March 29, 2000     Kings Nearing Playoff Clinch

The Kings and Sharks skated to a 1-1 tie, but more importantly, the Kings are on their way to clinching a playoff spot for only the second time in seven years.  A win or tie with the Ducks on Saturday will do it.  San Jose is still working for a playoff spot with the Ducks and Vancouver.
Kelly got his first goal as a King, Buchberger style, when he skated up the right wing and shot the puck on net.  Steve Shields went down to his knees and stopped the puck but couldn't control it. OD swatted at it, but it struck Shields' leg then hit the post. Kelly was at the right post and was able to swat it in.  "You really have to crash the net," Buchberger said. "I can't remember the last time I scored, but it feels good."
Niklas Sundstrom tied it for San Jose 8:17 into the second period on the power play with Mac off for roughting.  Steph had trouble with the initial shot from Marcus Ragnarsson at the top of the slot, and  Sundstrom had an easy tap-in at the right post.   The Kings looked solid and Shields had to make some quality saves.  Although Steph wasn't tested much in regulation, he faced five quality shots in overtime.   Two of them by rookie Brad Stuart were stopped by Steph's pads and Vincent Damphousse broke in alone but put a wrister over the right goalpost while the puck was rolling.  "I thought Fiset was real solid," Murray said.

March 26, 2000      Kings Thrash Atlanta

After a disasterous 40 minutes at Boston, and a remarkable comeback, the Kings decided they would be prepared to play when the puck dropped in Atlanta, came away with a 4-1 win.  This was the first time the two teams met since trading players (Audette and Kaberle to Atlanta - Buchberger and Emerson to L A) and Donald did have an assist on the Thrasher's only goal scored by Hnat Domenichelli.  Luc opened the scoring in the second period by sweeping home a rebound just inside the left post.  He leads the team with 36 goals.  Blake & Blake assisted.  Steph came up big against the Thrashers, stopping a breakaway by former teammate Ray Ferraro in the final minute of the first period.  But Brad was the player of the night with his game winning goal.   He deflected Mini Me's wrist shot from the top of the crease at 11:51 of the second period. Glen gave the Kings a 3-1 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining when he banged home a long rebound from the slot.  With Damien Rhodes out of the net for the extra attacker, Lappy put one into the empty net to give the Kings a 4-1 win.
It was a very unusual sight on the ice.  Kerry Fraser was actually wearing a helmet AND faceshield!  He took a puck to the face from a shot by Matt Johnson and required 7 stitches under his left eye.
And what about our Iron Warrior, Matty?  He made an awesome save behind Steph when he went down and allowed the puck to hit him in the chest.  Not far from his face .... and he doesn't wear a shield.

March 23, 2000     OT Win For The Kings

The Flyers are without Eric Lindros and the Kings took advantage of that, and with the stellar play of Steph, they beat the Flyers 3-2 in overtime.
They held the Flyers off until the second period when Jody Hull finally scored at 13:38 of the second period, but the scoring really broke out in the third.  Luc scored a much needed power play goal to tie the game at 1-1, but 57 seconds later Gino Odjick tapped in a rebound of Kent Manderville's shot to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead with 9:27 left in the third period.  Stumpy tipped in CJ's shot from the front of the net to tie the game 2-2 with 2:15 left in regulation  "I was pretty much tied up and I was fighting to get my hand free," Stumpel said of the tying goal. "Then it was just a matter of timing. The puck seemed to be there as soon as I got my stick down. Sometimes you get lucky once in a while."  Steph saved the game when he made a brilliant glove save on Mark Recchi's shot from the crease with 33 seconds left in the third.  OD fanned on the puck causing a 2-1.  Then Stumpy's wrist shot from high in the slot trickled between the pads of Brian Boucher at 1:20 of overtime for the game-winner.  "I was in a pretty good spot for the game-winner," Stumpel said. "I saw the puck coming and I wanted to fire a hard shot right on the net. But I was really surprised to see it go in."
The Kings are still looking pretty good in 5th place as the coyotes lost to the Avalanche.

March 21, 2000    Ducks Pluck Kings

The Ducks have our number, and if we ever meet them in the playoffs, we're in big trouble.  We HAVE to find a way to beat them, and it's not like they're a better team.  The Kings lost another important game 5-2 to the Ducks because the Ducks wanted it more.  Sure, they're trying to get into the playoffs, but if the Kings don't step it up, they'll be the team playing golf in mid April.  The Kings have been a roller coaster team most of the season and it's going to bite them if they continue.
Ted Donato scored first on a power play when a weak interference was called on Jamie. Donato tried to center the puck, but it ricocheted off OD's skate and into the net.  Anaheim went up 2-0 on a goal by Antti Aalto in the first. Glen finally got the Kings on the board in the second period by hanging in front of the net, and Nelson Emerson scored his first goal as a King, but it wasn't enough.  The Kings are still taking stupid penalties, and OD took the worst by spearing Vitaly Vishnevski with 2 minutes 13 seconds left. He received a game misconduct, and may be suspended.  The Ducks are now tied for the eigth playoff spot.

The Kings outshot the Predators 42-19 but could only get one goal past goaltender Mike Dunham.  They had tons of scoring chances, but nothing would go into the net.  We did get one point in the 2-1 overtime loss and Dunham deserved the win.   Jason Blake put the Kings ahead 12:43 into the first period when he  took a cross-ice pass from Stumpy and put a wrist shot just inside the right post.  It was his fifth goal of the season.  Greg Johnson tied it for the Predators 54 seconds into the third period and Cliff Ronning scored 51 seconds into overtime.  "We wanted a solid effort and we gave that, so we can't get down about it," Storr said. "A year ago, a game like this would have been devastating because we would have gotten no points. But we got one point tonight, and that's the positive we can take from this."
The Kings are 0-2-1 in their last three games and lead fifth-place Phoenix by only two points in the Western Conference.

For the first time this season, the Kings were shutout by the Blues 4-0.  Jamie's fivehole was so big, a Mack truck could have passed through.

March 16, 2000    Ziggy To Miss 2-4 Weeks

Los Angeles Kings right winger Ziggy Palffy is expected to miss the next 2-4 weeks due to a sprained right shoulder, Kings Senior Vice President/General Manager Dave Taylor announced today.  In addition, Taylor announced that goaltender Marcel Cousineau is expected to undergo surgery later this afternoon for an acute appendicitis, and that goaltender Travis Scott (emergency basis) and
forward Brad Chartrand have been recalled from the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League.
Palffy, 27, suffered the injury during the third period of last night's 2-2 tie at Anaheim.  He was examined this morning by Kings team physician Dr. Ronald Kvitne and confirmed the sprain.  In 64 games this season, Palffy, in his first year with the Kings, is tied for the club lead in points (66) with Luc Robitaille, and is first in assists with 39.  Earlier this season, he missed five games due to back spasms.
Cousineau, 26, was examined today by team internist Dr. Michael Mellman and is expected to undergo the surgery later this afternoon.  In five games with the Kings, Cousineau is 1-1-0 with a 2.11 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage, while in 21 games with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League, he is 14-6-1 with a 2.88 goals-against-average.  He was most recently recalled by the Kings (on an emergency basis) on March 6, when the Kings placed goaltender Stephane Fiset on the injured reserve list due to a strained left groin.
Scott, 24, is 13-18-5 with a 3.01 goals-against-average in 40 games with Lowell, where he also has two shutouts.  He will wear No. 45 with the Kings.
Chartrand, 25, began the season with the Kings and recorded 11 points (5-6=11) and 17 penalty minutes before being assigned to Lowell on January 2.  In 15 games with the Lock Monsters, Chartrand has 13 points (4-9=13) and eight penalty minutes.

March 15, 2000    Bryan Scores-Jamie Saves!

Ziggy was taken out of the game in the third period with a strained right shoulder on a check by Vitaly Vishnevski and Jamie was the reason the Kings went away with even a point.  We were outshot 39-22 and took some unnecessary penalties.  The Ducks scored their two goals by Steve Rucchin and Oleg Tverdovsky on power plays, but Bryan tied the game with two goals and that's how it ended.  The Ducks are still scrambling for a playoff spot.  Newly acquired Kelly Buchberger had limited ice time, and Nelson Emerson assisted on Bryan's first goal.
Bryan's scored his first goal when Glen passed the puck to him as he was skating past Vishnevski.  It was an awesome pass from Glen.  Then Bryan tied it 59 seconds into the second period as he took a pass from Glen behind the net and shot it over Hebert's shoulder and under the crossbar. "I was happy for Bryan. He has really struggled lately," Andy Murray said. "That second goal was a great shot. He's really played well after a scoring drought."   "Tonight, we got lucky," added Smolinsky. "It's a big point. We salvaged one. (The Ducks) got a couple of early power-play goals. They're desperate and they're playing hard right now, so it was good to get a tie."
The Kings were shorthanded in overtime, and Jamie kept the Ducks at bay.  He stopped 4 shots by Anaheim.  "Jamie was a big part of the penalty-killing tonight," Andy Murray said. "When you're playing 4-on-3, the guy who makes it 4-on-4 is your goaltender."

March 13, 2000  Kings Trade Audette and Kaberle

The Los Angeles Kings have acquired left winger Kelly Buchberger and right winger Nelson Emerson from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for right winger Donald Audette and defenseman Frantisek Kaberle, Kings Senior Vice President/General Manager Dave Taylor announced tonight during the Kings-Vancouver Canucks game at STAPLES Center.
Buchberger, 33, has 17 points (5-12=17) and 139 penalty minutes in 68 games with the first-year Thrashers.  The club's captain, Buchberger played his entire 13-year NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers before being selected by Atlanta in the NHL Expansion Draft on June 25, 1999.  In 863 games career NHL games, the Langenburg, Saskatchewan-born Buchberger has 257 points (87-170=257) and 1,886 penalty minutes.  A three-time Stanley Cup champion (1987, 1988 and 1990), Buchberger (6-2, 210 lbs.) was the ninth captain in Oilers history when he was named to that position on Oct. 6, 1995.  He went scoreless and had no penalty minutes in tonight's Thrashers-Oilers game in Atlanta.
Emerson, 32, played for three teams - the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators - last season before being signed by the Thrashers as a free agent on July 20, 1999.  With Atlanta, the 5-11, 180-pounder from Hamilton, Ontario, has 33 points (14-19=33) and 47 penalty minutes in 58 games.  Originally selected by the St. Louis Blues in the second round (44th overall) in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Emerson has registered 457 points (178-279=457) and 496 penalty minutes in 647 career NHL games with the Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers/Hurricanes, Blackhawks, Senators and Thrashers.  In college at Bowling Green, Emerson was a three-time finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and a teammate of King Captain Rob Blake.  He didn't play in tonight's Thrashers game.
Audette, 30, played in 49 games with the Kings this season and recorded 32 points (12-20=32) and 45 penalty minutes.  Acquired by the Kings from the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round choice in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Audette last season played in 49 games for the Kings and had 36 points (18-18=36) and 51 penalty minutes.  Audette (5-8, 184 lbs.) was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft and was with Buffalo until being traded to the Kings last season.  He is a native of Laval, Quebec, and was scratched prior to tonight's Kings-Canucks game.
Kaberle, 26, was selected by the Kings in the third-round (76th overall) in last summer's NHL Entry Draft.  After starting the season with the Kings, where he recorded nine points (0-9=9) and four penalty minutes, Kaberle was assigned to the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League on Jan. 12, where he played in 18 games and registered 10 points (2-8=10).  Also, in four games with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League, the 6-0, 185-pounder from Kladno, Czech Republic, had two points (0-2=2) and four penalty minutes.

Stumpy scored a disputed goal with 1:07 left in overtime and assisted in the Kings other two goals as the Kings beat the Canucks 3-2.  The play was reviewed because the puck was redirected off his skate, but it was allowed.  Trent Klatt scored first and Blakey tied it with just 36 seconds left in the first period ending the Kings' 0-for-19 power-play drought the first time they had a man advantage. It was only the fourth power-play goal for Los Angeles in nine games.  Ziggy put the Kings ahead 2-1 when he got the puck from Stumpy at the top of the right circle, faked a slap shot to get around defenseman Murray Baron and  beat a screened Potvin glove side. Mogilny tied it midway through the third period sending the game to overtime.
The Kings jumped to fifth in the Western Conference playoff race, moving one point ahead of Phoenix. They are a distant 12 points behind Detroit for the final home-ice position.

Box Score    Game Story

Box Score   Game Story

Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins will be charged with assault for his stick attack last month on Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks, authorities said.  McSorley will face one count of assault with a weapon, Geoff Gaul, a spokesman for the British Columbia criminal justice branch, said Tuesday.  He said the decision was made after a review by a prosecutor and following a police investigation. McSorley was suspended by the NHL for the rest of the season.  He must reapply for reinstatement before being allowed to play again.

Dallas Stars goaltender Ed Belfour was arrested early Wednesday morning and charged with misdemeanor assault and resisting arrest after a scuffle with a security guard at a hotel and restaurant complex, Dallas police said. Belfour was arrested at about 1:50 a.m. ET at The Mansion on Turtle Creek Hotel after he allegedly assaulted the guard.   According to the police report, officers had to spray Belfour with Mace to force him to release the guard from a headlock.
Belfour was released from jail at approximately 7:30 a.m. ET on $500 bond, according to a spokesman for the Dallas County Sheriff's Office.

March 7, 2000      Kings Can't Clip Wings

The Kings lost to the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 but didn't lose ground in the playoff race.  The trouble is, they didn't gain any either.  Phoenix and Edmonton also lost, but with a win the Kings could have passed the Coyotes.  They looked pretty miserable and it's the same old story.  No hitting, bad passing, giving up a shorthanded goal, allowing odd man rushes, bad, bad penalties etc.  Sometimes this team is a Jeckyl and Hyde.  The Wings dominated most of the game and it could have easily been 4 or 5-1.  Although Jamie didn't look particularly sharp, he did make some pretty good saves.
Lidstrom scored first for the Wings when he shot the puck just inside the left post on only their second shot and just over a minute later he sent Fedorov on a shorthanded 2-on-1 break.  Fedorov faked the slap shot at the left circle before flipping one over Jamie's the stick.  "I was talking to (Fiset) about the second goal and I would have liked to play it different," Storr said.  "I thought I played it pretty well, but any time a goal is scored you could have done something differently."   Detroit kept its 2-0 lead and pounded Jamie in the second period and he held them off, but the Kings couldn't get any serious chances against Osgood. Andy had a little talk with the team between second and third.  "Normally I don't talk about the scores of the other games, but tonight I went right in after the second period and got after them," Murray said.  "I said that the night has worked our way tonight and there's a couple of other hockey clubs out there
that have no opportunity to do anything about their games tonight.  So we had some incentive."   Third period was better, but not enough for the Kings to come from a 2 goal deficet. The Kings got one goal back in the third when Jere crashed Wing net, pushing his way past Kirk Maltby and sliding the puck between Martin Lapointe and Kris Draper and into the net.  "Bryan Smolinski won the faceoff, got the puck to Aki [Berg] and he gave me a good pass," said Karalahti.  "I had already beaten the forward [Maltby] and only had one guy to beat."   Garry had Lapointe tied up.  The Kings went on a power play courtesy of Brendan Shanahan 33 seconds later but Luc took a stupid penalty when he and Chris Chelios traded unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and the Wings killed off the final 90 seconds of the power play.  Verbeek scored an empty net.

March 4, 2000     Kings Take Win To Overtime

Three stars: 1) Stumpy  2) Galley  3) Dunham

  Well, the Kings managed a 3-2 win in overtime against the Predators, but it should have been settled in regulation.  Stumpy scored a power-play goal 28 seconds into overtime when Ziggy fed him a cross-ice pass and he fired a one-timer past goaltender Mike Dunham for his 100th NHL goal.  "We had to battle until the end," Stumpel said. "In overtime, we made the play and got the two points.  It's great to get the winning goal and make it your 100th in the league.  We need the points, especially after the tie with Vancouver and loss to Carolina," Stumpel said of the first two games of the Kings' seven-game home stand. "We have to pick up the points. You have to expect every game is going to be tough."
  Danny opened the scoring for halfway through the first period with his third goal of the season before Scott Walker tied the game less 57 seconds later for the Predators when the puck went off Matty's skate and into the net.  Gary gave the Kings a 2-1 lead after he took a pass in the slot from OD and scored on a shot over Dunham's right shoulder.  For the fourth consecutive game, they came out flat against a lesser opponent and lost Steph and Bryan to injuries.  Steph left midway through the second period with a strained left groin and 36 seconds Bryan took a slash to the face by Nashville's Greg Johnson. He was down on the ice for more than a minute and was later diagnosed with a corneal abrasion of the left eye.  He also had two stitches just under his left eye.  Jamie came in to finish the game and stopped all seven shots he faced.  "I hope he (Fiset) will be back as soon as possible," Storr said. "We don't want to lose any key players this time of year.  It's part of the game, it does happen, unfortuately.  We just want to stay focused and keep building on a win like this.  It was a tough game.  After we lost those two players, the guys surrounded each other and battled hard.  We came up with the big goal when we needed it."  Bill Houlder tied the game for Nashville in the second period and sent the game to overtime, and Stumpy scored the game winner 28 seconds into ot.

Carolina lost last night 7-5 to Phoenix, but it was the Kings who looked like the team that played two games in two nights.  Gary Roberts scored two goals and had an assist in the Huricanes win over the Kings 5-2.  Sami Kapanen scored in the first period, and Luc countered when he one-timed a cross-ice pass from Stumpy for his 550th career goal in the second period.  His goal tonight gives him a career best 15 game point scoring streak.  But Roberts came back with two straight goals, a power play in the second and an even strength in the third.  Martin Gelinas made it 4-1, scoring off Ron Francis' centering pass with 12:51 to play and 44 seconds left in a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Rob Blake.  It seemed the Kings spent most of the night in the penalty box.  It's not like the Kings didn't have chances.  Irbe made at least three incredible saves, that made even Hasek look like a rookie.  Carolina was outshot 32-27, but Irbe kept stoning the Kings.  With Steph pulled, Glen made it 4-2 late in the game on a power play, but it was too late.  Brind'Amour scored into the empty net and the Kings lost 5-2.