The Top 10 NHL Stories in 2011-12

The NHL season has ended, and a new season is upon us. But first, we look back at the top ten stories that defined the 2011-12 season.

10. Florida Returns to the Playoffs after 10 Years

For 11 years, Florida means futility. They fielded bad teams each and every year and were ridiculed by virtually everybody. But in 2012, the jokes were put to rest, as the Panthers won their first Southeast Division title in franchise history and ended the longest active Stanley Cup Playoff drought. New coach Kevin Dineen instilled discipline and hard work for the team, and it paid off. Despite losing to former coach Peter DeBoer and the New Jersey Devils in seven games, optimism began to bloom in South Florida.

9. Hockey Returns to Winnipeg

The former Atlanta Thrashers were sold to a Winnipeg-based ownership group and were moved to Winnipeg, putting the NHL back to the Canadian city after 15 years. Ironically, they were named the Jets, but did not adopt the original Jets'  (current Phoenix Coyotes) history. Nevertheless, the new Jets were immediately embraced in Winnipeg, and the MTS Centre was sold out in every game. Even though they missed out on the playoffs, the future appears to be bright for the Jets. 

8. Stamkos Snipes 60

It is rare that an NHL player scores 60 goals in a season. But for Steven Stamkos everything is possible. Though Tampa Bay missed the playoffs this year, Stamkos didn't miss a beat, becoming just the 20th player to score 60 goals in a season. His feat earned him the Rocket Richard Trophy at the end of the season. A lot will be expected of Stamkos next season, as the Lightning look to return to the playoffs after a sluggish and inconsistent 2011-12 that saw several players miss time due to injury.






7. The Bruins' Near-Invincible November

Despite failing to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, the Boston Bruins were able to achieve something else: a near-undefeated month. November saw Boston win earn points in each game; the only one-point game was a shootout loss on November 25 against Detroit. During the stretch, Tyler Seguin emerged as one of the elite players in the league, while Tim Thomas played superbly behind the pipes. The Bruins will bring back most of the band back next season except for Thomas, who announced he would sit out the season for personal reasons.


6. The Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Tragedy

On September 7, a Russian airline crashed into the Volga River near Yaroslavl, killing the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team in the Kontinental Hockey League. Several of its players were NHL alumni, including Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Josef Vasicek, and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon. Several of the teams connected to the victims wore uniform or helmet patches during the season, while a majority of opening night games were preceded by a moment of silence for the victims.

5. 2012 NHL Winter Classic

The NHL Winter Classic was held in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, and saw the New York Rangers defeat their arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers 3-2, as the winning goal was scored by Brad Richards. In the lead-up to the Classic, both teams were given access to their locker rooms, practice facilities, and even their life off the ice through the HBO 24/7 series. One of the most memorable episodes of the series saw Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov humorously explain the universe and other aspects of Russian culture.


4. The 'Shanaban'

Former NHL player Brendan Shanahan took over as executive vice president of player safety before the season. Throughout the year, Shanahan suspended players left to right for a variety of illegal hits, body-checks and other major penalties. This was in response to high concussion rates that affected several players. He further explained the player penalties through a short 2-minute video, spawning the meme 'Shanaban' for his exploits.


3. Phoenix Makes History

The Phoenix Coyotes were once one of the NHL's struggling franchises, never winning a division title or a playoff series since leaving Winnipeg for the desert in 1996. However, in the 2011-12 season, the Coyotes were howling the competition, winning its first Pacific Division title, and advanced to the conference finals for the first. This despite lacking an owner for the past two seasons. A lot will be expected for the Coyotes next season as they try to build on that success.


2. Goals and Fights Galore in Pennsylvania

The Battle of Pennsylvania reached its boiling point during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Flyers and the Penguins scored a total of 56 goals between them, but the Flyers won the series in six games. The most heated game of the series came in Game 3, in which three Penguins (Arron Asham, James Neal, Craig Adams) were suspended afterwards for illegal hits. During the penultimate meeting of the regular season, Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette and Penguins assistant Tony Granato were involved in a shouting tussle, further fueling the rivalry in a lead-up to the playoffs.


1. The Kings are Kings

The eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings were given little chance of advancing deeper in the playoffs, but the way they blitzed past the competition en route to their first Stanley Cup baffled both critics and opponents alike. They took a 3-0 lead in each series, then took out the top three seeds in the West in dominating fashion, as Vancouver, St. Louis and Phoenix were shockingly defeated by the upstarts. In the Final, they stunned the New Jersey Devils in six games for their first Cup in the franchise's 45-year history. 

The Kings' Long and Winding Road to the Stanley Cup

On June 11, 2012, the history of the Los Angeles Kings was changed forever. With a 6-1 thrashing of the New Jersey Devils, the Kings claimed the franchise's first Stanley Cup in front of a sellout crowd at Staples Center. However, the history of the club wasn't as royal as it was before this year.

Kings' first uniform logo
from 1967-88

One of the NHL's 'Next Six' franchises, the Kings were founded in 1967 following the NHL's plans to expand to 12 teams. The original owner was Jack Kent Cooke, and he introduced purple and gold as the team colors, stating they were associated with royalty. 

On October 14, 1967, they played their first NHL game at Long Beach Arena, defeating fellow 'Next Six' team the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. They would also play at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena for the first two months, before moving to The Forum in December. 

Rogie Vachon

In order to familiarize the people of Los Angeles with a predominantly Canadian sport, Cooke decided to create nicknames to his players; names like Bill 'Cowboy' Flett, Eddie 'The Jet' Joyal, Eddie 'The Entertainer' Shack and Real 'The Frenchy' Lemieux were immediate hits among the growing Kings fanbase. They led the Kings to the playoffs in their first two seasons before disappearing from the picture for the next few years. However, one rising star would provide the Kings a cornerstone for the future.

Enter Rogie Vachon. The Kings acquired him from the Montreal Canadiens in 1971, and blossomed behind the pipes for the next six years. Under head coach Bob Pulford, the Kings had their best season to date, amassing 105 points during the 1974-75 season. Still, playoff success eluded the team, and by 1977, Pulford was gone after a pair of playoff series wins in his last two seasons. Nevertheless, the Kings are starting to build in another era of prosperity.

The Triple Crown Line: Dave Taylor,
Marcel Dionne, Charlie Simmer

Marcel Dionne arrived from Detroit in 1975, followed by the drafting of Dave Taylor and the promotion of Charlie Simmer in 1977. Together, they formed the 'Triple Crown Line', and would become one of the highest scoring forward lines in NHL history. The trio's emergence made former all-star Butch Goring expendable, and he eventually wound up with the New York Islanders where he became a four-time Stanley Cup champion.

The high point of the 'Triple Crown Line' era came in 1982. Facing future King Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers, they defeated the Oilers in five games, with Game 3 became more famous in NHL lore as the 'Miracle on Manchester'. The Kings overcame a 5-0 deficit and won 6-5 in overtime as Daryl Evans, now the Kings radio announcer, scored the winner.

Luc Robitaille

The loss would motivate the Oilers, as they went on to make the Finals six times in eight years, winning in five of them. Meanwhile, the 'Triple Crown Line' ended with Simmer's departure to the Boston Bruins, while Dionne would be traded to the New York Rangers midway to the 1986-87 season. By the time Dionne left, the Kings already had a star waiting in the wings: Luc Robitaille.

Robitaille, who would become the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history, was flanked by Bernie Nicholls, Jimmy Carson and Steve Duchesne. Dave Taylor, the only 'TCL' member left, served as the team leader during the transition. During the majority of the 1980s, Dr. Jerry Buss owned the team, but the Kings were nowhere as renowned as the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, also owned by Buss, and who won five NBA titles in the decade. After years of playoff frustration against Gretzky's Oilers, in 1988, a radical change was needed, but in more ways than one.

Kings' 'Gretzky era' logo
from 1988-98

Dr. Buss elected to sell the team to Bruce McNall. One of his first steps is to change the team colors to silver and black; both colors were used by the Raiders, who were in Los Angeles at the time. But his biggest move is yet to come.

Wayne Gretzky, who for years has been the face of the Oilers, arrived in Los Angeles through trade. Reactions to the trade were mixed, but in Canada, fans deeply mourned his departure, citing him as a 'national treasure'. Nevertheless, the Gretzky trade provided hope and boost for ice hockey in California.

Wayne Gretzky

The Kings and Oilers would meet in the 1989 Smythe Division semifinal. After trailing the series 3-1, Gretzky showed what the Oilers missed, leading his new team to three straight wins and eliminated the defending Cup champions. Chris Kontos scored nine goals in the series, in what was the only bright spot in his abbreviated NHL career. However, Edmonton would eliminate Los Angeles in three successive years, including in 1990 where they went on to win their fifth Stanley Cup. It was also in 1990 where Gretzky passed Gordie Howe as the NHL's all-time leading scorer.

Under coach Tom Webster, the Kings finished the 1990-91 season atop the Smythe Division with 102 points, but two seasons later, the Kings would enjoy its best playoff run to this point. With Barry Melrose as coach, and with Gretzky, Robitaille, Taylor, Jarri Kurri, Rob Blake and Kelly Hrudey as the main cogs, the Kings eliminated the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Toronto Maple Leafs to earn their first Stanley Cup Finals berth. 

Marty McSorley's illegal stick
incident in Game 2
cost the Kings the
1993 Stanley Cup Finals.

After winning Game 1, the Kings appeared to be on its way to a Game 2 victory, before Montreal coach Jacques Demers questioned the length of Marty McSorley's stick. The referees measured the stick and then called it as illegal. The Kings would lose Game 2 on Eric Desjardins' game-tying and game-winning goals and eventually lost the series in five games. 

The Kings would languish at the bottom following their first Stanley Cup finals appearance, and then in February 1996, Wayne Gretzky was traded to the St. Louis Blues. By the time of his departure, Gretzky had finished behind Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor in the Kings' all-time scoring charts. Also in 1996, the Kings introduced the infamous 'Burger King' third jersey, which proved unpopular to Kings fans. 

McNall sold the team in 1994 amid financial controversies surrounding him. Jeffrey Sudikoff and Joseph Cohen purchased the team, but were forced into bankruptcy soon after. The Anschutz Entertainment Group would buy the Kings from bankruptcy in late 1995.

Kings' 'futuristic crown' logo
from 1998-2011, using colors
from two different eras.

Following the departure of Gretzky, Rob Blake emerged as the team leader, and soon after led the team back to the playoffs in 1998. It was the final season of the black and silver, for now. Also that year saw the return of Luc Robitaille after spending time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, and the emergence of Mattias Norstrom. 

For the Kings' final season at The Forum, they modernized their image by adding purple to their existing black and silver set, and introduced a 'futuristic crown' logo along with the shield logo that will be the primary from 1998 to 2002. They kept those insignia upon moving to the Staples Center in 1999.

Rob Blake

Blake and Robitaille would briefly move to other teams in search for their first Stanley Cup. Blake was traded late in the 2000-01 season to the Colorado Avalanche where he helped the team win their second Stanley Cup, while Robitaille signed with the Detroit Red Wings and won the 2002 Stanley Cup with them. During their time away, Norstrom served as the focal point of the team.

The Kings would win their only playoff series of the 2000s when they defeated the Detroit Red Wings in six games before losing to Rob Blake and the eventual champion Avalanche in seven games. Following another playoff berth in 2002, the Kings would hit a rut, missing the playoffs for the next six seasons. Luc Robitaille returned to the team for the last time in 2003 and soon after passed Marcel Dionne for the most goals scored in Kings history, while eventually finishing behind Dave Taylor in games played and Dionne in franchise points. Robitaille retired in 2006 as the NHL's highest scoring left winger.

Kings' modern black and
silver logo since 2011

As Robitaille was about to retire, cornerstones for the future were being laid down as well. Dean Lombardi became the general manager, while Dustin Brown began to emerge from the minors. In 2008, Brown was named captain, which he continues to serve today. For the next few seasons, the Kings also brought in Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick from the minors, and acquired veterans Justin Williams, Matt Greene, Dustin Penner and Rob Scuderi. 

The Kings also made significant changes marketing-wise. In 2008, they returned to the black and silver scheme of the Gretzky years by introducing a new third jersey. The Kings made it back to the playoffs in 2010, losing to the Canucks in six games.  They would lose in the first round again the next year, this time to the San Jose Sharks in six games.

Dustin Brown

Their frequent use of the black and silver jersey in the playoffs paved the way for the full-time return of the color scheme for the 2011-12 season, adding a new road jersey to complement the set. The Kings acquired Mike Richards, Colin Fraser and Simon Gagne in the offseason, then as the season began they started off on a hot note with a 5-1-1 mark but would struggle with an 8-11-4 slump that cost coach Terry Murray his job. Assistant John Stevens took over for four games, going 2-2 before handing the job over to Darryl Sutter. 

The Kings would address its offensive issues by acquiring Jeff Carter from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for popular defenseman Jack Johnson. Though Carter started slow following a foot injury, he would become a key contributor to the Kings offense. Along with Jonathan Quick's emergence on goal and a more defensive-minded approach, the Kings went 25-13-11 the rest of the way, but they barely made the playoffs as the eighth seed.

Dustin Brown led the Kings
 to their first Stanley Cup
 in 2012

In the first round, Los Angeles met Vancouver in a rematch of the 2010 first round. In a stunning performance, the Kings upset the President's Trophy-winning Canucks in five games behind short-handed efforts from Dustin Brown in Game 2 and a Jonathan Quick shutout in Game 3. Next up were the St. Louis Blues, led by record-setting goalie Brian Elliott. However, Quick outplayed Elliott throughout the series, and with the help of Matt Greene and Anze Kopitar's short-handed goals in Games 1 and 2, the Kings achieved a franchise first by sweeping the Blues in four games. In the conference final, they faced the Phoenix Coyotes, and again led 3-0 in the series, which included Quick's Game 2 shutout. In Game 5, Dustin Penner's overtime goal earned the Kings a return trip to the Stanley Cup finals after 19 years. 

They played the New Jersey Devils in the final, and thanks to Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter overtime goals, the Kings returned home needing just two wins for the cup. Quick's Game 3 shutout put them a game away, before the Devils twice escaped elimination in Games 4 and 5. But behind a three-goal power play in Game 6, the Kings would end a 45-year journey with their first Stanley Cup. 

It was a long and difficult road for the Kings, from its humbled beginnings to its first Stanley Cup. And after 45 years of waiting, Los Angeles finally has a hockey champion to cheer for. 

2012 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

The playoffs began with 16 teams. Along the way 14 teams went down, most of them Cup favorites with high expectations. And then there were two. Welcome to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Two teams that started the season with little expectations exceeded them during three tough rounds of playoff hockey. Now they are the last two standing, and neither expects to lay a finger on one another. 

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

Regular Season: New Jersey won 2-0

The Kings made it to the finals with a mix of gutsy goaltending, solid forechecking and hitting, and penalty kill efficiency. They lost only twice on the way to the Finals, but own a perfect road record heading in, which may concern the Devils, who will have home ice advantage. However, the Devils did play dominant hockey as well, returning to the defensive-minded approach that served them in three Stanley Cup wins whilst remaining true to its offensive prowess. 

The Kings ousted top-seeded Vancouver, second seed St. Louis, and third seed Phoenix, while the Devils took care of third seed Florida, fifth seed Philadelphia, and top-seeded New York Rangers. The Devils own three Cup wins, the Kings none, which may explain the added hunger and motivation for Los Angeles to join its sports brethren in the championship haul.

Behind the pipes, resurgent 40-year old Martin Brodeur faces breakout star Jonathan Quick. Brodeur may have experience, but Quick has the momentum, continuing his impressive play from the regular season. This time Quick received a lot of help from an inconsistent Kings offense, which caught fire, especially in short-handed situations. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown each scored shorthanded in the playoffs, while Dwight King, a minor-league pickup, showed plenty of offense during the run. The Kings' forecheck, trapping and hitting game will play its biggest role in the series. However, making up for the lack of championship pedigree is another story.

The Devils showed plenty of life offensively, led by its top scorers Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise. Meanwhile, Andy Greene, Bryce Salvador and Marek Zidlicky's play evoked memories of the defense corps led by Ken Daneyko, Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens, at least on the defensive part. There is plenty of experience on the Devils camp, especially with Brodeur, Patrik Elias and Petr Sykora having won a Stanley Cup with the team. There is little doubt the Devils possess the mentality of a winner, especially with the presence of a few links from Cups past. 

At the start of the season, little was expected for the Kings and the Devils. Now that they're four wins away from the Cup, what's more to expect? May the best team win. 

L.A. United

Over a century since the first motion picture studios opened in Hollywood, the district in Greater Los Angeles is buzzing over the recent success of their sports teams. 2012 is indeed shaping up to be a great year for professional sports in Los Angeles. And with the presence of Hollywood stars in sports stadiums and arenas in L.A., being a Hollywood sports fan has never been this thrilling.

The buzz began with Major League Soccer's Galaxy, captained by Landon Donovan, but whose star attraction has been England's David Beckham. The Galaxy and Beckham have been together since 2007, and after three seasons of gradual improvement, coach Bruce Arena, Donovan and Beckham helped deliver the Galaxy the 2011 MLS Cup title. It was the Galaxy's third Cup title, but their recent win helped renew interest in soccer in the Los Angeles area. The 2012 season got underway and the Galaxy are looking to repeat as Cup champions.

Major League Soccer, the youngest of the five major professional sports leagues in the United States, has been struggling to make money throughout the league's history, as several teams failed to make profit in the 2011 season. More recently, the league signed up with NBC to broadcast their games, bringing increase national exposure to the game of soccer. Then again, it may take several years before the MLS becomes a certified Major League presence in America.

Arguably the most popular and successful team in the Los Angeles area, the Lakers had a rollercoaster regular season before settling for the third seed in the Western Conference and winning yet another division title. Kobe Bryant continued to strike the scoring charts; by season's end, he had finished in fifth place in the all-time list. But the Lakers season was not without any drama.

Andrew Bynum drew considerable ire from coach Mike Brown for his recent adventure in the three-point area. The Lakers traded popular long-time starting point guard Derek Fisher and added speedy Ramon Sessions, who quickly adjusted well to the Lakers' scheme. Pau Gasol, a subject of offseason trade rumors, saw his play suffered during the season. Metta World Peace went wild on James Harden and was suspended for seven games. And the Lakers had to contend with the sudden rise of L.A.'s other NBA team, in addition to being dubbed as 'too old'.

The Clippers were for many years, the NBA's laughingstock, dwelling at or near the bottom of the standings for far too long. Then Chris Paul arrived, and hopes and expectations grew for this long-time NBA bottom-feeder. And with Blake Griffin playing the role Tyson Chandler used to fill in New Orleans, the Clippers were off to new heights, literally.

The newly-acquired nickname 'Lob City' is used to describe the airborne calisthenics Paul and his fellow backcourt partners Chauncey Billups, Randy Foye and Mo Williams created to feed passes toward high-flyers Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Kenyon Martin. And with a new winning attitude came a byproduct: a playoff berth and a winning record, something not seen in six years. 'Lob City' is indeed alive and well these days, and this period of success may last a long time.

Both the Lakers and Clippers have advanced in the second round to meet the Thunder and Spurs, respectively.

The Staples Center's third tenant, hockey's Kings, entered the playoffs as the eighth seed. In a season fitting for a Hollywood movie, the Kings endured a lot of drama all season. They fired coach Terry Murray, then a few weeks later Darryl Sutter took over, but the Kings throughout the year were known for Jonathan Quick's strong goaltending, and little offensive firepower. Then came the playoffs, and the silver and black were back in business.

Ousting the top-seeded Canucks and second-seeded Blues helped the Kings make history by becoming the only NHL team to manage the trick. Both teams had no clue in solving L.A.'s strong goaltending wall in Quick, in stopping its dreaded penalty kill, and in preventing a revived offense from striking first. The Kings' instant ascension attracted Hollywood stars, and even the appearance of the Stanley Cup in an episode of 'Bones' generated buzz and hope for the long-suffering fanbase. 

Baseball's Dodgers and Angels are heading into opposite directions. The Dodgers are leading the National League West, while the Angels are languishing near the bottom in the American League West. Matt Kemp has been a home-run machine, while Albert Pujols has been rather human. A month and a half into the Major League Baseball season, we beg this question: Will the Angels snap their early-season funk, and will the Dodgers sustain their early-season momentum? Still a long way to go for both teams.

Now, when will the NFL revisit Los Angeles? It's been almost two decades since the Rams and Raiders packed shop for St. Louis and Oakland, respectively, and there hasn't been any progress regarding the NFL's return to Hollywood. But there's still room for prayer, and the fans only hope that the NFL came knocking on Los Angeles's doorstep. 

2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview: Conference Finals

From 16 teams, we are down to the Final Four. Only two teams will claim the Prince of Wales and Campbell trophies as champions of the East and West, respectively. Welcome to the Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Sadly, we won't see Pekka Rinne, Brian Elliott or Braden Holtby in the playoffs. Neither will we see Claude 'greatest player in the world' Giroux in this level. Still we'll definitely see a lot of goal protection from Henrik Lundqvist, Martin Brodeur, Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick and some high-end scoring, hits and dimes. Here are the two playoff matchups in the East and West.

(1) New York Rangers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Regular Season: Series tied 3-3

For the first time since 1994, the Hudson River rivals meet for the right to win the Prince of Wales trophy. They split the six-game regular season series, which makes the matchup hard to predict. New York may be the top seed, but got into trouble in both playoff series with Ottawa and Washington before winning Game 7 each time. New Jersey, on the other hand, enjoyed a week's rest after disposing Philadelphia in five games, in a series they initially trailed 0-1 after disposing Florida in Game 7. 

Lundqvist and Brodeur have split two series against each other; Brodeur won in 2006, Lundqvist in 2008. This year will be the rubber series between Vezina-winning goalies, with both assured a place in the Hall of Fame soon. Youth vs. balance will play a role in the series. The Rangers' roster is generally young, with only a few of John Tortorella's troops have Cup rings (e.g. Brad Richards, Mike Rupp). Meanwhile the Devils still have remnants of past Stanley Cup-winning teams of 1995, 2000 and 2003 (e.g. Petr Sykora, Patrik Elias, Martin Brodeur), and whose roster is stacked with both youth and experience. This despite Peter DeBoer enjoying just his first postseason appearance as coach. The Devils may have experience, but the Rangers have home ice, which will make the highly-touted regional rivalry interesting and dramatic similar to 1994.

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

Regular Season: Series tied 3-3

The Kings have taken care of first seed Vancouver and second seed St. Louis to become the first team to do the trick. Meanwhile, the Coyotes won two playoff series in a year for the first time in team history, and now have a chance to add a third. Surely, the series promises to be more intense and physical as both teams' calling cards were on defense.

Unlike the goalie matchup in the East, the West matchup will see two unproven goalies with a chance to break out. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith were the anchors for their respective teams, and their performance will dictate how their teams will fare in the series. The Kings are a roster of the young and the hungry, and whose knack for scoring with a man down has been well-documented. Phoenix, meanwhile, have thrived with a man advantage, and if they keep Los Angeles' penalty kill in check, then they'll succeed. Both teams are riding a wave of momentum after disposing Cup contenders Nashville and St. Louis, and whoever wins will have a chance to hoist their franchise's first Stanley Cup. 

Hollywood Hockey Kings Reborn

The 1992-93 Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles sports scene has been historically dominated by the Lakers and the Dodgers. Meanwhile, the city's hockey team the Kings were hardly embraced ever since they joined the NHL in 1967. They came so close to a Stanley Cup title once, and that was when captain Dustin Brown was still in elementary school. However, the resurgence of the Kings was highly noticed by Hollywood celebrities and non-traditional fans alike, and it showed in its unlikely run to the Western Conference Finals this year.

The Kings' journey didn't come easy. They fired coach Terry Murray in December, then a few weeks later Darryl Sutter came in. The Kings were struggling with their offense, despite goalie Jonathan Quick's brilliance on net. Even after finishing in eighth place with 95 points, good enough for a playoff berth, many critics gave the Kings a little chance for their lack of scoring. 

Then Dustin Brown went wild on the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks in the first round. The Canucks, whose 111 points led the NHL, were led by the Sedin twins Daniel and Henrik, and were last year's Stanley Cup finalists. However, their high-scoring offense was stalled by Quick and the Kings defense. Brown scored four total goals, including two short-handed tallies in Game 2. The Kings won the first two games in Vancouver before Brown's lone tally preserved a Game 3 shutout back home. Though Daniel Sedin's return from concussion helped Vancouver avoid a sweep, Jarret Stoll's overtime goal sealed the Canucks shut on their home ice in Game 5. 

The Kings then faced the St. Louis Blues, whose 165 goals allowed were a league-low. The Kings' goalie duo of Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak have been steady and dangerous behind the net, winning the Jennings Trophy for the lowest GAA in the NHL this season. But the Kings were not far behind, finishing second behind the Blues in goals allowed. Many expect the series to be a low-scoring, hard-fought affair.

Instead it was the Blues who found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Lucky bounces, short-handed goals, excellent goaltending, and efficient forechecking by the Kings would take its toll on the Blues. Worse, Halak went down hurting in Game 2 of the San Jose series and left Elliott to fend for himself. Matt Greene's short-handed tally in Game 1 and Anze Kopitar's Game 2 shortie made the difference in a four-game sweep. The Kings came out hot late and made the conference finals for the first time since 1993.

Awaiting the Kings will be the winner of Nashville and Phoenix. For now, the Kings take a breather and look forward to a conference final date with either of the two, which will begin in a week's time.

2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview: Conf. Semifinals

Gone are Stanley Cup champions of the past four years (Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Boston), as well as a two-time Presidents' Trophy winner (Vancouver), a two-time conference finalist (San Jose), and a pair of teams with little playoff history to tell (Florida, Ottawa). Now it's down to the final eight, and only four will advance to conference finals, for the right to earn the Campbell and Prince of Wales trophies. Here are the four second-round matchups, again with a story to tell.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

(1) New York Rangers vs. (7) Washington Capitals

Regular Season: Series tied 2-2

Twice in the past three seasons the Capitals have eliminated the Rangers in the playoffs' first round, winning in seven in '09 and five in '11. They were all set to meet in the first round this year, until the Caps beat the Rangers in the final day to face the Bruins instead. And the Caps shocked the erstwhile champions with a physical, checking defense that is synonymous to the team's coach and franchise legend Dale Hunter. Now they have a chance to dispose another high-caliber opponent in the Rangers, who barely squeaked past the Senators in the first round.

Under Bruce Boudreau, Alex Ovechkin thrived in the free-flowing style of play. However, Hunter has sat him down in crucial stretches, to give way to grittier, physical players. The approach worked as Washington ousted the defending champion Bruins with their defense. Braden Holtby broke out in the Boston series, as he outplayed Tim Thomas. Now he faces another Vezina-worthy vet in Henrik Lundqvist, who will try to erase the Capital curse that eluded him in the past. The line of Carl Hagelin, Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards against Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom will be a good first line matchup, while top defensive roles will be played by defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi against Mike Green and Dennis Wideman. Both teams are also deep beyond the first line, which underscores the fact that both teams use 'we' instead of 'I' in their approach. The Rangers are hoping for redemption, while the Capitals are hungry for a breakthrough.

(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Regular Season: Series tied 3-3

The last time Martin Brodeur faced the Flyers in the playoffs, he was outplayed by Brian Boucher, in what should have been a winnable series two years ago. Since then the Flyers had a revolving door of goalies, from Boucher to Sergei Bobrovsky to Michael Leighton. Now comes Ilya Bryzgalov, whose playoff futility with the Coyotes has been well-documented. In this year's playoffs, Bryzgalov wasn't himself in a high-scoring series with Pittsburgh, but stepped up in the Game 6 clincher. With the two teams resuming hostilities in the Stanley Cup race, can the 39-year old Brodeur redeem himself against a fired-up Bryzgalov?

Goalie battles aside, this should be a battle between two teams willing to mix it up physically. The new 'Broad Street Bullies' against the trapping and clogging Devils know how to play with blood. Claude Giroux outplayed both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and now will try to do the same against the Devils' trio of Zach Parise, Patrik Elias and Ilya Kovalchuk. If Giroux fails, look for Jaromir Jagr, Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere to do the same. The Flyers also received a boost from their rookies Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn and Matt Read, and along with Wayne Simmonds and James van Riemsdyk, they will again play key roles in the series. On the other hand, New Jersey will counter with Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique, Steve Bernier, Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta to do the same. The Devils look to give Brodeur a sweeter ending, while the Flyers look to recapture the magic of 2010 and hope to translate that to a third Stanley Cup.

(2) St. Louis Blues vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

Regular Season: Los Angeles won 3-1

Defense is their calling card, especially of their goalies. Jonathan Quick is, quick, while the two-headed monster in Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak are an opposing coach's nightmare. The Blues finished second because of their two goalies' impressive performances and their trap-door defense. While the Kings' defense was strong as well, they finished eighth because of poor scoring. Still, they were able to shut down Vancouver's free-flowing offense, and Quick was the reason why they sent the Presidents' Trophy winners home. Now what to do for an encore against the Blues?

Dustin Brown led the Kings' scoring attack in the opening round, even scoring two shorties in Game 2. Again he will play a key role, and will be supported by the likes of Dustin Penner, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll. The Blues' first line of David Perron, T.J. Oshie and David Backes struggled against the Sharks, but they compensated that with key offensive contributions from Andy McDonald, Patrik Berglund and Alex Steen. The Kings' defense corps, led by Rob Scuderi, Drew Doughty, Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell, didn't do too well against the Canucks, and again will be a problem against the Blues' defense crew, led by Alex Pietrangelo, Barrett Jackman, Kevin Shattenkirk and Roman Polak. Both are hungry for their first Stanley Cup, and all eyes will be on the goalie matchup to see which team goes farthest.

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (4) Nashville Predators

Regular Season: Series tied 2-2

Shane Doan and the Phoenix Coyotes enter uncharted waters, reaching the second round for the first time in the desert. Doan has been through eight playoff series with the Jets/Coyotes franchise, and has not won any until this year, when they best the Blackhawks in six games. Now they face a team that won just their second playoff series, and both are raring to advance to the conference finals for the first time ever.

Age against youth will be the story of the series: The Coyotes' old crew vs. the Predators' young guns. The Predators' youth will be led by Gabriel Bourque, Alexander Radulov, the Kostitsyn siblings Andrei and Sergei, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. The Predators' veterans in David Legwand, Paul Gaustad, Hal Gill, Mike Fisher and Martin Erat will also lend a helping hand in giving the youngsters experience. Doan, Ray Whitney, Adrian Aucoin, Radim Vrbata, Daymond Langkow, and Taylor Pyatt will lead the aging Desert Dogs to action, and will be supported by Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mikkel Boedker, Keith Yandle, Martin Hanzal and Antoine Vermette. On goal, Mike Smith facing Pekka Rinne will be an interesting matchup. Rinne is a Vezina candidate this year who shut down the Red Wings' prolific offense the first time around, while Smith broke out free after spending time as backup with the Lightning last year. Both have something to prove, as they look to tow their respective teams to the conference finals for the first time. It is going to be a tough series that is too close to call.