Los Angeles Kings Mid-Season Report

From: Kings Jersey

The Los Angeles Kings are off to a good start by their standards with a record of 25-18-3. If there’s any bad news going into their game tonight against their crosstown rival it’s that they’ve lost their last 3 games and 7 of their last 10. That and their up against a team that is hot in the Anaheim Ducks winning their last four games but they’ll be without Teemu Selanne for 4-8 weeks after he got hit with a puck in the face last night.

The Los Angeles Kings are a different team this season, there’s an edge to them and mostly it’s because of the tough and tenacious play and hits of players like Dustin Brown and Wayne Simmonds. The center play of Jarret Stoll, the defensive emergence of Drew Doughty and the strong defensive play of Jack Johnson and in net the strong goal play of goalie Jonathan Quick.

The LA Kings are playing behind the strong play of the surprising Jonathan Quick. Jonathan Quick is the guy the Kings stuck in goal to bridge the time between now and the time when their No.1 pick in the 2006 draft, goalie Eric Bernier, is ready to assume the starting role.

In the meantime Quick has been impressive going 23-15-3 but more importantly he has a 2.55 GAA in 86 career games with the Kings and that means he’s giving the Kings a chance to win every time he’s in net.

Read the rest of the story at: LA Kings Jersey

Jarett Stoll A Key To LA Kings Success

From: LA Kings News

Remember back in grade school when our effort was measured by O (outstanding), VG (very good), S (satisfactory), or NI (needs improvement)? What do you mean you’re still in grade school? In any event, one of the NI areas this season has been secondary scoring and Kings coach Terry Murray has been playing the second line shuffle in search of exactly that. But somewhat unnoticed in the pursuit is the catalyst to all this – Jarett Stoll.

Regardless of whether Purcell, Brown, Frolov, Simmonds or Parse plays alongside him, that second line, any second line, isn’t going to work without Kings center Jarett Stoll winning faceoffs and playing a similar role as Kopitar in puck possession and burying the puck in the back of the net. Stoll’s role isn’t intended as one dimensional “Bob Corkum” type face off guy. He is a talented playmaker and boasts a wicked slap shot, especially on the one timer. Is Stoll up to the task? I hope so. Because he is arguably, and more so than any other player on the team including our captain, the secret to success.