 | Fantasy Football is evolving. Find out when. |
 | The Official Fantasy Baseball Commissioner Game of MLB.com. |
 | Compete for up to $3,500 with Fantasy Baseball Premium Games. |
Well Kings fans this is the official grand opening of the "royal courtyard", I will dedicate this thread to posting news, updates, wins&loses about the kings.
Any loyal kings fan, feel free to post here.
Gauthier suspended 5 games
<tbody> Feb. 2, 2009LOS ANGELES (AP) -Los Angeles Kings defenseman Denis Gauthier has been suspended five games without pay for hitting another player in the head during a game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Gauthier was given a game misconduct after he was assessed a major for charging Friday.
During the second period, he left his feet while driving his right forearm into Josh Gorges' head as he checked the Canadiens defenseman along the left boards.
NHL officials said Monday that Gauthier will also have to forfeit more than $56,000, which is based on his average annual salary, to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
Gauthier will be able to return Feb. 14 against Edmonton.
</tbody>
A late third period goal by Michal Handzus gave the Los Angeles Kings a 1-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.
Handzus scored his ninth goal of the season at 17:21 of the final frame beating Ottawa goaltender Brian Elliott with a nifty wraparound for the Kings first win on their current five-game road swing.
Scoreless for more than 57 minutes of play Handzus picked a great time to score for Los Angeles.
The Senators made a late push to tie the score with Jack Johnson getting called for tripping at 18:43 and Ottawa goalie Brian Elliott on the bench for the extra attacker. But Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick stood his ground in the final seconds to preserve the victory.
HANDZUS ON THE GAME WINNER
“I didn’t do anything special. “There was less than three minutes remaining in the game. I wanted to get the puck to the net and possibly create a rebound. I knew I was by myself and had to do something positive with the puck. I saw a bit of an opening and the puck went in. It was a huge win for us.”
Handzus now has nine goals on the season after scoring seven all of last year and has goals in two straight games, scoring 2-3=5 over the last five games.
The Kings have now shutout the Senators in their last two games dating back to March 6, 2008 when Los Angeles blanked Ottawa 2-0 at STAPLES Center.
THE WINNING GOALTENDER
Quick made 29 saves for his third career shut-out and eighth win of the season. It was Quick’s second shutout since Dec. 23, 2008 when he closed the door on the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 3-0 Kings win.
“It’s great to get the shutout but even nicer to get the win,” Quick said. “We had some great penalty kills throughout the game and managed to get a greasy one at the end for the win.”
Quick was strong all game including a breakaway attempt by Chris Kelly midway through the first period.
“I stayed with him and waited until he pulled the puck to his backhander,” explained the Milford, Connecticut native. “After I slid over, there wasn’t much room for him to shoot the puck past me.”
Both teams went 0-5 on the power play. Ottawa outshot Los Angeles, 29-26.
The Kings have now won four of their last five games and head to Washington D.C. for a Thursday night engagement with the Capitals at the Verizon Center.
Los Angeles defeated Washington 5-2 on Nov. 20 at STAPLES Center.
THOUGHTS FROM THE COACH
“At the end of the day you’re always looking for two points, that’s the most important thing and we got that. I thought Ottawa played really well especially in the second period. Their system was clicking for them, they were putting a lot of pressure on us and created a lot of turnovers. Our goaltender Quick had to make several quality saves and let us get reorganized. We had a much better third.”
Murray was aware that the Senators would be desperate team on Tuesday night after firing their head coach Craig Hartsburg on Monday but was more concerned about how his team would play against Ottawa.
“I didn’t say too much about their team, we spoke more about our game. We have a really young hockey club, it’s really important that we review, reassess and evaluate our play on a daily basis. That’s the way we have to approach things if we want to be successful. There’s too much to take care of to complicate and confuse people if we’re going to start talking a lot about the opposing team. We have to get settled in with our own style, become more mature and gain more experience before we start heading down that way.”
NOTES
Tonight’s shutout was the Kings fifth of the year and most since 2005-06. The three shutouts by Jonathan Quick are the most since Mathieu Garon registered four of his own in the same year. (Kings Shutout History)
Ottawa has not potted a goal against the Kings since Mike Fisher scored at 6:24 into the third period of a 5-1 Senators win at home on Dec. 2, 2005 a span of 133 minutes and 26 seconds of scoreless hockey.
Finally the Kings found a team who's having more problems with scoring than they are. Which is very surprising considering they have Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza. I would love to have one of these guys next year or even acquire one at the deadline if we're in the hunt for the playoffs. Great job pulling this one out after the heartbreak in Montreal.
I know I was shocked with the final out come of this game,when I first saw the score I thought it was just the end of the first period score!!!!
Kings are starting off well in the second half of the season, should be 3-0 but 2-1 is a good sign. go kings
WASHINGTON (AP) -Anze Kopitar scored two goals and added an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings dealt the Washington Capitals a rare home loss, winning 5-4 Thursday night despite allowing Alex Ovechkin's 200th NHL goal.
Los Angeles was one of only two opponents - San Jose is the other - against whom Ovechkin never had scored.
But he tallied unassisted with about 9 1/2 minutes left, pulling Washington within 4-3. It was Ovechkin's league-high 37th goal this season and made him one of NHL four players to reach 200 goals in his first four seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux.
This game got scary in the 3rd period, Jonathan Quick faced 22 shots stopping 20 in the 3rd alone, My player of the game J. Quick he stood on his head in the 3rd while facing 22 shots, the Kings offense was only able to get 6 shots on j. theodore.
Kings improve 22-21-7 on the season, An 3-1 since the all-star break.
Big win for the Kings against a top Eastern conference team that is very tough to beat at home. Very impressed with Quck's play. He made some incredible saves in the third period. I was watching the Capitals telecast, and the the Caps announcers were giving Quick a ton of praise. It's good to see Kopitar getting a couple goals. Maybe that will get him going. I know the Kings are young, but when are they going to finish a team off in the 3rd period. I'm tired of the Kings coming out passive in the third. They looked content justing getting the puck out of the defensive zone. I wish TM would intill go for the throat mentality.
Caps announcers were giving Quick a ton of praiseMan I was pulling my hair out in the 3rd period, Jonathan Quick faced 22 shots granted he let two of them get by him, but the Kings can thank him for that victory....After that win the road is just getting tougher, up next the N.J Devils
Fifteen seconds into last night's Kings at Capitals game, the Caps held a 1-0 lead. It was the last time for the night Washington would be ahead on the scorecard.
The Capitals (33-16-4-70, first in Southeast, second in East) allowed a power play goal, a shorthanded goal, and a goal with 1:33 remaining to fall to the Los Angeles Kings (22-21-7-51, fifth in Pacific), another non-playoff team, 5-4 before an announced capacity crowd at Verizon Center.
Coach Bruce Boudreau did not mince words in his post-game press conference, "The first period wasn't pretty, but the second period was downright ugly," Boudreau said, adding, "They've beaten us twice and we're a better team than them."
Alex Ovechkin did not want to talk about his 200th career goal after the demoralizing loss to a team that is just two points out of last place in the Western Conference.
"I don't know what's happening with us, but after [Semin's] goal, we just stopped playing," Ovechkin said. "Didn't play our system. We didn't finish checks. We didn't shoot the puck. We didn't play our game."
Washington opened the scoring on the first shift and first shot of the game. A loose faceoff in the left wing circle sent the puck behind the Kings' net, where Brooks Laich wrestled it away from L.A. defenseman Matt Greene and ushered it behind the net to the other side, drawing three defenders. That left Semin alone in the slot, and Laich hit him right on the tape.
Semin buried it behind Kings goalie Jonathan Quick for his 20th goal of the season. It's the third straight season of 20 goals or more for Semin, and he has 45 points for the season, passing last year's total of 42.
That's pretty much where the highlights ended for DC, though. The Caps surrendered the game's next three goals, including two by forward Anze Kopitar. The first Kopitar goal was a power play goal, marking the 13th consecutive game Washington has allowed an extra-man goal.
Kopitar again lit the lamp just 13 seconds into the second period, and less than a minute later, forward Michael Handzus kicked in a short-handed goal for L.A., making it back-to-back games the Caps have allowed a shorty.
The game was filled with turnovers for DC, and Boudreau was not happy that the team failed to execute the stated game plan. "The game plan was to get it deep and play it deep in their corners," Boudreau said. "And how many times did we lose the puck by trying to be too cute at the blue line. That part is unacceptable."
Washington played a fairly dominant third period, outshooting L.A. 22-5 and outscoring them 2-1. Midway through the period Ovechkin stole an attempted break-out pass and whipped it past Quick for his first career goal against L.A., his 37th of the season, and the 200th of his short but brilliant career. It cut the lead to 4-3 with plenty of time remaining.
Quick, however, was up to the task, making several good saves the rest of the way, and when Kyle Calder banged home a pass from Dustin Brown at 18:27, many of the partisan crowd got up to leave. The goal was scored as a by-product of great forechecking, made easier as the Caps had four forwards and one defenseman on the ice at the time, trying to net the equalizer.
Brooks Laich answered 27 seconds later skating six-on-five to reduce the gap to one, but despite a flurry of shots, saves, and offensive zone face-offs in the game's final minute, the Caps couldn't push this one to overtime.
The Capitals host the Florida Panthers Saturday night at 7 p.m. from Verizon Center. The Panthers are in second in the Southeast Division, 12 points behind the Caps. Florida beat the N.Y. Islanders last night, 3-2.
SCOREBOARD
1ST PERIOD
0:15 Alexander Semin (20), Slap Shot. Assist: Laich
08:55 Power Play - Anze Kopitar (13), Wrist Shot. Assist: Stoll, Brown
2ND PERIOD
0:13.0 Anze Kopitar (14), Wrist Shot. Assist: Frolov, O'Donnell
01:02 Short - Michal Handzus (10), Wrist Shot. Assist: Frolov
01:43 Power Play - Mike Green (17), Wrist Shot. Assist: Backstrom, Theodore
07:26 Patrick O'Sullivan (12), Wrist Shot. Assist: Kopitar, Quincey
3RD PERIOD
10:32 Alex Ovechkin (37), Wrist Shot, Unassisted.
18:27 Kyle Calder (7), Wrist Shot. Assist: Brown, Stoll
18:54 Brooks Laich (13), Tip-In. Assist: Green, Backstrom
THREE Stars
1. A. Kopitar - LA (Goals: 2, Assists: 1)
2. A. Frolov - LA (Goals: 0, Assists: 2)
3. D. Brown - LA (Goals: 0, Assists: 2)
NOTES
Goalie Brent Johnson will undergo surgery on his painful hip in the very near future, and will miss up to two months, depending on the severity of the surgery...Ovechkin is currently fourth among the players who scored the most goals in their first four years in the NHL, behind only Wayne Gretzky (269), Mike Bossy (241), and Mario Lemieux (215)...Mike Green scored his 17th goal of the season, 13th on the power play. He has set a franchise record for the longest goal streak by a defenseman at five games, which ties his longest personal point streak.
The New Jersey Devils are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, but that might not matter to the Los Angeles Kings.
The Devils look to build off their most recent victory while trying to prevent the surging Kings from upsetting another of the Eastern Conference's top teams Saturday night at the Prudential Center.
Three nights after having its eight-game winning streak snapped with a 5-2 home loss to Washington, New Jersey (33-16-3) won 5-1 at Atlanta on Friday - its 10th victory in 12 games.
<tbody></tbody>
Now, the Atlantic Division-leading Devils open a five-game stretch at the Prudential Center, where they have played only four times since the New Year.
New Jersey could face a stiff challenge against Los Angeles (22-21-7), which has two of the first three contests on its five-game road trip, and five of six overall.
"Four points out of six points is a good start," defenseman Sean O'Donnell told the Kings' official Web site after Thursday's 5-4 victory over the Southeast Division-leading Capitals. "We still have two big games left, but so far its been a pretty good road trip."
The Kings haven't been to the postseason since 2001-02, but are now only four points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
"I think you try to talk about the big picture as far as the playoffs, but you really have to focus game to game," O'Donnell said.
The Kings will need that approach against New Jersey, which beat them 5-1 at Staples Center on Jan. 10 for its second straight victory in the series. The Devils are 4-0-2 in their last six meetings with Los Angeles since a 3-2 regulation loss on Jan. 7, 2002.
Travis Zajac had a goal with two assists and Zach Parise added a goal and an assist in New Jersey's win over Los Angeles last month.
On Friday, Parise scored his team-leading 30th goal and added an assist, while Zajac recorded his 16th goal for the Devils, who scored three goals in the first 12 minutes.
"We gave everything we had right away," said forward David Clarkson, who also had a goal as the Devils scored four or more for the fifth time in six contests.
Parise has five goals and six assists in his last eight games.
Kevin Weekes made 31 saves Friday and 34 against the Kings last month, but Scott Clemmensen is likely to be back in net for this contest. Clemmensen is 22-10-1 with a 2.34 goals-against average since taking over for the injured Martin Brodeur, but has never faced Los Angeles.
Anze Kopitar had two goals and an assist, while Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov and Jarret Stoll each added two assists for the Kings on Thursday against Washington.
One of the lowest scoring teams in the NHL with 131 goals, the Kings have scored 25 in their last six games.
Derek Armstrong scored the lone goal in the last meeting with New Jersey, while Frolov added an assist.
The New Jersey Devils lost to the Los Angeles Kings 1-3 at the Prudential Center on Saturday, February 7, 2009.
The Devils scored a goal, but the first period ended with the game scoreless. The Devils outshot the Kings 13-12 in the period.
10:23 into the second period, Jarret Stoll beat Scott Clemmensen on a power-play to make it 1-0 Los Angeles. 2:05 later, Anze Kopitar scored to make it 2-0. At 14:37 Patrick O'Sullivan scored on a penalty shot to increase the Kings lead to 3 goals.
The Kings outshot the Devils 13-6 in the second period, after which L.A. led 3-0.
Dainius Zubrus beat Jonathan Quick at 10:41 of the third period to cut the Kings lead to two goals. Brian Rolston and Patrik Elias assisted on Zubrus' 12th goal of the season.
The Los Angeles Kings continued their winning ways in New Jersey on Saturday night as they took down the Devils 3-1, making the Kings 6-1-0 in their last seven games.
The offense for the Kings took a while to get going but when they did they were quite effective against a very good defensive team but in the second period would be a different story.
After a first period full of power-play chances, the Kings would finally capitalize with Jared Stoll scoring a power play goal midway through the second period and that goal would stimulate the rest of the Kings offense.
Just over two minutes later, the Kings would beat Devils goaltender Scott Clemmensen once again with an even strength goal by star forward Anze Kopitar but the Kings second period was not over yet.
Another two minutes would pass and the Kings would have yet another chance to put the Devils away as Patrick O'Sullivan would be awarded a penalty shot on quite a peculiar play.
The play that I am referring to was a play in the Devils crease in which New Jersey defense men Mike Motto would cover the puck with his glove in the goal crease, in the NHL rulebook, this type of infraction results in the opposing team receiving a penalty shot.
<script src="http://synd.fansnap.com/synd/js/search?clientId=320532980-127719648&num=3&page=1&_category=nhl&_headliner=Los Angeles Kings&_location=&q=&class=fansnap_syndslot"></script>
<script type="text/javascript"></script>
O'Sullivan would make an easy move past the young New Jersey net minder and put the Kings up 3-0.
The Devils would have plenty of time to recover but the deficit was just to cumbersome as they would only be able to muster one goal in the final frame. The win in New Jersey and the Kings recent play has solidified many peoples beliefs that the Kings are a team that could find its way in the playoffs come the end of April.
The Kings find themselves only two points out of a playoff spot and have played fewer games then most teams ahead of them. There is still plenty of time left in the season for the Kings to continue their push to the playoffs and to prove to the rest of the NHL that they are legit.
Three Stars of the Game
1. Patrick O'Sullivan (1 Goal, 1 Assist)
2. Jonathan Quick (25 Saves, 96.15 Save Percentage)
3. Anze Kopitar (1 Goal)
Fourth Star of the Game
Jared Stoll
Is there currently a hotter player on the Kings roster other than Stoll? Not likely. Stoll has recorded nine points in seven games and has a plus-minus rating of plus-four in those seven games as well.
Stoll was the first to score for the Kings in their win over the Devils and was a very positive presence for the Kings all night. Stoll's hot streak, along with the strong play of the Kings youth the Kings might surprise some people and squeak into the playoffs.
Next Game
The Los Angeles Kings will not have far to travel as the Kings will visit the lowly New York Islanders on Tuesday night. This will be the lone game between the Kings and Islanders this season. Jonathan Quick will likely make his sixth consecutive start in goal, especially after his 25 save performance against one of the hottest offenses in the NHL.
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, Detroit Red Wings right wing Marian Hossa and Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the week ending Feb. 8.
FIRST STAR -- JONATHAN QUICK, G, LOS ANGELES KINGS
Quick stopped 95 of 100 shots (.950 SV%) in posting three consecutive road victories, lifting the Kings (23-21-7, 53 points) within three points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. He stopped 29 shots in recording his third shutout of the season in a 1-0 victory at Ottawa Feb. 3, made 41 saves in a 5-4 victory at Washington Feb. 5 and concluded the week by making 25 stops in a 3-1 victory at New Jersey Feb. 7. The 23-year-old Milford, Conn. native improved his season record to 10-6-0 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 18 games. He ranks third among NHL rookie goaltenders in victories behind Steve Mason of Columbus (19) and Pekka Rinne of Nashville (14).
For Quick, it was the second time this season that he was tabbed one of the NHL's Three Stars, being tabbed the No. 3 star for the week of Dec. 21-28, posting a 2-1-0 record, with a 0.67 GAA, .956 SV% and two shut outs. For the Kings, it is the second time this season that a player was named the top star, with Quick joining Dustin Brown, who was the No. 1 star for the week of Jan. 18-25, after recording 2-1=3 with a +4 rating and two game-winning goals in two games.
It also marks the most Kings winners of the NHL's weekly/monthly awards since the 1995-96 season, when Wayne Gretzky took home two weekly honors and Vitali Yachmenev was named a rookie of the month. Take a look at our Kings
SECOND STAR -- MARIAN HOSSA, RW, DETROIT RED WINGS
Hossa shared the NHL scoring lead last week with seven points (six goals, one assist), helping the Red Wings (35-11-7, 77 points) post four consecutive victories and move within two points of the first-place San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference standings. He notched a pair of goals in a 4-3 shootout victory over the St. Louis Blues Feb. 2, scored two more in a 5-4 win over the Phoenix Coyotes Feb. 4 and tallied the game-winning goal and one assist in an 8-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers Feb. 7. Hossa closed the week by reaching the 30-goal mark for the seventh time in the past eight seasons, scoring a key third-period insurance goal in a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Feb. 8.
THIRD STAR -- MIKE GREEN, D, WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Green earned Third Star honors for the second consecutive week after posting seven points (four goals, three assists) and becoming the first NHL defenseman in nearly 25 years to score a goal in six consecutive games. He notched one goal and one assist in a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils Feb. 3, tallied another one-goal, one-assist effort in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings Feb. 5 and concluded the week with two goals and one assist in a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers Feb. 7. Green's current six-game goal-scoring streak is the longest by an NHL defenseman since Ray Bourque's six-game streak for Boston in March, 1984 and is one shy of the League record for blueliners set by the Bruins' Mike O'Connell in January, 1984. Green's 19 goals and 47 points lead all defensemen this season.
If there were an NHL award for its most overlooked team, the Los Angeles Kings would be the leading candidate.
Only 10 months after they brought up the rear in the West and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive time, the Kings are almost implausibly in the thick of what has become a Wild conference playoff race. Los Angeles is among 11 teams vying for four spots and has won six of its past seven games, including three in a row on the road.
During the run, Jonathan Quick has given Los Angeles the kind of stable goaltending it has lacked for years, captain Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Patrick O'Sullivan have produced the kind of offense expected of them and the baby-faced defense led by super rookie Drew Doughty has been maturing with every game.
Funny thing, this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the organization. At least that's what the Kings talked about last summer when they hired Terry Murray as coach. Murray's ability to work with young players was his biggest selling point because Los Angeles had a mother lode of young talent it wanted to give a baptism under fire. But Murray was generally considered to be a bridge to the future.
Instead, he has worked some kind of magic. Los Angeles has the ninth-best penalty-killing percentage after being 29th last season. Only five teams have allowed fewer goals than the Kings, who were last overall in that department. The improved overall play has helped the Kings make big strides quickly and get a couple of games over .500 in February, while creating some momentum for a finish that has Los Angeles playing 20 of its final 33 games on the road.
That's a tough run to the playoffs, but if the Kings get there, somebody will probably notice.
Drew Doughty didn't want to appear conspicuous, but he was star struck. He was in the locker room at the All-Star Game, surrounded by NHL icons such as his childhood idol Joe Thornton, along with Mike Modano and Nicklas Lidstrom.
For seemingly the first time in his rookie season, Doughty didn't know what to do.
"It was weird getting dressed with all the Stars in the league and hanging out with them," Doughty said. "I almost didn't know how to act around them. I didn't want to make a fool of myself or anything like that, but it was a great time. I had so much fun."
Doughty, 19, earned his spot in the NHL YoungStars game during All-Star weekend because of his uncanny poise and production as a stalwart Kings
defenseman.
Doughty leads the team in average ice time at 23 minutes, 41 seconds per game.
He doesn't get stopped in LosAngeles, but he was recognized in Montreal during All-Star week. Doughty said that was only because he was hanging out with rookies Steven Stamkos of Tampa Bay and Toronto's Luke Schenn.
Announcers, fans and opponents might not say his name correctly (it's pronounced "Dow-tee "), but it starts with a `D' - appropriate since he's been such a capable blue-liner.
"He's done everything for us," said Kings defenseman Matt Greene, Doughty's roommate.
"It shows what kind of guy he is. He's got that quiet confidence, but he's not cocky. Off the ice and talking to him, yeah, you realize
he's still young. He's still maturing a little bit, but he's fun. It's going to be fun to watch him grow up as a player or person."
Doughty has all but shed the nickname "Doughnuts," a moniker he earned when he excelled in junior hockey in Ontario. He doesn't especially like doughnuts, but it was a play off his last name. He's not soft, either, although now he answers to "Dewey" or whatever it is people might call him.
"I find it funny," Doughty said. "It's no big deal."
Doughty was a big deal as the second overall selection by the Kings in the 2008 NHL draft, but he wasn't even sure he'd make the team. He worked hard in the offseason to shed 20 pounds and after a successful camp, he figured he'd play 10 or 15 minutes a game.
He was instrumental to Terry Murray's system, which emphasized a reduction in shots on goal.
Doughty was paired with veteran defenseman Sean O'Donnell - who at 36 is old enough to be Doughty's father - and worked his way onto the power-play and penalty-kill units.
"Playing alongside him every night, he just gets the game," O'Donnell said. "Everybody can see what he can do physically. I don't think the regular fan can see some of the reads he makes.
"When I'm in trouble, I get the puck, and he's where he's supposed to be to give me the easiest way to make an out. I also think Drew should get some of the credit on how well things have gone."
The Kings (23-21-7) are just three points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They're young but talented and by no means out of the playoff picture, thanks in part to Doughty's unexpected performance.
In an October game, Colorado's Ryan Smyth went around Doughty and scored what was the eventual winning goal at Staples Center. Kings general manager Dean Lombardi still points to that mistake as a triumph of sorts for Doughty, who later in that game scored.
"Smyth went around him, and there's a young kid who just got burned in front of 15,000 people," Lombardi said. "The danger of playing young kids is that they then become scared to make another mistake. The way he brushed it off and then in the third period scored the goal, that to me shows that not only is he a competitor, but he didn't go into a shell."
Doughty is the brunt of good-natured teasing because of his inexperience.
Greene tries to teach him, as does captain Dustin Brown, who rooms with Doughty on the road.
"What does verbose mean?" Greene asked Doughty after practice.
"Big?" Doughty said with uncertainty.
Doughty forgot verbose means something that's wordy, but he doesn't forget the lessons he's learned in NHL arenas. He's having such a stellar year he will merit serious consideration for the Calder Trophy, an award given to the league's top rookie.
"When he gets the puck, the whole game slows down," said Luc Robitaille, former Kings star player and current team president. "It's very rare to have a defenseman that when they get the puck, you feel the game is in control. It's very hard. People ask me, `Who do you compare him to?' It's hard to compare him to anyone.
"Rob Blake, when he was a rookie, was a different player. He wasn't as good with the puck, but he had a bit of an edge. Maybe Lidstrom, because as a young guy he was so calm when he got the puck. It's really amazing."
Doughty doesn't act like he's anything special. Just a teenager logging more ice time than any other King this season.
"I enjoy playing a lot of minutes here," he said. "I think I play better when I play more minutes, so it's great.
"It's great the coaching staff has faith in me that I'm going to do my job when I'm out there."
