Here’s what Terry Murray said, after today’s morning skate, about the decision to put Scott Parse in the lineup, in place of Alexei Ponikarovsky, and put Dustin Penner, Jarret Stoll and Kevin Westgarth together on a line…
MURRAY: “Against this San Jose team, they’ve got three dominant lines. I’ve said this before. They’ve got three lines that are as good as any team in the National Hockey League, and they can play the game any way you want, any way they want, so it’s important for us to play four lines. When you have your top guy out of the lineup like this, everybody has to dig in, check the proper way and play hard every shift. With Parse going into the lineup here tonight, I’m going to take Ponikarovsky out, and put Penner there with Stoll. It’s a little bit of a risk, but I haven’t been getting enough from the top line on that left side, on the production side of it. Parse has ability, has skill, so I’m going to take that look tonight.”
Murray was asked about the fact that Ponikarovsky scored a goal in Game 4, and if that was taken into consideration…
MURRAY: “I looked at it, sure. There’s shifts that he has played very well. He’s a big-bodied, heavy guy. He’s got some good physical play in the series so far. I’ve taken all that into consideration. I’m looking at our special teams, on the power play. If we run into a situation for a need for a skill player on the power play, then my feeling is that Penner can fit right in there and hopefully contribute on that part of the game.”
That’s because you need to see an eye doctor….
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Mike V. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:09 pm
@Lvhatrick, LOL!!!
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rontheking Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:13 pm
@Mike V.,
Why take out Ponikarovsky? That makes no sense to me…taking out a hard hitter–and by the way he stood in front of the goal and tipped one in last game, unlike (yawn) Penner–that’s doing SJ a big favor. I was hoping at least to see some big hits from somebody besides Brown…guess not…
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NoDoughty Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:12 pm
@Lvhatrick, he also needs to get his head extracted from someplace!
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Harty Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:18 pm
@Lvhatrick, is he crazy, replacing a guy like Poni with an unknown person in Parse? He hasn’t played since Oct. ’10.
Give me a break……..
Leaving in the lazy, over rated, over payed and emotional wreck in Penner. Come on someone tell TM “Penny” cannot play in this league right now, especially for the Kings facing elimination. But as I said before his hands are tied by DL so it won’t appear DL made a mistake in the Penner trade.
The team is upside down right now, yes Kopi is out Pittsburgh has big guys out and they are winning. Murray regardless this playoff is on your shoulders now. Release him DL.
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John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:41 pm
@Harty,
Which NHL team did you coach again?
I seem to remember that vast majority around here HATED the acquisition of Williams & Richardson too! How’s that working out?
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Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:48 pm
@Harty,
Was it Murray or the players that were running all over the place about 9 pm on Tuesday night???
Maybe the circumstances have more to do with the players than the coach???
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Naturallawyer Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:53 pm
@Harty, funny, because the more Penner plays, the more it looks like DL screwed up. If I were DL and wanted to save face I’d ask Penner to fake an injury or something. It’s not like Penner would be opposed to the idea anyway…
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Nitrohockey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:14 pm
@Naturallawyer, I think it’s a case of the team giving Penner evry possible opportunity to succeed. And if he continues to fail in that regard, then he’s been given enough rope to hang himself. His future not only with this team, but in the league rests squarely on his shoulders. He’s gotta ask himself, “How bad do I want it?”
DaveinSD Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:09 pm
@Lvhatrick, I think TM is just in love with Penner. He is playing so bad, but I guess TM loves that. I’ve always said good things about TM, but now it has changed. He is coaching us to lose the series not to win it.
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Well, TM i hope you are right, there nothing we can do about it.You are the coach and Kings are your Team. I hope you made the correct choice.
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Absolutely makes no sense. We can break it down all we want but this is panic, frustration and general cluelessness all rolled into one.
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xeropoint Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:05 pm
@xeropoint, Oh and the excuse has been rolled out on the red carpet for the upcoming loss as well:
“When you have your top guy out of the lineup like this, everybody has to dig in, check the proper way and play hard every shift.”
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Kingdom Come Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:07 pm
@xeropoint, I love the way we are using Kopi as an excuse.. you dont see the Pens crying over there top 2 guys beeing out. they are trying there best and keeping themselves composed.
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EMB3 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:16 pm
@Kingdom Come, Until today.
jonsey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:16 pm
@Kingdom Come, Yeah they just lost 8-2
Harty Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:19 pm
@Kingdom Come, agreed…
Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@Kingdom Come,
Had Kopi been hurt in January the Kings would have made changes much like Pittsburgh did when they lost Crosby and Malkin. These are two entirely different situations.
jess Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:32 pm
@xeropoint,
This kind of hap-hazard, non-critical thinking has been status quo for TM since we can remember, has it not? Honestly, I cannot wait to see who TM will blame because we all know he refuses to looking in the mirror.
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xeropoint Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:00 pm
@jess, Yeah, I guess. To be fair he deserves his share of credit, too. Not that I really FEEL like giving it but it should be there
To be honest, I picked the Sharks in 5. That may yet happen (not that I want it too) and it’s not the end result that bothers me as much as the way it happened, as has been discussed ad nauseum.
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Hopefully this is the final nail in the coffin for Murrays career in LA. This guy can’t go soon enough.
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KingFan79 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:06 pm
@Aegwilnotwinthecup, A-FREAKING-MEN!!!
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CamKingfan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:23 pm
@Aegwilnotwinthecup, Agreed!!
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John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:43 pm
@Aegwilnotwinthecup,
You guys are priceless! Literally rooting against “your” team!!!
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daren Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@John, That is NOT what they are doing. TM is a complete idiot. Poni out and Penner in? That is ridiculous! I hope they lose so I don’t have to pay another $200 dollars for a game on Monday. FIRE TERRY MURRAY NOW!!!
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Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@John,
To the unnitiated it is way easier to blame the coach than it is to blame #3, #8, #23, #28, #53, #2, #28, #17, #26, #33, and #32.
Everybody, the Sharks players have been playing better than the Kings players!
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Bluecoconuts Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:08 pm
@Michael J., We should trade them all and get 30 draft picks. That’ll do it.
Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:30 pm
@Bluecoconuts,
My point exactly! You cannot trade the whole team, who is being outplayed badly, so lets blame the coach.
Its like blaming the parents when a college aged student chooses not to go to class. The (any) coach can instruct the players on what to do, but it is ultimately up to them whether they are going to do it.
John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:12 pm
@John,
OK WHAT did I saw Rich???? Jeeze bro! I can’t say he’s not a fan but he can call TM an idiot??? Nice good to know, man. Because ya know, he did say he hopes we lose…
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John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:13 pm
@John,
Meant to type: What did I “say”, not “saw”
Rich Hammond Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:14 pm
The rules are clearly posted to the right. I don’t know how many times I can say this. If you cannot make a point, and debate others, without resorting to insults, then your comments will not be posted. There is complete clarity on this, there has been from day one, and it’s not changing.
John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:23 pm
@John,
I insulted him?
Sorry Daren and Rich, I apologize.
Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@John,
I get confused too.
Rich, i mean nothing personal because I do appreciate your work, and I enjoy when you’re a guest on XM but I sometimes can’t figure out the rules either.
Hey TM… YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!
even when we win tonight, you still suck
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Posts like that are allowed (and even encouraged it seems), yet posting a reply on something like this sarcastically dismissing it gets deleted. The referenced post does nothing to spark debate or conversation. It’s childish bashing of a prominent member of the team’s staff. I’m not saying that should be off limits, but can’t it be stated like an adult? With maybe some supporting arguments? The bashing around here just goes in cycles. If it’s not Murray, it’s Lombardi, Quick, or some other flavor of the week. There are guys that I haven’t liked (Marc Crawford most recently), but I never threw childish insults to clutter up the comments section. While I don’t always respond to posts like that the best way, can there not be a rule implemented where pure insults (as opposed to criticisms) are no longer allowed as opposed to just deleting the reactions to said nonsense?
Rich Hammond Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:42 pm
The rules are very simple, and this is the last time I will address this. It’s been consistent from Day 1. Players, coaches and management are not active participants on this forum, and they are public figures. The entire reason for this blog is to discuss, praise and critique them. They are entirely different from commenters. Terry Murray is not on this blog. Terry Murray doesn’t care if you call him an idiot. It’s not anyone’s job to defend Terry Murray by firing back personal insults. If you want to have a rational, adult discussion, that is both encouraged and welcomed. If you cannot have discussion and debate with someone in a civil matter, without resorting to insulting the commenter, your comments are not welcomed. I will not be addressing any further comments, because there is complete clarity on this matter. This blog will not ever devolve into a series of comments in which people fire insults at each other simply because they happen to disagree. Thank you.
Yeah, TM… cuz we all know Penner’s special skill which is to playing like crap and contribute nothing… good move. Coaching change PLS! I’m sick of this already
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jonsey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:10 pm
@KingFan79, He’ll be out this summer. Let’s hope he can get us at least another win.
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I smell the tripple crown line making an epic come back on the 4th line
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DFW King Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:07 pm
@Kingdom Come, Ha ha! Love it!
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Moller isn’t a skilled player too? We could use the speed. I’m hoping for a miracle and I will be cheering. Come on Penner time to show us you care!
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jonsey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:09 pm
@DFW King, Moller = 0 points, 0 size, 0 effectiveness.
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Mike Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:34 pm
@DFW King, As much as I agree with your sentiments, I seriously doubt that we’re going to see anything other than what we’ve seen so far out of penner.
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You want to look at why this team is down, Brown -4, Penner -4, Handzus -4.
Young guys have all stepped up. Lewis 2 pts, Clifford 2 goals, Richardson 2 goals.
Quick played fine, he’s no worse than Neimi has been.
Difference is veteran performance.
If the Kings veterans can outplay San Jose’s, we win.
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Bluecoconuts Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:10 pm
@jonsey, Brown has been amazing this entire series. He just has no help. How many times do you see him sending Sharks players flying across the ice, and clearing them out of the way to make a scoring chance? He can’t do it all himself, plus/minus doesn’t tell the entire story.
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xeropoint Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:06 pm
@Bluecoconuts, It sure doesn’t. Ignoring the stats however, can you honestly describe the play of that line as anything more than ineffective? It’s less about Brown (and to a greater extent Handzus and “him which shall not be mentioned” Penner) and more about the choice of playing a line that obviously has Zero cohesion.
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BobKnob Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:31 pm
@Bluecoconuts,
x2 blue. How about we critique their actual play instead of not watching the game and just posting box scores.
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I’m sorry to say…Terry Murray has lost the plot. These are panicked moves by a panicked coach. If Lombardi can’t see this, we as fans need to make our feelings known. We certainly aren’t all coaching experts, but collectively the fan base can at least send a message that Murray is floundering at critical times. I have seriously wonder if the core players are starting to tune him out, or at the very least, not respecting his decisions. A good coach motivates, a great coach inspires. Murray does neither. X’s and O’s, sure. Solid understanding of hockey, sure. Dynamic approach to preparing a team and making in-game changes, no way.
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:16 pm
@wavesinair,
hehe…see below…
i’m don’t feel as critical of t.m. as you do…BUY…yes…he has made some errors this season…
my biggest playoff issue has been his terrible, non-existent use of the lone time-out that a team gets per game…other coaches have utilized them appropriately and for many of those who have, the time out has paid of immeasurably…
further proof…maybe more to fueling a sanguine response…that t.m. has under-performed himself this post-season…
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:16 pm
@variable,
BUT…not BUY…
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
@variable,
The lack of a ‘preview’ is a headache isn’t it ;_)
Well Var. Hirrr is my opinion. I don’t know exactly what to think on one hand, BUT, in looking at TM on TV I don’t feel he looks comfortable.
When I look at Guy Boucher, he does. Yeah, coaching any team is a high stress environment for sure. Even Mike Babcock looks edgy at times, but if what I’m seeing is accurate, then it has to on some level filter down to the players.
Someone was saying (talking head) that Joel Quenville always looks the same and you never can tell by looking at him whether he’s winning or losing. It’s my observation that that’s accurate. He looked the same to me in both the blowouts of our beloved Nucks (sarc) as he did when they were down 3-0.
But, that’s only me. Obviously I have no real way of knowing what his affect is on the team. The last thing I can add though is if you combine that look of being a bit uncomfortable with the way they played in two consecutive games at home…. it does make one ponder is all.
number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@variable,
Oh, by the way, the only other time I made a comment about Guy Boucher, someone piped in and said, ‘oh yeah, he’s great…. TBL are losing to the Pens tonight 3-1′. Just because they won big (tbl) today or lost the other day doesn’t affect my opinion one iota. It’s what I see with my eyes.
Also, I find it highly unlikely that someone with the experience and savvy of Steve Yzerman would pick a hack to coach his team.
Token Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:22 pm
@wavesinair, Keep in mind that Lombardi put Murray into this pickle.
He let Sturm walk, Penner is a bust, and he refused to bring up any talent from Manchester.
All things considered, we are lucky to have avoided a sweep.
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:57 pm
@Token,
I’m not sure who they were gonna bring up from Manchester. They brought up Moller and if it’s Schenn you’re thinking of, that territory has been covered ad infinitum…… and do I think Schenn would have made a difference in the overall result? No I don’t. Do I Know That? No, obviously not. It’s just my opinion.
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:01 pm
@number 6,
6′er…
i think it would be pretty ambitious of anyone to believe that schenn would have been the answer to all of what plagues this team…
you are correcto-mundo, arthur fonzarelli…:)
sid the kid Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:25 pm
@wavesinair, problem is that tm and dl are both part of the same choir. you should never preach to the choir, and advocating the firing of one choir member to the choir’s conductor isn’t going to help, either. we need to make our desire to see leave, known to the owners!
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jess Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:36 pm
@wavesinair,
Might be time for DL to unhitch his wagon from this character. On the bright side, TM has brought the team to the first round two years in a row and now hopefully we can bring in a coach with a nose for victory in critical situations.
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:56 pm
@jess,
i posted this on another thread…:
RE-POST…:
i’m a little jealous we don’t have torts…i would have liked to see him pulling the chain for this team…
i don’t think that t.m. will get fired because that would probably mean the end of d.l….and that’s not gonna happen…it’s not because the two are completely tied together – more like sipping from the same keg of delirium (tremens, that is)…it’s just that d.l. really believes in his coach as far as we know and up until this point…
and i guess that will be the $64,000 question when the season is over…:
is d.l. still satisfied with t.m….?
hmmmmmmm….
possibly losing to san jose without yr top scorer will buy the coach a chance to start next season…
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:01 pm
@variable,
Oh var….. listen. Interesting to read your post here. I had contemplated that and for me you’re absolutely spot on. No question in my opinion in spite of the Gm 3 meltdown followed by another 6 spot in game 4 that the fact Kopi wasn’t there will have an affect. Also, it’s definitely not imo TM’s fault that Penner has been playing like a cadaver.
……………….. can a cadaver play? Hmmm. I’ve never considered that. Well, we’ll leave that for another day.
variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:17 pm
@ number 6
6′er…
calling george romero…sam raimi……?
number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:47 pm
@variable,
thats a geudd one
John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:45 pm
@wavesinair,
Or they could just be viewd as making changes because the last two disasters!
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Penner HAS to go! He contributes nothing! What a waste of money and a roster spot.
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KingFan79 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@Hockey Sage,
my “Refund for Penner” chant at Staples continues tonight
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:02 pm
@KingFan79,
Do they do draft pick refunds? I’d be quite happy with that.
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bill donnelly Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:19 pm
@KingFan79, Tonights game is in San Jose
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Calling DL, calling DL: guess what, you now get Coach #3. And another off season fro a fruitless search for a left wing. At what point is this GM, who was fired by the Sharks, replaced? Is it enough to just make the playoffs. At what point is this GM held accountable for the fact the team can’t win. And one more point. If you think there’s a guarantee they make the playoffs next year, you’re mad. This year they squeaked in by 1 point!
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sid the kid Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:23 pm
@Poorman, about your last point–the other teams vying for the playoffs were a few points behind a pack of teams who were all within a few points of each other.
even if the kings DID make 4th place, they would STILL have made the playoffs by only a few points. this makes your point that the kings squeaked-in less effective, right?
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puck73 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:07 pm
@sid the kid, Some people are just never satisfied are they? Great post, and I am not a huge TM or Kompon fan per say. Apparrently some people have forgotten that DL has acquired more depth then any GM in the 38 years I have been following this team. Firing Lombardi would be a HUGE mistake !
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Rich Hammond Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:32 pm
You’re back on. Hopefully for good, but that is basically your choice…
at this point, there really wasn’t anything that t.m. could have done as radical as adding parse to the line up except for also benching penner…it’s a big roll of the dice…but…i guess t.m.’s in for a dime, in for a dollar…if parse gets the message and delivers with what he brings to the game, it could infuse energy…(consistent energy)…for a full 60(+)…
it’s an interesting call from a coach not known for taking risks…all things considered:…playing in an elimination game…adding a player who hasn’t played in months…players underachieving…and only one line…richardson’s lne…doing everything, every shift effectively – this is a desperation move for a coach who could be running out of answers as to how to get this team going…but to be fair, what else does a coach have to do to get his players motivated, eager to play the system well in the playoffs…?
either way you roll ‘em…(the lines, that is)…unless there’s an consistent professional, intensified effort by the whole team, it won’t matter much…
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sid the kid Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:21 pm
@variable, too little, too late. the kings lost hope a long time ago, and even if they had hope, they are too streaky, and even if they were consistent, they just don’t have the goal-scoring skill players needed. the sharks do. they are also streaky. but they can score
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Hey TM… YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!
even when we win tonight, you still suck
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Dominick Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:30 pm
@luthco1,
Now there’s some consistancy! :p
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loskingpride Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:51 pm
@Dominick, Maybe if we all pitch in a minute per game as head coach Dom there would be enough consistency amongst ourselves to put Poni in over Penner at the last minute?
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“If we run into a situation for a need for a skill player on the power play, then my feeling is that Penner can fit right in there and hopefully contribute on that part of the game.” What are you talking about? How many PP points does Penner have? Maybe you are an idiot.
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sid the kid Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:20 pm
@EMB3, problem is that he’s blind to the facts and only wants to see what he wants to see.
wishing won’t make it so
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Mike Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:38 pm
@EMB3, What has penner shown TM that the rest of us haven’t seen? When talking about penner, TM keeps using the terms, “hopefully, i trust, etc….” Well, there hasn’t been anything that I’ve seen that warrants hope nor trust in what penner has done (or not done).
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puckbob Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@EMB3, Skill is useless UNTIL YOU USE IT !!!!
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tm is an idiot, plain and simple. i hope this is has LAST GAME behind the bench. no taking out quick, playing disappointed father, constantly shuffling lines, and making poor decisions all throughout the year.
HASTA LA VISTA, BABY!
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:57 pm
@sid the kid,
Please explain where Quick should have been yanked. And let’s keep it civil. I need to start being a good boy around here.
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If Penner scores tonight will you all stop blaming Murray for Penner?
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Penner’s issue is simple now, trouble at home means trouble at work. If all rumors are correct he is in way over his head. Dustin come clean and move on…..
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:40 pm
@Harty,
Please explain.
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loskingpride Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@Harty, http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/la_kings_married_player_gets_called_out_by_girlfriend/4540935
Is this the story that you’re referring to Harty?
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BobKnob Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:42 pm
@loskingpride,
Do you guys actually believe any of this crap?
It sounds like several chat bots having arguments with themselves. Doesn’t pass the sniff test imo.
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Loskingpride Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 6:20 pm
@BobKnob, not at all. Just asking if that was the rumor he was reffering to thats all.
Hey Rich, is there any way you can find out Terry Murray record in playoffs elimination games?
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I’m sorry, but this has to be one of the dumbest coaching moves I’ve ever seen. Parse has been out this whole season and up until tonight he hasn’t been “game ready”. We are going to risk the injury of a promising young player so that Murray can feel like he’s tried a new combination? This is a new low for him. I hope to hell Parse stays healthy through this game and is given the off-season to get back to playing shape. Down 1 game in the second or third round I understand this move. This is just plain unnecessary.
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Looks like Poni may be done as a King, UFA, can’t seem him wanting to come back after this benching.
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:39 pm
@Jason,
Obviously we are all hoping that tonight isn’t his last game on a Kings roster, but you’re right, there is zero chance he will be re-signed. Absolutely zero.
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Westy has 2 shots the whole series. I do see the size factor, but Westy doesn’t play heavy. Toughness maybe, but our main weakness is defensive coverage. Westy I hope you at least take a couple of guys off the ice with you tonight, because your roster spot means someone will be double shifting.
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:07 pm
@Dominick,
D…
i was a little surprised, too…but that might be the fact that t.m. really thought parse was a better option than poni…
and yr dead-on about westy being a defensive downgrade from poni…that explanation is suspect, at best, from t.m…
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i don’t think the kins should be blamed for trading for penner…
most of the peeps on here were excited and in favor of the trade…at least, that’s what many of us have said and what the polls indicated after the deal…check the archives…so i’m not sure blame belongs with the kings…most peeps in the hockey world also thought it was the most important deadline day deal made…
the blame solely lies with penner – unless there’s some mysteriouso injury that nobody knows of or is reporting…penner is not playing well…
could it be because of the absence of kopi…? maybe…
could it be with the players around him…? no…doubtful…although, they could be better, too…
could it be with the coach…? already?!…yikes…!…let’s hope not…but possible…
i would think the on-ice evidence suggests that so far this deal hasn’t worked out because of penner…
it’s pretty simple to me…
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:33 pm
@variable,
obviously, spelling and proofreading are not on my agenda today…
“kins”…”kings”…kind of the same, no…?
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:36 pm
@variable,
I like your approach. But being thrown into an unfamiliar situation late in a season (especially going from meaningless hockey to the middle of the most insane playoff races in recent memory) can’t be easy.
That said, he absolutely has to be better. If we are eliminated in this series, Penner better bust his ass in the offseason and come out hard in October.
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Mike Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:48 pm
@Action, I agree that “being thrown” into a new situation does take time to adjust, but just how difficult is it for penner, after these many games, Kopi’s injury notwithstanding? Is the Kings system THAT complicated? It certainly isn’t basketball’s triangle offense, for crying out loud!
To me, its pretty simple: put the biscuit in the basket and keep the other team from doing that to you. Should penner glide or move his feet, should he check or not, should he shoot or not, should he give out a check – I think maybe, besides other psychological and emotional issues that he might be going through, he might be overthinking it. Hockey is an instinctive game, so in the words of Crash Davis in Bull Durham, “Don’t think; it can only hurt the ball club.”
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:51 pm
@Mike,
I think you’re oversimplifying the sport as a whole. But you could be right in that he might be thinking a bit too much, and maybe gripping the stick a bit too tight.
Seems A Good Fellow Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:53 pm
@Action, Penner bust his ass? Doubtful!
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:55 pm
@Seems A Good Fellow,
So I’ve heard.
Mike Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:59 pm
@Action, You might be right that I’m guilty of oversimplification, but to me, it is an instinctive game and if a player is taking the time to think about what he should or should not be doing, then he’s dead and the play is going to overtake him and he’s going to be several strides behind. That’s why they practice ad nauseum all season long – to make the things that they do instinctive.
On another point, I don’t know what is so complicated about the Kings system that is so unusual from what every other NHL team is running that it would take penner all this time to get his feet wet, and still he isn’t there yet. In my opinion. I don’t know what goes on in practice, I don’t know all of the “political” ramifications of the deal that was made to bring him here, I don’t know what his psychological and emotional makeup is right now. I’m only commenting on what I see.
[Reply]
variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:05 pm
@Mike,
he’s not playing well…we can look at almost everyone of his shifts…he’s not there at the same compete-level as most of his teammates – and those guys haven’t been much better…
but at the end of the day, penner has to be blamed…
completely agree, it’s not the system…
Krusher Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:38 pm
@variable, Agreed, we were all psyched. It was the right move to make and DL had to make it. Is it blowing up in his face? Absolutely, but it is not his fault. This is on DP and no one else. He is a headcase. If you are a professional hockey player and cannot find a way to get up for a playoff game, then sit your butt down.
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puckbob Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:51 pm
@Krusher, O’sullivan = O’Penner?
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Seems A Good Fellow Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:17 pm
@Krusher, Everyone in the hockey world knows the main question with Penner has always been his work ethic. Certainly DL knew this going in right? My question is, what happened to DL’s patience? What happened to bringing in the right kind of player? A player that fits the system and fits in the locker room? DL passed up on a lot of free agents and possible trades over the last few years because of these reasons. Passed up on players with more talent, with more dedication, with more experience, with better stats because that player wasn’t the right fit! I think DL has done a tremendous job since he arrived in LA but in my opinion he blew this one! He should have stuck with the plan. Why this team had trouble scoring goals this season is beyond me? There is definitely enough talent on this team, without Penner, to score 3 goals a game! DL made this trade because he felt “The players deserved it.” I wasn’t in favor of this trade when it happened because of these reasons.Reasons DL convinced me of by all the moves he passed on over the last couple of seasons. Is this really all on Penner? I think DL needs to take some of the blame here for picking up a guy with Penner’s reputation. I think some of the blame is on Penner because as a pro athlete it is your responsibility to prepare and give 100% which obviously Penner isn’t capable of doing and probably has never done. And lastly we can put some blame on TM. It’s his job as a coach to get everything he can out of his 20 man roster and he hasn’t! If he can’t get Penner to buy in and compete a simple change of lines isn’t the answer. Bench the bum! I think this was a case of wrong trade for the wrong type of player at the wrong time.
That said…..Let’s get our game back boys and win Game 5!
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Mike Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
@Seems A Good Fellow, Maybe DL thought that the previous experience of Penner in playing with Stoll and Greene told him that Penner would be a good fit. I don’t really know.
puckbob Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@variable, Penner has a rep as a 20 goal scorer, right? He scored them all before he got here. He’s outa goals!
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:19 pm
@puckbob,
wrong, he has a reputation as a 30 goal scorer…. at least two or three times i believe
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puckbob Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:17 pm
@number 6, that’s makes him look even worse
number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:12 pm
@variable,
My impression is that 1) something is going on in his personal life. People were saying that on the blog and people say they read things related to that. Could be.
2) I’ve said it, and said it again. He diid NOT look right to me in the interview he did w Heidi. Maybe he’s always like that? I don’t know. But I’m pretty adept at getting a feel for people. I mean, when you compare that interview w interviews from the likes of WM, Stoll, MG, whoever (!) it was just a different universe. He Did Not Look Comfortable.
The fact he lost his linemates may have exacerbated that for sure. But I don’t recall him getting rave reviews before we lost Kopi either.
If there is something off w him, I’m very sorry that DL didn’t research this more carefully. Also I don’t know if you remember, but I’m 85% certain I said that I wasn’t sure about this trade right from the beginning… because it was another big body that didn’t have much speed, and that wasn’t imo what we need. Boy, if that had been the Only problem.
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variable Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:34 pm
@number 6,
6′er…
i won’t speculate, but whatever is stopping him from rising above the current playing level he’s at hopefully ends tonight…
my only guess would be that he still hasn’t fully recovered from his injury before he was traded…
not only do i agree that penner’s answers to media questions are shaky, as he appears somewhat distracted in his responses, but they are irrelevant…as they say, a players best therapy from life is to play the game he loves…who knows why…(?)
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The rules of this blog don’t make any sense to me. Blatent Coach/GM/player bashing is allowed (and even seems encouraged) but the second I call someone’s “point” nonsense, it’s instantly deleted.
Seriously? Calling for Lombardi’s head, when other GM’s are masturbating to our core and cap space? Why is everyone looking for a fall guy every time we start losing?
The only thing I blame DL for is Marc Crawford and Dan Cloutier, and I pretty much count those two as one mistake because I’m sure Crawford had a lot to do with Cloutier coming in. Other than that, someone please point out a GM with a flawless track record.
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Bob Smith Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:44 pm
@Action, Why are you so mad? Dean’s only mistake is Crawford and Cloutier? What about Jones, Murray, Penner, Sturm etc etc
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@Bob Smith,
Jones (who frustrated me to no end) and Sturm cost the Kings a bag of pucks, so no big deals there.
Murray, I won’t even dignify that with a response.
Penner….well…..as I said above…
But being thrown into an unfamiliar situation late in a season (especially going from meaningless hockey to the middle of the most insane playoff races in recent memory) can’t be easy.
That said, he absolutely has to be better. If we are eliminated in this series, Penner better bust his ass in the offseason and come out hard in October.
That’s about all I can say about that. As for being “mad”, I just think that if you’re going to call for someone’s head, bring specific examples to the table. Don’t just say these line-up changes don’t make sense to you and demand Murray’s firing. There’s a reason why the only place TM’s job seems to be in jeopardy is on these forums.
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Bob Smith Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@Action,I think the reason you don’t hear calls for his head in the media is because they are all make their living off the NHL and can’t go burning all their bridges. No such pressure here. Fans can speak their minds. TM and DL are here to win a cup. Neither has ever done that before. There were known missing parts this past off season and DL didnt get it done for whatever reasons. I don’t care why – he gets paid to make it happen and failed. His draft picks haven’t been all that great as there is really nothing to call up from Manchester to help. TM’s system stifles players creativity. That is why several players have moved on and found some of the success they were touted to have. TM is not a motivator and doesn’t get the most out of his team IMO. It starts at the top and AEG does nothing to bring a WINNING attitude to this organization. All they care about is building another stadium near the Staples Center. They should go too.
John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:03 pm
@Bob Smith,
So you don’t think it’s a bit early to pass judgement on the Penner deal? The guy’s been here for, what, 15 games? I’ll say it again, most around here thought Williams & Richardson were dog poo trades as well…until theose players settled in. Give him time…and Kopitar!
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Bob Smith Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:24 pm
@John, This is the MO on Penner all along. This is not a new development. I don’t know what they said about Williams and Richardson as my parents only started letting me on this blog this year. I like Williams but Richardson isn’t a finisher and only this series has he shown me the hustle paying off and being a difference maker. Too bad he doesn’t have the scoring touch. Never has. I lived in Denver his first few years and he had the same issue there.
If the Kings win tonight, some of you had better be back on here afterward here eating crow. If they lose, it won’t be because of this lineup change….
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:37 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan,
THANK YOU!
I think I read the comments because I secretly hate myself and like getting riled up.
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Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:39 pm
@Action,
Sometimes I wonder the same thing about myself…
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:42 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan,
Regardless, have fun watching us extend the series from Minne tonight. I’m in Edmonton. I’ve even got the local pub pulling the fog horn for me after Kings goals, it’s been fun…..yet heartbreaking.
GO KINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EMB3 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:44 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan, I’ll happily eat crow. Your right, if the Kings lose it won’t be because of the lineup, it will be becaase of Penner.
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John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:51 pm
@EMB3,
You DO realize that we’d still be down 3-1 in the series if Penner had never even put on an LA Kings sweater, yeah??!
A lot of you need to get a grip & ditch this absolute need for a scapegoat!
[Reply]
Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@John,
If it’s not Penner, it’s Murray. If it’s not Murray, it’s Lombardi. If it’s not Lombardi, it’s the mailman.
Personally, if we lose tonight, I blame God.
John Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:08 pm
@John,
In actuality it’s the youthful exuberance of guys like Doughty, Martinez, Clifford & Simmonds doing the exact thing the Sharks thrive on, chasing the puck!
EMB3 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:09 pm
@John, I’m not looking for a scapegoat, I’m just completely disappointed in Penner and it makes me feel better to bag on him a bit.
jimrad Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:45 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan,
If the Kings win tonight it will be because of the pure talent of some of the players on this team, not coaching. The only reason we won the 2nd game was an adrenaline burst of some talented players.
The fans have spoken – it’s time for TM to go – we have lost faith in him as have the players.
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Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:17 pm
@jimrad,
The fans don’t decide when its time for a coach to go. Any GM who listens to the fans deserves to be fired.
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:43 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan,
Why do you think the Leafs have been spinning their wheels for 15 years? None of us are envious of that, but if it were up to some of these posters……
jess Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan,
Good points,
I think a lot of the people here are upset (myself included) because of the odd decisions coming from TM which seem seriously disconnected from what actually occurred in the previous game. Also the abandonment of policies which have worked for no apparent reason is another one, and finally to top it off, the odd tendency of this coach to blame the fans or the players for our frustration instead of sucking it up like a man and taking responsibility like a true leader..
So it is frustration, which seems to be well founded IMHO.
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Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:24 pm
@jess,
Not from my vantage point, it’s not. It is the players who have been running around and missing defensive assignnmets. There is no changes any coach has made that caused that. I have never heard TM blame the fans for anything that happens on the ice. He’s right in singling out the players for abandoning an defensive system that worked well for them especially well as the season wound down. That is why they are down 3-1, and no other reason.
A coach is an easy scapegoat for frustrtaed fans, but it is misdirected and unproductive.
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Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:25 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan,
However you can blame my flying fingers for my typos. Yikes! (maybe I can blame TM and Penner for that…)
“If we run into a situation for a need for a skill player on the power play, then my feeling is that Penner can fit right in there and hopefully contribute on that part of the game.”
Put a guy with total lead feet into a stagnant, unimaginative pp?
TM you really are an idiot. The only silver lining in this is you will hopefully not be back next year!
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Dear TM, NJ style hockey is over… Stop playing your D style!
Two-way hockey is what wins us Cups! Learn, that the new NHL DOES NOT HAVE A RED LINE SINCE 06!!
Two-way teams Caps, Van. SJ, Pitts, Hawks & Now the Ducks! Detorit been playing it for 10 years now!
TM quite or adjust for next season pleeeese….
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Sammuch Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
@Sammuch,
By the way GO KINGS GO!!
I support the all players even Penner lousy play! Why? TM fault.
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KingFan79 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:06 pm
@Sammuch, Well said, my friend!
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Who cares. Kings aren’t going to win the SC this year. Bigger question is what is NBC and VS. Going to do now that NY is out of the playoffs? That TV deal sucks. Any west coast game they do show will be one of their Comcast games with announcers rooting for the home team.
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Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@Bob Smith,
That never occurred to me! So THAT’S why we out-of-market fans have to watch the SJ broadcast on Versus! I was hoping for at least TSN tonight, but you just made me realize that isn’t going to happen. UGH!
Well, at least I can hope that I can listen to them make excuses for why the Sharks weren’t able to close the deal tonight!
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Bob Smith Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan, Yeah, i was discussing corporate consolidation in my class last week and brought this up as a discussion point. Makes sense from a business perspective but it isn’t the best for fans but we don’t have much choice. Maybe you should turn off the volume of your TV and listen to Nick and Darrell over the Internet. I think it is on 570 KLAC tonight. If not it should be on 1150. Good luck and GKG!
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:45 pm
@Bob Smith,
Isn’t it always lagged though?
I’m thankful for TSN’s coverage of this series
Game 2 basically turned into the Drew Doughty iso-cam.
I think anyone besides Penner would have been a better choice for the fourth line. Poni has hit and forechecked and worked a heckuva lot harder than many of the Kings have.
I think he is the one who is really being cheated in this case. Moller won the only game he has played in, but he doesn’t get to go back in the line-up.
Weird decisions in my estimation.
Go Parse and the Kings.
[Reply]
Grrrrrr… posted on wrong thread… sorry for double post….
I mentioned previously that the situation right now has a lot more to do with personell and execution than it does coaching.
One thing that many here forget is that when the PLAYERS play the system for a full 60 minutes they are rarely out of a game. As much as I love the Kings players, it is upon their shoulders whether they win or lose on a given night. The coaching can make some difference (See penner vs. Poni, when to call a timeout, etc), but had the PLAYERS stick to the system, play their game, and done as the coach has coached them all season long they win game 3 and the world is a little brighter today.
TM might not be the best, but this all lies on the players.
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:47 pm
@Michael J.,
Very well said.
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I rather read about some interview a brick wall than this guy.
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hockeykingsguy Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@hockeykingsguy, Sorry the booze has already got to me. Edit: about someone interviewing.
There that looks better.
Carry one.
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hockeykingsguy Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:47 pm
@hockeykingsguy,
Well did it again. Edit: Carry on.
We really need an edit button on here.
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Slim Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 6:57 pm
@hockeykingsguy, Or you need to cut down on your drinking…
Wow,disappointment brings out the the worst in people. All this TM bashing and Penner bashing doesn’t do anything but make us look like whiners right now. I know, I know, it’s your right to vent. I’ll try to ignore it. And for the record, yes I’m just as frustrated as any other Kings fan.
Make us all ecstatic tonight Kings. Win game 5 and keep it going!!!
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Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:55 pm
@KFII,
What he said.
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Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:28 pm
@Action,
ditto!
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grega11 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@Action, +1
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Iam not a fan of T.M. but….By playing Parse,could that be rewarding Parse for his hardwork to get back??? Also the coach could be looking at next year…Poni will not be here..Parse will be!!!!
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Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:00 pm
@neil,
Hmmmmm….
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Well, hope this works for us tonight and we don’t lay any Easter eggs.
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Iam not a fan of T.M. but….By playing Parse,could that be rewarding Parse for his hardwork to get back??? Also the coach could be looking at next year…Poni will not be here..Parse will be!!!!Could the coach really be thinking outside the box??
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Sammuch Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@neil,
I like Parse and he could do well! He’s a good two- way player like Poni but parse has speed. Poni has better speed then Penner so that weird choice by TM! Hopefully it will spark the kings, who knows anymore, I wish the kid good luck!
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A lot of TM and Penner hate here. The Parse decision shouldn’t last long if it doesn’t work out. Yes, again, we need Penner to show up. Most important: Less than 5 hours. GKG GKG!!
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IMHO if we get a W tonight it will be a combination of the Kings sense of self preservation and the sharks getting caught being over confident. But definitely not the ingenious line juggling of TM. In which case, there will be enough crow to go around for everyone. Odds are way in favor of the skeptics though
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We need lines that complement each other and exploit each player’s strengths. By putting Zues on the first line we are neutralizing any speed the wings might have.
Zues is great on the third line and should be there with Simmonds.
If we want to take a chance on something then TM should create lines that have a certain quality such as speed or grit to help create some odd man rushes. I don’t think we have had many chances on break aways. He seems to like balanced lines but that seems to be neutralizing the specific skills of each player.
Lewis and Brown had some good chemistry in a few games about a month ago but TM has never gone back to that.
What about
Brown-Lewis-Williams
Smyth-Richardson-Moller
Clifford-Handzus-Simmonds
Parse-Stoll-Penner
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Pili Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:09 pm
@Redlights, I’d go with it. We can win this game.
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I agree this makes it appear the Kings have given up on Poni. But one question: who is out there–available and likely willing–to coach this team? I wish Pat Quinn was 20 years younger. But really, who??
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I had a crown on my molar pop off today. I can’t tell what’s worse….
That or Penner over Poni.
(Shakes head)
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jess Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:14 pm
@Cynic,
Key words: crown, moller, destruction..
can’t be a good omen..
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Wait so this “Coach” and I will use that term very lightly is skating Westy and not Poni tonight?
1) I can’t wait till TM and the rest of the coaching staff is gone. He has done a lot of positive work. But this team has out grown him. This team doesn’t need a “Building” coach anymore it desperately needs a motivational style coach like Quenneville, Tortorella or Boudreau (Oh yeah the Kings Fired him oopps)
2) TM is not a playoff coach
3) This Kings Team (even without Kopi) is rarely ever out skilled by its opponents. But they are consistently out coached and always out motivated by the other team.
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dMan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:40 pm
@Dan SanDonkey,
Surely, you can’t be referring to the same Tortorella that just lost to Washington? There must be another Tortorella coaching in the NHL that has consistently been to the finals and won more than 1 cup, but can’t figure out which team this guy is coaching. Enlighten me.
Ah yes, Boudreau! NHL Head Coach for 4 years with Washington and… wait, when did he win a finals or a Cup? You must be referring to another Bruce Boudreau than the one who has been scratching his way through the first round against the Rangers?
And Quenneville in 7 years with St-Louis never won a cup or even went to the finals, coached Colorado for 3 years, never won a cup and never went to the finals, and after 3 years in ChiTown won a cup with a very talented young team. So in 13 years of coaching went to the finals once and won the cup once. Now that’s motivation.
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Dan SanDonkey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:45 pm
@dMan, You need a coach and a team. IMHO one of these 3 listed coaches with this Kings team could do very well.
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Just win tonight. One more game at Staples. I live in Missouri and all I want is one more game at Staples.
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I’m not sure if I got kicked off the site or not, let me just say, all in good in Kingsland and I love everyone and everything said on here. Now can I come back Rich.
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Rich Hammond Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Sorry, but I’m not getting the reference at all. You haven’t had a single comment removed.
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Happy Lappy Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:19 pm
@Rich Hammond, Hi Rich, I think I must have made an error, my first ever, lol.
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Penner sucks, Go Kings Woo Hoo
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all IS good. (sp)
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How about Dan Bylsma? He’s won the cup and according to many of you has been able to get his team to win without their star players.
I’m sorry, what’s that? His team lost by 6 today?
Ah, a blip, an exception. How about getting back coach Crawford? He’s won a cup – proven winner… Oh right, his team didn’t even make the playoffs this year…
Here’s an obvious choice – Tippett! uhm? What’s that you say? Phoenix lost 4 straight and are now out of the playoffs.
Right, well anyone of those guys is still better than Murray, right? Because bar none, the Kings fans on this board know more about coaching an NHL team than well, pretty much anyone.
Riiiiight….
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:24 pm
@dMan,
Yeah, I want to add something here (and please no potshots at me thank you very much) but Rich is right to be …. well whatever he is….. responding. Some of the comments are really harsh today.
Most of us aren’t thrilled with the turn of events and everyone of us has legitimate feelings, but yikes… to trash people, for me personally doesn’t make pleasant reading. And I’ll call myself on it too. I have been less than thrilled with Dustin Penner and the whole trade, but like in hockey, there is going to the edge and then going over it.
Hope I didn’t offend anyone cause it’s not aimed at anyone in particular.
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Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:39 pm
@number 6,
I love you, too, man!
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@Minnesota Kings Fan,
Thans MKF
Action Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:50 pm
@number 6,
Out of curiosity, is it the jabs between posters that are most annoying (what I need to stop), or the constant ripping on Kings players/staff (what gets me riled up)?
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Dan SanDonkey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:25 pm
@dMan,
The Rangers are out.
What I’d do if I was DL is
If the Kings lose tonight, I’d call Tortorella tonight and offer him a job.
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@Dan SanDonkey,
Seriously doubt Torts is going anywhere. I think he’s very happy to be coaching in ny.
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Dan SanDonkey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@number 6, Doesn’t hurt to plant a seed.
In the Net Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:09 pm
@Dan SanDonkey, No can do. Coaches under contract are off limits to “seed planting”. It’s tampering and violates both civil law and league rules. Back in the 80s the Canucks tampered with the Kings’ coach (Quinn). He was banned from coaching in the NHL for something like 3 years and the Kings actually sued the Canucks for it, although if memory serves the courts felt the league had done enough and the lawsuit never did anything but make some lawyers richer. That was a big deal back then because Quinn was a great coach.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:37 pm
@dMan,
I am no fan of TM, but look at what has happened to the guy he replaced. There are probably only 40 or 50 guys in the world that can do this job and maybe 15 of them do not have anyone calling for their heads.
BTW, wasn’t everyone pretty happy with Murray on Monday???
[Reply]
Dan SanDonkey Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:42 pm
@Michael J., I’ve had a problem with the PP & TM for 2 years. This isn’t a new thing
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dMan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 4:05 pm
@Michael J., No, of course not, when the Kings win, it can’t be because of the coach; posting rules 7.3.12 specifically states… let me cut and past here…
“..shall the Kings win, credit shall be attributed to players named game stars by the media, as well as those deemed by knowledgeable and not so knowledgeable fans to have contributed extraordinarily, at least in their minds, to the victory regardless of evidence to the contrary. Conversely, shall the Kings lose, blame shall be laid squarely on the coach and/or the coaching staff or team management and/or team ownership whichever the fans shall deem beneficial to their mental health at any given time. For team losses, fans shall require at least one scapegoat and shall not blame team players, except if said player is Dustin Penner who shall be crucified by fans of any and all teams he has or shall ever play for.”
I think that pretty well sums it up.
[Reply]
Minnesota Kings Fan Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:38 pm
@dMan,
I love you, man!
[Reply]
Way, way off topic, does anyone know why we let Gleason go, he seemed to be on the rise as one of our better young defensemen? Was it in a trade or what? Anybody?
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@Happy Lappy,
JJ
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Happy Lappy Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:39 pm
@number 6, they traded him to get rights to JJ?
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Michael J. Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:34 pm
@Happy Lappy,
What????? Gleason????
Yup, way, way off topic. That’s about as off topic as asking why Bob Newhart was cancelled
[Reply]
Happy Lappy Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:43 pm
@Michael J., ok, I am stuck in the 60′s, lol. I have been meaning to ask that all yr. Figured this would be my last chance this year to get an answered. EXCUSE ME!! lol
[Reply]
bill donnelly Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:49 pm
@Happy Lappy, Gleason was part of the JJ trade
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Who is this guy? Is he really an NHL coach? “I know Ponikarovsky has played great but I need powerplay success and since I haven’t given Poni powerplay time, I am going to take Poni out so I can roll four lines and get powerplay success.” Are you freaking kidding me? Someone check his head. And he wants more success on the special teams so Penner is in. Penner. With no powerplay success to speak of from him. Jesus, you couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried.
It just hit me. I am overanalyzing it. He has mentally checked out. He doesn’t know what to do so any change, no matter how obtuse, is a change so change for the sake of change is better than nothing Nevermind, carry on. Keep up the fine work Terry. You’re doing God’s work. May you find that lightning in a bottle. Goodness forbid you actually cultivate, inspire and coach a team to success
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Well I have a question.Since so many seem inclined to dump TM, who would you have as the coach?
There have been rumblings of personal problems with Penner for awhile now. This would explain why his head is NOT in the game if he has a mistress and a wife going at it on the internet.
Message to TM. You have no last chance. If it starts to go bad, call the Time Out now.
This team gets shell shocked in a hurry. Stop the flow before it envelopes them again.
Everybody loves an underdog. GO KINGS GO.
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Pili Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:32 pm
@KingsFANinVegas, THe last line says it all. Steal one game. See what happens.
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As usual, I hope I never find myself in a foxhole with most of you (meant mainly for those calling for Terry Murray’s).
I think that losing Kopitar and not having the secondary scoring to a.) make up for the loss of Kopitar and b.) match San Jose’s top three lines is obviously catching up to the Kings.
This just really stinks because they showed up and played their guts out in Games 1 & 2 and the first period of Game 3. I hope the roster changes pay off tonight, but this doesn’t look very promising.
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number 6 Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 3:35 pm
@Gretz98,
And one more point that some have made…. the Sharks are simply a better team. That isn’t taking a hit at the Kings. The Kings are doing great – fantastic compared to four years ago. But really, Pavelski, Marleau, Thornton, Couture, Setogouchi, Heatley, Boyle. That is a Lot of talent. I also don’t find them to be as fragile as they were before psychologically.
So all that being said, the Kings have had some very good moments. I know anyone can win in an OT but it’s not surprising that with all the firepower the Sharks have that it was gonna be tough.
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@Chongo,
Isn’t DL the one who put him on waivers? Yeah, he was….
Why doesn’t TM do something about Gas Prices? FIRE HIM!
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I swear this is the guy I can’t help seeing behind our bench…
http://youtu.be/sdQUAsZaCoI
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As much as I don’t agree with letting Penner play I’m not going to dog pile on the coach. The last person who deserves “a break” is Penner. Wrong message entirely to the rest of the team. To watch him as I did in person even when the play was away from Penner (which was virtually all the time) it was so clear he wasn’t putting out any real effort. I’d go so far as to say Penner looked like a guy throwing the game or saying f-u to his team mates and coaching staff.
I love TM, but even if Penner kicks butt tonight I have to strongly disagree with this decision.
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DTALKER Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:47 pm
@KC23, It’s pretty simple as a coach to tell your players that if you do not want to compete then you will be sitting on the sidelines. Penner doesn’t deserve to play in this game based upon his performance in this series so far. Poni should definitely be playing and Parse as well if he has been putting in the work abnd effort during practice. San Jose has more skill players so the Kings can’t let them skate around freely. The first time one of them plays a puck the closest King needs to put him on the ice. TM needs to get this effort from the whole team all nigh (not just from D. Brown, Clifford, Simmonds and Richardson). The Smyth-Lewis-Brown line is a good combination. The Parse-Zeus-Williams line is ok as long as Williams is willing to play some defense. The Westy-Stoll-Penner line is suspect.
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FanoKings Reply:
April 23rd, 2011 at 5:56 pm
@KC23, I wonder if contractually the Kings have to play Penner. I mean, the further they go in the playoffs the higher of a draft pick Edmonton gets, right? Everyone is giving TM crap about this decision but is the decision truly his to make?
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I was hoping Parse-in would mean Penner-out, not Ponikarovsky-out. I understand it though (Kings are committed to Penner being here next season, and have a substantial investment in that), but i think Penner-sit / Poni-play would give them a better chance tonight. Anyway, this is a little bit bigger than just Murray, and although Murray severely botched game 3, I’m thinking that he’s taken too much of a beating from some fans in recent days.
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I was really hoping that Penner would be out if Parse was put in. I personally feel that Ponikarovsky has performed better than Penner. Hopefully Murray made the right decision. Go Kings go!
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