With 16 games left in the season, I figured the time is right to start promoting the Kings' Drew Doughty for the Norris Memorial Trophy, an award for the top defenseman in the NHL. Turns out, someone beat me to it.

Over on Facebook, you can join the Drew Doughty for Norris fan page, and let your voice be heard. From the page:

First off, this is not a lark. We aren't trying to stuff the ballot box with an obscure name just for a goof. This is a real and genuine effort to inform the great hockey minds on the east coast that when they are just getting ready to lay down to go to sleep, there is a 20 year old kid by the name of Drew Doughty that is showing fans in Los Angeles what it means to be in on the ground floor of what is to become a franchise player.

Now before you start with me, let's get this out of the way. Individual awards really mean nothing in a team sport like hockey. And yes, it's still early to start guessing who is going to win postseason awards. Just go with it.

Ever since last season when Doughty lost out on the Calder Trophy to goaltender Steve Mason, I have been discouraged. Even after presenting the hockey world to the Doughty Manifesto, people failed to see the potential of the kid from London, Ontario. That all changed in Vancouver.

Now since donning the Canadian national hockey jersey for the Winter Olympics, Doughty has become a media darling. Doughty is on the lips of every hockey fan east of the Rockies, and has been touted as the next Bobby Orr, arguably the best hockey player of all time. (Sorry Gretzky.)

Now it's a call to arms. Now it is time to combine our forces and get the word out. Let you voices be heard from the tallest mountain and deepest message board. Call a friend, call an enemy, call your mom... Flood opposing team fan sites, write out-of-town hockey beat writers, pick fights with other team's bloggers...

If this was Star Wars, you'd be receiving a message to Execute Order 66. If this was Battlestar Galactica, you'd be hearing All Along the Watchtower. If this was Godfather II, it would be time to settle all family business.

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Game 66: Blackhawks 3, Kings 2 (OT)

Some might see an overtime loss, I see progression.

I had said last game recap, that I now expect the Kings to beat the bad teams. But I should've also said I expect them to be able to play with anyone. And Wednesday's game certainly supports that opinion.

Chicago has ascended toward the top of the NHL this season. With their young core of players, such as Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Duncan Keith, they have assembled a phenomenal.

They are tied with San Jose for points (93 as of Thursday), and are third in goals average (3.21). They boast the most shots for (34.2) and the least shots against (24.3). Their power play (10th) and penalty kill (6th) are among the league leaders. For all intents and purposes, the Hawks are an elite team.

The Kings also have a solid core of young talent. As of Thursday morning, the Kings are seventh in the league for points (83). Their goals for average (2.94) is also seventh in the NHL. The power play clicks along at a 20.2 percent pace, good enough for sixth overall. The only area that can be conisidered a true weakness is their penalty kill, which as of Thursday is 21st in the league. But you consider that it was at the bottom for the first couple months of the season, you can see marked improvement.

These teams are built similarly, so they should match up well. And on Wednesday, they did. Patrick Sharp scored in the first period as Chicago got off to a big start. But L.A. responded in the second period with two quick goals from Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar.

The Kings had their hands full with the Hawks. They were outshot, 43-30. Jonathon Quick stood on his head for much of the game, and continues to amaze. The relentless Chicago attack was like looking into a mirror. Each line has the potential to strike at any moment. And when it got to overtime, I figured it would automatically go to the shootout.

For the rest of the recap, as well as more Kings analysis, blogs and video...<< MORE >>

The podcast this week finds us back together in the same room, which can only mean one thing: clearer audio! Woot!

Jesse and I are back with a show that will curl your toes and punch you in the nose. We touch on the past week, crown a new King of the week, and discuss all things hockey. We also talk about the Oscars, Avatar, House and 3-D TV technology.

Don't forget, you can subscribe on iTunes, so you can get the podcast before anyone else does. Why would you want to do that? Beats having me come to your house and reminding you each week, isn't it?

It's the type of stuff you've come to expect: mindless entertainment. So find a comfy chair and settle down for the Hockeywood Insider.

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Game 65: Kings 6, Blue Jackets 0

The Kings needed that.

They needed to be reminded that they have the skill to beat teams they are supposed to. And as sweet as the win was against Columbus, it wasn't that sweet. Again, this is a team the Kings are supposed to beat.

It was pretty impressive to see the team completely clamp down on the Jackets. Only five shots given up by L.A. is pretty dominating. I bet Quick could have played without a mask, and probably enjoy a hot dog and a Coke during some of those stretches.

The Kings' power play continues to get better, connecting three out of six times. When Rick Nash got a double minor for giving the high stick to Rob Scuderi, it opened the door for a two-fer. Michal Handzus and Alexander Frolov scored twice in less than a minute to effectively knock out the Blue Jackets. Although, it also could've been Wayne Simmonds goal, from Modin ans Scuderi to start the scoring. Or Drew Doughty's tally 8 minutes later, from Handzus and Frolov.

With his goal, Doughty is now tied for second in defenseman scoring. Over at ESPN.com, they have a "trophy tracker", which gives you a sneak peak at what to expect for the postseason awards. Right now, the leader for the Norris Trophy is Washington's Mike Green, who's 64 points and gaudy +32 in plus/minus some of the major factors for being in the "lead", if there is such a thing. Then again, last year's winner, Zdeno Chara, didn't lead in any of the categories. What does that mean? That's right, Drew Doughty has a definite shot to win the Norris this season.

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Game 64: Canadiens 4, Kings 2

You know what I have a problem with? All the nicknames the Canadiens have. Seriously, pick a name and go with it. To prove my point, I'll include as many in this post as I can.

Since 1968, when L.A. entered the league, the Kings have only beaten the Habs 27 times in 133 games. That's a 20 percent clip, and the Kings' worst overall record vs. another opponent. (Second-worst, you ask? 28.5 percent against the Flyers) L.A. has always had problems with the Canadiens, long before they matched up in 1993.

So when the Kings skated into STAPLES with 80 points against the struggling Le Grand Club, I thought this would be a chance for these young players to start to change the tide of history. The Habs were without their leading scorer, former Kings Michael Cammalleri, and have been toiling in the competitive Northeast Division. Add to that the fact that L.A. is 13-3 against Eastern Conference teams, and things seemed right for a victory over Les Habitants.

Wrong.

What transpired Saturday was more of the same against their 1993 nemesis. Montreal scored two of their goals with less than a minute gone in the first and third periods, and scored short-handed as well. Not the showing many fans had hoped for.

Le Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge played the game with a purpose Saturday, as they have been hanging around on the playoff bubble in the stacked East. And their intensity paid off in the first when Brian Gionta scored with less than a minute gone in the first.

The Kings' top line of Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth and Kopitar shot a combined 11 times in the game, but were a combined minus-5. Even though Kopitar had a nifty goal to tie up the game in the first, much more is needed out of that line. Can we just put Simmonds back up there, please?

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Game 63: Predators 4, Kings 2

Don't look now, but the Predators are making noise down in Nashville. And it sounds more like Old Time Hockey than the Grand Ole Opry.

For some reason, the Kings don't play the Predators particularly well. They have lost five games in a row to the Preds, reaching back into last season. But that was before the Kings really started to gel and come into focus as the fourth best team in the West (and in the league, according to some)

The Kings pick up where they left off last game, playing with a white-hot intensity that seemed to stun the Nashville bench. And when Alexander Frolov scored with less than 60 seconds gone, it looked as if this game was going to be different.

But four minutes later, Jonathan Quick mishandles a puck behind the Kings net, and Sean O'Donnell blows a tire and falls to the ice. That allows J.P. Dumont to pop in the tying goal. At first it was an unassisted goal, but then they added two assists to Steve Sullivan and Dan Hamhuis. That left me scratching my bald dome. Once Quick touches the puck, doesn't that negate whoever touched it last for Nashville?

Whatever. Dumont's goal had the same effect on the Kings bench as Frolov's goal did earlier. The Kings were completely dumbfounded, and played the rest of the game playing catch up.

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How long has it been since we've recorded a podcast? A week? A month? A year?

No matter how much time has passed (psssst, 4 weeks), we're back with a vengence now that the Kings are underway for the stretch drive for the playoffs.

To make up for lost time, we crown a new King of the past Month, discuss the Olympic hockey tournament, and Jesse breaks down Vancouver 2010 as only he can.

It's the Hockeywood Insider, chock full of piss and vinegar and ready to roll.



Don't forget, you can subscribe on iTunes, so you can get the podcast before anyone else does.

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Game 62: Kings 5, Stars 1

The Kings' all-time goaltending list is admittedly not that impressive. Sure you have Rogie Vachon, Felix Potvin and Kelly Hrudey. But for each of those names, you have a Dan Cloutier, Jason LaBarbera or Rick Knickle.

So when a player can rise up and set a team record in goaltending, you tend to pay attention. That's exactly what happened Tuesday when Jonathan Quick tallied his 36th win of the season to break Mario Lessard's 30-year record.

The Kings picked up where they left off back in February, mainly kicking ass and taking names. Tuesday's team was the Dallas Stars, a team they have outright owned this season. And it was a perfect start to the pressurized stretch run.

I have to say, this "stretch" run is going to be more of a sprint than a run. The league closed up shop for the Olympics, and players couldn't even practice for a week while the Games were underway in Vancouver. But the time off wasn't wasted as teams got healthy and rested for the playoffs.

Sure, Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson, Michal Handzus and Drew Doughty didn't get a break, but thank goodness Quick got some rest. The kid has been an iron man for the Kings this season, and it was nice for Burke to name him to the U.S. team. But let's face it, Quick was  the Christian Laettner of the U.S. Olympic hockey team. A good player in his own right, but wasn't going to see the ice unless something unforeseen happened.

The time off the ice probably gave Quick some time to think and focus on what he needs to do when he laces up the skates for the Kings. And he was able to come out and pick up where he left off for L.A.

Almost.

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Here is an outstanding fan video for Anze Kopitar. The thing that sets this apart is the old footage of Anze as a kid, playing hockey in Slovenia.

But I especially liked seeing a slightly older Kopitar along the boards, with a defender on him, skates in on goal, holding onto the puck, then flipping it into the net after the goaltender commits. Fast forward to Oct. 6, 2006, and there's Kopitar, Chris Pronger in tow, skating in on goal, and flipping it into the net after J.S. Giguere commits.

It's ten minutes, but definitely worth a look, since the Kings don't play until next week.

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