Matt Murray has been a Kings fan since the late '80s, when Wayne Gretzky grabbed headlines by defecting to the West Coast. Since then, he has been a card-carrying bandwagon member as the club soared in popularity with their sole Stanley Cup appearance to their position near the bottom of the Pacific. But things are looking brighter, as he is anxious to witness the rise of the new Kings.
Kings draw first blood
Every time a goalie makes a save, fans let out a smart-alecky cheer, since both tenders have seen better runs. I'd say there's quite a few Leaf fans at Staples, as fans' electric blue jerseys stand out from the black ones of the Kings.
Modry hits a laser beam, but it clanks off the post loudly, causing the fans to moan in unison.
The Kings score first, when Calder backhands a shot past Raycroft for his sixth of the season. Raycroft has been giving up some big rebounds, and he couldn't hold on to that one. It was the first time the Kings scored first in a long time. Usually, they spot the team a few before they get going.
The Leafs only have one shot so far, as the Kings look a little more focused than last game. LaBarbera makes two very nice saves when the Leafs finally register a few shots. I think fans are ready to jump all over LaBarbera again if he lets in another soft goal.
Antropov tries a wraparound, but LaBarbera is there. Dustin Brown draws a penalty when he's held by Kaberle, as the Kings go on the power play. And Dustin Brown knocks it in, when O'Sullivan's backhand toward the net and Raycroft fails to pull it in. Brown skates after it, and the puck dribbles in. O'Sullivan and Kopitar with the assists.
Frolov joins in on the fun, as he skates around the goaltender, turns wide and fires it past Raycroft. I guess three goals on seven shots is acceptable north of the border, because Raycroft is staying put. Nagy and Armstrong with the assists.
Wozniewski hits the puck over the glass and gets two for delay of game. And Brown scores his second of the period to give L.A. a 4-0 lead. The assists go to Visnovsky and Blake. The Kings have 11 shots in the first, and look dialed in.
Kings 4, Maple Leafs 0
