LA KINGS NEWS CLIPS 10/20/10

Transcription

1 LA KINGS NEWS CLIPS 10/20/10

2 FROM LAKINGS.COM Kings Notebook (Oct. 19) For Wednesday's Game, Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis will join the lineup as fourth-line wingers, in place of Brayden Schenn and Kevin Westgarth. By Rich Hammond EL SEGUNDO -- Starting with Wednesday s game against Carolina at STAPLES Center, the Kings face seven games in 11 days. Keeping players fresh will be imperative. To that end, coach Terry Murray said Tuesday that he will make a few lineup changes for Wednesday s game. Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis will join the lineup as fourth-line wingers, in place of Brayden Schenn and Kevin Westgarth. Brad Richardson, previously the fourth-line left winger, will move to center, and all of them will be playing in support of Jonathan Bernier, who will start in goal. Schenn, a 19-year-old rookie, earned rave reviews for his first two games, when he averaged 14-plus minutes and totaled seven shots on goal, but Schenn s ice time dropped to 9:35 and 7:06, respectively, in the last two games. "On the D-zone coverage part of things," Murray said when asked where Schenn s game needed improvement. ``What happens in this situation is, you come back after a penalty kill -- and this is exactly what I told him -- you come back after a penalty kill, and he's in the middle with whomever I put him out with on the wings, and you end up against the Sedins [Daniel and Henrik, of the Canucks]. "They're coming right back with their top line. Now you're looking at the MVP of the game last year, and they can expose a lot of players. They recognize a young player, and there were some situations there that we need to address and get him to close faster and be more firm in those situations." Westgarth, the Kings enforcer, played only 2:10 in Friday s win over Vancouver. In their place go Clifford, a rookie who played in the first two games but was a healthy scratch from the next two, and Lewis, who has yet to appear in a game this season. Lewis, a 2006 first-round pick, made the Kings roster out of training camp last year, and had one goal and two assists in 11 games but spent most of the season in the AHL. "I want to get Lewis into a game. Coming out of the training camp, he's been sitting there patiently, waiting to get going," Murray said. "You have young players who have gone through the summer and the training camp and put in a great amount of work and had real good camps, so I want to give them an opportunity. Same thing with Clifford." In goal, Murray is following his stated plan to get Bernier in a game approximately once a week. Jonathan Quick has started three of the Kings first four games, and is scheduled to be back in goal when the Kings play at Phoenix on Thursday. "The way I looked at it, in the early part, when I penciled these games in on the goaltending side of it," Murray said, "is that I look at our No. 1 goaltender, Quick, being the goalie that I want to have in division games." The Kings face another set of back-to-back games at the end of this upcoming road trip, when they play at Chicago on Oct. 27 and at Dallas on Oct. 28. INJURY REPORT Matt Greene, in the final states of his recovery from July shoulder surgery, is expected to receive doctors clearance following an examination Wednesday night. "He's anxious to get going, chomping at the bit," Murray said, "and if the doctors give him the green light, then it's just a matter of a couple more practices and he will be ready to go. We'll take him on the road and get him prepared through extra work, and we'll make that decision as we go through." The Kings play at Phoenix on Thursday, then at Colorado on Saturday and at Minnesota on Monday. Scott Parse, out since Sept. 22 with a groin injury, skated for approximately 10 minutes before the start of Tuesday s practice but does not appear to be close to a return. STAYING PATIENT Anze Kopitar led the Kings with 34 goals last season, including four goals in his first five games. Wednesday s game will be the Kings fifth, and Kopitar has yet to score a goal, although he does have three assists in his first four games. Murray was asked Tuesday about Kopitar s inability to put one in the goal column early in the season. "I'm not concerned," Murray said. "That part will come along. He's getting his opportunities. He's making plays. The line is starting to show some chemistry, with a couple big goals from Brownie the other night. Those numbers will improve."

3 Toughness a Key Intangible for any Great Hockey Team Kopitar, Brown, Doughty and Terry Murray recall their worst experiences with stitches. Wednesday, By Rich Hammond Ask any NHL veteran about his battle scars, and suddenly he begins to resemble a third-base coach in baseball, giving the bunt sign to a batter. Touch nose, touch forehand, touch chin, swipe across cheek, etc. Perhaps more than any other sport, hockey leaves its mark on its players. There are few faces that haven t been stitched at some point, few skeletal structures that haven t experienced a break in some location (or five) and few mouths with full sets of teeth. But ask those players about the number of games they missed due to injury, and often a blank stare is given in return. Miss a game? For an injury? There s seemingly nothing that stitches, cotton or tape -- or some combination thereof -- can t temporarily fix. This is nothing new. Stories about the relative toughness of hockey players, as compared to other professional athletes, are old and well-told, such as the tale of the baseball outfielder who once missed a game because of a sprained eyelid. By contrast, there s the Kings Anze Kopitar. Midway through the second period of the Kings season opener on Oct. 9, Kopitar got sliced badly on the left side of his face, just above his mouth, by the stick of Vancouver s Manny Malhotra. Kopitar left the ice a bloody mess, looking like something out of a horror movie, and needed 18 stitches. He missed perhaps 10 minutes of game action before he returned to the ice for the start of the third period, and later scored a goal in the shootout. ``It's pretty special in sports, I think, to see that kind of an attitude,'' Kings coach Terry Murray said. ``Where it began, I have no idea, but it's clearly a blue-collar mentality that seems to be a big part of the fabric of the hockey player. ``It's pretty amazing, when you look back over the years at the players I've seen -- and Kopi is a great example --when you're getting cut in the mouth, that's a very sensitive area, and you're coming back as quickly as possible. I've seen some amazing things over the years.'' Go around the Kings dressing room, and there s an endless number of stories. They all have something in common. The players involved rarely missed much ice time. Drew Doughty took a puck to the teeth early last season, got his face bloodied and nearly lost a handful of front teeth. He missed a couple shifts and returned for the next game wearing a full face shield, with a fat lip and his front teeth bonded together. ``Obviously it sucks when you first get knocked out,'' Doughty said, ``but after that, you just want to get back out there. You hate missing any time in a game, and you just want to get back out there. You fight through it. It sucks to be in the dentist's chair and get your teeth fixed, but that's part of the game. We have to deal with it. During the lockout, Dustin Brown played for the AHL Manchester Monarchs and lost several of his front teeth while attempting to make a hit along the boards. ``I went to hit a guy, and he fell, and my face went into the dasher,'' Brown said. ``It knocked out four teeth. That was probably the worst. That was the most traumatic that I can remember.'' Did Brown miss the rest of the game? A couple beyond that?

4 ``No, I actually came back and scored in overtime,'' Brown said with a toothless smile. ``Then it didn't feel so bad.'' Murray, a former NHL defenseman, had his neck cut open while playing junior hockey. ``I got cut real bad, real deep in my throat,'' Murray said. ``I couldn't eat, I couldn't drink, I couldn't do anything for about five days. It was a backchecking player, and he missed my stick and came up and it went right into my throat. I got about 25 stitches in there after the game, and it was not fun.'' How many games did he miss? ``Oh, I didn't miss any games,'' Murray said with a laugh. That led Murray to recall another battle scar, one that is still visible just below his nose. ``One of the worst ones I had was as a coach (in Washington),'' Murray said. ``I was passing pucks to a player, Paul Cavallini. I was passing pucks to him for one-timers, and one came off the crossbar. That's the mark here [on his face]. I got cut and I got 45 stitches. It went right through both lips. I didn't go down, but that was a bad cut.'' Roughly 25 years later, there s still a story going around the Kings dressing room about how, during one game, Dave Taylor s finger ``exploded and needed some crude, creative, ``reconstruction with tape. Taylor returned to the game. What makes these players tick? What drives them to get back on the ice, when most reasonable people would take a seat in the locker room, if not in the hospital? There s no simple answer, other than that a culture was established decades ago, long before any current players were born, and has been handed down through the generations. It s unstated, that sense of, ``If we did it, so can you. The culture is strange and fascinating. Player discuss, plainly and without irony, where it's ``good'' to be cut, meaning a cut where the long-lasting scar won't show as much, such as on the lip line, above the hair line, etc. They nonchalantly share stories of receiving dozens of stitches, of losing teeth, of having injections and bones re-set during games. It's merely an occupational hazard. ``It's one of those things where everyone runs the risk of having it happen,'' Brown said. ``I've had it happen a number of times. It's more frustrating than anything, because it's just a lot of work that you have to do after the fact. But once you get sewed up, you just go back out there and finish the game. That night, you probably don't feel too good, but getting back out there, it's just something you do. You don't think about it too much.'' Do players ever try to take it too far, though? It's one thing for players to try to be brave and return during a game, but they can also run the risk of hurting themselves further -- and, by extension, hurting the team -- when attempting to play at much less than 100 percent. Does a coach, such as Murray, ever find himself vacillating between getting a player back on the ice and holding him back out of caution? ``I don't get involved in that part of it,'' Murray said. ``That's a medical process, with (trainer) Chris Kingsley and our doctors. Dr. (Michael) Mellman is in there, and we trust those guys, that they're going to make the right decisions. When a player gets back to the bench, to me he's ready to play.'' Unless there's a broken bone or serious damage, that often doesn't take long. As for the comparison to other sports, in terms of relative toughness, hockey players shy away from the comparison, albeit sometimes with a wry grin. ``I know people say that sometimes,'' Doughty said, ``but I don't want to badmouth other sports, because then we'll be hearing it back.''

5 Not giving up much Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 October 2010, 4:15 pm Much has been made, and rightfully so, of the Kings 5-on-5 scoring, but perhaps just as important is to look at the 5-on-5 scoring differential, not just the goals scored. So while the Kings have scored only eight 5-on-5 goals in four games, they also are second in the NHL in 5-on-5 goal differential, with a ratio of Of course, that points to strong defense and goaltending, given that the Kings have only allowed three 5-on-5 goals in four games. Terry Murray was asked today about his defense s contribution to that statistic MURRAY: Five on five, I think we re really doing a good job of taking away space, taking away time on good players. If you get a little off your man, they re going to make good plays. Overall, our read, our closing quickly on players, taking away that space, taking away their opportunity to make plays has been very good. The rotation down low by our defensemen in that two-on-two, three-on-three coverage, the switches and reads, has been aggressive. That s the way it has to be. In order to be a real good checking hockey club, those reads have to be instinctive and you have to react the way we have been. The goal is goals Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 October 2010, 3:30 pm Last season, Anze Kopitar earned league-wide recognition with his blistering start, one that included three goals and five assists in his first four games. Through four games this season, Kopitar has yet to net a goal and has three assists. Kopitar is actually shooting more 15 shots in four games this season, as opposed to nine shots through four games last season but has yet to find the back of the net, which is perhaps part of the reason why Terry Murray dismissed, fairly quickly, the idea that he might be concerned about Kopitar s lack of earlyseason production. MURRAY: I m not concerned. That part will come along. He s getting his opportunities. He s making plays. The line is starting to show some chemistry, with a couple big goals from Brownie the other night. Those numbers will improve. Murray was also asked whether he noticed any differences in Kopitar s start this season, as opposed to last season. MURRAY: That s a tough thing to put a finger on, because it was such an incredible start. The chemistry was great. They had a lot of great offensive-zone time and pucks were just going in. Sometimes the puck has eyes and finds a way. I think, in the early going here, we ve played against some pretty close-checking hockey clubs, with Vancouver twice and Calgary one time. We really did not generate a lot of offensive-zone time against those teams. We found a way to win. That chemistry, that play that we re looking for from Kopi s line will start to fall in place here as we play more games. Goalie plan Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 October 2010, 2:45 pm Jonathan Bernier will get his second start of the season tomorrow night against Carolina. That will be two starts for Bernier in the Kings first five games, so at least for now, Terry Murray seems intent on following his goalie plan. Last season, backup goalie Erik Ersberg made his first start of the season in the Kings sixth game and didn t make his second start until the Kings 19th game. Jonathan Quick, who has allowed three goals in nine periods this season, is scheduled to be back in goal when the Kings play at Phoenix on Thursday.

6 MURRAY: We ve got seven games in 11 days here. Bernier will play tomorrow. Quick will get the game in Phoenix. The way I looked at it, in the early part, when I penciled these games in on the goaltending side of it, is that I look at our No. 1 goaltender, Quick, being the goalie that I want to have in division games. Greene update Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 October 2010, 1:58 pm There s no true update on Matt Greene s status, other than confirmation that he will be examined again before/during tomorrow night s game. Given that Greene has been practicing, and says he feels no discomfort in his shoulder, it s almost certain that he will be approved for contact, meaning that his return to the Kings lineup should be only a matter of days away. Here s what Terry Murray said today MURRAY: He s anxious to get going, chomping at the bit, and if the doctors give him the green light, then it s just a matter of a couple more practices and he will be ready to go. We ll take him on the road and get him prepared through extra work, and we ll make that decision as we go through. I tried to get Murray to bite on the idea of Greene returning to the lineup on Saturday, at Colorado, but he wouldn t go with it. It seems safe to project that Greene would either play Saturday or Monday, at Minnesota. MURRAY: I m not going to get painted into one game like that, but we re going to bring him on the road trip. I think it s safe to say that there will be playing time on the road trip. Fourth-line changes Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 October 2010, 1:02 pm As posted earlier, the Kings will go with fourth-line changes tomorrow night against Carolina, with Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis replacing Brayden Schenn and Kevin Westgarth. Clifford and Lewis will be wingers for center Brad Richardson, who moves over from left wing. Schenn averaged 14-plus minutes in his first two games, but that slipped to 9:35 against Atlanta and 7:06 in Friday s game. Westgarth played only 2:10 on Friday. Here s what Terry Murray said about the changes. MURRAY: I want to get Lewis into a game. Coming out of the training camp, he s been sitting there patiently, waiting to get going. You have young players who have gone through the summer and the training camp and put in a great amount of work and had real good camps, so I want to give them an opportunity. Same thing with Clifford. He played a couple games and I took him out. We needed to address a couple areas with him, and now the same scenario pops up with Schenn, which I talked to him about this morning, about parts of the game that we ll keep giving a push through the days off, on the ice and through video review. Murray was asked what, specifically, in Schenn s game needed to be addressed. Schenn can play five more games before the Kings must decide whether to return him to his junior team or keep him and burn a year off his contract. So far, Schenn has zero points, nine shots on goal and a minus-2 rating in four games. MURRAY: On the D-zone coverage part of things. What happens in this situation is, you come back after a penalty kill and this is exactly what I told him you come back after a penalty kill, and he s in the middle with whomever I put him out with on the wings, and you end up against the Sedins. They re coming right back with their top line. Now you re looking at the MVP of the game last year, and they can expose a lot of players. They recognize a young player, and there were some situations there that we need to address and get him to close faster and be more firm in those situations.

7 Suite ticket update Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 October 2010, 12:30 pm Here s an update on the LAKingsInsider.com suite night, Nov. 11. Tickets went on sale yesterday for the suite and, yes, they sold out very quickly. The good news is that a second, adjoining suite has been added so everyone will be able to enjoy the festivities together and tickets are once again on sale. So click below to get your tickets they re $75 each, down from last year but don t hesitate, because as we ve already seen, they re going fast. LAKingsInsider.com suite night (Nov. 11) (The offer password is kingsinsider ) 24 Comments Tuesday practice update Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 October 2010, 11:39 am With back-to-back games this week, there will be changes to the Kings lineup tomorrow. Jonathan Bernier will start in goal (with Jonathan Quick getting the start Thursday) and the Kings will go with a fourth line of center Brad Richardson and wingers Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis. Matt Greene is scheduled to be evaluated by doctors tomorrow night, and if he is cleared, his return would likely be only a matter of days away. Scott Parse returned to the ice for some light pre-practice skating but left after 10 minutes or so. More notes and quotes from practice to come

8 From LAKings.com Hurricanes-Kings Preview Associated Press The Los Angeles Kings are off to a strong start in , and Jonathan Quick is already playing a vital role. He should be in goal to try and continue his best start to a season when the Kings host the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. Los Angeles (3-1-0) is trying to conclude a three-game homestand unbeaten, and will likely need another solid effort from Quick to do so. Quick has won all three of his games with a 0.97 goals-against average. It's the best start to a season for a Kings' netminder since Jason LaBarbera won his first five games in That was also the last time Los Angeles opened its home schedule with a three-game winning streak. Quick, who set a franchise-record with 39 wins while posting a 2.54 GAA last season, will likely play a hand in matching that feat in his first game against Carolina (3-2-0). He made 25 saves and Dustin Brown scored twice Friday in a 4-1 win over Vancouver in a rematch of last spring's firstround playoff series which saw the Kings eliminated in six games. "It feels good, but we're hopefully going on to bigger and better things than the first round of the playoffs," said Brown, who has a team-high three goals. Success at Staples Center could be important for the Kings, who haven't won a division title since They went at home last season, ranking 11th in the Western Conference. Ryan Smyth has also come up big in the first two games of the homestand, getting two assists against the Canucks after scoring twice and setting up another in a 3-1 win over Atlanta on Oct. 12. The left wing had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win at Carolina on Nov. 11, and another big effort could give the Kings momentum heading into a five-game road trip that starts Thursday in Phoenix. Carolina, on a five-game trip after sweeping two games from Minnesota in Finland nearly two weeks ago, is looking to build on its best offensive performance of the young season, beating San Jose 5-2 on Tuesday. Cam Ward matched his season high with 41 saves and five players scored one goal each. "We did things a lot better than our last time out," coach Paul Maurice said. "We kept the puck moving forward and when we did have a breakdown we got great goaltending." It's unclear if Maurice will rest Ward in favor of Justin Peters. Ward, who has started all five games with a 2.77 GAA, also owns a 2.44 GAA while splitting two meetings with the Kings, but hasn't faced them since losing 4-3 in overtime at Los Angeles on Oct. 17, Peters went with a 2.83 GAA in nine games as a rookie last season. Eric Staal is trying to show some offensive consistency. The center has two goals and two assists through five games, but has been held scoreless in three contests. Staal, who needs two goals to pass Geoff Sanderson (196) for fifth in franchise history, has just two assists in two career games in Los Angeles.

9 Kings To Host "Star of the Month" At Various Home Games This Season Los Angeles Kings In partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles and Zebra s Care, the Los Angeles Kings are proud to host Star of the Month at various home games throughout the season (starting with tomorrow-wednesday s game vs. Carolina). Now in its fourth season, the Star of the Month program gives each child and his/her family the royal treatment which includes game tickets, dinner, a pre-game meetand-greet with NHL officials as part of the league s Zebra s Care initiative and the opportunity to watch warm-ups from the penalty box. The Star of the Month program serves as a wish enhancement for children who have recently undergone treatment for life-threatening illnesses. In addition, in December the Kings will grant the wish of 5-year-old Will McLeod, whose wish is to meet team captain Dustin Brown. Kings will host Kings for Wishes on Dec. 11 vs. the Minnesota Wild. Those who wish to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation on this night can purchase tickets by visiting with a portion of ticket sales benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. LA Kings Star of the Month dates are as follows: Oct. 20 vs. Carolina Hurricanes (7:30 p.m.) Nov. 6 vs. Nashville Predators (7 p.m.) Dec. 11 vs. Minnesota Wild (7:30 p.m.) Jan. 8 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (7:30 p.m.) Feb. 24 vs. Minnesota Wild (7:30 p.m.) About Make-A-Wish Foundation: The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. About Zebra s Care: The National Hockey League Officials Association charitable outreach strives to bring joy to children across North America and to grow the great game of hockey by providing the opportunity for children to meet NHLPA members and to attend a National Hockey League game. The Kings (3-1-0) return to action at STAPLES Center tomorrow (Wednesday) against Carolina at 7:30 p.m. to complete a three-game homestand. For tickets call 888-KINGS-LA and visit LAKings.com. The game will be broadcast on FS West, KTLK 1150 and along the Kings Radio Network.

10 Kings To Present Second Annual LA Kings Holiday Ice Presented By Coca Cola This November - January Outdoor Ice Rink Open To Public To Be Located At L.A. LIVE During The Holiday Season LOS ANGELES LA Kings Holiday Ice presented by Coca Cola the outdoor ice skating rink located within the Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE will debut with its Grand Opening on Saturday, November 27, at 3 p.m. This year the Kings have, once again, partnered with American Skating Entertainment Centers to provide the ice rink and day to day management and operations. This year s ice rink which is nearly twice as big as last year s rink will be open to the general public from November 27 January 2. It will be open weekdays from 3 11 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. 11 p.m. (exception is Nov. 27 which opens at 3 p.m.). To view a Kings Vision video featuring LA Kings Holiday Ice from last year,watch below. To view an LAKings.com photo gallery from last year's LA Kings Holiday Ice, click here. "LA Kings Holiday Ice once again will be the centerpiece of L.A. LIVE this holiday season, and we encourage everyone to come and take part in what is becoming a great experience for fans attending events at STAPLES Center," said Kings President, Business Operations Luc Robitaille. This year s LA Kings Holiday Ice at L.A. LIVE will again feature the popular "Skate with Santa" sessions through December 22 from 7 8 p.m. Information will be posted at as it becomes available. LAKingsHockey And we love him. You need to get him a jersey. about 1 hour ago via HootSuite in reply to KellieDarling 2. Want to Trick or Treat with Bailey? Only 2 days left to bid on this auction! Bid now! 3. #LAKings vs Canes...expected lineup changes...schenn/westgarth out...clifford/lewis in...no changes on D... about 2 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry 4. #LAKings Tip-A-King... make a "Calling the Game" copy in the booth with either Miller/Nickson/Fox/Evans about 3 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry 5. #LAKings TM says Bernier vs Canes (East Conf) Quick vs Coyotes (Pac Div) opponent about 3 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry 6. #lakings coach Murray also says Bernier will start tomorrow's game in net and Quick will go Thurs at PHX. -PR about 3 hours ago via OpenBeak 7. #lakings coach Terry Murray says both Lewis and Clifford will be in the line-up tomorrow vs. CAR. Scratched will be Westgarth and Schenn.-PR

11 latimes.com/sports/la-sp-kings-fyi ,0,53797.story latimes.com KINGS FYI Team's fast start isn't a surprise, but Anze Kopitar's goal-less drought is Kopitar, who led the Kings with 34 goals and 81 points last season, has been playing with different linemates, but says it's no excuse for his slow start. He says he's concerned, but not alarmed. By Helene Elliott 8:59 PM PDT, October 19, 2010 Four games into their season the Kings are 3-1, goaltender Jonathan Quick has an 0.97 goals-against average and center Anze Kopitar's score line has a zero in the goals column. Only one of those facts is surprising: that Kopitar hasn't found the net after leading the team last season with a career-high 34 goals and 81 points. He acknowledged he's concerned but not alarmed. "I mean, it bothers me in a good way," he said Tuesday after the Kings' practice in El Segundo. "You play the game to score goals. There's no panic or anything yet." It is early. But that zero is magnified when compared to the terrific start he enjoyed last season while centering for Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams. Kopitar had three goals and nine points in his first four games and led the NHL with 33 points in 22 games before Smyth suffered a rib injury and the line broke up. Kopitar began this season with Smyth and Dustin Brown but Smyth was replaced by Andrei Loktionov in the third game and only Brown seems to have benefitted, with two goals. Kopitar, who has three assists, said the line must spend more time in the offensive zone than it has, "and I think we're getting there." As for his own game, he doesn't need to look at video to know what he must do. "A little more drive toward the net and just drive toward shooting pucks and picking up spots to score goals," he said. "Last year I got off to a pretty good start. This year, not so much. There's still some points on the board but there's more from me for sure." He didn't blame the change in linemates for his drought. "I've been in, I guess, a passing role so far with Brownie but it doesn't matter too much," Kopitar said. "It's one of those things where I get a good bounce or I get a couple shots and I get my confidence back. Not that I lost confidence but just get the feel back for the net again. Just pop one in, hopefully." Who's in, who's out The Kings will begin a stretch of seven games in 11 days Wednesday with goalie Jonathan Bernier starting against the Carolina Hurricanes at Staples Center and Quick set to face the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday at Glendale, Ariz. "In the early part when I pencil these games in on the goaltending side of it, I look at our No. 1 goaltender, Quick, being the goalie that I want to have in division games," Coach Terry Murray said. He also changed the fourth line, scratching rookie Brayden Schenn and enforcer Kevin Westgarth to insert Kyle Clifford who played the first two games and Trevor Lewis, who will make his season debut. Brad Richardson will center them. Murray said he wanted to reward Lewis, see whether Clifford has progressed and have Schenn work on defensive-zone coverage. "I don't know how long I'll be out and hopefully I'll be back soon," Schenn said. "The main thing is just keep working hard and not let it bug you." Defenseman Matt Greene, meanwhile, is scheduled to get an update on his surgically repaired left shoulder. If all goes as expected he will return to the lineup during the upcoming trip. "It feels better than it's felt the last couple of years," he said. helene.elliott@latimes.com twitter.com/helenenothelen Copyright 2010, Los Angeles Times

12 latimes.com/sports/la-sp-elliott-nhl ,0, column latimes.com HELENE ELLIOTT / ON THE NHL NHL sends message with suspension of Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan The league is making it clear that punishment will be swift regardless of the offending player's status. Helene Elliott In suspending Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan three games for a late and blindside hit to the head of Ducks forward Dan Sexton, the NHL declared it is serious about punishing dangerous hits to the head. Sanctioning Doan, known as rugged but clean, was meant as a warning to fourth-liners and superstars that NHL justice will be blind. It's a bold and overdue statement. And it must become an enduring benchmark that leaves no room for favoritism or inconsistent reasoning that has eroded the league's credibility. Doan's open-ice, neutral-zone hit after Sexton released a pass during the third period of the Ducks' 3-2 victory Sunday wasn't penalized by the referees, but the NHL can review any play and impose supplementary discipline. Colin Campbell, the NHL's director of hockey operations, said he and fellow executives who monitor every game debated the hit when it was delivered. That Sexton wasn't injured was "fortunate" but beside the point. "This is a very difficult call to assess live as we don't want the referees guessing," Campbell said via . "Late and to the head from the blind side are plays we are attempting to extinguish in the game today." Ducks General Manager Bob Murray declined to comment on the play or on Doan's second-period check of rookie Cam Fowler, which sent the precocious defenseman face-first into the boards. Fowler broke his nose but is probable for Wednesday's game at Columbus, which opens a four-game trip. Doan's hit on Fowler, though painful, was a hockey play: Fowler had the puck on the rush and appeared to lose an edge as he was hit. Doan's hit on Sexton was after the play and reckless. If the NHL maintains its promise, Doan's punishment will be a meaningful deterrent. That's a big "if." But there's no turning back from this standard now. Hopes rise again in the desert The Coyotes have been down this road before. They've seen a prospective owner appear on the horizon with the promise of financial rescue or in the case of Jim Balsillie, a relocation only to have the deal fall apart. That's why General Manager Don Maloney, who has done an outstanding job in the midst of chaos, was cautiously optimistic after officials in Glendale, Ariz., announced last week that they had reached an agreement in principle with Chicago investment mogul Matthew Hulsizer on a new lease for the team at Jobing.com

13 Arena. Maloney, voted the NHL's top general manager by his peers last season, said he met Hulsizer during the Coyotes' rookie camp for "general, getting-to-know you" conversations and has maintained contact with Hulsizer and the rest of the group that has proposed to buy the club from the NHL. "They certainly seem to be enthusiastic and bullish on Phoenix as a hockey market and understand its challenges, but it's all good," Maloney said. "We've done this now three or four times. It's encouraging, though. We know that we can make it work in Phoenix. We have to have a good product and I think having an owner in place will help as much the fan base as the corporate support the suites, the revenues. We've had a lot of very positive feedback from the corporate community in the area, but there's this hesitation: 'Well, am I going to invest if the team is not going to be here? Am I really going to write a check?' " The NHL's preference is to keep the team where it is, with a more favorable lease. "Mr. Hulsizer, the City and the League intend to work closely together through the NHL's ownership approval process, and then to close the sale transaction and to thereafter transition the ownership of the club to Mr. Hulsizer as quickly and efficiently as possible," Bill Daly, NHL deputy commissioner, said via . The uncertainty surrounding the team has contributed to a huge erosion of the season-ticket base. Maloney wouldn't say what it is, but it reportedly might be around 1,800. The Coyotes sold out their final four regularseason games last season to finish with an attendance average of 11,989. They also sold out all 17,378 seats for four playoff games. The Coyotes are heavily promoting their 16 Saturday home games. Maloney said 95% of the tickets to last Saturday's game were sold, as opposed to the 50% giveaway rate at last season's home debut. If new owners bring new stability, fans might return. "As far as we're concerned, we know we have to do our job and put a good product on the ice," Maloney said. "I'm really encouraged in talking to them. They seem like a passionate, bright, energetic group that has some business savvy behind them, and hopefully we can make this work." helene.elliott@latimes.com twitter.com/helenenothelen Copyright 2010, Los Angeles Times

14 The Fabulous Forum The who, what, where, when, why and why not of L.A. sports Category: Kings Kings: Schenn, Westgarth out; Clifford, Lewis in; Bernier to start Wednesday October 19, :06 pm Four days between games gave Kings Coach Terry Murray plenty of time to tinker with his linep for Wednesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Staples Center--not that he normally needs much time at all to juggle things. But sometime between his team's victory over Vancouver last Friday and Tuesday's practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo he decided to reconfigure his fourth line by taking out rookie Brayden Schenn and enforcer Kevin Westgarth and replacing them with Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis. The center on that line will be Brad Richardson. Murray also said he plans to kick off a seven-game, 11-day stretch by starting Jonathan Bernier in goal Wednesday and switching to Jonathan Quick in net Thursday at Glendale, Ariz., against the Phoenix Coyotes. "The way I look at it in the early part, when I penciled these games in on the goaltending side of it, I look at our No. 1 goaltender, Quick, being the goalie that I want to have in division games," Murray said. The changes on the fourth line are a reward for Lewis, who has yet to play this season, and Clifford, who played the first two games but was scratched for the next two. "I want to get Lewis into the game. He s been coming out of the training camp and sitting there patiently waiting to get going," Murray said. "I m going to put Clifford back in.... You have young players who have gone through the summer, the training camp, put in a great amount of work and had real good camps so I want to give them that opportunity. "Same thing with Clifford. He played a couple games, I took him out. I needed to address a couple areas with him and now the same scenario pops up with Schenn, which I talked to him about this morning -- about parts of the game that we ll just keep giving him a push on the days off, on the ice and through video review." Those parts Murray mentioned are the defensive aspects of the game, saying he felt Schenn was overmatched by Vancouver's Daniel and Henrik Sedin last Friday. "They recognize a young player and there were some situations there that we needed to address," Murray said. "Get him to close faster, be more firm in those situations." Schenn said his confidence hasn't been damaged by being scratched. "I thought I played fairly well in the games that I did play. A few breaks here or there it would have been a different story," he said. "You just have to keep working hard and don t let it bother you and try get back in. I don t know how long I ll be out and hopefully I ll be back soon. Main thing is just keep working hard and not let it bug you." I'll have more later at including a chat with Anze Kopitar about the zero next to his name in the goalscoring column. --Helene Elliott

15 FROM THE SPORTING NEWS CRAIG CUSTANCE No Kovalchuk, but Kings are faring just fine Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray remembers his brief summer interaction with Ilya Kovalchuk as a pleasant one. There was a meeting with hockey's prized free agent over coffee in Los Angeles, during which Murray got the impression Kovalchuk was a great guy who wanted to win. "He was excited about the possibility at the end of the day. But I've been around a few years. Until it's signed, sealed and delivered, you're just hoping things work out," Murray told Sporting News. It didn't work out. At least, not in terms of closing the Kovalchuk deal. But on the ice, it's working out just fine. The Kings were runner-up to the New Jersey Devils in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Instead, GM Dean Lombardi regrouped and made his pitch for veteran defenseman Willie Mitchell, focusing on defensive depth over finding another 40-goal scorer. While the struggling Devils try to figure out where to fit all their high-end left wingers -- not to mention maneuver around their impossibly tight salary cap situation -- the Kings have quietly started the season 3-1. They're winning because Jonathan Quick arrived at camp in better shape, ready to fight off the talented Jonathan Bernier as the Kings' starting goalie. So far, Quick is 3-0-0, with a 0.97 goals-against average and.963 save percentage. They're also winning because Plan B in the post-kovalchuk recruitment might be better than Plan A. They've played strong defense, allowing six goals in four games. The penalty kill has been outstanding, killing off 18-of-20 power plays. Mitchell is paired with Drew Doughty, and last year's free-agent addition Rob Scuderi is paired with Jack Johnson. It gives Murray a poised veteran with each of his developing franchise defensemen. The balance is paying off. "We feel good about our blue line," Murray said. "Adding Willie Mitchell was a great add for our hockey club. He's a veteran, an experienced guy and he's going to blend in and be a big help to a player like Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson." Matt Greene likely will return from injury before the end of the week, and the deep Kings blue line can now put him where he's a better fit -- as a fifth or sixth defenseman. Factor in the surprisingly strong play of 20-year-old Jake Muzzin, along with another 20-year-old, Thomas Hickey, who's ready in the AHL, and the Kings should be mentioned among the more heralded Western Conference defenses like the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. In this era of speed, concussions and big hitting, defensemen are more vulnerable than ever to injury. The deeper the defense the better.

16 "Since the rule changes, there are soft dump-ins into the corner and no holdups are allowed. Therefore, defensemen are turning their backs to get pucks and (opposing players) are getting free licks at them. They're getting free runs," Mitchell said. "You take a little bit more wear and tear than a forward would, no doubt about it.... It's much easier for a team to take an injury to one of their forwards on their top line than on defense." Spoken like a true defenseman. It's a model Chicago and Philadelphia rode to the Stanley Cup finals last year: a deep defense, supported by a young and talented group of forwards. Still, Lombardi's focus on building from the goalie forward -- while not landing Kovalchuk -- has left holes for a team with high expectations. The Kings still could use a natural goal-scorer, and there's no sign of one developing in their system. The power play has one goal in 16 opportunities. There's been too much passing and not enough shooting two issues never associated with Kovalchuk. But in missing out on the talented Russian, the Kings have positioned themselves to be something rare in the NHL this season -- a team that can add a big salary. They'll surely be in on the Brad Richards trade talk if the Dallas Stars decide they can't afford to pay their center, who suddenly is being called the premier 2011 potential unrestricted free agent. And if Jarome Iginla ever becomes available in Calgary? He might be the perfect fit. "They have lots of cap room," Mitchell said. "I'm not the GM, I don't know what Dean has planned. I'm sure... he sees the defense is starting to look pretty good. I'm sure he's looking to add elsewhere." In the meantime, the combination of defense and strong goaltending is working. Kind of like what used to happen in New Jersey. Read more:

17 Powered by SAVE THIS THIS Close Posted: Tuesday October 19, :54PM ; Updated: Tuesday October 19, :06PM Allan Muir>NHL POWER RANKINGS More Columns Allan MuirFollow Allan Muir on A reminder: These rankings are based on many factors, and not one is scientific in nature. They're heavily influenced by early play, rather than how I expect a team to perform in April. I take into account expectations versus achievement, quality of opponents, injuries, hot or cold streaks, lucky bounces, bad breaks, official malfeasance, travel schedule, and my uncannily intuitive gut feelings. Please note that I, unlike some referees, do not have it in for your team and no homer glasses of any color were worn during the establishment of this list. Note: Last week's position denotes position in my summer Power Rankings. Want to send me a comment about the rankings or maybe a cool video clip that cries out to be shared? Scroll to the bottom of this page for my Mailbag. I read 'em all and if you're halfway civil -- or at least clever in your skewering of my decisions -- I'll try to get back to you. NHL Power Rankings Washington Capitals (4-1-0) 1 Their backup is manning the pipes and the kids are patrolling the blue line. Tough times in Washington? Hardly. The Caps are getting exceptional play from Michal Neuvirth and John Carlson to go along with a penalty kill that was unblemished 1 through five games. The result is the league's fifth lowest GAA and a strong start for its top team. 2 7 Los Angeles Kings (3-1-0) Not to regurgitate material from last Friday's column, but it sure looks as though Jonathan Quick intends to delay the coronation of reputed successor Jonathan Bernier for as long as possible. One year after setting a franchise record for wins, Quick tightened his grip on the No. 1 job with a pair of impressive performances against the highly regarded Canucks. The keeper stopped 79 of 82 shots he faced in 2-1 and 4-1 victories. 3 9 Detroit Red Wings (3-1-1) Outside of that night in Dallas when Chris Osgood gifted two points to the opportunistic Stars, the Wings have given a good account of themselves in the early going. That's good news, especially considering that Johan Franzen -- out with his annual October injury -- Brian Rafalski, Justin Abdelkader, Jonathan Ericsson and Kris Draper are all watching from the sidelines Nashville Predators (3-0-1) Pekka Rinne, injured in a season-opening win over the Ducks, should be cleared to return to action this week. The Preds might just encourage him to take his time. Filling in for him, rookie Anders Lindback gave Nashville some solid relief, posting a.921 save percentage in wins over the Hawks and Blues and an OT loss to the Caps. Rinne was expected to handle a Brodeur-like workload this season, but Lindback's performance might encourage the Preds to lighten it.

18 5 20 Tampa Bay Lightning (3-1-0) Three solid wins -- including road triumphs over last season's Eastern Conference Finalists -- offered a promising start to the Steve Yzerman/Guy Boucher era, so it's best not to get too bent out of shape over that 6-0 thrashing at the hands of the Panthers on Saturday night. Consider it a bump in the road, a teaching moment as the team acclimates to Boucher's demanding, high-tempo system...and be very excited about the promise displayed over the season's first 10 days Toronto Maple Leafs (4-0-0) It's probably worth noting that all four teams the Leafs beat were hobbled by at least one serious injury that left them at something less than full strength. But hey, there aren't any asterisks next to that perfect start in the standings. Toronto banked eight huge points early as a result of doing the little things right: winning faceoffs, blocking shots and playing physical hockey Dallas Stars (4-0-0) Record-low attendance suggests the locals haven't yet warmed up to this post-modano/turco version of the Stars, but the early returns show it deserves a look. Dallas is playing a game that's faster, looser and more exciting than any team this town has seen and getting great results from the top line (eight goals and 20 points) as well as solid goaltending from Kari Lehtonen. Now the Stars just have to start finishing off some of their opponents in regulation. 8 2 Chicago Blackhawks (3-2-1) Marian Hossa leads the league in scoring. Patrick Sharp set a franchise record with 13 shots on goal against Columbus on Friday. The Hawks are winning games that they probably shouldn't. All things being equal, the positives outweigh the negatives early on for the defending champs. Still, there has to be concern about the inconsistent offense, Marty Turco's sloppiness and the mistake-prone blueline. The salary cap gouged a few holes in this lineup, but it was the injury to Brian Campbell that really seems to have hurt it New York Islanders (2-1-2) You have to wonder when all those rumors about a team moving to Canada will start to focus on the Isles. Even a ticket promotion that offered up great seats for just $19.72 on Saturday could only draw an announced attendance of 10,127. Too bad the locals aren't paying attention to a team that's finally showing more skill than pluck. Looks like they might have a solid second line brewing around Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau Montreal Canadiens (3-1-1) The power play's in the toilet, Carey Price hasn't made anyone forget Jaroslav Halak, and Andrei Markov is still a month away. But all is well as the Habs are finding ways to win, and with three of their next four at home, they have a chance to stay on Toronto's tail. And if you missed the video montage and player introductions that preceded the season opener, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Habs fan or not, it'll give you chills. Florida Panthers (2-2-0) If special teams are an indicator of a team's success, then it's no surprise the Cats are playing.500 hockey. Through their first four games they were perfect on the penalty kill, rebuffing all eight opportunities, but scored just once with the extra man. Neither stat will hold for long, but here's one the Panthers would like to maintain: outscoring their opposition Pittsburgh Penguins (3-3-0) You have to respect the decision-making of coach Dan Bylsma. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury went 0-3 to start the

19 3 season with a plump 3.41 GAA and an unacceptable.853 save percentage. He may be Mr. Right when push comes to shove, but Mr. Right Now is Brent Johnson. The backup is 3-0 after beating the Flyers and Isles over the weekend, and he boasts numbers (.953 save percentage, 1.32 GAA) that could keep Fleury parked on the bench for a spell Boston Bruins (2-1-0) Looks like there was no reason to doubt Tim Thomas. After Tuukka Rask gave up five in the opener (a number more reflective of the team's inattentive defense than the starter's play), Thomas stepped in stepped up, stopping 60 of 61 shots in back-to-back wins over the Coyotes and Devils. Fully recovered after surgery for a torn labrum, he looks like he's regained that Vezina-winning form Atlanta Thrashers (3-2-0) The offense is coming from unusual sources -- Andrew Ladd leads the club with five points and Anthony Stewart is tops with four goals -- but that's just part of the beauty of a strong start that featured three wins in a four-game road trip. And don't understate Saturday's win over the Sharks in which Chris Mason stopped 37 of 39 to help steal two points. The victory was Atlanta's first over San Jose in eight years, and their first ever at the Shark Tank Colorado Avalanche (3-2-0) Record-wise, the Avs' start has been about as good as expected, but there are a number of concerns in Colorado. Too many shots allowed, a power play that is swirling the drain, no sign of a return date for QB Peter Mueller, and a penalty kill that does too much standing around. Might just be a post-breakthrough season hangover, but it looks like they could really use some help on the point San Jose Sharks (1-1-1) Alright, so the Antti Niemi who showed up for the home opener on Saturday night didn't look much like the goalie who made the Sharks chew on the scuba tank last spring, and the defense has been alarmingly error prone, but it's early, right? Besides, San Jose's fans have plenty to cheer about now that Joe Thornton avoided the market and signed a three-year extension this week. With the five members of its core sewn up, this looks like the group the Sharks will win -- or lose -- with over the next three seasons Vancouver Canucks (2-2-1) You think maybe they spent too much time reading their clippings heading into the season? If so, a pair of losses to the Kings should make it clear that their coronation is on hold until further notice. And if they want to make a legitimate charge in the West, they'll need a bit more than the 15 stops on 19 shots that they got from Roberto Luongo on Friday St. Louis Blues (2-1-1) The hockey gods owe them one. Not that they were robbed in Saturday night's 3-2 shootout loss to the Stars, but after outshooting their hosts 43-35, the Blues earned a better fate. That defeat, and another to the Preds on Thursday (their fifth consecutive loss to Nasvhille, for the record), took a bit of gleam off a pair of season-opening wins over the Flyers and Ducks Philadelphia Flyers (2-2-1) A month ago, Sergei Bobrovsky was a blip on the Flyers' depth chart. Five games into the season, injuries and soft competition moved him into a starting role. He's been decent enough, but it looks as though word has gotten out about the vulnerability of his five hole. Bob has plenty of potential, but if he's still the starter in a month, it probably says more