Earlier this week we kicked off a new series here on MayorsManor, titled 'What I've learned so far..."

Kings forwards Ethan Moreau and Trent Hunter were the first two to file a report, largely based around them getting to know some of their new teammates.

Here, we'll switch things up a bit and allow newly married Kevin Westgarth to share some observations he collected while the team was out on the road for the first few weeks of October.

This is what Westgarth says he's recently learned...

About Ethan Moreau - "It's been great getting to know him, he's a veteran presence in the NHL. He's the king of the one-liners and a real funny guy. I now know that he probably looks better with his teeth in than out. I also feel like his doppelganger is Don Draper from Mad Men. I don't know if it's his personality or reflected in what he looks like, I just get that vibe from him. He's a cool customer, I guess."

About Justin Williams - "Willie just turned 30, so he's old now. We celebrated his birthday over there, the night we got into Sweden. That was pretty low key - we were at the hotel, in a little lounge area, and just ordered some room service. It was kinda cool though to just hang out with the guys. So, I know now that he's an old man. I can give him crap about that until - well, I guess until I turn 30."

What I've learned so far... by Kings forward Ethan Moreau

Ethan Moreau of the LA Kings (photo: C. Ikiri)

It's a new season and there are a few new faces around the Kings locker room. Prior to leaving for their extended road trip a few weeks ago, several of the players talked about using the time away from LA to bond.

As such, over the next few days, we'll be posting a special series titled 'What I've learned so far' - which will include comments from various members of the Kings about their teammates.

First up, wiley veteran Ethan Moreau. You may recall, MayorsManor first broke news of his signing back in late August. Since then, we've had him on several times - where he's largely poked fun at Dustin Penner, Matt Greene and a few others he knew from back in Edmonton.

Here, we went after some names he may not know as well and tried to find out what he's learned so far...

On Jack Johnson - "He's a hell of a player. He's probably underrated. Playing against him I could appreciate because I was killing penalties against him and had a lot of ice time against him. So, I realized how good he was. But, he's just an immense talent and he's going to be a high-end D for a long time."

On Kyle Clifford - "Cliffy's really confident for his age. He fits in well with the guys on and off the ice. He's just a good teammate. He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. For the age he is, he has a lot of self-assurance. He's really confident in who he is as a player - which is hard to do at that age."

Penner defends himself against Greene's accusations

Dustin Penner (photo by: C. Ikiri)

Let's get right to it.

A few weeks back, Matt Greene came out swinging. The long reigning champ of comedy within the Kings locker room had heard enough. Two of his former Oilers teammates were coming for his crown, but the 28-year old defenseman wasn't going down without a fight.

He warned the public, don't buy into the hype surrounding Ethan Moreau, who he claimed had been riding his coattails...or Dustin Penner, someone Greene said he's been nursing along for years.

Moreau had his chance to respond here on MayorsManor, boasting that Greene and Penner are only funny because they stole his best material when they left Edmonton.

Now, Dustin Penner steps up with his retort...

"I'd like to put this issue to bed once and for all. What was Greener in that last article, something about how he took me under his wing? Well, that's a cute way of putting it when he pretty much begged me for a month straight to move in with him. I was pretty happy and content in the hotel. But, he ended up saying I could stay there for free and that he'd give me a check monthly just to stay there - so he could learn from me. And I think we did pretty well with getting him up to an acceptable level of humor, as everybody thinks he's pretty funny now."

Then, out of nowhere, he softened up just a bit...

Dustin Brown adds a new name to Penner vs Greene feud

Is he the funniest LA King? (photo by: C.Ikiri)

The debate raged all summer.

No, it wasn't who would be the starting goalie this year. Didn't Jonathan Quick end that argument last season?

It also wasn't which rookie would make the team - Brandon Kozun or Tyler Toffoli? Actually, that discussion may have gone on a bit longer had the Kings not signed Ethan Moreau in late August.

So, the undisputed topic de jour has been 'Which player on the LA Kings is the funniest?'

Many insiders had Matt Greene running away with the title for the last few years. Then, Dustin Penner showed up in February and the competition looked to be heating up again when he immediately challenged Greene to a ping pong contest, something Greene turned down and shrugged off.

In mid-June, things went a different direction when Greene offered up tattoos for his teammates - like, brass knuckles or a big wolf for Kyle Clifford...and a bald eagle right across Jack Johnson's chest.

Soon thereafter, Penner turned his attention to a wide variety of topics - including the NHL, shoe manufacturers, the Simpsons and much more (article linked here).

Then, Ethan Moreau wasted no time jumping into the mix either. Just days after joining the Kings, he insinuated neither of those two were funny at all. In fact, he alleges they stole his best material when they left Edmonton (article linked here).

By the time training camp opened up a few weeks later, Greene had heard enough. He offered an exclusive rebuttal here on MayorsManor, where he called out both guys - saying Moreau had been riding his coattails for years all while nursing Penner along at the same time (link).

Before those three sign on for a cage match at the next WWE pay-per-view though, let's get a fresh perspective on things.

Matt Greene's first assist of the season - packing the Kings

Dustin Brown at Kings practice (photo: K. Spatz)

Defenseman Matt Greene has picked up 40 assists in 381 NHL games. And while this might not count in his official stats, he picked up his first helper of the season as the Kings were preparing for a trip overseas.

In the days leading up to their departure, several members of the team participated in a series of interviews - including the following segment - for a special edition of the MayorsManor podcast, titled 'European travel with the LA Kings.'

However, knowing that some of you prefer to read things, rather than listen to them (translation: you can't listen to podcasts at work, buy you can read the site on your lunch hour - cough, cough), here's Greener having a little fun at the expense of his teammates...

Question for Greene: If you were to help each of these guys pack for the long trip, what's the one thing they need to remember to bring?

Dustin Brown - "His teeth."

Mike Richards - "He seems pretty together."  (note: ironically, during the podcast, Richards said the thing he was most worried about bringing was his toothbrush)

Anze Kopitar - "His checkbook. He's going to be buying a lot of tickets."

High / Low points from LA Kings opening games in Europe

For those unfamiliar with the High/Low segment here on MayorsManor, it's a pretty simple format where we look at three highs and three lows from a game, somebody's career, a team etc.

In the past, special guests who have shared their own High/Low thoughts on various topics include Jim Fox, Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille, Marcel Dionne, Ethan Moreau and many others.

Throughout this season we'll take a look at the performance of the Kings in individual games and/or using small segments of the schedule. First up, a review of the first two games played this season over in Europe...

HIGHS

- Anze Kopitar: He scored the first goal of the season on Friday and added two more on Saturday. For anybody questioning how last season's injury may slow him down to start the season, the answer has been given. He flew back to the U.S. with four points (three goals, one assist) and lead the forwards in minutes played both nights.

- Moreau: Singed in late August to bring some veteran leadership and extra grit to the third and fourth lines, Moreau delivered in both games. He had the second most hits on the team in the season opener, with four (only training Matt Greene's five hits) and was tied for the team lead in the same category on Saturday.

- The power play:  Last season the Kings finished with a dismal conversion of rate of 16.1% with the man advantage. After two games, they're up to 25% on the young season.

LA Kings def Rangers in OT, post-game notes and video

Many of the areas the Kings were hoping to improve over the summer were on display front and center in today's 3-2 overtime win against the Rangers.

Jack Johnson scored a power play goal with about a minute left in the extra session and then was mobbed by his teammates, in a scene that looked more like a playoff game winner than the first game of the season.

Anze Kopitar showed no signs of the injury he suffered last season, picking up the first goal of the game and assisting on the one that tied things up with about five minutes left to play in regulation.

Here are a few post-game notes, followed by the video highlights:

- Overall, LA now sits at 44-62-19 against New York and they won't see them again this season - unless they were to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.

- Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is now 2-3-1 when playing the Kings and his counterpart, Jonathan Quick, is a perfect 2-0 against Broadway's Blueshirts.

- Richards vs. Richards lived up to the hype. Brad Richards played 18 minutes for the Rangers, went 9-for-11 in at faceoff dot and assisted on Marian Gaborik's third period goal. Mike Richards scored for the Kings and set up Johnson's game winner in 20-plus minutes ice time.

10 Final Tidbits to wrap up the LA Kings pre-season

Just a few notes to close out the pre-season coverage as we march towards Friday's season opener...

- LA finished their eight-game exhibition schedule with a 4-2-2 record.

- For the second time in three years, Anze Kopitar led the team in pre-season scoring, picking up five goals and four assists, nine points total, in six games played (more on that in another article soon)

- Justin Williams, coming off shoulder surgery at the end of the last season, looks to be in fine form. He had the second most points in the pre-season (two goals, four assists, six points)

- Slava Voynov and Kyle Clifford were the only two players to participate in the maximum number of games (seven). Due to the split-squad games with Phoenix on September 21, it would have been impossible for anyone to play in all eight games.

- Kopitar led all players with five goals. Five players tied for second place with two goals each - Williams, Voynov, Brad Richardson, Alec Martinez and Ethan Moreau

VIDEO: LA Kings at Hamburg Freezers (great highlights)

Below are the video highlights from yesterday's Kings game in Hamburg, Germany. Forget the fact that this was just a pre-season game, take note of the great camera angles and fantastic slow motion stuff they captured... it's really a thing of beauty.

All the goals are featured - along with nice footage of Justin Williams, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Brad Richardson, Davis Drewiske, Ethan Moreau, Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll, Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Bernier and more.

(video player after the jump)...

Bye, bye Hamburg - Kings vs Freezers post-game notes

The pre-season is now officially over for the Los Angeles Kings after they defeated the Hamburg Freezers 5-4 earlier today in Germany.

POST-GAME NOTES:

- The Kings were allowed to play the game under German Elite League rules, thus they had 20 skaters, plus two goalies. The line combinations and D-pairings were:

Scott Parse - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Simon Gagne - Mike Richards - Dustin Brown
Brad Richardson - Jarret Stoll - Trent Hunter
Kyle Clifford - Trevor Lewis - Ethan Moreau

Willie Mitchell - Drew Doughty
Jack Johnson - Rob Scuderi
Alec Martinez - Matt Greene
Davis Drewiske - Slava Voynov

- The Kings goaltending duties were split between Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier.

- Kopitar led the offense, as he has all pre-season. He finished the game with three points (one goal, two assists). Williams (one goal, one assist) and Scuderi (two assists) each had two points in the game.

- Serge Aubin (who played with former Kings defenseman Rob Blake in Colorado during the 2002-03 NHL season) had two goals for the Freezers, while Brandon Brooks had one goal and added an assist.

- The three stars of the game were: 1) Cristoph Schubert 2) Aubin 3) Kopitar [no explanation for how/why Schubert received the first star]

- Total shots on goal were: Hamburg 42 (17 – 11 – 14) and Los Angeles 37 (16 – 17 – 4)

MayorsManor podcast - European travel with the LA Kings

LA Kings plane ride (photo by J. Quick)

The MayorsManor podcast is back for the 2011-12 NHL season and this edition isn't going to need much of an intro.

Prior to the LA Kings departing for their season opening trip to Europe for the NHL Premiere series, we caught up with various players to talk about the experience in front of them.

All of your favorite Kings are included, like - Drew Doughty, Matt Greene, Jack Johnson, Anze Kopitar, Willie Mitchell, Dustin Penner, Rob Scuderi, Jarret Stoll, Kevin Westgarth and more. Even the new guys are get involved - Simon Gagne, Ethan Moreau and Mike Richards!

We play a slightly twisted game of word association, find out who will be the best dressed and worst dressed player on the trip, plus take a few guesses on who will be the most annoying person on the plane ride over.

Get to know a whole new side of this year's LA Kings team...

(audio player after the jump)