Kings open season with a win in London

With an impressive first start, Kings young goalie Jonathan Bernier showed why LA went with him to open the season; he stopped 26 of 27 shots fired at him by Anaheim to lead the Kings to a 4-1 victory. The teams were part of the NHL Premier program which saw them start the season in London, England as part of a plan to expand the league’s fan base. The teams meet again on Sunday afternoon, also at the O2 arena in London.

The Ducks’ downfall was largely due to their undisciplined play, with the Kings capitalizing on 3 out of 8 power-play chances. Recently signed (after arbitration) Michael Cammalleri netted two with Rob Blake and Michael Handzus adding singles for the winning side. The only silver lining for Anaheim was highly-touted prospect Bobby Ryan scored his first NHL goal in the loss.

The fans in attendance were rowdy, cheerful and loud; a perfect hockey atmosphere. Despite lighting problems that delayed the game, the sold-out game should be considered a definite success.