Stoll, Shootouts and San Jose

A few weeks back, Kings forward Jarret Stoll was very humble when I asked him about being all but guaranteed money in the shootout - saying "I don't know about that," and later adding "But, yeah, they're going in for me. I'm just trying not to change too much. Maybe it looks like I only have one option down there, but I have a couple options in my head."

After reaching into his bag of tricks on Monday night against Calgary and showing something different - and scoring again - I went looking for a follow-up...

"I'm just trying to pick a spot and hit my spots, I guess. It's good to shoot in a couple different places. I can't go to the same spot all the time. So, I'm kinda switching it up a bit. Just picking my spots I guess and getting some breaks."

Still humble for a guy who's converted seven of eight chances in the shootout this season (second most in the league).

Looking ahead, how about the game with the Sharks tonight, another big game...

"Yeah, they're all big - in our division especially. We have a lot of games left within our division. They're so big, but they all have been recently. So, there's nothing new, nothing new to prepare for. It's just a different team, different personnel. So, it's all about us. We know that. I'm sure they're saying the same thing. It's just a matter of who makes fewer mistakes and who can execute the best."

In a somewhat related note, earlier this season Sharks captain Joe Thornton stopped by MayorsManor to share some thoughts on playing the Kings and talk about replacing Rob Blake as the leader in San Jose (article here).



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Stoll and Quick Do Their Thing Again in the Shootout

Well, the Kings are getting better as the homestand rolls along.

Zero points on Thursday, one point Saturday and (finally) two points tonight. The games are also getting longer - going from regulation vs. the Blues to needing overtime against the Ducks...and then (finally) downing the Flames via a shootout.

In a game that was set up perfectly for the triumphant return of Ryan Smyth - the missing King for the last 20-plus games, going head to head with the team he's played more than any other club in the NHL (74 games vs. the Flames) - in the end, it just wasn't meant to be. He finished the night with zero points and was a minus-one.

However, it was business as usual for Jonathan Quick and Jarret Stoll. You'd be hard pressed to think of a more 'sure thing' in the game of hockey right now. If it's a shootout, Quick will win it (8-0) and Stoll will score in it (now seven for eight on the season, that's a whopping 88% success rate).

RECAP: Kings GM Dean Lombardi on NHL Live

Los Angeles Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi was a guest on NHL Live this morning.

Below is a recap of what was discussed (as always, these are near exact quotes, with selected paraphrasing for brevity)...

* [topic: Kings have been good on the road lately] True. However, I think a lot of that is when you're a young team it's easier to keep your players focused. I think there is a lot more structure in their day when they're on the road. I also don't think there are a lot of buildings anymore that are intimidating to play in.

* [What was the hot topic at the GM meetings today?] We spent a lot of time on the shootout, defining when the spin-o-rama crosses the line between being a good play and going backwards. I think the biggest issue is we just have to define it. We just want to know what the rule is and there is a bit of grey area right now. I dread the thought of that Flyers-Rangers game (last regular season game of last season), where a season is determined by that play. They'll get on it though. It came to the forefront and we realize the importance of getting some structure in there.

* [Concussions and the Drew Doughty situation earlier this season] That's the problem, 'Should your decisions be based on the identity of the player?' We all know the reality is if it's a top player, it comes to the forefront more. I thought the league did a tremendous job the first two days here of getting all the facts out there. I'm pretty proud of the fact that people are saying we're ahead of the NFL right now. We were the first ones to have a protocol. The amount of data that went into analyzing where these concussions come from, the science of it, what's causing them, etc. I thought the background information was fabulous. There are two things involved here. It's not only what you do, it's how you do things. I thought procedurally the league was excellent. This does not lend itself to an easy sound-bite answer. I love the fact that we took the time to look at the science and have data to back up our thinking. There's no doubt we're ahead of the NFL here and as a league we can be proud of that.

Shooting it Out with Jarret Stoll and Coach Murray

If the game goes to a shootout, take Jarret Stoll.

He's pretty much Mr. Automatic at this point.

"I don't know about that," he said after practice on Monday. "It's good to score some and try to help get two points. We just have to find a way to win those (shootouts) when we're in them and maybe not get to that point anyway. But, yeah, they're going in for me. I'm just trying not to change too much. Maybe it looks like I only have one option down there, but I have a couple options in my head."

MM: You never like to second guess the coach's decision, yet you had the game-winning-goal in the shootout vs. San Jose prior to the All Star break - so, were you surprised when the next game went to a shootout (vs. Minnesota) and your name wasn't called?