A summer of reflection appears to have produced a new version of Dustin Brown, judging from his impactful opening month of the NHL season.Or has the old Dustin Brown returned?Either way, an offseason that saw him stripped of the Los Angeles Kings captaincy has certainly changed him.Theres a lot of things that go into it. I went through a lot of things this summer, Brown said Tuesday. I think the main thing is that Im just having fun playing again. We get to play a game for a living, and I understand that. But it doesnt matter what you do in life -- if youre not having doing fun doing it, sometimes its very difficult.The change was made in the summer, general manager Dean Lombardi said, to pass the mantle to other players who have developed into the role.Its essentially their turn, Lombardi told local media on a conference call June 16, a sentiment he reiterated to ESPN on Wednesday. This is something that was on the board, that a transition needs to take place, and theyve been groomed for this as players and leaders.As a result, the summer provided Brown -- a two-time Stanley Cup champion -- plenty of time to think about the game, his team and his role on it.For one, he no longer appears to be carrying a piano on his back.I put pressure on myself, just naturally, and collectively as a team and what our expectations are, Brown said. I dont think those expectations have changed, but my approach probably has. Just how I look at things has been a little bit different and has allowed me to enjoy the game again.Brown has put up eight points (two goals and six assists) in 13 games this season, while also providing the other elements that have made him successful. Hes on pace for 50 points after putting up just 28 last season.[He] can impact the game even when he is not scoring, a rival Western Conference head coach said via text of Brown, who averaged 54 points per season from 2006-07 through 2011-12. Looks like he is back on track this year. Extra effort is back and thats his game.Is Brown unburdened by no longer wearing the C? No player would admit that; theres so much pride in being captain of an NHL team. But Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton?reacted well, in terms of their production, after the San Jose Sharks removed their captaincies over the years.Thats the example I set forth to Brown, and he understood the point about shedding the mental burden of leadership.I think theres something to it, just on a day-to-day basis, Brown said. In a way I took everything personally, whether it was individually or collectively as a team. Whether its conscious or not, theres probably something to it, [and] you kind of let it go. My attitude is still the same. But its one of those things where I just try to support Kopy and just worry about my game.Yes, the fact that its his good pal Anze Kopitar who replaced him as captain clearly made the transition easier. Their stalls are right beside each other, on the road and in L.A.That deep-rooted friendship -- both are first-round picks, two years apart, and grew up together on this team -- has been key in this all working.Id say its not the ideal situation for both of us, obviously, Kopitar said Tuesday. Id say our friendship goes beyond that. Weve played together for 10-plus years and developed a friendship thats the type you dont lose overnight.It was maybe a little bit weird at first, at that exact moment, but weve been friends for a long time and thats not going to change.Added Brown: Its not like Kopy was in there knocking down doors, saying he wanted to be captain. That might have been more awkward, him pushing for it. But we talked pretty soon after it was announced. Its no different for us.I think it would be somewhat embarrassing initially, as in a What did I do wrong? way, said Ray Ferraro, a former captain of the Atlanta Thrashers and now an analyst with TSN. That team has been together so long, the feeling must be that Kopitar is the acknowledged leader, so it might make things easier. [Browns] great start looks like he is unburdened.Still, as excited, flattered and honored as Kopitar was to be the next Kings captain, he made sure from across the pond in Slovenia that his pal was OK.We texted back and forth. I guess I wanted to make sure there wouldnt be any hard feelings, Kopitar said. Brownie is a classy guy. I dont think there was any awkwardness between us at all. So that helped.Brown had heart-to-heart offseason conversations with Kings management.?Lombardi and Brown had five meetings and they werent just about the change in captaincy. The GM also told Brown he needed to get back to being an impact player, measuring up to his salary and contract. Brown shared his own thoughts, too. By all accounts, it was a healthy dialogue.It kind of caught me off guard, the timing of it. But it allowed me to have some candid conversations, both ways, Brown said. You get it out in the open and you move forward.Still, a proud man, Brown -- who replaced Rob Blake as captain in 2008 -- went through the gauntlet of emotions.You have to get through it and let the emotion settle down, Brown said. You got to let it settle and figure out what to do moving forward. Naturally, I was pissed off.I was pretty upset.Seems these days like hes funneling that emotion into his game.Now the question is where this all leads. Brown, who turned 32 last Friday, has a modified no-trade clause but not a full no-movement clause in his contract -- which means the Kings could expose him in the expansion draft in June. Its not to suggest I think they will, but people have wondered. He has five more years on his deal after this season at a $5.875 million annual cap hit.I want to be a King as long as they want me, Brown said when asked about his future. The biggest thing I can do for both myself and the team is just get back to the player that I can be. And help this team win games. Thats my immediate focus. Sergio Romo Twins Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. Brusdar Graterol Twins Jersey . LOUIS -- St. https://www.cheaptwins.com/702t-torii-hunter-jersey-twins.html . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Marcos Diplan Twins Jersey . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. Randy Dobnak Jersey . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Mercedes technical boss Paddy Lowe says his team let Lewis Hamilton down at last weekends Malaysian Grand Prix, but has confirmed the failure has not compromised the defending champions stock of engines when compared to title rival Nico Rosberg.Hamilton suffered a catastrophic engine failure while leading the Malaysian Grand Prix last Sunday, forcing him to retire and resulting in him falling 23 points behind teammate Rosberg in the drivers standings. The failure was his third major power unit problem of the season after MGU-H issues in China and Russia compromised his qualifying sessions at those two races.An additional hangover from the earlier failures was a 60-place grid penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix after Mercedes incurred engine penalties on Hamiltons car by stockpiling fresh engines for the rest of the season. The downside was a back-of-the-grid start, but the upside was a stock of three fresh power units for the remaining races -- more than the two Rosberg had at the time. However, the Malaysia failure has now brought the two drivers level in terms of available engines for the rest of the year and neither is expected to take another planned penalty.Malaysia was a bitter pill to swallow. We let Lewis down in a big way, Lowe said. We are continuing to investigate the issue with his engine and dooing everything we can to ensure that it is first understood and then contained for the remainder of the season.ddddddddddddAs it stands, despite the failure of this engine, Lewis now has the same stock of Power Units as Nico for the remaining five races -- including used Power Units which he can fit for free practice sessions. So, hopefully there will be no further impact to his programme.Team boss Toto Wolff says Rosberg and Hamilton remain free to race and is expecting a tense battle over the next five races.Its tough when these things come at a crucial point in a championship battle. Its a massive blow to his campaign. But the championship isnt over yet. There are still five faces to go. It will be tough of course, as Nico is driving better than ever before. He proved that in Singapore and then again with a great recovery in Malaysia.We will let them battle it out on track over the next five races -- hopefully without any reliability woes -- and then see where we are. One thing is for sure -- we are not going to talk any more about winning championships before it has happened. We will keep both feet on the ground and do the best we can in every area until the job is done. ' ' '