First, thanks to everyone for the kind words yesterday. It was good to get back to the rink today, and in a couple hours I’ll be off to Phoenix.
At practice today, the Kings skated at full strength and skated as Terry Murray said they would:
Smyth-Kopitar-Williams
Parse-Stoll-Simmonds
Frolov-Handzus-Brown
Ivanans-Richardson-Purcell (and Harrold)
Here’s what Murray said today about why he put the lines together the way he did…
MURRAY: “Having just made the change with the Handzus-Frolov-Brown line, I’m going to keep that together for a little while. I want to see the chemistry continue to come out on it. I’ve got three veteran guys that play in all situations, play against the top lines of the opposition, and I know there’s some real good offense in there. I want to see that start to happen. With Simmer on Stoll’s line, with Parse, Simmer has been playing very well, and I want to give him an opportunity there, with that Stoll line, to see if something good can happen out of it, good chemistry. He’s going to go to the net, hold the puck, make plays, and Parse has been playing pretty well. I’ll keep going with him.
“I need to see a little bit more out of Teddy. That’s why I’ve knocked him down to the line with Richie and Ivanans right now. To me, it looks like, today, that Peter Harrold will be the guy that is out of the lineup, with Purcell going there. And I’ll stay with Purcell, because he brings something special, power play, he sees the ice and makes plays. I want to get him going again. I don’t want to take him out of the lineup to try to send him any kind of a message. I just need him to pick it up to where he was in the early part of the going here.”
Murray was also asked about the rationale for asking more of a player while, at the same time, putting him in a role with less-skilled players…
MURRAY: “We’re not taking him off the power play. He’s going to stay with that. He’s going to play in special teams, and even 4-on-4. I was going to get him out there the other night in overtime, but it didn’t work out. I certainly had a plan to play him and Richie there, near the end of that overtime period. I like Teddy on the power play. I think he’s a very gifted player. He sees the ice, makes plays, and I just don’t want to take that off our special teams right now.”
Still think the handzus line is the 2nd line but i guess there sort of the checking line too. Hard to tell.
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Rich, just wondering….Do or have any of the players, coaching staff, Mr. Miller, Mr. Fox..or front office say they have posted comments to this web site? Read it?I think I remember Bob & Jim saying they were looking forward to following Kings insider. Have they? Well, just wondering..if they followed what some of the fans were thinking.
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I like the formation of the top 3 lines. I must say that I disagree with the placement of Purcell on the 4th line, but we’ll see how it goes. I don’t believe that his style of play is well suited for it.
As for the PP, if Purcell was really thriving on it, I would have expected him to have more than 0 PowerPlay Goals and 0 PowerPlay Assists.
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I agree totally MGM. Purcell is not a fourth line guy. He’s far too skilled. What’s funny is that he gets sent to the fourth after being one of the best (if not the best) players in the last game. I would have put Simmonds there. I think he’s shown the last couple of games that he’s out of place on the first line. I think he’s a great energy guy who’s primarily suited for a checking line.
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Right now Purcell is more of a fourth line guy than Simmer is. It was either going to be Parse or Purcell getting fourth line duty, and after 3 games Parse has played better than Purcell has over the whole month. If we get Clune on that line instead of Ivanans we’re looking at 4 solid lines, all of which could provide some offense.
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Go ahead and ruin Frolov again by putting him back on the third line, Terry Murray! Geez!!!
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Frolov is an offensive player, a scorer not a checker!!!
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Frolov has put up his best points of the season with Brown on that line, rocknroll. You’re being sarcastic though, right?
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Some thoughts on the Kings and lineup change:
1. Scott Parse deserves to play given what he has done since being called up
2. Play Simmonds anywhere – he can/will do it all:
Dig the puck out of the corner – check
Play the body – check
Energy guy – check
Score some goals – check
…I believe he’s going to be as good, if not better than Brownie. That’s a big expectation to set out there for the guy but he’s got all the tools to make it happen. He’s just have to have it burn inside him (heart) and learn from the vets and coaches.
3. Perhaps entertain sitting Raitis every now and then by mixing in Harrold, or any other smart and good skating fwd. The fourth line would be pretty solid defensively.
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Hmm…chemistry…like Purcell and Parse? Oh…wait?
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“I just need him to pick it up to where he was in the early part of the going here.”
Early going? Training camp was a long time ago Terry.
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So Williams comes back and goes back onto the top line? WTF! Stupid!
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