March 2nd, 2017

It was an emotional day for the Kings, who managed to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday night at Staples Center.  It was bittersweet for Kings fans after learning that Hall of Fame announcer, Bob Miller will be retiring at the end of the season.

The Kings trailed 2-0 after Toronto got goals from Tyler Bozak and Nikita Zaitsev in the 1st two periods.  However, LA battled back in the 3rd, sparked by Anze Kopitar’s power play goal 27 seconds in the period.

The goal was the first for the Kings captain in the last 13 games, and bounced off the head of Zaitsev in to the Toronto net.

Just 90 seconds later, Tanner Pearson tied the game at 2-2 after sliding the puck past Frederik Anderson.  It was his 22nd goal of the season.

After an exciting overtime session in which both teams had their chances, the game would go to a shootout.  That’s when Kopitar would score the only goal for either side, to help secure a big Kings win.

Jonathan Quick made 29 saves, and stopped all 3 Maple Leafs he faced in the shootout.  Quick’s final save was very acrobatic, where he even reached behind his back to stop the fin shot.

With the win, the Kings inch past St. Louis and back into the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Jerome Iginla made his debut as a King.  He knows he has work to do though,  “Personally, I can get better,” he said. “It was a fun game to be a part of. You could tell how important the points were, for them and for us. And to be able to come back and get that in the overtime, back and forth is pretty exciting.

As for Bob Miller, just hours earlier, he announced that this would be his final season with the Kings, after  44 years and 3,351 broadcasts.  Miller is 78, and coming off of a minor stroke he suffered in January.  It’s the 2nd straight season that Miller has had health problems.  In February of last year, he had a four-way heart-bypass operation.  Doctors had essentially made the decision for him, telling him to slow down.

“I said, ‘Well, in this sport, in my mind, there’s no taking it easy. When they drop the puck, you’re going. You’re on,’” he said. “And that’s what the fans expect from you and that’s the way you want to do the game.

Ralph Strangis has been filling in for Miller for the last month with play-by-play duties.  However, Miller said that he will call two finals games: April 8th vs Chicago, and April 9th at Anaheim.  That gives him and the Kings fans a final chance to say goodbye.

Miller’s retirement is the end of an era of great broadcasting in Los Angeles.  For nearly half a century, LA got to listen to three Hall of Fame announcers: Vin Scully, Chick Hearn, and Miller.  Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille summed it up best: “No one will ever replace Bob, just like you can’t replace the great people that worked for the Dodgers and the Lakers. He’s at that same level.”

March 1st, 2017

The Kings beat the trade deadline on Wednesday by acquiring Colorado Avalanche Right Wing Jerome Iginla.  In exchange, the Kings sent the Avalanche a conditional 4th round draft pick in 2018. Colorado will also retain 50% of Iginla’s remaining salary this season.  If the Kings make the playoffs and re-sign Iginla, who will be an unrestricted free agent, they convey the draft pick.

In order to create salary cap space for Iginla, the Kings also traded forward Dwight King to Montreal for a conditional 4th round pick in 2018.  That pick will be conveyed to the Kings if Dwight King re-signs with the Canadians.

Iginla is likely a future Hall of Famer, but is in the twilight of his career at 39-years old.  He has just 8 goals and 18 points in 61 games this season.  However, the Kings are hoping that his skill can help ignite the teams struggling offense, especially while playing on a line with Anze Kopitar.

The Kings are also hoping that a reunion with Coach Darryl Sutter will jump start Iginla.  Back in 2004, Iginla and Sutter led the Calgary Flames to the Stanley Cup Final.

Iginla was optimistic about the Kings chances, and happy about joining them.  “I think they’re a very competitive bunch. I think they play really hard,” he said. “They have a knack for, once they get down into the nitty-gritty, the big games, they find ways to be successful.

The Kings return home to play the Maple Leafs on Thursday.  It’s their first game of a seven game home stand.

February 28th, 2017

The Kings overtime luck is finally running out, and it’s happening at the worst time.  For the 2nd night in a row, LA lost in OT.  This time, it was a critical 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.

TJ Brodie got loose on a breakaway just 1:47 into overtime, as the Flames spoiled goaltender Ben Bishop’s debut as a King.  Brodie got behind the LA defense, and received a long pass from Mikael Backlund before making a nice move to beat Bishop.  It was Brodie’s 5th goal of the season.

Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Kings were 10-2 in overtime games this season, and over the last two years had been the best team in the NHL in the extra session.   Despite LA’s offensive struggles the last few years, they have been excellent since the NHL implemented 3-on-3 during overtime.

Tanner Pearson scored the Kings only goal of the game, knocking in a power play goal at the 8:42 mark of the 1st period.  It was Pearson’s 21st of the season, and had to be reviewed by the officials to be sure that it had crossed the goal line before the whistle blew.

The Flames would tie things up in the 2nd period, when Michael Ferland slapped in a pass from Mark Giordano.  Ferland took advantage of the fact that Kings defenseman, Jake Muzzin, had fallen down on the play, which allowed him to get open in front of the LA net.

Ben Bishop was spectacular in his Kings debut, stopping 28 shots, including several big saves in the 2nd period.  As many feared though, Bishop was unable to help LA’s struggling offense.

Although the Kings did salvage a point in the standings, they remained 1 point behind St. Louis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.  With the win, Calgary has now opened up a 6 point lead on the Kings.  The teams will meet three more times before the season is over, with two of them in Calgary.

It’s going to be an interesting next two days for the Kings before they begin a 7 game home stand on Thursday against Toronto.  Wednesday at 12 pm PST is the trade deadline.  It’s the last chance for Dean Lombardi to try and bring in some more help offensively before the season is over.  Then on Thursday, Kings play-by-play announcer Bob Miller will be holding a press conference regarding his future.  Miller has been home recuperating from a stroke he suffered in late January, and is expected to announce his retirement.

February 27th, 2017

Only the Kings could score 4 goals in a game and find a way to lose a game they desperately needed.  Only the Kings could manage to have the lead 4 times in a game, yet manage to lose in OT.  Sure enough, that’s how it went down, as the Kings lost to Minnesota 5-4 in overtime on Monday night in St. Paul.

Mikael Granlund surprised the Kings with his speed 12 seconds into overtime, and wrapped a shot around Jonathan Quick to give the Wild the victory.  It was Granlund’s 20th goal of the season, which gave the Wild their 15th comeback win of the season.

The Kings got goals from Nick Shore, Tanner Pearson, Jake Muzzin, and Marian Gaborik in regulation.  However, the Wild answered each goal, one by one.  It was Jason Zucker’s spinning wrist shot midway through the 3rd period that tied the game.  Minnesota also got goals from Nino Niederreiter, Jordan Schroeder, and Ryan White.  White, along with Martin Hanzal, were playing their first game for the team after being acquired Sunday in a trade with Arizona.

Marian Gaborik responded nicely for the Kings, after being a healthy scratch in the teams’ previous game against Anaheim.  Gaborik had a goal and an assist, and was using his speed to create numerous opportunities for LA throughout the game.

Jonathan Quick stopped 30 of 35 shots, and although he made some big saves, he wasn’t quite a sharp as he was on Saturday against Anaheim.

The Kings already added one significant piece to their team before Wednesday’s trade deadline, acquiring Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop.  The move seems unusual with Jonathan Quick healthy again, but General Manager Dean Lombardi assured everyone that Bishop will see some playing time as Quick regains his form.  “You’re never sure how well a guy who’s been out this long, is he going to have his ‘A’ game?,” he said. “This is not an insurance policy. [Bishop] needs to play.”

Even more surprising was Lombardi’s insistence that the team is unlikely to add any more offensive help between now and Wednesday.  “The focus has to be on the players we have producing up to their capability. And then we can look at additions.”

The Kings managed to salvage a point in the standings, despite the loss.  Tuesday night they’ll be facing an even more critical game on the road at Calgary.  The Kings are 2 points behind St Louis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and now 5 points behind The Flames.   That will be the first of 4 more meetings between the Kings and Flames this season.