Some notes from last night’s game…
– The Kings ended their run of 10 consecutive road games with a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night at Honda Center.
– The Kings’ season-long run of road games ended with a 6-1-3 record, and with the Kings claiming 15 out of a possible 20 points. The Kings outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 21-18 in regulation and overtime in the 10 games. After the Kings’ last home game, they were in 11th place in the Western Conference. This morning, they are in sixth place.
– The Kings scored three goals even though they totaled a season-low 18 shots on goal. The previous low had been 19 shots on goal, in a 4-1 victory over Vancouver on Oct. 15.
– For the first time this season, the Kings did not have a power play. The Kings went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and are 19-for-19 on the penalty kill in their last seven games.
– The Kings improved to 16-14-3 on the road, 25-8-1 when scoring the first goal, 14-3-1 when leading after the first period and 15-8-4 in one-goal games. The Kings have a 28-6-1 record when they score at least three goals and a 26-6-2 record when they allow two or fewer goals.
– Jonathan Quick stopped 25 of 27 shots and improved his personal record to 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts. Quick allowed two or fewer goals in six of those 10 starts. Quick also had one assist, his second of the season.
– Willie Mitchell scored the game-winning goal in the third period, his second goal of the season and his 21st goal in 621 career NHL games. Mitchell’s career high for goals is four, set last season with the Vancouver Canucks. Mitchell had not recorded a point since Oct. 28, when he scored a shorthanded goal and also had an assist.
– Ryan Smyth had a first-period goal, his 20th goal of the season. Smyth, whose NHL debut came during the 1994-95 season, is now an 11-time 20-goal scorer in the NHL and is now tied for team lead in goals with Dustin Brown and Justin Williams.
– Anze Kopitar had a first-period goal. Kopitar now has two goals and four assists in his last six games.
– Justin Williams had two assists for his eighth multi-point game of the season. Williams has two goals and seven assists in his last eight games.
– Jack Johnson had one assist, his second assist in his last three games.
– Jarret Stoll had one assist, his first assist in his last 10 games.
– Trevor Lewis had one assist, his first point in his last 26 games.
– Justin Williams recorded a team-high four shots on goal. Matt Greene was credited with a team-high four hits. Jack Johnson was credited with a team-high two blocked shots.
– Willie Mitchell played a team-high 25 minutes, 8 seconds. Anze Kopitar led all Kings forwards in ice time at 20:17.
– The Kings won 21 of 39 faceoffs (54 percent). Jarret Stoll won 6 of 9 draws (67 percent).
Wow! The Kings didn’t chase McElhinney from goal, but they sure chased him out of town.
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KingsFanFTW Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:07 am
@Dominick, lol yea pretty much
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- Marco Sturm was (Reportedly) on the ice.
When a guy is put on the first line, he at least needs to give the effort or tell the coach he’s not ready in games like these. Sure Marco has been out, but he’s a veteran and knows what it takes during a playoff run like this. I expected much more from him than what I saw. Even if you don;t score any points, make the players around you better at the very least.
I know some will say “It’s his first game back, cut him some slack”. to which I’ll answer “Only if the other teams in the playoff race will”. It’s the nature of this game right now. Everyone just has to be stellar all the time just to make the playoffs this year.
On another note…
I saw this gem on TSN describing the McElhenny for Ellis goalie swap:
“It’s like trading a Plymouth Acclaim for a Dodge Spirit.”
ROTFL!
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wavesinair Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 10:40 am
I loved that pass Marco made last night on a breakout…to the invisible man…no one was there…maybe he was looking in a mirror?
Sadly, Sturm won’t be stellar. I’d say he has a much higher chance of re-injuring himself than looking like the Sturm of old.
——
The difference between the Plymouth and the Dodge is that the Dodge (Ellis) has the Kings number with 4 straight wins. Hopefully the windshield is cracked now and he can’t see too well.
——
Congratulations to Ryan Smyth, 11-time 20-goal scorer as of last night. He might be slow, but he sure does battle. And for that, I am more than happy to have him on board. Thanks for all you do Smitty!
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YooperSkip Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 10:48 am
@wavesinair, Smittys goal appeared on ESPN s top ten plays from last nite. I believe it was 4th. Keep it up Ryan
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DesertKing Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:21 am
@YooperSkip,
He showed great hands knocking it out of the air without the officials in Toronto nullifying it.
FiG17 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
@DesertKing
I LOL’d.
5holer Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:04 am
@wavesinair, Bang on! Sturm is not remotely ready for NHL play let alone the LW1 position. I see he was skating alot better, but….not much else. Timing is along way away and the team cannot wait for that IMHO. At best he is a season away from what he was, but that is no answer for today. Your Plymouth & Dodge thing is good humor and more right then wrong. Just remember Ellis played in front of B Trotz fine defense & system, not true in Tampa. He is an upgrade for sure over Curtis the goalie for Quackers, no doubt. Quackers are not so stellar on D and Carlyle doesn’t use much of a defensive system to speak of with that personnel he has. Ellis has that to look forward to and he isn’t likely to change our domination of the other LAers in ANA. That cracked windshield is the Quackers D. You pound their D and they cough pucks up like they have the croop! I say we were lucky to have key scratches & Curtis the goalie in last night, but niiicce win no doubt! O from the D always is welcomed! Smitty is the modern day Charlie Simmer, cudos to him! He has the closest human appendage to a beak I’ve seen since Lappy was here with his cheek to cheek beak!
Help needed apply within!
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puck73 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:00 am
@Cynic, If a tree falls in the Forrest, and we werent there..does it make a sound? I guess Marco played last night. The way Marco played last night reminded me of Ziggy Palffy in the olympics last year…he just played positional hockey and was pretty much afraid to touch the puck. And How bout the missing defensemen known as Francois Beauchemin? I am telling you…that guy clearly is not the same hockey player as he was 3 seasons ago.
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5holer Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:19 am
@puck73, Let’s not get carried away here. On his best days Marco is no Ziggy. I’d settle for what Dominick described about him, even though that’s a heavy tint on those rose colored glasses he’s wearing. Marco didn’t exactly light things up, but luckily enough he did not hurt much either. I don’t see him providing much at this stage, but he can keep up in the play more then the other candidates for the spot. He is a good defensive forward, not tough but positionally solid. Is that what you want on LW1 position? Nope! Maybe there is no #1, #2 or #3 lines in TMs system…they are all 4th liners in style perhaps…cycling, cycling off on the high wall we go, with nobody in front to get those centering passes…more cycling Armstrong has done in his cycling life! That is the plight of this personnel group up front. How do you spell offense? D-Fence and counter punching! Beauchemin is a shadow of himself since his major knee surgery a few years ago. That’s okay with me!
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Dominick Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:04 am
@Cynic,
I thought Sturm did a few good things out there. He didn’t impose his will, but he didn’t hurt us either. We are in a race, but realisticly you have to give him more time(evn if the other teams won’t afford him the same courtesy). There is no other choice. We need him to take an active roll, and as long as he keeps improving it will even out eventually.
I was watching was his positioning since last time he played he was just getting used to playing after a long layoff. He had new teammates, a new system, a new city, and a new builing. He has sat and had plenty of time to watch his teammates play and learn their tendencies, learn the system, and get used to the city and building. So the only real issue sould be how long it will take for him to get his timing up to par before he’s coming over the top of the play, and attacking from a position of strength.
The fact that he wasn’t exposed after sitting so long is good. I was surprised that the Ducks didn’t go right at him all night. That’s what I would have done. The next couple of games I suspect teams to attack him positionally to test for weekness. Than we’ll see if Sturm will hold up and excell.
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wavesinair Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:23 am
@Dominick,
“There is no other choice.”
I can think of a few. One includes a trade and cutting the Sturm-experiment loose.
As for targeting Sturm…I think most teams worry about their system and playing their game. Everything else will fall into place…like last night…holding the Kings to their lowest shot total of the season.
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Dominick Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:31 am
@wavesinair, I agree. The Ducks could of made his 1rst night back alot harder though by testing him physically, and with nastier play to see if it gets him off his game. Which is exactly what the Ducks do better than most teams.
Jason4Kings Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
@wavesinair,
My other choice is the Loktionov centering the second line thing, and Handzus (or Lewis) back on a wing. Please, anyone, i beg of you to not say the word exposed in your rebuttal.
I can’t wait until the trade deadline passes.
5holer Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:31 am
@Dominick, @BlueLiner, Way too optimistic for a guy who hasn’t played in about a year. Unless there is some secret serum in sick bay, he doesn’t get up to speed in the short term. Ducks don’t go after soft players. They sting tough guys to embolden their guys. Anyone can kick a softy around! Carlyle doesn’t pay attention to guys like Marco, until he shows something, which he hasn’t yet. What choices do we have here. Lok is no Winger, Richie is fast but no help to Kopi, Brown on off wing is a waste of his talents, and Pony can’t find the keys to the dog house locks yet. There ain’t much on the farm in New Hampshire either. A waiver deal? Can’t take a roster hit to get a blue chipper like Brad R, so what do you do? I bet nothing significant! Maybe July? Oops bad subject!
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BluLiner Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:08 am
@Cynic, I dont know, I wasnt overly impressed. But there was one play in the first when he made an aggressive move coming out from behind the net to the front of the net with the puck. Foxy called it a wraparound, but it was much more than that and he had a clear shot at the top corner over McIlheny if he had gotten it up. More plays like that and shake off the rust and he will score us some goals!
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tornado12 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:46 am
@BluLiner, he also made a nice pass to simmer for a scoring chance (i think it was on the semi-breakaway he had)
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Bkrs-Bud Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
@BluLiner, It was the first shot on goal for the kings after 10min of 0 shots for the entire team
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I haven’t seen or heard anything, but I hope they come back with Quick tonight, Bernier Saturday, and Quick Monday vs. Detroit.
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Newf Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:22 am
@Shotongoal, yes. now is not the time to be switching out a hot hand. playoffs have already started.
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Stuart Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
@Newf, TM has had his say… JQ it is.
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Whens the next 10 game road trip???? LOL cant wait to roll up to staples center tonight to see 99% kings fans in the crowd. Yesterday at Honda center had to be the biggest kings turn out in history!!! not to mention the loudest!!! great job Kings fans!!!
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Does anybody here think that Kyle should get some kind of trophy for the best rookie fighter. Wow, he is beast with the smiley face.
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pr0cess Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 10:41 am
@Agame, indeed, cliffy is a monster
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kennynakamoto Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 10:46 am
@Agame, clifford is amazing!! the kid is only 19 years old and hasnt even grown into his body. i dont know what the kings would do with out this guy? maybe play westgarth more? that would be horrible lol
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Dominick Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:22 am
@kennynakamoto, Westy already plays more than Harrold. Thats more than I wished he would play to start the season. Westy did have a few good plays last night, so maybe things are getting better. Maybe not.
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kennynakamoto Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:25 am
@Dominick, i just wished he scored on that break away, i was so drunk that i didnt even realize it was him lol of course he missed
KingsGuy Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:54 am
@Dominick, That was a pretty funny comment… Got a good chuckle.
fsd1 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:37 am
@Agame, speaking of KC, wher is kylecliffordfan? have not heard from him in ages
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Loskingpride Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:52 am
@fsd1, He’s been missing for a couple of weeks now since the San Jose game on New Years I think?
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tornado12 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
@fsd1, I think Puck73 scared him off!
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I am re-posting this here. Put it on an older one by mistake.
Trader Rumors, Trade Rumors, Trade Rumors. Really? There is no one available for any kind of good price. We will have to give up to much to get anyone who will not be a real upgrade.
Lets stop talking about a trade and look at the team and the organization. We are loaded for bear. We are going to make the playoffs and make some noise this year. We are built for a playoff run. Defense and goal tending win playoffs. We have both.
The goal scoring will come. Has anyone noticed we are winning? Winning ugly is still winning. Trevor Lewis, Kyle Clifford and Wayne Simmonds are on the verge of breaking out. Did anyone see that drive to the net that Lewis had? That kid has world class speed and is starting to learn to use it. Clifford is going to be a power forward for years to come. Simmonds production is down but not by much and he is still a kid.
We are young and in the thick of it. No one, I mean no one is going to want to play us in the playoffs.
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nykingfan Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:00 am
@BigMikeonD,
On that note, I was lsitening to an interciew on NHL Network lst night with Bowman of Chicago.
they asked him if he was looking to make moves before the deadline. His answer was interesting.
He said he’s looking to improve the team without subtracting guys from the roster.
He would use his “assets” meaning draft picks/minors to improve the club. Even though they’re not doing as well as they did last season (for obvious reasons) he still has faith in his guys and will not sacrifice his regulars just to make a move.
Sounds similar to what DL’s thinking is.
Go with the guys that got you to this point. If you don’t have faith in them, who will you have faith in?
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Shotongoal Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:00 am
@BigMikeonD, I agree with your assessment on Clifford but I’m sorry Lewis has shown zero goal scoring skills this year. Granted he’s still young and he is quick, but I do not see him as a goal scorer…..ever. There are those who are born with and those who aren’t. I don’t think he was born with it, sorry! As far as Simmonds goes, I think he has been ahuge dissapointment this season and if the right offer comes alongs I would have no problem trading him. When you look at the young talent on this team and the prospects I think I would rather choose to trade Simmonds for help now and into the playoffs. This team does need some scoring help for the remainder of this season, no matter how good we think their D and goaltending has been.
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wavesinair Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:01 am
@BigMikeonD,
I agree for the most part. Although, I think that if we had a GM that was good at making deals, the Kings are ripe for an upgrade for the reason you mention…loaded for bear.
So while I think we can improve some areas that have been well chronicled, I agree that this team is working itself into prime playoff condition.
The one HUGE question mark in these next 22 games is, will they go on another extended slump? They have been up and down all season and that inconsistency is a serious problem.
Why do you think they have been this way? Two possible reasons that have been floated are 1) leadership issues and 2) the poor power play has cost the Kings a good chunk of wins…say 5 or so.
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tornado12 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:27 am
@wavesinair, you forgot number 3) DL’s explanation. It was all part of the plan!
BTW- what does ‘squiggly line’ mean? (i cant reproduce that character you make sometimes)
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wavesinair Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
@tornado12, I don’t see it…what line?
tornado12 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
@tornado12, the one from previous thred something like a ^^^
5holer Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
@wavesinair, Another thing…youth has trouble with streakiness(is that a word? it is today). In experience brings on uneven play, because you do not have a solid understanding of why you are winning and not losing. Same goes for the opposite situation. That’s what coaches are for, as they put you on the right path as they can. There is no punishment issues when you dropped off one line and down to another or even scratched. It is about the learning curve for each player. Some get it faster than others! Some need reminding and some need to shore up their weaknesses in practices. There isn’t much place for punishments, with perhaps a few exceptions. Don’t have time to waste on the petty stuff. PP problems develop for the same reasons. When you do not have much creativity out there or even available to put out there, then you suffer for it in productivity. These players get the defensive side, so they flourish on PK and have exceptional GTing. Not so for offensive stuff save for a precious few. There are no leadership problems on this club…this is a tight group with no room issues! It is obvious what the problem is and upstairs knows it very well! There is no trigger man on the PP or upstairs and so it goes! Mr Perfect fit, please see the usher for further instructions! Patience is a ten cent word for losers in this league! Too laid back in hockeywood! Yeah everything is just groovy dudes!
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wavesinair Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
@5holer, The team had a better PP last year and weren’t as streaky…and they were younger and less experienced….so I think there’s more to it.
Leadership isn’t just about there being a cancer in the room. It’s also about getting guys ready to play. Having a way about you, whether it’s in word or action or both, that makes most of the guys want to follow you. That’s where I think the Kings suffer. We have enough older guys to account for such extreme swings in play, yet the roller coaster continues. As Justin Williams said, “this is the streakiest team I’ve ever been on.”
number 6 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
@wavesinair,
It’s not like he’s Bad at making deals. I mean to me, getting Jack Johnson is a great trade. I hated the trade for Justin Williams when it was made. Not because of JW but I truly questioned if he would ever regain form. Well, I don’t hate it so much now. He was our best player last night and the more I watch him the more I think he has exceptional hockey sense. Can’t say if the accumulation of injuries has cost him some speed, but I didn’t realize before that his hockey sense was so strong.
Ryan Smyth for Kyle Quincey is also not a poor trade. So while I agree with you that he certainly isn’t an aggressive GM re trading, he’s also not a stupid one.
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wavesinair Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
@number 6, I agree, he’s not stupid or a terrible trader. He’s just not very good. He has so many assets right now and I just don’t think he has used them to make our team as good as it can be. I think his history has shown he just isn’t very good at putting deals together. It’s his weakness.
5holer Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:51 am
@BigMikeonD, Hold up a minute guy! The Trade winds are coming from the top right in DLs Offices! LAK have made it clear that they are looking to make a deal for a top 6 forward or 3! This is a well documented fact right the the “horses…mouth”! Was it just an audition for the Kovy chase last July? Are they floating these plans for PR reasons…well that may be partly true as well. It isn’t the Dregers, McKenzie’s and the media floating this stuff. The cupboard is “loaded with(not for) bears” and we need some mountain lions for those excess bears! The time has been right since last July accordingly to the “perfect fit seeker himself”! Write this down…no goals, no cup! Why go deep into the first round and go out because you cannot score goals. Making the POs is not enough, but its about the best you can expect from this group without some outside help. The price cannot be roster players going back, but the chase cannot be for MR Perfect either. There is No Mr Perfect Fit out there for a couple of spare tires and a suspect or two! If there was Bowman, Burke or Shero would swallowed him up by now! There is some help out there for sure, but he may not be the “perfect fit”, just a big help for a cheap price. That is where it is in LAK land since last July! Waiver wire deal coming, big help…ya right! And so it goes! If this ain’t the right time to make a move, it will never be the right time! Any help with goal scoring will do with or without baggage! The room doesn’t win games, goals win games especially in the POs! How many 1-0 games can a team win? Look it up!
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BigMikeonD Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
@5holer, It’s only the right time to make a move if the right guy is out there. Yes they were after Kovy last summer. That deal didn’t makes sense for the organization. If and I stress if the guy is out there DL will make the deal. If not he will stand pat and keep building. This team will get there. They are very close now. It’s not time to blow anything up. Unloading prospects with huge potential for risky guys does not make sense. Brad Richards is a guy the Kings are rumored to want. Yes but not for Bernier, Jack Johnson and a prospect. Makes no sense. When the Kings get to the top of the mountain all of us fans are going to be very excited and thankful to the leadership of this organization for what they have done.
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I predicted a 10-3 month of Feb = 20 points. They can’t get to 10 wins but the can get to 20 points. If they do this, I think it will propel them to a playoff spot for sure. IMVHO
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Pens get Kovalev for a 7th rounder? I think I would have taken that risk if I’m in Lombardi’s seat. Thats what he got for JLB…
Kings are desperate for scoring help. I hope he’s got something up his sleeve.
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Anjin Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:12 am
@FKA PakiFro, he also makes 5 mil per year with a current 2 year contract and only has 14 goals. No thanks!
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Lime Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:59 am
@Anjin, Kovalev is a UFA at the end of this season.
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number 6 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
@FKA PakiFro, I was reading on PuckDaddy that his play has also picked up over the last month or so. Plus, sort of like Moulson, I’m just not that convinced how well Kovalev would fit on the Kings. Yes it would be interesting to see him w Kopi, but I tend to think because of the environment he’ll do better in Pittsburgh, Plus if Cros comes back soon – trust me he’ll work hard to make it happen with the best player in the nhl.
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tornado12 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
@number 6, Very astute observation! People want to blame ONLY the player for not being successful here, but it is a mix of both methinks. ‘just not a good fit’ sums it all up nicely. I do wish people would move on though and stop saying it was a bad move to let this player go or that one.
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It’s great that the Kings managed to (barely) beat a team that’s given up 21 goals in its three games, but I suspect tonight will see a much different game story from the Hammer. MIN’s road record is as good as the Kings home record and their PP is hitting at a white hot 28% in their last 5 games (fortunately, the Kings PK is 100% in the last 5). One mistake could be the difference in what I expect will be a very close and low scoring game.
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Blurker Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:30 am
@Capt Jam, Close and low scoring?
You just described nearly ask of the Kings’ last 10 games.
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Capt Jam Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:52 am
@Blurker,
Right (I think). And the ones that weren’t low scoring were the ones we lost or were outplayed. At least we’re basically on the right track again, although I continue to be concerned about the Kings ongoing return to immediatley surrendering leads.
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good game guys. we can do better. the quackers were really handicapped with hiller and getzlaugh OUT and the goalie that was in net yesterday was traded. i was scared the goalie they just brought up was going to play. i remember how the last game went with a new goalie in net… and emery has experience..
go kings go.
15 more wins to go!!!
i looked at our schedule it’s going to be pretty tough. it’s ALL western conference teams.
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408kingsfan Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@jkking, Yeah from here on out its either take critical points or give critical points
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The view from wordle last night…
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3206879/LAKingsInsidersBlog_2-24-2011
There is hope for this team yet!
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Cynic Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:59 am
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, Besides the obvious… it shows Wavesinair and Puck73 post a lot.
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Slim Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
@Cynic, Not sure what that graphic was about, but very pleased and excited I was included in it.Thanx for the shootout and we have great great place to post and fantastic fans.
Win or lose we are all winners.
GKG
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wavesinair Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
@Slim,
Was there a ‘shout out’ to you? I assume you didn’t mean ‘shootout’ right puck?
Can DL please resign JW now? He is getting more expensive every day. PLEASE!!!
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Dominick Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:12 am
@tornado12, Here here! Do it DL.
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tornado12 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:32 am
@Dominick, Id sign him for 3-4 years for 3.5 to 4 per (does that sound reasonable?). I guess DL is worried about how much the RFA are gonna cost him, but I say lock him up now. If he goes to FA, it will cost us more.
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Dominick Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@tornado12, I think 4 is reasonable for 3 years. It might be up to 4.4 by now, and more by the summer. Should’a signed him during Christmas like I wanted.
Sebastian Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:13 am
@tornado12, i really hope so, JW is a guy the Kings cannot afford to lose.
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sstephen17 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
@tornado12, Kings really need to keep Williams unless some teams offers him a ridiculous contract. I would do three years but would be fine with four if the annual amount is lowered. The Kings took a risk with Williams given his injury history but IMO he’s been more unlucky than say injury-prone. If you remember from training camp, he had one of if not the highest fitness score. This year, he was able to stay in the line-up and when he does, he produces.
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Last back to back of the season. Lets make it a good one Kings, and welcome home.
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Sebastian Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:11 am
@Dominick, almost…they play Anaheim back to back home and home to close out the regular season.
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Dominick Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:17 am
@Sebastian, You know? I totally missed that. LOL
Good job!
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Looks like Kopi may be heating up also, which would be a blessing right now. It is kind of scary that we have had to stay in games or win them on shots by Scuds, Greene and Mitchell. The defense is doing everything.
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red49er Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@DesertKing, best game i’ve seen kopi play in a long time. he looked interested, determined even (also determined not to pass it to sturm). hopefully he will really hit his stride in the “i want it so bad it hurts” category. richardson, williams and also seemed involved, while half the d-men seemed slow and handzeus was a wreck.
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my thoughts for the line up tonight
smyth.kopi.williams
sturm.stoll.brown
richie.zues.simmonds
poni.lewie.clifford
doughty.mitchell
johnson.scuderi
green.martinez
im not sure how i feel about sturm playing that high with him playing very slow yesterday and made more mistakes than smart plays but i believe in the veteran grippin the stick to tight…anyone agree or disagree with me?
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fsd1 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:50 am
@swedishassasin, why change?
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Sebastian Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:57 am
@fsd1, I would change the lineup because the Kings won by 1 goal against a team playing a very bad backup goaltender and missing their top 2 centers. im sure lineup changes will be made to get some fresh legs in there because its a back to back situation at the end of a long and exhausting road trip. im pretty sure Murray said Poni would come back in tonight, and i would also expect Martinez to go back in for Drewiske.
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Sebastian Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:54 am
@swedishassasin, that lineup looks great to me…i think mainly because it does not have Westgarth in it. i would give Sturm another game or 2 on the top line to see if he can hang with Kopi.
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KingsGuy Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:57 am
@swedishassasin, That looks ugly…
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VanKingsFan Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 11:58 am
@swedishassasin, Highly agree with those lines
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Cynic Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
@swedishassasin, I would move Ritchie to the top line, keep Smyth where he is and sit Sturm on the third line with Zeus. The best hockey Sturm has played for us was when he was on the third line. He even got into a fight once defending a teammate playing on that line.
I’d go with that.
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Bkrs-Bud Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
@swedishassasin, I didn’t see all the mistakes you mentioned.
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I know you guys were talking about Clifford earlier in this thread.
The guys a friggin beast of a fighter.
What impresses me more than anything else is his timing of the fights. We had nothing going on prior to him dropping the gloves. It seemed he energized the whole team with that fight.
I have to keep remembering that he’s only 20. Man, this kid’s going to be something special. He may never be a 30 goal scorer, but his value cannot be overstated.
Sturm’s performance last night wasn’t very good. I’d like to see how he plays tonight..First game back can’t be an easy thing. We won, so it doesn’t bother me that he was invisible.
We are going to need him though.
I guess it’s only me, but I though Drewiskie played a pretty steady game last night. There were some mistakes, but the guys been sitting for 19 games. I couldn’t find much fault with his overall game last night.
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red49er Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@nykingfan, with the injury that sturm is trying to come back from it won’t be until next year (maybe) before he can be valuable contributor. we see it over and over again in pro sports – the player is never the same the year after a serious knee injury. its the 2nd year when they get it back, if they ever do. Williams took quite awhile to recover his form and look how well he is playing now. i remember shaking my head wondering why the heck did they sign his worthless ass, well he’s fully physically AND mentally recovered and his level of play is back to where his talent says it should be.
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nykingfan Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
@red49er,
it sure seems you’re right about that type of injury and the time to get back to the player he was before.
I still think it was worth a shot because of what it cost us..consditional 7th round pick. The way he’s played and the number of gmaes he’s played, I doubt we would even have to give up a 7th rd pick.
You can always hope to catch lightning in a bottle.
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Dominick Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
@nykingfan, Not only you. I thought Whiskey did a good job last night. There was a sequence where Whisey broke up the Ducks penatration and had 3 strait clears. The Ducks even had a turn over that resulted in a 4 on 2 coming our way and Whiskey deflected the play to the outside allowing the Kings forwards to get back.
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nykingfan Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
@Dominick, Thanks..I was starting to think maybe I wasn’t seeing things correctly.
It’s just amazing the depth we have on the blueline..and it’s young depth that can step in at any time and do the job.
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Bkrs-Bud Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
@Dominick, Only bad play i saw from him was when he turned the puck over after losing an edge,which led to a scoring chance for the other team.
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number 6 Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
@nykingfan,
NYKF: no it’s not just you who noticed it. I posted a thread after the game last night stating that he seemed really steady and really strong in his play and seemed to always make the right play so far as I could tell. So good of us to have noticed it, but good on TM to make that call. A lot of people doubted it.
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Willie Mitchell is going to be point on the second PP unit now right? =)
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Happy with the win. Ducks had both center men out of the lineup. In this league you don’t win if you dont play team game. Defense and goaltending is must to win. System.
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Helene is reporting via twitter Bernier in goal tonight and westy scratched for poni.
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Well the sky has not fallen and the Kings are sill in the hunt for the playoffs. How fickle we are depending on weather or not the Kings win or lose. PLEASE give DL and TM some patiencethey have brought us this far and they are working hard to get us what we all want, a cup and hopefully several. TM has a team that is defensive and GOD is our defense great look at the stats you will see. TM has been hampered by not having a ligitamate 1st line LW that can bring speed and bury the bisket, so he is switching lines to try and find a combo that works. DL is not panicing and selling the farm to get the one play. Remember all of the team know that the Kings have great assets and want them look at the trade romors this week. Does anyone really think that DL will trade JJ, Schenn, and Bernier to anyone? Teams want part of our core for the pieces they want to get rid of. I do agree that we need to get a speedy forward that can score and as we get close to the deadline it will be interesting to see which GMs panic. Hay JQ do you think you brother-in-law wants to come back to LA? just a thought.
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Bkrs-Bud Reply:
February 24th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
@Black Rubber Bisket, Nice post.
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