KINGS NOTES...
By Gann Matsuda
12-27-00 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that left wing Craig Johnson suffered an severed flexor tendon in his right ankle during Tuesday's game against the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center. Johnson underwent surgery at Centinela Hospital Medical Center to repair the tendon and is expected to be out of the lineup for three months. Johnson suffered the injury immediately following the goal he scored at 1:20 of the third period. He was knocked down as he scored the goal and then crashed awkwardly into the end boards where his left skate cut his right ankle. The Kings did not announce any roster moves to fill Johnson's spot in the lineup, although one would expect them to do so on Thursday.12-26-00 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have placed goalie Stephane Fiset on injured reserve, retroactive to December 23. He is out indefinitely. Fiset suffered a torn or sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee on December 22 at Minnesota. As expected, the Kings recalled goalie Steve Passmore from the Chicago Wolves of the IHL under emergency conditions. They also assigned forward Scott Thomas to the Manitoba Moose of the IHL and recalled winger Brad Chartrand from the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL. Passmore, 27, started the season with the Kings, posting a 1-2-1 record, with a 2.80 goals-against average (GAA) and one shutout in four games. He was assigned to Lowell on October 26 and played in six games with the Lock Monsters, earning a 2-4-0 record with a 4.32 GAA. With the Wolves, Passmore played in three games recording a 1-2-0 record and a 3.96 GAA. Passmore has played in 34 career NHL games with the Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers, earning a 9-18-5 record and a 2.75 GAA. 
12-24-00 Jim Hodges reported in Sunday's LOS ANGELES TIMES that Los Angeles Kings' goalie Stephane Fiset suffered what is officially being called a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. So, apparently, the truth is somewhere between a sprain and a tear. Hodges also reported that the Kings assigned winger Scott Thomas to the Manitoba Moose of the IHL. For more, read Hodges' article in the newspaper or on the web at: http://sports.latimes.com/news/20001224/hko/los/000122613.html On Saturday, sources close to the Los Angeles Kings reported that right wing Glen Murray practiced with the team on Saturday, the first time he has worked out with the team since he went down with a torn right quadriceps with loose cartilege in his right knee on November 19. The outlook is for Murray to return after January 1. Bad news about Stephane Fiset... An MRI examination on Saturday revealed that Fiset suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee when he was hit by Minnesota Wild captain Wes Walz, who slid into him after being pulled down by Kings' defenseman Aki Berg on Thursday night. Walz hit Fiset's knee with his head. Fiset will be re-examined on Sunday by Kings' orthopedist Dr. Ronald Kvitne. The Kings are expected to recall Steve Passmore to backup Jamie Storr. In other injury-related news... Right wing Ziggy Palffy (torn right hamstring) will undergo treatment throughout the Christmas holidays. Center Jozef Stumpel (broken toe) did not practice on Saturday. 12-22-00 The Los Angeles Kings had just lost to the Colorado Avalanche, 5-2, in Denver on Thursday night, but the big news had nothing to do with the game or the fact that Kings' center Jozef Stumpel returned despite playing with a painful broken toe. The big news was that Kings' star defenseman and captain Rob Blake announced that he will be traded. Although nothing is official until a trade happens, Blake pointed to failed contract negotiations as the reason. "It's just not going to get done," Blake said. "We've been talking the past few days and it's not close. The trade is going to happen now, not later. They have to get something for me." "It's not a case of saying this to get a reaction from them," he added. "I'm saying it because it is going to happen." Blake told reporters after the game that contract negotiations have broken down. After failed negotiations in September in which it was reported that the Kings gave Blake an ultimatum--to sign their proposed deal (three years, $22.5 million) or be traded--Blake resigned the team captaincy, but took the position again within a week or two. Talks began again a little over a week ago and had been ongoing in recent days, but have apparently broken down again. "We really thought something was going to happen in the past few days," Blake said. "No one wants to wait until the trade deadline [March 15] to get a deal done. But now there is no turning back. They've said what they have to say." Which would mean that Blake is as good as gone, unless the Kings have a change of heart...or if Philip Anschutz, Ed Roski, Jr., Tim Leiweke and Dave Taylor have any brains at all. It does not take a genius to figure out Blake's value to the team. Right wing Ziggy Palffy may be having an tremendous season and could wind up being the team's most valuable player this season, but Blake is the foundation of the team and he carries his teammates. His strong defensive play and his offensive abilities make him a force anywhere on the ice. Without Blake in the lineup, the Kings have done nothing but struggle. Losing him would deprive the Kings of a lot of defense in their own zone and their biggest weapon on their power play. Does the Kings' ownership and management really believe this team can be successful without him? The issue for the Kings is obviously money. With St. Louis defenseman Chris Pronger signing a three-year, $27.5 million contract in October, the price for Blake rose substantially. And with him set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and with NHL teams all over drooling over the prospect of signing one of the top three defensemen in the league, the price for Blake is going to be even higher. To be sure, the Kings have shown that they are going to do everything they can to hold down salaries, toeing the line that most NHL clubs are trying to follow in a league-wide effort to keep salaries from spiraling out of control. On the other side, the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) is telling all their players, especially star players, to go for the jugular, to get all the money they can now before the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in 2004. The current CBA has resulted in players getting most of what they want, but owners have been fighting back by refusing to sign some players, who wind up holding out for long periods. Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulan, a restricted free agent for the Phoenix Coyotes comes to mind--he held out all of the 1999-2000 season and remains a holdout this season. For the Kings, defenseman Aki Berg held out the entire 1998-99 season, playing in Europe instead. And Jozef Stumpel held out early this season. And there are many other players across the NHL in similar situations. But in each of those cases, the players were restricted free agents. Their only leverage came via their hold out and even then, most players did not get much of what they demanded. The teams had the advantage. In Blake's case, however, the player has the clear advantage. The fact that he will be an unrestricted free agent means that he can sign with any team after July 1 and the Kings get nothing in return. Also, Blake is a superstar defenseman. If not the best defenseman in the NHL, he is clearly among the top three. That fact alone raises his value significantly. Knowing this, the Kings should have signed him before training camp. It would have cost them much less than it would to sign him now. Of course, they may have decided that they cannot afford his salary and will indeed trade him. If that is the course of action the Kings will take, they are going to have to face the wrath of many angry fans. They appear to know and understand Blake's value to the Kings more than the Kings' ownership and management do. Kings' ownership and management need to face facts. They blew it by not signing Blake before training camp and now they must bite the bullet and come to an agreement with Blake, even if it means that they have to make him the highest-paid defenseman in the league. His superstar-caliber talent, and his leadership make his worth the price. The bottom line: Kings' ownership and management need to wake up. If they think the team can be successful without their best player, even if they can get a number of solid, young prospects for him in a trade, they need to think again. They need to admit that they blew it by not signing him when they first had the chance and then bite the bullet and sign Blake. To do otherwise would be a grave error in judgement that will not only lose them their best player, but would also dump them out of the playoff race quickly and finally, lose them a considerable number of fans. And for a team that has trouble selling out their games, they cannot afford to lose many more fans. 12-21-00 WIth Ziggy Palffy being diagnosed with a torn right hamstring, according to various reports, and with the Los Angeles Kings facing one of the toughest (if not the toughest) portions of their schedule over the next thirteen day, the Kings are in trouble. Big trouble. Palffy, who was on pace for at least fifty goals and one hundred points, sounds like he will be out much longer than one week (he's eligible to come off of injured reserve on the 24th). If the injury is as bad as it sounds, 4-6 weeks or even longer isn't out of the question. "I went into the corner and all the weight went on the one leg," Palffy said. "I tried to skate on it Monday, but it was tough. I'm not sure when I'll be back." WIthout Palffy, the Kings are without the player who was leading the NHL in scoring prior to his injury--he has been the biggest reason that the Kings are still contending for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. But perhaps more importantly, Palffy has been solid defensive as well, the Kings have certainly missed that part of his game in their last two games--both losses and both games in which their defense fell apart, leaving goalies Stephane Fiset and Jamie Storr to fend for themselves. So poor were the Kings on defense that Kings' head coach Andy Murray, who had to pull Fiset in both games, replacing him with Storr, said that the team did not do their jobs in front of him. "I told him when he got to the bench that 'your teammates are letting you down,'" Murray said. "Seven goals in 24 or 25 shots shouldn't happen," Murray said after Thursday's game against Atlanta. "And I don't know that there were a lot of them that we can fault the goaltender on." Murray pointed directly at his team's utter failure to play anything that resembled defense in both games. "We cheated," Kings' head coach Andy Murray said about his team's refusal to play defense in their last two games. "We cheated ourselves and we cheated the fans. We cheated in the way we played. We have to play honest." "Isn't there a saying, 'Cheaters never win?' Offense is talent, defense is hard work," he added. "Maybe we thought we could just blow through those teams, but they proved that wasn't true. And I cheated by not preparing them well enough." If the Kings continue to cheat (translation: not keeping the third forward high in the attacking zone, in good defensive position...this is the key to the Kings' entire system), they will have no chance in at five of their next six games, all against Western Conference rivals, with five of the six games against teams ahead of them in the conference standings. Without Palffy and without Stumpel, who could return on Thursday at Colorado but may not be as effective, the Kings need to be even more disciplined and play their system to the letter. If they don't, their defense will fall apart again and again and they will certainly plummet in the conference standings. In fact, the Kings could easily wind up with an 0-6 record on this tough slate of games over the next thirteen days. For the Kings' sake, one can only hope that thirteen is anything but bad luck. In their current situation, they need all the good luck they can get. 12-20-00 On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have placed right wing Ziggy Palffy on injured reserve, retroactive to December 17. Palffy suffered a strained right hamstring muscle during the first period of the Kings vs. Tampa Bay Lightning game on December 16. He suffered the injury during the first period and did not return. Currently the second-leading scorer in the NHL, Palffy has been undergoing treatment and is listed as week-to-week. Palffy will not accompany the team on their current two-game road trip to Colorado on Thursday and Minnesota on Friday, but could be available when the Kings return home to host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, December 26. The Kings also announced that center Jozef Stumpel, who has missed two games with the broken toe, is expected to accompany the team on their road trip. 12-19-00 As expected, the Los Angeles Kings announced on Tuesday that they have recalled forward Scott Thomas from the Manitoba Moose of the IHL. Thomas, 30, was recalled under emergency conditions and will wear jersey number 51. In nineteen games with Manitoba, the 6-2, 200-pound Thomas has scored nine goals and added twelve assists for 21 points in 19 games. To make room on the roster, the Kings assigned defenseman Andreas Lilja to the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL. As reported earlier, defenseman Jere Karalahti is expected to return to the lineup against the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night at Staples Center. Forwards Jozef Stumpel and Ziggy Palffy are not expected to play due to a broken little toe and a strained hamstring, respectively. 12-15-00 On Friday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled winger Jason Blake from the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL. Blake was loaned by to Lowell for conditioning purposes on December 12. He played in two games, recording one assist. Blake's recall was made necessary because center Jozef Stumpel suffered a broken little toe on his right foot during Thursday's game against the New York Rangers. Stumpel is listed as day-to-day. 12-12-00 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have loaned winger Jason Blake to the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL for conditioning purposes. Blake, who played his first full season in the NHL last year, has played in just thirteen games for the Kings this season, scoring a goal and an assist for two points. 12-7-00 The Los Angeles Kings return to the ice Thursday night after a three-day layoff following a 4-0 blowout loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on Sunday evening. Injury Update... Defenseman Jere Karalahti is doubtful for Thursday's game due to a bruised left foot. He was able to practice earlier this week, but suffered a setback on Wednesday that makes him questionable. There has been no word on the condition of defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, who did not play against Anaheim on Sunday due to back spasms. In other news... The Kings no longer have a number one goalie...again. Kings' head coach Andy Murray has said that he will play the goalie who is playing best at the moment. Fiset is expected to start on Thursday against Dallas and Storr is expected to start on Saturday at Edmonton, with Fiset starting again at Vancouver on Sunday. Back to Thursday's game... Thursday's game against the Dallas Stars could prove to be a pivotal game in the 2000-2001 season for the Kings for a number of reasons: * They Are Just 1-3-2 In Their Last Six Games After a 6-0-2 run, the Kings have just one win in their last six games and two of the three losses were a 7-1 blowout at the hands of the New Jersey Devils and the 4-0 loss at Anaheim on Sunday. Against New Jersey, the Kings simply did not show up at all. They were outskated, outworked, outhustled and outhit...what I call the "Four O's" of hockey. The completely failed to compete. And on Sunday, the Kings were obviously a tired team. Nevertheless, the effort could have been much better and they could have won the game. * Defensive Turnaround Needed Over their last six games and probably longer than that, the Kings' defensive efforts have been sub-par. The primary reason is that the third forward, who is supposed to remain high in the attacking zone in good defensive position, has been cheating down low a lot. That has resulted in marked increase in outnumbered attacks allowed by the Kings as well as a scrambly defense that spends more time running around in their own zone, focused in on the puck-carrier because the forwards were out of position already coming back through the neutral zone. The cheating third forward has prevented the Kings from controlling the neutral zone, which has allowed opponents to build speed on attack, forcing the Kings' defenseman to back off the blue line. The Kings' system is built on slowing down the attack by standing up at the blue line, or even the red line. As such, the forwards not being able to backcheck through the middle of the ice, especially in the neutral zone, has really put a heavy damper on the Kings' defense lately. The role of the forwards on defense is crucial to the Kings' system. There has been way too much pressure on the defensemen lately because they are being forced to cover for forwards who are out of position. This hurts their overall play, is evidenced by Rob Blake's scoring slump and poor plus/minus ratings in recent games. In short, the forwards need to take care of their defensive responsibilities. Otherwise, the Kings' entire system and game plan goes out the window. * Need Big Confidence Boost Against Dallas The Kings always have a lot of trouble with the Stars, so a win on Thursday would be a major boost to a team trying to reach the next level. Dallas is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Therefore, a win by the Kings would give them a huge lift and could propel them back into their winning ways. Also, Dallas played a tough game on Wednesday at San Jose, so the Kings really need to take advantage of a team that could be tired. * Need To Win Games Against Pacific Division Rivals The Kings have been dreadful against their Pacific Division rivals over the last two-plus seasons. In 1998-99, they were just 6-18-0 against them, and last season, they were just 8-13-3-3. If the Kings are serious about reaching the next level, they must start defeating division rivals much more often...they must have a winning record in the division, especially in the super-competitive Western Conference where just a few points could drop any playoff team out of the top eight seeds on any given day. If the Kings are successful against Dallas...if they show signs of solidifying their defense and if they get a big win against a division rival, especially a team that usually gives them fits like the Stars, the Kings could very well get themselves back on a winning track with a renewed winning attitude. If they can do this, they can have a very successful December. But if the Kings lose, it could drain them of some badly-needed confidence. And in the Western Conference, that could be devastating, even this early in the season. Indeed, a loss on Thursday night could very well be an ominous sign for this team's immediate future. 12-5-00 On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have released left wing Tomas Vlasak. Vlasak, 25, started the 2000-2001 season with the Kings, appearing in ten games. He scored a goal and tallied three assists for four points. The 5-10, 175-pound left winger was assigned to the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL on November 15 and reportedly did not play well, contributing just one assist in five games. Vlasak was drafted by the Kings in the fifth round (120th overall) of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. 12-3-00 On Saturday, it was learned that Kings' defenseman Jere Karalahti, who is suffering from a foot injury on Tuesday at the New York Rangers and missed Saturday's game against the Minnesota Wild, will probably miss tonight's game at Anaheim as well. Karalahti underwent an MRI exam on his injured foot but no serious damage was discovered. Defenseman Andreas Lilja, who was recalled by the Kings on Saturday, could play tonight. 12-2-00 As expected, on Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they have recalled defenseman Andreas Lilja from the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL. Lilja has played in twenty games at Lowell this season, scoring one goal and adding seven assists for eight points while racking up seventy penalty minutes. Lilja, who is 6-3 and weighs 220 pounds, was drafted by the Kings in the second round (54th overall) in the 200 NHL Entry Draft. Lilja is likely to replace defenseman Jere Karalahti, who was injured on Tuesday in a game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. He suffered an injury to his left foot when he was hit by a shot from Rangers' forward Theoren Fleury early in the first period. Karalahti was unable to skate during practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, and will most likely be unable to play on Saturday when the Kings host the Minnesota Wild. 12-1-00 Late Friday, it was learned that the Los Angeles Kings are expected to start goalie Stephane Fiset against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night at Staples Center. Fiset has been out of the lineup since September 22 when he tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in a pre-season game at Anaheim. It was also learned that the Kings are expected to recall defenseman Andreas Lilja from the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL. Lilja could replace defenseman Jere Karalahti, who injured his left foot on Tuesday night at the New York Rangers when he was hit in the foot by a shot. Karalahti's status will probably be a game-time decision, although there have been no specific details from the Kings regarding his status. Los Angeles Kings' goaltender Stephane Fiset is back...at least in a backup role... On Friday, the Kings announced that they have assigned goalie Travis Scott to the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL, their primary minor league affiliate. Scott did not start any games for the Kings, but make his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on November 28, allowing three goals on ten shots (none were his fault). He relieved starting goalie Jamie Storr in that game. Apparently, Fiset looked good enough in practice on Friday to give the Kings' coaching staff enough confidence that he could backup Storr. The only question now is whether he will get a start this weekend against Minnesota on Saturday or at Anaheim on Sunday. Los Angeles Kings' defenseman Jere Karalahti, who was hit by a shot by New York Rangers' forward Theoren Fleury and suffered an injury to his left foot, was limping badly on Thursday and did not practice. Karalahti indicated that he would try to practice on Friday. If Karalahti cannot play on Saturday when the Kings host the Minnesota Wild, the Kings will recall a defenseman from the minors (probably Andres Lilja from Lowell). Kings' goalie Stephane Fiset said that he felt some pain after playing a game on Wednesday with the Lowell Lock Monsters in the AHL. But Fiset said there is nothing to be concerned about. "There was a little pain," Fiset said. "That's OK. There's going to be a little pain until one day I play a game and there is no pain." Fiset will be watched carefully in practice today. If he does well, he could see action either on Saturday or on Sunday at Anaheim.
