The last time the Kings’ play dipped, things snowballed quickly. The Kings’ 6-3 loss at San Jose on Nov. 15 was a proverbial punch in the nose, and it essentially took the Kings two weeks to recover, as that loss started a 1-7-0 skid. In some ways, Wednesday’s 6-3 loss at Phoenix had much the same feel as that San Jose game, and the Kings’ challenge now is to prevent another such slide from taking place, particularly with seven consecutive home games to come. It starts tomorrow night against San Jose, and I asked Michal Handzus today about the team’s awareness about not letting things slide again…
HANDZUS: “We have a big homestand, and I think it’s a really critical point of our season. We’ve got to get as many points on the board as we can. So we can’t let a slide happen, and we’ve got to really focus. We’ve got good teams coming in. We’ve been playing pretty good at home, so we’ve just got to refocus. It goes to basics. We’ve got to do the little things well. Sometimes we try to do too much, and one guy is trying to do the other guy’s job, and that’s when breakdowns happen. We have to have more trust, especially in our own zone.
“The whole team, we know what we have to do. We’ve done it, pretty much, for the last three years, so we’ve just to refocus a little bit and just get back to basics. We’ve got to be stronger along the boards, win the battles and be stronger on the puck. Sometimes we give them, in our zone, too much space, and they start cycling and we’re just kind of running around. So we’ve got to close down harder, play harder and just go back to basics. We know how we have to play.”
no we cant avoid another slide we going to loose because whne the Kings loose two games they think its cool to loose three four or five if they keep that up kiss our chances to see the Kings in the playoff good bye cause soon enough that will be flying right out the window
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Dave's a Killer Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 9:04 am
@KingsFanFTW, Man, I just can’t take it anymore. It is not “loosing” there is no such word. Try “Losing”. Here’s hoping the Kings show they have learned from the past and pleasantly surprise us all.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 11:26 am
@KingsFanFTW, How about limiting the complaints to things that have actually happened? Thanks!
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Buck Turgidson Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 12:22 pm
@KingsFanFTW,
Dude this is hurting me. Right in the eye.
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I wonder if Zues thinks they should get back to the basics?
Seriously though, it’s nice to hear a veteran like the almighty Zues come out and say what needs to be said. Hopefully he says as much in the locker room. Why again doesn’t he have an ‘A’ on his sweater?
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Harry Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 5:39 pm
@wavesinair, He was wearing it when Greene got injured.
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Scot Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 1:00 pm
@wavesinair,
I sometimes wonder why he doesn’t have the “C” on his sweater. The guy perfectly exemplifies how the game is supposed to be played.
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‘zues is the epitome of “Unsung hero”
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Nyck Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 6:01 pm
@Scarletcat, more like just unsung. Two games in a row a goal has resulted directly because of him not skating.
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The Kings are half-way thru a 4 game losing streak.
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neil Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 5:41 pm
@Kevco, The Kings have also won 4 of their last 6!!!!!!!!!!!
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neil Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 5:43 pm
@Kevco, The Kings have also won 22 of their last 37 games!!!!!
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ringo Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 6:20 am
@neil, yes….finally a comment that make sense thank you
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crashin' da net Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 8:26 pm
@Kevco, or 1/25th of the way thru a 50 game losing streak. ???
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and last but not least…my favorite……The Kings have NEVER lost after leading after 3 periods!!!!!!!
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I think its time for another ” Matt green talk”
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Matthew Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 2:00 am
@leadswine, My Matt Greene jersey agrees
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Question that I started on the last tread……Many have mentioned that we are a young team and thats why we have growing problems…what do we do next year where we are going to be even younger…We could loss Smyth,Zeus,Mitchell,Sturm and Williams….How long before we are not consider a yough team??
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Jamesonafterawin Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 10:14 am
@neil, O cool. That exuse will work again next season!
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wavesinair Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 10:20 am
@neil, you take ‘young’ too literally. the core group of guys need to learn consistency. you can look at any great team with a young/growing core and see how it unfolded. once the main guys have developed those mental calluses, the team will find its identity. this is the main idea behind dl’s philosophy in building not only this team, but the organization. i don’t think some fans seem to realize that there is a sea change occurring here in los angeles. top to bottom, things are changing for the better. sadly, the only thing I don’t trust is the owner.
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Kingme20 Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 10:55 am
@neil,
Young in age, yes, but this isn’t a team of rookies. Clifford and Bernier are the only real rookies in the line up, but the core players (Doughty, Simmonds, Johnson, Kopitar, Brown, and Quick) are all in their third year or more. They should know now what to expect from an NHL season. Sometimes you have bad luck, and sometimes you make yourself unlucky by not playing well. The last two games have been the latter, which means the change in their fortunes is mostly in their hands.
The good news is they’re playing a team that’s as up and down as they are tonight. I think the Kings end their slide against the Sharks.
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I think Terry Murray needs to simply tell them to get back to being physical. When we are finishing checks, we look unbeatable. It’s not rocket science. Play smarter, play hard, take Stoll off the powerplay for god’s sake. That’s all you have to do Terry, don’t worry, you don’t even have to raise your voice.
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ringo Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 6:27 am
@Nyck, i think are physical work is good, we are not running around looking for that hit. our f3 is where he needs to be. our offense is picking up, which makes our pp look better then it has. our pk has dipped a bir, but you cant expect the kings to allow only two pp goals scored on at home for the rest of the year. i think right now we are not picking up the trailer. we are getting way too many cross ice slam dunks scored on us. pick up the trailer and we will be fine.
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Kings must do well in January or the season is over. February is going to be brutal. Two months in a row spells kings missing playoffs. Try having every game be a must win against divisional opponents in march. Not too feasible for an inconsistent team. Prove me wrong.
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I love how when we’re killing San Jose, we’re this bad ass team. Then we lose a couple (all be it horrible) games, and Lombardi is a goon and the Kings suck.
Every strength over exemplified becomes our weakness… and as fans, our bipolar tendencies are a weakness with it’s roots heavily tied to our passion. ”
We need to get back to basics as fans. Our team is better every year under DL. It takes time to build a Cup contender and we’re on track, if not ahead of schedule. Our conference is INSANE – but we’re most likely going to get in to the Playoffs and if Quick is playing like this, we’re going to be a force.
We’ve got balanced scoring, solid defense and one hell of a net minder. But we’re young and consistency; the controlling of emotions… it takes maturity.
So I offer this sacrifice as a Kings fan and ask you all to partake: We become more consistent fans, they’ll become more consistent players.
That work?
Happy New Year!
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Garrett Reply:
December 31st, 2010 at 11:17 pm
@Garrett, Sorry for the weird punctuation.
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Mike J. Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 12:32 am
@Garrett,
How we feel about the team, has absolutely no bearing on weather they give a goal 45 seconds after scoring a goal, have too many men on the ice for the umpteenth time this year. Our thoughts are just a reflection of this team. When they look good, they can play with anyone, when they lose, a pee wee team will dominate them as they look like they have no clue what they are doing. It’s not us as fans who play lazy after scoring a goal only to watch a goal enter the Kings net because the 5 guys who scored the goal forgot to keep playing. Don’t blame us the fans, for the players not getting a basic of how many skaters are allowed on the ice, that’s a basic hockey rule. 5! That has nothing to do with us, the fans and everything to do with the coaching staff and the players.
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Matthew Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 2:03 am
@Mike J.,
Yep
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I really liked reading the last 2 posts. It’s new years morning and I could not sleep, so here I am. The last 2 posts said a lot as to where we are as fans. I agree that we are bipolar and that we are not the one’s out there skating. We as fans just get to watch and hopefully enjoy this roller coaster ride. Hanzus said it best when he said, “We know what to do, we’ve been doing it for 3 years now”. This is key— 3 years now— . For 3 years now we have had this group of guys playing. They have had to come together, and grow to play some real good hockey. Things haven’t always gone great and there has been some down right ugly games, but on the flip side things have gone quite well. At least now we have Passion and that we did not have prior to these last three years. We have developed a new since of Pride for the Kings and their emblem. Pride is a funny thing to much and you fall on your face, to little and your flat with no purpose. I really don’t think this group of guys are out there just for a paycheck. I do think that some of them are young and don’t know what to do with their paychecks. We want to win, bottom line. Power, do we have it, yes if we look at our veterans such as Symth, Zues, Williams, Strum, Mitchell, Scuds, Stroll, look at those names. These guys would fit on any team, anywhere. Most of all let’s not forget Kopi and Brown our leaders. These are the 2 kids that came in here and wanted to turn this club around and for the last 3 years they have. Their record proves it. Power, well that comes from within and each player must find that on their own. Some just have it, like Simmions and Clifford. Some experience it on the ice and some find it in the comforts of home, but all of us have it. So there you have it people the 3 P’s of the Kings, Passion, Pride, Power, but see we can’t win on that alone there are many more P’s that we must have to continue on this journey and I would love for you fans to point them out, but my last one for the night is this, P stands for Pleasure, yes Pleasure. We have got to win for the Pleasure of it. The game of hockey should be fun. The hockey Gods will bless us with a cup soon, but we got to start winning games just for the FUN of it. When you play simple hockey you play fun hockey. What a cool job to have, playing the game you love. Go and get it Kings. It’s right there for you guys you know it , you guys are a team. There are not many teams that can beat you when you guys play together and loose. Put them smiles on your rugged faces and do something no other Kings club has been able to do . Go and win a cup Do it for you, your family, your organization, coaches ,each other and most of all, US FANS. This team and the city of LA will blow up. And let us not forget all of us Kings fans outside of LA .THE KINGDOM IS HUGE AND WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!!!!!! Do it, just do it………. this message was brought to you by the Hockey Gods It’s view has nothing to do with the writer and his pet ferret, Killer
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rumpa#19 Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 9:36 am
@kinginsaltlake, I liked the last three post,thank you for the level headed positivity!
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DesertKing Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 10:27 am
@kinginsaltlake,
Nice!
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I am having a hard time wating till 6:pm for todays game. And it would be so awsome if the Kings shalak the Hawks like other lesser teams have done and what the Kings can do when they really want to.
Pleeease Kings, win.
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Jamesonafterawin Reply:
January 1st, 2011 at 10:34 am
@Jamesonafterawin, err ah Sharks.
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It’s still just 2 games. Minus a 2 week stretch, they’ve been consistant on D. 2nd best defense before the last 2 losses, even with adding 7 out of 8 loss stretch to that. Right now the Kings have the power to stop it, so I say “Yes” to the question in the header.
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