alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />Justin Williams sustained some type of minor lower-body injury during the morning skate and is doubtful for tonight’s game. Terry Murray would not disclose the nature of the injury but said he doesn’t expect Williams to be out for long. Williams left the ice early, under his own power, and didn’t appear to be seriously hurt. Murray said any number of players — Brown, Frolov, Lewis, Harrold and Purcell — could take Williams’ place but he didn’t make an immediate decision. More from the skate soon…
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[...] [...]
wow, just when i thought we had a great line-up williams goes down. lets hope murrays not lying and he’ll be back soon.
[Reply]
This may be a great chance for lewis to show his stuff, he’s got some skill that could be shown tonight if given the opportunity!
[Reply]
why don’t we just move brown up to the first line, and simmonds up to the second… (wink)
[Reply]
Put Brown on the first line.
Smyth-Kopi-Brown
Fro-Handzus-?
?-Stoll-Simmonds
Ivanans-?-?
? = nobody good enough to fill that spot
[Reply]
Is this guy is made of glass or what.
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Uh oh…I know someone who’ll have the “See Williams is injury prone” post up in no time.
That line is really clicking so I was hoping they’d stay together. Williams isn’t scoring as much but there are a lot of intangibles that don’t show up on the score sheet on a line doing as well as they do.
[Reply]
TM should call up Westgarth
Ivanans-Stoll-Simmonds
Harrold-Richardson-Lewis
[Reply]
I mean harrold-Richardson-Westgarth
[Reply]
This minor injury shows just how fragile the Kings’ lineup is…
Kings need another NHL level forward. And, that is not to denigrate what Richardson has done.
[Reply]
Purcell should be bumped up IMHO. He’s a natural righty I believe and is fully capible of setting Kopi and Smyth up.
Either that or Brown. Nobody else will do.
[Reply]
what about simmonds on that first line. he was scoring in the preseason, might be interesting to give him a chance.
smyth-kopi-simm
fro-zues-brown
purc-stoll-lewis
ivan-rich-harry
[Reply]
Ha ha wow id like to see an ivanens and westgarth line centred by say a moller…lol, that would open up space for him…lol
[Reply]
The injuries begin for him.
Earlier than I imagined.
[Reply]
Well, he made it through 9 games…..
[Reply]
Well, the last “minor” injury incurred during practice was a severe ankle sprain. So I don’t know what to think. What a bummer.
[Reply]
Always assuming the worst: What a bummer.
[Reply]
eh, just put Ivanans on the first line.
[Reply]
Good God!
[Reply]
Maybe he will play.
[Reply]
Can our players at least get injured in the games!!
[Reply]
Thanks for the update Rich — you just saved me from wasting the slot on my fantasy team that Williams was in. Can you start doing similar updated for the entire NHL? :)
[Reply]
Smyth/Kopitar/Richardson
Purcell/Stoll/Simmonds
Frolov/Handzus/Brown
Ivanans/Lewis/Harrold
[Reply]
Perhaps it was Frolov, trying to show heart and get more playing time, pounding Williams at the practice. The ice hockey equivalent of the pit drill (an old football means of deciding who plays. Two players go into a pit and the one who gets out first gets the starts. Was going on at some colleges as late as the 1960’s).
Or perhaps not, to the dismay of some.
[Reply]
Put Lewis on the first line and see what he can do. He should have enough support from Smyth and Kopitar
[Reply]
Vicarious, I look forward to the LAK: Survivor web series.
Only ONE winger can win!
[Reply]
Geez you guys its a minor injury it happens, look around the league, boston? dallas?, wanna trade injury fortunes?, we’ve had our healthiest start in awhile, under the andy murray regime we set man games lost records so be thankfull!
[Reply]
The old dump and chase injury report.
[Reply]
Jeez, people, have a look around the league. There are far worse injuries befalling players everywhere. This is a reportedly “minor” injury, which may or may not result in missed games. Far better than the Canadiens’ Andrei Markov, or the Bruins’ Savard and Lucic. Just last night, the Pens lost Sergei Gonchar with a broken wrist; btw, they were 17-4-4 last season with him in the lineup and 8-1 this season. Dallas has Modano, Lehtinen, and Ott on IR. Erik Cole, Marian Hossa, Phil Kessel, Daniel Sedin . . . all these guys are key players who have significant problems. Or perhaps you’d like to be a fan of the NY Islanders and have Rick Dipietro on the tip of your tongue.
Wake up, smell the roses, take off the blinders . . . .
[Reply]
I like the idea of Moving simmonds up and keeping Fro-zeus-brown together, that leaves Teddy-stoll-harrold? as a third line and roll the 4th for some minutes. Really Simmonds has learned tons from Zeus but let him on a line with Smyth for a while and I think we could have some real magic.
[Reply]
This could be a real possibility
Smyth – Kopitar – Purcell
Frolov – Handzus – Brown
Lewis – Stoll – Simmonds
If things are not going well in the game, It would intriguing to see
Smyth – Kopitar – Frolov
[Reply]
Put Lewis on the top line, simple as that
Smyth-Kopitar-Lewis
Frolov-Handzus-Brown
Purcell-Stoll-Simmonds
XX-Richardson-XX
[Reply]
There are only a certain number of players that can and will play RW though. I don’t know if Frolov is one of them as I’m pretty sure he’s only played LW with our team.
The most likely scenario to me is to give Teddy a shot up there. He was a righty all last season.
[Reply]
where the heck is braydon schenn our big draft pick????????
[Reply]
We could put in Moulson, he have 5 goals this year, oh wait, we got rid of him.
[Reply]
SmokieMcPizzle,
Your line combos are pretty good, but the third line lacks grit and toughness. Nevertheless, the combos should work more or less..
[Reply]
Also, looking from hindsight, it probably would have been better to keep moller on the roster than sending him back to the AHL. You could probably plug him in temporarily until JW comes back
[Reply]
I’m going to the game tonight… anybody want me to suit up?
[Reply]
yeah i think clune instead of lewis on that line would have been better but the guy is haunted by injuries. cant seem to get away from them.
[Reply]
-mikeskings
Was that a real question, or are you trying to be funny? Schenn was sent back to his junior team, his only possibility of being with the team this year was to play fourth line minutes, which is silly for somebody so young. He will be around in 2-3 years, like most good draft picks.
[Reply]
What the Heck are these guys doin to keep getting injured in practice??
[Reply]
quisp. you got it right, richardson has been playing his ass off for this team, he can fill in for a game or 2
[Reply]
Speaking of schenn, like Lucc said is going to be with the big club soon enough, being an albertan boy, i get to see the western leaguers on a consistant basis and braydens a real gamer, hardnosed with a nose for the net with outstanding skills, like dustin brown he’ll be a kings captain one day, as well thomas hickey is going to make kingsfans forget about visnovsky, another skilled dman, watching him and teubert play its easy to love the future of this club!
[Reply]
Williams is a turd and always has been. Soft, soft, soft. He has reaping the benefits of Smyth and Kopi and hasn’t done enough. He needs to be put on the 3rd line. Put Fro on the 1st line. GO KING’s GO!
[Reply]
Quisp-
If Brad Richardson sees your lines, he may injure himself out of happiness.
Seems like the locigal move and Smyth will make sure he’s moving all the time, although lately, nobody’s had to tell him.
[Reply]
House Burning Down,
Smyth – Kopitar – Purcell
Frolov – Handzus – Brown
Lewis – Stoll – Simmonds
You got these line combos perfect in my opinion, along with the idea of tossing Fro up to JW’s spot if the game goes south. Your combos work because Purcell will be able to get the puck to Smyth and Kopi, but they will also absorb some of his mistakes (it should also mean that a good D pairing is out there when Teddy is).
That second line is great because now we’re talking about a real secondary scoring line. Looks great on paper, hopefully it can click on the ice. Zeus and Fro will protect the puck for Brown so that he can shoot it wide in the slot 3 times per shift (I kid, I kid).
That hypothetical third line looks like a good energy line. I like how Stoll has played the last couple of games, he really had me worried when the season started. Now there’s a jump in his step and I like the way he’s throwing himself around out there. Simmer could be mini-Frolov on that line, and Lewis would have a chance to play with some actual hockey players.
It’ll be interesting to see what TM comes up with. And for anyone calling Justin Williams “injury prone” or “made of glass”, congratulations for revealing yourself as completely ignorant to the reality of the NHL. Injuries happen to every team, and to most players at some point. Justin has had a string of UNLUCKY injuries that in no way suggest that he’s a soft or “glass” player. Murray seems to think he’ll only miss one game for this, which is good because his play has been extremely solid as well, much to the dismay of the doomsayers that were crapping all over him earlier in the season.
[Reply]
Cmon lanny stache, browny hit a couple posts and crossbars early on…lol, i think our backup goaltending could be a real issue this year, ersberg is way to shaky, but would bringing up bernier help?, or leave him down for more seasoning, or look for a competant backup for quick?
[Reply]
WHoever said Lewis on 1st please. Pressbox to first line? Smart.
Purcell or Frolov. Only options
[Reply]
“WHoever said Lewis on 1st please. Pressbox to first line? Smart.
Purcell or Frolov. Only options”
Hey, wasn’t Frolov just in the pressbox the last game?
Sorry, couldn’t resist!
[Reply]
cute.
[Reply]