The Kings helped Terry Murray recorded two wins in his old stomping grounds over the weekend. The Kings won in Washington, where Murray played one season and spent parts of 10 others as an assistant or head coach. They also won in Philadelphia, where Murray spent parts of five seasons, either as an AHL or NHL player, and also spent parts of seven more seasons as an assistant or head coach. Murray coached the Flyers when Wells Fargo Center opened in 1996, but had yet to win there since leaving the Flyers. The Kings lost 2-0 in Philadelphia in Feb. 2009 and didn’t play there last season. After the game, Murray was asked if he attached any extra significance to the win over the Flyers because of his history…
MURRAY: “It’s always good to beat the Flyers, when you’re coming in with a visiting team. Emotionally, the adrenaline is pumping a little bit more, absolutely. It’s a great challenge to come in and play here. You have a lot of people you know. But on the other part of it, on the business side of it, we know where we are in the standings, and that we’ve got to get some points on the board. We’ve got to win some games, and that’s the primary objective coming into any building, is that your team plays well.”
It was also a homecoming for Kings assistant coach John Stevens, who spent four years as a member of the Flyers organization as a player, finished his playing career with three seasons with the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms and also spent parts of 12 seasons coaching in Philadelphia, either at the AHL or NHL level. As for players, Justin Williams broke into the NHL with the Flyers and Michal Handzus spent four seasons in Philadelphia, leading a segment of Flyers fans to give a hearty “Zeuuuus” when he was announced as a starter.
Lets keep this winning streak going cant loose anymore need to be as strong as u guys are right now
Keep the hard work Now this is the Team i see..Hard working yea they score only 1 goals but hey at least they playing like they have heart and working for it
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I have bashed on TM alot lately and rightfully so IMO but our defense has been lights out and i think that is a testamwent to TM. I wish we had somemore offensive punch but i think that has more to do with our current set of forwards more than anything and i hope DL can help us in the near future with that. I really really like our first line at the moment. Simmer is giving us the energy and drive and is creating chances for everyone and Zeus gives us a defensivly responsible forward that can take some of the responsibility off Kopi which will allow him to focus more on Offensive production. please TM, do not mess with this line!
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MadMatt Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:42 am
@BrokeKingsFan, I agree with the first line. Now the other team has to think about Simmer as well, and this give’s Kopi room to work. Don’t know if it’s a permanent solution, but really loving the WTF that Simmer is throwing at the other teams!
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jet Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:44 am
@BrokeKingsFan, I do not understand how anyone could possibly bash TM. The Kings are right there, despite having one of the youngest teams in the league and playing in by far the toughest divsion (teams in 4,6,7 and 9slots). What more could you possibly ask for?
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Bill M. Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:51 am
@jet, this. yeah. exactly. The division title is a crapshoot at this point and there’s a good chance that four or even all five (wow) teams get in. If any pacific team goes to the finals, the east will be shaking in their skates. The easts’ only real cup hope is that Van + Pacific all knock each other out, leaving an easy run for a mediocre team.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:54 am
@jet, IMO TM is terrible when it comes to adjustments! The guy is very one dimensional in his tactics and very rarely switches things up (except his line combos). his system is great as long as it doesnt take away from individual talents and you make the right choices when pairing or putting together lines. a perfect example is Kopitar. In another system or with the right line mates i think Kopi could be an offensive juggernaut but is so worried about D first that it takes away from his overall O production. up until Zeus was put on his line he was more worried about D than O. Zues now will take that role and allows Kopi to open it up. As far as age goes, maybe we are one of the youngest but as far as experience that is not the case. Our Goaltending and D has got us where we are today in the standings and like i said thats a testament to TM but if we had just a smidgen more O we would be locked in a playoff spot by now.
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jet Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Maybe but, a one dimensional, single focus system is what you want to give a young team. And, a single focus on defence is going to make you competitive in the playoffs. TM in two and one half years has taken a bunch of young guys and made them a team. You do not do that by giving them too much, or yelling at them, or making them skate for 90 minutes w/o sticks. TM and this system allows the Kings a chance to be a competitive playoff team.
Sure Kopi could score more if he were allowed to hang out at the blue line in his D zone, but would that benefit the team? Kopi is sacrificing his own numbers for wins. Is this not the kind of leadership you would want?
I am not sure I understand how the defence and goaltending is experienced. 5 out of 8 defencemen have played less than 200 games as have both goalies. This is not a lot of experience, especially considering those 5 have limited pro experience outside of the Kings.
I think if you step back and look at the whole picture, you will start to appreciate how remarkable it is that these players are even in this playoff race. And, we are a team that still has room to grow. We have not topped out. Enjoy the ride.
nykingfan Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
As boring as it sometimes may seem playing 2-1 games..I’ll take the D mentality over offensive output any day. In the end, that’s what will win for you come playoff time.
You’re more likely to win 2-1 than 5-4. We certainly have the
I think the genius in the line combos is putting a defensive first player like Zeus on the line with Kopi. It frees up Kopi and it also free’s up a center spot for Lokti..where he seems 1000 times more comfortable.
His offensive playmaking could make all 3 Kings line’s dangerous. Hopefully the players don’t disappoint with the combos. The only way TM has to adjust them is if the players fail to do their job.
To me this goes on the players all the way..not the coach.
LW Anybody? Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
@jet, What more could you ask for? More offense. A win is a win, but trying to win one nothing games for the rest of the year just to get into the playoffs is a lot to ask for. TM did a great job of prepping this team and teaching them the fundamentals of a sound defensive game. If this was the only part of hockey to learn, then hey, he’s done a great job. But I see the game has having more of a dimension than that. They have to learn to score just as well as defend. There are two parts to this game. If all you have to teach is “shoot more”, “play harder”, well I think there is more to it than just that. There is plenty of talent on this team. Sure we have a need for a couple more players with higher skill level, but for long stretches this season, it seems like the Kings have been held back, and I personally think it’s due to TM. I’d rather see them learning to take chances, and learn from their mistakes, than see them always playing it safe, and never learning to round out their game. Just my opinion..
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Barry's Mullet Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:47 am
@BrokeKingsFan, Defense and Goaltending look solid. Yes, some nights they won’t have it but for the most part its been there almost every game.
The last piece is offense and that only works when you have players that are as commited to defense as they are offense.
The Capitals are going through the same growing pains, but in reverse. They have as much offensive talent as any team in the NHL and they realized after they got bounced early in the playoffs last year that you can’t win in the post season playing that way. My point is they are further along and have more fire power than we do and they are struggling.
The Kings have to BELIEVE in the system and stick with it….even sounding like TM…lol The offense will come. The biggest difference maker is going to be when players like DD and JJ can pick their spots a little better and with confidence when they join the play…that will open things up offensively for all our forwards….as long as they have each others back.
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rontheking Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:48 am
@BrokeKingsFan,
I agree. I like the focus on defense…because there is no way this team has the offensive firepower to win otherwise. Teams like Philly and Vancouver and Detroit need to be stifled and snuffed out first…then scored on. The Kings have played well against the top teams this year because of stifling defense. Oh, and defense wins championships….
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clubaclub Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:49 am
@BrokeKingsFan, Do you think some of the lack of offensive punch and the staunch defense is part of an overall King’s system? It would be easy to say, Defense playing great, offense anemic, which very well may be the case, but it is possible that the schemes and strategies may be more geared towed defense than goals. Just a thought.
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Chris P. Bacon Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:56 am
@clubaclub,
The offense would help if Kopitar, Brown and Doughty were regularly contributing. It’s amazing how good this team is when everyone is on top of their game. The defense first mentality, let’s just say I would not have it any other way. We can stop any team in the league, which bodes well for the playoffs.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
@clubaclub, in TM’s system it is by far more focused on D than O. i used to think that was the main issue but now im not so sure. If we had another skill player or two i think we would have more goals at this point than we currently do while utilizing the same system. TM system is a good one but we need more skill to offset the D first system and bury more of the chances we do get. We get the chances with the current sytem thats for sure, we just cant capitalize on them most of the time.
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clubaclub Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, I haven’t seen them enough to get a feel of what or who they need to beef up the offense. Anyone come to mind that you think would be a great fit for the Kings?
I have not read any of the threads since the latest win, so I apoligize if this is a repeat, but Poni’s hit on OD sure set the tone for the game. The Kings seemed to be a little better at the most critical times of the game, something that we have not seen this year. Zeus’ faceoff during the 5v3 was a game winner.
I have not had this good of a weekend in a long time. Thanks Kings
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Bill M. Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:54 am
@jet, Yeah. Zeus’ faceoff was pretty much the end of the game for the flyers. They had 20 seconds of a 2 man advantage just to toy with Quick and they barely even touched the puck in the kings zone.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 11:54 am
@jet, I agree…Poni is playing his best hockey right now.
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I went to the debacle at Staples when the Flyers spanked the kings in December. I live in Hawaii and am very disappointed when the Kings lose the games I get to see in person. I must say that I was shocked by how nasty the Flyers players were on the ice. Every whistle, every stoppage, every chance they could almost all of the Flyers talked trash. Carcillo more than most, but Richards most of all. I can’t believe he had the nerve to call out Subban for being disrespectful; Richards was whispering in Bernier’s ear in that game and trash talking every King near and far, yet wouldn’t back it up with a scrap when challenged. Great win for the Kings, and I very much appreciated Clifford’s wicked thrashing of Daniel Carcilllo. Much appreciated, boys! Keep it up!
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Scott Parse, Hickey/Teubert, 1st round pick 2012
for
David Booth, 3rd/4th round pick 2012
If we pick up a LW, someone has to go. Florida will want potential and Scott Parse is a reasonable risk with some (albeit little) NHL experience. Both Hickey and Teubert are former #1 picks, so either one of them with next year’s #1 pick would be a pretty nice deal for Booth, who I think would thrive with a guy like Kopitar dishing to him. His price is reasonable for the next few years and I’m pretty sure guys like Sturm, Poni will most likely not be around next year or here at a reduced rate.
If we could get him for just Hickey or Teubert and a #1, that would be stellar. Parse could just sweeten the deal.
Would be nice to see something like this done sooner than later in preparation for the playoffs. Build the chemistry before and not during them.
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before99 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
@Cynic, seems like a bit much for a guy that has had only one season over 40 points and hasn’t ever played a full season.
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Cynic Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
@before99, 08-09 had 60 points with 31 goals on a not so good Florida team. Infact, he’s never really had the players around him to do anything too great, yet he’s had a 30 goal season.
I believe his game would elevate playing with Kopi. I think he’s a potential 40 goal a season player.
http://hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=67781
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puck73 Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
@Cynic, Wouldnt trade Scott Parse, he is a very good 2 way player like Simmonds, hence his plus 13 last season, and his plus 5 in 5 games this season. Hickey and Teubert ? Your guess is as good as mine what they may or may not do on the NHL level.
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Cynic Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
@puck73, Parse is not a 2 way player. The knock on him has been his defense. He’s improving, but he’s nowhere near being the kind of 2 way player Kopi or Zeus or Williams is. He just had major hip surgery. You do remember the original problems we had signing him, right? I like Scott Parse’s skills and I think he’ll be really good someday. I just think David Booth can be that good for us NOW and he’s only 26.
Scott Parse is 26.
Which player is better NOW at 26? That choice is easy….
Not to mention (I believe) Booth is locked in to 4.1 mil/yr for the next 2 years? That right there makes him look good for DL. I believe we’d get a 40 goal scorer for 4.1/mil for at least a year. You do that. We have the chips to afford it. Just my opinion.
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LW Anybody? Reply:
February 14th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
@Cynic, I would probably give up any other D prospect in the minors other than Teubert now. I know he’s taken a while to develop, but at this point, he’s really the only mean, gritty, big, hard to play against D man we have coming up. Would probably take Greener’s spot in a few years. I just don’t see any of our other prospects filling that role. I don’t see Hickey, Harrold or Drewiske ever really making it here, so hopefully someone would want at least one of those guys. Maybe Muzzin could be parted with also, even though I think he probably has the most potential of making our line up soon, with his all around game.
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Murray should get as much credit (including from me!) when things are going well as when they’re not. Things are going well, and he’s obviously a big part of that. (Understatement?) However, it is very frustrating when things aren’t going well and his only answer is shuffling lines (which doesn’t seem to help.)
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System is working. One thing fans need to understand is that Dean,Terry and rest of the Kings coaching staff all are part of what the Kings do when it comes down to making a trade or any free agent signings. It’s not only Dean. Willie is the heart of the defence. With him in the line up Kings are complete. I just wise Poni and Strum did their job. That would make Dean and the Kings look like Hockey Kings. Kings have a plan in place and now just need to make the right move when comes to trade deadline. Kings almost had their man but the devils of hockey took him. Kings did the right thing. Kings needed to sign young talent and could not afford to pay him that kind of money. I understand Devils did not do good with him in the line up but it takes time to fit in a team system. Now Devils are playing well and just imagine having him on the Kings roster. He is the reason for Devils wins of late. I’m just waiting for some help during the trade deadline. Go Kings Go.
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DIdn’t Handzus play left win with Martin Havlat in Chicago? OR did he play as a center? I know they played really well together, so that reminds me of the Kopitar and Handzus line. Handzus seems very comfortable in that LW position and it definitely does give Kopitar more space to work with.
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