alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />Coach Ken Hitchcock
(on the game…)
“I’m surprised at the way we played for the last 40 minutes. I was surprised by the way we didn’t respond. (L.A.) didn’t play very well at the start, but they scored on their second or third shot (on goal). I don’t think it was L.A. They picked it up on the checking side, but we got discouraged and lost our intensity.”
(On the beginning of the game…)
“The first 12 minutes was the best we’ve played in a long time. Everybody was going and we were doing the things we needed to do. We didn’t stay with it.”
Marc Methot
(on the game…)
“You know, once they [the Kings] pushed, they got a goal. They got a couple breaks and it seemed like we just kind of gave up and lost all of our steam and, you know, I think that was really obvious in the way we played in the second and third periods.”
(on the loss…)
“I think, like I said, our intensity went way down after that first goal they scored and it really showed in our body language on the bench and how we were playing on the ice and, you know, we can’t have that, especially at this time in the season.”
R.J. Umberger
(on the game…)
“I don’t know if we think too much. We wanted to keep doing what we were doing, but you know, we give them credit, too. They turned their game, they pushed us, they responded and when they scored they got a lot of momentum and light from it, so it’s our job to bounce back and grab the momentum again. So we didn’t do that and now we lose another game.”
(on the start of the game…)
“You know, they hung in there the first 10 minutes and just absorbed our push. Then they got a goal and they pushed us and got the momentum and we just let them do it. We didn’t respond. We need to grab the game after that.”
That is pretty much equal to a football team stritcly running the football down a defense’s throat and kill all morale and hope. Loved the attitude tonight and the killer instinct
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Hitch’s days are nuumbered.
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Also, they looked like us the last few years. You could feel it from them, that – here we go again.
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Yep, Columbus played like the Kings used to; One bump and collapse emotionally. It wasn’t pretty but it was a good win.
Head Office, My two cents, NOovalchuk
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ohhh…I like that! NO-vulchuk!! Pass!
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hey Hitch…It was LA…beaaaaaatch….
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Dorian,
Didn’t you read yesterdays blog. Don’t yell at Hitchcock TM was planning on buying him a few beers before the game. The way his boys played I’m guessing he’s still feeling the hangover.
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I actually feel for them…they’re right…and it used to be the sort of bad game the Kings would regularly have. They played really well for half a period, and when it didn’t pay off, they caved. Then it got worse, and worse, until it got embarrassing, and they managed to score when they turned it on again, but it was already over.
…of course…there was also the part about how character kept the Kings in the game long enough for that to happen, and they played strong even when up by one, two, and three goals. That’s really the response a lot of fans have been waiting for…
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USHA#17, yes I agree what Atlanta is reportedly asking for is atleast 3 times more than I would give up in a trade for No-vi. I think what I read is they were asking for Simmonds, Johnson, Moller, and our best 7 prospects(list includes Bernier, Schenn, etc). There nuts I read that DL put an offer on the table today.
I really hope it doesn’t have anywhere near what they are asking for.
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Like others in this thread I also felt for the Blue Jackets, they had that look of a team that has given up on the season. We Kings fans know that look from the last several years.
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I see danger on the horizon. That’s two games in a row they’ve faced those teams. The next two are contenders. Hope TM gets their heads screwed on again in time for Saturday’s faceoff.
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I meant to point out that this weekend’s back-to-back hosts are contenders, which is why it looks dangerous, compared to these teams they should have beaten, and did.
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The Kings have had a tendency to play down to their competition. That didn’t happen against the Jackets or the Leafs. Agree with WTFK the game against the Bruins is dangerous, especially after beating them in a SO Bruins will be looking for payback.
Kings need to approach these games with high intensity.
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From this point on every game’s a playoff game……
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I can empathize with the blue jackets fans. Their team looked like the kings have been for the last several years.
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