Kings looking to Ducks for help; Justin Williams returns to the ice

The Kings found themselves in an unaccustomed position Sunday: rooting for the Ducks.

A victory by the Ducks over the Dallas Stars on Sunday in regulation would clinch a playoff berth for the Kings and the Ducks -- as well as for the Phoenix Coyotes.

“Go Ducks,” defenseman Jack Johnson said after the Kings practiced in El Segundo and prepared for their flight to San Jose for Monday’s game against the Sharks.

The Kings and Ducks have never made the playoffs in the same season, so it’s odd that they could change that bit of history on the same day. The Ducks missed the playoffs last season while the Kings qualified for the first time since 2002.

After a six-game, first-round elimination at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks last spring the Kings entered this season with high expectations. They experienced some extremes in successes and slumps and lost the production and creativity of forwards Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar in the last two weeks, but they’re fourth in the ultra-competitive Western Conference and might earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Definitely our No. 1 goal coming into the season was making the playoffs. Surpassing what we did last year and getting further and deeper and, hopefully, winning is all we want,” center Jarret Stoll said. “That hasn’t changed.

“It’s been a lot of hard work. It’s been a long year. There’s been lots of ups and downs. There’s been a couple big downs, a couple big ups.”

Kings expect to have their hands full against Canucks

My three-game/three-day/three-city trip, which started in Edmonton for the Kings' game Tuesday and continued to Calgary for the Ducks' game Wednesday, will end on a spring-like day in Vancouver with the Kings facing the Canucks at Rogers Arena.

The Canucks assured themselves of the top seed in the West, but the Kings can at least delay Vancouver's clinching of the President's Trophy for the overall point title.

For the Canucks to claim the top seed in the league Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers will have to lose at home to Atlanta and the Canucks would have to defeat the Kings. If not Thursday, it's sure to happen soon.

"They're a much better hockey team this year. A much more mature hockey team I think, in how they're playing," Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell said of the Canucks, his team for four seasons before he moved south of the border last summer.

Anze Kopitar's broken ankle overshadows Los Angeles Kings' 4-1 win

The details of the Kings’ 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday will be a mere footnote after center Anze Kopitar broke his right ankle in the second period.

Kopitar, the team’s leading scorer and the 10th-ranked scorer in the NHL entering Saturday’s games, left the ice at 15:39 of the second period after twisting his right leg and falling awkwardly to the Staples Center ice.

Coach Terry Murray said Kopitar, who has 25 goals and 73 points, will be out a minimum of six weeks. That would take him into the first week of May. The regular season ends April 10.  Kopitar is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on Monday to more closely determine the extent of the damage. The Kings lost their second-leading scorer, Justin Williams, to a dislocated shoulder Monday.

"He's our best player. We’ve got to find a way either way," team captain Dustin Brown said of Kopitar. "Injuries happen during the year. You don’t want to have your best player go down, but if that’s the case, we’ve got to shoulder the responsibility collectively and find a way because no other team is going to feel sorry for us.

"It’s an opportunity for someone else to step up. It’s going to be tough to match Kopi’s play both defensively and offensively, and we’ve got to find a way. The staple of our game is defense, and he’s a big part of that when he’s on the ice. Ultimately it’s a five-man, six-man game for us."

Kopitar and Colorado’s Ryan O’Byrne were battling for the puck on the boards when Kopitar twisted and fell. Play went up ice, but Kopitar was unable to rise to his feet and remained on the ice for several seconds before play was stopped. Trainer Chris Kingsley tended to Kopitar, who leaned on teammates Michal Handzus and Dustin Penner to get off the ice while keeping his right leg elevated.

The Kings were leading the Avalanche, 2-0, at the time of Kopitar’s injury and went on to a 4-1 victory, their third straight triumph.

The wearing of the green (and purple) and get used to seeing Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Quick is scheduled to start in goal for the Kings Thursday against St. Louis at Staples Center -- and that will become a familiar sight as the Kings approach their final dozen regular-season games.

Quick had split starting time with Jonathan Bernier the last few weeks -- each started five of the last 10 games -- but with crunch time coming, Coach Terry Murray said the starts will be more heavily weighted toward Quick.

“It’s important to start to put the focus on one goaltender a little bit more now and that’s the plan and I’ll follow through with that plan if everything works out accordingly,” Murray said after Thursday’s game-day skate in El Segundo.

“I plan on using Quick more to get him ready. He’s been our No. 1 goaltender right from the beginning and that’s where I plan to go to.

“I want to say this though. Bernier, his game is real good right now. He’s sharp. His adjustment to the NHL shooter is progressing the right way. We’re real happy with how things are going.”

Murray also said he will use enforcer Kevin Westgarth on the fourth line in place of Brad Richardson.

“I just felt, looking at St. Louis’ lineup, I need Westgarth,” Murray said.

The Kings will wear green jerseys during the warm-ups and will auction the jerseys during the game and online at Lakings.com and Auction.nhl.com. Proceeds will benefit the Kings Care Foundation and the American Red Cross’ efforts in helping victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

-- Helene Elliott

 Photo: Jonathon Quick. Credit: Jerome Miron / U.S. Presswire.

Canucks defeat Kings, 3-1

A game that carried playoff implications for both the Kings and Vancouver Canucks and was contested with playoff-like intensity had the same outcome as the playoff series these two teams played last spring: the Canucks won.

But this time, only narrowly, despite the Canucks’ huge edge in shots.

Daniel Sedin converted the rebound of a shot by Christian Ehrhoff at 11:36 of the third period Saturday for the decisive goal as the Canucks defeated the Kings, 3-1, before a loud and well-entertained crowd at Staples Center. The Kings protested that the goal should not have counted because defenseman Drew Doughty was shoved by Sedin and into goaltender Jonathan Quick, impeding Quick’s ability to make the save. However, that’s not a reviewable play and the goal was allowed to stand.

Doughty was given a misconduct penalty at the end of the game.

Alexander Burrows scored the final goal into an empty net, merely the Kings' third regulation loss in their last 18 games.

The Canucks improved their league-leading point total to 91, though this was only their sixth win in their last 11 games.

Dustin Penner, acquired by the Kings on Monday in a deadline-day deal, scored his first goal for his new team, providing the Kings’ only goal at 5:28 of the first period.

The game was emotionally charged and hard-hitting from the opening minutes, which included the first scrum of many that would form.

The Kings scored first, at 5:28 of the first period. Penner, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound behemoth on skates, used his strength to fight off a Vancouver defender and win the puck in the left-wing corner. He then threw the puck in front and got a fortunate deflection when it glanced off Vancouver forward Maxim Lapierre and goaltender Roberto Luongo before caroming into the net.

Penner was credited with the goal, from Brad Richardson and Justin Williams.

Vancouver pulled even at 9:16, thanks in part to defensive confusion on the Kings’ part. Raffi Torres spun away from Kings defenseman Jack Johnson behind the goal line and centered the puck to the front of the net, where Jannik Hansen leaned and back-handed a shot past Quick.

A series of penalties led to the Kings' gaining a five-on-three power play for a full minute but they couldn’t do anything with it.

Vancouver tested Quick often in the second period, and with the help of his teammates he withstood the challenge. A shot by Trevor Glass trickled behind him just over 12 minutes into the period but Willie Mitchell managed to clear it out of danger. A few minutes later, Mikael Samuelsson tried a wraparound that Quick scrambled to stop, with a rebound that was picked up and taken the other way for a quick transition up ice.

That was all until Sedin’s goal, and Quick kept the Kings’ deficit to one with an outstanding glove save on a one-timer by Sedin with 2:25 left in the third period.

Check back later for more at www.latimes.com/sports

--Helene Elliott

Photo: Vancouver's Jannik Hansen watches his shot get past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick for a goal in the first period Saturday. Credit: Harry How / Getty Images

Penner impresses teammates in Kings practice debut; Bernier to start Thursday

Winger Dustin Penner, acquired by the Kings from Edmonton on Monday, fell in love with Southern California when he played for the Ducks and bought a summer home in Newport Beach. He didn’t expect to use his home during hockey season, but he spent Tuesday night there before participating in his first practice at the Kings’ El Segundo training facility.

“I drove up this morning just to check out and see how long it took. Not bad,” he said, estimating the travel time at about 45 minutes. “A lot shorter than some of the drives I had to Rexall from my place. That took an hour and 15 if there was light snow.”

No snow to worry about here, but traffic can be challenging. Lakers star Kobe Bryant also lives in Newport Beach and has a helicopter to ferry him to games. It was suggested that Penner might grab a ride in the ‘copter when Kobe isn’t using it.

“If he wants to carpool I’ll pay for gas,” Penner offered. “If it’s premium, maybe not.”

Penner’s first day on the ice with the Kings was taken up with learning a new system and the tendencies of his linemates, Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds. He knows defenseman Matt Greene and center Jarret Stoll from their days in Edmonton and Stoll pronounced the deal “a great pickup” because of Penner’s strengths and because the Kings didn’t have to give up a player from their current lineup. Their price was defense prospect Colten Teubert, a first-round pick in June and a conditional pick in 2012.

“He’s great at controlling the puck and he’s a big, strong guy. We’ve got some big, strong guys already but that just adds to it.” Stoll said. “In the playoffs that’s a real important factor to have. It could be a six- or seven-game series and you need big, strong bodies to go through that.”

Penner, who will wear No. 25 when he makes his Kings debut Thursday against Phoenix at Staples Center, quickly made a favorable impression Wednesday on teammates who didn’t know him well.

“He’s a big boy out there. You don’t really realize how big he is until he’s off the skates,” Simmonds said of his 6-foot-4, 240-pound linemate. “He’s just a mammoth human being but at the same time he’s got nice, soft hands and he can distribute the puck well. And he can score. He’s got a good nose for the net. I’m looking forward to playing with him and Kopi.

“He’s got the experience and knows what it takes. I think he’s going to be a great fit for our team.”

Kings end long and winding road trip with 3-2 win over Ducks

Playing the last leg of a 10-game road odyssey that could have broken them, the Kings on Wednesday reasserted themselves into the West playoff picture with a 3-2 victory over the Ducks that lifted them into sixth place in the mad playoff scramble.

A slick backhand backpass by Justin Williams set up light-scoring defenseman Willie Mitchell in the left circle for a slap shot that eluded a screened Curtis McElhinney at 6:45 of the third period and gave the Kings a 6-1-3 record in their season-long stretch of 10 straight games away from Staples Center. On Thursday they return home for the first time since Jan. 26 and will face the Minnesota Wild.

The Ducks played one of the best defensive games they've mustered in a while, banding together in front of McElhinney to help the struggling goalie as he tries to replace the still-ailing Jonas Hiller.

However, McElhinney left two rebounds the Kings turned into goals and the Ducks had no margin for error since they were also without their two top centers. Saku Koivu missed the game because of a sore groin and Ryan Getzlaf was with his wife following the birth of the couple’s son, Ryder James Getzlaf, Wednesday afternoon.

Goaltender Ray Emery, recalled from Syracuse of the American Hockey League Wednesday morning, was in uniform as McElhinney’s backup.

Kings after deadline: Islanders weren't so relaxed, and don't ask for water in the press box

Some leftover quotes and notes from the Kings’ 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders Saturday. . . .

Kings Coach Terry Murray never shows much emotion publicly but he clearly was unhappy that the Islanders, who are ranked 14th in the East, had so little trouble getting breakaways throughout the game.

The Islanders’ speed up front had a lot to do with it, and Kings captain Dustin Brown said New York's Michael Grabner “might be one of the fastest forwards in the league,” but the Kings’ slow-footedness on defense and overall lack of passion were also factors in the regulation loss that ended their 8-0-3 point streak.

Asked about the Islanders’ speed, Murray sounded annoyed and began a rant before checking himself and calming down.

“Look, the Islanders right now are in a very relaxed state. Their players are just playing,” he said. “They’re stretching guys out. They’re leaving the zone early to look for those long opportunities. There’s no pressure, there’s no consequence for anything that happens out there right now so that’s the easiest time in your life to play hockey, when you’re just having fun.

“And give them credit for doing that. They came at us and won the game. They beat us, 3-0.”

No changes for Kings' lineup, but season-ticket prices to change -- and climb

The Kings resumed practice Tuesday after taking a day off to decompress and savor their back-to-back wins at Washington on Saturday and at Philadelphia on Sunday. Those victories extended their unbeaten streak to 7-0-2, including 4-0-2 in their 10 consecutive games on the road.

Coach Terry Murray said he will use the same lineup Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets as he has the past few games, with Jonathan Quick again starting in goal.

Quick is 6-0-1 in his last seven games with a 1.52 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in that span. Through Monday’s games he ranked second overall in the NHL with a 2.08 goals-against average, seventh in wins with 25, seventh in save percentage at .924 and fourth in shutouts with six.

“I can’t change the lineup, based on what we’ve seen in the last couple of games,” Murray said. “The team’s played very hard — really a great spirit on the bench and in the locker room. And coming away with four points in buildings like that is a real good team effort, so I’m not going to mess with the chemistry on that one.”

Despite their surge, the Kings were 10th in the West through Monday’s games, a point behind eighth-place Calgary. However, the Kings have three games in hand on the Flames.

It's pure chance that the team's recent success coincides with club officials sending out season-ticket renewal notices to fans -- and those notices contained unpleasant news. There will be increases of $1 to $6, depending on the location, for those who renew by March 21 and of $1 to $9 for those who renew after March 21 or are new buyers. A Kings spokesman said the average increase is $3.80 for those who renew by March 21 and $6.87 for those who renew after that date or become first-time buyers after that date.

Season-ticket holders will get keepsake photos that feature their name on the back of a jersey hanging in the Kings' locker room, and some will get souvenir blankets. All would prefer a playoff appearance and some postseason success.

More later on that, and on players discussing the keys to the team’s reversal after a 2-10 slump.

-- Helene Elliott, in Columbus, Ohio

 

Kings-Flyers: Jonathan Quick saves the day in Kings' 1-0 victory in Philadelphia

At this rate the Kings might ask to play all road games next season.

Jonathan Quick’s sensational 40-save performance and a strong effort by their penalty killers helped the Kings eke out a 1-0 victory over the East-leading Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday and improve to 4-0-2 during a stretch of 10 consecutive games away from Staples Center.

Drew Doughty scored the only goal, after Wayne Simmonds took the puck from Mike Richards behind Philadelphia’s net and got the puck to Anze Kopitar. The center’s feed to Doughty was a good one, and Doughty rifled a shot past Sergie Bobrovsky 17 seconds into the second period for his seventh goal of the season.

The Kings killed off a five-on-three Flyers power play in the middle period, with former Flyer Michal Handzus leading the way with smart positioning and solid plays in which he tipped passes away.
Quick’s shutout was his sixth this season and 14th of his career. The Kings had lost to the Flyers, 7-4, at home on Dec. 30.

The Kings, who have earned points in nine straight games (7-0-2), have allowed three goals or fewer in an impressive 15 consecutive games.

Despite all these accomplishments, the Kings are still not among the top eight in the Western Conference. They’re even in points with the Minnesota Wild, at 65 each, but Minnesota has played fewer games and so wins the tiebreaker.

Check back for more at www.latimes.com/sports

--Helene Elliott, reporting from Philadelphia

Photo: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick makes a save during a game last week in Edmonton. Credit: John Ulan / Associated Press

Sentimental journey for Kings' coaches, management

The coaching staff and executives of the Kings -- also known as the West Coast branch of the Flyers alumni society -- got warm welcomes Sunday before the Kings faced the East-leading Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Flyers employees and others greeted Kings Coach Terry Murray, assistant coach John Stevens and General Manager Dean Lombardi, though Murray pretended he had been snubbed.

“Nobody sent a beer to my room. No Philly cheesesteak, nothing at all,” he said, smiling.

But Murray, who played for the Flyers in addition to coaching them, said he relished the chance to see old friends.

“There’s a good feeling coming back here. This is a place I was a part of for a long time,” he said. “It goes back to ’75, when I came as a player, so there’s a lot of former teammates still around and a great history of the game. It was a lot of fun playing here, in this city, and to also coach here.”

But he seemed to have little sorrow that the end is near for the Spectrum, the Flyers' longtime home. The arena, located across the street from the Wells Fargo Center in a sports complex that also includes the homes of the Eagles and Phillies, is in the midst of being demolished. The Flyers and 76ers moved out in 1996 but the Spectrum was used by the Flyers’ minor-league team and for concerts until last year.

“Long overdue,” Murray said of the building’s demise. “It was a great building to play in. it was great for the fans. But you can’t stop progress. It’s time to move on.

“I opened this building when I came as coach of the Flyers. It was incredible when you walked over from that building to this when they were still under construction and to see the size of the place. It was incredible how it ever got done.”