Michal Handzus’ postgame thoughts…
(on his goal…)
HANDZUS: “I was coming in, but I was thinking Poni [Alexei Ponikarovsky] might throw it in. The goalie was outside the crease, so I was kind of coming in and looking for the puck. It hit my stick and I was able to redirect it. It was a great play by those two guys, Simmer [Wayne Simmonds] and Poni, and obviously Mitchell too. He found a lane to get it to the net, and it was a scramble after that.”
(on whether anything in particular was said after the tying goal…)
HANDZUS: “Not really. Obviously we were disappointed. We don’t want them to score that late, but after those goals we’re always talking about the next shift, to have a good next shift. There’s no panic. We’ve got a lot of confidence right now. Obviously it’s not great that they score, but we had to keep going. It was a 2-2 game on the road, so we just played the situation.”
(on winning in regulation…)
HANDZUS: “I think it’s huge. We didn’t want one of those three-point games, obviously. It’s huge that we won in regulation, and we jump a little bit ahead of them.”
Hate to remind him but were not resigning him…..Anyone else see THN’s Future Watch with Schenn on the cover?
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Harty Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
@Paul G, yes, and although Handzus made the difference today he may not be in the future BUT lets be happy today for him and kings, well done Handi
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just my opinion Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
@Paul G, Sad. He gets the game winning goal and you just have to say something negative.
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Michael J. Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@just my opinion,
Yah, real classy comment.
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Paul G Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@just my opinion, Not negative but rather optimistic…it shows that we have depth and I’ll salute him at the end of his playing time for his service
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threepwood Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
@Paul G,
Nice backhanded compliment.
I’m sure he would tell you to take your ‘salute’ and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine…
frazier king Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
@just my opinion, Another zeus hater , where would our pk be with out hem maybe 20th.!!!!
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
@Paul G, It’s a shame to dwell on that when things today are what they are.
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lvkingaholic Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
@Paul G, thtas okay when he gets to hoist lord stanley, he’ll retire with a smile……….
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lvkingaholic Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@lvkingaholic, i mean thats… too many bud lites..lol
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Paul G Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@lvkingaholic, Ill smile when 4 mil gets cleared in cap space lol
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Pumpernicholl Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
@Paul G, Why will you smile about cap space? Who cares about the cap space as long as you get the players you need to be the team you want to be? Seriously I don’t have a problem with re-signing Handzus and let the chips fall where they may in training camp.
luc20rules Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
@Paul G, Not Cool. I don’t care if rumors swirl around that he is gone tomorrow as long as he is a King and he is working hard. I support any player 100%. I think that is what being a Fan is but that is just MHO. Zues is our shutdown guy and he has done a great job for the last 3 years, and he could slide out to LW. If we do sign him thats what it will likely be for just at 3 mil or less. He is valuable in PK and faceoffs I don’t know if we have Centers geared to take those responsibilities away from him. Without Zues I would assume our PK will fall from top 5 to around #10.
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Paul G Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
@luc20rules, Trevor Lewis, Jarret Stoll and Dustin Brown already kill penalties and while I agree he’s a good shutdown man, r u telling me that we can’t put Simmonds or Schenn (who killed penalties for Team Canada) out there and do just as well?
PK forwards rarely make an impact it’s all about the goalie and the damn that’s in charge of clearing the net like Greener
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Paul G Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
@Paul G, D-man* not “damn” lol
Player-X Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
@Paul G, wow, just a mean spirited discussion overall from youa about Handzus, but it egets silly when you think his experience can be matched by Simmonds or Schenn, lmao
luc20rules Reply:
March 14th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
@Paul G, With Schenn thats Canada’s JUNIORs Team right? If Juniors Team was so telling where is Hickey hasn’t he Captained that team to Gold? In my post I said Handzus may be moved to LW if signed and it would need to be 3 mil/yr or less if we retained him. Note Brown, Lewis, and Stoll already play tons of PK minutes. Simmonds is better on the right side and to my knowledge has never been a NHL center, and has already played most of this year on the shutdown line, but not PKs(maybe because his faceoffs are not good, and if the center gets kicked out of a face off he would need to take it).
Goon Squad Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:25 pm
@Paul G,
I wouldn’t make that assumption. Even if Schenn and Loktionov make the team next year, Handzus can always move to wing, and in fact I personally would rather have him on LW than Smyth next season. Handzus could resign here for a significant pay cut. Sure you could be right, but it’s not a done deal, and believe me he hasn’t been playing at 100% the last 2 months. A healthy Zus at 2mill next year makes a lot of sense.
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Paul G Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
@Goon Squad, I already told my Detroit friend that he is a Red Wings “prospect”….may be true too
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Shakes Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
@Paul G, I’m all for being critical but can’t people be happy when they should be happy. Last time I checked this is a Kings blog not a Flyers blog.
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linny Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
@Shakes, finally, someone making sense..thanks for posting what I was thinking
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friarking Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
@Paul G, way to start off the topic, debbie downer. Playing PK for Team Canada doesn’t give you the right to that position in the NHL. BTW
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tuan jim Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
@Paul G,
“Hate to remind him but were not resigning him . . .”
Who says? His contract at the moment is $4 mil — huge, yes. But is some other team gonna climb over itself to sign a 34-year-old player — even a Handzus — at that price? Especially if the new CBA keeps or tightens the cap consequences of signing a guy at age 35?
I can still see us trying to sign him — perhaps for a year — at a somewhat lower price. Zeus may go for it, too. He’s got hockey brains, and he’s not gonna waste those brains playing past his time. He can see what’s happened to Modin, whom we picked up at a fat contract, but who was signed as a UFA for a LOT less.
As far as his skill set is concerned, Zeus doesn’t rely upon speed or other “youthful” qualities for his kinda game. What he brings to the team is something else, something quite as valuable.
So don’t be too sure that he won’t be a King next season.
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Paul G Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
@tuan jim, Hes a center on a team with tons of them in the system and as for LW, Clifford, Smyth, Penner and Parse r all under contract…add in guys like Holloway who might get a short term call up next year and Handzus is old news
Welcome to the new and fast NHL people
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Melty Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
@Paul G, The new and fast NHL comes to a grinding halt in the playoffs my friend and that is where face-offs and grinding cycles win hockey games.Don’t count him out…
LucLivesOn Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
@Paul G, OK I get it, you are the kind of guy that likes to focus on the negative and that’s your choice BUT Zues IS a King and will be at least until the end of the season so unless he is playing like garbage, which he is NOT, let him and the fans enjoy his game winning goal!! BTW if you feel you really need to be negative, spring training has started and I’m sure you can join the millions of Cubs fan and bash their team!! But if you are going to enjoy the Kings, then step up to the bar and have some Dean Lombardi Kool-Aid it’s AWESOME!!
Scot Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@Paul G,
I would love for Zues to be back next year. The reason Schenn is NOT here this year is BECAUSE of Handzus, partially. Handzus is still an effective player, so it gave Schenn an extra year of “growing up.” If Schenn is a center on this team next year, I’m sure Kings management will ask Zus if he wants to stay here as a winger at a lower price. (Kind of like in baseball, asking a career center fielder to move to left or right field– exactly what happened to Torii Hunter with the Angels when they had an emerging center fielder join the team) …
If Zus wants to do that, he can. Judging from other players’ decisions, he will probably want to sign with a team that has a role available similar to what he has now, and also at a similar salary. If the Red Wings, like someone mentioned above, offer him a 1-year deal to be their 3rd line center next season at 3 or 4 million.. my guess is he takes that, and why not? It’s HIS life, and what an opportunity that would be for him. But, if he decides to stay here, I’m a happy Kings fan as well. SUCH a team guy, Michal Handzus.
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Paul G Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
@Scot, Handzus is only here bcuz we HAVE to pay him 4mil this year and we DONT HAVE to pay Schenn his 3mil…if Schenn was as cheap as Simmonds then he would be here
It’s all about money at the end of the day
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Scot Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
@Paul G,
They could have bought out Handzus. They could have placed him on Waivers, clearing a spot, AND his cap hit, if someone claimed him, or if they didn’t, sent him to the minors. There were other options, but he’s a HUGE part of this team. Think about next year, NEXT YEAR. This is our team right now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
tuan jim Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
@Paul G,
If it were ALL about the money there’d be less than half the current NHL teams.
In any case, Tim Leiwicke remarked that the Kings will be profitable at the gate if they can make it to the second play-off round. If Schenn could accomplish that for us better than Handzus, would we really be paying Zeus $4 mil instead of the $3 mil-and-change that Schenn costs?
Handzus is here — and playing — because of his value to the team. We assessed that value even before we picked him up at the price we’re paying. I say he’s worth another season, if we can get him, at a cut in pay. So long as that cut is not too substantial, he may be agreeable. We may be center-rich, but neither Schenn nor Lokti has shown he’s versatile at wing, which Zeus has subbed at all season. Neither Schenn nor Lokti has demonstrated consistent success on the PK, as Zeus has. Neither Schenn nor Lokti comes within light years of Zeus’ face-off win percentage. Neither of them has his smarts, his experience, his size, his toughness.
Money is important. The CBA is based on it. Team decisions are based on it. All sorts of issues are based on it. But in addition to the money considerations, there’s something called “hockey” that has, at least, a minor importance in all this.
Welcome to the HOCKEY people.
But the game
tuan jim Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 8:36 pm
@Paul G,
If it were ALL about the money there’d be less than half the current NHL teams.
In any case, Tim Leiwicke remarked that the Kings will be profitable at the gate if they can make it to the second play-off round. If Schenn could accomplish that for us better than Handzus, would we really be paying Zeus $4 mil instead of the $3 mil-and-change that Schenn costs?
Handzus is here — and playing — because of his value to the team. We assessed that value even before we picked him up at the price we’re paying. I say he’s worth another season, if we can get him, at a cut in pay. So long as that cut is not too substantial, he may be agreeable. We may be center-rich, but neither Schenn nor Lokti has shown he’s versatile at wing, which Zeus has subbed at all season. Neither Schenn nor Lokti has demonstrated consistent success on the PK, as Zeus has. Neither Schenn nor Lokti comes within light years of Zeus’ face-off win percentage. Neither of them has his smarts, his experience, his size, his toughness.
Money is important. The CBA is based on it. Team decisions are based on it. All sorts of issues are based on it. But in addition to the money considerations, there’s something called “hockey” that has, at least, a minor importance in all this.
Welcome to the HOCKEY people.
fridgemagnet57 Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
@Paul G,
You can’t expect the kind of experience Zus brings you to younger players so I imagine we’ll ask Zus to take a pay cut and hope he decides to stay in LA for 1 or 2 more years.
He brings great values to this team and does the little plays no one talks about after the game. I don’t see any rookie immediately bringing what Zus brings to the table and we’re not going to be a better team if we expect rookies to take his place next year.
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Seattle757 Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
@Paul G, Do you have something against Zeus? you keep up coming up with sad excuses why he should be gone. What a way to support your team. Handzeus is part of the Kings till he leaves. Till then you can take your Nation Enquirer somewhere.
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frazier king Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
@Seattle757, I am going to get a zeus jersey as fast as i can and were it proudly!!!!.
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SDGolfer Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
@Paul G, stay Classy dude.
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lvkingaholic Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
@SDGolfer, plus if he leaves, who will cook snitzel and sauerkraut?…………..lol i think he does a great job
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goldielocks Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
@Paul G, Don’t you know the big influence OD made for DD’s development as well as Zeus’s influence to Simmer last season? Don’t you aware what those veteran players bring on the table other than the play on the ice? When your beloved Schenn makes the team next season, Smyth and Zeus will be able to help his development too. That’s what the young team like the Kings need, and coaches and the front are looking for. I would be very dissapointed if they won’t sign Zeus for the extension.
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Zus, my #1 star of the game. Way to get it done man.
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ziggyfan Reply:
March 14th, 2011 at 8:06 am
@KFII, yes, I agree.
Hope Kings re-sign him. OK, we have prospects coming up but, we need veterans who can respond in all kinds of situations and yesterday’s game was a fine example. Zus kills penalties and we feel as though we have third defense man when he is on the ice. Really hope he is around next year.
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Huge!! Great to see them press and not just take the pt. and head to OT. But there were also various chances to clear before their goal, Smyth, but Scuderi had the puck as well… Great win and on to the Preds who almost always play us tight..
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At this point i think we stop looking at just making the playoffs, and start focusing on the Pacific Division lead. 3 points back and 13 games left. 7 of them are division games, 2 against SJ.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@Newf, I think [they] should keep focusing on one game at a time. It’s been working pretty well.
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Zeus, Poni, Simmer, hats off to all of you. Money.
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LA67 Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
@DLB, Duh, winning !!
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I believe Handzus will be asked to re-sign. I imagine that’ll be at a discount.
He is still one the unsung heroes of this team. No one penalty kills like Handzus does.
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KC23 Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@Brent, Well said. I could easily see him moving to a wing position without any trouble. He is so valuable at the PK.
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jonsey Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
@Brent, I would aregue that his presence has been overrated. It’s almost like we forget his 1st year here. If he comes back it better be for a million five or he’s just holding up the development of some guys who aren’t dragging an anchor. The only reason we value him on the PK is because he is horrible on the backcheck normally. He is too slow. He works hard, but it hurts me to watch him out there.
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ta Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
@Brent, Agree, if he’s willing to take a pay cut I see him staying. With TM system of defense 1st, Zues is a strong on the PK and is usually matched up against the other teams top line. I’m sure TM wants him back if Zues will take less money.
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Scarletcat Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
The players have frequently mentioned ‘Zues as the unsung hero of the team.
Respectfully, I’ll take their opinions over those that comment here.
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Every Cup run needs a special moment where everthing seems to be going wrong (Dallas scores to tie with only 42 seconds left) and then something incredible happens (Zues scoring 20 seconds later). We have just experienced such a moment, so now we build on it. Now we go forward and win the Division and set ourselves up for a complete playoff run.
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Garrett Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
@DesertKing, Had the same thought! I”m telling you guys, I was in Tampa the year they won it and it feels a lot like that. Sure, we’re a long shot, but this is that kind of team.
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I know he’s basically only played half the season but if you ask me Poni has earned a contract extension with his great play the last month or so. He’s been one of the Kings best players.
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KC23 Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
@PaulHB, We are weak at LW so it is not out of the question, but he’ll have to continue to prove himself through the rest of this season.
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jonsey Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
@PaulHB, gag!
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Huge goal, huge win!!
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Who says hard work is underrated? Good job Zues.
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WINNER!
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neil Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
@SHUCHUK, WINNING DUH!!!!!
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I’m sorry I have to be negative. Handzus has 10 goals this year! That’s only a little more than $333,000 a goal! Worse than the Roenick deal.
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KC23 Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
@jonsey, Yeah, but how many PK goals has he prevented?
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jonsey Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
@KC23, Putting an expensive player on PK is just a way of saving face for the fact that they are not as good as they used to be. Handzus. Roenick. Drury.
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Kyle Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
@jonsey, You are, with all due respect, out of your mind. If you cannot see the every shift difference between Roenick and Handzus, please watch some more game videos. What ‘Zus adds to this team cannot be measured by a dollars per goal anaylsis. Ask anyone in the locker room.
Player-X Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
@jonsey, preposterous, peolle shift roles as they age and Zus is now apremier PK guy, and shut down center. Goals are not his focus, just yours.
Gary Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
@jonsey, If he were only being paid for his goal-scoring ability.
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jonsey Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
@Gary, I don’t think we picked him up originally thinking oh here is a good PK guy. Get real. His $4 million contract was because they wanted a #2 center.
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Dominick Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:02 pm
@jonsey, Last 3 years they have played him exactly where they’ve wanted him. If they wanted him for offense they would have got rid of him already. He has solidified our 3rd line and at the same time allowed us the time we’ve needed to develope some young draft picks. He has everything to do with why this team is on the right path, and we should acknowlege and attribute a lot of where we are to him.
jonsey Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
@Dominick, Alright. I am the minority opinion on this one, but I think he’s slow and lumbering with a weak shot and average skill. Anyone with a stick that long can PK like that. Why not see what Brown could do on the PK. I bet he’d be just as good. Or how about Richardson.
Great job Zues. Good luck in Nashville!
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Look, I’m happy he got a goal. Frankly his line has been horrible this year. I don’t know if it was the loss of Frolov, or a combination of each player not progressing or what, but Poni, Simmer, Zeus have not brought enough to the Kings this year. Period. I had hoped that Simmonds and Handzus would be closer to 20 goals each this year. Thank goodness Williams was so good this year.
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fsd1 Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
@jonsey, he is on the DAMN CHECKING LINE.
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Bkrs-Bud Reply:
March 14th, 2011 at 12:57 am
@fsd1, Watch those capital letters.lol.
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Player-X Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
@jonsey, his line is the checking line, and the checking line has contributed mightily to the 5th best defensive TEAM. Seriously, are you aware of the universal truth of balance among team roles?
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The calmest player on the team. That is the most valuable asset to the scramble situations like today’s winning goal and PK.
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Great hands and goal but without the work of Mitchell, Simmonds and Poni wouldn’t have happened. Poni has been stellar as of late.
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Mike Martinez Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
@Hat trick, i agree 100% Poni has been playing great hockey of last he’s finally 100% healthy i think hes using his size and speed effectively and he scored the game winning goal in Detroit the other night and this is why we signed him this is the player we need him to be down the stretch….
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Hat trick Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
@Mike Martinez, Totally agree. I had my reservations about him just like everyone else but man the guy is coming up big and he’s pretty damn consistent.
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@jonsey, the kings are, and always will be, a defense first team under TM. Getting 10-15 on this team is like 20-25 on others. I’ve seen him play for several years now and he is a highly skilled player. He’s lost a step but will be an asset still, if he takes a pay cut. He just might be sticking around when the kings find out that Lokti wrecked a THIRD shoulder.
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I like Handzus…I think one of the most powerful qualities this team has now is incredible team chemistry. Sometimes one player gone that seems like a good idea on the surface, starts an erosion that is hard to recover from. There is no way is presence even at 35 would be the reason we dont do well. The other players trust him, and that makes a difference on the ice. I think it liberates them a bit. Otherwise you play tight.
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IIShort Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 10:46 pm
@Whitese, I might not be thee greatest or hardcore example of fans when it comes to stats, but I am a Die Hard fan till the day I die…..Kings for Life! On that note I would like to say its about time someone stated the thing that matters thee most, Team Chemistry! Dean has broughten together the perfect blend & in my opinion Zues will sign again because they all are seeing how close we are to our goal….the Cup
Another thing noted to all the Zues haters, is that the video series “Undisputed” that the orginization has put together features him as 1 of 8 (or 9) that they are limiting to do. So outta all the players they have chosen these select men to represent OUR team, do just as the organization has done & take PRIDE in our team….not all of us can be perfect hockey players or fans!
“In Dean We Trust!”
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I honestly don’t think the Zeus haters here are watching these games that closely. Granted, I am a bit biased because Zeus is my favorite player (and I do love wearing my Zeus jersey when I go to games). The main reason that I like his game so much is that he almost never makes a dumb play. This doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but it’s so huge in helping to win games. How many times have we seen other players try to make low percentage plays in our defensive zone and fail to clear the puck? That makes me so crazy. Zeus makes the non-flashy, non-panicky, smart play pretty much every time. He is money as a defensive forward – not because of his speed, but because of his brains. He supports the puck, and he finds the clear passing zones and uses them to get the puck out of our zone and on its way down to the other end to generate scoring chances. He also wins faceoffs, kills penalties, and chips in the occasional goal (regulation AND shootout). I also hope Zeus sticks around for another year – I really think his presence calms the younger players, and they can also learn from how smart he plays every night.
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this is no Zus hating zone.
thank you.
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