Terry Murray talked today about positioning players on the power play, particularly about having forwards on the point on the power play. Murray talked about a change he made after the Columbus game, taking Justin Williams off the blue line on the power play, mostly out of concerns about counterattacks…
MURRAY: “Well, that was the way it had been since the beginning of the training camp. We went with a forward in each of the groups. Your fear as a coach — and I’m on record saying this, going back 15 years ago, probably — I’m always fearful of having a forward on the blue line as a power-play specialist because, going the other way, things can happen against you. It’s inevitable that something will, over time.
“I think we really got exposed in the game against Columbus, with Nash. He’s a great penalty killer, he’s got incredible range, he scores a shorthanded goal, I think, last night. So it’s going to happen. Whenever it happens, the way it did a couple times in that game, then we have to rethink it. We’re going to look at Jack and Doughty and Stoll as the three guys who will rotate on the back end.”
OMG, Is Murray actually listening to me?
Respect!
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OMG is WWAMD giving Murray a complement?
LOL
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Well its like he took my advice! So I have to give him props.
I’ve constantly complained about Fro being on the 3rd line and my biggest complaint was Williams at the point during PP.
What did he do this week? He changed that!
Good moves in the right direction…So he’s kinda winning me over…lets see how long this lasts.
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Dude deflate the ego! LOL
Unless you’ve been telling him to not put forwards on the blue line for 15 years….
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Only problem is he only lists 3 players rotating on the points, JJ, Doughty and Stoll. That kind of leaves an opening since typically there are 2 sets of PP point men…
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Stars beat the quacks, 4-2…
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So we beat the team that beat the quacks, and we were on the road without Fro…
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I thought it was pretty obvious the fwd on the blue-line wasn’t paying any dividends. The risk wasn’t worth the rewards and the team was LOSING momentum coming off the PP.
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WWAMD – You do realize that you’ve put yourself in a situation that will test your credibly?
That’s bold and honorable.
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The funny thing to me is, if TM has felt funny about forwards on the blue line during the PP for 15 years, why was he doing it now?
Jaaaaa-Mieeeeeee (Uh-Oh!)
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DellaNooch, I’m really to fail and/or succeed.
Honestly. I HATE T.Murray, but just the idea of him doing two things I asked for give me a warm feeling inside…I think its hope or something. I have hope for him. Thanks Murray!
I’m excited about this team again. If only we can trade Williams back for Sully :p
Remember Sully=cheaper, younger and same if not more productive then Williams.
What that means is Sully has opportunity to GROW production wise and with his cheaper contract we can add another asset and fit it under the cap!!
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BakoCAkingsCondorsFan
Interesting, you root for the Kings and a Ducks affiliate
Now then, the Ducks did not wear down the Stars tonight as much as I would have liked, but it should get the job done for tomorrow night.
In a way, I wish the Ducks still had Pronger, for that game tonight that is.
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Having Patio back would be interesting. But Williams has the experience. The cost is no biggie, he’s in his prime, and he’s won a cup. I think he’s a huge improvement. But still, I’d like Patio back too.
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Ok, ok , not to warm up an old Episode from “Williams vs. Sully” but….. how exactly is young Mr. O’Sullivan doing?
2 Goals, 5 Assists, 7 points in 8 games (Sully)
3 Goals, 6 Assists, 9 points in 9 games (Williams)
….. come on, people, let’s hear it: good trade or not?
(I know, it’s not 100% fair, we need to consider the ice time, respective lines, PP and PK situations, PIMs etc etc….)
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BAKO…
DOM just gave you our answer…thanks, dom…!
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Bakersfield was a Kings affiliate back in the day, no Bako? Until 2006 I thought.
That’s how Fukufuji made it to Bakersfield. Ryan Munce too.
Guessing that’s how you became a Kings fan Bako?
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variable, you’re welcome.
One thing I’d like to add in retrospect (before we hopefully get to hear some great opinions) is that we were looking for a Winger and Sully plays center…..
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He was doing this in LAST years training camp and ever since. Crawford was doing the same thing.
Unless you have a guy like Fedorov back there it’s not going to work out well.
Regardless I’m hoping that this helps.
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I think the real test with POS and Williams will be how they perform down the stretch and in the playoffs (provided both teams make them). Williams playoff experience and performance was a big draw for DL, just as Scuderi’s was.
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I don’t care if it’s Williams or Stoll, I’m just glad one of our forwards are coming off the blue line.
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we really don’t have another candidate to fill that 4th point position on the PP. I guess eventually that will be Hickey or Voinov..but for right now, not much choice other than to rotate JJ/Stoll/Doughty.
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Harrold can play the point on the PP. He did it last year and won’t get beat coming back.
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yea unless its bobby ryan
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True, Harrold did play the point last year.
A few things: why are we only carrying 22 players? Am I missing someone?
Besides Perry the Ducks top line isn’t doing well and that’s a good thing. Getzlaf scored his 1st last night and Ryan only has 1 goal too. Not good for them but great for us.
With the new expectations from Frolov and the changes going in we better destroy Dallas tonight.
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Memory is fuzzy this morning
Did Harrold show anything on the PP last year?
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I hope it’s ok to post this since Rich doesn’t work for the Daily News anymore. Helene Elliot of the LA Times wrote an article today basically saying the Kings benched Frolov to try to reduce his value:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-elliott-kings-fyi22-2009oct22,0,256596,full.column
Why would they want to reduce his value if they may try to trade him before the deadline if they don’t think they can re-sign hm? I don’t buy it. I think TM did the right thing in benching him. I think we’ll see a man possessed tonight. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Frolov put up 4 or 5 points and maybe even a hat trick.
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@nykingfan
I think Harrold once ended a PP last year by taking a penalty. He strategically eliminated the opportunity for us to give up a short-handed goal. So that’s something there…
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Helene’s comments would only make sense if we were sure we could re-sign Fro. But they make no sense whatsoever in terms of team chemistry and the team’s primary goals, which are to continually improve and win games. I think it’s incredibly unlikely that Dean told Murray to sit Fro for financial reasons, and find it questionable Elliot spun that angle at all.
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I hear that all you have to do now to report on the Kings is to take all the quotes Rich gets and incorporate them into your own story as though you were the one talking with the player/coach.
Anyone have an answer as to why we are carrying 22 players? With Martinez being hurt only 21 really.
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Sorry Guys, didn’t see until the AM…
R.E.M. Murray–
As Lee Marvin said in The Professionals, “For me, an accident of birth.”
I’ve been a Kings fan since a high school friend took me to a game in the rafters at the Forum back in the ’70′s. Went to an East Coast college and had an amateur player as a roommate, then hibernated for a few decades until moving to Bakersfield. A friend here took me to a game at what was then Centennial Arena, and I was hooked.
Saw up close the Condors-Aces playoff series during the lockout when Scott Gomez was an Ace. Was about ten feet away when the Condors goon at the time ran Gomez into the open doorjam and fractured his pelvis. The goon retired after the season, was public enemy #1 in Alaska for what essentially was a clean hit.
Anyway, I love to take pictures (hated that I didn’t have one at the time of the Gomez hit). Got myself 3rd row seats right next to the visiting team cage. It was a big deal when Bakersfield got it’s first affiliation with the Ducks, last year. Cynic is correct. For a long time, everyone hoped it would be the Kings but they opted for Ontario, building their own new arena. There are a lot of us conflicted fans up here in Bakersfield, which by the way is in the top five of all ECHL franchises in attendance.
So Fukufuji was loaned to the Condors, then was picked up for two years on contract. We had Munce, we had Danny Taylor for awhile before he went to England and then returned.
Like I said, the conflict is an Accident Of Birth…
What’s interesting now is the way there is no AHL Ducks affiliate. Justin Pogge just did the two-step, up to Anaheim on Tuesday then back down on Wednesday (bet someone was sick or a trade was in the works). There are currently more Vancouver and Pittsburgh ex-Condors than Ducks ex-Condors (Alexander Bolduc and Connor James), vestiges of the non-affiliated days.
Sorry for the stream of consciousness, but I get lonely up here in Bakersfield for true Kings hockey fans. There are a few good Ontario fans I’ve met up here, and I plan to make a road trip to Ontario this year.
Go Condors!
Go Kings!
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would it make sense to bring up hickey just as a pp specialist to start with?
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Paul from Oxnard–
I think Helene meant his RESIGN value, not his trade value. She’s assuming the Kings are trying to fit him under the cap. I think he goes back to Russia, the KHL. I think Helene is searching to find a story to justify her salary. Rich is eating her lunch, breakfast and dinner and Helene remains her distant, petulant, irrelevant self.
One day soon, the Times may ‘correct’ her.
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TImoteo,
It could be mansgement covering their ass. This is how you set the narative to make an unpopular and potentialy disasterous move.
If they can resign him cheap, well…
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Good riddence to wingers on the point, really they can put Scuderi back there no problem. He’s not fancy but he’s a solid pairing and wouldn’t do anything stupid. Plus his passing speed is up to par to be very effective.
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Lot’s of teams only go with 2 or 3 pointmen on the PP total.
Take a look at Washington…Greene will play for 10 straight minutes if need be (although I don’t think that’s a great idea).
Murray’s issue is he really doesn’t have anyone else to put back there outside of JJ and Doughty, who isn’t a forward.
Drewiske? No…not really.
OD? Nope
Greene? Nope
Scuderi? Maybe, but not really.
If Harrold is in the lineup, he is the only other viable option.
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@Bako: She clearly talks about his potential contract value to another team if his production is down.
I agree that Rich has it on Helene by a mile. I don’t normally read the Times. The only reason I found this story was that Kukla’s Korner posted it on their blog.
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Thank you Murray for making 1/2 the moves needed re PP. I have been against this since day 1 and took flack by all posters here.
I still feel Stoll shouldn’t be there either. It is plain stupid to have a forward there consistently and other teams can increase there chances of scoring a sh goal by an exponential amount…
We have a utility guy in Peter Harrold that could easily do the PP.
I am not a Harrold fan as such but recognize he can do a much better job than Stoll…
Seems common sense ain’t so common when it comes to coaching.
GO Kings!
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in what lifetime is Patty-O more productive than Williams?
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That was funny Shakes!
I just read Elliot’s article. She should move on to writing Harlequin romance novels and get out of the hockey business.
Amazing how she puts her little spin on it.
The idea is for Fro to wake up and help this team make the playoffs this year.
If the benching and airing out the dirty laundry helps get him to where he and we need him to be, I’m all for it.
The contract situation or trade will play itself out over time. Nothing that was said will affect his value around the league.
I’m still convinced if we don’t re-sign him, he’s going to play in the KHL next year.
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WWAMD~~~~
what does your name mean? “What Would Andy Murry Do?”
if so, hilarious
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I’ll say one thing about patty was he had speed and hands but little else, williams has an all around game can skate and be put anywhere and the experience is priceless, he’s an upbeat guy and a team guy who compliments smitty (who we named him out in western alberta)and kopy tremendously with his defensive game to.
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Man, that Times article. Does the rationale go that since Rich works for the Kings now, there’s no need for attribution? Lame. (And thank you for the quality of your reporting, Rich!)
I also disagree that it was done to reduce his value. That was the coach’s decision, not some Machiavellian scheme of Deano’s. It seems pretty clear to me that TM is just trying to get a reaction; when yelling at the quiet kid doesn’t work, you try shaking his shoulders. Whether or not he’ll ever be the kind of player they want is a different question.
Anyway, wanting to lower his value would mean that they actually want to resign him. I look at the quotes over the years about the type of team they’re aiming to build, and I find it hard to believe that.
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JPuck-
I really think WWAMD stands for:
What Would Anthony’s Mom Do?
LOL
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Boy. Helene really just ripped his quotes and gave no tribute to the guy doing the work.
It shows why the newspaper business is dying. They don’t want to hire people to do the work so they get people to snipe stories or make them up or quote “unnamed sources”.
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I appreciate the support, but I must say I did not see any article in which quotes I exclusively obtained were used without attribution. I’m not sure what the reference is to, but I want to be very clear about that.
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If you look at the Frolov Article she has on the L.A. Times/sports/kings page the exact words you used are in there as quotes. maybe Fro and murray were talking to a group of you reporting types at once (you being the best of course) and she was there but I think we’re assuming you were one on one with the player/coach.
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Articles like that are why I enjoy Rich’s coverage so much. Helene’s “stories” are riddled with opinion, perception, and a desire to create something out of nothing. Rich’s posts are informative, original, and to the point. If Rich writes his opinion about something, he clearly and fairly presents it as such. Helene’s Kings articles have bothered me for some time now.
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Guys, most of those quotes came from press conference(s) with multiple reporters present. Helene is a hack but she didn’t undercut Rich quite that badly.
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JPUCK,
Originally when I had a screename many moons ago, I admired (still do) Andy Murray so YES the answer is when I registered this name it stood for What Would Andy Murray Do
Now it stands for
Why Williams And Murray Dean?
lol I just made that last part up! But majority of my current posts do consists of critical postings about both Williams and Murray. Although Murray has grown on me a bit. I also dislike Dean as a GM. Also POS was heart and soul LA, and it was sad to see him trade for sideline Williams…whom…is on the sidelines now isn’t he? Who would have predicted that? Lets sign Forsberg! lol
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