Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

[Psyblast]

December 2015 Recap

Kings find their stride
LA's defense tightens the noose as 2015 turns to 2016

LOS ANGELES - Nathan Horton scored a goal in his first game in the NHL in a year and a half, and found instant chemistry with his old friend Milan Lucic on the top line with Anze Kopitar, helping to set the stage for a December to remember, as the Kings allowed 30 goals in 14 games en route to a sparkling 10-2-2 record, propelling them to a 23-12-2, first-place-in-the-Pacific standing headed into 2016.

"Nathan has been outstanding for us," GM Brian Kudron said. "He's been everything we hoped he might turn out to be in our wildest dreams, from a hockey standpoint. And on a personal note, I'm so happy for him. He's been through so much, it's such a joy to see him healthy and having fun out there. I know he's absoutely ecstatic playing on the top line with a close friend (Lucic) and one of the NHL's best playmakers (Kopitar)."

The month was highlighted by a pair of victories over the powerful Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Jonathan Quick getting into a zone usually seen out of him in May and June. The Kings' goaltender ends 2015 with a spectacular 2.15 GAA and .934 SV%. Jeff Carter continues to lead LA in both goals (20) and points (35) through 37 games, followed by 33 from Kopitar, 27 from Lucic and Drew Doughty, and 23 from Jordan Staal. The Kings are six points ahead of Anaheim and Calgary in the Pacific Division, and have found a groove on both ends of the ice that has them at 8th in the NHL in offense and 3rd in defense.

The locker room strife that developed in November as a result of Dustin Brown's freefall in the eyes of the organization hasn't really gone away, but it is no longer having an effect on the on-ice product. The Los Angeles captain is at a staggering two points in 37 games now, and seems to be writing his own ticket out of town, even as his trade value continues to plunge.

Los Angeles Kings December 2015-16 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Dec 1	vs Vancouver	Won, 3-2
Dec 5	vs Pittsburgh	Won, 5-1
Dec 6	vs Tampa Bay	Won, 3-1
Dec 8	at Columbus	Lost, 4-3 (SO)
Dec 11	at Pittsburgh	Won, 5-4
Dec 12	at Buffalo	Won, 1-0
Dec 14	at Ottawa	Lost, 3-2
Dec 17	at Montreal	Won, 2-0
Dec 19	at Toronto	Won, 2-1
Dec 22	vs San Jose	Won, 4-2
Dec 26	at Arizona	Won, 4-1
Dec 28	at Vancouver	Lost, 4-2
Dec 29	at Edmonton	Won, 4-3
Dec 31	at Calgary	Lost, 4-3 (OT)

Pacific Division Standings

Team	W	L	OTL	PTS	ROW	GF	GA
	23	12	2	48	23	105	84
	19	13	4	42	18	106	95
	21	16	0	42	20	101	92
	19	16	3	41	16	88	92
	14	20	3	31	13	79	105
	13	21	5	31	10	108	142
	14	21	1	29	11	85	108

Los Angeles Kings Stats - January 1, 2016
Skaters	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	GW	PIM	SOG	SPCT
Jeff Carter	37	20	15	35	+4	4	20	137	14.6
Anze Kopitar	37	13	20	33	+8	4	34	106	12.3
Milan Lucic	37	12	15	27	+13	0	33	85	14.1
Drew Doughty	37	6	21	27	+17	1	32	76	7.9
Jordan Staal	37	10	13	23	+12	3	33	64	15.6
Jake Muzzin	37	4	15	19	+15	1	14	79	5.1
Tyler Toffoli	37	6	12	18	+10	1	6	90	6.7
Vincent Lecavalier	37	4	13	17	+3	1	23	68	5.9
Tanner Pearson	37	6	7	13	+5	2	8	69	8.7
Trevor Lewis	37	3	8	11	+2	1	47	60	5.0
Dwight King	37	4	6	10	+8	0	14	46	8.7
Justin Schultz	37	3	6	9	+4	0	6	63	4.8
Alec Martinez	37	3	5	8	+4	1	22	64	4.7
Nathan Horton	14	2	6	8	+9	0	10	32	6.3
Matt Greene	37	2	5	7	+7	1	25	26	7.7
Nick Shore	23	2	4	6	-2	0	6	31	6.5
Jordan Nolan	37	4	1	5	+2	1	19	32	12.5
Brayden McNabb	31	0	5	5	+7	0	12	31	0.0
Dustin Brown	37	1	1	2	+4	0	12	66	1.5
Rob Scuderi	6	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0.0
Goalies	GP	W	L	T	GAA	TOI	SV	SV%	SHO
Jonathan Quick	32	20	10	1	2.15	1922:00		.934	4
Jhonas Enroth	5	3	2	0	2.41	298:00		.903	0

[Psyblast]

January 2016 Recap

Kings rock the boat in January
A changeup in leadership highlights the beginning of LA's 2016

LOS ANGELES - In one sense, it wasn't a surprising move at all, considering everything that's happened. But in another sense, it was a stunning decision that caused waves throughout the Kings' dressing room.

Los Angeles announced the stripping of Dustin Brown's captaincy at the beginning of January, as GM Brian Kudron and coach Darryl Sutter agreed to scratch Brown from the lineup. What initially started as a one to two game test turned into Brown being permanently removed from the Kings' plans. He did not play a single game in January, and is unlikely to play for the team again, ending his 7+ year stint as the team captain.

"As always, the decisions we make here are for the betterment of the entire organization," Kudron said. "We cannot function as the championship caliber franchise we strive to be if we cater to the needs of every individual. In this case, it was becoming clear that keeping Dustin as the captain was a detriment to the team, because no matter what intangibles you may bring, and Dustin certainly brings those, the captain of your team has to lead by example on the ice as well. And Dustin would be the first to tell you that he hasn't held up that end of the bargain. To that end, we reached the conclusion as a front office to remove the C from his sweater. Simultaneously, we decided that it would be best for all involved if Dustin take time away from the team in light of this recent development. We have been putting out feelers to teams throughout the league, and we hope to have a deal in place by the trade deadline."

The Kings also announced they would go without a captain for the remainder of the season, opting instead for three alternates. After a team vote, Jordan Staal was announced as the third alternate captain, along with mainstays Anze Kopitar and Matt Greene.

The drama unfolding behind the scenes has done little to deter Los Angeles on the ice, as the Kings went 7-4-1 in January, punctuating the month with an 8-0 whitewashing of the Avalanche in the final game before the All-Star Break. The Kings are maintaining a four-point lead over second place Anaheim in the Pacific Division. The offense continued to hum in January and now sits at 4th in the NHL in scoring, along with a sterling 2nd in the league in goals allowed. Kopitar finally overtook Jeff Carter for the team lead in scoring (47 to 46), while Carter still leads the way with 24 goals.

Los Angeles Kings January 2016 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Jan 2	vs Philadelphia	Won, 5-3
Jan 4	at Colorado	Lost, 2-1 (SO)
Jan 7	vs Toronto	Won, 3-0
Jan 9	vs St. Louis	Lost, 3-1
Jan 11	vs Detroit	Won, 5-2
Jan 16	vs Ottawa	Lost, 3-0
Jan 17	at Anaheim	Lost, 8-6
Jan 19	vs Dallas	Lost, 2-1
Jan 21	vs Minnesota	Won, 3-2
Jan 23	at Arizona	Won, 5-1
Jan 24	at San Jose	Won, 5-4
Jan 27	vs Colorado	Won, 8-0

Pacific Division Standings

Team	W	L	OTL	PTS	ROW	GF	GA
	30	16	3	63	30	148	113
	27	16	5	59	25	144	131
	25	22	1	51	24	125	124
	23	24	1	47	18	127	135
	21	24	5	47	17	103	121
	18	26	5	41	17	105	146
	17	27	6	40	14	137	175

Los Angeles Kings Stats - February 1, 2016
Skaters	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	GW	PIM	SOG	SPCT
Anze Kopitar	49	20	27	47	+17	7	44	146	13.7
Jeff Carter	49	24	22	46	+10	5	22	182	13.2
Milan Lucic	49	16	23	39	+19	0	43	112	14.3
Jordan Staal	49	12	23	35	+20	3	41	93	12.9
Drew Doughty	49	7	25	32	+22	1	42	111	6.3
Tyler Toffoli	49	13	16	29	+16	3	6	120	10.8
Vincent Lecavalier	49	9	18	27	+3	2	28	100	9.0
Jake Muzzin	49	4	19	23	+23	1	32	110	3.6
Trevor Lewis	49	3	13	16	+2	1	51	74	4.1
Justin Schultz	49	4	11	15	+11	0	10	76	5.3
Tanner Pearson	49	6	8	14	+4	2	10	82	7.3
Nathan Horton	26	5	8	13	+14	0	21	54	9.3
Jordan Nolan	49	7	5	12	+2	1	42	49	14.3
Dwight King	49	4	8	12	+7	0	18	62	6.5
Alec Martinez	49	3	8	11	+9	1	24	86	3.5
Matt Greene	49	2	6	8	+7	1	33	38	5.3
Brayden McNabb	43	1	6	7	+10	0	16	50	2.0
Kyle Clifford	12	5	1	6	+2	0	14	15	33.3
Nick Shore	23	2	4	6	-2	0	6	31	6.5
Dustin Brown	37	1	1	2	+4	0	12	66	1.5
Goalies	GP	W	L	OTL	GAA	TOI	SV	SV%	SHO
Jonathan Quick	43	26	13	2	2.11	2556:00		.934	6
Jhonas Enroth	7	4	3	0	2.94	387:00		.897	0

[Psyblast]

February 2016 Recap

Kings end February by trading Brown
LA makes three trades at the deadline to free room, gain picks

LOS ANGELES - It was already over, but the Dustin Brown era in Los Angeles is officially ended.

The Kings traded away their former captain early on Tuesday's trade deadline, sending him to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota's fourth round draft pick in the 2016 draft, and a familiar face - center Jarret Stoll.

"We're obviously very, very familiar with Jarret," Kings GM Brian Kudron said. "We know what he brings to the table, and he knows what we expect out of our players. We fully expect him to be a tremendous asset reassuming his old spot centering our third line and killing penalties."

Stoll is centering the third line again because the Kings also traded Vincent Lecavalier to Colorado in exchange for veteran defenseman Brad Stuart and the Avalanche's 2016 3rd round pick. The Kings never had any intention of keeping Stuart, immediately flipping him to Vancouver, receiving the Canucks' 2016 7th rounder and a minor league prospect in return.

The Kings had to agree to eat a little over 1.5 million of Dustin Brown's yearly salary to convince the Wild to take him, but overall they emerged from the trade deadline with a new third line center, three new draft picks in next year's draft, and several million dollars in additional cap space to use next summer.

On the ice, the Kings continue their stellar play in February, racking up a 8-3-2 record, putting them 10 points up in the Pacific Division with ~20 games left in the season - prime position for the franchise's first division title since 1990-91.

Los Angeles Kings February 2016 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Feb 2	at Arizona	Won, 3-0
Feb 4	vs Anaheim	Won, 7-0
Feb 9	at Boston	Won, 8-2
Feb 11	at New York Islanders	Lost, 2-0
Feb 12	at New York Rangers	Lost, 4-0
Feb 14	at New Jersey	Won, 3-1
Feb 16	at Washington	Lost, 3-2 (SO)
Feb 18	at St. Louis	Won, 4-1
Feb 20	at Nashville	Lost, 4-1
Feb 23	vs Calgary	Lost, 3-2 (SO)
Feb 25	vs Edmonton	Won, 3-0
Feb 27	vs Buffalo	Won, 5-2
Feb 28	at Anaheim	Won, 4-3

Pacific Division Standings

Team	W	L	OTL	PTS	ROW	GF	GA
	38	19	5	81	38	190	136
	35	26	1	71	33	175	157
	31	24	7	69	28	175	176
	29	31	2	60	23	167	183
	24	33	7	64	20	179	219
	24	31	6	54	20	129	160
	21	33	9	51	17	137	198

Los Angeles Kings Stats - March 1, 2016
Skaters	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	GW	PIM	SOG	SPCT
Anze Kopitar	62	28	38	66	+25	9	52	185	15.1
Jeff Carter	62	30	26	56	+17	5	24	237	12.7
Milan Lucic	62	24	26	50	+25	1	56	151	15.9
Jordan Staal	62	14	32	46	+30	3	47	121	11.6
Drew Doughty	62	9	33	42	+31	3	48	139	6.5
Tyler Toffoli	62	15	21	36	+21	4	6	150	10.0
Jake Muzzin	62	5	26	31	+29	1	40	142	3.5
Nathan Horton	39	8	15	23	+23	0	25	77	10.4
Trevor Lewis	62	6	15	21	+6	2	57	89	6.7
Tanner Pearson	62	6	11	17	+2	2	12	96	6.3
Justin Schultz	62	4	12	16	+16	0	12	98	4.1
Alec Martinez	62	4	11	15	+15	2	36	112	3.6
Jordan Nolan	62	9	6	15	+7	1	46	69	13.0
Dwight King	62	5	8	13	+4	0	22	80	6.3
Matt Greene	62	3	8	11	+10	1	37	45	6.7
Brayden McNabb	56	2	7	9	+15	0	22	59	3.4
Kyle Clifford	25	6	3	9	+6	0	21	29	20.7
Jarret Stoll	57	5	4	9	-10	0	18	50	10.0
Nick Shore	23	2	4	6	-2	0	6	31	6.5
Rob Scuderi	6	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0.0
Goalies	GP	W	L	OTL	GAA	TOI	SV	SV%	SHO
Jonathan Quick	55	34	14	4	1.94	3278:00		.938	9
Jhonas Enroth	9	4	5	0	3.44	453:00		.882	0

[Psyblast]

March/April 2016 Recap

Kings rule the Pacific
LA wins the division for the first time in 25 years, now set their sights on the West

LOS ANGELES - The team ran away with the Pacific Division title by 18 points.

The opening of the offense produced 251 goals, 3rd best in the NHL, helping Jeff Carter score 44 goals and Anze Kopitar set a career high with 90 points, all while not sacrificing the trademark defense, to the tune of a league best 181 goals allowed. The league's best power play was complemented by the 10th best penalty kill. Every personnel move seemed to work out in spades.

New Kings GM Brian Kudron seems to have the midas touch - but all of the above is moot now. The Kings will be measured by how they perform going forward now, in the postseason. The Pacific Division Champions will open the playoffs tomorrow night against a familiar postseason foe - the St. Louis Blues. The Kings swept St. Louis in the 2012 postseason, and followed that up the next year by beating them in six games. The Blues have been snakebitten in the playoffs, and will now find themselves going up against the juggernaut of playoff performers.

Rounding out the West side of the playoff bracket, the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks will host rival Nashville, the Ducks and Flames will meet for the second straight season, and the West's #1 seed, the Dallas Stars, will host the Minnesota Wild.

In the East, the leviathan Pittsburgh Penguins, winners of 57 games, 123 points, and the Presidents' Trophy, will host the New York Rangers, while their rivals from Philadelphia will host the Rangers' rivals from Brooklyn, the Islanders. The Atlantic Division champion Detroit Red Wings will host their old Central Division rivals from Columbus, while the reigning Eastern champion Tampa Bay Lightning will open on the road in Buffalo against a surprise Sabres team.

Los Angeles Kings Stats - 2015-16
Skaters	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	GW	PIM	SOG	SPCT
Anze Kopitar	82	38	52	90	+32	11	64	242	15.7
Jeff Carter	82	44	31	75	+25	7	28	303	14.5
Milan Lucic	82	28	36	64	+24	2	75	212	13.2
Drew Doughty	82	13	43	56	+42	3	70	184	7.1
Jordan Staal	82	17	36	53	+31	3	63	159	10.7
Tyler Toffoli	82	17	31	48	+27	5	8	193	8.8
Jake Muzzin	82	9	33	42	+40	2	69	184	4.9
Nathan Horton	59	12	20	32	+24	2	27	125	9.6
Trevor Lewis	82	7	21	28	+15	2	67	120	5.8
Tanner Pearson	82	9	17	26	+3	2	14	128	7.0
Justin Schultz	82	6	18	24	+20	0	16	138	4.4
Dwight King	82	8	15	23	+6	0	33	103	7.8
Alec Martinez	82	5	14	19	+22	3	46	141	3.6
Jordan Nolan	82	10	9	19	+14	1	82	82	12.2
Jarret Stoll	77	8	9	17	-8	1	30	74	10.8
Kyle Clifford	45	8	6	14	+12	1	48	47	17.0
Matt Greene	82	3	8	11	+10	1	56	61	4.9
Brayden McNabb	76	2	8	10	+16	0	30	75	2.7
Nick Shore	23	2	4	6	-2	0	6	31	6.5
Rob Scuderi	6	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0.0
Goalies	GP	W	L	T	GAA	TOI	SV	SV%	SHO
Jonathan Quick	68	41	17	6	1.91	4030:00		.938	10
Jhonas Enroth	17	11	5	0	3.18	925:00		.898	1

Final Record: 52-22-8, 112 points
Goals For: 251 (3rd)
Goals Against: 181 (1st)
Power Play: 23.6% (1st)
Penalty Kill: 84.2% (10th)
Home Record: 27-12-2
Road Record: 25-10-6

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Western Conference Recap

Pacific Division Standings

Team	W	L	OTL	PTS	ROW	GF	GA
	52	22	8	112	50	251	181
	43	31	8	94	40	240	228
	43	34	5	91	39	230	212
	37	42	3	77	28	210	235
	34	41	7	75	29	180	223
	32	43	7	71	25	222	280
	29	42	11	69	24	184	250

Central Division Standings

Team	W	L	OTL	PTS	ROW	GF	GA
	56	22	4	116	51	262	199
	43	28	11	97	40	218	199
	45	30	7	97	39	232	199
	44	32	6	94	38	229	213
	43	33	6	92	37	241	226
	36	39	7	79	30	175	201
	25	44	13	63	24	174	232

Western Conference Leaders

Western Conference Skaters - 2015/2016
Goals		G	Assists		A
	1. Tyler Seguin	49		1. Jamie Benn	62
	2. Vladimir Tarasenko	46		2. Tyler Seguin	57
	3. Jeff Carter	44		3. Jason Spezza	54
	4. Taylor Hall	43		4. Mikko Koivu	52
	5. Anze Kopitar	38		5. Anze Kopitar	52
Points		P	Power Play Goals		PPG
	1. Tyler Seguin	106		1. Tyler Seguin	18
	2. Jamie Benn	97		2. Jeff Carter	16
	3. Anze Kopitar	90		3. Zach Parise	16
	4. Thomas Vanek	82		4. Taylor Hall	15
	5. Ryan Johansen	82		5. Vladimir Tarasenko	14
Game Winning Goals		GWG	Penalty Minutes		PIM
	1. Tyler Seguin	13		1. Brandon Prust	132
	2. Anze Kopitar	11		2. Derek Dorsett	124
	3. Brent Burns	8		3. Eric Gryba	108
	4. Ryan Johansen	8		4. Andrew Shaw	99
	5. Four tied	7		5. Chris Thorburn	99
Hits		H	Faceoff Percentage		FO%
	1. Ryan Suter	254		1. Jordan Staal	60.5
	2. Mark Giordano	218		2. Paul Stastny	58.5
	3. Shea Weber	212		3. Joe Thornton	58.4
	4. Chris Tanev	205		4. Anze Kopitar	58.3
	5. Mark Fayne	200		5. Jonathan Toews	57.6

Western Conference Goaltenders - 2015/16
Wins		W	Goals Against Average		GAA
	1. Jonathan Quick	41		1. Jonathan Quick	1.91
	2. Pekka Rinne	40		2. Kari Lehtonen	2.23
	3. Kari Lehtonen	39		3. Pekka Rinne	2.27
	4. Corey Crawford	38		4. Semyon Varlamov	2.28
	5. Two tied	36		5. Corey Crawford	2.33
Save Percentage		SV%	Shots Against		SA
	1. Jonathan Quick	.938		1. Mike Smith	2148
	2. Semyon Varlamov	.925		2. Corey Crawford	2114
	3. Corey Crawford	.923		3. Cam Talbot	2113
	4. Kari Lehtonen	.923		4. Jonathan Quick	2072
	5. Karri Ramo	.922		5. Semyon Varlamov	2009
Shutouts		SO	Minutes Played		MIN
	1. Jonathan Quick	10		1. Corey Crawford	4189
	2. Semyon Varlamov	9		2. Mike Smith	4082
	3. Devan Dubnyk	8		3. Pekka Rinne	4063
	4. Pekka Rinne	8		4. Jonathan Quick	4030
	5. Two tied	7		5. Semyon Varlamov	3949

Eastern Conference Recap

Atlantic Division Standings

Team	W	L	OTL	PTS	ROW	GF	GA
	47	27	8	102	39	208	185
	43	30	9	95	35	224	215
	43	32	7	93	38	223	204
	44	33	5	93	36	214	220
	41	32	9	91	36	223	211
	40	35	7	87	36	189	200
	40	36	6	86	36	198	207
	37	42	3	77	30	174	222

Metropolitan Division Standings

Team	W	L	OTL	PTS	ROW	GF	GA
	57	16	9	123	52	278	184
	47	27	8	102	40	222	199
	45	29	8	98	39	228	198
	43	28	11	97	37	205	192
	44	32	6	94	38	200	191
	41	34	7	89	37	201	196
	33	41	8	74	28	204	238
	23	52	7	53	18	168	267

Eastern Conference Leaders

Eastern Conference Skaters - 2015/16
Goals		G	Assists		A
	1. Alex Ovechkin	46		1. Sidney Crosby	63
	2. Sidney Crosby	45		2. Phil Kessel	62
	3. Jeff Skinner	39		3. Marian Gaborik	62
	4. Steven Stamkos	38		4. Claude Giroux	61
	5. John Tavares	37		5. Nicklas Backstrom	56
Points		P	Power Play Goals		PPG
	1. Sidney Crosby	108		1. Alex Ovechkin	18
	2. Phil Kessel	96		2. Sidney Crosby	17
	3. Marian Gaborik	95		3. Jeff Van Riemsdyk	16
	4. John Tavares	91		4. Evgeni Malkin	15
	5. Claude Giroux	88		5. Three tied	13
Game Winning Goals		GWG	Penalty Minutes		PIM
	1. Alex Ovechkin	11		1. Adam McQuaid	221
	2. Sidney Crosby	10		2. Gregory Campbell	149
	3. Mika Zibanejad	9		3. Jared Boll	144
	4. Three tied	8		4. Mike Brown	140
	5.			5. Jordin Tootoo	131
Hits		H	Faceoff Percentage		FO%
	1. Trevor Daley	216		1. Patrice Bergeron	60.3
	2. Luke Schenn	212		2. Jay McClement	56.6
	3. Johnny Boychuk	206		3. Claude Giroux	56.4
	4. Erik Gudbranson	206		4. Brian Boyle	56.2
	5. Two tied	205		5. Jay Beagle	55.9

Eastern Conference Goaltenders - 2015/16
Wins		W	Goals Against Average		GAA
	1. Marc-Andre Fleury	48		1. Sergei Bobrovsky	1.96
	2. Brian Bishop	39		2. Marc-Andre Fleury	2.05
	3. Craig Anderson	39		3. Petr Mrazek	2.07
	4. Henrik Lundqvist	36		4. Braden Holtby	2.10
	5. Carey Price	35		5. Steve Mason	2.18
Save Percentage		SV%	Shots Against		SA
	1. Sergei Bobrovsky	.938		1. Cam Ward	2083
	2. Petr Mrazek	.932		2. Sergei Bobrovsky	2069
	3. Marc-Andre Fleury	.930		3. Henrik Lundqvist	2055
	4. Braden Holtby	.929		4. Craig Anderson	2046
	5. Steve Mason	.928		5. Roberto Luongo	2035
Shutouts		SO	Minutes Played
	1. Brian Bishop	11		1. Craig Anderson	4200
	2. Marc-Andre Fleury	10		2. Henrik Lundqvist	4098
	3. Steve Mason	9		3. Brian Bishop	4022
	4. Braden Holtby	8		4. Tuukka Rask	3937
	5. Three tied	7		5. Carey Price	3936

[Psyblast]

Western Conference Quarterfinal - Game 1

Staples Center	1	2	3	OT	F
	1	1	1	-	3
	2	1	3	-	6

Kings lead series, 1-0

First line leads the way for LA
Kopitar, Lucic, & Horton combine for four goals and four assists in Game 1 vs. St. Louis


Both of Kopitar's goals came from right in front of the Blues' net

St. Louis Blues at Los Angeles Kings
Apr 11, 2016 1 2 3 F 1 1 1 3 2 1 3 6 Three Stars Nathan Horton, RW 1 G, 3 A Anze Kopitar, C 2 G, 0 A Milan Lucic, LW 1 G, 1 A, 4 hits	Team Stats Comparison Shots on Goal 23 27 Hits 13 25 Faceoffs Won-Lost 22 19 Penalty Minutes 0:00 2:00 Power Plays Converted 0 0 Power Play Opportunities 1 0 Time on Attack 4:40 9:32
Scoring Summary FIRST PERIOD Lucic, 1 (Horton), 8:16 Brouwer, 1 (Parayko, Bouwmeester), 9:10 Kopitar, 1 (Horton, Lucic), 16:00 SECOND PERIOD Horton, 1 (Doughty, Muzzin), 1:42 Brodziak, 1 (Shattenkirk), 8:26 THIRD PERIOD Tarasenko, 1 (Steen, Pietrangelo), 0:44 Carter, 1 (Staal, Toffoli), 1:38 Stoll, 1 (McNabb, Greene), 1:53 Kopitar, 2 (Doughty, Horton), 3:03

[Psyblast]

Quick injured
Red alert for LA as Enroth is forced into action

April 12, 2016

LOS ANGELES - Anyone familiar with Jonathan Quick over the years could tell something was just...off about him in last night's Game 1 against St. Louis. His lightning-like reflexes and cat-like athleticism seemed a step sluggish, and at least one of the Blues' goals in LA's 6-3 win probably shouldn't have been scored.

Those fears were justified today, as Los Angeles announced that Quick will miss tomorrow night's Game 2, "and likely more," with the ever-ambiguous "lower body injury." Quick appeared to tweak an ankle late in the regular season, and sat out the finale against the Winnipeg Jets, but it was thought to be just a precautionary measure and a chance to get Quick some rest. But after a less-than-stellar postseason opener, the likely Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's best goaltender will be sidelined in favor of backup Jhonas Enroth going forward.

The Kings offered no specifics on the injury, and no timetable for when Quick might return to action.

In his place, the Kings must rely on Enroth, who had significant struggles as the backup goalie this season: in 17 appearances, Enroth had an 11-5 record, but a ghastly 3.18 goals against average and an even-worse .898 save percentage. Needless to say, he will have to take a significant step forward in the playoffs if the Kings are to survive the Blues.

[Psyblast]

Western Conference Quarterfinal - Game 2

Staples Center	1	2	3	OT	F
	2	2	0	-	4
	1	1	0	-	2

Series tied, 1-1

Quickless Kings tied up headed to St. Louis
Enroth cannot handle the moment as the Blues pull even at Staples Center


While his counterpart was humiliated, Elliott shut the door for St. Louis

St. Louis Blues at Los Angeles Kings
Apr 13, 2016 1 2 3 F 2 2 0 4 1 1 0 2 Three Stars Brian Elliott, G 45 saves, .957 SV% David Backes, C 1 G, 1 A Jordan Staal, C 1 G, 2 hits	Team Stats Comparison Shots on Goal 32 47 Hits 25 20 Faceoffs Won-Lost 28 26 Penalty Minutes 6:00 8:00 Power Plays Converted 1 0 Power Play Opportunities 4 3 Time on Attack 5:49 9:32
Scoring Summary FIRST PERIOD Bouwmeester, 1 (Backes, Tarasenko) (PP), 9:17 Kopitar, 3 (Martinez, Lucic), 12:06 Berglund, 1 (Stastny, Schwartz), 12:56 SECOND PERIOD Backes, 1 (Steen, Tarasenko), 1:48 Lehtera, 1 (Upshall, Zidlicky), 10:22 Staal, 1 (Doughty), 17:15

[Psyblast]

Western Conference Quarterfinal - Game 3

Scottrade Center	1	2	3	OT	F
	0	1	1	-	2
	0	0	1	-	1

Kings lead series, 2-1

Kings respond like champs in St. Louis
Penalty kill comes through on the road for Los Angeles in Game 3


Jordan Staal's shorthanded goal turned out to be the game winner

Los Angeles Kings at St. Louis Blues
Apr 15, 2016 1 2 3 F 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 Three Stars Jake Allen, G 47 saves, .959 SV% Jhonas Enroth, G 24 saves, .960 SV% Steve Ott, C 1 G, 2 hits	Team Stats Comparison Shots on Goal 49 25 Hits 27 20 Faceoffs Won-Lost 28 18 Penalty Minutes 8:00 2:00 Power Plays Converted 0 0 Power Play Opportunities 1 4 Time on Attack 9:03 5:06
Scoring Summary SECOND PERIOD Carter, 1 (Toffoli, Schultz), 7:59 THIRD PERIOD Staal, 1 (Stoll, Greene) (SH), 4:54 Ott, 1 (unassisted), 12:17