Can Jeff Carter get five tonight for the LA Kings?

Five seems to be the magic number for the Kings newest forward, Jeff Carter.

In seven games since being traded to Los Angeles, Carter has scored in two of them - and both times he had five shots on goal. The other games saw zero shots on goal (vs. Columbus), one (vs. Nashville, the 3/6 game), two (vs. Minnesota and Nashville) and four (vs. the Blackhawks).

With Carter in the line-up the Kings are 4-3. However, the biggest change has been an overall increase in scoring by the team as a whole. For the first time in a quite a while, LA has two legitimate lines for their opponents to worry about. And guys on the Kings top unit have taken notice of another key element Carter has added to the team's offense.

"He definitely has wheels," said Anze Kopitar. "In the middle of the ice in their zone, that's where he makes the most damage. He gets open in a hurry. Then, he gets rid of that puck in a hurry and that's what makes him such a goal scorer."

It hasn't taken Dustin Brown long to like what he sees as well.

"The biggest thing that stands out is his speed," said the Kings captain, when talking about Carter. "(Against Anaheim), he broke around and had that breakaway after getting the puck in stride, probably a step behind or even with the defenseman from the redline, and separated himself. When you have a guy finding holes...they create a lot. Having those jump-though-hole opportunities is a (direct) result of him being big and fast."

Can he generate at least five shots on goal tonight? That seems to be the magic number for Carter.

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!

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RELATED ARTICLES:

MayorsManor LIVE - Stoll, Westgarth and Mitchell share funny Jack Johnson stories

Daryl Evans previews Kings/Carter vs. Blue Jackets/Johnson

What I've learned so far this season... by Matt Greene

2011-12 Season Predictions - timing is everything

Dustin Brown's game plan vs Nasville, plus LA ticket contest

Nashville's Pekka Rinne (photo by: Ikiri)

Last week, the Kings traveled to Nashville, outshot the Predators 31-28 and still came away with a 2-1 loss. Revenge isn't the top priority for LA captain Dustin Brown at the moment though.

"Considering the situation, at this point in the year, you're not looking at the opponent as a team we just played a week ago," he said. "It's just another game we have to find a way to win."

Actually, 'two-points per night' has sort of turned into the unofficial rallying cry for the next four games. "There are some teams on this road trip that are really playing really good hockey and we have to be prepared to grind games out," Brown declared.

Tonight in Nashville, it certainly won't be as an easy one, as the Predators have earned at least one point in 12 straight games at home.

"I thought we played a good game last time though," said the Kings leading goal scorer. "We went in there and did a lot of good things last time. Now, we have to have the same effort and find ways to score more goals."

Which means, in part, finding a way to beat Nashville's Pekka Rinne. The Preds' stellar netminder leads the league with 36 wins and sports a .927 save percentage.

So how do they beat him?

POLL: LA Kings Player of the Week - 3.5.2012

It's Monday, so we're back with another edition of 'King of the Week' - a poll we run in conjunction with All the Kings Men podcast.

You can listen to this week's show in the player below, I cover the LA Kings' week that was and Buddy Oakes from Preds On The Glass checks in with a Nashville Predators report (the Kings next opponent). Plus, for added fun, everybody's favorite wisecracker The Royal Half also makes a guest appearance.



As discussed during the above podcast, here are the three Kings players nominated this week:

Jonathan Bernier - first star of the game vs Wild, shutout, 15 saves

Dustin Brown - two goals, two assists, plus-1, 10 hits

Jeff Carter - two goals, plus-1, nine shots on goal (including a team leading five SOG vs Anaheim)

Of course, if you don't like any of those choices, feel free to nominate your own...



Voting ends Wednesday night at 8pm PST.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Flyers Ian Laperriere on the newest King, Jeff Carter

Jim Fox talks Dustin Brown trade rumors - do the Kings want to move him?

Talking LA Kings trade rumors with goalie Jonathan Bernier

Jim Fox talks Dustin Brown rumors - is he being traded?

Thanks to everybody who listened in to MayorsManor LIVE tonight. Sorry we ran out of time before we could get to all of the live calls.

Here's Jim Fox, who we pre-taped a segment with just before going on the air. He answers questions about Jeff Carter, addresses the Dustin Brown trade rumors and more. Take a listen...



We'll have the full Sean O'Donnell quotes on Carter and Mike Richards posted shortly.

If you missed tonight's full episode, where we heard from Ray Kaunisto of the Manchester Monarchs, Ian Laperriere of the Philadelphia Flyers and others - click here to listen to the replay.  It's about as much NHL trade talk as you can handle.

Also, if you missed our exclusive one-on-one interview with Brown - where he opens up about the trade rumors - click here to read that piece now.

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VIDEO: Guest spot on Inside Sports - talking LA Kings trades

After the Kings 4-0 win over the Blackhawks last night, I was a guest on Inside Sports. Live from the press box at Staples Center, we talked about Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Jack Johnson, will the Kings make another trade before the deadline, what's going on in Manchester and much more. I'm the guest for the first half of the show, followed by Brian Kennedy (author of My Country is Hockey).

I was even able to work in two Dodgers references...

The Mayor
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LA Kings Dustin Brown talks redemption, Carter and Stoll

Imagine if your dream was to play in the NHL. So, at the age of 15 you move away from home - and across the border to Canada - so you can further your skills. A few years later, you're drafted in the first round by a team 2,700 miles away and on the other side of North America. After spending a year in the minors during the NHL lockout, you become a full-time player.

So far, it's a story that's probably similar to many players around the league. Now, add in that in 2007 you commit to your organization by signing a six-year contract, wanting to be part of what they're building. And the following year, you earn the team's captaincy.

Yet, four years later, you hear your name come up in trade rumors. Yes, it's a business. But, as Dustin Brown told us in an exclusive one-on-one interview on Friday, he was hurt by some of the things being talked about.

Growing up, kids are taught that actions speak louder than words. For Brown, he added an exclamation point to the statement by responding to everything he heard with one of his best games as a King - scoring three beautiful goals, including the final one short-handed, giving him a natural hat trick.

Back in the locker room, we chatted again...

VIDEO: Dustin Brown's natural hat trick in 4-0 win last night

If you like the horn at Staples Center, you're going to love the video below.

These highlights from last night's Kings game vs. the Blackhawks feature clips of Jeff Carter, Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Jarret Stoll, Dustin Penner and several others. Yet, the night belonged to Dustin Brown.

After the game, I asked him which of the three goals were his favorite - "The first one. Stolly probably made the play happen. He skated all the way up the ice, drove the 'D' back. That gave me a little bit of room to cut to the middle and I just found a way to score."

On Friday, Brown sat down for a one-on-one interview with us where he opened up about how he was dealing with recent trade rumors. If you missed it, be sure to give it a read here.

On Saturday, he made the ultimate 'actions speak louder than words' statement.

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One-on-one with LA captain Dustin Brown, talking trade rumors

Dustin Brown has averaged 27 goals per season over the last four years, he's always near the top of the league in hits (currently second) and has a very favorable contract, including a cap hit of $3.175 million per season.

Who wouldn't want that guy on their team? So, of course, teams are interested in him.

But, when Bob McKenzie - the gold standard for NHL Insiders - mentions the Kings are looking to deal him, people stand up and take notice. That's the 'other' news in LA at the moment.

During last night's conference call with GM Dean Lombardi, he said "Right now, I have absolutely nothing," when asked about the possibility of additional trades following the acquisition of Jeff Carter.

Still, after practice today, I spoke with Brown about the latest hysteria. Yes, there was a throng of media on hand today to speak with the players, including Brown. However, I waited until the herd of cameras, microphones and others were gone. Alone in his stall, we had the following conversation...

MM: What do you make of all the rumors that are out there?

DB: I can't say I don't think about them. There's no sense in dwelling over it though. It's one of those things, it's part of the business. There are a lot rumors out there that are true, there's a lot of rumors out there that aren't true. There's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that a lot of people don't see. As a player, I just try to concern myself with being a better player, especially considering the huge game we have prior to the deadline. We need two points. As one of the leaders on this team, it's my responsibility to be ready to play.

MM: Guys react to being part of the rumor mill differently. Some guys get angry, some get hurt. What's your reaction to the things being said in the last twenty four hours about you possibly being on the move?

Kings captain Dustin Brown may have found the 'I' in team

Dustin Brown at practice (photo: D. Sheehan)

We've all heard there's no 'I' in team. Or is there?

Earlier today, Kings coach Darryl Sutter called out two of his star players - Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown - actually saying they 'talk too much about the team' and 'should talk more about themselves, what they bring to the table.'

Perhaps his public words were something he privately shared with each player beforehand because when speaking to Brown right before that, he was taking as much about taking personal responsibility as he was the entire team.

"I have to score more goals," stated Brown. "We have guys in here who are used to scoring more goals and they need to step up and score some goals. That's probably our biggest problem right now. I think the last time I scored a goal was against Calgary at home."

Yes, that game with the Flames was back on January 19th. So, with an 11-game drought since then, it was time for a chance.  For tomorrow night's game in Phoenix, Sutter is moving Brown from the top-line left wing position back to his more natural right side - but, dropping him down a line to play with Mike Richards. Does he think that will help?

Will the real Darryl Sutter please stand up?

...or is that what just happened?

When the LA Kings were first rumored to be interested in hiring Darryl Sutter as the coach to replace Terry Murray, many scoffed at the idea. He was labeled a yeller, bombastic, hard-nosed, fiery, volatile, abrasive and several other less than flattering adjectives.

Then, at the team's press conference to announce his hiring, Dean Lombardi warned anybody who would listen - don't believe what you hear, Sutter is more than just a screamer.

The GM appeared to know exactly what he was talking about, as the new coach was as personable as can be for the first two months. Players would gush when talking about him and TV cameras often caught him giving words of encouragement to individuals on the bench during games.

"Kopitar and Brown (need) to get going. Neither one has done much for six weeks," Sutter said, when kicking off his post-practice press conference today. "These guys talk too much about the team. They should talk more about themselves, what they bring to the table."

And with that, the gloves were off.

Murray had rarely, if ever, criticized his players while leading the Kings. Sure, there was the occasional poke at somebody like Alexei Ponikarovsky. Yet, he never called out his star players.

Sutter? It appears he's seen enough.

Following Saturday night's 1-0 loss - the team's second in a row - he spoke with the players and then went to an adjacent room to meet with media.   As he walked in with a lozenge in his mouth, the real surprise may have been that he wasn't on crutches after injuring his foot while firmly putting it up the...well, you get the idea.

"Kopi and Brownie have been stale, from my standpoint, for a little while together," he continued this morning. “(Kopitar) has to bring more energy and more purpose when he has the puck. It’s not that he’s playing poorly. If you didn’t look at him as a high-end offensive player, he’s playing well enough in the three zones,  But, when he’s got the puck in the offensive zone, he’s got to be a lot more determined, purposed player when he has it in the offensive zone. He does a really good job of getting there with it and helping everybody else get there, but he’s got to do a better job once he has it there, because he’s capable."

Sutter, Brown and just about everybody at a loss for words

For the second straight game the Kings lost 1-0. With Jonathan Quick in net, it's almost like rinse and repeat. He's playing stellar in net and the team in front of him just can't seem to find a way to bang a few pucks in down at the other end of the ice.

After dropping a crucial game to Calgary, that saw the Kings fall to ninth in the Western Conference standings, LA's coach and captain didn't have much to say or any new answers...

Coach Darryl Sutter:

On losing back-to-back 1-0 games at home - "I don’t think I’ve ever done that, maybe in a playoff series, but not regular season."

On how the Kings can improve - "Keep it simple, get shots and traffic...I think we really have to bear down on the opportunities that we get. You don’t get a lot of opportunities. We don’t give a lot, so you have to bear down on the ones you get."

On any possible trades the Kings may make - "First off, I wouldn’t do that, and secondly, that wouldn’t be something to talk about in the media."

Dustin Brown:

LA shutout by PHX - game recap using only Sutterisms

If there's one thing we've come to expect from the Darryl Sutter era in Los Angeles, it's entertaining - and occasionally confusing - press conferences. As usual, he didn't disappoint last night, even if there weren't any more Merle Haggard references.

For you super busy people, here's the game in a nutshell using only his popular three-word Sutterisms:

- first goal big
- they're no different
- not more physical
- probably counting fights
- missed the net
- that's your problem
- lot of traffic

If you prefer to savor Sutter's full quotes in their entirety, enjoy...

On the overall game - "I’ve said it 100 times, just rewind it. This league is about having the lead and scoring the first goal. It’s a big difference in the game. They’re no different than anyone else when they have the lead."

Quotes from the Coyotes locker room after 1-0 win in LA

Prior to the game, Coyotes forward Ray Whitney referred to match-ups with the Kings as 'muck fests' and usually filled with tight, defensive-oriented hockey. Kings defenseman Jack Johnson went so far as to say the games can be boring to watch, with Phoenix lulling teams to sleep.

Neither was the case in the first period, which featured three separate fights - surprisingly, none of them involving Kevin Westgarth or Paul Bissonnette. Things returned to normal though in the second period when the teams combined for 13 shots on goal. In the end, the visiting Coyotes shutout the Kings 1-0 to pull even with them in the Western Conference standings.

After the game, here's what they were saying back in the locker room...

Captain Shane Doan:

- On the overall game - "It was great. It’s one of those games that you love to play in and you really like to win. It was a big one for us...Everyone realized how big of a game it was and how important it was for us to find a way to win. They’re ahead of us in the standings, they got the position we want, and everybody is chasing everybody right now"

- On his fight with Dustin Brown - "It’s one of those things, it’s part of the game and Brownie plays that way all the time. He hits hard. Both sides are trying to set the tone and he was more than willing and it’s part of the game. " (note: you can watch the scrap here)

Doughty and Johnson make predictions - plus ticket contest

Tonight marks game five of the Kings-Coyotes six-game season series. Three of the four played so far have been decided by one goal and two have been shutout wins for LA. Additionally, the teams sit seventh and eighth in the Western Conference standings, separated by only two points.

Defenseman Jack Johnson sizes things up for us...

"Phoenix has been a tough team for us to play against. For whatever reason, we've had some really tough game with them. They're a team who plays well within their structure. They're not an easy team to play against, that's probably the best way to put it. At times, they can lull you to sleep. It might not be the most exciting game for fans to watch, but it's definitely going to be a difficult game to get two points from."

As for who will score first for the Kings tonight, Johnson added - "Mike Richards. Cameras will be on him, hopefully he gets it. I'll be pulling for him to get one."

Good luck to him. Richards has one goal in the last 22 games. His odds improve when looking at his nine career games vs. the Coyotes, where Richards has scored three goals - including one earlier this season.

Coyotes coach Dave Tippett on memories, Brown and more

Tippett instructing practice (photo: D. Sheehan)

Dave Tippett played over 700 games in the NHL, primarily as a left wing for the old Hartford Whalers. Soon after his playing days were over he found himself as the head coach of the Houston Aeros (IHL), where he won a championship in 1999. The following year he stepped up to the NHL, as an assistant for the Kings under Andy Murray.

After a three-year stint in LA, he became the head coach of the Dallas Stars for six years, until being fired in the summer of 2009 when the team missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. Many questioned the move at the the time and some still do to this day. Tippett is one of the most respected coaches in the NHL and even though he won the Jack Adams Award (coach of the year) in 2010, he might be doing his finest job yet with this year's Phoenix Coyotes team.

Leading a roster that was thought not deep enough to contend for a spot in the post-season - especially after losing their All-Star goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to the Philadephia Flyers - he somehow has them right in the thick of the playoff race.

Following practice yesterday, I asked Tippett if playing the Kings still holds any special feeling for him or if too much time has passed since he was a part of the LA hockey scene.

"I have a lot of good friends here and my daughter lives in Los Angeles. So, there's always good feelings coming back here. I really enjoyed my three years here too. We made the playoffs all three years and we had a real good group of players, including Luc Robitaille and some players who really had some history here. I like coming back and competing against them and I like to beat them," he said, with a good chuckle at the end.

VIDEO: Kings Dustin Brown on team's 2-1 OT loss to the Isles

Kings captain Dustin Brown was obviously disappointed with his team's performance today vs. the Islanders. After, he spoke with the media - including sharing thoughts on goalie Jonathan Quick and rookie Jordan Nolan.

Post-game thoughts from coach Darryl Sutter and Quick are up on the homepage.

The Mayor
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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?

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.

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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."