Dustin Penner will miss his eighth consecutive game with a hand injury, but there might not be a ninth. After tonight’s game, the Kings have two practice days before Thursday’s game against Florida. Given that Penner has been medically cleared, and his been participating in the last couple days of full practice, it seems reasonable that Penner would be able to play against Thursday. After today’s skate, I asked Terry Murray if that was reasonable…
MURRAY: “I think so. I think we’re going to be very close there, absolutely. Probably, if it came to his decision alone, he would play tonight. But two more days of practice, getting going, feeling more comfortable, getting healthier, it will push him pretty close.’’
Alec Martinez remains in a no-contact jersey and would seem to be at least a week from returning, but Martinez is able to skate and participate in some drills.
MURRAY: “The injured guys are getting closer. You can see more competitiveness in their practice. In their drills now, they’re battling in those 2-on-2 competitive drills. That’s a big step, in my opinion, to have the confidence to be able to get through that part. So they’re getting better with it, getting healthier.’’
So Your tellling me we have a chance!
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MegaTron Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
@Lead Feet, Lovely accent you have there….New Jersey?
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Scot Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
@MegaTron,
Austria..
On another note.. Are you a Lions fan?
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CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:34 pm
@Scot, Well then, gday mate. Lets put another shrimp on the barbie!
CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Hey Scot, did we have a discussion that broke the rules or something? For some reason my response to you is still awaiting moderation, while my comments to other people aren’t. I thought things were always cool between the two of us when we responded to each other. Mabye I missed something?
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Scot Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
@CB14,
Haha no idea! As far as I know, everything is cool! While I respect everybody, you’re one of my favorite people on here! Which comment of mine did you respond to that is awaiting moderation?
CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
@Scot, Good to know. The one right above here. Since it hasn’t been shown yet, i’ll repeat it here.
I said, “Well then, gday mate. Lets put another shrimp on the barbie!” Don’t know why it’s still awaiting moderation. Seems pretty harmless to me.
Ryan Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
@CB14, I have one extra ticket in PR4 tonight. Row 1…..I am using 3. $50 and meet out front and your in……text or call me 818-636-8544
Lead Feet Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
@MegaTron,
Excuse me, do you know the way to the Stanley Cup Finals? My Driver, err Coach, is a bit lost.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
@Lead Feet,
Are you parting your hair on the opposite side now?
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Hope Penner finds his game…It would seem the Kings are stuck with him until the end of they year anyways. Lokti heading back to NH, hopefully he gets a goal tonight.
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With Penner coming back and this new line up putting Lokti at his natural position is he going to be sent down and Stoll goes back to 3rd line center? Seems like we’re going to be in more another game of darts for line combos tomorrow.
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Bluecoconuts Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@loskingpride, my guess would be Brown moves to the right, and Penner takes the left… Gagne and Richards stay together, with Williams joining them, and the bottom six goes back to normal.
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EJ Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
@loskingpride, I have no problem with Clifford going to the Monarchs for a stretch.
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I’m torn between winning and losing because if we do either we still have Murray.
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fsd1 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
@KOHO, Not I, a Kings fan, always want the team to win regardless of what is going on.
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Shakes Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:18 pm
@fsd1,
+1
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KingsGuy Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
@Shakes, +2
Not sure how this is good news.
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fsd1 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@DesertKing, Because DP will make this a better team.
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Scot Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
@DesertKing,
Hey Desert, did I read on here one time that you normally sit in section 216, or am I still hungover from Saturday night’s game? I will be sitting in 216 tonight with my roommate, would be cool to say hello if you’re there!
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DesertKing Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
@Scot,
Sorry dude, not at the game tonight and we normally sit in 214, but what the hey, we can meet at the next game we go to. We will be there on New Year’s Eve and then the Insider suite night on January 19th. Hopefully by then the Kings will be back ontrack and we can drink a salute to them. Thanks for thinking of me
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The new phone books are here!!!
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CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
@kingszzz, Get away from the cans, they hate the cans!
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Stuart Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
@CB14, twinkie and Tab for me please!
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
@kingszzz, BE SOMEBODY!
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i know many of yoots would like the headline to read…
“penner on track for thursday…and on amtrak by friday…”
regardless of whether or not i think he’s gonna come through for us, i sincerely hope penner does…
nobody wants a wade redden situation here, even if it would be for a half a season…
paleeeease, db…paleeeeassse…do hurt ‘em…(!)
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CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
@variable, dp, not db. I hope Penner plays like he did with Edmonton. This team needs more scoring, and will take it any way they can. Especially considering Scott Parse is likely gone for a very long time.
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variable Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
@CB14,
dp…lol…thanks…
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Penner…Loktionov…who cares at this point. As long as Murray is the coach, the Kings will underachieve.
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Boudreau is looking for a new job!
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AZ King Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
@Bob_626,
and he can keep looking. Don’t want him here.
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Possibly for Thursday:
Penner – Kopitar – Brown
Gagne – Richards – Stoll/Williams
Clifford – Loktionov – Stoll/Williams
Moreau/Richardson – Fraser – Lewis/Hunter/Westgarth
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King John Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
It’s interesting that the guy we thought wouldn’t be around—Fraser—seems to have a pretty solid spot. I still see Clifford as a 4th liner, but I don’t think Parse is ready nor will TM put Richardson on the 3rd line. We sure seem to have a lot of 4th line players!
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Bill Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@King John, King John you are so off base its not even funny. Did you make these lines up with the thought of winning games? You need to take that out of the equation and only put lines together that can put in a good effort and lose 2-1 all the while the coach is proud of the team for holding the other team to 2 goals. TM would rather lose 2-1 than win 8-6. Now go back to the drawing board and take out logic and reason when you put your lines together.
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King John Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
@Bill, lol, I would make a couple more changes if I could…
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CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
@Bill, LOL.
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Ryan Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
@Bill, I have one extra ticket in PR4 tonight. Row 1…..I am using 3. $50 and meet out front and your in……text or call me 818-636-8544
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Here’s hoping he leaves his piano at home instead of on his back
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Can we fire merry and make a trade F***, this talk of top six forwards we have is funny, all we have is look and mark, Simon is at best a B player now and Williams is a 3rd liner. Omg
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trytodethroneus Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
@Rom27,
Can you send me the secret decoder ring so I can try to figure out what you wrote? Thanks.
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
@trytodethroneus, Be sure to drink your Ovaltine
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Kings are not prepared for tonight’s game.
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fsd1 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
@Steve, ok coach!
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puck73 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
@Steve, Thanx for telling me, now I dont have to watch it since I know they will be blown out by San Jose, Thanx for the heads up man !
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trytodethroneus Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
@Steve,
What will the Fantasy Five numbers be tonight?
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Michael J. Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
@Steve,
Is this John Stevens?
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
@Michael J., the sarcasm is alive and well on this blog…..good to see
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408kingsfan Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
@Steve, Did they tell you that ?
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Kasey9 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
@Steve, whats this weeks lottery numbers gonna be while your at it?
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stop blaming Penner guys…How many players that hasnt score yet? we got alot of them.
Yea he hasnt scored yet but do u really expect a guy that likes to be close by or in front of the net but TM system doesnt go by that more like cycle it around the boards to the point then shot the puck…
I dont blame him at all…He has been doing alot better when he was healthy but no lucky bounce was coming to him yet and then injury kept coming and coming ….Its Hockey players get hurt and i hope this is the last of it
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Kopi*, mike*
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King John Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
@Rom27, When I tried to figure out your previous entry, I figured you meant Kopi and Richards. So I thought you meant Kopi is the one to LOOK at for his skill and Mike is the one who hits the MARK!
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Michael J. Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
@King John,
You got the ring???
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King John Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
@Michael J.,
Maybe TM should take a look at it too!
Just realized they have the Canadiens coming up and in all honesty can’t remember the last time they beat Montreal. So between SJ, a hugely improved Florida team and then the Habs (in an afternoon game yet) it doesn’t get any easier whatsoever for them.
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number 6 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
@number 6,
And how lovely it would be to actually see them score some goals and win handsomely instead of trying to stay close and squeak it out by one goal or in a shootout.
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CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
@number 6, The only good thing is that the Canadians have been playing as good as the Kings have lately. Which is to say not very good.
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Everybody talks so much about the bottom 6……..
Our top 6 are not the top 6 you anticipated are they?? They are under achieving for sure, and no one thought the bottom 6 should win us games did they in the summer. But now its easy to pick on the top 6 well guess what and I will call it as I have been watching it…….
-Kopi best player in the West is less interested in playing, why?
-his linemates, Williams is sometimes going, and Gagne is lazy and hangs around and doesn’t get involved along the boards or on the back check
-Richards has heart and talent but the heart in him will suffer with…..
-crapy linemates, Brown isn’t himself as Captain, and Loktionov is AHL player at best
….so critics we won’t win without a true top 6, not a crapy bottom 6.
I challenge you to watch Gagne for shifts or Williams not withstanding Loktionov, many problems no solutions.
Reason I say this look at the +/- on the team who is on the ice for goals against, our top lines
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On puckdaddy’s notes page there’s the bold prediction that Hunter nets 2 tonight against SJ…
FTS!
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CB14 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
@Stuart, That is quite a bold prediction.
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puck73 Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
@Stuart, @ShotonGoal told me Brown will get a Hatty!!
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Gustavo Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
@Stuart,
Hunter may net two goals tonight……Sure, in his own goal, perhaps. And as long as Quick is not looking.
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Whoopy doo…
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My lines:
Gagne-Richards-Williams
Stoll-Kopitar-Brown
Richardson-Loktionov-Hunter
Clifford-Fraser-Westgarth
When Penner and Voynov return:
Gagne-Richards-Williams
(Double-Shift)-Kopitar-Brown
Richardson-Loktionov-Stoll
Clifford-Fraser-Penner
Doughty-Scuderi-Johnson-Greene-Voynov-Martinez-Mitchell (on a rotation 5-5)
Doughty-Voynov
Johnson-Martinez (PP)
In all cases, Moreau, Lewis, and Drewiske sit.
I’m open to different combos, but I think 7 defensemen is where it’s at for the Kings.
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Out of our 14 forwards, we have 7 centers (Richardson is really a center). LOL!
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King John Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
@Steve, Remember, wingers are not important players on a team….[sarcasm]
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Penner on track for Thurday return. How about Penner is on track for a 0 goal season. I think the latter is a more accurate headline
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Steve Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
@408kingsfan, he is 1 goal behind Westgarth and 1 assist ahead of Quick.
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408kingsfan Reply:
November 28th, 2011 at 4:50 pm
@Steve, There are actually people that feel he will “turn things around” this season.
I just hope we can trade him for a 3rd round pick and get his salary off the books
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