At 4,692 years old, Teemu Selanne is still one of the top forwards in the NHL (Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports)

You know that canker sore you just can’t stop probing with your tongue, even though it hurts like hell and you detest it with every fiber of your being? For Kings fans, that’s an apt metaphor for the Anaheim Ducks.

Oh, it’s personal, all right. We just don’t like anything about them, from the silly “Mighty Ducks” logo in the early years though today’s bird crap-colored mallard-footed swoop. What marketing genius dreamed up jersey colors that include the shades of rotten fruit and jack-o’-lantern, for God’s sake? The moniker Kings represents majesty, royalty, a patriarchal succession line. Ducks wallow in mud, eat vermin for breakfast, befoul the environment and are a single species above housefly on nature’s food chain.

Teemu Selanne just won’t die. Ryan Getzlaf should be punched daily. Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry sound like two-thirds of a crappy 90s boy band. Bruce Boudreau bears a striking resemblance to the Pillsbury Doughboy. You guessed it, we don’t much like their players, either — or their coach.

And yet, we know it would have been quite a series. One hell of a series for that matter, one for the books. Consider the following:

The teams are evenly matched

Anaheim skated out of the gate incredibly quickly and on March 20th stood at a robust 22-3-4, twelve points ahead of the Kings, who had a solid start of their own at 17-10-2. However, including the playoffs, the Kings have since posted an impressive 14-7-4 record, whereas the Ducks went a pedestrian 11-10-4 through their elimination game. Anaheim still won the division by seven points, but momentum clearly favored Los Angeles over the past seven weeks.

The Ducks finished 8th in the NHL in goals scored at 2.79 per game, the Kings 10th (2.73). As for goals against, they neatly reversed positions, with Los Angeles surrendering just 2.38 per game (7th) and Anaheim 2.40 (tied for 9th). Both finished in the top ten in power play efficiency, the top thirteen in killing penalties, and in the upper-half of the league in fewest PIMs altogether. Sure, the Kings throw the body around with far more vigor and are more likely to win faceoffs, but the Quacks blocked 134 more shots than Los Angeles did during the regular season — almost three more per game.

Head-to-head, the teams each won two games and tallied fourteen goals. You can’t get much more even than that.

Both teams are loaded

Jeff Carter stepped up when it mattered against the Blues. (Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE)

For Los Angeles, Jeff Carter led the team with 26 tallies, with Dustin Brown (18), Mike Richards (12), Justin Williams (11) and Anze Kopitar (10) as their top scoring threats. Rookie Jake Muzzin (7) surprisingly led the defense in goals, with Drew Doughty (6) and Slava Voynov (6) not far behind. Jonathan Quick had a below-par regular season, but still managed to post an 18-13-4 record and a 2.45/.902 stat line.

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry led Anaheim with 15 goals apiece, with Andrew Cogliano (13), Teemu Selanne (12), Bobby Ryan (11) and Kyle Palmieri (10) rounding out a balanced attack. Sheldon Souray (7) and Francois Beauchemin (6) are the main threats from the blue line, and Jonas Hiller (15-6-4, 2.36, .913) is the main man between the pipes.

The teams have never played one another in the playoffs

It would be a first, a freeway series between the two southern California franchises. Kings fans were understandably rankled when the Ducks won the Cup in 2006-07, just thirteenth seasons after being hatched in 1993. Sweet redemption occurred last year as Los Angeles rampaged their way to their first Cup. No, we didn’t beat Anaheim, but it still felt like we’d consumed a tasty bowl of Ducks soup in the process.

Alas, during their entire co-existence, the teams have never met one another in the postseason. For the most part, when Anaheim has been good, the Kings have been terrible, and vice-versa. Only during the past few years have both risen to relevancy at the same time. Had the Ducks managed to beat the equally-detestable Red Wings, the string would have broken and L.A. would have faced Anaheim for the first time ever in the playoffs.

Neither team is the Red Menace

Datsyuk represents yet another in a long line of Russian snipers for the Red Menace. (Warren Wimmer/Icon SMI)

As much as we despise the Ducks, at least the novelty would have made things compelling. Seeing the Red Wings advance in the playoffs is about as exciting as watching ice freeze. Sure, it’s been glorious lately, witnessing their repeated failures to advance beyond the second round for three straight seasons. Last year’s 4-1 opening-round shellacking at the hands of the Nashville Predators was particularly delicious.

And yet, it’s still the frickin’ Evil Empire, a team that always seems to possess some of the top Russian snipers in the league despite their perennially-low draft positions. The good news is that they now move on to face the President’s Cup-winning Blackhawks. Good luck there, Detroit — you’re going to need it.

The Kings are moving on

Even though Anaheim couldn’t get it done, for Kings fans it only really matters that we could. In many ways, St. Louis out-Kinged the Kings, winning the shot and faceoff battles and essentially matching them hit-for-hit. San Jose isn’t built for the physical game and will need to resort to puck possession and a lethal power play if they hope to advance. Similarly, as it would seem, to how Anaheim would have needed to get it done.

And yet they won’t. As much as we dislike them, it’s a shame the Ducks couldn’t put their best webbed-foot forward this year. They may irritate the hell out of us and we may delight in their demise, but let’s be honest: a Kings/Ducks playoff series would have been fowl.

Author information

Walter McLaughlin

Walter McLaughlin is a Los Angeles Kings correspondent for The Hockey Writers. He is an avid sports fan, having followed the Kings since living in L.A. in the mid-1970's, as well as suffering through Seattle sports teams' general futility. He has a Bachelor's degree in Finance and has worked in community banking for over 20 years, specializing in SBA loans. He lives in the Seattle area with his wife of 25 years and two daughters.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Jeff Carter And The Kings Rebounded To Win Four Straight Contests (Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE)

Now that the Kings have advanced to Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it is worth reviewing exactly how dire their situation appeared to be prior to Game 3 of their initial playoff series. They had just endured back to back losses to the St. Louis Blues in the most devastating fashion, and the 0-2 deficit that LA faced seemed even more cavernous than it was. Not only do 86% of the teams that carve out a 2-0 series lead ultimately capture that matchup, but the concept of winning four out of five contests against a very talented Blues team was excruciating. Plus, it would also require the Kings to overcome that deficit for just the second time in franchise history.

But three consecutive one goal triumphs vaulted LA into the series lead, with an opportunity to close out the Blues at the Staples Center in Game 6. And despite the fact that St. Louis demonstrated a massive dose of fortitude in the effort to prolong the series, the Kings managed to hold off the Blues, and registered their 10th consecutive on home ice. It also enabled LA to avoid an unwanted return trip to St. Louis for a deciding Game 7, and will instead allow them to garner some much needed rest before they encounter yet another tough opponent in Round 2.

Iit would be a mammoth challenge for any passionate fan of either the Kings or the Blues who has experienced every possible emotion during each of the six contests, to recall a more every matched and exhausting series to witness. And both teams should be commended for delivering an exciting, physical, yet cleanly played series.

Another Game Winning Goal For Penner

St. Louis outplayed LA at times during this series, and that was also the case in Game 6. Nevertheless, Dustin Penner’s game winning shot evaded St. Louis goaltender Brian Elliott with just .02 remaining in the second period, and was fittingly symbolic of the razor thin margin that separated these two teams throughout their matchup. Penner’s shot will forever be the final tally of this memorable series, and was his fifth playoff goal during his tenure as a King. It is noteworthy that the puck Penner placed beyond Elliott was actually his third game winning shot among those five tallies.

Quick’s Numbers  Resemble The Stellar Results Of 2012

Quick Was The Best Performer In The Series (Ric Tapia/Icon SMI)

But any analysis of this series from the Kings perspective should focus on Jonathan Quick, as his actions played a predominant role in the outcome of each contest. First, because he ended an otherwise outstanding effort in Game 1 with a well-chronicled blunder that concluded the contest in shocking fashion. And it could have easily become the defining moment of the Kings’ season.

This column was admittedly tough on Quick in the aftermath of that gaffe. While the obvious issue was that his mishandling of the puck during overtime literally handed the Blues Game 1, the mistake appeared to be even more catastrophic, because LA had been controlling the play during the extra period. This after being thoroughly outplayed during most of the encounter, and seizing momentum by tying the game with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. That occurrence had deflated the Blues, who appeared to be negatively impacted by their inability to close out the contest. However, St. Louis was suddenly rescued from what would have been a ninth consecutive loss to the Kings, and instead became instilled with a new wave of confidence that they could win the series.

But, Quick had also been the primary reason that the contest was close, since LA would have been further behind if not for his efforts. That should be remembered just as much as the game ending goal. And Quick also continued to deliver an exceptional performance from that point forward, providing the foundation for each of LA’s four consecutive victories. That reestablished Quick as a goaltender who could lead the Kings deep into the postseason. Just as he did in 2012, when he became the well deserved recipient of the Conn Smyth Trophy.

Quick has now earned exhaustive accolades once again for his excellence throughout the series. And his brilliant goaltending is certainly the principal reason why the Kings will be skating in Round 2. He essentially has matched his stellar performance from last year’s extended postseason run, and is currently second among all goaltenders during the playoffs with a 1.58 goals against average. That is nearly one full goal under his 2.45 average during the regular season. He is also third with a .944 save percentage, which is a sizable improvement from the .902 that he manufactured prior to the playoffs. Those numbers are extremely close to last season’s memorable results, when he registered a 9.46 percentage and 1.41 average. And not only did Game 3 shutout also match his regular season total, but is just two behind the total of three that he amassed in last year’s postseason.

Quick’s performance overshadowed the commendable effort by Elliott, whose 1.90 goals against average and .919 save percentage were both respectable. He only allowed 12 goals to the Kings during their six encounters, which would normally have resulted in a much better fate for both Elliott and his teammates. But LA collected goals from seven different players, and they most often occurred at very opportune times. Jeff Carter paced the Kings with three goals, followed by Justin Williams, Slava Voynov and Penner with two each. Mike Richards did not register a goal, but his five assists enabled him to lead the Kings in scoring for the series.

The Kings are now 22-4-1 at Staples Center this season, where they will face another formidable opponent in either the Anaheim Ducks or San Jose Sharks in the next round. That will supply another major challenge for Darryl Sutter, his staff, and the players. However, it is a far more favorable scenario that having to watch the next round as spectators. And that appeared to be very possible, before they captured four consecutive wins. Regardless of which California franchise they meet next, their chances for success are excellent, if Quick can continue to excel.

Author information

Phil Clark

Phil Clark has been an avid fan of the NHL since childhood, and has channeled that passion toward writing about his beloved LA Kings for The Hockey Writers. Phil also writes about the NFL for The Fantasy Knuckleheads.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Chris Stewart has just one assist in the series (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

You can’t win if you don’t score.

The old adage can sum up the last three games of the St. Louis Blues’ Western Conference Quarterfinal matchup with the Los Angeles Kings.  After winning Games 1 and 2, both by the score of 2-1, the Blues posted five goals in the next three games.  The Kings recorded eight goals to storm back and take a 3-2 series lead with Game 6 headed back to Los Angeles Friday night.

Forward Alex Steen has scored three times in the series, including the game-winning goal in Game 1.  Behind him, the Blues’ offense has been ice cold in the opening series.

24-year old T.J. Oshie had two of the Blues’ three goals in their 4-3 loss in Game 4, but was also on the ice for all four of the Kings’ goals.  He, along with linemates David Perron and Patrik Berglund, were unable to sustain pressure in the offensive zone, leading to multiple odd-man rushes and breakdowns in the neutral zone.

“It was one of my worst 200-foot games,” Oshie said after the game. “The goals are great, but I’d rather not score those and win the game 1-0.”

Oshie, whose two goals are the first playoff goals of his career, has registered just six shots in the series, despite averaging 18:26 on-ice time.  That is second-most of any Blues forward.

David Perron, a 21-goal scorer just a season ago, has struggled in this series as well.  He has posted just two assists, along with eight shots.

Andy McDonald has not recorded a point in the series (Icon SMI)

The only man on the roster who has a Stanley Cup ring has been completely left off the score sheet in the best-of-seven series.  Andy McDonald, 35, has not registered a point and has just nine shots on goal.  This is particularly baffling to the Blues’ brass considering McDonald was far and away the club’s best forward in last year’s post-season, amassing five goals and five assists in nine playoff games.

McDonald has primarily been used on the third line with center Vladimir Sobotka and right-wing Chris Stewart.  The line has combined for just four assists and 30 shots in five games.

Stewart’s unproductive play may be the most peculiar aspect of this line.  After recording 18 goals in the regular season to lead the Blues, Stewart has one assist (on Jackman’s game-winning goal in Game 2), accompanied by 16 shots.  He had just 10 shots through the first four games.

As you can see, the headaches are running rampant across the board.  If you are to pinpoint one game that displays the Blues’ offensive struggles, it is the obvious choice: Game 3.  In a 1-0 shutout loss, the Blues missed open nets multiple times, including a Steen missed-shot from the slot in the second period and a David Backes whiff in the latter stages of the game.

“You can say we’re a little unlucky,” McDonald said after Game 3. “There were a couple opportunities where the puck was right there and we [didn’t] bury it. That’s the difference a lot of times. We had our fair share if not more than they did.”

Jonathan Quick has been the Blues’ enigma.  They find themselves on the wrong end of a series lead for the first time.  If the Blues continue to miss opportunities in Game 6, off-season plans may see some of these players solving their struggles with a different team next season.

Author information

Jeff Ponder

I was a member of St. Louis Blues media during the 2011-12 season. Currently, I am the Blues Team Editor for TheHockeyWriters.com, while also being the host of Lets Go Blues Radio, the only St. Louis Blues podcast on iTunes. I can also be found at my personal website, StormTheCrease.com

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Source: Wikipedia

If you’re a Ducks or a Kings fanatic, you are probably drooling all over the keyboard. An outdoor game is scheduled between the two inter-state rivals.  The tilt will be played Saturday, January 24, 2014 at Dodger Stadium in L.A. The historic event adds depth to an already heated in-state rivalry.

The first outdoor game in California will serve as a proving ground for further outdoor games in warmer hockey climates. This game will be a springboard for the NHL bringing the Canadian pastime that much closer to Mexico. Dodger Stadium sits two hours south of Tijuana, Mexico. While Mexico isn’t a hockey hot bed it’s a chance for the NHL to strengthen its fan base internationally.

[Also: See the video of the Kings outdoor game played in 1991 - in Las Vegas]

An outdoor NHL hockey game can cause grey hair for top NHL brass. It’s the fear of the unknown and Mother Nature.  Last January the average tempeture was 67 degrees or 19 degrees Celsius–not outdoor hockey weather. This ground breaking tilt will need to be put together with science and a whole lot of faith in the hockey gods.

Kings and Ducks outdoor game means history for Californians

Dodger Stadium holds 56,000 fans while the Honda Center holds 18,336 and the Staples Center seats 18,111. The outdoor game at Dodger Stadium gives fans of both clubs a unique outlook on the game and gives them a chance to rub elbows with one another.

While L.A. and Anaheim fans have chirped back and forth since the beginning of time about who is the best club in southern California, they must put their differences aside for a moment and take a look at where they will be sitting, Dodger Stadium, witnessing a hockey game.

Some of the friendly topics to discuss is the age and size of the arena…It’s the third oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. The home to the 2009 World Baseball Classic is called the largest ball park in the world seating 56,000. It’s also been the home to 10 no-hitters since 1962. In short, the NHL is making strides to stretch their fan-base and strengthen ties between Kings and Ducks fans. Years ago an outdoor game in California seemed like a pipe dream.

Where can the NHL advance from here? The only answer is up! This game is nothing short of spectacular.

Follow Warren on Twitter @bauerhockeydude

Author information

Ted Warren

Ted grew up in Virginia. Warren has a passion for the AHL and dishes out articles about the Norfolk Admirals and the AHL. Follow him on Twitter @bauerhockeydude

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

(Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE)

Two games, two losses.

C’mon, we all knew there was no chance the Kings were going to rampage through the playoffs like they did during their historic run last year, right? Hockey, like baseball, is a game of inches, and if not for a post here or glove save (or lack thereof) there, this could be an entirely different series. Statistically speaking, the bounces and breaks between two evenly-matched squads should even out over time. St. Louis has arguably taken advantage of theirs better than L.A., at least so far during these playoffs. There is no reason to think the tide won’t turn with a little home cooking.

So why are we long-time Kings fans beginning to feel that familiar, palpable sense of dread?

History is not on the Kings’ side

Since 1941, teams have gone down 0-2 in a playoff series 291 times. Only 37 times has the team who fell behind come back to win the series (12.7%), the most recent being 2010 when the Flyers defeated the Bruins 4-3 in the Eastern conference semifinals. The Kings can take slight solace in the fact that they were one of those teams, beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 in 2001. However, thanks to holding serve in St. Louis, the math indicates that the Blues now enjoy an 87.3% probability of winning this series. The hill the Kings will need to climb is pretty much sloped at the same angle.

Los Angeles’ playoff history is even bleaker. Not counting last season, the Kings were 11-25 in previous playoff series. Heck, even counting 2011-12 still gives them a rather pathetic 15-25 overall playoff mark. Sure, the momentum turned in quantum fashion last year, but here we are, one year later — and the hairs on the backs of our necks are beginning to tingle once more.

So what needs to happen in order to get back into this series? A few things come to mind:

Anze Kopitar needs to be Anze Kopitar

Once upon a time, there was this Slovenian wunderkind named Anze Kopitar, who seemed to not only enjoy setting up his teammates, but scoring goals as well. He wasn’t ever going to be Alex Ovechkin, Brett Hull or Paul Kariya and shoot the puck on net over 400 times in a single season (Ovie’s personal high is 528 in 2008-09, the second-most in league history), but he could still record around 250 and tally 34 goals as he did in 2009-10. He reached 30 in one other season and has produced at least 25 every year since his rookie campaign — until this one.

Where did that guy go?

(Anne-Marie Sorvin-US PRESSWIRE)

He’s been hanging around Joe Thornton too much, that’s where he went. Kopitar has gone from averaging around three shots per game to two, tanking his offensive production in the process. Sure, he’s still setting up his teammates with aplomb — just like Thornton — but his wicked wrister only resulted in 10 goals this year on just 98 shots. The Kings need him to be more of a direct threat to score, that’s for sure. They can’t rely upon Justin Williams and Dustin Brown to produce all the offense in this series.

Jeff Carter is making our THW panel look bad

In Jeff Ponder’s piece previewing this series, three out of four of us predicted Jeff Carter would be series MVP. With no points and a -2 so far in two games, he’s been anything but that. It’s early, of course, and Carter deserves all the credit for a strong regular season (26 goals), but the Kings need him to step up in a big way. Now.

Jonathan Quick must recapture his 2011-12 playoff magic

Statistically-speaking, Quick has been excellent, with a 1.81/.940 stat line over the first two games. It appears his back is fully healed and he’s regaining his unofficial nickname “the spider” for his low, hunched scrabbling about in the crease. Alas, he’s also regaining his penchant for poor puckhandling, as evidenced here:

Quick hasn’t ever been known to excel in this facet of the game, and his indecision cost the Kings dearly in game one. In game two, he was great once again, but it’s still tough to see Barret Jackman (with just 23 goals in ten NHL seasons) rifle one cleanly past Quick’s glove. It’s probably sour grapes talking, but the 2011-12 version of Quick makes that save.

Drew Doughty must be a difference-maker

He’s eating up minutes at the pace of 30:42 per game, and playing the best defense of his career. I’ll admit that I questioned the wisdom of signing him to that huge 8-year, $56 million contract in 2011, and although he’s never approached his monster 2009-10 season in terms of productivity, he’s worth every penny of that contract today. Only an elite few defensemen in the NHL have his combination of speed, size, strength and puck-moving ability, not to mention a cannon shot from the point.

However, in a low-scoring series where the big guns must stand tall, Los Angeles needs Doughty to generate more than one assist and three shots in two games. Last year, he made a difference. The story has yet to be fully written for these playoffs.

Dustin Brown must knock some heads together

Dustin Brown probably enjoys watching the Stooges (Photo by Chassen Ikiri).

You know those old Three Stooges films where Moe grabs Larry and Curly’s heads and clonks them together like coconuts? That’s what Dustin Brown must do to David Backes and Alexander Steen. He might as well steamroll T.J. Oshie, Chris Stewart and David Perron while he’s at it. The Kings won the Cup last year in large part due to Brown’s game-changing physicality. He’s not been tiptoeing out there this series, but he’s got to raise it up a couple of notches.

Let Kopitar take the shots. Please. Stand by the net, smash any Blues player who comes within five feet of you, and bat in the ugly goals, Dustin.

Tonight’s game

To paraphrase Bill Murray’s line from Groundhog Day: It’s going to be cold, it’s going to be a fray, and it’s going to last the rest of the evening. Expect exactly what you’ve already seen in this series, only more of it. More hitting, more scrums, more fights and more battles for the puck. It will be intense, no doubt about it.

Now, if we Kings fans could only see more from Kopitar, Carter, Quick, Doughty and Brown, maybe that nagging feeling would go away for at least one more day.

Author information

Walter McLaughlin

Walter McLaughlin is a Los Angeles Kings correspondent for The Hockey Writers. He is an avid sports fan, having followed the Kings since living in L.A. in the mid-1970's, as well as suffering through Seattle sports teams' general futility. He has a Bachelor's degree in Finance and has worked in community banking for over 20 years, specializing in SBA loans. He lives in the Seattle area with his wife of 25 years and two daughters.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Jonathan Quick has allowed four goals in the first two contests (Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports)

There are several matchups within Round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs which contain two teams that are fully capable of generating lengthy postseason runs. The ongoing series between the Los Angeles Kings and the St. Louis Blues supplies a perfect example, as both clubs are extremely formidable, and possess the ability to progress deep into the postseason. Unfortunately, one of them will soon be jettisoned much earlier than they were expecting. And now that the first two contests have been completed in St. Louis, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Kings are down 0-2, and forced to absorb the increasing likelihood that they will not advance to the second round.

This stands in stark contrast to last season, when LA triumphed in the first three games of all four postseason series, and only lost one game on the road during the entire playoffs. They have already doubled that total after their initial two games, and have not closely resembled the team that steamrolled through their opponents one year ago. LA brought a mammoth physical presence, scoring an average of 2.85 goals per game, and only allowing an average of 1.50 goals per game. But despite the fact that the vast majority of players from that roster are participating against the Blues, the Kings are averaging just one goal per game, while permitting two per game. The series now returns to the Staples Center, where the Kings were 19-4-1 during the regular season. While the venue will help provide an outstanding opportunity for them to even the series, the fact remains that LA must defeat St. Louis in four of the next five contests in order to progress onward. And that will be an arduous task.

Quick’s Blunder Leads To Game Winning Goal For St. Louis 

Quick’s Game 1 Gaffe

There have been many alarming deficiencies in the Kings’ overall performance that have led to this predicament, but any discussion of this playoff series must begin with Jonathan Quick. He has at once been the King’s most effective performer, and the architect of the team’s most catastrophic moment in the series. His goaltending has been brilliant for the vast majority of time in both contests, and it can be argued that LA would have lost each game by a much wider margin if not for Quick’s excellence. However, his unfathomable gaffe in overtime of game 1 serves as the defining moment of this series. Even though LA had been thoroughly outplayed during most of the encounter, they had seized momentum by tying the game with 31 seconds remaining in regulation, and it continued into overtime.

At that point, the Blues appeared deflated, the Kings were dictating play, and had just begun skating in the early portion of a four minute power play. But then, Quick mishandled what should have been a routine play behind the net, and handed the Blues a win. If the Kings had won the contest after trailing throughout almost the entire regulation, the Blues would have been disheartened to a considerable degree. Instead, Quick not only delivered St. Louis the game, but the surprising conclusion supplied the Blues with a renewed belief that they could win a series against the Kings, after losing eight consecutive matchups.  That level of confidence had waned prior to his inexplicable mistake. Many observers and Kings fans have been fast to defend Quick as a result of his impressive overall performance in both games of this series. And as previously mentioned, he has been LA’s most effective performer by far a considerable margin, while facing 67 shots. However, that should not absolve him of his disastrous Game 1 giveaway, which simply cannot occur in those circumstances. Plus, he also must take some culpability for the game winning goal that he surrendered in Game 2.

What Else Has Gone Wrong

However, Quick is not responsible for the other shortcomings in LA’s disappointing performances to this point in the series. Starting with the team’s anemic offense, which has managed just two goals.  That is the fewest among all teams that have skated in two contests, and both were generated during power plays. If the Kings had been more adept at placing the puck behind St. Louis goaltender Brian Elliott, then the primary discussion concerning Quick would consist of the tremendous saves that he has made. Plus, the results of this series would be far more promising. LA desperately needs their best goal scorers to deliver for the remainder of this series, starting with Anze Kopitar. His last goal occurred on March 25, and his inability to find the net has been puzzling. Leading scorer Jeff Carter has just three goals since April 7, while Mike Richards has managed just three since April 6. Justin Williams and Dustin Brown have tallied LA’s only goals, yet need to join LA’s other primary scorers in producing goals with more regularity, which will relieve the pressure on Quick to generate shutouts.

How The Kings Can Resurrect Their Chances

The King must strive for 60 minutes of inspired, aggressive hockey (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

It appears that Kopitar has been reunited on a line with Brown and Williams. Dustin Penner has the size to create difficulty for St. Louis, and might help ignite a second line if paired with Carter and Richards. While the Kings have been unable to dominate the Blues physically, at least they have distributed hits liberally and equally. Which is another reminder that even though the Kings are down 0-2, the teams are equally matched. Game 1 went to overtime, and Game 2 was less than one minute from doing so. LA has controlled the action for short durations, but must now strive for 60 minutes of inspired, aggressive hockey. The same unrelenting drive that was displayed so often in the 2012 postseason. To win the races to the puck, and the battles against the boards. All of this does not guarantee that the Kings will win this series. But it would provide them with an excellent chance.

Author information

Phil Clark

Phil Clark has been an avid fan of the NHL since childhood, and has channeled that passion toward writing about his beloved LA Kings for The Hockey Writers. Phil also writes about the NFL for The Fantasy Knuckleheads.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.