A favorite topic among a segment of Kings fans is — no, not Ilya Kovalchuk — the play of Randy Jones. Jones, in his last four games, has not recorded a point and has a minus-4 rating. Terry Murray was asked today, as he frequently is, about Jones’ play and the possibility of getting Davis Drewiske back in the lineup…
MURRAY: “Since his injury, I think his [Jones'] game has improved, week by week. He’s the one player who can really get things going out of our own zone. He’s got good puck-handling skills, he can skate, he can carry the puck out of danger and he can jump into the offensive part of the game, which we’ve seen. We use him on the power play. And on the other side of it, with Drewiske, I wish I could get him in. He worked so hard, through that injury, to get rehab done and get ready to come back. When he did get in, though, there was some hesitancy. We talked about that.
“I think, right now though, he’s through thar part, emotionally. He looks like he’s much more comfortable on the ice, with his drills, and I believe that any time he would get in now, he’d be back to where he was before. It’s hard to change it up sometimes, but getting back to Jones, I don’t mind his game. I know he’s better than what he is at times, but he can be an important player for us.”
Jones has been improving and his play last night was a big help. I’m happy TM isn’t swayed by all of the posters who try to scapegoat Jones, regardless of his contributions. The Kings are looking tight as a team and Jones is a part of that.
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
@YeahWhatever,
Normally I try not to bag but you were watching the LA-Colorado game, right?
I agree that Jones is part of the team and, if he was injured then I now understand (and would expect improvement). He certainly played better earlier in the year.
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jet Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:24 pm
@USHA#17, I thought Jones looks better the past few games than he has since the injury. Do you think he has been worse the past 3 games?
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threepwood Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:09 pm
@YeahWhatever,
Doubtful that TM is monitoring the chat boards – much less making decisions based on their content.
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Bob Bobson Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:11 pm
@threepwood, Maybe if he did, we would have clinched a playoff spot by now…
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threepwood Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:13 pm
@Bob Bobson,
Yep,
Playing Frolov more, not juggling the lines, and DD44 instead of Jones would have us at 103 points right now with ease…
Bob Bobson Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 9:24 am
@Bob Bobson, That was a joke…the last thing TM should do is listen to armchair coaches.
FAIL…jones costs us a goal a game…get him out of there….
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luc20rules Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:09 pm
@josh e.,
What goal did he cost us in the 1-0 victory verse Dallas, and why weren’t we critical of his play as he helped the team go on a 9 game winning streak. I still remember the game bloggers pinned 3 goals on him when he in fact was not responsible for any of them, but could have possibly made an incredible play to stop one.
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@josh e,
Riiiiight. If we exclude the game winning goal on his first game with the Kings, you still couldn’t back that up. But I don’t suppose it matters if you’ve joined the Jones-hater bandwagon.
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josh e. Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:36 pm
@YeahWhatever,
there’s a reason he got waived…that’s all im saying…
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lilwaynesimmonds Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
@josh e.,
Quincey was waived as well. Just sayin…
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:00 pm
@lilwaynesimmonds, Quincey was waived because Detroit had to get under the cap, and they couldn’t afford him.
Jones was waived because, well, we see the results.
He is what he is…a marginal #6 who can add some offense, but his defense is incredibly suspect at times. His read of the play coming at him needs SERIOUS work.
josh e. Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
@lilwaynesimmonds,
Quincey had played a total of 13 games for the defending cup champs when he was waived…jones had played 217 and is much older…if he hadn’t proved himself in the prior 217 games…why would he now?
USHA#17 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:04 pm
@lilwaynesimmonds,
Quincey certainly was a positive for the AVs last night
jet Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm
@lilwaynesimmonds, They were both waived for cap space reasons.
I'm Just Saying" Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:07 pm
@lilwaynesimmonds, Hey I’m just saying ….”Just Saying”
lilwaynesimmonds Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:41 pm
I guess what I was going for was that just because Jones was waived doesn’t mean he’s terrible. Quincey was waived and he was great for us.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 6:44 am
@josh e.,
We also got Modin for a conditional 7th rd picked based on whether we win the cup or not.
That’s as close to being waived as possible.
How’s he done?
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I have faith in TM!
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dislike….
when Jones played bad, nothing happen.
when Frolov played bad, he got benched.
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Matt R Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:42 pm
@zdfun,
I was just thinking the same thing. I don’t really mind Jones too much (way better than DGauthier IMO), but there does seem to be a bit of a double standard there.
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fridgemagnet57 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
@Matt R,
I think it’s because Jones is coming off of hip surgery and steadily improving his game, while Fro is just inconsistent. I don’t recall him being that bad in Philly.
Plus Jones has that experience and we’re going with the veterans who’ve been there at this point for most positions. I think if we get a cushion for points, or RJ just flat out costs us games, then we might see Drewiske again. I wouldn’t mind seeing Harrold though.
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King Taco Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:43 pm
@Matt R, There is no doubt a double standard. Fro gets held to a much higher standard because the coaching staff knows that he is capable of much higher level play.
Jones is already a bottom pairing d man. I am not quite sure what you do besides scratch him the next games and TM has already explained why he isn’t doing that.
Now JJ on the other hand…i guess he’s still learning?
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King John Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:41 pm
@Matt R,
Agreed that Gauthier was horrible last year. I’d rather have Jones any day. I think Jones has been more steady lately.
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I must say I don’t get it. Jones pinches when he shouldn’t, resulting in outnumbered rushes the other way. Saw that last night on the second Colorado goal.
It is not like the guy provides enough offense to justify his defensive liability. Why TM does not see it that way, I’ll never know…
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GregDM Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
@Steve S.,
Totally agree with you. Between him and Johnson we have guys that don’t seem to change their mindsets based on the game situation. I want Jones to stop pinching on 50-50 pucks in a tie game or when we have a lead. He just seems to mentally check out once or twice during a game. I really don’t want him back next year.
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King John Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:43 pm
@GregDM,
He probably won’t make the team next year… If we bring up a rookie or use Drewisky.
Don’t get mad: I want Sean O’Donnell back!
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:04 pm
@Steve S.,
“Asleep at the wheel” moment.
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blah blah Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:12 pm
@Steve S.,
you said what i wanted to say. not only did he get caught on that 2-1 goal, there was another time in the same game he pinched and got caught which resulted in a 2-1 which the avs didnt score on. it seems to happen at least once a game.
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Steve S. Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
@blah blah, Like I said just don’t get it, particularly for a “conservative” style of play that TM likes. Also, if you are going to pair someone with JJ probably should be a “stay at home” type defenseman. Note that JJ has one of the worst plus minus figures on the team, and Jones with him ain’t helping…
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luc20rules Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:21 pm
@Steve S.,
I would agree with that, but nobody blogs defense pairings. I would go
Doughty-Scuds
JJ-OD
Jones-Greene
and double shift Doughty – Scuds.
I don’t see it the same way, but I do trust TM to know best.
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It’s not a competition b/w Frolov & Jones – it’s about attitude. It says a lot about Jones’ character that he even has the will to continue to improve his game AND take shots (which has fallen off for the team in general), despite the constant harping on him by the posters. All of the team is working on improving, but if Frolov isn’t showing enough interest or playing with heart like so many of the rest of them, TM has to send a message. I know I’m a broken record, but you have to notice that Frolov’s performance started to drop off when the boards siezed on one or two bad games and called for him to be traded. They do read these posts and it WILL affect them.
Fo and Jones are both talented and can have better days. I trust TM to play the guys who want to show up, and if something is throwing them off mentally, he has to protect the team attitude by keeping the time on ice with the guys who are going to bring it. And that does include Jones.
Go Kings!!! Awesome game last night – Keep it up!!!!
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the guy is the biggest liability, i’m so happy we picked him up on waivers and his contract is done at the end of the year
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TM was behind the bench last night right? TM logic, he should write a damn book.
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:05 pm
@Alen,
If all else is equal go with the player that has more experience.
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I don’t understand this favoritism… Jones makes mistakes EVERY game but Frolov is called out to the press almost every day..
Every time a 2 on 1 happened, Jones was out there.
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Surly Jacob (JDM) Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:56 pm
@Jenn,
Hyperbole. Frolov was called out once this year.
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TWS Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:29 pm
@Surly Jacob (JDM),
Getting benched is not the only way to get called out. Frolov has gotten demoted several times for “mistakes” that other players have also made without punishment.
And to say Jones gets a pass because he can be an “important player” is stupid. Frolov can have a much greater impact than Randy Jones on this team and Terry Murray is completely mishandling him.
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jet Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:45 pm
@TWS, Murray is mishanlding him? I thought the last 4 coaches mishandled him by letting float in the defensive end.
Jenn Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
@TWS, If you think he is “floating” fine. I am just saying that the OTHER players should be treated the same.. Signaled out like Frolov is. There are plenty of mistakes to go around.
King John Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:45 pm
@Jenn,
I think TM is pushing each of them to play better, according to their abilities. He probably expects a lot more from Frolov and won’t let up until Frolov produces.
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Lucky Luc 20 Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
@Jenn, Actually – He was out there too much – I know this is not all on him but every penalty the Kings took, he was out there….More of them in their own zone and COULD NOT clear it out…resulting in someone taking a penalty….Almost looked like he made Greene dumber just being in Jone’s presence….
All I am “Just Saying” is Watch Jones tonight…a little closer than you usually do….you will see how he “helps” the Kings….
Hopefully Drewiske/Harrold will impress TM enough to keep them in and Jones out! Unless TM/Jones Philly connection is too strong….
Jones reminds me of Armstrong….Popular but did nothing on the ice…..SAD
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Just yesterday he fell behind when the Avs scored on that 2 on 1 when Matt Greene made the pass impossible and Quick gave up a crap goal again. Jones fell behind multiple times last night, just this particular one cost us a goal. All isn’t equal, it’s TM logic which is basically no logic. What happened to players not losing jobs due to injuries? Does Drewiske not qualify for this? He had 1 bad game after his return and got the axe while that midget Jones has played like crap all year.
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Mmmmm…. I disagree. I especially have some trouble with Murray’s choice of words.
“I don’t mind” and “I wish” bug me.
http://lakingsnews.com/2010/03/23/one-double-d-isnt-enough/
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Guess that wasn’t Jones I saw out of position last night on the Avs second goal. Jim Fox must have also been mistaken because he said Jones fell behind the play leading to the goal. Guess Fox and I need to get our eyes checked because I could have swore I saw number 12. Maybe I am living up to my name an need a ct scan after all.
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@Chris P. Bacon,
I WASN’T comparing Fro and Jones in terms of position – was responding to the poster who implied TM was playing favorites on who he gives ice time to. TM has been clear all season that attiude is a factor. It’s possibe he knows more about what these players have to offer than we do… If Fro has been inconsistent about his willingness to play like he’s part of a team (just a guess), then that would be the sort of mindset that could poison the group and affect the play.
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lot of smarter people on here than Terry Murray and Jim Fox.
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luc20rules Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:31 pm
@SDGolfer,
I suppose you would prefer we give Crawford another shot.
TM has got us in playoff position with not much of a personnel change on ice. The system is sound, the locker room stable, and the players confident we can and have made a run. I’m glad the players are not finger pointing. As far as Fro & Jones treatment Jones has been a healthy scratch about 8 times to Fro’s 1.
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Guys, coaches, commenters, GM’s, reporters, you, me and everyone else who has ever lived since the dawn of time, can and has been at times, wrong. Just because Murray thought is, does not make it right, it just makes it the reality of the team.
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any of you wonder if Drewiske just isn’t ready for the intensity of the games this time of year and doesn’t want to say it? TM might not want to shake the kids confidence right now. just speculating…but I will give TM the benefit of the doubt.
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Surly Jacob (JDM) Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
@Todd M.,
That might be true, had Murray not claimed this about Drewiske “I believe that any time he would get in now, he’d be back to where he was before.”
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jet Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:52 pm
@Surly Jacob (JDM), but would TM really say, “The kid just can’t cut it at his level”.
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Surly Jacob (JDM) Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 12:20 am
@jet,
No, he would say something along the lines of “Drewiske is still having trouble regaining his form from before the injury.”
If TM truly wishes he could get Drewiske in then… GET HIM IN. I have been among the ardent Jones-is-a-liability complainers here, and the main point Steve S made earlier is the important one – if you keep him in the lineup because he adds puck movement and some offense, then where is that? No sign of any from Jones in the last 10 games, just many costly mistakes.
GET DD2 IN!
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Rich,
Speaking of the bad play of Jones, of late. Can you ask Terry Murray about Modin’s last game against Colorado. He was horrendous. He scored on his one goal, plus he had one shift where he turned the puck over twice while deep in the Kings own zone. But, he never missed a shift. While Frolov, who’s been playing very well lately, got benched and relegated to the fourth line the next 2 games after Terry Murray complained he didn’t dig hard enough along the boards during a PK. Seems like a double-standard where Frolov is always a whipping boy, when everyone else gets free passes. And Frolov has been really on his game before he was demoted and his ice time has been reduced. What gives?!
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coach Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:48 pm
@Mikko Makela,
amen!
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 6:48 am
@Mikko Makela,
the 2 giveaways on the one shift was the only thing Modin did that wasn’t good. Other than that, he played a great game. He was forechecking his ass off and making plays deep in the offensive zone.
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Mikko Makela Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
@nykingfan,
Well, scoring the Avs first goal on Quick wasn’t too hot, either!!! He was out of position on that play when his man jumped down low. He made a desperation reach with his stick, which tipped the puck into his own net.
Frolov is amazing on the low cycle…Modin just plays soft. He hustles with his old legs, but he doesn’t get anywhere fast. Frolov should be on the Handsuz line, not Modin.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
@Mikko Makela,
You’re wrong on both points. It’s Modin’s job on that play to get his stick into the passing lane. That’s exactly what he did, just lousy luck.
If you think Modin is soft and Fro is tough, you need to either watch a little more closely or get the eyes checked.
With that kind of vote of confidence in Jones, I smell a contract extension. Jones will get the next “Cloutier contract” DL hands out and it will suck just as bad.
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threepwood Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:11 pm
@Steve McQueen,
Yeah, DL has made a ton of terrible moves lately…
Team is in a death spiral.
Sucks to have the 7th best record, the 5th rated prospect pipeline, and a slew of draft picks in the first 3 rounds in the upcoming draft.
That damn Cloutier contract is just handcuffing this franchise right now…
Don’t know if we’ll ever get beyond it.
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jet Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:55 pm
@Steve McQueen, There are 29 other teams that widh they were as bad off.
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One thing that can be said about Davis is that he’s busted his ass to not only get back into game condition after the injury, he’s gotten significantly bigger/stronger in these past few months when he’s not seeing game action. Just looking at him now vs. last year or even the start of this year, he’s definitely added a lot of size. Going to help him a lot going forward.
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Can we please have either Drewiske or Harrold play instead of Jones.
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OD is the problem….not Jones. He can clear the puck on PK….wow!
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PurpleBlacknGold Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:21 pm
@The Ghost of Jack Kent Cooke,
That game vs the Avs was one of OD’s best this year…even Jim Fox said so. This is the time of the year where the experience of OD, Scuds, and Modin will start to show…
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I sure hope EE, 44dd and harry get a shot before the end of the season, in case they are needed for the playoffs. It would make sense to get someone in for the back to back,as the Wild are out of it and we need to change up something against the Preds! Of course, the Oilers on April 10 would be a great time to put them all in, and rest JQ,OD, and, who was that other D-man?
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threepwood Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:13 pm
@edwood2,
If EE is needed for the playoffs, we are in serious trouble. This will mean that BOTH Quick and Bernier have gone down.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 6:49 am
@threepwood,
Exactly!
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Masked Man Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 11:49 am
@edwood2, Makes sense to me. EE is not as bad as everyone seems to think. Quick gives up just as many bad goals with bad stick handling and poor reads. Guess no one notices.
START ERSBERG ALREADY!!!
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
@Masked Man,
And if EE gets lit up and we find out later that the 2 points really meant something?
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Hey I understand the disdain for Jones really I do….BUT
do you ever notice that he is the last one of the ice (even after Quick)??? Maybe he’s bringing something to the “room” that we are unable to evaluate with computer and keyboard.
He always smilling and looks to me like the guys enjoy him…it could be that “attitude” we hear so much about and I hope he scores plently of goals in the playoffs.
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Is TM watching the same game? No clue how he continues to believe jones is playing well. Anyone that knows anything about hockey or who has watched the kings the last two months knows jones has been terrible.
TM continues to say he brings offense to the game and puck movement. He is no where to be found in terms of any offense and his puck moving and skating abilities are no better than that of harrold or drewiske. In fact his are far worse.
How many times is TM going to allow jones to
Make terrible pinches that not only lead to out numbered attacks but goals for the other team (muellers last night). He is continuously in no mans land.
Do yourself a favor and get drewiske in a few games. No doubt he will be better than jones after a few games. I can not stomach the thought of jones costing us a playoff game and or the series
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luc20rules Reply:
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:36 pm
@S D king,
Do you really believe that the Kings Coaches do not watch the game not only live, but several times on tape with different angles to evaluate the players? When players say they don’t want to go into coaching because of the hours, they are refering to all the time breaking down play on tape.
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scv king Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 11:53 am
@luc20rules,
do you really believe that SD King was not being sarcastic?
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I am a little discouraged to hear Murray say that, but as long as we win, I don’t care what he does.
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I think Jones has gotten better with time, and played much better in the last game than previously.
Drewiske didn’t looked good at all the last time he was playing…Harrold is good all around and I’d rather see him than Drewiske at this point, but I’m not jonesing for him because his Foxlike stature turns him into a squeeky toy at times for the bigger bastardly-type opponents.
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So, here is a question for you all to answer: If Davis Drewiske came back to play with us, and in his first game back, lets say he turned over the puck 20x and 4 goals got scored with him on the ice, would you want Jones back or leave Davis in? Is the same thing happened with Doughty? Greene? Scuds? The answer would probably be no, because he would pick up his game, next game, right? As far as I am concerned, its the same thing with Jones. Takes awhile to come back from an injury, as Williams, Smyth, etc!
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 6:51 am
@#1faninvegas,
If Drewiske came back and made those mistakes, the blame would fall on Murray for not playing him sooner. TM can’t win with some of the people on this blog. We can win the cup and it would be in spite of TM. It’s pretty friggin sad.
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#1faninvegas Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
@nykingfan,
AGREED!!
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I can’t imagine what Kings management could possibly be thinking. Why do they waste their efforts on TM and DL when right here in this forum, we have the smartest coaches and GM’s one can imagine.
Pretty much of the time when it is expressed here in favor of taking a player out, bringing another one in, playing one more than the other,liking one more than another, disliking one more than another, etc., isn’t that the same favoritism that management is being ridiculed for?
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I would say the most important thing is for the Kings to get into the playoffs. I am confident that they ARE going to get into the playoffs and a significant amount of the credit for that goes to TM.
And I am pretty sure most people would not dispute his authority to make the coaching decisions he deems best for the team. And I think most people would agree that since we as fans don’t have the same access to the players that he does, that he is in a much better position to make coaching decisions than we are.
But NONE of what I just wrote above CHANGES the fact that Randy Jones HAS been a defensive liability for this team in recent games. It is speculation whether Drewiskie or Harrold would be better, worse, or about the same. But it is NOT speculation about what Jones has been bringing to the table lately.
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dont get me wrong i like dd but i think jones is pressing. hes not stupid he knows hes the bottom two d man and that he needs to prove himself for an extension next year. jones is playing….ummm…ok. he needs to pick the play to pinch a lot better. thats when he gets into the most trouble. do i think he will get picked up next year, probably not. we have a huge amount of talent in the minors, like hickey. jones right now i belive is there for his expirence, dont forget we have a pretty young team here, going into an uncharted place, called the playoffs. we all know that aside from rankings and home ice advantage, reg. season means nothing. the playoffs are a new season, so put away the torches and axes and wait to see how od and rj perform in the playoffs, thats all iam saying.
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Let’s think logically for a moment…
Nobody, inlcluding TM, is pushing for Jones to win the Norris. He’s a 6th defenseman, nothing more. All the talk about Drewiske and how he wouldn’t make the same mistakes Jones is making is pretty funny. The guy played well when he was called up last year, but that wasn’t the same guy I was watching earlier in the year before he got hurt. He was playing more like a rookie this year which is perfectly understandable since he is a rookie!
Jones is a veteran which counts for a lot at this time of the year. He’s prone to making mistakes, but what he gives the Kings over Drewiske is the experience as well as a guy who can move the puck out of the zone.
Puck movement is crucial down the stretch.
Drewiske’s time will eventually come. Whether that’s as a King or not remains to be seen, but this is not the time of year to be throwing rookies into the heat of battle, especially when they haven’t played in months.
TM is a former defenseman and a smart coach. He knows which players will give us the best chance to win.
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I still laugh every time I see Jones reaction to DD taking a tumble on the ice a few games ago. That was my Jones highlight for the year. Jones may well be a real good guy, a postitive in the “room”, etc. I have no doubt that he is trying and competing. But, his game has some real liabilities, and I don’t think anyone could argue that. I actually really liked Drewiske when he came up last year, and pre-injury this year. I agree his game dropped a bit when he returned. Harrold is basically a waste as a forward, but has some decent value as a d-man.
With Jones…his game is average at best, and he does not seem to be learning from his mistakes (pinching, losing his man in the d-zone). He is a decent puck mover however; in fact I do not recall too many giveaways in the offensive zone from Jones.
Also re Jones, you get a bit more offensive “potential” than with Drewiske. Drewiske is a stay at home d-man. Harrold gives us mobility, competitiveness and is pretty solid in handling the puck, minus the bad turnover in his last start.
Seriously, none of us really know what we would get at this point from either Drewiske or Harrold. We know what we are getting from Jones. That is what is frustrating to some of us. I guess it boils down to a decision to stay with Jones, liablilties included, or chance a move to either DD2 or Harry. Given that it is my belief that both of those options come with more upside than Jones, I would like to see TM dare to be good, dare to be better than the status quo with Jones. This team is not a one year deal; it is a work in progress, so why not go with one of the options that may possibly improve the team more than Jones allows?
TM is is a fairly conservative coach, and I am not surprised with his decision to stay with the more “veteran” guy. But, I don’t think TM is stupid either, and I (any others, presumably) wonder why he won’t at least take the chance for a game or two and see what develops. And I will repeat a comment I made a few weeks ago re this situation…TM seems to be afraid of going with either DD2 or Harrold while Jones is currently already making the mistakes that he is fearful that either of the other options may bring. That is what semi-mystifies me on this topic.
All of that being said, I guess it is nice to know we have gone from past problems (goaltending, lack of talent in general) to complaining about our 6th and 7th D-men! Now, let’s to to Denver and win there, too!
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 8:18 am
@scv king,
You make some good points and it’s tough to disagree, but if I didn’t this would get boring.
I don’t know that moving either Harrold or DD2 into the 6th spot would greatly improve us. They all come with warts in their game. I think TM is going with the experience factor and the puck moving ability and PP usage with Jones. Obviously, Jones is no bargain either.
I personally don’t think any of the 3 will be around next year. I would think next year would be the time for Voynov, Hickey, or a top D man coming in via off season aquisition.
To me, Jones is the best option because of the experience factor.
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scv king Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 8:28 am
@nykingfan,
I don’t necessarily disagree with your comments; I can see the logic involved. I guess I think that I was pretty impressed with Drewiske at earlier points and I think he brings way more in terms of solid defensive play in the zone and does not get caught pinching and giving up outnumbered attacks like Jones. Plus, Drewiske brings the hard and physical play that TM often talks about. And I believe that Harrold brings much more quickness and skating ability, which would seem to have value especially when facing a good skating team like we will see tonight in Colorado. We know what we have in Jones at this point…maybe we have more with one of the other guys. Jones is not playing so well that it isn’t worth the time to see if another option is better, and I think that is basically what my point is.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 9:01 am
@scv king,
I see what you’re saying. If you told me that we would be getting the Drewiske from last season, I’d be 100% behind it. I just didn’t see the same guy. Injuries could be a big part of that.
I love the way Harrold was playing when he was put back on D earlier. The one thing about that is I never saw him play that way before. Was it a one shot thing, or did he turn the corner as a defenseman?
Again, I defer to TM because he may be seeing things in practice and even in the games that we just don’t see.
If he decided to put either one back in instead of Jones, I or anyone else wouldn’t be complaining at all.
I just don’t see any of them being much different from each other.
There has to be a reason TM goes with Jones, even with his mistakes.
Murray seems afraid to make changes while he deems the team is having “success”. I would argue that scoring 6 goals in 5 games and going a game under .500 post-Olympics is not really success. True, the team looked much better vs. the Avs but Jones was terrible the second half of that game. Anyone remember John Slaney?? I would like to see Drewiske and Harrold go in for SOD and Jones. Not necessarily at the same time right away, but it’s a look I’d like to see. I think OD needs a bit of a break before the playoffs and Jones, while getting better, is still a 2-on-1 against creating machine and a circus in his own end.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 24th, 2010 at 11:25 am
@BluLine77,
People may differ with you on TM being afraid to make changes. Even during our winning streak, he was changing up lines, which was pissing off a lot of the people on here.
As I said before, I jsut think TM is comfortable with the veteran back there as opposed to a rookie during gthe stretch run.
I think once we clinch a playoff spot and secure whatever seeding, he’ll start to rest some vets like OD.
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Do any of you TM lovers realize that this season we have lost zero games with Harrold playing defense?
And, that it was Harry (scoring a goal against detroit) who was playing to start the 9 game unbeaten streak?
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