Don’t let it be said that the Kings aren’t maintaining a sense of humor in the midst of this Drew Doughty mess. Asked today about improving his power play, which ranked 21st in the regular season in 2010-11, Murray said, “We’re going to get Drew Doughty back and put him on the blue line and say, `Take charge of this thing,”’ then followed with a hearty laugh.
MURRAY: “The power play, at times, last year was really good. In the playoffs, it was really good. Our percentage was right there with any other team in the National Hockey League. It’s one of those areas that you just have to work out. Young guys were in a position to be successful at times last year. We missed some critical opportunities. With Richards and Gagne and Kopitar and Doughty, we have the people in place in order to have a good power play. We’ll get a little more movement, get more of a shot mentality, I think, is the first step.”
Jarret Stoll, a regular point man on the Kings’ power play, also was asked for his thoughts on improving the power play.
STOLL: “You could say so many things, and I’m sure you’ve heard it all, but it’s got to stay simple. Any time you complicate things, and you try to make too many cute plays…the penalty kills today are so good. When I came into the league, which wasn’t that long ago, there were some penalty kills that were bad, and there were wide-open seams. Now you don’t see very many seems. Everyone is in the lane. Either their stick is in the lane or their body is in the lane.
“It’s so technical now, with video and stuff. You’ve got to stay simple, I think, with getting pucks to the net and getting bodies to the net and good movement with your guys. If you’re standing on the side and passing the puck around, it’s easy for a penalty-killer. As long as there are good sticks and good bodies, as a power-play guy you’ve got to move, you’ve got to create those 2-on-1s, create those seams and, when you have them, take the shot. Don’t be too cute with it. We’ll figure it out. We’ve got some skilled guys up there that can make plays and shoot the puck. We’ll be better.”
We’re getting close!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can’t wait for October!!
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We need to be creative and shoot the puck. How many times did we pass up a shot to pass the puck.Shoot and only good thing will happen if you are in position. We also saw a lot of shorthanded breakaways.
With the personnel we have the powerplay has to be better.
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FIRST!
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OneTimer Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
@MyKay,
… which won’t help the Power Play either.
Next.
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Noble Savage Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
@MyKay,
Can we get a block/ban on tools who think this is worthwhile? Please?
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colo king fan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
@Noble Savage,
^
+100000000
I’d like to meet the idiot who started this “first” business and kick him squaaa in tha noooots
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MyKay Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:11 pm
@colo king fan,
haha i knew you guys were gonna cry about it… just ignore it and scroll down you guys get so butt hurt over it.. really its NOT a big deal… think about it.
Stang Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
@colo king fan, You guys feed it. Just ignore it.
Player-X Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 7:42 am
@MyKay, It’s perceived as juvenile, so if that is the image you wish to portray, have at it. But to then tell us to “get over it” is truly laughable. This is about the Kings, not about some grade-school “race you to the playground;” what is your point?
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Jon Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 9:44 am
@Player-X, Perfect response!
On to the power play. Really, how can it get worse? We brought in some guys that have proved they can help. Get the puck to the net and make the goalie uncomfortable.
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MyKay Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 6:06 pm
@Player-X, What’s my point? I think its absolutely pointless, just as much as you do. But the fact that there are several people upset about it is just pathetic.. it’s not something I would ever be upset about there’s millions of other things you and I should be concerned about than just a “first” comment on a blog…
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Gags and Richie are going to be really great on the power play!!! Can’t wait to watch!
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Well, TM shouldn’t have laughed. I’m not laughing. He’s right. For what we’re about to pay him, he better make Scott Neidermayer look like Jere Karalahti.
Maybe that was too old a reference….let’s try
like Colten Teubert.
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Ian Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
@Cynic, If someone made Scott Neidermayer look like Jere Karalahti then he could go to biker bars without getting hassled.
I have no problem with TM laughing. What else can you do at this point? I tried stressing. It didn’t work.
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johnjuan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
@Cynic,
I think TM is really showing his weakness as a head coach here. He thinks the PP was just bad luck (or something). He has no answer for it so, we better hope one of the assistant coaches does this time around. (maybe the players we acquired? )
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Player-X Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 7:43 am
@johnjuan, The guy spouts numbers, you ignore them. What else can he do?
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fsd1 Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 9:21 am
@johnjuan, no lets get back on the fire the PP coach rant, its been awhile since i heard it…..weakness as a head coach, what would you do oh great head coach johnjuan? Called a timeout?
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Why Gange, Richards, Kopi…. That is three left handed players. We need one right handed player to play down low.
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Ian Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
@downsy89, I’m right handed. A real fast learner too! My coach when I was a kid said I’m equally good at all positions (but he could never seem to blurt it out without laughing) which apparently we shouldn’t be doing (see above).
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I love the attitude that the players, coaches and front office have towards Doughty’s holdout. Heck, I even like Drew’s attitude about it after seeing him in the “gear”. They are all giving it the “its just business” feeling, and that will really help when its all said and done. I think we fans could take a cue from those really involved. This is going to be an interesting season, with jobs hard to win and players “earning” their ice time! Depth baby, depth!!!
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I think JJ will make a huge impact on the power-play, he looks in great shape and ready to go.
I have a feeling he’s gonna rack up huge numbers this season.
Martinez will do well too, with his big blast from the point.
Lets get this season started already! KINGS BABY!!
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No! Please!! Not with the “shot mentality” thing again! Yes, most SOG and yes more blocked, missed the net, easily gobbled up, etc…. Please Please Please pass the puck and think deflections and quick one times from the slot area! No more working the perimeter for 45 seconds and then telecast a DD slap shot. And if DD does come back, can someone please keep him inside the blue line!!?? I won’t say PPP “Pathetic Power Play” until we earn that moniker again but it’s there, waiting in the wings for the apprpriate time! We got the skill to be a threat from down low. USE IT!!
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Deke'r Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
@crashin’ da net, I’ll vote for more one timers, you gotta shoot before the D man gets in position, Kings lack in one timers on the PP.
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Terry Murray thinks the Kings powerplay was good in the playoffs and the PP percentage among the top of other teams in the NHL??? LMAO! Who is he kidding? The Kings powerplay SUCKED last season. What powerplay has Terry Murray been watching? He must think Jamie Kompon is golden then, right?
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BobsYourUncle Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
@Brown23, He is talking about PP% which was 20.8% for the playoffs (5 out of 24), good for sixth best of the the sixteen playoff teams.
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jet Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
@BobsYourUncle, and in the previous season, the Kings were 7th in the league during the season and I believe 1st in the playoffs. People without knowledge are just looking for a way to blast management.
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Player-X Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 7:48 am
@jet, Terry Murray is using numbers to describe a specialtyy team whose performance is based on numbers? What is his problem? Doesn’t he know he has to justify his very existence to people ruled by stereotypes and unfounded personal views?
Murray said it has been good at times, not that it was great. Stoll said the same thing. We had the guys, we now have better guys, it has been good for short stretches and therefore can be good for long stretches, it will now likley be better with the addition of better players.
Don’t kid anyone Murray. The power play was atrocious all year long. It had nothing to do with execution, all to do with X’s and O’s. I reeeeally hope they try some new schemes other than setting up a four square and playing hot potato.
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Stoll is right, keep it simple. Unfortunately, JK doesn’t listen to Stoll and we all have to sit there for the first 30 seconds and wait for his PP system to set up before we take our first completely predictable shot from 40 feet away, watch the rebound be cleared to our end, JQ stopping it, DD bringing it back up, dumping it in, Kopi chasing it, JW getting to it passing it to Kopi, Kopi sitting on the half-board holding the puck while JK’s system sets up again, 18000 Kings fans screamining “shhhooooooootttttt!!!!”, Kopi passing it back to the point for another 40-foot shot and restart the entire sequence all over again. Yep, never seen this before…..
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Old Man Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
@DesertKing, That was perfect.Thank`s for making my evening.
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DesertKing Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
@Old Man,
Sorry, I wish it were more like “oh, crap, did you see that?!!!!”
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Subby Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
@DesertKing, XD AHAHAH SHOOOOOOOOT
you forgot the part where stoll shoots wide and everyonw goes DWAHHHHHH!
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DesertKing Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
@Subby,
Exactly. By the way, that was my son who asked the question about the PP at HockeyFest. DL couldn’t shake him.
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Stoll nailed it.
Are you listening Terry?
” If you’re STANDING ON THE SIDE AND PASSING THE PUCK AROUND, it’s easy for a penalty-killer. As long as there are good sticks and good bodies, as a power-play guy YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE, you’ve got to create those 2-on-1s, create those seams and, when you have them, take the shot.”
The end.
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CB14 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
@IceGuy, Exactly! What you wrote in CAPS is exactly what the Kings did all last season, and look what happened Terry. Shot mentality is good, but not when there’s a defender standing 5 feet directly in front of them because all we do is pass the puck back and forth between Drew and Kopi.
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Chris Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
@IceGuy, You think Temu WANTS them to just stand there? You honestly believe TeMu’s PP strat is to have them stand still and pass the puck around? You think thats how they practice it? Get real.
The guys on the ice are responsible.
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CB14 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
@Chris, If the players hadn’t done exactly that the whole entire year I might agree with you.
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danglebagel Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
@Chris, Yeah the guys on the ice are to blame.. But isn’t it the coaches job to adjust that? Not let it go on ALL season.. All I’ve heard Murray say about the PP is get traffic to the net and shoot the puck. He says nothing about movement on the wall or behind the net to get the puck to the interior, if you’re not doing that you’re not scoring PP goals. Have the kings ever scored a backdoor goal? Murray puts too much emphasis on Kopitar, Doughty and Johnson. The way he explains it, it sounds like he wants them to have the puck and make the big play while other guys screen and battle down low. The puck needs to be on everyone’s stick that’s how all five guys together, the PP unit, becomes a threat. Every guy can screen, every guy can shoot, every guy can pass. Murray hasn’t shown me he’s gotten that across to his players.
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Pesus Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
@danglebagel,
Backdoor goal? They dont even try back door 5 on 3. Im sure it the players idea to put 3 guy on the blueline and take 40 foot slappers instead of a back door tip in. NOT! Its not Kompton either, its TM.
DLB Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
@IceGuy, one more fan saying heck yeah!
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haha, the answer is to pay some guy 6.8mil a year. THAT will get the PP going.
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19th lololoololol
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He said maybe more movement, well we cant get any less. Your not gonna score too many goals when the goalie is allways square to the shooter. Movement gets D-men and goalies out of position, thus creating chances. Just taking turns shooting is not gonna cut it.
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Put Penner infront of the net Chicago’s Dustin Byfuglien style…
then the others: Kopitar, Williams
Doughty-Johnson
PP2: Brown infront of the net (like Penner)
Gagne, Stoll
Richards-Martinez
(or swap Richards and Stoll)
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Steve Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 9:17 pm
@Paul G,
Penner and Brown need to play like Thomas Holmstrom of Detroit does on the power play. Just plain mean and nasty!! They need to make the opposing goalie hate them, the way Holmstrom does!!
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We’ve never had an All Star team for a power play!
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Assuming Doughty is there, he and JJ should switch sides so that DD is on the left and JJ is on the right side for the power play.
This puts the two Ds on their one-timer sides for feeds from each other and it also opens up the ice since Kopi and Drew will be on opposite sides. If they cheat towards Kopi then he’s got a cross ice pass to Drew for a one-timer as well.
I think that would open it up and put all three of them in a shooting position more often.
They frequently have Stoll on his one-timer side on the point and he gets the chance to shoot but never hits the net or scores. I think DD would have more success with it and it would take pressure off Kopi as well.
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I think DD is overrated. He had a surprise 1st year. Then in his 2nd year other teams keyed in on him and exposed his lack of size. He also made mistake after mistake not made by an “elite” defenseman. He used his reputation from his first year and his so called potential to make careless plays. And there were many games were I didn’t even no whether he was on the ice. People need to stop giving this guy accolades before he does something.
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Gary Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 10:19 am
@thrustable, you do realize he’s played THREE years, don’t you.
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Steve Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 9:19 pm
@Gary,
The Doughty deal will get done when it HAS to, not a minute before!!
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Rich
When you said “He’s Not Here” and power play in the same breath, I automatically thought that somehow Kompon was gone.
PLEASE don’t tease me like this again.
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Two words I’ve been yelling since 2010: FIRE KOMPON!
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