Mike Richards

Once a top-six player each and every night, Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards now suits up on the third or fourth line. This is a luxury 29 NHL teams wish they had.

But it’s only an advantage for the Kings if Richards is playing up to his potential. The Kings find themselves tied 1-1 with the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Final. It's time Richards stepped up, not just in Games 6 and 7, but throughout the series.

The keys to victory will be outworking the opposing center, playing with more of a physical edge and finding his scoring touch.

The 29-year-old forward had a rough season by his standards. He notched just 11 goals and 30 assists for 41 points in 82 games. He didn’t offer the physical presence he has throughout his career.

So far in the playoffs, he has two goals and four assists for six points, his lowest point-per-game average since his rookie season.

Richards is a talented two-way player and respected leader who has won at just about every level. At the very least, he should be able to win the matchup against whatever center the Blackhawks put out against him.

According to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com, Trevor Lewis has this to say about his teammate:

He's a real leader on this team. I think he's probably used to playing more minutes and probably with more offensive players, but he's bought right in. And anything he can do to help the team, I think it's huge for him.

Through two games, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews have appeared to cancel each other out. As you go to the depth chart and see Richards against less skilled and experienced players like Peter Regin and Marcus Kruger, that should be a definite advantage for L.A.

Regardless of whom his linemates are, Richards should play a big role in limiting Chicago’s time in the Kings’ zone, controlling the breakout and generating chances of the cycle.

He may have lost a step with age, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play physically. Richards has 30 hits in the playoffs, which ranks ninth on the team. That number needs to increase. He doesn’t need to lay a big open-ice hit every game, but small, clean hits along the boards in all three zones will make a big difference in wearing down Chicago in a long series.

Richards has had great success in the faceoff dot this postseason, a trend that must continue in this series. He’s won nearly 53 percent of his draws, which is crucial in allowing L.A. to win the possession battle.

This is especially important for Richards’ line in the offensive zone. It doesn't often take risks off the rush, so establishing pressure down low off a faceoff is essential for the group to create scoring chances. 

A little luck may have been involved in the Kings’ first goal in Game 2. Richards' quick decision to throw the puck in front of the net changed the momentum, as it hit Justin Williams’ skate and slid past Corey Crawford.

No one said it had to be pretty.

Richards just has to find a way to provide some secondary scoring for the Kings, whether it’s five-on-five or on the power play. Perhaps playing with Williams and Dwight King as he did in Game 2 will help him do so.

It could be a simple play like driving hard to the net, screening Crawford or making a pass across the ice. 

If he doesn’t find a way to have an impact offensively, a potential buyout of his contract in the offseason will likely become a hot topic in the hockey world.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com.

One week ago, Mike Richards was mired in a rut. He’d failed to register a point in his last six contests and appeared well on his way to hitting rock bottom.

With each passing game spent on Los Angeles’ second line alongside Jeff Carter and the revolving door at left wing, the hole grew more cavernous. There was seemingly no digging out of this one.

He—and the Kings, who had gained a mere two points from their last four games—needed a jolt.

With his squad in a dogged playoff race in the Western Conference, head coach Darryl Sutter recognized the desperate situation and resorted to an equally desperate measure: starting Richards, an established top-six talent, on the fourth line.

Not only did the bench boss wake his center from his slumber, he also—inadvertently or not—uncovered the potential for a deep, dangerous lineup with Richards lower in the depth chart.

Granted, Richards hasn’t seen a traditional fourth-liner’s minutes over the past three games.

Thanks to his prowess on special teams and jack-of-all-trades skill set, he’s been plugged into spot duty in crucial situations. The result? His ice time against the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals amounted to 14:45, 16:16 and 16:56, respectively.

He’s averaged a whisker more than 17 minutes per game on the season.

Nevertheless, the demotion on paper sent a message, and the veteran received it loud and clear. He’s notched two goals in the past three contests after only mustering nine over his previous 70.

Moreover, he’s been far more noticeable in all three zones, battling more feverishly in the corners, backchecking more diligently and creating far more opportunities on attack.

Sutter was clever in his line combinations, pairing Richards with Trevor Lewis. Any old shake-up wouldn’t work. Slotting him next to a different set of L.A.’s top-tier forwards would have perpetuated—if not exacerbated—the issue.

Richards has always thrived as the heartbeat of his line, the central figure through which play is driven.

Prior to the shuffling, the 29-year-old was a man stranded on an island. Whether his linemates weren’t built to dig in the trenches or weren’t sharing the biscuit, Richards simply wasn’t granted many touches. He was an afterthought.

Now, this isn’t to absolve him of any responsibility in his slump. He appeared disengaged half of the time and was careless in possession. He certainly should have been more assertive, looking to impose his will and clean up his execution.

With that said, it’s a coach’s job to put his players in a position to succeed. Sutter acknowledged that there were too many cooks in the second line’s kitchen and made an appropriate switch.

Lewis is a safe and reliable grinder. More importantly in this case, he has no delusions regarding his ability. He knows that his line’s best bet is to get the puck to Richards, and he did exactly that against the Panthers on Saturday.

Where Carter, Tyler Toffoli, Justin Williams, Dustin Brown or just about any other top-six-worthy King who’s suited up alongside Richards in the past might have held on to the puck for an extra second in this scenario in hopes of making an incisive play, Lewis opted for the sure thing and simply dished the puck down low to No. 10.

He let the playmaker, well, make a play.

Seconds later, the former second-line center had fired a shot through Roberto Luongo for about as confident a finish as Richards has delivered since his first year in L.A.

Confidence is the kernel here. He’s rediscovered a measure of his swagger and nasty demeanor.

He isn’t quite Richards in his Flyers prime anymore, but he’s been a peskier, angrier Richards lately. I suppose dropping two lines will do that to a player.

Thankfully, an aggravated Richards is aggravating to every other team in the NHL. There’s a reason Eastern Conference clubs were ecstatic when he was dealt to the West in 2011. He was just a pain to play against.

Before this recent turn of the tide, he appeared more indifferent than ornery. He wasn’t awful, he was...awfully quiet.

In the first period against Philly, Richards demonstrated just how effective he can be when he puts his mind to it.

With Flyers defender Mark Streit skating back to recover the puck in his end, Richards decided he wanted possession more than his counterpart, outmuscling him down low and feeding Carter for a something-out-of-nothing shot.

Early in the second period, he staved off a pair of Flyers to keep the play alive long enough for his teammates to catch up. They do eventually, a loose puck is retrieved and Richards finds Jake Muzzin for a glorious chance from the left circle.

That’s the type of impact he can have when he places himself in the thick of the action.

The additional effort has manifested itself in his advanced statistics too.

In the three-game stretch preceding the change, Time on Ice indicates that Richards’ Corsi percentage was 50.7. Since then, his line has controlled 56.9 percent of shot attempts. That's a significant leap, and given how slim the margin of victory is in the NHL, any advantage is welcome with open arms.

Furthermore, Jewels from the Crown suggests that he isn’t merely producing more shot attempts. He’s produced the most scoring chances (T/60 in the table) of any King in the past week.

Though the Kings need Richards in his groove to contend for a second Stanley Cup in three seasons, the bigger storyline might be how the success of his demotion affects the team’s forward lines.

Sutter can play him in the bottom six while granting him top-six minutes, spreading out the club’s offensive wealth and experience to transform the Kings into something of a three-headed monster in the middle of the ice, with Anze Kopitar, Carter and Richards dictating play on separate units.

There are few teams that could handle Los Angeles with these three clicking all at once.

Matching up with the Kings becomes even more daunting when you consider how well Brown, Jarret Stoll and Dwight King have performed recently. As a group, they’ve combined for four goals, five assists and a plus-11 rating in the past three games.

So that trio is on fire, and then opponents must deal with lines anchored by Kopitar, Carter and a re-energized Richards—scary stuff.

While Sutter has committed his share of head-scratching mistakes—benching Alec Martinez for extended stretches, playing Jordan Nolan on the second line, etc.—his latest move has been a stroke of genius.

On the season, the Kings rank 27th in the league in goals per game at 2.38. Since the lineup tweak, they’ve potted 11 goals in three games and won them all.

As Sutter told reporters when the demotion was revealed, he was looking to provide Richards with a shot in the arm. In the process, he's also turned the apparent foible of a slumping star into a strength—offensive depth—that could push his men to the head of the class.

Whether he knew the second one was there or not, he’s killed two birds with one stone.

When Mike Richards joins a team it is likely going to win a championship sooner or later. But, as an individual, does the Los Angeles Kings center still have something to prove?

Richards is the only player in history to win a Memorial Cup, Calder Cup and Stanley Cup. He also captained arguably the greatest World Juniors team ever in 2005, as Team Canada dominated en route to gold. And, he captured Olympic gold in 2010.

Richards is a proven leader who has the ability to play in any situation, sometimes at different positions. He has always put the team first and because of that he doesn't often get recognized for his individual efforts. Richards made his lone All-Star appearance in 2008, a season in which he recorded 75 points. 

Fast forward to the 2013-14 season, where Richards appears poised for another All-Star caliber campaign. 

The Kenora, Ontario native is in the midst of his prime at age 28 and is playing on a team considered one of the favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup. 

If the end of last season and the playoffs are any indication, Richards should spend plenty of time centering a line with Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. All three are capable of putting up big numbers, as they proved in the 2013 postseason by combining for 31 points and a plus-16 rating. 

Carter is certainly no stranger to playing with Richards and the two seem to have a strong connection on and off the ice. Carter is a good skater with a tremendous shot and should once again help Richards rack up assists. 

Toffoli is 21 years old and has just 22 games of NHL experience, including both regular season and playoffs. However, he's already shown he has the skill set to be a top-six forward. Toffoli has great hockey sense, good speed and an excellent release. 

Richards should put up his best offensive numbers in years by utilizing his playmaking skills and driving hard to the net. 

By playing strong along the boards and in the corners, Richards should be able to gain possession of the puck and help create space for Carter and Toffoli. Also, his patience with the puck will be crucial when it comes to odd man rushes.

Richards had just 44 points in his first season with the Kings in 2012, but notched 32 in 48 games last season. That put him on pace for about 55 points in an 82-game season. 

While his linemates will help him produce, Richards should also be expected to put up better numbers this season because it's an Olympic year.

Richards was a key contributor at the 2010 Olympics, notching two goals and three assists for five points in seven games. Aside from Jonathan Toews, Richards was one of Team Canada's top forwards. 

And yet, he is far from a lock for Sochi in 2014. As was the case in 2010, Canada has a deep pool of forwards to choose from, especially at center. 

Richards will need to play his way onto the team by proving he has the speed and skill needed to be effective on international ice. From Game 1 through to the Olympic break, Richards will have to be a physical, two-way player as always but also a force on offense. 

Jeff Carter is in a similar situation, which should help motivate him and Richards to deliver night in and night out. 

Carter didn't crack the 2010 team, but he was tabbed as the first replacement for Ryan Getzlaf—had an ankle injury kept the Ducks forward from playing. 

Both Richards and Carter were brilliant for the Flyers in the first half of the 2009-10 season, leading up to the Olympic break. Richards notched 46 points in 60 games, while Carter racked up 52 points over that span. Although injuries limited Carter's appearances later in the year, it was one of the best seasons of either player's career, as they helped the Flyers come within two games of winning the Stanley Cup.

It's unlikely Richards will have another opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics. He may not even get another shot to wear the red and white (World Championships or World Cup) for a long time, if at all.

Besides playing for the Stanley Cup, there is nothing that can motivate a hockey player like the chance to play for his country. 

Considering that added incentive, the talented players around him and given he's in the prime of his career, Richards should have one of the best seasons of his career in 2013-14. 

Stats courtesy of NHL.com.

Of the myriad of factors that determine the Stanley Cup champion, luck is perhaps the most underestimated—mainly because it's so hard to quantify.

There is no determining when the injury bug will hit, or when an unheralded player will suddenly have the game of his life. It's those little things, the minor breaks in luck, that so often determine how the NHL playoffs play out—especially as parity continues to reign supreme. 

No team knows that better than the Los Angeles Kings.

While it's become a near-guarantee that every year a goalie will get blazing hot and spearhead his team's playoff run, it's almost impossible to predict who that will be. Last year, that man was Jonathan Quick. Already an ascending talent, Quick stood on his head in the postseason. He went 16-4 in net and allowed a paltry 1.41 goals per game, saving almost 95 percent of opposing shots in the process.

It was Quick's play that was the catalyst for the Kings' run. They became the first No. 8 seed to ever win the Stanley Cup, tying the NHL record with 10 road wins in the process. Quick was so good that not even home-ice advantage could stop him. 

This year, the Kings have fallen to the opposite side of the luck spectrum. While Quick has still been phenomenal, he's been unable to save Los Angeles from the most dire truth of the NHL playoffs—injury luck.

Coach Darryl Sutter's line rotations have been in a constant state of flux in these playoffs, as injuries have piled up from all across the ice. The team has been without Jarret Stoll and seen plenty of other bruises and scrapes create a mountain of injuries that makes the defending Cup champions look more like a M.A.S.H. unit than a repeat contender.

And yet the team has persevered, thanks to Quick and a toughness that has become synonymous with this bunch.

However, with the Kings preparing for the fourth game of their Western Conference Finals matchup, there's one injury that continues to weigh on this team. 

Second-line center Mike Richards will reportedly miss Game 4 on Thursday with concussion-like symptoms, his third consecutive missed game. Richards was injured in Game 1 after being hit by Chicago's Dave Bolland, but Sutter says he was unable to make the morning skate, per ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.

"He didn't skate today, so he won't play tonight," Sutter said.

While there was no promise of Richards playing on Thursday, hope was fanned for Kings fans 24 hours prior. The 28-year-old center worked out with the team in practice, participating in a light skate practice without limitation. There was no contact in that drill, but it was seen as a major positive for his prognosis.

Without Richards, the already banged-up Kings will have their backs firmly placed against the wall against Chicago. The Blackhawks already hold a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4, and Richards' presence would have been a big boon to Los Angeles' chances.

Richards was an integral cog of Los Angeles' playoff run last season, a run that continued to cement his reputation as one of the best two-way forwards in hockey. He scored 15 points in the Kings' run, including 11 assists—an indicator of his deft passing skills.

Though his play left something to be desired during the regular season, Richards was well on his way to a repeat performance before the concussion. He had 10 points through the first 14 games of Los Angeles' repeat run, still third-most on the team, and had been in fine form defensively as well. 

There is no word on when (or if) Richards will return in this series. His value, though, is immeasurable. Teammate Jeff Carter spoke with ESPN's Arash Markazi following Wednesday's skate and noted how happy the Kings would be to see him back on the ice. 

"It's obviously great to see him out there," Carter said. "I don't know anything more than that, other than he skated today. If we could get him back at some point in this series, whenever it is, it's a huge lift to this team."

Richards has to pass through NHL concussion protocol to make that happen. Until then, the Blackhawks will see Tyler Toffoli, the rookie who has replaced Richards in the rotation. Toffoli has done just fine so far, even recording a goal in Game 2.

But Chicago would take the Richards-for-Toffoli trade every day, twice on Sunday and create an eighth day in the calendar so that they could take it again.

And it's not like the Blackhawks exactly need any more advantages.

They spent their entire regular season pulverizing the NHL on both ends of the ice, getting their own excellence in net from Corey Crawford. Chicago started the season with an NHL record 24 straight games without suffering a defeat in regulation. The team (understandably) cooled a bit following that streak—if we can use the term "cooled" to denote still finishing with 77 points, best in hockey.

Richards' injury, along with the remainder of Los Angeles' ailments, puts the Blackhawks in a great position. They're not only more talented on paper, but healthier as well—a double-edged sword for those in the City of Angels hoping for a repeat. 

Chicago blew its first chance at striking the crushing blow, falling 3-1 in Tuesday night's Game 3 action. The Blackhawks get one more chance to deflate the Staples Center crowd on Thursday and send the defending champs to the precipice of extinction. 

With Richards out again, the odds look better than ever. 

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Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards was forced to miss Game 2 of the 2013 Western Conference Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night due to what the team is calling an upper-body injury.

UPDATE: Saturday, June 8, at 8:15 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

The Kings announced that Richards is scheduled to be in the lineup for Game 5 on Saturday:

---End of update---

UPDATE: Thursday, June 6, 1:40 p.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland

Richards isn't skating today, and will be out again tonight, according to a report from ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. 

---End Update---

UPDATE: Wednesday, June 5, at 4 p.m. ET by Kyle Vassalo

The LA Times' Helene Elliott says Richards skated for 15-20 minutes:

---End of Update---

UPDATE: Tuesday, June 4, at 1:42 p.m. ET by Kyle Vassalo

According to John Hoven of MayorsManor, Mike Richards is out for tonight's game:

Head coach Darryl Sutter spoke to the media about the decision to shut Richards down for a must-win Game 3 (quotes per John Hoven of MayorsManor and John Lu of TSN).

---End of update---

UPDATE: Tuesday, June 4, at 12:44 p.m. ET by Kyle Vassalo

According to TSN's John Lu, Mike Richards did not take part in the morning skate:

---End of update---

The Chicago Sun-Times' Adam Jahns had the news:

Richards' scratch from Sunday's contest was a bit shocking if you heard the words of head coach Darryl Sutter, who said prior to the game that Richards was "fine," per Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Still, considering the nature of the injury, this isn't all that surprising. Richards got hurt in Game 1 when Dave Bolland nailed him with a massive (and somewhat controversial) hit during Chicago's 2-1 win, and this situation now has the potential to serve as a major blow for the Kings.

During the regular season, Richards tallied 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 48 games, and in the postseason, he has been even better.   

In L.A.'s series win over the St. Louis Blues, the 28-year-old had five assists in six games. Against the San Jose Sharks, he added two goals and three more assists in seven games. 

Despite the disappointing Game 1, he has a team-leading 10 points in 14 games. Not only that, but he has also proven to be one of Los Angeles' most valuable players, compiling a plus/minus of plus-four. 

In Richards' stead, the Kings will need players such as Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar and Dwight King to step up, while they hope their veteran only misses one contest.

Already down a game in this pivotal series, the Kings cannot afford to play many more against the league's best team sans their most productive player.

The battle of California between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks has come down to one final game.

Puck drop for Game 7 is set for Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Despite being a low-scoring, tight-checking series, the Kings and Sharks have played some of the most entertaining hockey of the 2013 NHL playoffs.

Here’s a look at the results from the first six games of the series.

Game 1: Sharks 0 at Kings 2

Game 2: Sharks 3 at Kings 4

Game 3: Kings 1 at Sharks 2 (OT)

Game 4: Kings 1 at Sharks 2

Game 5: Sharks 0 at Kings 3

Game 6: Kings 1 at Sharks 2

Not only has the home team won all six games in this series, it also won all four games in the regular-season series as well.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Kings and Sharks have played such close contests throughout the year. Both teams are loaded with savvy veterans, skilled youngsters and two of the top goaltenders in the Western Conference.

Jonathan Quick and Antti Niemi

Both goaltenders have hoisted the Stanley Cup in recent years. Quick took home the Conn Smythe Trophy last year as he led the Kings to their first Stanley Cup. Niemi went all the way with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, helping them win their first title since 1961.

With similar performances thus far, the winning netminder in Game 7 will surely be a Conn Smythe candidate when the conference finals get under way.

Quick is 7-5 in the playoffs with a .947 save percentage, 1.54 GAA and three shutouts.

Niemi is 7-3 in the playoffs with a .932 save percentage, 1.85 GAA and no shutouts.

This will be the first Game 7 of Quick’s career, while Niemi has played in just one, leading the Sharks to a win over the Red Wings in the second round of the 2011 playoffs.

Mike Richards and Joe Thornton

Mike Richards and Joe Thornton are widely recognized as two of the best leaders in the NHL today and both have produced offensively throughout the playoffs.

Richards has earned a reputation as a top playoff performer who contributes at both ends of the rink. And he's done exactly that again this year.

Richards leads the Kings with 10 points (two goals and eight assists) in 12 games. As usual, he’s played a physical game and has been effective on special teams. And, with 13 blocked shots, he’s tied with Anze Kopitar for the lead among Kings’ forwards.

The former captain of the Philadelphia Flyers led his old team to victory in his previous two Game 7s, which included a historical comeback against the Boston Bruins in 2010.

Joe Thornton may be the only Sharks player who’s had success against Richards in this series. Thornton has been criticized (perhaps unfairly at times) for not showing up in the playoffs in the past.

That certainly hasn't been the case this year.

With two goals and eight assists for 10 points, Thornton trails Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski by just a point for the team lead in scoring. He does lead the Sharks in the faceoff circle, having won 59.5 percent of his draws. He also has a team best plus/minus rating of plus-5.

Thornton has also been particularly good without puck, generating turnovers and using his size and skill to be a force in the neutral zone.

Team Performance

The Kings need to spend more time in the offensive zone, putting pressure on Niemi. Too often in the playoffs the Kings have scored just a single goal and that won’t be enough to win Game 7. The first and third lines, specifically Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar, need to be at their best up front.

The Sharks must continue to be aggressive on offense and put bodies and pucks to the net. Brent Burns, who has 35 hits to go along with nine points, should set the tone early. The Sharks may not be able to match the Kings physically, but some early hits and offensive chances could help swing the momentum in their direction.

As for special teams, it’s the Kings who may have an advantage, if only because they’re on home ice.

The Sharks have a better power play in the playoffs, (22.9 percent vs. 18.8 percent for the Kings) but they've yet to score at the Staples Center, going 0-for-10. As for the penalty kill, the Kings are operating at 85.4 percent, which has them ranked fifth in the postseason. The Sharks come in at No. 10, having killed off just 77.8 percent of their opportunities.

Expect an exciting game, with tons of hitting, but few penalties. A win would keep the Kings in the running to become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. A win for the Sharks, on the other hand, would put them four wins away from their first Stanley Cup final appearance in franchise history.

Prediction: Kings 3, Sharks 2.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com.