VIDEO: Jeff Carter's 200th career goal

In yesterday's win over the Blackhawks, LA Kings forward Jeff Carter scored the 200th goal of his career. It was game number 508 for Carter. As a comparison, Anaheim's Corey Perry has scored 202 goals in 519 games and Mike Richards has picked up 147 in 514.

If you missed Carter hitting the milestone, here's a replay...

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From tombstones to milestones - the travels of Jordan Weal

Life's lessons often come when you least expect it.

For Kings prospect Jordan Weal, one such moment arrived a few years ago while driving down the highway with his father. "He asked me a weird question," began the 19-year old center when we spoke recently by phone. "He asked me 'What would you want on your tombstone if today was your day?' I didn't really know what to say."

Weal went on to share that in retrospect, it may have been the moment his maturation process really took off. Although he's openly admitted to being a selfish player earlier in his junior hockey career, he appears to be a changed person these days.

It's something former Kings coach Terry Murray noticed as well, sharing these comments during training camp last September - "The most important thing that I saw was a player who is maturing and growing up. He’s a better teammate. He’s a really good guy now."

Even with Murray now gone from the Kings organization, Weal still values what he was told prior to being sent back to the WHL.

"When you hear something like that from a coach, it's really positive," said Weal, who feels he's made great strides as one of the leaders on the Regina Pats.  "As an older guy, you have to really be a team guy - that guy who's in the dressing room getting everybody ready to go. Maybe when I was younger, I was trying to focus on getting myself prepared for the game instead. As a leader, you have to really focus on the team first. Then, you can worry about yourself after that."

Senators-Kings preview with Chris Neil - 100 games later

When the Kings last met up with the Ottawa Senators, then-rookie Kevin Westgarth had what Jim Fox described as, 'his first true heavyweight scrap.' On the other end of that dance was veteran Chris Neil, who was celebrating his 600th National Hockey League game that night.

Later this evening, Neil will meet the Kings again - this time, fresh off of playing in his 700th NHL game over the weekend. Like last year's contest, we hooked up with him for a pre-game chat ...

Defenseman Jack Johnson has often remarked it gets a little boring playing so many games within your division. And it's something Neil agrees with, noting - "Every game is an important game now, especially for teams who are trying to climb in the standings or hold a spot. I think LA has stepped up their game, they're playing extremely well. However, when you come to the rink and you have different video - of teams not in your conference, which gets repetitions - you get a different look and guys thrive off that."

Even with all those games against the Maple Leafs, Bruins and Canadiens, that doesn't stop him from keeping an eye on the Kings, Ducks and Sharks - "We watch the standings on their side too. We know LA is a good team, with a lot of good players. They work hard. You see some of their games, after you finish your game and go out for dinner or whatever. When you catch the games, you see what they're playing like and the Western teams play a hard game. It's my style of game too, so I look forward to it."

Speaking of that point, Kings coach Darryl Sutter hasn't had Westgarth in the line-up much lately. If he sits again tonight, will that make Neil's night a little bit easier?

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."

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

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

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

Kings win 2-0 - post game quotes from LA locker room

We can delve into the specific numbers tomorrow - but it sure seems like when the Kings take more than 30 shots on goal, the win.  Tonight they put 33 shots on Sharks' goalie Antti Niemi and skated off the ice at Staples Center with a 2-0 win.

After the game, Jonathan Quick and Ethan Moreau shared a few thoughts...

Quick on his 200th game in the NHL - "I didn’t even know it was my 200th game until Greenie [Matt Greene] let me know about five minutes before the game started. They go quickly and tonight was a big win. Everybody battled hard; it was a hard-fought game. They battled to on their side and this is a huge two points."

Quick on LA's penalty kill - "We had a little bit of a stretch there were we weren’t happy with the PK. We had a string of five or six games where we let up a goal in each. It’s something that we’ve been great at the past couple of years and it’s something that we’ve really been putting a big focus on in these past few games because of that little stretch we went through. I feel like everybody’s mentality that they are going into the PK with is great."

LA Kings Kevin Westgarth recalls many of his key firsts

Chalk one up for the good guys.

With just over five minutes gone by in the second period of last Wednesday's game vs. Dallas, Kevin Westgarth picked up his first National Hockey League goal. And as the saying goes, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

Sadly, the Kings ended up losing the game - in what Westgarth called 'a pretty unfortunate, crappy ending' - which dampened the evening. Even though that took some of the buzz out of the milestone and his teammates weren't necessarily in the mood to celebrate afterwards, it's a moment that wasn't lost on the big, tough forward.

"That one will be going back home," said Westgarth when asked where the puck is. "I'll probably give it to my parents. They seem to take care of that stuff pretty well. They have a few jerseys and it will be another puck to add to the collection. Each level you move up and you keep that puck. So, it's a nice one."

It took 73 games to get that first one in the NHL.  What about those other firsts though? Westgarth recalled how a few of them went down...

His first ever goal - "I was five years old. It was in the championship game of our house league. It was the only goal I scored all year. So, like Gretzky, I had one goal my first year in hockey. In my mind, it was a swooping down the wing, dipsy-doodle and around two guys. I don't think it was quite that pretty in real life. My parents tell me it wasn't, so that just ruined my dream."

LA Kings def Wild 5-2 - postgame locker room comments

After the Kings defeated the Wild 5-2 in front of another sell out crowd at Staples Center on Saturday night, here was some of the reaction coming from both locker rooms...

- Dustin Brown on the overall game: "The last four periods is a tell tale sign of how we need to play with the puck. The defense moved the puck a little quicker getting it up the ice."

- Brown on the power play goal by Alec Martinez: "That was probably the turning point in the game, really. We had a five-minute opportunity to really put the nail in the coffin and [Justin] Williams made a good play from low and we found a goal to go up 2-0 and we went from there.”

- Coach Terry Murray on his milestone game: "It doesn’t really feel any different, anything special. It’s a game that was very important for us to win. I really liked the focus coming into the game tonight. The players came out right away with the kind of intensity and attitude of moving their feet, getting pucks going north, and recovering pucks. That was a huge first goal that Fraser scored on a nice play by Moreau from behind the net. That’s what I like about the milestone: the fact that the team played well and won the game."

Alec Martinez probably thinks the Kings did 'a good job'

Alec Martinez was recalled by the Kings on November 24th last season and scored a goal in his NHL season debut. He came into last night having played 13 games this season without a point.

Earlier this season, coach Terry Murray even had him sit out the game in Philadelphia, marking him down as a healthy scratch. Thus, you can understand the huge outburst of excitement he displayed when scoring the first goal of the game last night vs. Nashville.

Afterwards, he spoke about his performance, as well as what the Kings had been dealing with in the prior 48 hours.

On his first goal of the season - "It feels really good to finally get that monkey off my back. It was a good effort by everyone all around tonight and we had contributions from four different guys, which is good. So, we're happy with the win."

On the team meeting yesterday morning with coach Murray - "We definitely got into penalty trouble (on Monday vs. the Sharks) and that added to (our problems), considering San Jose is a great power play team. They feed off that. It was definitely something we came into with a focus today and I thought we did a good job."

Kings at Coyotes - what to watch for w/ Justin Williams

Over the last few seasons, the Phoenix Coyotes have given the Kings fits, largely because of two guys - goalie Ilya Bryzgalov and captain Shane Doan.

The two teams split their season series last year 3-3.

With the help of Justin Williams, Jonathan Quick and Dustin Penner here are some things to watch for tonight when the Kings and Coyotes meet up for the first meeting this season...

- Goaltending:  Williams on Bryzgalov now playing in Philadelphia - "That's a huge loss for them. I always thought he was one of the best goalies in the league. Whenever we played against them, he was always square to the target and he'd never go down unnecessarily and he kept us guessing."

- More on the goaltending:  Quick on Bryzgalov's replacement, Mike Smith (who stopped 54 of the 56 shots in his last two games against the Kings, when he was with Tampa Bay) - "Smith is the wild card. But, we have guys here that were in the East last year, like Gags [Simon Gagne], who I'm sure knows him pretty well. So, he'll be able to help out on that front."

- Outnumbered attacks: Quick added, "They always have four guys up on the rush, they're a really good transition team. They have guys like (Keith) Yandle jumping in and they're good at creating stuff in the offensive zone."

Kevin Westgarth Presents - Westie 2.0

Over 56 regular season games, Kevin Westgarth accumulated three assists and 105 penalty minutes.

In Tuesday's game with San Jose, he added another assist - helping out on Willie Mitchell's goal, to put the Kings up 1-0 just a few minutes into the first period.

Earlier in the series he came oh-so-close to netting his first NHL goal.

Even more impressive, he's had several quality shifts - even late in games. Not exactly something fans were used to prior to the post-season.

MM: You seem to be a different player in this series - almost like version 2.0, if you will. Do you feel you're playing any different?

KW: Clearly the season's been a long road and there's been a lot of development taking place. It's my rookie year, so it's getting used to the ins and outs of the game. I think coach had gotten me a few more minutes at various times of the season and more towards the end, there were some opportunities there where I felt I could play a little more. Hopefully I was contributing when I was playing and even at other times when it was outside the whistles. I'm definitely excited though and it's been a great experience thus far. It's great to be able to help out and bring something to the team. If I feel like I'm doing that, it makes everything easier - my confidence gets higher and to have other guy's confidence in me, that's a positive upward spiral, I suppose.

MM: You've had a couple of good looks at a goal so far...

KW: The real one I wanted to go in there was in OT in game one. That would have been real nice. (Dustin) Penner came out from behind the net and found me kind of lost there in the slot. I got it through the d-man, but didn't quite get it through the 'tender. Next time we'll look for that one.

MM: Plus, you still have that bet with Clifford hanging over your head.

KW: Yeah, he got pretty darn close in game two. So, I was a little worried. In any case, it would be worth how ever much money that dinner would cost me. That kid can eat a lot. I've seen him down a 48-ounce steak.

Kyle Clifford, who has two goals in the series, has picked up the only fight for the Kings so far (late in the first period of game one vs. Ben Eager).

With the Kings looking to impose their will on the Sharks tonight in game four, there's at least a good chance Clifford and/or Westgarth could add another scrap or two to the series.

Or will they show off their offensive talents instead?



The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

The Dream is Dead For Kevin Westgarth - includes details on 'the bet'

New Year's Resolutions with Kevin Westgarth

Westgarth on Fight Rules, Clifford's KO and his scrap with Cam

Kings vs Sharks - What Could Happen, Has Happened

Some credit card commercial says there's a one-in-18 chance of a hat trick being scored in an NHL game.

So, that's something that could happen.

However, here are a few of the more likely stories to watch for tonight (and some other loosely connected tidbits)...

* Should the Kings win, they're officially in the playoffs. Also of note - if the Kings can earn four points in their final four games, they're guaranteed to finish higher than Anaheim.

* Ryan Smyth's first goal as a member of the Kings came against the Sharks on October 6, 2009.  Since then, he's scored three more in another nine games between the two teams.

* Sharks captain 'Jumbo' Joe Thornton needs just three points to reach the 1,000 mark for his career (story here). Jarome Iginla reached the same milestone last week.

Dustin Penner's Special Relationship with the Dallas Stars

On November 23, 2005 the Kings were spending a day off in Nashville, caught between playing days on a brief two-game road trip.

Nearly 700 miles away a young left winger was about to suit up for his fourth different team in less than two years. More importantly, he was about to make his NHL debut against the Dallas Stars.

They say everything's bigger in Texas, so how appropriate that 6-foot-4, 245-pound Dustin Penner played his first game with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (which they still were back then) in Texas.

He had five shots, zero points and two penalty minutes (goaltender interference) in a 3-1 Ducks loss.

Over the next 418 regular season games he's played the Stars 26 more times and picked up 16 points (nine goals, 7 assists).

Due to the circumstances of his season - read: being traded - this will be the seventh time he's faced them in 2011, having played them four times with Edmonton and twice already with LA.

I caught up with Penner to talk about memories and the 'new' Dallas Stars...

MM: You made your NHL debut against the Stars, so is it still special to play them or have they become just another team at this point?

Quick Aiming to Become Kings First 30-30 Man

Jonathan Quick will be back in net today for the Los Angeles Kings.

With a win, he'll become the first Kings goaltender to post back-to-back 30 win seasons.

Although the Kings have found much success in Dallas the last few years, they've split the two previous games there this season - winning 5-2 in October and losing 2-1 in January.  Jonathan Bernier was in goal for the loss.

As for Quick, he's rolled to a 10-3-1 record in his last 14 games, with two of those losses coming on the Kings most recent homestand. Even including the blowout loss to Detroit two weeks ago though, he's posted a 2.21 goals against average and .922 save percentage during that stretch.

He holds an 8-3-0 record against the Stars lifetime, including 4-1-0 in Dallas (with a 1.72 GAA).

Can Quick make some history and pick up the crucial two points today?

It's almost game time...

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POLL: Best Gretzky Game with LA Kings

The name Wayne Gretzky means many things to many people.

For most, it simply means hockey.

He retired on April 18, 1999 with 61 NHL records. Since then, only one - most career assists in the All-Star Game - has been broken.

The move that brought him to Los Angeles will probably forever be the biggest trade in sports history. Gretzky played 539 regular season and another 60 playoff games for the Los Angeles Kings. Of course, there were many memorable moments.

In honor of Wayne's 50th birthday today we have a quick poll question - Which of his nearly 600 Kings games was most memorable?

The leading candidates...

October 6, 1988 vs. Detroit - in his first game as a King, Gretzky scores a goal on his first shot

October 15, 1989 - in a game that only Hollywood script writers could come up with, Gretzky returns to Edmonton and scores his 1,851st point in the final minute of the game, setting the all-time NHL record for most points (video)

Game Six 1993 Campbell Conference Finals - prior to the game columnist Bob McKenzie noted that Gretzky was playing like he had a piano on his back throughout the series with Toronto. The Great One then went out and proved you don't call out a legend like that, scoring the game winner in overtime for the Kings. He also high sticked Doug Gilmour a few minutes earlier in a play that Leaf fans will forever claim should have been a penalty (full story here).

Game Seven 1993 Campbell Conference Finals - one of the greatest games in one of the greatest playoff series in NHL history. Gretzky scores a hat-trick, with the third goal coming on a play where he circled behind the net and backhanded it off the skate of Leafs defenseman Dave Ellet. Kings win the game and go on to play for the Stanley Cup (video highlights here).

December 28, 1993 vs. Vancouver Canucks - Gretzky bats a goal out of mid air, like a baseball player (video)

March 23, 1994 vs Vancouver Canucks - Gretzky scores goal 802, passing his childhood hero, Gordie Howe, for the most goals ever scored (tribute video shown at Forum)

February 26, 1996 vs. Winnipeg Jets - his final game as a King came at the end of a road trip through Canada. When the team landed back home at LAX, a press conference was called and the announcement was made, #99 had been traded to the St. Louis Blues.




Poll closes tomorrow at 11:30am PST.

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Quick Back To Making History for the Kings

Goaltender Jonathan Quick set a number of team records for the Kings last season, including games played (72) and wins (39).

Well, he was back to his old tricks again Saturday night in the Phoenix desert.

Actually, it was Glendale. But, that's beside the point.

Two weeks ago he earned his 19th victory of the season in a 6-4 slugfest over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

And you know what they say, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try...and try again.

Five attempts later he picked up his 20th win (a 4-3 win in Phoenix) - becoming only the third goaltender in franchise history to do so in three straight seasons. Rogie Vachon accomplished the feat six times (1972-78) and Kelly Hrudey did it three times (1989-92).

Not bad for a guy who's really only a third year pro.

It's been well documented that LA has gone 3-10 over the last 13 games, a stretch that started back on December 29th with an embarrassing 6-3 loss in Phoenix. On a personal level, it's the only game Quick has been pulled from this season. So, if that was something eating away at him, perhaps the monkey is now off his back.

The larger issue at hand though is can the Kings create some positive momentum from this game and come out strong on Monday vs. the Bruins?

LA Kings - Five Years Ago Today

Edmonton. Calgary. Vancouver.

The Kings played many classic games against their former Smythe Division rivals back in the 80s and early 90s.

Anaheim. San Jose. Detroit.

Since moving to Staples Center, the team has played some epic contests against those teams as well.

One team that won't be making any such list is the Atlanta Thrashers - with one notable exception...

On January 19, 2006 they visited the Kings and played foil to Luc Robitaille's historic evening.

Entering play that night he had scored 13 hat tricks in a Kings uniform. When the game was over LA had downed the Thrashers 8-6 and Robitaille had become the King of Kings.

In the first period he tied Marcel Dionne for the most goals in franchise history with goal number 550. His game winner in the third period broke the mark and with little time remaining he added an empty net goal for good measure. It wound up being his last hat trick as a King - but, certainly his most memorable.

He scored five more goals before retiring at season's end with 557 as a King. His number was retired 366 days later and he eventually was elected to the Hall of Fame.

A few other notes on Luc...

Ryan Report - Smyth Passing 99 vs Oilers

While these days the Kings are jokingly referred to as Flyers-West, there was a time many years ago when they were Oilers-South.

In fact, the Kings most bitter rival for much of the '80's and '90s was Edmonton. The two teams already didn't like each other long before the 1988 trade for Wayne Gretzky and they almost always seemed to meet up in the playoffs.

It wasn't only players and fans that had a disdain for each other though. Even Bob Miller, the voice of the Kings, said "I hated the Oilers (of the early 80's), their arrogance really bugged me."

Adding to the decades long drama is a list of guys who have suited up on both sides of the rivalry. In Los Angeles, besides the obvious one in Gretzky, it's a group that includes names from the past like Kurri, McSorley, Conacher and Fuhr...to more recent names like Buchberger, Greene and Stoll.

When it comes to a Kings-Oilers game though, it's the number 99 that's linked most strongly to the two franchises. However, tonight Ryan Smyth goes one digit beyond.  This will be his 100th game as a King.

Nobody will ever know if the NHL schedule makers set it up that way on purpose or it's just another one of those schedule quirks that helps write a perfect script.  Rather convenient though for a guy who played the bulk of his career with one of the teams and now finds himself on the other side of the ice.

Even more symbolic is the fact that on January 22, 1995, Smyth debuted for the Oilers during a road trip.  Their opponent that night?  Yes, they were in Los Angeles to face the Kings at the old Forum in Inglewood.  Although the Oilers won 4-3, Smyth doesn't quite remember most of the details beyond the first period.

"Ron Lowe was the coach and I was sitting on the bench. The face-off was going to be just outside our blue line. He said 'Alright Smitty, go out.' Wayne Gretzky was right across, at center. I was like 'Holy jeez.' I was standing there looking at him. He got kicked out (of the face-off), so he was standing right next to me." Smyth recalls.

Painting by Numbers with Ryan Smyth

Over his four-plus-year reign as Kings General Manager there can be little arguing Dean Lombardi's incredible success at the NHL Draft table. However, the possible knocks on his rebuilding project in L.A. have been with free agent signings and trades for veteran players.

Some fans would have preferred a quick fix solution to the team he inherited in the spring of 2006 and have spent several summers hoping he would land a big name free agent forward. In 2007 many were hoping for Scott Gomez. They ended up with names like Kyle Calder and Ladislav Nagy instead. The following summer Marian Hossa signed with the Red Wings, not the Kings.

So, it was somewhat understandable when a portion of fans were underwhelmed when Lombardi's big move in July 2009 was acquiring Ryan Smyth.

Besides the track record mentioned above, Smyth was 33 years old and had a history of injuries. Some even wondered if he was on the down side of his career. After all, he had a lot of miles on him (over 900 games) and too many injuries to count from years of getting beat up around the net.

However, by now it's well documented, this turned out to be one of Lombardi's best non-draft moves. Smyth was essentially reborn in Los Angeles - starting last season as part of the hottest trio in the NHL, along side Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams. Just as important as his play on the ice though, he proved invaluable in the maturation and development of the Kings young core. Players like Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and Wayne Simmonds have all noted how Smyth helped them individually and the team as a whole.

It's probably more than just a coincidence that the Kings made the playoffs for the first time in eight years after adding Smyth to their stable.

LA-OTT Game Preview w/ Ottawa's Chris Neil

The Kings are preparing to take on a fairly unfamiliar opponent later today in the Ottawa Senators. Over five plus seasons since the lockout they've only met four times, with LA winning the last three.

One of the game-within-the-game stories for tonight is Chris Neil, who will be celebrating 600 games in the National Hockey League.

Earlier today I spoke with Chris about his special achievement, tough guys in the league and preparing for the Kings...

MM: Looking back, your first NHL game was against the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Any thoughts about how you're feeling today versus how you might have been feeling that afternoon?

CN:  Playing my first game against Toronto - you don't even remember touching the ice, you're so wound up and excited with your adrenaline going.  After the first period you sort of settle in and you get your groove.  I think to be coming up on 600 games after not even really realizing you're in your first NHL game it's pretty exciting.

In an unusual twist you'll be sharing the milestone with your linemate Jarkko Ruutu (also celebrating 600 games). Have you ever heard of a situation where linemates share a milestone like this?

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

Only 256 players in NHL history have played in 1,000 games. Later tonight that number will increase by one when Ryan Smyth suits up for the Kings.

In honor of Rhyno's accomplishment (or Smitty, or Captain Canada, or Captain California...or whatever you may call him), here are Five Fun Facts to get you primed for the game:

* He's bookending the collection with the Kings. Game number one was back on January 22, 1995 when the Edmonton Oilers visited the Kings at the old Forum in Inglewood.  Who knew all these years later he'd be playing in LA?

* In the 100-marker games (i.e. game #100, 200, 300, etc.) Smyth has an overall record of 5-3-1. He's also currently riding a two game win streak, having beaten Pittsburgh in game #800 and Detroit in #900 - both games were when he was a member of the Colorado Avalanche.

* He's never had more than one point in the marker games - three games with a single goal (#200 vs. New Jersey, #500 vs. Colorado and #700 vs. Columbus), three games with a single assist and was held scoreless in the other three.

*  Excluding the three main cities he's called home (Edmonton, Colorado and Los Angeles), in which building has he scored goals in most often?  It's a tie between Calgary and Vancouver, having scored 12 goals in each arena.

*  Against all opponents, which team has he found the most success against?  It's also a tie.  He's put up 24 goals in his career when playing the Kings and Coyotes.

Long live the mullet.

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