Bleacher Report - Articles by David London

Erik Ersberg Leading Kings' Charge

David London — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:51:23 -0500

Erik Ersberg continues to win games and the Kings are moving up in the Western Conference standings after a slow start.

The overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks was a 1-0 heartbreaker, but Erik has been outstanding in his four starts, leading the Kings to a 3-0-1 record. Coach Terry Murray has already indicated that he will start his fifth game in a row tomorrow night in Dallas.

I was fully behind having a No. 1 netminder at the start of the season instead of a constant carousel. Jason LaBarbera didn't play poorly, but he just lacked that big save ability. At one point, the Kings were 1-6 in games decided by a goal. In Ersberg's four starts, the Kings are 2-0-1 in one-goal games.

I can't help but wonder if Erik Ersberg is the ONE that Kings fans have been waiting for.

A lot of hype has gone into Jonathan Bernier and Jeff Zatkoff. Jonathan Quick is also developing well. However, Erik Ersberg is rarely in the discussion when people discuss the future for the Kings.

In 14 appearances last season, Ersberg posted a respectable 6-5-3 record, with a 2.48 GAA and .927 save percentage. His performance was dismissed due to the Kings being out of the playoff race and playing without any pressure. I don't buy the lack of pressure argument; it was his first taste of the NHL and that was pressure enough.

This year in five appearances he has a microscopic 1.93 GAA. What is it really going to take for people to start taking notice of this guy?

Fans and analysts have written off the Kings this year and will do so every year until Jonathan Bernier makes his arrival. The solution could already be here.

It has always been a size issue with Ersberg. That he is too small has always been the knock. He has late bloomer written all over him.

This is especially clear in his comments about how the NHL has been the easiest league he has played in when it comes to reading the play in front of him. The players are more polished and he knows what to expect.

He makes big saves, is a black hole when it comes to not leaving rebounds, and is getting great support from the team, allowing less than 20 shots per game.

It is a little premature, but come January you should not be surprised if the Kings' netminder of the future has a different name than expected.

Los Angeles Kings Sweep Split-Squad Games

David London — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:26:10 -0400

Prospect Wayne Simmonds scored a power-play goal midway through the third period to give the Los Angeles Kings a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues in front of over 11,000 fans in Kansas City Monday.

The Kings followed up that win with a 6-4 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. The game featured a lot of physical play along with the high scoring. David Meckler and Oscar Moller each enjoyed a three-point night in the win.

The Kings will head to Colorado for a Wednesday night matchup before flying off to Las Vegas to play Colorado again at Frozen Fury XI.

Yours truly will be in Vegas for the festivities, along with the thousands of Kings fans (and hopefully Patrick O'Sullivan) who make the trip annually.

Friday night will feature a charity poker tournament hosted by Luc and Stacia Robitaille. This will be my second year participating in this event. Saturday night will be the game and I'll be back next week with all the details.

The Kings have assigned Bryan Cameron, Matt Fillier, and Geordie Wudrick back to their respective junior teams.

Los Angeles Kings: Truth and Rumors

David London — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:27:50 -0400

With all the fodder being splashed about these days involving the Los Angeles Kings, I have decided to lay some rumors to rest.

Will Anze Kopitar be traded?

Definitely a rumor. Anyone who suggests otherwise doesn't follow the Kings, and doesn't get to watch this guy day in and day out. If he was moved, the Kings might as well move out of town, because nobody would be showing up to watch.

Do the Kings have to acquire players to get to the salary cap floor?

Sorry, guys—another rumor. Given the fact that Vitaly Vishnevski's $1.8 million cap hit just cleared waivers, and he has signed in the KHL I would say the Kings aren't worried here.

With Jarret Stoll, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Brad Richardson still unsigned, and Drew Doughty's $2 million-plus, incentive-laden contract yet to be factored in, it is just silly to buy into rumors that the Kings will struggle to meet the salary cap floor.

Are the Kings trying hard to acquire Nikolai Khabibulin?

Another rumor. I don't see the Bulin Wall being an upgrade at this stage of his career. There are not enough spots throughout the organization for the Kings to acquire another goalie. Dean Lombardi has indicated that the job is Jason LaBarbera's to lose, due to the dues Barbs has paid.

Unfortunately, I can't find any truth to a lot of the Kings speculation I see out there nowadays.

They're not moving to Kansas City. Patrick O'Sullivan is not being traded to Montreal. The Kings aren't going to trade for overpaid stars that they could have signed last summer if they really wanted to. Dean Lombardi is not going to move one of the top five young centers in the league in order to meet the salary cap floor.

The only news you should expect to see leading up to training camp are the signings of the three restricted free agents mentioned above, and maybe Dean Lombardi acquiring a draft pick or two via trade.

Los Angeles Kings: Goalie-Go-Round

David London — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:16:09 -0400

Erik Ersberg (above), Jason LaBarbera, Dan Cloutier, Mathieu Garon, Barry Brust, Yutaka Fukufuji, Sean Burke, Jon Quick, Daniel Taylor, Jonathan Bernier, and Jean-Sebastien Aubin have all seen playing time the last 2 seasons for the Los Angeles Kings. Will the goalie-go-round finally end in L.A.?

Antonio Jason LaBarbera sure hopes so. Management feels he has paid his dues so, it is his job to lose as the starter in Los Angeles. Erik Ersberg proved himself reliable for a short period at the end of last season.

Barring a trade, he will more than likely be slotted as the back-up in Los Angeles. Fans are going to want to see more of Ersberg, but young netminders who come in from over seas have a tendency to start well. Once they get figured out by NHL snipers, a nice career back home is usually the result.

This is where everything gets a bit murky. Bernier and Zatkoff have NHL futures in front of them. Jon Quick has moved himself up the ladder with very steady development. The key for Bernier is just playing.

He won't be the back-up in L.A. because I'm sure Dean Lombardi wants him to play as much as possible this season as a pro. A busy 50-game load in Manchester should be expected.

Jeff Zatkoff left the collegiate ranks a year early to turn pro. He will battle with Jon Quick for a spot in the AHL. He may be better off shouldering the load in Ontario of the ECHL for a season, then heading to Manchester for a year after Bernier graduates to the NHL ranks.

Quick has already been a success at this level, so I think sending him back isn't going to do him any favors developmentally. With an ECHL affiliate moving from Pennsylvania to California, the Kings will always have someone locals to call up in case of emergency.

Kings fans are ready to bring in the Bernier era. An injury to LaBarbera, or another early exit from the playoff race are the only ways I can find where we can see him for a long period of time in the upcoming season. Whether Bernier is on L.A. or Manchester, he is going to see the lion's share of the starts.

The Goalie-Go-Round is coming to a halt, and the quality of goaltending in Los Angeles can only benefit from it.

Alexander Frolov Must Step Up for Los Angeles Kings to Contend

David London — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:10:34 -0400

The numbers don't show it, but Alexander Frolov is coming off his best year as a Los Angeles King.

After being plagued with a groin injury for the first three months of the season, a new and much improved Frolov showed up for the second half. Gone were the days of 10 goals in five games, followed up by a disappearing act for two weeks.

After January 1, Alexander put up 19 goals and 25 assists in 42 games. The search for a second-line center was ended when Jarret Stoll was brought in. There is no reason to believe that a healthy Frolov could eclipse 40 goals and 100 points.

I expect new head coach Terry Murray to tinker around a bit, but when the regular season starts you should expect to see Stoll, Frolov, and either Kyle Calder or Ted Purcell playing left wing on the second unit.

Frolov is at his best in the corners and on the half wall. His size and strength allow him to get position on any size defender or forward. His head is always up, and if he isn't making the pass to the slot, he is out-muscling defenders to the far post for a wrap-around

Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown are really coming into their own, and Patrick O'Sullivan was a great addition to the top line last year. If you add a 40/100 campaign in for Frolov, the Kings will have two legitimate scoring lines with a bunch of youngsters chomping at the bit to make an impact.

The Kings are going to have their fair share of 7-5 wins this year, but if they want to compete past December they are going to have to learn to win the 2-1 games. The top two lines will be up to this task, but the question marks lie elsewhere. The back line has added some much needed grit and physicality, but the impact defensemen are still pretty young and will be prone to errors.

Jason LaBarbera is more than capable of carrying a 60-game load. If he doesn't, there are three young netminders who are prepared to show that they are.

One thing I am sure of—if Frolov is pushing for a 50-goal season come March, you just might see the Kings in the thick of things.