By Gann Matsuda

With center Anze Kopitar on the shelf with an undisclosed "upper body strain," and with defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky sidelined after taking a shot off his ankle on March 3 when the Kings defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 4-3 in overtime at Staples Center, the Kings suffered another blow when defenseman Rob Blake went down with a groin injury.

That left the Kings without three of their key players going into their current road swing, and the results have been quite predictable, as the Chicago Blackhawks shutout the Kings, 3-0, on March 6. That was followed by a 3-2 overtime loss at Columbus on March 7.

For those of you who keep track of such things, that is an average of one goal per game.

In the two games, the Kings have struggled in the offensive zone as they lack the speed, strength on the puck, creativity and playmaking ability that Kopitar brings to the club--they look like an entirely different team offensively. Indeed, Kopitar's absence clearly illustrates just how much his presence on the ice has meant to the Kings this season.

The Kings play next on Friday at Detroit (4:30 PM PST) and on Sunday at Dallas (12:30 PM PST) before returning to Los Angeles on Monday to start a three-game home stand against Edmonton (7:30 PM PST).

When the Kings traded veteran defenseman and team captain Mattias Norstrom to the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline last week, the move created a bit of a leadership vacuum.

Our of respect for Norstrom, the Kings will not name a replacement, and will instead finish the season with three assistant captains. A new captain for the 2007-08 season will be named at a later date.

To be sure, Blake is likely to become the team captain for the 2007-08 season, and it would be his second stint as captain. And if the Kings re-sign veteran defenseman Aaron Miller, he would probably retain his position as one of the team's assistant captains, along with veteran winger Scott Thornton.

But what about other assistant captains, since the Kings rotate the "A" among three or four players?

Already, there has been some talk about the fact that the Kings are rebuilding and getting younger, and that perhaps one of the young players who now comprise the core of the team should be one of the assistant captains.

The one young player being mentioned is forward Michael Cammalleri, already one of the more vocal players in the Kings' dressing room.

"We lost a great person in Matty Norstrom, a leader that we all looked up to and we all have a great deal of respect for," said Cammalleri. "There's guys in our locker room that definitely have to assume that responsibility. You get to a point in your career where that's going to start to be looked upon."

As one of the up-and-coming core players that the Kings are building around, not to mention his willingness to speak his mind without stepping on toes or putting his foot in his mouth, Cammalleri would be a good choice for assistant captain.

LUNDMARK THRIVES IN NEW ROLE

When he was acquired by the Kings on January 29 in the deal that sent veteran center Craig Conroy the Calgary Flames, many thought center Jamie Lundmark was simply thrown into the deal to help the Flames make room under the salary cap for Conroy.

After all, Lundmark, 26, had no goals and just four assists in 39 games with the Flames prior to the trade, and was rarely on the ice in key situations.

And in 203 career National Hockey League games with the Flames, Phoenix Coyotes and the New York Rangers, Lundmark had just twenty goals and 42 assists for 62 points.

To be sure, Lundmark was not what anyone would think of as an offensive star.

But in fifteen games with the Kings, Lundmark has scored four goals with two assists for six points. And although those numbers are not exactly eye-opening, they do represent a significant turnaround.

"The team's playing well," said Lundmark. "I'm just focusing on keeping things simple and going to the net. I'm not changing a lot."

With the Kings, Lundmark is getting ice time in all situations, and that has helped him break his goal-scoring drought.

"I'm in a lot bigger role here," he said. "I'm being put in different situations that I wasn't in at the beginning of the season [with Calgary]. It feels good. It's a real good challenge and it's good for me."

HEWARD WANTS TO STAY

Acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Washington Capitals in order to fill holes on the Kings back line after the departure of Norstrom and Brent Sopel, 35-year-old defenseman Jamie Heward is likely to be an end-of-the-season rental who will not be with the Kings when the 2007-08 season begins.

But Heward wants that to change.

"I'm trying to prolong my career," he said. "I'm trying to get a contract for next year, and this is where I want to do it. I just want to go out and make an impact, and try to fit in with the guys and try to gain their respect in how hard I can play and help out in any way I can."

But when the trade went down, Heward admittedly had some mixed feelings, but not because he did not want to play for the Kings.

"The only reason why there were any kind of mixed feelings was because I was leaving my family behind," said Heward. "I looked at it as a positive move."

"My family is back East and I'm going to miss them," added Heward. "But I'm trying to prolong my career, and this is a team I'd like to stay with. Any time a team phones another team inquiring about you, it makes you feel pretty good that there's somebody out there that wants you."

Heward has seemed to fit in with the Kings rather easily.

"It was an easy transition," said Heward. "The coaching staff, the guys have made it fantastic. I don't think there's an easier transition that I could've made. The coaching staff has been really good in telling me where I should and shouldn't be. The players have been really good."

"I was excited to come here," added Heward. "I know a few of the guys. I've never played on the West Coast. I know part of the coaching staff. I'm going to turn it into a positive experience."

*Be sure to check out Gann's new column, "There's a First Time for Everything" also posted Mar 8)

Gann Matsuda is a Los Angeles native and has followed the Los Angeles Kings since 1973. His days covering the Kings began in the mid-80's when he wrote game stories and news and notes pieces on various online services (GEnie, National Videotex Network and eWorld), before moving to e-mail lists and the World Wide Web. He has been the news editor for the Online Kingdom (http://www.kingshockey.com) since 1995, and has also covered professional hockey players of Japanese descent for the Rafu Shimpo (Los Angeles Japanese Daily News) since  2001.

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There's a First Time for Everything

Kings Notes Feb 27, 2007

Kings Notes, Feb 21, 2007

Kings Notes, Feb 5, 2007
plus - Fire Sale Continues: Sean Avery Traded to Rangers

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