Game 23: Maple Leafs 3, Kings 1

• AP:  Stajan, Grabovski lead Maple Leafs over Kings

• LA Times: Loss is a tough lesson for the Kings

    It makes no difference that the Kings, now and eternally rebuilding, are a young team and that young teams are prone to mistakes. It makes no difference that the Kings, still finding their identity and their footing in a tough conference, weren't supposed to be in the top eight or 10 or maybe 12 in the West.
    What matters is they gave themselves a better than decent chance to win and let it slip away. That's part of a learning process, and if this lesson doesn't sink in, none ever will.

• Daily News: Kings falter in third period in loss to Toronto

• Canadian Press: Stajan, Grabovski rally Maple Leafs past Kings

• Yahoo: Kings team report

Despite the disappointing loss Monday, the Kings are clearly making progress. Last season, on their way to a last-place finish in the Western Conference, the Kings had a 9-13-1 record through 23 games. This season, they’re 10-10-3. A better barometer, however, is goals against, a stat first-year coach Terry Murray has worked hard to improve. Last season, the Kings allowed 74 goals in their first 23 games. This season, they allowed 63 goals in their first 23 games.

They said it

“To go into the third period up 1-0 and end up down two men so quickly, it was unfortunate. The game was going pretty well. Both teams worked hard, battled hard, some great opportunities at both ends. I think both goaltenders were tremendous tonight. It’s unfortunate that it ends the way it did on a 5-on-3. We had our opportunity later and we weren’t able to get much generated to get an opportunity to tie the game up.”— Kings coach Terry Murray.

Looking through purple-hued glasses

• The Royal Half: I hate you, Brian Burke

During that crazy last 5 minute flurry, 18 year old Drew Doughty bobbled the puck at the blueline and the Kings lost possession in the offensive zone. The fan in front of me jumped up and yelled and screamed at Doughty. (He was also yelling "SHOOOOOT" all night) To which I said "he's only 18. He's allowed to make mistakes." Half Season Ticket Holder Buddy chimed in as well... "if that happens when he's 20, then we can be upset. But I think we are good for now."

From the other side of the ice: the Toronto view

• Inside Hockey: Toronto comes to town

When Toronto comes to town, you know it’s going to mean at least one thing - two national anthems before the game. It should also mean a full house of rabid Canuck fans who moved west and south to fulfill their California dream, but for whom the real dream of their lives would be to see their boys hoist a Stanley Cup.

• The Toronto Star: Leafs find their legs and rally past Kings

“It wasn’t Vesa’s fault to be left alone like that,” said Ron Wilson. “We got caught napping. The game starts 10:30 on your body clock. It’s tough. I’m usually in bed. When you’re a Western team you always try to jump on an Eastern team early when they’ve gone coast to coast in one day.

• The Toronto Sun's Rob Longley: Hollywood ending

• Pension Plan Puppets: Revenge

The game obviously didn't get off to a great start. I am sure that Greener and Tex were a little leery once the Kings scored 57 seconds into the game as Frolov deked Toskala. The breakaway was facilitated by a weak dump-in by Matt Stajan (basically a pass) which Matt Greene turned into an incredible pass. Right then I was hoping that the flu would claim Stajan for the rest of the game. What a mistake that would have been!

Kings related news

• The Providence: Pats on the back of big D Teubert

"In my mind, he's one of the elite defencemen in this league," Chilliwack Bruins GM Darrell May said of Teubert, a Los Angeles Kings prospect after going 13th overall in this past summer's NHL entry draft. "He's a big, physical kid. He'll be a challenge for us."

• Globe and Mail:  Schenn, Doughty reunite in L.A.

    “It was pretty cool,” Luke Schenn, the Toronto Maple Leafs' prize 18-year-old defenceman said of his first night in Southern California, which was spent at the Los Angeles Lakers-Toronto Raptors game on Sunday night in the company of Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty, also 18.
    “Beckham was there,” Schenn said. “We were sitting behind the [players'] bench and he was sitting behind the hoop. And I saw Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”

Power numbers

• ESPN: Up two spots to 19!

• The Hockey News: Last week, 21st, this week 18th

• TSN.ca: On the verge of being on the first page, 16th!

• Yahoo: 28?!? Seriously?

Editor's note: Let's see... The first three polls, the Kings rise in the standings, on Yahoo, they fall beneath the Thrashers and the Stars? The freaking, free-falling Stars? What are you guys on over there on at Yahoo? On dope???