Off Day Watch, 1/3: Maroon Suspended, All-Star Captains Announced

Today’s edition of 31 Thoughts mentioned that Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak finally allowed a goal at 5-on-5, but they still have a 12-1 goal margin in 237 minutes of ice time. I got curious so I looked up those numbers for some prominent Kings trios.

Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Alex Iafallo: 386 minutes, 17 goals for, 12 goals against

Tanner Pearson, Adrian Kempe, Tyler Toffoli: 164 minutes, 12 goals for, 5 goals against

Kyle Clifford, Nick Shore, Trevor Lewis: 68 minutes, 3 goals for, 0 goals against

That’s right! Clifford-Shore-Lewis: better than Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak. You heard it here first.

HIGHLIGHTS TO WATCH

KINGS WATCH

• Patrick Maroon received a two-game suspension for his hit on Drew Doughty yesterday. I’m pleasantly surprised, as I thought Maroon might get a game.
• Michael Amadio was named the AHL Player of the Month for December, which was a pretty nice rebuttal to the Kings’ decision-makers after he was demoted on November 16./

Mike Amadio has been named the CCM/AHL Player of the Month for December!

Amadio led all AHL skaters with 16 assists and 21 points in 14 games during December and carries an 11-game assist streak into 2018.

Story: https://t.co/Kxwd5KS9Hd pic.twitter.com/AwWRN4Xs1l

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) January 2, 2018

Not to be outdone, Matt Villalta earned his second straight OHL Goaltender of the Month nod for the Soo Greyhounds, who are ripping apart the rest of the league. Villalta won all 16 of his starts in November and December, and though his .907 save percentage in November was just fine, he stepped it up further this month.

Congrats to @LAKings prospect @MattVillalta31 of @OHLHoundPower named @VaughnHockey #OHL Goaltender of the Month for the second straight time with a perfect 7-0 December record. pic.twitter.com/FbeQwcirJ4

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) January 2, 2018

WORLDWIDE WATCH

• The captains for the 2018 NHL All-Star Game have been announced, and Connor McDavid will head up the Pacific Division. None of the Kings were particularly close in the fan vote, but in all likelihood, they’ll still get at least two of Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick, and Drew Doughty to Tampa Bay./

The votes are in and here are your captains for the 2018 @Honda #NHLAllStar Game!

Metropolitan: @ovi8
Atlantic: @RealStamkos91
Central: @PKSubban1
Pacific: @cmcdavid97 pic.twitter.com/R0wsi12gfy

— NHL (@NHL) January 4, 2018

• World Junior Semifinals tomorrow! It’s Sweden and the United States in one semi, with Canada taking on the Czechs in the other. All three Kings prospects (Moverare, Anderson, and Clague) should be in action.
• Vegas signed Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year, $30 million extension. He’s been unstoppable as... well, the rest of the Golden Knights. [Knights on Ice]/