Much of the Kings’ success over the past couple seasons has been built around a strong penalty-killing unit. The Kings ranked fourth in the NHL last season in penalty-kill percentage, and were expected to be at least as strong with the addition of players such as Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Ethan Moreau, to compensate for the loss of strong penalty-killer Michal Handzus. It was surprising, then, to see the Kings go through a stretch like they did this month, when they allowed 10 power-play goals in eight games. Things have turned back to the positive of late, though, as the Kings have gone 16-for-16 on the penalty kill in their last four games. I asked Terry Murray for his perspective on why things have improved of late.
MURRAY: “The difference is clearing the puck. That’s it. Structurally, system-wise, effort, intensity, blocking shots, everything has been, to me, on a pretty level playing field. When you evaluate that part of the game, the difference has been those loose pucks that we’re clearing from the zone now on a more consistent basis. You start giving power plays — with the best players on the ice — second and third opportunities to recover and make plays, they’re probably going to make you pay a price.’’
Sweet!! Loving the kill of late!
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Keep it simple. No fancy shenanigans.
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Fire the head coach.
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g smith86 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@Armen, oh your post looks so funny in comparison…LOL!!!
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Tm you think quick being on fire has anything to do with it?
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YoBro Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
@purple and gold, And don’t forget those red-hot posts!
Go Kings
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I love our PK too, but sometimes it seems like we can’t clear the puck to save our lives!
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rogiesbackup Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
@John, I’ve noticed that too this season. I wish the kings had more patience and skate the puck out instead of passing it around their blue line.
I also feel the opposition has found a weakness in the Kings….send TWO guys to forecheck.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
I actually meant coming out of the zone on the 5-5 play. Boy, they really have some problems!
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I will not be distracted from the fact that the kIngs aren’t scoring goals. Enough of these feel good posts. ;P
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The fact is they are doing a better job clearing pucks and the PK has been better of late
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Improve scoring and keep doing the things that we do well…do not regress!
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I love watching the body language of the other teams PP point guys when Richards steps onto the ice. You can just feel them going … ah oh, better be careful.
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TM is seeming to me like he gets a chubby every time someone talks about how well the Kings play defensively, but when it comes to offense, it’s like he clams up and is all shy and awkward and doesn’t know what to say.
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Lake Forest Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
@Newf, probably the funniest post I’ve read in a while. Good times!
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What’s amazing is that NJ is killing over 94% of their powerplays. Basically means they could play the whole game a man short and give up only a little over 3 goals. God that team is boring. I can’t even watch them play.
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It’s funny how our PP and PK never seem to be good at the same time. During the 8 game stretch when the Kings gave up 10 PP goals in 8 games, they also scored 7 PP goals in those 8 games. In the last 4 games the Kings PK has allowed 0 goals, and the Kings PP has scored only 1 goal. Kinda odd.
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jonsey Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
@CB14, You’d think a good team would be good at everything. DET used to be. I thought this was a ground up organization like them. Richards was worth the price, but was Doughty?
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CB14 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
@jonsey, Well, the Kings aren’t in the same category as Detroit, yet. The Kings problem is, and has been for 3+ years, offense. They’re tied for 2nd to last in 5 on 5 scoring, and fifth worst in goals per game. That’s still a problem that needs to be fixed before they can considered to be in the same group as DET, SJS, VAN, and CHI.
The PP has been better this year, 14th overall, but has benefited from 5 on 3 and 4 on 3 PP chances. The Kings lead the league in 5 on 3 goals with 4, the next closest team has 2. They are tied for the lead in 4 on 3 PP goals. The 5 on 4 PP has actually been below average. They have the 8th most 5 on 4 opportunities, but only the 21st highest 5 on 4 goals.
Doughty wasn’t worth the price, yet. DL was forced, as every GM is, to pay Doughty based off his potential. That’s a problem you can trace back to Kevin Lowe. Will Doughty be worth it in the future? Possibly. I don’t know. Dion Phaneuf was a similar situation to DD, he had a great first 3 years, then got paid and regressed the next 3 years, but is now back to where he was originally. He’s being talked about, although it’s early, as a potential Norris Trophy finalist. Could that be the path DD takes? It wouldn’t surprise me.
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I think it’s been more precision of late and esp. the Dman getting a strong clearing pass that will go the distance.
Richards does change the way some teams attack, just his presence lends itself to a degree of uncertainty and that sligt hesitation will cause a mistake. I love watching the reaction (like Kris LeTangs on the shorthanded break during the Pens game) of the player he steals the puck from as he races by the ‘what the hell just happened ;’ look
In the NHL’s quarter mark figures, Richards got excellent stats on the PK with over 51 minutes of penalty killing time and only on the ice for 1 goal allowed. It cited his outstanding work in the defensive zone (strong 5 x 5 as well, 7 goals allowed ) and listed him as a top candidate for the Selke.
I’ve seen how other players around him , when they eiathe partner with him on the PK or watch, do become better at it.
I do prefer PK teams, in philly Giroux and Richards were one team and Powe and Betts the other. The mor eyou work with the same PK partner, the better you get at Penalty killing effectivness.
Murray doesn’t do that and it shows at times. If nothing else, Gagne and Richards should be on the same PK team because they know each other moves, having been stellar PK’ers for 3 years together.
Scotty Bowman once said that one of the keys to his teams being an effective Post Season was that you needed Good goaltending and had to be in the top 10 for PK and PP.
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“Much of the Kings’ failure over the past couple seasons has been built around a very weak power play unit”.
Now let’s fix it once and for all.
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Don’t forget that the very real threat of scoring short handed makes the opposing PP just a smidge less likely to fully commit in the offensive zone. It is always possible, but seeing MR makes them think about it.
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Meh. They also had two or three short-handers. When they gave up a few extra goals. In the long run, that’s going to make the opposing power play more conservative and lead to a better percentage.
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