POLL: Who should the LA Kings honor next season?

It's been confirmed to MayorsManor that the LA Kings will keep the same jersey rotation for next year, including the purple (Forum blue) and gold version for three Legends Nights. As of now, the names haven't been finalized. However, a list of possible candidates is being pulled together. So, let's take a break from the playoff races for a moment and see what you guys think...

Over the course of 45 years, a lot of names have come through the organization. In an attempt to make things a little easier, we'll break this up into three eras. First up, we'll give you a list of pre-Gretzky stars (see below). In the next poll, we'll look at the 1988-2000 era (i.e. Kelly Hrudey, Marty McSorley, etc). Then, later in the week, we'll look at the Staples Center years (i.e. Ziggy Palffy, Ian Laperriere, etc.).

Most of the names on the list are obvious - such as Dave Taylor, who played more games in a Kings uniform (1,111) than any other player and has his number retired by the team. Yet, if you're not as familiar with some of the guys from the very early years, Brian Kilrea scored the very first goal in LA Kings history (something he talked about here). And Eddie Joyal was probably the first superstar hockey player in LA (discussed here).

Please select three people you think the Kings should honor next season:



Poll closes Wednesday at 8pm PST.

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The Wizard plays the ultimate game of 'Where's Whitney?'

Where's Whitney...going? (photo: D. Sheehan)

This season, #WheresWhitney has become a popular hashtag on twitter among Coyotes fans, as they keep an eye on popular winger Ray Whitney. With the trade deadline approaching though, it's getting harder and harder to figure out where he just might be next.

"I haven't been rumored to go to some of the teams at the bottom of the league yet, like Edmonton." he said, when asked if there was a team out there he hasn't seen his name attached to. "It's been like that the last couple of years now - including my last season in Carolina and then with the rumors again this year."

Talks have cooled of late though, as the Coyotes have gone 5-0-1 in their last six games and enter tonight in the eighth playoff spot.

"Certainly if we would have kept going the way we were going, spiraling, it probably would have happened by now or the talks would have been even more. But, us being in a playoff spot changes that. As long as we're in it by the deadline, it will make things a little more interesting. in terms of what they're going to do. If somebody gives (Coyotes management) a good deal, you still have to think about life beyond this year. If there's a right deal, I'm sure they would do it."

Uprooting and moving his family was a major concern the last time he entered the trade deadline as a pending free agent (2010). And while his wife and three children are still a high priority, if he changes teams again, he has a plan this time around - at least for the short term.

"They'll stay in Phoenix, regardless of what happens, and that would be the tough part. If I do get traded, right to the end would be the best time to do it, on the last day. That would minimize the amount of time I have to be away. It would be hard on my wife and kids, but they also realize there's a looming lockout next year. If there is one, that would probably be the end of my career. So, I realize this could be the last chance for me to go get one."

Nicknamed the Wizard, for the amazing things he can do on the ice, Whitney says he'll eventually end up living back in Carolina once his playing days are over. But, he's far from being ready to become a homebody just yet.

In fact, Whitney would be so perfect for LA, it's probably too good to be true. He plays left wing - the position they need the most help with. His 16 goals so far this season would place him second on the Kings, one behind Anze Kopitar. And his 51 points would have him leading the team.

Oh, and how's this - what was he doing last night?

"I (met) my good friend Justin Williams and his beautiful wife for dinner in Manhattan Beach to shoot the bull a little bit and reminisce about the old days."

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves with a Whitney and Williams reunion though, there's still a game to be played tonight.

"It's a 'muck fest' when the two teams get together," he joked. "We're both defensive oriented teams. However, we realize they have the potential to be a big offensive team. For some reason, it just hasn't clicked this year."

No, it hasn't. But, a scoring left wing sure would go a long way towards solving some of the Kings' problems.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett on memories in LA, Doan vs. Brown, etc.

Ryan Smyth on the 'almost King' Ray Whitney

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POLL: Who was the King of the Week (Feb 6-12)?

For the past few years we've run a 'Player of the Month' poll here on MayorsManor. Now, through the remainder of the season, we'll be publishing a poll for the 'King of the Week.' I'm scheduled to appear each Monday on the brand new All the Kings Men podcast, where we'll discuss the top Kings' performances from the prior week and narrow the field to three.

You can listen to this week's episode at this link.

As you'll hear, we're then looking for you to weigh in on who deserves the crown - so to speak.

The list of nominees for the week of February 6-12 are:

Jonathan Quick... record of 2-1-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average and .921 save percentage - also was the 2nd star vs Lightning and Islanders

Jordan Nolan... first NHL goal, in his second NHL game, was a game winner vs the Stars (also had five hits and was third star of the night) - plus, two hits and one takeaway vs. Islanders

Justin Williams... three points on the week - including one goal, one assist, plus-1 vs Stars



Poll ends Wednesday, February 15th at 8pm PST.

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AUDIO: Justin Williams praises rookies Nolan and King after 4-2 win

The Kings entered today's third period with a 2-1 advantage. Then, Dallas tied it, but rookie Jordan Nolan helped LA regain the lead with his first NHL goal. In the final minute of play, Justin Williams put the puck in the Stars' empty net, icing a 4-2 win. After the game, here's what he had to say...



Earlier, we published post-game audio from coach Darryl Sutter (click here to listen) and Nolan talked about his big night here.

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Jonathan Quick not getting much support, even on off day

While Canadians proudly proclaim hockey is their sport, few things are as American as the Super Bowl. Whether you're gathering with friends today to watch the game, the commercials or just eat a bunch of food, the game has nearly turned into a national holiday. Football fan or not, it's hard to escape the hype surrounding the biggest sporting event of the year. So, who are the Kings favoring today...

Jonathan Quick - "27-24 Giants!"

Drew Doughty - "I want the Pats to win. I kind of have a few things going with some of the guys on the team. Quickie is a big Giants fan. So, I have to make sure I'm able to rub that in."

Jack Johnson - "Patriots. I think Eli (Manning) is great, I like him. Yet, when push comes to shove, I have a hard time betting against Tom Brady. I hope it's not a low scoring game though. I'd like to see a little bit of a shootout, that makes things more interesting."

Matt Greene - "Patriots. The total points in the game will be 67."

Rob Scuderi thinks it going to be a high scoring game too - "I'll take the Patriots. I don't care about the score, as long as it ends up to 57 (total points) or over."

So, three guys from one of the stingiest defenses in the National Hockey League are looking for an offensive explosion in the Super Bowl?

Fine, how about the forwards - what do they think?

Williams realizing what he can get away with on the ice

Justin Williams (photo: D. Sheehan) 

Leave it to the the Blues to slow down the surging Justin Williams. He entered last night with points in nine straight games (four goals, seven assists). However, he has struggled against St. Louis throughout his career - finding the back of the net just once in 17 career games.

And like clock work, they shut him down again. Perhaps he'll find some solace though in the fact that Jaroslav Halak didn't let any of the other Kings score on him either.

Regardless, something seems to have changed in Williams' approach of late. For example, he led the team in assists (seven), points (10), power play goals (three) and shots (39) in the month of January. So, what's been going on?

"I've enjoyed the way Darryl (Sutter) has approached me, he's given me a lot of confidence," said Williams. "We've had a real good open dialogue. I've been able to consistently have a good effort day in and day out. I think as you get through the season, you get a little bit more in shape, you get a little bit more comfortable and you start to realize what you can get away with out there and what you can't. I think hard work, and mainly effort, is the thing that's driving me right now."

He also went on to share a little more insight into the dialogue taking place with coach Sutter...

"He's just instilling confidence in me. There are going to be mistakes. There's going to be times where pucks are turned over and he lets you hear it. But, he also lets you hear the good stuff too."

Tonight the Kings will try to get back on the winning track in Carolina, a city where Williams played for four-plus seasons before being traded to LA a few years ago. In 13 career games vs. the Hurricanes, he has seven points (three goals and four assists). He'll certainly be looking to add to those totals this evening.

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POLL:  Who was the LA Kings Player of the Month for January

Jack Johnson on 'creative and unpredictable' opponents

What I've learned so far this season... by Alec Martinez

POLL: Who was the Kings Player of the Month for January?

With the All-Star break now behind us, it's time to look ahead towards February - when the Kings return to the ice tomorrow night vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, before we do, let's first open up the polls to determine who was the Kings Player of the Month for January.

Overall, the Kings went 5-2-4 in 11 games last month, including a 3-2-3 record at home and 2-0-1 on the road. As for individual stats, try these brain teasers out to get the juices flowing...

- Which King led the team in shots on goal? No, he wasn't a center. Justin Williams paced the team with 39 SOG, eight more than Koptiar.

- Which player on the second line had the most goals - Dustin Penner, Mike Richards or Jarret Stoll? None, or all, depending on how you look at it. They each had one goal. Penner led the way with 21 shots (and played one fewer game than his linemates).

- Kyle Clifford had the second most penalty minutes in January (30). Who had the most? Richards with 31. And who was third? Drew Doughty with 20. Not what you want to see from two of your best players.

OK, enough is enough. How about some nominees for the Kings' January Player of the Month...

Dustin Brown - tied for the team goal lead (4) and produced the most hits (41) in January

Drew Doughty - led all defensemen with six assists and was a team best plus-7

Jack Johnson - most goals by a defensemen (3) and only one back from the team lead, led all d-men in shots (26), had only four penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating

Anze Kopitar - tied for the team goal lead (4) and was second in points (9)

Jonathan Quick - started ten of the team's 11 games, posting a 4-2-4 record with one shutout and five games where he only gave up one goal - giving him a goals-against average well under 2.00

Justin Williams - Led the team in assists (7), points (10), power play goals (3) and shots (39), was also tied for second in goals (3), just one back of Brown and Kopitar




Poll closes Wednesday 2/1 at 5pm PST.

The Mayor
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Kings locker room - frustration abounds after 3-1 home loss

The Kings had a chance to move into first place in the Pacific Division with a win last night. However, it wasn't meant to be. In front of the 24th straight home sellout, LA lost nearly every statistical category - including hits, shots, faceoffs and goals. After the 3-1 Colorado win, here's what they were saying back in the Kings locker room...

Captain Dustin Brown:

On the overall game - "It’s hard to get shots when you don’t have everyone playing the right way. It’s going to take 20 guys; tonight I don’t think we had 20. It’s hard to say [how many guys were playing the right way] right after a game. I’m sure it will be clear on video, but we need more. Tonight we had some good lines, but you need four lines if you want to win games in this league, bottom line."

On the cycle shifts - "Last game I scored a goal in the cycle and tonight Kopi scored a goal. Just commenting on my line, I thought we had a lot of good cycle shifts and some good opportunities throwing the puck in their zone. We got one goal; we could have had a couple more. If you look at our good games over the year, our third and fourth lines are having cycle shifts for an extended period of time and, like I said, it’s hard to comment on whole game."

Justin Williams:

POLL: LA Kings Player of the Month - December 2011

Last December, Dustin Brown was voted the Kings' Player of the Month - topping Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick in the voting.  This time around, two of those three will almost surly be the two vote-getters and Brown may even repeat as winner. We shall see.

Overall, the team went 7-6-2, which isn't that dissimilar to their 6-5-2 record in November.  However, it was really the tale of two halves, as the Kings were 5-0-2 in the final seven games of December. Oh, and after beating the Canucks on New Year's Eve, they found themselves in first place in the Pacific Division.

As for individual performances, here's an overview of the most worthy candidates from last month - listed in alphabetical order...

Dustin Brown - five goals, three game-winning goals, led the team in hits (73) and shots on goal (63)

Drew Doughty - led all defensemen in points with eight assists, including six helpers during a personal best five game points streak in late December and led the team in minutes played nearly every game

Jonathan Quick - posted a 7-4-1 record with one shutout, including going 5-0-1 in his last six games with a 1.44 GAA and .951 save percentage

Jarret Stoll on his new linemates and their effectiveness

Center Jarret Stoll has been matched with just about every forward on the roster so far this season, except Anze Kopitar. He's seen duty at center, wing, on the second and third lines, and everywhere in between.

Lately though, he's had consistent linemates in Dustin Penner and Justin Williams. Here's what he had to say about things when asked about the line coach Darryl Sutter has kept together since taking over five games ago...

"It's been good. I think we have some chemistry going. Very few times we're in our own zone playing d-zone coverage. And that's what you want, you want to play the game in the offensive zone and try to create scoring chances and be buzzing, be hitting, getting loose pucks. I think we've been doing a good job at that. We just have to bare down a little bit more around the net and maybe get more shots. You can cycle all you want or try to control the puck down there all you want. But, if you don't get shots, it's really for not. That's probably what we have to be better at."

As for the match-up with Vancouver tonight - in 14 career games vs the Canucks, Williams has four goals...nine goals in 39 games for Stoll...and six goals in 32 games from Penner.

For more recent player quotes, please check the links below.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

What are coach Sutter and Drew Doughty talking about on the bench?

Doughty and Stoll try explaining the 'love tap' goal celebration - includes video

Coach Sutter clarifies his plans for the Kings assistant coaches in 2012

Dustin Penner reimagines the LA Kings as pro wrestlers

With the Kings in Toronto today to play the Maple Leafs it's only fitting that we work in a little pro wrestling. After all, the capital of Ontario, Canada is one of the strongest markets in North America for action inside the squared circle - including hosting WrestleMania VI (Hulk Hogan vs. the Ultimate Warrior) and WrestleMania X8 (Chris Jericho vs HHH and Hulk Hogan vs. the Rock).

Dustin Penner, who has long since been outed as a wrestling fan, subtly hinted at a possible heel turn himself a few weeks ago in an article here.

Now, he's back - this time to reimagine his teammates as pro wrestlers. Here's who he thinks some of the LA Kings could have been if they weren't hockey players...

Justin Williams - Ravishing Rick Rude

Alec Martinez - Rey Mesterio Jr.

Dustin Brown - one of the Bushwhackers

Wild at Kings roster notes, including a first NHL start

Some quick notes on tonight's game, featuring the Minnesota Wild's second (and final) trip to Staples Center this season:

- Coach Terry Murray was right yesterday, both Alec Martinez and Willie Mitchell won't be in the line-up tonight. However, in a reversal from the way things looked 24 hours ago, it's Martinez who will play. To create the roster spot for #27's removal from IR, Mitchell was added to IR - retroactive to December 1st, as his groin hasn't fully recovered.

- The status of Justin Williams is still TBD. He skated this morning, but his availability for tonight will be a game-time decision. Brad Richardson will skate in warm-ups tonight and will get the call if #14 isn't ready to go.

- Trevor Lewis will go back in the line-up tonight, playing right wing on the fourth line. Apparently, he's shown the necessary grit in practice the last few days.

- As of now, the lines appear to be:

Dustin Penner - Anze Koptiar - Dustin Brown
Simon Gagne - Jarret Stoll - Williams/Richardson
Ethan Moreau - Andrei Loktionov - Trent Hunter
Kyle Clifford - Colin Fraser - Trevor Lewis

Of course, that's all subject to change on a shift by shift basis.

UPDATE: The plan now is to flip-flop Stoll and Loktionov. So, Stoll returns to the third line.

- For the Wild, they've announced Matt Hackett will make his first NHL start in net. He came on in relief the other night vs. San Jose and earned his first victory. Hackett was selected by Minnesota in the third round of the 2009 NHL Draft and played junior hockey in the OHL. Last season he was the starting goalie for the Wild's AHL farm team, the Houston Aeros - who lost the championship in a six-game series with Binghamton. Former Kings defenseman Darryl Sydor was the assistant coach on that team (he's now an assistant with the Wild) and former Kings draft pick Patrick O'Sullivan played forward for them. In his junior days, Hackett was teammates with future Kings draft picks Jordan Nolan and Robbie Czarnik.

- Devin Setoguchi was placed on IR earlier today by the Wild. He'll miss the action tonight at Staples Center.

Game time is 7:30pm PST.

The Mayor
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Dustin Penner says Corey Perry was 'mlking it' after he hit him

Dr. Terry Murray with the latest updates from the infirmary

Besides the fact that many guys IN the line-up haven't been producing at their normal levels, the Kings also have several players OUT of the line-up lately.

Following practice today, coach Murray provided updates on the four players who all seem to be just days away from returning...

On Justin Williams (hand injury suffered last night) - "It's more of a therapy day, rehab day...it is (related to being hit on the hand last night in Anaheim)...I do expect it [him to be in the line up tomorrow]. I don't know that for absolute. He'll get treatment today, come in tomorrow and give us a feel as to how he’s doing.

On Mike Richards (on IR following hit last Thursday) - "Progressing. That's all I can say. That’s all I know, actually. He’s in every day, riding the bike, getting more acclimated, getting exercise and a feel for his own self...usually the players see doctors on game night. So, I'm sure they'll have another conversation tomorrow."

On Willie Mitchell (sore groin suffered last Thursday) - "Full practice, looks really good, skated and participated in all the drills, looked comfortable. I’ll have a conversation with him here after, to see where he’s at for tomorrow...I think after Willie goes through the practice here today, it's going to be more important to see how he is in the morning, rather than this afternoon. We'll make a decision after the morning skate."

On Alec Martinez (on IR following Minnesota game on 11/12) - "Pretty close to getting going. He’s been out there the last few days in practice, doing everything and feeling pretty comfortable. So, it’s just a matter of getting everybody in here tomorrow and seeing how they’re doing."

Asked if there was a possibility both Mitchell and Martinez would be in the line-up tomorrow, Murray said, "I don't think so. One of the two, it's a good possibility."

Last hour, Murray talked at length about the Kings' lack of scoring (link).

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Kings at Coyotes: what to watch for - with Justin Williams

Coach Murray says 'Frustration is good' after Kings 2-1 win

Although the Kings put up 17 shots in the first period - a season high - and outshot the Ducks 37-24, it still took a shootout to decide tonight's game.

After the Kings 2-1 win, thanks to shootuout goals from Jarret Stoll and Justin Williams, here's what coach Terry Murray had to say...

- On the overall game: "Frustration is good. If you’re getting 37 shots, you get 30 shots after two period and you’re getting frustrated because you’re not scoring, that’s OK. That means you’re doing a lot of good things to get frustrated about. That means you’re putting pucks to the net…The five-on-five play was good. The mentality of getting pucks to the net and having traffic was very good. I liked our power play tonight, we moved it around, we got pucks to the net."

- On Justin Williams scoring in the shootout after his late-game penalty gave the Ducks a power play: "I acknowledged that in the dressing room post-game. It was a huge goal for him to get us the two points. It’s unfortunate with the penalty, he’s just doing the things he has to do to recover some pucks on the fore-check as fast as possible. I think he was just a little off-balanced and the stick just happened to come down…He bounced back. He scored a huge goal for us to get the two points."

- On the play of the two Russian call-ups, Andrei Loktionov and Slava Voynov: "I thought both were very good. Loktionov was on Richards’ line and they played against the top lines on Anaheim here tonight. I was very confident with his play without the puck. Both guys [Loktionov and Voynov] are very skilled with the puck. They’ve got a lot of composure. They see the ice. They make some plays…They’re both going to be very good players."

More later.

The Mayor
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Dustin Penner on the Penner Cup - Kings vs. Ducks, March 2011

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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.

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings Brad Richardson

Brad Richardson chirping (photo: M. Zampelli)

Like the LA Kings, the 'What I've learned so far' series has had the last few days off - but, it's back today!

Recently, we've heard some interesting comments from Drew Doughty, Kevin Westgarth, Ethan Moreau and several others.

Now, it's time for the multi-purpose man, Brad Richardson, to step up and take a swing. The crafty forward is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and coach Terry Murray has no qualms about plugging him in just about anywhere - including at least a few games on all four lines last year.

With the first month of the new season now in the books, what has Richardson learned so far...

About Dustin Brown - "He's really not as quiet as a lot of people think. I don't know if people think that because he's kind of shy. But, once you get to know him, he's pretty witty and very funny."

About Rob Scuderi - "I've learned that he's not changing his style. He's the worst dresser on the team and (that award) isn't going anywhere."

About Anze Kopitar - "His golf game has come a long way. He likes golf a lot and he's come a long way. We played the other day and it was the best round I've ever seen him play."

What I've learned so far... by LA Kings dman Alec Martinez

Alec Martinez of LA Kings (photo: C. Ikiri)

Perhaps if Drew Doughty wasn't out injured the last two weeks, the play of Alec Martinez would be under more scrutiny. Instead, most of the blueline focus has been on rookie Slava Voynov.

It's not that Martinez has been particularly bad. However, coach Terry Murray did rest him a few games ago, wanting the 24-year old Michigan native to be more focused.

Last season, he posted 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and was plus-11 in 60 regular season games. He's yet to pick up a point this season and has a minus-2 rating entering tonight's game in Dallas. He also took six shots, his biggest output of the season so far, against New Jersey on Tuesday. 

If he keeps firing like that, everything will be fine.  Overall, there's no reason to panic either, as the Kings haven't even played 10 games yet.

Off the ice, several Kings' players have commented over the last month or so that he's coming out of his shell more when socializing with teammates. Kevin Westgarth went so far as to call him a nerd away from the rink - something later confirmed by Dustin Brown (well, the captain actually said 'geek').

What has Martinez learned about some of his teammates so far this season?

Here's what he had to say when interviewed for the latest installment of this series...

About Justin Williams - "He makes a hell of a DJ Pauly D on Halloween"

What I've learned so far...by LA Kings captain Dustin Brown

Our new 'What I've learned...' series has already brought forth a myriad of mixed information.

Drew Doughty shared who was 'one of the best passers I've seen' (and it wasn't Anze Kopitar), Kevin Westgarth may be man crushing on one of the new Kings forwards, Trent Hunter spoke about being mesmerized by somebody who can do amazing things with the puck, and Ethan Moreau let the world know which one of his teammates has been talking his ear off on the bus.

However, it was a comment by Westgarth - where he called captain Dustin Brown a nerd - that serves as the backdrop for today's article.

First though, here are some things Brown says he's learned over the first month of the season...

About Willie Mitchell - "What have I learned new about Willie Mitchell? Not much. He talks so much it's...(then Kopitar chipped in and reminded him of something) - he knows a lot of people. He has a lot of friends. Every city we go to, he has a friend, apparently."

About Simon Gagne - "I learned that he and Joe Bernier are really good friends."

About Jack Johnson - "I think he got a new car. I don't really know. Some red car I think I've seen him driving around in."

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."

Kings at Coyotes - what to watch for w/ Justin Williams

Over the last few seasons, the Phoenix Coyotes have given the Kings fits, largely because of two guys - goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and captain Shane Doan.

The two teams split their season series last year 3-3.

With the help of Justin Williams, Jonathan Quick and Dustin Penner here are some things to watch for tonight when the Kings and Coyotes meet up for the first meeting this season...

- Goaltending:  Williams on Bryzgalov now playing in Philadelphia - "That's a huge loss for them. I always thought he was one of the best goalies in the league. Whenever we played against them, he was always square to the target and he'd never go down unnecessarily and he kept us guessing."

- More on the goaltending:  Quick on Bryzgalov's replacement, Mike Smith (who stopped 54 of the 56 shots in his last two games against the Kings, when he was with Tampa Bay) - "Smith is the wild card. But, we have guys here that were in the East last year, like Gags [Simon Gagne], who I'm sure knows him pretty well. So, he'll be able to help out on that front."

- Outnumbered attacks: Quick added, "They always have four guys up on the rush, they're a really good transition team. They have guys like (Keith) Yandle jumping in and they're good at creating stuff in the offensive zone."