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Season preview: Kings

Stanley Cups: 1

2011-'12 record: 40-27-6-9, 95 points (3rd in Pacific, 8th in West)

2011-'12 playoffs: Def. Vancouver Canucks 4-1; def. St. Louis Blues 4-0; def. Phoenix Coyotes 4-1; def. New Jersey Devils 4-2.

Coach: Darryl Sutter (434-333-142, 15th NHL year, 4th team)

Top returning scorer: C Anze Kopitar (25 goals, 51 assists, 76 points)

Top returning goalie: Jonathan Quick (35-21-13, 1.95, .929)

Key additions: RW Anthony Stewart.

Key subtractions: RW Kevin Westgarth; LW Ethan Moreau.

Goaltending: Conn Smythe Trophy winner Quick led the NHL with 10 shutouts and posted the league’s second-best GAA and fifth-best save percentage. His playoff save percentage was an astonishing .946 and he allowed one goal or less in 10 of 20 starts.

Player to watch: C Jordan Nolan. The son of former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan saw limited action in 26 regular-season games, but blossomed into a gritty regular during the Kings’ Stanley Cup run, playing in 22 games and going plus-one. His first NHL goal was a game winner and both his playoff points came on goals that gave L.A. the lead.

Icing: Sutter was just the fourth mid-season coaching replacement to win a Stanley Cup, but the second in four years (Pittsburgh’s Dan Bylsma, 2008-09) . . . Kings Dustin Brown joined Derian Hatcher of 1998-99 Stars as only U.S.-born captains of Stanley Cup winners . . . Kopitar may miss start of season due to knee injury suffered while playing in Sweden during lockout.

Bob Duff writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the NHL for the Windsor (Ontario) Star; The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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