The flip side of Anze Kopitar’s selection to the All-Star Game is the discussion of the Kings who didn’t make it. A good argument could be made for Jonathan Quick, who ranks fourth among NHL goalies in goals-against average (2.18) and is tied for fourth in wins (19), but Quick’s numbers have been trending downward of late, and that probably hurt him. (It’s curious, though, that five of the six goalies selected are from the Eastern Conference.) A case could be made for Jack Johnson, whose 31 points rank him sixth among all NHL defensemen this season. But the elephant in the room is the fact that nobody is surprised at the omission of Drew Doughty. A total of 12 defensemen were picked for the All-Star Game, and Doughty was not among them. Last season, he finished third in voting for the Norris Trophy, given to the league’s top defensemen. At the start of the season, it’s safe to say that most league followers would have considered Doughty’s selected to the All-Star game to be a slam dunk. Alas, it wasn’t. I asked Terry Murray today for his thoughts on Doughty’s omission, and what it means.
MURRAY: “Last year, he had a lot of recognition for his performance in the regular season and then, obviously, with the Canadian Olympic team, and then with consideration for the Norris Trophy. So I’m sure there are a lot of people out there in the hockey business, in the hockey world, that are wondering why. To me, stuff like this happens often. He’s a very young player, 20 years old, that is searching for a different way, sometimes. You go through the (increased) attention of the opponent now. You’re being talked about in their presumes. You’re being checked closer. You’re being played, physically, harder and more often now. As a player, you’ve got to find a way to break through and get the same kind of results that you had in the past, through finding different ways. It’s a process that you have to learn. We’re not disappointed in him. We see the hard work that he’s putting in, and the effort that he’s trying to focus on, to get his game to be that kind of game that everybody wants him to have. Next year will be another year for him.”
Let him create more. Not just slap the puck as soon as he gets it, but make some moves and step up another 15ft before shooting.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
@Dominick, That’s kind of the problem. That’s his game. That how he was so effective. He doesn’t have that kind of time and space anymore. That’s the reason for a Sophmore slump. Once you make a name for yourself, they come after you. By the time you get used to the constant attack pressure they throw at you, and start finding ways around it, you are just frustrated and having a bad year, and it’s hard to reset mid-year. Next year is crucial. Drew next year will either explode or implode. If it’s one, we win cups, if it’s the other, DL will have his work cut out for him.
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Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
@Bill M., I agree that pressure has a huge effect, but going from low to high with a quick slap shot is about all we can do on the powerplay, and that doesn’t help if the other team knows where the slap shots coming from.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
@Dominick, Last year, lateral movement across the blueline was a big part of his game, and it helped him open up seams in the defense. This year they anticipate passes to him, and they are top of him before he’s even in control of the puck. There are ways to deal with it, but he just has to get good at the reads for these new looks. Hes seeing tactics thrown at him that he’s probably never seen before.
If you will, he just needs to increase his “arsenal” a little bit more.
Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
@Dominick, I agree, but I’m not talking lateral across the blueline. More like strait down the gutt.
Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
@Dominick, I played the role of puck moving defenseman for 3 years. I played wing before that. Because of my experience at forward, I had a lot of offensive skills and I earned a reputation in the league, so I’ve had to face that kind of attention before (although not at the same level, obviously, but the concepts are the same).
From the looks I’m seeing, a lot of times, Straight down the gut is exactly what he needs to do. I’m even sure he already knows that. The problem I see is that he needs more anticipation. He needs to make that read and get in motion much earlier, so that he has some momentum, and control of the puck, BEFORE the defender is on top of him. That’s it. That’s all I see wrong with his game. There are other problems but they are probably just coming out of frustration that it’s not working yet this year.
kngfan004 Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
@Dominick, Bill were talking the NHL not beer league…Man up of get off the ice DD…Bring back the allstar defenseman that eveeryone raved about…You showed your skills and now its time to put up before anyone ante’s up!
Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 11:31 pm
@Dominick, Uhhhh this isn’t beer league I’m talking about. Try High School and College. We had scouts watching us. I played with guys who went on to minor league pro careers. We certainly weren’t anything close the NHL, but we weren’t pushovers. I’ve lead leagues in scoring for defensemen. I was once stopped after a warm up skate and complimented on my form by a skating coach and the Olympic speed skater he was working with. I had a 90+ slap shot and I can hit a 4 inch hole 8-out-of-10 with a wrister from inside 20 feet. I know how to play hockey, thank you very much.
I can tell drew what to do, but there’s no point because I know that drew already knows anything I could tell him, and he has the skill to do it. He just needs to be reading the plays one step ahead of what he’s used to. It’s normal, its natural, every superstar faces it, and it just takes time, usually the better part of a season, to adjust. He’ll get there.
Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
@Bill M.,
Sometimes I wonder if it’s a lack of anticipation or discouragement. I know that him needing to move his feet had to do with anticipating the play better and being ahead of the play better, so it probably applies here as well.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
@Dominick, Well, when presented with players challenging you more aggressively, it takes time to adjust to it. During that time, frustration and discouragement often sets in. This is the fundamental behind the dreaded Sophomore slump.
I’m glad that he was left out, if only that it gave Murray an occasion to address the issue.
I think his answer just confirms what most already know. He’s having a bad year. He’s fighting against increased attention. He’s learning to battle through the slump, just as Kopitar had to a few seasons back.
It’s WAY, WAY, WAY, too early to pull the plug on the Drew Doughty era. I can’t believe ANYBODY has even thought of suggesting that we trade him. If we’re going to do that, we might as well just go ahead and also sign a contract forfeiting all future possible cup wins.
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xeropoint Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
@Bill M., I thought the Kings signed that back in ’67?
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
@xeropoint, nah. that one just forfeited any cup wins that depended on stars acquired though questionable back room deals.
That explains the 93 Finals, that’s for sure.
And of course, it explains why DL won’t trade for a sniper. A sniper is too key a piece for a cup run. He knows the rules of the deal. He has to grow his own…
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NoDoughty Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
@Bill M., Very well put, thank you. It is extremely painful to see him play right now because we all know how good he can be when he’s truly on top of his game. I can’t believe he’s only going to get better!
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Drew looked terrible last night. I am still a fan, but he has been going downhill lately. Not sure what his problem is, but with 100 + defensemen is seems in our system and no forwards, I think of Stamkos in a Kings jersey from time to time.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
@WTF, Loktionov, Schenn, Kozun, Weal, Kitsyn, Nolan. These are all guys who will probably make it. Granted, none are probably 50 goal scorers, but we’ll have an awful lot of 30 goal scorers with the occasional 40 goal season from one of them, or Kopi.
None of them, or even Stamkos, can replace what Drew Doughty will be doing in a year or two. Chicago won a cup without a single 40 goal scorer. But they don’t win without Keith.
I know its hard to watch him struggle. I’m right there with ya. But patience will be rewarded!
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vindogla Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:37 pm
@Bill M., Very well said. Look at some of the defense and GK in the system and the future is bright.
Doughty will be fine. You don’t win gold medals being a fluke. Sophomore slump? Possibly. General Kings slump including him? Yup. I bet he comes close to catching up to last years points.
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Kostamojen Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
@Bill M., It’s hard to watch Doughty and the Kings struggle this season. However, I’m trying to keep a long-term view. I think with the core players in our current roster and some of the prospects in the system, the team will continue to bloom over the next couple years.
That said, I don’t think they are playing to their current potential this season. I can’t put my finger on exactly what’s happening. Is it lack of consistent effort/motivation? lack of trust between the players to do their jobs? holes in the roster? A combo of these? something else?
Anyway, something is holding them back, or they are holding themselves back…A shame really.
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LW Anybody? Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 11:28 pm
@Bill M., Sidebar- I’m getting real tired of people citing Chicago’s cup win as one without a 40 goal scorer. I know it’s hard to understand, but just cause Marion Hossa didn’t score 40 last year, doesn’t mean he isn’t a 40 goal scorer. If Ovechkin magically became a King this year, and he didn’t score 40 goals, does that mean he is not a forty goal scorer? I think not. So, Chicago did have a 40 goal type player on their team, and this is something that we still lack.. Oh and Kozun and Weal are about 5’7″, and have close to no chance at making it at this level. Aszevedo was looked at in the same way. Kid absolutely lit it up in junior a few years ago, now no one on here even remembers his name. I’m not trying to rain on the parade, but I don’t think our prospects are as rosy as everyone on here seems to think. I think besides Lokti and Schenn, and perhaps Toffoli, we are desperately thin at high skilled forward with NHL caliber size. As much as everyone would like to think the little engine could, if you look at the stats across the league, spare a couple of extremely talented exceptions, ie. St. Loius, Brier, it’s a big man’s game.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
@LW Anybody?, Sorry, I abbreviated the arguement, because it’s been made so often it’s stuck in my head. It’s true that he’s scored 40 goals before, It’s also true that nobody on Chicago actually scored 40 goals last year. Furthermore, Chicago went without Hossa for a long stretch and did quite well, if I remember. Want to guess how well they would have done with Keith missing for any stretch? THAT is the arguement I was trying to make. As important as Hossa was, Keith was infinitely more.
Also, there is a fine line there. I wouldn’t call Ovechkin or Crosby not a 40 goal scorer, because they do it consistently. A sub-40 year would be justifiably called an abberation. Hossa scored 40 goals 3 times in 13 seasons, not exactly a model of consistency. Theres a big difference between Hossa, who’s done it 3 times, and Ovechkin, who does it every year.
I’m not discounting the importance of big (and more importantly, clutch) scorers. If you don’t have a 40 or 50 goal man, you sure as hell better have a lot of 30 goal guys. But teams built that way CAN win cups. And teams with 40 and 50 goal scorers frequently blow!
As tired as you are of the chicago argument, that’s how tired I am of people saying that we won’t win a cup without a big name, 40+ goal scorer. It CAN be done, and that guy is most likely NOT worth the other pieces we would have to give up to get him. Besides, I’d put money on Kopi breaking 40 goals in the next couple years anyway. His numbers are comparable to Hossa at the same age. If that’s any indicator, well, then he’ll score 45 next year.
Sceondly, it’s true that Kozun and Weal are long shots because of their size, but Kozun in particular has shown the kind of resilience that is required. At every level, they’ve told him he was too small. And every time, he’s taken some time to adjust, but eventually lights it up. I think that Kozun in particular has a good chance to defy the odds.
I’ll agree that we are weakest at the wings, and that there’s still work to be done there. But I’m getting really tired of the idea that we won’t go anywhere unless we sell the farm for some big name help.
kevin Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 9:28 am
@Bill M., What my deal with him right now is he is making simple mistakes things that at this level you shouldn’t be making. Bad reads waiting to long to shoot when he has a chance too. Dont get me wrong I am not saying get rid of him or last year was a fluke. I am saying there is a mental issue there not he needs to get over. He is thinking way to much and not playing with the instincs he did last season. Drew is no doubt with the right guidance and mind set and attitude going to be one of the best definsive players to play in a kings jersey if not the NHL. But I really think there are a little lasting affects of the concusion to tell you the truth.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:04 am
@kevin, I don’t accept the cuoncussion as a reason – the problem was evident prior.
However, I completely agree with your analysis. He isn’t PHYSICALLY slow, he just looks like he isn’t making reads fast enough. He’s really a quite average athlete, physically. What made him good last year were his reads. Take them away, and he looks, well, lot less spectacular. But again, it’s just growing pains. Anybody who thinks it’s a reason to panic about the season, might be right. Anybody who thinks it’s a reason to panic about Drew, hasn’t spent enough time watching developing young defenders.
Queue the doughty haters!
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“Next year will be another year for him.”
Excluding that and grass growing, the sun rising, etc….
Does that mean he’s given up on Doughty turning things around THIS season?
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Daniel Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
@xeropoint, Looks like we were thinking the exact same thing at the exact same time.
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xeropoint Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
@Daniel, Great minds…
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neil Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
@xeropoint, i was thinking the same…..nice message to send to DD …. kinda like its already a lost year so wait until next year to make improvements…..maybe the Coach is going to wait until next year also….
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
@xeropoint,
Am I the only one that read that as next year will be another chance at the all star game?
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Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
@FKA PakiFro, You and I.
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xeropoint Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:10 pm
@FKA PakiFro, In hindsight it makes a lot more sense, although at first glance, it sure did read that way.
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Tmik Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:24 pm
@FKA PakiFro, I’ve got it down as that too.
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kingfan Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
it seems that Murray is resigned to Doughty not playing well this year and that it’s ok cuz he’s 20.
I guess……but such a big difference from last year. I wonder if there’s an undisclosed injury ??
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He’ll be fine. Every player goes through ups and downs in his career. However, I didn’t like Murray’s “next year” comment. Shouldn’t he be pushing the players THIS year? I have a feeling Doughty will redeem himself before next year, possibly in the playoffs.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
@Daniel, I think he was referring to “maybe next year” with regards to the all star game, not his play in general. That would be a very bad thing for a coach to say.
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I was just thinking, before I read this, how DD does not seem to be having a Norris season. I know, teams are adjusting, but it seems to be more than that. My suggestion is, we have two excellent d-men riding the pine. Lets give every one of the top six a night off from time to time. Not a punishment, just a break. Competition is also a good thing. Speaking of which, is it just me or did JQ start to slip a bit about the time TM abandoned the goalie rotation? Maybe time to go back to that.
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LW Anybody? Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 11:33 pm
@edwood2, IMO, JQ is slipping because the D is failing him night in and night out, and he’s now trying to do to much to step up for them, which is actually taking himself out of plays and leading to goals he probably would save otherwise. Quicker will be fine once and if the defense gets it back together.
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and let’s not forget the concussion. we have a tendency to think they are “no big deal” for professional athletes, but they really are.
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I don’t mean to spoil a very good Kings secret here but man, as soon as other teams figure out that a lot of our offense (specifically, the power play) depend on this “shot mentality” from the point, I think the PP numbers are going to suffer…and so will our defensemen’s points stats.
My PK plan against the Kings:
1) block point shots from DD and JJ
2) recover and clear puck after Stoll shoots wide
3) anticipate the pass from Kopi (to the point — then see #1)
If the Kings are looking to be successful with that setup, I say go back to taking quick wristers from the point, maybe moving 5 feet laterally to have a chance at not getting the shot blocked. However, I do think the Kings need to work on some low slot or behind-the-net looks just in case teams finally catch on to that shot-from-the-point thing. I hope they don’t.
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Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
@Eberlin,
1, 2, and 3 have worked like a charm this season. I can’t believe other teams don’t see it.
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Hopefully he’ll use the AS snub as motivation to get in shape next year…because he sure looks like he could use the JMFJ training regimen.
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the explanation is easy….this year he’s not on the top 20-30 d-man in the league, let alone the top 12.
He needs to get serious about being in top shape….otherwise, he’ll continue to be that half step behind he IS this year vs. last year. He either wants to be the top d-man in the league (& realize that takes hard work & tough sacrifices) or settle for just being better than average…..
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
@dahack11, I don’t think there is any conditioning problem. He IS late, but it’s mental. He needs to read the pressure coming at him faster.
Gretzky himself always said that his success came from his father drilling hockey scenarios into his head from an early age. It was all anticipation, and very little physical effort. Gretzky himself admitted that he was always dead last by a mile in training camp physicals. He was scrawny. He benched and squatted the least amount of any one on the team. He had the worst endurance, he had the weakest shot, and his peripheral vision was so poor it bordered on tunnel vision. None of that mattered, because he knew where to be, and he knew where to go from there for any given counter move. He didn’t move faster, he didn’t pass faster, he didn’t shoot faster. HE JUST READ THE PLAY FASTER.
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dahack11 Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
@Bill M.,
I understand that Bill M., & you are right about Gretzky, but am still not going to cut DD any slack on his slackness in conditioning…b/c he IS a step slower this year. Add that into not anticipating….& it’s turned DD into what he is this year vs. last…..average. Don’t believe me? last year he was one of 7 Canadians on the Olympic roster…..& he shined when he was there. This year, he’s not even in the top 12 to get in the AS game, & I think that’s justified.
No other way to say it, he’s digressed this year….& it shows from the results to the stat sheet. AND, i think it’s his lack of conditioning added to his love of junk food. We will see what kind of defenseman he wants to be next year. One of the best, or average. It’s up to him.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
@dahack11, Unless he sat on the couch motionless for 3 months while Simmer poured twinkies and potato chips through a funnel into his mouth, I’d be surprised if he was even ABLE to set himself back enough to account for such a big difference in play. Even then, if that’s all it was, 42 games at 25 minutes a night should have set him straight by now.
Hipcheck Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:51 pm
@Bill M.,
I challenge that idea.
I understand Gretsky had some of the best peripheral vision and saw so much more than many see. Look at his success in assists and excellent crisp passing.
I had season tickets in the years he was here and it was amazing to see him skate and set up and pass.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
@Hipcheck, You can read about it in his own autobiography (The one from when he was still a King), where he talks in detail about the strength, endurance, and vision benchmarking tests given in training camp, and how he routinely bombed them.
He was a good skater, and had excellent hand eye coordination, allowing him to execute the plays he saw in his head. But that is very different from conditioning.
Physically, he was as mediocre as hockey players come. Mentally, he was probably even 3 or 4 levels above everybody else. He could evade checks that he never even saw coming, he just KNEW they were coming. He was notoriously hard to check cleanly, even blindside. He stated that he could count down accurately from 30 seconds, while still playing, allowing him to make clutch plays as the clock ran out, because he knew exactly how much time he had. In his head, he was always three or four moves ahead of everyone else. He didn’t have good vision. He didn’t NEED it, he already knew what was going to happen. Doctors always wanted to study him, and published hair-brained theories about precognition, or his “motor neurons firing faster than normal”.
He wasn’t bigger, stronger, or faster than anybody. The simple truth of it is, everyone else was playing hockey. He was playing chess with a hockey stick.
dahack11 Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 12:39 am
@Bill M.,
So, what you are saying is….b/c his father did not ingrain in him the awareness Gretzky had, his stats & overall play went down this year from last????
That’s it?
ummm, ok…
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Bill M. Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:08 am
@dahack11, No. i’m saying he has that mental side of the game ingrained, but that he appears to be second guessing it this year, which makes him react to slowly. It’s a common condition for young players and it’s called “sophomore slump.” Yes I realize he’s a Junior, but I think he’s so good, that he didn’t really feel the pressure until he reached the very top. Now that he’s there, he doesn’t know where to go next, so he’s second guessing himself. Will it pass? yes. Might he need an offseason to “reset”? yes, unfortunately.
kevin Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 9:51 am
@Bill M., The reason 99 was so affective and hard to hit was because he always bought himself time and space why do you think he loved behind the net so much he knew where the puck was moving to before it was there due to his reading of the play he moved to open spaces. When he was a boy he would sit and watch hockey on tv with a pad of paper and draw where the puck was going to go. He wasnt a magic man who could see hits coming in his mind its called skating with your head up I was always hard to hit due to that fact. I realized what was around me I knew where my fowards were and where they were heading cause I kept my head on a swivel.
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Space_Shot Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Bill M. Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:08 am
@dahack11, No. i’m saying he has that mental side of the game ingrained, but that he appears to be second guessing it this year, which makes him react to slowly.
<——This. DD has a hesitation to his game that he just didn't have last season. He has it playing D, and it's especially noticeable when he gets the puck on the PP. It's a mental block he needs to get through, and I believe he will. You can tell this has been a tough year for him and he's frustrated. It may not be this season, but he's going to figure it out. I believe what we are seeing this season is probably as bad as it will get. Still better than most, but certainly not elite. When he does figure it out, that's when the Kings will start to be a legitimate Cup contender.
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The year’s not over yet!
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Off topic, but really funny. Fro has shut it down for the season, so the Rags traded for WW from the Yotes who got him from the Aves after they gave up on him. This is Sather’s quote explaining why he took on the junk. Sather acknowledged. “And part of the ability of our coaching staff to rehabilitate these guys and get them to play the way they projected to play when they were drafted, I mean that’s part of the deal.”
Fro’s stats projected to 13 goals and 17 assists for a full season. I guess he really was a 30 point/season guy.
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puck73 Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
@jet, How Sather still has a job after all the money he has been allowed to piss away over the years is beyond me. Then again, MSG wouldnt fire Isiah Thomas until he embarrassed them with a sexual haeeassment complaint.
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Doughty does not deserve to be a alll star this year. Needs to pick up his game and get a mean streak.
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Doughty does not deserve and has no buisness going to the allstar game. Hopefully this help cures him of the big head he has seemed to developed after last season. He is gifted, but by no means is he the best to ever play. He could be, but he still needs to put in the work. Hopefully this helps get his game back.
JMFJ on the other hand, should be going!
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Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
@dropkickfan, Big head? He didn’t strike me as being cocky about his play last season.
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KC23 Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 2:42 am
@Dominick, Me either, and I also don’t think JJ deserves an all star spot. His play still isn’t up to DD in an off year.
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That, and what’s gone unsaid: the rest of the team should benefit from Dewey getting the attention. Also, people neglect the impact of the concussion.
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xeropoint Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?,
What was the one thing most highly touted about Doughty at the time of his drafting? His hockey sense. It was mentioned above and I agree. It’s his reading of the play. That could very possibly be the biggest factor in his game.
If something hinders your biggest asset, everything else just looks average, right? I think all the “conditioning” talk is overstated.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, You mean guys like, ummm. Jack Johnson????
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 9:52 am
@Bill M., No.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:10 am
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Oh so you don’t think that more attention on Drew has opened more space for Johnson, who is on pace for a career year in points, and within reach of his first positive +/- season?
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:25 am
@Bill M., no more than anyone else. I would expect that influence on the forwards too, if that’s the cause, and I don’t see. I’m willing to give Johnson credit for his scoring capability, as well as his absolutely horrendous core work as a defenseman.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:28 am
All that scoring, and he’s currently a -5. That tells me I’m seeing things as they are.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 10:29 am
If it all has to do with Drew Doughty, why is Doughty a +13?
If we’re being honest, I don’t think Doughty’s play has merited a spot on the all-star team. He hasn’t been that good. Not bad, but not particularly good either. I’d say Johnson is much more deserving than Doughty, if for no other reason than all his PP points.
Than again, when has merit ever been a serious consideration for the all-star game. My guess Doughty (or Johnson) was a victim of the numbers game. A number of the defenders that did make the team are their clubs only representative.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
@Bickleton Wigglesworth III, True. Some teams (4) are even only represented by rookies who don’t get to play in the game, only the skills.
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I’m also a strong believer in the east-coast bias.
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I don,t give a crap about the All Star game. I think we should be addressing the Kings aweful play of late and the fact they are going to miss the playoffs .
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Sancho Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
@dennis, I agree 100%
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I think Doughty’s greatest asset can also be his greatest shortcoming: Hockey sense. Very few players have what seems to be a 6th sense where they know where the puck/players are going to be before it/they get there. On the Kings I look at Doughty and Smyth as the players who have it.
Obviously it’s his greatest strength. But I feel like it allows him to take the easy way out on certain plays. This season I feel like I’ve seen Drew hold the puck less and go to a quick dish instead a lot of the time. Although his placement on those passes are usually superb, it’s not giving us the edge we need and had last season. If he were to make try and make the physically harder play sometimes rather than the mentally harder play, I think things would open up more for him and the Kings would be a better team.
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lots of comments on DD’s concussion but he had a bad pre-season and wasnt that good before the injury…
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xeropoint Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
@neil, I don’t think that’s the SOLE factor in his struggles this year but I also don’t think anyone suggested it was, either.
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YoBro Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
@neil, Agreed. Three things describe Drew’s season so far.(imo) He’s SLOW. He’s SOFT. And he won’t shoot the freakin’ puck without fiddling with it first, by then all the lanes are closed. I really hope he picks it up here in the 2nd half.
Go Kings
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If I was DD I’d be reading some of the negative comments, and laughing with the other guys about it in the locker room.
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Bill M. Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
@Dominick, ha. I would be to. “Those fools, they know so little”. for all we know, this is a carefully calculated plan to make it seem like he is not a threat this year. Then he comes alive in the playoffs and bitch-slaps the Sedins into next season.
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gene Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 11:30 am
@Bill M., They wont make the play offs uless they pull there heads out and get together as a team and start working as a team and start sticking up for each other.
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xeropoint Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
@Dominick, Probably, but I sure hope they are more concerned with their play of late.
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Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
@xeropoint,
I’m not as critical about his play. I think he’s got the potential to be more, and I have no doubt that he’s doing everything he can, to be the best he can be. I don’t see a fat lazy kid with an ego. I see a kid who’s working hard at being an NHL defenseman. Making mistakes that all great defenseman make while their learning.
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Nyck Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 8:38 pm
@Dominick, and then they go onto NHL.COM and look at his stats and stop.
Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Did those stats tell you that he’s only 212 lbs. So he’s not fat, or that he’s 14th in the league in +/- for defenseman. He’s 24rth out of all defenseman in scoring.How about 1 of only 2 players in the top 25 in scoring defenseman that’s under 23. How about 7th over all in TOI/G. How about only 21 years old.
Michael_DD8 Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
@Dominick,
Dom your right. And Doughtys subpar play is better then many other blue liners.
Dominick Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:59 pm
Even if you conservatively avg. it out to 7 D per team, for 30 teams, that’s still 210 defenseman. DD still ranks near the top in most categories. If you put age into the equation, he’s one of the best 21 year old defenseman in the game.
xeropoint Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 11:05 pm
@Dominick, Oh I’m not saying only Doughty. I’m refering to everyone in the locker room. I would hope instead of reading comments on a blog they are dedicated to correcting their collective games.
LW Anybody? Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
@Dominick, Dude, 6’0″ and 212 is a bit heavy. Conversely, Simmonds is 6’2″ and 180. Doughty needs to stop eating all of Simmer’s food around the house..
Part of it is increased attention from the rest of the NHL, but part of it is also that Doughty is simply not executing some plays very well. I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen him take a huge windup for a slapshot, waiting two or three seconds and shooting it into the shin pads of an opposing player. Last year, he was thinking the game much better, and shooting the puck much quicker. I think someone needs to tell him that wrist shots are perfectly acceptable, too.
Also, he seems to not be quite as “lucky” as he was last year, where he could bail himself out of trouble with a desperation diving poke-check, or by making a risky guess at where the puck would be for a pass interception. Has it escaped everyone’s notice that he’s also stopped throwing his favorite hip checks? Things are really out of sync for him, and I can’t tell if it’s an on-ice problem, an off-ice distraction, or if maybe he’s just not the player we think he is. I hope he figures out a way to turn it around soon, because this team needs him to be last year’s version right now.
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I don’t like putting everything on one player but, he is the difference between the LA Kings being an average team, or being an above average team that could be a seriously scary opponent in the playoffs. With the help of a hot goalie of course. I hope he can rise back to form cause right now he is one of our softer blue liners. Keep at it Drew, I haven’t been this excited about a King in a long, long, time.
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He needs to see the press box. Period.
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Retroactive Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
@Nyck, I agree. I’m a big DD fan but he is getting work by 3rd liners regularly. Its amazing he is a (+13) considering how few points he has scored. Both DD and Simmons can be studs if they get their heads out of theirs a$$es.
I think JMFJ should spend some shifts at the end of the bench the way he turns the puck over. Just the opposite of DD, has a lot of points and still (-5). Both play against top lines and top situations. I say deal JJ in a package for Nash.
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Nyck Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
@Retroactive, Jack Johnson is just beginning to come into his own it looks like, and has been nowhere near as frusturating as Doughty, in my opinion. I’d definitely like to keep him.
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Michael_DD8 Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
@Nyck,
Seeing the press box would only makes matters worse….
He doesn’t deserve it. I hope he knows that.
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thustable Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
@Naturallawyer, agreed
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Kudo’s to the NHL for not including DD. He certainly doesn’t deserve it has much and so many other D-men in the league.
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puck73 Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 9:22 pm
@KC23, I miss the old KC who used to rip JJ on a nightly basis on this blog !
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luc20rules Reply:
January 11th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
@puck73, Really, that would make for a long 7+ years now that JJ has a extention. JJ will improve just as he has over the last few years. He has streaks of greatness, then lapses, but I am hoping that he will come to be a franchise level D-man. All it would take is to play at the level he played at the Olympics and the 2 months after on a consistant basis.
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GOALIES
# GOALIE GPI GS MIN GAA W L OT S SA GA SV% G A PIM
1 JONAS HILLER 39 37 2238 2.32 21 14 3 4 1245 89 .929 0 1 0
32 J QUICK 32 31 1872 2.19 19 11 1 4 849 68 .920 0 1 0
So guess who got picked for the All-Star game.
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At this point, I don’t think anyone on the Kings really deserves to even watch the ASG, let alone play in it.
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DetroitSons1952 Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
@Capt Jam, I agree with you.
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Forget about the All Star Game. DD will be one for many years to come. I’d be more concerned about making the playoffs right about now.
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The only problem is he’s out of shape. You don’t think opponents were keying on him after his olympic performance? After he had 10 goals or whatever he had halfway through the year? Of course they were. The different was lsat year he was quick enough to skate to the angles he wanted to, to skate around people, to get to good shooting lanes and angles, etc, and this year he’s just that step slower, and he can’t get to those angles, or get past the defenders, and that’s a huge difference.
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Simple Jack Reply:
January 12th, 2011 at 9:41 am
@Dillon, he is just a pile this year, and if he is really eating at Micky D’s DL should hit him with a baseball bat…
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Doughty has been affected by his concussion. He is not making decisions as quickly as prior to the concussion as also he avoids collisions. Most of this is subconscious. Many players are never the same after being concussed.
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He didn’t earn a spot on the all star team, but there’s not a defensman in the league I would trade hm straight up for.
There’s certainly no need to panic. He’ll continue to adjust and get back to being the best of the best. His skill, heart, desire is beyond anything we’ve seen here on the blueline.
Wait until both JJ and Doughty are in their prime for the Kings..Good luck to teams trying to match that pair.
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This could be the worst All-Star game to date. All this proves is the NHL All-Star game should be done away with and they should just do the Winter Classic. I know every year when the Winter Classic is. I only found out 2 days ago when the NHL All-Star game is and I follow hockey a lot closer than the next guy.
It is a complete mystery how 5 of the 6 goalies are from the much weaker East, especially with 3 of the 5 top GAA goalies being from the west and all 3 west goalies didn’t make it – Rinne 2.11, Quick 2.18, Crawford 2.23
D wise there are 7 East D to 5 from the West. I never in a million years would have thought Doughty would not have made the trip. The fact that Byfuglien (who isn’t really a D), Burns, Chara, Enstrom or Karlsson made the team over him is dumbfounding.
All this proves is that LA fans need to be like Penguins fans and stuff the ballot so those Kings that truly deserve it, Olympic medal winners Doughty and Quick, can be fan picks like the undeserving Letang.
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KC23 Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 3:16 am
@Scott, I never waste my time watching the All Star game. It’s a joke and always has been.
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I’m gonna call BS on TM’s response. Are we to be taken for fools that all the other NHL teams only just adjusted to Drew Doughty at the beginning of the 2010/11 season? BS. They knew who Doughty was within the first few weeks of last season (or mre likely, the season before that) and started making adjustments then. Surely, they had fine-tuned how to play Doughty by the Olympic break last season. Yet, he still excelled.
Something else is going on, if you ask me. Just don’t ask me what.
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