Here’s my LAKings.com game story for tonight, with stats and video included. Thanks for reading…
Kings beat Flames 2-1 in shootout
The Kings are scheduled to practice tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo.
LATEST NEWS- Get To Know: Keaton Ellerby June 19, 2013
- Kings Re-Sign Forward Brandon Kozun June 19, 2013
- The Kings And Slava Voynov Agree To Terms On a New Six-Year Contract June 18, 2013
- Best pick at No. 13: Dustin Brown, Kings June 18, 2013
- Kings Vision Earns Three Telly Awards June 17, 2013
- 25th Annual Dave Taylor/Jim Fox Golf Classic June 11, 2013
- Sutter proud of Kings' accomplishments June 11, 2013
- WATCH: Post-Season Interviews June 10, 2013
- Regehr undergoes elbow surgery June 10, 2013
- Kings hope to keep majority of team intact June 10, 2013
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Someone update the Schedule on the Kings website. The last update was against St.Louis.
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The last 9 games are going to be tough as 6 of them are against teams currently in a playoff spot. And Dallas might as well be (currently 9th), so more like 7 critical match-ups.
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Rich,
Besides an update on Williams, what’s Scott Parse’s injury situation? We may need him back if Williams is injured (even though they play opposite sides).
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Rich Hammond Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 12:25 am
No update. He’s not even skating.
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jason Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:28 am
@King John, yikes.. i think its time for moller.. murray may use harrold but i think we have some players in minors who can add offense..
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Gary Livingston Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:41 am
@jason, bummer =(
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Gary Livingston Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 2:41 am
@Gary Livingston, oops. that bummer was about Parse. =(
mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:30 am
@jason, I know this is hard to hear, but, it’s not as easy as it sounds based on the situation in Manchester.
Mainly because of the year they are having down there and how well they are playing. Craig Button was talking about this exact same sitation on NHL Live last night (talking about Pittsburgh).
You have to be really careful with who you call up…you have to be just as careful with not destroying what’s going on down there.
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LAPD line Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:40 am
@mrbrett7, Kept hearing this last year too. With all due respect, I don’t care what it does to Manchester. I grew up in Albuquerque, when it was the Dodgers AAA farm team, and I used to hate it every year when the Dodgers would call up 2 or 3 of our tbest players right at playoff time. But, you know what? That is the way the system is supposed to work. that is what farm teams are for. If Manchester loses a couple of guys to us, then the others will step up, plus they will bring in some new guys to replace them. Getting the Kings into and winning in the playoffs should be the only thing on the mind of this organization. Top to bottom. It will only help the entire organization.
mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:25 am
@mrbrett7, I tend to agree with you Dodger, but…you have to ask yourself. Is it worth screwing up a team that has a real LEGIT shot at winning a championship for a team that doesn’t at this point in time?
wow the West Is soo tight going to have to count on the last week and that very rare usely we find out who in by now
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Mike C Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 12:15 am
@KingsFanFTW,
It’s looking right now that there are 10 very good teams in the Western Conference and two aren’t going to make it. Columbus, St. Louis, Edmonton, Colorado and Minnsota >>> season over.
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Can schenn come back up?
Rich, you think that’s an option the kings would consider ?
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AZ King Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:34 am
@Alex,
Schenn is not an option. He’s not even eligible to play in Manch until his junior season is over.
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JACK JOHNSON NEEDS TO GET WITH IT!!! NO GRIT! NEVER TAKES THE BODY! WON”T BLOCK A SHOT!! BEATEN TWICE IN CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH THE STRETCH PASS… WHAT”S THIS GUY’S DEAL??? C’MON JACK!!! WE NEED YOU TO STEP UP!!!!
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Bkrs-Bud Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 1:20 am
@C leb, No need to shout lol.
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C leb Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 1:33 am
@Bkrs-Bud, yeah, i know… I usually leave the arena in caps-lock mode.. these games are too much!!!
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Dominick Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 3:28 am
@C leb,
I mentioned this earlier. Our Defnse only gave up 1 goal. JJ’s play is fine. There are 29 other teams in the league who would love to have the guy. I could understand riding JJ if we sucked on defense, but were one of the better teams defensively.
Some of you guys act as if allowing 1 or 2 goals a game is grounds for summer trades, and the first thing you guys point at is our defense, and goaltending. I hate to break it to you guys, but our defensmen are awsome, and our goaltending is the envy of the league.
You guys should be pointing at some obvious weaknesses, instead of taking pot shots at our strengths.
KingsFanFTW Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 3:19 am
@C leb, tell me about it JJ always getting beaten he needs to be talka bout it or shaking up
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clubaclub Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 6:01 am
Johnson has a -17 +/- ratio..how relevant is that?
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KC23 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:15 am
@clubaclub, It 100% relevent regarding 5 on 5 play and 0% relevent on PP and PK play.
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DesertKing Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:48 am
@KC23,
The only thing I would add is that when your offesnse is not scoring, then +/- for the defensemen go up, esepcially for those like JJ and DD who play more than 20-25 minutes per game, which is more than all of the forwards. Stop stressing about JJ and worry about something more important, like finding the back of the net 3-4 times per game and scoring on the PP.
mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:31 am
@C leb, You know what…not worth it.
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gene Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:22 am
@C leb, Signed a new contract and doesnt give a hoot anymore.
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LAPD line Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:44 am
@C leb, Lighten up, we only gave up 1 goal. I wonder what some of you guys would post on a baseball blog, where evn the best hitters fail 7 out of 10 times….
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vplaza Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:08 am
@C leb,
Meh, JJ is not the main problem on this team. His point total is up from last year and his +/- is just slightly worse. He’s at least playing up to his expectations even though I would love to see him play above expectations.
Plus, I have to repeat it, without his point production early on this season, we wouldn’t be in the position we are in today. Instead, they’d be fighting to get in the top 8.
If anyone deserved to be roasted, it’s DD. His play and point production is way off from last year and he came into camp without the commitment expected of a Norris Trophy nominee. And while he’s picked up his game in the second half of the season, his play is still spotty at times with mental gaffes that are equal to or worse than JJ’s.
It wouldn’t bother me as much as it would, except that DD will probably wind up making twice as much as JJ in his next contract. Maybe I’m in the minority in this, but I think JJ is doing just fine while DD is the one who is deserving of more criticism.
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:27 am
@vplaza,
Johnson is still learning that this is not Michigan…a somewhat slow process but he is learning.
He has fallen off the past four games after becoming very responsible through the middle of the season….bad habits has returned.
Last night he blew coverage three times resulting in dangerous situations.
Add to this Matinez making at least one or two major rookie mistakes overplaying in the offensive zone.
Settle these two guys down and we’re good.
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SDGolfer Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 10:06 am
@C leb, NEVER takes the body? Never blocks a shot? Pin the loss against anahiem totally on JJ?
Dude has some high standards to live up to by some of you fans.
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Exciting tight checking game. Felt like the 90′s there with it tied 0-0 in the third.
Please, though, everyone who just feels the need to post negative, baseless crap after every opposing goal or penalty just stop. You are not accomplishig anything but making yourself look stupid when the kings come back and win. I’ve seen enough “there go the playoffs” and “quick need to stop that break away” and “we won’t even last one round”. If you truly feel that way go to the oppositions blog and post that stuff there. It will be well received.
Oh and to anyone who knows about sports betting:
I’m going to be in Vegas for the night the kings play Edmonton and I want to place a sports bet. Any suggestions? Never bet on sports before.
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great game by both teams (as much as i hate the Flames). we buckled down and kept the PK streat alive, which was crucial in OT. Our PP looked much better, not that many chances, but LOTS of pressure. Shame it had to go to a shootout (which my dad actually predicted when i was talking to him on the phone wiht a few mins left to go in the 3rd…and he’s a Leafs fan who thinks they’ll still make the playoffs). Anyways…I still think we played great and played our game.
I do think Penner needs to get more physical though. Hopefully JW isn’t hurt too bad and will be back soon.
And honestly, i do understand the need for ‘toughness’ in the lineup…but please use someone other than Westy who you can use througout the game. Having to double-shift forwards in the 3rd just makes people tired and can disrupt chemistry.
Here’s to KC being back Thursday!!
Yes i will admit i was a KC hater earlier in the year…but the way the kid has played laterly, it’s hard to deny how far he’s come this year.
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Dominick Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 3:57 am
@Newf,
I liked the way both teams played.
One thing I Hate, is seeing the TV cameras capture some Vancouverfan, or Detroitfan, or whatever, right after they score. When we lose, all I can think about is how smug those little idiots probably are walking out to their car right now, and it burns inside.
One thing I Love, is seeing the TV cameras capture Calgaryfans after we score. When we win, all I can think of is how they’re driving home utterly frustrated right now. LOL
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KC23 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:22 am
@Dominick, Good point. They kept going to those same two Calgary fans in the stands when we scored and when we won the shoot out. That was priceless.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:33 am
@Newf, Penner needs to realize that a game is actually being played.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:34 am
@Newf, There was nobody else available to use with Clifford out hurt.
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Dan H. Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:54 am
@mrbrett7,
Harrold looked good in his shiny suit I bet. Would look better on Westgarth while Harrold played up front.
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well Kings needs to pick up the Scoring and the PP got great Goaltender and got good Defense
But the Offense is what needs to wake up by loosing Williams going to hurt us Clifford will be back but he not a top scoring so who going to take that spot
Now i believe Brown or Simmonds will be at that spot
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Dan H. Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:54 am
@KingsFanFTW,
Simmonds isn’t a top 6. We’re back in a pickle.
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What an exciting hockey game to watch. Both teams played a great game.
We got the 2 points that was necessary. Calgary deserved a point in that game, but a little bit of separation sure helps the Kings.
Let’s hope the JW injury isn’t too serious. He’s been one of our best forwawrds almost every night. He’s a guy we can’t afford to lose for an extended stretch.
Kipper and Quick both were spectacular in goal. Quick made some huges stops..especially on the PK. Calgary’s PP was impressive, but they couldn’t beat our best penalty killer.
We all got to see the old Simmer last night. He was moving his feet and battling hard for every puck. That goal was all due to his hard work in the corner. way to go Simmer!
Bad change cost us the tying goal. JJ was the obvious one who got caught, but there were others as well, inclduing Zues on that play.
Interesting situation that could only happen in Gary Bettman’s NHL…we win the game and get the 2 huge points, but we screw ourselves if it comes down to a tie-breaker to get into the playoffs due to our shootout WINS!
He puts a gimmick in the game, we win those gimmicks, and now they’ll work against you…as I said, only in Bettman’s NHL can this happen.
Also was reading an interesting rule re overtime and the 1 point. If you pull your goalie in OT, to avoid geting screwed by Bettman’s gimmick, and the opposing team scores into the empty net, you don’t get a point for going to OT.
Strange league they play in!
Go Kings!
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Gary Livingston Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 6:49 am
@nykingfan, Yes, I was so happy for him that he’s been healthy and playing so incredible!
It would be terrible if he can’t come back before the season ends =(
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KC23 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:24 am
@nykingfan, The owners make those rule change calls, not Bettman.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:42 am
@KC23,
Perhaps, but nothing’s done in this league without Bettman’s blessing.
It still makes no sense to me..but whatever!
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:31 am
@nykingfan, To be fair, the GM’s voted to make the tiebreaker be shootout wins…and Lombardi voted for this. I personally agree with him.
I also don’t feel that any loser should ever get a point, period.
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nykingfan Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:20 am
@mrbrett7,
Agree 1000% if you lose, you should get nothing.
They should have made wins 3 pts, OT win 2 pts, SO win 1 pt.
It will never make sense to me because both teams are “penalized” by going to a shootout.
If you win, you get the 2 pts, but it’ll kill you come tie-breaker.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:26 am
@nykingfan, I don’t think they could have without completely re-writing the record books. That means you would have teams with 130/140 points and such…
It’s simple…2 points for a win, and nothing for a loss, period.
nykingfan Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 10:02 am
mrbrett7,
But aren’t the records somewhat skewed at this point?
Goalies are charged with an additional goal against when they lose a shootout.
It’s a very small thing, but it can affect the GAA which also affects the record books.
King John Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 10:39 am
@nykingfan,
I disagree with you. I like it the way it is. A team should get at least a point if they make it to OT. Imagine getting to a shootout after staying even all game with the other team and you get nothing. It would be heartbreaking (like when we had LaBarbara) to get nothing because of a “gimmick”.
The 5-minute OT started because the NHL had way too many ties (many years ago now). In the year the Kings had their most points ever (105), their record was 42-17-21. Yes, 21 ties! More ties than losses! (On a side note, we would’ve had more points if OT/shootout had been in place.)
Even the OT part before a shootout deserves a point. They tried it the other way when it first began and teams just sat because they didn’t want to lose the point. And that would lead to more shootouts, which we don’t want. Guaranteeing a point causes more exciting OTs because a team is likely to take more chances for the extra point. OTs and shootouts are good for the extra point beyond the one point a regulation tie would normally give.
And two points is plenty for the winner.
There is another benefit. Because of the point set-up, teams get less regular losses which causes most records to look pretty good, even above .500. This I believe helps attendance across the league. In most markets it’s hard to consistently draw well if your team has twice as many losses as wins. The reality is that hockey is a business, my friend, and the league needs to keep fans interested as much as possible.
Scot Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:32 am
@nykingfan,
Just curious, do you stay up until 10:30 to watch the Kings out there in New York? I guess that would put you to bed around 1, or 1:30am some nights.. Or do you record it/skim through it in the morning?
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nykingfan Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:23 am
@Scot,
Nah..always watch it live….It really sucks the next morning(like today)but the win makes it worthwhile.
the 1st website I go to in the morning is this one. If I record it, I’ll know the score..force of habit will cause me to come here.
When Stolly scored that goal, I woke the whole house up!
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oopps
forgot to give huge props to Dustin Brown. Unbelievable game he played last night. I love when Brownie plays the way he did yesterday. He was involoved in every aspect.
Was anything better than him taking out 2 Flames with 1 check? Does he get credited with 2 hits?
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Shakes Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:06 am
@nykingfan,
Totally agree, he played like he was possessed and Simmer looked like he had the jump back in his step (literally, when i see him chasing pucks in the corner and hopping around behind the d-man, I feel like he’s playing with fire… he was hopping last night)
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Scot Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:27 am
@Shakes,
Sim had some serious puck protection going along the wall all night, it was impressive.
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If anyone is curious here is a photo I took of one of the kids during the intermission in the away Silver and Black current 3rd jersey:
http://garylivingston.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/flamesvskings3_21_11/flamesvskings073.jpg
I dig it a lot. But, I still wish it had a better logo (current crown or vintage crown).
Lots of photos from last night’s game are on my site for your viewing pleasure. Just click my name.
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KC23 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:25 am
@Gary Livingston, Hate em. Not happy about this change one bit.
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NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:43 am
@KC23, LOL! Me either. I finally coughed up $160 for a Drew Doughty jersey and next year it will be out of date. What a fricken money making racket.
The Kings have been out scored by 7-2 in the last 3 home games and are quite lucky to have 3 points out of it.
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Dan H. Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:59 am
@NOW IMPRESSED,
At least you only got a replica. Imagine if you’d paid the 300+ for an authentic.
puddle Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:16 am
@Gary Livingston, I’m clearly in the minority, but I like ‘em. Maybe it’s a generational thing. I don’t know. Most of the people I see wearing the 3rd jersey are in my age bracket – 20-35.
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NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:35 am
@puddle, You’re probably right. I’m 51 and prefer the current jersey.
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Dan H. Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 10:00 am
@NOW IMPRESSED,
Funny I like the old Chevy emblem jersey but that was when I was in the 20-35 bracket too. lol
Shotongoal Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:25 am
@puddle, I think its more a taste thing. I have all of the jerseys, I just don’t think its got any style or connection to Kings history. I’ll wear any of them because I’m a fan, but I prefer the original Kings look……because its the KINGS LOOK!!!
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USHA#17 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:33 am
@Shotongoal, I feel the Black LA shield jerseys are childish and lack imagination. I’ll take the original look any day. That the thing about hockey….tradition.
Tight game. Just wanted to give props to Simmonds since he wasn’t selected as one of the three stars. Great hustle and a well deserved assist on Stoll’s goal. Just curious, where was Stoll during the OT PK? I was expecting him to take those scary faceoffs in the final minute.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:28 am
@Hipcheck101, Just my guess, but…if you lose the faceoff (like we did), it’s more important to have the length and shot blocking ability of either Handzus or Kopitar out there.
Just my guess though…that and if Stoll got kicked out of the dot, your in deep trouble.
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Here’s a thought, hire Charlie Sheen as our PP coach – he is completely unpredictable, has a “winning” mentality and has no problem “scoring.” We would just have to teach him what a “blue line” is
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puddle Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:26 am
@DesertKing, LOL! Hilarious!
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number 6 Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 8:44 am
@DesertKing,
Brilliant DesertKing. Now That’s what we need here. A bit of levity, a bit of ‘clever’.
Yeah…. GDKG
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Kings played well last night but gotta say that with a bounce here or there Calgary coulda had two points.
Quick was excellent. How many times have we heard that this year?
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KFII Reply:
March 22nd, 2011 at 9:11 am
@number 6, Both teams played well last night, but with a bounce here or there, the Kings could of had two points in regulation. Goes both ways. Wish it was so, we NEED the RW’s.
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Great game!
Most of you already know this, but the playoffs have been in progress for some time now. Guys are going to get injured now that so much is on the line and getting to every puck can be the difference between getting a chance to win the cup or playing golf in April and May.
DL better have something really good up his sleeve because Williams injury looked serious. We need someone ready to step in from Manchester that’s not going to be a liability and can eat some serious minutes probably playing on the second or third line and Browne moving up to the first line….he deserves playing on the first line after last nights game. That guy is setting the example for the rest of his team. He’s ready for the playoffs now….that’s a team leader! No more talk about his leadership…he does his talking on the ice!
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Well one good thing is I think that Brownie can produce more offensively on the first line than he would anywhere else, so from that pov it’s not as much of a drag as it might have been. Still if it’s long term it’s a real shame for JW. Would’ve been such a boost for him to make it thru a whole season sans injuries.
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