The view from the Minnesota locker room last night…
COACH TODD RICHARDS
“I think the game got away from us a little bit, but (the Kings) are a very good team and they had nothing to lose. They were down by two goals and their defense was much more active and much more aggressive in the offensive zone, but good teams find ways to win and character teams find ways to win. What a big goal by Belanger after (the Kings) scored and had all the momentum. (The crowd) was boisterous and loud and that goal went in and put everyone back in their seats.”
NICK SCHULTZ:
“The third period was a little hectic. We wanted to try and play in their end a little bit more, but (Backstrom) made some good plays and weathered the storm. We have to get back to winning games on the road. We’re finding ways to win games. Different guys are chipping in every night and that helps.”
NIKLAS BACKSTROM
(On Doughty’s goal…) “In my opinion, I think it’s goalie interference. I didn’t have a chance to make a save there. Even the puck got outside of the crease. So I don’t know what goalie interference is (if that isn’t goalie interference).”
(On the game…) “I think our second period was good. We scored a couple goals so we could keep our focus on the game and not let our focus go the wrong way. We didn’t really have any other factors on our mind. We just had to play our game.”
Belanger last goal happened so fast, looked like NHL10.
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Purcell is too slow and lost playing with AK and RS.
Moller is too small and weak.
JQ is the real deal. Don’t expect to see that Bernier kid from the minors playing for the KINGS anytime soon.
If I were GM, I might try to package EE and JB for a solid no. 2.
Frolov getting a stick was not the reason for the goal. It was a good no look pass in front. Fro, you go get that stick again next time. But more importantly, keep playing like you did last night.
Eric B’s goal was a very good low % high corner shot that goalies typically give to the shooter. Brown missed the support.
Kings are looking good. Have had some bad timing with injuries but still in a playoff spot. Obviously can’t keep loseing, but don’t need to be in 1st either.
Should see some production from the first line when TM replaces TP with someone else. I would say Simmonds, but his line looked good and might not want to break that up.
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ivanans left off team latvia roster
and JQ was not good enough last night. he has been very solid this year, but he doesnt have a shutout, and the good teams’ goalies find a way to stop goals # 1 and 4.
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Frolov’s move to go back to the bench after his stick broke was a good play? So let me get this straight, LA was down a man on a 5 on 4 situation and during the second period where line changes are made on the far side of the zone Frolov goes to get a new stick? Remind me again how making a bad situation like a 5 on 4 into a worse situation like a 5 on 3 is a good play. I must have missed hockey101 back in 4th grade.
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Jonathan Bernier will be our true number 1 goalie when he is ready. Look at our goalies down in Manchester. They are lights out!
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Not saying it was a ‘Good’ play. But it was not a bad play or the sole reason for the goal either.
Going back to the bench to get a stick leaves you a man short for what, about 7 seconds? Yes, a goal can take place in that time, but it’s a low chance of that. In this case it did happen. Goals do happen.
Playing without a stick basically leaves you a man short for the whole PP. Much higher chance of a team exploiting that advantage.
He may have had a better oppertunity to get the stick, or change, if he waited. We’ll never know.
Min took advantage and scored a quick goal. Can’t fault Fro for that.
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Frolov was skating like he was in sand, and instead of him letting Simmonds take his place as he was already jumping over Fro yelled for a new stick and left Simmonds out to dry. WS was sitting on the wall watching as Fro was trying to get back into the play as the goal went in.
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this play to me isnt that frustrating considering minnesota moved the puck so well the 1st time, and that pass by brunette was world class. its a shaky play by fro but i still think goals #1 and #4 are where we lost the game
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when fro went to the bench min dumped the puck in and quick blindly played it up the boards instead of a dman who would have cleared the puck. fro had the right read on the play quick just messed up. and if you dont think you will bernier on the kings you are sadly mistaken.
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If you look at the replay from behind JQ, you’ll see that Fro went to the near point on the bench to get his stick (taught during hockey 101), but noone was there with it until the end of the bench. Fro’s play IMO was heads up for the reason Lurkingfan said. Unfortunately, the bench was not heads up. The difference in time MAY have prevented the goal. Also, if it hadn’t been the beginning of the shift, I expect Fro would’ve let Simmonds jump on, but he was out 1st for a reason and I think he stayed on because he was expecting the stick to be there. Just my opinion.
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Fro didnt’ cause that goal. He made the right choice. Minnesota just worked fast and made a great play happen.
If WS was over the boards or not he still wouldn’t have beaten Fro back. Simmonds was largely invisible last night and he’s and fro are about equal in speed.
If you have a broken stick and you’re killing penalties you’re just a waste of space and they move the puck around you 90% of the time. He made a call on the percentages and the Kings got beat. It happens.
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“If I were GM, I might try to package EE and JB for a solid no. 2.”
Then I’m glad you’re not GM.
Seriously, you are going to trade a potential Vezina-winner or mulitple time All-Star goalie and a slightly poor #2 for a solid (average) #2?
What???
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