LA Kings vs Flyers - what to watch for... with Ian Laperriere

Talk show host Jim Rome likes to joke that if you're fortunate enough to spend 15 minutes with quarterback Tim Tebow, your life is better for it. Earlier this week, I tweeted an update to that expression...'If you're lucky enough to spend five minutes with Ian Laperriere, your life is better for it.'

There's probably nobody in hockey I'd rather speak with. He offers zero cliches and no b.s., just raw emotion and straight ahead honesty.

Sure, several players, both past and present, are universally liked. However, if you look hard enough, you can usually find a small pool of people who dislike certain guys - for whatever reason, logical or not.

Lappy is different. And he has been since he first arrived in Los Angeles in 1996. You show me one person who has EVER had a bad thing to say about him and that will be the first.

The guy is as real as they come.

He's been on MayorsManor a number of times, including his still popular guest spot on the podcast last November and again earlier this summer - when he stopped by to set the record straight about Mike Richards, in the days following the big LA-Philadelphia trade.

With the Flyers hosting the Kings tonight, who could possibly be better to kick off our 'what to watch for' segment today?

Here he is, the one and only...

MM: Philadelphia is known for being a great sports town. Yet, the fans can be tough. What type of reaction do you expect them to give Richards when he comes out of the locker room for the first time?

Flyers Ian Laperriere on Mike Richards vs. Chris Pronger

Certain things in hockey are just the way they are.

For example, if Bob McKenzie says it's true, it pretty much is.

If Marcel Dionne shares what a player needs to do to become a more prolific scorer - and Marcel will tell you more than that! - it must be fact.

And if Ian Laperriere gives you a thumbs up or thumbs down on a guy he's played with, you can take it to the bank.

Laperriere, the former Kings forward and fan favorite everywhere he's played, has made several visits to MayorsManor - never offering up cliches and generic answers. What you see with Lappy is what you get. He wears his heart on his sleeve - regardless if he's wearing a jersey or a t-shirt.

So, when the Kings traded for Flyers' captain Mike Richards last week I thought he'd be the perfect guy to reach out to. Who is Mike Richards? Is he the uber talented center who helped take the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals and won a gold medal with Team Canada? Or is he the temperamental, immature star-to-be the Philadelphia media made him out to be?

Here's what Lappy had to say...

MM: What type of player did the LA Kings just acquire?

IL: He's a character guy. He's a leadership kind of guy. The bigger the game is, the bigger his game is. He's a great guy too. I got along really well with him. I just spent a day with him about a week ago. He's just one of those kids who will do everything for the team. He's not the biggest talker in the room or anything like that - but when the puck drops, he's there and he'll give you 100%. He's a winner too. He's won the gold medal and he was a big part of that Team Canada group at last year's Olympics. I think the Kings are going to be really happy about having him on their team.

MM: When you win something so big, like a gold medal or a Stanley Cup, you come out of it a much different player. Did you notice anything different about him - either on or off the ice - after the Olympics?

LA Kings Roundtable - Stanley Cup Conteners in 2012?

On the eve of the NHL's post-season coming to end, there are still two open questions - who will win the Stanley Cup this year, Boston or Vancouver?

And what about the Kings?

For more on that second one, the guys over at KingsCast pulled together a panel, consisting of people like Dennis Bernstein of The 4th Period, Jon Moncrief of the Examiner and Dave Joseph of ESPN to help explore the issue.

Over the last few weeks several videos have been posted on various topics surrounding the Kings past, present and future. Below is the final installment - where we talk in-depth about the players, attitude and philosophy needed for the LA Kings to become Stanley Cup contenders next season.

Some of the conversation centers around Willie Mitchell vs. Chris Pronger, who will win the Pacific Division, can the Kings challenge for one of the top spots in the Western Conference and much more.



If you haven't been keeping up with the whole series, here's a recap with links:

Part one - discussion on Drew Doughty

Part two - discussion on the power play and prospects

Part three - lots of talk on free agents, trade rumors, Kopitar, Bernier, Penner, etc.

Part four - focus on coaching and Johnson vs. Doughty

Part five - debating player contracts and roster changes

Be sure to check back next week for plenty of coverage live from NHL Awards week in Las Vegas - the parties, the players and all the scoop.

The Mayor
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Kings - Flyers Preview with Ian Laperriere

The best players in the National Hockey League usually have nicknames that everybody knows.

And Lappy is no different.

Around the league Ian Laperriere is universally loved and admired. He was called the toughest guys in hockey by The Hockey News last year and he's been a fan favorite everywhere he's played. Unfortunately, he's on the shelf right now - without any timetable for a return.

Last month he made his inaugural visit to MayorsManor as a guest on our podcast (available here). It was an extremely candid conversation that saw him open up about leaving LA, his dislike for certain teammates and his relationship with the fans.

Today, he's back to help us preview the Flyers visit to Staples Center tonight for a match-up with his old club, the Kings...

MM: What have you seen from the Kings so far this year?

Westgarth and the Week Ahead

As we enter the final week of 2010, the schedule doesn't appear to be friendly for the Kings.

Last night's game with Anaheim began a stretch where they'll play four games in five nights - something they haven't had to do since the 1994-95 season. And that includes 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 when the NHL played a compressed schedule due to the Olympics.

Even though forward Kevin Westgarth was a healthy scratch vs. the Ducks, he knew what last night's game meant to the Kings - saying things like "looking to get a little vengeance" and "we need to come out swinging after Christmas."

Yes, they needed payback as well as momentum - something that had been on their side since the first meeting with the Ducks, having gone 7-2-1 since that 2-0 loss in Anaheim on November 29.

With the payback complete, in the form of a 4-1 beat down last night at the Staples Center, now the Kings are looking to keep the momentum going.  Here's how Westgarth sees the match-ups this week...

MM:  You guys haven't seen much of the Sharks this year.  Yet, you'll get them twice this week.  What's your read on San Jose right now?

POLL: Least Favorite (active) NHL Player?

With news coming down that Chris Pronger will be out 4-6 weeks (meaning he won't face the Kings at Staples Center on 12/30), there's been an increased amount of anti-Pronger comments today on social media sites - namely facebook and twitter.

As the Kings are off today and it's a relatively slow news period, let's explore the Pronger issue. Is he the most hated man in the NHL?

The league has always had it's villains - Craig Muni, Rob Blake, Theo Fleury, Patrick Roy and Doug Gilmour are just a few of the guys Kings' fans have loved to hate over the past few decades.

But, what about now?  There are a host of players that could have been added to the poll below - all for their own individual and varying reasons. However, these are probably the top vote getters playing at the moment.

So, who is your least favorite player in the NHL right now - for whatever reason, who is he?

[UPDATE: Final poll results available after the jump. Who won - Pronger, Perry, Avery?]

Doughnuts with the Morning Coffee

LA Kings defenseman...and Norris Trophy candidate...Drew Doughty checked in with the guys at NHL Live this morning to discuss basketball, golf, the NHL awards, Philly vs. Chicago, Chris Pronger, playing at the Olympics and more.

Here are the highlights of the 10 minute conversation:

* He's back home in London, Ontario...will probably return to LA sometime in late July.

* Breaking down the Stanley Cup Finals - I don't know who's going to win.  I kinda think Chicago is going to win.  I'd like to see Philly win because they're the underdog, coming back from 0-3 in their earlier series.

* Are the Blackhawks as fast as they look?  They have skill in all areas of the ice.  They're hard to play against, they're really good at moving the puck.  They have good hands, good shots.  They don't take it easy on anybody.  From their first line to their fourth line they have scorers that can put the puck in the net.  They're a solid, all around team.

* Handicap the Norris race -

Hockey's Most Exclusive Club

Vancouver, BC - Most of the best hockey players on the planet have descended upon Vancouver this month. Most are here to play in the Olympics. Some are here to watch, having played before.

Twenty two of those players were honored earlier tonight for their accomplishments.

This wasn't just any group through and this wasn't your normal awards ceremony. These 22 were here because out of the more than 4,000 hockey players that have skated at the Olympics, these 22 have won the gold. Out of the more than 9,000 players that have tried to win the Stanley Cup, they've done that too. And although more than 15,000 players that have tried to win an IIHF gold medal, this group has one of those as well.

It's a small club. Just 22 members. Each of them having achieved the ultimate hat trick, putting them all into the Triple Gold Club.

With only 22 members it has to be the toughest team in hockey to be part of. The group reads like a who's who of every great game or series you can probably remember. Guys like Brendan Shanahan, Peter Forsberg and Nicholas Lidstrom. Igor Larionov, Rob Blake and Nicklas Lidstrom are members too. Need more? How about - Henrik Zetterberg, Chris Pronger or Jaromir Jagr...they were all there too.

During the ceremony at Molson's Hockey House, in the shadows of the arena hosting this year's Olympic hockey action, each player received a customized Triple Gold Club jersey, a Tissot watch with his name engraved and a special membership pin.

According to the IIHF, there are 42 active players who have won two of the three titles.

Six of those 42 are here in Vancouver looking for a gold medal to complete their entry into hockey's most exclusive club - Eric Staal (Canada); Pavel Kubina and Josef Vasicek (Czech Republic); Jere Lehtinen (Finland) and Sergei Fedorov and Ilya Bryzgalov (Russia).

Guess we'll know by Sunday night if the club is expanding.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

For more Olympics coverage on MayorsManor - including some exclusive pictures - simply type OLYMPICS in the search box near the top left corner of this page.

Is there a Hockey News curse?

Sports fans know all too well about 'the curse' and what it can do to their favorite team or player. The Red Sox had the curse of the Bambino. The Cubs still have the goat. Entire seasons have been lost due to the Sports Illustrated curse. Plus, you have the Madden Football video game curse. This year it was a two-fer, with both Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu showcased on the popular game...and, yep, they both were injured.

Hockey fans take note, because there may be some negative karma brewing in the print world north of the border too. It's possible The Hockey News is the latest sports related curse to be rearing its ugly head.

Perhaps it isn't Ryan Smyth's fault after all that Anze Kopitar has lost his mojo.

Case in point - November 2008 Av's captain Joe Sakic is featured on the cover of The Hockey News. Three weeks later he injures his back, then some fingers and hand injuries. That's it, he's lost for the season and then retires.

You want more? The very next issue showcased young Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn on the cover. Less than a month later he gets the famous lower body injury (knee) and misses a month of action.

Fast forward to this season. One of the best goalies in the world, Roberto Luongo, gets the cover for a late September issue. A month later, he injures his ribs and has to miss a handful of games.

OK, so you say injuries are just part of the game and it's a coincidence. Well, how about playoff performance?

April 16, 2009 Joe Thornton was the Playoff Preview cover boy. By now, everybody knows what happened to his Sharks in the first round after entering the playoffs as the top team in the West.

The following issue featured Zdeno Chara, captain of the East's top team - the Boston Bruins. What happens? Done, bounced in the second round by Carolina.

Not good enough for you? Let's look at some recent stats then...

Chris Pronger, Flyers defenseman, poses for a cover of The Hockey News in early November. The issue was released on 11/9/09. Prior to that he was a +11 with 14 points in 14 games. Since that time he is a -1 with just 11 points in 27 games. Cursed!

The next issue focused on three rookies playing for various New York teams. Last year's number one draft pick, John Tavares of the New York Islanders had 18 points and was a -1 in the 20 games prior. His numbers gave gone south since: -7, 10 points in 23 games. Another New York kid, Michael Del Zotto of the Rangers, was getting early Calder Trophy pub with his pre-cover play of 15 points in 20 games. Man, have times changed - only 5 points in 21 games since and a terrible -16 rating.

Which brings us to Kopitar. What's wrong with Anze? It's the million dollar question right now. Many people speculated it was the absence of Ryan Smyth. However, Rhyno's back now and things haven't really changed.

Kopi was The Hockey News cover boy for the December 14th issue. Ignoring his red hot start to the year - for the sake of trying to factor in the Smyth impact - in the 20 games prior to the issue being released on December 7th Anze had 16 points. The Kings have played 12 games from that point forward, a strech where Kopitar has just 5 points.

Is there a new curse to worry about in the world of hockey?

It's one possible explanation.

The Mayor
www.twitter.com/Mayor119

High / Low with Ethan Moreau, Edmonton Oliers captain

Since entering the league in 1979 the Edmonton Oilers have been one of the most successful franchises. They've made seven trips to the Stanley Cup finals, winning five. However, its been a tough few years since their last run in 2006.

Back in the late '80s and early '90s they were one of the LA Kings biggest rivals. Sure, Gretzky came to LA after winning four cups with the Oilers, but it was more than just that trade that made things so special. It also didn't hurt that they played in the same division at the time.

After a big trade 10 years ago, involving seven players, Ethan Moreau arrived back home in Canada. Five years earlier he was a first round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks and would soon be playing along side Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios and Bernie Nicholls in the Windy City.

Now, the Captain of the Oilers, he is trying to guide the team back to the promise land one more time. Prior to tonight's match-up with the Kings he took some time to chat with the Mayor. Here's the first part of the interview:

Who is the smartest player you've ever played with and what did you learn from him?

I'd have to say Chris Pronger. He's probably the best player and the smartest player I've ever played with. I didn't learn too much from him on the ice because he plays a different position. But, he has a real professional approach to the game, he's always prepared to play and he takes a lot of pride in the way he plays. So those are probably things I took from him.


Let's take a look at the first few months of the NHL season. What have been the highs and lows so far?

HIGHS

1. Parity - nobody is running away with things and nobody is out of it

2. Big Hits - I think that's entertaining for everybody

3. Dustin Penner

LOWS

1. Attendance - it's been tough in certain markets

2. Travel Schedule - things have been compressed because of the Olympics

3. Ice Conditions - we've played on some poor ice...some cities can handle the multiple events in the same buildings, others can't

Let's try word association with some of the guys you've had as teammates throughout your career:

Eddie Belfour - eccentric
Chris Chelios - competitive
Jeremy Roenick - entertaining
Tony Amonte - great release
Chris Pronger - smart (guess I set him up with that one earlier, eh?)
Ryan Smyth - hand-eye
Matt Greene - funny
Jarret Stoll - one timer
Patrick O'Sullivan - toe drag
Lubomir Vishnovsky - quick
Craig MacTavish - gray (note: he was his coach, not a teammate)

Finish this sentence: I'll be a better player this season if I ____

stay healthy

* * * * * * * * * * * *

To read more from our exclusive interview with Ethan Moreau - including his thoughts on the trade that brought him to Edmonton, his friends on the Kings, Craig MacTavish, Chris Pronger, Dany Heatley, his near nude pics in ESPN The Magazine and lots more, click here for part two.

The Mayor
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