Kings at Pens By the Numbers, plus Video Highlights

Although Kings coach Terry Murray declined to share his point goal for the road trip prior to the team leaving for Pittsburgh, I'll stand by my previous mark of 15 points in the 10 games played before they return to Staples Center on February 24.

They picked up a point tonight, losing to the Penguins with less than 20-seconds remaining in overtime. Put simply, they left an extra point on the ice.

So, they're off to Washington with six points in the books after four games.

Here's a breakdown of the game's other key numbers, followed by some video highlights...

0 goals from Anze Kopitar now in the last 10 games

1 goal could have been scored by Alexei Ponikarovsky, if only he got the puck up

2 shots by the Kings in the entire second period

3 more penalty kills by Pittsburgh, the league's best PK unit

5 penalty minutes each for Wayne Simmonds and Kevin Westgarth

7 straight games with points for the Kings (5-0-2)

9 points needed in the remaining six road games to reach the 15 point goal

How the Sturm Trade Affects Schenn

About a week ago, in an article titled 'The Complete Story on Brayden Schenn' we went through the trials and tribulations of the first 18-months between the Kings and their teenage center.

It's been marked by trade rumors, a knee injury, a one day contract, loopholes in league agreements and much, more.

Well, just went you thought Schenn would be on the back burner for a while (since he's been sent back to junior hockey), think again.

No, he hasn't been recalled. Yet, he does find himself caught up in another Kings story. Just yesterday the team made a trade with the Boston Bruins for left wing Marco Sturm. Then, late today, word came out that Sturm will wear jersey #10 in Los Angeles - Schenn's number.

Yes, Schenn made his NHL debut last November wearing #55. However, once the Kings decided to keep him with the big club coming out of training camp this year he was given #10, a number he wears with both the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) and Team Canada as a tribute to his favorite player as a child, Pavel Bure.

Sturm had been wearing #16 in Boston - a number that will never be worn again by a Kings player, having been retired in honor of Marcel Dionne. When Sturm first broke into the league with the Sharks (after being drafted by their then-GM Dean Lombardi), he wore #19.  No reason has been given yet on how/why he ended up with #10 here.

Assuming Schenn stays in the WHL all year, this could be a non-issue. Sturm will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end and may not be back next year. Or...

It is Schenn we're talking about, so... OR just add it to the list.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119
www.facebook.com/MayorsManor


RELATED ARTICLES:

The Complete Story on Brayden Schenn

Marco Sturm:  Five Points on the LA-Boston trade

Jersey Numerology

.

Jersey Numerology

Among the many things that separate hockey from other sports are fans' obsessions with jersey numbers. It's just not something that the average baseball enthusiast, for example, makes a big deal out of.

Hockey is different though.

Earlier today the Kings announced number changes for their latest fab five - Jake Muzzin, Brayden Schenn, Andrei Loktionov, Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis (well, I guess that's more like a fab four, plus Lewis)...anyway, as Vince Vaughn's character, Trent, might say in the movie Swingers - the babies are all growns up.

Here are a few little historical tidbits on the changes:

* Schenn will wear #10 - this was previously worn by Terry Ruskowski (who served as the Kings captain prior to Dave Taylor taking over the C in 1985)...it was also the first jersey number assigned to to Bernie Nichols, before he eventually ended up with his more popular #9...Warren Rychel wore it during the magical '92-93 season...Don MacLean wore it for his five game stint with the team in 1997 (coming off the training camp where he scored the first goal in Frozen Fury history)...and Steve Carlson wore it in the '79-80 season - he's better known as a member of the Hanson Brothers in the movie Slap Shot.