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

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

2011-12 Season Predictions - timing is everything

Doughty on the Kings trading Jack Johnson to Columbus

Last hour we brought you Matt Greene's comments on the big Kings news item of the day. Meanwhile, fellow defenseman Drew Doughty has yet to speak with Jack Johnson, opting not to bother him during what's surely a busy time after being traded - "I just sent him a quick text yesterday and told him we were going to miss him and good luck."

Doughty went on to share several other thoughts on the deal and the particulars involved...

On the roster change - "Overall, I think the deal is going to help our team...when Jack signed his contract last year, he and I thought we'd be here together for a long while. So it was kind of a shock to see him go...we're going to miss JJ, for sure. Ever since I've been on this team, (he's been here as well). He's a good friend of mine, he's a really good player too. We're sad to see him go. But, we have to move on because it's part of the business and Carts is going to make us a better team."

On the mood of late, was change in the air - "Yeah, we all kinda thought something was going to happen. We didn't know who or what or anything like that. But, we definitely knew that something was going to happen. You never want to see anybody go, but it's part of business."

On the need for a shake-up - "I don't know. I think it's on us. I don't think we necessarily needed a shake-up to get things going. I think every singe one of us needs to look in the mirror and give every inch, give everything we've got. We're going to do that. We're really frustrated with how we're playing right now. Not being in a playoff spot is tough, especially with the guys we have on this team."

More later. Links to related articles can be found below.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Jack Johnson reacts to the trade

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VIDEO: Kings GM Dean Lombardi on the trade for Jeff Carter

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Mike Richards comments on Jeff Carter trade rumors

Trade Rumors - five things at play for the LA Kings

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.

VIDEO: Jim Fox on NHL Live talking LA Kings

Jim Fox joined NHL Live yesterday afternoon to talk about trade rumors, Drew Doughty covering Steven Stamkos, the Kings lack of goals, an improving power play, aggressive defenseman, Dustin Penner, the recent clock controversy, etc.

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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?

Mulitple angles of Drew Doughty's goal and the clock issue

If you haven't heard yet, there was a little bit of controversy at the end of last night's Kings game. In fact, it's being reported that the NHL is sending staffers to Los Angeles to investigate exactly what happened with the clock in the final seconds of the team's 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Officially, Drew Doughty is being credited with the game winning goal. However, as you'll see in the third replay shown during the video below, there seems to be a slight 'hiccup' with 1.8 seconds remaining.

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Pregame comments from the Kings, plus tonight's ticket contest

Last hour we heard from Dustin Brown in advance of tonight's Kings vs Blue Jackets match-up. Here, we went around the locker room and gathered additional comments from a few others...

Anze Kopitar - "We have to worry about ourselves. We know if we bring our 'A' game to the table, I like our chances. That's the big thing. We have to worry about our game and the rest will come."

Matt Greene - "We have to be ready to work. They work real hard and we have to be ready to match whatever they put into it. They're a gritty team and we have to make sure it's a tough game and be ready right away. We can't wait to ease ourselves into it."

Jack Johnson - "Teams that are so-called 'out of it' have nothing to lose. So, sometimes they're dangerous to play against - just like Edmonton is a dangerous team because they have nothing to lose. If things are going right for them during the night, they're tough. Even when you're out of it, teams have a lot of pride and individual pride. So, they're going to play hard. But, we have to make sure we keep getting points to stay in the playoffs."

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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VIDEO: Kings players try moving from athletes to celebrities

After watching the video below you'll understand why it doesn't need much of an introduction. Just sit back and enjoy as Drew Doughty, Matt Greene, Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards try to move from athletes to big-time celebrities. You should be warned though - when it's over, you'll surely be humming 'wristshot, slapshot, backhand, goal' for the rest of the day.

The Fame Makers with the Los Angeles Kings from Anze Kopitar

Great work by the Fame Makers at funnyordie.com.

The Mayor

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GM Dean Lombardi compares rebuilds by Oilers and Kings

Several teams around the NHL have gone through painful rebuilds over the last decade, with a few already cashing in and finding success. Pittsburgh is typically the franchise most point to for how to 'get it right.' More recently, the Blackhawks have been receiving praise, having won the Stanley Cup in 2010.

Entering the season, many considered the Los Angeles Kings to be on the threshold of achieving similar success. And the team right behind them in the process is the Edmonton Oilers. While LA has largely been built on goaltending and defense, the Oil's clear strength is the abundance of top flight forwards they've drafted recently.

Late last week, Kings GM Dean Lombardi was a guest on Mark Spector's radio show (Team 1260, Edmonton). We've already posted several of Lombardi's comments in previous articles. Here, he tackles the rebuilding process for both the Kings and Oilers...

On the notion LA is just a key free agent away - "The most critical thing - and I told Darryl (Sutter) this when he took over the team - of all the things we can do, we have to make our young players, in fact, top players. Not only top players in the sense of notoriety or contract, but they have to become, in fact, core players (who) can match up with Datsyuk and Lidstrom, Thornton and Boyle and all these guys. That is the number one thing that has to happen. If we don't do that - if these players don't, in fact, become 'winners,' then anything else I do in free agency or trades, it's just going to be conversation because it's not going to happen.

VIDEO: Inside the Kings locker room after 2-1 loss in EDM

Here's some video from inside the Kings locker room after their 2-1 overtime loss to the Oilers in Edmonton tonight. As you'll see, a shirtless Drew Doughty called the team 'brutal' for the first two periods, Rob Scuderi said there was a 'lack of preparation' to start the game (a common theme the last few games) and Darryl Sutter even chimed in with a few thoughts as well. Take a look...

Last night's post game comments from Sutter included the epic 'park and ride' blast when talking about the emotional win in Calgary (full comments here). Sadly, two of his better quotes tonight didn't make the video.

On the Kings leaving Edmonton with one point instead of two, the coach offered a new Sutterism - 'We didn’t lose' (...adding, "We got three out of four. That’s for you guys [reporters] to be negative about, not me."). Later, when talking about this game vs. the Kings 3-0 loss earlier in the season to the Oilers, Sutter broke loose again, with - "I didn’t see the last time (the Kings) played Edmonton...I didn’t have tickets for that (last) game. Didn’t see it."

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First Goal Contest - win tickets to Meet the Players Party

Are you as good as Dustin Brown?

Prior to Thursday's game against the Coyotes he came on MayorsManor and predicted Drew Doughty would score the first goal for the Kings. Not only did #8 find the back of the net, it stood as the game winner.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of Doughty and Jarret Stoll doing another one of their 'love tap' goal celebrations though.

Today, we'll be running another First Goal Contest as part of the Kings game. One lucky winner will win a pair of tickets to the Kings' Meet the Players Party - scheduled to take place this coming Tuesday.

If you like to play the odds, here's some past performance information to help you with your pick. This is a list of a few LA Kings and their career numbers vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Dustin Brown five goals in 24 games
Drew Doughty two in 13
Jack Johnson zero in 14
Anze Kopitar 11 in 19
Dustin Penner seven in 22
Mike Richards one in five
Jarret Stoll four in 28
Justin Williams five in 14

Of course, you can also go with Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Willie Mitchell or a bunch of other guys.

So, who do you think will score first for the Kings today?

Entering is easy, either log in via the website or just use your facebook profile below. Submit your answer and you could win a pair of tickets to the Kings' Meet the Players Party. Good luck!

The Mayor
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VIDEO: Drew Doughty's game winning goal vs Coyotes

Drew Doughty scored his third goal of the season - and the only goal of the game. Enjoy...

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Drew Doughty on his game winning goal vs Phoenix

After a little initial confusion, less than a minute into overtime, Drew Doughty's goal stood and the Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes by the final score of 1-0. Here's what he had to say back in the locker room...

On the game-winning goal - "It was huge. Obviously, I haven’t been scoring a lot this year and I finally contributed on the score sheet with a goal for the team and most importantly get the win. I was real happy. Greener changed for me there; I just wanted to get into the play. I saw that we had control of the puck so I raced up to the blue line. Me and Stolly [Jarret Stoll] made eye contact and made a nice pass. Then I just tried to drive the net and sometimes you just have to score those dirty goals like that."

On going suck a long time without scoring - "I don’t know, I guess it is a little surprising. Most of all, for me, it’s just frustrating. I know that they come in bunches and now that I got this one and finally got the monkey off my back I think a lot more will come in these next few games."

Jonathan Quick's post game comments are up here.  More post game notes and quotes to come.

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First Goal Game - LA Kings players submit their guesses

For the past few seasons we've hosted a 'First Goal Game' contest on twitter and facebook for LA Kings home and road games. Each night, one random winner is selected from all correct entries and a prize is awarded - things like t-shirts, game tickets, etc.

At practice yesterday we asked a few of the Kings players who they would pick in the first goal contest. The question was simple enough - looking around the room, yourself included, which player will score first vs. the Coyotes?

Here's what a few guys had to say...

Drew Doughty - Stolly

Mike Richards - Kopitar

Four Kings play Word Association with Coyotes leaders

Three games into the Kings' six-game season series with the Coyotes it's been exactly what you'd expect from two division rivals - tight, close battles. They split a pair of games in October, with the Kings shutting out the Coyotes 2-0 in the first contest and losing 3-2 in a shootout a little over a week later.

Both those games were in Phoenix. Then, the day after Christmas, Staples Center hosted game three and the Kings won 4-3 - getting two goals from their defensemen (Rob Scuderi and Willie Mitchell), a rare site this year.

With a look ahead to tonight's game, we asked a few of the Kings to play word association using the names of four Coyotes players they know well - long-time captain Shane Doan (a Kings killer throughout his career), Ray Whitney (leading the 'Yotes with 35 points...and 15 career goals vs. LA, his most against any Western Conference team), Keith Yandle (leads all Phoenix defensemen with 24 points) and Derek Morris (has played 63 career games vs LA).

Here were the answers...

from Dustin Brown

Doan - Physical
Whitney - Magical
Yandle - White stick
Morris - Big

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

Matt Greene's New Year's Resolutions for his teammates

Yes, it's January 1st, which means it's time for a New Year's article. Only this time, instead of hearing about what somebody hopes to accomplish or change in the coming year, we have one of the Kings' players sharing some resolutions for his teammates.

Kevin Westgarth started the tradition on MayorsManor last year and it seemed like a good idea to give it another whirl. So, here are some New Year's Resolutions Matt Greene offers up to his fellow LA Kings...

Mike Richards - Score more

Dustin Brown - Tip in a couple of Jack's shots (Johnson, sitting in the stall nearby, jokingly added, 'Yeah, instead of blocking them!')

Anze Kopitar - Play more minutes

Kyle Clifford - Get harder, you're getting soft off the ice.

Willie Mitchell - Be more vocal, talk a little bit more and make sure everybody knows what's on your mind.

Canucks at Kings NYE primer with Doughty, Johnson, Stoll

Vancouver come to town tonight with a 15-3-1 record in their last 19 games. LA's home team has gone 3-0-2 in the Sutter Era and is looking to continue their climb back up the Western Conference standings.

The Canucks are a team that have given the Kings fits at times recently, including bouncing them from the playoffs two years ago. In their only other meeting this season, the Canucks beat the Kings 3-2 at Staples Center - in a game Drew Doughty scored a goal.

The talented defenseman has had his own challenges with the Canucks, posting a minus-9 rating against them since entering the league in 2008 (his worst against any team in the league) and has picked up 34 penalty minutes in those games (more than double his total against every team other than Anaheim...plus, if you take out the 10 minute misconduct assessed to him last March vs. the Canucks, the 24 minutes are still more than he has vs. any other team).

With a look ahead to tonight's action, here are some exclusive pre-game comments from Doughty, Jack Johnson and Jarret Stoll...

Doughty on the Canucks - "It's going to be a fun game. Every time we play Vancouver all the guys are really pumped for the game. As a team, we had a hard battle with them in the playoffs a couple of years ago. We're still disappointed about that loss. So, I think it's going to be a hard fought game with lots of checking and lots of chirping."

What are Sutter and Doughty talking about on the bench?

In the period leading up to Darryl Sutter being hired as the new Kings coach many were talking about his aggressive, heavy handed approach.  Yet, GM Dean Lombardi tried telling anybody who would listen at the team's press conference last week, 'He's not a raving lunatic.' In fact, to date, we haven't seen much of the yelling and screaming that was so frequently advertised ahead of time.

One thing that has been noticeable though is his penchant for grabbing players on the bench. He practically yanked Jonathan Bernier right out of his skates following his first game behind the bench. Then, more recently, he's been seen talking up Drew Doughty quite a bit.

So, what was he saying to the young defenseman during the game in Winnipeg?

"Just reinforcing what we're trying to do," said Sutter. "The skill set he has is pretty unique. So, getting him to maximize it. He was playing a lot of minutes. He played more last night than he did the night before. So we want to keep him mentally right there, every shift."

When asked if he liked what he was seeing from Doughty vs. the Jets - compared to the four previous games - Sutter simply remarked, "He played 26 minutes." Implying that if he had a problem with Doughty's game, he wouldn't have given him so much ice time.

Turning to Doughty now, here's what he had to say about Sutter's in-game chats on the bench...

"He's always just trying to help. He's never negative and if it is a negative thing that happened in the game, he's telling you 'If you do it right, you're going to dominate that guy.' So, it's always a negative with a positive from him, which is a great thing. He really knows his game and he just wants you working hard. If you're doing that, he's not going to have any problems with you."

Well, the talks certainly are working. Coming into the last game, Doughty had six points in the previous five - and the five game points streak was the longest of his career.

Later today, Doughty will be back to help us preview tonight's game vs. the Vancouver Canucks.

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