News Clips 3-20-15

FROM LAKINGSINSIDER.COM

MARCH 19, 2015 12:39 PM THE VIEW FROM ANAHEIM

LA TIMES Lance Pugmire: Ducks put away Kings quickly in overtime, 3-2 “The game fulfilled the expected seriousness given the Kings’ desperation and the Ducks’ push to earn a second consecutive Western Conference No. 1 seeding as the teams engaged in a physical battle that entertained the sellout crowd.” Lance Pugmire: What we learned from the Ducks’ 3-2 victory over the Kings “Yet, rallying for an NHL-best 12th come-from-behind win when trailing after two periods, while knowing the Kings were far more desperate to win than the NHL points leader, undoubtedly provides some comfort.” Helene Elliott: Ryan Kesler continues to deliver for the Ducks; scores winner against Kings “Every game they play against the Kings is emotional and has a playoff-like tension, even when they meet in October or January. He has risen to the occasion every time.” OC REGISTER Eric Stephens: Kesler’s goal in OT lifts Ducks over Kings “The Kings were able to protect a 1-0 lead behind Quick on Monday against Arizona. But they couldn’t hold off the Ducks, who managed to jump back into the NHL points lead with 97.” PUCK DADDY Josh Cooper: Kings’ playoff worth still questionable after OT loss to Ducks “Does Los Angeles not have the magic mojo that

has propelled it to two of the last three Stanley Cups? It’s one game in mid-March. And with this team, we won’t know until the playoffs – maybe.” SB Nation – ANAHEIM CALLING EricTheHawk: Mr. Rivalry Seals Ducks 3-2 Overtime Win Over LA In Final Regular Season Meeting “While two of the wins came in shootouts and this one came in overtime, this season series performance feels and is statistically backed as much better than last season.” SB Nation – JEWELS FROM THE CROWN Eric K.: Recap: LA (Momentarily) Overcomes Anaheim’s Late-Game Magic “Why do we even bother watching the first two periods of games between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks at this point?”

MARCH 19, 2015 10:30 AM WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: MARCH 19 While the Anaheim Ducks were divisional winners last season and finished a point away from being able to hang a President’s Trophy banner, there were still shortcomings that necessitated roster maintenance during the 2014 off-season and as late as the 2014-15 trading deadline. While some questions may still be raised – valid questions relating to goaltending and coaching – by and large General Manager Bob Murray has provided answers for several other pressing questions surrounding the team. Ryan Kesler was acquired to keep pace with the other Cup contending teams with deep and dominant center corps and to lessen some of the burden placed on Ryan Getzlaf. Kesler was clearly a dominant player in the season series, and his overtime goal capped a breathtaking night of hockey that opened and finished with a breakneck pace. The Ducks also ranked 20th in the league with a 49.2% faceoff rate last season, and Kesler, who has won 56.0% of faceoffs this season, and Nate Thompson, who has won 53.1%, have successfully raised Anaheim’s rate to the likes of traditionally

successful Pacific Division faceoff teams such as San Jose, Los Angeles and Arizona. Thompson won 11-of-12 faceoffs last night, led all skaters with a game-high six hits, and provided the forward checking depth that wasn’t consistently effective for the Ducks in recent years past. As noted, there are still questions surrounding the Kings’ Southern California rivals heading into the playoffs, and their advanced metrics and one-goal game record do raise a bit of a red flag, and it will also be interesting to see how mid-season trade acquisitions such as Simon Despres, Jiri Sekac and James Wisniewski gel with the rest of a very good team. But while Dean Lombardi and his staff have rightfully been commended for their ability to identify areas of improvement and pinpoint players who would be of great benefit and balance, Murray and his staff should also be acknowledged for their work in bringing over players who have thus far been able to make an impact where areas of impact were needed. Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy wrote last night about how the Ducks are “basically getting a star in Super Mario the third period of every game they play,” and that’s pretty much spot on, at least in their home rink. In the three away games in the season series, the Kings have been unable to protect leads of two goals, two goals and one goal. Nine of the 10 goals scored by Anaheim in third periods have come at even strength, including all nine third period goals at Honda Center. This is a new Los Angeles team, and year-to-year stats and records don’t necessarily apply amidst personnel changes, but there’s a divide between Kings squads that were 126-1-11 when leading after two periods between April 4, 2009 and March 17, 2014, and the club that’s 28-6-4 when leading after two periods in the 38 games since. Protecting leads and “locking it down” have been staples of Kings play in the Darryl Sutter and Terry Murray years, and that ability to wear teams down, possess the puck and play tight checking, effective Kings hockey – while still very effective – didn’t regularly lead to wins over an ultra-tight season series in which Anaheim managed to win four out of five games for the second straight year. And that’s not to be too down on a Kings team that

played well with the lead for the better part of the first 40 minutes, showed excellent resolve and urgency late in the third period before, during and after tying the game, and relied on standout performances by most of the members of the top-six group. Though his usage throughout the year may not have generated two points every time out, the ability to play so regularly has afforded Brayden McNabb the reps to develop and grow on the ice, and his pairing with Andrej Sekera was solid for another game. Jonathan Quick has raised his game at the most important time of the year, though there’s no surprise there. While the Kings had opportunities to pick up two points, one point on the road against the team that leads the NHL isn’t a major cause for distress; last night was probably one of the two or three most difficult games remaining on the schedule, and points are points are points. Alec Martinez’s return is coming, and there’s a realistic hope that Tanner Pearson could return late in the regular season. There has been an irregular turnaround in four-on-four play – the Kings outscored opponents 7-3 in four-on-four play last year but have been outscored 8-3 this year, bizarrely – but neither four-on-four overtime nor shootouts exist in the playoffs, and the Kings are a combined 3-14 in such games in the regular season. Of course, Los Angeles will need to qualify for the playoffs before we start putting too much faith in how the numbers balance out, and Saturday’s game against Vancouver is the biggest game of the season – as will be virtually every game between now and April 11. The team is off today, so I’m taking a recovery day as well. James Nicholson will have The view from Anaheim up shortly after noon, and I hope you’ll follow along with the event that’s taking place at Discovery Cube Los Angeles later today as a 3,000+ square foot Kings-themed “Science of Hockey” exhibit opens to the public. Tyler Toffoli, Luc Robitaille, Kings color commentators, Bailey, the LA Kings Ice Crew and the Stanley Cup are scheduled to be on hand to promote the partnership between Discovery Cube and the Kings Care Foundation. @LAKingsPR and @LAKings will have multimedia from the event, and I’ll share audio and will provide a write-up tomorrow morning. Enjoy your Thursday, Insiders.

FROM NHL.COM Super 16: Second place in '15 draft not bad place to be Friday, 03.20.2015 / 3:00 AM / Super 16: NHL Power Rankings By Corey Masisak - NHL.com Staff Writer Connor McDavid's credentials to be the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft are beyond reproach. The sensational center for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League is one of the most-hyped prospects of the past 25 years, reaching a level only Eric Lindros, Sidney Crosby and maybe John Tavares have. Jack Eichel's resume is also pretty great. The freshman forward at Boston University is also one of the best prospects to enter the draft of the past quarter century. He'd have a chance to go No. 1 in any of the seasons since Tavares was picked in 2009, but he's likely destined to be the second half of the "McEichel" sweepstakes. Craig Custance from ESPN.com recently wrote about the astronomical price another team would have to pay if whoever gets the No. 1 pick would consider moving it and passing on the chance to add McDavid. One general manager, Tim Murray of the Buffalo Sabres, told Custance on the record he'd try to trade for the No. 1 pick if the Sabres end up in the No. 2 spot. While that is not meant to be a slight against Eichel, it might also not be the best move for whichever GM ends up with the No. 2 pick. Eichel is having an incredible season, leading the NCAA in scoring despite being one of the youngest players in the country. He's putting up numbers no freshman has since Paul Kariya played for Maine 22 years ago, and that was during a more high-scoring era. Check out the accompanying table that shows McDavid and Eichel against some of their top comparables.

For McDavid, it's pretty simple. He has Crosby-like potential, and he could be the best player in the world within a few years in the NHL. For Eichel, it's a little different. He has all of the tools to be a franchise center, and no one has dominated college hockey like this at that age in a long time. He's already playing against men, opponents who are 21, 22, even 23 or 24 years old. He's also essentially a high school senior masquerading as a college freshman because

Player, League, Year Games Goals Points Points/game League goals/game Mario Lemieux, Val d'Or, 1983-84 70 133 282 4.03 10.02 Eric Lindros, OHL, 1990-91 57 71 149 2.61 8.95 Sidney Crosby, QMJHL, 2004-05 62 66 168 2.71 6.38 John Tavares, OHL, 2008-09 56 58 104 1.86 6.86 Connor McDavid, OHL, 2014-15 45 43 115 2.56 6.98 Paul Kariya, NCAA, 1992-93 39 25 100 2.56 N/A Thomas Vanek, NCAA, 2003-04 45 31 62 1.38 6.28 Phil Kessel, NCAA, 2005-06 39 18 51 1.31 5.86 Jonathan Toews, NCAA, 2005-06 42 22 39 0.93 5.86 Jack Eichel, NCAA, 2014-15 34 20 61 1.79 5.40

of his birth date. There's little reason to think Eichel wouldn't be torching OHL defenses as well, but comparing college players to junior players can be tricky. What are the chances Eichel has a better career than McDavid? It's probably a little higher than most people think at this stage. It's subjective, but from 1980-2009, 13 of the 30 No. 2 picks either had better careers, are having better ones as active players or it is too close to call (try picking between Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty, for example). Even when the No. 1 guy is better, players like Evgeni Malkin and Jason Spezza have been pretty excellent consolation prizes. In a year where there is a big drop between No. 1 and 2 (think Crosby in 2005), it might have made sense for a team at No. 2 to try and tempt the franchise above them to swap picks. In a draft class like this, with two potential franchise players (at least), yielding other quality young assets to move up one spot in the draft really could backfire. Imagine if the Pittsburgh Penguins had traded up in 2004. What might it have cost them, beyond Malkin, to land Alex Ovechkin? Or the Los Angeles Kings to move up in 2008 to get Stamkos? Teams have moved off the top of the draft board, but it has almost always been in a year where there wasn't a consensus about the No. 1 pick. Everyone knows who the No. 1 guy is this year, so the price tag would likely be enormous. Custance suggested a package that started with a player like Stamkos might keep the conversation about the No. 1 pick from being a short one. Buffalo, Arizona and Edmonton are the three teams most likely to land at No. 2, so what would they have to pay to move up? Would it be worth it for the Coyotes if they had to start a package with Max Domi and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (and the pick for Eichel, of course)? What about Taylor Hall and Leon Draisaitl for the Oilers? This has happened before. The Philadelphia Flyers traded for Lindros in one of the biggest trades in NHL history. That trade helped one franchise win the Stanley Cup twice, but it wasn't the Flyers. McDavid could be a Hockey Hall of Fame member someday, but Eichel could be at that level as well. For any of the teams that could end up with the second pick, they should probably be happy with Eichel and plan on building around him. DISCLAIMER: While the Super 16 is NHL.com's weekly power rankings, it focuses more on the "power" than the "rankings" when determining the order. It's not always going to look like the League standings and likely will take more of a long view than a short one. If two teams are close the tiebreaker almost always is this: If the two teams started a seven-game series right now, who would prevail? Stop by to see where your favorite team ranks, but stay for the information. All rankings, records and statistics are through the games played Wednesday night. 1. Chicago Blackhawks The Blackhawks just held the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division to one goal between them. Chicago is 8-1-1 since Patrick Kane was injured, and has yielded 14 goals in that span. The Blackhawks are allowing three more scoring chances per 60 minutes (27.7, compared to 24.7, according to war-on-ice.com) since Kane was

injured, but the goaltending has been superb and they're still creating lots of chances (29.6 per 60 minutes, up from 29.4 pre-Kane injury). 2. St. Louis Blues For months the Blues and Blackhawks have been chasing the Nashville Predators in the standings, and it looked like another Chicago-St. Louis first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was imminent. Now those two teams could be locked in a battle for a division title, and two games against Chicago in the final seven days of the season could end up being a lot of fun. 3. Los Angeles Kings While the Kings brought back essentially the same roster from last season, this version does not have the 2014 editions of Jarret Stoll and Mike Richards. That center depth is part of what made the Kings champs, but Richards is in the American Hockey League and Stoll has struggled. Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, a great defense corps and Darryl Sutter's suffocating system masks that to a degree, but they might not be better than everyone down the middle this postseason. 4. Tampa Bay Lightning Regular-season results don't mean a whole lot once the playoffs start. That said, the Lightning are 7-0-0 against the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers this season, have won six of the seven in regulation and outscored the two teams most likely to be division champions by a combined 31-11 margin. 5. New York Rangers The Rangers are 30-8-4 since Dec. 6. That's more than half a season of incredible dominance, and to have gone a chunk of that without Henrik Lundqvist is even more remarkable. They are 18th in the NHL since Dec. 6 in shot attempts percentage (and 18th in War on Ice's scored-adjusted SAT%). They have relied on their goaltender for their success more than any other team in the NHL except for the Montreal Canadiens. No team has finished in the bottom half of the League in SAT% and won the Stanley Cup since 2005-06. Two teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 and Boston Bruins in 2011, were middle of the pack for the full season, but the Bruins were a top-eight team from Jan. 1 until the end of the season and the Penguins improved after Dan Bylsma arrived while also having the two best players in the world at the time produce the two best individual postseasons by points since 1996. 6. Detroit Red Wings From the start of the season until early February, the Red Wings were the best team in the NHL at suppressing shot attempts. Detroit is 7-7-2 in its past 16 games, and during that period the Red Wings have slipped a little to the fifth-best team (behind Los Angeles, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh and St. Louis). 7. Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins are scoring goals at the lowest rate of the Crosby-Malkin era (save for 2010-11, when each superstar missed the final half of the season), but they are also preventing goals better than any season save for that one. They are averaging 0.3 goals more per 60 minutes for than allowed, which is the same differential Pittsburgh had in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.

8. Anaheim Ducks Among the 49 goaltenders with at least 750 minutes played (the guy with the fewest games on this list has 17), John Gibson is ninth in even-strength save percentage at .933. War on Ice breaks down shots into low, medium and high danger, and Gibson's breakdown is fascinating. He's first among those 49 goaltenders in low-danger save percentage at .992, but he's 43rd in high-danger save percentage at .804. The Ducks are going to have a tough decision on which goaltender to start in the playoffs. Gibson has played well of late, but Frederik Anderson has been better on medium- and high-danger shots this season. 9. Minnesota Wild The Wild, like the Rangers, are also obviously riding some hot goaltending. Minnesota is one spot behind the Rangers at 19th in SAT% since Jan. 1, but for the season they're still in the top half of the League. The way Devan Dubnyk is playing, one of those three teams in front of them in the Central Division isn't going to be all that excited about seeing the Wild to start the postseason. 10. Nashville Predators The Predators are 2-8-1 since Feb. 24. In that span, they have the second-worst shooting percentage (all situations) and fifth-worst at even strength. Each is at 5.7 percent and should get better. The possession numbers still look good for the top forwards, but James Neal, Colin Wilson and Filip Forsberg have combined for two goals and five points. 11. Boston Bruins The Ottawa Senators have gone on a huge run, but gained little ground on the Bruins. Boston is 8-2-2 since a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 20. Andrew Hammond has been incredible for the Senators, but the Bruins goaltenders have been just as good. Boston's save percentage in that span is .946, and .958 at even strength. Ottawa is at .961 in its 12 games since Feb. 22 and .955 at even strength. 12. Montreal Canadiens It has not been a good month for the Canadiens. Since Feb. 20, the only team that has a lower percentage of scoring chances at even strength is the Buffalo Sabres. It didn't cost them at first because of Carey Price, but Montreal went 0-for-California and is 3-4-2 in March. 13. New York Islanders That is four games, four goals and four losses with Nick Leddy missing from the lineup. The Islanders got Kyle Okposo back, but they clearly miss Leddy. The Rangers are now the clear favorites to win the Metropolitan Division, but the Islanders will be motivated to earn home-ice advantage in a potential opening-round matchup with the Penguins. 14. Washington Capitals Since adding Curtis Glencross prior to the NHL Trade Deadline, the Capitals have tweaked how they deploy their forwards. Glencross has the highest percentage of defensive zone starts among the forwards since arriving,

and his linemate Troy Brouwer is right there with him. The third line (Eric Fehr, Joel Ward and Jason Chimera) had typically absorbed the toughest start assignments. Glencross and Brouwer have been excellent possession players even with the tough assignments in their brief time together. This could just be a small sample size/randomness thing. Glencross and Brouwer have already switched centers, which can change usage plans. It might be something to monitor moving forward though. 15. Ottawa Senators Like P.K. Subban in Montreal, Erik Karlsson's strong play might be getting overshadowed a bit by the goaltender. Karlsson has been on the ice for 318 shot attempts by Ottawa since Hammond took over in net, which is 27 more than any other player in that span. He's in the top 10 in shot attempt percentage relative to his team's average among defensemen since Feb. 18, and he's 11th for the full season. He now has a four-point lead on Subban in the defensemen scoring race. This late-season charge might help his Norris Trophy chances, but he's deserved to be among the top candidates all season. 16. Winnipeg Jets The Jets have dealt with so many injuries, particularly on the back end and now they face a new opponent in their quest to reach the playoffs for the first time since moving from Atlanta: the schedule. There are four teams vying for three spots in the Western Conference. The Calgary Flames have five games remaining against playoff contenders and seven against non-contenders, counting a game Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Vancouver Canucks have six against contenders and seven against non-contenders. Los Angeles has six against each. Winnipeg has 10 games against contenders, including the game Thursday against the Blues, and two against non-contenders -- each on the road. It's not going to be easy for the Jets to make it. Lindholm, Ducks pass latest test against Kings Thursday, 03.19.2015 / 5:56 PM NHL Live blog Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm joined NHL Live to discuss their 3-2 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday and success in the third period this season. Lindholm had an assist in the victory. His 34 points are second among Ducks defensemen. "It was a very good test for us," Lindholm said. "We played a Kings team that was desperate because they're in a desperate situation. It was a real playoff atmosphere. "Every time we play the Kings anytime during the season I feel like it's a playoff spirit. The crowd really gets into it and it's really fun to be out there. Every game is always tight, like the one-goal game [Wednesday], and it's real fun games to play.” Anaheim, whose 97 points lead the Presidents' Trophy race, is 28-1-7 in one-goal games and leads the League with 12 wins when trailing after two periods (12-20-0). "We just stick to the game," Lindholm said. "We believe in ourselves in the locker room. We feel like if we get one or two [goals] it's going to be a different game. Sometimes it would be nice being the team having the lead

2-0 or 1-0 coming into the third but our group is very, very tight, strong, and we know even if we're down a couple of goals we can come back and I think that's real important to have that belief in a group." The Ducks conclude a three-game homestand Friday against the Colorado Avalanche before beginning a five-game road trip Sunday at the New York Rangers (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN).

FROM FROZENROYALTY.NET One Of The Most Lopsided Trades In NHL History Involved The LA Kings And Larry Murphy BY GANN MATSUDA EL SEGUNDO, CA — Defenseman Larry Murphy burst onto the scene with the Los Angeles Kings in the 1980-81 season, making a huge, immediate impact, scoring 16 goals and adding 60 assists for 76 points in 80 games in his rookie season—he finished second in the Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year) to the legendary Paul Stastny that season. Murphy scored 22 goals and tallied 44 assists for 66 points in the 1981-82 season, followed by 14 goals and 48 assists for 62 points in the 1982-83 season. As reported in part 1 of this series, Murphy was the Kings’ first true (notable) offensive defenseman. It was obvious right from the start that he would become a star in the National Hockey League, one of the best defensemen in the history of the league. But like so many other former Kings, Murphy would go on to become a huge star elsewhere, making his mark with other teams, winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Pittsburgh Penguins and twice more with the Detroit Red Wings. In 2004, three years after his retirement, Murphy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. To be sure, the Kings let another big star get away. But after winning two Stanley Cup Championships in the last three years, it is easy to forget the utter disaster that the vast majority of the franchise’s history has been. In fact, aside from their recent success since Dean Lombardi took over as President/General Manager in April 2006, the history of the Kings is littered with player personnel decisions that turned out to be blunders of astronomical proportions. Tremendous mistakes were made on and off the ice, but one only has to look at some of the Kings trades over the years to illustrate just how bad those errors were.

March 10, 1980: Traded their first round pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Jerry Korab. The Sabres used that pick to select future All-Star defenseman Phil Housley, one of the best United States-born players ever to play the game. March 10, 1981: Sent a third round pick in the 1981 NHL Draft and a first round pick in the 1983 NHL Draft to Buffalo in exchange for Rick Martin, who could barely walk upon arrival in Los Angeles. Martin played only four games for the Kings before being forced to retire because his knees and back were in such bad shape. Adding insult to injury, the Sabres used the 1983 first round pick to select goaltender Tom Barrasso, who was eventually traded to the Penguins. Barrasso went on to backstop the Penguins to two Stanley Cup Championships in 1990-91 and 1991-92. September 9, 1983: Traded the rights to Kevin Stevens to Pittsburgh in exchange for Anders Hakansson. Stevens went on to become a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins in 1990-91 and 1991-92, while Hakansson had an unremarkable six-year career in the NHL, and was forgotten almost immediately after it ended. Those are just a few of the horrific trades made by the Kings during their 47-year history. To further illustrate, as reported in this space in January 2009, the Kings “…traded away the likes of Billy Smith, Alexei Zhitnik, Kimmo Timonen, Olli Jokinen—all homegrown players who they gave up on sooner rather than later, and then watched as they went on to become stars elsewhere.” The Kings were also a miserable failure in the NHL Entry Draft, trading away their high-round draft picks year after year after year. In fact, it wasn’t until 1979, twelve years after the Kings entered the NHL, that their first first round pick played for them. “I could go into the whole philosophy, but I love reading history and I think that’s the way you learn,” Lombardi said in September 2008. “I’ve just been fascinated [by the Kings history]. It was one of

the issues when I decided to come here—why there’s never been a [Stanley] Cup, and then when I got here I talked to people like [Philadelphia Flyers’ Senior Vice President] Bobby Clarke about where that identity comes from. I talked to some of the old [New York] Islanders like Bill Torrey. I just started studying it and I was shocked that the first first-round pick to play for the Kings was [defenseman] Jay Wells, and that’s twelve years after the first draft [for the Kings]. That’s unbelievable. Unprecedented.” Add to that the fact that since the Kings first season in 1967-68, only 29 players who they drafted and developed have played for them and have contributed significantly, it is easy to see that Kings were, simply put, a comedy of errors for a long, long time, and that’s putting it mildly. But wait…it gets worse. Bad Coaches Started The Downhill Slide Back in 1980, the Kings actually held onto their first round pick in that year’s draft—it was only the fifth time in franchise history up to that point in which they retained their first round pick. They used that pick (fourth overall) to select Murphy. As reported earlier, Murphy had a great rookie season, but after head coach Bob Berry was fired on May 22, 1981, friction developed between Murphy and the coaching staff. Replacing Berry was Parker MacDonald, who served as head coach for about six months until Don Perry was hired on January 11, 1982. Both MacDonald, and especially Perry, expected Murphy to play a much more physical game than he had ever played before, something that was never part of his game. “He was such a laid back person, and that’s the way he played,” said former Kings left wing Charlie Simmer, a member of the famed Triple Crown Line with Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor. “He was misunderstood. He was a bigger guy, and that was the era of fighting, the Broad Street Bullies

[Philadelphia Flyers] and the Big, Bad Bruins [Boston Bruins].” “They were always trying to get him into that type of mode, but that’s not him,” added Simmer, who played with Murphy throughout the time Murphy was with the Kings. “His game, as we saw through his whole career, was a point-getting, calm defenseman. He didn’t change, other than he just got better and better with confidence and experience.” Rather than adapt their coaching style and tactics to the players on the roster, MacDonald, and especially Perry, stubbornly and foolishly forced their players into a particular mold and style of play, which included more hitting and fighting. This proved to be a huge mistake, especially with a player of Murphy’s caliber. “The key for a player is to be effective,” Murphy noted. “There are different ways to skin a cat, right? When Bob Berry was here, that was not the case. He had patience. He expected me to play well in my own zone, be responsible, and cover my man. If I did that, if I was effective, defensively, that’s all he wanted.” “Different guys bring different things to the table, but it’s consistent throughout the lineup,” Murphy added. “You expect everybody to be able to cover their man, move the puck, don’t give it away, be smart. Beyond that, guys have different ways to be [effective and contribute]. Good coaches see that, and they utilize guys that way. Poor coaches are guys who put you into a mold. Things got crazy here in that sense, and that’s not how I was going to be an effective player out there.” “Good coaches demand a level of smart play. But they let the player achieve it by utilizing their best skills.” After 21 NHL seasons, four Stanley Cup Championships and induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Murphy has been vindicated many, many times over. “Coaches wanted to see him be a little bit more [physical], but that was probably earlier in his career, before they saw how truly effective he could

be without it,” said former Kings right wing Jim Fox, now the team’s television color commentator. “Once they saw that, that went away, and they let him play his game.” “The results speak for themselves, that [physical play and fighting] didn’t need to be part of his game,” added Fox, who was also drafted by the Kings in the first round (tenth overall) of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, and is ninth on their all-time scoring list. “As we take it to the next era, and Larry ended up playing with him, Nicklas Lidstrom. Not physical, never dropped his gloves. But you’re talking about a generational player. Larry, under the radar, did the same type of thing.” To be sure, neither MacDonald or Perry were considered to be good coaches around the NHL. To illustrate, their brief stints with the Kings were their only NHL coaching jobs. “My first year with was Bob Berry,” said Murphy. “He was an excellent coach. It was a big mistake to let him go. Even though we lost in the first round of the [1980-81] playoffs [to the New York Rangers], after Bob left, the coaching went down hill, and the team went downhill with it.” “I think back to my time here, if Bob had stayed, and if the team had kept on the same course, how high would we have reached, instead of the turmoil that it turned into after he left? That was disappointing,” added Murphy. “What’s sad about it was that we had something, and then we went back to square one. That’s my biggest regret.” Plain and simple, back then, the Kings were nowhere close to being a shining example of an NHL franchise, the exact opposite of how they operate today. “Look at how well the organization is run today, from top to bottom,” Murphy said. “It’s by no fluke that this team has won two Stanley Cups. It’s a well-run organization.” “You win with well-run organizations,” Murphy added. “I played in Detroit, another well-run organization. They’ve won a bunch of Cups for the

same reason. You need that to be in place to have success.” Not Just Another Bad Trade In addition to the horrendous trades mentioned earlier, what is arguably one of the most lopsided trades in Kings and NHL history came on October 18, 1983, when the Kings sent Murphy to the Washington Capitals in exchange for defensemen Brian Engblom (now a color commenator for NBC Sports/NBCSN) and Ken Houston. Engblom was a defensive defenseman who won the Stanley Cup three times with the Montreal Canadiens, but was never one of the Canadiens’ top players. By the time he was traded to the Capitals (1982-83), he was on the downside of his career. Houston put up good offensive numbers with the Atlanta Flames and after they moved to Calgary, the Calgary Flames. He had another good season after being traded to the Capitals, but it was all downhill after that. In fact, after the trade to the Kings, Houston played in just 33 games with the Kings before retiring. In short, neither Engblom or Houston, or even the combination of the two, came anywhere close to the value of a player of Murphy’s caliber. But as lopsided as the trade was, unlike most bad trades the Kings have made throughout their history, this time, they had little choice. “I went to salary arbitration, and this was when salary arbitration wasn’t well-defined,” Murphy explained. “It was in its infancy. My agent went in with a number and [former Kings general manager] George Maguire went in with a number. We had a hearing, and we presented our case, then George presented his. But the arbitrator came back with a number that was even less than what George was offering, so I told George, ‘I’m not signing for that. Trade me.’ So George said, ‘OK,’ and I was traded the next day, or maybe two days later, something like that—I was traded right away, and when I got to Washington, I signed a new contract the day I got there.” Fox’s new contract was also up for arbitration, at that time.

“There were some flaws in the arbitration system,” said Fox. “I went to arbitration after my first contract, which was three years, and Larry did, also. That was very rare back then. Hardly anyone did that. That clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement—I don’t think anyone knew about it.” “The ruling [in Murphy’s case] was outrageous,” added Fox. “If that happened nowadays, the head of the players association would be fired immediately. I started the season without the ruling being given, and so did Larry. That just shows you how flawed the system was back then.” Even with the flawed system, Murphy said that he would have accepted the decision if the arbitrator’s ruling matched Maguire’s offer. “I would’ve understood if the arbitrator said that George’s case was strong, that’s the number we’re going to give you,” Murphy noted. “I would’ve been happy to live with that. But for less? It would’ve burned my [rear end] all year long. If we lost [in arbitration], we lost. But for the arbitrator to slap us in the face like he did? There was no way. I just couldn’t do it.” “George went in with what he felt was honest,” Murphy added. “He believed in what he thought, and we believed in what we thought. That’s what usually happens in arbitration. Sure, both sides are going to lean towards [their position]. But to have that happen, it was a shock. We got no explanation about where he got his number from. There were no comparisons. No one was making that amount of money.” “I was very disappointed. I loved playing here. Washington was a good experience for me, and we had a strong team there, so it worked out well. But the day I was traded? I was bummed, because as rough as things were here, I always felt that things were going to get better, that the team was going to be better, and I wanted to be part of it.” In the end, Murphy wanted to stay, but thanks to a flawed arbitration system, not to mention an

obviously flawed arbitrator, Murphy and the Kings were forced to part ways. “[The salary arbitration system] had to grow a lot, and I think Larry got caught in one of those types of situations where the business part of hockey made it necessary for him to go somewhere else,” said Fox. “[Murphy] was a fun guy,” said Kings retired head athletic trainer Pete Demers. “I was sad to see him go, and look at the career he had. We all know what a wonderful, productive Hall of Fame career Larry had after he left the Kings, and it’s no secret that given more time, Larry would develop into, not just a good player, but a great player, an asset to every team he played on.” Onward and Upward After they traded for Murphy, the Capitals had no qualms about signing him to a contract. “We worked on a contract right after the trade, and I signed it,” he said. Murphy played six solid seasons with the Capitals before moving on to the Minnesota North Stars. But he took what would be his biggest step forward, at that point in his career, after being traded to the Penguins midway through the 1990-91 season. Murphy would help the Penguins win the Stanley Cup that year, and help lead them to another Stanley Cup win the following season. He went on to play three more seasons with the Penguins, followed by two seasons with the Maple Leafs, who traded Murphy to the Red Wings at the trade deadline in the 1996-97 season. Murphy would be one of the final pieces of the puzzle that put the Red Wings over the top, helping them win the 1997 Stanley Cup Championship. The Red Wings would repeat as Stanley Cup Champions in 1997-98. “Timing is everything,” said Murphy. “The interesting thing was when I got traded from Toronto to Detroit, I had a no-trade clause. I wasn’t aware of anything going on, but I got the call at 2:45 PM, and I had a clause in my contract stating that I had to waive the no-trade clause by 3:00 PM

[Eastern time on the day of the trade deadline] in order for them to make the deal.” “What if I was off somewhere, without access to a phone? The deal would never have happened,” added Murphy. “I think about that all the time. It would’ve been a huge, missed opportunity for me, but it worked out well. I had a good run in Detroit. Fate made the difference there.” Murphy reminisced about winning the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings and Penguins. “Two very comparable teams, Detroit and Pittsburgh,” he recalled. “Puck control. We had the

great Bob Johnson [as head coach for his first Stanley Cup] in Pittsburgh, and then I played for [legendary head coach] Scotty Bowman, and he was the same way—puck control. If you have the puck more than the opposition, you’re going to win. Of course, there was more to it than that, but he wanted us to have the puck. That’s the way the game should be played. You’ve got to have control of the puck.” “We had great teams in both cities,” he added. “I was very fortunate to be there at the right times. We had a lot of depth, long before the days of the salary cap.”

FROM PROHOCKEYTALK.NBCSPORTS.COM Flames, Jets wins keep pressure on Kings in West playoff race Ryan Dadoun Mar 19, 2015, 11:52 PM EDT If the Los Angeles Kings were hoping to catch a break on Thursday while they were idle, then the night finished for them in disappointment. The Winnipeg Jets earned a 2-1 shootout victory over the St. Louis Blues while the Calgary Flames cruised to a 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. That combination of events left Los Angeles once again on the outside looking in. For the Kings, there are potentially two different ways they could make the playoffs thanks to the fact that the Pacific Division has been comparatively weak. The Flames currently hold the third Pacific Division seed with a 39-27-5 record while Winnipeg’s 36-23-12 record is good enough for the second Wild Card seed. Los Angeles is two points behind Winnipeg and a point shy of Calgary and under the current set of circumstances, only need to surpass one of those squads to get into the playoffs. The Kings don’t have any opportunities left to directly impact the Jets though and they’ll only get one more crack at Calgary on April 9. Any one of those three squads missing the playoffs would kill a great potential storyline. Obviously, we would be without the representation of the defending Stanley Cup champions if the Kings fall short in the regular season, but this would be the first time Winnipeg has hosted the playoffs since 1996. Meanwhile, Calgary has defied expectations all season and is still somehow managing to excel without captain Mark Giordano (bicep). Meanwhile, San Jose secured a 4-1 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sharks are six points shy of Winnipeg and five points behind Calgary, so at this stage of the season the Sharks making the playoffs would be nothing short of miraculous. Then again, stranger things have happened.

FROM USATODAY.COM Playoff berths anything but guaranteed for Bruins, Kings By: MIKE BREHM Jacques Lemaire, who twice had the misfortune of going from Stanley Cup champion to playoff absentee, once described the shock of experiencing that. “It was like someone who wakes up dead,” he said. “You wake up one day and you’re out of the playoffs.” The defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings and defending Presidents’ Trophy champion Boston Bruins sit in a playoff spot, but that is tenuous. The Bruins face a crucial game tonight when they visit Ottawa. All eyes will be on Senators goalie Andrew Hammond to see if he breaks the record for most consecutive games giving up two or fewer goals at the start of his career. But the Senators also can pull to within two points of Boston, plus they have a game in hand. The Bruins are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games, but the Senators are 8-1-1, led by Hammond’s 11-0-1 record. The Bruins, who have missed traded Johnny Boychuk this season, should get some help soon because center David Krejci (knee) has resumed practicing. The Kings, meanwhile, sit in third in the Pacific, but they lost a point Wednesday in an overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. They’re 5-3-2 in their last 10, but the Calgary Flames, playing surprisingly well without injured captain Mark Giordano, are 6-3-1 and one point back. The Flames have the edge in regulation/overtime wins. The Kings, a sub-.500 road team, play eight of their last 12 on the road, including at Calgary in the second-to-last game of the season. The two-time champion Kings, who also could clinch a berth if they finish ahead of the Winnipeg Jets, are the masters of flipping the switch. They turn it on down the stretch and win when it counts, especially in the playoffs. That gives you the confidence that you can always do it again. But it’s a dangerous way of playing a season. One day, that switch won’t flip and you could wake up dead. Your games tonight San Jose at Toronto, 7:30 Carolina at Montreal, 7:30 Boston at Ottawa, 7:30 Detroit at Florida, 7:30 Washington at Minnesota, 8 St. Louis at Winnipeg, 8 Pittsburgh at Dallas, 8:30 Philadelphia at Calgary, 9 Columbus at Vancouver, 10 Colorado at Arizona, 10

FROM THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM Five backup goaltenders who could find starting jobs next season By: Jared Clinton on March 19, 2015 In Wednesday’s win over the New York Rangers, Chicago backup netminder Scott Darling showed exactly why the Blackhawks inked him to a two-year extension. And, with the win, he made the backup goaltending job in Chicago that much more interesting. With the shutout – the first of Darling’s professional career – it adds more credence to the belief that Antti Raanta’s time might be up as Corey Crawford’s backup. But the move from starting AHL netminder to NHL second-stringer, which Darling made, is a common one. Next season, however, could see the rise of more than a few backup goaltenders to first-string duty. Here are the five goaltenders you can most expect to challenge for a starting gig: 5) Eddie Lack, Vancouver Canucks Three years ago, Lack was behind Roberto Luongo and Corey Schneider in the rotation. Now he’s ahead of Jacob Markstrom, but the Canucks went and got Ryan Miller in the off-season. With Markstrom’s play in the AHL and Miller getting big bucks to start for Vancouver, there’s potential for Lack to get moved so the Canucks can shed his salary. Lack has appeared in 30 games this season, has a 12-9-3 record, 2.38 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. He has been exceptional in the AHL and he has the size to be a dominating NHL goaltender if he can be put in the right situation. With one year remaining on his deal at $1.3 million, it’s not a necessity that the Canucks ship him out, but Lack’s patience might be wearing thin. 4) Martin Jones, Los Angeles Kings The Kings have been the Kings this year, but Jonathan Quick hasn’t really been the Jonathan Quick many would have expected. After struggling early on, however, Quick has recovered nicely, but he still ranks 23rd in 5-on-5 save percentage of goaltenders that have played at least 500 minutes. While Jones ranks a bit lower – a difference of 0.62 drops him to 34th out of 60 on that same list – he’s shown enough that he could very well be trade bait should the Kings want to move him along at some point in the off-season. To make things even more interesting, Jones is a restricted free agent at the end of the year, so moving him might be necessary if the Kings want to lock up some of their other RFAs and UFAs. Jones has a 2.21 GAA and .909 SP in 13 appearances for the Kings, so his puck stopping has left something to be desired this season. However, three shutouts in 10 decisions might be enticing to some GMs around the league. And with Quick’s monster contract, he’s not going anywhere, so Jones getting shipped out makes sense. 3) Antti Raanta, Chicago Blackhawks Raanta’s demotion was met with a bit of head scratching, but Darling’s extension hours later made sense of it all. Coach Joel Quenneville has said Raanta is still in the team’s plans, but he hasn’t made his way back to the NHL yet and, barring an injury to Crawford, Raanta likely won’t be suiting up for the Blackhawks again this season.

The 25-year-old Finn is only in his second season of North American hockey, so it’s hard to say what exactly he’ll be able to do as a starting netminder, but his 7-4-1 record, 1.89 GAA and .936 SP in 14 appearances this season all look great. His numbers last season weren’t as pleasing to the eye – 2.71 GAA and .897 SP – but he might be a cheap option for a struggling team like Edmonton or Buffalo. 2) Cam Talbot, New York Rangers Talbot was Darling’s opposition Wednesday, and were it not for a Brad Richards tally midway through the third period the two teams likely would have played to a scoreless tie through regulation and overtime. Talbot was that good. That’s not surprising given with Talbot in goal and Henrik Lundqvist on the shelf, the Rangers have taken over first place in the Metropolitan Division and look near unbeatable. You can be certain Rangers GM Glen Sather will be getting more than a handful of calls about his star backup this summer, too. Talbot is 27, has a 17-7-4 record in 30 apperances and has posted a 2.15 GAA and .928 SP. What might keep him in New York, however, is that he’s got one more year left on his deal, but the $1.45 million price tag might be enough to get Sather listening. Extensions for Mats Zuccarello and Marc Staal kick in next season, Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast are in line for new deals as RFAs and they could even attempt to bring back veteran Martin St-Louis. If Talbot’s available, he could be an opening night starter next season. 1) Alex Stalock, San Jose Sharks Stalock is going to get his shot next year with the Sharks, and you can just about bank on that. San Jose is running Antti Niemi as their starter right now, but he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and the Sharks won’t bring him back unless he comes exceptionally cheap. Even then, it’s doubtful Niemi wins the starting job away from Stalock. Up until a few blowouts this season, Stalock had a respectable GAA of 2.22 and SP of .920. However, he’s fallen apart in his few starts down the stretch and those numbers have slipped to 2.65 and .903. Last season, though, Stalock was one of the best backup goaltenders in the league, posting a 1.87 GAA and .932 SP. If he can recapture that form, it’s going to be hard to argue against him as the Sharks every day netminder. Stalock has one year remaining on his contract before becoming a UFA, so if he doesn’t work out in goal the Sharks can go ahead and bring in someone who will. But if his career numbers are any indication, he should be just fine in San Jose.

FROM THEHOCKEYWRITERS.COM Jonathan Quick Has A Quick Fuse by Eric Roberts | March 19, 2015 The time of over the top goalies has come and gone. We no longer see goalies chase down players with their blocker cocked and ready to unload on a player. No, the days of Ron Hextall chasing Chris Chelios are over. We no longer see line brawls, and the ensuing mess that is a goalie fight accompany it. No, the days of Patrick Roy and Chris Osgood squaring off at center ice is long gone. Emotional over the top goalie moments are very rare in today’s NHL, but thankfully we have Jonathan Quick. Yes, Quick has quite the temper. Whether it be a player getting a little to cozy in Quick’s crease, a puck getting passed Quick or a tussle in the corner, Quick will let you know he does not agree with it. Whether it be the second period of a regular season game, a shootout loss or between periods in the playoffs, if Quick doesn’t like something he will let someone know. Quick leads goalies with 16 penalty minutes this season, the next closest in the race for bruising goaltender is Mike Smith, Pekka Rinne and Tuukka Rask with eight minutes. It is no secret why Quick sits atop this list. Quick gives guys the business whenever he can. If a guy is coming in with speed, Quick will get his stick and blocker up in the guy’s gut. If a guy goes down in the crease, Quick makes sure to get a nice face wash in before he gets out of the pile, if he even gets out of the pile. Let’s take a few looks at some token Jonathan Quick moments. 1. The One-Two Punch Not very often do goalies have the mobility to get to a referee and argue a call. They usually stumble over themselves or over another player. Even fewer goalies have the mobility to get to a referee, argue a call as the ref skates into the slot and then the mobility to get back to the crease and break his stick over the cross bar. Quick is one of the few that can do all of that. 2. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us The rivalry that has grown between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings in recent years has been a thing of beauty. Both have two Stanley Cup championships in the last five years and have met in the playoffs the last two seasons, both eliminating the other and going on to win the Cup once in the past two years. There is no love lost between the two clubs or the two goalies specifically. Corey Crawford and Quick are very similar. Both are Stanley Cup champs, both can steal a game for their team and both can get a little testy. Mix that on edge attitude with a seven game series for a chance at the Stanley Cup and these two are bound to get on each other’s nerves. It’s probably safe to say they didn’t go out and share a cold one after the game. Quick doesn’t have to play a team in the playoffs for this to happen either. If Quick feels his players are getting a little manhandled at the other end of the ice, he’ll let the other goalie know about it. Just ask Jimmy Howard.

3. Everyone Loves A Victim I’m not going to say Quick is alway innocent, hell most of the time he’s not. Like the play below. Quick obviously sees Logan Couture coming in on the forecheck and still manages to get in his way, giving his defenseman a split second more time behind the net. But Quick doesn’t knock Couture to the ice. Quick takes the hit and acts like he wasn’t at fault. Not only does he play victim, but he gives Couture a little chin music with the puck after the play. That’s some kind of special. 4. That’s A Dollar In The Swear Jar Professional athletes, hockey players even more than most, are molded. They know what to say and what not say when the cameras are on and when fans are around. Don’t upset the season ticket holders and don’t say anything the media can turn into bad press. Well, Quick probably slept through that part of Public Speaking 101. (WARNING: Graphic Language) Giving Quick the benefit of the doubt, he had just won the Conn Smythe and his first Stanley Cup, give him a break. It wasn’t even to the camera. Oh, wait. He did it again? On a microphone, in front of thousands of people? (WARNING: Graphic Language) Well, thats just gold right there. With a player like Quick you have to just embrace him. He has an in your face touch on everything he does and that’s what he’s going to do. There’s nothing you can do about it. You have to just sit back and wait for what he does next. Jonathan Quick: An Elite NHL Goalie by Cole Querry | March 19, 2015 NHL Goalies Occupy One of the Most Challenging Positions in Sports There is not another position in professional sports that is as disadvantageous as an NHL goalie. A hockey puck is a six-ounce vulcanized rubber disk traveling with gyroscopic projectile motions at high speeds from various distances. Given the league’s distinct measurements dictated by the NHL on how large goalie pads can be (no more than forty five percent of the distance between the center of a goalie’s knee to his pelvis), there is a lot of net exposed for the world’s most accurate and strongest shooters. NHL goaltenders exhibit innate abilities to react to shots, as quickly as one-tenth of a second. Once a shot is released, a goalie has less than half of a second to react to it and then utilize strength, athleticism, and reflexes to make a save. There should always be a debate surrounding any discrepancy, no matter how little the margin, between the NHL’s elite goaltenders. A handful of goalies can be put in the top five and many people have his/her own set of criteria that NHL goaltenders must fulfill to be considered in one’s top five.

A small group of names show up consistently on most fans’ and analysts’ radar as top, elite NHL goaltenders. New York Rangers’ and Vezina trophy winner, Henrik Lundqvist; Montreal’s, Carey Price; Nashville’s, Pekka Rinne are usually mentioned in the conversation. There are goalies that slip into contention every so often such as: Tuukka Rask, Cory Schneider, Corey Crawford, and Jimmy Howard. However, none of the the mentioned are usually in the elusive top five ranked goalies (in the best professional hockey league in the world). And then there is Los Angeles Kings goalie, Jonathan Quick. Two Decades of Mediocre Goaltending As stated before, the job of an NHL goalie is an extremely difficult position and the Los Angeles Kings have had a fair share of candidates in the last twenty years to step up to the plate (crease) and try. Kelly Hrudey had set the standard for Kings’ goalies, as he was able to lead them to the team’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1992-1993. A Stanley Cup Final series that would eventually reward the Montreal Canadiens with the organization’s twenty-fourth cup after the Canadiens beat Los Angeles in five games. The highlight of Montreal Canadiens’ defender, Eric Desjardins, going five-hole on Kelly Hrudey in overtime of game two left a traumatic scar in the collective conscious of the Kings and the Kings’ fans. After Hrudey’s reign in the crease, the abysmal carrousel of NHL goaltending set up shop in Los Angeles for awhile. Jamie Storr was supposed to be the Los Angeles Kings’ goaltender of the future in the mid-nineties and prime to take over for Hrudey. Stephane Fiset and Byron Dafoe were brought in to pad the cushion of relief. Hrudey left to end his career playing for up-state rivals, the San Jose Sharks. Dafoe left after two seasons to play for Boston and Fiset bounced around the Kings roster and ended his career in Montreal. Sadly, Jamie Storr never lived up to the hype surrounding the seventh overall draft pick in 1994. Storr played in just two hundred and nineteen NHL games and lost more decisions than he had won. Between the 1996-1997 NHL season (featuring Storr, Fiset, and Dafoe as the rotating starters) and the 2006-2007 NHL season, the Los Angeles Kings had used thirteen different goalies to try and find their number one stud. Prior to Dave Taylor being released of his duties as General Manager by the Los Angeles Kings in 2006, he made a draft choice that would change this long history of goaltending depravity. In the 2005 NHL entry draft, with their third round, seventy-second overall selection, the Los Angeles Kings drafted Milford, Connecticut native goalie, Jonathan Quick. The Rise of Jonathan Quick Jonathan Quick’s transition into becoming the Los Angeles Kings’ number one goalie was not a quick one, however, it did creep up out of nowhere. The Kings had no history of drafting and developing quality NHL goaltenders and Quick was not expected to be the goalie he is now. In fact, under Dean Lombardi and his ‘build from the back out’ philosophy, Kings felt they found their goalie of the future the following year when management drafted goalie, Jonathan Bernier. Having been the first goalie to be drafted in the first round by the Kings since Jamie Storr, the Kings (and the entire fan base) were impatient and ready to throw Bernier into the fire. I vividly remember watching Jonathan Bernier playing in a game against the Boston Bruins as a teenager and on the brink of being sent down to juniors. Bernier looked frustrated that game and the Kings would eventually lose. The team had yet to cultivate a winning identity that could rear such rapid development. Bernier played four games to start the season and was shortly sent back to juniors for development.

The move to send Bernier back to juniors left a bittersweet after taste. The manifestation of a future number one goalie in Bernier had to wait, however, it was a sign that Dean Lombardi was willing to take the time to develop players properly.While Jonathan Bernier was dominating the story lines by not making the NHL, Jonathan Quick was playing in the AHL for the Manchester Monarchs and the ECHL Ontario Reign and slowly moving up the depth charts. Jonathan Quick began his scouted playing career in high school playing for Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers in Avon, Connecticut. Quick lead his high school team to their second consecutive New England Division I National Championship in 2004-2005 and set two school records: one for shutouts and one for goals against average. From there, he played in the NCAA for the University of Massachusetts before being drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 2005 and signing an entry-level contract in 2007. Splitting time between the ECHL and the AHL, Quick began putting himself in the position to succeed. The Los Angeles Kings found themselves in a position they had never been in before. Not only did they have a goalie for the future in Jonathan Bernier, but also, an aggressive goalie with a high compete level and incredible athleticism in Jonathan Quick. Both were ready to take the next steps towards developing into an NHL starting goaltender. The roles of Bernier and Quick slowly reversed as Bernier spent over two seasons in the AHL and two seasons playing the backup role behind Jonathan Quick. In six full NHL seasons (a full season being thirty-five games played), Jonathan Quick has been a Vezina trophy finalist, a Jennings award winner (lowest GAA), a Conn Smythe winner, and has helped the Kings win the first two Stanley Cup Championships in franchise history. What is miraculous about the product that is Jonathan Quick is that despite his development, hard work, awards, and success, some still think he is simply an above average goaltender. Some go as far as saying that his level of success did not warrant his current contract and that Bernier could have achieved the same level of success had he not been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The arguments are moot as events such as his contract and/or the trade of Bernier have already happened. Bernier is a thing of the past, a brief afterthought in a series of successful memories (like two Stanley Cups). Another argument made is that the Kings’ success the season of their first Stanley Cup Championship would not have happened had it not been for the stellar backup play of Jonathan Bernier. Once again, the argument is moot as Jonathan Quick played the majority of the games and the role of a serviceable backup is one that can be called upon fifteen to twenty times a season and play adequately. Any employable backup should be able to replicate the numbers Bernier did that season. Another argument made is that the Los Angeles Kings’ defense and defensive structure has been so strong the last three to four years that any above average goaltender in Quick’s place would be able to achieve those same accomplishments. This is true, however, it pulls away from the individual play and performance of an elite goalie. Think Roberto Luongo in Florida or Cory Schneider in New Jersey. In six NHL seasons (excluding 2014-2015) as the Los Angeles Kings’ starter, Jonathan Quick has put up admirable numbers in the regular season. Quick saves over ninety-one percent of the shots he faces, has a mean regular season goals against average of 2.29 GAA, and a winning percentage above fifty percent at 52.29. But how do these regular season numbers compare to the likes of other elite goalies featured in today’s game? Comparing Quick to Other Elite NHL Goalies

In addition to Jonathan Quick, the names mentioned amongst the NHL’s top goalies include Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, and Pekka Rinne. To draw comparisons, each goalie will be looked at as elite given his regular season mean save percentage, mean goals against average, and mean winning percentage (games won/games played). These four goalies have played five or more seasons playing thirty-five games or more. Thus excluding other goalies that can be thought of as elite like Corey Crawford, Cory Schneider, and Tuukka Rask. The Montreal Canadiens must have known for certain what they were getting with their fifth overall draft pick in 2005 in goalie, Carey Price. Since the 2007-2008 season, Price has been a cornerstone for the Montreal Canadiens’ Stanley Cup contention status. While his playoff success cannot be measured in playoff hardware (trophies), Price has played well for the Canadiens in playoff seasons that have included dramatic series’ with the Boston Bruins and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals before suffering a postseason ending injury last year. Price’s regular season stats are impressive and can be suggestive evidence as to why he is considered an elite NHL goalie. Over the course of seven NHL seasons, having played in thirty-five games or more, Carey Price has a mean save percentage of 0.915 during the regular season. His mean regular season goals against average is 2.55 GAA, and has a winning percentage below fifty percent at 48.39. Nashville Predator’s Pekka Rinne stands tall and alone in the top of the NHL’s goaltending class in stature alone at six feet five inches tall. His size comes second though to his extreme athleticism. Suffering a major injury last season limited him to just twenty-four games, but this has not seemed to diminish his level of play. In five full NHL regular seasons, Rinne has had a mean save percentage of 0.918, a mean goals against average of 2.37 and a winning percentage above fifty percent at 51.26. Rinne has less than thirty games of playoff experience with the Predators. Along with Shea Weber, Rinne has helped put the Nashville Predators into contention and currently sit second behind the St. Louis Blues. The Predators will be looking to make a big splash come playoff time after missing last season. Henrik Lundqvist has been the backstop for the New York Rangers for close to a decade. A seventh round draft pick in 2000, Lundqvist began playing his career in Sweden and established himself as the New York Rangers number one goalie in 2005-2006. The Vezina trophy winner has yet to win a Stanley Cup, however, with the trade of Keith Yandle this season and a Stanley Cup Final appearance last year, Lundqvist and the Rangers feel they are ready to change that. Henrik Lundqvist has a mean regular season save percentage of 0.921 over the course of nine NHL seasons. Lundqvist’s goals against average ranges from 1.97 GAA to 2.38 GAA in the years 2005-2006 to 2013-2014. Lundqvist’s mean regular season goals against average is 2.25 GAA. To compare these four elite goalies’ numbers (save percentage, goals against average, and winning percentage over five seasons or more having played thirty-five games or more) shows some differences.

(Pekka Rinne, Jonathan Quick, Carey Price, and Henrik Lundqvist have all played five or more full NHL seasons. Lundqvist has the highest career mean save percentage of 0.921. A standard deviation of 1.71 applied due to different number of seasons played).

(Henrik Lundqvist has the lowest career mean goals against average with 2.25 GAA between these four elite NHL goales. Jonathon Quick has a career mean goals against average of 2.29 GAA. Pekka Rinne has a career mean goals against average of 2.37 GAA and Carey Price has a career goals against average of 2.55 GAA. A standard deviation of 1.71 is applied due to differing numbers in seasons played).

(Henrik Lundqvist has played eight full NHL seasons and has a mean regular season winning percentage of 54.12%, the highest among these four elite NHL goalies. Carey Price has the lowest mean regular season winning percentage of 48.39% over the course of seven full NHL seasons). Given these statistics between these four NHL goaltenders, Henrik Lundqvist has the highest mean save percentage, lowest mean goals against average, and the highest winning percentage. There is a variance of 2.92 given the different amount of seasons played by each individual goalie. Jonathon Quick comes second in these categories. This season was not included because there are still games remaining and there are still events that can happen. Jonathan Quick deserves to be in the conversation when one tries to surmise a list ranking the top NHL goalies. The regular season numbers are comparable to the likes of Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Pekka Rinne, but what really has separated Jonathan Quick as an elite goaltender in the NHL is his play in high-pressure situations. Down the stretch and come playoff time, no NHL goalie has performs better than Jonathan Quick and with his two Stanley Cup rings and Conn Smythe trophy, it is hard to argue that. Jonathan Quick has solidified his presence as an elite NHL goalie.

FROM BLEACHERREPORT.COM Los Angeles Kings Need Anze Kopitar to Grab the Reins By Vinh Cao , Featured Columnist Mar 19, 2015 With a dozen games remaining in their regular season, the Los Angeles Kings sit on the Western Conference’s playoff bubble and need to string together wins soon. Unfortunately, the only consistent trait this team has displayed in 2014-15 is inconsistency. The club’s top forward, Anze Kopitar, has carried the flag in this respect, continually alternating between quiet, messy and stellar showings. If he can’t find his two-way groove in a hurry, L.A. will lose ground in the race for a postseason berth. Offense On paper, the basic stats would suggest a decent offensive season for Kopitar. He's on pace for 61 points after managing 70 last year. A deeper look at the numbers, however, reveals that he hasn't contributed as positively in 2014-15. At his best, the Slovenian center utterly dominates the opposition in even-strength situations. That hasn't been the case this year, as he’s grown even more reluctant to shoot the puck than usual, which has in turn hurt his and the team’s attacking prowess:

Kopitar's Drop in Offensive Production (5-on-5)

Shots/60 Goals/60 Points/60 GF60

2011-12 7.62 0.71 2.07 2.673

2013 6.45 0.85 2.04 2.971

2013-14 7.18 0.92 1.95 2.874

2014-15 5.09 0.47 1.67 2.210

Source: Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com

Moreover, his play on the road has been deplorable, registering 18 points and a minus-10 rating in 30 contests away from Staples Center. Asking him to suddenly become an assertive, potent force on offense—essentially a brand-new player—isn’t reasonable. However, his current shot rate is unacceptable. Restoring it closer to his career average would open up the ice for his linemates—especially a sniper like Marian Gaborik, who is often tightly covered and could use some additional room to operate. Moreover, the 6’3”, 224-pound center must take it upon himself to crash the net when he isn’t in control of the puck. His build is ideal for parking in the dirty areas, and when paired with a soft set of hands, he’s a nightmare to handle. Force defenders to, well, defend you. He needs to challenge the opposition’s back end instead of limiting action to the perimeter. Puck possession is great, and he really is great in that department, but the Kings require more from their All-Star pivot than routine passes back to the point for low-percentage shots. This isn't to suggest he should start flinging pucks on net indiscriminately either. There are certainly times when pulling up and using the points is a wise approach. But on the rare occasion when opponents do tender a window of opportunity, he has to seize it. He has to leave a greater mark on the outcome of games. Defense Kopitar has always been prone to dips in offensive performance—perhaps not to this season’s extent, but the trend is in place. The worrying part of the picture is his defensive slippage. In 67 games, the former Selke Trophy finalist sits at minus-four on a team with a plus-13 goal differential. His on-ice goals-against average is higher than it’s been since 2011-12, and his goals-for percentage hasn’t sunk this low since 2008-09. Whether or not one’s tempted to write this year off as an anomaly, 2014-15 has generated a noteworthy downturn in two-way effectiveness:

His positioning remains strong, which makes this predicament quite strange. He simply isn’t executing after putting himself in the right spot to do just that. During Wednesday night's big Pacific Division contest against the Anaheim Ducks, he and forward Patrick Maroon squared off in the slot. Given his defensive acumen and imposing frame, one would expect Kopitar to blanket his man quite easily. However, he failed to tie up Maroon's stick, granting his opponent an easy tap-in to even the score. Frankly, that contest served as an apt microcosm for his entire season. He racked up a power-play assist but ended the night at minus-two. L.A.’s defense relies heavily on its forwards, and its top three-zone center—particularly one of Kopitar's size—should be winning his one-on-one duels. He should be harder on the puck all over the ice and pushing opponents to the outside. The hockey sense and discipline haven’t vanished. He just isn’t delivering the goods when it counts.

That is also magnified by his deployment, as head coach Darryl Sutter trusts him to face stiff competition. Teams need their top players to be their top players on a nightly basis, and Kopitar hasn’t earned that distinction with any regularity of late. In 2014-15 alone, it feels as though he’s blown his assignment more frequently than in the previous three years combined. It’s an unfamiliar situation, and one he must rectify down the stretch in order to strengthen his team’s defense and playoff prospects. Outlook The 27-year-old’s decline hasn’t screamed out for attention because his play never has. Highlight-reel sequences haven’t dried up, but the substance behind his game has unquestionably taken a hit. He isn’t tilting the ice in his club’s favor as thoroughly as he did last season, when he was among the most effective five-on-five forwards in the NHL. As a whole, the Kings are underperforming this year, so they need their engine at center to drive play, convert possessions into more scoring chances and tighten up the team’s defense. L.A.’s bid to reach the playoffs—let alone repeat as champion—may well depend on it.

FROM RANTSPORTS.COM Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Kesler Continues To Frustrate Los Angeles Kings By PowerPlayCJ @powerplaywithcj on March 19, 2015 Ryan Kesler is a thorn in the side of his opponents every single time he takes the ice, and that is exactly why the Anaheim Ducks traded for him last summer. Kesler’s keen two-way game, in addition to his playoff experience, made him the prime candidate to help the Ducks get over the hump against their Southern California rival, Los Angeles Kings, and shift the balance of power in the Western Conference. By scoring in overtime after playing a strong, physical game against the Kings Wednesday night on national TV, Kesler showed why the Ducks gave a up a king’s ransom — full pun intended — to land him. The Kings and Ducks have played five times this season, with all but one game being decided beyond regulation; that’s how close these two teams are despite the distance between them in the standings. Kesler’s presence has been a big reason why. I wrote about just that after the Ducks narrowly defeated the Kings in November, and four months later that narrative has yet to change. The way Kesler has been an irritant to the Kings going back to his days with the Vancouver Canucks is a big reason why the Ducks feel they can beat the Kings if the two teams meet in the playoffs like they did last season. Right now a first-round matchup between the team from Hollywood and the team from Orange County is a realistic possibility if the Kings slip to the final Wild Card spot. If that’s the case, then look for Kesler to continue what he’s been doing and fulfill the mission he was given when the Ducks brought him in — get the team past L.A.

FROM AROUNDTHEBOARDS.COM TOP 10: BEST MOMENTS IN LOS ANGELES KINGS HISTORY In his debut article for Along the Boards, Jordan Novack recounts the 10 best moments in L.A. Kings history. 1. The first Stanley Cup In 2012, the Los Angeles Kings entered the Stanley Cup playoffs as the eighth seed—an afterthought. The Kings would go onto prove all of their doubters wrong, winning 16 of the 20 games they played in the postseason, and bringing Lord Stanley’s Cup home after defeating the New Jersey Devils in the finals. In doing so, the Kings also became the first team in North American professional sports history to win the Championship as the eighth seed. 2. The Miracle on Manchester The Kings history of shocking the world in the playoffs happened long before No. 99 came to town. As a matter of fact, one of the biggest upsets in franchise history came at the hands of Gretzky. In ‘82, the Kings were heavy underdogs against the Oilers after finishing 42 points behind Gretzky’s team during the regular season. After splitting the first two games in the best-of-five series, the Kings found themselves down 5-0 at home going into the third period. Instead of rolling over and accepting defeat, the Kings fought back valiantly, tying the game with 10 seconds left, and eventually winning the game on a Daryl Evans goal in overtime. 3. The Trade There are few moments in history that you can look back and say the landscape of an entire sport was changed by it, and The Trade was one of them. By acquiring Wayne Gretzky, Marty McSorley, and Mike Krushelnyski for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million, and first round picks in ‘89, ‘91 and ‘93, owner Bruce McNall changed not only the NHL forever, but the state of hockey in California. Following Gretzky’s tenure with the Kings, the sport hit a new level of popularity, leading to the founding of the rival Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. 4. The second Stanley Cup There are few things more nerve-racking than playoff hockey—especially when that playoff hockey involves your team being in double overtime, during the potential game-clinching game of the Stanley Cup Finals. And yet, that is just where the Kings found themselves in 2014. The Kings showed no fear as they had already come back from 3-0 and 3-2 series deficits in the first two rounds, as well as winning a game seven in the Western Conference Finals to get to this point. Needless to say, the Kings defeated the Rangers 3-2, cementing their place as one of the power franchises in the NHL 5. Hiring Darryl Sutter Midway through the 2011-12 season, things looked bleak for the Boys in Black. The team had stalled under previous head Coach Terry Murray, and a change had to be made. Turns out the change ended up being made would alter the course of the franchise forever. On Dec. 17, 2011, Darryl Sutter was given the reigns of the team, and he never looked back. The Kings would proceed to go 25-13-11 under Sutter, sneak into the playoffs as an eight seed, and win the first championship in franchise history. 6. Drafting Luc Robitaille When you think of late rounds in the draft, you rarely think of a legendary athlete being found. And yet, in the ninth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft the Kings did just that. By gambling on a young forward from Montreal with questionable skating skills, the Kings stumbled into one of their true icons: Luc Robitaille. This gamble would pay off, as Robitaille would end his career as not only the all-time NHL leader for goals by a left-winger (668) and points (1,394), but he is the Kings all-time goal scoring leader, lighting the lamp 577 times for

L.A. Robitaille’s impact is still felt to this day, as the Kings just honored him with his own statue outside of Staples Center. 7. Upsetting the Oilers in ‘89 During the 1989 postseason, Gretzky’s first in L.A., the Kings were matched with the defending Stanley Cup champions, and Gretzky’s former team, the Edmonton Oilers. Looking to establish themselves as a franchise to be feared, the Kings gave everything they had in the series, but fell into an early 3-1 series deficit. This would prove to be no issue for the Great One, as Gretzky and co. would proceed to will themselves back into the series, eventually upsetting the reigning champions in a seventh game, in which Gretzky himself registered two goals against the team he built his legacy with. 8. Trading for Marcel Dionne After missing the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the front office decided something should be done to improve their offense. They did just that, bringing in Marcel Dionne from the Detroit Red Wings. The trade would pay off immediately, as Dionne would score 94 points in just 80 games during his debut season. Dionne would go on to play another 1o and a half seasons for the Kings, and holds his place as one of the best players in franchise history. Dionne would also take Robitaille under his wing, mentoring the left-winger during his rookie season. 9. Dustin Brown named captain In 2008, head coach Terry Murray named right winger Dustin Brown as the 15th captain in franchise history. Brown, who was 23 at the time, was also the youngest captain, and first American captain in franchise history. Brown went on to become the most successful captain the club has ever had, bringing home two Stanley Cups. 10. Being founded Typically, the founding of a franchise is a pretty great moment in the history of the team. When the NHL decided to expand during the 1967-68 season, Canadian businessman Jack Cooke saw the potential of a team in Los Angeles, and paid $2 million to ensure a team was located there. Cooke was awarded the franchise, which he would go on to name the Kings, and gave them the “Forum Blue” and gold color scheme that was used by another Cooke franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers.

FROM BUSINESSWIRE.COM Discovery Cube LA Opens New “Science of Hockey” Exhibit in Partnership with the LA Kings The world’s fastest game on ice comes to life in all-new science based exhibit surrounding the Stanley Cup success of the team March 19, 2015 08:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The LA Kings Science of Hockey exhibit opened today for the first time at Discovery Cube Los Angeles (DCLA). Science and hockey fans alike can now be immersed in one of the most technically advanced sports-themed exhibits featuring the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. This permanent attraction offers interactive learning focused on the science, math, and skills behind the thrilling sport of hockey. Designed and produced by BaAM Productions, the new, second-floor Science of Hockey exhibit is one of more than a dozen highly interactive, science-based attractions now featured on the 2.5-acre site of DCLA in the Hansen Dam Recreational Area. According to Kafi D. Blumenfield, DCLA Executive Director, the Science of Hockey provides guests with an up-close look at the sport of hockey and the team while discovering the fascinating science behind the game: “We are excited to open this wonderful exhibit to the public. The Kings Care Foundation has been an amazing partner in this endeavor and I believe we have created a best-in-class attraction that will further science learning and foster future hockey fans!” DCLA partnered with the Kings Care Foundation and BaAm Productions to ensure the exhibit was as interactive and realistic as possible. Visitors enter the exhibit through a replica of the iconic LA Kings Player Tunnel at STAPLES Center and find hands-on exhibits that provide exclusive access to the sport and the team. Visitors will enjoy the following exhibits and displays:

• You Be the Goalie / You Be the Shooter – Participants in this unique, in-the-game experience don a blocker and glove to try and stop pucks shot from virtual versions of LA Kings players Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and Jeff Carter. If they choose to turn the tables, and take shots on LA Kings goalie Jonathan Quick in “You be the Shooter,” they are rewarded with instant speed and accuracy readings.

• Penalty Box – Fans can help get an LA Kings player out of the penalty box and back on the ice by correctly answering a series of questions about the math and science surrounding the sport.

• Zamboni Test Drive – Occupying the center of the Science of Hockey is a replica Zamboni offering guests the once-in-a-lifetime chance to climb aboard, turn the auger and get the feel of driving this iconic, ice-resurfacing machine. A scale replica of the STAPLES Center scoreboard overhead provides the perfect photo opportunity.

• Suit Yourself – NHL hopefuls can use interactive touch screens to design their very own jerseys and then capture and add their own likeness before the highly personalized image is displayed on a large screen.

• Equipment Lab – An interactive display allows guests to technically compare an old uniform and equipment to the modern, streamlined uniforms of today. Meanwhile, a display wall of equipment cut in cross-section and a series of videos demonstrate the equipment in action, force and power exchange dynamics, STOP program and safety tips.

• Healthy Locker Room – Guests learn about training and nutrition by playing interactive games in this unique, technically advanced replica of the LA Kings locker room. Hands-on participatory consoles at each players’ locker provide memorable opportunities for individual and group play and discovery.

• Skater Challenge – Intrepid skaters can follow Dustin Brown or LA Kings mascot Bailey around the ice to test their skating ability and speed. The faster the visitor skates, the faster the on-screen LA Kings player or mascot moves.

• LA Kings Story – The culmination of the Science of Hockey experience is the LA Kings Story featuring great moments in LA Kings history, with storytelling supported by compelling, larger-than-life images, artifacts and video. A photo opportunity will allow fans to picture themselves holding the Stanley Cup.

“The Science of Hockey is an incredible opportunity to share the game we love to a large number of people, including kids. The interactive experience is fun and it is educational. It will immediately become a destination spot – the location is ideal – for those who already enjoy hockey and to those who will be learning about the game for the very first time,” said Kings President, Business Operations and Hockey Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille. The Science of Hockey is included in general admission to DCLA. Tickets to DCLA can be bought online at www.discoverycube.org/la/ or on campus. General admission prices are as follows: adult ($16.95), senior ($12.95), and children 3-14 ($12.95). Now through June 30th, there is special admission pricing of just $10 for everyone. About Discovery Science Foundation: The Discovery Science Foundation serves as the program-development, marketing and fundraising arm for hands-on science learning museums in Orange County and Los Angeles. Established in 1989, the original non-profit Taco Bell Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, now renamed Discovery Cube Orange County, presented by Taco Bell, continues to inspire and educate millions of young minds through engaging science based programs and exhibits. In 2012, the Center was named one of the ten “Most Trusted Brands” in Orange County and in 2013 was awarded the National Medal of Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In November 2014, Discovery Cube Los Angeles, a second not-for-profit museum offering an exhibit and program mix unique to Los Angeles, opened in the Hansen Dam Recreational Area of the San Fernando Valley. For more information, call (866) 552-CUBE (2823) or visit discoverycube.org. Follow the Orange County and Los Angeles campus on Twitter (@DiscoveryCubeOC and @DiscoveryCubeLA). About The Kings Care Foundation: The Kings Care Foundation (Federal Tax ID #95-4443065) is the award-winning, nonprofit children’s charity of the LA Kings hockey club, the 2014 Stanley Cup Champions. Formed in 1996, the Kings Care Foundation has donated more than $7 million in monetary and in-kind support which allows the Kings Care Foundation to make a direct impact on the lives of nearly one million children throughout Southern California each year. For all Kings information, visit LAKings.com. Follow the club on Twitter (@LAKings and @LAKingsPR). About BaAM: BaAM is a creative production company that develops experiences for the entertainment, culture, and sports industries. As collaborative storytellers, we provide concept creative, interpretive planning, design development and project management. Our projects range from permanent museum exhibits to multi-day fan events and world-class entertainment productions for clients throughout North America. BaAM’s clients include Discovery Cube Orange County and Los Angeles, Toronto Zoo, Science North, TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Organizing

Committee, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, and the Olympic Spirit Group. Follow us on Twitter @BaAMProductions and www.baamproductions.com to stay up-to-date with all of our exciting projects and events.

FROM LACAR.COM HARVICK DOES HOCKEY Dropping the puck for the Auto Club 400 By Brian Kennedy If you’re trying to attract people to a sporting event, a relatively expensive one at that, what do you do? Well, let them know about it. To that end, the NASCAR folks are working hard ahead of their 400-mile racing coming up in Fontana on Saturday. I’ve seen billboards up around LA, particularly out towards the track, which is 40 miles west of Pasadena, so pretty far out in what’s known here as the “Inland Empire.” And on Monday night at the LA Kings NHL game, Kevin Harvick dropped the first puck. That’s not an accident—he is friends with the team’s dominant offensive player, Jeff Carter. But the question is, did people care? Most, I would venture to say, could walk past Harvick in the grocery store and not know who he was. I would have liked to have gotten his opinion, but my request to his press people was met with an email that said they weren’t doing media at the game. That would have to wait until Friday. But this question needs to be answered ahead of the weekend, so I took to another method. The nonsense that is Twitter. I tweeted out the question “How many of you care that Harvick of NASCAR fame is dropping the first puck?” Friend Dennis Bernstein, who has about 17,000 twitter followers, “retweeted” the question. So there were plenty of eyeballs on it. We got five responses. “I was at the race in Phoenix. Hope the Kings are as dominant as he was!!” “Not a big NASCAR fan but went to the race in Phoenix last year. Harvick tore it up. Cool that he’s a hockey fan.” “Doesn’t bother me. Synergy.” “Hell yes it matters. Embrace it; guy is from Bako and a good man. Give him a huge ovation; He is a california guy. “Was just in Vegas watching him win and am a fan of StewartHass racing.” (I’ve grammar edited them—Twitter’s not exactly the place for the best punctuation.) So what does this tell us? That there are some people who like the sport, and none that care enough to express their indifference. On the other hand, if you’re looking to measure the impact of Harvick’s efforts, I think you’d have a hard time getting a blip on the meter. There was a cheer when he came on the ice, but more respectful than excited by the sounds of it. They announced him as the “reigning Sprint Cup champion,” but honestly, I’m not sure everyone in the arena knew what that meant. They did mention his team and his car number, but that was met essentially with silence. Think of it this way. You’re reading this right now. That means you must have some interest in racing, perhaps in NASCAR. What team is he with? What car? What number? What sponsor? Those facts would roll off the tongue of most hardcore fans, naturally.

Back to the Kings game. Would this be the reaction to the star in another sport? Say to someone from the local baseball franchise? Unlikely. The local soccer franchise? Now you’re approaching the level of indifference. And before you rush to say, “But he’s not from here,” note that Harvick is, though he’s probably pretty far from his Bakersfield roots by this point in his life. His life, his businesses, and his considerable wealth are in the South, one would assume Anyway, how did Harvick do with his ceremonial puck drop? He did fine. He trotted out to center ice with a Kings logo hoodie on, and jeans. The puck was ready in his hand. He waited until the photos were taken, and he did the drop. Captain Dustin Brown of the Kings picked the puck up and handed it to him. He waved to the crowd. And he trotted off again. What I saw from the press box was a relatively slight man in Harvick. He was certainly dwarfed by the two hockey players who took the faceoff. Hard to believe that in that little body is the heart to go 200mph, given the risks that come with that. Sure NASCAR’s safer now than ever, but the baby Busch did just sustain leg breaks in an accident, and just when you say “racing’s safe now” (which nobody ever does, out of superstition), bad voodoo happens. So call it what you will, it’s not “stock car” racing, but what Harvick and the other 42 on a given Sunday do is more than what humans should. For that alone, seeing him at the hockey game was a thrill that I would have hoped would be shared by the 18,000-plus who were there. That it probably wasn’t is too bad. And maybe, just maybe, having him there did a little something to spark people’s interest in the races taking place this Saturday and Sunday in Fontana.