Kings need a Quick fix for a long playoff run

Drew Doughty and the Kings, after stumbling to the regular-season finish line, need to get well quick. . . .

Or is it, get Quick well? . . .

Goaltender Jonathan Quick will have to shake his slump if the Kings are to get past the Vancouver Canucks. . . .

The Kings, 80-1 picks before the season to win the Stanley Cup, are down to 28-1, according to odds listed at bodog.com, after making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. . . .

Lost amid all the hand-wringing over the Lakers’ recent troubles is that Pau Gasol, averaging a career high 11.2 rebounds, is enjoying another quietly productive season. . . .

Fifty years ago this spring, despite a 25-50 regular-season record, Elgin Baylor and the Minneapolis Lakers fell only one victory short of the NBA Finals, blowing a 3-2 lead against the St. Louis Hawks in the best-of-seven Western finals. . . .

If he were talking, Manny Ramirez might agree that he is now the third-most dangerous hitter in the Dodgers outfield. . . .

Sandy Koufax, in his only opening-day start for the Dodgers, scattered six hits in a shutout victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in 1964. . . .

Joel Pineiro, signed by the Angels in January to fill the hole created by John Lackey’s departure to Boston, helped put Mike Scioscia in a more jovial New York state of mind Wednesday. . . .

Backup quarterback Pat White of the Miami Dolphins, twice drafted by the Angels, reportedly is mulling a move to baseball after being asked to consider switching to wide receiver. . . .

Perhaps losing his endorsement deal with the company that markets Big Ben’s Beef Jerky will give risk-taking Ben Roethlisberger something to chew on. . . .

As Prince once sang, “Act your age; not your shoe size.” . . .

Phil Mickelson seems like the type of guy that, when it’s revealed that he wore his new green jacket while buying doughnuts with his children at a Krispy Kreme drive-through the day after winning the Masters, it’s not the least bit surprising. . . .

An HCD Research study shows that Americans believe media coverage of the Tiger Woods sex scandal has been excessive even when compared to the saturation coverage given Michael Jackson’s death last summer. . . .

Calling Allen Bradford the top power runner in college football, Matt Hayes of Sporting News Today writes, “ Pete Carroll’s misuse of Bradford was one of his biggest mistakes at USC.” . . .

It probably goes without saying that Rick Neuheisel hopes UCLA’s new pistol offense, with Kevin Prince pulling the trigger, will shoot holes in opposing defenses next fall. . . .

Jerry Rice, insisting it’s not a publicity stunt, makes his pro golfing debut Thursday in a Nationwide Tour event. . . .

Last week, with Steve Young catching, Rice threw out the first pitch at the San Francisco Giants home opener before running a route and catching a pass from his former teammate. . . .

Seventh-grader Jake Olson, a USC football fan whose battle with cancer left him blind but touched hearts, is scheduled to participate in Saturday’s “Swim with Mike” charity event at USC, which funds scholarships for physically challenged athletes. . . .

Rafer Johnson, Times sports columnist Bill Dwyre and USC and UCLA football commentators Paul McDonald and Matt Stevens are scheduled to take part in a sports roundtable moderated by broadcaster Steve Hartman on Monday at a charity golf tournament at Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland. . . .

Information: (818) 352-1419, ext. 250. . . .

UCLA men’s volleyball Coach Al Scates, whose teams have won 19 NCAA championships, notched victory No. 1,200 on Friday night at Long Beach State. . . .

The Pasadena-based Baseball Reliquary is playing host to a May 15 Tom Lasorda look-alike contest, “open to both men and women,” as part of its “Lasordapalooza” exhibition at the Pomona Public Library, running through May 28. . . .

Speaking of Lasorda, the former Dodgers manager came to mind when the late Times sports columnist Jim Murray was announced as a Pulitzer Prize winner 20 years ago this week. . . .

Humbled, Murray said of the prestigious honor, “I always thought you had to bring down a government to win this. All I ever did was quote Tommy Lasorda accurately.” . . .

Readers, of course, knew better.

jerome.crowe@latimes.com