News Clips 3-17-15

FROM LAKINGSINSIDER.COM

MARCH 16, 2015 11:53 PM MARCH 16 POSTGAME NOTES

-With the win, Los Angeles improved to 83-96-33 all-time against the Arizona franchise, a record that includes a home mark of 47-42-16. The Kings are 9-2-0 in their last 11 home games against the Coyotes and finished the season with a 3-0-1 head-to-head record. -Los Angeles improved to 21-10-9 against the Western Conference and 12-4-6 against the Pacific Division. -The Kings have now won 12 of 34 one-goal games this season (12-9-13). -With the win, the Kings have tied the most points at home (51) through 37 games in team history (also 1990-91). -Andy Andreoff’s game-winning goal was his first NHL goal and point. – Jonathan Quick registered his sixth shutout of the season and 37th shutout of his career. The 37 shutouts are tied for the fourth most among active goals with Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury. Dating back to February 7th, Quick has posted a 13-3-1 record in the 17 games he has played with a .933 Sv%, 1.67 GAA and three shutouts. -With a 2-for-2 performance, Los Angeles has killed off 41 of the last 43 penalties, dating back to David Jones’ second period goal in Los Angeles’ 5-3 win over Calgary on February 12. Penalty killing ice time leaders were Drew Doughty (2:55), Robyn Regehr (2:55), Jeff Carter (1:40), Tyler Toffoli (1:30), Anze Kopitar (1:19), Jake Muzzin (1:05),

Matt Greene (1:05), Dustin Brown (1:01) and Dwight King (1:01). -Brayden McNabb played his 100th career NHL game. McNabb (0-1=1) has four points (0-4=4) in the last four games. -Jordan Nolan (0-1=1) tallied his seventh point of the season, three shy of his career-high set last season (6-4=10). -Drew Doughty (27:31 TOI) was the only Kings skater to record 20-plus minutes of ice time. -Los Angeles out-hit Arizona 45-34. Nick Shore finished with a game-high six hits. -The Kings recorded 65 shot attempts (35 on goal, 18 blocked, 12 missed). The Coyotes recorded 42 shot attempts (25 on goal, 11 blocked, 6 missed). Andrej Sekera (4 on goal, 3 blocked) and Drew Doughty (4 on goal, 2 blocked, 1 missed) led all skaters with four shots on goal and seven shot attempts. Jake Muzzin and Jordan Nolan were the only Los Angeles skaters who failed to record a shot on goal. 13 of the Kings’ 35 shots on goal and 30 of their 65 shot attempts were recorded by defensemen. -Los Angeles won 33-of-53 faceoffs (62%). Among regular performers, Anze Kopitar won 13-of-19, Andy Andreoff won 5-of-6, Trevor Lewis won 0-of-1, Nick Shore won 7-of-10 and Jeff Carter won 8-of-16. The Kings are scheduled to practice at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17 at Toyota Sports Center.

MARCH 16, 2015 11:21 PM ZONE ENTRIES VS ARIZONA: MARCH 16

Player Successful entries

Shots generated by entries

Shots per entry

Controlled entries

Shots generated by controlled entries

Shots per controlled entry

% of entries with control

Failed entries

Greene 0 0 0 0 0 0 0% 0 McNabb 6 4 0.67 2 1 0.5 33% 0 Muzzin 2 0 0 0 0 0 0% 0 Sekera 3 0 0 0 0 0 0% 0 Doughty 6 2 0.33 3 2 0.67 50% 0 Kopitar 5 2 0.4 4 2 0.5 80% 0 Gaborik 2 1 0.5 2 1 0.5 100% 0 Clifford 7 4 0.57 3 4 1.33 43% 0 Williams 7 2 0.29 2 1 0.5 29% 0 Lewis 3 2 0.67 2 2 1 67% 0 Brown 6 3 0.5 2 2 1 33% 0 Andreoff 3 2 0.67 0 0 0 0% 0 Shore 5 2 0.4 2 2 1 40% 0 Regehr 3 3 1 0 0 0 0% 0 Nolan 5 3 0.6 2 2 1 40% 0 Toffoli 5 2 0.4 2 1 0.5 40% 0 King 4 0 0 0 0 0 0% 1 Carter 6 4 0.67 5 4 0.8 83% 0 Team 78 36 0.46 31 24 0.77 40% 1 Opp 64 20 0.31 27 16 0.59 42% 3 10/11ARI 68 34 0.5 34 24 0.71 50% 9 10/12WPG 59 31 0.53 33 22 0.67 56% 14 10/16 STL 48 30 0.63 26 15 0.58 54% 7 10/23 BUF 81 50 0.62 45 39 0.87 56% 7 10/26 CBJ 72 31 0.43 34 21 0.62 47% 7 10/30 PIT 61 25 0.41 21 12 0.57 34% 5 10/31 DET 65 27 0.42 24 17 0.71 37% 6 11/2 CAR 72 28 0.39 29 15 0.52 40% 4 11/6 NYI 59 26 0.44 23 16 0.7 39% 5 11/8 VAN 78 39 0.5 48 32 0.67 62% 4 11/12 ANA 58 32 0.55 27 22 0.81 47% 4 11/13 DAL 76 31 0.41 29 21 0.72 38% 6 11/15 ANA 78 28 0.36 40 23 0.58 51% 4 11/20 CAR 65 36 0.55 20 18 0.9 31% 2 11/22 DAL 78 36 0.46 29 18 0.62 37% 2 11/25 NSH 78 36 0.46 29 18 0.62 37% 2 11/26 MIN 59 25 0.42 24 17 0.71 41% 0 11/29 CHI 71 31 0.44 26 18 0.69 37% 5 12/4 ARI 70 34 0.49 36 23 0.64 51% 3 12/6 PHI 67 28 0.42 25 19 0.76 37% 3 12/9 BUF 87 35 0.4 39 27 0.69 45% 3

12/11 OTT 75 32 0.43 26 12 0.46 35% 5 12/12 MTL 64 34 0.53 36 22 0.61 56% 5 12/14 TOR 73 35 0.48 31 21 0.68 42% 7 12/16 STL 59 22 0.37 27 19 0.7 46% 6 12/18 STL 65 32 0.49 28 24 0.86 43% 1 12/20 ARI 68 31 0.46 31 21 0.68 46% 4 12/22 CGY 81 34 0.42 43 24 0.56 53% 1 12/27 SJS 78 26 0.33 34 19 0.56 44% 3 12/29 CGY 81 30 0.37 46 23 0.5 57% 7 12/30EDM 75 38 0.51 29 21 0.72 39% 5 1/1 VAN 79 45 0.57 37 29 0.78 47% 8 1/3 NSH 64 28 0.44 26 16 0.62 41% 8 1/8 NYR 73 31 0.42 32 20 0.63 44% 6 1/10 WPG 61 27 0.44 24 14 0.58 39% 2 1/12 TOR 66 30 0.45 31 21 0.68 47% 2 1/17 ANA 60 29 0.48 24 20 0.83 40% 3 1/19 CGY 57 29 0.51 26 15 0.58 46% 1 1/28 CHI 65 28 0.43 29 18 0.62 45% 7 1/31 BOS 86 37 0.43 43 28 0.65 50% 5 2/3 WAS 79 30 0.38 22 14 0.64 28% 7 2/5 FLA 80 24 0.3 29 15 0.52 36% 11 2/7 TBL 58 30 0.52 30 21 0.7 52% 6 2/9 CBJ 76 37 0.49 35 26 0.74 46% 4 2/12 CGY 75 44 0.59 47 39 0.83 63% 2 2/14 WSH 68 33 0.49 32 23 0.72 47% 3 2/16 TBL 65 30 0.46 39 27 0.69 60% 3 2/24 DET 58 24 0.41 31 16 0.52 53% 3 2/26 OTT 66 38 0.58 35 31 0.89 53% 4 2/27 ANA 70 25 0.36 29 16 0.55 41% 8 3/1 WPG 71 27 0.38 27 12 0.44 38% 5 3/3 EDM 61 29 0.48 27 20 0.74 44% 7 3/5 MTL 63 34 0.54 29 25 0.86 46% 5 3/7 PIT 66 23 0.35 29 15 0.52 44% 6 3/10 COL 63 26 0.41 25 16 0.64 40% 3 3/12 VAN 66 26 0.39 22 8 0.36 33% 4 3/14 NSH 73 31 0.42 33 27 0.82 45% 1 This is an LA Kings Insider project where we track offensive zone entries by the Kings during 5-on-5 play. The shots generated total includes all shots on goal, shot attempts that miss the net and shots that are blocked. The overall goal of this is to have a statistical way of examining whose play is helping to generate the Kings’ offensive attack. Failed attempts include being turned away by the defense, turnovers and when the play goes offsides. Controlled entries are when the puck is carried or passed successfully over the blue line. Successful entries include all controlled entries and times the puck is dumped in. Keep in mind there are a lot of spreadsheets, official and unofficial scoring information and algorithms trying to make this work in concert with the subjective nature in the evaluation of play.

MARCH 16, 2015 11:17 PM MARCH 16 POSTGAME QUOTES:

ANDREOFF, QUICK Andy Andreoff, on the feeling of scoring his first NHL goal: It’s been a long year, so I’m glad I finally got it. Noles made a great play to me for the tap-in, so I was [inaudible]. [Reporter: Did you try to lift it and partially fan on it?]Yeah, I might have been going top shelf there, but whatever. I’ll take one off the shin pad, off my butt, it doesn’t matter as long as it goes in. Andreoff, on scoring the only goal in an important late-season game: Yeah, we know every game from now on is huge, so I’m just happy to get it out of the way, and moving forward from that, we’ve just got to look forward to the next game versus Anaheim and Vancouver, and we’ve got to definitely make sure we get these points. Andreoff, on the reaction when he returned to the bench: I think everyone was pretty happy for me. It’s already March, so it’s nice to get it out of the way. But all the guys congratulated me so far. Andreoff, on whether he “blacked out” after the puck crossed the goal line: Yeah, I kind of blacked out. I couldn’t really hear anything. I was just shocked. [Reporter: Relief, though?] Yeah, I definitely got the monkey off my back. I was very relieved I finally [scored]. Andreoff, on scoring a goal amidst battling for playing time: It’s a dream come true, you know. Everyone’s always wanting to get their first NHL goal, [and] I’ve worked pretty hard to get to where I am, so I’m glad I’ve got it. Andreoff, on what he recalled of the play: I saw Nolan battle in the corner there. He’s a good playmaker, so he would either put it in or give it to me, so he gave it to me for a back-door tap-in. Andreoff, on who gets to keep the puck:

I’m sure we’ll share it. I said thank you to him about 10 times, so I was very happy for that. Jonathan Quick, on whether he expected the fight for a playoff spot would be this intense: Yeah, I don’t think a team has clinched a playoff spot yet so I think you expect it. That’s how it is every year. [Reporter: Why has the journey this year been so difficult?] I think every year is difficult. It’s not easy, it’s a tough league. There is a lot of parity in both conferences, so I don’t think it’s any more difficult than it is in previous years. It’s certainly not any easier than it is in previous years. Quick, on whether he felt fatigued heading into the game: No, I felt good. Quick, on how he maintained his level of focus throughout the game: You prepare the same way for every game. So it’s no different. Quick, on whether the style of games is different from earlier in the season: I wouldn’t say it’s much different, no. Maybe it turns into a little bit more of a physical game. That usually doesn’t concern what I have to do. I’m not getting hit or giving hits or anything like that. It’s tough in October and November. It’s tough then too, it’s a tough league from start to finish. Quick, on whether the penalty kill has helped key their recent success: Yeah, it’s something that we always try to get better at, something you need playing well if you’re going to have success this time of year and in the postseason.

MARCH 16, 2015 11:00 PM

MARCH 16 POSTGAME QUOTES: ARIZONA Dave Tippett, on his team’s play: I thought we competed hard. We need to make some plays or compete in areas where you win pucks and beat somebody to score in this game. We didn’t win enough puck battles or make a play that made a difference. That being said, there’s lots of try in our group. Our group tries hard and Smitty

gave us a very strong game. That’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get the play made we needed to get it equalized. Tippett, on whether he was happy with his team’s defensive effort: We tried hard. We blocked a lot of shots, they had lots of try. Everybody has tries, it’s what you do after that. You’ve got to score goals in this league to win and we expect to play hard and we expect to defend well and we expect Smitty to play well in goal. We also expect to score goals and when you don’t, it’s frustrating. Tippett, on how he is keeping his players motivated: In our situation right now, I said it this morning, for all the players on our team, it doesn’t matter if they’re young or old, now is the time you’re either part of the solution moving forward or you’re part of the problem. This is our evaluation to figure out where everybody is. Shane Doan, on whether he is frustrated with the lack of scoring: Yeah, obviously we don’t have a lot of scoring. I think that’s pretty obvious. [Reporter: Are you encouraged by anything you’re doing to generate opportunities to score?] Yeah, we’re getting some decent opportunities and hopefully some people can start scoring, myself included. People that are supposed to score aren’t scoring and we don’t have a lot of scoring. That’s the situation we’re in. Doan, on what was said during the intermissions: Just get that next one and we’ll see if we can find the first one, we can get some momentum and get excited but we never found it. Quick made a couple nice on the power play where we had some good opportunities but didn’t bury it. Give him credit, he’s a good goalie. Mike Smith, on whether he was surprised by Los Angeles’ play: No, obviously everyone knew what was on the line for them and we were trying to play spoiler and it didn’t work out tonight.

Smith, on Andy Andreoff’s goal: It was kind of a broken play through the neutral zone. It kind of got swatted around there a few times and ended up in our end. It ends up kind of backdoor and I don’t even think he meant to shoot it there. I think he fanned on it a little bit, but it gets through me and it’s the only one they need. So it’s obviously frustrating.

MARCH 16, 2015 10:56 PM MARCH 16 POSTGAME QUOTES: DARRYL

SUTTER Opening statement: Happy St. Patrick’s Day. See any good Irishmen in here? Half-Irish? On whether it’s good to see a player score his first NHL goal: Yeah, obviously it is. Not many players get a chance of playing in the National Hockey League or scoring a goal, so good for him. Hopefully he’s got lots of game-winners left in him. On whether he was “pleased” with what he saw after adjusting the lines: We made some line changes during the game. On the team’s performance: I thought we worked hard. I thought we had good focus. It’s tough scoring playing a team that’s a tough checking team. Talked to the players about [Arizona] coming off a five-game home stand and every game that they played in those five games was one-nothing going into the third. They can check. They’ve always been known for that, and you had to be patient but you had to have some balance in it. On the importance of getting into a low-scoring “habit” with so many tight checking games: Jeez, I think we’ve played as well as we can since the All-Star break, and we’ve played really well and hopefully we can continue to. You don’t always win. On whether he has any different approach given the tight late season standing: For me? Not too much. Get some sleep tonight,

practice tomorrow and go to Anaheim the next day. On whether he remembers his first NHL goal: I know it was against Rogie when he played for Detroit. That’s all I can remember. That’s a long time ago.

MARCH 16, 2015 7:07 PM GAME 69: LOS ANGELES VS ARIZONA

Los Angeles Kings 1, Arizona Coyotes 0 Final Radio Feed LA Kings Insider Preview Boxscore Ice Tracker SOG: LAK – 35; ARI – 25 PP: LAK – 0/3; ARI – 0/2 First Period No scoring Second Period 1) LAK – Andy Andreoff (1) (Jordan Nolan, Brayden McNabb), 18:55 Third Period No scoring Los Angeles Kings (33-22-13) vs Arizona Coyotes (21-40-8) Monday, March 16, 2015, 7:30 p.m. PT Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA Referees: #34 Brad Meier, #27 Eric Furlatt Linesmen: #98 John Grandt, #92 Mark Shewchyk FOX Sports West, Sportsnet, KABC 790 AM LAK starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Brayden McNabb, D Andrej Sekera, LW Trevor Lewis, C Jeff Carter, RW Tyler Toffoli LAK scratches: D Jamie McBain, F Jarret Stoll ARI starters: ARI scratches:

MARCH 16, 2015 4:36 PM GAME 69 PREVIEW: LOS ANGELES VS

ARIZONA Los Angeles Kings (33-22-13) vs Arizona Coyotes (21-40-8) Monday, March 16, 2015, 7:30 p.m. PT Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA Referees: #34 Brad Meier, #27 Eric Furlatt Linesmen: #98 John Grandt, #92 Mark Shewchyk FOX Sports West, Sportsnet, KABC 790 AM Los Angeles Projected Starting Goaltender – Jonathan Quick 2014-15: 59 GP (58 GS) / 29-18-11 record / 2.32 GAA / .914 Sv% / 5 SHO Career vs Arizona: 32 (32) / 15-13-4 / 2.58 / .906 / 5 Last Game vs Arizona: 12/20/14 / 60 MP / 15-17 shots / 4-2 W 2014-15, Home: 33 (32) / 19-7-6 / 2.06 / .921 / 4 Arizona Projected Starting Goaltender – Mike Smith 2014-15: 51 GP (50 GS) / 11-34-5 record / 3.24 GAA / .898 Sv% / 0 SHO Career vs Los Angeles: 18 (18) / 11-5-1 / 2.26 / .925 / 2 Last Game vs Los Angeles: 12/4/14 / 36 MP / 17-20 shots / 0-4 L 2014-15, Away: 24 (24) / 5-17-2 / 3.32 / .898 / 0 2014-15 Los Angeles Leaders Total Points: Jeff Carter (24-28=52), Anze Kopitar (14-38=52) Goals: Jeff Carter (24-28=52) Assists: Anze Kopitar (14-38=52) Plus/Minus: Tyler Toffoli (+20; 20-21=41) Penalty Minutes: Kyle Clifford (83; 6-7=13) Time On Ice: Drew Doughty (29:22; 5-34=39) Corsi-For Percentage: Anze Kopitar (58.4%; 14-38=52) 2014-15 Arizona Leaders Total Points: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (17-16=33), Sam Gagner (12-21=33) Goals: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (17-16=33) Assists: Sam Gagner (12-21=33) Plus/Minus: John Moore (+1; 1-6=7) Penalty Minutes: Kyle Chipchura (80; 4-8=12)

Time On Ice: Oliver Ekman-Larsson (24:5317-16=33) Corsi-For Percentage: Martin Erat (53.4%; 9-20=29) Rankings and Statistics Goals/Game: LAK – 17 / 2.69; ARI – 29 / 2.03 Goals Against/Game: LAK – 8 / 2.43; ARI – 28 / 3.26 Power Play: LAK – t-11 / 18.8%; ARI – 7 / 20.8% Penalty Kill: LAK – 15 / 81.2%; ARI – 26 / 78.0% Shots/Game: LAK – 13 / 30.6; ARI – 21 / 29.4 Shots Against/Game: LAK – 1 / 26.9; ARI – t-25 / 32.4 Faceoffs: LAK – t-10 / 51.4%; ARI – 7 / 51.9% Save Percentage: LAK – t-14 / .910; ARI – 28 / .900 Corsi-For Percentage: LAK – 1 / 54.9%; ARI – 22 / 49.1% Los Angeles Projected Lines Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown Trevor Lewis – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli Dwight King – Nick Shore – Justin Williams Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – Jordan Nolan Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty Jake Muzzin – Matt Greene Brayden McNabb – Andrej Sekera Jonathan Quick Martin Jones Level of confidence in projected lines: A. Jonathan Quick left the ice first, so he’ll start. Jarret Stoll (upper-body) hasn’t resumed skating and remains out indefinitely. Alec Martinez (concussion-like symptoms) skated at practice but is still a short ways away from returning to the lineup. Tanner Pearson (lower fibula) took the ice at the end of practice, but his return isn’t imminent. Jamie McBain remained on the ice for extra work with Martinez, Pearson and Martin Jones and isn’t expected to play tonight. Notes and milestones: Los Angeles is 82-96-33 all-time against the Arizona franchise, a record that includes a home mark of 46-42-16. The Kings are 8-2-0 in their last 10 home games against the Coyotes and 2-0-1 overall against the Coyotes this season. Tonight’s game concludes the season

series.. … Los Angeles is 20-10-9 against the Western Conference and 11-4-6 against the Pacific Division. … The Kings have won 11 of 33 one-goal games this season (11-9-13). … Los Angeles has killed off 39 of the last 41 penalties, dating back to David Jones’ second period goal in Los Angeles’ 5-3 win over Calgary on February 12. … Brayden McNabb is expected to play in his 100th NHL game. … With 598 career points, Anze Kopitar (216-382=598) is two points shy of 600 in his career and with 382 assists, is two assists shy of Butch Goring (384 assists) for sixth place on the Kings’ all-time list. … With six goals, Kyle Clifford is one goal from tying his career high (7; 2010-11, 2012-13). … Marian Gaborik has 22 goals and 32 points in 33 career games against Arizona. … Anze Kopitar has 53 points (15-38=53) in 52 career games against Arizona. Arizona Projected Lines Tobias Rieder – Marc Arcobello – Shane Doan Martin Erat – Sam Gagner – David Moss Lauri Korpikoski – Kyle Chipchura – Craig Cunningham Tye McGinn – Joe Vitale – BJ Crombeen Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Mark Stone Klas Dahlbeck – John Moore Brandon Gormley – Connor Murphy Mike Smith Louis Domingue Notes and milestones: Lines via Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic … Martin Hanzal (IR / back surgery) and Mikkel Boedker (IR / splenectomy) are out, while defenseman Andrew Campbell is expected to be scratched, per McLellan. … Kyle Chipchura is expected to play his 400th career NHL game tonight. … Arizona’s 24.7% road power play percentage ranks second in the league. The Coyotes are tied with Columbus and Chicago with 23 road power play goals, the third highest total in the league. … Mike Smith has stopped 163 of 175 shots through five games in March (.931 Sv%). … Shane Doan has 77 points (36-41=77) in 100 career games against Los Angeles. The 77 points are the most Doan has recorded versus any NHL opponent. With 1,382 career games played, Doan is tied with Trevor Linden for 38th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list. Only Jaromir Jagr (1,536 games) has

played more games than Doan amongst active players. … Oliver Ekman-Larsson leads the Coyotes and ranks second amongst league defensemen with 17 goals this season. … Arizona is 1-13-1 in its last 15 games. Over the last 18 games, the Coyotes have scored more than two goals twice (excluding shootout goals), and their two wins have come via the shootout.

MARCH 16, 2015 3:47 PM TOFFOLI, NOLAN PREVIEW TONIGHT’S

GAME AGAINST ARIZONA What began as a story on several Kings facing friend and former teammate Andrew Campbell never materialized. As it turns out, Campbell, who has logged 21 minutes in each of the last three games, isn’t likely to play tonight. It’s a shame, because several Kings were at his wedding last summer and were looking forward to playing against the player known as “Soup.” Instead, get prepared for tonight’s tilt against the Coyotes by reading these Tyler Toffoli and Jordan Nolan quotes. Tyler Toffoli, on whether the new personnel on Arizona makes preparation challenging: No, it’s just the same stuff. We have to be worried about our game and tonight’s a huge game, big points for us on the line, division game and we have to be ready. Toffoli, on whether scoring 20 goals has a special meaning for him: I think it’s a big goal, but at this part of the season we’re fighting for a playoff spot right now and we’ve got to win some games. Toffoli, on whether he enjoys contributing in a key role for the team: I’m just trying to help the team win games and do whatever I can. Personal success doesn’t really mean a whole lot if you’re not winning big games. The rest of the season, all these games are big. We need two points every night. Toffoli, on having new line combinations at the morning skate:

We’re just trying to find ways to score goals and it’s not like we haven’t been doing a good job, but we just have to get to the dirty areas and work hard tonight and keep our feet moving. Good things are going to happen. Toffoli, on whether this part of the season is fun: It’s the best time of year. These games are huge and all of them are playoff atmosphere games. Last game was a lot of fun and tonight’s another big game for us, division game. Toffoli, on his chemistry with Jeff Carter on the penalty kill: Just putting a lot of pressure on them. Like I said the other day, when you’re putting a lot of pressure on and they’re not getting time to set up and make plays, it’s difficult to score goals when you’re on the power play. So that’s what I’ve been doing, putting pressure up ice and not allowing them, or trying to not allow them, to setup for their breakouts and what they want to do. [Reporter: It’s almost like putting on your work boots and getting in the trenches.] It’s what you have to do. Toffoli, on whether he is excited to play against Andrew Campbell: Yeah, it’s always fun playing with Soup. I only played with him for a little bit, but he’s such a good teammate and it’ll be good to see him and it’s good that he’s doing well. Toffoli, on what Andrew Campbell was like as a captain in Manchester: He was one of the more honest guys that you could have as a teammate. He’s a good leader, good guy in the room and he left it all on the ice. He blocked shots, he did it all for the team. Jordan Nolan, on what Andrew Campbell was like as a teammate: He was a great teammate. He was always vocal in the room, always helped the young guys. I think my first year me, Kinger, Muzz and Soupy all lived together for the first two seasons. He just kind of showed us the way, the American League life and he was a good pal. Nolan, on the team having Campbell take a lap

on the ice in warm-ups of his NHL debut: It was pretty special. Anytime you see a guy play his first NHL game, it’s a special moment. Knowing how hard he worked and how long he waited to play that game, I’m actually pretty proud of the guy. Now he’s making his way there in Phoenix. Nolan, on whether Campbell being “just another opponent” when the puck drops: Definitely. I think in the preseason he might have taken a run at me a little bit, so I’ll try to get him back tonight.

MARCH 16, 2015 2:06 PM CARTER’S SUMMER TRAINING LEADING

TO STRONG SEASONS Jeff Carter’s routine has become – well, routine. With Jarret Stoll’s injury, Carter became the club’s active Iron Man. He’s a ways away from passing Anze Kopitar’s club record of 330 consecutive games played, but when he suits up tonight, he’ll do so for the 126th consecutive regular season game. Carter, who celebrated his 30th birthday on January 1, leads the team with 24 goals and is tied with Kopitar for the club lead with 52 points. Part of that success is due to sturdy preparation, excellent conditioning as part of a replicable approach. Like clockwork, he’s also among the first players to arrive in the morning. “Yeah, he’s here early,” Darryl Sutter said. “There’s a handful of ‘em.” With an appreciated off-season regimen that becomes all the more impressive during the club’s truncated summers of late, it’s not any type of surprise that he has a three-digit consecutive games played streak and is tied for the club lead in points. “It’s not just putting time in,” Sutter added. “You’ve got to put good time in, and to be here early and to stay late is not always necessarily productive. If you’re here to help out with your own preparation or performance, then good.”

Carter has done just that. His off-season preparation – even amidst prior labor uncertainty – has been a model for younger players to replicate. On the ice, it’s apparent he hasn’t lost a step at all, even as a tricenarian. “I think from his time here – obviously I didn’t know Jeff before – but from his time here, he’s put quality training in in the summer, which has allowed him to be more productive during the regular season. The regular season for guys like that who play a lot is stay healthy and maintenance. So touch wood again, he’s missed about 10 games a year for the last few years, and those are contact injuries,” Sutter said. “But in terms of the role model and the training and all that, I mean that’s why he’ll continue to be a top player, and that’s why other guys in his age group don’t – because they drop off.”

MARCH 16, 2015 12:53 PM MARCH 16 MORNING SKATE QUOTES:

DARRYL SUTTER On Arizona incorporating younger players: I think they’ve used young guys similar to the way we have. Obviously they’re looking to see if they can be a part of their development next year, and we’re looking to see if some of these guys can be a part of our development this year. On former King Andrew Campbell: They’ve moved a lot of defensemen out. It’s the land of opportunity when you’re a team that’s not in the playoff race, so it’s a chance for Andrew Campbell to see if he can play in the NHL next year. On whether he likes what he’s seen from the young players on the Kings: You know what? I said it last game…The guys who are going in, you look at our record with them in the lineup. If you’re just a .500 player, then you’re not a playoff team. You know what? The kids that we’ve put in, the young guys who we put in aren’t looked on as great offensive players, or they certainly haven’t proven it at this level, so if they’re going to play, even though some of them have been here a

while, if they’re going to play serious minutes for us, then we better win and they better produce, and they better have a role that they embrace. On whether he spoke to Mike Richards while he was at the facility: No. It’s not my department. Any information that you can gather, you won’t gather it through me. On having tweaked lines at practice: We’ve got guys who haven’t scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games, whatever it is, and some of them have had zero scoring opportunities for the last five as individuals. So, you know what? We’ll leave Jeff and Tyler together and leave Kopi and Gabby together and let everybody else see where they can play. [Reporter: With Gabby and Kopi, what have you seen from them? Have they been showing bits of chemistry here and they hadn’t-] I think they always have chemistry. I think they’ve had seasons where they’ve been in and out of the lineup, and probably until Christmas not being able to settle in to what type of players they were, and I don’t like talking about it because I want ‘em to play the next game. [Reporter: One of ‘em won’t play next game?] Well, if I talk about it, they won’t. Look how much it’s affected our record by those guys not being in the lineup or not playing toegehter. It has a dramatic effect. The story that Jeff and Tyler – it’s a good story, that they’ve carried us off and on all year – the reason that you’re saying that is because of Kopi and Gabby not being consistent and productive together. You know what? When Gabby’s leading our team in power play goals – and we need him to do that – if you look at, based on games played, he’s what, a 30-to-40 goal scorer. So if we had every game, then we’d be probably better off. And if you look at Kopi’s numbers, they’re down from his career [averages], so you know what? At the end of the day you’re going to say with the guys you expected to get numbers out of, what are we getting, and what did we get?

MARCH 16, 2015 11:39 AM

MARCH 16 MORNING SKATE NOTES As always, a very good morning to you and yours, Insiders. Before we get down to the nitty gritty,

here’s your Daryl Evans update: -The Kings’ radio color commentator worked at a slightly slower pace with a running partner at yesterday’s L.A. Marathon, completing the 26.2 mile journey in just under five and a half hours. He has skated already this morning and plans on going for another run later this afternoon. Daryl’s weekend plan of attack? He ate a full cheese pizza after Saturday’s Kings game, fell asleep at around 12:30 a.m., woke up at around 4:00, ate a banana, drank a bottle of water, and hit the ground running, literally. In case you’ve forgotten, Daryl doesn’t sleep. Lines at today’s morning skate: Gaborik – Kopitar – Brown Lewis – Carter – Toffoli King – Shore – Williams Clifford – Andreoff – Nolan Regehr – Doughty Muzzin – Greene McNabb – Sekera Martinez – McBain Notes: -Jonathan Quick left the ice first and is expected to start tonight against Arizona. The Kings will factor into a completely different standings battle tonight: The Connor McDavid Sweepstakes. Calgary, Winnipeg, Minnesota, San Jose and Vancouver are off, though Arizona, Buffalo, Toronto and Edmonton all play. The Coyotes are 1-13-1 in their last 15 games; their two wins over the last 18 games have come in shootouts. -The forward lines have been tweaked. “We’ve got guys who haven’t scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games, whatever it is, and some of them have had zero scoring opportunities for the last five as individuals,” Darryl Sutter said. “We’ll leave Jeff and Tyler together and leave Kopi and Gabby together and let everybody else see where they can play.” -Jarret Stoll did not take the ice, and there is no further update on his status, other than that he continues to be monitored by the club. Alec Martinez was partnered with Jamie McBain at the

morning skate but isn’t expected to play tonight, while Tanner Pearson joined the group late into the session as he continues to skate every other day. McBain and Stoll are expected to be scratched tonight, while Martinez and Pearson remain on injured reserve. -Players were happy to see that former King and longtime Machester Monarch Andrew Campbell has been given a wide opportunity with the Coyotes. Several current players were at his wedding last summer. Campbell has hit the 21-minute mark in each of the last three games. -For the Coyotes, forward Mikkel Boedker (splenectomy) and center Martin Hanzal (back surgery) are out for the season.

MARCH 16, 2015 8:47 AM KINGS, LOMBARDI HONORED AT L.A.

SPORTS AWARDS The Los Angeles Kings were recognized with a pair of honors at the 10th Annual LA Sports Awards Sunday night, as the club’s Stanley Cup triumph in double overtime over the New York Rangers on June 13 was named Los Angeles’ top sports moment of the year, and Dean Lombardi received the Sports Executive of the Year award. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Angels outfielder Mike Trout were honored as 2014’s Sportsmen of the Year, while U.S. figure skating champion Gracie Gold was named the Sportswoman of the year. Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers was named the Coach of the Year. The overall Top 10 moments are selected by a media panel combined with results of online fan voting and are presented by the Los Angeles Sports Council to honor the top athletic achievements of the year in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. The Kings-Ducks Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium was selected as the eighth best “moment.” Via the LA Sports Council, a “moment” can be a specific instant in time (a winning goal, hit or shot),

an individual or team milestone, an upset victory, a remarkable game or series of games, a special event or a career achievement. Nominated moments must have taken place in the local area or have involved a local athlete or team. Fox Sports Prime Ticket will televise the ceremony on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 pm PST. More airings will follow. The top 10 moments, courtesy of the Los Angeles Sports Council: 1. Kings Win Stanley Cup—By defeating the New York Rangers 3-2 in double overtime of Game 5 at Staples Center, the Kings won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years by winning a remarkable seven straight elimination games during the playoffs (June 13). 2. Clayton Kershaw Wins National League Cy Young and MVP Awards—With a won-loss record of 21-3, including a June 18 no-hitter against the Rockies, and an ERA of 1.77—the lowest in baseball in 14 years—Kershaw was a unanimous selection as NL Cy Young Award winner as well as the first pitcher to win the NL MVP Award since 1968 (November 12 and 13). 3. California Chrome Wins Kentucky Derby and Preakness—Local favorite California Chrome (he trained at Los Alamitos) won the first two legs of horse racing’s Triple Crown under jockey Victor Espinoza and might have won the third had he not suffered a heel injury at the start of the Belmont Stakes (May 3 and 17). 4. Landon Donovan Sets MLS Scoring Record, Wins All-Star Honors and Retires as a Champion—In a final season befitting his stature as the greatest-ever American soccer player, Donovan set the MLS scoring record by notching his 135th career goal, was named the MVP of the MLS All-Star Game after scoring the winning goal against Bayern Munich, and ending his playing career by helping the Galaxy defeat New England to win the MLS Cup (May 25, August 6 and December 7). 5. Gracie Gold Wins U.S. National Figure Skating

Title, followed by Olympic Bronze in Sochi—In Boston, Gold’s first national championship title propelled her to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, where she clinched a bronze medal for the USA in the team event by nailing all 11 of the jumps in her long program (January 11 and February 9). 6. Galaxy Win MLS Cup—The Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution in extra time, 2-1, to earn their third Major League Soccer championship in the last four years and fifth all-time, at StubHub Center (December 7). 7. Steve Ballmer Buys the Clippers—Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer purchased the Clippers from Shelly Sterling for $2 billion, one of the highest prices ever paid for a North American professional sports franchise (August 12). 8. Ducks, Kings Face Off at Dodger Stadium in L.A.’s First-Ever Outdoor Hockey Game—The

participating teams walked between the palm trees and through the Dodger Stadium outfield to get to the rink as the Ducks defeated the Kings, 3-0, as part of the NHL’s Stadium Series (January 25). 9. Mike Trout Wins American League MVP Award—In combining offensive firepower (36 home runs; leading the league in runs scored and runs batted in) and spectacular defense, the 23-year-old Trout was a unanimous choice as AL MVP and is the third Angel to ever win the award (Don Baylor and Vladimir Guerrero are the others) (November 13). 10. Kobe Bryant, Passing Michael Jordan, Becomes 3rd Leading Scorer in NBA History—With a pair of free throws against the Timberwolves at Minnesota, Bryant passed Michael Jordan on the all-time NBA scoring list with 32,293 points, trailing only Karl Malone and all-time leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (December 14).

FROM LAKINGS.COM Andreoff's first, Quick's shutout lead Kings past Coyotes Andy Andreoff nets his first-career NHL goal, the game-winner, Monday night Monday, 03.16.2015 / 11:04 PM PT / Los Angeles Kings | News By Alex Kinkopf - LAKings.com LOS ANGELES – Jonathan Quick’s second shutout in three games led the Kings to a 1-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes Monday night at STAPLES Center. The Coyotes came into the night as the second-worst offensive team in the NHL, and the Kings defensive corps did a fantastic job in keeping Arizona’s forwards quiet in what was a critical win as the postseason draws nearer. In picking up the two points Monday night, the Kings surpassed the Winnipeg Jets, once again reclaiming the Western Conference’s second and final wild-card playoff spot. “We worked hard, we had some good focus,” Darryl Sutter said following the win. “It was tough scoring, we were playing a team that was a tough checking team. I talked to our players about [the Coyotes] coming off a five-game home stand; every game that they played in those five games was 1-0 going into the third period, so they can check.” Although Arizona tried to slow down the Kings with their physicality, the Kings controlled much of the play throughout the night, but were only able to beat the Coyotes’ Mike Smith for one goal – that coming off the stick of rookie Andy Andreoff, the first of his NHL career. Late in the second period, Jordan Nolan outskated Arizona defenders as he hounded on a puck dumped into the Coyotes’ zone. Once Nolan got possession, he spun off the play to create time and space, then immediately found Andreoff with a cross-ice pass. Andreoff, with time, after sinking to Mike Smith’s back-door undetected, beat Smith through the five-hole upon receiving Nolan’s pass. “I kind of blacked out, I couldn’t really hear anything,” Andreoff said of scoring his first goal. “I was just shocked. I got the monkey off my back; I was definitely relieved. It’s a dream come true, everyone wants to get their first NHL goal. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am and I’m glad I got it.” Brayden McNabb registered the secondary assist on Andreoff’s goal, giving him four points (4A) in his last four games. Jordan Nolan, with the primary assist, now has seven points (4G, 3A) on the season – three shy of his career high of 10, which he set last season. With Andreoff’s marker, the Kings took a 1-0 lead into the third period. This time, the Kings were able to hold onto their slim lead – something they were unable to do against the Nasvhille Predators on Saturday night. The Kings’ defense, in front of a confident Jonathan Quick, didn’t allow the Coyotes many prime scoring opportunities, consistently keeping Arizona’s forwards to the perimeter throughout the evening. In killing off both of Arizona’s power plays Monday night, the Kings’ penalty kill has now been successful in 41 of their opponents’ last 43 man-advantage situations dating back to February 12. Quick’s shutout Monday night gives him six on the season, and 37 in his NHL career.

The Kings finished their season series against the Coyotes with a 3-0-1 mark, earning seven of a possible eight points in meetings against Arizona. Andy Andreoff (1G), Brayden McNabb (1A), and Jordan Nolan (1A) led all Kings players in points scored (1), Andrej Sekera and Drew Doughty in shots taken (4), Nick Shore in hits delivered (6), Robyn Regehr in shots blocked (4), and Drew Doughty in minutes played (27:31). Jonathan Quick made 25 saves in the win. With the win, the Kings’ record improves to 34-22-13; their mark on home ice at STAPLES Center jumps to 22-8-7. The Kings will venture out to Orange County on Wednesday night to play the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center before returning home Saturday afternoon; the puck is slated to drop just after 7:00PM PT. Kings, in need of points, host struggling Coyotes The Kings finish their season series with Arizona tonight in need of a win Monday, 03.16.2015 / 12:09 PM PT / Los Angeles Kings | News By Alex Kinkopf - LAKings.com COYOTES (21-40-8) at KINGS (33-22-13) 7:30PM PT, TV: FOX SPORTS WEST; RADIO: AM 790 KABC COYOTE FINALE: Tonight marks the fourth and final meeting with the Coyotes this season; the Kings are 2-0-1 in their three meetings against Arizona. The Coyotes are on a one-game road trip; they’ve lost their last four games, and are coming off of a 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. The Kings are finishing their two-game home stand tonight; they’re coming off of a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday night. ARIZONA STRUGGLES: The Coyotes have had a rather difficult season; they come into the night with the third-worst record in the NHL, sitting only above the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers with 50 points. The Coyotes are 2-14-2 in their previous 18 games, both wins during that span coming in a shootout. The Kings have earned five of a possible six points in their three meetings with Arizona this season, can they pocket another two tonight in their final game against the Coyotes this season? LINEUP NOTES: Jarret Stoll will sit out his second straight game with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Jonathan Quick left the ice first at today’s morning skate and is expected to start. Alec Martinez and Tanner Pearson continue to slowly recover from their injuries, but there is no timetable on their returns. Per Jon Rosen, who attended the Kings’ morning skate, here’s how tonight’s line combinations should pan out: GABORIK – KOPITAR – BROWN ��� LEWIS – CARTER – TOFFOLI ��� KING – SHORE – WILLIAMS��� CLIFFORD – ANDREOFF – NOLAN ���(STOLL)��� -----------------------��� REGEHR – DOUGHTY ��� MUZZIN – GREENE��� MCNABB – SEKERA ��� (MARTINEZ - MCBAIN) PLAYOFF PICTURE: Tonight’s contest presents another huge two points for the taking, as the Kings find themselves outside of the Western Conference’s playoff picture. With 79 points, the Kings are one point behind the Winnipeg Jets for the second and final wild-card spot. The Kings are two points behind the Calgary Flames for the Pacific Division’s third seed, and three points behind the Vancouver Canucks for second in the Pacific.

Can the Kings keep pace in the standings with a win tonight? SMITH APPROACH: The Coyotes have struggled with their goaltending ever since trading Devan Dubnyk to the Minnesota Wild on January 14. Dubnyk started two of the Coyotes’ three games against the Kings this season before being dealt, and filled in for relief of Mike Smith in the other meeting. Smith has dropped 12 of his last 13 decisions, and comes into the night with a 11-34-5 record, posting a .898 SV% and a 3.24 GAA. It is unclear whether or not Smith will start tonight; rookie goaltender Louis Domingue has served as Smith’s backup since the Dubnyk trade, but has only started two games. THE LAST TIME AROUND: In the Coyotes’ previous visit to STAPLES Center on December 20, the Kings came away with a 4-2 victory. Jeff Carter scored two goals, including the game-winner early in the third period. Marian Gaborik and Trevor Lewis also scored. Jonathan Quick made 15 saves in the win. WE’RE DOING IT LIVE: Catch the KINGS LIVE pregame show at 7:00 on FOX SPORTS WEST, followed with Bob and Jim on the live play-by-play from STAPLES Center for puck drop just after 7:30PM PT. And The Awards Go To … Team success and individual honors go hand-in-hand for the Kings Monday, 03.16.2015 / 10:47 AM PT / Los Angeles Kings | News By Doug Ward - Special to LAKings.com As the rafters of STAPLES Center become the focal point of semi-regular Stanley Cup banner unfurling ceremonies, it’s no coincidence that the mantles of Kings players are becoming cluttered with some of the most prestigious hardware in sports. Hockey may be the ultimate team sport, but, as any cliché-loving coach will tell you, in order to win, you need your best players to be your best players. That time-honored piece of coach-speak provides a nice shorthand on how the Kings have become the kings of the NHL. Indeed, their best players have been among the NHL’s best. To see the connection between a singular player coming up big and a team reaping the benefits, look no further than Jonathan Quick’s Milford, CT, home, or Justin Williams’ off-season place in New Jersey; both abodes are home to multiple replica Stanley Cups and a replica Conn Smythe Trophy. If you’re still bitter that the 1974-75 Hart Trophy was awarded to Philadelphia’s Bobby Clarke instead of the Kings’ Rogie Vachon, take heart. Time, the presence of the Great Wayne Gretzky in a Kings’ uniform for seven-and-a-half seasons, and the skills of Dean Lombardi and predecessor Dave Taylor as talent evaluators, have brought both honor and honors to Los Angeles. Quick -- who also claimed the 2013-14 William Jennings Trophy as the goaltender for the team that allows the fewest goals -- and Williams aren’t the only Kings whose trophy cases have burgeoned while the Stanley Cup has made Los Angeles its western home: Captain Dustin Brown was the 2013-14 recipient of the Mark Messier Leadership Award. The Stanley Cup era trophy dash has made the Kings players, not only on the ice, but at the league’s annual awards ceremony in Las Vegas. Over the course of the franchise’s history, a member of the Kings has had his name inscribed on one of the NHL’s top trophies 19 times over the years, led by Conn Smythe winners Quick and Williams.

While Gretzky was sharing the puck to the tune of 1,963 assists in Los Angeles, he was hoarding NHL hardware, taking it home seven times while becoming the franchise’s only NHL MVP when he claimed the 1988-89 Hart Trophy. Additionally, Gretzky’s LA awards haul includes three Lady Byng Trophies (1990-91, 91-92, 93-94), and three Art Ross Trophies as the NHL’s leading scoring in three seasons, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94. The only other King to earn the Art Ross Trophy was Marcel Dionne in 1979-80, who ironically tied with Gretzky (then an Edmonton Oiler) for the scoring league with 137 points, but was awarded the scoring title and Ross Trophy by virtue of having scored more goals (53 to 51) than Gretzky. Rob Blake (1997-98) remains the lone King to win the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman, while Luc Robitaille (1986-87) is the franchise’s only Calder Trophy honoree as Rookie of the Year. Meanwhile Bob Pulford (1974-75) holds the team’s sole Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year. Three Kings -- Butch Goring (1977-78), Bob Bourne (1987-88) and Dave Taylor (1990-91) -- were honored with the Bill Masterston Memorial Trophy, for best exemplifying perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The Kings’ award winners may soon have added company. As the second half of the 2014-15 inches its way toward the postseason, the Kings have several players in contention to come up winners when the awards are presented in Las Vegas. VEZINA TROPHY No King has ever won the Vezina Trophy, presented annually to the league’s most outstanding goaltender, but Jonathan Quick ranks among league-leaders in shutouts, goals against average and save percentage, making him a top contender. A Vezina would be a nice addition to a resume that includes two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy. If Nashville’s Pekka Rinne, the early favorite, Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury or Montreal’s Carey Price derail Quick’s hopes this season, the 29-year-old has plenty of time to add this award to his burgeoning collection. CALDER TROPHY After scoring four goals and recording eight points in last spring’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, winger Tanner Pearson got off to a fast start with seven goals in his first eight games to take the early lead as the NHL’s top rookie. Despite remaining near the top of the list among NHL rookie goal-scorers for much of the first half of the season, Pearson’s pace slowed and then the injury hit. Robitaille remains the only King to win this award. NORRIS TROPHY Drew Doughty was a finalist for the Norris Trophy, emblematic of the league’s top defenseman, as a 20-year-old back in 2009-10, and the rearguard has appeared to be on a collision course for the honor ever since. Will this be the season Doughty breaks through? If it is, voters will need to overlook scoring stats and place a premium on ice time; Doughty, who logged a record 747:33 minutes of ice time in last year’s playoffs and would have been a deserving Conn Smythe Trophy recipient were it not for the heroics of Williams, has led the league in ice time (nearly 30 minutes per game) all season. Doughty faces a crowded field that includes Nashville’s Shea Weber, Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang, Calgary’s Mark Giordano, Montreal’s P.K. Subban, and last year’s winner, Duncan Keith of Chicago among others. SELKE TROPHY This trophy, awarded to NHL’s top defensive forward, would seem to have Anze Kopitar’s name all over it, but the two-way center has never had his name actually engraved on it. For Kopitar to finally receive the award he

seems destined to win, he will need to wrestle the trophy away from Boston’s Patrice Bergeron, who won the Selke last season and also claimed the trophy in 2011-12. The strong field also includes Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, a three-time winner, and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. WILLIAM JENNINGS Quick won this award last season. This trophy is awarded to the goalie or goalies who have played in a minimum of 25 games for team that allows the fewest goals.

FROM LATIMES.COM Kings' Coyote-ugly win over Arizona a thing of beauty to Andy Andreoff By LISA DILLMAN He smiled after the puck got past Arizona goalie Mike Smith late in the second period. It lingered. He kept smiling on the bench and was still smiling at the end of second period. You can guess that 23-year-old Andy Andreoff was still smiling on the drive home after the Kings' game against the Coyotes. There's nothing quite so heartwarming as a hockey player's first NHL goal, the fulfillment of years of hard work and promise. Not only did rookie center Andreoff score his first NHL goal (and first point) but it was the game-winner for the Kings in a 1-0 victory over Arizona on Monday night at Staples Center. For Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, it was his sixth shutout of the season and second in less than a week. He faced 25 shots. Andreoff called it a “dream come true.” “It's been a long year, so I'm glad I finally got it,” said Andreoff, a third-round draft pick in 2011. “Noles [Jordan Nolan] made a great play to me for a tap-in. . . . I'll take one off my shin pad, off my butt. It doesn't matter, as long as it goes in.” Bigger picture: The win lifted the Kings into the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference, past idle Winnipeg. The Jets host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, and the Calgary Flames, third in the Pacific Division, are in action, too. All that helped overshadow the fact that Monday's offering was one of the more, um, methodical games of the season. At least that's the polite way to put it. Arizona went 0 for 2 on the power play and the Kings have killed off 41 of the last 43 penalties against them. The lottery-bound Coyotes, now 1-14-1 in their last 16 games, are a shadow of the team that lost to the Kings in the Western Conference finals in 2012. “It's a land of opportunity when you're a team that's not in the playoff race,” said Kings Coach Darryl Sutter at Monday's morning skate. That land of opportunity could apply to the likes of rookie center Nick Shore and Andreoff. Andreoff's place in the lineup — this time — came after center Jarret Stoll was injured Thursday in Vancouver. This was the first time Andreoff has played in back-to-back games since mid-January. He nearly scored Saturday, hitting the post against Nashville, and finally broke through in his 15th NHL game, beating Smith in close, off a terrific pass from a poised, patient Nolan. Defenseman Brayden McNabb had the second assist. “I kind of blacked out. I couldn't really hear anything,” Andreoff said. “I was just shocked. . . . I was very relieved to finally get it. I saw [Nolan] battling in the corner and he's a good playmaker. He would either put it in or give it to me for a backdoor tap-in.” Said Sutter: “Not many players get a chance of playing in the NHL or scoring goals. Good for him. Hopefully, he's got lots of game-winners left in him.”

Earlier, Sutter had gone over his approach regarding less-experienced players, explaining his version of the land of opportunity. “If they're going to play — even though some of them have been here for awhile — if they're going to play serious minutes for us, then we better win and they better produce. They better have a role that they embrace.” Sutter tweaked the lines at the start, putting Dustin Brown with center Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik, and taking Trevor Lewis off the Kopitar line and put him with center Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. “We've got guys that haven't scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13, 14, 15 games, or whatever it is,” Sutter said. “. . . We'll leave Jeff and Tyler together and leave Kopi and Gabby together and let everybody else see where they can play.” Pluses and minuses around the NHL By HELENE ELLIOTT Times columnist Helene Elliott rates the pluses and minuses around the NHL from the past week. + The legend of Ottawa Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond, nicknamed "Hamburglar" at Bowling Green for his ability to steal games, continues to grow. On Sunday, he became the fourth NHL goalie to record a point in each of his first 11 career starts (10-0-1) and was tossed a hamburger by a fan. In 12 appearances, he has a 1.39 goals-against average and .955 save percentage. + Rookie goalie Mackenzie Skapski was born June 15, 1994, a day after the New York Rangers last won the Stanley Cup. Thanks to the way he and Cam Talbot have played while Henrik Lundqvist recovers from a vascular injury, the Rangers have positioned themselves for another Cup run with five straight wins. Skapski recorded his first career shutout Saturday, against Buffalo. + Blues Coach Ken Hitchcock had a colorful description of the defending champion Kings' annual late-season playoff pushes. "They're the big ugly bear that everybody watches," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "When is he going to look for the garbage? He's looking in the garbage can now. He's entered the dumpster." - The Winnipeg Jets have done well to stay in the wild-card chase, but injuries make them vulnerable to being passed by the Kings. Depth defenseman Paul Postma, who stepped in Saturday, was injured and will be out several weeks, Coach Paul Maurice said Monday. Center Bryan Little remains out, but defenseman Tyler Myers might return Tuesday. Dustin Byfuglien, injured March 4, skated Monday but gave no estimate for his return. - The Penguins endured a lost weekend. They had to scratch an ailing Sidney Crosby on Saturday minutes before they faced Boston and lost Evgeni Malkin to an undisclosed injury during their 2-0 loss to the Bruins. Crosby returned Sunday against Detroit but Malkin didn't play, and Patric Hornqvist was injured badly enough to miss at least three games. Malkin might return this week, Coach Mike Johnston said Monday. - Three straight losses in which they've scored one goal and a 2-4-2 slump are giving the New York Islanders a stern test. They've lost four straight at home and have dropped five points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers. The Islanders' leadership should be strong enough to pull them through.

FROM DAILYNEWS.COM Andy Andreoff’s first NHL goal is just enough for L.A. Kings By Elliott Teaford Rookie Andy Andreoff skated down the right wing late in the second period of a scoreless game at Staples Center on Monday. Kings teammate Jordan Nolan slipped a pass to him and Andreoff slipped the puck into the back of the net for his first NHL goal. Andreoff smiled broadly as he celebrated with his teammates on the ice. He smiled when he returned to the bench and somebody retrieved the puck for him. He smiled as the final moments of the period ticked past. He smiled in the dressing room after the game. The Kings celebrated right along with Andreoff. They needed all he could give them in order to eke out a 1-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes, and vault past the Winnipeg Jets in the battle for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. “Good for him,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said of the 23-year-old Andreoff. “Hopefully, he’s got lots of game-winners left in him.” Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith was unbeatable until Nolan charged into the attacking zone and Andreoff followed closely behind to give the Kings a 1-0 lead at 18 minutes, 55 seconds of the second period. The goal came on the Kings’ 21st on Smith’s net. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick didn’t face nearly as many shots, with the Coyotes credited with only seven as the game reached its midway point. Arizona’s lack of offensive punch was a big reason for a 1-13-1 record in the 15 games before Monday. But what of the Kings? Andreoff’s goal ended a scoreless streak for the Kings that stretched for nearly four full periods, dating to Jeff Carter’s first-period goal during Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators. One was all the goal-starved Kings (34-22-13) could get Monday against the Coyotes, too. “I’m happy to get it out of the way,” Andreoff said. “I kind of blacked out. I didn’t hear anything. I was just shocked. I definitely got the monkey off my back. It’s a dream come true. I’ve worked pretty hard to get where I am, so I’m glad I got it.” Andreoff lost track of the puck until Dana Bryson, the Kings’ assistant equipment manager, flipped it to him. One reporter wondered what Andreoff might do with it. Another jokingly asked if friends and family would each get a day with it, as with the Stanley Cup. Kings Stanley Cup victory named top moment in L.A. sports for 2014 Posted on March 16, 2015 by Elliott Teaford The Kings’ victory over the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final last June was named the top moment in sports in Los Angeles for 2014 at the 10th annual L.A. Sports Awards on Sunday at The Beverley Hilton Hotel. The Kings’ game against the Ducks at Dodger Stadium, the first NHL game played outdoors in California, was selected as the eighth-best moment. Prime Ticket will air the awards show March 25 at 7:30

p.m., and it will have multiple showings on ensuing days. Check your local listings, as the saying goes. Pregame reading: Los Angeles Kings vs. Arizona Coyotes Posted on March 16, 2015 by Elliott Teaford COYOTES AT KINGS Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. TV/Radio: FSW, 790-AM The Kings (33-22-13) are ninth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Winnipeg Jets in the battle for the second wild-card berth. The Kings, fourth in the Pacific Division, also trail the third-place Calgary Flames by two points. They have 14 games remaining, but only five at home. The Jets have 13 games left, including eight at home. The Flames have 13 remaining, including seven at home. The Kings’ penalty killers have been successful on 39 of their last 41 shorthanded situations, dating to Feb. 12 against the Calgary Flames. But they gave up a key power-play goal in the third period of a 2-1 loss Saturday to the Nashville Predators. Jeff Carter had the Kings’ only goal, his team-leading 24th. The Coyotes (21-40-8) have been eliminated from the playoff race and are 1-8-1 in their last 10 games. Arizona goalie Mike Smith is 11-4-1 with two shutouts, a 2.26 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage in 17 games in his career against the Kings.

FROM OCREGISTER.COM Anderoff's first NHL goal gives Kings much-needed win By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER LOS ANGELES – The Kings shuffled their line combinations Monday night, for what had to be the 500th time the season, in search of offensive improvement. Who knew that that fixer would be a rookie fourth-line center? Andy Andreoff, a lineup afterthought for much of the season, scored his first NHL goal late in the second period as the Kings recorded an expected, but important, 1-0 victory over Arizona at Staples Center. "Hopefully he’s got lots of game-winners left in him," Coach Darryl Sutter said. The Kings moved one point ahead of idle Winnipeg for a Western Conference wild-card playoff spot and avoided what would have been a devastating, embarrassing loss to a Coyotes team that has now won only one of its past 15 games. Until Andreoff’s goal, things had been a little tense for the Kings. Jonathan Quick made 25 saves for his sixth shutout of the season, and got help only from the Kings’ fourth line, which contributed a rare goal. Jordan Nolan shook a defender, held the puck in the left circle and spotted Andreoff on the right side. After a nice pass, Andreoff settled the puck and shot on Coyotes goalie Mike Smith, who appeared to make the stop before the puck trickled past him with 1:05 left in the third period. "It’s been a long year," Andreoff said, "so I’m glad I finally got one. I kind of blanked out. I couldn’t really hear anything. I was just shocked." It’s been a long wait for Andreoff, a Kings third-round draft pick in 2011 who made the roster out of training camp last September, mostly because the Kings didn’t want to risk losing him via waivers. Andreoff has played 15 games and been a healthy scratch for 47 others. He’s in the lineup now only because veteran center Jarret Stoll is injured, but Andreoff has been solid in his limited playing time. In general, the Kings couldn’t have been thrilled with the close game. The Coyotes went without a shot on goal for the first 9:18 of the first period, and the Kings couldn’t convert on several quality scoring chances. "We had to be patient and we had to have some (four-line) balance in there," Sutter said. Sutter had hoped for more goals when he made changes to each of the Kings’ four lines. Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik remained on the first line, joined by right winger Dustin Brown. Trevor Lewis dropped to be the second-line left winger, with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. Nick Shore centered Dwight King and Justin Williams on the third line. By the third period, though, Sutter had made more tweaks. "We’ve got guys who haven’t scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games, whatever it is," Sutter said, "and some of them have had zero scoring opportunities for the last five." The Kings were fairly stout defensively, though, and went 2 for 2 on penalty kills. The Kings have now successfully killed 41 of their last 43 penalties.

NO THANKS The NHL’s general managers are meeting this week in Florida and will discuss possible rule changes, including the tweaking of overtime. The AHL incorporated 3-on-3 play into its overtimes this season and has seen a steep decrease in shootouts. This season, 14.1 percent of NHL games have gone to shootouts, and the league seems motivated to find ways to reduce the number of games decided that way. But is 3-on-3 play still too much of a gimmick? "I think so," Williams said. "It’s more like pond hockey, summer hockey. I don’t think 3-on-3 hockey should ultimately decide who is in and out of the playoffs." Williams added that he’s no shootout fan, either, and suggested of tweaking the standings and making regulation wins worth three points instead of two, thus emphasizing regulation. Williams also advocated for the return of tie games, which the NHL eliminated in 2005 and is unlikely to reverse. Kings' Williams: Bring back NHL tie games By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER The NHL’s general managers are meeting this week in Florida and are set to discuss possible rule changes, including the tweaking of overtime. The AHL incorporated some 3-on-3 play into its overtimes this season and has seen a steep decrease in the number of shootouts. This season, 14.1 percent of NHL games have gone to shootouts, and the league seems motivated to find ways to reduce the number of games decided by a 1-on-1 skills competition. Kings winger Justin Williams said he believes 3-on-3 play is still too much of a gimmick. ''I think so,’’ Williams said. ''It’s more like pond hockey, summer hockey. I don’t think 3-on-3 hockey should ultimately decide who is in and out of the playoffs.’’ Williams added that he’s no shootout fan, either, and suggested the possibility of tweaking the standings instead. One idea -- which the NHL apparently is not considering -- is changing the value of a regulation victory from two points to three points, and thus making it more valuable than an overtime/shootout win. ''Once you change something, like we did with adding the shootout in 2005, the history of the game is kind of done,’’ Williams said. ''It’s over with. You don’t have to abide by tradition if you’ve already changed things.’’ Williams’ preferred solution is the return to tie games, but that’s even less likely than a three-point win. ''They do ties in soccer all the time,’’ Williams said. ''That’s the most popular sport in the world.’’ NEW LOOK The Kings debuted new line combinations in Monday’s morning skate, in advance of the game against Arizona. Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik remained on the first line, now joined by right winger Dustin Brown. Trevor Lewis dropped from the first line to be the second-line left winger, with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. Nick Shore centered Dwight King and Williams on the third line while, on the fourth line, Andy Andreoff

centered Kyle Clifford and Jordan Nolan. Jarret Stoll is expected to miss a second consecutive game because of injury.

FROM NHL.COM Kings move into playoff position with win vs. Coyotes Tuesday, 03.17.2015 / 2:18 AM Curtis Zupke - NHL.com Correspondent LOS ANGELES -- Andy Andreoff probably imagined his first NHL goal as a highlight-reel deke or a slap shot, but this will more than suffice. Andreoff scored after he partially fanned on the shot, and he was able to laugh about it after it gave the Los Angeles Kings a 1-0 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Staples Center on Monday. "I'll take one off the shin pad, off my butt," Andreoff said. "It doesn't matter, as long as it goes in." Andreoff, who was placed back in the lineup last week because of an injury to center Jarret Stoll, got his first goal and point in his 15th game. Goalie Jonathan Quick made 25 saves and recorded his sixth shutout and 37th of his career. The Kings (34-22-13) passed the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Andreoff completed a 2-on-1 with Jordan Nolan with 1:05 remaining in the second period. Nolan grabbed the puck on left wing after Coyotes defenseman John Moore fell and fed through it under Klas Dahlbeck to Andreoff, who had trouble collecting it before he was able to get a shot off. Andreoff said it felt good to be rewarded after he was scratched in 29 of 34 games before Stoll's injury. "Dream come true, you know?" Andreoff said. "Everyone's always wanted to get their first NHL goal. I've worked pretty hard to get where I am. I'm glad I got it." Kings coach Darryl Sutter earlier alluded that he needed Andreoff to take advantage of the opportunity. He obliged at the right time. "Not many players get a chance of playing in the National Hockey League or scoring a goal, so good for him," Sutter said. "Hopefully he's got lots of game-winners left in him." The Coyotes (21-41-8) lost their seventh straight game on the road. They are 1-14-1 in their past 16 games and have scored three goals in their past five. "We're getting some decent opportunities and hopefully some people can start scoring, myself included," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. "People that are supposed to score aren't scoring and we don't have a lot of scoring. That's the situation we're in." Goalie Mike Smith made 34 saves to keep the Coyotes in it against the defending Cup champions. Smith liked their 200-foot game, but a lack of bodies in front of the net was a consistent theme in Arizona's dressing room. Smith was equally disappointed on the goal. "I don't even think he meant to shoot it there," Smith said. "I think he fanned on it a little bit, but it gets through

me and that's the only one they need, so it's obviously frustrating." Arizona twice came close to scoring in the second when Mark Arcobello hit the post and Michael Stone missed the net when he skated in alone in the slot during a power play. The Coyotes did not record a shot until nearly 10 minutes into the game and totaled six for the first period. They haven't won in regulation since Feb. 3. The Kings face the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, and Sutter sounded like it was a good warm-up for their rival. "I thought we worked hard," Sutter said. "We had good focus. It was tough scoring. We were playing a team that was a tough-checking team. I talked to our players about [Arizona] coming off a [six]-game homestand; every game that they played in those five games was 1-0 going into the third, so they can check. They've always been known for that and we had to be patient, but you had to have some balance in there." Around the League notebook for Monday, March 16 Tuesday, 03.17.2015 / 1:39 AM / News By NHL Public Relations ANDREOFF'S FIRST CAREER GOAL LIFTS KINGS PAST COYOTES Andy Andreoff (1-0—1) scored the only goal of the game – which was the first of his career – to lift the Los Angeles Kings to a 1-0 shutout win against the Arizona Coyotes. The Kings are 34-22-13 (81 points) and leapfrogged the idle Winnipeg Jets to take sole possession of the second wild card in the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Los Angeles tied the idle Calgary Flames (in terms of standings points), who rank third in the Pacific Division with a record of 38-26-5 (81 points). The Flames, however, own the ROW tiebreaker (CGY: 34, LAK: 32). * Andreoff opened the scoring late in the second period with the first goal and point of his career. The marker stood as the game-winning goal. * Jonathan Quick stopped all 25 shots he faced to record his sixth shutout of the season and the second in his past three games. Quick has earned points in six of his past seven decisions (5-1-1) and is 30-18-11 with a 2.28 goals-against and a .916 save percentage. * With 37 career shutouts, Quick is the Kings' all-time leader in the category and moved into a tie with Marc-Andre Fleury, Johnny Bower and Tommy Salo for 40th on the NHL's all-time shutouts list. * Los Angeles is 22-8-7 (51 points) through 37 home games this season. The Kings matched their record in terms of standings points through 37 games on home ice in a season; the 1990-91 club also recorded 51 standings points through 37 home games. At the Rink: Coyotes at Kings Monday, 03.16.2015 / 4:06 PM By Curtis Zupke - NHL.com Correspondent / 2014-2015 At the Rink blog EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The Los Angeles Kings will be without center Jarret Stoll for at least one more game.

Kings assistant general manager Rob Blake ruled Stoll out for Monday against the Arizona Coyotes at Staples Center. Stoll has an upper-body injury from a hit by Derek Dorsett of the Vancouver Canucks last Thursday and has since not skated as he follows proper protocol. Asked if it could be a long-term injury, Blake said Sunday, "Hopefully not. It was a hit in the third against Vancouver. You guys saw the hit. You can tell it's an upper-body. The problem is we don't have a timetable for that stuff." The Kings do not have any spare forwards and have not yet made a recall. Center Mike Richards, demoted to the American Hockey League in January, reportedly is training at the Kings' facility. Center Andy Andreoff has replaced Stoll. He was a healthy scratch in 29 of 34 games before he played last Saturday. One of the organization's promising two-way forwards, Andreoff said it's a matter of staying ready. "It's tough," Andreoff said. "It's been a long year, but I'm kind of getting used to it. You've just got to make sure you're being the hardest worker in practice and being ready for the opportunity." Coach Darryl Sutter tweaked all of his lines, notably replacing right wing Trevor Lewis with right wing Dustin Brown on the top line. "We've got guys that haven't scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games or whatever it is," Sutter said. "And some of them have had zero scoring opportunities for the last five [games], as individuals, so we're [keeping] Jeff [Carter] and Tyler [Toffoli] together and [Anze Kopitar] and [Marian Gaborik] together, and then everyone else, see where they can play." Arizona reportedly changed up its lines from its previous game as well, according to the Arizona Republic. The Coyotes are trying to avoid losing seven straight on the road. They are 0-3-1 in their past four games and have scored three goals in that stretch. Right wing Shane Doan will take sole possession of 38th on the all-time games played list with his 1,383rd game, one behind Larry Robinson. Here are the projected lineups: COYOTES Tobias Rieder – Mark Arcobello – Shane Doan Lauri Korpikoski – Kyle Chipchura – Craig Cunningham Martin Erat – Sam Gagner – David Moss Tye McGinn – Joe Vitale – B.J. Crombeen Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Michael Stone Klas Dahlbeck – John Moore Brandon Gormley – Connor Murphy Mike Smith Louis Domingue Scratched: Andrew Campbell Injured: Mikkel Boedker (upper body), Martin Hanzal (upper body) KINGS Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown Trevor Lewis – Jeff Carter –Tyler Toffoli

Dwight King – Nick Shore – Justin Williams Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – Jordan Nolan Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty Jake Muzzin – Matt Greene Brayden McNabb – Andrej Sekera Jonathan Quick Martin Jones Scratched: Jamie McBain Injured: Jarret Stoll (upper body), Alec Martinez (concussion symptoms) Status report: Gormley came off the ice before Campbell and will likely play, according to the Arizona Republic … Smith reportedly was first off the ice … Quick was off the ice first … Martinez is "very close" to returning but needs practices with contact, Blake said. Who's hot: Arcobello and Rieder each have two-game point streaks. Sekera has two points in three games. Doughty earned his 34th assist Saturday, second behind Kopitar on the Kings. Quick is 12-3-1 with a 1.78 goals-against average in his past 16 starts. Melrose Minute: Kings need to pick up the pace Monday, 03.16.2015 / 2:22 PM By Barry Melrose - NHL Network Analyst / Melrose Minute The Los Angeles Kings have developed a reputation for being one of the best, most-clutch teams in the NHL over the past few seasons. With two Stanley Cup championships in recent memory, who is going to argue? That said, we have 14 games left on the schedule and the defending champs are on the outside looking in when it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I don't like to use the word panic with this team because I don't think the Kings panic. They've been in too many big games with this current group of players. But the Kings also are aware of the schedule and where they sit in the standings. And you have to think they're starting to get worried, if they haven't been for a while. I think most people expect the Kings will find a way to get in, myself included. After all, L.A. has a game in hand on the Winnipeg Jets, their closest competition for the final wild card spot into the playoffs in the Western Conference. But the Kings know they need to get on a hot streak and win some games, and maybe get some favors from the rest of the conference. The last 12 or 13 games of a season go fast. They need to get hot now and I imagine their intensity level will be up big time over the final few weeks of the season. When it's all said and done I expect the Kings to be in the postseason. Whenever they get a game on the schedule that seems close to a must-win, they always seem to get the two points. The Kings have done it before and they certainly have the personnel and character to do it. But the West is so deep and so good that they won't get any easy nights. You can't back your way into the playoffs in this conference. You have to win your way in this year. The Kings can't afford to wait any longer to put together that hot streak and separate themselves from the pack. BOSTON IS BACK For most of this season we watched the Boston Bruins struggle, but many observers just thought there was no way they wouldn't somehow climb the standings and make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Well, the Bruins finally are making us all look smart. And while they did lose to the Washington Capitals on Sunday,

Boston has been among the best teams in the League lately and looks now to be a safe bet to make the postseason. The Bruins have won seven of nine and have a five-point lead on the Ottawa Senators for the final wild card in the Eastern Conference. Five points isn't an insurmountable lead, but with the way Boston has played lately and the number of three-point games in the NHL today, it's pretty hard to imagine the Senators picking up six more points in the final 13 games or so than the Bruins. Lately Boston has been getting fantastic play from forward Brad Marchand, game-winners from forward Milan Lucic, the best play of the season from defenseman Zdeno Chara and big saves when needed by goaltender Tuukka Rask. That's how you win in this League; Boston's best players are playing their best right now. Supporting players also are kicking in the odd goal, the defense is solid, and if there's ever a breakdown the goalie is there to make the save. This is the same recipe Boston has been using the past five or six years. And don't forget David Krejci could be back by the end of the regular season. That's a huge addition right before the postseason starts. Right now the Bruins look like the Bruins again. It took longer than most of us expected, but they now are a force in the East. It's gone from a team that looked like everyone might get fired to a team that no one will want to play when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next month.

FROM ESPN.COM Kings back in playoff position with 1-0 win over Coyotes Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Andy Andreoff couldn't have picked a more opportune time to get his first NHL goal, especially with the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings fighting to get back into the postseason. Andreoff scored late in the second period and Jonathan Quick earned his sixth shutout of the season, leading the Kings to a vital 1-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night. "It's been a long year for me, so I'm glad I finally got it," said Andreoff, a third-round pick by the Kings in the 2011 draft. "We know every game from now on is huge, so I'm just happy to get it out of the way. I definitely got the monkey off my back. It was a dream come true. I've worked pretty hard to get where I am." The Kings, 13-4-1 since an 0-3 road trip through Boston, Washington and Florida, climbed back into the second and final Western Conference wild-card spot. They have 13 games left to hold onto it. "I think we've played as well as we can since the All-Star break, and hopefully we can continue to," coach Darryl Sutter said. "I thought we worked hard and had good focus tonight. It was tough scoring out there. We were playing a tough-checking team. They've always been known for that, so we had to be patient and have some balance. They were coming off a five-game homestand, and every one of those five games it was 1-0 going into the third." Missing the playoffs would be an embarrassment for the Kings. Only seven times has a Stanley Cup champion missed the playoffs the following season. "Every year is difficult. It's not easy," Quick said. "It's a tough league and there's a lot of parity in both conferences. So I don't think this year is any more difficult than previous years. And it certainly isn't any easier." Quick made 25 saves en route to his franchise-record 37th shutout. The Coyotes, whose 145 goals are the fewest in the league, were blanked for the 10th time and second by a 1-0 score. Last season, they lost only three games by shutout. Arizona is 1-13-1 since Feb. 10, the only victory coming against Vancouver in a shootout. The Coyotes haven't won in regulation since beating Columbus 4-1 on Feb. 3, and have scored just eight goals in their last eight games. "Obviously, we don't have a lot of scoring in our lineup," captain Shane Doan said. "We have to play this type of game. That's how you have to play when you're in that situation." Mike Smith stopped 34 shots for the Coyotes. The nine-year veteran has one victory in his last 14 starts since Feb. 9 -- when he made 36 saves in a 3-2 win at Chicago. Smith was 11-4-1 with a 2.26 goals-against average and two shutouts in his 17 previous games against the Kings.

"Everyone knew what was on the line for them. We were trying to play spoiler and it didn't work out tonight," Smith said. "We played 200-foot hockey -- through the neutral zone, out of our end quicker, and get pucks to the net. When it's going tough, scoring wise, it's just about getting pucks and people to the net. I know we talk about it a lot, but we need more of that." Andreoff got a cross-ice pass from Jordan Nolan a few feet to the right of the net and slid the puck under Smith's left leg 65 seconds before the second intermission. The 23-year-old forward was playing in his 15th NHL game, and it was only the second time he played in back-to-back contests. "Hopefully he's got some more game-winners in him," Sutter said. The Coyotes were 0 for 2 on the power play, and are 3 for 32 over their last 14 games. The Kings have allowed just four goals in 57 short-handed situations over their past 22 games. "It's something that we're always trying to get better at, and something that you need to have going well if you're going to have success this time of year and in the postseason," Quick said. Game notes Kings radio analyst Daryl Evans, who scored the postseason overtime winner against Edmonton in 1982 at the Forum that will forever be known as the "Miracle on Manchester," completed Sunday's Los Angeles Marathon for the sixth time in the last 12 years. ... Kings C Jarret Stoll missed his second straight game because of an upper-body injury. ... Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Coyotes is the only defenseman in the league that is leading his team in goals (17). The first one came in overtime against the Kings on Oct. 11 in the Coyotes' second game of the season. ... Coyotes C Kyle Chipchura played in his 400th regular-season game.

FROM LATINTIMES.COM Arizona Vs. LA Recap And Highlights: Rookie Andy Andreoff Leads Kings Over Coyotes 1-0 [VIDEO] By Michael Duarte LOS ANGELES – Facing a must-win game to keep pace with the NHL's Western Conference playoff race, the Kings got a favorable opponent in the lowly Arizona Coyotes on Monday night at Staples Center. Rookie Andy Andreoff scored his first career goal and the Kings defeated the minnows of the Pacific Division 1-0. The 23-year-old kid from Canada was playing in place of the injured Jaret Stoll, who missed his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury. Andreoff's first NHL goal was also a game-winner and it came at the 18:55 mark of the second period. “Not many players get a chance of playing in the National Hockey League,” said Kings head coach Darry Sutter. “So to score a goal is good for him. Hopefully, he has lots of game winners left in him.” It was Andreoff’s first career point as well, and it came off of a great feed from Jordan Nolan. Andreoff took the cross-ice pass to right side of the net, stopped, set himself, and slid the puck just underneath Mike Smith’s pad for the goal. “I kind of blacked out,” said Andreoff of the goal. “I couldn’t really hear anything, I was just shocked I got the monkey off my back, I was definitely relieved. It’s a dream come true, everyone wants to get their first NHL goal.” Jonathan Quick stopped 25 shots for his sixth shutout of the season, and franchise record 37th of his career. “You have to prepare the same way for every game,” said Quick about his performance. “Tonight was no different.” Smith made 34 saves in a losing effort for the Coyotes. The Coyotes are 1-13-1 since February 10th, and have not won a game in regulation since defeating Columbus 4-1 on February 3rd. Their lackluster offense is to blame, as Arizona has scored just eight goals over their last eight games. “We played 200-foot hockey; through the neutral zone, out of our end quicker, and get pucks to the net,” said Smith after the game. “When it’s going tough scoring wise, it’s just about getting pucks and people to the net. I know we talk about it a lot but we need more of that.” With the win, the defending Stanley Cup Champions climbed back into the Western Conference playoff race reclaiming the 8th seed from the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings are tied with the Calgary Flames for third in the Pacific and are one point behind Vancouver for second place. The Kings have just 13 games remaining to avoid becoming the eighth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs following a Stanley Cup title. Andreoff skated in just his 15th game of the season for Los Angeles as the physical forward was in the AHL most of last season. Andreoff impressed Kings coaches during the 2014 Stanley Cup playoff run while a member of the Kings practice squad known as the “Black Aces.” Game Notes:

Kings center, Jaret Stoll, missed his second consecutive game with an upper body injury. Before the game, the Kings wore green warm-up jerseys in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

FROM EXAMINER.COM Kings Andy Andreoff took the bite out of the Coyotes Nick Hamilton Los Angeles forward Andy Andreoff scored his first NHL career goal, as the Kings blanked the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 on Monday night. "We worked hard, we had some good focus," Kings head coach Darryl Sutter said. "It was tough scoring, we were playing a team that was a tough checking team. I talked to our players about coming off a five game home stand." Tonight's victory allowed to the Kings to elevate back into the final wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Coyotes haven't won a regular game since February 3rd, as the team continued to struggle offensively against Los Angeles. The Coyotes have scored just eight goals in the previous eight games. "Obviously we don't have a lot of scoring. That's pretty obvious," said Arizona forward Shane Doan. "We have to play that type of game because we don't have offense." With one victory in his last fourteen shots, Coyotes goalie Mike Smith stopped 34 shots as their plans to play spoiler failed. "Everyone knew what was on the line for them [Kings] tonight," Smith emphasized. "We played 200-foot hockey through the neutral zone, out of our end quicker, and get the pucks to the net." Andreoff late in the second period on cross pass from Jordan Nolan, and slid the puck past Smith for the only the goal of the game. Drafted back in 2011 in the third round, Andreoff played his 15th NHL game. He also played in place of the injured Jerrett Stoll on Monday night. "It's been a long year, I'm glad that I got it, and [Jordan] Nolan made a great play to me right before it happened," Andreoff said smiling. He still couldn't believe that his first goal would end up being the winning goal, holding on to the puck tightly after the game. "I kind of blacked out, I couldn't hear anything, I was just shocked," Andreoff explained in the moment. "Not many players get a chance of playing in the National Hockey League or to score a goal so good for him," Sutter said about Andreoff. The Kings played well defensively on Monday night, as Jonathan Quick made 25 saves for his sixth shutout of the year. With just 13 games left, Los Angeles will be tested as they continue to hold on to that final playoff spot. The Kings will travel on the road to Anaheim on Wednesday against the Ducks, followed by an afternoon showdown against the Vancouver Canucks at Staples Center.

Game Notes: A Stanley Cup champion missed the playoffs the following season only seven times. The Kings have tied the most points at home (51)through 37 games in team history (also 1990-91).

FROM SPORTSNETWORK.COM NHL Game Summary - Arizona at Los Angeles Final Score: Los Angeles 1, Arizona 0 Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Andy Andreoff's first career goal backed a shutout from Jonathan Quick as the Los Angeles Kings downed the punchless Arizona Coyotes 1-0 on Monday. Quick made 25 saves for his sixth shutout of the season, and the whitewash helped LA pull even with the Flames for third place in the Pacific Division. "We worked hard and had good focus. It was tough scoring. We played a team that is tough checking," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. The Coyotes have scored three goals during a five-game skid. They have lost 14 of 15 overall and wasted a 34-save effort from Mike Smith on Monday. "We knew what was on the line for them. We were trying to play spoiler and it didn't work out tonight," said Smith. Andreoff broke a scoreless tie late in the second period. Jordan Nolan's cross-ice pass got underneath a sliding defenseman, and the rookie Andreoff, instead of firing the puck into an open corner, slid it under Smith's pads with 1:05 remaining. Quick made six saves in the first period, 10 in the second and nine the third. Game Notes Six of Quick's 37 career shutouts have come against the Coyotes ... Arizona has dropped seven straight on the road ... Coyotes forward Shane Doan took sole possession of 38th on the NHL's all-time games played list (1,383) and sits one behind Larry Robinson ... Arizona went 0-for-2 on the power play ... The Kings did not score on their three power-play chances. NHL Preview from The Sports Network Arizona Coyotes (21-40-8) at Los Angeles Kings (33-22-13), 10:30 p.m. (SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Kings hope to reclaim a Western Conference wild card spot on Monday evening when they welcome the Arizona Coyotes to Staples Center. The Kings failed to record a point for the first time in six games (4-1-1) on Saturday, falling to the Nashville Predators by a 2-1 score. That setback, coupled with a win by Winnipeg, dropped Los Angeles a point behind the Jets for the second wild card spot in the West. Los Angeles has played one fewer game than idle Winnipeg and also has a game in hand over the Calgary Flames, who the Kings trail by two points for third place in the Pacific Division. The Kings took a 1-0 lead into the third period versus the Preds thanks to a goal from Jeff Carter, but yielded a

pair of goals over a 1:06 span to fall in defeat. Nashville's second goal game when L.A. defenseman Jake Muzzin accidentally redirected the puck into his own net. Jonathan Quick made 20 stops in the loss. "Any game at this time of year is tough to lose," said Kings forward Dwight King. The Kings were without forward Jarret Stoll due to an undisclosed injury, ending his consecutive games played streak at 128 games. His status for this game is unknown. Quick figures to start and is 15-13-4 with a 2.58 goals against average, .906 save percentage and five shutouts in his career versus the Coyotes. Arizona comes in having concluded a six-game homestand with four losses in a row, including Saturday's 4-1 setback to the New Jersey Devils. Shane Doan had a goal and Mike Smith yielded four goals on 29 shots faced. The Coyotes have lost 14 of 15 and 16 of their past 18 games, scoring just three goals over their current losing streak while getting held to one goal or fewer in eight of the past 10. "I think we make a lot of goalies look good," Arizona coach Dave Tippett told NHL.com. "We play against some very good goaltenders and (Devils netminder Cory) Schneider is a very good one, but as good as they are we end up making some of them look pretty good." Smith does have solid career numbers against the Kings, going 11-5-1 with a 2.26 GAA and .925 save percentage in 18 games. The Kings have won three of their past four versus the Coyotes overall and nine of the last 11 played in Los Angeles.

FROM RINKROYALTY.COM Tonight the Los Angeles Kings Host the Struggling Arizona Coyotes by Eric Fleischmann Tonight the Los Angeles Kings will host the struggling Arizona Coyotes at Staples Center. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PST. The Kings enter the game coming of a tough 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Jeff Carter put the Kings ahead in the first period, but a lack-luster third saw L.A. give up a power-play goal and the go-ahead game- winner. However L.A. has had a decent March. In their last five games the Kings are 3-1-1. The Coyotes are 1-13-1 in their last 15 games. Arizona’s last win was March 5th, in a shootout against the Vancouver Canucks. The Desert-Dogs are currently on a four-game losing streak, though they did acquire 1 point from a 2-1 overtime loss to Nashville two games ago. This will be the 4th and final game between Arizona and Los Angeles. L.A. is 2-0-1 this season against the Coyotes. The Kings lost 3-2 in overtime on October 11th, then won on 4-0 and 4-2 on December 4th and 20th, respectively. The Kings projected lineup from their morning practice, reported by L.A. Kings Insider Jon Rosen, is as follows: Forwards: Los Angeles Kings Marian Gaborik – Anze Kopitar – Dustin Brown Trevor Lewis – Jeff Carter – Tyler Toffoli Dwight King – Nick Shore – Justin Williams Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – Jordan Nolan Defensemen: Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty Jake Muzzin – Matt Greene Brayden McNabb – Andrej Sekera Goaltenders: Jonathan Quick Martin Jones Quick is expected to be tonight starter. Quick has been ridden for the duration of the season, and with a big playoff push on the line, the Kings will continue to ride their winning goaltender to the finish line. Quick’s record is 29-18-11, with a 2.32 goals against average and .914 save percentage. Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli have been lighting it up for the Kings. The two linemates now have 20+ goals each. The 2/3rd’s of That 70’s Line have continued their dominance despite missing Tanner Pearson. The last few games, and for tonight’s matchup, head coach Darryl Sutter has moved Dwight King off of the

second line and rotated Trevor Lewis in his place. Lewis has had a good season for coach Sutter and the Kings. Not only has Lewis brought his impeccable work ethic and his A game to every contest, but he’s also having a record year. In 59 games this season Lewis has career high’s with 9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points, a +9 plus/minus, 1 short-handed goal, and 2 game-winning goals. Marian Gaborik is another King putting the puck in the net. Gaborik has 21 goals in his first full season with the Kings. L.A. needs Gabby to keep pushing Anze Kopitar and that first line, and to keep putting the puck past the goaltender. Andy Andreoff is expected to go in place of Jarret Stoll who is out, and continuing to be monitored by the team’s medical staff. Nick Shore will move up to the third line in Stoll’s place, and Andreoff is expected to center Kyle Clifford and Jordan Nolan on the fourth line. Coyotes players to keep an eye on: Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The young star defensemen is one of the few Coyotes players that’s having a great year. In 69 games Ekman-Larsson has 17 goals, 33 points, and 9 power-play goals. Due to Arizona’s lousy play, Ekman-Larsson also carries a -21 plus/minus rating with him. The goals and power-play goals are career-highs, but the plus/minus is a career-low. Ekman-Larsson is a great puck mover, and has a sniper shot from the blue line. Ekman-Larsson score the overtime goal against the Kings on October 11th, that gave the Coyotes their only win against the Kings this season. Ekman-Larsson is a major piece of Arizona’s future. If the Kings don’t shut him down tonight, he’ll be an implication in L.A.’s future as well. Sam Gagner has found new life in Arizona. Gagner also has 33 points and leads the team in assists with 21. Gagner hasn’t been a stand-out because Arizona hasn’t been good this year. However, Gagner has shown some improvement from his playing days for the Edmonton Oilers. Effort is more recognizable in his game, and he seems to be flying all over the ice. The Kings need to focus on the game at hand, but as fans keep an eye on Gagner, who’s been a nice pickup for the Coyotes. Arizona’s in a bad way. There are in the race to the bottom – ‘Tanking’ is the word that no one wants to use. That’s what Arizona’s doing, though not on purpose. They just don’t have a good enough team to compete right now. The Kings cannot fall into that trap and give up the win, and two very precious points. Not right now. It’s not only to points the Kings need; it’s another division win. Tonight may not be the most entertaining hockey you’ll ever see (that is unless the Kings light it up), but it is an important game for L.A.’s push to defend their Stanley Cup title. Go Kings Go!

Will the Los Angeles Kings Make the NHL Playoffs? by Eric Fleischmann NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen looks at 15 questions as the NHL regular season winds down. One of the big questions on everyone’s mind: Will the Los Angeles Kings make the playoffs? The answer . . . is yes. Well, at least according to Dan Rosen. Rosen thinks the Kings will get in, finishing 2nd in the Pacific Division ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. It won’t be an easy road for the Kings. L.A. has 14 games remaining. 11 games are against Western Conference opponents. 8 games are against Pacific Division opponents. 9 games are on the road, where the Kings have a season record of 12-14-6. The Kings are currently 2 points behind the Flames, 3 points behind the Canucks, and 1 point behind the Winnipeg Jets – who currently hold the second Wild-Card spot in the Western Conference. It’s close and it’s going to come down to the wire. RinkRoyalty has estimated it would take the Kings at least 13 wins out of their last 20 games, or getting to 96 points in the standings. L.A. has 79 points. Since the countdown of their last 20 games started the Kings record is 4-1-1, giving them 9 points. The Kings are going to have to put in a ton of work if they want to keep playing hockey. The really bad news is, will this stretch waste the Kings energy reserves and burn them out by the time they get to the playoffs? Or will this be the same Kings of the last few years, that ride the momentum and thrill of living on the edge to keep pushing themselves further along? L.A.’s schedule looks daunting, and no team can be taken for granted. However, here is the lineup of opponents the Kings have left: Arizona Coyotes (tonight), Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks (twice), New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers (twice), Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks. The good new: many of the Kings remaining games are against teams they are in direct competition with for a playoff position. If the Kings want it, they can take their spot by force. Just go out and beat the teams you need to jump ahead of. Big games will be the two against the Canucks, the game against the Wild, Sharks, and Flames. Five games. The Kings are certainly capable of jumping back into the playoff foray. It’s going to come down to a few clutch performances. As we’ve seen in the past the Kings perform their best in high-pressure, must-win, situations. L.A. will make it to the post-season dance.

Believe it. Go Kings Go!

FROM MAYORSMANOR.COM LA Kings Prospect Tracker – Week Ending March 15, 2015 March 16, 2015 By Brittany Patko Although MayorsManor founder John Hoven contributes a monthly prospect profile for LAKings.com and this website also puts out an independent ranking of the L.A. Kings top prospects twice a year – which includes detailed scouting information from some of the organization’s top management and coaches - readers always seem to be clamoring for more. Thus, we have some good news to share. Through the end of the post-season, we will now be publishing a weekly tracker, designed to pass along quick information about all of the Kings’ non-AHL prospects, as well as highlight one or two key things that took place. Please note this is a work in progress, so if you see something you like or don’t like, let us know and we’ll adjust moving forward. The following results for the week ending March 15, 2015 (in alphabetical order): MIKE AMADIO: Forward, North Bay Battalion (3rd round pick in 2014, OHL) North Bay played one home and two away games this past week. Amadio was a non-factor on the score sheet with only one assist in the three games. JONNY BRODZINSKI: Forward, St. Cloud State University (5th round pick in 2013, WCHA) The St. Cloud State Huskies won their two first-round playoff games against the University of Nebraska Omaha over the weekend – and they did it on the road. With the wins, they have advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. Brodzinski, pictured above, had one assist in the two games. Special announcement – Hoven has a full feature story on Brodzinski coming out on LAKings.com this Wednesday. ALEC DILLON: Goalie, Tri-City Storm (5th round pick in 2014, BCHL) Tri-City played one away and two home games last week. Dillon started two of the games and won both of them, making a combined 42 saves on 46 shots. In the third game, he came in after his teammate was pulled and saved the 11 shots that he faced. The two wins meant more than simply four points in the standings: STEVEN JOHNSON: Defenseman, University of Minnesota (4th round pick in 2014, USHL) The University of Minnesota Gophers won their two home games versus Penn State over the weekend to claim their fourth-straight Conference Championship. Johnson was scratched for both games. ADRIAN KEMPE: Forward, MODO (1st round pick in 2014, SweHL) Kempe’s SHL team, MODO, didn’t have a game last week. They start a playoff series this coming week against HC White Horse. Check back next week for results. In the meantime, here is Hoven’s recent LAKings.com feature on Kempe, where they looked at the likelihood of him coming to the North America next season. PAUL LADUE: Defeseman, University of North Dakota (6th round pick in 2012, USHL) A quickly rising prospect in the Kings organization, LaDue has his sights set on a return to the NCAA playoffs. Over the weekend, his University of North Dakota team played in the NCHC Quarterfinals, eliminating Colorado College in two straight games to advance to the Frozen Faceoff next weekend. LaDue contributed to the victories, notching an assist, a goal and a plus-2 rating. You can see his goal, which came from just inside the blue line, starting around the 4:15 mark here: ZAC LESLIE: Defenseman, Guelph Storm (6th round pick in 2013, OHL) Guelph had two away games last week, which the split. Leslie did not play in either game, as he had season-ending surgery a few weeks back.

ALEX LINTUNIEMI: Defenseman, Ottawa 67’s (2nd round pick in 2014, OHL) Ottawa came out on top in both a home and away game last week. Lintuniemi chipped in with an assist and a goal. Click here to see video of his second period power play goal on Saturday, starting around the 1:20 mark. JOEL LOWRY: Forward, Cornell University (5th round pick in 2011, BCHL) Lowry was injured and hasn’t played since December 6th against Denver, a game in which he scored a goal. His college career is over following back surgery in January. Thus, he will be turning pro this summer. To date, the Kings have not signed him to an Entry Level NHL contract. A decision to do so is expected shortly. JAKE MARCHMENT: Center, Erie Otters (6th round pick in 2014, OHL) Traded to the Erie Otters before the OHL Trade Deadline, Marchment’s team won all three of their home games this past week. Yet, he was not a big contributor on the score sheet, registering only two assists in the three games. JACOB MIDDLETON: Defenseman, Ottawa 67’s (7th round pick in 2014, OHL) In the 67’s two wins last week, Middleton recorded an assist. However, he also now sits with a minus-2 rating for the month of March. MATTHEW MISTELE: Forward, Oshawa Generals (6th round pick in 2014, OHL) Oshawa had one road loss and two home wins last week. Mistele was a big contributor in the games, with two assists and three goals. NIKOLAI PROKHORKIN: Forward, CSKA (4th round pick, 2012, KHL) Prokhorkin’s CSKA team played two games in the KHL’s Western Semi-Finals this past week, coming out on top in both. He was a non-factor on the score sheet, registering only one SOG for both games combined. SPENCER WATSON: Forward, Kingston Frontenacs (7th round pick in 2014, OHL) Kingston played two away and two home games last week, winning three and losing one. In the four contests, Watson was credited with one goal and five assists. VALENTIN ZYKOV: Forward, Gatineau Olympiques (2nd round pick in 2013, QMHL) Another player to have recently been traded by his junior club, Zykov and the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques won both of their games last week. He recorded two goals and two assists, giving him points in 12 of his last 13 games. Even more impressive, he has 18 points total in those 13 games, and has 25 points in the 24 games since joining his new team.

FROM PROHOCKEYTALK.NBCSPORTS.COM Kings step back into West playoff picture with win James O'Brien By shutting out the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 on Monday, the Los Angeles Kings end the night back in the West’s final wild card spot. They had to grind this one out as Jonathan Quick made all 25 saves while Andy Andreoff scored the only goal on an increasingly spry Mike Smith (beaten just once on 35 shots). Los Angeles carried much of the play, but much like Washington out East, it wasn’t an easy night despite facing a “tanking” opponent. Here is a quick look at the West wild card race after this one: Minnesota (first wild card spot): 83 points, 35 regulation/overtime wins in 69 games played Los Angeles (second wild card spot): 81 points, 32 ROW in 69 GP Winnipeg: 80 points, 28 ROW in 69 GP San Jose: 76 points, 31 ROW in 69 GP Colorado: 75 points, 23 ROW in 69 GP Dallas: 74 points, 29 ROW in 70 GP It’s important to mention that the Kings could conceivably catch thee Calgary Flames (who have 81 points but two more ROW) and Vancouver Canucks (82 points, one game in hand on Los Angeles, plus three more ROW than the Kings) in the Pacific Division, too. At this point, almost every win and loss could be framed as crucial. Regardless, the Kings would likely have some serious regrets if they dropped this one, but they managed to grit this one out. The West’s top teams probably aren’t happy, either. Of course, a lot can still change in a month. Sutter wants more from the ‘guys who haven’t scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games, whatever it is’ Jason Brough The Los Angeles Kings have tweaked their lines ahead of tonight’s contest versus the Coyotes, with hopes of getting some goals from a few more of their forwards. “We’ve got guys who haven’t scored in 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 games, whatever it is, and some of them have had zero scoring opportunities for the last five as individuals,” coach Darryl Sutter said, per LA Kings Insider. Sutter didn’t name names, but winger Dustin Brown has gone without a goal in his last 11 games, while winger Dwight King has gone goalless in 13. This morning, Brown was skating on the first line with Marian Gaborik and Anze Kopitar, while King was on the third line with Nick Shore and Justin Williams. The second line had Trevor Lewis, Jeff Carter, and Tyler Toffoli, with Kyle Clifford, Andy Andreoff, and Jordan Nolan comprising the fourth.

FROM THEHOCKEYWRITERS.COM A Look At The Kings’ Remaining Schedule Eric Roberts There are 13-games remaining in the regular season for the Los Angeles Kings. After their 1-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes last night, the Kings sit in the final wild card spot in the Western Conference with 81-points. The Kings have played 69-games this season, those 69-games have taken the Kings and their fans on quite the roller coaster ride. There has been losing streaks, there has been winning streaks, there has been reassignments and there has been injuries, but it all comes down to the final 26-days of the season. The Kings are in a dog fight in their Division and Conference and have been in and out of the playoff picture for most of the season. As we get ready for the final sprint towards the playoffs, things look like they be just as exciting and unpredictable. Here are three storylines to watch as the Kings finish off the ’14-’15 regular season and try to get into the playoffs. Road Warriors The Kings will be on the road for nine of their remaining 13-games. Five of those games will come during a road trip from March 23 through March 30. This road trip will put the Kings up against some of the league’s top talent in the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild. The Kings have been less than admirable when on the road this season. When away from Staples Center the Kings boast an embarrassing 12-14-6 record. Thats 34-points lost on the road for the Kings so far. There’s a total of 26-points available for the Kings to grab before season’s end, 18 of those points will come on the road. The Kings will have to play better than what their record suggests. At this point, anything less than a winning record away from Staples Center could spell an early summer for the defending Champs. Saying the Western Conference’s playoff race is tight is an understatement. One point separates the Kings from the Vancouver Canucks and second place in the Pacific Division. On the other hand, the Winnipeg Jets are just one point behind the Kings in the hunt for the final wild card spot. At this point of the season every game and every point is important. However, adding a little more emphasis to the Kings upcoming games is the fact that six of their remaining 13-games will be against teams within five points of them in the standings. Any slip up could drop the Kings right back out of the playoff picture. The Wild Wild West The standings in the West are ridiculously close and the teams in the hunt, in most cases, will all face each other at least once before the end of the season. This will only add to the drama that comes with the sprint to the finish line. The Canucks and Calgary Flames sit in the number two and three spots in the Pacific. However, depending on

how things play out over the next three weeks, both teams could very well be on the outside looking in come time for playoffs. A team like the San Jose Sharks, currently outside of the playoffs by six-points, could catch fire down the stretch and accompanied with some losses by other teams, could end up as a number three seed in the Pacific. The Kings could benefit from how the schedule is set up. As long as games between teams in the hunt are decided in regulation and don’t end up being a three-point night, the Kings will benefit. But things have to be decided in regulation, a game where both teams get points is a loss for the Kings in the long run. In the final weeks, thing are going to get messy, rivalries will get a new chapter and teams will be left on the outside looking in. As fans, all we can do is hope for the best for our team and buckle up and enjoy the ride.

FROM SPORTS.YAHOO.COM NHL Three Stars: Quick blanks Coyotes; bad night for Maple Leafs By Greg Wyshynski No. 1 Star: Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings The Kings goalie pitched his second shutout in three games with a 25-save effort in a 1-0 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Andy Andreoff scored his first NHL goal for the Kings’ only tally. No. 2 Star: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals The Caps sniper netted his eighth of the season in the third period, and then scored the lone goal in the shootout to give the Caps a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. No. 3 Star: Jordan Eberle, Edmonton Oilers The winger assisted on Benoit Pouliot’s first-period goal, scored one of his own and then assisted on Anton Lander’s goal in the Oilers’ 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Honorable Mention: Steven Stamkos scored two goals and an assist and Ben Bishop made 32 saves in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. …Tomas Plekanec had two points. … Benoit Pouliot had two goals. … Ben Scrivens made 28 saves. Did You Know? Kuznetsov won the gold medal for Russia at the 2011 World Junior Championships in Buffalo and had three assists in the gold medal game against Canada, a 5-3 come from behind victory. (NHL.com) Dishonorable Mention: Alex Ovechkin earned a double-minor for roughing vs. Mike Weber. … Max Pacioretty made a rather bad pass. … Brandon Prust had 12 minutes in penalties. … Jonathan Bernier was pulled after giving up three goals on four shots in 8:08. … Tyler Bozak earned 24 penalty minutes after an incident involving Ryan-Nugent Hopkins and the refs. … Nazem Kadri was worried he might face suspension for this hit on Mark Fraser. He was given an illegal check to the head penalty, and later left the game when Andrew Ference gave him a hard check:

FROM LASPORTSHUB.COM 3 Reasons The Kings Were Built To Be A Dynasty by Keith Rivas Building off of astounding success in the last couple of seasons, the Los Angeles Kings have managed to go from professionally challenged to everyone’s favorite underdog at the drop of a hat. Now franchise names like Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, and more recently Marian Gaborik have been big influences in the Kings making a statement in the same way their uniforms do — black and white. Two Stanley Cups in the past three seasons — only interrupted by a well-deserved (dare I say it) Chicago Blackhawks victory — have started a sort of avalanche of momentum that the Kings have done nothing but build on. And yes, both of those Cups came as historic underdogs. Here are three reasons the Kings success is just getting started: 1. On The Road Again Los Angeles has had its ups and downs in each regular season in recent memory but the performances in the playoffs are still what stands out to its fans and haters across the board. In 2012, during their first championship run, the Kings encountered their first dance with death in the Western Conference. As the eight seed. In the first round the top-ranked Vancouver Canucks were poised to make their own dash back into the pro hockey limelight but fell short when the Kings came alive and won three of the needed four times on the road and away from Staples Center. The Canucks were left clueless. Next up in the Divisional Round was the second-best in the West St. Louis Blues. Being just as physical of a team as Vancouver, you would think that the Kings would be worn out from such a crazy first round, right? Wrong again. The Kings swept the Blues (literally) off their feet and cleaned house in four straight games. Three of the wins came with a two goal cushion and one game ended with a three goal difference. At this point, nobody really knew what to expect next. All we knew was that the next challenger would be the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes — a team that had just beaten the Chicago Blackhawks in a six game series that consisted of five straight overtime match ups. Too much good stuff? Nope. Los Angeles was success full in knocking off the Coyotes in five games while remaining perfect on the road. Following this crazy series win, the New Jersey Devils (who’d made the East their own kingdom, getting to the Final as a six seed) would play against the Kings for it all.

Talk about having to leave it all on the table. Not even the nerves of being on the first Stanley Cup team could shake the fate of another series win and a trophy to take home. The Kings ended that season with a successful hockey treasure hunt and their only road loss being their last game away from home for the season. A must-win Game 5 for New Jersey with the Devils on the ropes. To follow that up last season, the Kings made it into the playoffs again but had to face the high and mighty San Jose Sharks who seemed all but invincible. Sure enough, San Jose jumped out to a 3-0 series lead — we are talking a lead that takes a historic fallout to give up — but failed to put away the pesky Kings en route to an embarrassing Game 7 loss to the Kings that literally put the nail in the coffin. Los Angeles went on to win two more road Game 7s en route to a second Stanley Cup over Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers. And yes, they’re ready to do it again. If you don’t see the Kings as a threat this year, I guess you just haven’t paid much attention to the NHL. 2. Kingdom Come The only thing more frightening for the other NHL franchises out there than today’s Kings is the kind of team the Kings will be once their chemistry really starts to jell. Several of their key assets, including Jonathan Quick are signed for an extended stay with the team for the next several years. Assuming that the players are able to put aside potentially better pay somewhere else (as Gaborik did recently, coming to the conclusion he was better off winning championships than chunk change. That is after all, you know, why people play hockey. To win. While the kind of success we’ve seen is great, there would be no kingdom without someone at the top. Meet Daryl Sutter, L.A.’s head coach and full-time fanatic. Sutter has been the key reason his players have stayed together during tough times. An impossible deficit to the Sharks last year and the other two Game 7s on the road gave the Kings unstoppable confidence. With a city, squad, and a great coach behind them they have a ways to go before the train stops. Solid play from the Kings’ minor league team the Ontario Reign give honorable mention to L.A. hockey for years to come. Better hop off the bandwagon though, because it’s only sunny on the other side all of the time if you’re stuck in the rain. 3. The Staples Faithful As any popular sports team knows, playing in front of or behind loyal fans means more to the players than it does to those the game entertains. Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles has seen plenty of glory days, but

the ones it experiences now are of a different breed. A cold blooded breed with an icy stare. Staples Center has been home to the many years of success that the Los Angeles Lakers brought with them. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal brought the house down time and time again and after moving from the Forum — where the Kings also had previously played but lacked popularity — they made Staples Center where good things happen. The Seattle Seahawks have experienced this themselves on the football side of things. Their fans are considered the “12th Man” — an extra player — because of the noise they create at all home games for their team. Whether a die-hard or a casual fan is a question that becomes irrelevant in the echoes of each team’s cave. And the Kings have done some decorating to earn their place. The Clippers have had the better luck the past couple of seasons with basketball, but with Kobe Bryant’s final season around the corner and the Kings pushing for yet another Stanley Cup, it appears that the best memories are yet to come. FROM AZCENTRAL.COM Arizona Coyotes blanked by Los Angeles Kings Sarah McLellan, azcentral sports LOS ANGELES – Playoff implications hovered over only one team, but they were so important that the intensity required seemed to be contagious. At 79 points, the Kings sat only one point behind the Jets (80) for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. And with only a six-point gap between that spot and the 12th-placed team to start the night, the urgency to bank as many points as possible was palpable and even seemed to fuel the Coyotes. They're jostling in a different pecking order, the one at the bottom of the standings that will award the best draft lottery odds to the worst squad in the league, but that didn't stop the Coyotes from keeping pace with the Kings for much of Monday's 1-0 loss in front of 18,230 at Staples Center. "I thought we competed hard," coach Dave Tippett said. "We need to make some plays or compete in areas where you win pucks and beat somebody to score in this game. We didn't win enough puck battles or make a play that make a difference. "Now that being said, there's lots of try in our group." Box score: Kings 1, Coyotes 0 The Kings' Andy Andreoff finally resolved the goalie duel at 18:55 of the second period when he converted his first career goal. Smith was impressive, making 34 stops, while Jonathan Quick had 25 for the Kings for his sixth shutout of the season, second in last three games and 37th of his career to help catapult the Kings into that last playoff spot.

"Obviously, everyone knew what was on the line for them," said Smith, who bumped his save percentage up to .900 with this performance. "We were trying to play spoiler and didn't work out tonight." Smith held off the Kings in the third, but that wasn't completely unusual. Steady play from him has been the norm of late. So has an absentee offense by the Coyotes. This was the 10th time the Coyotes have been shut out this season, which is the second-highest total in the entire league behind the Sabres (11). Ten shutouts is also the worst in team history since the franchise relocated to the Valley; 13 is the overall franchise record (1979-80). And amid their last 16-game span that features 15 losses, the Coyotes have scored only 19 times. "It's unfortunate we couldn't get the play made we needed to get it equalized," Tippett said. Related: Young Coyotes defense still under evaluation Their offense had a tough time getting going in this one, not reaching double-digits in shots until the second period had already crossed the midway point, but the entire team was doing enough to stymie the Kings – even with the Kings going on the power play twice. Overall, the Coyotes killed off all three Kings power plays. "We have to play that type of game because we don't have a lot of scoring in our lineup," captain Shane Doan said. "That's the way you have to play when you're in that situation." Give credit to Smith, whose positioning all night seemed to be on-point with many pucks simply hitting him without requiring any further work from Smith. And although there are glaring areas that need attention from the Coyotes, Smith has continued to progress while going toe-to-toe with some of the league's best netminders. The game was the fourth time in his last five appearances that he's been tagged with two or fewer goals. "Just tried to keep the team in it and give them a chance," Smith said. "Was able to make some saves tonight and keep it close." As the second period progressed, the Coyotes started to find more offensive-zone time and had one of their best looks when a shot from Mark Arcobello rang off the iron. "We had two or three decent chances," Tippett said. "Arcobello hit the post on the one, but we need to generate more. When you're struggling to score, you need to generate more chances. To do that, you have to win puck battles and you have to beat people. We're just not getting enough situations where we beat somebody to create a chance." Unfortunately for the Coyotes, they weren't able to haul that momentum into the third. Defenseman John Moore lost his footing, giving Jordan Nolan ample time to go 2-on-1 with Andreoff, and Andreoff sent the pass by Smith with only 1:05 remaining in the frame. "Kind of a broken play in the neutral zone," Smith said. "Kind of got swatted around there a few times and ended up in our end and ends up kind of backdoor. I don't even think he meant to shoot it there. I think he fanned on it there and gets through me. It's the only one they need. It's obviously frustrating."

In the third, the Coyotes failed to organize a comeback. They had nine shotsin the period and had a few testy shots on Quick on their second power play once they were able to set up in the zone, but ultimately the Kings weathered the pressure. The Coyotes finished 0-for-2 on the power play. With the win, the Kings took the season series (3-0-1). "When you haven't scored in a long time, for some of the players in here you tend to try too hard," Smith said. "You're squeezing your stick a little tight, and I think guys are frustrated with it. It's not a lack of try. Guys are trying and want to score. Sometimes getting out of these lulls in goal scoring is about Key player Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 25 saves for his sixth shutout of the season. Key moment The Kings went up 1-0 with only 1:05 left in the second period when Andy Andreoff finished off a 2-on-1. Key number 0 goals by the Coyotes for the 10th time this season. View from the press box The Coyotes didn't look completely out of place next to the Kings, and that's what makes the offensive drought so troubling. Imagine if they had been able to capitalize on their power play or have any of their couple quality looks on Quick go in. A win wouldn't have been unrealistic. But the lack of finish just reinforces the fact that this group has work to do to become a polished product. Game Day: Coyotes take on Kings in Los Angeles Sarah McLellan, azcentral sports Coyotes (21-40-8) at Kings (33-22-13) Puck drop: 7:30 p.m. TV/Radio:FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7). Possible Coyotes lines: Rieder-Arcobello-Doan Erat-Gagner-Moss Korpikoski-Chipchura-Cunningham McGinn-Vitale-Crombeen Ekman-Larsson-Stone Dahlbeck-Moore Gormley-Murphy Smith Potential scratches: Campbell. Injury update: Center Martin Hanzal (back surgery) and winger Mikkel Boedker (spleen surgery) are on injured reserve.

Possible Kings lines: Gaborik-Kopitar-Brown Lewis-Carter-Toffoli King-Shore-Williams Clifford-Anreoff-Nolan Regehr-Doughty Muzzin-Gormley McNabb-Sekera Quick Potential scratches: Stoll and McBain. Injury update: Forwards Jarret Stoll (upper-body) and Tanner Pearson (lower-body) and defenseman Alec Martinez (upper-body). On the Kings: "Certainly a great challenge," coach Dave Tippett said. "You've got a team competing hard to get into the playoffs and a team like ours, there's a lot of players under evaluation. So we'll see where they fit in the organization. "L.A.'s going to play their style. They're going to come hard and hungry on the forecheck. We have to have players that are willing to compete in the hard areas of the game if we're going to have a chance to win." On the rivalry between these two teams: "I think rivalries are built in the playoffs," Tippett said. "We played a good series against these guys three years ago, but we're a long way from that. We got players that are playing to survive in the league not just to survive a playoff race or a playoff series. I expect our team to play hard, compete hard." Defenseman Brandon Gormley will play in place of Andrew Campbell. "He has to compete hard in battles," Tippett said of Gormley. "He has to get to battles and compete hard, not lose battles in front of the net. Those are the areas we really want to see if he can go into those battles and win enough." -Captain Shane Doan leads all Coyotes forwards in average ice time (18:40) and shots (157). -Doan has 77 points in 100 career games against the Kings. -Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has five points in eight previous games against the Kings. -Goalie Mike Smith is 11-4-1 with two shutouts, a 2.26 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 17 career games against the Kings. -The Kings are 23-4-7 when scoring first. -They're 8-2 against the Coyotes in their last 10 meetings at Staples Center. -Los Angeles is 11-4-6 against the Pacific Division. -The Kings' power play on home ice (22.4 percent) is seventh in the NHL.

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