Brad Richardson, essentially a borderline fourth-line player at the start of the season, is now the Kings’ first-line left winger, on a line with Anze Kopitar and wayne Simmonds. Richardson is actually the veteran on that line, at age 24 and with 216 NHL games.
Richardson’s promotion is less about having high-end offensive ability — he has six goals in 49 games this season — and is more about bringing hard work and forechecking to the line. The goal, really, is to get more out of Kopitar, and Terry Murray feels that Richardson’s style of play could help get Kopitar going. Still, Richardson on the first line? Who would have thought it? I asked Murray today about the unlikeliness of it…
MURRAY: “I don’t look at it that way, necessarily. He has played awfully well, in all situations and all of the opportunities that he has gotten, from starting as the fourth-line left wing, to third-line left wing, early in the year, to a center iceman on a line with Simmonds and Parse. That was probably our best line at that time, through a stretch. He brings hard work, intensity. He’s got some grit to his game now, and I want to get that hard-work attitude back into our game.
“The two guys that are there right now, on the wings, I think really set the tone for that style of a game. And I loved the way Kopi responded, with the `let’s get down to basics, the fundamentals. I’ll have the puck, I’ll attack and try to do some things. You guys work hard for me on the forecheck and cycle, and let’s just go get some hard-work goals.’ Again, I thought it set the precedent, for the game, for the rest of our lineup.”
And here are Richardson’s thoughts…
Question: If I had told you, before the season, that you would be the first-line left winger in January, would you have believed me?
RICHARDSON: “Proably not, but wherever they put you, you try to play your best. I’m just having fun with it and trying to work hard. I’m obviously excited to get a chance to play with Kopi. He’s a special player, so I’m just trying to get him the puck and get to the net.”
Question: Does it make it easer for you that, in essence, the coaches want the same game from you? They really haven’t asked you to do anything different, right?
RICHARDSON: “They haven’t really said anything, just, `Go out and do the same thing.’ That makes it easy. Whether you’re on the fourth line or the first line, you just try to create some energy. You’re obviously going to get some offensive opportunities, playing with a guy like Kopi, and that’s a lot of fun, so I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity.”
Question: Do you sense opponents playing you any different now, as opposed to the start of the season?
RICHARDSON: “Not really. Everyone is going to play you hard in this league, so you just try to go out and do the exact same thing.”
Richy and Parse have been the biggest surprises of the year, like Moller and Simmonds last year. His confidence has finally caught up with his fast feet. He is just another example of our depth and his attitude is spot on. Run with the opportunity Richy, go get em brother.
[Reply]
This is where we should all be giving TM some accolades for recognizing what Kopi needs to get going and then making the changes necessary to do it. I thought adding heavy forecheckers to Kopi was a brilliant move in the first place and to see him stick with it and recognize the benefit in the subtilties, not just the primary points to Kopi’s game, is an important quality in a coach. I don’t think a Crawford would see that. Andy Murray did, but he was such a structure guy that he would change it back as to not mess up his ‘Routine’.
Coaches get much more grief and crap than accolades, unless they win a Cup. I just wanted to give him some credit here for being so insightful and then having the balls to make an uncomfortable move for the greater good of the team. It shows he has a TON of confidence in these guys to do those things.
Well Done TM! 2 POINTS TONIGHT!
[Reply]
I think if they dont win tonight they miss the playoffs. If they win they make it.
[Reply]
He’s been a very pleasant surprise. I honestly thought he was going to be craig johnson part deux. Skate like the wind but couldn’t do much else right. He’s definetly changed my opinion of him over the last few months.
[Reply]
Kevco not a statistic, but I feel you
Everygame has that feel now…
[Reply]
We need more guys with his combo of speed and skill – it puts D men on edge having to deal with his quickness in the Offensive zone- most of our forwards look like their skating with cinder blocks on their backs -
[Reply]
this is obviously a huge game, but to say that this game determines whether they will or wont make the playoffs is a little extreme don’t you think?
[Reply]
Kings have 32 games left…32.
[Reply]
Thanks, Todd, for pointing out how silly focusing on this one game is. I heartily agree. Frankly, they’re all important, and always have been. The “four-point” games in division and conference have a certain importance to them, but the out-of-conference games after this one are chances to go balls-to-the-wall and try to get two points every night without worrying about giving away points.
[Reply]
Richardson has really earned this, and I hope it solves the Kopitar drought puzzle. Even if it doesn’t, Richardson has earned this.
[Reply]
Several comments here about this game and if this game is a must win. I’d be satisfied if the Kings played a great game, points or not, but…
What do you all think the Kings need out of this 5 game trip to still have a REALISTIC shot at the playoffs. I mean, if they go 0-5 they’re through.
I’d be satisfied with the typical, acceptable ROAD points according to most pundits which is to break even and that’s 5 points.
[Reply]
Thanks Todd M for the clarification.This game is important,but not the season.GO KINGS!
[Reply]
Shades,
5 would be good,hopefully we get more.
[Reply]
Oh, and on point…Richardson is a very good player, just that with the line shuffling it’s tough to figure out where he should play.
That said, he seems quite good in front of the net and has enough speed to play well on the penalty kill. I don’t usually believe in the “energy line” concept, but if that’s what this coach wants from a third line, he’d be a great fit on such a line…not so sure how he’ll work out on this line combo though.
[Reply]
Go Richardson. I really like this guys game. Keep it going son.
[Reply]
Last year at Tip a King nobody wanted Richardson’s autograph as he sat next to Frolov. I felt bad for him & decied to pull for him as he was quite the underdog. He has been amazing this year.
At this years Tip a King he was much more popular. It’s funny as he was playing the bubble hockey with the fans. He beat my son 3-1. I thought is was interesting that he was trying his best against all the fans. He won almost every game.
[Reply]
Huge Congratulations to Richardson!!! It’s speaks volumes to the rest of the guys as well when they see a teammate rewarded more-so for hard work up and down the ice than just numbers. If everyone put in that effort the numbers will take care of themselves!
As far as THIS game being huge, of course it is. YES we need the 2-points, but look at the last couple of weeks (especially Calgary), other teams in the conference have beaten other teams in the conference and this will obviously continue… Bring it EVERY game, get as many points as you can, get a little help here and there, and let’s see where we are when the plane lands…
GO KINGS!!!
[Reply]
Time for the Kings to go to work.
Go Kings!!!
[Reply]
I really wouldn’t call it the “1st” line. Kopitar has been so…bad…recently that I think Terry is throwing everyone at the Kopitar line to see what might work.
[Reply]