Tsk, tsk if you don't recognize Kopitar's skill. (Getty Images)

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Living in Los Angeles usually gets you noticed. If you want to make it big, you pack up and move to Southern California. That's where the celebrities live -- and many work. It's one of the biggest markets for sports' best players to go to, too.

Unless you're a hockey player, that is. Getting noticed when you play hockey in L.A. isn't something that happens. It’s one of the ironies in the sport that a mega market known for hosting stars hides them in hockey. Maybe they're trying to keep special secrets, keep their best for themselves.

That can't last much longer. Because now the spotlight can't not shine on Anze Kopitar anymore. One of hockey's best secrets -- I literally mean best -- was Kopitar, who plays as complete a game as anybody in the NHL.

"He's awesome," star defenseman Drew Doughty said. "Since my first day in the league, Kopi just surprises you with something new every day. He's so skilled, such a good player. I've never seen a player better than him on his backhand, too. Playing on your backhand is a tough thing to do, moving pucks, and he's unbelievable at it. So he's been a huge part to our success this postseason and I'm sure he's going to continue to do that."

He has a sick backhand, but he has a sick game period. Anything you need him to do he will do.

Defense? Aside from being out there every penalty kill except when he's the guy in the box himself, he sacrifices his body in his own end. In the first period on Monday night the Devils shifted the puck to the slot where a wide-open Devil was waiting to fire. Kopitar came diving in like a Dodger to block the shot. A small play that goes a long way.

Offense? Oh yeah, you know he has that part of his game too. But just in case you don't, I submit to you exhibit A. If you're like me, you can watch this goal over and over all day long.

Of course, it helps that Kopitar is playing arguably the best hockey of his career on the biggest stage he's ever been on; deep in the NHL playoffs.

"I feel pretty good," Kopitar said Tuesday, the morning after the Kings took a 3-0 series lead over the Devils in this Stanley Cup Final. "I've had some spurts where I've played good hockey this year, too, but I think it's probably the most consistent I've been in a long time. It came at the right time."

Playing in Los Angeles the past few years with a team that hasn't found a whole lot of success but was actually starting to garner an underachiever label, Kopitar was staying mostly hidden. Case in point? He has only been an All-Star twice in his career.

Consider this comment from Mike Richards about Kopitar, who he didn't get to see a whole lot when playing in Philadelphia.

"I put him top 5, top 3 in the league with skill level, the style of play he has and how big and strong that he is," Richards said. "He's a treat I get to play with every day and watch. He's been pretty awesome for us."

To clarify, he means top 5, top 3 player overall, not just centers. So now, will this run finally give Kopitar the credit he deserves for being the player that he is?

"You have to win in this league to get recognized," Kopitar said. "That's what the good players did and what the good players are going to do."

"They're so quiet, laid-back guys who probably don't like the spotlight," Richards said of Kopitar and L.A. goaltender Jonathan Quick. "I'm sure they like being out here where they don't get that much attention. Just kind of fly under the radar and do their thing."

Maybe they like it, but I don't. Kopitar is a guy who deserves to be on everybody's short list of greatest players in the game. This postseason he's proving it. I just hope that the lack of a compelling series isn't stopping fans from all across the continent from tuning in to find out.

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