LOS ANGELES — Although it certainly ended with a huge bang, the 2011-12 season was one of struggle for the Los Angeles Kings, given the fact that they qualified for the playoffs by the skins of their teeth.

Indeed, the Kings’ inability to score goals, a problem that plagued them until the trade deadline in February, almost cost them an invitation to the post-season party, and would likely have resulted in a shake-up in the Kings front office (see 2011-12 Los Angeles Kings Year-In-Review: Front Office Turnaround Set Stanley Cup Run In Motion, and 2011-12 Year-In-Review: Doughty Holdout, Failure To Execute In Offensive Zone Almost Sunk LA Kings Early).

But, as detailed in the previous story in this multi-part series that looks back on the Kings’ 2011-12 season, they put it all together in the final six weeks of the season, earning an 11-4-3 record, good for 25 points, securing the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference, setting up their dominant run to the first Stanley Cup Championship in the 45-year history of the franchise.

In part 4 of Frozen Royalty’s 2011-12 Year-In-Review, it is now time to evaluate the players, coaches, and management. In this installment…the forwards.

Anze Kopitar, Center

Season GP G A P + / – PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 82 25 51 76 12 20 8 2 2 0 230 50.0 2011-12 Playoffs 20 8 12 20 16 9 0 2 1 1 56 48.6 2010-11 Reg. Season 75 25 48 73 25 20 6 1 6 1 233 49.9

LEGEND: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; P = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes; PP = Power Play Goals; SH = Shorthanded Goals; GW = Game Winning Goals; OT = Overtime Goals; S = Shots; FO% = Face-Off Winning Percentage

Although Kopitar was, once again, the team’s leading scorer, his offensive numbers were mostly unchanged from his 2010-11 statistics. But, like previous seasons, he was inconsistent in the offensive zone. In fact, at one point in the season, he went 17 straight games without scoring a goal.

Kopitar’s consistency problems generally stem from his failure to take the puck to the middle of the ice, or to the front of the net on a consistent basis, despite the fact that he has all the tools to do so—speed, size, strength and skill.

Whether he is on the rush, or trying to create scoring chances while his line is working the puck around in the offensive zone, Kopitar too often plays on the perimeter, looking for a pass. That tendency is most apparent when the Kings are on the power play, as he holds the puck on the half-wall, and looks to pass as his first option, not to mention his second and third options. Only then does he consider shooting the puck.

With the man advantage, Kopitar rarely takes the puck off the half-wall, let alone move into the circle to take a shot. Instead of creating a quality scoring chance for himself, or for his teammates, by drawing penalty-killers to him, he holds the puck on the perimeter for what seems like an eternity.

Playing on the perimeter way too much allows penalty-killers to cheat on the passing lanes, taking away Kopitar’s options, since they know he is not likely to come off the half-wall.

Former assistant coach Jamie Kompon, whose his contract was not renewed (he was hired as an assistant coach by the Chicago Blackhawks on July 17), was the focal point for much of the criticism for the Kings’ woeful power play. However, what is often ignored is the fact that the players were never coached to stand around while on the power play, to pass the puck endlessly around the perimeter, or to treat the middle of the ice and the front of the net as if it were a minefield.

Kopitar proved himself during the regular season as one of the top defensive forwards in the National Hockey League, earning consideration for the James Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the league’s top defensive forward. But his problems in the offensive zone overshadowed his defensive prowess. In fact, as the Kings’ best skater, a majority of the responsibility for the Kings’ problems in the offensive zone lie squarely on his shoulders, especially on the power play.

Despite all that, Kopitar was one of the brightest stars of the playoffs. Not only was he tied for the scoring lead in the playoffs with teammate Dustin Brown, but he was an even stronger force in the defensive zone than he was in the regular season, helping lead the Kings to their first Stanley Cup Championship.

Kopitar certainly put it all together during the playoffs, doing so for the first time, on a consistent basis, in his NHL career. Equally important is the fact that he was able to accomplish this during the post-season, maintaining that level of play, for the most part, as the Kings went deeper and deeper into the playoffs.

Is Kopitar’s play during the playoffs an indication that he has figured out what he has to do to be consistent in the offensive zone, while continuing to be a defensive stalwart? If it is, the rest of the NHL had better take notice, because the Kings will be Stanley Cup contenders for years to come.

Justin Williams, Right Wing

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 82 22 37 59 10 44 9 0 2 0 241 44.0 2011-12 Playoffs 20 4 11 15 8 12 1 2 1 1 58 0.0 2010-11 Reg. Season 73 22 35 57 14 59 5 0 3 0 213 50.0 2010-11 Playoffs 6 3 1 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 16 0.0

Williams was, arguably, the most consistent of the Kings’ forwards this past season, and was one of their best forwards during the early going. Perhaps more important, for the first time since the 2006-07 season when he was with the Carolina Hurricanes, Williams avoided injury, something that has plagued him throughout his career.

But not this year.

Indeed, Williams somehow managed to stay healthy, playing in all 82 regular season games.

Given his long history of injuries, many of them serious, not to mention playing a full season just twice in this his twelve NHL seasons prior to 2011-12, Williams playing a full season for the Kings this past season was not only rather miraculous, but it had to be a sign that they were destined for the greatness they achieved.

Although that was obviously written in jest, there’s actually some truth to it. Whether it was just luck, or if he did something different to keep himself off the injured reserve list, Williams kept himself in the lineup, and he contributed, especially down the stretch and in the playoffs—he was a significant factor in the Kings’ fortunes.

Although Williams had his stretches of games where he was not putting points on the scoresheet, at this point in his career, it is unrealistic to expect Williams to hit the thirty goal mark, as he did in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons with the Hurricanes. In other words, the Kings are getting what they should expect to get from Williams. The only question should be whether or not he can keep himself in the lineup to deliver that same level of play in 2012-13.

Dustin Brown, Left/Right Wing

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 82 22 32 54 18 53 9 1 6 0 213 43.6 2011-12 Playoffs 20 8 12 20 16 34 1 2 3 0 59 45.0 2010-11 Reg. Season 82 28 29 57 17 67 7 0 2 0 228 48.6 2010-11 Playoffs 6 1 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 0 8 0.0

Brown’s 2011-12 regular season offensive numbers ended up right about where they have been over his last five seasons, and like past years, he went through stretches this seasons when he was ineffective.

Both former head coach Terry Murray and current head coach Darryl Sutter have said the same thing about Brown…that he is most effective when he plays that “north-south” game, moving straight up and down the ice. That allows him to build up speed on attack, and get in on the forecheck where he can use his strong physical play to create scoring opportunities off the forecheck. When he does that, he is generally on top of his game. When he is not playing that way, he disappears.

Like Kopitar, Brown shined in the playoffs. He was their best player early in the post-season, and just barely a step behind goaltender Jonathan Quick the rest of the way. He was potent offensively, and was a physical force in all three zones. Now he needs to figure out how to play that way in the regular season as well.

Mike Richards, Center

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 74 18 26 44 3 71 3 4 1 0 171 50.5 2011-12 Playoffs 20 4 11 15 1 17 2 0 1 0 41 49.8 2010-11 Reg. Season (PHI) 82 23 43 66 11 62 5 3 4 1 184 49.8 2010-11 Playoffs (PHI) 11 1 6 7 -1 15 1 0 0 0 43 41.8

Richards numbers were well off those he put up over the last four years with the Philadelphia Flyers, something you might expect, given the Kings’ overall inability to score during the first five months of the season, not to mention the concussion he suffered early in the year.

But Richards started off the 2011-12 season with a bang. He was the Kings’ best player early in the season, getting the job done offensively while other players sagged. He was also good in the face-off circle, and played well defensively. Perhaps more important, he showed that he was the smartest player to wear a Kings uniform since some guy named Wayne Gretzky came over from Edmonton in 1988. It became apparent very quickly why Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi coveted him.

Richards’ production tailed off considerably after coming back from his concussion in late December, and he never got back to the level of play he attained early in the season. But he picked up his play once forward Jeff Carter was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline, and was a major contributor during the playoffs. Presumably, with Carter on his right, and a productive forward (Dustin Penner?) on his left, Richards will produce consistently next season.

Jeff Carter, Right Wing

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season (CBJ/LAK) 55 21 13 34 -12 16 10 0 2 0 184 50.8 2011-12 Playoffs 20 8 5 13 0 4 4 0 3 1 54 52.6 2010-11 Reg. Season (with PHI) 80 36 30 66 27 39 8 0 7 0 335 54.7 2010-11 Playoffs (with PHI) 6 1 1 2 -3 2 1 0 0 0 18 34.6

After coming over from Columbus at the trade deadline, Carter never really caught fire in 16 regular season games with the Kings, scoring six goals and adding three assists for nine points. But, as detailed in the previous installment in this series, his presence in the lineup, along with that of left wings Dwight King and Jordan Nolan, gave the Kings balance throughout their lineup that they had not had since the Gretzky Era. Carter was a legitimate scoring threat, and with him on the second line, teams could no longer play their top defensive pair and best defensive line exclusively against Kopitar’s line. That gave both lines more room to create, and the results were stunning.

With nine years left on a contract that pays him $5.27 million per season, will Carter be properly motivated, or will he disappear for several games at a time, something that has been an issue for him?

To be sure, Carter is a key to the Kings’ success down the road. If he is not productive at least fairly consistently, teams will start keying on Kopitar’s line again, which will likely result in considerable problems in the offensive zone.

Jarret Stoll, Center

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 78 6 15 21 2 60 1 0 0 0 133 55.0 2011-12 Playoffs 20 2 3 5 5 18 1 0 2 1 33 51.8 2010-11 Reg. Season 82 20 23 43 -6 42 4 1 5 0 187 57.5 2010-11 Playoffs 5 0 3 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 54.8

The 2011-12 regular season can only be characterized as a very poor year for Stoll, who struggled throughout the season to contribute at all on the scoresheet. Despite that, he never gave up. He continued to work hard defensively, and he was, once again, the Kings’ most reliable man in the face-off circle.

Stoll didn’t exactly light the league on fire in the playoffs either, but his overtime goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Vancouver Canucks won that series for the Kings, propelling them into the second round against the St. Louis Blues.

Despite the lack of production, Stoll accepted a demotion to the third line, and on a couple of instances, the fourth line, after the acquisition of Richards last summer, and did so without hesitation. Add to that the fact that he is most suited to third line duty, and Stoll is a valuable asset to the Kings going forward, something the Kings recognized when they signed him to a three-year contract on June 25.

Dustin Penner, Left Wing

Season GP G A P Plus/

Minus PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 65 7 10 17 -7 43 1 0 0 0 119 43.8 2011-12 Playoffs 20 3 8 11 4 32 0 0 2 1 37 50.0 2010-11 Reg. Season (EDM/LAK) 81 23 22 45 -12 47 6 1 3 1 173 42.8 2010-11 Playoffs 6 1 1 2 -3 4 0 0 0 0 10 0.0

Unless you’ve been living under a huge rock, or in a deep cavern for the past 17 months, you know that Penner was absolutely dreadful from the moment he joined the Kings. Indeed, upon coming over from the Edmonton Oilers at the 2011 trade deadline, it was obvious that being out of shape was a major contributing factor. He addressed those problems last summer, but his game did not improve.

Penner continued to struggle mightily throughout the 2011-12 season, until February rolled around. At that point, he was able to put marital problems behind him and re-focus.

That process began with hard work in practice, impressing Sutter enough to put him back in the lineup on the fourth line, eventually moving to the third line, and becoming one of the Kings’ best forwards during the late-season stretch drive.

At that point in the season, Penner looked like a completely different player, and he continued that into the post-season. In fact, Penner played so well that Sutter moved him up to the second line, with Carter and Richards, and the Kings never looked back. To be sure, no one will forget his overtime goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Coyotes, the goal that thrust the Kings into the Stanley Cup Final.

Next season, all eyes will be on Penner once again, and he will have to face even greater scrutiny, now that he has shown that he capable of playing well and contributing in all three zones.

To his credit, Penner said, during on-ice interviews after Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the New Jersey Devils, that he was focused on re-signing with the Kings because he wanted to know what it was like to stay with a team that had just won the Stanley Cup. Indeed, that opportunity eluded him after he won the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007, and true to his word, he signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Kings on July 1.

After signing, Penner indicated that he ignored offers from other teams because he wanted to stay with the Kings. Now that he has gotten his wish, Penner must prove that the Kings were right in having faith in him being the player he was late in the season and in the playoffs throughout the 2012-13 season.

Given Penner’s track record prior to joining the Kings, there is reason for deep skepticism, so stay tuned.

Simon Gagne, Left Wing

Season GP G A P Plus/

Minus PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 34 7 10 17 -1 18 0 1 2 0 75 28.6 2011-12 Playoffs 4 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 5 0.0 2010-11 Reg. Season (TBL) 63 17 23 40 -12 20 7 0 3 1 154 37.5 2010-11 Playoffs (TBL) 15 5 7 12 6 4 0 0 1 0 21 75.0

Gagne missed the rest of the of the regular season after suffering a concussion in late December. But even before that, he was mostly invisible for a long stretch of games. Indeed, Gagne never really got things going at all during the regular season, and although he returned to the lineup during the Stanley Cup Final, he played fourth line minutes, and was not able to contribute at the level one would normally expect from of veteran with a proven scoring touch.

Having lost his spot on the first or second lines, where will Gagne play next season? He does not seem to be well suited to checking line duty, so it would seem that he would have to beat out Penner for the left wing spot on the second line to have a real chance at contributing in 2012-13. That said, given his play at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs, Penner has the edge going into next season.

Logic would also seem to dictate that Dwight King would have the edge on the third line, given the fact that he has an advantage in terms of size and strength, and would be more effective in the third line energy/checking role, so that leaves the fourth line for Gagne, where it seems likely that the bigger and stronger Jordan Nolan would be much better suited to that role, and after Nolan, there’s Kyle Clifford waiting in the wings, who is also better suited to playing left wing in a checking role.

In any case, is Gagne the kind of player who would fit well on a checking line? Probably not, and definitely not for the $3.5 million he will earn next season, so don’t be surprised if Gagne finds himself on the trading block, probably starting after Thanksgiving, when some teams will start looking for someone with a scoring touch.

Dwight King, Left Wing

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 27 5 9 14 3 10 0 0 1 0 42 66.7 2011-12 Playoffs 20 5 3 8 3 13 0 0 2 0 33 0.0 2010-11 Reg. Season 6 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.0

Many point to the acquisition of Carter as the key to the Kings turning things around, making the playoffs and going on to win the Stanley Cup. But without the surprising contributions of King and Nolan, who were recalled in early February, prior to the trade deadline, in addition to the acquisition of Carter, the Kings probably would have missed the playoffs.

A season earlier, King got a six-game stint with the Kings, and not only showed he was not ready for the NHL, but it was clear that he was not even close. This past season, he was not noticeable during the Kings training camp, and was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate.

But once he was recalled to the big club, he turned heads, not by scoring a ton of goals, but by skating well, using his size and strength effectively on the forecheck, helping create scoring chances for his line mates, and contributing on the defensive side of the puck.

In the playoffs, King turned more heads, by doing everything he did late in the regular season, but also showing more skill than anyone thought he had by scoring five goals—off the rush, a deflection, a wrist shot from the right circle—he scored the goals in different ways.

More of the same will be needed next season from King, who was signed to new, two-year contract, valued at $1.5 million.

Kyle Clifford, Left Wing

Season GP G A P Plus/

Minus PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 81 5 7 12 -5 123 0 0 2 0 88 12.5 2011-12 Playoffs 3 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 0 0 2 0.0 2010-11 Reg. Season 76 7 7 14 -10 141 0 0 0 0 69 53.3 2010-11 Playoffs 6 3 2 5 -2 7 0 0 1 0 9 50.0

After ending the 2010-11 season leading the team in playoff scoring, Clifford was unable to match that level of play during the regular season. Moreover, he was not as effective on the forecheck, or on the defensive side of the puck, compared to his rookie season in 2010-11.

Clifford suffered a concussion in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs against Vancouver, and despite being cleared to play later in the post-season, he never played again in the playoffs, which does not bode well for Clifford, as both King and Nolan, who are both better skaters, have moved ahead of him on the depth chart.

Brad Richardson, Center/Left Wing

Season GP G A P Plus/

Minus PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 59 5 3 8 -6 30 0 1 0 0 98 58.9 2011-12 Playoffs 13 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 13 61.1 2010-11 Reg. Season 68 7 12 19 -13 47 0 1 1 0 103 50.8 2010-11 Playoffs 6 2 3 5 -4 2 0 0 0 0 17 42.8

Richardson fell out of favor this season, after Colin Fraser established himself as the team’s fourth line center. As a result, Richardson played in just 59 games this season, compared to 68 in 2010-11.

When Clifford went down during the playoffs, Richardson filled in admirably, giving the Kings extra speed on their fourth line. But the bottom line for Richardson is that he is now an extra forward who is on the fence, with a better chance of being a healthy scratch than a fixture on the Kings’ fourth line.

Colin Fraser, Center

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 67 2 6 8 -2 67 0 0 0 0 54 47.3 2011-12 Playoffs 18 1 1 2 -1 4 0 0 0 0 16 43.2 2010-11 Reg. Season (EDM) 67 3 2 5 -2 60 0 1 0 0 57 44.6

After starting the season as a non-roster player following off-season foot surgery, there were serious questions regarding whether or not Fraser would ever play for the Kings this season. But once he recovered from the surgery and got a chance, he never looked back.

Fraser provided energy, solid forechecking, strong physical play, and effective defensive play, and, as stated above, he was more effective in the fourth line center role than Richardson.

Fraser is never going to be a prolific goal scorer. But he was not only a solid, effective fourth line center, but he was the strong character guy who was great in the dressing room that every team wants.

As with King, more of the same is what the doctor ordered from Fraser, who was signed to a two year contract valued at $1.65 million on June 25.

Trevor Lewis, Right Wing

Season GP G A P Plus/

Minus PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 72 3 4 7 -3 26 0 0 1 0 103 43.7 2011-12 Playoffs 20 3 6 9 7 4 1 0 0 0 37 50.0 2010-11 Reg. Season 72 3 10 13 -11 6 0 0 2 0 105 39.2 2010-11 Playoffs 6 1 3 4 -1 20 0 0 0 0 12 25.0

We know by now that Lewis will never be the high scoring sniper that some thought he would be at the NHL level. But this past season, he firmly established himself as a solid third line player who uses his speed effectively on both sides of the puck, is very solid defensively, and is better than one would expect on the forecheck, given his lack of size.

Lewis struggled early in the season, and spent some time watching from the press box in November and December. But he worked hard in practice, and, like Fraser, once he got another chance, he locked up the right wing spot on the third line.

Lewis appears to have turned the corner, in terms of understanding the kind of player he is, what his skill set is, and what his limitations are. That knowledge showed during the playoffs, where he stepped up his game, becoming even more effective in what he does well, along with providing some surprising supplementary scoring.

If Lewis really has turned that corner, expectations should be higher for him going into the 2012-13 season, not in terms of becoming a twenty-goal scorer, but by doing what he does well even better.

Andrei Loktionov, Center

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 39 3 4 7 -4 2 1 0 0 0 60 43.0 2011-12 Playoffs 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2010-11 Reg. Season 19 4 3 7 2 2 0 0 0 0 26 41.8

Loktionov split time between Manchester and the Kings this past season, doing very, very little at the NHL level, and there lies the problem: he’s a little guy, at 5-10, 179 pounds.

Loktionov is highly-skilled, but has a lot to learn about playing on the defensive side of the puck, and more important, he is usually badly overmatched by the bigger forwards and defensemen he faces at the NHL level.

Unless Loktionov can add strength and learn to play bigger than his size, he will never be a full-time NHL player.

Jordan Nolan, Left Wing

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 26 2 2 4 2 28 0 0 1 0 19 100.0 2011-12 Playoffs 20 1 1 2 1 21 0 0 0 0 13 0.0

For the most part, Nolan’s evaluation could read, “see evaluation of Dwight King, above.”

Indeed, the only differences would be that this was Nolan’s first shot at playing with the Kings, and he did not match King’s offensive output. Of course, Nolan spent the vast majority of his time playing on the fourth line. As such, scoring goals was not something anyone expected from him.

Nevertheless, Nolan contributed more than anyone thought he would. He was a better skater than initially believed, and was very effective on the forecheck, using his size and strength very well. Nolan was a definite upgrade for the Kings’ fourth line, which was also apparent in the playoffs.

As with several of his teammates, more of the same will be needed from Nolan next season.

Kevin Westgarth, Right Wing

Season GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW OT S FO% 2011-12 Reg. Season 25 1 1 2 -3 39 0 0 0 0 13 0.0 2010-11 Reg. Season 56 0 3 3 -6 105 0 0 0 0 20 50.0 2010-11 Playoffs 6 0 2 2 2 14 0 0 0 0 3 0.0

As the season wore on, Westgarth eventually found a permanent seat in the Kings press box. He played in just 25 regular season games in 2011-12, and never saw action again after playing against Phoenix on February 16.

Although he has two years left on a contract that will pay him $725,000 per season, after playing in just eight regular season games after Sutter joined the Kings, and recognizing that the need for an enforcer in the lineup has been on the decline for years, one has to wonder if Westgarth is in Sutter’s plans at all.

NOT EVALUATED: right wing Scott Parse (playing time too limited due to injury).

Related Stories

Frozen Royalty by Gann Matsuda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You may copy, distribute and/or transmit any story or audio content published on this site under the terms of this license, but only if proper attribution is indicated. The full name of the author and a link back to the original article on this site are required. Photographs, graphic images, and other content not specified are subject to additional restrictions. Additional information is available at: Frozen Royalty – Licensing and Copyright Information.

Frozen Royalty’s Comment Policies