Dustin Penner Looking to Bring the Penner Cup to LA

Tonight will be another first for Dustin Penner, as he suits up for the Kings against their cross-town rival - and his former club - the Anaheim Ducks.

Players always have a special bond to their first team. It's usually the team that drafted them or where they scored their first goal. And if they happen to have won a Stanley Cup there, as Penner did in 2007, the attachment is even stronger.

However, unless you're Steve Yzerman or Joe Sakic, at some point reality sets in - hockey is a business and that guy is traded or leaves town a different way. When it happens, it's jarring. A new city, new teammates, a new routine and so on.

Then, if it happens again (and it usually does), the transition is often much easier on all involved. Guys have a thicker skin at that point.

So, tonight's game vs. the Ducks won't stir up all the same feelings for Penner as it did when he first played the Ducks in 2007 as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. Still though, it means just a little more than most regular season games.

MM: How different will this be for you, the 'first time' against Anaheim as a member of the Kings?

DP: I think it's a lot different. I remember what a big rivalry it was when I was with the Ducks several years ago. It should be interesting, especially with the position of the teams and how the season has been going for both clubs. It's been a hard fought series too and it always has been. Both teams are in a playoff position now and looking to increase their lead.

MM: They've had some turnover there, like every team in the league. You still have some friends there though, right?

Kings - Ducks: Made to Order

Call it a check mark game.

* When their just completed 10-game road stretch began it looked like the Kings would need about 15 points to legitimately climb back into the Western Conference playoff race. With a 3-2 win in Anaheim last night they hit the mark square on, 15 points. check

* Teams expect big performances from their best players at this time of the year. The game was tied 2-2 after two periods on goals by Ryan Smyth and Anze Kopitar for the Kings, Teemu Selanne and Corey Perry for the Ducks. Superstars rising to the occasion. check

* A few days ago, defenseman Willie Mitchell spoke at length about his disappointment with the team's lack of focus vs. the Islanders. His final comment was "It will be up to our leaders and our coaching staff especially to make sure the group is ready" for the game vs. Anaheim. And who stepped forward with the game winning goal? Willie Mitchell. Leader. check

Now, the Kings will play 14 of their remaining 22 games at home.  Yet, as Mitchell would probably warn, that won't make things any easier.

They'll play Minnesota tonight, with both teams tied at 70 points.

Then, ten of the games left will also be played against Pacific Division opponents.

So, the Kings control their own destiny. It's up to them.

[video highlights after the jump]

Something's Gotta Give

The Kings and the Ducks usually put on a good performance when playing each other, regardless of the their respective records.

Tonight, the Kings are counting on a much better showing than what they've provided lately. And, so are the Ducks. Both teams enter play having lost six of their last seven games.

Anaheim will be adding Teemu Selanne to their, while Los Angeles adds John Zeiler.  What's that old saying about bringing a knife to a gun fight?

Something's gotta give here...

* The Kings are 5-6-0 overall in November.  Obviously, they need a win tonight to balance their books...as well as stop the recent bleeding.

* Although the the last few weeks have been brutal for the Kings, they actually sit just two points behind where they were at the same time one year ago. However, if they expect to seriously challenge San Jose this season, something's gotta give.

* After a hit on Oscar Moller last year Drew Doughty made sure Bobby Ryan got his receipt later in the year.  There's also a little Canada vs. US animosity there.  Will these two find a way to get reacquainted tonight?

* Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams have had a solid November, with 12 and 11 points respectively. Meanwhile, the third and fourth line are contributing next to nothing offensively. Michal Handzus has just two goals and one assist this month. The Colonel, Kyle Clifford, still doesn't have a goal this season. Something's gotta give.

Two Minutes in the Box with... Bobby Ryan

They say that retail is in the details. And while it might not have the same ring to it, hockey is in the numbers.

Take number nine for example, it's one of the most famous digits in hockey. Gordie Howe wore it. So did Rocket Richard and Bobby Hull.  More recently, Mike Modano built a Hall of Fame career in Dallas as #9.

According to Marcel Dionne, he almost wore it here in LA.  If original Kings' owner Jack Kent Cooke had gotten his way, there'd be a different number hanging in the rafters at Staples Center right now.

Across town in the OC, the original Mighty Duck - Paul Kariya - wore it back when he called The Pond home.

These days, Bobby Ryan wears it in Anaheim...and if everything works out as planned, he'll continue to wear it there for many years to come.  For now, he's working on some other numbers, as in contract numbers. The team and his agent continue to discuss terms - number nine reportedly wants a three year deal, versus the team's preference of five years - with nothing agreed upon just yet.

In a move that caught some people by surprise though, Ryan recently attended the launch party for Dustin Brown's new DLO-23 line through Combat Sports.  Even for an event held in Anaheim, seeing a Ducks player out supporting the Kings' captain was a bit curious at first.  In reality, he was there as a fellow member of the Team USA hockey program.  The two "hit it off" during the Olympics, thus he "didn't hesitate" when Brown invited him to come down.

So, thanks to D-LO, we had the opportunity to catch up with Bobby Ryan and get his take on a few finer points of the Kings-Ducks rivalry...after, of course, first touching on his Team USA experience.

Let's start with the Olympics...excluding Brown, who you're now friends with...who was another guy on the team that you learned something about and came away impressed?

OLYMPICS: Forgotten King Steals Bronze From SlovaKings

Vancouver, BC - With five current or former LA Kings, the Slovakian national hockey team had a decisively royal feel to it throughout the Olympics.

Michal Handzus has scored 40 goals over the past two and half seasons for the Kings. Lubomir Visnovsky scored 70 goals with the crown on his chest and was arguably the Kings best defenseman over the last decade. Jozef Stumpel netted 76 goals between his time at the Forum and later Staples Center. Pavol Demitra posted an amazing 25 goals in just 58 games during the 2005-06 season in LA. Ziggy Palffy tallied 150 goals for the Kings after being acquired just prior to the team's move into Staples Center in the fall of 1999.

All were wearing the sweater of Slovakia at the 2010 Olympics.

Tonight they faced a Finish team led by Anaheim Ducks legend Teemu Selanne. His team also featured a guy who once wore a Kings sweater, albeit briefly.

Olli Jokinen was drafted third overall by the Kings at the 1997 NHL Draft, behind only Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. He made his debut with the Kings in 1998, playing 8 games. He came back the following season - the Kings final at the Forum in Inglewood - posting nine goals in 66 games. He scored in the final regular season game at the Forum and fans seemed to have something to look forward to as the team was about to move downtown.

Then, partially in an attempt to bring a 'star' to the team, he was dealt to the Islanders in the aforementioned deal that (ironically) brought Ziggy Palffy out west to Los Angeles.

After already beating Russia earlier in the week...and then pulling a major upset over the reigning Olympic champions from Sweden...Ziggy and the SlovaKings were looking to earn their first Olympic hockey medal.

Standing in their way was Teemu Selanne and Team Finland. Like Palffy, this was Selanne's last kick of the can on such a grand stage.

Demitra, who was within inches of scoring at the end of the semi-final game with Canada...and entered the game with the most points in the tournament...scored again in this game. Either he or Brian Rafalski of the U.S. have to be the Olympic MVP at this point.

With a 3-1 lead in the third period it seemed like the SlovaKings were well on their way to a bronze medal. It would be an incredible accomplishment for their entire country. It would also mean that all LA Kings players would return to SoCal with medals on their necks.

However, the 'other' former King - perhaps, the forgotten King - had other ideas.

Jokinen, scored two goals just minutes apart and Team Finland survived a last minute rush by the SlovaKings to earn the victory and the medal....denying Palffy the grand goodbye he so desperately sought.

What a sad ending to a memorable tournament for Zues, Lubo, Demitra, Stumpy and Palffy.

So close!

And for many of them, there won't be a next time.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive photos - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.

OLYMPICS: Grand Goodbye on a Bronzed Stage

Vancouver, BC - Two legends of the game will bid farewell to the Olympics later tonight. One will definitely leave with the record for the most points scored in Olympic history. He could also leave with a bronze medal...or it will hang from the neck of his former cross town rival in Southern California.

Ziggy Palffy, a star for the LA Kings a decade ago, and Temmu Selanne, still chipping in goals for the Anaheim Ducks, will lead their respective countries. Truth be told, neither was really expected to medal this year. Just don't tell Ziggy or Teemu that - they don't want to hear that type of noise.

Palffy had 329 goals in the NHL, 150 with the Kings. He's now playing in Europe and has been telling reporters all week long the only reason he came back this year is to play in these Olympics. He's one game away from going home with his first medal.

Selanne has 597 NHL goals and is the all-time Ducks leader in games played, goals and points. He also won a Stanley Cup with the team in 2007. He's expected to retire this spring.

So, this is it. The swan song for two of the best players of their generation. Like most games, this will probably come down to goaltending. As recently as three days ago many would have said that favored the Finish team, with Miikka Kiprusoff in net. However, after getting shellacked by Team USA on Friday he pulled himself from the game and headed straight to the locker room. He may already be back in Calgary or Finland by now. Who knows if he'll be right between the ears come game time.

Kings fans will have plenty to cheer for in this game. Joining Palffy on Team Slovakia are former Kings Pavol Demitra, Lubomir Visnovsky, Joseph Stumpel and current Kings warrior Michal Handzus.

The final North American game for Ziggy Palffy. Can he and the EuroKings defeat Teemu and the Fins? Come on Ziggy - make Kings fans everywhere proud...down the Duck!

Puck drops at 7pm PST.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive photos - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.