Greene on Blue Jackets, Westgarth on tonight's 1st goal contest

Tonight marks the fourth and final meeting between the Kings and Blue Jackets this season, but none of the prior games had the same feeling as this one. Of course, the big story line coming in surrounds Jeff Carter and Jack Johnson. However, Columbus can't be taken lightly, they've won three in a row and the records for the two teams are pretty similar since February 1st - the Jackets have gone 8-7-1 and the Kings 7-7-2.

Columbus has only managed one win in the previous three games vs LA this year, it was a 1-0 victory in LA in early January. That was the Kings only regulation loss in the first month of Darryl Sutter's tenure behind the bench.

Defenseman Matt Greene shared these comments with MayorsManor about tonight's game...

"They have some juice right now," he began. "They have guys who are playing for roster spots and playing hard. I've been in that situation. They're not giveaway games. Guys are getting ready for next year, tyring to solidify their spot on the roster. It's going to be another tough game."

Here's Dustin Brown on the match-up...

"When a big trade like that happens, everybody understands everything surround the game. But, at the same time, I think everybody understands, it's pretty minor in comparison to (us getting) two points at this time of the year," said LA's captain. "In Columbus, the headlines might be about Jeff Carter coming back, but for this team it has to be about winning the game."

As for who will help get the Kings on the scoreboard first, Kevin Westgarth predicts it will be Drew Doughty picking up LA's first marker of the evening.

If you'd like to participate in the MayorsManor First Goal contest, we'll be giving away a free pair of tickets to an upcoming Kings home game. It's easy to play, simply leave a comment below with the LA player you think will score first vs. the Blue Jackets...or reply to the facebook / twitter updates that will be posted around 4:00pm. All correct answers will be pooled together and one random winner will be awarded the tickets. Good luck!

The Mayor
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Kevin Westgarth on what goes into preparing for a scrap

As sometimes happens when you sit down with Kevin Westgarth, the conversation can drift. His insightful answers to questions on topic A can quickly lead to you asking about topics B, C and D. Such was the case recently when we began talking about something as simple as taping his wrists.

"I do a light tape," began Westgarth, who is celebrating his 28th birthday today. "Even for the game, it kind of solidifies your grip and your wrists. A lot of guys I've run into have either hand or wrist problems. So, in some sense I'm sure it's probably placebo, but I'm sure there's something to it. It keeps things a little tighter and makes you a little more solid."

Not everybody agrees with him, per se. "I've never taped my wrists," said Kyle Clifford. "But, I'm not throwing heavyweight punches like him. So, it's kind of different."

There isn't a guide to follow when it comes to preparing for a game - and the possibility of a fight - says Westgarth, "It's mostly trial and error. In Manch (Manchester, AHL), I was the heavyweight. So, it was a lot of blazing my own trail. But, I tried to learn as much as I could, even from watching guys on other teams that I respected. There was some help from a few of the older guys. But, they weren't as into it as maybe I have to be. In the summers I also try to talk to different guys that I'm training with or just run into. Marty (McSorley), here, is a great resource too."

NHL12 All-Star Game Results: Westgarth vs The Mayor

Earlier today we posted the results of the NHL 12 simulations using the All Star teams selected by Dustin Penner and Jack Johnson. If you missed it, Team Johnson defeated Team Mayor 8-5. In the other contest, the Pennermaniacs went down in overtime, 5-4.

Now, we have the results of the third and final game using the rosters put together from the mock draft with LA Kings tough guy Kevin Westgarth. Here's how things went down...

Westy's Warriors				Hoven's Hitters
Jonathan Toews		F		Alex Ovechkin
Pavel Datsyuk		F		Phil Kessel
Steven Stamkos		F		Claude Giroux
Shea Weber		D		Dion Phaneuf
Brian Campbell		D		Keith Yandle
Brian Elliott		G		Tim Thomas

Stats from NHL 12 game simulation:

Period	1	2	3	Total
Westy’s Warriors	2	1	2	5
Hoven’s Hitters	1	3	3	7

Scoring Summary

ASG 2012: Johnson, Westgarth, Penner take on The Mayor

Later tonight, Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara will draft their All-Star teams from a group of 38 NHL players, live on TV. After watching the inaugural event last season, it definitely put a unique twist on things. No other sport does such a thing. And for a change, that's a good thing for the NHL.

By now, you've probably already read the mock draft we did with Alfredsson earlier this week. Here, we turn to a few of the Kings players.

First up, Jack Johnson. The rules in drafting our teams were simple. Jonathan Quick was ineligible and we alternated selections, with Johnson getting the first pick. Here's how it went down...

Team Johnson				Team Mayor
Pavel Datsyuk		F		Steven Stamkos
Patrick Kane		F		John Tavares
Phil Kessel		F		Claude Giroux
Ryan Suter		D		Kimmo Timonen
Dion Phaneuf		D		Shea Weber
Tim Thomas		G		Henrik Lundqvist

Next up was Dustin Penner, who apparently wanted to sneak in as many of his former Ducks teammates as possible...

With Quick away, what are the other Kings doing?

Last season, the Kings had only four days off for the NHL All-Star Game. While they may not have been much time, several players took the opportunity to get out of LA. For example, Kyle Clifford flew back to Toronto to see some family. Taking a shorter trip was Matt Greene, who went out to Pioneertown.

So, with Jonathan Quick away for this weekend's festivities in Ottawa, what are some of his teammates doing? Let's take a quick lap around the locker room and find out...

Kevin Westgarth - "A friend of mine is getting married and I'm in the wedding. So, I'm heading there. It's very exciting actually because it's great to be able to make it to any one of your friends weddings. It'll also be a little relaxation and a change of scenery, which is great. I think everybody is looking forward to a little rest. We've been getting pounded pretty good with the games and the travel. Even with the homestands lately, it's been a pretty good grind. A little time off to recharge the batteries will be good for everybody."

Rob Scuderi - "We just had another baby, so it's kind of tough to go anywhere. We'll just stay local and relax and enjoy the time."

Clifford - "I'm going to keep it real low key, not a whole lot going on. I might head home for a couple days. I haven't really decided yet. I just want to stay focused with what we have going here...but definitely get some rest."

Colin Fraser - "Going away with my wife to a snowy climate for some relaxation."

Westgarth and Clifford talk aftermath of the Gordie trick

Sometimes you get lucky.

Back in November 2010, sitting in the locker room in El Segundo, after some otherwise meaningless weekday practice, Kevin Westgarth and I were chatting about his rookie season in the NHL. Down the aisle about five stalls away was the only other player there at the time - Kyle Clifford.

During one of Westgarth's many stories, the usually quiet Clifford piped up and offered a challenge. The first one to get a Gordie Howe hat trick would owe the other dinner. Westgarth was more than willing to accept and suggedted they would celebrate when their girlfriends were in town. No problem, both sides agreed and a deal was born.

After Clifford turned the trick last night - getting a goal, assist and fight in the same game - Westgarth laughed when reminded of the other little known detail from that original conversation.

Looking to extend the future double date to include some post-meal entertainment, Westgarth had suggested they make the reward dinner and a movie, to which Clifford replied with simply one word - 'No.'

In the locker room last night, Westgarth laughed when reminded of the bet being dinner only. As for what took place on the ice vs. the Senators, "If anybody else had to do it (before me), he'd be my second choice," said the Princeton grad. "It's going to be a nice little dinner. I don't feel too bad buying him that one at all. That was a hell of a game by Kyle Clifford right there, it's great to see."

Coach Sutter's presser vs Sens: full comments vs Sutterisms

Below are full comments from coach Darryl Sutter's post game press conference following the Kings 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. See if you can pull out a few of his popular three-word Sutterisms...

On the balanced effort from the team - "We got lots from... probably half of our shots came from our defense. The power play scored a big goal in the second, and a penalty-shot goal."

On the killer instinct in the second period - "I thought, emotionally, our second period was a strong period. That’s all I was trying to get, was to emotionally draw something out of them tonight."

On Justin Williams eight-game point streak - "Their line wasn't as effective tonight. I don't know if Kopi and Brownie even had shots on goal. So, I don't think if they were nearly as effective tonight."

LA Kings stats vs Senators and ticket contest details

In the last meeting between the Kings and Senators (on November 22, 2010), Anze Kopitar opened the scoring 10 minutes into the first period. LA eventually lost that game 3-2. It stands as Kopitar's only goal vs Ottawa in four career games. How have some of his teammates fared?

Dustin Brown - no goals in six games

Justin Williams - five goals in 27 games

Dustin Penner - three goals in six games

Mike Richards - 12 goals in 21 games

Jarret Stoll - no goals in five games

Drew Doughty - one goal in three games

Senators-Kings preview with Chris Neil - 100 games later

When the Kings last met up with the Ottawa Senators, then-rookie Kevin Westgarth had what Jim Fox described as, 'his first true heavyweight scrap.' On the other end of that dance was veteran Chris Neil, who was celebrating his 600th National Hockey League game that night.

Later this evening, Neil will meet the Kings again - this time, fresh off of playing in his 700th NHL game over the weekend. Like last year's contest, we hooked up with him for a pre-game chat ...

Defenseman Jack Johnson has often remarked it gets a little boring playing so many games within your division. And it's something Neil agrees with, noting - "Every game is an important game now, especially for teams who are trying to climb in the standings or hold a spot. I think LA has stepped up their game, they're playing extremely well. However, when you come to the rink and you have different video - of teams not in your conference, which gets repetitions - you get a different look and guys thrive off that."

Even with all those games against the Maple Leafs, Bruins and Canadiens, that doesn't stop him from keeping an eye on the Kings, Ducks and Sharks - "We watch the standings on their side too. We know LA is a good team, with a lot of good players. They work hard. You see some of their games, after you finish your game and go out for dinner or whatever. When you catch the games, you see what they're playing like and the Western teams play a hard game. It's my style of game too, so I look forward to it."

Speaking of that point, Kings coach Darryl Sutter hasn't had Westgarth in the line-up much lately. If he sits again tonight, will that make Neil's night a little bit easier?

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."

Xbox is hurting Dustin Penner, Richards might be helping

Penner remains out for Kings (photo: D. Sheehan)

On second thought... Dustin Penner will not be in the Kings line-up tomorrow night versus Florida. After indicating as such earlier in the week, coach Terry Murray said he's 'not quite' ready yet. He also assured the small group gathered to speak with him after practice today that Penner didn't have any sort of a setback, describing him as 'getting closer.'

About an hour later, Penner was the last player off the ice at practice and we had a chance to catch up on a few things...

MM: So, (Trevor) Lewis tells me that (Mike) Richards likes to eat candy. I remember last year you saying you were trying to get off the Sour Patch Kids. Has that been a problem this year, with him sitting next to you?

DP: No, he shares and we have an understanding - 'What's yours is mine.' So, we've strengthened our friendship through Sour Patch Kids.

MM: You might be able to bully him into sharing, given the size difference. But, what about the guy to your right [Kevin Westgarth]?

DP: Westy usually just mostly grunts. We don't talk unless I'm grunting with him.

MM: Is it intimidating at all, having to sit next to a Princeton grad?

DP: No, I went to Maine.

MM: Oh, that's the same level now?

LA Kings Kevin Westgarth recalls many of his key firsts

Chalk one up for the good guys.

With just over five minutes gone by in the second period of last Wednesday's game vs. Dallas, Kevin Westgarth picked up his first National Hockey League goal. And as the saying goes, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Sadly, the Kings ended up losing the game - in what Westgarth called 'a pretty unfortunate, crappy ending' - which dampened the evening. Even though that took some of the buzz out of the milestone and his teammates weren't necessarily in the mood to celebrate afterwards, it's a moment that wasn't lost on the big, tough forward.

"That one will be going back home," said Westgarth when asked where the puck is. "I'll probably give it to my parents. They seem to take care of that stuff pretty well. They have a few jerseys and it will be another puck to add to the collection. Each level you move up and you keep that puck. So, it's a nice one."

It took 73 games to get that first one in the NHL.  What about those other firsts though? Westgarth recalled how a few of them went down...

His first ever goal - "I was five years old. It was in the championship game of our house league. It was the only goal I scored all year. So, like Gretzky, I had one goal my first year in hockey. In my mind, it was a swooping down the wing, dipsy-doodle and around two guys. I don't think it was quite that pretty in real life. My parents tell me it wasn't, so that just ruined my dream."

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.

Is Dustin Penner planning a heel turn?

In pro wrestling, one of the keys to any good heel turn is a slow simmering build. It's as if the audience knows it's coming like a storm from far off in the distance. They can see it. They're just never sure if or when it will reach land.

On January 23, 1984 Hulk Hogan won the WWF Championship in Madison Square Garden and he was riding high as the top babyface in the business for the better part of the next decade. Then, in 1994, he signed with rival WCW, based in Atlanta, GA. Two years later, after the fans had already begun to boo him, Hogan turned heel and formed the New Wold Order - more commonly known as the NWO.

In June 2007, Dustin Penner won the Stanley Cup. He was the toast of the town and the Oilers agreed - signing him to a big money, five-year contract to get him to jump ship and come play in Edmonton. Late last February he was traded to LA and PennerMania took off. Kings fans couldn't get enough of the team's new left wing.

When his production dried up late in the year though, some fans started to grumble. Throughout the summer he trained, ate his vitamins and said his prayers - and it looked like a new-and-improved #25 was about to emerge. However, injuries have slowed him down so far this season and the once small group of hardcore fans that had turned against him seem to be adding new members at an alarming rate.

Then, this...

During a casual conversation with Penner after practice yesterday, something interesting happened...

LA Kings players on the teammate they're most thankful for

Throughout the U.S. today, people are supposed to be spending time with friends and family, celebrating the things they're thankful for.

Inside the Kings locker room, here's what a few of the players had to say when asked which teammate they were most thankful for this year - and why...

Drew Doughty - "Greener (Matt Greene) because my first year here he kind of took me under his wing, let me move in with him. I lived with him that whole first year. Then, ever since, he's always helped me with any little thing I need."

Kevin Westgarth - "I'd say Rob Scuderi because you can always depend on him."

Alec Martinez - "Mike Richards. Coming in here, I can't imagine it's very easy getting used to a new system and playing with new guys. But, obviously, he's done really well. He's scored some big goals for us. He also does a lot of things that go unnoticed too - maybe not by us, but maybe they're kinda easy to lose track of during a fast paced game. So, I'd definitely say Mike Richards. He's a great player, but he's a good guy in the locker room too."

10 Tidbits on the Kings come from ahead loss in Dallas

It's time to close the book on what was a more than disappointing game for the Kings last night in Dallas.  Leading 2-1 with less than three minutes to go, Ethan Moreau took a slashing penalty. Near the end of his time in the box, Jamie Benn scored to even things up. Then, Steve Ott scored the game winner in overtime.  Here are 10 other tidbits from the contest...

- Mike Richards put the Kings on the board first. He's now scored in five straight, has six goals in the last five games and eight goals in the last eight games.

- From NHL.com: "L.A. made it 2-0 just 36 seconds later when Kevin Westgarth blistered a wrister from 50 feet to the right of Lehtonen for his first goal of the season at 5:29." It was game number 73 for Westgarth in the NHL.

- Just prior to the game-winning goal by Ott, Jack Johnson absolutely leveled Mike Ribeiro at the other end of the ice. Expect a receipt on that one when the Stars visit LA on December 10.

- Both franchises joined the league as part of the Second Six expansion in 1967. The win by the Stars was their 100th regular season victory over the Kings. The only team they have more wins against is the Detroit Red Wings (101).

- The crown jersey (aka the 'alternate' jersey) is now 2-2 on the year. It will see action next on December 8th. However, the two road games this week were the only times it will be worn away from Staples Center this season.

Westgarth goes from 'stewing in his juices' into the line-up

Westgarth remains positive (photo: M. Zampelli)

By all accounts, Kevin Westgarth had a great summer. He married his longtime girlfriend and signed a two-year contract extension with the Kings.

Things haven't been so good since though.

Coming off a season where he played 56 games, roughly two-thirds of the regular season games, he's only seen action in six of the team's first 20 games.

"It's frustrating," said Westgarth, when asked about his role basically being cut in half so far. "It just gives me opportunity to work hard and just try to improve in practice and just be ready to roll when I get the call and to take advantage of opportunities that are given."

The time is now, as coach Terry Murray will insert him into the line-up as the fourth line right wing tonight in St. Louis. He's faced the Blues four times previously and has been credited with a total of eight hits in those games, second only to his stats against the Dallas Stars.

Westgarth has only one scrap in those four games, it came last March vs. the much smaller Cam Janssen - who had previously come on MayorsManor and talked about using videos on HockeyFights.com to scout Westgarth and Kyle Clifford. It didn't help much that night and Janssen has since moved on to New Jersey.

Last week, Westgarth would have normally been an automatic start in the Kings back-to-back games with the Anaheim Ducks - however, they're resident tough guy, George Parros, is out of the line-up recovering from eye surgery.

Still, Westgarth says he didn't like being on the sidelines for those games.

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.

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.

Murray - 'That line could be together another three games'

Sometimes, with guys like Kevin Westgarth and Matt Greene, it's hard to tell if they're being serious. The humor is always present.  With other people, say - Kings coach Terry Murray - you're not always expecting a joke or even a wise crack. Like any good leader though, he'll keep you on your toes if you start to get too comfortable.

After practice yesterday, he was standing in his normal spot answering questions from the gathered media.  It was noted that through all of his line shuffling during the first 11 games, one constant has been the pairing of Dustin Brown and Mike Richards on the second line.

So, has he liked the chemistry between those two?

"That's a big part of (what you're) looking for coming out of training camp," explained Murray. "You're looking for individual confidence to be high. You're looking for team confidence to be high. And, certainly, when you have new players coming on board, you want to see some chemistry starting to develop. I felt pretty good about the look that Brown and Richards were showing coming out of camp.

"In Richards, you have a guy who's a very good puck handler, he sees the ice extremely well," explained Murray, as he described their styles of play. "Brownie plays that power forward kind of role and has speed, size, strength and goes to the net. We've seen some good things happening with those two playing the game with that kind of an attitude. There's (been) some good plays to the net. Brownie gets to the top of the crease, he's in his tripod, he presents his stick and Richards being such a good passer, he just has to stay strong in that situation and usually the puck will be able to find a stick."