It’s a measure of how far Anze Kopitar has come that his game on Monday was referred to as a “bounce-back game.” Kopitar had gone without a point in the previous two games, then totaled one goal and two assists. Last season, for instance, Kopitar had nine different stretches in which he didn’t record a point in at least two consecutive games, but obviously things are different this season.
Kopitar is back atop the league scoring list, with 24 points, one ahead of Alexander Ovechkin, who plays at Florida tomorrow. Terry Murray talked today about Kopitar’s ability to bounce back from tough games…
MURRAY: “Very happy to see that. When players put themselves into positions of leading the way in different categories, there’s a great awareness by them. They’re watching it. They want to stay on top. They want to be excellent at that part of the game that they’re recognized for. Kopi bounced back with a big game, and it was critical that he did that. That’s one of those games that you’re looking for your best players to lead the way, and the line really stepped up. Ryan Smyth got a couple. Willy got a big goal for us. That is the kind of leadership that we need, from Kopi in particular and from that line.”
i just PRAY that he (and the whole team) stays healthy this season… and for their careers for that matter…
pray that we dont have another craig johnson incident… aka when he injured Allison and Deadmarsh in practice and pretty much ended their careers… no jinx NO JINX… please god, no jinx
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Blake’s injured.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=297312
He hurt his undisclosed upper-body.
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Isn’t Ovechkin listed week to week? Thought he was injured
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What I’m praying for is that these Kings are different than the old Kings. No more massive drop off in play after December, no more massive injuries to the entire team and no more 7 year playoff droughts.
This team needs to be the new Kings. A team that doesn’t care what the team before them was like and creates their own identity: DL and TM’s culture of winning if you will.
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I agree with the injury stuff. That was a pretty bad stretch that the team hit a few years back. Hopefully Frolov stays healthy. I’ve read a few Canadian journalist/conspiracy theorists who think all the injured Russians (Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, etc.) are just milking it so they can rest up for the Olympics. Oh, Canada…
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At the start of the season, if someone told you that tonights game against the Pens would feature not only the league scoring leader but also a player tied for 6th overall in points, not a single one of us would have pegged BOTH of them as playing for the kings. How awesome it is that they are!
Congrats to both Kopitar and Smyth on the early season success. Keep it up!
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sad story about former King and current Sharks captain Rob Blake. Apparently Blake was placed on IR today with an undisclosed “upper body injury.” A source close to the Sharks, speaking under anonymity, said that it is the result of complications from Rob’s lack of “heart” which he lost a few seasons ago when he bent over Kings fans and management and took less money to play for the Sharks rather than end his career as one of the most respected and admired Kings players of all time. Asked about his injury, Blake denied comment and instead returned to counting the money in his pocket and kicking puppies in a near by park.
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txkingsfan down the middle, cuts to his left, head fakes to the right, pivots on a dime, shoots and scores! Overtime winner!
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txkingsfan
OUTSTANDING! My side hurts from laughing so hard!
Do I have your permission to copy and paste that in my Kings scrap book under Blakes picture?
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Ha tx! But he has to have a heart first.
J excellent point.
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TX – LOL That was priceless! You had me going at first thinking it was some real career ending injury or something.
Nicely played…
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permission granted! I think Rich and the Kings own all posts on this site after they are submitted – maybe Rich can post it on LAKings.com too!
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sorry for the duplicate post – didn’t see that someone already mentioned the injury on this feed. Regardless, hopefully Blake gets back soon – especially to see the Kings beat SJ again and Kopi/Smyth/Williams make him look like an idiot.
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“What I’m praying for is that these Kings are different than the old Kings. No more massive drop off in play after December…”
That part of your equation, at least, is a relic of an older time. The Kings used to have truly brutal travel schedules back before schedules were weighted in favor of division rivals, and before there were three other teams within a commuter’s flight of LA. The travel would take its toll around the halfway point of the season.
Before the Sharks and the Ducks, and when the ‘Yotes were still the Winnipeg Jets, the Kings were grouped with teams from Western Canada and the Plains because, with the Seals gone, there was nobody closer.
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Blake actually offered to take $1 million a year LESS from the Kings then he ended up receiving from the Sharks.
Summarizing the news stories: Blake proposed to take a $1 million pay cut from his market rates to stay with the Kings. I’m 85% sure Hammond reported that Blake offered to play for the kings for $4 mill a year and ended up signing to play for $5 or $6 mill a year with San Jose.
For the desired free agents, the cap space fills up and the teams and players need to move quick.
Whatever Blake wanted, Lombardi did not not make a firm offer. That is, the Kings wld not make an offer to Blake. Blake apparently called Lombardi directly, still no offer. Blake, without an offer from the Kings, decided he cld not wait longer and had to take the SJ money before they signed someone else and pulled his offer.
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Vicarious,
Thanks for the truth. And which of you wouldn’t have done the same? The Kings management treated Robitaille the same way. Shameful.
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Who cares about Blake’s injury… it’s better for us…… We need SJ to slip down in the standings………
and OVI is listed week to week…and NHL Center ice did state he will NOT play tomorrow.
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I guess you didn’t get the memo about the Ovechkin injury eh Rich?
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“At the start of the season, if someone told you that tonights game against the Pens would feature not only the league scoring leader but also a player tied for 6th overall in points”
Not to mention Tied for 2nd in W’s (9) goaltending
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txkingsfan
Dude That’s some funny, clever sh**
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