The changes have arrived… Here’s how the Kings’ forwards are skating today:
Loktionov-Kopitar-Brown
Smyth-Stoll-Williams
Ponikarovsky-Handzus-Simmonds
Richardson/Schenn/Westgarth/Clifford/Lewis
No changes on defense, and we’ll see, after practice, what the fourth line might look like tomorrow.
Simmonds?
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Where is Simmonds? I know he was “missing” last two games, but is he injured?
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Katy Perry Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
@bear777,
I was starting to wonder if Simmonds didn’t make the team because he has been non-existent in the first two games.
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Interesting. Simmonds on third?
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Good.
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sstephen17 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
@Quisp, Agree. Although I didn’t expect Loktionov to potentially be playing on the 1st line, I’m excited. Would have preferred Williams on that 1st line too though.
Question for you Quisp. For the 10 game limit before being sent back to juniors/minors, does that mean 10 games you played in or 10 games you were on the active roster for?
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tantrum4 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
@sstephen17,
It’s actually 9 games and it’s games you’re on the scoresheet as being in the lineup that night. Healthy scratch or injured does not count.
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sstephen17 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
@tantrum4, Thanks for the clarification.
54FIGHTING Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
@Quisp,
Agreed. Our 2nd line is terrible. Yes Stoll can win some faceoffs but that’s it and Richardson really hurt us with that late penalty. We definately have needs on the 2nd line.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Richardson in the press box for Tuesdays game.
Someone tell Smyth to get in front of the goalie! Against Vancouver our 4 on 3 OT powerplay he just stood off to the side waiting for the easy tap in – he needed to park his @SS in front of Luongo for a screen and Kopi needed to take the puck to the net. Too many fancy passes and not enough ‘dirty’ goal area play.
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@Rich – I assume line three should read “Ponikarovsky-Handzus-SIMMONDS”
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Matt R Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
@Maximus,
Ah, good catch, that’s probably what happened. I don’t suppose Stoll would be playing second center and third wing!
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rontheking Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
@Matt R,
a lot of people have been underestimating stoll…perhaps by him playing center on one line and wing on the next that will prove a thing or two about his abilities….
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Hey Rich, thanks for the update. Question, Did Wayne Simmonds take the day off?
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Where is Simmonds? I didn’t get to watch the game last night, he’s not injured is he?
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I like Loktionov up on the first, should give them a ton of speed. It’s time for Murray’s juggling act.
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I assume you mean Simmonds on third line right wing.
I know it is early, but Richie is not showing he wants to play for this team.
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Moondoggie Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
@Jeremy, Personally I’d prefer to keep Clifford out there….Richie didn’t seem to be there last night but then after the first 10 minutes neither did the rest of the team….
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is there a trade coming??? Simmonds for….
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im pretty sure its a typo and simmonds in on the third line instead of stoll.
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would be nice to see Lokti get in a game now. Smyth looked tired last night…maybe he should not be playing back to backs.
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Man is simmers in the doghouse? Like the 2line changes.would like schenn to play on the #2 line with stoll on line 3.
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Oh, and by the way:
Anyone feeling sorry for the Devils and their Cap Hell Status?
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Cap-strapped-Devils-will-ice-9-forwards-vs-Peng?urn=nhl-276155
HeHeHeHeHe!
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Luuuuuuuuuuc! Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
Only a matter of time before we can make a play for Parise? One can dream…
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blk29 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, Yes! The Kovalchuck contract is already crippling his team!
The 0-2 Devils are going with 9 forwards and 6 defenseman. We knew this contract would handcuff the Devils, but I didn’t see it coming this early.
The Devils should be nice and tired by the time they get to LA on the 30th.
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DougS Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
Schadenfreude.
Those Germans, they have a word for everything.
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Michael J. Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
Lou is quoted: “They (players) did it in Bantam, they can do it today.”
JK
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
@Michael J.,
I love that!
Only thing is, one hamstring, one sprained wrist…
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KC23 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, … “Playing just the third game of the season with only 15 skaters is an embarrassment for the Devils. “It’s not something we like to see,” Lamoriello admitted. ” …
DL probably laughing his rear off at this one.
Wow 15 skaters against the Pens. Good luck with that.
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Moondoggie Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, HeHeHeHeHe is right!!!!!
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Get Westgarth off my ice!
I can’t say that anything he did last night directly lead to a Flames’ goal but those early lazy penalties certainly prevented the Kings from finding a rhythm in the game.
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holly Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
@Bickleton Wigglesworth III,
So did the penalties Ponikarovsky took the night before.
I have the same response to Westgarth’s as I did to Poni. First, stop. Second, I’ll excuse them somewhat early on as pushing too hard to prove you deserve to be there. If it continues, then there’s a problem.
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You seem to love double shifting players Rich
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
@Telos,
…Just like the Devils!
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Alternate Jersey Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, LOLLLLLLLLL
@Telos, same Telos from hfboards? and if so, YES, it has taken me this long…(sorry)
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Telos Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
Heeeyoooo! Rofl, I love it.
@Alternate Jersey
Same as hfboards.
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If I were Schenn, I’d be practicing taking face-offs until the wee hours. Make Stoll expendable and get yourself off the perpetual abyss that is the Kings’ fourth line.
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DougS Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@BringBackTheShieldJersey,
Well, the point of having quality players on your 4th line is so that you can actually roll over all 4 lines in a game without losing much. In theory, it shouldn’t be a penal battalion, or some kind of probationary hell.
But yeah, Schenn is already showing signs that he could make Stoll expendable.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
@DougS,
Stoll not expendable.
Third line, maybe…
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Michael J. Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, I wholeheartedly agree with you.
I think that Schenn is out to win the 2nd line center job. Stoll may be headed for 4th line, which hardly makes his “expendable.” It’s called depth!
rontheking Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
@BringBackTheShieldJersey,
i don’t know…stoll’s the best faceoff man in the world right now…and nobody else on the kings is even close! And what’s the most important thing on the PP? Winning the faceoff!
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BringBackTheShieldJersey Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
@rontheking, and that’s the point. Were Schenn to become a better than average face-off guy, maybe not even as good as Stoll, but more than good enough, 2nd line center position would be Schenn’s for the taking.
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So the 3rd line is useless without Frolov, cool!
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I am good with those lines except I’d move JW up to the 1st line, he’s earned it.
Lokti can be more effective as winger than Schenn IMO. Schenn is locked in for his roster spot I think. No 9 games and out for that kid.
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I think Brownie should have been swapped with Williams… How long does TM give Brown until he bumps him to the second line?
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wirespeed14 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
@Stuart, Totally agree.
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Alternate Jersey Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
@Stuart, Brown has a goal and assist in the first two games, and is the only one with two points on the team. Not to mention the hits he’s doling out as usual. Not that those stats are insane or that two games are completely telling, but I don’t think he’s underperforming.
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Stuart Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
@Alternate Jersey, It’s not a matter of underperforming, it’s more a matter of his ability to play with the other linemates. I love Brownie, but his passing ability is sub-par and IMO he and the team would be better served with Williams playing with Kopi and RS.
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Alternate Jersey Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
@Stuart, Maybe you’re right. I’m sure throughout the season TM will give us all the chance to see Brownie all over the place…
I guess to me it just seemed like last season Brown was the scapegoat for offensive problems. Rightfully so, sometimes, yeah, but between that and the goalie debate it got a bit exhausting.
In any case, we’re only two games in. Whatever TM ends up doing, hopefully we find our groove soon.
Stagger Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
@Alternate Jersey,
Regardless of his point total so far, Brown, IMHO has not played well the first two games. Any time he gets the puck in the defensive or neutral zone he seems to cough it up. He is just not handling the puck well right now.
How many passes did he fumble last night? How many TO’s did he have?
IMHO I think he does not belong out there with a highly skilled player like Kopitar. It just seems like he can’t keep up, and when he tries, he makes a dumb play.
All that being said, I love Brownie and his game, for the most part. He just needs to be put in the position to play HIS game and not be forced to be something he’s not.
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Alternate Jersey Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
@Stagger, That’s probably very true. To be honest, I have been more frustrated by the “dump and chase” than by any particular player that I probably haven’t noticed Brown’s poor passing or dumb plays. I am more irritated at the seemingly massive instances of dump and chase than anything, mostly because they were supposedly going to cut down on that this year.
Yeah, I know, the ‘Nucks and Flames probably clogged the neutral zone a lot, and there was a qualifier that we weren’t going to “force plays” this year, either. But in general, I do think there has been a problem of confidence with entering the zone, and that might stem from what you’re talking about, that Brown’s and maybe some others’ playing styles aren’t meshing right now.
But, and as I said above, regardless of our opinions, I’m sure that TM is going to juggle the lines enough that we’ll get to see a lot of different combinations from which we can make judgments. I definitely do see what you are saying, though.
MR King Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
@Stuart,
Agree. Maybe he doesn’t want Williams to put himself in the position of getting injured again playing on the top 3? Hopefully we’ll see that move in the upcoming games.
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Excited to see Lokti play, but kind of worrisome that after 2 games we are putting an untested 19 year old on our top line. Either Lokti is an exceptional talent, or we don’t have a legitimate first line left wing anywhere in the organization. Me thinks it is the latter, but time will tell.
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Barrie G Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
@rick, He’s not 19, Lokti is 20, he’s mature enough.
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DougS Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
@rick,
Define “legitimate.” I kind of understand what you’re getting at, but I think you need to re-evaluate your own first assumptions.
Loktionov scored a goal in fraction of an NHL game last season. He had an impressive training camp this year, by all accounts. He has to be given a substantial look sometime to see if he really is legitimate NHL timber. Realistically, is there ever going to be a better time to try him out? The Kings are so well-stocked with young talent that if Loktionov is not given a chance now, under these circumstances, you might as well just get rid of him. Lombardi has it set so that young guys will have a chance to roll in every year for as far as the eye can see.
As for trying him on the first line, well, with his skill set, if he’s going to have a lasting NHL career, he’s probably going to spend the bulk of it as a top 6 guy. Why not give him a taste now, see how he likes it? If it doesn’t work, you can always cut your losses after a couple of games. That’s part of the point of carrying an extra forward.
After reading this post and your pre-season forecast post, it sounds like you really have no confidence at all in young players (either that, or you just don’t pay attention to them). Kind of reminds me of GMs (of all sports) who always overpay for fading veterans just because they’re known quantities…. Kind of like how the Kings were run back in the Bad Old Days. Or the Cubs back in the ’80s, when I lived in Chicago (sorry, Rich).
And if that’s how you feel, maybe the Kings are not the right team for you to follow right now, because they’re all about building from within, through homegrown young players who have to be given a chance to prove themselves sometime. Sounds like you’d be more comfortable with, say, the Ducks of a couple of years ago. Hey, it’s not too late: They could probably use another fan right now.
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rick Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
@DougS, I respect your opinions. Please respect mine. Just because we don’t see eye to eye on every issue doesn’t mean that the Kings “are not the right team for me to follow right now”. I have been a Kings season ticket holder for 11 years. I am quite certain that I love this team every bit as much as you do. Stop with your sanctimonious nonsense and recognize that everybody here is entitled to their views. Thanks.
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8ball Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
dougS
maybe the guy{rick} hasn’t suffered as long as
we have yet.
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For those not following the story closely, Pavelec was released yesterday. Today it was announced that it was a neurocardiogenic syncope. Also known as a Vasovagal episode.
Essentially, right now it looks like it wasn’t a huge deal (medically, at least). If it was simply a vasovagal episode, the concussion is a bigger deal as far as medical goes. Of the causes, stress/sudden onset of extreme emotion are the big causes. Combine that with potential dehydration and any standing with your knees locked, and you’ve got the reason most people faint.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
@holly,
Two points:
1): He had just then assumed the fully erect position, after having steered an errant shot into the corner so that the puck could be cleared. Couldn’t have been more than 15 seconds erect;
2): He was out for quite some time. This is where the dispute can begin, a question of the chicken and the egg: Was he unconscious because of the blow to the back of the head after hitting the ice AFTER becoming unconscious? If so, then the first event could be a cardiovascular event/vasovagal episode, and this can all be of no real concern. But–a big but–if the primary event was neurological, then the time spent unconscious could be a post-ictal episode after a seizure. Yes, there was no tonic-clonic activity, but that does not completely exclude seizure activity. I can only assume that the medical staff did the requisite EEG and it was negative.
He should be watched like a hawk for the rest of this season, at least.
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holly Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
And I said that’s the reason most people faint. It’s been stated to be vasovagal, so unless he has another episode there’s no reason to assume otherwise.
People faint in high stress situations all the time. It’s an embarrassing thing and you’d assume he has enough experience under his belt for it not to be that, but if he weren’t properly hydrated, it certainly could be.
Reports are that he came to in the ambulance, and while people usually come to shortly after a faint, most people aren’t on skates on ice. It’d be more beneficial for them to not say anything at all if they didn’t have a firm belief in what the cause was than to release an statement that wasn’t factual.
Yes, it could be something worse, but until there’s further evidence, when you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
@holly,
Perhaps.
Otherwise, he might take a preference for that Rams helmet they used in ‘The House Of God’…
–Neurology height.
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
@holly,
How did EE sound? I know the Manchester home opener is this week… I’m assuming you listened on the radio.
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holly Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
I actually rarely listen to the games because I always forget to. I know, that makes me a terrible fan. Going on the scorers sheet, my guess is he looked pretty good. Stopped 27 of 28 shots.
Also of interest, Danny Taylor is now playing for Springfield. He played Friday night and stopped 38 of 39 shots.
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puck73 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
@holly, Danny Taylor ? I’m guessing Paul from Panorama City is bloody thrilled !
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
No judge.
Degree comes first.
DT was once a Bakersfield Condor, in a land and a year now far, far away. He was very, very raw before going off to England.
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RICH, can we get a injury update on Parse & Green? Thanks!
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Interesting! I was really hoping to see Loktionov on the top line to add some speed
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I like Lokti on the first line playing with a guy like Kopi. Maybe he will surprise everyone and stick there for a while. I like that Williams and Smyth are between Stoll. Those two guys have chemistry from playing on the 1st line last season. Lets hope that works out and it’ll be interesting to see Richie with Schenn and whoever else on the fourth line. That’s a pretty solid 4th line and I would suspect they get some pretty good playing time and give everyone else some rest and more energy late in the game. If that doesn’t work I would expect Williams and Smyth to jump back up with Kopi and Brown to drop down with Stoll and whoever else. I hope the 3rd line picks it up as well. They have potential to be the best 3rd line in the league but they haven’t shown up so far so let’s hope they get it going tomorrow night with the home crowd behind them. Go Kings!
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Michael J. Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
@number1fan, Contrary to popular belief, the 3rd line played a great game vs. Van. Any time the Gingers are kept off the scoreboard is a big success.
Let’s give Poni a few games to settle in. By game 20 it will be evident whether he is a daily contributor or a healthy scratch.
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number1fan Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
@Michael J., No, no, no I agree with you that they did a great job defensively, offensively they were pretty non-existent. Poni took some stupid penalties, but he did not lack effort. You can see his skating ability and skill set. I believe 15 or 20 games into the season they will have that chemistry and really start to turn it on at both ends of the ice, but I do like what I see so far. I just hope our talent starts coming through on the offensive end and we start scoring some goals I don’t want 5-5 to be a problem again. I think that a few more games and the homestand will really help our boys!
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Michael J. Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
@number1fan, I also believe that the other teams are probably paying a little more attention to that guy on the right side with those skinny legs.
St.Louis outshooting the Ducks, 44-9!
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My dream lines, flaws and all:
Loktionov – Kopitar – Williams
Schenn – Stoll – Brown
Poni – Zeus – Simmonds
Clifford – Richardson – Lewis
I’d leave Smyth in the press box for a game or two to see if it brings some mojo back.
And if Simmonds continues his current trend, I’d consider skating Harold for a few shifts to see if that gives him a kick in the pants.
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sstephen17 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
@Token, I like your first line but here’s my thoughts:
Loktionov-Kopitar-Williams
Smyth-Stoll-Brown
Ponikorovsky-Handzus-Simmonds
Richardson-Schenn-Clifford
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number1fan Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
@sstephen17, I like those lines and if that doesn’t work put Smyth back up on the first line and then Richardson and Lokti can be interchangeable on the 2nd and fourth line LW.
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sstephen17 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
@number1fan, I’m wondering if TM will use Loktionov on that first PP unit or stick with Schenn, maybe even Handzus?
4th line hopes:
Clifford/Schenn/Richardson
Pleeeese TM?
I like leaving Brown on the 1st if Lokti is on LW.
IMHO the Brown/Kopi chemestry issues are HIGHLY exaggerated on the messageboards.
I like Smyth/Stoll/Williams too.
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I like the move. Pretty sure swapping out Smyth Vs Brown was more about which wing Lokt can play than anything else. I’m excited for Lotk as it is rare for a rookie to get an opportunity like that.
I’m not ready to drink the Schenn kool aid just yet. Gets himself in good position, but has missed/choked on several opportunities.
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lafan13 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
@KC23,
but, but, its spiked kool aid!!
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blk29 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
@KC23, Are you serious?
If you are, you certainly AREN’T drinking kool aid.
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blk29 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
@blk29, maybe a little too much of a more adult beverage?
I suggest watching the games sober. You’re missing alot.
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Stagger Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
@KC23,
Totally agree on Schenn. He keeps getting to the right spots, only to somehow blow it. Stepping on the puck last night when he had an open(ish) shot was the most glaring example.
He’ll be fine though. Just the fact that he’s getting to those spots means a lot. He’s definitely hustling and looking to make plays. Looks pretty good in the defensive zone too. I like what I see, for the most part. Kid’s going to be a hell of a player
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Is anyone watching the ducks game? They keep proving how there the dirtiest team in the nhl they jump dudes 3 on 1 and they still have 2 backup goalies … I have a feeling they’ll be some new kings fans cause you know. Those chumps are for whoever is winning and I have a feeling that’s gonna be us. .. just sayin
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lafan13 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
@notposimatt,
ya ducks look bad right now..
either that or their making a push for the #1 draft pick in 11/12
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OMG WHERE IS SIMMONDS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!? AHHHH!!!!!!
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I really like these combos. Whether you like it or not, Brownie is our best right winger, he needs to be on the first line. With Smyth moving down to the second line, hopefully he can find the chemistry he had with Willy last season. The fourth line is the most interesting to me though, I think a line of Clifford/Schenn/Richie would be a strong combo.
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Daren Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
@KingRob, Brown our best right wing? Are you kidding me? That’s laughable. Brown is barely a top 6 on our squad and wouldn’t be on half the teams in the NHL. He is a great character player but does not have the skill. Brown better than Williams and Simmonds? Pshaw!
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So Rich are you going to update us on Simmonds? Why was he not at practice today? I don’t buy the “it’s a typo” excuse, how can you mistype “Stoll” for “Simmonds”? They’re not even close…
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rick Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
@tantrum4, It had to be a typo unless Stoll is playing on two lines…
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Michael J. Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
@rick, Maybe not. New jersey has lots of guys playing on two lines!
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tantrum4 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
@rick,
Ah, never noticed Stoll was there twice..
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holly Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
@tantrum4,
Conspiracy theorist, much?
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You have got to be kidding me? Anyone that doesn’t realize this was a simple typo and thnks it is anything else is reading WAY WAY WAY to much into this.
Jesus…. use your brains people.
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tantrum4 Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
@SimmondsFan,
Settle down buddy. I didn’t notice Stoll was listed twice, all I noticed was no Simmonds. Cool it.
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Hell yeah!! There we go. Lokti is getting his time to shine! I hope he can show us what he has.
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I went to two preseason games and watched two webcasts, and got to see Lokti play three times. I’ve been an NHL fan for 20 years and this kid has something. If you’ve like me amd have enjoyed watching Schenn play, get ready for something completely different; kind of like the Capital’s Backstrom. Shifty, tricky, uses the boards very well, a water bug on open ice, drives purposefully to the net. In Anaheim last week he was the best forward on the ice. Symth has looked pretty average. This move will hopefully get Kopitar a linemate that can get the puck back to him.
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Good grief. It didn’t take long for Murray to go into full mad scientst mode. I would have preferred he left them alone. Smyth did have a bad game but one game does not a cold streak make to merit a demotion.
The only change I would make if I had to was to put brown on the second line and williams back to the first. Splitting those three was a mistake from day 1. Williams’ passing ability and smarts creates time and space for kopi which in turn gives smyth time to get to the front of the net.
I hope our coach doesn’t get stubborn with brown there. He isn’t a first line winger.
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rontheking Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
@bobby scribe,
yeah, i was a little surprised that murray didn’t go back to the proven commodity from last year–the one line combo that really clicked…go figure….
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To all the naysayers out there. We went into two tough places to get wins and came out with a split. I say that’s not too bad. Last year we were horrible against Vancouver and now we got a road win against them. We’ve never beaten Calgary since forever and were in it until the 3rd on a back to back.
I would like to say it’s tough staying up past my bed time to watch a Kings team struggle to get one goal a game. If we only had someone who could put the puck in the net!
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Subby Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
@Big Rob in Dallas, Who though. Who can we possibly get without trading someone we love or sacrificing the future?
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This speaks volumes that this season will be different than TM’s first two….last year he would have kept the lines in tact until the 20 game mark.
I really don’t care who plays with who and on what line. The important thing is to change things up when they are not working. Lokti needs to be given an opportunity and it will be nice to see what this kid can do for more than just one game.
With all this youth it will take some time to figure out who plays better with who. Rather than stick to lines that may or may not work, TM should absolutely mix things up until we hit the 20 game mark, than we should have a much better idea what kind of team we have.
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I don’t understand how this is such rocket science.
Why is Terry NOT going with Smyth/Kopi/Williams on the top line????
What is the deal here?
RICH is there some internal politics at play here?
It just doesn’t make sense that Terry would continue to keep apart what was one of the most dominant lines in the NHL (when healthy) last season.
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It kills me how much people dwell on “the current” lines. We all know Murray can’t go a week without juggling them.
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Oh, and with a total of one 5-on-5 goals in two games, it’s hard to imagine anyone ripping on any particular line…besides it being pretty early for any of that anyway.
The power play, on the other hand, has had enough opportunities to show a bad trend.
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If Brown is so good at checking and putting hits on players then wouldn’t he be better on the 3rd (shut down) line? And if Simmonds has speed and the potential to score then wouldn’t he be better on the 2nd line? And if Willie had chemistry with Kopi and Smyth then put him back there.
Smyth -Kopitar- Williams
Loktionov -Stoll- Simmonds
Ponikarovsky-Handzus-Brown
Richardson/Schenn/Clifford/Lewis / Westgarth
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Since we’re mixing things up, why not try Loktionov, Kopi and Schenn – just for kicks.
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Smyth-Kopitar-Williams
Loktionov-Stoll-Brown
Ponikarovsky-Handzus-Simmonds
Richardson-Schenn-Westgarth
I’m really thinking we don’t have enough guys who really make things happen with the puck. That’s the only reason I put Lok on the second line, I think Stoll and Brown pretty much need someone who can make plays on that line, because both of them are mediocre carrying the puck. I don’t feel like watching Brown’s toe drag fail another 10 times against Atlanta.
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8ball Reply:
October 11th, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Nyck
you hit the nail.pablo picasso was never called
a hyper-bole.
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We’re two games into the season and there are very high expectations for this team. If we stay at 500 the first 10 games until they get these lines figured out we’ll be fine. Juggling lines and tinkering is part of the process. Hockey is not hard science. These guys are professionals and they understand their roles. Just because we have not scored 10 goals in the first two games we need to push the panic button. I’m going nucking futs reading these posts. I love it thought that we can share our frustrations, our hopes and our victories. We’re like a big happy family.
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