The good, the bad and the something - with Matt Greene

The last few days have been a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly for the LA Kings. After a disappointing loss to the Stars on Thursday - a game the Kings were leading with less than six minutes to go in regulation - they bounced back with a big win in Calgary last night. The 'Dome hasn't been good to them in recent years, with only one win there in 11 prior games.

Just before leaving for Alberta, Kings coach Darryl Sutter asked - 'What is history?' Guess he was right.

Let's check in with defenseman Matt Greene...

THE GOOD

Last night, Greene scored his third goal of the season and it stood up as the game winner. It also helped him set two new career highs at once. He's never scored more than two goals in a season before, nor had he posted more than one GWG over a full campaign.

Alec Martinez loves Sutter, even when he scratches him

Defenseman Alec Martinez (photo by: Dinur)

Second year defenseman Alec Martinez is not expected to be in the line-up tonight when the Kings take on the Flames in Calgary.

In fact, after coach Darryl Sutter took over, Martinez sat out the next six games in favor of Slava Voynov. Once the Russian rookie was injured, #27 was given a chance to play. In the next four game, Martinez posted zero points - but, appeared to be getting more involved in the offense, increasing his shot totals in each game.

He also took in stride when he was swapped with Voynov for the Kings last game, Thursday's home contest vs. the Dallas Stars.

"It was a coach's decision," Martinez explained. "He told me he wanted to get a righty in there, for that righty-lefty combo. So, I've just been getting extra work in (after practice) and I'll keep working hard so when my opportunity comes back, then I'll be ready."

The former University of Miami (Ohio) standout, also like his new coach's approach to managing the team - "He's good on the bench. He shoots it to you straight. If you make a good play, he'll tell you. If you don't, he'll tell you too. Personally, I like it that way. I think a lot of guys do."

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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Quotes from the Coyotes locker room after 4-3 loss to LA

The Phoenix Coyotes brought a collection of former Kings with them to Staples Center last night - including coach Dave Tippett, goalie Jason LaBarbera and forward Patrick O'Sullivan. However, LA outshot them 35-29, out-hit them 28-25, won more faceoffs, killed every Coyotes penalty, chased LaBarbera early in the third period and won the game 4-3.

Afterwards, coach Tippett had this to say about the overall game...

"I thought we hung in there. We wanted to make sure we competed hard and give ourselves the best chance of winning. We were hanging around the whole game right to the end. There were a couple of goals that LaBarbera would like to have back, but those are tough to overcome."

On back-up goalie Curtis McElhinney’s relief effort, Tippet said - "I thought he played very well. He made a couple good saves and then he got lucky on a couple posts so we just took a chance to see if we could change the momentum there. We competed hard tonight and you always want results without a doubt. They had some guys really play well tonight. We have to keep that attitude and try to win a big game at home."

If there was one positive for Phoenix, it had to be the play of Raffi Torres. On his two goal performance, Tipped said - "He made a couple good plays on breakaways to score. With our lineup the way it is we need people to contribute throughout and he gave us a couple good goals tonight."

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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Willie Mitchell on the new defensive pairings

The Kings have only played 22 games so far this season, yet defenseman Willie Mitchell is already on his third different partner.  Twice he's been teamed with Slava Voynov for a stretch of games - once when his regular partner, Drew Doughty, was injured and then more recently when the Russian blueliner was called up to replaced an injured Alec Martinez.  Then, a few days ago, Voynov was put with Matt Greene. Rather than team Doughty back up with Mitchell, he moved on to Rob Scuderi - leaving Jack Johnson as Mitchell's new partner.

"We've all played a lot with each other. But, it's different, it's an adjustment," said Mitchell, when asked about the recent changes. "I feel pretty comfortable with Voynov and Doughty. Most people can see that I've played pretty well with both those guys. Now, I'm kind of starting to roll with Jack. We played together last year for a little bit. But, I was playing on the right side, in an area I really wasn't comfortable with. To be honest, I was battling a couple injuries, so I wasn't at the top of my game, so to speak.

"I think the idea was to have a guy out there who was pretty responsible on the defensive side of things, get out there with Jack and hopefully compliment his offensive side of the game and settle things down. So, I think it's been a little better than what we were last year, as a pairing. That said, we have to continue to try and get better as a unit. It's our job to go out there and play, coaches put together what they put together for their rhymes or reasons. For the most part, we've all kind of played with each other. So, it just takes a few different reads, as far as - Jack, obviously plays on his off-side, so you have to be aware of certain situations with that."

Coach Murray and Voynov compare notes on his first NHL game

Unexpectedly, Slava Voynov received more attention than all but a few players during the Los Angeles Kings training camp this year.

With Drew Doughty unsigned, the Russian-born defenseman played in every possible exhibition game and was the last player cut before opening night.

He was off to a solid start in Manchester (AHL), picking up a couple of points in the first few games and was a plus-5. Then, Doughty was hurt early in the game with the Flyers and Voynov was on his way to back to LA.

After practice today, he shared the following comments (note: he speaks with a heavy accent and a small part of his responses are paraphrased)...

Earlier in the week, coach Terry Murray gave the impression they tried to be as positive as possible when notifying Voynov he would be going back to the AHL to start the season, but added 'We told him he was on the threshold of making the NHL.'

Voynov shed a little more light on that conversation today - "They said I played well and had improved. Coach Murray told me to give my best every year and he said don't stop, keep working."

On the thoughts going through his head during the plane ride back to LA this weekend, Voynov said - "I was so excited. I had been waiting for this moment for three years."

On any advice the coaches game him prior to last night's game - "Nothing. We just spoke about things a little bit right now during practice and he told me to correct a couple of (things), like d-zone play with the pucks. But nothing before."

Murray's reasoning for not talking too much to Voynov beforehand was simple.

Coach Terry Murray pushing and pulling Jack Johnson

It's been said many times that Jack Johnson may have played his best hockey in the NHL during the six game stretch when Drew Doughty was out of the line-up last October.

Statistically, there was a dramatic difference. In those games, he collectively totaled seven assists and was a minus-1. His output in the remaining 76 games of the year was 30 assists. Thus, he was nearly three times his season average during that small stretch.

A few weeks ago in training camp, coach Terry Murray said he wanted to see Johnson have a more consistent 'attitude of going after guys, pinning and sealing, and really being nasty one-on-one' this year.

Saturday night in Philadelphia, it may have all come together for Johnson - culminating in what some are calling his best game ever for the Kings.

Today, Murray spoke about how impressed he was with Johnson's play vs. the Flyers...

"I thought he was a real horse of a man in Philadelphia. He played tremendous. He got stronger and played with more authority on the puck. He really tried to take the game over every time he was on the ice. That was outstanding on his part, from my view of it. I just want to keep building on that and pushing that attitude. It's the way it is. When you lose a player, somebody does need to step up and take more on. And he assumed that responsibility. It was great to see."

Just imagine how deadly the Kings would be if Johnson and Doughty were both playing at an elite level most nights.

Scary.

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RELATED ARTICLES:

Jack Johnson not worried about much, including his plus-minus

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LA Kings' Willie Mitchell on his past, present and future

Willie Mitchell will be staring at part of his past when he steps onto the ice tonight in New Jersey.

"Where it all started. That's the first thing I think about when it comes to playing the Devils," the 10-year NHL veteran said. "It doesn't matter how many teams you've played for, and I've played for a couple, you always have fond memories of where it all started."

He debuted for New Jersey on March 25, 2000, nearly four years after they selected him in the eighth round of the 1996 draft.

Nowadays, as he hands out advice to young players, they probably hear stories of the experiences he went though as a prospect coming up through the New Jersey organization.

"I think in life in general, you try and learn your whole way. That's the journey of life, learning. If you ever think you can stop learning, you're in trouble," Mitchell said, as we reflected back on pieces of his career that have molded him into the player he's become.

"As a pro, I try to learn every day. I tried to learn from guys before me, guys who spent a lot of time in the league. I was fortunate enough to start in one of the best environments ever with the Devils - Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Larry Robinson, Jacques Lemaire, I could go on and on. There's a lot of Stanley Cups there. And you don't win those without having a good model for success. I tried to learn from those guys."

Some of those lessons have steered him towards being a certain type of player, just don't necessarily call him a leader.

NHL Premiere: caption these three Drew Doughty photos

After a summer filled with some nervous Kings fans wondering if Drew Doughty would ever play a game in Los Angeles again - despite several reassurances by team management that he wasn't going to be traded and it was 'just business - the talented blueliner finally inked a deal on September 30th.

And while those same fans couldn't wait to see him back on the ice, it seems the photographers in Hamburg yesterday couldn't resist taking photos of him on the ice - literally!

Kudos to the Hamburg Freezers for posting several non-traditional hockey shots from the Kings 5-4 win in their final pre-season tune-up prior to Friday's NHL season opener.

So, let's have some fun with the three shots below - see if you can come up with the best caption for any or all of the pictures.

DREW DOUGHTY #1

DREW DOUGHTY #2

Saturday cuts - LA Kings send three more to Manchester

The pruning of the Los Angeles Kings 2011 training cam roster continues.

Three players are on their way back to Manchester (AHL) - defensemen Andrew Campbell and Thomas Hickey, along with left wing Dwight King.

This has to be good news for Russian defeseman Slava Voynov, who is hoping to join the team on their season opening trip to Europe.

At the same time, it's another disappointment for Hickey, the Kings first round pick at the 2007 NHL Draft.

Just a few weeks ago, Hickey spoke with MayorsManor about the pressure he was feeling camp this year - that article, along with coach Terry Murray's reaction to his comments can be found here.  The former Team Canada captain and WHL standout also did a more in-depth interview (linked here) right before last season's AHL playoffs got underway.

Hickey was ranked ninth among the Kings top 10 prospects in the MayorsManor list that came out just as camp was opening last month.  Voynov was ranked sixth.  To see the full rankings, click here.

More notes from Vegas later this afternoon.

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Alec Martinez hopes to have money left over for new sticks

Martinez and Dean Lombardi (photo: C. Ikiri)

Earlier in the week, we had Kyle Clifford on to talk about his new equipment endorsement with Bauer - 'head to toe Bauer' as The Colonel said.

Meanwhile, although defenseman Alec Martinez may have signed a contract extension with the Kings this summer, he hasn't landed a stick deal yet. Nor does he even know which one prefers at this point...

"I'm still in the process of trying out a few different sticks," the 24-year old explained. "I have a couple Bauer sticks coming in the mail. I tried a couple before, but the curve was a little too big. Right now I like the Easton's, but I'm willing to give Bauer a shot. I used them in college and liked them a lot. I haven't used them in a couple of years, but I'll try 'em out."

Speaking of his college days - last month, he went back to his old stomping grounds in Miami, Ohio to help out for a few days.

"I was there skating for a week in August - they had a little pro camp for all the alum that are playing pro now. We were there working hard, but it's also nice because you get to see guys you don't get to see too regularly during the season. It's a good time, getting to (hang out) with some of your buddies and getting to know some of the newcomers in the program. Overall, it looks like their program is going in the right direction and hopefully they can have a great year."

Johnson not worried about much, including his plus-minus

Jack Johnson of LA Kings (photo: K. Spatz)

Kings defenseman Jack Johnson has few worries away from the rink, especially after signing a seven-year, $30.5-million contract extension back in January.

So, he was free to spend his summer on things other than stressing about a the trials and tribulations that can come with negotiating a new deal with his employer.

Instead, one of the many areas he found himself involved in was investing in a gym business back home in Michigan.

"I did it just because I get a key to the gym," joked Johnson. "I like to spend my time there. I have fun hanging out there and have a great relationship with all the trainers. They're almost like family like now. Plus, my little brother gets to train there for free."

The former first round draft pick says that as camp continues the focus is on cleaning up his game before the season begins in a few weeks.

"I'm making sure my puck handling gets back up to speed, keeping my head up, getting out of summer hockey mode," explained Johnson.

And then there's that little thing called plus-minus that pops up from time to time. His minus-19 posted during his rookie season has pretty much held steady over the last four years - including a team worst minus-21 last year. Perhaps, more concerning, on a team known for it's strong defensive play, Johnson was the only member of LA's starting defensemen to post a minus as the season total.

Like most things, it seems to just roll off Johnson's back.

"Plus-minus? I don't lose any sleep over that. As long as the coaches keep saying that I’m playing well and they keep playing me good minutes, that’s all the reassurance I need from them. If they see anything wrong, they let me know."

Preparing for life without Doughty, Kings coach Murray talks Voynov vs Hickey

Voynov, LA Kings rookie (photo: K. Spatz)

Hey, have you heard the news?

Drew Doughty hasn't resigned with the LA Kings yet.

After being bombarded with questions about his former Norris trophy candidate during the opening day of camp, coach Terry Murray is now starting to prepare for the possibility of having to fill his spot on the roster - even if it's only temporary.

LA's three leading candidates would be Jake Muzzin, Thomas Hickey and Slava Voynov.

Given that Murray already saw what Muzzin can do in the NHL during his 11-game stint early last season, much of the attention the last few days has been focused on the other two.

"I'm not too sure how it's all going to play out," Murray said early in camp. "But, the opportunity is there for someone to grab a position if Doughty does not show up here by the end of training camp."

And how likely is it that 'someone' will be Voynov?

"He has a little bit of an edge because he's a right handed shot - but, also because he's a very skilled guy and he plays the power play," Murray explained. "That's one of his strengths - to be able to carry the puck, see the ice and make plays. He has a nice shot, good quickness and, instinctively, he's a skill player. The other part is, he's coming off an all-star year (in Manchester). When you pay your dues in the minors the last couple of years like he has, and his game keeps getting better, he's a player that I'm going to keep a very close eye on."

Don't count Hickey out just yet though. He's been flying around the ice during the first few days of camp and Murray has taken notice.

"That’s a big change from what I saw in year one. His overall body strength is much better (too)."

Speed and strength are just part of Hickey's improvements. Murray also likes what he's doing with the puck.

LA Kings Training Camp 2011 - Player Groups A, B and C

Saturday morning at 8:30 am the Los Angeles Kings - well, about one-third of them - will take the ice in El Segundo for the opening of the team's main training camp.

Over two dozen of the participants have been in Rookie Camp for the last week or so and the majority of other players and have been around the training facility, working out on a volunteer basis, for the last few weeks as well.

Now, it's all for real.

Saturday's schedule:

Group A – Practice – 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Group A – Practice – 10:20 – 11:00 a.m.
Group A – Skate - 11:05 – 11:30 a.m.

Group B – Practice – 11:20 – 12:50 p.m.
Group B – Practice – 1:10 – 1:50 p.m.
Group B – Skate - 1:55 – 2:20 p.m.

Group C – Practice – 2:10 – 3:40 p.m.
Group C – Practice – 4:00 – 4:40 p.m.
Group C – Skate - 4:45 – 5:10 p.m.

Practice is on the main ice, skate sessions are on the Olympic rink.  Sunday's schedule will be group B, C, then A.  Monday will be C, A, B.

The entire training camp roster has been divided as follows:

VIDEO: LA Kings GM Dean Lombardi on Doughty, rookies

Daryl Evans spoke with Los Angeles Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi earlier today - among the topics: holdout defenseman Drew Doughty and the just completed Rookie Camp. Take a look...

If you'd like to win a pair of lower bowl seats for this coming Wednesday's pre-season game at Staples Center, featuring the Kings vs. the Coyotes, visit www.facebook.com/MayorsManor for all the details.

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Coach Murray on camp performance of Muzzin, Deslauriers

Jake Muzzin, LA Kings (photo: Kasey Spatz)

Sure, nobody won a job or lost a job with the Los Angeles Kings due to their performance at this week's development camp.

However, the annual showcase allows Kings' coaches and management an opportunity to evaluate the on and off ice skill sets of their top prospects.

And when it comes to the team's blueline, they appear to have a depth unmatched in their franchise history.

In fact, part of the reason they were able to trade former first round draft pick Colten Teubert to Edmonton in the Dustin Penner deal was the emergence of two other defensive prospects, Jake Muzzin and Nic Deslauriers (and after all, doesn't everything seem to come back to Penner these days?).

When Muzzin is at his best, he brings a physical element to the ice - something he briefly spoke about during camp this week.

Further, Deslauriers continues to round out that part of his game as well, while simultaneously improving his offensive numbers.

Even with the defensive group in LA pretty much set (Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Willie Mitchell, Rob Scuderi, Matt Greene and Alec Martinez), the Kings still have a pretty deep pipeline, with guys like Muzzin, Deslauriers, Thomas Hickey, Andrew Campbell, Derek Forbort and Kevin Gravel - just to name a few.

For specific comments on the performance of Muzzin and Deslauriers this week, we turn to Kings Coach Terry Murray, who shared the following:

DevCamp 2011: Pre-camp comments from Pierre Durepos

Defenseman Pierre Durepos is no stranger to the highs and lows of a hockey life.

The 6-foot-1 blueliner posted 30 points (3g, 27a) in 68 regular season games last year in the Quebec junior league.

Originally taken 10th overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs in the 2009 QMJHL draft, he recently saw several of his teammates go on to be drafted by various NHL teams.

Less than two months ago they collectively won the 2011 Memorial Cup, junior hockey's top prize. Now, he's an individual searching for a spot on an NHL club's depth chart.

Next week, he'll take the next step in his hockey career, joining five other free agent defensemen for the Los Angeles Kings 2011 Development Camp.

As he prepares for his first trip out west I had a chance to catch up with him for some perspective on what lies ahead and some opinions on a few of the Kings prospects he's played against.

MM: Obviously winning the Memorial Cup was the highlight of the tournament, however what other memories were you able to take away from the experience?

PD: Just the whole experience, the whole week and a half we were there. It was just surreal. Everything is so magnified. It's such a big, national event that you feel the pressure on you for the whole time. It's something that I've never done before and it was quite the experience.

MM: The final game of the Memorial Cup was your 180th consecutive game. What do you attribute that streak to and how important is it to you?

Los Angeles Kings - the 'All American' team

Final results from yesterday's poll are now in and things basically came down to three players capturing 75% of the voting totals - Dustin Brown, Tony Granato and Jonathan Quick.

While it's not totally surprising to see two current players do so well in the rankings, it's a least a little interesting that a few of the other players didn't get more recognition - especially considering their solid resumes.

In the end though, Brown and Quick tied for the top spot as the 'Best U.S. born player to play for the LA Kings.' Each captured 25%, Granato was a close third with 23%.

So, keeping with the theme, here's a look at the Kings' first team all-star group, comprised of purely American born players.

forward - Dustin Brown, Jimmy Carson and Tony Granato
defense - Jack Johnson and Mathieu Schneider
goalie - Jonathan Quick

Fortunately, on these type of lists you don't need a back-up goaltender - because the Kings, a franchise not exactly known for being rich in goaltenders, are even more thin when you start to mine the lists for American born netminders.

You'd probably have to hand the back-up role to Jeff Zatkoff, who has yet to even play in a single NHL game. The highly regarded prospect spent last season in Manchester, where he posted 20 wins with a 2.68 goals-against-average and .911 save percentage.

Once you get past the current Kings defensive core there aren't many blueliners with American roots either.  However, that could be changing in the years to come also, as GM Dean Lombardi and crew have added a number of talented U.S. defensemen to the organization recently - including Derek Forbort (first round 2010), Kevin Gravel (fifth round 2010), David Kolomatis (fifth round 2009) and Alec Martinez (fourth round 2007) and Patrick Mullen (free agent signing, 2009).

Forbort and Gravel are both scheduled for next week's Development Camp in El Segundo, CA.  They'll be two of the 11 defensemen in camp, a group that also includes six free agents.

Tomorrow I'll post an interview with one of those invitees, defenseman Pierre Durepos of the Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs.

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Yet another d-man invited to Kings Development Camp

Adding to the roster notes posted earlier today for the Kings upcoming Development Camp, word is that another defenseman has been invited.

The annual sessions, held at the team's training facility in El Segundo, usually features all of the top signed and unsigned prospects in the organization, along with a few key free agent invitees.

Already listed as invited were right wing Michael Kantor (Soo Greyhounds, OHL) and three defensemen - Pierre Durepos (Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL), Colin Miller (Soo Greyhounds, OHL) and Saverio Posa (Windsor Spitfires, OHL).

You can now add to that list Alexander Roach of the Calgary Hitmen.

In 61 regular season games this year, the 6-foot-4, 217 pound blueliner posted 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists) and 77 penalty minutes. Although 18 years old, it was his rookie season in the WHL.

According to his agent, he was tendered the invitation moments after the conclusion of the NHL Draft this past weekend in Minneapolis.

For more information on the players invited to this year's Development Camp click here or for some pre-camp interviews with several of the Kings top prospects follow these links - JF Berube interview (link), Tyler Toffoli interview (link) and Jordan Weal interview (link)...more to follow.

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