Jack Johnson’s postgame thoughts…
(on what the Kings need to improve…)
JOHNSON: “Try to keep them from scoring six goals a game. They’ve scored 12 goals in two games. That’s embarrassing. We have to pack up, get to San Jose and go there to win a hockey game. Our backs are against a wall. They’re a tough team to play, and right now they’re playing with a lot of confidence. But we should be a tough team to play against, because there’s no tomorrow for us. If we lose, it’s the season, so we have to go there to win a hockey game and expect nothing else.”
(on the loss…)
JOHNSON: “It’s terrible, but in playoffs when a game’s over you start the next game with a clean slate. That’s just the way it is, win or lose. Each game is a new game and a new beginning. There’s no momentum carried over because each game means so much. You start clean each game. We’re going to go there and try to win a game and come home and try to win another game and get this to Game 7.”
(on the need for improvement…)
JOHNSON: “Stop them from scoring six goals a game. We’re not going to win a game if they score six goals a game. It’s the just the way it is. We’ve had success in scoring goals in the series fortunately, but we’re not an offensive team, we’re a defensive team, and if we’re letting in that many goals we’re in a lot of trouble. We can’t let them score.”
I think this series goes 7. The Sharks made choking popular when these wittle Kings were in short-pants!
GKG!!
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No momentum? you guys got wrecked the game before today and you obviously showed you were still scared… Stop them from scoring 6 goals?? Hm… Let’s start with you then?
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Hadley Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:43 am
@Kingsation8, to stop them from scoring six goals in a game, Murray would need to send Johnson to Manchester and call up someone who can play defense. Given both organizational accountability and basic human nature, it is unlikely that anyone would admit the JMFJ contract is one of the biggest mistakes in Kings’ history. As such, we, as fans, will be sentenced to many years of his deplorable defense. He was on the ice for four of the San Jose goals — and I think he scored one of them himself. He has said privately he would rather play in Detroit — tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.
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Luke M. Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:53 am
@Hadley, Ridiculous conjecture regarding Jack Johnson and Detroit. I don’t know how you blame Jack Johnson for tonight’s loss without even bringing up Matt Greene’s stupid penalties and costly turnovers, one turnover which directly cost the Kings a goal.
Not to be overlooked here is that while the Defensemen are getting the bad wrap, when speaking of breakdowns of team defense, that includes the forwards. The forwards are blowing their coverage in the neutral zone and that causes problems for the defensemen. You can’t put all the blame on the D-men when they’re being hung out to dry. It would be like blaming the goaltender for allowing a goal off a turnover in the slot. This isn’t a video game, the team needs to be more cohesive and our defensive problems are actually begining with the forwards. You’re over simplifying the problem becuase its easier to blame the D corp if you don’t understand all the intricacies of the game.
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Hadley Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 11:42 pm
@Luke M., you mean JMJ was not on the ice for four of the San Jose goals? My bad. I must have been watching the wrong game. I’ll go study up on hockey. If you want a declaration under oath from the person to whom Jack made the Detroit remark, I will be happy to provide it for you.
Jack, I wear your jersey to every Kings game that I can but tonight I…….nevermind. Kings, all of you, You have performed another autopsy on your fans.(ripping out the guts) Why dont you just lose 4 straight and get it over with? Why do you always give us half of it?
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Stuart Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:39 am
@TiredOfIt, check out the word evisceration… I’ve been using it for a long time with regards to how the kings have left me feeling… eviscerated!
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come on u really think we can get a win when u guys show ur fear to them now they know ur scared of them now they know how to break our Defense cause of that big comeback they did now they know we cant score more than 3 goals when they play
We are done am still going to watch game 5 but not expected to make it a game 6 if so i be happy at least they made it a game 6 like last year
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AGAIN..the word ‘Try’ pops up. Maybe the guys don;t even realize they’re saying it, but what would be wrong with the same statement without the word ‘Try’ in it?
“We’re going to go there and win a game and come home and win another game and get this to Game 7.”
HOW MUCH BETTER DOES THAT SOUND? It sounds confident and strong. If I’m the opposing team reading that, knowing how lucky we’ve been to win a few we shouldn’t have, It would make me think a lot more about what I would have to do to prevent it. That is usually when mistakes happen, when you are thinking too much.
Johnson started out great with this statement: “If we lose, it’s the season, so we have to go there to win a hockey game and expect nothing else.”
No ‘Try’ in that sentence. I was feeling good about where JJ’s head was at until I got to the ‘Try’ sentence.
There needs to be a sign in the Kings Locker room that says “The word ‘Try’ is not an option. Don’t use it.”
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TiredOfIt Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 11:46 pm
@Cynic, Absolutely right on
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BringBackTheShieldJersey Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 11:48 pm
@Cynic, “Do or do not; there is no ‘try’.”
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Stuart Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:39 am
@BringBackTheShieldJersey, exactly! Where is that 400 yeard old green man when you need him!!!
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furrylats Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 11:52 pm
@Cynic, i agree with Yoda up there. we have plenty of time for pessimism over summer…but only a couple games to be optimistic.
GKG means not giving up on your team just because they’re trailing in the series. Do or do not, there is no try.
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LA Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 11:56 pm
@Cynic, that doesnt always work as well as it seems it would. Search the phrase Just Win Baby
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Cynic Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:20 am
@LA, Al Davis is the Don King of Football.
Says one thing while his actions speak something different.
You’re right though, it doesn’t work when you do that.
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LAK27 Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 11:56 pm
@Cynic, You’re way overanalyzing their statements. You really think because they say ‘try’ they’re not going to play their butt off on Saturday? They’re athletes, competing is their job. Now whether they win or lose is a different story.
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TiredOfIt Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:06 am
@LAK27, Did they play their butts off these last 2? I think not
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Cynic Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:09 am
@LAK27, You need to understand that words are important. I’m sure they are going to play their butts off Saturday, but that doesn’t always get it done, especially without leadership. Your mental focus has to be ‘Win at all costs’, not ‘Try at all costs’. 2 VERY different statements.
SJ played 2 HORRIBLE games here in LA and came out with wins.The coach himself said after game 3 ‘I didn’t say much, I left it up to the players’. The players collectively said they were not that worried because they have confidence in each other. The sharks readily admit they should not have won these games, but they found ways to do it. That is all about their mentality.
There is a lot to be said for ‘The way you carry yourself is the way you play’. An example: Dany Heatley’s slewfoot on Martinez. DH knows EXACTLY what he’s doing there. He’s challenging the Kings to come back. He’s messing with their heads. Dan Boyle took that cross checking penalty because he wants to send a message that until the hort sounds, I’m gonna make your life miserable if you come into the slot. Mind games are VERY common in pro sports. The Sharks’ Vets are good at it and they’ve got our team thinking too much.
How do I know? The word ‘Try’. Think what you will, but I don’t think I’m overreacting here.
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Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 1:23 am
@Cynic, Cynic for coach
LAK27 Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 2:13 am
@Cynic, I think you give the sharks way too much credit. Again if we wouldn’t have had mental lapses we wouldn’t be down 3-1. The sharks haven’t played great but neither have we. The sharks have just been able to come out on top but not because they’re somehow in their heads. And I never said you’re overreacting I said you’re overanalyzing. Words are important right?
Stuart Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:42 am
@Cynic, a lot can be said/made of the particular words people use, whether they’re scripted or organic. These “natural” terms being used are troubling. The Kings are defeated. Whether they win the game or even come back and take the series, right now they are defeated.
@Kingsation8,
Will 5 goals be acceptable? Sorry, just frustrated right now.
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We need a coach like Boudreau…
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Rich, in your honest opinion, Westie is in the lineup for “just in case something happens”. I get that and for the most part I understand. But do you think that he’s to afraid of taking a penalty? To me the Kings were down 3-0 , they come out of the timeout with the 4th line, to me that’s the time for Westie to take a run @ someone..give someone a extra shove…just to show a little life. To me I get why he’s in the lineup but our backs are against the walls and we need a little more skill. Granted by the time Westie tried to get Clowe to go, Clowe did his usual let’s go…hmm naaaa… just kidding…. just to rub it in our faces… anyway I guess that’s the benefit of having a nice lead with a min to go…
Sorry for the rant but should Westie be in or out…. (I know most of you will say leave him in and bench Penned but really… he’s all we got right now…. we gotta deal with it) Rich in or out?
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IceGuy Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 9:39 am
@Tim from the OC,
If you saw Murray’s interview last night, he was really pis….. upset with Heatly’s slew foot on Martinez. That is as it should be. That was a clear intent to injure. Hello? Colin Campbell? It didn’t get called. OK. I’m not a big fan of fighting, but when there is a clear intent to injure someone, all bets are off.
So Terry, what the hell is Westgarth doing in the lineup if you won’t send him out to pound Heatly into jelly? Isn’t that your reason for having the guy taking up a roster spot? Isn’t he the “Enforcer” you are so found of?
Wasn’t Heatly’s cheap shot enough of a violation of the team to warrant Westgarth’s wrath??
No, it wasn’t.
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Tim from the OC Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 11:32 am
@IceGuy, Hey thanks for the heads up, no I didn’t see the interview, and agree with you completely… I really don’t think it’s TM holding Westgarth back, I think it’s Westgarth not wanting to “take a bad penalty” fear in his head… It seems that he’s over thinking (that can be said about the team in general) but I really think Westgarth is holding back. Totally agree with you about the slew foot, but because Marty wasn’t injured and it wasn’t to the head.. well that’s going to be classified as “playoff hockey”
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What we need are skilled playmakers. DL & AEG owe it to us fans this off season.
Be it by trade or free agent, we need more playmakers, not grinders.
Until this is done, this will continue to be our playoff destiny!
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SouthBayPhil Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:28 am
@King Alex, You’re right. Note we have Schenn and Loktionov coming up next year and maybe we can make a trade for a more veteran sniper, with all the “assets” now in our system and also Bernier as possible trade bait. If DL does the right things in the off season, we could be exactly where you say.
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LAK1ngs Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 12:53 am
@SouthBayPhil, I will put on my asbestos boxers, but I think Quick is the trade bait. He is 2 and 7 in the playoffs. We need someone who can steal playoff games for us. Defense playing well in front of him or not.It is time for Bernie to get his shot next year.
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Rod Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 4:13 am
@LAK1ngs, we haven’t seen Bernier play enough to be ready to send Quick away. I would at least make Quick a back up to Bernier for 15-20 games next season to see what Bernier can do for us before making Quick trade bait. In addition, good goalies come because of good defenses around them and good defenses come because of good goalies. For the most part, it’s worked for us this season, except for the last 2 games and a few times during the season. I wouldn’t be so hard on Quick. Too many unstoppable shots from world-class snipers coming in unchallenged.
Luke M. Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:56 am
@LAK1ngs, Could you specifically point out which goal was a bad goal allowed by Quick? Come on, I get that everyone is upset with the loss, but this was a team breakdown. Stop trying to point the finger at goaltending because of the number of goals. Hockey is a much more complicated sport than most are making it out to be. A “better” goaltender wouldn’t have changed the outcome of last night’s game.
Kings in CO Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 7:38 am
@King Alex, so true.
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Why won’t Murray consider changing the goalie? Maybe Quick needs a wake up call. Yes, all the team is to blame, including Quick. I think there were some goals that he definetly should have been able to block. There’s no excuse for blowing a 4/0 game. What about Nichols breaking some of Doughty’s teeth or Heatly trying to injure and badly . What the hell is going on? No calls,no one enforcing? So just lay down and die. That’s enough Murray! Wake up, don’t have the Kings just lay down and give up the goals. Change the goalie once in awhile. The damn Sharks did it and it seemed to help. If you’re not going to play them then at least kick their ass and teach them a lesson!
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