Need captions for these Kings-Sabres pics from Germany

The other day we had a lot of fun with a few Drew Doughty pictures from Hamburg, Germany - and several readers came up with some great captions.

Well, the fine folks at the O2 Arena in Berlin just posted an album of over 150 pictures taken during today's game between the LA Kings and Buffalo Sabres.

See if you can come up with an interesting caption for these photos...

#1 - Doughty asks if Ville Leino wants to do the limbo

VIDEO: Doughty post-game interview w/ German reporter

After the LA Kings lost 4-2 to the Buffalo Sabres earlier today in Berlin, Germany, Drew Doughty was interviewed by a local reporter...

For the MayorsManor post-game notes, as well as video highlights of the game, click here.

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Germany: Sabres def Kings 4-2 - postgame notes and video

After a week long stay in Europe, the Kings will now return to the U.S. sporting a 1-1 record. They lost to the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in Berlin, Germany earlier today. Here are some post-games notes and video highlights.

- Anze Kopitar scored both of the Kings goals, he now has three total on the young season.

- Jonathan Bernier is now 0-2 vs. the Sabres in his career. Ironically, he gave up four goals in both games.

- Math with Jack: Jack Johnson was one the ice for four of the goals scored in the game - Buffalo's second and third goals, plus both of LA's goals. Because Kopitar's first goal was on the power play, Johnson finished the night with a minus-1.

- Johnson and Alec Martinez were each credited with four blocked shots. Kopitar had three.

- Parse Watch Continues: Scott Parse had 17 shifts in 12:06 of total ice time, no shots on goal.

- The Kings outshot the Sabres 33-26. Kopitar led all Kings with five shots on goal, four each for Mike Richards and Justin Williams.

- Ethan Moreau, Drew Doughty and Matt Greene led the Kings with two hits each. Dustin Brown, who is usually among the leaders, wasn't credited with a single hit in the game.

NHL Premiere: LA v Buffalo pre-game notes, quotes and first goal contest

Good morning. It's time to grab some coffee and enjoy some hockey, all the way from Berlin, Germany. Here's your pre-game primer - featuring notes and quotes from several members of the Kings, as they prepare to face the Buffalo Sabres for the only time this season. Details for today's 'first goal contest' are also listed at the end of this article.

- Two line-up changes from yesterday, as coach Terry Murray will go with Jonathan Bernier in net (as expected). On November 19th last season, Bernier faced the Sabres in Buffalo and gave up four goals on 36 shots. The Kings lost that game 4-2.

- Murray's other change is replacing Trent Hunter with Kevin Westgarth among the forwards. This pushes Ethan Moreau up to the third line with Scott Parse and Jarret Stoll, while Westgarth will fill the right wing spot on the fourth line with Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis.

- East Coast Bias: In 21 career games, Mike Richards has 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists). Simon Gagne has 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 33 games and Justin Williams has five goals and 10 assists (15 points) in his 26 games vs Buffalo.

- Parse Watch Continues: Due to Dustin Penner's 'lower body' injury (believed to be a sore groin), Parse remains at left wing on the third line. In the season opener on Friday, Parse had 16 shifts for 10:59 of total ice time. He also took two shots on goal and had zero points.

- Morning Math with Jack: After one game, Jack Johnson has an even plus-minus rating. He was on the ice for the final three goals of the game - when Marian Gaborik scored (to put the Rangers up 2-1), when Mike Richards tied it late in the third period and - obviously - when he scored the game winning goal in overtime.

LA Kings def Rangers in OT, post-game notes and video

Many of the areas the Kings were hoping to improve over the summer were on display front and center in today's 3-2 overtime win against the Rangers.

Jack Johnson scored a power play goal with about a minute left in the extra session and then was mobbed by his teammates, in a scene that looked more like a playoff game winner than the first game of the season.

Anze Kopitar showed no signs of the injury he suffered last season, picking up the first goal of the game and assisting on the one that tied things up with about five minutes left to play in regulation.

Here are a few post-game notes, followed by the video highlights:

- Overall, LA now sits at 44-62-19 against New York and they won't see them again this season - unless they were to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals.

- Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is now 2-3-1 when playing the Kings and his counterpart, Jonathan Quick, is a perfect 2-0 against Broadway's Blueshirts.

- Richards vs. Richards lived up to the hype. Brad Richards played 18 minutes for the Rangers, went 9-for-11 in at faceoff dot and assisted on Marian Gaborik's third period goal. Mike Richards scored for the Kings and set up Johnson's game winner in 20-plus minutes ice time.

NHL Premiere: LA Kings vs NY Rangers pre-game notes, first goal contest

Hang on, relax. You only have less than an hour to go and you'll be just fine...hockey will be back!

To get you primed and ready to go, here are some quick tidbits on the Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers match-up. Also, be sure to take note of the details for today's 'first goal contest' listed at the end of this article.

- Kings all-time Record against the Rangers: 43-62-19. This is the only meeting between the two teams this season, as it was last year. When they squared off on February 17, 2011, the Rangers won in a shootout 4-3. Dustin Brown picked up two points that night and the Kings collected another point on their nearly-month-long road trip (post-game notes and highlights from that game can be accessed here).

- Rangers defeneman Marc Staal, one of their top defensemen, didn't make the trip to Europe due to lingering symptoms from the concussion he sustained in a game last year.

- Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is from Sweden and earlier in his career played in the Frolunda HC system - the same organization that Kings' 2011 draft pick Michael Schumacher was part of last year (article).

- At least four former NHL players to suit up for both the Kings and Rangers will be in attendance - Luc Robitaille, Mattis Norstrom, Tomas Sandstrom and Bernie Nicholls.

- Richards vs. Richards: In 23 career games vs. the LA Kings, Brad Richards has 26 goals (seven goals, 19 assists). On the other side, Mike Richards has played 37 games against the New York Rangers, picking up 12 goals and 11 assists.

Kings' Richards, Doughty, Gagne on facing the NY Rangers

In just about two hours all the talk of the last five months will be washed away and the NHL season officially begins for the Los Angeles Kings.

Opening against a team as rich in history as the New York Rangers gives today's game a little something extra. Just ask the players. Prior to leaving for Europe, several of them shared some thoughts on today's game...

Willie Mitchell - "It's always fun to play them, they're an original six team. It doesn't matter how long you've played in the league - if you haven't played that long, you look forward to playing against the Rangers and guys that have been around, like me or Ethan Moreau, it's always a team that you look to have a lot of fun playing against because the tradition and history."

Drew Doughty - "I love playing the Rangers. They've been in the league a long time. This off season, they picked up Brad Richards and that's going to make them a much better team. I think it's going to be a great test for us to start the season. They're one of the better teams in the East and I definitely think we're one of the better teams in the West. So, it's going to be a real battle."

Anze Kopitar - "I'm sure it's going to be hyped up (in Stockholm) and I'm sure they might have a few more fans in the arena, because of their goaltender. But, it is what it is. We know that team and obviously we want to get off to a good start and then see what happens."

POLL: Where will the LA Kings finish in the standings?

The Los Angeles Kings last played a game in April.

You've had all summer to contemplate how the additions of Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and others will impact the team's offense.  Plus, the last month has provided multiple looks at the revamped Kings, via eight different pre-season games.

And earlier this week, predictions for the 2011-12 NHL season were posted here on MayorsManor.

Now, it's your turn...



Poll closes Monday morning at 8am PST.

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2011 Eddie Joyal Award winner announcement

Over his five pro seasons in the NHL, center Anze Kopitar has averaged 26 goals and 44 assists. Yet, he'd have to be near the top of any 'underrated player' list.

Few outside Los Angeles - or maybe the Pacific Division - are aware of just how good he truly is. Last year he became even better too, posting a plus-25 and getting some early talk as a Selke nominee before suffering a late-season injury.

He's also one of those rare players who is good all the time. A few friends could ask him to play a pick up game late one night and he'd still dazzle and amaze at both ends of the ice. Mailing-it-in must not translate to his native language.

[note: apparently, awesome doesn't either...as he explains here]

You can argue that pre-season stats are meaningless, just don't tell Kopitar those games don't mean anything. If he's on the ice with a stick in his hand, he wants to score or be involved in a scoring play.

Two seasons ago, he posted five goals and three assists during the NHL exhibition season - earning the inaugural Eddie Joyal Award (given to the player who leads the Kings in pre-season points, honoring a member of the organization's first squad back in 1967 - more on that in a moment).

Last year, Jack Johnson edged out Kopitar for the 2nd annual award.

Borrowing a phrase that Kings fans hope they'll hear often about Kopitar in the months to come, he was back with a vengeance this pre-season.

Showing no signs of the leg injury that forced him to miss the final weeks of last year's regular season and all of the playoffs, Kopitar - who says he trained harder than ever this summer - appears more than ready to start the new season tomorrow.

NHL 2011-12 season predictions - timing is everything

Predictions - everybody loves them and if you're correct about half the time, you're doing pretty well.

Two years ago I had the Los Angeles Kings finishing sixth in the Western Conference. Nailed it.

Last season, I slotted the Kings at fourth during my NHL season preview article. That's certainly where they should have finished, if not for their horrible losing streak in November. As such, they ended up seventh - three notches back.

Further, as noted at the time... If GM Dean Lombardi added a high-end player before the trade deadline, the Kings would challenge the Sharks for the Pacific Division.

Which sort of brings us to this present.

Sure, Lombardi added Dustin Penner at the deadline last February. And getting a guy to play on the top line with Anze Kopitar definitely qualifies as a big move. However, the addition didn't net the desired results. Couple that with a power play that saw a huge drop off from the year prior and the aforementioned losing streak to dig out of - well, the timing wasn't right for a run at the Sharks.

Things have now changed.

Penner spent the summer committing himself to conditioning. Check.

Lombardi went out and acquired the long-needed second line center in Mike Richards. Check.

With Ryan Smyth's departure to Edmonton, the Kings had a new hole at left wing.  They could have moved a prospect in - an unproven commodity - or have relied on a role player to fill the hole, essentially asking somebody to try and overachieve. Instead, Lombardi signed veteran forward Simon Gagne.  Second line, check.

On defense, all six starters from last season - and arguably the best collective unit of six in the Western Conference - return and are back on the blueline. Check.

In net, it's Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier reprising their roles in Battle of the Goalies part II. Quick has spent two years rewriting the Kings record book and Bernier was lights out in the second half of the last season. Coach Terry Murray says he's going with the hot hand this year, rather than a planned 60 games-22 games split. So, goaltending - check.

What does this mean for the Pacific Division and the Western Conference?

After hearing bits and pieces leaked over the last few weeks during various radio appearances and on twitter, here are the official MayorsManor predictions for the 2011-12 NHL regular season...