Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are 8-4-3 this season so far, most recently beating the Vancouver Canucks last Saturday night, 5-1 at home. The Kings got off to a strong start, scoring 3 of their goals in the 1st period. Another goal was scored during the 2nd period and a final goal was scored by the Kings during the 3rd. Vancouver scored its only goal of the game during the 3rd period. Scoring 3 goals in 1 period is impressive enough, but even more impressive, the Kings were able pull off this victory with only 5 defensemen playing in the game, which helped to give them an edge early on. Tyler Toffoli scored a goal and had 2 assists, Alex Martinez had a career high 3 assists, and goalie Jonathan Quick had 18 saves.

Because of their shortage of defensemen, the Kings will sign Jamie McBain who has been playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. Robyn Regher has been suffering from an injury and Slava Voynov is currently suspended from play due to off-ice issues, although he skated with assistant coach John Stevens on Monday and is allowed to work out with the coaches. He has missed 9 games so far and a decision on whether he will be charged for domestic violence is expected by December 1.

The Kings are familiar with the taste of success, having won 2 Stanley Cups in the past 3 years. In 2012, the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils in 6 games to claim hockey’s most coveted title. They did it again last year, defeating the New York Rangers in 5 games.

The Kings will next face the Anaheim Ducks, their closest opponent, in Orange County on Wednesday night before hosting 4 home games over the next week. While it’s early on in the season, every game counts and the Kings will need to stay healthy and focused in order to repeat their appearance in the finals.

Fresh Ice, Old Traditions

The ice is fresh, the fans are pumped and the playoff beards are growing long. It’s down to the last four teams, the Conference Finals. Let’s play hockey! The New York Rangers lead the Montreal Canadiens (3-2) (best of 7) in the Eastern conference and the Los Angeles Kings lead the Chicago Blackhawks (3-1) in the Western conference. Winners move on to the championship, playing for the coveted Stanley Cup.

In addition to playoff beards, hockey is full of unique and long-lasting traditions. These include: throwing hats on to the ice when a player scores a hat trick (three goals by the same player in one game), taunting the opposing goalie in an effort to distract him, the sudden death format of overtime and more recently, the Winter Classic. The Winter Classic is a hockey game that takes place on or around New Year’s Day in outdoor stadiums in cities that are in close proximity to NHL teams. It began in 2008, where the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins faced off at Ralph Wilson Stadium (where the Buffalo Bills play home football games).

No hockey tradition, however, is greater than that of the Stanley Cup itself. The Stanley Cup is different than other professional sports trophies. It’s traveled farther than any other trophy and is updated each

Following each season, all players and staff from the winning organization get to spend 24 hours with the trophy. The possibilities are endless! Players have taken it to all corners of the earth, posing for pictures and cheering with pride. No other professional sport can claim the same. The Stanley Cup has also made stops at various military bases across the globe, supporting America’s Finest and offering them a chance to share in the excitement.

Can the Chicago Blackhawks (who most recently won the Stanley Cup in 2012-2013) get back into the series and defeat the Kings, champions of 2011-2012? The Kings have won the last 3 straight in this series. Can the Rangers pull out a win in the 6th game, avoiding a Game 7 against the Canadiens? In this series, arguably two of the most recognized franchises have battled head-to-head. These final few games are sure to be thrillers! The Stanley Cup finals are set to begin June 4.

year to include engraving of the latest roster of champions. It takes 13 seasons to fill each ring of the trophy. Once a ring is full, an older ring is removed for display in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, making way for new champions.