Terry Murray repeatedly referred to last night’s game as “embarrassing” for the Kings but joined his players in publicly attempting to put the game behind them as soon as possible. Not surprisingly, it was unanimous that the Kings’ problem was their tendency to get away from the system and have the game turn into a “track meet.”
No lineup/line/goalie changes are expected for Game 4. More notes, quotes and reaction to come…
PENNER needs to show me why he is on this team, and needs to show his team why he belongs on the ice.
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silver n black Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
@silver n black, Please watch his feet while he ‘attempted’ to cover Setoguchi as he was coming down the slot, completely stationary. BENCH HIM.
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pitty Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
@silver n black, If it were Poni playing the way Penner you know sure as he would be sitting in the stands. The old double standard raises it’s ugly head. Thanks TM
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Capt Jam Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
@silver n black,
He probably figured Quick would stop the shot.
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Really????
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Rich, have you seen that questionable tying goal? What’s the scoop with it? Was it good?
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Insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Albert Einstein
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Rich, has Terry discussed Penner at all since last night? Is Penner hurt?
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pitty Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
@kdub, No just lazy
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I have to give it to Terry Murray. If I’m a player who is playing as uninspired as Penner is, I’d want him as my coach.
I guess the hypocrisy lies in what TM did with Frolov (Which was justified, completely) and yet with Penner, he turns a blind eye. Penner is playing like more of an enigma that Frolov ever did and yet he skates (Pun intended).
I’m not an unreasonable person. I like to believe I think pretty logically most times. This just baffles me.
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iansez Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
@Cynic, you know it’s easy to want a scapegoat after last night but it’s not really fair to just pick Penner, plenty of others were to blame. Penner did have his moments, the setup on the Handzus goal was sweet, he just needs to be better, as a lot of them do.
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silver n black Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:41 pm
@iansez, It is absolutely apparent though only in his game, no one elses. Everyone has contributed. Penner has better capabilities than most other players on our team and thus should be playing at an elevated level at all times. His play has downgraded, and there is no room for that in the playoffs.
Look at Zus and Smyth… always playing at an elevated level, I always feel comfortable when they have the puck. With Penner I should have that warm fuzzy sensation as well, yet eveytime he is on the ice I know he is just going to turn it over or stop skating. There is a reason he went from the first line to the 4th at the end of the season, he is uninspired and to me, NOT A KING.
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iansez Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
@silver n black, I hear what you’re saying but he wears the crest and we need him in there contributing. It’s up to the coaching staff to somehow get to him and have him produce his best…
Cynic Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
@iansez, Read the previous threads about Penner. I don’t blame him for the loss. His play is a separate issue that has been a problem for multiple games. I’d rather see Parse or Moller step into his spot if he’s not going to give an effort.
That setup of Zeus’s goal was nice. It was the only moment the entire game he got involved. He logged almost 20 minutes. That is a problem. As Brownie said “We can’t afford to have anyone take the night off during any game’.
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A_Cup_Before_I_Die Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
@Cynic, good post
Stuart Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
@Cynic, do you think DB was referring to DP outright?
iansez Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
@Cynic, I don’t get to read all posts Cynic but I think the point is “how does TM justify playing him with his blunders and apparent lack of effort”. I believe TM’s difficulty lies in what Penner “can” give the team, he has such potential to contribute offensively. So is 70-90% of Penner better for the Kings than 100% of Mollar/Parse? It’s a tough call..
A_Cup_Before_I_Die Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:43 pm
@iansez, The set-up on the Zus goal WAS nice, but doesn’t anywhere near excuse his lazy play. I agree that alot of Kings were to blame for last night’s mess, but “Cynic” was refering to PENNER and even though he figured in on a goal, so did a whole lot of other Kings
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KC23 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
@Cynic, I wouldn’t call demoting Penner from the first line to the 4th line in the middle of a national telivised playoff game “turning a blind eye” and then calling him out in the press after the game as well.
He did stand out in that first game as one of few who played like crap, but in this last one the whole team fell apart not just Penner.
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Cynic Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
@KC23, Yes, Terry did that after Game 1 and Penner picked it up in game 2. Point is, it only lasted one game. You can’t keep doing that, Penner is a Pro. He needs to get it the first time, otherwise it becomes a distraction.
Remember, it was Penner’s blown coverage that led to the OT winner by Setoguchi. That was Penner’s man and he didn’t even take a stride after the blue line to catch up to him.
TM most likely didn’t say anything about Penner publicly because of the entire team collapsing. It would have made Penner stick out like the main reason for the loss and that would be unfair to Penner, no matter how badly he played. Murray should have addressed the issue with a lineup change though, which is more under the radar. He didn;t even do that!
That’s my reasoning for the blind eye. We have an example of not doing so after game 1 as you pointed out.
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Capt Jam Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
@Cynic,
There is one huge difference between Frolov and Penner: DL and TM inherited Frolov; Penner is their boy. It’s much easier to sack a player you inherited, but to toss aside a player you brought in so soon sends all kinds of troubling messages, not to mention the huge blow it would be to their egos.
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Jackj43 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
@Cynic, I think that Penner is not in good enough shape to play the type of style we play. He seems to be behind the play most of the time. I remember years ago when Bob McAdoo came to the Lakers how slow he was on that team. Eventually McAdoo caught up with the rest of the team and excelled. Penner will need the off season to get in the type of shape he needs to be in to contribute on a nightly basis. Until then I would sit him and go with Oscar.
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Not a bad word for it. I hoped it was just a bad dream and when I woke this morning the Kings would have a tidy 2-1 series lead. Sad to report, not the case…/
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Anybody know if there’s practice tomorrow morning (and what time)?
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Well I guess we’re even. Si had their “embarrassing” game at home and we get spanked last night. Thinking about it now is still tough to swallow. Hey Murray don’t be shy to take a timeout. Man up and speak up when necessary!
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“Embarrassing” = Understatement of the year.
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They should be ASHAMED if anything
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Just had like my first reasonable moment of clarity since last night just walking and thinking. I said to myself, ‘well, DL will have to fix this problem with Penner – he’ll have to decide what to do’.
Like when anyone has a problem in their lives, they just have to sort it out.
So DL will have to decide, is he a problem in the room because of his lack of effort and we cut our losses, or do we give him another year and hope he sorts himself out? Or whatever the other alternatives are.
Unfortunately at the moment he’s not playing in front of a supportive fan base and the same thing happened at the beginning in Edmonton. But DL made the move and now he’s gonna have to figure out what to do about it.
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@LaKingsInsider; I thought the Kings played well last night…but then again I am not a coach
Either way the Kings are still great…L.A. loves the Kings ! Thanks for the update Insider! Have a great day!
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And in thinking about it, I have to say that overall the history of the teams deadline acquisitions has Not been good. At all!! Mark Parrish, Ronning, Anson Carter, Sopel, Halpern, etc etc. I can’t think of one that went well with the sole exception of Felix Potvin.
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tornado12 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
@number 6, Modin played pretty well for us last year!
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silver n black Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
@tornado12, Yeah he did he was Zus part 2!
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16,005 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
@number 6,
Granato and Sandstrom weren’t too bad either.
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tornado12 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
@16,005, i hated giving up Nichols in that trade initially, but we got 2 awsome studs back!
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Michael J. Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
@tornado12,
Also, not a deadline deal. But, one that actually worked out for the Kings.
bill donnelly Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
@number 6, Potvin wasn’t a deadline deal but that one worked out very well.
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I really hope the players can put it behind them because I’m getting bombarded here at work about the game and frankly, I’m having a hard time putting behind me.
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Oh well, we will take that one on the chin. Hope they learn from their mistakes. Get ready for thursday it’s gonna be a gritty night. If you think about it though, the kings had a chance to win every game so far. (Just didn’t finish unfortunately)
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People, pointing fingers does not accomplish anything. It may make us fans feel better to place blame on one player, coach, etc, but the players in that room know what needs to be done. They have shown they can arise from the ashes and I am confident they will do it again. Presumptions about how they feel about one another is pure speculation. Nobody here is in that room and around the team everyday. I have confidence in this leadership group, that if there are any problems, they will be addressed. Its a 2-1 series. It aint over!
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A_Cup_Before_I_Die Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
@tornado12, All i want to do is feel better so I’m going to place blame. That game may give you confidence, but it gave me……whatever the opposite of confidence is
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tornado12 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
@A_Cup_Before_I_Die, fair enough, but it wasnt that game that gave me confidence, it is how this team has responded in the past that does!
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CalgarianKingsFan Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
@tornado12, I like the idea, but the kings should have a 2-1, if not 3-0 stranglehold on the series. I honestly think they are afraid to win, or afraid to be favoured. They buried the sharks at home but forgot the all important rule: Double Tap
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tornado12 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@CalgarianKingsFan, i love that movie…also dont forget to always check the back seat and always limber up!
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PENNER needs to be benched at least one game. He was the reason the OT game was scored. He didn’t take his man. The 2nd period collapse was a kings problem and is on everyones shoulder but the team did well in third and was doing ok in OT.
BENCH PENNER!!!
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Gmo Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:18 pm
@Sev The Montreal Kings Fa
Stop singling out one player. The whole team needs to play better. Benching Penner does not guarantee them a win. The whole team has to play as one unit
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well that really did happen…. was please with what Penner had to offer. Is it possible that maybe in the NHL today his lack of high end skating ability makes his play look slow and lethargic? I thought he did a good job of doing what he can do. He jumped on some pucks had used the body (Murry Flat-backed him a couple times) and he got pucks deep. It took a team to blow a four goal lead, lets not scapegoat penner. Good thing is plenty of hockey left in this series. So far we have outplayed them for (2 & 3 & 1st of last night) 3 periods but couldnt find a way to get the 2-1 lead. I like our chances if we can get back to the system of pounding defensemen and punishing forwards. (IE. Poni and Green doing what they do) O and just for consolation Greener did DESTROY Couture. I could watch that hit all day. So far we carry the game as long as we remain physical!
Lets get out there and make it happen thursday boys.
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tornado12 Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
@GOKINGSGO, well said
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tm next time use a time out when things are changeing
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My synopsis of the game:
Kings came out playing hard, winning battles, and were rewarded for it in the first period and early in the second.
The Sharks changed keepers, and the Sharks players turned up the heat in response. Probably sick of being embarassed by the Kings.
The Kings, on the other hand, played like they already won the game, started playing loosely. Losing faceoff after faceoff in their own zone, expending a lot of energy just to get out of their zone.
Penner took the bonehead roughing penalty and the turnaround was on.
TM foolishly decided not to call a timeout when it got 5-4, thinking his players could make it out of the period still ahead even though every sign pointed to the Sharks scoring the next goal soon.
After that, the Kings recovered a little of their composure in the third period, but by then, the Sharks had all the momentum they needed, and it carried into OT.
The best line was without a doubt the Clifford line. The worst player was Penner.
The problem now is the team will say that they’ll put this behind them, but let’s be realistic here. If (and that’s a big ‘if’) the Kings get a lead in another game this series, there will be that nagging thought in the back of their mind that no lead is safe. Which could lead to sloppy play rather than confident play.
I said it last night, this team isn’t talented enough to take any time off in a game against the Sharks (or any other team in the playoff). And it will be really hard to bounce back after that debacle last night the way this team is made up.
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KingsGuy Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
@vplaza, Yup, Penner, I have stuck up for this dude a few times, but what a LAZY lazy play letting Seatguchi role in like that… (get this guy on a diet now!)
I am with you on the NO TO by Terry! WTF are you thinking… I am not a coach but just makes obvious sense…
Well, they fought and lost… Game 1 went into OT Loss, we won game 2 in a shutout, game 3 loss in OT, game 4 – Lets hope history repeats itself next game. We need the next one BIG TIME. If not, tough to say, but it’s over…
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Ventmariner Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
@vplaza, I wouldn’t say Penner was the worst. He had a defensive lapse like every single other player had. You say Richies line was the best? No line was good from the second period on. Richie had a HUGE defensive fart also when he left a Shark wide open to the right of Quick just to join TWO other Kings in watching Thornton stick handle the puck. They all should be embarrassed…not just Penner.
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vplaza Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
@Ventmariner,
Saying Richie’s line was the best only meant that they were the best among the Kings, not that they played perfectly or better than any line on SJ.
As for Penner, other than his assist on Zus’ goal, watch the replays of his play. He is skating literally standing up straight most of the time, like he’s coasting. Several plays come to mind where he was the closest King to a puck that was heading towards the SJ blue line, but with his coasting, a Shark beat him to it. If be got to it first, the Shark was able to get the puck away from him.
I was one of those who thought that Penner just needed time to get going. But after watching him over the weeks and especially last night, when he could have used his speed, size, and veteran experience to try and slow the bleeding, he simply coasted. Honestly, he is the Tin Man to me after watching his play last night.
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silver n black Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 10:49 am
@vplaza, You and I see eye to eye on that my friend. I dissected him throughout the past few weeks… He just doesn’t get our system.
Erik4Kings Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
@vplaza,
They were our best offensive line, but also our worst defensive line…despite helping create three goals on that line, Richie’s key stat last night… +/- 0…
So scoring 3 is great, only if you don’t allow 3…
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I think the hardest part for me is the way we lost. If we had lost this game 6-1 or something like that, I really think I wouldn’t be taking it nearly as hard as I am. How we were able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is a really hard pill to swallow.
After Ritchie’s goal in the second, I thought I could just sit back, enjoy my time with my wife and watch the meltdown of the Sharks commence. This just absolutely the lowest I have felt in a long, long time.
I am going to pick myself up and get ready for tomorrow – the same thing I hope the team is doing. I still love this team and I am going to be there until the bitter end. Let’s see how they respond on Thursday. The strength of this team has been tested time and time again and they usually seem to come through. It is still a young series. Let’s tie it up tomorrow and then go grab another one in San Hoser on Saturday. Come home and close it out on Monday. That is my plan. This game will be a distant memory. Especially after I try my best to drink it away tonight.
GO KINGS!!! LET’S GO GET ‘EM TOMORROW!!!
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is it just me??? or am i the only person who noticed how much we could have used kopitar in yesterdays game… his presence usually calms the team down when things start going bad… we missed him big time last night… anyways time to move on! tomorrow night lets even the series GKG
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The telling stat of the night
Zues 1 out of 14 in the faceoff circle. Most in our zone.
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KingsGuy Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
@JWR, Got raped on faceoffs. Almost looked like we gave up.
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Capt Jam Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
@JWR,
And no one was over 50% on the night. Just goes to show you how poorly the Sharks’ played during the first 23 minutes. The Sharks won faceoffs but often lost the battle for the puck coming right out of it.
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vplaza Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
@JWR,
That will kill you. The Sharks were really good at puck control/protection. The Kings had to play chase the puck and when they got it, they had no energy to mount a good attack and had to dump in. Sharks got the puck back in, rinse, and repeat.
Funny, that’s how they Kings played in the second game. Great puck cycling in the offensive zone after winning faceoffs and great entries. Hopefully, they improve that in the next game or ruh-roh.
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Him and they should be ashamed and embarrassed
Go Kings Go
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One thing is for g/d sure: tomorrow night we are going to find out what kind of backbone this team really has and how much of a “team” they truly are.
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vplaza Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
@Capt Jam,
Or if they can find that darned reset button again.
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I don’t think this is all on Penner which many of you seem to think. It’s up to tm to try and figure out what was going on. He specifically mentioned prior to the game that Pen is still learning the system, not to mention that he was producing with Kopi in there. There have been plenty of dumb penalties this year and nobody was benched because of it. And, if penner was that bad, stick him on the 4th line and limiit his playing time.
Most goals were not JQ’s fault but maybe a change to Bernier will get everyone to re-focus.
Finally, I just don’t see them recovering from this one. They were outmanned to begin with and though I never thought they’d win this series, up 4-0, I thought they would at least win this one. They’ll all be second-guessing every pass now and looking over their shoulders. Don’t think they’ll win another game until next year.
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Rainman Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
@linny, How long does it take to “learn the system?” I’m sick of hearing this line, it’s a copout! Penner’s been in the NHL for six years now. He’s not a 19 year old rookie. You’d better light the lamp tomorrow night Dustin.
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What really bakes my noodle is that I’m trying to get friends and family who don’t understand how cool the sport of hockey can be and so I call everyone and tell them to watch this game and the kings literally deliver the worst choke in the history of sports.
I’m not a big fan of Penner, but It’s not just Penner, it’s a team mentality that must be corrected with coaching. Penner is ONE guy.
TM, next time the team starts going south, call a time out and take control of your team.
San Jose for instance, goes down 4-0, switches the goaltender, Has a talk with his boys, new strategy –boom 6-5 win in OT. Great coaching…
Next game…
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Erik4Kings Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
@jess,
True, but rewatch every goal scored in this series on us…first goal game one…Penner’s man, Heatly wide open front of net…last night, game winning attempt…yup, Penner’s man…it is a team effort, but when one player is making glaring mistakes, it needs immediate action, especially when he was supposed to be our key big addition…
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jess Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
@Erik4Kings,
Good point, but then a real coach would identify the problem and bench the guy creating it. That is how management works. Think scotty boweman would let this guy cruise around like a D student in junior high school? No he would toss his ass and make adjustments on the fly..
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Erik4Kings Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
@jess,
lol, i agree 100%. I think where we differ is what the problem is. I know Penner isn’t the main one, but since he is a top 3 forward, we can’t allow his mediocre efforts.
And I hate TM, don’t even get me started.
Babcock lost his two best scorers for a month at a time this season, DET never left Top 3 in West.
VAN lost all 6 of their top defensemen at different stretches, never left top 3…
TM does not manage this team well at all. If anything their unbelievable young talent has overshadowed his ability to correctly manage a team…
Bench Penner!!! Moeller is hungry to play and has the heart…Penner again proved to be a heartless and a lived up to his MO…
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People defending Penner, stop it, please, just stop.
You don’t allow your best players/workers to get by with mediocre efforts. He isn’t a 4th line grinder, he was a first line trade…
Those players should be recognized every game for their playmaking effort, not their extreme lack of skating.
And the goal Penner set-up was a gimme because of a bad Sharks TO at their blue line. He was coasting back in the neutral zone and they happened to drop the puck in front of him…
But yes, Penner is not the only issue, just the most glaring one. Zus needs to go back to 3rd line. He is nowhere near a first line center…
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I also think that dl should adjust to the new rules. A few years ago there was a lot of holding, hooking, etc…going on. Good idea to get several bigger players to muck it out along the boards. Now the rules have changed which allows the more skilled and faster players to prosper. He got what he wanted…a bunch of lumberjacks on skates…they can’t keep up. I hate to see what tm does with Schenn next year…probably will bench him because he can’t muck it out in the corners.
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Damn! Just what I said in another thread before reading it here–I even used the words “track meet.”
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