Justin Williams will miss his fourth consecutive game tomorrow with his ever-mysterious lower-body injury. Terry Murray said Williams skated by himself for a half hour before Tuesday’s practice, but Williams is not making the trip to San Jose. Murray indicated that Williams is making progress, but also used the dreaded phrase “felt it” in terms of the injury, which is never a great sign. Again, we’ll see…
MURRAY: “He skated today for about 30 minutes before the team practice. Felt pretty good. A little bit, at the end, he felt it, that lower-body injury. So he will stay back. He will do the same thing again tomorrow, and get on the ice by himself, and hopefully he should be close by Thursday maybe. We’ll see in the morning skate. Might play.”
Murray did indicate, clearly, that Williams would return to his role as the first-line right wing upon his return. What that means for Wayne Simmonds remains to be seen.
MURRAY: “My philosophy, through my whole coaching career, (is that) a player never loses his position because of an injury. It’s not his fault. He’s out there trying to do the right thing, playing, and when a player gets hurt you can never take a player’s position away because of that.”
That is a fair way to coach. Hopefully with the way Simmonds is playing it will put a little more pressure on JW to elevate his game.
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Thanks for that tidbit from Murray Rich. I’m disappointed in that thought, but he’s the coach and we’re winning. Far be it from me to tell him how to do his job. I just think Williams would add something to that third line we haven’t seen yet. Simmonds could go there, but I think Williams would be better.
Hopefully Willie won’t be long-term on the free skate.
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what if the replacement player is performing the injured player’s role better than the injured player did?
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Williams 9 points in 9 games on the first line. Simmonds 3 points in 3 games on the first line. Yet somehow, in too many Kings fans eyes, Simmonds is the second coming. Murray will never punish a player, especially a veteran, for getting injured. Williams will be back on the first line, right where he should be. Simmonds has done a nice job filling in.
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agree with Regulate 100%
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Agree and disagree
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i really hope this isnt the same injury that kept him sidelined previously (not the wrist obviously). The longer he stays out the more nervous I get. This situation would be magnified if we were not winning! Cant they just tell us what it is already? If they do, does that mean other teams will target that injury when playing against him…that would be really LOW (no pun intended)
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Agree and disagree too.
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Yes Tornado…there is a reason why you try not to disclose an exact injury in all sports. These guys are professionals, but they will do anything they can to gain an advantage.
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Well…
By the way things have developed, this likely represents a groin injury, not a fracture or knee/ankle injury. These things are uncertain in timing (in the best of cases). Two-three weeks would not be surprising. When he comes back, Simmonds will have proved if he is consistent on the first line, and if so will have raised the bar on baseline expectations for the right wing.
With that, Williams has to be healthy when he returns. If it takes a little longer, so be it. He must compete to a very high level (and who says he won’t?) to match TM’s expectations.
As far as I’m concerned, that’s a win-win for the Kings.
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yes, their ppg are identical, but simmonds brings an intensity and a drive that williams just hasn’t shown this season. every time simmonds is on the ice, he brings it. he wins every 50-50 puck out there, drives to the net, bangs bodies. williams for the most part plays a perimeter game, gets owned along the boards, and doesn’t move the puck quickly enough. yes, he has put up points, but i think he scores by diffusion. anyone would put up points with kopitar and smyth, but i think simmonds would ultimately put up more and have a greater impact on the game.
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With Terry Murray’s logic, Drew Bledsoe would still be quarterbacking the New England Patriots…and the Dallas Cowboys too.
MasterAl99
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For me it comes down to respect.
I’m with TM on this one.
As I posted earlier … this represents options that we have…. options that we didn’t have before.
Great to be us.
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I look at it from the standpoint of optimal placement. If their point production is equal on that line, and like Dave F said, Simmonds is more effective for that line, you keep him there.
My opinion is that Simmonds opens up more lanes and opportunities for Anze & Smyth than Williams,
I believe Williams finesse game will be much better with Stoll and Parse than Simmonds and would BOOST secondary scoring even more than it is now.
It’s not a matter of respect for one’s position in this case, which I fully understand and respect, it’s what is best for the team. That is more important than any player’s position IMO.
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I don’t buy this respect stuff. These guys get paid bezillions of bucks to win games. We pay bezillions to watch them do it. Put the best players out there who give us the best opportunity to win – that’s how you get my respect. With that said, I don’t know whether Simmonds or Williams is the better choice – I just hate to see the issue resolved by some ancient code of conduct that means squat to me.
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A healthy Williams is better than Simmonds. At least right now. It’s not even a debate.
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STUPID PHILOSOPHY!!
Whats your friggin’ philosophy on players EARNING a spot on a line. WTH did Williams do to get to that line? Curl his hair a certain way? Smile at you in the bus? WHAT did he do…NOTHING last season and NOTHING this season! He’s a friggin’ pylon out there with no motivation. He thinks he can get out of situations with his smile, cause I don’t see talent on the ice that is worthy of 1st line…THIS IS BS MURRAY…COMPLETE BS
JUST another reason why this coach SUCKS!
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“Thanks for that tidbit from Murray Rich. I’m disappointed in that thought, but he’s the coach and we’re winning. Far be it from me to tell him how to do his job. I just think Williams would add something to that third line we haven’t seen yet. Simmonds could go there, but I think Williams would be better.”
Totally agree. Williams on the 3rd line would make that line that much stronger but yet, we don’t lose much if anything with Simmonds on the top line.
Which line looks stronger?
Simmonds/Parse/Stoll or Williams/Parse/Stoll?
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Yea he totally sucks WWAMD, the players hate him and won’t play hard, the team has a losing record, they can’t play offense, they suck on defense, no-one is excited about them….you’re right, he sucks.
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when are Allison and Deadmarsh coming back?
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Hell WWAMD, what gives Williams the right to even be on the team, let alone the 1st line? He should play for the Monarchs – no wait, the Reign – and earn his way back up. That’ll teach him for getting injured.
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Choralone and iansez. I’ve never been MORE excited about this team since Williams left the top line. He should be on the team for sure, BUT NOT ON THE TOP LINE. He’s not a threat there. He doesn’t work hard sorry. Let me say it again THIS TEAM is exciting sans Williams on top line. Love Simmer on the top and he belongs there.
Williams has done nothing to earn top line minutes.
TAKE FOR EXAMPLE LAST YEAR
Moulson, Purcell, Ivanans all on the top line at some point. Same Coach, Murray is an idiot. All long Sully should have been on the top line. When Sully was on the top line Brown and Kopi started to produce. Then he demoted Sully and put in Purcell and Moulson and whomever else from Manchester. That makes NO SENSE. Don’t mess with success is all I’m saying and Murrays philosophy is dumb. He is ALL about favoritism and thats what will be the end of this team.
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Oh no!! Another heartbroken Sully-lover!! Or is it just Anthonyy incognito? By your “logic” wouldn’t NOT returning JW to the top line be “messing with success”? It’s not like that line sucked until Simmonds arrived, they were doing pretty well with JW too. Just get over the Sully-fueled axe-grinding, the coach is fine, it’s a new season and things are peachy here in the Kingdom.
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I agree with Marc…took the words right outta my mouth!
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I think you guys are making too much of Murray’s comments. He didn’t say, “hey Williams will come back and continue to play on the first line even if he sucks and even if the team would be better with Simmonds there.” He has to come back and be as good as he was. If not, Simmonds.
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Also, just for perspective, here is a comparison of Williams’ and Simmonds’ numbers.
GOALS/60 JW 1.61 WS 1.09
ASST1/60 JW 1.07 WS 0.36
ASST2/60 same as ASST1
PTS/60 JW 3.76 WS 1.82
GFON JW 8 WS 7
GFON/60 JW 4.30 WS 2.55
GAON JW 4 WS 2
GAON/60 JW 2.15 WS 0.73
+-/60 JW 2.15 WS 1.82
QUALCOMP JW -0.017 WS -0.044
In short, Williams has better numbers in every category except goals against, in which he has been on the ice for 4 goals against compared to 2 for Simmonds. This, despite the fact that Williams has played against slightly higher-skilled opponents.
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What an amazing problem to have. Whatever happens when JW comes back, we are either benching or sending down a player to Manchester who can help the club. I’m not down on Purcell like everyone else is. But someone has to be the odd man out when JW returns. I would hope it’s not Parse. I really like his vision, passing ability, and chemistry with Stoll.
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Hey WWamd maybe we should bring back Crawford and Avery too!!Then we could go back to the way things were around here.And as if that wasn’t good enough for you maybe then we could get Cloutier or Chechmanek back in goal too!!Hey why stop there we could even replace Bob Miller and Jim Fox with the two idiot’s who do Duck’s games.Why don’t you just enjoy what we have here and stop whining about everything….
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Smyth Kopistar Simmonds
Frolov Handzus Brown
Parse Stoll Williams
Ivanans Richardson Harrold
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Williams was too much of an investment. You can plan on him being injured most of the time….
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