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| It\'s about keeping up that momentum |
| 11.08.05 (10:19 am) [edit] |
The Los Angeles Kings weren't ranked very high by most hockey prognosticators this season, and while it's still early, they are proving their doubters wrong with a 10-5-0 start that has them atop the Pacific Division.
"I think most of the pre-season predictions had us certainly as an outsider in the playoffs, anywhere from 11th to the bottom in our conference," said Kings head coach Andy Murray. But Murray is also quick to point out his team has benefited from playing 10 of its first 15 games at home.
"And we've gone 7-3 at home, which has certainly been a catalyst for us," he said.
The surprising Kings now leave their friendly confines, beginning a four-game road trip Wednesday at Detroit (7:30 p.m. ET).
"Detroit came in here and beat us (5-2 on Oct. 13) and they're at the top of the conference right now," rookie Kings goalie Jason Labarbera said in a phone interview. "It's a big test for us, we want to measure ourselves against the best teams in the conference. To go into Detroit which is a tough place to play, I've never played there yet, so that'll be a good test."
Labarbera, 25, is a major contributor to his team's start. His 8-2-0 record is accompanied by a 2.17 goals-against average and .921 save percentage - both top-10 in the league in each category.
"I don't want to read into it too much, it's been only 10 games, but I'm just excited to get an opportunity," he said.
"It's been awesome so far, I couldn't have scripted a better start I don't think."
Labarbera has for now installed himself as the No. 1 goalie in Los Angeles, winning an early battle with former Montreal backup Mathieu Garon (2-3-0, 3.24 GAA, .875 SP). Labarbera is set to make his fourth consecutive start Wednesday.
"Certainly Jason has played better but the encouraging part for us is that we know Mathieu hasn't played bad, we just know he can play better," said Murray. "But right now we're playing Jason, my responsibility is to pick a guy who's playing the best and he is."
The perception around the league before the season started was that Garon was the starter for the Kings but Murray hasn't handed the job to anyone. He told them before camp that each guy would get a fair shot.
"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect coming in," said Labarbera. "All I knew was that I was getting a chance, but whether I was going to play a lot or play a little, I had no idea. They pretty much said it depended on how I played.
"So far it's worked out pretty good."
The local media call it a mini goalie controversy, but Murray says there isn't one.
"They're calling it a controversy but I tell them: 'Define controversy?' There is no controversy. Both goalies were told from the start of training camp that they were both young goaltenders, I considered both of them coming in with the same credentials even though Garon had a few more NHL games, their numbers were almost identical in the AHL. They were both all-stars there.
"We simply said we would split the pre-season games, which we did, and split the games early this season. They knew they would both get a chance to play."
While Labarbera has been stopping pucks, the Kings' big offensive line has featured Craig Conroy between Pavol Demitra and Alexander Frolov. Demitra, a free-agent signing, leads the team with 18 points (8-10) while Conroy has 16 points (5-11) and Frolov 13 points (6-7).
And Murray plans on keeping the three together.
"I'm not one for changing lines," he said. "I think when you lose a game it's a reaction by a coach to change lines. I think all you do when you do that is make excuses for the players."
Even pesky winger Sean Avery, disliked by many of his opponents, has contributed with four goals and three assists, for once doing his talking with his offence instead of his mouth.
"I think he's getting better, and he's also getting better as a player, too," Murray said of Avery. "He can skate and make plays and he's physical.
"We don't like some of the things he says and we told him that. Bob Gainey told me a long time ago that you have to respect your own teammates, you have to respect your opponents and the bottom line is that you have to respect the game. He needs to keep that in mind all the time."
Where the Kings are struggling is on the power play, ranked only 21st in the league.
"If our power play was up there we wouldn't be 10-5-0, we'd be a lot better than that," said Murray. "We need to get that going for us. It'll cost you in the long run, you can't operate in the bottom 10 in the league and have a chance to be successful.
"Fortunately, our penalty killing has been pretty solid (seventh in the NHL)."
Labarbera was a New York Rangers draft pick, 66th overall in 1998, and one of their top prospects before suddenly being cut loose this summer. With Kevin Weekes, Henrik Lundqvist and prospect Al Montoya in goal, the Rangers probably felt they didn't need Labarbera.
The Rangers let Labarbera go despite the fact the numbers he put up for their AHL affiliate in Hartford over the past two seasons - a 1.59 GAA in 2003-04 en route to winning the AHL's Outstanding Goaltender award and a 1.84 GAA last season.
"In the last few years in the AHL I improved every year. I just don't know what else I could have done at the American League level," said Labarbera.
The Kings snapped him up Aug. 2 on the second day of free agency, signing him to a $1.5-million US, two-year deal which pays him $700,000 this season.
"I really didn't know what New York's plans were," Labarbera said. "They had just signed three guys before they even started to talk to me, really. I looked at L.A.'s goaltending situation and they had Mathieu Garon and that's it. I just looked at it as an opportunity. It seemed like a good fit for me."
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