Sutter, Clifford and Nolan on fighting, being physical

Fighting is down in the NHL about 20-25%, according to recent statements by Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Scoring for the LA Kings has been, well until recently, down significantly since last year too.

For Kyle Clifford, it's been a bit of mixed bag in those two areas. True, his fighting majors are down - he had 18 last season and with only seven so far this year, he should come in significantly below that number.

Yet. on the offensive side of things, he's actually not that far behind his pace of a year ago - which is rather shocking considering (a) the Kings offense as a whole is down and (b) he's been used in a different role, especially since the hiring of Darryl Sutter.

With 10 points already in the books, and 16 games to go, he'll likely come close to the 14 points he tallied last year.

Playing along side Colin Fraser and Jordan Nolan of late may be freeing him to do concentrate on other things too, rather than just be a physical presence on the ice.

"Yeah, it definitely takes that kinda pressure off," said Clifford. "We have guys that have done that all year though. You look at Greener, even Brownie - he stepped up and dropped the mitts (vs. Shane Doan, here). So, it's always nice to have that extra piece here with Nolan, and Kinger can grab 'em too. I've seen him fight. He's a pretty good fighter. It's always nice having the extra physical bodies."

Cam Jannsesn - then of the Blues, now with the Devils - came on MayorsManor last season and talked about using websites like HockeyFights.com to scout opponents, including Clifford and Kevin Westgarth.  However, not every player puts as much thought into things ahead of time.

"I try not to analyze it too much," Nolan explained. "I don't like to square up with guys or tap them on the shins and fight. I like to fight in the heat of the moment and the battle, when you're into the game. Those are your best fights."

Sutter explains the future for rookies Nolan and King in LA

Dwight King (photo: Ikiri)

On Friday, February 10 the Kings made a few roster moves, allowing them to call up Jordan Nolan and Dwight King from Manchester (AHL).

Monarchs Director of Hockey Operations Hubie McDonough notified King first and gave him an assignment - please tell Nolan that he's going with you to New York to play the Islanders. Now, that's not normally how things are done, but it was warranted due to a tight schedule. After all, a car was coming to get them and they needed to pack.

Although athletes are known to prank each other, King says he played it straight when informing his roommate he was about to make his NHL debut.

"It's a little different, I guess, for your first time call-up," King explained. "But, I'm pretty nice. You don't want to spoil a moment that like that. So, I just told him the basics."

A six-game call-up last year did little to help prepare King for what he was about to get himself into. For starters, he was thrust onto a line with Mike Richards - who wasn't even with the team last season. And Darryl Sutter was behind the bench, not Terry Murray.

"I met him, or ran into him in the hallway and shook his hand," said King, when describing his brief encounter with Sutter a few weeks prior in Manchester (the coach went back to observe two games during the NHL All-Star break). "One of his brothers, Rich, was the assistant coach on my junior team in Lethbridge.  He didn't really know me though.  So, that was the extent of our little chat."

Since then, King has played nine games for Sutter in LA and scored a pair of goals.

VIDEO: Kings rookie Jordan Nolan gets his first NHL fight

Rookie Jordan Nolan had another memorable game for the Kings last night - not only picking up his second NHL goal, but also introducing himself to the Wild's Marco Scandella...

It was Scandella's first NHL fight as well.  Perhaps he bit off a bit more than he can chew for his inaugural tilt though.

You can check out more of Nolan's handy work from Manchester over on his page at hockeyfights.com.

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10 Tidbits from LA Kings morning skate - no Carter yet

The Kings had an earlier than usual skate this morning, due to tonight's game vs. the Blackhawks being at 5pm local time. Of course, the big topics around the locker room continues to be Jeff Carter and the upcoming trade deadline. Here's 10 tidbits that we picked up...

- Willie Mitchell on why he signed in LA now vs. testing free agency: "It's about having a shot at the Stanley Cup...it's all about winning. I want a Cup. I don't have that. A couple of guys around here do. I hear the stories, I hear everything...that's what drives me and that's what motivates me."

- Jeff Carter will wear #77 and play on a line with Mike Richards and rookie Dwight King to start the game, per coach Darryl Sutter. Carter will also get time on the power play.

- King on if he's following the trade rumors: "If you watch any sports program, you see a little bit of the action going on. But, I try not to pay too much attention."

Does Kopitar even know his left wing? Does it matter?

Anze Kopitar (photo: D. Sheehan)

Anze Kopitar may not talk about it, but this road has a familiar feel to it. Over the last few seasons, the Kings' highest paid player has spent time on a line with Wayne Simmonds, Brad Richardson and Trent Hunter, just to name a few. And with all due respect, none of them were top-six caliber forwards at the time, but placed on his wing out of necessity.

Even if there was some initial success, all experiments ended the same - with said player being returned to a more 'natural' role.

LA's omnipresent lack of scoring led to a line shuffling today, which netted rookie Jordan Nolan - with all of four NHL career games and a former seventh round draft pick - as Kopitar's new left wing.

"I saw him a little in training camp," said Kopitar, when asked how familiar he even was with Nolan. "If I'm not mistaken, we were on the same team that went to Phoenix for the pre-season game (during a split-squad series with the Coyotes). So, I knew the guy a little bit."

Nope, Nolan didn't make that trip. He stayed behind and played in the game at Staples Center.  Fortunately for the 22-year old newbie, he's made a little more of a distinct impression over the last 10 days.

"(Nolan's) been really good for us since he was called up," Kopitar remarked. "He's had some strong games and he scored a goal too. So, all he needs to do is continue doing what he's been doing. Willie (Justin Williams) and I need to pick it up."

That's exactly what Darryl Sutter is looking for. As reported earlier today, the Kings coach has heard enough about team - he wants to hear more about what Kopitar and Dustin Brown are going to do individually.

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?

POLL: Who was the King of the Week (Feb 6-12)?

For the past few years we've run a 'Player of the Month' poll here on MayorsManor. Now, through the remainder of the season, we'll be publishing a poll for the 'King of the Week.' I'm scheduled to appear each Monday on the brand new All the Kings Men podcast, where we'll discuss the top Kings' performances from the prior week and narrow the field to three.

You can listen to this week's episode at this link.

As you'll hear, we're then looking for you to weigh in on who deserves the crown - so to speak.

The list of nominees for the week of February 6-12 are:

Jonathan Quick... record of 2-1-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average and .921 save percentage - also was the 2nd star vs Lightning and Islanders

Jordan Nolan... first NHL goal, in his second NHL game, was a game winner vs the Stars (also had five hits and was third star of the night) - plus, two hits and one takeaway vs. Islanders

Justin Williams... three points on the week - including one goal, one assist, plus-1 vs Stars



Poll ends Wednesday, February 15th at 8pm PST.

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VIDEO: Get to know Jordan Nolan - video highights from Manchester

It isn't very often when a 22-year old rookie is the best player on the ice during his first two NHL games. Yet, Jordan Nolan might be able to lay claim to such a statement after his performances in New York and Dallas over the weekend.

A seventh round draft pick by the Kings back at the 2009 NHL Draft, Nolan made quite the impression with his physical play and goal scoring ability.  A 6-foot-3 forward, he's always been a bit of a work-in-progress.  However, it was obvious at training camp in September that he had taken giant steps forward in his development and that solid play extended into his season in Manchester, where he had nine goals and 13 assists - not to mention his 119 penalty minutes - in 40 games played.

The Kings Vision team have pulled together a brief highlight reel, check out what he can do with his stick, as well as his fists...

To see a similar video package on Dwight King, click here.

For the MayorsManor article on Nolan and King being promoted from the AHL, click here.

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AUDIO: Kings' Jordan Nolan on his game winning goal today

Kings' rookie Jordan Nolan had a strong game yesterday vs. the Islanders and was out to impress again today, including picking up his first NHL goal - which stood as the game winner. Back in the locker room, here's what he had to say after the game...



We've already published post-game audio from coach Darryl Sutter, click here to listen.

Also, be sure to check out what Justin Williams had to say - including plenty of praise for Nolan and Dwight King - listen here.

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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.

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Nolan, King up and Voynov, Stoll out for LA Kings

Slava Voynov is on his way back to Manchester. It's an easy move to understand, as the team was carrying an extra defenseman and it seems that coach Darryl Sutter has settled on Alec Martinez. Thus, it was time for Voynov to head back to the AHL, where he can play large minutes every night and continue his development.

Jarret Stoll was also placed on injured reserve with the ever-popular 'lower body injury.' No timetable has been set for his return.

And then there's this - forwards Jordan Nolan and Dwight King were called up from Manchester. In a nutshell, they're two of the Monarchs leading point producers and the two biggest forwards not named Ray Kaunisto. At 6-foot-3, both are just an inch shy of twitter phenom-to-be RayK71.

Speaking of 71, that's the number Nolan will wear when he makes his NHL debut tomorrow vs. the Islanders. King will wear #74, the same jersey he sported during his six-game NHL stint last season.

King, originally selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, had posted 11 goals, 18 assists 20 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating over 50 games with Manchester this season.

Nolan, a seventh round selection at the 2009 NHL Draft, has probably been the Monarchs most improved player this season - with nine goals, 13 assists and 119 PIM. Both players also spent a little bit of time with the Ontario Reign (ECHL) after first turning pro.

Why Andrei Loktionov needs to be sent to Manchester

Before all the Loktionov lovers lose their mind, relax.

If you've heard any of my recent radio/podcast interviews, the kid has talent. He's still young, he'll be fine. The Kings thought the cake might be done, they pulled it out of the oven, had a bite and it's not fully cooked yet. Put it back in the oven for a little longer (in Manchester) and everything will be just fine.

At the end of last season and over the summer, Loktionov talked of only wanting to play center, he felt more comfortable there. Then, when he was called up this year, he was put on the left wing - because that was the need at the time. Everybody tried to put a smile on and power through it. Fact is, it didn't work. The same issues from last season were still there.

A few weeks later he found himself at center when Mike Richards went down and that should have been his chance to shine. It didn't happen. Fifteen games into his call-up he has no goals and two assists to show for it. Don't buy into the 'he's not being used properly' line of thinking. Good players make things happen when given the ice time. He hasn't done that by any stretch of the imagination.

The only reason he's still with the Kings right now is because of the NHL's holiday trade freeze. When Richards came off of IR last week, the team should have needed to make a corresponding roster move to make room for him. Yet, the freeze allowed them to carry an extra player through today.

But, as timing would have it, with the injury to Simon Gagne last night, the Kings might not need to make a roster move today - other than putting #12 on IR.

Loktionov talks Hextall, Kozun and other Kings prospects

Loktionov preseason goal (photo: M. Zampelli)

The Russians are coming. It's the story that's dominated the Kings headlines in most places the last few days.

Slava Voynov and Andrei Loktionov, both drafted by the Kings in the 2008 NHL Draft, were recalled from Manchester (AHL) in separate transactions about 24 hours apart.

Following practice yesterday, we spoke one-on-one with Voynov (posted earlier today) and then Loktionov, who arrived in LA just a day before his Russian comrade.

Back in the minors, Loktionov had gotten off to a quick start, scoring three goals in the Monarchs first five games. Since then, he's gone twelve games without a goal. However, he still left the AHL as the teams top point producer, largely behind his 11 assists (which are more than double any other player on the team).

Here's what the 21-year old forward had to say...

- Ron Hextall, Kings Assistant GM (who also serves as the Monarchs GM), called him on Sunday morning to let him know the Kings were calling him up to the NHL.

- Regarding his recent lack of production in Manchester - "We changed linemates after only one week. I was playing with Marc-Andre Cliche and Jordan Nolan. Then, Cliche moved to play center. Then, they moved Brandon Kozun (to my line)."

Los Angeles Kings Prospect Report - November 10, 2011

It's been another busy week for the LA Kings prospects. This time around, we have an almost broken foot, some expanding facial hair, a Russian invasion and much more. Take a look...

Manchester Monarchs

It was another rough weekend for the Monarchs, as they went 1-2 in their back-to-back-to-back games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The lone victory came on Saturday in a 2-1 win, with goalie Martin Jones in net and Brandon Kozun picking up a goal. Sunday's loss came via the shootout, so they still picked up a point.

Then, last night, Linden Vey (last year's WHL scoring champion) picked up his third goal of the season late in the game and gave the Monarchs a win in the rematch with Portland.

Left wing Ray Kaunisto, who sat out a pair of games over the weekend after fearing he broke his foot while blocking a shot on Friday night (no break, just swelling), was back in the line-up last night ans scored his second goal of the season.

Brett Hextall, a Phoenix Coyotes draft pick and son of Kings asst GM Ron Hextall, scored for the Portland Pirates in both games against the Monarchs this week (an interview with him can be found at the bottom of this article).

- Other notes: Goalie Jeff Zatkoff was in goal last night for the win, it was his second victory of the season...Grinder Jordan Nolan continues to play well, he now has seven points in 14 games - he was also suspended for two games this week, due to an elbowing incident on November 4...Andrei Loktionov leads all forwards with 14 points (3goals, 11 assists) and Jake Muzzin is tops among defensemen with eight points (3G, 5A) in 13 games played.

Los Angeles Kings Prospect Report - November 2, 2011

So, what's been going on with the LA Kings prospects since we checked in last week? Let's take a look around North America at the various levels of hockey...and as an added bonus, this week's report includes some quotes from a goaltender selected at the 2009 NHL Draft and a defenseman taken in 2010.

Manchester Monarchs

Things continue to be a struggle for the guys in the American Hockey League right now. They went 1-2 in their three games last week and only scored a single goal in the two losses.

- Martin Jones was in net for both losses...Jordan Nolan continues to have a fine season thus far, picking up another goal and an assist (six points total through 11 games played...Linden Vey, who was on MayorsManor last week after scoring his first goal as a professional, netted another one in last Saturday's win...Robbie Czarnik, who's been in Manchester all season, finally made his debut on Saturday - and picked up an assist for his efforts...goalie Jeff Zatkoff also picked up an assist in that game, something Jones had done a few games prior...Brandon Kozun, who is off to a slower start than expected, picked up the lone goal (his second of the season) in Sunday's loss...Andrei Loktionov still leads the team in points (three goals, nine assists) and has a plus-5 rating.

- Starting tomorrow night, the Monarchs will play one of those Manchester specials - a three-fer - with games back-to-back-to-back, Friday through Sunday.

Los Angeles Kings Prospect Report - October 17, 2011

This weekend looked to be a rough one for the Manchester Monarchs - the Kings top farm team. Their schedule saw them playing three road games, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Fortunately, they came out of it with a 2-1 record and scored a total of 15 goals. Martin Jones was in net for the two wins, giving up only one goal in each game. He's looked every bit the part of the goalie many have predicted a big season for - now giving up only five goals total in his four starts (1.26 goals-against average with a .956 save percentage). His only blemish on a 3-1 record was a game he lost 1-0 last weekend.

Jeff Zatkoff, who Jones split time with in goal last season, made his first start of the season in yesterday's 5-2 loss. He made 22 of 27 saves. It was his first game action of any kind in quite some time, as he accompanied the Kings to Europe as a three goalie.

Here are some additional early season notes on a few other Kings prospects:

DEFENSEMEN

Jake Muzzin (ranked second among the Kings top ten prospects heading into the season) - this weekend marked his returned to action after suffering a head/neck injury in training camp...he picked up a pair of goals in the three games played...was credited with seven shots on Goal in yesterday's game, doubling is season total to 14

LA Kings trim two more from training camp roster

The Kings have announced two more players being cut from training camp in LA and reassigned back to Manchester (AHL).

Forward Justin Azevedo, who played in his third pre-season game last night in Colorado, is headed back to the Monarchs - where he played 79 games last season. The 5-foot-7 forward was originally selected by the Kings in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Draft - following a breakout year with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL), where scored 43 goals. Last season was his third year in Manchester and his 53 points (18g, 35a) were second best on the team - trailing only Bud Holloway's 61 points.

Joining him on the flight back will be tough guy Jordan Nolan. The 6-foot-3 center was a rookie with the Monarchs last season, posting 17 points (5g, 12a) in 75 games. He played for three different teams during his junior hockey career, including the last two with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds - where he was teammates with fellow Kings prospect Jake Muzzin. Nolan was a seventh round draft pick in 2009.

During the Kings' rookie camp that preceded main camp, Nolan was one of the stars in the second game of the Rookie Tournament. He scored two goals against the Phoenix Coyotes that day, including the game winner with less than two minutes to go.

He also played two games for the Kings during the NHL preseason this year.

The Kings are now left with 28 skaters (including the injured Colin Fraser) and three goalies in camp. They'll need to be down to 21 skaters before opening night next Friday. As reported previously, they'll be taking all three goalies - Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Bernier and Jeff Zatkoff - with them to Europe.

For notes on the previous roster cuts this year, see below.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Coach Terry Murray evaluates Tyler Toffoli's 2011 training camp

Coach Murray on Brandon Kozun - 'He needs to work on his game'

High / Low with Terry Murray... on players cut from roster

Clarifying the goalie situation - from LA to KC to Europe

Top prospects talk disappointment of not playing tonight

LA Kings roster cuts - details on who was shipped out

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POLL: Most impressive King in Rookie Camp game two?

After the Kings-Coyotes first rookie game on Wednesday night, readers of MayorsManor voted Brandon Kozun as the most impressive LA prospect in the game.

He captured 40% of the votes, just enough to beat out Andy Andreoff's 38%.

Yesterday afternoon, the Kings beat the Coyotes 4-3 (game recap here).

If you were at the game or watched it online, who do you think was the most impressive?



Poll closes Saturday at noon.

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LA vs PHX - Thursday's post-game notes and quotes

Kings v Coyotes Thursday (photo: J. Weinberg)

Brandon Kozun can rest a little easier.

Fresh off his rookie season in Manchester last year, he wasn't talking like a player in a meaningless training camp game after Wednesday's 8-7 loss to the Coyotes - where the Kings gave up five goals in the third period.

He was visibly upset and shared his frustrations following the game, calling the loss 'unacceptable.'

While not on the level of a Mark Messier playoff promise - still, though - he all but guaranteed a win on Thursday.  Per the plan, he and his teammates delivered.

Saying the Kings dominated the first period would be an understatement. After barely showing any signs of defensive life for the final 20 minutes of the game prior, they held the Coyotes to only three shots in the opening period of yesterday's game. Then, only gave up eight more in the second. Goalie Martin Jones could have taken a nap in the crease there was such little action in front of him.

Like the night before, Kozun was again front and center for most of the action. He followed-up his two goal performance in the first game by assisting on three of the Kings four goals Thursday - and two of them were things of beauty.

First, he set up Linden Vey to put the Kings up 2-0, after Jordan Weal opened the scoring.

Following the game, Vey said, "It was good to get the win, especially after the way we lost yesterday."

However, he also had some praise for the play of Kozun, saying "I thought Kozy was great in both games." Indeed.

As for the fewer fights and less physical play in game two of the Coyotes-Kings rookie series, Vey said "We were moving the puck better. It's tough to play physical when a team is moving the puck like that."

So, perhaps that's why Jordan Nolan - who's normally known more for his fists than his soft hands - was able to have such an offensively rewarding day. He scored two goals, including the game winner - set up on highlight reel-like passes from Vey and Kozun.

Monarchs' Kaunisto talks Clune, Kozun, Kings Dev Camp

Over the past 18 months GM Dean Lombardi and the Kings have been stuffing their pipeline with left wings, American born guys and/or college hockey players.

Ray Kaunisto meets all three categories.

His name isn't mentioned much when talking about the Kings prospects though, except to maybe only the most die-hard fans. He's largely gone under the radar, having not been drafted and then signed as a free agent in March of last year.

Still, he says he doesn't feel forgotten about - knowing every team needs (what he calls) a 'certain type' of roll player.

Without knowing it, his ties to the Kings began years before he signed with the team.

Prior to college he played with former Kings prospect Teddy Purcell in the USHL.

He also grew up in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and would cross the river to attend games of the legendary Soo Greyhounds. In fact, during his college days, when he would sneak in a game or two on visits home, the 'Hounds team he was watching featured Jordan Nolan and Jake Muzzin, two of his current teammates in Manchester.

In the conversation below the self-confessed twitter addict talks about being recruited by Los Angeles, players he draws motivation from, the toughest player in Manchester, his thoughts on the most underrated prospect and shares a prank once pulled on him...

MM: You signed with the Kings after playing college hockey at Northern Michigan. How did you end up there?