Some notes from last night’s game…
– The Kings lost in regulation on the road for the first time this season, as they fell to the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Sunday night at Pepsi Center.
– The Kings outshot the Avalanche 32-16, including 15-4 in the second period. The 16 shots were the fewest the Kings have allowed this season. Every Kings forward recorded at least one shot on goal except Dustin Penner. The Kings are 1-3-1 when outshooting their opponents and 5-0-1 when being outshot.
– The Kings went 2-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill and allowed one shorthanded goal, the first of the season. It was the second time, in 11 games, that the Kings scored more than one power-play goal in a game.
– The Kings fell to 3-1-2 on the road, 2-3-0 when allowing the first goal and 3-1-2 in one-goal games.
– Jonathan Quick stopped 13 of 16 shots. In his first six starts, Quick allowed a total of five goals. In his last three starts, he has allowed a total of nine goals.
– Scott Parse scored a power-play goal. Parse has two goals in three games after he sat the previous six games as a healthy scratch.
– Anze Kopitar scored a goal. Kopitar leads the Kings in goals (six) and points (14). He has two goals and two assists in his last three games.
– Jarret Stoll had one assist, on the power play, for his first power-play point of the season.
– Dustin Brown had one assist. Brown has one goal and four assists in his last three games.
– Drew Doughty had one assist, for his second assist and point of the season.
– Dustin Brown recorded a team-high five shots on goal. Matt Greene was credited with a game-high five hits and Jack Johnson was credited with a game-high five blocked shots.
– Jack Johnson played a game-high 23 minutes, 43 seconds, followed by Drew Doughty, at 21:55. Anze Kopitar led all Kings forwards in ice time, at 20:20, followed by Dustin Brown, at 18:37.
– The Kings won 22 of 49 faceoffs (45 percent). Anze Kopitar won 8 of 16 draws (50 percent). Mike Richards won 8 of 14 draws (57 percent). Jarret Stoll won 5 of 11 draws (45 percent).
hopefully the team can get past an ehh performance on a back to back…i cant wait to see doughty pummel Taylor Hall again..
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:22 am
@TYLER,
I’d love to see that again too. Hopefully Doughty picks up his play a little bit. Anyone else think TM is sending a message by playing JJ more than DD last night?
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KingsGuy Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:46 am
@FKA PakiFro, Doughty is not living up to his 7 Mil paycheck by any means… He better pick his game up. I am hoping it’s just a lil bit of rust, but he doesn’t look as confident as he should…
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Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:22 am
@KingsGuy, murray was a absolute idiot to not play quick, a little harsh but i’m still quite sore about that, utter disappointment
KingsGuy Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:40 am
@Kings Fan In Temecula Reply, No kidding, talk about slowing the roll.
Perro Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:49 am
@TYLER, Rather see him lay out Smyth. He put the kings in a corner with his trade demand to one team. Living in Alberta I cannot stand oiler fans now. They scrutinize Pronger for asking for a trade to 29 teams for family reasons, yet praise smyth who did the same thing to LA only demanded one team only. Hard to respect that. If he would have played one mroe season he could have signed anywhere he wanted. Heck for the amount of time these guys are on the road his wife and kids could have moved to Deadmonton while Smyth played out his contract.
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TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:32 am
@Perro, Pronger is honestly the biggest d-bag of the entire NHL. I don’t agree with what Smyth did but citing Pronger as doing something that’s ok, throws all your credibility out the window.
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Perro Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:01 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain, d-bag or not, they both citied families for a reason and the point was I making is that smyth put DL in a tighter corner then Pronger did.
wasn’t talking about personality.
Sebastian Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:50 am
@TYLER, Maybe Johnson can remind Smyth why it was a good idea for him to be on the Kings. haha
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Lime Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@Sebastian, Not the greatest quality but for anyone wondering…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPphB84zMCM
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TYLER Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 9:36 am
@Sebastian, do i see a repeat of JJ’s hit on Smyth when he was on the Avs?? hahaha thatd be great…i rep my JJ jersey with pride
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Penner no shots? C’mon guy, what will it take for you to show your potential?
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bringbackbutchgoring Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:28 am
@crazy legs, yes but his between the legs passes are so pretty. Also when he makes the passes, he doesn’t get winded like he would if he had to turn his body…
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DesertKing Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:38 am
@bringbackbutchgoring,
LOL
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:33 am
@crazy legs, Hard to believe Penner has forgotten how to score goals. This guy has scored 29 before, and now he couldnt score to save his life. I guess the question is, is it him, or is it TM ?
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tacomakingsfan Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:37 am
@puck73,
Maybe it’s a combination of both.. TM surely got him scared to not mess things up. Also, drive…. He showed signs of it but it’s not consistent.
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bringbackbutchgoring Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:40 am
@puck73, I don’t see why TM’s system would be so detrimental to Penner. We basically play a plodding “park your ass in front of the net and hope for the best” system which would seemingly be ideal for a person that is slow and plodding.
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:46 am
@bringbackbutchgoring, Your guess is as good as mine. I am not accusing TM of screwing up Penner, I guess I am just looking for answers like many on this puzzling question.
Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:24 am
@bringbackbutchgoring, heeey if you can read our system just like that, imagine being in the other teams shoes lol
PP Anybody? Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:26 am
@bringbackbutchgoring, As much as we’d think because Penner is a big guy, he should be a good grinder and park it in front of the net guy, that’s just not his game and never has been. He is a finesse guy, who needs space and flow to operate. He has no first step burst, so for him to have to play a start and stop game coming off the boards just doesn’t work. Murray did the same thing to Boyle. That guy is huge, but he is more of an open space finesse guy too. I fully blame Murray for trying to change people’s game, rather than adapting to use individual player’s strengths. I find it to be a huge hole in TM’s overall coaching. He has one mold, and he tries to put every different shaped peg into that same hole, regardless of whether or not they fit.
Michael J. Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:47 am
@puck73,
He looks like he is skating on egg shells out there. I am beginning to wonder about Murray…
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:31 pm
@Michael J., Here is what Penner can do, personally, I think he doesn’t really want to be here, I think he really wants to be in Edmonton. this is from the 09-10 season. This guy is a goal scorer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itCUA_usE5U
KC23 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:53 am
@puck73, The difference I see in Penner is his board play has become very weak. It also seems to take him forever to get in position in front of the net.
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:33 pm
@KC23, I’ve gone back and looked at some video from the 09-10 season and parking in front of the net was not what he did. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean, this guy truley is a goal scorer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itCUA_usE5U
wavesinair Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:57 am
@puck73,
Scott Parse, 5 games, 2 goals…he also only played 5 games last year.
Dustin Penner, 9 games, 0 goals.
Both have been in TM’s “dog house” yet only one produces. Terry Murray? Nope. It’s just Dustin Penner.
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:03 am
@wavesinair, Very good @waves, @Dominick wood be proud of that research!
KC23 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:24 am
@wavesinair, Bingo. To all those that kept saying “I don’t see what TM see’s in Parse” I hope you can see it now. Parse is a play maker and seems to have improved his forechecking considerably. Richard is the perfect guy for the Parse maturation this year. Now about those penalties … lets shore that up Parse.
bbb7 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@wavesinair, Penner’s ‘game’ (for lack of a better word) is best suited to being a front-net presence and putting back rebounds… unfortunately, he doesnt seem quick enough in today’s NHL to GET to the front of the net for rebounds, and in today’s NHL teams just don’t allow many juicy second chances… so not sure how he fits now. He would be great on the 1978 Kings tho.
HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:39 pm
@wavesinair, Hi Waves, my take on Penner is this, he doesn’t want to be here, he plays like it, he acts like it and he’s not scoring. I really feel that he wishes he was still in Edmonton, he scored 32 goals in the 09-10 season and now nada, zilch, zero. It’s not that he can’t, it’s either TM’s system or Pens can’t wait for the trade time to come up or his free agency. Take a look at this and with an unbiased opinion tell me what you think is going on with him, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itCUA_usE5U
Alex Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@puck73, One thing that i did like about Penner in a last game. He does work a lot better with Kopi at center. They do have that chemistry between them. What do we have to loose leave him there…nothing else works. It did work for a short time last year until Kopi got injured.
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:40 pm
@Alex, Maybe we should resign O’Sullivan because him and Penner really had chemistry in Edmonton. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itCUA_usE5U
Alex Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 8:35 pm
@puck73 WoW, impressive… Some people do know hockey.LOL
CrownLA Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 3:20 pm
@Alex,
WOW I dont know what the problem here is…TM? Motivation? Doesnt Like LA? But is that even the same guy? Lol he has fire determination in his face he even has swagger. Here in LA he looks confused and bored just looking around Duh NUh NUh nUH.
TYLER Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 9:37 am
@puck73, Penner is this year’s Ponikarovsky
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OK, am I the only one who doensn’t really like DD nearly as much as I did even last year when he wasn’t all that good. I don’t know if it’s the holdout, I don’t know if it’s the fact that he isn’t all that great so far this year. I really, really hopes he gets back on it, but he went from my favorite player on the team to a player I wouldn’t be too sad to go in a good trade.
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:28 am
@kororr, Take it easy, Doughty will be ok as soon as he shakes the rust off a litte. Look at Parse, 2 goals in 3 games, granted, he is taking too many penalties but he will be fine.
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Krash Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:44 am
@puck73, Absolutely has not been Doughty like. On the other hand, he is still the best d-man at leading the rush out of our zone (Johnson and Voynov included).
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SDJ73 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:16 pm
@Krash, Complete agreement about leading the rush out of the D zone. DD has skills, and plenty of untapped potential. His biggest problem is Ego….. he listened to his agent to much! Unless he clears his mind and quits coasting @times …. or pressing @. Only DD really knows what he is up to. He will not only never reach his full potential …. but will never again be a Norris finalist.
JJ and VV in my opinion have been solid if not impressive. Can’t say the same for DD.
HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:42 pm
@puck73, Wheither or not he shakes the rust or gets even rustier you’ll see him for at least another 4 years.
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Mike V. Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:36 am
@kororr, Agree 100%. For me it started last year after horrible game against Blues,when he was the only one who said that he doesn’t care what fans think about players performance. Plus his so-so play last year and holdout. And so far this year he is just an average defensman, at best. And unfortunatelly for Kings, he might not get any better. Guy has talent, no dougbt. But just talent is not enough…
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:44 am
@Mike V., Doughty will be ok, this guy is a world class talent that is still only 21. As for Voynov, he may end up being better then both Johnson and Doughty because he thinks defense first. He reminds me of Larry Murphy, a guy who used his speed very effectively and was faster then you thought he was. Also, Voynov, like Murphy, has a great feel for the game at game speed and is wide open on the powerplay constantly.
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PP Anybody? Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:33 am
@puck73, Voynov reminds me more of Brian Rafalski. He looks way smaller than JJ or DD out there on the ice, which I see as maybe being the one thing he will have to work on if there is anything to improve(bulking up that is). He plays great positionally, is a good skater, and reads the ice well like Rafalski. Both those guys use their reads and positioning more so than being able to out-muscle or pinch off a player.
HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:44 pm
@puck73, You’re right Puck only VV doesn’t turn the puck over in his own zone like Murphy did when he was with the Kings.
vicarious Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:50 am
@Mike V., Hextall told the story that one year he held out for more money, missed training camp, then struggled all year. Hextall was worried if Doughty held out he might have similar struggles. Even Michael Jordan–maybe the best basketball player ever– struggled in the NBA when he came back from his baseball playing experiment. Right now, Doughty is 3-4 weeks or more behind those who went through training camp and played at the beginning of the year. And he’s coming off an injury. Doughty is a competitive kid. It should take awhile before he’s up to speed and in the groove. I’d say give him until December or January even before holding him to old standards.
Also, after his results in Doughty year 2, he gets a lot of defensive attention. Opposing teams know what Doughty can do and it’s reasonable to expect their coaches tell them to try to take away his time and space. Even if he’s coming in rusty, that’ll still be the opponents game plan. Voynov played great but its doubtful he was given the defensive attention Doughty usually receives. They played Voynov pretty loose as I recall–and Voynov made them pay for that.
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red49er Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:16 pm
@vicarious, if we give him until January to start playing well can we at least pay him like the average stiff he’s playing like until that point?
Perro Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:51 am
@kororr, He needs to stop putting himself out of positon and turnign over the puck.
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:45 pm
@Perro, He really needs to stop thinking he is the 2nd coming of Bobby Orr.
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KC23 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:54 am
@kororr, DD is still in pre-season condictioning wise. Give him a couple of weeks and he’ll be fine.
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Jeff Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 6:14 pm
@KC23, everyone keep saying that he is still in preseason mode and needs a few more weeks. But whose fault is that?!?! This is the regular season, and with the dough that he’s being paid, he better be ready to go whenever the season starts……I don’t think missed training camp is an excuse!
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wavesinair Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:03 am
@kororr,
-My favorite player.
-Future Captain.
-Future Stanley Cup Winner.
-Future Hall of Famer.
-Jersey in the rafters at Staples.
-Retires a Los Angeles King.
-Inspiration for many great future Kings.
He ain’t goin nowhere so sit back and enjoy the ride.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:18 am
@wavesinair,
Are you talking about Richards?
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DesertKing Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:13 pm
@Kingsfanone,
I think he was talking about Schenn
HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:46 pm
@wavesinair, You must be talking about Quick…..
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Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:27 am
@kororr, i’m the same way, i mean before the holdout i was like yeah he’s alright, he gets the job done, i was pissed that he decided to holdout the way he did, shows a lack of commitment to me, and then we get this?? i cant help but feeling ripped off
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We need to get Penner going, he is driving to the net and playing well overall. Maybe no points but his net presence has contributed to us scoring at least a couple of times this year. Time for him to get hot and start scoring those 20+ goals we are banking on. I rather see Westgarth than Hunter in the lineup. Hunter has been invisible and Westy has played well. Parse has been playing well except for the penalties which we can forgive if he keeps scoring.
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KingsGuy Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:51 am
@Krash, Agree, although, I don’t know what it’s going to take to get Penner actually going.
As for Hunter, he may have a “hard shot” as Fox would say, but every shot seems to go wide. I think he had one SOG yesterday… Westy has been playing good – hope they rotate him back into the line-up.
People I am most concerned with at this point -
* Brown
* Clifford
* Doughty
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Krash Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 10:55 am
@KingsGuy, I think Brown and Richard are starting to generate some chemistry. Doughty will be just fine. Clifford’s has to get his nose dirty to be effective, time for Murray to call him out (in private)
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KingsGuy Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:39 am
@Krash, It’s not just the scoring aspect of Brown… It’s his hitting and “grit”.
Doughty, yea, I am hoping it’s just nerves or rust. We’ve all seen what he is capable of.
Clifford, you’re right, maybe it’s even time to ride the pine for a game!?
red49er Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:08 pm
@KingsGuy, totally agree with the 3 on the “concerned” list.
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Alex Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 2:52 pm
@KingsGuy, Same here. Is it just me, but Brown been playing horrible hockey, out of place, turn overs, bad decisions….
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KC23 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:02 am
@Krash, I agree we do need to get Penner going … right out the door. A 4 mil cap hit for one POS assist? I don’t think so. The thing that sold me on Penner just not cutting it was the difference in the Richard’s line as soon as he left it. Parse is a good player, but he’s not that good (or maybe he is?) to make that line look so much better.
My call last summer for surprise improvement players this year Martinez and Parse. I’ve seen Martinez’s play start to pick up, but it was shocking to see Parse all of a sudden have that look that he had his first year.
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bringbackbutchgoring Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:23 am
@KC23, HaHa, I actually remember that because I agreed with you. I just hope AM doesn’t get lost in the VV shuffle next season. I actually think better to convert AM to a more defensive defenseman than trade him or demote him to 7th defenseman. Haven’t heard anyone agree with me, however.
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KC23 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 1:36 pm
@bringbackbutchgoring, I don’t think Martinez has the grit, size and strenght needed to become an effective defensive defenseman.
I bet money that VV will be a regular by the end of November. The kid is a game changer, you have to make room for him one way or another.
bringbackbutchgoring Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 2:40 pm
@bringbackbutchgoring, I believe AM is the same size as Scuds and seems to have plenty of grit to me
FdoFmFull Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 4:07 pm
@bringbackbutchgoring, Why does it have to be either Voynov or AM?
Why does it have to be 3 stay-at-home and 3 puck carriers on the DCorps?
In my mind, you strive to make your offensively gifted dmen more well-rounded by teaching them to play well in the defensive zone. JJ’s progress currently demostrates that. I agree that AM’s not big and strong enough to do what WM or MG do today, but he should bulk up somewhat over time and continue using his speed, quickness, puck handling abilities, positioning, etc. to become a stronger dman.
In the long run, I would not make it a AM vs Voynov scenario, rather, how many well-rounded reliable dmen can I develop on my team in order to run a modern fast, dynamic, cohesive 5-man skating unit on the ice. That’s the modern game.
Besides, the budget factor will also dictate that you have a balance of salaries on the roster and getting rid of promising young all-around dmen like AM is not conducive.
gKg!!!
IceGuy Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 5:23 pm
@bringbackbutchgoring,
Martinez should be groomed to replace Greene, and fast.
The key is to not score on the PP. When we score on the PP we lose. Of course, that makes no sense, but that is the read from the last couple of games. Of course, if we actually scored some goals 5-5, then those PP goals would be game winners. I said earlier you can’t put this on JQ since two of the goals were difficult (1 was impossible) to save. We need to increase our scoring so when we have a couple of wierd bounces or we have one or two lapses in our defense or goaltending, then we can overcome it and get the win. JQ can’t pitch a shut-out every game.
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Dazed N Confused Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:01 am
@DesertKing,
Very well said. Things are going to happen throughout a game, a bad bounce, a bad pass,or the puck just hops the wrong way. We are supposed to be scoring more goals this season with our additionas, but so far I am not real impressed.
I do not think we played a bad game or anything but we need to get more goals one way or another.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:23 am
@DesertKing,
Terry Murray has been preaching about improving 5 on 5 scoring for what, 3 years now. What, you want it fixed overnight? Terry Murray isn’t close to looking like FedEx!
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DesertKing Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:31 am
@Kingsfanone,
Based upon my premise that in order to win, we shouldn’t score any PP goals, then Kompon for Head Coach!! Its a good thing I only coach in exchange for nachos (please send all nachos to section 214,thank you)
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PP Anybody? Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:37 am
@Kingsfanone, been wanting it fixed for the last couple years now. I’m still waiting.
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SDJ73 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 11:43 pm
@Kingsfanone, I have not really been one to call out or ask for the head of TM. I respect his accomplishments with the team and throughout his career. As a former upper level athlete. I also know sometimes it’s a talent void, others it’s a coaching void, others a system or leadership problem, and rarely yet still occasionally it is none of the above. Sometimes you just gotta shake things up.
In this case ….. I am still debating! Although I am starting to lean towards a shake up.
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I can’t recall but has Rick played with SG at all this year? The whole NHL knows SG signed to play with Rick or at lease it was sold as that. I guess everyone except TM? I don’t recall them trading for Kurri back then so that he can play without Gretz……
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this guy in ottawa says we are looking to move penner and bernier. dont move bernier just yet, imo… http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2011/10/30/18898741.html
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Harry Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:14 pm
@tim chaney,
TFP reported that first about 2-3 days ago. It’s from Ottawa Sun paper…so go figure!
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DesertKing Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:22 pm
@tim chaney,
If I was Tampa Bay, I would want JB also. Sending Penner tocalgary wouldn’t be bad, esepcially since I don’t think we would event hink of resigning himat the end of the season, so we would at east get something for him. I know a lot of people want to trade him for other highly skilled players, but other teams have scouts as well and I’m pretty sure the word is out on him now.I bet all of those scouts read the Insider also, so “Hello” to all of you scouts and Penner is worth at least a #1 and #4 set of draft picks (please?, or a 2nd and a 6th? final offer, ladder-on-the-ice pusher and a ticket taker?).
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So we’re on a roll. Kickin’ ass n’ takin’ names. Won 4 in a row. Goalie has 3 shutous in a row. Things are really looking good. As a coach, player or fan I don’t think I could ask much more. So the players keep playin’ and the fans are going nuts (in a good way) and the coach…well the coach decides to over coach ala Tony LaRussa and sit the goalie, break the momentum and put the back up goalie in a near no win position. Anyone else surprised at the recent results? I’ve been a fairly strong Terry Murray supported but a few more decisions as ill conceived as this one and I will call for his head (as in to be fired). We all knew the streak was going to end relatively quickly, why not let it play itself out and then get your back up some work? I mean c’mon, even Bernier wouldn’t have been upset if the coach went back to him and said – “hey circumstances have changed, stay ready ‘cuz when this run ends you’re in”.
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:54 pm
@red49er, Shoot he did it to Quick last year also so why should this year and his style of coaching be any different. Defense men aleays think they know more then the goaltender and Murray is no different since he was a defensemen.
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I have to admit I’ve avoided most of the posts here the last few days because I knew they would include the “Doughty sucks, TM sucks for NOT playing Quick and he sucks for playing Quick, DL sucks for sending Voynov down, trade Doughty, trade Bernier, release Martinez, Greene, Brown sucks and so on and so on.”
Anyway, I will say that I’m still pretty happy with this team. I posted here after the “European Tour” that I would be happy if the team came out of the first month with 15 points. Well they missed by one so I’m not too disappointed. Looking at this long term and I do everyday of the season, because I can see past my nose, this team is still on a 105 point season pace, which ain’t too shabby. I also posted early on that I thought it would take a month to a month in a half for the lineup to gel. I still feel that way, especially with Doughty’s situations , Gagne missing time, Penner missing time and being well Penner, the long “road trip” and guys just getting used to each other.
So if you just look at what the Kings have actually done so far, and NOT what some of you hoped-fantasized they would do, you might see that this is a pretty damned good team! They have improved defensively, the PK is solid, the PP has been better, the depth has proven invaluable (see Parse, Voynov, et all) and now they have a month where they have 10 home games. Sure I am concerned about their 5 on 5 scoring, but again, I think/hope that will improve as soon as the lineup is completely together for a handful of games.
I know it’s common to be a critic on this site, but I thought I might just throw a little positiveness out there on this Hallows day! Keep the faith my fellow Kings fans, it ain’t special if it’s easy!!!
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Belexes Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:21 pm
@Shotongoal,
+1
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bbb7 Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:28 pm
@Shotongoal, Agree with ALL of that. You’d think we were 3-8 with the comments here. (Imagine the suicide watches here if we DID start 3-8) It’s a looong season, people, and they’re doing fine.
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Michael J. Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 12:33 pm
@Shotongoal,
Great post. I have had to learn to simple scroll right past the Debbie Downers and read those who are maybe a little more thoughtful than others when they post.
I am also pleased where the Kings are right now. If someone would have asked me a month ago if I would have taken a 6-3-2 start, especially after the European side-show, I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat. All things considered (Penner not producing, Gagne hurt, Doughty hurt) the Kings are not in too bad a place right now.
This team will get better month after month.
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We need to score more goals period. Shots on goal are deceiving when they all come from distance and from the outside.Will someone on the Kings please drive the middle? That is my biggest frustration with this team.Varlomov was giving up rebounds all night, but nobody was there to bang them back in the net.Colorado did get lucky, but getting only 2 goals a game is not going to cut it.
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i might have liked to see david booth here in a deal for penner. when you see what the canucks gave up to get him, you might agree…
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“Every Kings forward… except Dustin Penner”
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
October 31st, 2011 at 7:54 pm
@kevin from toronto, Kevin take a look from the 09-10 season and then let me hear you say it again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itCUA_usE5U
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kevin from toronto Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 7:17 am
@HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration,
That was 2 years ago.
It was his only 30 goal season.
in 34 games (including playoffs) with the Kings, which is almost a half season he has 3 goals, 6 assists and is -3. or $472,222 per point.
Oh and he takes up over 4 million in cap space.
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Penner DO something! I miss Voynov… It was just a waste of money, spent on DD… he’s a mediocre
player, nothing more!! Last year he had an average season, this year is gonna be the same…
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johnjuan Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 10:44 am
@Csaba Bhody,
Yup!
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Mr. Doughty was a minus-2 for the Colorado game. Constantly out of position, won’t hit anybody. Looks more like a rookie now then he did in his first season. Well he got the money, no need to extend himself.
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