Game 24: Kings 3, Blue Jackets 0

The Kings, apparently ornery from being on the road over the holidays and pissed off of losing a close game against the Red Wings, took out their yuletide frustrations on the Blew Jackets.

They opened the flood gates, and peppered poor Steve Mason with 14 shots in the first and 21 shots in the second on their way to a 3-0 victory. Even the voters felt sorry for Mason, who got no offensive or defensive support, awarding him with the second star of the game. When was the last time a goal who let in three goals get the second star of the game?

I'm now in the camp of Patrick O'Sullivan for Team MVP. Even though coming into camp late, die to contract negotiations, O'Sullivan has become a steadying force on the top line, allowing Anze Kopitar to flourish since being split from Brown. O'Sullivan leads the team in plus/minus, tied for third in assists and plays with an intensity unrivaled on the club. A controlled game too, with only six minutes in the sin bin. Say it with me: POS FOR TEAM MVP.

Of course, don't forget about Jonny Quick, the Kings' latest and greatest goaltender. Quick only faced 24 shots the whole game, but played solidly, with help from his D-men. I'm more anxious to see how he fares in the home-and-home against Phoenix this weekend. If he can pull together a win streak here against a club who has lost 3 out of their last five games, I'll be boarding the Quick bandwagon.

All in all, a satisfying win, one that clears the holiday palette of their second-longest losing streak this season. Here's hoping everyone gets what they want this Christmas. I may have been given an early gift this year.

• AP:  Quick get first shutout in Kings’ win at Columbus

“The first period was probably our best first period of the year,” coach Terry Murray said. “We came out and responded to a disappointing game, or the way we finished, in Detroit (in a 6-4 loss on Saturday). The players felt a responsibility to come out with a lot of energy. And they did.”

• Yahoo: Team report

    The Kings flipped their defensive pairings Tuesday and went back to their pre-December pairs: Drew Doughty with Sean O’Donnell and Kyle Quincey with Matt Greene. That’s the way the Kings played for the first two-plus months of the season, but as part of his early December roster shakeup, coach Terry Murray flipped Doughty and Quincey. At the time, Murray feared that 36-year-old O’Donnell was playing too many minutes and wanted his two best defensemen, Doughty and Quincey, skating together. After six games, Murray went back to his original thought. Peter Harrold remained with Denis Gauthier in the third pairing.

They said it

 “In the last three or four games, we’ve had a few too many rushes coming at us that end up as shots on net and scoring chances.”—Kings coach Terry Murray

Looking through purple-hued goggles
• Frozen Royalty: Holiday Wishes For The Los Angeles Kings?

    The Kings are now home for the holidays, enjoying their time off with family and friends, just like the rest of us. In the spirit of the holidays, Frozen Royalty wants to know…If you could have three Kings-related wishes, what would you wish for?

• The Royal Half: A Long December

    A great win and an excellent holiday gift for Kings fans. The team is 2 points out of a playoff spot and one of the best players on the Kings said this about their rookie goaltender, Jon Quick:

• Purple Crushed Velvet: Mr. Quickie gets the shutout!

    I'm not a big fan of Peter Harrold and I was this close to writing a post about why he shouldn't play tonight even though a lot of friends and family would be in attendence. But I am all for him taking Zeiler's spot and he did fantastic job at it, notching his first of the season, a beautiful finish off a perfect pass from Kopitar, and finishing the game with a +2. Well done, Harrrold, way to play the puck and not ignore its presence on the ice.

From the other side of the ice, the Columbus view

• Puck-rakers: Game no. 34

    The most angered people in Nationwide Arena were the fans. They chanted "Wake Up, Jackets!" instead of "Let's Go, Jackets!" When the NHL "War Room" confirmed a `no' goal late in the game, the chants went "Toronto Sucks!" Very clever, very funny. Made an ugly night at the rink somehow memorable. But, then, the fans have never been the problem here in Columbus.

• BlueJacketsXTRA: Jackets catatonic in loss to Kings

"They have a ton of skill, they work really hard and they execute," Jackets center Michael Peca said. "And as bad as we've been in the two games, they've been good. That's why it seems so lopsided."

Kings-related news

• FoxSports.com: 10 Christmas wishes for the NHL

7. Los Angeles Kings — A quality starting goaltender.
    After 33 games the Kings are playing .500 hockey with 32 points, presently sitting within striking distance of a playoff berth. Despite the improvement in their overall game they're still lacking depth between the pipes. The respective performances of Jason LaBarbera and Erik Ersberg have been OK, but if the Kings are to contend for a playoff berth they need a quality starting goaltender. General manager Dean Lombardi will remain patient as long as the Kings stay in the playoff chase but if they show signs of faltering he may have no choice but to trade for an experienced starter.

• The Fourth Period:  Kings, Blackhawks discussed trade for Khabibulin

    TFP has learned, as news broke on TFP Today, that the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks were discussing a trade involving goalie Nikolai Khabibulin. According to sources, the Blackhawks were asking for a top prospect and a draft pick in exchange for Khabibulin.

• LATimes.com:  Kings' Dean Lombardi has a twist on remodeling

    Making do with outdated things has been the Kings' way of doing business in the past (see Jeremy Roenick). But General Manager Dean Lombardi has a method to his madness this time.
    Lombardi retains the same office furniture that was there when he was hired in 2006, vowing to hold off on any changes until the Kings win the Stanley Cup.

• The Hockey News: Did Tampa err in picking Stamkos?

    If you asked me that last summer, I’d have answered, “oh-hell-yes-and-shame-on-you-for-even-considering-I-would-say-otherwise,” without a moment’s hesitation. However, after watching young blueliner Drew Doughty star for the Los Angeles Kings through the first half of this year – and watching the turnstiles masquerading as Lightning defensemen – I’ve completely changed my mind.

Peeping the dailies