alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />Just got back from the morning skate…no lineup changes expected, with Peter Harrold and Randy Jones expected to be the scratches.
Looking to tonight, the Kings are going to have to overcome some recent history if they’re going to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since the lockout ended, the Kings are 0-2-1 against Pittsburgh. They lost 4-1 last season, 4-2 the season before and won 4-3 in overtime at Staples Center on Nov. 1, 2006.
The Kings have also had a tough go against defending Stanley Cup champions. They went 0-1 against Carolina in 2006-07, 2-4-2 against the Ducks in 2007-08 and 0-3-1 against Detroit last season. Here’s what Terry Murray said about facing the defending champions tonight…
MURRAY: “It’s not a measure-stick game for me. It’s another game, but it’s also another big game. When you’re playing the elite teams in the league, there’s always an extra push to see where it’s all at for your own team. So that’s significant, in and of itself. They’re playing extremely well, they’re the champions, and we’re going to have to bring our A game in order to play well against them. Looking back over the start of the year, the only game I look at and say we didn’t start properly would be opening night. All our other games, our first periods have been, in some cases, very good, in other cases good, and I feel that tonight we’re going to have to be right on top of it.”
Per Terry Murray:
“It’s not a measure-stick game for me”…
“there’s always an extra push TO SEE WHERE IT’S ALL AT FOR YOU OWN TEAM.”
Ummmm….isn’t that the definition of a measuring stick game? Sometimes I wonder if they listen to themselves speak….
Go get em tonight boys! Give em their 1st road loss….
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Wait a minute.
“It’s not a Measuring-Stick game for me”
“There’s always an extra push TO SEE WHERE IT’S ALL AT FOR YOUR OWN TEAM” – Isn’t that pretty much the definition of a ‘Measuring-Stick’ game?
What did I miss here Rich? Did TM just travel the entire spectrum of potential answers to that question in 2 sentences?
Sincerely-
Confused
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Wow Josh, it’s not so scary we had the exact same thought, but to word the quotes the exact same way? LOL
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Yes, for sure. It’s a coach’s nature not to publicly say that one game is more important than another, even though we all know there’s more excitement and interest for a game against the champions than a game against, say, Phoenix. I always think it’s interesting to see how coaches toe that line.!
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Now Josh and Cynic,
Try this: Word the answers you would get from TM if, A) Kings win; B) Kings lose.
If you both say the same things again…
Jinx!
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ha ha. that’s funny! what r the chances?
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Rich- Were you thinking of the contradiction as he said it? I could understand you not calling him on it in front of him, but That is a pretty wide swing in 2 sentences. I wonder if he was addressing something else in that 2nd sentence only he knows about. Rob Scuderi thinks it’s a measuring stick game though, and quite frankly I hope all the players do. Challenge can only help elevate their game tonight.
Bako:
If the Kings Win: “They played hard. This is the best team in the league and current Stanley Cup Champions. It was a good showing and we were showing a lot of confidence. We have to continue to make it known to the other teams in the league that it is going to be hard to play in our building. This one is in the books and it’s on to some more solid practice and Saturday’s game.”
If the Kings Lose: “They played hard. This is the best team in the league and current Stanley Cup Champions. It was a good showing and we were showing a lot of confidence. We have to continue to make it known to the other teams in the league that it is going to be hard to play in our building. This one is in the books and it’s on to some more solid practice and Saturday’s game.”
What do I win? :-)
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If the Kings win: we played as a team today,Kopi was on his game, defensemen had no mental lapses, good game by Quick. Raitis is a stud.
If the Kings lose: If that God D**n Frolov would just play up to his potential……
Give em hell boys, I’l be up in 304 screaming insanely for every Kings goal.
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In a previous thread Jumping Shrimp said:
“Quisp burns the posters once again with his numbers.”
You see the thing with numbers is that they can be pretty self serving if one knows how to manipulate them to their benefit.
If I remember right Quisp came up with a pretty convincing algarythym last season showing how the kings would make the playoffs because they were improving by 2 points after every 10 games. The theory was pretty convincing but as we all know it wasn’t even close after the games were played.
So now quisp is saying that Fro is getting easier assignments this season which proves lack of effort.
If you ask me it’s all relative.
Who’s to say playing against which lines are the easier assignment?
So Fro isn’t playing a lot against the top lines according to Quisp’s numbers. Which would mean Fros playing a lot against shut down lines. Is’t that what we would play against guys we don’t want to score?
All quisps numbers prove is that we’re getting out coached and other teams are getting the matchups they want. Right? It definalty doesn’t prove that Fro would not be putting up better numbers on the top line.
Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t, but we’ll never know until we see it and all the number manipulation in the world is going to change that.
Common sense tells me that anyone would put up better numbers playing with kopi and smythe, but I could be wrong.
By the way, I like frolov right where he’s at on the third and think he’s an important piece to the puzzle.
I don’t think Fro is the best like some nor do I think he’s horrible like others. He is what he his, a guy scoring about a point a game on the third line, which is something every team would love to have.
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No point pretending it’s not a measuring-stick game when it is. TM trying to shield the kids from disappointment if they get smoked?
They’re going to need to figure out how to handle big-game pressure eventually – after all, we saw how they handled the stress of opening night. How would they handle opening a playoff series on the road?
I’m sure they know that how they respond to this matchup is a good indicator of where they are as a team.
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on the player’s level…this sure is a measuring stick game for Kopitar. No way around it.
Of course the team’s results come first, but if he can put together a solid performance against the Pens tonight, then we can officially say: “Eastern conference…you have been warned. Kopitar is taking names and dare I say it…is an early candidate for the Art Ross.” Ohhhh I just got the chills typing that…
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Great responses from everyone. I think TM is doing the right thing by not publicly saying it’s a measuring stick, but I hope he is letting his players know that this could be a great win for us.
Cynic: That was classic.
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Hogwash! This is the first real test. The Pens get the edge in goaltending and defense. Kings have the best line in hockey and with the right line combinations more skill offensively especially with Malkin out.
This is a must win game if for no other reason than to build on the teams confidence.
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The Kings are something like 10 games over .500 against the penguins dating back to 1989.
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they have to lose on the road eventually…why not tonight? I also heard somewhere the pens haven’t lost a game they scored more than one goal in…any truth to that?
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Kings Win> TM: “Our guys played well together, make smart plays, passes. Simmers and Kopi playing full 200ft, moving their feet. Parse continues to prove me wrong, what do i know”
Kings Loss> TM: “Lets not forget, they are one of the elite teams, the SC Champs. Our guys were 2 steps behind them and couldn’t keep up. We need more from our guys, and to show the winning mentality”
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Cynic> that sounds about right, same speech for either outcome… lol good stuff.
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“All quisps numbers prove is that we’re getting out coached and other teams are getting the matchups they want. Right?”
If TM ever starts outcoaching the rest of the coaches in the league, god help all the other teams. Because so far getting outcoached has gotten us to 9-4-2. Our record seems to say that we are the team getting the better of the match-ups more often…but then again our record is just numbers.
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RJC76> I was playing devils advocate there, showing how one could put random numbers together to prove something; that is absolutely false. Get it?
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Griddle
There is truth to that stat. Their 3 losses are a shutout, 4-1 & 2-1 loss
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It would be refreshing if a coach would come out and just be honest. Not worry about the PC quotes.
“Yes it is a big game” “We have played well and we want to see how we play against the top teams”.
I’m not asking for an Ozzie (White Sox) response but just call it what it is.
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I get what you were saying, it’s just that comment made me chuckle a little. I guess the last sentence was not required. Forgive the sarcastic last sentence…old habits I guess.
And I totally agree with you regarding Fro and which line he is on. I think he’s fine right where he is.
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How a coach can contradict himself in the first two sentences is beyond me. Just doing it in an interview is bad enough.
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The Only Thing Missing From That Quote:
“Well we are going to take it one period at a time. It’s only one game of 82 in a season. The Sun Rises In The East and Sets In The West. Always Have Clean Undies on in case of an Accident”
Nice TM….Throw the book away and speak to us like a person and not the robot everyone believes you to be.
Saying just I’m
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Cup4LA kind of proves Reno’s point regarding stats, doesn’t he?
Rich goes back 3 years = bad.
Cup goes back 10 years = good.
Sure you can manipulate numbers to be positive or negative sometimes. In regards to Fro, his role is different now. Reno says he accepts that and that is a good thing. I do also. I agree with Reno he is an important piece to that 3rd line because of his ability to possess the puck and eat time.
My beef with Fro has never been stats related, it’s been about effort. As that 3rd line LW who helps maintain possession, he needs to be that 2 way player even MORE in that role as he will be skating even more to play defense wehn the other team gets the puck back. This means he can’t take nights off. Fro might not be comfortable with that role, only he knows. I’d just like to know.
I always take Q’s stats with a grain of salt, but many times they’ve offered me a new vantage point on things that sometimes I’ve already kind of made up my mind on. One thing it does do is give me a better appreciation of the game. Really, that’s what stats are supposed to do for the fan, right?
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Dave in Torrance = 2 thumbs up!
You better believe this is a measuring stick, and a huge one at that.
This will ba a war between 2 hungry and skilled young teams, 1 being the reigning champs, and the others the rising young upstarts. Do the Kings have enough yet? We shall see, But dont fool yourselves about this being any other game.
From one end of the spectrum to the other, everyone will be trying to press dominance on the other. This goes for Kopi vs. Crosby, 1st lines vs 1st lines, D vs D, Quikster vs. Fleury, Doughty vs. Goligoski, even Raitis vs. Godard.
Now if this ends up as a 1 sided Pens win, we tried, but were not yet ready. On the other hand, if the Kings play the way I see them capable of performing, the whole NHL will be buzzing about it.
Just one mans thoughts.
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One item to consider when playing with numbers. Just like Mr. Rich says about (+/-). You must consider the X factor or the unknown. I could go way to deep but to stay on the surface… consider a player who is playing against a top line but the center is sick, the left wing took a puck off the foot the night before, back to back games…and the mere fact that double shift take place and on and on and on.
However, the great teams are consistent!
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Raitis vs Godard….
Oh MAN does this need to happen.
Here’s Godard taking on Brashear Oct 2nd:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bpxg6W1Dk0
He gets caught early, but just really hands it to donald, especially with a nice little uppercut at the end. Don loses his melon cap and gets cut. Eric and Ivan need to drop ‘em tonight. It would be an epic battle.
Rich – Please get the word to Raitis so he’s ready.
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Hey rich kind of off topic, but whats with the frolov trade rumour on espn, theyve still got it up, where do they get this crap?
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Maybe if the Pens were as healthy as the Kings it could be a measuring stick. Rather still they’re not playing any slouches.
However without Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar and Maxime Talbot you get still a very good team but not the elite team they can be.
Imagine the Kings minus three; two all-stars and a decent winger. Then another team calling it a measuring stick type game, we’d call them crazy.
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Cynic & Josh,
Funny, funny, funny!
I understand the obvious contradiction, and I can see TM in my mind’s eye shaking his head, muttering “I can’t believe I said that!” under his breath.
I guess it’s the religious shtick in my upbringing that sees TM’s point of view with the “It’s not a measure-stick game for me” quote. I see TM as the schoolhouse nun with the long wooden ruler. Measure-stick is used to punish, not to praise. It doesn’t matter the game outcome, the effort (probably) will be huge. The players definitely want to send a message: We’re for real!
To be fair, I have to answer my own question. TM will say the same thing no matter the outcome. “The effort was huge tonight… ___ came up big, we took control in the ___ period, I was pleased with the effort.” But he’ll also say, “They’re the defending Champions over there. We KNEW they would come to play, winning streak on the road to defend…”
TM’s a teacher first. He sees ‘measure-stick’ as a punishment for sub-par behavior, consequence for blowing cheese. At the same time, he knows the adrenaline will be sky high and the PLAYERS want to know where they stand.
So, there will be no stick after this game. Only praise. And I hope Dave in Torrance (used to live there myself) up in 304 gets heard tonight, because it’s going to be LOUD…
Keep your heads, boys. We can take these bobbing Bozos tonight! Just wish Malkin were there to get his backside beat-down in OUR house, for last year…
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Godard was looking like Ogie Olglethorpe the way he had his arms moving before contact, but if he lets Ratias get a first shot like the one brashear got… it’s lights out.
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kingsfan2316 says:
Hey rich kind of off topic, but whats with the frolov trade rumour on espn, theyve still got it up, where do they get this crap?
I don’t see anything referring to this on ESPN.
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Kingsfan said:
whats with the frolov trade rumour on espn, theyve still got it up, where do they get this crap?
I don’t see anything referring to this on ESPN.
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Kingsfan–
Don’t know fer sure, but…
Refresh, refresh, refresh!
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Gotta add this, for those who remember Kyle Calder…
“The Bakersfield Condors had a quick pre-game skate at Rabobank Arena this morning and jump on a bus around noon to head to Las Vegas for tonight’s game (Nov. 5).
The busing on the day of the game is new this year, as part of cost-saving measures being taken by many teams.
Line combinations:
Weller-Sexton-Sharp
Calder-Ianiero-Goulet
MacMillian-Naglich-Kemp
Lizon”
Can’t imagine how Andrew Ianero feels right now…
Can’t imagine how Kyle Calder feels right now…
Bakersfield to Las Vegas, by bus.
That’s Hard Time.
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Off topic but some Peice of S&$t just shot a bunch of people in Temple Tx a couple hours south of me….7 dead and 30 shot so far. Sad…
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‘Ianiero’
Man, he’d be p#ssed!
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Hey All! Long time, first time here -
Dave in Torrance – I will be going beserk in section 321. Upper level will be rocking! I hope the whole place is going nuts! Crank it up!!! The boys are going to bring their “A” game, as fans we need to bring ours too!
Cynic, would love to see an Ivanans and Goddard tilt too. Think it might be pretty good. Raitis hadn’t thrown down in a while, but got in a tune up bout in Phoenix, so he should be ready.
Go get ‘em boys. Always makes my week when a visiting team comes in to town and whips the Ducks and then comes to Staples and the Kings get the W. Best of both worlds for us Kings fans here in OC.
GO KINGS!!!
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Yah guys go to espns home page, click on nhl, then scroll down and on your lefthand side youll see rumours and its frolov trade rumour
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Who needs to pay for Espn’s rumours when we get the real thing for free from a real insider. I get all my Kings news right here. I’m on Rich’s site so often I found out Michael Jackson was Dead here first from a comment…
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Guess the Kings won’t be stopping any records tonight:
http://kings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=504933&navid=DL|LAK|home
But we can still kill the streak.
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HA HA HA, i think thats the funniest thing ive ever seen, paying for rumours, whats espn’s deal, i already knew they were more of a tabloid than a sports network, the real boys are tsn, nothin but solid news and reporting!
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on the Measuring stick quote…
If TM is trying to get the point across to the team that they’re as good as anyone in the league right now..by using that quote, he’s saying I’m not sure whether we’re as good as teams like the Pens, so let’s see how we do against them. ie “measuring stick”
I might be totally wrong on that, but that’s how I take that statement.
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Kingsfan, ESPN is garbage. they refer to this rumor as a potential trade for fro to EDM
http://www.hendrickshockey.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=919:frolov-to-the-oilers&catid=40:the-rumors&Itemid=90
here is what the garbage said… what a load of crap:
Alexander Frolov should be back from a sore hip flexor by the end of the week, but he may not get any ice time — and that’s not good, considering Frolov is already a disgruntled camper.
The third line with Scott Parse, Jarret Stoll and Dustin Brown will stay intact, coach Terry Murray told the Los Angeles Times, which means Frolov may be scratched. Murray benched Frolov earlier this month because of his lackadaisical play, which only furthered the divide between the winger and management.
Frolov is reportedly not talking to GM Dean Lomardi or Murray, Hendrick’s Hockey reports.
That said, a trade may be on the horizon, but the only team that’s shown interest in him is the Oilers, sportacentrs.com reports.
Lombardi chimed in earlier in the week on the situation: “It borders on not caring and that’s not tolerable.”
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Thanks for puttin that up DB6 for some reason i couldnt see anything but a title, i know complete trash hey, i mean thats a joke, why do they do that stuff.
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Wonder what rich thinks bout that????
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Kingsfan, Hollywood is nothing without drama!
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Ha ha good point!
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the way i see tm comments is that everygame is just as important as the next so if this is a “measuring stick”game and we destroy them then we lose to, say the leafs. it doesn’t matter who we win or lose too, it matters how we play, the consistancy we show from game to game that’s the “measuring stick” in my mind.
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Time to suit up!
I’m nervous already.
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Yeah right?
I was going to drive to the game tonight … but I think it’s gonna be a four beer night.
So the subway’s on tap.
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If they lost two to the Pens in regulation, and won one in overtime, doesn’t that make them 1-2-0?
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