Dustin Brown went from playing left wing on a line with center Anze Kopitar and right wing Justin Williams to skating with third-liners Dwight King and Trevor Lewis during Wednesday’s practice. It remains to be seen if they’re together for Game 5 of the Kings’ second-round playoff series with the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
Here’s what Brown had to say:
The Kings are 5-0 at Staples Center during the playoffs, which probably didn’t play any role in coach Darryl Sutter’s decision to return to Southern California after Game 3 to practice Sunday and Monday. It was better to be home with the family rather than being stuck in a hotel in San Jose, according to team captain Dustin Brown.
Kings captain Dustin Brown was named Monday as one of three finalists for the 2012-13 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, presented to “the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season.” Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks are the other finalists, the league announced.
Dustin Brown pounced on a loose puck and swatted it into the back of the net with 1 minute, 43 seconds remaining in the third period of Game 2 of the Kings’ second-round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night at Staples Center.
Bedlam.
Trevor Lewis guided a long rebound into the net from the left wing with 1:21 remaining in what became an improbable 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Kings over the Sharks in the game and a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-7 series.
More bedlam.
Team captain Dustin Brown offered his opinions on all things relating to the Raffi Torres-Jarret Stoll incident in the second period of the Kings’ 2-0 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday. Brown gave a level-headed assessment of the play and the possible ramifications when the teams meet for Game 2 on Thursday night. He was calm, cool and collected as he spoke to reporters after Wednesday’s practice.
The Kings never trailed in a single playoff series while racing to their first Stanley Cup championship last spring. They went 16-4 and became the first eighth-seeded team to win the Cup in NHL history. It wasn’t all smiles and champagne, not with notoriously contrary coach Darryl Sutter behind the Kings bench.
Here some of what Kings captain Dustin Brown said about the team’s approach to Game 6 of its playoff series against the St. Louis Blues. The fifth-seeded Kings can eliminate the fourth-seeded Blues with a victory Friday at Staples Center:
“Our game hasn’t changed much from Game 1 to now. Everyone understands. We went through it last year. Darryl (Sutter, the Kings coach) always says, ‘Four wins make a series.’ We just have to refocus. Today was an off day and we got treatment and you kind of get yourself ready to go. I think that feeling (of confidence) never left. We got down 0-2, but our confidence as a group and our belief system as a group has never really faltered. Being down 0-2, it’s one of those things you kind of have to deal with. We have the type of guys here who can deal with adversity and find a way to get the job done.
The Kings won’t have team captain Dustin Brown when they face the San Jose Sharks in the regular-season finale Saturday night at Staples Center. Brown will serve the second game of a two-game suspension from the NHL for elbowing Jason Pominville of the Minnesota Wild during the Kings’ loss Tuesday. Brown is eligible to return for Game 1 of the playoffs next week. Until then, the Kings will be shorthanded.
Dustin Brown received a two-game suspension from the NHL on Wednesday for elbowing Jason Pominville of the Minnesota Wild in the second period of Tuesday’s game. Brown, the Kings’ team captain, will sit out Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings and Saturday’s regular-season finale against the San Jose Sharks. Brown also will forfeit $34,324.32, with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
The play happened along the boards, with Brown waiting to accept the puck. Pominville skated toward him and before he could deliver a check, Brown raised his left elbow and struck the Wild forward in the head. No penalty was called on the play, which happened at 10:04 of the second period. Pominville fell backwards onto the ice, was injured and could not return to the game, won by the Wild 2-1.
This is Brown’s first suspension in his career. He played in 314 consecutive games, dating to Feb. 27, 2009. He was only 16 games shy of Anze Kopitar’s team record for consecutive games played.
The Kings (26-16-5, 57 points) are in fourth place in the Western Conference. The Sharks (25-14-7, 57 points) are in fifth. Each team has two games remaining. The Sharks played the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday.