Kings have been on both sides of `miracle’ now

Posted by Rich Hammond on 20 April 2011, 7:15 pm

It’s a bit jarring to think that, of the 24 players on the Kings’ active roster, only six had been born when Daryl Evans scored the winning goal in the “Miracle on Manchester” playoff game against Edmonton in 1982. Did a little bit of (massively delayed) playoff karma come back to the Kings last night? Only four times in NHL history has a team rallied from a four-goal deficit to win a playoff game, and the Kings have now been involved in two of them, one on each side. What were the others? In 1971, in Game 2 of the Eastern Division Quarterfinals, Montreal beat Boston 7-5 after trailing 5-1 in the second period. In 1985, in Game 5 of the Norris Division Finals, Minnesota beat Chicago 5-4 in overtime after trailing 4-0 in the second period. The “Miracle” Kings and the Canadiens went on to win their respective series, while the North Stars lost. Tony Khing of the Sharks did a very nice job of looking back at those historic games, and you can check out his story by clicking here.

Comment (RSS) | Permalink

120 Comments

Kings x says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:23 pm

I love the content but I would like to forget last night permanently rather than have it immortalized

[Reply]
jess Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
@Kings x, Well said.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:38 pm
@Kings x, Yep, very well said.

[Reply]
pitty Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 8:14 am
@Kings x, Thank You

[Reply]
Derek says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:26 pm

ugh honestly i’m sick of reading about last night. lets just move on, just like the players are and win tomorrow!

[Reply]
Derek Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
@Derek, but i’ll append to that by saying thanks for all you do rich! I don’t know how you can muster up the strength to even open your laptop and post articles after games like last night.. i know i couldn’t!

[Reply]
Big Plans Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
@Derek, He can muster up the strength because he is not actually a Kings fan, in case you forgot

[Reply]
Cous says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:29 pm

As bad as this loss was, and it was bad, the Kings have an opportunity to soften the blow. WIN!!! If the Kings win the series, no one will be talking about this loss. The “Miracle on Manchester” is only remembered because the Kings went on to win the series against Gretzky and his mighty Oilers. The “Miracle on Ice” is only remebered because USA went on to defeat Finland to win the gold. If the Sharks go on to win the series, it will be a part of NHL foklore forever. However, if the Kings win the series, it will only be remebered as a nice try by the Sharks. San Jose has proved without a doubt, that they CAN be beaten. Win the series Kings, it is the only way to salvation. GKG!!!

[Reply]
Derek Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
@Cous, true, another factor is these “mircacles” are usually performed by series underdogs, which is not the sharks in this case

[Reply]
RyanSD Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:41 pm
@Cous, Best post I’ve read! GKG!

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:39 pm
@Cous, Good take.

[Reply]
RobSD Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 6:11 am
@Cous,

Salvation lies within!!!

[Reply]
BigSeeGas says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:39 pm

WIN! and this will all be forgotten!!!!

[Reply]
Dominick says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:44 pm

The Kings have another amazing comeback in the Frenzy on Figaroa against the Redwings. Turned that whole series around. Sucks to be on the other side though.

[Reply]
tornado12 says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:52 pm

The ONLY way to make up for this ‘disgrace’ is to WIN THE SERIES!

[Reply]
Stuart says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:58 pm

Ok, I just saw the youtube of Pavelski’s non-goal… How did that escape Toronts who supposedly reviews EVERY goal??? Seriously, they disallow that and the Kings go in up by one. WTF!!! So aggravating. I swear that game is like herpies, the hurt that just keeps on giving…

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:14 pm
@Stuart, link?

[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
@Stuart,

Yeah, it even had the feeling of ecstasy at the start which leads to the herpes.

[Reply]
bbb7 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
@Stuart, I think the angle is deceiving you. If you watch the youtube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hskOrzx_wWc

at about 24 seconds, on the replay from high in the corner, you can clearly see the puck hit the back of the net and pop out quickly. From the center ice camera angle and height it seems it hits the crossbar but in fact it hit the back net at a spot right behind the bottom of the crossbar and quickly came out.

Also, I never thought it hit the crossbar cause there was no clang on the live shot, which you’ll always get on anything hitting metal.

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@bbb7, amazing how it hit that padded bar INSIDE net & bounced down into crease without disturbing anything.The ref had a good angle:close enough w/o being too close.BOTH bozos in OTT this yr were badly outta position & then TOR just confirmed what we already knew…they confirm bad officiating.Be that as it may it’s really pretty amazing that it doesn’t go east for more of a look.If it’s the Kings goal that game is delayed 10 min. minumum.

[Reply]
Scot Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
@Stuart,

It was definitely a goal. You can see it hit the net on the behind the net view.

[Reply]
Go Kings GO says:

April 20, 2011 at 7:59 pm

21 hours later, it still smarts like hell, but not as bad as last night. The Kings have the ability to beat the Sharks, all three games have showed this. We are the underdog. Maybe not the David and Goliath story of 1981 (Kings vs #99 & the Oilers), but no one gave L.A. a chance to win this series. I think they could see past the combination of an inoperative Kopitar and possibly Williams handicap.

The one thing The King must fix is stopping the 3rd Shark as he crosses the blueline. Our forwards have all too painfully been allowing them to lag in unmolested, get the lag pass and one-time it past Quick trying to go post to post. Or maybe we could try the same ourselves. We have great for-checking and we own the puck on the boards, but these are not descent positions to score from. L.A. needs to try a frontal attack, then maybe guys like Penner and Symth can do some magic with the rebounds. I’m not going to bash Penner, he gets new linemates faster than you change underwear. He might start clicking if has a chance to figure out his linemates style and vice versa. Game 4 will tell a lot about what this team is made of.

[Reply]
xeropoint Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
@Go Kings GO, Yes, yes and yes. THIS^

The Kings have been badly exposed on the weak side, in both losses. It’s all a product of not getting the puck in deep, too. Why they stopped doing that, all of a sudden is because they got a big head and let up.

I would like to point out that What’s The Frequency Kenneth called it before the game. If they don’t learn from this, then we may have to REALLY wonder what kind of team we have.

[Reply]
Brownkingsfan Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 7:33 am
@Go Kings GO, I agree on all points! We need to get our forwards to the front of the net. Our back-checking needs to be better. And you may be right about Penner. I’ve been saying he doesn’t want to be here, but maybe he’s just having a hard time figuring out his linemates’ styles. When he first got here, he and Kopi had good chemistry the first couple of games. I’m not giving up on the guy. Hopefully he finds his place here!

[Reply]
Go Kings GO says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:05 pm

Oh yeah, one more thing. Can we get rid of the Raider Nation 3rd jerseys now? I hate those with a “PURPLE” passion. Purple has always been a color of royalty and its part of the King’s heritage. After the “Stinker at Staples”, the Raider Nation 3rds should be burned and banned for eternity.

[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
@Go Kings GO, I’m actually down with that. Never liked that softball-looking homeplate design either.

[Reply]
Cous Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
@Go Kings GO, Totally agree with the Jersey thing. Set em on fire and rock the Gold! Does the King organization realize what the “black out” looks like on TV? Horrible! Now imagine 18,000+ Kings fans in a sea of Yellow! What a spectacle it would be.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
@Go Kings GO, I with ya on that, but bad news … that is going to be our regular jersey next year with a much worse looking away jersey. Not happy about it one bit myself.

[Reply]
rogiesbackup Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:33 pm
@Go Kings GO,

Been hoping they use the “legends night” jersey’s more often, even including the Gold jerseys with yellow pants from the seventies. Would be awesome!!!

[Reply]
number 6 says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:06 pm

Well now there is a nice polarity in the US. The Rangers just ended up on the wrong end of one too. Up 3-0 in the third, Caps tie it and win in ot on a miscommunication between Lundquist and Gaborik, but was really Gaborik’s fault. He hasn’t had too good of a year at all. So hockey fans in LA and NY can’t be too happy tonight.

[Reply]
OldKingsFan says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:07 pm

Now I know why they wanted us in Black. They knew ahead of time we would be in mourning. I can’t believe how quite that building got after the overtime goal. It was eerily silent as the crowd left the building Calling it the “Foul Up on Figueroa” or something like that.

I saw the Miracle on Manchester, the Stunner at Staples and now the Foul Up on Figueroa. My Golly a hat trip.

[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
@OldKingsFan,

You da man!

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
@OldKingsFan, Quiet yes, but at least we didn’t boo our team off the ice.

[Reply]
rogiesbackup Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
@OldKingsFan,

Don’t immortalize this game by giving it a name. FORGET ABOUT IT!!

[Reply]
CUP4LA says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:10 pm

The Meltdown on Manchester was an epic choke as well.

[Reply]
CB14 says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:11 pm

After a day of calming down and trying not to flip out and write something on this blog that would get me kicked off for good, I now realize why Rich said it’s better not to be a fan of the team you are covering. You can’t let your emotions get in the way of doing your job. I don’t think I could do it. I literally wanted to throw up after last nights game. If I was Rich I would’ve posted things like:
Kings 4 Sharks 2 , Terry Murray’s team could use a timeout right now to slow down San Jose’s momentum.
Kings 5 Sharks 4 , Terry Murray desperately needs to call a timeout right now because his team is falling apart at the seams.
Kings 5 Sharks 5 , Terry Murray’s refusal to call a timeout cost his team the lead as his Kings team continued to skate around like chickens with their heads cut off. If I were Dean Lombardi, I would fire Terry Murray in between periods.
Final Kings 5 Sharks 6 , The Kings completed one of the biggest chokes in playoff history lead by their Head Coach Terry Murray, with special choke honors to Dustin Penner, whose refusal to move his legs finally caught up to him and his team as his man was left wide open in the slot to score the game winning goal. Why he was still in the game can be traced back to his head coach who continues to play him even though he refuses to actually skate.

I’m sure I would still be pissed off when I needed to do the after game interviews too. My postgame interview questions would be:
TM, Did you ever consider having someone other than Michal Handzus take faceoffs? He was 1 for 15 by the way Terry.
TM, Coach why didn’t you use your timeout in the second period? Follow up question, were you saving it for next year?
JK, Hey Jamie, Trevor Lewis played a TOTAL of 3:49 on the Power Play during the entire regular season, 72 games for Trevor, so why did he play 2:41 on the Power Play in last nights game?
DP, Why didn’t you skate when your guy got by you to score the game winning goal, it seemed to me like you were just coasting at that point?
DB, What’s it like playing with a guy whose bigger than you but refuses to actually throw a check more than once a game, while you throw your body around like a pinball machine?

Now I fully understand why you said it’s easier not being a fan of the team you are reporting on. I didn’t before last night, but I do now.

P.S. The one guy happy that Terry Murray and Dustin Penner are taking all the heat for the loss is, Jamie Kompon. Lost in all the TM/DP bashing is the fact that the Kings were 0 for 4 last night on the Power Play, including a full 4 minutes in the first period. Plus Kevin Westgarth played a WHOPPING 2:28 of ice time, yeah we needed him in the line-up last night. (And don’t say that he had an assist so he played good, his assist had absolutely nothing to do with the Willie Mitchell goal)

[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 9:09 pm
@CB14,

Can’t really argue with the facts. When you are at the game, you get the “feeling” of it but not the “details” of it as you presented. I think you made some very good points and I liked your approach of trying to see it from Rich’s perspective.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
@DesertKing, Except he’s missing the TV time outs that happened which worked exactly like a real time out would of and he had plenty to say. They just didn’t get it done.

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:08 pm
@KC23, see my response to dMan.

dMan Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 9:52 pm
@CB14, blaming Murray for not calling a time-out is complete and utter nonsense!

Unless you’ve just been hit by 2-3 goals in a span of seconds or within minutes, a TV timeout actually buys you more time and allows you to save your timeout for when you really need it – if you need it – later in the game. I understand Murray’s strategy and thought it was reasonable.

Why single out Murray for blame? Look at the guys ON the ice as the reason for the phenomenal breakdown. They played great in the first and the second, exceedingly sloppy in the second and were specifically warned by the coach not to skate around and stick to the game plan – the players failed to execute! Plain and simple.

Funny how when the Kings win, you Murray critics don’t give him credit! Why is that? If you’re so quick to blame him for losses, shouldn’t you credit him for the wins too?

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:39 pm
@dMan, “If you need it”, is exactly why you use it in the first place. How often do coaches need/use it? I don’t know the specifics, but it’s probably about 25% of games(just an educated guess). So if you have a situation where you need to use it, you probably should. Yeah a TV timeout is longer, but it’s not about that, it’s about sending a message to your team that the way they are playing at that point is not exceptable. And that they need to get back on track playing their style of hockey. A coach always makes comments to his team during TV timeouts, so what would the difference be if they are playing badly or playing well. The timeout would be a completly different message to his team compared to a TV timeout.
I didn’t single out Murray, I double outed Murray and Penner. Penner even got special choke honors from me! Plus I also mentioned Jamie Kompon as well. So that’s three people I partially blamed for the loss.
In regards to the players failing to execute the game plan, you are absolutely correct, they did not play the way their coach wanted them to. But IMO it’s the coaches job to make them play his way, and if he can’t do it then he isn’t long for his job. Someone made this comparison earlier today, but I’m going to use it anyway. When a corporation or business fails to make money, do you blame/fire the CEO, or a salesman? You blame/fire the CEO. He’s the one responsible for the performance of the salesman. It’s his responsibility to make the salesman perform. Thus it is Terry Murray’s job to get the players to execute the game plan.
In regards to your last sentence, that seems to be the way it goes in sports, hockey in particular. As the saying goes, It’s easier to fire 1 coach than trade 20 players.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 12:57 pm
@CB14, Sorry sounds just as bad as your take regarding TM. We’ll just agree to disagree. With you all the way about Penner though, can’t stand how soft that guy plays.

CB14 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 3:04 pm
@KC23, 1 out of 2 ain’t bad. Agree to disagree as well.

mcsorleyfan Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
@CB14, don’t you go getting yourself kicked off. I look forward to reading what you write. That being said.. The points you made are valid, as far as it goes. We’ll never know if calling a T/O or pulling Quickie would have turned things around or not. However, we do know DP needs to find the switch that turns someone from heartless to lionhearted. We know the boys can’t panic when they find themselves 4 up with 40 to kill. It was literally as if they had NO idea what to do with all that TIME on their hands. Rather than get caught up in scrums around the crease, standing the opponents up at the blue line may be an idea. Denying entry, getting the puck deep, staying within the system, you know… Cliche’ cliche’ cliche’, and I don’t mean Marc Andre. Because if we can do that, this whole thing goes down as San Jose’s dieing gasp after the Kings have put this series on ice. GO KINGS GO!! We have been dominant 7 periods to 2. I expect the Kings to continue this trend.

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:21 pm
@mcsorleyfan, I’m trying not too! Thanks for the compliment! It’s true that we’ll never know what would’ve happened had he called a timeout, but I would’ve liked to see him try SOMETHING. He needed to send a message to his team that they can’t keep playing that way. If he would’ve pulled Quick, not saying it was his fault, after the 4th goal till the end of the second, mabye that would’ve done something to change things up. But to just stand there and do nothing just doesn’t cut it for me. It’s one thing if you’re Phil Jackson to sit there and do nothing, but he has a veteran championship team, with multiple rings on his resume, and usually the most talented team. It’s another if you’re Terry Murray, who has a never won a cup, and has one of the youngest teams in the league. I thought he had a reputation as a teacher, he certainly needed to give his players a timeout and a stern talking to.

[Reply]
LA says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:14 pm

hey so does anyone know where that guy who wears the customized kings jersey with like “penner” or something on the back get his season tickets. I see him on the bench every game how much does that run a fan for the season. he must be loaded. Ive even seen him skate on the ice but i think he was just fallowing the refs around maybe hes a ref in training or something.

[Reply]
OttoKing Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
@LA, Ok, that’s well enough done, that it gets claps…

[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
@LA,

I heard they actually pay him to be a “participating fan.” They actually misspelled his name on the jersey. It is really “Whenner.”

[Reply]
LA Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:29 pm
@DesertKing, ahhh so its liks a publicity stunt

[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
@LA,

I think you are on to something. Came to LA for exposure and an acting career? Maybe he is worried about messing up his face?

408KingsFan Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
@LA, He was sent by the make a wish foundation to live out his fantasy of making millions of dollars for nothing

[Reply]
Ravens Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
@LA, That’s Sellane’s steroid dealer, he just doesn’t know which stadium he’s in,,could somebody please point him south with aand with a gentle push send him slowly skating in the direction of Anahiem

[Reply]
Kings x Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
@Ravens, When dancing boy puts up more effort than Penner you know you’re in trouble

[Reply]
RyanSD says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:35 pm

In ’82… The Kings went on to win the series.

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 12:17 pm
@RyanSD, Only a best of 5 but I digress.Haven’t read the article or watched the vid of what RH posted about epic comebacks.MoM was in the 3RD pd(including 2 in the last 4 min.) & none of those games involved a team about to get eliminated(’85 maybe,I saw that gm on USA)so their fluky but fun to remember.Gm 1 & 5 in ’82 were the shockers.Idk if the article touched on it but the Kings had scored a grand total of 6 goals in their previous 4 gm 1′s(all losses).They weren’t gonna immediately be fighting an uphill battle that yr…get your shot on the net & good things happen.I was at gm 3 but I relished hearing a pin being dropped after 1 & 5.

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:35 pm

Karma implies pushback from the Cosmos…

How ‘Bout this? Didn’t Edmonton go on to win a cup with the Wunderkind Martin Gelinas (who didn’t quite pan out but got himself a ring)?

Sorry. This loss stands on its own…
I think the Karma from 19 April 2011 is already loaded into the Cosmos…

See you on Thursday, SharkBoys!

:-0

[Reply]
CB14 says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:38 pm

This isn’t meant at any commenter on this blog, or even Terry Murray, but just my opinion in general.
People are saying that TM should keep his job because:
he’s the fastest Kings coach to 100 wins
he’s the best coach we’ve ever had
we’ve had 100 point seasons in consecutive years
we’ve made the playoffs 2 years in a row
we’ve been bad for 40 years and you want to fire a coach whose made the playoffs 2 years in a row
ect. ect.
My opinion is that our crappy history should have absolutely NOTHING to do with weather a coach, or GM, keeps their jobs. They should be based on what they’ve done with their current team and their tenure with that team. Who cares that we sucked for years before TM and DL got here. That should have nothing to do with weather they stay or go. The fact that they are arguably the best Coach/GM that we’ve had, should have nothing to do with their job status. (I’m not old enough, or smart enough, to know if they are the best at their positions that we’ve had) I think Terry Murray has done a very good job teaching our team to be one of the top defensive teams in the NHL, however his offensive system leaves something to be desired IMO. Dean Lombardi’s done a very good job assembling talented players on our team as well as in the minors. However his inability to land a top line forward might cost him his job, as it did in San Jose. Personally I would keep DL and let TM go to Ottawa to coach his brothers team, like the Sutter’s in Calgary.

P.S. That logic that the Kings bad history shouldn’t have anything to do with the way a current Coach/GM jobs status is viewed, should also apply to goaltenders. Just because Quick is arguably our best goalie since Rogie Vachon, should have nothing to do with the decision of who should play JQ or JB. I’m not saying Bernier should start over Quick, just that he deserves a chance next year to split time 50/50 with Quick in net. It worked when TM did it late in the year, why can’t it work next year as well.

[Reply]
dMan Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
@CB14,
so are there people on this board who believe that the offensive talent on the Kings right now compares to the offensive talent in Vancouver or Detroit, or Pittsburgh or Washington or even Anaheim?

If so, then you are delusional!

This is not to negate the offensive talent on the team, but meant as a reality check. Don’t get me wrong, we have some very good talent but Lombardi’s plan has always been to start with the defensive side of the game and acquire or nurture the right offensive pieces over time. The defense is pretty well set and in goal as well for years to come. Next year’s team will be better and stronger.

So Lombardi and Murray still ice a very competitive team with the pieces they have now. And IMO in 3 years Murray has done an excellent job setting up a defensive minded system based on the talent he has had at his disposal. He has produced consistent results, twice been to the playoffs and has been very competitive.

I say give him some additional offensive talent as is the plan, his system will be tweaked and he’ll be even more successful.

Too many of you want immediate results with a very young team that is still growing. Enjoy the ride for crying out loud and look forward to the future.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
@dMan, Well stated.

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
@dMan, Of course I don’t think we have the offensive talent of those teams you mentioned. But I do think we should have a better offense than 25th in the league. We,IMO, certainly have better offensive talent than some teams ranked above us in Goals Per Game.

Here are some teams ranked ahead of us in GPG, and their rosters:
Nashville http://espn.go.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/nsh/nashville-predators
Atlanta http://espn.go.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/atl/atlanta-thrashers
Columbus http://espn.go.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/cbj/columbus-blue-jackets
New York Rangers http://espn.go.com/nhl/team/roster?name=nyr
It’s not always about your players, it’s often about your system. Take Washington for example. Last year they were 1st in the league in GPG. Not only were they 1st, but they scored over a half a goal more than the second place team. This year they’ve adopted a more defensive type of system and were 19th in GPG.

Also my opinion of Terry Murray’s job is also based on our decline this year in offense. Last year we were 9th in GPG, this year we’re 25th. That’s a huge dropoff. Plus alot of our young players have not improved on last year’s performance. DD and Simmonds to name a couple.
I disagree with you in regards to Murray tweaking his system, It’s the same system he used in Philly when clutching and grabbing was legal, and he hasn’t changed it since then even though the rules have changed. We’re forced with a 1995 style offense in 2011.
As far as wanting immediate results, is it wrong to want the Kings to improve over last season? I don’t think it is, and I don’t think they have, IMO of course.

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 4:43 pm
@CB14, PP,or lack of one,has killed them GF-wise.Not even really getting pressure(let alone scoring) on that dbl minor after jumping out 2-0 contributes greatly to not being able to win that gm.We did next to nothing good besides Clifford’s line.1995?I’ll go ya one better,TM came up as a player in Philly’s system late 70s/early 80s.Dump/chase, energy,cycle…has a place(like it or not)in the gm even now…but NOONE puts the puck on the net which is where rebounds come from & gets the other team to run around even more.Sure,goaltending has evolved to the point where there’s less rebound’s but then ya gotta win the GD face-off.Hockey’s alot of little unglamorous sort of thing’s.I don’t think THOSE Flyers should be today’s legacy.Not the way today’s gm is(supposedly)called & the 4 on 4 OT,Shootouts & network TV.That’s his pedigree.Where he was “raised”in a hockey-sense.I’m not his biggest fan.

number 6 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 6:39 am
@dMan,

dMan, there are a few posters here who imo really understand the game. To me you are one of them. That said, I’m not saying I disagree with you, but nor am I saying that I agree with you either. The truth is….. time will tell wrt DL. I Absolutely Like the fact that he has a clear point of view which no GM in Kings history has had.
However, as far as building the offense, well, we’ll see. There are a number of teams that have managed to find not just 20 goal scorers but 30 goal scorers in recent drafts.
So here are my points to consider: A) Yes we got Voynov, Hickey, Teubert, Forbort, Deslauriers (who I understand could be a good one). In the meantime, the forward prospects we have: Toffoli and especially Schenn and maybe Kitsyn could turn out to be quite good. Nonetheless, we have a very substantial dirth of skill, speed and scoring threat on the wings. By the time some of these prospects develop it could very realistically be three years down the road. No guarantee even that Schenn makes the big club next year. I suppose it depends on his camp.

So the point is, how do they deal with the issue of offense. Yes they scored 9 goals in two playoff games, but you and I know that that was an aberration of sorts and they came out of that 1-1. I’m all for a point of view from the GM, but when you’re in the western conference and competing against Pavelski, Heatley, Couture, Thornton, Setagouchi – Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Franzen, Holmstrom, – Sedin, Sedin, Burrows, Kesler,
Samuelson, and depth beyond that – Kane, Toews, Sharp, Keith, Hossa, Bolland
And that’s just three teams.
One other thing to consider…. of course right now we have Smyth (20+ goals) but where will he be in two to three years.

Again, not saying you’re wrong, not saying you’re right. But it is a realistic concern. The game has changed so dramatically, and I think that speed and skill up front isn’t a luxury, I think it’s obligatory if you want to compete.

Final point: Denis Potvin said on nhl home ice about winning one goal games something to the effect that yeah you can do it and go along ways with it, but eventually something happens and you just can’t win those one goal games no matter what you do cause it takes it’s toll. Right now the Kings are structured to win one goal games (even if they haven’t done it in the playoffs).

That’s all. Just my questions really that I pose to myself.

[Reply]
dMan Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:12 pm
@CB14, Oh and if you don’t want to use history as a guideline to judge a coach’s ability, then don’t use history as a guideline to show your frustration as a fan!

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
@dMan, I don’t think I said I was frustrated as a fan, but if you took that from what I wrote then I need to write more clearly.

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 12:21 pm
@CB14, whether not weather in this context…C-

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 3:07 pm
@Paul M. Hedberg, Thanks! I always get those two mixed up.

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 3:48 pm
@Paul M. Hedberg, upon further review substance of the post is very near an A-.

[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@Paul M. Hedberg, That’s a better grade than I got in High School English! LOL. I was fine with the C-, but I’ll take the A- if you want to give it to me!
clubaclub says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:43 pm

sorry to chime in so late but what happened with Alec Martinez’s playing time… 11 minutes? he played well game three and was +2 for the game. Did I miss something?

[Reply]
clubaclub Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
@clubaclub, Sorry, I meant he played well in game two.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:54 pm
@clubaclub, You bring up a good point. Both Greene and Martinez have been exceptional, but lets not forget they haven’t typically been playing much against the better lines of the Sharks.

[Reply]
clubaclub Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 6:00 am
@KC23, thanks for the reply but I’m thinkin’ Martinez got back in Murray’s doghouse. Greene played around 15 minutes and Martinez played around 11. No big deal, nothing new in varying playing times, I was just wondering if somebody saw or knew something I didn’t see. Oh, well, this is a great chance for the Kings to rebound and show some character, which is essential to thrive in the playoffs.

[Reply]
Cortex949 says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:49 pm

My friend (a ducks fan) wants the kings to lose just cuz he dislikes them. He started watching the game rooting for the sharks and turned it off at 4-0. The next day he texted me saying “didn’t the kings win game 2?” I responded “yes why?” and he said “cuz NHL.com has them down 2 games to 1″… After a few min of confused thought I realized he just assumed we won last night..

I had to describe how we forgot there were 5 players on the sharks and left one guy to skate in as the trailer wide open leaving quick the task of going post to post all night.

*head in hands*

[Reply]
Munchrat says:

April 20, 2011 at 8:55 pm

We shouldn’t feel so all alone after what the Rangers did tonight…

Happy 4/20

[Reply]
Slim Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
@Munchrat, Misery loves company…

[Reply]
RyanSD says:

April 20, 2011 at 9:04 pm

Has anybody seen this? And what did Bob and Jim have to say about it? I was in 218 last night, right behind the net, and when Pavelski tied it at 5, my initial thought was “thank god for the crossbar! It didn’t go in”. Well the ref pointed… SJ celebrated… They dropped the puck. Was there ever even a look? What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inENBwPRl6Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Reply]
mcsorleyfan Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:31 pm
@RyanSD, Looks like NO GOAL to me. Looks like we were robbed.

[Reply]
Harry Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:49 pm
@RyanSD,
I saw that man… They should have reviewed it…

[Reply]
SLG1013 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 9:48 am
@RyanSD, I was in section 116 (6 rows back)… believe me I would have loved for it to hit the crossbar, but it went into the back of the net and popped right back out, no doubt about it… The angle of most of the videos I saw is misleading. If they had an overhead view, you would clearly see the puck in the back of the net…

[Reply]
frazier king says:

April 20, 2011 at 9:18 pm

I am so depressed ,i had a bad dream of kings goalie quick with pucks going threw him like Swiss cheeses and they would not stop !!!over and over, please make it stop .to bad it was not just a dream it really happened .

[Reply]
King Duecer says:

April 20, 2011 at 9:19 pm

Super off topic….does anyone noe if theres a fan fest tom or was that jus for home game 1??

Go kings go!!!

[Reply]
Harry says:

April 20, 2011 at 9:30 pm

I think this goal should have been reviewed…

http://video.kings.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20102011,3,163&event=L.A531&fr=false

[Reply]
Cortex949 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:53 pm
@Harry, Ya I was too busy crying when it happened live to tell but it looks like crossbar, then ice, then out… Anyone else have a better view?

[Reply]
KingsFanFTW Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 2:28 am
@Harry, it hit the bar in the net then came out

[Reply]
KingsFanFTW says:

April 20, 2011 at 10:04 pm

wow Coyotes is about to get swept 5-3 wow

[Reply]
billanthony says:

April 20, 2011 at 10:12 pm

Tough loss to be sure, but the Kings win tomorrow and they’re right back in the series. This is going to be very interesting to see how they respond, individually and collectively as a team. Game 4 is going to be a great test, and great experience, especially for the younger players.

[Reply]
Kings x says:

April 20, 2011 at 10:21 pm

We play our game for 60 minutes. Minimize turnovers and capitalize on SJ mistakes and we will beat them

[Reply]
Poorman says:

April 20, 2011 at 10:33 pm

It’s time for the Kings to suck it up. I’m tired of hearing “Oh, they’re young and will learn”, “They’ll come back! GKG”, “Npw, we’ll see what they’re made of”, and on and on and on. Let me clue you in. They will lose the rest of this series in straight games. The losing has to stop. Now. You have no excuses Kings. You need to become winners. How? I don’t know. But the losing is no longer acceptable to your fans or you personally. Change it Now.

[Reply]
Capt Jam says:

April 20, 2011 at 10:33 pm

Perhaps the most sickening part of the last week is knowing that the Kings should be getting prepared to close out a sweep of this series tomorrow. Instead, they’re playing to loosen the noose a bit.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
@Capt Jam, Yeah, cracks me up all the people slamming the King’s when they are playing a MUCH better team (with Kopitar out) and making SJ work the rears off and the Sharks are dam lucky to be up 2 – 1 dam lucky.

[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 7:53 am
@KC23, driving in to work this morning I was thinking that exact thought about if AK was in the line-up we very well might up if 2-1, if not 3-0… so frustrating.

[Reply]
thustable Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
@Capt Jam, heard this before, we should have beaten VAN last year too, no?

[Reply]
Rod says:

April 20, 2011 at 10:58 pm

I don’t think the Kings were expected to sweep this series, not even by Kings fans but a win in 6 or 7 games was/is not out of the question. Last night was an embarrassment not only for the franchise but also us fans who were all over SJ for a period and a half. Now if we win game 4, game 3 will be forgotten. The last time something like this happened was in 1998 when we led St. Louis 3-0 in game 3, they came back and won, then took game 4 to win the series. Let’s hope the Kings bounce back tomorrow with a strong performance and a win, then it’s a 3 game series.

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
@Rod, The Sharks have a lot more to be embarrassed about than the Kings. They should be winning easily and they are barely hanging on. We’ve actually out scored them in the 3 games despite being down 2 – 1.

I’m not the least bit embarrassed, but if I was a Shark fan I would be.

[Reply]
Slim says:

April 20, 2011 at 11:02 pm

Penner should have called a time-out and should of never
let Kopitar and Williams get injured..

[Reply]
Pili Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 7:42 am
@Slim, lol

[Reply]
thustable says:

April 20, 2011 at 11:07 pm

Since their first season 43 years ago, the Kings have made the playoffs 24 times. Got past the first round 9 times, and past the second round just once. We got bounced out of the first round 4 out of the last 5 times in the playoffs since the Cup run (17 years). Are we ever gonna turn this around? The Red Wings have advanced to the 2nd round for the 5th straight season. Will we ever get to that level? The history of the Kings is a sad one, but I am still hopeful, I don’t want to be suck-asses anymore.

[Reply]
derek Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:14 pm
@thustable, seriously… i’m sick of only seeing the kings win the cup on my playstation!

[Reply]
Poorman Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
@derek, I do think they’ll get swept the rest of the way. On the other hand, is it possible that this loss could be a turning point? Maybe the team will collectively say enough is enough, and not accept losing anymore. I mean when you think about it, it was so horrible that this might be enough to say enough, let’s get tough.

[Reply]
Poorman says:

April 20, 2011 at 11:25 pm

The Kings had the second worst collapse in NHL playoff history yesterday. They were up 4-0 and lost. I am so into that team, and always have been. I think there is something seriously wrong with me mentally. I don’t even know how to skate, and have never even played street hockey. Yet, it’s my favorite sports team. I watch every game, all 82. This is bad. What’s wrong with me?

[Reply]
Pili Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 7:47 am
@Poorman, You’re among friends. Plenty of us in here with the same credentials. Doesn’t mean we’re justified in our wierdness, but we’re not alone either.

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 1:39 pm
@Poorman, I don’t THINK there’s something seriously wrong with me mentally…I KNOW there’s something seriously wrong with me mentally.All kidding aside, as long as you know your not alone.Forum blue & gold(yellow)just grows on a person.They’re playin the hardest of games;hard to announce,officiate,explain to your GF(if I had 1) in the mildest of climates.Idk,I guess I’ve always been pretty easy to please;even counting the other nite they’ve given me more pleasure than heartbreak…and that’s sayin something looking at #’s.Well,like the kid said in the movie,”Goonies never give up…”

[Reply]
pr0cess says:

April 20, 2011 at 11:33 pm

in other news the ducks have tied there series up….

[Reply]
IceGuy says:

April 20, 2011 at 11:33 pm

Earlier today, “Bogus Dude” posted here that from his seat on the goal line, Pavelski’s goal hit the crossbar and never entered the goal. This fact has bothered me all day. This evening I took a little time and pulled a few frames from the Versus broadcast to settle the question in my mind. You are free to view them at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157626543892460

In addition, I found it odd that there was no video review announced by Toronto, nor was there, to the best of my recollection, any view from the overhead goal camera on the Prime Ticket broadcast with Bob and Jim.

I know what I think I see, but look for yourselves.

[Reply]
Cortex949 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 11:45 pm
@IceGuy, Link doesnt work but I’m interested. The video replay looks like no goal but it’s not from above or the side so it’s hard to tell. I wanna see these stills u habe

[Reply]
Chris Bond says:

April 21, 2011 at 12:23 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ9y4jzwXaA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Just saying ….

[Reply]
Thunderbird says:

April 21, 2011 at 12:36 am

Watch the replay of the 5th Shark goal in game 3. It did not go in, and there was no review.

[Reply]
Thunderbird Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 12:57 am
In the angle at 23 seconds, if you stop it right, you can see the puck hit the back bar..

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 6:21 am
@Thunderbird, Yep, it went in.

[Reply]
IceGuy Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 8:52 am
@KC23,
Yup. Have to agree. Thanks T-bird. Still wish we had been given the opportunity to see overhead angle after it happened.

Now on to beat the Sharks tonight.
Robert R says:

April 21, 2011 at 6:22 am

Didn’t read all the responses, but the comparison is weak. Those were the mighty Oilers in ’81, and we are a #7 seed playing against a #2 seed. No miracles here, just a disastrous turn of events.
Having watched the winning goal a couple of times, with Penner gliding along and having the best seat in the house for Setoguchi’s shot, I can offer this: Detroit has their “Mule”, but we have our jackass.

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 6:45 am
@Robert R,

That may be the funniest post I’ve read here in a long time. It wasn’t worth the loss from the other night, but it started my day out with a real good laugh. Thank you ROBERT!! Well done.
By the way, I watched the game on tv till the end of the 3rd, then decided to listen in bed to the OT on radio as I’m on the east coast.
I haven’t seen the OT goal nor am I going to (though they’ll certainly show it on Versus) because I’d find it too depressing and I’m just starting to get my spirits up again.

Again, thanks for the laugh.

[Reply]
wideleft says:

April 21, 2011 at 6:48 am

I’ll be in Section 3 tonight. Can’t miss me, I ‘ll be the one carrying the brown bag…either hyperventillating or throwing up Seriously, I have a good feeling about this game because of Tuesday.You will see 60 minutes of fundamental hockey. Barring a fluke goal, Quicky will get a shutout. 3-0 with Penner getting an empty net LOL.Game 5 winner will take the series.This could easily been a 3-0 series…but i’m done reflecting…time to move on. We go with who brought us to the dance. I want to continue dancing in a week.

[Reply]
Mikey J. says:

April 21, 2011 at 8:28 am

Just another huge game tonight. Still kind of numb after the last one. Won’t be feeling it till the pucks drop. A nice low scoring game with the Kings winning would do just the trick.

[Reply]
Sybil227 says:

April 21, 2011 at 8:52 am

Other than ’4 goals deficit’, you really can’t compare the Miracle on Manchester to our debacle on Tuesday night. in 1982 the Oilers were hockey gods. They had the single greatest player to play the game. Wayne Gretzky had 92 goals that season. The Kings made it into the playoffs with a 24-41-15 record. Edmonton finished nearly 50 points ahead of the Kings in the standings. We barely deserved to be in the same building as the Oilers. To come back with 5 goals in the 3rd against them really was a Miracle.
In contrast, we’re the underdogs against San Jose. They’re definitely a more talented team than us – especially without Kopitar. If we fail to play the right way against them, we’re going to get beat up really bad. Even if we do play the right way, we might lose. We got away from our game & they took advantage of it. It really doesn’t compare to the ‘Miracle’.

[Reply]
King John Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 10:48 am
@Sybil227,

“Debacle in Downtown”
“Disaster in Downtown”
“Fizzle on Figueroa”
“Failure on Figueroa”

Which will it be?

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 12:46 pm
@Sybil227, Apples & Oranges.Apr. 10,1982 stands alone…or at least the 3rd pd does.I’ll never forget Bob as they were lining up for FO in OT “…Smith,Bozek & Evans,an all-rookie line…”Today I think about it,all 3 were in juniors the yr b4 & they got the best of Messier.The goal that the 18 yr old(Smith)scored in gm 5 was ENORMOUS.

[Reply]
poe says:

April 21, 2011 at 9:07 am

Riding to the game on Tuesday, we were filled with such hope because of the stellar performance of the Kings in Game 2′ Riding home from the game all we could talk about was blowing a 4-0 lead and TM not calling a timeout. His excuse was that he had enough time during the TV commercials is negated by the fact that those are routine stoppages and have no specific meanings. Calling a real timeout indicats something is wrong and therefore indicates urgency to a team.Riding to tonite’s game will still have some hope in the car with us–but not as much.
And then ,of course, there is the effective Kompon PP. 4 minutes and nothing and then nothing the rest of the game. If he is still here next year, I will sell a lot of my tickets and have been a season ticket holder for 10 yrs.
Pleae, Terry, go to Ottawa next year. Your brother needs you and we, in LA need something more than you can give—creativity

[Reply]
Yellow Pants says:

April 21, 2011 at 10:18 am

I was at the M on M and there is no comparison. We had NO chance of winning that series and we were losing 5-0 in the early-middle of the 3rd period when Bozek scored the first goal. They has Wayne and Mark and Jari and Paul.. Tuesday night was a 2-seed and stanley cup contender coming back from a 4-0 deficit early in the 2nd, against a 7-seed without their most influential player.

Please retract all reference to the Kings being on both sides of the Miracle

[Reply]
Paul M. Hedberg says:

April 21, 2011 at 12:59 pm

Wells,Smith,Simmer,Hardy,Bozek…Evans at 2:35.Don’t forget that hatchet-man,cheapshot punk Glenn Anderson they had too.Fogolin & Pat Hughes were about the only ones I could stand.Cryers & Divers everywhere you looked…like playin against Ovie,Crosby & 14 1st graders.

[Reply]