Weeks such as this one lead to interesting decisions from coaches. If you start with three basic assumptions — 1) Frequent games lead to tired players, 2) Staying off the ice is the only way to get rested, and 3) Practicing is the only way to improve — what exactly do you do, as a coach, with three days between games right now? Is it better to rest or to get on the ice and work through problems?
For Terry Murray, the answer was to put his team through a grueling 80-minute practice Sunday, and put the players back on the ice tomorrow for a 10 a.m. practice. The need to work through mistakes, it seems, trumps a day off. Consider, also, that the Kings got a day off Thursday, and it didn’t seem to help them much on Saturday…
Here’s what Murray said today about the lengthy, tough practice:
MURRAY: “It was much needed. It’s been a long time since we had an opportunity to get quality work in, in practice. I certainly welcomed the opportunity to get back into this practice. I think, when the players get away today and get back home, and they’re able to sit down and think about it, they’ll say the same thing. We’ve played a lot, with lots of travel, so it’s good.”
Realistically, only players know when they’re being pushed too much. With that in mind, I asked captain Dustin Brown if he thought the long practice was needed, considering how much the Kings have played of late.
BROWN: “It’s a balance, really. We’ve been playing a lot, but when you don’t practice that much, you get away from the basics, and sometimes you need a good, hard practice. We had one today that was tough, but at the same time, we haven’t had a practice like that in a couple weeks, at least, and only a couple throughout the year.”
Later, when asked about the balanced minutes he gave to the forwards and defensemen yesterday, Murray gave an interesting answer about his team’s energy level, essentially confirming that he has a tired team on his hands.
MURRAY: “I’ve seen this coming for a while, what’s going on here right now with our energy overall. It’s down. The fact of the matter is, the scheduling does play a part in this. Quality practice time is not there. With the travel, it all plays into it. When you look at the schedule, as you get started at the beginning of the year, in my experience I can project when you’re going to start to hit the downside of a cycle.
“So we consciously made a decision to get more guys to play more minutes at this time. I would like to continue with that, if I can. If everybody responds to it the right way, I would like to stay with it. I would love to see Harry and Richie on the penalty kill, and making a real contribution and not just filling in on the last few seconds of a PK. I’d like to see them be a big part of that. That would help with our top-end players and keep them a little fresher. I think, overall, our team performance would be at a higher level through the difficult times of the schedule.”
Work smarter, not harder.
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“I have no comment would have been the right thing to say there.”
When are we going to address the Injury problem? After we are out of the playoff race?
Scuds
Smyth
Stoll
I think you can now move Ivanans up to the 2nd Line to replace Stoll. That will give your 3rd line a rest and help your 1st line settle into their new rolls alowwing the 4th line to play more min on the PP and PK.
I am exhausted..
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if they have an energy problem through 25 games, how are they going to make it through an 82 game schedule and playoffs?
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I have been a murray supporter thus far, but….his decision to move ivanans up was/is a big mistake. he is not nhl material without his fists. he is not frolov. and that us what he is saying essentially when he made that move.
Do you think scotty bowman would have put his worst player in that position? I hope TM has made note of that mistake and learns from it…i guess we will see next game!
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I think this is really bringing to light just how valuable Smyth and Scuderi are, but also how thin our depth is on NHL talent.
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Its kind of difficult not being battered, bruised, and tired when most of your players are soft and taking hits rather than giving hits… I want to see DL acquire at least one damn tough forward and a D-man already!
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Tornado,
Bowman’s worst player would have been no worse than a 2nd liner on this team…
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Smyth is absolutely the engine that turns the wheel. He is the worst possible person to get hurt.
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It is ridiculous for professional athletes to be talking about fatigue. Party less, eat right, and get some sleep. Bumps and bruises are expected, but to be tired after 25 games is a joke.
It’s not quite as bad as baseball players talking about needing a day off after standing in a grassy field all day (what a rough life), but still pretty ridiculous.
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More than anything the Kings players need to do allot of soul searching.
The mantra should be, “Am I truely willing to do whatever it takes to be the best player I can be and to help this team make the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup.”
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Khanon-
It all comes back to toughness. Old NHL, new NHl-toughness makes the game a little easier.
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“I play my best hockey when. . .”
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A few more losses and Mr “our power play will be our enforcer” and”I play my best hockey when…” will be available.
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Man, I’ve heard it all now with this team. We don’t have the NHL talent for a complete roster. With the yearly excuse being “we’re a young team” you would think they’d be less fatigued than any other team. Wonder what past generation of players are saying to that lame excuse.
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@wavesinair–right on!
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It really is tough to be a Kings fan. Seems now like we have gone full circle from Opening Night against Phoenix. Last year, we had that 5 game trip playing the East Coast teams where we did so well, then that turned out to be the last good stretch of play all year. Now, we play great for a stretch and beat Pittsburgh, but since then it has been a slow decent into mediocrity.
I am just going to try to remember that this year is meant to be the first of many, that the plan is working, and that solid improvement has been made from last year. It is a good sign to be disappointed with our current record, over .500 with so many road games played, showing the expectations are justified for better.
Power Play is weak, slow, simple and mechanically predictable. And Kompon? Let’s just say that Dave Tippett used to have his job, and I do not see Kompon following the same career path.
Penalty Kill seems to belong at the bottom.
Frolov is doing everything possible, everything he is asked to do, and doing it well. Still, he is always blamed. I wonder if “Frolov” is actually Russian for “scapegoat”, otherwise the jersey guy should change the lettering on his jersey.
Jack Johnson is still young, very young, but it seems to show more lately.
The line combinations seemed awkward, but lack of familiarity does not create ineptitude with basic puck handling. Passes bouncing off sticks, passes over-leading guys resulting in giveaways, passes into the linesman and referee, we went from a puck-control team to being the Keystone Kings again.
Dustin Brown has got to make some serious adjustments in his thinking and his game. He is playing at 110 miles an hour, but the game is “egg-toss”. He zooms past the play, he zooms into point shots with no net-front screens, he zooms past the net when others shoot and misses rebounds, he zooms all over the place looking for a play that can’t happen because he isn’t taking time for it to develop. His post-game quotes make it sound like he is completely baffled as to what is going on, and he just spouts cliches such as “more energy”… The last thing we need is more running around all over the place; he needs to lead the team back into a puck-controlling, play-making, clock-eating winner. To use a football term, we need to work on the ground game and play-action passes, the run-and-gun only works after the fundamental game is established.
And Quick? I never knew it was going to be short for “quick goals against”. I like the guy, but c’mon kid, get your chit together.
Purcell is fun to watch. It is so entertaining to see him actually skate near people and lightly brush them in the corners. Maybe he rubs a balloon on the bench and is trying to zap them with a small electric shock, I dunno.
I actually like this team, and I am trying to believe in them, but this is starting to look like every other year. Hockey is a thinking man’s game, and we need to improve our “vocabulary” of how to win games.
I ramble becuase I care.
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