Games 25-26: Kings vs Calgary Flames 3:1, Kings vs New Jersey Devils 3:2 OT Sh

Dustin Brown charges Kiprusoff's goal

(photo courtesy of www.yahoo.com)

Kings rule in a best game this season

LA goals from: Anze Kopitar, Alex Frolov, Mike Cammalleri
CGY goal from: Tanguay

Pros: Three goals from out top "Sesame Street" boys (phrase coined by LA Times' Chris Foster), including the very first in Staples by Kopitar. Overall best balanced effort, almost every facet of the game seemed to click (2-for-5 on PP, 0-for-5 PK, good goaltending by Mathieu Garon). Feeding it to the defensive-minded Flames (and their Mikka Kiprusoff) was a no small feat.

Cons: Hardly any, perhaps the only one that stood up was Rob Blake's four giveaways - lucky none of them lit the red light.



Second solid effort in a row has Kings on a winning streak

LA goals from: Lubo Visnovsky, Mike Cammalleri
NJD goal from: Gionta, Zajac

Pros: Coming back twice from a goal down always counts. Winning the overtime shootout (which for some reason Kings have a tendency of losing) to start the winning streak was an icing on the cake. Luck plays its part as Gionta hits the post just after scoring the first goal of the game. Cammy scores his 100th point in the NHL - all as a King :).

Cons: Seems like when they put more effort into fore- and backchecking, the Kings do not outscore the other team any more. The number of shots per game is going down (about 22-23 per night last two games), and when you don't have a superstar scorer who can convert even a single opportunity, you have to try peppering the opponents with the shots.

The other two cons were Garon going down with the injury during practise before the upcoming game at the Coyotes, as well as Kings moving Oleg Tverdovsky to IR with his groin injury.