The Kings will try to ride the hot hand tonight. Brad Richardson, who recorded his first career hat trick in Saturday’s victory over Colorado, will remain on the first line — he moved there in the second period Saturday — with center Anze Kopitar and right winger Dustin Brown. Richardson had some success on the first line last season, when he played with Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds for a stretch, and also seemed to have some chemistry with Brown in a second-line role last season, so the Kings will try to put that all together and hope it works. Richardson, though, is known for his skating and energy more than his high-level scoring, and said he’s not thinking about playing a different style based on a different role.
RICHARDSON: “I’m not going to change a whole lot. You get a few more chances offensively, obviously, with Kopi and Brownie, but it’s the same game. Just work hard and try to get open for Kopi.”
i don’t know a whole helluva lot’
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Someone posted his Junior stats and who he rivals in the scoring race were. It was pretty impressive. Not really expecting a leopard to change his spots, but I would definitely welcome more games like the last one from Richie.
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Lokti will have his chances, but Ritchie has been playing like a beast and looked real good with Anze & Brownie. Play the hot hand and see how long it lasts. BR may be the guy we’ve needed all along. Who knows? Stranger things have happened. Look at Moulson.. Anyone have him pegged on the 1st line on the Isle last year?
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2hitnik Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
@Cynic, “Play the hot hand” – should have stuck with BR-Schenn-Simmer… Anyone else see that Simmonds doesn’t seem happy on his line? And why can’t he get any special teams time?
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LomitaKingsFan Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
@2hitnik, Zues and Simmonds have great chemistry together. Dont know about him ‘not being happy’, but his play doesnt seem to be at the same level as last year just yet.
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puck73 Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
@2hitnik, Actually, he played great with Richardson as well, maybe they should put Simmonds with Richardson and Kopitar? lots of speed, what do you think?
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Heidi is reporting that Muzzin has been recalled and Doughty is now on IR retroactive to Oct. 21
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KC23 Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
@Mike L, Good, they need to sit DD2 for some video time.
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Dan H. Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
@KC23,
Showing him that he’s playing a solid game shouldn’t take long. He’ll do that after practice and be in the lineup tonight.
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fsd1 Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
@Dan H., lmao
Im liking this change. Ritchie is a guy that gives 110% when hes out there. Hes great at scrapping for loose pucks and digging along the boards. I have a feeling he will fit in real well with the cycle that Kopi & Brown can get going.
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Muzzin being recalled from MAN. DD to IR.
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2hitnik Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
@2hitnik, Sorry, looks like Mike L. beat me to it.
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Richards was in the right spots and the right times that last game. He read the puck and the play around him perfectly. If he can keep that up he will be a HUGE name in the NHL.
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Mike L Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
@Slapshot,
Brad Richards is already a huge name in Dallas
Perhaps the 2nd line center we get at deadline??
Lol
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Now there tweeting that doughty is going on IR to bring up Muzzin?
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I don’t care where a player plays or on what line, as long as its working and we win.
Seems like a lot of people won’t be satisfied until we sign a LW for a ridiculous price. If Kopi works playing with Richardson, Westy, Harold, etc. who cares as long as we win.
Gretzky played on a line with Dave Samenko up in Edmonton for a couple of seasons. Yes, we know Kopi is not Gretzky but Wayne put up a crap load of points with this goon (excellent fighter) playing on his wing.
When Gretzky came to LA, he played on a line with every Kings reject they could find or bring up and still scored his 150 pts season. What Wayne did have was an awesome second line, i.e. Luc, Sandstrom, Granato among others.
So the answer is not necessarily to pay someone $7M or 8M season to play with Kopi although it would be nice. The fact is we probably have someone in the system now who can, and who’s to say its not Richie? We just need a really good second line so other teams can’t just concentrate on shutting down one line….and so far Stoll, Smyth and Willie are doing an awesome job!
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fsd1 Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
@Barry’s Mullet, well said, well said!
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Rjb Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
@Barry’s Mullet,
Right you are and that is why the good teams stand pat. Hossa to the Wings with datsuk and zetterberg or Hossa to the
hawks with toews Kane and sharpe. The good teams sit on their thumbs. That’s why we have all the cups displayed in our trophy case.
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fsd1 Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
@Rjb, somehow i knew you would disagree with something i agreed with……if you think it was just 3 players that made the wings successful then you are barking up the wrong tree, for many years the wings “bought” their cups and then the cap came along and what have they really done the laST FEW YEARS, AND I really dont think hossa was the deal maker with the hawks, i actually think the players they let go of this off season had way more to do with them winning the cup. Yes, I’m drinking the koolaid and loving every last drop!
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Deke'r Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
@Barry’s Mullet, That’s where coaching comes in… like Bowman said ” it’s all about getting the right players on the ice at the right time.”
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puck73 Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
@Barry’s Mullet, That 70 goal scorer Bernie Nicholls…what a reject! Then again, wasnt it Glen Sather who once said that a fire hydrent could score 70 goals playing with Gretzky?
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Barry's Mullet Reply:
October 25th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
@puck73, Nicholls played mostly on the PP with Wayne and not much else. My point was that Wayne and rejects opened up the ice for players like Bernie, Luc and the other talented players we had at that time. Bernie Nicholls was a tremendous player and had ONE hell of a season thanks to Wayne and never scored more than 30 goals in a season again. Great trade with the Rangers to get Sanstrom and Granato but always felt bad for Bernie and how many goals he could have had had he remained a King?
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If we want to make it past the first round we need to trade for a top six forward. D man plus a prospect. We don’t need to spend 7-8m. 4-5m would secure a quality player. Parse is more than likely going o have nagging injuries for the year. The kids need to be brought along slowly. We need an impact player. With DD gig down ad JJ not stepping up. We are going to continually have problems scoring.
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