DUSTIN BROWN
This season: 82 games, 24 goals, 32 assists, 41 penalty minutes, 19:15 average ice time.
The good: Brown looked strong after his Olympic experience, and had a torrid finish to the regular season, with six goals (including a hat trick) and four assists in his final six games. That stretch allowed him to exceed last season’s point total and come within four points of the career high (60) he set two seasons ago. Brown routinely led the Kings in both hits and shots on goal, and was a stable, respected captain on a team that made the playoffs for the first time in his career.
The bad: Brown remains prone to lengthy dry spells, in terms of point production, and seems to let it impact his confidence more than most forwards. Too often, Brown will try to force a play in the offensive zone, rather than simply reading the flow and making a simple play, whether it’s putting the puck at the net or passing it. He had 24 goals for a second consecutive season, after what appeared to have been a 33-goal breakthrough in 2007-08.
Going forward: It’s very easy to forget that Brown is still only 25 years old. He can only get better, and as he feels more comfortable in his role as captain, and settles into being a leader, his all-around game should calm down as well. Brown’s biggest challenge might be in the locker room. Expectations will rise for the Kings next season, and the Kings will go from hunters to hunted. Will they be prepared?
Rich,
I get the feeling if you go thru the entire team,your going to define the lines between Haters and supporters.
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Quisp Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 1:53 pm
@Dominick,
Or the line between the Chicken Littles and the Emperor’s New Clothes.
Being critical doesn’t equal “hate” any more than sticking your head in the stand equals “support.”
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RLane420 Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 1:56 pm
@Quisp, Exactly!!!! Critisism does not = hate.
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Dominick Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 6:35 pm
@RLane420, As long as it’s constructive,or there’s a point to the complaining.I don’t have a problem with that.”Brown sucks”or “just get rid of him”To me sounds like a hater.
I thought a “B” grade was fair. Long dry spells, indeed.
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Brown plays hard every night, but absolutely needs to score more. He is way too inconsistent as a top-line player.
Can we hurry and get to the Frolov player evaluation. I can’t wait to hand out a nice big “F.”
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B for Brown
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I gave him a B also.Not bad for a 25 year old completing his 5th season(I think).Not perfect,but not bad.
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I went B+.I thought he coulda added some more scoring.Other than that he was stellar.Love Brownie,he will only get better
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Moondoggie Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 3:08 pm
@LUCKYLUC13, B+ is a very good grade and I graded him the same. Brownie is a scorer, a hitter, a grinder and a leader. He truly leads by example both on and off the ice. Yep, I’d like to have seen a few more pucks in the net, particularly at crucial times but over all you really can’t knock the guy. He makes very few mistakes out there and he puts his heart out on the ice every game. He’s the kind of player other players love to have in the lockeroom.
Next year an A perhaps?
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luc20rules Reply:
May 3rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm
@Moondoggie,
I went B+ as well. For the reasons you mentioned, I was going to go with a flat B, but then remembered his work in creating the Summer Workout Club and felt that should bump the Grade to B+.
Lead on Captain.
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Brownie is the PERFECT Captain for this team.
He holds himself to the same High standards that he encourages of his teammates. Love his work ethic on ice. And his humanitarianism
off the ice. Do agree he gets frustrated when not in the zone for scoring. You just have to love him for being a team player. He is the Heart of our Kings! !!!
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He had a nice late-season run goal-wise, and overall I for one am happy with his performance. He’s great at drawing penalties and is not afraid to hit anyone when it is necessary.
He needs to shoot more instead of giving up his grade-B chances by passing to a teammate for a grade-C or less chance though
Felt like he did that a few times.
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solid “b”…
i think we all know and love brownie’s strengths…
and rather than list the obvious about brownie, here are some things i think he can improve on…
one of the things he has yet to get a angle on is how to take advantage of all the 2-on-1′s he’s involved in…RICH is correct-o-mundo about brownie’s play when he carries the puck into the zone…and, if there’s anything that stands out negatively about his game, it’s his lack of disguising what he’s going to do when he gets the puck and his inability to finish grade A scoring opportunities…brown probably had the most wide open shots of anyone this whole season, but didn’t capitalize on many of them…
brown doesn’t always telegraph, but he’s either shooting at the top of the circle, trying to utilize his defender as a screen or he’s driving wide, limiting his scoring creativity…i would like him to develop a more of a slot game and take more shots between the circles, rather than the wings…
i don’t know what goes on in the locker room…but RICH surely has a better view than we all do…and i will take his word for it…and the many others for that matter…that brownie is a very capable captain and that he’s always giving 100%…his dedication to the community and to the la kings is undeniable and worthy of all the awards he has won and is nominated for again this year…
i don’t know what tm’s feelings are re: being the team captain…and/or there is competition from the likes of kopitar, greene and doughty…but, in my mind, brownie has done nothing for him to lose it…so if there are peeps out there who feel otherwise, i would like them to illustrate logical reasoning as to why there needs to be a change…
this off season might be the most important time for brown to take some inventory of where he’s come from and where he needs to go…he’s a very talented player that can provide so many different things to this team…it’s so easy to forget how young he is…
i don’t think you can underestimate the importance of him being part of the young core of this team…and by the looks of what has emerged this season from the kings at both the major and minor league levels, brown is an excellent example of how to nurture and cultivate a talent from within the organization…
i believe in brown…and maybe it’s that consistent confidence RICH mentioned that brownie needs to get to that next level…
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puckbob Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 3:33 pm
@variable, I agree. the team is young and he’s been there longer than anyone(except Fro). I don’t think there’s anybody that gets more respect than Dustin. For now, he is IMO the only choice to wear the C.
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Jammer06 Reply:
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:54 am
@variable,
I think the only thing you missed as an area of improvement is his board work. He doesn’t kill the cycle every time but for a top 6 forward he has so many “bad bounces” along the boards that its frustrating. If he could concentrate working on this to the point of getting confident like he is to shoot from the top of the circle it would simply give him more options on the ice.
On some of his 1-2 rushes he might be content to follow the puck into the corner and wait for the cavalry.
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I gave B+. Yes he did have some dry spells.
But he is only 25 and I think he is capable of making a greater contribution to a winning team in the future. It would be nice to see more offensive chemistry with his teamates but part of that is the teamates’ responsibility too.
I think he is capable of elevating the play of others.
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That two-game “stretch” where Brown carried the puck in, patiently looked to make a play, and did make the play, well those were two beautiful games. He had me there for a while. Unfortunately it goes against either his, or TM’s philosophy of “shoot everything”.
Brown is terrible on the power play, is too often a turnover machine, doesn’t score enough ugly goals, and misses the net or shoots away from the potential rebound way too often.
Do I want him on my team? Yeah, but calm down with the puck, start thinking of yourself as a finisher instead of a “hoper” (as in I hope it goes in), and relax your hands.
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YoBro Reply:
May 3rd, 2010 at 8:27 pm
@BringBackTheShieldJersey,
I concur with you on ALL counts sir. Well put.
We love Brownie, just calm him down, the game should not be moving too fast for him any longer.
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B+
Brown had some good stats this year, but at times, was kinda invisible offensively.
As Rich said, he goes on these lengthy goal-scoring droughts.
Of course, he makes up for those with his leadership and physical presence on the ice, which is very important.
In other words, he’s Raitis Ivanans with skill.
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You know, 24 goals and 56 points aren’t terrible numbers. They could’ve been better (and should’ve), but those are good.
And he’s only 25. He’ll get better, just like everybody else.
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Brown’s regular season was a C
Brown’s playoff appearence was an A-
Brown played when it was important and showed up in the postseason. So it will average out to a B.
I really enjoyed Brown’s play in the post season and his emotion. Loved to see Brown yap and hit and make things happen. Great potential in this kid.
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Well i think the important thing to note is I lookat these evaluations as being relative. Thus when we get to RIchardson I’m gonna give him an A ( meaning next year he will have a higher benchmark to surpass)
I gave Brownie an A because I feel great with him being our Captain for the next many years. It’s been kinda cool to watch him grow. That being said I understand those who gave him a B because really if he continues to stay healthy he just has such a great future/upside to him and may go down as being one of the most beloved players of this Kings era. Plus you can arguably define this era as being when he joined the Kings. Whether coincidence or not that says a lot in my books
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Off topic,but What the heck is up with Montreal?I didn’t even have them as making the playoffs,and they took out Washington,and won today against Pittsburg.
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KingHal Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 2:01 pm
@Dominick,
Halak is up!
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Dominick Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 2:58 pm
@KingHal,
If you guessed Montreal before the playoffs your a genious.Who’d a thunk it?
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He frustrates the hell out of me at times, but I want him on my team. A natural leader with upside to his game. Has a lot to learn still, but at 25 he has got time. Doughty and Kopi get the press – and deserve it – but this guy is the heart of the Kings.
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I went for a B. I think Brown needs to take a look at what Shane Doan did for his team in the first games of the playoffs and maybe take a few notes. Hopefully he can work on his game IQ this off season . .
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Solid “B” from the Captain. Would like to see him use his linemates a bit more and stop with the 1-on-3 moves that result in turnovers. But 24 goals from a 2nd line RW that hits is good for the team and worth his low cap hit.
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Brown is one player I can understand people giving anywhere from a A to a C. A for being giving 100%, for leading by example, for the hits, for just generally being a good egg. C for all of those meandering cough-ups in the offensive zone, not sticking with the system, over-skating the puck on shoot-outs, etc.
Me, I went with B. And it’s not entirely his fault either. A lot of it is other people’s expectations. I have always said Brown is the best third line RW in the league. I personally don’t think he will be a top-six guy. I know he had a season of really being that (the last Crawford year). And it’s possible he will “go to the next level.” But, on the other hand, it’s been shown (behindthenet, I think), that typically a player’s numbers peak at 27. So even if he gets back up to where he was two years ago (production-wise), he’s likely to find his way back down to “20+ goal scorer who hits” by the time he’s a free agent.
But, like I said, it’s not his fault he’s been forced to play a top-six role. This is a problem the Kings have had the last couple of years (not that they’re alone in this). We’ve got, essentially two third line centers instead of a 2nd and a 3rd, and we’ve got a great 2nd line center for a 1st line center (yes, he may grow into the true superstar we all want him to be, but right now — okay, he’s maybe half-way between 2nd line and 1st line right now). And on the right side, you’ve got Simmonds and Brown, who are, frankly very similar — and although most people think Brown projects higher than WS, I am unsure. If you made me choose, I would probably go with Simmonds (luckily, we don’t have to choose!). Add Williams into the mix, and it’s another case of having maybe a 2nd line guy and a couple of great 3rd line guys. Blah blah blah, I’m boring myself and my wife says I have to go to the store.
I love Brown. Go Kings.
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puck73 Reply:
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:57 am
@Quisp, ..You are so right. Thats why I have always felt good teams have 1 center, great teams have 2. If the Kings could get Eric Staal, and granted its highly unlikely Carolina would trade him but remember this..if their is 1 team with the resources that could its the Kings. If you roll out 2 lines centered by Kopitar and Staal every night, with their size, youth, and skill level..other teams would really have their hands full.
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Seems like 09-10 was an off year for Brown. He wasn’t bad but it certainly feels there should have been more from him. And that’s ok. As was pointed out he’s still a young man and still getting used to being the captain. But I would expect him to pick up his game more next year, with points but I’d also like to see him put the team on his back at times and refuse to loose. He’s shown some real flourishes of offense, I’d like to see him push those skills to the forefront when the team really needs someone to step up.
I’ll also say that I was disappointed with Brown in the playoffs. He needs to get in the refs ear more. I understand that chatting and yapping isn’t really his style but that’s something a captain has to do in the playoffs and I felt the Canucks were getting some calls because they were pushing for them while the Kings weren’t necessarily.
that’s my .02¢. still very happy he’s a King and look forward to seeing him grow into a great player.
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Quisp Reply:
May 2nd, 2010 at 4:45 pm
@Bickleton Wigglesworth III,
Yeah, but 2008-09 was also an off-year.
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C+. Great guy, but so inconsistant. Doesn’t necessarily raise his game in big games.
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I gave him a C because there just seems to be something missing in his game. He seems to have a knack for losing the puck, especially in the offensive zone. For someone with his physical size and strength, he should be a lot harder to knock off of the puck, or get his pocket picked.
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We all say thanks to Rich for his great posts, but I want to take this time to Thank all of you Kings fans for your posts, some of you are really great and say a lot of smart things that make this website even more interesting to read. Thanks Fans! By the way I am a Kings and ONLY Kings fan for the last 21 years!!
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I went with a B+, B for his play and leadership as there is room to improve but I added the + because character, which I feel is essential on a team has to count for something and to me he has great character.
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Brown is a player and individual whom I believe always works very hard to improve what is already a great skill set, and so will continue to get better every year.
My complaint is that there seemed to be many times this year when he broke out of the defensive end and took it to the net himself with one or more defenders on him. It always surprised me that there were rarely any teammates trailing the play…was this a method used to change lines? Even if it was, couldn’t one guy at least trail in behind him to give him a pass option or at least be in position for a possible rebound? Or, instead of taking it to the net himself, couldn’t Brown have backed off the defender(s), circled once in the zone, kept puck control, and waited for teammates to arrive to set up an offensive scheme?
It seems like a flaw in Brown’s strategy–or the team’s strategy–because in this situation with a defender on him Brown gets no more than a low percentage scoring opportunity, the goalie makes the save, and now the other team takes control of the puck.
Am I missing something?
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I thought Brown was intense, showed up big in big games. He hit hard and could get the team fired up.. When he didnt hit hard it was bad though. One thing he needs to work on is one-timers. Hes good at a lot of things but struggled sometimes on lose pucks and onetimers. He will only get better and is a good leader
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I really only have one problem with Brown, HE CAN’T FINISH. He’s got one of the worst shooting %’s in the entire league, so what does that tell you? So maybe he needs to change up his game and start passing more…
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I gave our captain a B+ too. One thing you can never ever say is that Brown doesn’t play hard. He brings his hard hat every day to the rink and even when he isn’t scoring he is hitting and trying to make things happen. I can live and die with our captain trying to do everything he can to help this club win. Obviously I’d like more production but his effort is second to none.
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Brown needs more blackeyes… ever since he got that black eye he played with so much more of an edge… a real vengeance out there! dominating down low
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