Doughty says Kings will 'do anything to win' game five

Doughty cleared out in Game 2

Over the last 36 hours, much has been about Drew Doughty's exchange with Scott Nichol in game four - which led to a power play goal for the Sharks.

Yet, that wasn't the only target of Doughty's verbal assault on Thursday night. He also spent plenty of time in the face of Joe Thornton throughout the game.

It's something I spoke with him about yesterday, after first finding out how he was feeling going into game five...

MM: Prior to the series starting you were pretty confident. How about now, being down 3-1?

DD: I still think we are fully confident. We saw the things we could do to them. We've had moments of domination. We’ve just got to clean up our d-zone. I think if we clean that up, really focus on that and just keep getting goals the way we are, we’re going to be fine.

MM: You were jawing with Thornton quite a bit on Thursday. Was his blowing kisses to Sharks fans in the crowd a bit disrespectful?

DD: I don't know if it was disrespectful. It's an emotional time in the playoffs. Obviously, Thorts and I have played together before (Team Canada) and were buddies then. But, there's just so many emotions and so much hatred for the other team, that you want to beat them. And we're going to do anything to win that game.

Do that Drew, and we'll see you back home on Monday for game six.



The Mayor
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photo courtesy of www.sharkspage.com

Alec Martinez is looking to stay on his feet in game five

Early in game four the Kings saw Dustin Brown and Matt Greene sitting in the penalty box together, giving the Sharks a two-man advantage and a good chance for some first period momentum.

While San Jose failed to score before things returned to 5-on-5 play, they did plenty of it later - posting three goals in the second and another three in the third.

Then, trailing 6-3 late in the game, the Kings found themselves with their own two-man advantage - something they couldn't capitalize on either.

However, it was the first of the Sharks penalties in that sequence that had coach Terry Murray particularly hot - calling Dany Heatley's tripping of defenseman Alec Martinez 'gutless.'

After waiting a day, to let the emotions simmer down a bit, here's what Martinez had to say about the play - "I was just going back for the puck. I thought I made the play to Greener and then I just tried to turn up ice and he took my feet out. So, I don't know. I, obviously, had my back to the play. I just got up and tried to join the rush because I knew we probably had the delayed penalty. That's just playoff hockey. We just have to make it known that they can't be doing that kind of thing."

Murray was a little more adamant about it at the time, saying it was a slew foot - "That’s where you break your leg. That’s where you blow your knee out. I hate that play. That’s a gutless move in my mind. You just don’t do that in hockey."



The Mayor
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Is opportunity knocking on Trevor Lewis' door?

Rookie or not, Trevor Lewis has been a valuable piece of the Kings arsenal this season.

Used mostly as a defensive forward, he's occasionally moved up to a higher profile line and did so again in game two (when Jarret Stoll was out).

During the regular season he averaged 11:29 of ice time per game - and has seen that number increase to 15:48 through the first four games of the playoffs.  Even more impressive has been his plus-minus rating. For the 82-game regular season he was minus-11. However, he's been an 'even' player in the post-season.

MM: On a personal level, how are you feeling about your game so far vs. the Sharks?

TL: I think my game's alright. But, right now it's about the team game. It's must win now for us to keep the season going. We have to come in play it like we know we can and win game five.

MM: Being down 3-1 in the series, where do you draw inspiration from at this point?

TL: We've shown we can play and beat these guys. We've played some good hockey against them. We've just had a few breakdowns, or I don't know, lapses, I don't know what it is. We just have to get back to playing a full 60 minutes and then we can beat these guys.

MM: You're a quiet guy and you're a rookie, so nobody is expecting you to stand up and take charge in the room. But, a lot of guys were upset after the other night. Who was leading the charge verbally in the meeting after the game?

TL: I think pretty much everyone kind of chimed in. We look up to our leadership group and some of those guys help us a lot - especially us young guys. It's just time though for everybody to step up and show how they can play.

Early last month, when talking about Lewis, coach Terry Murray said "He's settling into the NHL game and I feel down the road he can put some points on the board. Once his hands catch up with his feet I think he'll be more relaxed in those opportunities and he'll find a way to score."

Tonight he'll be centering the second line, playing with Ryan Smyth and Dustin Brown.

What's that old expression - there's no better time than now?



The Mayor
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Smyth's been here before with a few of these guys

Last hour, Willie Mitchell shared his experience of being down 3-1 in two different playoff series back in 2003.

Well, at least four other Kings players have been there as well - and it was all in the same series, the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals between Carolina and Edmonton.

The Hurricanes had jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the series before Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene and the rest of the Oilers rattled off two straight wins.

Is that something Smyth can use to draw upon right now?

"Yeah. We were down in the Stanley Cup Finals. We came back and pushed it to seven and lost in game seven. Obviously, it's a sense of urgency on our part now," Smyth said, referring to the Kings. "It's a sense of 'one game at a time' and not looking past game five. We need to just stay focused."

His Oilers were able to do just that, before ultimately falling in that final game.

It was close though. Trailing 2-1 in the final minutes of game seven, they pulled their goalie for an extra attacker.

Unfortunately, the play went back the other way.

With the puck on his stick, Justin Williams fired it into an empty net - securing the win for Carolina.

Obviously, Smyth is hoping to once again help his team dig themselves out of a 3-1 hole. Only this time, he'd like to come out on the winning end.



The Mayor
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Willie Mitchell has seen this all before

photo courtesy of www.sharkspage.com 

When you talk to a professional athlete about their team's performance you're never quite sure what you're going to get.

Will it be full of cliches and other non answers? Will the response include deflection, praise for the other team or even back-handed compliments?

With Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell it's been the same thing all season - detailed and his honest perspective.

For example, after the Kings shutout loss to the Islanders at the end of a month-long road journey through February, Mitchell didn't make excuses about travel or trap games. Instead he said, "I thought from the top all the way through, there wasn't the same focus that we had in other games."

Then, a little more than a week later, after losing 7-4 to the Red Wings (in a game they once trailed 7-1), he said "We played great against Detroit. I will sit there over and over again - I think the guys played excellent for two periods." And just for good measure, later in the quote he said "We dominated that hockey game."

You don't always have to agree with him. But, he's going to give it to you straight.

So, what's his take on where things stand right now with the Kings?

After practice yesterday, he shared some thoughts on that exact question, as well as took a trip down memory lane - recalling being down 3-1 in the playoffs, not once, but twice before.

First, the Kings situation...

Mitchell - "We seem to have a lot of highs and then a lot of lows, the peaks and valleys. We need to find a more even-keeled presence with the team, top through bottom. You're going to face adversity. You're going to face a few bounces that don't go your way over the course of the post-season, that's reality. Every team goes through that. It's the teams who don't panic, play with composure under those situations and manage to buy time until things go in their favor - they keep their confidence - they have all those things that winning teams have.

Matt Greene on what's needed right now

Prior to the series with San Jose starting last week, most felt the Kings strength was their defense and the offense was going to need all the help it could get.

Well, for the most part, things have played out the exact opposite.

Through four games, the team has scored 14 goals, an average of 3.5 goals per game - significantly above the 2.67 they averaged during the regular season.

To put it in perspective, Vancouver - who scored more goals than any other team in the regular season - averaged 3.2 goals per game.

However, the Kings find themselves down 3-1 in the series because they just can't seem to keep the puck out of their own net. And it's been because of the players in front of the net, not the guy standing in it.

Even so, defenseman Matt Greene thinks the series is far from over...

MM: The guys were full of confidence coming into the series. Where are you drawing inspiration from at this point?

MG: Pride. I think you just have to go out and win - that's it. We still have an opportunity to come back. It's a big game right now for us (tomorrow night). If we get a win out there, we come back and get another win at home and then see what happens in game seven. So, that's it. We're not out of this one bit.

MM: Who was the stand-up guy in the room last night, who was the most upset or saying the most about what happened in the game?

MG: I think everybody. Everybody was pretty emotional about what was going on - going into the second period, getting us back in the game, then losing right there. Terry (Murray) came in and talked to us and he doesn't get fired up too often. So, when he does, that means a lot. At the same time, at this level right now, you don't need anybody cheerleading you. You don't need anybody giving you the rah, rah. You just have to do it, you just have to find it within yourself to do it. And I think everybody can.

One game at a time.  Just one game at a time.



The Mayor
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photo courtesy of Michael Zampelli

Dustin Penner is a man of few words these days

Ah, it was a much simpler time.

All the way back to February 28th.

Kings GM Dean Lombardi took a big swing and traded three assets for left wing Dustin Penner.

It was partly a sign of confidence in what his hockey club was capable of doing down the stretch and equally necessary given the lack of scoring that plagued the team all year long.

PennerMania began to run wild throughout Los Angeles.

Now, he's being labeled a bust, if not worse.

Which made it was almost sad to talk to him after practice today. That quirky smile was gone, as were his witty answers.

MM: It's gone from the high of highs when you first arrived here to the low of lows lately. How are you feeling overall with your play and what's going on?

DP: I think frustrated. You know, just the same way most of the guys have felt over the last couple games - just frustration. You can't put your finger on it sometimes. Tomorrow's another chance to get back on track.

MM: How about bouncing around on different lines, has that been a problem for you?

DP: No. I think every coach does that, especially when things aren't going well.  Maybe if I was a younger guy, a first year player, it would be different. But, we have to shake things up.

MM: Is it a chemistry thing - is there a particular player you've found more chemistry with?

DP: No. I don't think it has to do with the other guys. It's more my game.

If the Kings have any chance at mounting a comeback in this series, you would think Penner has to have a goal or two.

That is, of course, if coach Terry Murray even lets him play in game five tomorrow night.

He just needs a few goals and the smile will return.  So too will the fans, eventually.



The Mayor
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Which Kings player will get off first?

The Kings have scored first in two of the three playoff games with the Sharks.

And they have a 1-1 record to show for it.

Still, when game four gets underway tonight, the coaches, the players and the fans will all be looking for the Kings to score first and take control early. They'll need to win the game to send the series back to San Jose tied 2-2.

So, who tends to score first for the Kings?

Here's a breakdown of the top performers this season...

Coach Terry Murray on Westgarth 2.0

Last hour we looked at the evolving - and improving - game of Kevin Westgarth through the first three games of the series with San Jose.

Before the playoffs started, I asked coach Terry Murray if he expected to play Westgarth the entire series, to which he responded "No, probably not. He might play in the early part of the series and as you move into the deeper part of it, then you need to take a look at the line-up. And that is probably when minutes will diminish for that role."

True to his foreshadowing, Westgarth's minutes have declined from 8:56 in game one to just 2:28 during Tuesday night's game three.

However, he'll be back in there again tonight, playing on the fourth line.

Has Murray noticed a difference in Westgarth recently? Does he see it as Westgarth 2.0?

Murray - "He's played better here in the last 25 games of the year, actually. His skating is really good and that's because of working hard in practice and the tempo of NHL play has been really beneficial to him. When he's out of the line-up, he's in the skating club and really pushed hard. So, his feet are better, his reads are consistent now and he's an intelligent guy. He's a Princeton grad, you know. You cannot play recklessly or careless at this time of the year, to bring the referees into the game. He knows that. He's going to be under the microscope more than any other player on our team - by the officiating and by the league. So, he's taken on the play the right way - playing hard between the whistles, not getting over the line and as a result of that, I feel very confident in using him a lot. He's been an important player."



The Mayor
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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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