Los Angeles

With the Kings starting out the 2011-2012 campaign with a 6-4-2 record this may seem like a silly question right?

But I think it's a little more pressing and serious then some who look at a standings column might believe.

Running a shutout streak at over 126 minutes, Jonathan Quick has been stellar in goal for Los Angeles this season.

Los Angeles has looked more and more like the contender we expected to see coming into the season, and Quick has played a big part in that, stopping all 55 shots he’s seen in wins against St. Louis and Phoenix.

It was a gritty and ugly win Saturday Night at Verizon Center for the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings overcame an early injury to star defenseman Drew Doughty and a parade of penalties to take the bout 3-2 in overtime.

In what has been a whirlwind summer for the Los Angeles Kings, they have made headlines with the trade for star Mike Richards, signed high-profile defenseman Drew Doughty to a reported eight-year $56-million dollar contract and look ready to be part of the NHL elite.

The Los Angeles Kings and restricted free-agent defenseman Drew Doughty have yet to agree on a new contract, and with less than a month until NHL training camps begin, should the Kings think about trading his negotiating rights?

There's no question that Kings fans, and probably the team itself, are feeling a bit anxious as the new NHL season quickly approaches.

With so much competition in the West, rivalries are beginning to intensify. A perfect example of this would be what is currently occurring in the Golden State. With three possible cup contenders, the division rivalry between teams in California is heating up.

Let's take a look at what each Californian team has to offer.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

Teemu Selanne has played in 1,259 games in his NHL career. He has 637 goals and 703 assists for 1,340 points. Not so long ago, those totals would have been deemed impossible.

Los Angeles Kings ml +100

This series clearly has nothing to do with raw talent anymore. Game 1 demonstrated that grit and defense could make up for the absence of finesse players, as the Kings were able to force the game to overtime while many thought they would be steam rolled.

Building up to NHL trade deadline day, Pacific Division teams were expected to be amongst the most active in the league.

Let's just say they disappointed fans across the league with the lack of action.

Some of the big names that had been widespread in rumors, like Brad Richards, Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, all stayed put.

Los Angeles, which had cap space and tons of prospects, was expected to make a couple of big moves but opted for just one that wasn't as big as many thought it would be.

VANCOUVER—"Defense wins championships." Canucks followers can relate to this quote particularly well these last few weeks.

The Vancouver Canucks suffered a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday. As much as the forwards tried to reduce opponents getting scoring chances in their own zone, the Canucks suffered both defensively and offensively Thursday.