PALFFY, SCHNEIDER RETURN
BUT ALLISON AND POTVIN ARE THE STORY
KINGS DOWN PANTHERS, 3-1
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Kings were made whole again on
Wednesday night, when right wing Ziggy Palffy and defenseman Mathieu
Schneider returned to the lineup after recovering from injuries.
And although they made an obvious difference in the Kings' 3-1 win
over the Florida Panthers, in front of 17,006 fans at Staples Center,
the big story was the play of center Jason Allison, who scored a goal
and added an assist, and goalie Felix Potvin, who made 29 saves.
Allison played a very strong game. He was always around the puck, and
was a threat on most every shift, and Florida head coach Mike Keenan,
who coached Allison while with the Boston Bruins, was not at all
surprised to see Allison lead the way.
"He can put the puck in the net," Keenan said. "He thrives on goal
scoring and offense, and he's a very powerful man around the net.
You've really got to take the puck away from him quickly. Otherwise,
he's very dangerous, and he exhibited that again tonight."
"I had time to walk around a couple of times tonight where I had time
to come out from behind the net and try to jam it or put it on the
upper shelf," Allison said. "It seemed like there was room down
there. I was just trying either to get a scoring chance or get a
scoring chance for a teammate."
Potvin, who had an off-night on Saturday against the New York
Rangers, was very sharp in this game. His positioning was good, and
he made several big saves, including a breakaway by Panthers' rookie
Kristian Huselius.
"We played a pretty solid game defensively tonight," Kings' head
coach Andy Murray said. "It was one of those games where Felix just
had to be good and he didn't have to be great. That's what you want
for your goaltender."
"We got two points," Murray added. "There are going to be a lot of
games like this. We answered this one."
"I thought we played much better, especially after the Rangers game,"
Potvin said. "That is where we have to win games."
Palffy and Schneider looked a bit rusty, but their talent and skill,
especially their passing ability, will be welcomed assets.
"Anytime that you are missing great players like [Palffy and
Schneider] out of your lineup, it definitely hurts," Allison said.
"We're a much better team with them in the lineup. They mean a lot to
us. We're going to win a lot of games with them playing."
"Since I've been here, we really haven't been healthy at all,"
Allison added. "Ziggy, Adam [Deadmarsh] and myself haven't played too
many games together. And [Schneider has] been out too. That's going
to hurt a team. I think good things are going to start happening for
us now that they are back."
Palffy, who missed fourteen games after suffering a fractured rib on
December 1, indicated that it will take a little time to get back to
100% game-shape.
"I was a little tired, but it was great to be back," Palffy said. "My
timing was a little off, but the timing will come. Getting back on my
game is a big thing."
Schneider, who had surgery to repair a sports hernia and a torn
abdominal muscle on November 9, missed twenty-three games, and just
wanted to get back on the ice.
"It will be seven weeks [today] since the surgery," Schneider said.
"I've skated six straight days and it feels good. I am ready to go."
"I knew I was coming back for the East Coast trip [games against the
Rangers, New York Islanders New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins and San
Jose Sharks]," Schneider said. "Playing this game was important
because we get two days off after that. It will give me a chance to
see how everything is."
And the Panthers, who are one of the most physical teams in the NHL,
did not shy away from the returning Kings' players.
Palffy in particular, took a big hit directly to his left shoulder
from Panthers' forward Bill Lindsay.
But Palffy got right up and continued on.
"Part of the game," explained Palffy. "You get knocked down, you get
back up. You keep your feet moving. That's what we did tonight. We
kept moving no matter what."
"They played a physical game and I was fine," Palffy added. "The key
was that we played so well defensively and we stuck together."
The Panthers, who defeated the Kings earlier in the season, started
off fine, but tailed off after the first period.
"I thought we played a very strong first period," Keenan said.
"After that, it was all LA. Our players should have expected the
other team, particularly playing at home, to come out harder than
they did in the first period, which they did. And we weren't ready
for it."
"I think it was our players' inexperience and their lack of maturity
as a group, not that they're immature, but they don't have the
maturity it takes to deal with what it takes to come back and play
consistently," Keenan explained. "We were trying to get some offense
going. Tonight there were not many players who provided."
And as Palffy said, this was a tough game, and just as the Kings got
healthy again, it looks as if they might lose two more players to
injury.
At the 13:46 mark of the third period, Kings' defenseman Andrea Lilja
was the victim of a knee-on-knee hit by Panthers' defenseman Lance
Pitlick.
Although Pitlick did not extend his leg to make contact, video replay
showed that he clearly led with his leg, and initiated contact with
his leg first.
Lilja's left skate got caught in the ice, and his left knee--the same
knee he suffered a torn medial collateral ligament earlier in the
season--buckled inward. He had to be helped off the ice and did not
return.
A little more than one minute later, Eloranta collided with Kings'
forward Ian Laperriere at the red line, along the left wing boards.
Eloranta was launched backwards into the air, and fell hard on the
ice, spraining his left knee as well.
"That's the way it's seemed to have gone for us this year," Murray
lamented. "It was almost too good to be true, having everybody back
healthy. We'll re-examine all three of them in the morning and we'll
have a better idea of where we stand. But it doesn't look real good
right now."
Scratches
---------
Los Angeles: Nelson Emerson (healthy), Jere Karalahti (healthy),
Adam Mair (suspended)
Florida: Dan Boyle, Ryan Johnson, Ivan Novoseltsev (all healthy)
Goalies
-------
Los Angeles: Felix Potvin
Florida: Roberto Luongo
Referees: Stephane Auger, Mike Leggo
Linesmen: Troy Sartison, Mark Wheler
First Period
------------
The Panthers had the territorial advantage early on, but then play
evened-up between the two teams. And then, the Kings got sloppy in
their own end...
1. FLORIDA. Huselius 15 (Darren Van Impe, Kevyn Adams), 15:48
Right after killing off a Kings' power play, the Panthers cleared the
puck up to Adams on right wing. He moved into the Kings' zone, on a
two-on-one break. He fired a slap shot from above the right face-off
dot, and Potvin made the save. The rebound was knocked below the
right circle, and a scramble for the loose puck ensued. While flat
on his stomach, Adams passed to Van Impe, who got off a backhand shot
from below the right face-off dot. Potvin made the save, but the
rebound was left in the low slot. Huselius jumped on the loose puck,
and backhanded the puck into the net, around Potvin's right leg pad.
A very poor defensive play by the Kings. Three Kings' players went to
the puck-carrier, leaving Van Impe and Huselius wide open. And
Kings' center Bryan Smolinski was in front, focused on the puck,
completely oblivious to Huselius' presence in the low slot.
Shortly after this goal, Potvin robbed Huselius, who got in behind
the Kings' defense for a breakaway from the Kings' blue line. Potvin
went down and stacked the pads to beat Huselius.
And on the very next shift, the Kings got a hard-work goal of their
own...
2. LOS ANGELES. Allison 9 (Palffy, Heinze), 18:00
Right after Potvin stoned Huselius, Heinze got the puck on left wing,
just outside the Kings' blue line. He passed across to Palffy on
right wing, and he carried the puck into the Florida zone with speed,
backing off the Florida defense. Above the right circle, Palffy
passed to Allison, who moved into the right corner. Allison passed
back to Palffy, who was a the right outer hashmark. While being
pushed fairly hard to the ice, Palffy passed back to Allison behind
the net. Allison moved from behind the left goal post to the front
of the net, and from left crease, tried to jam the puck in on the
wrap-around. Luongo made the save, but the rebound went into the low
slot. While being knocked down, Allison got off a wrist shot that
beat Luongo over his right shoulder.
A great play by Allison. He fought off a Florida defender, who was
all over him, and still got two good shots off.
Heinze fell on the play, cutting his left wrist in Luongo's skate
blade. He suffered a contusion, but did return to the game in the
second period.
Second Period
-------------
The Kings dominated the second period, outshooting the Panthers, 20-5
in the period. They got the forecheck going, and were able to
sustain pressure in the Florida zone.
But thanks to strong play from Luongo, the Kings scored only once...
3. LOS ANGELES. Eloranta 3 (Mattias Norstrom, Philippe Boucher),
4:00
Norstrom got the puck at the top of the slot in the Kings' zone, and
passed ahead to Eloranta on right wing. From the Kings' side of the
red line, he carried the puck down right wing, and into the Florida
zone. Just above the right circle, Eloranta was checked into the
boards by a hip check from Panthers' defenseman Bret Hedican. But
Eloranta fought through it, and stayed on his skates. He moved to
the bottom of the right circle, where he fired a wrist shot. Luongo
made the pad save, but left the rebound in front. Eloranta moved to
the goal mouth, where he got two whacks at the loose puck, finally
knocking over Luongo's outstretched glove hand while he was flat on
his back.
"I had a little talk with Mikko before the game and he was getting
down on himself a little bit because he hadn't been scoring," Murray
said. "I told him to just keep believing and one would go in for
him. So it was nice to see him get rewarded."
A poor shift by the Panthers all the way around. First, the Kings
won a battle for the loose puck in their own zone, allowing Boucher
to move the puck to Norstrom, who cleared the zone.
Second, Eloranta was able to fight through Hedican's hip check. That
is a cardinal sin for a defenseman.
And finally, Florida center Viktor Kozlov got back on defense to help
out, and he was in front of the net. But when Eloranta got there,
all Kozlov did was watch Eloranta skate past him, and take two whacks
at the puck in the crease.
Third Period
------------
The Panthers were getting some good shots off of better forechecking
pressure, but Potvin's strong play kept them off the board. And
then...
4. LOS ANGELES. Deadmarsh 14 (Allison, Jaroslav Modry), 8:53
POWER PLAY
With Kozlov in the box for kneeing at 8:13, Modry fired the puck into
the left corner from the Florida blue line. Allison chased it down,
and moved behind the Panthers' net. He then moved to the bottom of
the right circle, drawing two Florida defensemen to him. That left
Deadmarsh all alone in front, and Allison backhanded a pass to him.
Deadmarsh easily one-timed the puck, beating Luongo under his stick
arm.
"I just tried to get open in front and Ally made a great pass,"
Deadmarsh said. "He made the play happen. He really likes to set-up
behind the net. I've been fortunate enough to play with some good
players over the years, but when it comes to playing behind the net,
Allison is one of the best."
Very poor penalty-killing by the Panthers. Two Florida defenders
chased Allison behind the net, leaving the front of their net
completely uncovered.
Shots on Goal
-------------
Los Angeles: 11 20 6 -- 37
Florida: 14 5 11 -- 30
Power Play Conversions
----------------------
Los Angeles: 1/3; Florida: 0/3
Zone Time
---------
Los Angeles: 8:10 7:17 9:27 -- 24:54
Florida: 7:50 9:32 6:17 -- 23:39
Neutral: 4:00 3:11 4:16 -- 11:27
Three Stars (official)
----------------------
#3 - Eloranta; #2 - Potvin; #1 - Allison
Officiating was very poor in this game. Kozlov's kneeing penalty was
a blatant leg whip--he extended his leg, causing the knee-on-knee
contact on Kings' center Bryan Smolinski.
Smolinski was in pain after the hit, but was not injured.
But they did not call a penalty on Pitlick, who made a victim out of
Lilja. Admittedly, it was a tough call because Pitlick did not
overtly extend his leg.
But the most blatant missed call came at 10:39 of the first period,
when Kings' left wing Ken Belanger fought with Florida defenseman
Lance Ward.
Ward was getting the worst of the fight, but then Lindsay skated in
and pulled Belanger away.
According to NHL rules, Lindsay became the third man into an
altercation, which meant that he should have received an automatic
game misconduct.
But the referees completely ignored Lindsay's actions, not calling a
penalty.
Aside from the kneeing penalties (or non-penalties), not calling the
third man in penalty on Lindsay was the most blatant blown call I
have seen in recent memory. A horrible job by Auger and Leggo.
Next Game: The Kings now begin a five-game road trip, the first four
in the east. On Saturday, they skate against Michael Peca, Alexei
Yashin, and the New York Islanders. Game time: 4:00 PM PDT.
Televised in the Los Angeles area on Fox Sports Net West
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