Terry Murray wrinkles his nose at the idea of “measuring stick” games, but it’s clear that a game against the Stanley Cup champions is a natural way for a team to see where it stands. Luc Robitaille visited Penguins practice today — as did Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, who seemingly can’t get enough hockey — so I asked Robitaille about what the Kings can take from the way the Penguins rose from the bottom of the NHL to the top.
ROBITAILLE: “They’ve developed fairly quick with those young guys. They have a lot of character. You like at a guy like Sidney, he plays with a lot of integrity and character every game. I’m not sure the comparisons are fair, but I think the important thing for us right now is that way we’re playing as a team. It’s a big game tomorrow, because when you play the Stanley Cup champions, you want to beat them, but at the same time, it’s two points that we need to get in order to keep climbing. The only way we’ve got a chance to meet them in the playoffs is in the Finals, so hopefully that happens for us.”
wow – did I read that right? Luc is hoping to meet the Pens in the finals this year?
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“…from the way the Penguins rose from the bottom of the NHL to the top.”
It helps to absolutely suck and finish near last we the right players become draft eligible. I know a couple of these players are not on the team anymore, but that is still quite a list.
2000 draft Brooks Orpik
2001 draft Colby Armstrong
2002 draft Ryan whitney
2003 draft Marc-Andre Fluery
2004 draft Evgeni Malkin
2005 draft Sidney Crosby
2006 draft Jordan Staal
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I like Luc’s attitude!
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THe way this team is playing right now, they could go all the way. The reason I say that is, their play is DOMINATE over most teams. They completely dictate play, at times, seemingly by willing it to happen. That is a BIG sign of improvement and confidence. This is why I wish time of possession (Especially in the O-Zone) was a kept stat. Detroit mastered this to become what they have the last 15 years.
I think as the Kings gain even more confidence, you’ll see them literally control 60 minutes of games on a regular basis. Right now, they seem to do it for 30-40 minutes consistently and that one bad period causes them fits each night. That’s the learning process. I’m excited not for just the prospects and new blood, but the team cohesion and dominace. I never thought I would see that THIS year. Look at the 3rd period in Phoenix. The team literally flipped a switch and dominated. I still pinch myself when that happens. I don’t EVER remember a Kings TEAM in the last 30 years that could do that. A line, yes: Triple Crown, LAPD but not an entire team.
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FYI
“You like (look?) at a guy…”
“…is that (minus way or the way) we’re playing as a team.”
Just Luc and his mouth full of marbles? Or typos?
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Cynic, I agree and would be thrilled if the Kings go that far!
But the season is long and could be very grinding on this group of players. Definitely, the desire, the hunger is there and you’re right about the domination this team has demonstrated time and time again this year, against the Rangers and Detroit even though they ended up losing those games.
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You know Dman, I worried about the grind as well, but then I think about the team of ’93. They weren’t supposed to be there either. It can happen. If the consistency continues to build, we got a good shot. It would be a helluva jump, but as previously mentioned by Rich, Pittsburgh did it. Why can’t we?
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Cynic — I also agree 100%. I thought the youngsters would make many more mistakes than they have. I thought the team would have trouble making the playoffs and now looking at the play of the kids, I feel we could even win a series in April. Then you never know. Sometimes kids don’t know they are suppose to be nervous.
It is funny, I go to HS football games on Fridays and so many fans talk about the Kings at halftime. There is an undercurrent of pride tugging on this city. It is in Staples also. I have never heard so many fans slamming Mason before and during the game as I have ever heard on a visiting goalie in LA before. It is going to be a fun year.
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dman, Cynic, I think that depth (which Cynic talks about) is important to dealing with the grind of the season, both physically and mentally. I agree that this team is playing better from top line to 4th that Kings teams of the past. That’s DL’s emphasis on rebuilding the reserve list paying off, because depth in the organization as a whole pays off in the depth of the 20 guys you can field at the NHL level on any given night. It’s also the key to withstanding injuries and having guys lose their mental edge. Guys fall away, but there are guys willing and able to step up and take their place. I can only think of 2 or 3 guys on this team who are well and truly irreplaceable in that they are head and shoulders above who would take their place.
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As for Luc’s attitude, well, you don’t want a man in his position to be saying in public, “Well, y’know, we’re probably not going deep into the playoffs this year, but whatever.” Right?
And Jonesy makes a good point about what went into building today’s Pens. They had to endure a lot of suckitude. And they had to be patient until the young guys came around. Heck, here we are worrying about Quick in his first full year in the NHL. But I seem to remember that MA Fleury made his NHL debut against the Kings and gave up 5 goals. That night, he didn’t much look like a goalie who would someday carry a team to the Stanley Cup.
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Jet, you make a great point. It could be very possible that the kids are just playing hockey and having so much fun being confident and beating these solid teams that the nerves are pretty much ignored. That could easily carry into the playoffs. For me, the key is the ability to turn IT on or off at will. This team is doing that right now and I really am shocked as hell! I expected less than this and I couldn’t be happier right now. Infact, my whole take on this season is to ride this wave of enjoyment as far as it goes. It’s been a long time since I caught a wave like this.
What was really cool, I have a neighbor who coaches a Ducks sponsored junior team. He looks at me the other day and just says ‘F*** The Kings’ and laughs. Of course he’s joking, but how many times has my team frustrated the fans of another team in this league in the last 10 years? MAN theat freakin’ felt GOOD! LOL
Doug, I can think of more than 2-3, but your point is well made. From what GMs in the league are saying about our team, this is the deepest pool of talent anyone has EVER seen in the NHL. Thing is, we all know this is Lombardi’s strength: Drafting. Now DL has to prove he has more dimentions to HIS game, and that’s what he’s doing now. That, I believe, is EXACTLY the reason ‘Building The Culture’ is EVERYTHING to him right now and it is directly related to the mistakes he made in SJ. He learned from them. SJ STILL hasn’t built the culture. Their talent wins them President’s Trophys but their collective heart continues to lose them Stanley’s in the playoffs.
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i heard some kings member got fired why? like a medic or something
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Cynic,
I’m not sure it’s quite fair to attach the current team in SJ to Lombardi. He may have laid the foundation but it’s been years since he was there and lots of things have changed since he left. I don’t know for a fact, but I think that he may have tried to instill this culture of winning there, but ownership got tired of waiting, fired him and re-organized, chucking the culture thing out the window for more immediate results that have yet to happen.
I’m hoping that ownership here is more patient, seeing the results of his work so far and willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as no other GM in Kings history has been able to accomplish anything close to what he has built in the last 3 years. That alone should give him some valuable brownie points.
And truth be known, my secret fantasy is the Kings win the cup and the Monarchs win the Calder the same year. Possible? Who knows?
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Now that the Kings are winning I don’t see anyone complaining about AEG… when they were losing and AEG kept their hands-off (seemingly) everyone was up in arms over their lack of involvement.
All-in-all it appears (definitely giving the benefit of the doubt here to AEG) that they’ll let Deano run the team and when he wants to spend money and can justify it, the money will be there.
On a sidenote, i was at home in LA last week for 2 days and maybe everyone takes it for granted but it was soooo cool to see all the LA King Pride=Passion=Power billboards everywhere.
Luc is doing a fantastic job.
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D-
True, but look at the lasting effects Dave Taylor left on our franchise after he left. It can last for years and the new guy coming in is supposed to fix whatever apparantely didn’t work. Maybe you’re right in the fact that DL didn’t get a chance to instill the culture in SJ. The mistake would be then that he didn’t instill it as he was drafting like he has done here with us. I think when Dean came here, he created a much clearer vision of what he was trying to achieve and the due diligence to the plan has been paying off early with the players buying in to the philosophy.
With SJ, Doug Wilson (IMO) has not instilled the culture of winning at all costs and it shows in the playoff performances of his teams. Sure guys like Thornton are gifted studs, but as professionals, they should man-up come playoff time. Throughout all of SJ’s failures in the playoffs, he seems so neutral about it all. Where’s the intensity? He’s a leader. That stuff rubs off on the others. It was a recognized problem there when DW took over. It’s easy to just blame the players when that stuff happens, but it is the GMs job to build the face and attitude of the franchise.
I think DL learned about ‘culture’ or lack thereof and its impact from his time in SJ and reinforced its importance while in Philly. I think DW has not focused on culture and while SJ continues to be dominate and win games during the season, I bet you’ll see them lose in the 1st round again this year. I don’t see any difference in their play this year from last. What cracks me up is the only ‘Fire’ I see from any player on that team is the guy who was stripped of his captaincy, Marleau. The rest is just talent.
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Cynic
You brought up the most important factor…..DL and can he do more than just draft good young talent? If he CAN’T put all the pieces together and build us a winner, obviously this team will go no where. However, if he can somehow manage this Frolov situation right and add a piece or two without subtracting too much, he will have done what maybe NO Kings GM’s has been able to do, give us a team that will contend for the CUP year after year for maybe the next 10+ years, aka Detroit!
I really believe DL is capable of finishing the job. I was one of those in the beginning that was completely frustrated with the scrubs he would continually pick off the free agent market. I think all of us finally see and can better appreciate what he was doing all along. I think his strategy has paid off and now he just has to put the icing on the cake.
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Cynic, you make a lot of sense and i have to agree.
Mullet, I also agree. I think DL can build this franchise into a cup winning franchise and I also believe that he has built a team here in L.A. that has long-term implications.
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Mullet-
Hindsight is always 20/20 and I was saying the same things when the scrubs came, although I will admit I was happy there was action in the NHL news with the name KINGS on it. I remember when we were never very active, honestly I think out of fear, because Dave Taylor remembers when Gretzky hepled mortgage the future to get to the cup final in ’93. It hurt us severely and DT (I feel) was so afraid to pull off blockbusters for fear of mortgaging any future we may have developing.
Deean is just so schooled on drafting that it seems second nature to him. He doesn’t seem to have any fear on moving assets if the return is the right fit where DT was much more apprehensive. You are so right about how Frolov is such an important piece to our future. It could literally become the final piece to the team puzzle that makes us into a Detroit for 10+ seasons. I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
It sure helps when the team is clicking like this WAY ahead of schedule.
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cynic
You are so right about DT but isn’t it true that most former players make lousy executives.
Speaking of exceptions, I’m glad you brought up Frolov because most of the board and on one or two occasion even I wanted to see him moved. You cannot move this guy! Players with his particular talents just don’t grow on trees.
The next guy is Williams. For whatever reason, he just seems to make that first line go. Kudos to DL for making that move! We havn’t had a line like this since Palfy, Allison, Deadmarsh. This is how you build a cup contender, a line that puts fear on the opposing team. If we can somehow get consistent scoring from another line we will be so much better….the thought of it makes me giddy
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Mullet-
I have to be honest, Frolov is an important piece for 2 reasons:
1- If he plays within the system and brings it every night 100%, he brings a puck possession, shutdown LW with scoring ability to a 3rd line and severely increases our depth.
2- If he does NOT play the system and continues to slack 1 out of 3 or 4 games, his talent might bring us the key player(s) we need to fill the position he is not.
I want Fro to stay. I think he’ll be moved. It’s up to Fro to accept and thrive in his new role.
I think most LONG TERM former players make bad GMs. Seems like the shorter term ones do better. Maybe less head trauma?
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