24 - Los Angeles Kings

NEW PLAYERS 6
NEW RULES NO FACTOR
BETTER THAN '03-04? YES

Other than two brief stints with the Rangers, in which he played a total of five games, Jason LaBarbera has spent the last five seasons in the minors. So when the 25-year-old goaltender arrived in Los Angeles for training camp after signing with the Kings as a free agent, he needed time to acquaint himself with his teammates. Says LaBarbera , "I knew the bigger names, but there was plenty of 'Heyyyy, buddy' and 'What's your name again?'"

LaBarbera , slated to be the backup, isn't the only new--and relatively green--goalie on the Kings . No. 1 backstop Mathieu Garon , 27, made just 43 appearances in the last four seasons, playing behind Jos� Th�odore in Montreal , but is expected to start 50 to 60 games. Though Garon had a 2.12 goals-against average for the AHL's Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs during the lockout, he knows he's not an NHL All-Star. "I'm not like [Martin] Brodeur or [Marty] Turco," he says. "I'm not that good."

Luckily for Garon , the new rule limiting how much goalies can handle the puck outside the crease will lessen the gap between him and the league's elite. Garon , who is not a strong puckhandler, played under the same restrictions in the AHL. "I know pretty much everything about [the rule]," says Garon .

Despite Garon 's inexperience, the Kings feel he will be a significant upgrade over former starter Roman Cechmanek , a notoriously streaky netminder who was 26th in wins in 2003-04. "People are going to question the goaltending," says G.M. Dave Taylor . "But [ Garon and LaBarbera ] are ready for the opportunity. We think the combination has a lot of talent, and they can carry our team."

Whoever is in net on a given night will have plenty of help from veteran defensemen Aaron Miller and Mattias Norstrom , the team captain. Says LaBarbera , "The defensive corps here is pretty solid. They know what they're doing back there." They'd better, with two new faces behind them. --Y.Y.

Insider
Alexander Frolov and Mike Cammalleri , both 23, will step up offensively; Mathieu Garon doesn't give up bad goals.

LINEUP

LW
Alexander Frolov
Luc Robitaille
Dustin Brown

C
JEREMY ROENICK
Derek Armstrong
CRAIG CONROY