The Kings started this marathon road trip with three out of four possible points between the Flyers and the Islanders game. Surely, these cardiac Kings would go back to their losing ways at some point... just as one can clock an egg timer, one can also predict many of the Kings’ losses.
To be fair, for the first time in awhile, the team’s getting hit by the injury bug. Before the game even started, Nagy remained in Los Angeles and due to a just diagnosed ankle stress fracture, Rob Blake joined him. Thornton joined the new Kings’ infirmary when he sustained injury as well.
The most senior IR guy with 17 games lost is Cammalleri who is with the team on the road trip. Apparently, he is doing much better. Kings' broadcasters, Jim Fox and Bob Miller, said that Cammalleri remains skating without contact, but he can "still feel it" and cannot return until that changes... uh... okay.... (In fairness, I have no idea how that 'still feels it' translates regarding the healing process for his injured ribs. Fox did add that coming back too soon leaves Cammalleri susceptible to reinjury more easily. Take that for what it is worth.)
For a fair amount of time, I have heard and probably subconsciously felt that if the season was officially over – at least with respect to the playoffs, why not blend the best parts of the Monarchs with the best parts of the Kings and see what follows. We as fans now get our wish.
While Teddy Purcell stays in Manchester due to the return of Willsie, there are still spots open for Moulson, and now Harrold and Boyle. The latter player had an atypical start to his first regular NHL season game. The only way the guy could get to the game on time was to be driven by chauffeur to the game directly from Manchester. Not quite the race Kobe Bryant used to do between Colorado and the Lakers during his legal troubles, but an interesting side point.
Due to the modern invention of a car, (*oops*), Boyle did dress, although he missed the game’s beginning, no one noticed considering he scored his first NHL goal and NHL assist. The Kings have an atypical plan when it comes to Boyle’s development. He started the year in Manchester playing as a defenseman and has since returned to his former position of center.
I want to also share a side note that may or may not be known. Boyle had an opportunity to start his NHL career under the terms of the old CBA which allowed for more lucrative entry level contracts and bonuses. Rather than receive that better initial contract, he chose to return to Boston College and captain his team his senior year. Unlike what the Hurricanes did with Jack Johnson where they traded his rights when he had the audacity to honor a commitment he made to his coach and school, the Kings allowed Boyle to make his own choices and wait for him to become NHL ready.
For those who think and rightly so that perhaps it is inappropriate to compare Johnson’s situation to Boyle’s considering the former is far more highly regarded than Boyle. I won’t disagree in substance. In at least form, imagine how much better Carolina would be if they looked at the team’s bigger picture than the smaller one. This is just the rambling of a blogger, so I will get back to the game...
Just as many other organization’s before it, the Kings became the cure for what ailed the Devils. Prior to Saturday’s game, New Jersey entered the game on a three game losing streak. The general modus operandi of Los Angeles opponents this year motivates their opponents to dress their back-up netminder. Leaving no game to chance, Sutter put out his #1 Brodeur. I think the shortsightedness of this coach, as I contend with the Sharks’ Wilson, to put out your #1 on nearly every game will backfire come play-off time. Then again, that is a good problem to have since that means both of these teams
will actually be in the playoffs... *sigh*
The Kings began the game typically poor. The first ten minutes the shot differential was eight Devils to one Kings. A bad goal by LaBarbera that went five hole didn’t help the Kings’ cause...ouch! The latter ten minutes went better everywhere but the scoreboard when the Kings then out-shot their opponent’s 4-1. Three of those shots came from a Brylin penalty drawn by NHL newcomer, Peter Harrold. The face-off statistics were just as telling. The first five minutes, the Kings won exactly no face-offs but by the end of the night these statistics in the circle were pretty much even between the two teams.
The second is where things got a lot better and then a whole lot worse. Six goals were scored. Unfortunately, four were for the Devils and only were two for the Kings...yikes! As to Los Angeles, Boyle earned his first off a behind the net pass from Giuliano. Johnson’s goal was far different. Devils’ captain, Jamie Langenbrunner had his back to Johnson who came up from behind and buried his shot earning his 3rd NHL goal of the year. There has to be some kind of irony that the goals scored by Johnson are against the NHL’s most elite goaltenders. By my count, Johnson has two goals against Luongo and one against Brodeur. These teasers hint at what Johnson will do for the Kings over time as Lombardi’s builder player in the defense category.
More than once this year, I have taken issue with the leadership of the Kings. I rarely see emotion on the ice, and by this I mean the kind of emotion that compels the team to follow their lead and play considerably more inspired play. After games, just once I would like to hear Cammalleri or Blake or Thornton go talk to Evans and Nickson and be accountable for losses not just celebratory in wins.
Saturday’s game showed an example of why I harp on this issue. Sutter, the last Sutter brother to become an NHL coach, comes from a family known for work ethic, fire and intensity. It is for this reason that Lamoriello waited out Sutter being willing to leave Red Deer and the junior team he owned and coached. Just as solid, Langenbrunner shared that same intensity and he was the guy most at fault for the Johnson goal since that was his guy and his back was turned. That error resulted in the following exchange between captain and coach:
“Devils coach Brent Sutter didn't like it one bit and ripped into his team, and Langenbrunner in particular, on the bench. Langenbrunner didn't like it either and yelled back.
"Did you notice it?" Sutter asked, laughing. "We both should have been quiet."
Sutter wasn't laughing at the time, though. Neither was Langengrunner. 'He was discussing something,' Langenbrunner said, downplaying it.
Asked if he "discussed back," Langenbrunner said, "Yes. It was fine. No problems. It was discussed how to play it. It's a tough play for the wingers coming in. We're trying to limit their options a bit and I kind of lost my guy off my left shoulder there."
. . . . "It's just intensity. It's the emotion of the game," Sutter said. "Sometimes players' emotions run too and my emotions run, too. It's the heat of the battle. I have no problem at all with Jamie showing his emotions and I certainly hope he didn't mind me showing my emotion back to him."
The most important thing was the way the Devils responded.”
That passionate exchange between captain and coach only sparked the Devils to victory in an offensive splash not typically seen by New Jersey. The full article quoted above can be read in its entirety here:
NorthJersey.com: providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!
The third period resulted in an exchange of goals but the second period damage sealed the Kings’ fate no doubt. Here are some interesting and atypical stats from the game:
• Handzus 64.3 % face-off success
• The Devils more than doubled the Kings with 17 hits to the Kings 8 (half of those were Brown’s alone)
• No King’ giveaways;
• Only one Kings’ minor penalty;
• Ivanans dominating and atypically short fight with Rupp;
• Ivanans personally had the most shots on goal at four;
• Kopitar and O’Sullivan were -3;
• Modry and Stuart blocked three shots;
• LaBarbera gave up five goals on 24 shots.
The next game comes up Tuesday against the Rangers where I believe this will be the first game Avery has faced his former team since his trade last year. I have read in more than one place how some fans think the Kings need the intensity and chippiness of Avery’s game.
I for one don’t miss him, didn’t like him and am glad he is gone. I read somewhere this season, wish I could remember where, that part of Brown's success and dominance is in part due to Avery's absence implying that the latter caused problems for the former.
Carla Muller carla.hockeygal@att.net
CarlaMuller
Devil’s Fire Burns Boyle’s Highlight Night 
