Some notes from last night’s game…
– The Kings kept their season alive as they beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 5 on Saturday night at HP Pavilion.
– The Sharks lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven first-round series, with Game 6 to be played Monday night at Staples Center (7 p.m. start time).
– All-time, the Kings have trailed 3-2 in a series 10 times, and have won three. The Sharks have led 3-2 in a series seven times, and have won five.
– Jonathan Quick set a franchise playoff record for goalies with 51 saves. The Kings were outshot 52-22 and set a franchise playoff record for most shots on goal against in a playoff game. The Calgary Flames had 50 shots on goal against the Kings in a 1988 playoff game. Quick was 4-0 in the regular season when he faced at least 40 shots on goal in regulation. In the series’ three games in San Jose, Quick has stopped 127 of 131 shots, for a .969 save percentage. (Thanks to Nick Nickson for those last two stats…)
– The Kings, on aggregate, have outscored the Sharks 17-16 in this series.
– The Kings went 0-for-1 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. In the series, the Kings are 3-for-20 on the power play and 18-for-20 on the penalty kill.
– Wayne Simmonds had one goal and one assist. In 11 career playoff games, Simmonds has three goals and three assists.
– Kyle Clifford had one goal and one assist. Clifford has a team-high three goals in the series and, with five points, is tied with Brad Richardson for the team lead. The last Kings rookie to record five points in a playoff series was Warren Rychel in 1993.
– Kevin Westgarth had one assist, for his second point of the series.
– Rob Scuderi had one assist, for his second point of the series. Scuderi has one goal and nine assists in 60 career playoff games.
– Brad Richardson had one assist. Richardson has five points in the series (two goals, three assists), which is tied with Kyle Clifford for the team lead.
– Jack Johnson recorded a team-high four shots on goal. Dustin Brown and Kevin Westgarth each were credited with a team-high three hits. Willie Mitchell was credited with a game-high six blocked shots.
– Willie Mitchell played a game-high 28 minutes, 9 seconds. Trevor Lewis led all Kings forwards in ice time at 19:29.
– The Kings won 31 of 56 faceoffs (55 percent). Jarret Stoll won 15 of 17 draws (88 percent).
Interesting that Mitchell had game high minutes played. Normally it’s Doughty. I agree that he made a huge mistake in turning over the puck on the SJ goal, but he needs to be on the ice. I’ll take #8 on the ice after his positives and negatives are calculated, and I don’t just mean +/-.
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Agame Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@Pili, Mitchel is the best shutdown guy! I would pick him anytime, over anybody in the NHL.
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Shakes Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
@Pili,
I think Drew not leading in minutes wasn’t because of his turnover but rather due to the game situations.I think the amount of time on the PK versus virtually no PP time helped skew the numbers slightly against Drew. That’s why Trevor Lewis, for example, got the most minutes amongst forwards since he plays so much on the PK
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vplaza Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
@Pili,
If his lower minutes were due to TM making a point to him, which I highly doubt, then good. Again, I don’t think TM would do that, but he’s been playing poorly and someone needs to tell him he’s not in the Hall of Fame yet, so he needs to be smarter on the ice.
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Great game for the Kings!!! Lets do this at home!!!!!!!!!! love the 13-15-17 LINE!!!! GKG
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Off subject but part of the general discourse nonetheless: Living in Cleveland I have surrendered or endured (not sure I have surrendered) that we are in perpetual curse mode. Cleveland is showing the Indians at 3:00 on NBC and we of course get to miss the great Buffalo and Philadelphia series. WTF? Weather , economy, LeBron, sports teams et al. is not enough?!!
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Pili Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 11:55 am
@clubaclub, Hockey takes a back seat to baseball, but I don’t think there’s any comparison as far as spectator sports. EAch year after the cup I go through post hockey depression.
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KH Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
@clubaclub, Baseball on NBC? Usually it’s on FOX, I’ve never seen a baseball game on NBC before.
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Jeff Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
@clubaclub, With the new TV package starting next season, ALL games in the playoffs will be seen in its entirety, on one NBC channel or another (NBC proper, Versus(Or whatever the new name is,) MSNBC, USA, etc.) Just like how the olympics r done. SO while it doesn’t help this year, for the next 10 ALL games will be seen. SO those who don’t have Satellite or Fiber Optic, depending on which cable company you have and how they work, may want to look at getting Directv or if you can Fios (Uverse.) during the Summer.
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KH Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
@Jeff, That’s awesome! I’m fortunate enough to be able to watch the games with bob and Jim commentating though.
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kinginsaltlake Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
@Jeff, Comcast owns NBC and VS if you have Comcast cable you will be alright and if all that fails get Center Ice. With Center Ice you don’t miss a thing unless your in a market where you get blacked-out. Do any of you guys see that little dude who skates for the Sabers? Oscar needs to get that cat’s number.
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Jeff Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
@kinginsaltlake, Yea I know, but some cable companies are different. Like guys in San Jose say they don’t have Prime Ticket. I was basically saying this for those not in L.A. who can’t watch Bob and Jim, or for those that watch on Versus and then either have to wait for a game in OT ends, or for one reason or another it is blacked out. I don’t know, but there may be some cable companies who don’t offer Versus. I got Directv so I don’t know about other companies.
Slim Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 4:13 pm
@kinginsaltlake, Nathan Gerbe
fun to watch! And finally Ennis gets his due..
Got lost in all the Taylor Hall love..
BUT GKG…
More stats… S.J. 0 goals on the PP at home….Neimi pulled for the second time in the series..
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I find Quick’s 4-0 record when facing at least 40 shots interesting. Normally that’s a sign of some defensive breakdowns but the Kings seem to flourish in it. Perhaps a combination of #32 being dialed in and the Kings allowing low percentage shots in anticipation of a counter attack? The Lively Legs line in particular turn the tide so well and often have odd numbered attacks.
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Jeff Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
@Pili, If you look at the difference between last night and Game 3′s meltdown, while San Jose had a lot of shots and a lot of attack time, the Kings played much better defensively allowing Quick to be able to see the puck and get position of it. Since the Kings played the home plate defense, Quick didn’t have to move around alot, he did some, but he was able to get in position the whole night and play aggressively when called upon. Game 3 he was moving all over the place, not being able to get into position or what not, thanks to the lousy defense, same really in Game 4. As long as the Kings stay at home, home plate defense surrounding Quick, the Kings will be successful as shown last night and game 2.
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kinginsaltlake Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:36 pm
@Jeff, for being a guy who didn’t post much during the season, you sure have got your mo-jo during our playoff wins. Jeff post more often. We need you.
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Jeff Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
@kinginsaltlake, Thanks for that king in salt lake. As for posting during the season, I did a few times, but really got into a groove these playoffs. I also post on HF boards, but basically I been posting more because of all the negativity going on. All this talk about TM should be fired or DL should be or said player should be benched or traded, it is ridiculous. Not only has TM had the 2 best consecutive seasons in history, but he also has the Kings with the most wins in history (46) and was 2 points away from getting 2 consecutive 100 points season. Yes the system he uses might be boring, it might lack in creativity, but according to the record and stats it works. I believe the lack of creativity is not the system, but the skills of the players we have. Other then a few guys, we don’t have a lot of skill, at this time. Starting next season that will change, which is why most people felt the Kings were one year away from winning the Cup. When the Kings play the system to a T, they are hard to best. When they go away from the system, they fail miserably like in Game 3 and most of 4. They won’t win every game, as shown in game 1 but for the most part they will win. Anyway I believe that people have the right to say what they want, how they feel and that is very constructive. But to those who constantly moan when things r bad, but those that are absent when things go good or don’t support the team no matter what, that gets my goat. We are fans, regardless of whether things are good or bad, who the players are, who the coach is, who the GM is….We are fans and we should support our team no matter what.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
@both, Agreed. Good explanation!
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Jeff Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Anyway sorry for the big rant. What I want to say is….
GO KINGS GO
KICK SOME SHARK BUTT ON MONDAY!!!!!!!!
We win Game 6 and there is no doubt in my mind that we will win the series.
I’m so proud of this team. Love the determination.
Let’s go all the way to game 7 and take it Kings!
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Nice job Quick for winning us the game! Is that a record for most save by a King in the playoffs??
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Sammuch Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
@Sammuch, I think Mario Lessard had close to 60 saves in playoffs?
Rich can you check it out and see what the record for most save by a goile is in the Playoffs?
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stats1 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
@Sammuch, Read the atricle above, yes 51 saves is a franchise record for the playoffs.
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Great effort by Quick and the legs line. It was also very nice to see Parse comming back. Except one turnover, he had a very solid first game. Penner scored, but he still didn’t convinced me. Not at all. His D was still shaky as it was the whole season, in the play offs even more. His +/- tells it all. I would leave the Clifford – Richardson – Simmonds line as it was, but the rest I would go for the following changes:
Parse – Lewis – Williams
Smyth – Stoll – Brown
Clifford – Richardson – Simmonds
Poni – Zeus – Westgarth
To allow 52 shots was simply way to much to be satisfied with and we could not expect from Quick to steal two more games…
GKG
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FdoFmFull Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
@outsider,
Concur outsider.
The only change I’d make to your forward lines is to substitute Moller for Westgarth.
I don’t see either team risking penalties this late in the series and I think the Kings can take care of each other without WG.
Moller would help energize that 4th line with his quickness and Poni’s physicality and Zeus positioning. I don’t see any loss in defense with the switch and it might help in backchecking with Moller’s speed.
Comments?
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outsider Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
@FdoFmFull, I still think KW is needed to handle Ryane Clowe & co. Cliffy & Simmer are awsome and we really need them to make the difference on ice, not to sit in the penalty box…
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gmo Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
@outsider,
sorry dude ill take penner over poni anyday
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13 15 17 shall be known as the
Rhodium Line from now on!!
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Shakes Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
@pr0cess,
Or maybe The Little Rascals. They’re young and run around a lot and generally cause confusion
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FdoFmFull Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
@pr0cess, Its the “Teenie Bopper Line”
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Quick was phoenominal last night! The SOG were crazy high, but he was in the zone! So proud of Cliffy and Richardson! They both have really stepped up their game for sure! And Penner..YEA! So glad you finally scored a goal! Is the monkey off your back?! We shall see. Game 6, here I come! Let’s bring it fans! GO KINGS GO!
On another note..I’ll be watching the Ducks game! I hope they’re out today! Would be awesome for Nasville to finally win a series! GO PREDS GO!
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Was that time out by Murray a good one??? The defense wasnt tired at that time.it gave S.J. time to rest and set up their PP.It burned the Kings only T.O they had….Thoughts????
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Belexes Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
@neil,
It obviously was good because it worked.
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vplaza Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
@neil,
Both timeouts he called in the last two games were good timeouts, even if they lost the previous game. I still think he’ll never admit to making the mistake of not calling the TO during the FU at Figueroa.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
@neil, I agreed with it at the time…can’t knock it now either.
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Bruin18 Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
@neil, Thought time was excellent time out. Getting time regroup rather than being auto pilot — even high energy auto pilot — is good. How do we know how tired the D was?
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still think penners a oaf lol, so pround of cliffy and quick, worked hard out there
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vplaza Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
@Kings Fan In Temecula,
One game isn’t quite enough yet to make up for his body of work so far this year. Now, if he can make a difference in helping the team dig out of the hole he helped get them into, then we’ll talk about giving the Tin Man his due.
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So much arguments in the last 12 hours about who should play, who shouldn’t, Quick out, Quick in, TM’s head…..but I think its safe to say at this point, that the only thing that can be expected is the unexpected. I’m just going to sit back, cross my fingers, and hope for the best. The ups and downs the last 2 weeks…..I’m an anxiety attack waiting to happen. Let’s bring this one home, boys!! GIG!!!
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wavesinair Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
@FemaleFan #1,
“I’m just going to sit back, cross my fingers, and hope for the best.”
You and Terry both!
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“Quick was 4-0 in the regular season when he faced at least 40 shots on goal in regulation.”
That’s amazing. The more pucks he sees, the better he gets–especially if he gets to SEE them.
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Any thoughts on big joe getting a 1 game suspension for the cross check into browns throat.?
Penner good start now pile it on in game six.
Clifford, sweet play how about a hat trick in game six.
Defense continue to stay at home and play your game.
Doughty play smart, nothing fancy just mature good hockey.
GREAT WIN BOYS
Come out and win one at home!
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“– Kyle Clifford had one goal and one assist. Clifford has a team-high three goals in the series and, with five points, is tied with Brad Richardson for the team lead. The last Kings rookie to record five points in a playoff series was Warren Rychel in 1993.”
This seems fitting since I think Clifford and Rychel have a similar style. Rychel played a rough n tough game and chipped in some goals too…
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