Tonight, the Kings will try to break one trend — 12 goals allowed in their last two games — while continuing another. Road teams have had astonishing success thus far in the first round of these playoffs. In the eight series, the road team has a combined record of 22-14, and the Kings and Sharks have contributed to that, as the teams split the first two games in San Jose and the Sharks swept the two games at Staples Center. Is it a fluke? Are road teams feeling more comfortable and loose without the pressure of playing at home? Nobody can say for certain, but Terry Murray seemed inclined to dismiss the home-road splits and focus on the on-ice aspects…
MURRAY: “We feel comfortable coming in here. It’s a very intimidating kind of a building. It’s a great crowd and a very energized building, but we do feel comfortable coming in and playing here. We’ve got to look at Game 2. We played solid with personnel out of the lineup, because of injury and suspension. We have to kind of look back and draw on that, hopefully, and play solid tonight.”
Murray also talked, in general, about what has gotten away from the Kings since that Game 2 win…
MURRAY: “We’re just out of sync here. We’re chasing, we’re putting pucks in our own net. We’re just not in the flow of the game, the way we’ve showed in the last couple of years. Sometimes you have a bad three days, and I’m hoping that’s the proper way to look at it right now. San Jose came into our building and won both games. We need to bounce back here with our best effort.”
Best thing to be on the road right now, just get back to our game. Hold the puck for a controlled breakout, cycle it low, short passes to quick shots or else high to low and crash the net, track back as a five man unit and knock the crap outta anything with a shark on it.
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Dave Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:43 pm
@Player-X, good game plan. Plus, stay out of the box. Let’s hope they execute!
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:19 pm
@Player-X,
there are no secrets come playoff time…
it’s a question of who executes better…
well said…X…
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Anyone out there see Michael Ryder’s save vs Les Habitants? Don’t know what was better, the save or the new Most Interesting Man In The World commercial. That’s pretty good too.
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I like Kings chances much better tonight than in game 4. I’m okay with a boring defensive mindset tonight and please no more 4 on 4 hockey! I for one have been more confident with the Kings on the road for the last few months. I think we’ll see a good effort tonight and TM will have them ready!
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Kings x Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:47 pm
@hockeysureshot, Just get the 2pts and bring it back to LA
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System Wins Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:48 pm
@hockeysureshot, Im more comfortable with them on the penalty kill than 4 on 4. Sharks in open ice is like taking a dip in shark infested waters.
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“We’re just…?”
We’re just what Terry?
That’s the analysis? The breakdown? The assessment? The insight?
Being out-of-sync and not in the flow is putting in mildly and is a description of the problem, not the cause. And if you don’t know the cause, you can’t have the solution.
Hence, “I’m hoping that’s the proper way to look at it right now.”
You gotta do better than hope Terry.
Hope is not a coaching philosophy.
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Player-X Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:50 pm
@wavesinair, wow man, you are pissed, huh? Come on, this team is the same one that had the Sharks bottled up in formaldehyde just last week, Murray was the coach then, too.
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CB14 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:01 pm
@Player-X, Yes he was, and Todd McClellon was the coach of San Jose at that point as well. The difference is that San Jose’s TM noticed his team being outplayed after game 2 and changed things up. Our TM changed up nothing after being “embarassed” (his words not mine) in game 3 and thus we got blown out in game 4. Coaching is a big part of what makes the difference in the playoffs, and our coach is being out performed by their coach.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:12 pm
@CB14,
Coaching is a big part of winning………..period.
CB14 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:20 pm
@Kingsfanone,
Yes, but even more so in the playoffs where you play the same team for 7 (possible) games straight. Coaches make adjustments game after game after game. In the regular season you’re playing different teams every other night so you don’t have to make changes after every game like you need to do in the playoffs.
Player-X Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:30 pm
@CB14, A lot has been made about the non-call on the timeout, but that was only one game. Our guys have lost the defensive game, and that’s why they lost. Murray is responsible to a point, but he can only do so much good and so much bad.
Jeff Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:39 pm
@CB14, What exactly did Todd Mclelland do to change things up after game 2. The Kings came out flying to get a 4-0 lead. The only reason the Sharks came back is because the Kings players went totally away from the system and game plan, taking ill advised penaltys and playing defense like 3 year olds. Game 4 is the same thing. Kings lost these two games because of poor decisions and poor defense, not because the Sharks coach changed things up. Game 4 would of been totally different, had the Kings not folded in Game 3. There is not a whole lot Terry Murray could do to stop the Kings from playing like pooh. Maybe he could of called timeout or pulled the goalie, but would that really have helped this team change the way they were playing. These players need to learn to play hard for 60 minutes, even if the score is 8-0. It is this very reason that they had the 2 losing streaks during the season, because they felt they were so good that they didn’t need to work hard. Hopefully they will learn from this…….
wavesinair Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:43 pm
@Player-X,
Yeah, the whole time-out thing is a red herring.
The reason why a coach like PJ can get away with it is his approach from day one. He TEACHES the players to be calm in those situations. It takes repetition and concentration and is well established way before the challenge presents itself.
Phil Jackson give his players tools. Terry Murray hopes.
And there is a ton to be said for in-game adjustments.
6 goals each in 2 games for a defensive team means to me the coach has not prepared this team well. There are many examples throughout the season, but game 3 was the last straw for me.
Again, I like Murray but I don’t believe he has the talent as a coach to handle the subtle mental side of the game. His approach seems to be very cookie-cutter for each player. Same “expectation” for each guy. I’m not say it’s that simple, but compared to a coach who better understand the finer points of human behavior, he is lacking big time.
And as I said, the in-game stuff is just laughable. He gets out coached on a regular basis. He’s as predictable in his strategy as Kompon is in his PP.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 6:06 pm
@wavesinair,
I’m not sure about Murray. I don’t see management cutting him loose just one year after giving him an extension.
variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:16 pm
@wavesinair,
WAVES that lead to a tsunami…?
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wavesinair Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:46 pm
@variable,
There was an earthquake under staples during game 3. The aftershocks will be felt all summer. Perhaps a new surf instructor will teach our Manhattan Beach Boys to ride the WAVE next season.
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:54 pm
@wavesinair,
wouldn’t that be great…?!
gee…one could only “hope”…
Kings x Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:47 pm
@wavesinair, Hope is never a successful strategy
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between the last few games and the benching of Poni boy, I;m already drunk, if I get drunker maybe I wake up and the headlines say Kings win! BEEELCH!!!
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Hey, guess who just scored a clutch playoff goal. Bud Halloway. Hmm.
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puck73 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:14 pm
@OttoKing, I would imagine Bud holloway will get a serious look in training camp in September. Then again, so will…Schenn, Voynov, Muzzin, Elkins, Hickey, Deslauriesr,see where I am going with this? Depth, Depth, Depth
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Token Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:17 pm
@OttoKing, Third year in a row he just lights it up in the playoffs.
He’ll be with the Kings next year.
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OttoKing Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:30 pm
@Token, Bam, tied at 4!!
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TrueFan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:30 pm
@OttoKing, 4-4 after 2. Monarchs were down 4-1 at some point. Holloway, who led the Monarchs in the playoffs last year didn’t even get a sniff this year for the Kings. Why would next year be any different?
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If the Kings lose tonight will Rich put this blog on a 24 hour cooling off period????
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CB14 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:11 pm
@neil, LOL! That probably isn’t a bad idea.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:14 pm
@neil,
Probably not, but you can expect 600 posts easy.
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@neil,
no…not on purpose…
but if we lose tonight, the server(s) might go down…
it has happened in the past…
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Kings x Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:49 pm
@variable, Yeah and rich will be up to 3am moderating the blog. Get that man some sleep!
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Token Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:18 pm
@neil, I would hope they spend some time this summer fixing it. I’m losing my eyesight with the tiny fonts.
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Kings x Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:50 pm
@Token, Are you on the mobile app? It’s even smaller
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Geez, and I quit smoking after a heart attack. These playoffs sure ain’t helping any!
Hahaha
Go Kings!
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puck73 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:39 pm
@Kingsfanone, Wow, I remember when I met you Nov 11 at the Dalls game. Honestly, you look wat to young to have a heart attack. I am guessing that Brother Phil is glad you are still around !
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Knowing past Kings playoff teams being in the same exact situation the present Kings team is in, I just see them conceding tonight without a fight. I hope I’m proven wrong, but I just have a strong gut feeling
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Jeff Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:48 pm
@Darren, I don’t know where you get that idea from, last season we fought in game 6, only to melt down at the end. The last time we were in the playoffs (01 and 02) we got down to the Avalanche 3 games to 1 and won games 5 and 6, only to lose in game 7. That was against Patrick Roy. I feel a lot more confident against Niemi, even if he won the Cup last season.
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