Warming up the leftovers with Clifford, Greene, Westgarth

Things have been a little busy lately, so it's time to play catch up this morning. Sometimes, you have 'extra' quotes that just never see the light of day because of timing, other news stories popping up, etc. Then, they're lost forever. Rather than let that happen, let's back track for just a moment. After all, this should be a slow Monday...

Below are comments from Kevin Westgarth and Matt Greene after the physical game vs Florida on Thursday - plus, Kyle Clifford following Saturday's contest with Montreal.

Westgarth on the surprising amount of rough play in the Kings-Panthers game - "There was a bit of frustration on both of the teams. Then, when their player takes a bit of a run at one of our better players, it pisses everybody off. It was great to come out with the win. We weren't as good as we should be tonight and it's pretty awesome that we came out with the win. It's great to see some of the snarl out of the boys. I think it should be quite a game when we get back over there in Florida."

NOTE: The Kings will play the Panthers in Florida on Thursday, February 9. Also, to see the hit Sean Bergenheim put on Mike Richards, click here.

Westgarth on watching much of the Kings roster get involved in the physical aspect of the game - "I love seeing the boys take care of each other. That's why I'm here. But, that's the whole mentality. If everybody has each other's back, then we can all play that much more confident and that much better. Sometimes I grit my teeth a little too much maybe and just want to do something to deal with it. But, I think the guys did a great job of stepping up, being real physical, and going right back after them. Hockey teams, and especially our team, have memories. We'll keep this one close to our chest."

VIDEO: Mike Richards hit by Bergenheim, no suspension

The NHL has announced there will not be any suspension or fine for the hit Florida's Sean Bergenheim put on LA center Mike Richards late in the second period of last night's game.

It's been ruled a full body hit.

Judge for yourself...

More notes and quotes coming soon, including an update on the extent of Richards' injuries.  He did not play in the third period, held out for precautionary reasons.

Here was the overall reaction from the Florida locker room last night.

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LA wins 2-1, postgame quotes from Panthers locker room

Despite out-shooting the Kings 42-26, which was also the most shots LA has given up to any opponent this season, the Panthers lost 2-1 on Thursday night...and it was the seventh straight time the Kings have downed the Panthers, dating all the way back to November 5, 2003.

Although the two teams rarely play each other, it was an extremely physical game, especially after Mike Richards was roughed up by Sean Bergenheim late in the second period (something we'll get into with quotes from the Kings locker room later - video available here though). LA ended up out-hitting Florida 45-18 in the game.

Afterwards, here's what they were saying in the Panthers dressing room...

Coach Kevin Dineen on the overall game - "We thoroughly outplayed them. They were trying to run around and chase us and hack us and slash us. When you are getting outplayed as badly as they were that’s the response. We walk out of here feeling very good about the way we played and we move forward from there."

Dineen on the goaltending - "(It) was a strong point at both ends of the ice. There was plenty of opportunities and their goalie [Jonathan Quick] certainly got them a couple of points and Theo [goalie Jose Theodore] gave us every chance to win."

Dineen on the physicality - "We didn’t need to get physical. All they were trying to do was crosscheck and they let a lot of things go late in the game. When you are outplaying a team by a wide margin you stick with what was working for you and they had a real tough time handling our speed."

Panthers at Kings pregame primer - with Mike Richards

When the Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings last played each other it certainly featured an exciting finish. Tied 2-2 with less than three minutes remaining in the third period, Anze Kopitar scored to put LA on top and they went on to win the game 3-2.

That was only Kopitar's fourth career game vs. Florida, largely because they're an Eastern Conference team - so the Kings don't see them very often.

Mike Richards, on the other hand, has faced them 23 times and picked up 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in the process.

"They're always a good team," said Richards, who has scored nine goals in the the last 10 games for LA. "I know they were extremely well coached the last couple of years with Pete DeBeor there [since replaced by Kevin Dineen, more on that earlier today]. It was usually a tough place to play too, going down to Florida. But, they've made a lot of changes. They have a lot of skill in their line-up now - including Kris Versteeg scoring well, I played with him. They have skill and they ruffle things up a bit too. They're playing well right now and we have to play well too."

Additional notes:

Kings coach Murray ready to take on former Flyers student

Bill and Kevin Dineen (photo: Flyers Archives)

Ah yes, more Kings-Flyers connections. It seems like there's a new one every week or so and tonight brings yet another one.

After practice yesterday, coach Terry Murray didn't have much to offer when asked about the Florida Panthers revamped roster this season - preferring to wait until after he watched some more game tape later in the day.

However, there was one aspect he didn't need to be brought up to speed on.

"I know they have a new coach in place and he coached in Portland, Maine (AHL)," said Murray, referring to Kevin Dineen. "I know Kevin real well. He played for me in Philadelphia."

Asked if he saw Dineen as a future coach back during his playing days, Murray said, "There's a few guys that I've had as players (who) I really didn't anticipate would be in the coaching side of it. But, it doesn't surprise me. Kevin's family is in the coaching side, his dad was a longtime coach [Bill Dineen, including coaching the Flyers], Peter's been in there [Kevin's brother, who also played 11 games for the Kings in 1986-87] and Gord's been in there [Kevin's other brother]. So, it doesn't surprise me that he's followed in those footsteps."

Murray continued by offering up an assessment of Dineen's performance in the AHL the last few seasons - "He did a good job in Portland. That's where I go in the summertime and there's always good things said about the team that played there. He's brought some good players along for Buffalo (including three straight AHL Rookies of the Year) and they were always near the top of the standings at the end of the season. So, he's done a a good job."

Master vs. Student, the bench battle begins at 7:30 pm PST.

For more of today's Panthers-Kings pregame material, check out the links below.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Panthers defenseman Mike Weaver on his days in LA and playing with Dustin Brown

Trevor Lewis responds to being benched and comments by coach Murray

Interview with Panthers forward Marco Sturm

Kings' Rob Scuderi recalls his NHL debut vs. the Florida Panthers

Interview with Nick Bjugstad - Florida Panthers first round draft pick

Milestone Moment - Rob Scuderi's first NHL game

For Rob Scuderi, February 12, 2004 may not have been where his hockey story began, yet it did mark 'day one' of his officially becoming an NHL defenseman.

Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins at the time, his team traveled to Florida for a game with the Florida Panthers...

"Well, unfortunately, we lost (5-1)," said Scuderi, when asked what his memories were of that game. "I thought I played pretty well for (my) first game. Sometimes, for your first game, not to be completely selfish, you have more of an awareness of how you're doing yourself. You still want to win the game, that's the most important thing though. I remember playing pretty well and having a good debut. The whole rest of the call-up went that way and probably started my NHL career."

The call-up he refers to was his 13-game stint in the NHL that season. Interestingly, in his final game before being sent back to the AHL, Scuderi scored his first NHL goal - in Madison Square Garden. Not bad for a native New Yorker, who says he grew up hating the Rangers.

Due to the NHL lockout the following season, Scuderi didn't make it back to the NHL until October 2005.

Now, looking ahead to the game tonight versus Florida...

"Just like most games, we're worried more about we do," said Scuderi. "We think that if we do the things that make us successful, it doesn't matter who we're playing. So, if we can do those things - which is moving the puck north, keeping it simple - we like our chances against anybody."

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Brad Richardson isn't a fan of Scuderi's wardrobe

Dustin Brown throws Scuderi into the mix with Penner vs Greene

What I've learned so far this season... by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang

Former King Mike Weaver talks time in LA, Dustin Brown

Mike Weaver was originally signed as a free agent by Los Angeles in July 2004 and he spent the following year in Manchester (AHL), while the NHL went through a season-long lockout.

That team won 51 games, was led by brand new Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau and featured such names as Dustin Brown, Mike Cammalleri, Tim Gleason, George Parros and Dave Steckel.

Boudreau was fired at the end of that season, after the Monarchs lost in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year. The following season he won the AHL Championship in Hershey. But, that's a different story for a different day. Back to Weaver...

He played 92 games for the Kings from 2005 to 2007. Fast forwarding a few years, he's now with the Panthers, after signing a free contract in Florida this past August. Following practice yesterday, I spoke with him about his time here...

"It was fun. I enjoyed the weather and enjoyed the city," said the 33-year old defenseman. "But, I'm happy where I am right now, in Florida. Through the wintertime we have the same weather as LA, just the summertime is a little bit more humid. Overall, with every city I go to - and hopefully Florida is my last one - you have your fond memories of each place. You have your positives and negatives with each organization. I think that, overall, LA was a great experience. I enjoyed it."

When asked if he had any favorite memories of playing with Brown back then, the 5-foot-10 native of Ontario, Canada said - "Talking about his heavy hits the next day, after a game," then paused for a few chuckles. "He's a good guy. He's a great leader and he deserves being the captain. I think he's done well for himself. He plays the game hard and he plays it with heart."

A few hours earlier I had asked Brown the same question about Weaver...

"He was a solid player when I played with him," said the Kings' captain. "Small guy with really long arms. So, he's pretty deceiving as a defenseman."

As noted in an article earlier this morning, Weaver won't be the only Panther having a bit of homecoming tonight. Marco Sturm makes his return to Staples Center as well. You can read his thoughts on the experience here.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Interview with Nick Bjugstad - Florida Panthers first round draft pick

Interview with Panthers forward Marco Sturm

Kings' Rob Scuderi recalls his NHL debut vs. the Florida Panthers

Marco Sturm happy to move on from the lows of LA

Sturm in LA, January 2011 (photo: C. Ikiri)

When you've played over 900 games in the NHL, a 17-game stint with a team isn't exactly something that's going to stick out in your mind. Still, returning to LA tonight with the Florida Panthers to face his former team - and we use that term rather loosely here - stirs up a few emotions for Marco Sturm.

"It was definitely really short," he said, when asked if he ever even felt like a King. "It feels a little different (coming back here)."

That didn't stop him from having a huge smile when he greeted a few of the Kings training staff with big bear hugs after practice on Wednesday. "I love seeing some of the guys," shared Sturm. "Especially the trainers, they've been so good to me. That was definitely something I was looking forward to."

During his two month stay in LA, he spent plenty of time with them, as he was attempting to return to the ice after missing nearly a year of action following major knee surgery.

"The high was that I came back again from an injury. It probably wasn't the way I wanted, but I was playing the game again. I think that was probably the only positive I had," said Sturm when he reflected back on what's been a tough year. "I actually felt better and better towards the end of the season in Washington. There were a lot of lows, especially here (in LA) and leaving here - probably one of my lowest points and it was tough."

Kings Pass Felix Potvin, Barry Potomski in 3-2 Win

Losing sucks. Winning is fun.

In honor of those simple facts, let's look back at last night's Kings' win over the visiting Florida Panthers with a little humor and wit - or at least attempt some.

You should have known you were in for a good time though just by reading the headline. Any article featuring past players like Barry Potomski has to be fun, right?

On twitter the game was summed up like this by the LAKingsAlumni account:

'PP? 0 goal Stoll! 1-0 weird bounce! 1-1 outplayed em & poof down 2-1 TMMOTI! 2X!? Nice screen Clifford goal Harrold! 2-2 pk41√ Kopi GWG!!!'

If you're looking for something that may be a little easier to understand. Try this stream...

@FoxSportsWest @LAKings vs. Panthers coming up next at 7:30p...flip that switch & catch special guest Rob Blake who joins the broadcast crew!

[ed. note - wait, what?]

Ryan Smyth Readies for the Florida Panthers

Ryan Smyth is the eldest of the veterans on this year's LA Kings team. So, he's been there, done that when it comes to most things in the National Hockey League - including losing streaks.

In the article below he talks leadership, preparing for the Florida Panthers and provides some thoughts on a former teammate.

MM: With the losses piling up do you start to look differently at the teams coming in this week (Florida and Detroit) or you more introspective at this point?

RS: We're trying to focus on ourselves. The coaches do a good job of setting out a game plan for us personally and for the opponent. First and foremost we have to collectively come together and play a full 60 minutes. And just execute - execute the game plan. We're not too far off. It's just a matter of believing in ourselves and believing we can win again.

Marty Reasoner is now with the Panthers, you played with him in Edmonton. Any thoughts about playing against your old teammate?

He's a competitor. He battles hard. He's really good up the middle. I think he's great on face-offs. He's well respected around the league and I think as a guy that battles hard, he rubs off on his teammates too.

A hot topic in the sports world the last few days was the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals laughing on the sidelines while his team was getting blown-out on the field Monday night. Have you had to deal with guys joking around at maybe the wrong time at some point in your career, like during a losing streak or a bad blowout?

Obviously you have to take your job seriously. We're professional athletes. You have to deal with it properly. People deal with it in different ways. That's the way they dealt with it. It's just a matter of, in my opinion, you should handle it like a professional.

As we talked about it for a few more minutes, he went on to say "There's a time and a place for everything. But, it all reflects back on the team."

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Alexei Ponikarovsky comments - Florida Panthers game preview, injury update

Brad Richardson comments - Panthers game preview and update on team frustration level

Five Fun Facts for Ryan Smyth's 1000th NHL Game


photo courtesy of Michael Zampelli
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Two Minutes In The Box...with Brad Richardson

Brad Richardson has been up, down and all around this season for the LA Kings. He's played top line minutes with Anze Kopitar...and been a fourth-line role player along side Kevin Westgarth.

So, naturally, in the article below he covers things from all bases - talking about the team's recent play, this week's game preparation and the ever changing line combinations.

MM: Given the number of losses over the last few weeks, where is the frustration level within the team right now?

BR: I don't know if it's frustration. I think we obviously are (frustrated). But, we thought we played well in Anaheim. That was one of the best games we've played in a while. I think we know what we have to do and we're determined. We want to turn this around right now. We don't want to let it slide any further.

In a situation like this, do you guys spend any extra time preparing for opponents like Florida and Detroit - or is the focus more internal?

We go over video and review the team for every game. It doesn't matter if it's an exhibition game or if it's Florida or whoever it is. We know our opponents. But, the main thing right now is we're trying to focus on what we need to do. We're working on certain things in practice - our forecheck, creating a little more offense, getting the 'D' involved. Right now it comes down to us and working hard for 60 minutes.

You've been up and down the lines this season. Does it get frustrating at times not knowing who you'll be playing with on any given night or are you just happy to be getting minutes?

I guess a little bit of both. Obviously, it's nice to be in the line-up and contributing. But, it would be nice to be on a line where you kinda know what your role is going to be. But, that's the way it is right now. So, that's what I have to deal with. Wherever I'm playing, I'm going to try to go out and do my best and contribute to that line.

Keep an eye out for him. Brad Richardson - a plug and play option on line-up cards everywhere.

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Alexei Ponikarovsky comments - injury update and Florida Panthers scouting report

Ryan Smyth comments on facing the Florida Panthers - plus his opinion on recent NFL drama


photo courtesy of Michael Zampelli
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Ponikarovsky - Reporting From The Sidelines

Alexei Ponikarovsky was brought in this summer to essentially replace Alexander Frolov on the third line.

He seemed to be fitting in just nicely until he broke his finger on November 6th vs. Nashville - ironically, the same night fellow newcomer, Willie Mitchell, was injured too.

In the article below, Ponikarovsky talks Florida Panthers hockey, updates us on his finger, the Kings' overall mental health and comments on Kyle Clifford's play...

MM: Help us preview the Panthers a bit. Their captain is Brian McCabe, your former teammate in Toronto (2003-08). What's the scouting report?

AP:  Florida is a good team, hard working team. The guys (the Kings) are going to have to outwork them. They have pretty good goaltending. Brian is playing a big role for them on defense and their power play as well.

You'll probably be sitting this one out, but when you're in the line-up and you go up against a former teammate, does it motivate you all?

Future Fridays - Interview with NHL prospect Nick Bjugstad

On a Saturday afternoon earlier this summer, things were lining up perfectly. Almost too perfectly.

Twenty one summers prior, Scott Bjugstad signed with the Kings after spending one season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  While he scored only five goals over the next three years in Los Angeles, it still allowed him entry into a very small club - players who could say they were teammates with Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

Two decades later, as the first round of this year's NHL draft reached pick #15, Nick Bjugstad was still available.  Scott's nephew could possibly be taken by his former team at #19...he just needed to survive four more picks.

Then, there was a buzz on the floor at Staples Center, followed by the Commissioner announcing a trade.  The Kings had worked a deal to acquire Florida's #15 selection.  Had Dean Lombardi just traded up to take the 6'5" center?

No, he ended up taking another defenseman - Derek Forbort.  However, in a twist of irony, Nick Bjugstad was taken by the Florida Panthers in the #19 slot, the one originally owned by the Kings.

Adding to the confusion, Nick says "After the draft I heard from several people that thought I was taken by the Kings, instead of selected in the spot the Kings traded out of. And some other people I know thought I was traded to LA right after I was drafted.  It was a little crazy at first."

That June weekend was just another of the many high points Nick has experienced this year.  A few months prior he won the 'Mr. Hockey' Award as the top player in the state of Minnesota.  Just a few weeks ago he was one of the stars at the Team USA evaluation camp for the upcoming World Jr Championships.  And next month he'll start classes at the University of Minnesota, his dream school.

In the interview below he opens up, taking us on a journey from his early days on the ice to his whirlwind summer.  There's another Bjugstad headed to the NHL soon...so, get to know Nick...

As you look back now to those early days, what's the most vivid memory that really stands out in your mind?