alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />I’ll be heading out to practice shortly before the flight to Edmonton, and I’ll definitely grab interviews with Andrei Loktionov and Brandon Segal and find out what the plans are for those two players.
If you’re not familiar with Segal’s story, it’s quite a story. Only 26, Segal has been drafted (in the fourth round by Nashville in 2002), traded (to Anaheim in 2007), traded again (to Tampa Bay in 2008) and signed by the Kings, last summer, to a two-year contract. Through all that, he has played in two NHL games, both last season with Tampa Bay.
Today’s practice figures to last about 45 minutes, in contrast to the previous two days, in which the Kings skated for about 80 and 75 minutes, respectively. Here’s what Terry Murray said about the long practices…
MURRAY: “We really needed it. We needed to get on the ice and get some hard work in over a longer period of time. We’d had only one hard practice in 48 days, and that was near the end of October. So as you go through your schedule, with light practice and getting ready for the game, there’s stuff that creeps into the game, habits that can hurt you over the long haul.
“And physically, you’re playing hard in the games but you just need to give that a little extra push as you have time to do it, with some skating and hard work in the drills, and you hope everybody bounces back to a real high level of energy because of it.”
Hope Segal and Lotki play!
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Ask Segal if he’s filming any movies in the off season and if he’s keeping up with his martial arts and if karate helps his hockey.
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Too bad nobody will get to see them play (unless you have center ice I presume).
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Can’t wait to see the ‘new guys’ play.
Can we please kill the bad Steven Seagal jokes, they were barely amusing when we signed the guy. . . much less so now.
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it will be very interesting to see what the lines will be for tomorrow
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I think I will be able to see it. You can usually see most games involving Canadian teams when you live up here.
Also I have excellent tickets for our game in Vancouver Thursday!!!!! I will be the one in the White Cammalleri jersey screaming my face off!
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Who Cares What Lines Go..
The Only Line That Matters is Rich’s Headlines Kings Win!
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We need all the points we can get while we’re injured!
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Its on sportsnet west! :)
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what is sportsnet west?
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Its a canadian sports station, tsn,s rival
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I do not understand the Segal move I thought we were a better team than that having to use a player nobody wants and has kicked around the nhl with no future sounds like a Purcell It is time the Kings went with quality players even if it means 3 lines only 6 defense
let the others sit on the pines I am tired of Ivanis
Pucell and players who could not make other teams taking time from Brown and et al
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Well backchecker, nothing seems to be working from our PROVEN players right now so whats the harm in giving some new blood a shot?, it may be some a shot in the arm we need right now
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backchecker:
not sure I understand your comparison to Purcell. Teddy was a highly sought after free agent out of college that most teams in the NHL were trying to sign.
And Segal received the call up because he is like Clune, a big body who plays with energy, however he has been scoring as well, Clune has not. Ask every single team in the league if they wished they had taken a chance on guys like Alex Burrows, or Rich Peverly.
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Sorry to change subjects, but this is something you don’t see everyday! I’m sure more than a few Kings fans would support this.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/8374893.stm
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backchecker…careful with the assumption about Segal…
i.e. Matt Moulson. It happens sometimes where a player finds hard luck in breaking the roster only because the team(s) he’s signed with might have considerable depth in that position. Let the kid play. Lets see what develops! hahah sorry, easy chance to plug the FSW slogan in there!
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If Segal is truly a power forward it sometimes takes longer for those guys to develop. Mike Knuble, for instance, was not that good when he was younger.
Segal has done some fighting at Manchester and I’m curious if he was just doing that to get a call-up or really plays that way.
I like Moller but understand why he didn’t get the call this time. I think he could be a REALLY good third line player with Schenn and Clifford. Nobody would out work that line if it comes to pass in the next year or two.
I believe other than the goaltending there is no bigger or more important question for the Kings future than Loktionov. He has the talent to be a great player. Will he be great? That’s the question.
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dMan – ???? why do we care exactly???
you work for the BBC or what?
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mrbrett7 said:
“Too bad nobody will get to see them play (unless you have center ice I presume).”
If you have a television, love hockey, and have the right provider, you really should subscribe to Centre Ice. The only bitch that I have with it right now is that so few games out of Canada are being shown in HD (at least that’s the case on Dish).
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I don’t buy the whole “we’re tired” story when TM puts them through two longer-than-usual practices.
Get some 3rd and 4th line guys who kill penalties, and vuala (that’s for Andrew), playing time evens out. Need some bright, quick players, who can chase and maybe score a shorty. Kopi, Fro, Smyth, Brown, and Hanzus should not be on the PK.
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I would have to say that Zeus and Smyth are our smartest and maybe most valuable penalty killers.. imo
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I think WS is a good penalty killer, too.
When is Scuds coming back? We miss his stick clogging up the passing lanes!
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interesting call up… I have the hockey package through direct tv so I should get the games. It will be interesting to see who is sitting and who is playing.
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backchecker – TM has been using your strategy, using only three lines in the third…the minutes for these guys are consistent with their peers around the league, but we’ve played more games than most, including on the road….the strategy doesn’t always work and we should be concerned about fatigue…sure we’re practicing hard right now, but we need it…not three lines and no hard practices.
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EJ -
You should get a Canadian satellite, EVERY game in Canada is in HD up here….
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Jonathan Livingston Segal?
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@dMan–IIRC, the Kings lowered ticket prices in recognition of a fairly stale product, early in the “rebuilding” process. That’s not exactly the same, but in the same neighborhood.
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You guys are lucky down there, i have to dish out a minimum of 100 bucks to see my beloved kings in edmonton or calgary, wow your tickets are cheap
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I hope this kid does not play like Katy Segal (Married With Children or Sons of Anarchy)or George Segal (Just Shoot Me)
If he plays well and crashes the net can we be like the Flock Of Segals?
Ok I’m out
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Actually I will throw myself out
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Not funny any more. Never was, actually.
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We’ll show you the way “I Just Saying”…
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