Anze Kopitar’s postgame thoughts…
(on the game…)
KOPITAR: “We’ve got to start playing like we did in the beginning of the year, those first 15 games. We’ve got to get started again. … Chicago is a good team, we’ve got to work harder and smarter. If we work hard, we’re going to break through.”
(on his new line’s play…)
KOPITAR: “I thought we had a couple of good shifts and a couple misreads, but that’s what happens when a line gets put together. We need to work on our game, build some chemistry and hopefully we’ll start seeing some good things out there.”
Doing just enough to lose. It is becoming more and more apparent that this team does not have enough talent and skill to go deep in the playoffs and they certainly aren’t working hard enough.
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it stats with you, Anze.
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too many inexperienced guys trying to cover for mitchell and poni.
they looked disorganized and sloppy, esp i the neutral zone.
just a lack of structure and cohesion. bad outlets, no systematic set-ups in the o-zone… aren’t they supposed to shoot from the POINT?
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Dont worry Kopi…TM will give you about 2 games with your current line. If you dont build chemistry, we will just blame you.
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How about playing a full, intense 60 minutes for once Kopi? I love your skills Kopi but for Christ’s sake drive to the bleepin net for some chances or make them pull you down for a PP or two not that it would help. The fans have already gotten restless.
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Whats wrong TM ? You guys is it me or something is going on in this locker room. No one is playing for each other, there is no energy no fire no emotion as if they are playing to kill time. What is wrong with the coach? If we as fans can see whats wrong I dont understand how the coaching staff doesnt? We are using AHL players as guinea pigs and messing up our lines
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feel sorry for KOPI as he hasnt had decent linemate…is like TM spins a bottle every week to see who will play wit KOPI …
mind you he needs to pick up his play too and i agree with ppl on the blog that say he needs to shoot more and drive to the net instead of passing
could zeiler be the next winner of the spin the bottle contest
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….and some nhl caliber talent on my line” thank you santa
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Mike L Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
@nofreight,
So simmonds and Brown aren’t NHL players?
I know what you mean but what you put isn’t correct.
At the same time. Kopitar needs to be better and play better himself, too many times it looks like he’s skating in glue.
He needs to be better to help make the players around him better like the other good players do.
Crosby doesn’t have an elite winger on his team yet he racks up points by making players around him better
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Kopitar, you need to wake up and start playing like the 1st line center we’re paying you to be.
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puck73 Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
@lilwaynesimmonds, As soon as Heatly and Marleau show up to help him he probably will.
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Mike L Reply:
November 27th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
@puck73,
Kopitar shouldn’t need that to be good.
He should be better to help make players around him better.
I love Kopi but too many times it looks like he’s skating in Glue and he has a 6.8M cap hit and he needs to play better himself.
you can only use linemates as an excuse for so long before its the player himself who needs to step up
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puck73 Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:11 am
@Mike L, Thornton has 2 finishers on his line, Kopitar has no 1st line guys with him…He needs at LEAST 1 guy…cmon dude.
LAPD line Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 9:56 am
@Mike L, He is doing that. Do you really think Brown would have nearly as many goals as he does playing with Stoll, or Handzus? Kopi is not the problem, in fact he is about the only guy on this team that I think plays a solid, smart 60 minutes every single game, he just needs first line wingers around him. The only criticism I would have with Kopis game is that he doesn’t use his wrist shot enough. He has a very hard, accurate wrister that seems to take defenders by surprise. In fact I wish the whole team would use a wrist shot a little more. Winding up for that big slap shot just gives defenders and goalies time to react. At least a wrist shot has a good chance of getting through to the net, and being on target.
LW Anybody? Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 2:06 am
@lilwaynesimmonds, Kopitar is not the problem. Constantly passing over FA proven goal scorers for the “right fit” year after year IS.
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I think it’s not fair to Kopitar to give comments like this, guy get’s a new LW every third game. I mean what the hell.
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Paulislav Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 12:41 am
..and he skates like he’s pulling a friggin’ battleship up ice. No imagination, no second effort, no nothing. Where’s the hell is the Kopi from last season? This guy looks like his far less talented/aggressive brother.
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zulov Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 2:43 am
@Paulislav,
He is pulling a sinking battleship – for the last three games its been King, and now its Simmonds.
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It’s not fair to blame Kopi. We have to know that he is still a point per game player. Exactly the same as last year! But most of his points in the previous season he made in the dream-line with Smith and Williams! So, it could be only much better than last year if we re-unite that line. Try maybe Stoll with Brownie and Simmer. It should work as a 2nd line…
And we should not forget that Kopi’s defensive role this year is much more important for the team that it was in the past.
Anyway, don’t worry for Kopi. He will remain at least one point per game scorer, even if he gets a new LW every game or plays with rookies…
But I think that we sholdn’t go through so many experiments that we already made this year…
Instead of that he deserves a proper chance to realy proove his talent and give even more for the team. I strongly believe he will be up to the task!!!!!!!!!!!
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Kopi is playing very soft, along the boards he seems timid and is losing most of the battles. His break out passes too soft.
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I thought the Kopitar line looked much better myself.
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rontheking Reply:
November 28th, 2010 at 10:22 am
@KC23,
i did too…simmonds so far is my favorite warm body for that line…kopi had a gimme that would have ended up in the net for sure on a rebound but it jumped over his stick….
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Anyone saying Kopi does’nt look good, and its not because of changing line mates is high. The opinions that Kopi should have instantanous cemistry ,i assume are fans who never played. He seemed to jell ok with simmer and brown for a one night experiment, and will take little time to really tell if it will work as a first line.TM needs to stop shuffling things to tell ,we know getting back three players is going shuffle things up plenty already.
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This line looked better. Brown looked better. Simmonds brings more speed and offense, with grit. Give it a few games to see if Brown can consistantly give the effort he did this time, and if they can get the chemistry.
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The last 5 minutes or so, Kopi looked tired and well, defeated.
The mental piece of this losing streak is more than any of us that have never played a professional sport can begin to understand.
They need a spark that can get their heads in the right place and then some fuel with the coaches giving options and systems that work instead of the same old thing.
Let’s hope a little Duck soup will help get them rolling again on Monday!
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