Handed a rare opportunity, with a 6-on-3 advantage and 46 seconds remaining in the third period Saturday, trailing 3-2, the Kings had to do one thing first: win a faceoff. They did. They had to do one more thing: get the puck on net. They didn’t, at least on their first two shots, as Jack Johnson sent two rocket slap shots wide of Ilya Bryzgalov. The Kings did a good job of controlling the puck, and eventually got two shots on goal, but couldn’t score.
MURRAY: “You want to hit the net. That’s the one thing that’s most important, especially when you’re shooting the puck from up top. You just want to get the traffic and hit the net. Now you’re looking for those other opportunities. To come away from an opportunity like that, in a critical point in the game, it’s disappointing. It’s a 6-on-3, and you have lots of time on the clock. Show composure and patience, move it around. You don’t even have to get pucks to the net that quickly. It doesn’t have to be a one-timer immediately like that. You can set it up and look for other situations. We have to grow from it. We have to learn from that situation and be better next time.”
TM is talking about you Jack
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Check out the latest from Ek…
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I would hope, with all sincerity and politeness, that this blog item won’t turn into a repository for comments about fictional “trade rumors.” I would greatly appreciate it if that didn’t happen. Thanks.
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Ya thank you Rich, I agree
I think the kings need more of that finesse to get shots through, like wrist shots, ect.
I mean I understand you want to just blast it by the goalie but its the seeing eye, the knuckle puck and two deflector shots that are real trouble.
Everyone needs to be calmer and take an extra step, to change the angle, and get that shot on net.
When you miss a lot of times it rockets around and either leaves the zone or the other team gets a short handed attempt.
Quincy was good at getting the shot through, DD is good also.
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More wrist action and less slapper would be my suggestion.
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My apologies Rich,I’m just a die-hard Kings fan who wants his team to do good,but you’re 100% right.Again my apologies… Happy New Years folks and GO KINGS!
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Rich,
Can you get us some info on stick players use? We all know that DD has a new curved stick and his shots have been more on target. Whereas, with Johnson, he seems to be off more often than not.
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Yeah, at that point in the game a low wrist shot that would have created a rebound or a goal mouth scramble would have been just fine.
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you do not use a wrist shot from the point. It lacks the speed and power to do what it is intended to do – (1) get to the goalie quickly so that he will give up a rebound because he does not have time to set and play the angle (2) get it to the crease quickly for a deflection (3) hopefully get a puck through when the goalie is being screened by the defensemen and your forward. A wrist shot gives the goalie more time to get in position, to track the shot, and deflections are less effective. For those that have successfully done a slap shot, you know that it is difficult even for the most accurate players. Throw in a high pressure moment – as last night – and getting it “on net” is even more difficult. TMs point was correct – the Kings and Johnson had time to set up a shot from the point and there was no need for a one-timer or to hurry the shot. In these situations, Jack should not have missed the net. You take a little off the shot just to make sure that it hits the goalie or gets to the crease. Lets not forget that the Coyote defensemen are big too and Bryzgalov is a premier goalie in this league that does not give up a lot of rebounds.
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Finally have calmed down from that debacle in the last minute – maybe with a 7-2 we could score – I dont know and I know TM doesnt either – 3 guys 3/4 of the way to the blue – 2 on either side of the net and one in the high slot – how hard is that – every team uses the high slot redirect except (wait for it) you guessed it- US-I have been railing about our 5×3 for almost 2 yrs – pull the trigger on JK and get him out of here – on another note – Kopi needs to start using his size he is getting out hustled and muscled for pucks – its like he’s tinkerbell out there and doesn’t want to mess his hair up – start cleaning guys out with that size and make guys take penalties on you – he just looks very SOFT out there right now – start banging guys and making them respect that size and he’ll start to create some room for himself-
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I dont see Phoenix folding. They play hard they have speed and a very good goalie. Why cant we get speed like these other teams? Others skate freely into the zone and NOT UP THE WALL LIKE KINGS PLAYERS leaving the drop pass and shot from the slot or top of circle wide open on Quick
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I am still looking for an article stating that Phoenix is in a rebuilding mode. Cant find it. The reason why is that Grezky finally got the boot and the team now is the spot light not the Coach/Legend/Partial Owner. The team hired the right guy to coach and the kids are responding. Everytime TM gets interviewed it is “we are still putting the pieces together” and we are ahead of schedule” Ahead of what schedule? PLAYOFF 2002
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@ Quisp
What is the league Avg % for 6-3?
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*sigh*
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I heart TM
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Well, you people are way too emotional. Way too game-to-game.
My thoughts about last night: great game to be stolen by a hot goalie (although Quick was solid); predictable rust (although we should have stolen a point); JMFJ should have been on net times two (although either one could just as easily been deflected and he would have been a hero); Frolov was the best King on the ice (although the irony is that both penalties he drew were the result of his great work down low, that same work on a night to night basis that is disrespected by the hockey low brows); a game that so clearly we were going to lose (although in the spring we will win with ease). Relax Kings fans.
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Rich, I know you are a writer and not a photographer but would it be possible to spice up the blog a lil bit and get a good camera learn to use it and post some photos of pre game skate, differnt nhl buildings, post game stuff, ect….a pictures is worth a 1000 words. I am sure you can get the Kings to drop a grand on a camera for you……
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Lotta what Bones says goes for me too. Layoff was obvious, injury 5 minutes into the game making for lines shake-up, which wouldn’t normally mean much except that this wasn’t normal. We had practiced with the lines that way for days and had no game time, so add game speed and then unfamiliar line mates, and what do you know, we still almost won it anyway.
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This is where Kyle Quincey would get the puck thru to the net and somehow we would score!! Remember?
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And scooter, a wrist shot from the point can too be great, especially with a 6 on 3 and two guys screening in front of the net. The obkect isn’t necessarily to get it there quickly, the object is to get it there at all and maybe tip it on the way by.
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scooter said: you do not use a wrist shot from the point. It lacks the speed and power to do what it is intended to do – (1) get to the goalie quickly so that he will give up a rebound because he does not have time to set and play the angle (2) get it to the crease quickly for a deflection (3) hopefully get a puck through when the goalie is being screened by the defensemen and your forward. A wrist shot gives the goalie more time to get in position, to track the shot, and deflections are less effective. For those that have successfully done a slap shot, you know that it is difficult even for the most accurate players. Throw in a high pressure moment – as last night – and getting it “on net” is even more difficult.
Interesting, but wrong. It’s true that a slap shot is faster than a wrist shot. It takes a 95mph slap-shot 0.35 seconds to get from the point to the net. An 80mph wrist-shot will get there 0.07 seconds later, at 0.42 seconds. However, it takes one second to wind up a slap shot (try it, look at your computer and time any pro slap shot), and about 0.25 seconds to release a wrist shot. So in no sense does the goalie have more time to set up with a wrist shot. Quite the opposite. Not only that, but a wrist shot is more accurate and more deceptive; no wind-up, so the goalie doesn’t know when the player is going to shoot until he’s already shot.
The bit about a slap-shot being “difficult even for the most accurate players” is silly. You learn it when you’re about six. You don’t have the muscles to have a good one until you’re a teenager, and after that it’s about muscle strength and muscle memory. Some people are more accurate than others, some are stronger than others, but in no sense is the shot “difficult.”
Johnson missed the net because he missed the net. He was trying too hard to thread the needle, pick the corner, when what he should have been doing is trying to shoot into the scrum. He was taking it upon himself to be perfect, rather than trusting that the system will work; if you get four of those shots on net, with players driving to the blue paint, one of them is going to go in. If you miss the net, you’re wasting at-bats. When a goalie is “in your head” you think you have to have the perfect shot to beat him, when really you just have to get it to the net and create traffic.
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I believe they would of done better on a 5-3 VS 6-3… 5-3 is more practiced then 6-3?
Either way, JP has to do a better job on the power play system!
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@Quisp
I forgot to add that Teddy has 1 goal and 0 assists in his last 21 games. Which, if you take the next 40ish games or so he is projected to have 3 goals and 0 assists in his last 61 games. Is this enough to get the job done, On the 1st line, let alone an NHL team?
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Yes, and Kopitar in the same 21 games, has 3 goals, Brown, also 3 goals, Stoll, 7 goals; Frolov, 5 goals; Simmonds 5 goals; Williams, 4 goals. Gosh, if they did that for a whole season, that projects to:
Kopitar: 11 goals
Brown: 11 goals
Stoll: 27 goals (pretty good!)
Frolov: 19 goals
Simmonds: 19 goals
Williams: 15 goals
So I guess there’s no point in trusting any of those projections, because they don’t mean anything. You can’t project season totals based on a slump.
But hey, if you project Purcell’s totals based on the first week of the season, he’s on pace for 55 goals, which would make him rookie of the year.
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Wasn’t the main thing they worked on during the break “special teams”? Well, at least we get another break in almost 2 frackin months! And knowing Fro aint goin to the Olympics we have at least one player who can practice it. With 2 solid weeks workin on it, wouldn’t surprise me if he (and the others not going) finally get it right. 2 (and 3) man advantages haven’t gone anywhere near well this year so far.
But you know, First game of the year we lost to the ‘yotes and went on a nice run after. First game after the break (only the 4th time an NHL team got 8 days off in a row in December) we lost to the ‘yotes (deja vu). Kinda optimistic for the moment about the run until the next break. And hay, at least we don’t face the ‘yotes after the next break. (sorry JW for saying ‘break’ so many times) lol
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Any lip readers out there? Not claiming to be one, but I think TM said something about breaking a leg before the puck drop. Hmmm…
Now, on a more serious note – I am getting increasingly weary of JJ’s mistakes. I honestly never liked the trade that brought him here in the first place. I am more than ready to declare him a bust for someone who was drafted this high. Yes, he may become a decent d-man in years to come but he has already been surpassed by a number of younger d-man drafted since that trade. While he may improve some aspects of his game, he’s got a terrible aim and that’s not likely to improve much if ever. Any chance the Oilers may want to dump Souray’s salary ($5.5 this year, $4.5 for the next two) and do a swap? Paging Mr. Lowe!
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Rich, Don’t become a photographer. You are a phenomenal writer and that is what we need. If we want cutesy pics we can go to other sites. Just the facts, man. Thanks for being there for us.
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Jack will learn from this.
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To respect Rich’s wishes I’ll temper myself. Lets just say we need to be more effective on the point with our power play.
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quisp, I’m a fan of your “stats”. I would, however, caution you on relying too much on “numbers” and not enough on first hand “on the ice” experience which – as you probably very well know – does not always work out the way the numbers (try to) predict. I have no idea whether you have ever played the actual game of hockey so I’ll just say that there is a tremendous difference facing a wrist shot as opposed to a slap shot especially with 2 to 3 guys standing in front of you. You are also assuming that the speed of the slap shot and wrist shots are static – that there is little variation in the speed and/or accuracy of the shots. Nothing could be further from the truth. My comment about the difficulty of the slapshot has much to do with timing – getting it on your stick, positioning yourself and taking the shot. I noted that this process becomes “more difficult” in situations like the other night. Although I’m sure that your mind is scrambling to gather the number of shots vs. the number that actually make it on net but, again, this has nothing to do with the situation in the game – is it the first period first shot of the game? is there a defender draped on the player? is it in the last seconds of the game? etc, etc. Again, I love the stats but if you are going to effectively evaluate the “numbers” – please do so in the totality of the circumstance. I’m sure that there is room for all types of opinions here based on all types of experiences, or lack thereof. Cheers.
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“based on all types of experiences, or lack thereof”…
Jeers.
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mask0425x, even though we may be related (we both have the same last name) I must ask you to read Rich’s comment on this thread, it is entry #3 above. Maybe we will get an open forum on trade ideas, but Rich asked for that to not be done here…
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Shooting and angles and lines are great- but I am eager to see what this Teddy Purcell will bring to the Kings and Kopitar’s line.
I am hoping for a miracle- and don’t forget- Charlie Simmer came from the minors- and when he played on Dionne’s line- became a high scorer.
Sorry to leave the topic- but I can’t wait to see!
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player X – yeah, sorry about that, I did not mean it the way it was written, nor did I mean it as a knock on Quisp whom I find very informative and enjoyable to read. My bad and I sincerely apologize. I think that for the most part – with a few exceptions – the dialogue on this site is one of the better hockey related blogs. As a fan, first and foremost, I enjoy sharing our appreciation and excitement for the Kings and as someone who has laced them up, so to speak, i appreciate the dedication and loyalty of the Kings fans. I try and provide a different perspective but in no way do I try and demean the causal fan or those with other perspectives or opinions. So for that I do apologize.
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ups and downs of a young team.
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Scooter:
First of all, they’re not “stats.” They’re stats.
Second, regarding your helpful “caution” that I should rely more upon “on-ice experience” and your rumination on whether or not “I have ever played the game of hockey” — you wouldn’t want to go head-to-head with me on experience. Unless you played pro or division I NCAA, I win.
“there is a tremendous difference facing a wrist shot as opposed to a slap shot especially with 2 to 3 guys standing in front of you.”
If you don’t see the release, it doesn’t matter.
“You are also assuming that the speed of the slap shot and wrist shots are static – that there is little variation in the speed and/or accuracy of the shots. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
I assume you mean that there is a variation in the speed of different shots from different players. Of course that’s true, and proves my point. It depends on the player. But in general, the difference in velocity is smaller than the time it takes to release the shots, so the benefit is wiped out in the circumstance you describe.
“My comment about the difficulty of the slapshot has much to do with timing – getting it on your stick, positioning yourself and taking the shot. I noted that this process becomes “more difficult” in situations like the other night.”
I understand what you think is difficult about it. As a former defenseman, I can tell you it’s not that difficult. As a kid, you master the mechanics long before you have the muscle strength to have a hard shot. It’s true that everything is harder in a game situation than in practice.
“Although I’m sure that your mind is scrambling to gather the number of shots vs. the number that actually make it on net but, again, this has nothing to do with the situation in the game – is it the first period first shot of the game? is there a defender draped on the player? is it in the last seconds of the game? etc, etc.”
My mind doesn’t scramble. I agree with you that circumstances make a difference. But that doesn’t help your argument.
“I’m sure that there is room for all types of opinions here based on all types of experiences, or lack thereof.”
The reason you are attempting to cast yourself as the one with the “on ice experience” and me the one with the untested devotion to “numbers” and “stats” is that it reframes the “debate” into one which you “win” no matter “what” the actual “facts” are. [note: my "use" of "quotes" is "satirical."] You don’t want to get into it on the topic of who has the greater on-ice experience. I would be shocked if you’ve played more hockey at a higher level than I have. But why don’t we try to stick to the substance of our disagreement.
You: a slap shot gives the goalie less time to react than a wrist shot does.
Me: no.
You: a slap shot is difficult in terms of timing and body positioning.
Me: so is walking, until you learn to walk.
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I’m sure that we have entertained a lot of people here Quisp, including ourselves. I never intended this to be a pissing contest, nor did I intend to disrespect you or your experience/knowledge of the game. We simply have different perspectives and opinions about the game. that is fine and as I have said many times, I appreciate your views and comments. I have extensive on ice experience both as a player and coach. that is neither here nor there and I respect your experience. as you well know, different players learn from different systems and experiences. We obviously bring different experiences to the table which I think serves to improve everyone’s knowledge, including ourselves. I look forward to many more discussions as the Kings continue to improve and make us all proud.
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cool scooter, all good, props to you for clearing it up, ty
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I actually think Quisp’s explanation is right on and I will gladly amend my comments based on them. I still think that a slapshot from the point is more effective than a wrist shot but I think we both agree that it should be put on net with more regularity, even in those high pressure situations. Quisp obviously played with better players than I did or coached. Although with his confidence and edge (as evidenced by his responses to my posts!), I’d like to have him as my teammate or one of my players any day!
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I apologize for my pissy behavior. I should also mention that I frequently disagree with myself. So I reserve the right to be completely inconsistent in future debates.
Parse lives!
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I suspect Quisp has a secret compartment hidden on his back side,so that he can whip out the stats like a gunslinger at the O.K.coral.I used to think he was Jim Fox,but now I’m thinking Clint Eastwood.Maybe he’s really Mikus and can be both at the same time.At the end of the last game JJ should of hit the net from there.Guys miss all the time but come on,2 wide open shots from the point.In the middle of the ice,with the goallie pulled.I’m sure he’ll be a little more aware of getting it on net against Minnasota.
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“The reason why is that Grezky finally got the boot and the team now is the spot light not the Coach/Legend/Partial Owner.”
Gretzky quit. Phoenix, once again, had tremendous luck that Tippett was available (previously lucky to get Brysgalov.) I’d take Tippett over TM in a heartbeat, and Brysgalov over any Kings goaltender (sorry, Jon.)
Timing is everything, I guess.
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Player X, I think there is a bit of misunderstanding here… If I read Rich correctly, his post above was in reference to a rumor, therefore, he asked not to repeat it here as it is bound to snowball with a) injuries on the rise and b) trade deadline and playoffs approaching. It is such a hot topic that it may potentially hijack the whole blog. What I expressed was simply a dissatisfaction with a player who was supposed to be a backbone on defense here. Given the circumstances, I simply proposed a swap for someone who ***might*** work out better in this position for this team. Clearly just my wish and not a rumor hatched by some half-baked pundit whose accuracy seems to be greatly lagging JJ’s shot percentage (a whopping 4.6% this season). Addditionally, I was looking for feedback from you guys on this as a concept as I realize that the chances of this particular trade materializing are slim to none.
***** Off-topic***** Now, as far as my last name… I am not sure where you believe you might have seen it – I am always very cautious about not putting it out there without a need (or least not spelling out to make it searchable). Would not mind being related to probably most good folks on this blog, but the fact of the matter is that I have a VERY unusual last name that I think got misspelled in the post-revolutionary Belorus and Russia circa 1920-s and most of my family got killed by either Russians or Germans by 1945. I Googled it and came up with only two matches in Germany (and I am not German). There is also about 10-12 people in all of the Americas with a phonetically similar last name spelled K e i f m a n. So, to make a long story short, if you still think that we might be related, definitely feel free to email me at m a s k 1 0 4 2 5 a t s b c g l o b a l d o t n e t. Now, my apologies to everyone else and back to our usual programming
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Oh, and BTW, Greene’s attempted fight (uhhm, clear throat) against Bisonette is another reason for wanting someone like Souray. I think Greene should know better not to drop the gloves against a skilled fighter with a minimal hockey value to his team. Too bad that Jovanovski could not instigate a fight against Sigal, that would make it a nice wash.
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I think he meant the “x”, mask.
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RP, now I think you are probably right, lol. Damned sleep deprivation!
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Well in defense of Greene, I don’t think he went looking for the fight, I think it was the other way around.
What does Ivanans do for us again?
I was yelling at my TV when the Kings had the 6-3 and two missed shots in a row about tore it. I didn’t have a lot of hope they’d score on the PP but the boys have pulled the goalie before and made it work this season.
Good game overall if you discount the first. The bounce…way up and down into the Kings net if you will went to Phoenix.
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