Once again, tonight, the Kings will look to break out of their power-play funk. They’re 0-for-22 with the man advantage in their last seven games and have fallen to 19th in the NHL in power-play efficiency, after climbing to a high of 12th just more than two weeks ago. Jack Johnson leads the Kings in power-play points this season, with 21, followed by Anze Kopitar (13) and Ryan Smyth (10), but while Kopitar and Smyth are on the Kings’ “first” power-play unit, Johnson is not. The first unit uses Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll as point men, while the second unit uses Johnson and Alec Martinez. It’s fair to ask Terry Murray if he has considered putting Doughty and Johnson together on the first unit, but Murray seems inclined to try for balance. The first unit includes Kopitar, Smyth, Doughty, Stoll and Andrei Loktionov, while the second unit includes Johnson, Martinez, Dustin Brown, Michal Handzus and Justin Williams. Murray said he wouldn’t look to make any more personnel changes now, having recently added Loktionov to the unit.
Referring specifically to a Doughty-Johnson power-play tandem, a look the Kings had at times earlier this season, and a look that worked particularly well in the playoffs against Vancouver last season, Murray said, “It’s tempting, but I think we’re going to hang in there with the same group right now. You reinforce the 5-on-5 play that we showed the other night, with the goals that were going in from the back end. It’s the same kind of a look that you want to have on the power play.
“That’s where we’re running into a little bit of a situation, I believe, where it comes up top and we’re still waiting for those passes to be coming back down low, with guys waiting on the goal line on that strong side, when actually that player should be coming to the front of the net, coming to the high slot. Now you’re not an option. So now, up top, the puck has to be handled with the umbrella look, at take it to the net and look for rebounds. That’s just a play, off the puck, that we need to get better at, to get more consistent at, and I think whenever you eliminate the options on the puck movement, it forces things to come to the net.”
as much as i think having JJ on the 1st with D8 could be a boost, i’m in agreement with trying to keep it balanced
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rontheking Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
@newf,
i’m looking for loctionov to kick start this pathetic farce….
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You know who we’re missing tonight that we had in the last Boston game?
Dwight King, boy am I gonna miss him……NOT!!!!
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Dominick Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
@TheRussianKing, Don’t be too hard on him. Next season he might be a surprise Martinez type in the pecking order. No telling what could happen.
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TheRussianKing Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
@Dominick, True, but in his season debut this year, he looked like another Westgarth type waste of space.
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Why doesn’t Murray just put Westgarth on the PP? That will give it some balance!
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At least the PP is starting to do other things other than stay in that really lame umbrella formation. get two guys in front of the net or one in the slot or one coming in backdoor. by consistently staying in that umbrella look is about as creative as a big mac.
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0 for 22 is balance?
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puck73 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
@jackj43 In Murray’s world, yes it is.
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Osaka Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:37 pm
@jackj43, Exactly, we don’t want balance if it is 0 for 22.
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Vegaskingsfan Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
@jackj43, It is balanced…0 for 22 for the first PP unit and 0 for 22 for the second PP unit.
I’m thining we go for more goals and less balance…
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Vegaskingsfan Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@Vegaskingsfan, Sorry…thinking not thining.
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Dominick Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
@Vegaskingsfan, It’s a karma thing. Pay for your sins in this lifetime so that the next one will be harmonious. Problem is someone’s probably going to have to die soon in order to reap the benefits.
Why do the Kings think point shots are going to carry them through these power plays. We get it already. You guys can move the puck to the point!!! Now send a weak side winger or d’ man and look for some cross ice seam passes. Anze needs to get off the half boards as well. This power play looks like it was developed by a midget team volunteer coach /Dad. LGK!
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puck73 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
@waterndirt, Good afternoon, my is Jamie Kompon and I approve this message.
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NoDoughty Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
@puck73, LMFAO!!!!!!
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Dominick Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
@puck73, Best post of the day! ROTFLMFAO.
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I don’t think the personnel is the problem. It’s the coaching. When the Kings are on the power play it seems like the opposition knows exactly what the Kings are going to try (see Hat trick’s umbrella comment above). Meanwhile the Kings don’t seem to have any plans on beating the other teams PK. It’s like they are completely unprepared.
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I believe this to be the main and most significant problem of the current slump. Sure, there have been other breakdowns and failures but this one is key IMHO and has a huge effect on game outcomes and momentum.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this during and after games. The inability to score on the PP has been IMO a real downer in many games. There were a few games that the kings could’ve tied or leads they could’ve widened to put the game away. Not scoring on the PP also allows the opposition to play you more aggresively.
I’m not one to call for firing or changes quickly but I believe that Kompon must be replaced or assigned to another role. Fresh and new ideas and strategies are necessary. With the players the kings have, the results are definately not there.
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puck73 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
@Sev the Kings Fan From Montreal, Fresh ideas would be a nice change for sure. What kills me is that Murray has the authority to override Kompon and yet does nothing. That indecisiveness alone should cost him his gig.
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Sev the Kings Fan From Montreal Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
@puck73, Not ready to give up on TM yet. This is a young team and there is still a lot to learn. But 100% agreed on full PP overhaul.
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It's Over Johnny!! Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@Sev the Kings Fan From Montreal,
This whole “this is still a young team and still have a lot to learn”, is getting old. It’s still the same BS PP system from last year. there is nothing to learn at this point. If these guys can’t get it done, time to change it up, you know like TM changes his lines every once in a while.
Osaka Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
@Sev the Kings Fan From Montreal, When your losing one goal game and go 0 for on the PP, you don’t need to look hard to see what needs to be addressed.
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Well here is to another 0-22
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Did I read this right? Murray wants to eliminate options away from the puck on the powerplay so that the only option is to shoot from the top? Is that what he is saying? Talk about being predictable.
I think the problem with the powerplay is that we waste two men in front of the net, the opposition fronts those two guys, and the other three penalty killers are very aggressive on our three men at the top and sides of the umbrella. Basically, we have a 2 on 1 advantage in front of the net, but its difficult to get the puck to the net because the opposition plays a tight 3 on 3 against the top of our umbrella.
Murray’s philosophy on the powerplay: shoot the puck with traffic and hope you get lucky. Thats what it boils down to. Just once I’d like to here him say “seam pass” or “backdoor”.
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Sev the Kings Fan From Montreal Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
@some fan, I agree on shooting the puck but you brought up a very good point. It seems like opposition teams know that it’s the kings main strategy and are very aggressive at the blueline… Definately an overhaul required. Shoot from the point should be ONE good option and not the ONLY option.
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Stuart Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
@Sev the Kings Fan From Montreal, the Kings need to watch the tape of the game against CHI where Hossa took it to the front with two hard stirdes and stuffed it home. Simple, yet effective!!!
I’ll be yelling TAKE IT TO THE NET tonight, that is unless some old bag asks me to stop yelling in her ear like last game!!!
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lvkingaholic Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
@Stuart, go tell her to go pound sand…………..
xeropoint Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
@some fan, You did read it right. Pretty much all the other team has to do is pressure the defensemen and that eliminates every threat. Either you wind up with Kopitar taking a bad angle shot, Smyth with a wrap around or a turnover. Did you notice the “maybe a great player can make plays happen down low” comment he made?
No, it’s really not about that Murray. You’re strangling this team with your “shot mentality.”
Sure, we don’t have a Stamkos to blast one-timers off the cross bar. We DO have the personell to make creative plays. Why is it so hard?
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Player-X Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
@some fan, I think you read it wrong. Murray called for guys away from the puck to be moving more, like when the puck comes out high (to a defenseman) those other guys should be either moving to the net for a screen or coming to the high slot for tips and or passes. For example, Williams passes from the corner to Doughty at the point, Doughty tries to get the shot through, and Williams is going to the net. If the shot does not get thru, then Williams keeps going out to the high slot for a pass. What I read is Murray talking about movement thru the box to create options.
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some fan Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 6:24 pm
@Player-X,
The part of the quote that really confounds me is “I think whenever you eliminate the options on the puck movement, it forces things to come to the net.” Its sort of like saying paint yourself into a corner so that shooting the puck is the obvious, or only thing to do. Problem is that it becomes obvious to the penalty killers and goalie where the shot is coming from too. I think if you start providing more options to possess the puck down low the points will open up more. Right now they’re just too one dimensional.
Seriously, he said “eliminate options on the puck movement”. Sounds like he’s talking about killing penalties.
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Player-X Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
@some fan, I see what you mean, that is an odd thing to say. Maybe, and I am probably stretching it a bit here, but maybe he means that if the player goes to the net, he WANTS the others to rotate into an umbrella so they can get it to the net with the traffic still there. Maybe he means that the point gets the puck, and everybody is on the perimeter so all passes go to non-scoring areas, and if that strong side guy goes net, the weak side guys move into the umbrella for options to then get the shot thru. Maybe. Kinda. Sorta. Man, that dude talks funny. Murray ordering a pizza: I need one with that roundish look, but I need more from the grinder parts, so we’re gonna double up on the topping and try to give the red a little more time to soak.
Seems like the time is right for one of those shot-passes that I always hear about but never see from the Kings.
Put one of those front-of-the-net guys in the high slot and let him get a couple deflections from further out. Goalies are big enough to save most of the tight-in tips accidentally.
Frustrating.
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I think Stoll needs to shoot a little higher. Maybe he thinks this is football or somethin, trying to put it through the uprights.
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Crown Royal Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
@TheSarge,
Maybe he thinks he’s in the Metrodome in Minnesota and is trying to bounce it off the roof.
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Our PP is so bad this season the only conclusion I draw is that our PP coaching and personal suck. Einstein had a definition for doing continuing to do the same thing that fails over and over.
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Crown Royal Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
@KC23,
If Tm had Einstein on the roster he would use him to mathematically calculate ten thousand more possible line combinations none of which would work. He would then complain that Einstein’s calculations weren’t “Hard and Heavy Enough”.
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Dominick Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
@Crown Royal, If he had Einstein doing calculations, he’d take the results and do what he wanted without reading them.
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The Kings will never win the Stanley Cup using Stoll on the first power play unit.
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It’s simple! whatever you did on the last 22 power plays, do the opposite.
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LVKINGS88 Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
@Dominick, The best idea so far,did you hear that TM?.
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Looking for the balance? Really? We don’t have Stamkos or Ovechikin or Kovalcuk. We don’t have a luxury to split those talents. He who runs after two hares will catch neither. Use your resources wisely.
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solution to the problem would be to bring back Mark Hardy! get rid of the assistant coaches, because they are absolutely useless!
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my opinion – Kopi should be on both PP units
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ok keep balance but start Johnson and martinez first..they are the better pair
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Player-X Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
@jason, +1, winner winner chicken dinner
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what murray meant to say was this “We are going to continue to let stoll shoot wide and play pinball around the boards until the other team gets the puck and clears it”
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Just wanted to take a second to say a BIG THANK YOU to Rich for this interview. Whether you agree with TM or would like to see DD & JJ together, it’s awesome that Rich asked about this. I’m not sure if I’m the only one that asked about it lately but I wrote a note yesterday asking if we could get a comment about his thoughts on the PP setup despite JJ’s numbers and less than 24 hours later, we hear it right from the coach himself.
I can’t tell you how awesome that is Rich. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
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Would be nice to have a point dman with a booming shot. Lack of high-end skill among our forwards leads to lack of imagination on the PP. When’s the last time we had a skill pass leading to a one-timer from our forwards? Rarely happens. No cross-ice passes, so no need for our forwards to creep into the dangerous areas for a pass, just screen, screen, screen. So we end up endlessly cycling the puck waiting for a point shot. But I think we really have no other choice. Painful to watch and amazes me whenever we have a PP effeciency in the upper-half (previous seasons included). We have a team built for the playoffs but may struggle during the regular season…damper that sentiment due to our PP troubles.
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