This Is Not Good News

Jonathan Quick out indefinitely for Kings 

GM reportedly puts timeline at about three months for goalie's lower-body injury

Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick had a non-surgical procedure for a lower-body injury Tuesday and is out indefinitely, the Kings said Wednesday.

General manager Dean Lombardi on Wednesday told the Los Angeles Times that Quick will be out for about three months.

Quick opted against surgery for what is believed to be a groin injury sustained in the final 30 seconds of the first period of the Kings' season-opening game against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 12. Lombardi said last week that Quick's injury is in the same area as the strained groin that kept him out for almost two months in 2013 and confirmed it was not a knee injury.

(NHL.com)

2016 Offseason Team Review - Los Angeles Kings

Kings on lookout for more offense 

With Milan Lucic leaving as free agent, Los Angeles must spread scoring

The Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014 and advanced to the Western Conference Final in 2013. But since winning the championship two years ago, they have failed to get past the first round; after failing to qualify for the postseason in 2014-15, the Kings lost to the San Jose Sharks in five games in the first round last season.

The good news for the Kings is they still have Vezina Trophy finalist Jonathan Quick and Selke Trophy winner Anze Kopitar, their new captain, who has led them in scoring nine straight seasons.

Defense rarely is a problem for the Kings, with Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty leading the way. They allowed the third-fewest goals per game last season but were 14th in the League in goals scored. They won too many games 3-2 or 2-1. They didn't make many moves on offense but are hoping to spread the scoring more this season.

(NHL.com)

Here's A Good Conversation Topic

Ranking every NHL team's best active drafted player

10. Anze Kopitar, Kings, C

• 1st round (#11), 2005 | Age: 28 
• A two-time Stanley Cup winner, a three-time All-Star, a three-time Selke Trophy finalist (including this season) and now the new captain of the Kings, Kopitar is firmly established as one of the most dominant two-way centers in the game. He's been named the team MVP five times in the past nine seasons, including 2015-16. He's also been honored as the Kings' top defensive player four times and led them in scoring in each of the past nine seasons.

13. Joe Pavelski, Sharks, C

• 7th round (#205), 2003 | Age: 31
• Stardom came late for Pavelski, who emerged as one of the league's most dangerous snipers at 29. Since then, he's tallied 163 goals (only Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos have scored more) and is coming off a postseason run that saw him lead all skaters with 14 tallies. Maybe just as important, he's stabilized the Sharks' leadership group since being given the C ahead of the 2014-15 season—a key factor behind San Jose's run to the Cup final this spring. He could probably be higher on this list.

17. Ryan Getzlaf, Ducks, C

• 1st round (#19), 2003 | Age: 31
• A standout in a draft class that is widely regarded as the best of the past 30 years, Getzlaf ranks first among his peers in assists (520) and second in points (741). He won the Cup with the Ducks in 2007, was a runner-up for the Hart in 2014 and has finished among the top seven vote-getters for the All-Star team six times. All that success has established Getzlaf as a modern archetype: the big, skilled No. 1 center who can impose his will through force or talent.

Complete list (SI.com)

Power Rankings: Capitals regain supremacy over Penguins - ESPN.com

4. Anaheim Ducks

• The Ducks and Kings battled tooth and nail for the Pacific Division crown before Anaheim earned its fourth consecutive title Sunday night. The Ducks will have their hands full with Nashville, but they are a good team with unfinished playoff business.

5. Los Angeles Kings

• How delicious is this rematch of the epic 2014 Kings-Sharks first-round series?

Complete list (ESPN.com)

Power Rankings: Attack of the hobbling Penguins! - ESPN.com

7. Anaheim Ducks

• The Ducks are dealing with significant injury issues, including ones to Freddie Andersen and David Perron, as they continue to fight the Kings for top spot in the Pacific. A nice win over the Stars sees them a point up on the Kings with four to play.

8. Los Angeles Kings 

• The Kings have gone a bit sideways, but three of their last four games are against weak sisters in the West. Mark Thursday's clash with the Ducks at the Staples Center as a key moment in the final days of the regular schedule.

10. San Jose Sharks

• The Sharks theoretically could still grab home ice in the first round but that's not likely to happen. And given how well they play on road (27 wins is tops in the NHL), it's probably just as well they'll be traveling to Los Angeles or Anaheim to start. Brent Burns is in the thick of Norris Trophy discussion.

Complete list (ESPN.com)

NHL Power Rankings: Surging Blues challenge Capitals - SI.com

6. Anaheim Ducks

• last week: 6
• record: 42-23-10
• Monday's 2–1 win in Edmonton lifted the Ducks to a 3-1-1 mark on their five-game Canadian road swing and pulled them to within a single point of Los Angeles for the top spot in the Pacific. Brandon Pirri chipped in four points on the trip, including the game-winning goal against the Oilers. Just another genius pick-up by GM Bob Murray.

7. San Jose Sharks

• last week: 5
• record: 42-28-6
• The Sharks pulled out of their three-game home-losing skid at the most opportune moment, knocking off the Kings on Monday night to secure their return to the Stanley Cup playoffs. With four of their final six games featuring a non-qualifying opponent, they still have a shot at earning home ice for the first round.

8. Los Angeles Kings

• last week: 3
• record: 45-26-5
• Reuniting the Jeff Carter-Tyler Toffoli-Milan Lucic line helped the Kings break out of their scoring slump for one game, a 6–4 win over Edmonton, but it was back to scratching around in the dirt in Monday's 5–2 loss to San Jose. LA has now dropped five of six and scored more than twice only once in that span. Just as concerning: The Kings have allowed 20 goals in their past five games. What an inopportune time to go cold at both ends of the ice.

Complete list (SI.com)

Power Rankings: Threats to the Capitals are surfacing - ESPN.com

5. Los Angeles Kings

• Clinched a playoff berth. The Kings have seven games remaining and next face the Sharks on Monday. They are 6-3-1 in the past 10 games. On Saturday, the Kings snapped a three-game losing skid with a 6-4 win over the Oilers. Tyler Toffoli had two goals and two assists in the win. 

9. Anaheim Ducks

• Clinched a playoff berth. The Ducks have eight games remaining and next face the Oilers on Monday. Forward Rickard Rakell has reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his NHL career.

14. San Jose Sharks

• On the verge of clinching a postseason berth. Have seven games remaining and will face the Kings Monday night.  

Complete list (ESPN.com)

Kings Once Again Poised For A Cup Run

Kings bounce back in big way

Los Angeles poised for run at third Stanley Cup title in five seasons


Here are five reasons why the Kings clinched:

1. Rest and motivation 

The 2014-15 Kings didn't have a terrible season by any means, going 40-27-15 for 95 points. But that was three points short of a playoff berth in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, and just more than six months removed from raising their second Stanley Cup banner, the Kings were packing their bags for an early summer.

Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Between the two Cup runs in 2012 and 2014 and a trip to the Western Conference Final in 2013, they played 64 postseason games in addition to the combined 246 regular-season games over that span. Top players like Kopitar and Doughty admitted before the start of this season that the extra rest could prove beneficial.

"It felt good, even though it stinks to miss the playoffs," Kopitar said. "We kind of needed that to recharge and get away for a little longer period of time. You always feel like you're in a rush to get ready. Not this time.

"The sour taste from missing the playoffs is what drives us to do some damage this year."

2. Overtime heroics 

The new 3-on-3 format apparently agrees with Los Angeles, which has won 11 of 14 games this season decided in the extra period.


Combined with the shootout, the Kings have played 18 games this season that have gone beyond regulation and picked up the extra point in 12. Contrast that to a season ago, when they were 3-15 in those situations (1-7 in overtime, 2-8 in shootouts). If they had managed an even 9-9 split, they would have breezed into the playoffs.

"We've been doing a good job of getting those chances when we have because the puck possession in the 3-on-3," forward Milan Lucic told LA Kings Insider earlier this month. "As you've seen from all the 3-on-3 play, puck possession is probably the biggest thing, and when you get those chances, you've got to make sure you score, and we've been bearing down on them. To be honest, that was one of the things we talked about early in the season, heading into those overtime games, is getting those points."

3. 'America's Best' 

When Quick made 32 saves in a 5-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 14, he wasn't just shutting out the defending Cup champs. He also set an NHL record for most shutouts by a U.S.-born goalie with the 41st of his career, passing John Vanbiesbrouck and Frank Brimsek.

Quick is having his typical elite season, ranking second in the League in wins (37) and fourth in goals-against average (2.14). His .921 save percentage would be the second highest of his career. He has been a workhorse as usual -- he's second in the NHL in minutes played and tied for second with 58 games -- but with Jhonas Enroth earning Sutter's trust to the tune of 12 starts already and performing brilliantly at times (2.01 GAA, .930 save percentage), Quick won't sniff the career-high-tying 72 appearances he made last season.


4. The missing piece 

The Kings acquired Lucic on June 26, sending the Bruins the No. 13 pick in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft and goaltender Martin Jones.

Lucic, who had an eight-game point streak end Saturday against his former team, has provided a power-forward presence with a penchant for performing in big spots -- he lifted the Cup in 2011 with the Bruins and has 26 goals and 61 points in 96 postseason games. It's the type of resume the Kings needed with Justin Williams leaving to sign as a free agent with the Washington Capitals on July 1.

"I think he's given our top end of our forward group some size and some skill, and that's never a bad thing," Sutter told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday.


5. Everyone playing their roles

The Kings' best players have stood out. Quick has been a fortress in goal, Kopitar is close to a point-per-game player (24 goals, 65 points in 70 games), and Doughty figures to again get consideration for the Norris Trophy, averaging the third-most minutes in the League (28:12) and playing dynamically at each end of the ice. Forward Tyler Toffoli leads Los Angeles with 26 goals, an NHL career-high.

The Kings didn't win the Cup twice by merely relying on its stars, though, and this version has its own share of complementary pieces.

Forward Vincent Lecavalier, acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 6, has revived his career with eight goals in 32 games. Forward Kris Versteeg, traded from the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 28, can fit in on the top line with Lucic and Kopitar, or play down in the lineup. And with veteran defenseman Matt Greene limited to three games because of a shoulder injury that required surgery, the Kings brought back 2012 Cup winner Rob Scuderi and added Luke Schenn for bottom-six depth.

(NHL.com)

Power Rankings: New Kings on the block - ESPN.com

1. Los Angeles Kings

• The Kings extended their points streak to seven games (6-0-1), have won four in a row and have a four-point lead over the Ducks for first in the Pacific. Jonathan Quick is 5-0-1 in his past six starts, including three consecutive wins. Forward Anze Kopitar extended his points streak to five games with four goals and three assists. This team is a serious Cup contender.

4. Anaheim Ducks

• The Ducks moved to within four points of the Kings for the lead in the Pacific. Anaheim began a five-game Canadian road trip with a 3-2 overtime win over the Jets on Sunday. The Ducks will face the Canadiens on Tuesday, Maple Leafs on Thursday, Senators on Saturday and Oilers on Monday.

10. San Jose Sharks

• Joe Thornton scored the winning goal in a 4-1 win over the Rangers on Saturday. It was his 1,328th career point, passing Pierre Turgeon for 31st place in career points. Thornton has recorded at least one point in 37 of his past 42 games. James Reimer posted a 25-save shutout against the Coyotes on Sunday, and the Sharks have four wins in their past five games.  

Complete list (ESPN.com)

Sharks move up in Super 16 - NHL.com

2. Anaheim Ducks (38-22-9)

• Total points: 99
• Last week: No. 2
• Hit: The Ducks had scored a power-play goal in 13 of their past 15 games, going 21-for-54 (38.9 percent), but did not receive a power play in a 2-1 loss against the New York Rangers on Wednesday. They were second in the NHL on the power play at 23.4 percent (48-for-205).
  Miss: Defenseman Sami Vatanen has missed three straight games with an upper-body injury he sustained against the Colorado Avalanche on March 9.

3. Los Angeles Kings (42-22-5)

• Total points: 97
• Last week: No. 6
• Hit: They are 4-0-1 in their past five games and have scored a combined 19 goals in the four wins, including five against the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars.
  Miss: Hard to find flaws after the way they played the past two games with a 5-0 win against the Blackhawks and 5-2 against the Stars with backup Jhonas Enroth in goal.

7. San Jose Sharks (39-24-6)

• Total points: 60
• Last week: No. 13
• Hit: They've won two in a row at home and are 9-3-3 in their past 15 home games after going 5-12-0 in their first 17. They play nine of their last 13 games at home.
  Miss: The Sharks have fed on Eastern Conference teams, going 19-11-1 in 31 games (.629 points percentage). The problem is they have only one game left against the Eastern teams (Saturday against the Rangers). They are 20-13-5 (.592 points percentage) against Western teams.

Complete list (NHL.com)

NHL Power Rankings: Capitals clinging to top spot - SI.com

2. Anaheim Ducks

• record: 38-21-9
• Turns out all the Ducks needed was a little home cooking. After turning in a pair of soft performances in Colorado and St. Louis, Anaheim righted the ship with a 7–1 thrashing of the Devils. The win made it 10 straight with at least a point at home (9-0-1), the longest active streak in the NHL. 

5. Los Angeles Kings

• record: 41-22-5
• Full marks to the Kings, who responded to a late challenge from the Ducks with an 8-2-1 streak of their own. They've tightened up their D, allowing just 17 regulation goals over that stretch. Is it too early to call them the favorites to advance out of the West?  

8. San Jose Sharks

• record: 38-24-6 
• A standing O for Jumbo Joe. With a helper in San Jose's 5–2 thumping of the Caps on Saturday, Thornton became just the 16th player in NHL history to record more than 10 seasons with at least 50 assists. The dead-lock Hall of Famer is third in apples this season, trailing only Erik Karlsson and Patrick Kane.

Complete list (SI.com)

NHL Power Rankings: Capitals take back top spot - SI.com

2. Anaheim Ducks

• Their 11-game winning streak came to a cruel end on Monday night, but not before the Ducks took control of the Pacific Division. They've also put at least one point up on the board in 14 straight (12-0-2), the NHL's longest such run since the Bruins went 16 in a row back in 2014.  
• Last week: 3-0-1

7. Los Angeles Kings

• No way around it: that 3–2 loss to the Ducks hurt. As well as the Kings have played of late, winning six of eight and allowing only six goals in those wins, they gave away the Pacific lead by dropping a pair to Anaheim in a span of a week. Their next meeting, on April 7, should be a dandy.  
• Last week: 2-1-0

10. San Jose Sharks

• Attention, Mike Babcock: That Brent Burns kid can play a little defense when he sets his mind to it. The Team Canada hopeful had a –15 rating on Jan. 2. Since then, he's +11, a reflection of his improved all-around play and its impact on the success of his team.  
• Last week: 1-1-0

(SI.com)

 

Power Rankings: Race to the top heating up - ESPN.com

2. Anaheim Ducks

• The Ducks are close to pushing the Capitals for the top spot. Anaheim is 18-1-1 in its past 20 games and has established a franchise record with 11 straight victories. The Ducks host the Capitals on Monday night in Anaheim, which is must-see TV. 

6. Los Angeles Kings

• In the midst of a five-game homestand, the Kings lost 3-2 to the Ducks on Saturday and fell two points behind Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division.  

13. San Jose Sharks

• Sharks defenseman Brent Burns has set a new career high with 23 goals this season. Newcomer James Reimer made 22 saves in his Sharks debut, but San Jose lost 4-2 to the Canucks on Saturday.

Complete list (ESPN.com)

Surging Ducks keeping moving up - NHL.com

Anaheim climbs to No. 3 in Super 16 rankings

3. Anaheim Ducks (35-19-8)
Total points: 93
Last week: No. 6
Hit: They extended their win streak to nine games with a 3-2 shootout victory against the Montreal Canadiens at Honda Center on Wednesday. Anaheim has an 11-game point streak (10-0-1) and is 18-2-1 in its past 21 games.
Miss: Still nothing.

5. Los Angeles Kings (37-21-4)
Total points: 77
Last week: No. 4
Hit: The four goals they allowed in a 4-2 loss to the Ducks on Sunday stopped a streak of five consecutive games in which they allowed two or fewer goals, including four in a row in which they allowed one or fewer.
Miss: They haven't scored more than two goals in eight straight games.

11. San Jose Sharks (34-22-6)
Total points: 37
Last week: No. 10
Hit: Joe Thornton has six goals in his past 13 games after scoring eight in his first 49. He has 19 points in the past 13 games.
Miss: Patrick Marleau has three points (one goal, two assists) in the past nine games. It hasn't hurt the Sharks, who are 6-2-1 in that span.

Complete list (NHL.com)

NHL Power Rankings: Ducks lead post-trade deadline parade - SI.com

1. Anaheim Ducks

• The Ducks are almost unstoppable with the extra man. They've scored at least one power play goal in eight straight games and are 13-for-28 during that span. No surprise that they’ve won all eight. Adding big winger Jamie McGinn from Buffalo at the deadline was an excellent depth addition that positions this team for a run at the Stanley Cup.  
• Last week: 3-0-0

6. Los Angeles Kings

• What’s up with the offense? The Kings have scored just 12 goals in their past eight games. A stout defense allowed them to win four of them, but that first-to-two approach could be tough to sustain come crunch time.  
• Last week: 3-1-0

8. San Jose Sharks

• The Sharks went 3-8-2 last February, effectively ending a 10-year playoff streak with one horrible month. Things went much better this year. San Jose posted a 6-3-1 record on the road and went 2-1-1 at home to turn the battle for the Pacific Division title into a three-team race.  
• Last week: 2-1-1

Complete list (SI.com)  

2016 World Cup of Hockey Rosters Announced

Five Players from Ducks Named to World Cup of Hockey 2016 Rosters

The Ducks today had five players named to rosters for the World Cup of Hockey 2016. Among the announcements made today by participating countries, Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf was named to Team Canada; center Ryan Kesler was named to Team USA; goaltender John Gibson was named to Team North America; defenseman Sami Vatanen was named to Team Finland; and goaltender Frederik Andersen was named to Team Europe. The best-on-best international hockey tournament will be held in Toronto, Canada from Sept. 17-Oct. 1, 2016.

(Ducks.NHL.com)


Kings To Participate In 2016 World Cup

LOS ANGELES – The following Los Angeles Kings players were today named as participants for the World Cup of Hockey 2016 -- the best-on-best international hockey championship from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1, 2016 -- in Toronto:

Anze Kopitar (Team Europe)

Jonathan Quick (Team USA)

Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty (Team Canada)

The announcements came from the National Hockey League and the National Hockey Leagues Players’ Association.

In addition, Kings trainers Darren Granger (Canada) and Chris Kingsley (U.S.) will be on the bench for each of their respective countries.  Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi is the General Manager for the U.S. Team and Rob Blake, the Kings Vice President and Assistant General Manager, is part of Team Canada’s management team.

(Kings.NHL.com)

Five Sharks Named to 2016 World Cup Rosters 

SAN JOSE - The San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) announced today that forward Joe Pavelski, defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (@Vlasic44), forward Tomas Hertl (@tomashertl48), defenseman Roman Polak, and forward Joonas Donskoi have been named to their respective countries rosters for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The tournament will be held from Sept. 17-Oct. 1 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

(Sharks.NHL.com)

Power Rankings: Trades shaking things up - ESPN.com

2. Anaheim Ducks

• The Ducks received a hat trick from Corey Perry en route to a 4-2 victory over the Kings on Sunday. Anaheim has won eight straight and has a 12-1-1 record in February. Since December the Ducks have been outstanding.

5. Los Angeles Kings

• The Kings lost a Pacific Division battle to the Ducks on Sunday but acquired Stanley Cup-winning forward Kris Versteeg from Carolina as they gear up for the stretch run.  

12. San Jose Sharks

• The Sharks posted a 4-1 win over the Canucks on Sunday. San Jose landed goalie James Reimer and forward Jeremy Morin in a deal with the Maple Leafs late last week. 

Complete list (ESPN.com)

NHL Power Rankings: Ducks rise from dead to No. 1 - SI.com

1. Anaheim Ducks

• record: 31-19-8
• Maybe the pundits were right about the Ducks after all. The preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup have reeled off five straight wins and are 12-1-1 in their past 14. The change? An offense that’s finally living up to its paper. Anaheim has scored 68 goals in its last 17 games (4.0 per game), including five-or-more in four straight.  
• Last week: 3-0-0

6. Los Angeles Kings

• record: 34-20-4
• No Anze Kopitar. No Marian Gaborik. No wonder the Kings are having trouble scoring. Los Angeles has mustered just three regulation goals over the past four games, heightening expectations that GM Dean Lombardi will be a busy shopper ahead of the deadline. 
• Last week: 1-1-1

8. San Jose Sharks

• record: 32-21-5
• How about a little love for Joe Thornton? With a four-point night in Monday’s win over the Blues, Jumbo has gotten on the board in 25 of his past 28 games. He now has 41 assists, fourth-most in the league, and 55 points, good for 10th in the scoring race. Not bad for a guy who’s supposed to be on his last legs at the ripe old age of 36.  
• Last week: 3-1-0

(SI.com)

 

Power Rankings: Caps, Ducks taking charge - ESPN.com

2. Anaheim Ducks

• So how about this: Could Bruce Boudreau go from the coach everyone thought would be fired in the first half of the season to a Jack Adams Award nominee by the end of the second half? He certainly deserves consideration for helping turn around this season.

4. Los Angeles Kings

• The Kings' offense is suddenly sputtering with just four goals in their past four games. The Flames, Oilers and Sabres visit Staples Center this week.

10. San Jose Sharks

• The Sharks win the Roman Polak sweepstakes with Monday's trade. And I'm serious, there were a number of contenders interested in the veteran, rental D-man. Nice pickup by the Sharks. Nick Spaling will be a useful add-on too.

(ESPN.com)

Capitals top Super 16 for 10th straight week - NHL.com

5. Los Angeles Kings (33-20-3)

• Total points: 85
• Last week: No. 4
• Hit: Forward Dustin Brown has nine points in his past 10 games. He had zero points in the 10 games prior to his current hot streak.
• Miss: Forward Tyler Toffoli has one goal in the past 12 games; the Kings are 5-7-0 in those games. 

7. Anaheim Ducks (29-19-8)

• Total points: 73
• Last week: No. 10
• Hit: The Ducks are 17-4-2 in their past 23 games and are three points behind the Kings for first in the Pacific Division. Each team has played 56 games.
• Miss: They have allowed seven power-play goals in the past five games, though it hasn't hurt them because they've scored six power-play goals of their own and are 4-0-1 in that stretch.

(NHL.com)