Mike Richards

The Los Angeles Kings once made an appearance in a Conference Championship series (then called the Campbell Conference) in 1992.  Wayne Gretzky and the Kings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The original Winnipeg Jets franchise relocated to Glendale, Arizona in 1996, forming the Phoenix Coyotes.  The Coyotes failed to advance past the first round in every playoff appearance before this season since moving to the desert.

Both teams compete for a trip to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final starting next week.

The Kings beat the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in five games and swept the second-seeded St. Louis Blues in Round 2 as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Goaltender Jonathan Quick played nothing short of magnificent in both series.  His 1.55 goals against average and .949 save percentage trail only Vancouver's Cory Schneider's numbers for the postseason.

Team captain Dustin Brown erupted for six goals and five assists between the two series to help his team advance.  More balanced scoring aided the Kings with 15 different players scoring at least one goal.

While most of the Kings' roster lacks experience in advancing this deep into the playoffs, key players like forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter and defenseman Rob Scuderi advanced past the Conference Finals before with other teams.

Scuderi played in both the 2008 and 2009 Stanley Cup Finals with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Kings hope he is able to shutdown Phoenix's top scorers in the same way he frustrated the Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk a few seasons ago.

Both Richards and Carter played for the Philadelphia Flyers when they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.  Richards served as the team's captain and one of the top postseason scorers while Carter missed much of the playoffs with injury.

Expect Mike Richards' point total to increase significantly as the playoffs progress.

Mike Smith's phenomenal goaltending stole the show in both Chicago and Nashville.  His two shutouts lead the league in postseason play.

Antoine Vermette led the way offensively with five goals and nine points.  Rostislav Klesla and Keith Yandle emerged as a formidable defensive tandem in front of Smith's goaltending.

The Coyotes own home ice advantage by being the higher seed.  They won the Pacific Division and an automatic top three seed with only 97 points.  Realistically, the 'Yotes finished with the seventh highest point total in the West and only two ahead of the Kings.

The Kings already took down the conference's top two seeds and there is no reason they shouldn't be able to take down the Coyotes.

On paper, the Kings' lineup is favorable when compared to Phoenix's.  Forwards Brown, Anze Kopitar and Richards lead the way for the Kings' offense, while Vermette, team captain Shane Doan, and seasoned veteran Ray Whitney highlight the Coyotes' forwards.  The Kings have the edge offensively.

Defensively, it's much closer.  Yandle and Klesla anchor Phoenix's blue line, while offensive defenseman Drew Doughty and heavy-hitter Matt Green patrol the Kings' defensive zone, with the X-Factor being shutdown specialist Rob Scuderi.  The edge again goes to the Kings because of more balance and more game-changers.

Goaltending is probably the closest battle of all with both team's netminders playing tremendous in between the pipes.  Quick's numbers are slightly better, but Smith leads the postseason with two shutouts.  However, in a seven game series, Quick's the pick.

The Kings look unstoppable right now.  It took a combined nine games for the team to take down the top two seeds in their conference.  The Coyotes showed they can play some good hockey, taking down Nashville, a Cup favorite, in only five games after barely making it out of the first round.

This may prove to be Los Angeles' longest series yet as the Kings and the Coyotes split their season series, with the Kings winning three times in regulation and losing in overtime twice.  The Coyotes won one game in regulation, but neither overtime win went to a shootout.

Expect the Kings to advance to their second Stanley Cup Final in team history.  Hopefully the second time's the charm for the Cup-less Kings.

Ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing is no fluke.

The Los Angeles Kings are for real.

After their 4-2 win over St. Louis on Thursday night, the Kings put themselves one game away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.

And this time it wasn't all about Jonathan Quick.

Quick had what would be considered an average day by his standards, allowing two weak goals off of 20 shots, but the Kings never let up and quickly applied pressure to show St. Louis and the rest of the country that they are a serious force in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Kings have scored nine goals in the last two games and have put all of their offensive questions aside.

After they stormed the Blues for four goals in the first period of Game 2, the Kings continued to apply pressure to St. Louis and spent most of the opening period of Game 3 in the Blues zone.

St. Louis goaltender Brian Elliott has looked like a shell of himself this round giving up 11 goals in three games to a team that finished next to last in scoring during the regular season.

The team that catches fire right before the playoffs is normally the team that fares the most.

See: Los Angeles Kings.

The Blues finished the regular season with 109 points and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, while the Kings spent the last month fighting to get in.

The point is the Blues were not supposed to be in this situation. Then again, neither were the Kings.

Los Angeles is 7-1 this postseason and have now become the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

It would be the first time in NHL history an eighth-seeded team won the league championship and the first for the Kings in franchise history.

As for St. Louis, they have reached "panic mode" and must now fight for their playoff lives. It isn't impossible for the Blues to come back, but it is far from likely.

I think there is a greater chance of Jimmy Hoffa being found than the Blues ousting the Kings in seven games.

The Kings have found their offensive groove at the right time and has the "City of Angels" in hockey fever.

The "Show-me state" on the other hand has some serious problems. Their beloved hockey franchise had one of its best regular seasons in team history and is now trying to save face for the sake of not being swept by the eighth seed.

Make no mistake: This is no ordinary eighth seed St. Louis is dealing with.

L.A. dominated the President's Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks and are now making a mockery of the Blues; a team who finished the season with 14 more points than the Kings did.

With the exception of a weakside goal and an unlucky break, Los Angeles gave St. Louis nothing to work with and forced them into several avoidable penalties.

That's what happens when you're desperate. You make stupid decisions and eventually cost your team goals in the long run.

Just ask Jamie Langenbrunner whose interference penalty set up Kings forward Mike Richards to score the first power play goal for the Kings in the series.

Dwight King got his first postseason goal to give the Kings a 2-1 lead shortly after Chris Stewart had tied it up for St. Louis.

King on the Kings. It doesn't get any better than that.

This is the most exciting time for Kings fans since the 1993 finals when L.A. lost to Montreal in five games.

L.A. has yet to taste Stanley Cup glory but sure are playing hungry.

They have taken the NHL by storm during these playoffs and are nobody is taking them lightly.

The Kings were not supposed to be here; but it doesn't look like they're going away any time soon.

The first night of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs seemed to have it all.

Anyone unfamiliar with playoff hockey should have tuned in Wednesday April 11th.  They would've gotten a feel of the tournament that's played to win Lord Stanley’s cup.

The Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Philadelphia Flyers series looked like it would be a route in the first period with the victory going to the home team. That was until the Bryzgalov woke up from his first-period nap, along with the Flyers offense. The Flyers not only got themselves back into the game, but they won it in overtime. It will be interesting to see how the Penguins recover.

The Predators vs. Red Wings series looks like it will be another doozy. The Predators came out on top in this close game, thanks to some foolishness at the end of the game from their captain and Norris Trophy candidate Shea Webber, who may be in solitary confinement for the next few games. If he does in fact get a suspension, look for the Wings to get back in this series in a big way. 

The third game of the night was perhaps the most intriguing. The No. 1 overall seed and Presidents' Trophy winning Canucks were taking on the No. 8 seed Kings. No one expected the Kings to roll over and give up, but I don’t think many predicted the Kings to dominate quite as much as they did. 

The score actually looked fairly close, but for anyone watching the game, the Canucks seemed to be out-hit, out-shot, out-hustled, and overall outplayed. The potential goal of the Canucks' Roberto Luongo was actually the reason the game was close.  He stood on his head and almost stole the game for his team. 

Most predicted that Jonathan Quick would have to be the man in order for the Kings to win. Quick played a solid game (even when he was interfered with), stopping the pucks he needed to stop. He didn’t, however, have to steal the game.

The Kings stepped up their physicality and Vancouver was unable to match. When they tried, they did it the wrong way (see Bitz's hit on Kyle Clifford). Kyle Clifford is now out with the notorious upper-body injury (concussion) and one hopes that it will not be for long.

It will be interesting to see how the league comes down on some of these dirty plays in the playoffs.  Historically, punishments are lighter during playoff time. Heck, lots of times penalties are down compared to the regular season. 

After watching the Kings vs. Canucks, it’s hard to think more penalties could have been called.

Last night, the player who showed up big for the Kings was the guy they traded for last summer.

In the Flyers' game, they had two players starting that used to be in Los Angeles: Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. Those two, along with a draft pick, were sent to Philadelphia for former Flyers captain Mike Richards. 

Mike Richards was a proven commodity, a leader on the ice who is considered by many to be the best two-way center in the league. He won an Olympic gold medal in 2010 playing for Canada. He played in a Stanley Cup Final two years ago with the Flyers. He was the guy that was supposed to put the Kings over the top.

Throughout the regular season, he showed flashes of being the player the Kings thought they were getting. Overall, he had one of his worst seasons in a long time and had a lot of Kings loyalists scratching their heads, wondering if they got the short end of the trade. 

On Wednesday in Vancouver, everyone watching was no longer scratching their heads. Mike Richards showed up in a big way. As the cliche goes, he answered the proverbial bell. He demonstrated the ability Dean Lombardi traded for.  He represented himself in a big way.

He also showed up with his all-around play and he let the Canucks know he is alive and well and they better keep their heads up when he’s on the ice (see hit on Burrows).   

Mike Richards is the kind of player who, when he is on his game, makes those around him better.  He set up the go ahead goal by Dustin Penner, yes that Dustin Penner. That is a bit of an inside joke because Kings fans have been waiting for Dustin Penner to do something since the Kings gave up two first-round picks to the Oilers to get him. If he can help Dustin Penner find his game, imagine what he can do for the guys that haven’t lost touch with theirs. 

The reality is the Kings won the game. They didn’t steal it, they earned it. They went into Vancouver and took it to them. 

As great as the game was for the Kings, it was one game. It takes 16 wins to raise the 35-pound trophy from Bettman and skate around the ice with it. The Kings can’t get caught up in the hype of winning that game. That would just prove how young and inexperienced they are. If they stay in the now and focus on their game, they have a good chance.

Quick was good last night, really good. The scary thing is that he has another level. When he is playing at that other level, he’s is as good as anyone the league, maybe as good as anyone that has ever played (that statement is a little bold hence the maybe). I know this, if the Kings play the way they did last night and Quick plays to his all-world level, the Canucks don’t stand much of a chance. If the Kings play the way they did last night and Quick plays to that level, the Canucks still don’t stand much of a chance.  Luongo is good, he played very well last night, but he proved in the playoffs last year he is not the best. 

Friday night is Game 2 for the six teams that played last night. I would expect the same level of intensity from all the teams involved. Who knows what is going to happen. 

I do know this, the 2012 NHL playoffs are going to be a heck of a ride.

It was an intense Game 1 of the 2012 NHL playoffs Wednesday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. But the Kings prevailed 4-2 in a thriller over the No. 1-seeded Canucks.

Of the many storylines over the course of the season for the Kings, none was bigger than the acquisition, and then subsequent below-average production of center Mike Richards.

But Richards, after having his worst season (44 points in 74 games) since the '06-07 season, sent a shot across the bow of the hockey world. Mike Richards is here, and he is the same Mike Richards that was once considered one of the best two-way centers in the league.

Richards opened up the Kings-Canucks series with a three-point, plus-two performance, and at least one bone-crushing hit on Canucks forward Alex Burrows.

He opened up the Kings series scoring by netting the tying goal on a 5-on-3 power play, and the veteran savvy was apparent. Richards caught Roberto Luongo playing pass and slid a nifty fake pass-shot from the wide side in five-hole on Luongo.

Take a look here for his first goal of the postseason.

Richards followed up later in the game by creating a turnover at the Canucks blue line with 3:30 left in the third period, which led to Dustin Penner tucking away the game-winner.

Watch Richards create the turnover that led to the game-winner here.

He would add another assist on Dustin Brown's empty-netter to cap off the night.

Also adding to the night was Richards' massive hit on Alex Burrows in the final minute of play.

Check the hit out right here >>>>>

It's safe to say that Mike Richards has a lot of fans in L.A. on the fence. His performance this year wasn't particularly lackluster, but it was not what Kings fans were expecting from such a highly-touted player with the Flyers.

But Game 1 should satisfy the desires of many critics—Richards definitely showed why he has been noted for his big-game play.

The Kings have lacked that player the last two playoff appearances, but Richards is a heart and soul kind of guy. Hopefully he can keep up the huge hits, the production, and the clutch play.

This kind of thing is contagious, as one player making a difference spurs on another. If the Kings can get rolling behind Mike Richards, the No. 8 seeds out West just may be much scarier then originally thought.

The NHL trade deadline may be in the rear view mirror, but the Los Angeles Kings' roster shakeup is far from over.

According to Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports, the Kings are considering handing the captaincy to Mike Richards in the offseason, just a year after acquiring him in a massive draft-day trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.

That's all well and good, except for the fact that the "C" currently belongs to Dustin Brown, the 27-year-old winger who's spent his entire professional hockey career in LA. He's played quite well for the Kings of late, racking up seven points in his last three games and nine points in his last five.

This, amidst rampant speculation that Kings GM Dean Lombardi had dangled Dustin on the market to a few choice teams including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. Lombardi recanted on his alleged stance once word got out.

There's little doubt that the rumors about Brown's availability rankled him, and the supposed notion of him ceding the captaincy isn't likely to go over any better. That toxic combination may be enough for LA to justify moving Brown over the summer if the team feels so inclined. As Lombardi's deadline dangling showed, the market for Brown is a vast and potentially lucrative one in which the Kings, with all of their needs, wouldn't exactly be unwise to dabble.

For now, though, the threats coming at Brown may turn out for the better. They've clearly lit a fire under him, just when the Kings need his deft scoring touch to stay on track for the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

And, of course, the better Brown plays, the more he'll mean to the Kings, whether it be as a captain or as a trade chip.

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