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?

POLL: Where will the LA Kings finish in the standings?

The Los Angeles Kings last played a game in April.

You've had all summer to contemplate how the additions of Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and others will impact the team's offense.  Plus, the last month has provided multiple looks at the revamped Kings, via eight different pre-season games.

And earlier this week, predictions for the 2011-12 NHL season were posted here on MayorsManor.

Now, it's your turn...



Poll closes Monday morning at 8am PST.

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

NHL 2011-12 season predictions - timing is everything

Predictions - everybody loves them and if you're correct about half the time, you're doing pretty well.

Two years ago I had the Los Angeles Kings finishing sixth in the Western Conference. Nailed it.

Last season, I slotted the Kings at fourth during my NHL season preview article. That's certainly where they should have finished, if not for their horrible losing streak in November. As such, they ended up seventh - three notches back.

Further, as noted at the time... If GM Dean Lombardi added a high-end player before the trade deadline, the Kings would challenge the Sharks for the Pacific Division.

Which sort of brings us to this present.

Sure, Lombardi added Dustin Penner at the deadline last February. And getting a guy to play on the top line with Anze Kopitar definitely qualifies as a big move. However, the addition didn't net the desired results. Couple that with a power play that saw a huge drop off from the year prior and the aforementioned losing streak to dig out of - well, the timing wasn't right for a run at the Sharks.

Things have now changed.

Penner spent the summer committing himself to conditioning. Check.

Lombardi went out and acquired the long-needed second line center in Mike Richards. Check.

With Ryan Smyth's departure to Edmonton, the Kings had a new hole at left wing.  They could have moved a prospect in - an unproven commodity - or have relied on a role player to fill the hole, essentially asking somebody to try and overachieve. Instead, Lombardi signed veteran forward Simon Gagne.  Second line, check.

On defense, all six starters from last season - and arguably the best collective unit of six in the Western Conference - return and are back on the blueline. Check.

In net, it's Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier reprising their roles in Battle of the Goalies part II. Quick has spent two years rewriting the Kings record book and Bernier was lights out in the second half of the last season. Coach Terry Murray says he's going with the hot hand this year, rather than a planned 60 games-22 games split. So, goaltending - check.

What does this mean for the Pacific Division and the Western Conference?

After hearing bits and pieces leaked over the last few weeks during various radio appearances and on twitter, here are the official MayorsManor predictions for the 2011-12 NHL regular season...

DevCamp 2011: Pre-camp comments from Tyler Toffoli

Photo: V. Wutti, Blitzen Photography

Mark it down now. My pick for a Kings rookie to make the opening night roster is Tyler Toffoli.

Drafted by Los Angeles in the second round of last summer's NHL Draft, he exploded into the junior hockey headlines this season when he put up 57 goals and 108 points for the Ottawa 67s and ended up as the OHL scoring champion.

While some might think he'd be an obvious pick to join an offensively starved team like the Kings, remember he's only one year removed from his draft year. Not many kids that young can make the jump so early - not to mention the fact there are several players in Manchester who are probably ahead of him on the depth chart at this point (i.e. Andrei Loktionov, Corey Elkins, Bud Holloway, etc.). However, he appears to have all the skills.

So, will he do it? Is he ready?

The next step in his evaluation comes in just a few weeks when he joins dozens of other prospects at the Kings annual Development Camp.

He was a frequent guest on MayorsManor this season and he joins us again today to share some pre-camp comments...

MM: Let's start with Manchester. Any thoughts about your time there at the end of the season?

TT: Overall, it was a great experience in Manch. I went in just trying to take it all in and I had a lot of fun. It was good to meet everyone and spend time there.

MM: What have you been doing back home to stay in shape since the season ended?

Point Break at 50 Games

It's not uncommon for coaches to break the NHL season down into 10-game segments. Things are just easier to digest that way.

Last year there were several articles on MayorsManor that followed the progression of the Kings throughout the season using this simple approach - which also helps even out the highs and lows that may come with a few wins or losses.

Given the strength of the Western Conference this year, 96 points is a good benchmark to use when drawing a line in the sand to determine a minimum number of points needed to make the playoffs.

For easy math, that means a team needs to average about 12 points per 10 games (using eight ten-game segments you'd get 96 points, then use games 81 and 82 for seeding purposes).

So, where are the Kings? And more importantly, what's needed on the current road trip?

Predictions for the 2010-11 NHL Season! What if....

They say it's best to go out on a high note. John Elway did it. Very few others have.

In my case, some probably think I should stay away from predictions from this point forward.

Prior to the puck dropping on last season, I perfectly called the Kings finishing in sixth place (link is here for you Doubting Thomases). Most thought I was crazy for even thinking that at the time, as the mainstream hockey media had the Kings sneaking in around 8th...if they even made the playoffs at all.

Boy have times changed. The Kings are one of the trendy picks coming into this season. It's hard to believe, yet some even have them winning the Stanley Cup this year. Now, I'm not going to go that far (just yet).

However, after carefully reading the tea leaves, consulting with Sylvia Browne and having my palm read on Venice Beach yesterday, I'm ready. Below are my predictions for the 2010-11 season.

Western Conference

Season Preview w/ Pierre LeBrun of ESPN / HNIC

So, you think you love the Kings?

Well, if you live in LA, you're thinking too small.

Pierre LeBrun is taking his admiration all across the U.S. and Canada via outlets like ESPN and the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.

The veteran hockey journalist has some serious love for the Kings this season and he's not shy about it. Even though he's a self-admitted metal head, due to his soft spot for John Mellencamp let's just say that what he's feeling for the Kings right now Hurts So Good.

Too cheesy? Fine!

In this exclusive MayorsManor interview he shares his opinions and discoveries from a recent trip through camps in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Jose and Vancouver. It's the latest in our Season Preview series - today we're joined by Pierre LeBrun...

MM: As you went on your training camp tour, what was the most surprising thing you observed with the Kings?

Season Preview w/ NHL Insider Kevin Allen

It's safe to say that Kevin Allen knows a thing or two about hockey. He's been covering the sport since the early 80's - including nearly 25 years for USA Today - and is a featured guest each week on NHL Home Ice (radio and television), as one of their NHL Insiders.

Today, he brings his view on the game and upcoming season to MayorsManor for an exclusive season preview.

Of course, we'll get into all the big issues in the Western Conference -covering topics like why did the Ducks keep Cam Fowler in Anaheim, what should the Sharks do with Joe Thornton, can the Coyotes have another 100-point season, which free agent signing last year was a major bust, who will and won't go through sophomore slumps, did the 'Hawks lose too many players, are the 'Wings too old and much more.

First though, we just had to find out how in the world he lists Slap Shot so far down the list of the best sports movies of all time. Not even top five? Really?

MM: Slap Shot only made it to #9 on your list of the greatest sports movies. How is that even possible?

Season Preview with Kelly Hrudey of HNIC

Continuing with our season previews this week, we visit with another returning guest from last year - former NHL goaltender and long time LA Kings fan favorite, Kelly Hrudey.

Fans here probably remember him best as the blue bandana wearing goalie from the '93 Stanley Cup Finals. Yet, north of the border he's been a member of the legendary Hockey Night in Canada crew for over a decade now, both on television and satellite radio. Thus, the man loves to talk about hockey!

In fact, Hrudey's plans for his post-NHL career were so well known towards the the end of his playing days, Dean Lombardi (then with the Sharks) once asked him "Why do I want to sign a 35-year old goalie who wants to be a broadcaster?"

In the interview below, we lean on his experience between he pipes to get some perspective on several goaltending related issues going on around the league, as well as some predictions for the Western and Eastern Conference standings.

MM: Roberto Luongo recently relinquished the captaincy in Vancouver.  What do you think about goaltenders wearing the 'C'?