This spring, every step is harder for the Los Angeles Kings

May 21, 2013

Sharks hope they can finally live up Stanley Cup expectations

May 20, 2013

Logan Couture is stepping up in a big way for Sharks

May 20, 2013

SAN JOSE — When Kings defenseman Drew Doughty had his day with the Stanley Cup last summer, he held a party in his hometown of London, Canada, and encouraged guests to pose for photos with the gleaming trophy. Logan Couture, Doughty's childhood pal and now a rival as a center for the San Jose Sharks, stayed behind the camera, deliberately beyond reach of the revered prize.

Kings are left crying foul after 2-1 overtime loss to Sharks

May 18, 2013

Kings find a way to win a game they seemed bound to lose

May 16, 2013

Hit on Kings' Jarret Stoll by Sharks' Raffi Torres could alter playoff series

May 15, 2013

San Jose winger Raffi Torres' jarring hit of Kings center Jarret Stoll on Tuesday triggered a sizable ripple effect that could alter the tone and course of the teams' Western Conference semifinal playoff series. The ripples could spread far enough for the Kings to lose a valued penalty killer for a while and for the NHL to severely punish Torres, a multiple repeat offender under the league's often murky code of justice.

Two-goal lead almost too much for Los Angeles Kings to handle

May 14, 2013

After promising start, it's hard on Ducks to have it end this way

May 12, 2013

Unsatisfied Los Angeles Kings hope to improve going forward

May 11, 2013

Making history has become routine for the Kings.

Defenseman Alec Martinez does all he can to set the mood for Kings

May 6, 2013

In these tense times, with the Kings having scored one goal in each of their first three playoff games against the St. Louis Blues and needing a win Monday at Staples Center to tie the series, it somehow made perfect sense that defenseman Alec Martinez wore a huge sombrero onto the ice for practice Sunday along with one white sock, one red sock and a green jersey.

Kings' offense is missing again in 2-1 loss to Blues in Game 2

May 2, 2013

Kings have to step up play going into Game 2 at St. Louis

May 1, 2013

ST. LOUIS — From being overwhelmed by the Blues' frenzied forechecking at the start to losing on a stunning misplay by Jonathan Quick at the end, the Kings know they must improve in several areas to leave Scottrade Center on Thursday with a split of the first two games of their opening-round playoff series.

Condensed NHL season results in a reshuffling of the playoff deck

April 29, 2013

The Stanley Cup playoffs will have a different look this season and not only because the Kings, for the first time in franchise history, are the defending champions.

Recognizing the NHL's best this season

April 22, 2013

The season will end Sunday and so will the voting period for the NHL's major trophies. Members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Assn. vote for most trophies; the Jack Adams (Coach of the Year) is selected by the NHL Broadcasters' Assn., and the Vezina (best goaltender) is chosen by NHL general managers. The Times doesn't allow its writers to vote.

Teemu Selanne, a comeback kid and a promise happily kept

April 18, 2013

Bobby Heravi did not want his son, Faryan, to hear the doctor's verdict and so made sure the boy's head was turned away when he asked about his son's chances of surviving an aggressive form of lymphoma.

Los Angeles Kings peaking at the right time

April 14, 2013

A year ago Monday the Kings took a 3-0 playoff series lead over the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks, as goaltender Jonathan Quick made 41 saves and Dustin Brown scored on a rebound in a 1-0 victory at Staples Center. The Kings lost the next game but finished the series in five, the start of the dominance they would display during their march to the Stanley Cup.

NHL, players join with You Can Play to fight homophobia in hockey

April 12, 2013

Maybe it really is as simple as it sounds.

Kings see value even in 4-3 shootout loss to Ducks

April 7, 2013

A Kings-Ducks hockey game at Dodger Stadium edges toward reality

April 7, 2013

Summer beckons, but in L.A. it's still a winter's sports tale

April 6, 2013

Vin Scully is luring us back to the Dodgers with wonderful old stories and the promise of a new season, and the Angels will introduce new acquisition Josh Hamilton to their home fans Tuesday, but winter sports haven’t relaxed their hold on us just yet.

Ducks make moves as deals materialize close to the trading deadline

April 4, 2013

Like the NHL season, the annual deadline-day trading frenzy was late in starting. But a flurry of deals in the hour before Wednesday's noon Pacific time cutoff changed the complexion of several teams and added depth to others hoping for long playoff runs.

Kings, Jonathan Bernier find their way in 3-2 victory over Stars

March 31, 2013

DALLAS — Jonathan Bernier played goal Sunday with a heavy heart, still grieving the recent death of his maternal grandmother, Georgette St-Gelais.

Hearing impairment doesn't stop these hockey players

March 28, 2013

Trey Wilson can't hear the crowd applaud when he scores a goal, and he has scored quite a few since he discovered hockey was a perfect outlet for his energy.

New AEG chief executive has own style

March 24, 2013

The walls and shelves of Dan Beckerman's downtown Los Angeles office speak more about his largely unknown but deep involvement in AEG's success than Beckerman himself is comfortable saying.

Ducks reach another level in 4-2 victory over the Blackhawks

March 20, 2013

Rising above the muck of a lockout-compacted schedule to play gloriously intense hockey in mid-March, the Chicago Blackhawks and Ducks pushed each other to great heights. Their fast-paced, energetic battle Wednesday at Honda Center reinforced their status as the NHL's No. 1 and No 2 teams and kept a franchise-record crowd of 17,610 divided in its loyalties but united in appreciating two outstanding performances.

Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau is taking it a week at a time

March 17, 2013

Most NHL coaches divide the season into quarters or 10-game segments and set goals for wins or points. Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau takes a shorter-term view, preferring to break things down into digestible, one-week chunks.

Tim Leiweke was the Kings' top boss and their top fan

March 15, 2013

Tim Leiweke spent his last evening as president and chief executive of AEG watching the Galaxy defeat Costa Rica's Herediano at the Home Depot Center. Had the Kings been home Leiweke might have been at Staples Center, cheering from the corner season seats he bought so he could vent his passion more freely than he could in a remote suite.

It's time to recognize top performers at halfway mark of NHL season

March 11, 2013

The Chicago Blackhawks were the big story as the NHL reached the halfway point of its lockout-shortened schedule, but many other excellent performances deserve recognition. Here are some.

Ryan Getzlaf is Ducks' Captain Comeback

March 7, 2013

When Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf invited his teammates, the club's owners and top executives to his home for a barbecue during training camp, they probably expected burgers and corn on the cob. What they got was insight into Getzlaf's keen desire to rebound after stumbling through a season so awful that those around him feared he was hiding an injury or a loved one's illness.

Big contracts in hand, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter deal with big expectations

March 3, 2013

The small-market Minnesota Wild made the biggest splash in last summer's free-agency market by signing winger Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter to identical 13-year, $98-million contracts. They immediately became symbols of the long, salary-cap-minimizing deals NHL owners freely handed out and then insisted be banished. The new collective bargaining agreement limits contracts to seven years, except for eight years when a team re-signs its free agent.

In playoff chase Lakers might be able to catch Rockets or Jazz

February 28, 2013

Metta World Peace took a break to meditate before he conducted a baffling conversation with reporters in which he said he knew nothing about getting a retroactive flagrant foul from the NBA for a play in Denver on Monday and that he had forgotten he even played basketball. All that meditation — or is that Metta-tation? — apparently freed him to reach a new state of clarity Thursday on the key issue: what the Lakers must do in order to make the playoffs.

There's a lot at stake when the Kings play host to the Ducks on Monday

February 24, 2013

Despite winning three straight games and five of their last six, the Kings aren't the NHL's hottest team. They're not even the hottest team in Southern California.

Jeff Carter takes charge for Kings in 3-1 win over Flames

February 20, 2013

CALGARY, Canada -- The Kings turned their season around and launched themselves toward the Stanley Cup when they acquired forward Jeff Carter from Columbus last Feb. 23. This season, he is almost single-handedly sustaining their hopes of having a chance to defend their title.

Blackhawks rediscovering championship formula

February 17, 2013

CHICAGO — Between the time the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010 and the time each player enjoyed his day with the trophy, their roster had already been broken up because of salary-cap problems.

Current Lakers owe better than this to brilliant owner Jerry Buss

February 14, 2013

What had been softly whispered for months, almost as if saying it aloud might make a terrible thing come true, became sad and public knowledge Thursday.

No ringing endorsement, yet, for NHL players in Sochi Olympics

February 11, 2013

The countdown to the Sochi Olympics slipped beneath the one-year mark last week with a huge question looming: Will NHL players participate in Russia's first-ever Winter Games?

Sharks may finally have something more than just talent this season

February 3, 2013

The briefest consideration of the San Jose Sharks' talent makes it tempting to pick them to win the Pacific Division and Western Conference titles every season. But every spring they seem to run into a roadblock, whether on the ice or in their own heads, and they fall short of maximizing that talent.

Ducks overpower struggling Kings, 7-4

February 2, 2013

The Kings’ superb goaltending and team defensive play were crucial to their Stanley Cup triumph last season. Their mental and physical toughness and attention to defense became their identity as they rolled out one cohesive performance after another.

Slow start doesn't mean end to Kings' run as Stanley Cup champions

January 27, 2013

Sure, this is a short season. But a Canadian columnist might have been rushing things a tad when he suggested the Kings' Stanley Cup defense was doomed after they had lost their first three games.

It's not a snap, but Kings get first win

January 26, 2013

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Kings got their first win of the season, each member of their top line got his first point of the season, and rookie defenseman Jake Muzzin played clutch minutes while scoring his first NHL goal.

Ducks will need wins to step out of the shadows

January 24, 2013

While the Ducks were missing the playoffs last spring for the second time in three seasons, the Kings were winning the Stanley Cup and captivating the modest but passionate local hockey audience.

Kings don't stand on ceremony

January 19, 2013

The Kings' minds must have been floating in the rafters with their Stanley Cup banner when the puck was dropped at Staples Center to launch their title defense, so removed was their game from the precise, defense-minded performances they routinely pulled off while bulldozing through the playoffs last spring.

Drew Doughty ready to take the next step

January 11, 2013

For Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, this season is all about making the right decisions.

Kings' Tim Leiweke is already thinking of another title run

January 10, 2013

The Kings' Stanley Cup banner won't have to share space on Staples Center's wall of honor with the banners that commemorate the Lakers' NBA titles. Tim Leiweke, the Kings' governor and chief executive of their parent company, AEG, believed a singular accomplishment deserved singular recognition and so cast his eyes elsewhere.

There's no real winner in NHL labor settlement

January 7, 2013

It's why our games have shootouts, extra innings, overtime or penalty kicks.

Mike D'Antoni saw Lakers' defeat coming against 76ers

January 1, 2013

The Lakers made Mike D'Antoni look good Tuesday, but not in the way he would want.

Pau Gasol shows his versatility in Laker win over Portland

December 28, 2012

Clippers riding their wave of wins

December 28, 2012

Another game, another win for the Clippers, a phrase that has been getting a lot of use lately and is sounding more natural every time you hear it.

Clippers turn town upside down

December 20, 2012

While the Lakers go through their daily dramas on the court and off, the Clippers are gaining confidence and beginning to explore their boundless potential.

For Lakers, it's not about who's missing, it's about what's missing

December 9, 2012

If you believe the return of Steve Nash and Pau Gasol is going to make everything all right for the Lakers, here's some bad news:

A victorious David Beckham leaves under his own star power

December 1, 2012

David Beckham walked off the field at the Home Depot Center with a smile on his face and an American flag draped around his shoulders, leaping to high-five one last fan as he ended his most excellent MLS playing adventure with a powerful performance.

Kings a lifelong passion for David Courtney

November 29, 2012

NHL follows the NBA only so far in its labor negotiations

November 22, 2012

The NBA season was slipping away as Thanksgiving 2011 approached.

Kobe Bryant triple-doubles down on new Lakers era

November 18, 2012

Kobe Bryant considered it no big deal Sunday that his 22-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist performance against the Houston Rockets was his 18th triple-double, a feat that didn't inspire much more from him than a small smile. And maybe in one sense he was right.

Pomona-Pitzer track athlete is in running for Rhodes Scholarship

November 14, 2012

Annie Lydens is accustomed to juggling a demanding academic schedule at Pomona College and her running career for Pomona-Pitzer with equally exceptional results.

Interim Coach Bernie Bickerstaff tries to keep it simple for Lakers

November 12, 2012

He was asked and so he served, but Bernie Bickerstaff gave the distinct impression he will be happy when his term as the Lakers' interim coach ends and he can go back to being a low-profile assistant coach with nothing more pressing to worry about than getting to practice on time.

It's time for Pau Gasol to assert himself

November 8, 2012

If Pau Gasol's feelings were hurt a year ago when the Lakers tried to trade him to the Hornets for Chris Paul, his subpar performance last season is easier to understand.

A Lakers-Clippers matchup that's loaded with meaning early on

November 2, 2012

Kobe Bryant, who plays for the second-best NBA team in town, said he hasn't seen the Clippers but he's impressed by what he knows about them.

With Olympic 200 gold in hand, Allyson Felix asks: What's next?

October 26, 2012

Pursuing her dream had so completely consumed Allyson Felix that after she won the gold medal in the 200 at the London Olympics, the woman who so perfectly combines grace and power was, for once, unsure of her next steps.

NHL cancels games through Nov. 30

October 26, 2012

The NHL put the "no" in November and continued its determined march toward irrelevance by canceling games through Nov. 30, an announcement that was expected following the silent expiration of its Thursday deadline for a labor agreement with the players' association that would have preserved a full schedule.

David Stern, iron-fisted NBA commissioner, to step down

October 25, 2012

If David Stern ruled the NBA with an iron fist, he cushioned the blows by transforming a league that couldn't get its championship final live on national TV in the early 1980s into a powerful marketing machine that made players and owners incredibly rich and turned its stars into international icons.

As stars sit, Eric Bledsoe gets a chance to impress

October 24, 2012

The Lakers and Clippers will play many dramatic, high-caliber games against each other this season and will bring fans at Staples Center to their feet with a parade of dunks and alley-oops and the sheer brilliance of their superstar-stuffed lineups.

Dwight Howard's first game offers Lakers a glimpse of things to come

October 22, 2012

The question posed to Coach Mike Brown before the Lakers' exhibition against Sacramento seemed simple, but he pretended he didn't understand.

USC's lack of discipline is worrisome flaw as penalties mount

October 20, 2012

Look past the cascade of records quarterback Matt Barkley and wide receiver Robert Woods set Saturday in USC's 50-6 rout of Colorado at the Coliseum and you'll see why the Trojans had some concerns after what should have been a purely happy romp through an overwhelmed secondary.

Clippers' Jamal Crawford aims at perfecting his shot

October 18, 2012

After 12 NBA seasons and with a firm reputation as a pure shooter, Clippers guard Jamal Crawford tried something during the off-season he had never done before.

Kings' banner celebration turns into a real bummer

October 12, 2012

This was to be the night it would hit home that it wasn't a dream, that the Kings really did win the Stanley Cup.

NHL hits players' wallets, cancels regular-season games to Oct. 24

October 5, 2012

The NHL on Thursday used its most potent hammer and ensured locked-out players will lose at least one paycheck when it canceled a segment of the regular-season schedule from the Oct. 11 openers through Oct. 24.

The state of Metta World Peace: fit and determined

October 5, 2012

His newly prominent cheekbones, sharply chiseled in a slender face, are the most obvious indication that Metta World Peace has become much lighter of body. His diligence during the Lakers' first training-camp workouts testifies to his lightness of mind and his commitment to being a valued role player on a potential championship team.

End of the season could be the end of Torii Hunter's Angels career

September 27, 2012

Like the fans who chanted his name when he came to bat in the ninth inning Thursday, Torii Hunter wondered if that would be his final appearance at Angel Stadium in the home team's uniform — not only this season, but for good.

Some questions and answers as the NHL lockout continues

September 25, 2012

Representatives of the NHL and the players' union met twice in Toronto on Monday, once to review last season's revenue figures and again at an NHL Alumni dinner, but they appeared no closer to resolving the labor dispute that led the league to lock out players Sept. 15.

Luc Robitaille honors mother's Stanley Cup request

September 21, 2012

NORBERTVILLE, Canada — Madeleine Robitaille could have requested anything from her Hockey Hall of Fame son Luc and he would have moved mountains to give it to her, but that isn't her way. She and her husband, Claude, worked hard for all they had as they raised three kids in Montreal, Madeleine unfailingly elegant from her well-coiffed head to her stylish feet.

Lakers bench steps up in win

December 14, 2007

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker were missing from the San Antonio Spurs' lineup Thursday, each resting a sprained ankle and unable to play against the Lakers.