June 4, 2012, New Jersey Devils-Los Angeles Kings Game 3 Stanley Cup Final advance notebook for Metro Newspaper in NYC
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JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES
Jeff Carter, left, and Mike Richards
were shipped out of town in separate deals last offseason.
Life is good for Kings’ center Mike Richards and winger Jeff Carter.
The former Flyers are two wins away from winning the Cup nearly a full
year after they were dealt to Columbus and Los Angeles in separate deals
last June. The two players had signed extended deals with Philadelphia,
believing that the franchise was going to be built around them.
But the Flyers’ organization decided to rebuild the team following a second-round sweep by Boston last year.
“Well, it was obviously a tough situation for us leaving Philly. We
loved it there. We loved our time. We signed long deals to potentially
finish our careers there,” Carter said after the Kings’ practice Sunday.
The Flyers agreed to a 12-year, $69-million contract with Richards in
2008, while Carter signed an 11-year, $58-million extension last season.
Then the two were shipped out the day before the 2011 draft.
“It was a tough situation. We had a lot of thinking to do. Took a little
while to get over that. It’s funny how things work out. We’re both in
L.A. now, two wins away from the Stanley Cup. Couldn’t be happier,”
Carter said.
“It wasn’t an easy situation, obviously. Being in Philly for six years,
all you do there is win, right? That’s really all you know. They teach
you the right way there,” Carter said of the trade to Columbus.
The three-time 30-goal scorer was expected to be a panacea for a team
that had Rick Nash and not much else. Instead, he had 25 points (15
goals and 10 assists) and a minus-11 rating in 39 games before being
traded to the Kings on Feb. 23.
“Going to Columbus, it was a team that was struggling. Obviously there
were some expectations going into the season. Things didn’t work out the
way everybody had hoped,” Carter said. “I’m happy where I’m at now.”
Thomas taking time off
Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas confirmed on his Facebook page
Sunday afternoon that he was going to take the 2012-13 season off in
order to “reconnect with the three ‘F’s’: Friends, Family, and Faith.
“This is what I plan on doing over the course of the next year.”
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli told reporters Friday that the
organization was preparing “under the premise there is a strong
possibility of him taking the year off. We’d have to go about our
business without Tim Thomas for the year.”
Thomas compiled a 35-19-1 record in 59 regular season game for the
Bruins in 2011-12. He was 10th in the league in save percentage (.920)
and shutouts (five), and ranked 12th in goals against average (2.36).
Thomas started in all seven games of the Bruins’ Eastern Conference
quarterfinal loss to Washington. He went 3-4 with a .923 save
percentage, 2.14 goals against and a shutout.
Thomas is in the last year of a four-year, $20-million contract. He is due to make $3 million this season.
Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman throughout the Stanley Cup final.
http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1144645--stanley-cup-notebook-carter-richards-enjoying-re-birth-in-l-a
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 1:33 PM
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