Recently in Game quotes/notes Category

-- The Kings totaled 13 shots on goal and, wow, that's a low number. So low, in fact, that I can't determine the last time they recorded that few shots. The game-by-game listings on ESPN.com only go back to 2003-04, and I can't find any Kings total lower than 14. The Kings had five shots (and one goal) in the first period and four shots each in the second and third periods.

-- The Kings allowed 41 shots on goal, an unsightly number that they reached only five times last season.

-- Jason LaBarbera stopped 38 of 41 shots.

-- The clear positive for the Kings? They killed all six San Jose power plays.

-- Numbers-wise, at least, a rough debut for Jarret Stoll. He took two penalties and lost six of the seven faceoffs he took.

-- Jack Johnson led all Kings in ice time, with 23 minutes, 5 seconds.

-- How did the rookies fare? Oscar Moller played 13:38 and seemed to get stronger as the game progressed, as did Wayne Simmonds, who played 12:02. Drew Doughty played an uneven 17:40, to be expected from an 18-year-old kid making his debut.

What else stood out to you?

Is it worth noting that the Kings have earned eight points in five preseason games? Possibly, but it was a fairly light Ducks lineup tonight, and tomorrow night's game in Anaheim should be a better indicator of what this rivalry will look like this season.

Jason LaBarbera has looked sharp and confident recently, both on and off the ice. Who knows how it will translate once the games start, but I've been covering Jason with the Kings since 2005 and I've never heard him talk more confidently about his abilities. LaBarbera stopped 30 of 31 shots tonight, following the 20-for-22 outing in his last game.

A few notes and quotes from the night...

-- With his third goal of the preseason, Matt Moulson is now tied for the team lead with Anze Kopitar.

-- Oscar Moller once again played first-line minutes with Kopitar and Brown. The longer the Patrick O'Sullivan situation drags on -- and there's still no indication that a deal is imminent -- the longer Moller will get a chance to stick around and impress.

-- Dustin Brown and Ryan Getzlaf had a scary collision with about seven minutes left in the game. Both players skated off slowly. Brown came back and didn't appear to be in any trouble. Getzlaf went to the locker room and I didn't see whether or not he returned.

-- Wayne Simmonds got in two fights tonight and didn't really come close to winning either, but he continues to impress. Last week, a Kings official called Simmonds one of the surprises of camp.

Some quotes...

Terry Murray, on the game...
``We had better composure and better conviction to execute. We didn't get the puck deep enough on a consistent basis. However, we were much better in the third period. We had a lot of opportunities. Both goalies were very good tonight.''

Dustin Brown, on season preparations...
``We're getting there. Obviously we have about 10 days before we need to be completely ready. In about seven to 10 days we'll have a better idea of where we'll be at.''

Brown, on the change in coaching styles...
``They're very different coaching styles. I don't know if you want to call it an adjustment, it's a different feeling. Coach Murray is much more calm. That seems to trickle down to the players. It seems like we don't panic as much. I think the defensive zone coverage we're trying to change a bit is helping us.''

Sean O'Donnell, on the trade...
``I was a bit surprised, but I've been around long enough where nothing shocks me... Anaheim will always have a special place in my heart because they gave me something I dreamed of since I was a young boy [the Stanley Cup]... I've been at this for a long time. You do what you can control, show up and play as hard as you can. You be a good teammate, be a good person and things will work out.''

Here's some of the quotes from last night's game at Staples. Interesting note from the team...the Kings haven't had a losing record in the preseason since 1988. What does that mean? Nothing, but it's sort of bizarre to note. Here's the quotes...

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Terry Murray, on his game thoughts...
``I take a lot of good things out of this game. There was a lot of good execution. We had our moments when it wasn't quite where we'd like it to be, but with it being the first game, I thought it was good. The effort, the intensity, the compete was very good. I was very happy about that. There were a lot of people that were very good. I was very happy about that. There were a lot of people that were involved in the physical side of it and that brings the whole team in whenever you get big hits and a couple of fights in there. I like that part a lot.''

Murray, on his team's defense...
``I thought there was a very conscious effort on the defensive part of the game and in all the zones. Our neutral zone, when it came down to crunch time, was excellent. I thought our positioning the whole lines were very good. Then right back into our own end, we had some good things happening with coming back into the home plate area. Pucks were on the outside of the dots and that's something that we've talked about as far as being an OK play. Let it happen out there but make sure that the front of the net is protected.''

Oscar Moller, on the game...
``It was pretty exciting. I didn't really know what to expect when I came out there, but I just started playing my game and it turned out pretty good.''

Moller, on playing in the NHL...
``Well, you're playing against men now, not playing against boys and kids. So the speed is higher and they're stronger, so I got to keep my head up and be strong out there.''

Moller, on training camp...
``Yeah, I'm satisfied with it. I guess it's been going pretty good. We're working hard and we're working on the new system here with the new coaching staff and it feels pretty good.''

No truth to the rumor that Daniel Taylor left the game after the first period, flew to Reading and returned for the start of the third period. Here's some quotes from tonight's postgame...

ERIK ERSBERG
(Re: Game recap) "It felt good to get a win back, especially against this team. They've gone 20 games without a loss so it's good that we could break that streak. It was a fun game. The first goal was kind of my fault so I felt a little bad about that, but I guess it's better to have that in the first minute than the last minute. You have to look at it like, 'There's 59 minutes to make up for it,' so that's how I looked at it."

ANZE KOPITAR
(Re: Game recap) "This is kind of a game we want to play to get ready for next season for the big games. I think we all contributed to this result, and we're happy to get the win."

(Re: finishing season on a high note) "I think right now we're playing for the fans. They've supported us all season when we didn't have a very good season. They've been so loyal to us, and we've got to pay them back with a strong last game. We're playing against the Ducks too, so it should really be buzzing in the building."

(Re: Game recap) "We got down pretty quick on the first shift, but we didn't panic. We knew we had nothing to lose, and that we could play better. We stepped out the gate and outshot them in the first period which really got the crowd in the game. I think we kind of deserved this win. We had a lot of chances that we didn't put in the back of the net at first, but luckily in the end the bounces went our way."

MARC CRAWFORD
(Re: game recap): "We were very deserving of the win tonight. They got the fortunate bounce when Joe Thornton caught our rookie goaltender trying to cheat a little bit and got the one-goal lead. A number of things happened at that point. Erik [Ersberg] really bared down and was great from that point on for the rest of the game. I thought our defense was very stingy tonight and as a team we really checked them into the ground and didn't give them a lot of chances.... When you get the type of performance where all your players play well, it's very gratifying to get the victory."

Anze Kopitar scored two, Erik Ersberg stopped 32 and Raitis Ivanans is a scoring machine.

Here's what The Race For No. 30 comes down to. The Kings and Tampa Bay both have 71 points and one game to play, but the Kings have one more victory than the Lightning, which plays at Atlanta on Saturday. If the Kings earn two points against the Ducks on Saturday, they will finish 29th, regardless of what Tampa does.Those, uh, cheering for a last-place Kings finish need one of the following scenarios on Saturday: Kings loss and Lightning victory/overtime loss/shootout loss OR Kings overtime/shootout loss and Lightning victory.

There you go. And here is the AP game story from tonight. I'll send some quotes along in a bit...

Raitis Ivanans came up an assist short of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. You can read about the rest in the following AP game story. The Kings can clinch a tie for last place in the NHL if Tampa beats Carolina tomorrow...

Here's the complete quotes and notes from this afternoon's game:

Dallas with a touchdown, Kings with a safety, Erik Ersberg back to Earth. Here's the AP story, complete with quotes...

Here's the scoop...

Guess who got the shutout...and another boatload of saves... Ersberg is doing a tremendous job to help his cause. Here's the early AP game story:

Some quotes from last night's game, from Erik Ersberg, Patrick O'Sullivan and Marc Crawford...

Here's the AP game story from tonight...Quotes to come as they're available...

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Mathieu Schneider and Teemu Selanne scored for the Ducks during a shootout and the defending Stanley Cup champions beat the Kings 2-1 Wednesday night to clinching a playoff berth.

Ducks rookie goaltender Jonas Hiller, filling in for the ailing Jean-Sebastien Giguere, ended the shootout at the end of six rounds when he blocked Brian Willsie's shot. Dustin Brown had the only shootout goal for the Kings.

The Ducks already has assured themselves a spot in the postseason when they were tied at the end of regulation, since they needed only one point to clinch.

Patrick O'Sullivan scored for the Kings in the first period, and Anaheim's Bobby Ryan tied it in the second.

The Ducks made the playoffs for the third year in a row, and the sixth time since they came into the league as an expansion franchise in 1993.

The Kings, already eliminated from the postseason, haven't made the playoffs since 2003.

Hiller, starting for the third game in a row, made 31 saves for the Ducks -- including a dramatic one with time running out in regulation.

The Kings' Alexander Frolov stole the puck from Schneider in the Kings' zone and skated off on a breakaway. He bore down on Hiller, feinted to his left then tried to slide the puck behind the sprawling goalie on the other side. Hiller blocked the shot with his left skate, with 17 seconds on the clock.

Kings goalie Erik Ersberg, like Hiller a 26-year-old from Sweden, had a fine outing, stopping 39 shots.

Here's the notes and quotes from this morning's (very brief) skate, courtesy of Don:

Here's the Associated Press game story:

Michal Handzus scored two goals. Not in the same month. Not in the same week. Not in the same game.

In the same period.

In one of those games that you look at and just kind of say, ``Huh?'', the Kings were pretty much stifled for 57 minutes, then scored three goals in a span of 1 minute, 42 seconds. And yes, Handzus scored two of them. And Visnovsky scored the other. Yes, really.

So the Kings pull ``even'' with Tampa Bay at 66 points, but Tampa plays later and also has another game in hand over the Kings.

Another solid game for Erik Ersberg, who made 25 saves and kept the Stars off the board in the third period. Game story to follow later...