Michal Handzus had a veteran’s “therapy day,” but the rest of the Kings were on the ice.
Terry Murray expressed great dissatisfaction with the Kings’ third period, took some of the blame himself and said that lineup changes would be coming tomorrow. Murray said Daqvis Drewiske isn’t quite ready, from a conditioning standpoint, to play. Peter Harrold practiced as a defenseman today, so there’s one major hint. More from practice a bit later…
bye-bye jones
[Reply]
Harrold-Johnson actually looked good a while back, maybe they’ll go back to that
[Reply]
they did almost give it away!
[Reply]
Harrold > Jones
[Reply]
Why not send Drewiske on a conditioning stint in Manchester?
[Reply]
At any rate, it seems like TM has the same majority opinion as us. Jones stunk it up again, and is going to be picking up splitters. Harrold has performed well at Def. Parse is back in most likely as ivanans is truley out. 4th line of Purcell, Moller and Parse would be fun to watch eh?
[Reply]
Deano has to trade for another quality d-man. I’m not comfortable going into the playoffs with either Jones, Harrold or Drew as the sixth d-man. There has to be a cheap rental player out there that hey could get for a third/fourth rounder. And no Souray.
[Reply]
starting to understand why jones was on the waiver wire, he keeps it up he’s gonna be back on it real soon…guy was a passenger last night….
[Reply]
I think JJ needs to pair with Scuds, and for now, looks like we need Harry on D, at least until Drewiske figures into things again.
[Reply]
If Randy Jones is not producing offensively there is not need for him in the lineup. His defensive coverage is horrible.
Why the knock on Drewiske? He got hurt but is a solid defensive defenseman. Jones was a healthy scratch prior to Drewiske going down. Get him up on conditioning and get him back in.
[Reply]
I think Harrold is a very sound defensemen; but I agree with Oliver Jones makes too many poor decisions and Drewiske is still learning. There has to be a solid D-rental out there
[Reply]
My little niece with a mini stick >>>> Jones
[Reply]
Bye bye Jones. Maybe your third team this year will be the charm…
[Reply]
Send Drewiske to Ontario for conditioning. They play at home friday and saturday. Keep him close but let him get some minutes
[Reply]
Jones has made me eat my words, he is now not chipping in enough on offense to justify his weak play in our zone.
[Reply]
Tookie:
Can we get her for under 1 Million?
WTFKenneth:
We tried Scuds with JJ at the start of the year and i remember it not working out to well. Could be time to try it again though… but they really do need a solid D partner for JJ. Probably one of the reasons for JJ’s +/- is so bad is because of the constant changes to his D partner
[Reply]
Kings should pick up Kubina..
Olympian, won a Cup, former All-Star, pending UFA..
Waddell would prob. not require much.
[Reply]
I think its going to be:
Richardson – Kopi – Simmer
Smyth – Stoll – Brown
Fro – Zus – Purcell (though it will be a reluctant Purcell)
Segal – Moller – Parse
Scuderi – Doughty
OD – Greene
Johnson – Harrold
Harrold is a more solid D man than Jones. Jones has an offensive upside, but with Johnson’s potential as an offensive threat i would always rather have a stay at home D man paired with him.
We have no need for Ivanans tomorrow against the Wings, so you bench him. Segal looked out of sync with Fro and Zus so he needs to move. Parse and Purcell have at least shown us some chemistry with Zus and Fro so i would put Purcell on the third while “punishing” Parse down to the fourth. Until Jones can show he can be a better defensive player than Harrold consistently in practice I would give Peter the start.
[Reply]
Van- no but you can spread it out over 20 years.
Lanny- I hope that’s some snarky sarcasm…in otherwords I disagree vehemently.
[Reply]
Another option would be to put Moller at wing on the third and hand the 4th Center position to Purcell. He hasnt worked out anywhere else, maybe Center is a good fit?
[Reply]
VanKingsFan — I think it was that Jack was playing, well, like Jack anyway. If he’s really trying now, matching him up with Scuds is the best you can do for him.
[Reply]
Glad TM didn’t just let the 3rd period let down go away. Very nice that he is addressing it.
[Reply]
Didn’t TM say last week that Drewiske was going to play in one of the two weekend games (Boston or NJ?). How could he still not be in game condition???
[Reply]
Zeus needs the day off after taking a Jack Johnson (it was Jack, right?) slapper to the groin in the dying seconds of the 3rd last night.
[Reply]
Harrold is the Kings’ best candidate for the 6th spot hands down. Jones is flat out horrible out there… In fact, I don’t think I’ve see that bad of a D-man on the Kings since the days of Modry
[Reply]
Fyzzix–and that shot breaks panes of hockey glass…OUCH!!! I don’t think a cup would be enough even if he had one on.
[Reply]
Jones won’t be getting any splinters…
They have leather seats in for him in the Press Box.
[Reply]
Jones will be sitting in pressurized comfort on a flight to whatever team takes him off our hands.
[Reply]
Tookie:
What do you mean IF he had one on…. i sure as hell hope he did lol
[Reply]
Can’t you just hear the Flyers fans going “gotcha Kings” in the distance
(re dumping Jones)
[Reply]
I can see them doubled over with laughter screaming “SUCKERS”…
[Reply]
Thrashers Waddell: couldn’t afford Kovy….he obviously WANTED a trade…
“..throughout the negotiation process, the Thrashers organization remained committed to offering Ilya a contract that exceeded those of the league’s best and highest paid players, and was commensurate to his skill level and performance history.
To that end, we offered Kovy several lucrative packages in an effort to meet his financial objectives. One offer that we extended to Ilya would have made him the highest paid NHL player on a per year average with $10 million per year for seven years. Another offer totaled $101 million over 12 years, and it, combined with the previous contractual commitments that were made to Kovy, would have earned him more money than any other NHL player in the history of the league.
If we had met Kovy’s ultimate demand, we would have jeopardized our ability to build a competitive team around him and retain our other young players as they became eligible for new contracts in the seasons ahead. At the end of the day, we couldn’t close that gap and simply reached a point at which we couldn’t reasonably go any higher.”
[Reply]
Tookie, although many of my posts should be read with a healthy dose of sarcasm, I have to admit that I am backtracking on my defense of Jones a little bit. I still don’t see him as the borderline scrub that many people do, but his play in our end the last little while hasn’t been up to snuff compared to the overall ability of this team. I think his mistakes are more easily overlooked on a bad team. I also think that Jones has shown flashes of good play, and hopefully he can regain that form before the playoffs, where his lapses can burn us a little worse.
[Reply]
here’s a thought…:
what if the real alexander frolov starts to play like he did last night for the rest of the season…?
he may not be scoring like the others, but i don’t think the kings are where they are without fro’s strong play during the streak…
if fro…(please…for the life of someone’s god, let this be the time!)…can turn his point production around and get it in gear, well, that would be like acquiring a player we desperately need WITHOUT trading a puck…
[Reply]
I don’t know, is it just me or is the threat to play Harrold over Drewiske a moot point. Both of these guys are never going to be any better than right now. It would be nice to see Hickey get some big league looks.
[Reply]
Yeh Van I think I hear them chanting.
[Reply]
Perhaps Drewiske is part of an upcoming trade?
[Reply]
we knew exactly the type of player randy jones was and is…
to me, this is exactly what i expected…
[Reply]
No King deserves a day off more than Zeus after last night. He parked himself in the most brutal territory all night, and was a key factor in at least 3 goals.
[Reply]
Jimmy,
Hickey is no where near for the big time right now, and that’s his injury aside. He definetely needs more work.
And out of curisosity, how many of you were applauding and so thankful we had picked up Jones after his first few games with us???????????
Like most players, he showed great play and then backed down quite a bit. He can get more consistent with his play in his own end over time, but I agree we may not have that time if we are trying to get deep in the playoffs.
[Reply]
I guess I gave you guys more credit than to be dumping on your players the way you do. My bad!
[Reply]
Drewiski should play with OD as the 3rd pair.
[Reply]
Ya Zeus too the shot and then passed to kopi 0_o…
he is a warrior that has turned around his game. he is the feel good story of the year if you ask me.
[Reply]
I don’t get where the venom towards Drewiske’s play is coming from here. The guy is a solid solid defensive defensemen. He’s not flashy and he’s not going to score points but he’s great positionally and very sound at getting the puck up ice.
[Reply]
first off…
randy jones was a good pick up because…:
- he has offensive upside, as he proved immediately…
- he came rather cheap and provided depth in case of injury…
- he was familiar to terry murray’s system…
- he is easily expendable…
so…as i said before…it’s not a complaint on my part…i think everyone knows what rj’s flaws are, and there are many on defense…his awareness and positioning in his own zone is dreadful…and keeps getting exploited between periods by opposing coaches…
but he did provide some spark…he will get waived/sent down when we are healthy and/or acquire a 6th d-man…
[Reply]
I’m glad TM is being so up front about the complete collapse in last night’s third. In a matter of minutes, the Kings went from being one of the NHL’s hottest teams to a team that is begging to be beaten. Unfortunately, that’s just the kind of opening that the Red Wings need to bail out their season. Add in the dreaded matinee factor and I have a bad feeling about tomorrow’s game. Ugh.
[Reply]
Jones has showed you what he is capable of. When completely healthy, that’s the player he is. Terry Murray’s system is no where near the way Philadelphia plays. There’s a big adjustment there. You seem to show all kinds of patience with others but not jones. That’s a shame.
[Reply]
TM can express all the dissatisfaction he wants, but the fact remains, the Kings played a very strong first few minutes of the third, and THE best last two minutes of the third they have EVER played, and for that they got their two points. The Ducks are no slouch. They played a hell of a spirited game, and probably deserved a point, but when the final buzzer sounded, the Kings prevailed.
All this crap about Drewiske being ready, but he didn’t want to make a change during the winning streak, and now he wants to make a change and says Drewiske isn’t ready? the man is mad I tell you
Mad as in CRAZY… but, he’s got a B+ level team playing A level hockey, so far be it from me to second guess his wackiness.
Personally, I’d dress Harrold and Drewiske (7 defensemen) and just skate 3 lines with the 2 spare forwards getting wingers off a double shift. Not the worst plan in the world and gives Drewiske some game conditioning.
[Reply]
I guess for me, being a life long Flyers fan, the mistakes I see Jones making are the same ones I saw when I watched Flyers games last year. I see no change, so i have no reason to expect to see change from him still. Of course he could prove me wrong and I would be thrilled. With what we have seen from him contributing on offense, if he worked out the kinks on the D side he could be a monster.
[Reply]
Did anyone hear Bob Miller’s comment about there being a lot of RedWing fans at the game on Saturday, so watch the rafters. That was a great poke at the Wings last night. Good laugh from Bob Miller at the expense of the RedWings.
The RedWings are still a good team, we just need to focus hard, play a strong physical game, and cycle the puck and we will come up with the win in tomorrow’s afternoon game.
[Reply]
Drewiskie is a great stay at home DF…he is a rookie, and will only get better.
[Reply]
Jones was definitely a good pickup because he contributed something (the points that he scored right after he went into the lineup, some of which were quite important) and cost nothing (being a waiver acquisition).
At this point, I wonder if his concussion has something to do with why he isn’t contributing now. Concussions can be nasty things, with subtle after-effects that don’t go away for a while.
[Reply]
1 top scoring forward + 1 solid defensemen = STANLEY CUP!!!!!! WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR……WE,VE ALL BEEN WAITING WAY TOOO LONG!!! GET ER DONE!!
[Reply]
Jimmy…
Why has Drewiskie peaked in your mind.. he is a pretty solid defensive rookie. He was playing decent enough for the 6th spot before his injury and can still fill in. The guys in Manch are in the same boat, still learning, but farther down the depth chart.
Drewiskie is doing what he is supposed to.. learning without making major mistakes.. and right now, he would be much better than Jones on the defensive end of things.. and better than an injured Hickey who has played like 5 games this season… (I know that is off but I am too lazy to look up his AHL stats)
[Reply]
Zus earned that therapy day after taking a Johnson slapshot to his johnson
[Reply]
Yeah, I also don’t see what the problem is that some people have with Drewiske. He was such a pleasant surprise last season and continued on this season, tho of course with some ups and downs which young, mortal D-men have (which includes almost anyone not named Drew Doughty). He doesnt offer much offense but he’s going to be a good, steady #4 or #5 D-man for some team, so it better be the Kings!
[Reply]
my question to those defending jonesy….what’s the point of his offense upside when he costs us more goals than he scores.
yeah he’s cheap..for a reason. hes been cleared to play so forget the injury excuse. i would rather see anyone than him back there
[Reply]
Any word when Williams may come back?
[Reply]
A note about the Wings game saturday, yeah, it’s a matinee (ugh), and the Wings are slowly getting healthy from a situation where they were very banged up. And they are still not far from a solid playoff spot. I would fear them a lot because of what they have been through yet look at where they are.
Remember that game the Kings threw 52+ some odd shots at Howard and the Wings still won the game? I’m just saying, that’s why every single game right now has huge implications for us. Gotta buckle down every game. Luckily that 3rd period lapse last nite didn’t cost us the game, but in a playoff situation it would’ve been deadly.
In the Kings 92-93 Finals with the Habs, a relatively “simple” thing like a illegal stick ended up ultimately costing the Kings the Cup. Why? Momentum. That’s why last nite’s collapse is being addressed by TM. You just can’t afford those kinds of lapses if you want to win every game, and that is the goal, win every single game. In the playoffs especially, where every win gets you closer to the next round, but every loss puts you closer to going home. You can’t let down until AFTER the final buzzer.
[Reply]
I don’t get the problem some people have with Dewiske, Jones maybe. Drewiske has been great back there and Jones we got him for nothing and he contributes. I think it may be that concussion. He seems a little hesitant. The last thing you want is for him to get his head knock out again and off he goes.
It happens with all injuries, specially the serious ones and it takes some time to get over the fear of getting hurt again.
[Reply]
A note about the Wings game saturday, yeah, it’s a matinee (ugh), and the Wings are slowly getting healthy from a situation where they were very banged up. And they are still not far from a solid playoff spot. I would fear them a lot because of what they have been through yet look at where they are.
Remember that game the Kings threw 52+ some odd shots at Howard and the Wings still won the game? That’s why every single game right now has huge implications for us. Gotta buckle down every minute of every game. Luckily that 3rd period lapse last nite didn’t cost us the game, but in a playoff situation it would’ve been deadly.
In the Kings 92-93 Finals with the Habs, a relatively “simple” thing like a illegal stick ended up ultimately costing the Kings the Cup. Why? Momentum. That’s why last nite’s collapse is being addressed by TM. You just can’t afford those kinds of lapses if you want to win every game, and that is the goal, win every single game. In the playoffs especially, where every win gets you closer to the next round, but every loss puts you closer to going home. You can’t let down until AFTER the final buzzer.
I’m just saying…………….
[Reply]
sorry for the double post………….ugh
[Reply]
Glad Zeus has a good cup on. JJ’s slapshots break the glass! Hurts my wedding tackle just thinking about it!
[Reply]
Lanny- I hope we arent forced to use him in the playoffs. His offensive upside is FAR outweighed by his defensive lapses. The guy is a liability and should be treated like Teddy right now.
everytime the other teams rush comes through the neutral zone and Jones has to make a play my butt cheecks clench, you just know its 50/50 he blows it. None of our other defensemen make me that nervous. Jack’s been playing great lately and doesn’t deserve the – +/- that he has due to Jones’ crappy play.
[Reply]
>Tookie
I also get that same feeling with jones making a play, just don’t know if he’ll make the play or cough it up. The upside to Jones is he comes to us REALLY CHEAP!!! Is that an excuse…..no, and it does appear he has not kept up with the growing curve the others on this team seem to be on.
[Reply]
Aside from Jones being a weak link on D; What about O’Donnell and Greene? I believe that they are both
very weak defensive players as well. They make poor puck handling decisions on a frequent basis. O’Donnell panics in the defensive zone and just slaps it out instead of handling the puck and passsing it to a teammate for a decent breakout.
We should trade two of them for Lubomir Visnovsky. What a great addition he would be to our D!
[Reply]
I’d take Harold or wisky with a little offensive upside but can play solid D any day over LOTS of offensive upside but’ll directly cost you 1-2 goals a game.
[Reply]
>Nitrohockey
Tru dat, and JJ HAS BROKEN lots of glass!!! Ouch!!!
[Reply]
Looking forward to whiskey getting back into the lineup. Harrold has looked really good on defense the second half of the year. Stop wasting a forward spot on him. Jones has been horrible lately. I’ve never seen anyone get beat so many times one on one.
[Reply]
Tookie, I know the cheek clenching feeling all too well. Made me laugh at work, thanks
[Reply]
LOL @ Seabass. Thought the exact same thing last night.
TeMu will bring back Drewiske when 44DD is ready to go. I think everyone has been pretty happy with his play overall; and I think he’s a pretty solid rookie 6th D-man.
Jones is painful to watch in the defensive zone. I wanted him to prove everyone wrong, but the blown coverage game after game ain’t working.
[Reply]
I agree RJ is risky, but he does bring something else- NHL experience. Even as a healthy scratch, that can be important. Correct me if I am wrong, but if you remove RJ and OD, Harry is our most experienced D man.
[Reply]
I knew Jones was going to stink up the ice from the get go, but not beyond the level of Denis Gauthier last year. I never thought that anyone was that bad.
Flyers fans I knew even said that we were suckers for taking him. Now I know why.
[Reply]
So some of you think Jones was a cheap acquisition–really?
3 million spells megabucks to me. And look at Quick for under $600,000. to the team!!!
Compare their contributions
[Reply]
So far this season +/-
Jones even
Whiskey -2
Harrold -3
JJ -17 (ouch!!, but I’ll stand with him anyway!!)
Thought you might also like to know:
OD +13
So many years of Kings mediocraty has damaged some of your judgements!!
[Reply]
Good point Ed, at least with OD, but what can a D man’s wisdom mean to a young guy who plays better anyway. We already have a few guys with playoff experiance who can talk about it to the younguns. I think you overlooked Scuds…maybe?
Scuds, Greener, and OD are good enough for me…that’s like half right?
[Reply]
I wonder if Deano considered picking Witt up off waivers.
[Reply]
tookie- my bad, its been a long day.
[Reply]
>fancy
FYI—–Jones’ salary is $2.75M total, and the Flyers are paying half of that.
[Reply]
Witt is too slow and too costly at this point in his career. I’d almost rather see Mathieu Schneider return here even if just to add another gunner to the blue line.
[Reply]
Update on Justin Williams please? A broken leg is about 8 weeks in heeling making Williams available around March 1st??
[Reply]
im one of the ones who actually liked jones but last night was atrocious!!! harrold on D, jones out and parse back in!!!
sorry jonesy but you had your worst game against the most important opponent!
[Reply]
I wouldn’t be so quick to throw Jones under the bus. He’s coming off an injury and was paired with JJ who’s signiture move is getting caught up ice.
[Reply]
And I thought that Pizza the Hutt’s offer of one million space bucks was too high for Jones.
[Reply]