Kings after first period: Kings 1, Dallas Stars 1

Penalties seemed to come in bunches in the first period tonight, and the Kings and Dallas Stars ended up with a five-on-three power play. Each capitalized on that advantage, leaving them even at 1-1 after one period.

Dustin Brown scored the Kings’ first goal — his team-leading fifth of the season — after a long shot by defenseman Jack Johnson had caromed off the crossbar. Brown was alone by the left post to nudge the rebound past goalie Kari Lehtonen at 3:30.

The Stars responded with their own power-play score while Justin Williams was serving a hooking penalty and Jarret Stoll was serving a boarding penalty. Proving that the Kings aren’t the only team prone to overpassing the puck, the Stars moved the puck around the Kings’ zone before Loui Eriksson dug it out and passed it back to Brad Richards, whose 40-foot shot sailed past Jonathan Quick at 16:02.

Defenseman Jake Muzzin, added to the Kings' lineup in place of Peter Harrold, played five minutes and three seconds in the period, including 1:06 of power-play time. He didn’t have any shots but he was credited with two hits.

More later at www.latimes.com/sports

--Helene Elliott, reporting from Dallas

Photo: Kings center Anze Kopitar and Stars left wing Jamie Benn hit the ice after colliding in pursuit of a loose puck in the first period Thursday night in Dallas. Credit: Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press

Dustin Brown ejected in second period; Kings 2, Wild 2

Kings captain Dustin Brown was ejected at 8:12 of the second period for an illegal check to the head, a major penalty that carries an automatic game misconduct and leaves him subject to supplementary discipline from the NHL.

Brown was in the Kings’ zone when he skated laterally toward Antti Miettinen and used his shoulder to hit the Finnish forward. Miettinen’s head snapped back on impact, though it’s not clear that Brown hit his head.

However, the new rule regarding illegal checks to the head says, “A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact is not permitted.” That means if the officials believed Brown targeted Miettinen’s head even if there was no contact, the penalty could be invoked.

The Wild failed to do much on the ensuing five-minute power play, and the Kings came back late in the period to tie the score at 2-2 during a five-on-three manpower advantage.

Jack Johnson took a shot that was stopped by Niklas Backstrom, and Justin Williams fanned on the rebound. But Anze Kopitar was there to flick it into the net with 16.2 seconds left in the period.

More later at www.latimes.com/sports

Helene Elliott in St. Paul, Minn.
 

 

Alexander Frolov to be unrestricted free agent

Winger Alexander Frolov, who sometimes dazzled Kings fans with his skills but often frustrated them with his inconsistency, was not offered a new contract by the Kings and will be an unrestricted free agent Thursday, his agent, Don Meehan, said Wednesday afternoon.

It's no shock -- Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi hinted as much last week -- but it does end an era of sorts and makes you wonder how good the 28-year-old Russian might have been if his work ethic had been better.

He earned $4 million last season and reportedly has had an offer from Russia's KHL, where the money is tax-free. The Kings can't match that and didn't want to try, not with Ilya Kovalchuk in their sights and a strong desire to re-sign Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Wayne Simmonds, who can all become restricted free agents after next season.

After a 32-goal season in 2008-09, Frolov had only 19 goals and 51 points last season in 81 games, missing one game when he scratched from the lineup early in the season by Coach Terry Murray for apparent lack of effort. Still, he climbed the charts on several Kings' franchise lists:

He ranks 11th with 381 points, 10th in goals with 168, tied for 10th in shorthanded goals with seven and seventh with 25 game-winning goals. His 168 goals ranks him third among Kings left wings, though he sometimes played the right side, too. He played in his 500th NHL (and Kings) game on Jan. 11.

Frolov wasn't a bad guy, just hard to get to know and, to many Kings fans, a riddle they won't solve.

--Helene Elliott

Jim Fox/Dave Taylor charity golf tournament set; U.S., Canada lose at World Championships

While wondering if Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi still thinks it was such a great idea to trade Michael Cammalleri, now a playoff catalyst for the surprising Montreal Canadiens, we came across some newsworthy hockey-related items….

Kings TV analyst Jim Fox and former King Dave Taylor are busy organizing the Dave Taylor/Jim Fox 22nd Annual Cystic Fibrosis Golf Classic, to be held June 14 at Moorpark Country Club in Moorpark.

 The event will include a dinner that will be emceed by Bob Miller. Radio broadcaster Nick Nickson and alumni Gary Edwards, Glen Murray, Brad Norton, Luc Robitaille and Ian Turnbull have said they will attend, in addition to Fox and Taylor. More alums are expected to attend the festivities.

Fox is hoping for donations of cash or items that can be auctioned to raise money for cystic fibrosis patient care and research. Information on registration and donations is available at losangeles.cff.org/davegolfclassic

The U.S. men’s team lost to Finland, 3-2, at the World Championships in Cologne, Germany, falling to 0-2-1 and dropping into the relegation round. Team USA’s captain is Kings defenseman Jack Johnson.

Canada lost its captain, Kings winger Ryan Smyth, after he fractured his ankle a few days ago. Canada lost to Switzerland, 4-1, on Wednesday.

Its leading scorer is Ducks winger Corey Perry, who has a goal and four points in three games. Perry is trying to join Ducks teammate Scott Niedermayer as the only players in hockey history to have won five major titles: Perry has already won the Stanley Cup (2007), the Memorial Cup (2005, for supremacy in junior hockey), an Olympic gold medal (at Vancouver in February) and the world junior title (2005). Niedermayer also has won a sixth title, having won the World Cup. Unless that’s revived soon, Niedermayer’s six-pack of titles could be untouched.

The NHL Network will air the Memorial Cup starting Friday through May 23. The tournament, which features the top four teams in junior hockey, will provide a peek at some of the kids who will be walking to the podium at the NHL draft June 25-26 at Staples Center.

 It’s also a great chance to look at kids who have already been drafted, such as Kings prospects Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Brandon Kozun of the Calgary Hitmen, as well as Ducks prospect Nicolas Deschamps of the Moncton Wildcats.

The broadcasts will start Friday with a preview show and play will begin on Saturday.
 
-- Helene Elliott

Kings' Jack Johnson named captain of U.S. national team at world championship

Kings defenseman Jack Johnson was named captain of the 2010 U.S. National Team for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Men's Championship, which gets underway Friday in Cologne, Gelsenkirchen and Mannheim, Germany.

Johnson has represented the U.S. seven previous times, most recently at the Vancouver Olympics, where he helped lead the U.S. to a silver medal. He was also a member of Team USA at two IIHF World Men's Championships (2007 and 2009), two IIHF World Junior Championships (2006 and 2007) and two IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championships (2004 and 2005).

Kings defenseman Matt Greene is one of four alternate captains. The others are Nick Foligno of the Ottawa Senators, Eric Nystrom of the Calgary Flames and Kyle Okposo of the New York Islanders.

The U.S. opens against host Germany at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The game is a sellout -- 76,152 -- and will set the world hockey attendance record.

-- Debbie Goffa

Photo: Jack Johnson reacts after the Kings' 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the first round of the 2010 playoffs. Credit: Kirby Lee / Image of Sport / US Presswire.

Kings Matt Greene and Jack Johnson to play for U.S. in world championship

Even though the Kings' season is over, hockey isn't over for defensemen Matt Greene and Jack Johnson. Both players will represent the U.S. at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, scheduled for May 7-23 in Germany.

Greene, 26, is not new to the event, having played for Team USA in 2007 and 2008. Johnson, 23, represented the U.S. during the Vancouver Olympics and came home with a silver medal. He also represented Team USA during the 2009 World Championship and the 2007 World Championship.

In addition, Darren Granger, the Kings' head equipment manager, will be a part of Team Canada’s training staff during the World Championship. 

-- Debbie Goffa

Sprained thumb, broken wrist...and then there's the Kings' emotional wounds

Two things are sure to happen within a few days of an NHL team’s final game: Players shave their playoff beards and the truth comes out about the injuries they’ve dealt with for varying lengths of time.

Most of the Kings were clean-shaven Tuesday as they began their exit interviews and season wrapup with the coaches and trainers at the team's El Segundo practice facility, and it emerged that more than a few were playing hurt during the team’s six-game playoff loss to Vancouver.

Peter Harrold broke his wrist in Game 3 and couldn’t return, and Drew Doughty—who had a spectacular series to end a remarkable season—had a variety of injuries. The most significant one, Coach Terry Murray said, is a thumb injury the Norris trophy finalist sustained in Game 1.

Doughty said Tuesday he will undergo an MRI exam and won’t play for Canada in the upcoming World Championships because he wants to make sure the injury, which is believed to be a sprain, can fully heal.

Team captain Dustin Brown said he won’t play for Team USA at the World Championships because he’s facing the first of several planned bone-graft operations intended to keep his teeth in his mouth.

Will the Kings escape the Green Men at Vancouver's GM Place?

You might have seen them in Games 1 and 2 when the Kings were in Vancouver to play the Canucks. Dressed in green spandex suits, these two guys mock opposing players who are sent to the penalty box. The Green Men jump, dance, wave their arms -- whatever it takes to drive the player crazy. Even a handstand.

The Green Men haven't said how they happened to get those exact seats at GM Place, though.

Some players ignore them. Others smile. At least one Nashville Predators player covered the camera, since the Green Men seem to go through their craziest antics only when the camera is live. In the video above, the Kings' Jeff Halpern, Jack Johnson and Justin Williams get their share of green.

The Canucks' fans love these guys, who have said they got the idea from the cable-television series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" on FX. On the show, one of the characters has an alter ego that looks pretty much like these guys.

The Green Men have built a rabid following and have been interviewed on a number of TV shows in the last few weeks. They have their own website and Facebook page and have real names too. Ryan Sullivan (known as Sully) is in the darker green and Adam Forsythe (known as Force) is a shade lighter. 

If the Kings do everything right on the ice, they won't be seeing much of the Green Men for Game 5 on Friday night.

-- Debbie Goffa

Kings' practice: Power play a powerful weapon; Jones will return on defense Wednesday in Game 4

The Kings held a full practice Tuesday in El Segundo, and most of the talk afterward centered on the astonishing power-play success that has helped them build a 2-1 series lead over the Vancouver Canucks in a playoff series that resumes Wednesday night at Staples Center.

As a team the Kings are seven for 12, an eye-popping 58.3% success rate. Putting defensemen Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson together on the first power-play unit has been the key to that extraordinary success: Johnson leads the NHL with four power-play assists and shares the lead in power play points with teammates Doughty and Michal Handzus. Overall in the series, Doughty has a goal and four assists and Johnson has five assists.

They've played together before but never with results like this. Part of it is the Canucks' poor penalty killing, which has given both defensemen ample time and space to get off their booming shots, and part of it is a maturation on their part.

"With Jack and Drew in particular, I think the experience that they’ve gone through four or five times together as a pair, five on five for a series of games has certainly paid off for them," Coach Terry Murray said. "They’re starting to read off each other much better. I’m seeing a lot more enthusiasm when good things happen. They’re celebrating now when goals are getting scored. They’re tapping each other on the pads. They’re playing hard for each other now.

"Maybe a little bit in the early part of the season it was trying to do a lot by yourself. ‘I got the ability. I have the talent.’ I don’t know if that may be the right thing to say but I kind of sense that. Right now it’s all about the team and they’re really happy for each other when something good happens."

A lot of good things have happened so far for the Kings. How far can they go?

"I think the sky’s the limit really. I think this team will go as far as it lets itself go," Johnson said.

Murray also said he will reinstate Randy Jones on defense after sitting the veteran defenseman the past two games. Peter Harrold, who didn't play at all in the third period on Monday, will sit.

"I think it's just time to make a change there," Murray said.

Much more later at www.latimes.com/sports

-- Helene Elliott