Category Archives: Kings

Kings exit interviews: Vincent Lecavalier

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Vincent Lecavalier’s Hall of Fame-caliber career ended with the Kings’ loss Friday to the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. He said he planned to retire at season’s end, no matter the outcome, after the Kings acquired him Jan. 6 from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Lecavalier didn’t wish to talk immediately after Game 5, but he met with reporters Sunday at the Kings’ training facility in El Segundo. He said he plans to stick around for a while before moving back to Tampa, Fla., but he insisted his playing days have come to an end after 421 goals, 528 assists and 1,212 games in the NHL.

“It’s tough to process anything right now,” said Lecavalier, who spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning a Stanley Cup championship with them in 2003-04. “It’s only been a couple of days here. Honestly, to be able to get a chance to play …”

Lecavalier was not in the Flyers’ plans this season, playing only seven games before he and and Luke Schenn were sent to the Kings for Jordan Weal and a third-round draft pick. Lecavalier played an important role as the Kings’ third-line center and had 10 goals and 17 assists in 42 games.

“I think back in November and talking to Luke and saying, ‘I think I’m going to be stuck here (Philadelphia) and I’m not playing,’ and then getting a chance to play on this team and, obviously, we didn’t go where we wanted to go at the end of it, but to get a chance to play and to have fun and to learn, it’s just a great time,” Lecavalier said. “I always had that confidence that I could still do well. It was great. This is a great team. I know they’re going to win again.”

Game 5 report: Sharks 6, Kings 3

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Key play: Joonas Donskoi scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and the San Jose Sharks went on to take a 6-3 victory Friday over the Kings in the decisive Game 5 of the first-round series at Staples Center. Donskoi chipped the puck into the net after a nifty pass from Brent Burns.

The series: The Sharks eliminated the Kings 4-1 and advanced to the second round.

Pivotal performer: Sharks winger Joe Pavelski added an insurance goal for his series-leading fifth of the series. Pavelski and linemates Joe Thornton and Tomas Hertl proved to be too much for the Kings to handle during the series, and were the difference makers over the course of five games.

Quote, unquote: “The bottom line is we didn’t play well enough to win the series, and they did,” Kings center Anze Kopitar said. “It showed on the scoreboard. We were chasing the lead pretty much every game. That’s just not the way you play in the playoffs. We made it hard on ourselves, first of all, to lose the first two games in this building. I just feel our game was not where we needed it to be.”

Quote, unquote (part 2): “Yes, 100 percent,” Kings left wing Milan Lucic said when asked if he planned to re-sign with the Kings rather than test the open market as an unrestricted free agent July 1. “I don’t have any plans about thinking about or playing anywhere else. I’m sure there will be a lot of conversations in the near future and I hope it works out for both sides.”

Between the pipes: Jonathan Quick made 22 saves and fell 1-4 during the series. Martin Jones, who served as Quick’s backup until the Kings traded him last summer, made 19 saves to improve to 4-1 in his first five starts in the playoffs after making two relief appearances in 2014 against the Sharks.

Game 4 report: Sharks 3, Kings 2

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Key play: Patrick Marleau scored the last of the Sharks’ three power-play goals and San Jose held on for a 3-2 victory Wednesday in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Kings at the SAP Center. Marleau backhanded a rebound into the net at 1:40 of the final period.

The series: The Sharks lead 3-1. Game 5 is Friday at Staples Center.

Pivotal performer: San Jose defenseman Brent Burns scored the Sharks’ first power-play goal, whistling a one-timed shot from the left faceoff circle past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. Burns also assists on Marleau’s goal, which turned out to be the game-winner.

Quote, unquote: “Our penalty-kill wasn’t near good enough,” said Kings defenseman Luke Schenn, who was on the ice for Burns’ goal “Special teams made a huge difference. Our special teams need to improve if we’re going to climb back in it.”

Status quo: Kings coach Darryl Sutter and San Jose counterpart Peter DeBoer stayed with the same lineups for Game 4 that they used in Game 3. DeBoer indicated dissatisfaction with his fourth line after Game 3, but stuck with Nick Spaling, Chris Tierney and Tommy Wingels for Game 4.

Game 3 report: Kings 2, Sharks 1 (OT)

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Key play: Tanner Pearson picked up a loose puck along the left-wing boards and then converted on a 2-on-1 break to score the winning goal 3:47 into sudden-death overtime to give the Kings a 2-1 victory Monday over the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of their first-round series.

The series: The Sharks lead was cut to 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday at the SAP Center.

Pivotal performer: Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick gave up a goal to Joe Thornton on the Sharks’ first shot of the game, after only 30 seconds. Quick then stopped the next 28 shots he faced in a vintage performance from the 2012 Conn Smythe winner as the MVP of the playoffs.

Quote, unquote: “Not the start we wanted, obviously,” Pearson said. “We trust each other that we’re going to come back. Look over the years at what this team has done. … It’s a confident group when our backs are against the wall. We’re still there. We’ve got to fight back to even the series.”

Injury update: Kings defenseman Alec Martinez sat out for the second consecutive game and for the sixth time in the last seven games because of an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Matt Greene continues to skate with his teammates, but there’s no timetable for his return from shoulder surgery.

Lineup shuffle: Kings coach Darryl Sutter returned left wing Kyle Clifford to the lineup after replacing him with Nick Shore for Game 2. Clifford, Trevor Lewis and Kris Versteeg combined to form an effective fourth line for Sutter for Game 3.

Right wing Marian Gaborik talks about his return to the lineup and what the Kings need to do to improve their play in Game 3

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Kings right wing Marian Gaborik returned to the lineup for the first time since injuring his right knee Feb. 12. Here’s some of what he said about his return and the Kings’ 2-1 loss Saturday to the San Jose Sharks in Game 2 of their first-round series: “I felt pretty good. I’ll need to get better and better. We have to be better overall. Each of us need to take our games to the next level.”

Gaborik also said of the Kings’ lackluster play in Game 2, “We’re beating ourselves out there. We have to correct a lot of things. We didn’t generate a whole lot of scoring chances. We have to have (Martin) Jones work way more than he’s been working. We had a pretty good surge at the end there, but it was too late. We have to regroup, go to San Jose and come back with a tied series.”

Game 2 report: Sharks 2, Kings 1

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Key play: Logan Couture’s power-play goal proved to be the difference for the San Jose Sharks in a 2-1 victory Saturday over the Kings in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Staples Center. Couture’s second-period putback of Joe Pavelski’s initial try propelled the Sharks to a 2-0 series lead.

Pivotal performer: Pavelski gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead only 3:37 in the game, his third goal in two contests in the best-of-7 series. He also assisted on Couture’s game-winning goal to give him a series-leading four points. He had three shots on goal and won seven of eight faceoffs.

Quote, unquote: “We’ve got to do a better job of getting traffic and getting guys to the net, fighting through box-outs and getting those second- and third-chance opportunities,” Kings left wing Lucic said. “Right now, we’re not doing a good enough job of it. We need to figure it out quick if we want to turn things around. We’ve got to stop playing with frustration and start playing with determination.”

Welcome back: Right wing Marian Gaborik returned to the Kings’ lineup for the first time since spraining his right knee Feb. 12. He was scoreless on four shots on goal in 14:32, playing with a variety of linemates as Kings coach Darryl Sutter mixed and matched his combinations.

Injury update: Kings defenseman Alec Martinez did not play after he was forced from Game 1 after two periods because of an undisclosed injury. Martinez sat out the final four regular-season games because an unspecified injury. His status for Game 3 is unknown. Jamie McBain took Martinez’s spot in the lineup.

LA Kings morning skate report: Marian Gaborik back in the lineup for Game 2 and Alec Martinez out?

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Right wing Marian Gaborik was back in the Kings’ lineup Saturday for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center. Defenseman Alec Martinez was out of the lineup after an abbreviated return to it Thursday for Game 1.

Or so it seemed.

Gaborik skated on a line with center Anze Kopitar and left wing Milan Lucic during the Kings’ morning stake at Staples Center. Kings coach Darryl Sutter later said Gaborik’s first game since spraining his right knee Feb. 12 against the New York Rangers would be a coach’s decision at game time.

“He’ll go through warmup and he’ll declare himself,” Sutter said of Gaborik, who had 12 goals and 22 points in 54 games when he was injured in the game at Madison Square Garden. “He’s been medically cleared, so it becomes a coach’s decision.”

Gaborik was not immediately available for comment.

Martinez, who has an unspecified injury, didn’t skate with his teammates and there was no locker stall set up for him inside the Kings’ dressing room. It appeared Jamie McBain would take his place and make his playoff debut after playing 345 regular-season games in the NHL.

“It’s still the same game,” McBain said, who yielded to Martinez for Game 1 after filling in for him for the final four games of the regular season. “There might be a little bit more physicality, but at the end of the day, it’s still the same game.”

LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty talks about playing a greater role of Alec Martinez can’t play in Game 2

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A full story will be up on the Daily News website soon, but here’s what Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said Friday about playing more minutes and shouldering a heavier burden if Alec Martinez can’t play in Game 2 against the Sharks:

“I’m ready for whatever if he can’t play.  If I need to play 30 minutes, that’s great. If not, I’ll play 25 minutes. Either way, I have to play the same way. I have to be more emotionally involved in the game. I can play better than I did and I can lead us better than I did. The next game, I’ve got to step up and do that.”

LA Kings recall defenseman Kevin Gravel from the Ontario Reign of the AHL

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The Kings recalled defenseman Kevin Gravel from the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. Gravel’s addition likely means Alec Martinez won’t play in Game 2 of the Kings’ first-round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks. Martinez played 11:43 in the first two periods of Game 1 on Thursday, a 4-3 victory by the Sharks. He didn’t play in the third period, however.