Lots of skating today. And skating. And skating. The Kings again split their practice into two “halves” and didn’t finish until after noon. Lots of work on the penalty kill today as well.
After practice, Terry Murray said he expects Johnson, Segal, Simmonds and Smyth to be ready to go Saturday, but not Jones and Stoll. More notes and quotes to come…
Great news! The Kings are going to be even more dangerous with these guys back. Let’s just hope they don’t forget to bring that intensity!
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Apparently Scott Parse has been left back at Manchester? Is this long term? Apparently Scott was just in while Smyth was out?
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I’m wishing for Christmas a Power Play that can actually score and provide a victory in our 1 goal games. why won’t they shoot it, make the defense chase it; it opens up the defense formation, and likewise makes the offense move, too. passing along and out to the boards is keeping control but not producing results.
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Are they off or practicing tomorrow at 10 as usual?
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well I’m gonna wait until the day b4 the game b4 i believe nething bout stoll…simmonds was supposed to be out for weeks longer so you never know…
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Did the lines stay together for both “halves” or was there more shuffling?
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Smyth, Johnson, and Simmonds will be back what a great Christmas gift, now hopefully Stoll can get better in a hurry
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It’s too bad Stoli will be out, he will be missed badly on faceoffs and PP, but actually I can’t wait to see the new, improved power play. The Calgary game showed all kids of new stuff…Kopi on the point (replacing Stoll, apparently, which would seem to continue until at least Dec 26), lots of shifting of positions and rotating to fill same, floating wristers shot from the point designed to just get to the net, and get tipped by traffic to create loose pucks in the crease area for the dirty goal, willingness to play “keep away” during o-zone setup time to tire the opposition d-men, I even saw Williams skate diagonally through the defensive “box” to initiate a rotation along the half-boards to open up a give-and-go and net crash. Really, the more time Murray gets with this team the better and better they continue to get. They have really increased their “playmaking vocabulary” very quickly. In 1.5 seasons, worst place to first place contender in the conference. TM = Jack Adams Trophy Candidate.
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If I’m not mistaking…
One of Purcell or Ivanans will likely be a healthy scratch on Saturday, along with Harrold AND one of Stoll or Jones will be placed on IR (or has Jones already been?).
OR
One of Moller, Elkins or Segal will head back to Manchester, which seems unlikely.
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@Mike
Lots of Parse discussion in this post from yesterday…
http://lakingsinsider.com/?p=2603#comments
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All NHL teams are off for the 24th and 25th, it’s a mandatory NHL break.
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Damen, the league has a mandatory days off tomorrow and on Christmas. No teams are playing or practicing. I think it was part of the CBA.
Will definitely miss Stoll. Hopefully, it is just Saturday he is out. IMO, he has been the Kings MVP so far this season with Quick being a close 2nd.
GO KINGS!!
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Waves, re roster –
Yeah, that’s what I get, too: one of Stoll or Jones will go on IR, to get the roster down to 23.
Smyth/Kopitar/Williams
Richardson/Handzus/Brown
Frolov/Moller/Simmonds
Purcell/Elkins/Segal
Stoll scratch, groin
Ivanans and Harrold scratch, healthy
Scuderi/Doughty
Johnson/SOD
Drewiske/Greene
Jones (I’m guessing) on IR
Quick
Ersberg
That’s 23, with Jones on IR. Pheonix is a speedy team, so I’m guessing that Ivanans sits and Purcell is in at LW4.
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