Los Angeles Kings Pounce on Florida Panthers 5-2

The Los Angeles Kings pounced on the Florida Panthers Tuesday night, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead.  The Kings were on the prowl for points defeating Florida 5-2 at Staples Center, improving to an NHL best home record of 9-2-1.

What a way to welcome back former L.A. King Willie Mitchell, who signed with the Panthers in free agency this past summer.  Mitchell received a 5-2 loss on the same night he was handed his 2014 Stanley Cup ring with the Kings logo.

The first period was all Panthers.  Florida outshot the Kings 13-8 in the first, that included three, two-minute, power-plays for the Panthers.

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick came up huge early on in the game.  With seven minutes left in the first period Quick stopped a Jussi Jokinen and Vincent Trocheck on successive rebounds while the Panthers were on a power-play.  Quick first stopped Jokinen with a blocker save, then sprawled out to stop Trocheck flipping the puck into the side of the goal.

There were no goals in the first period.

A booming second period boosted the Kings to victory.

“12 different Kings registered a point, and the power-play was 3-for-8”

Four and a half minutes into the second Anze Kopitar brought the puck across center ice and into Florida’s zone.  As Kopitar rushed in, he turned his back towards the defender, waited for his teammates to catch up to the play, then fired a pass to the opposite point to Brayden McNabb.  McNabb fired a slap-pass toward a pinching Matt Greene back on the opposite side of the net, two feet off the crease.  Greene redirected the puck up into the goal.  1-0 Kings.

It was Greene’s first goal in over a year.  Greene’s most recent prior goal was 47 games ago on October 19th, 2013.

Four minutes after Greene’s net-setter, L.A. went on a string of power-plays after Florida’s Vincent Trocheck took a four-minute double minor for high-sticking Jake Muzzin.  A minute into the power-play Jamie McBain held the puck in at the point, throwing a quick pass down to Dwight King.  King was at the goal line a few feet off the net, an area that the Kings would exploit throughout this game.  King passed the puck to Jeff Carter who stopped in the slot and one-timed a shot that ricocheted off of Panther defensemen Erik Gudbranson’s shin-pad, beating Florida goaltender Roberto Luongo.

The Panthers killed off the second half of Trocheck’s penalty, but a minute later Derek MacKenzie went to the box for tripping Dwight King.  Kopitar, Muzzin, and Drew Doughty were working the puck around the top of the umbrella power-play.  Kopitar got the puck from Muzzin at the top of the zone, and fired a shot from the half-boards.  Luongo made the save, and there was a scramble for the loose puck.  Marian Gaborik was able to smack it in the back of the net, making it 3-0 Kings.

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What a night to honor veteran defensemen:  Mitchell got his Kings Cup ring, Greene scored for the first time in years, and the other sturdy Kings vet, Robyn Regehr found the back of the net as well.  Jeff Carter raced down the ice and beat out an L.A. icing.  Carter threw a blind pass out to the front of the net that made it’s way to Regehr at the point.  Regehr one-timed a quick snap-shot low, to the far side, just under Luongo’s glove with 8-seconds left in the period.  It was Regehr’s first goal since February 26th, 2014.

The Kings were outshot an incredible 13-2 by Florida in the third period.

Luongo didn’t have to deal with the two additional shots the Kings put up, he was relieved by Al Montoya before the start of the third period.

The Panthers got on the board with a power-play goal.  Nick Bjubstad passed the puck from the point to Jonathan Huberdeau at the goal line.  Huberdeau tried to jam the puck in the short side but was stuffed by Quick.  Shockingly, the Kings defense did nothing but stand there and watch, as Huberdeau took a second wack at the puck.  It was Jimmy Hayes who finally buried the fourth attempt.

Five minutes later, off a Panther 3-on-2, Jimmiy Hayes carried the puck into the zone, then took a shot from the circle.  Quick made the stop, but a big rebound came out into the slot.  The puck laid there until Jokinen skated up and smacked the puck over Quick.

Jamie McBain didn’t do much on the play, turning back and forth, watching until the play was over.

The Kings answered back late, for the third time on the power-play.  Justin Williams carried the puck into the zone and set up on the half-boards.  After his teammates got into position, Williams moved the puck down to Dustin Brown at the goal line.  Brown turned 180 degrees and fired the puck.  The shot made it through Montoya, for Brown’s third goal of the year.

It was a night were a number of Kings players were able to put their names on the stat sheet, in a positive way.  Carter scored, but That 70’s Line didn’t have to carry the load.  The Deadly Duo of Kopitar and Gaborik had three points, but it wasn’t all up to them either.

12 different Kings registered a point, and the power-play was 3-for-8, including Trocheck’s double-minor.

Nov 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) defends the goal against the Florida Panthers right wing Brad Boyes (24) at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It was good to see the captain, Dustin Brown get another goal and another point on the season.

Jonathan Quick was outstanding for the Kings as usual.  Stepping up on the penalty-kill early in the first period, and stopping a flurry of shots in the third to ensure victory.

The Kings were once again outshot, by a total of 32-27.  On the goals the Panthers did score, and on a few where they didn’t, it was readily apparent that defensive help was slacking.  If not for a goaltender of Quick’s caliber the outcome could have been very different for the Kings.

With the win Darryl Sutter became the sixth head coach on the Kings all-time wins list, with 107 victories.

L.A. is now alone in fourth place of the Pacific Division with 24 points and a record of 10-5-4.  24 points also puts the Kings at 6th in the Western Conference.

The Kings next game is Thursday, at 7:30 p.m. PST against the Carolina Hurricanes at Staples Center.

Nov 18, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) celebrates with center Jarret Stoll (28) after scoring a goal in the third period as Florida Panthers defenseman Willie Mitchell (33) reacts at the Staples Center. The Kiings defeated the Panthers 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports