Yesterday afternoon, Terry Murray said that Dustin Penner “feels confident and is ready to go.’’ Well, things changed, it seems, because today the Kings determined that Penner would not play Thursday against Florida. Penner will stay on injured reserve and miss his ninth consecutive game with a hand injury, so the Kings will stay with the same lineup they used on Monday. Here’s what Murray said about Penner’s status…
MURRAY: “Not quite. Not quite. Closer every day, but not for tomorrow. No setback. Just moving forward with it. He’s getting closer.’’
Question: Independent of that, is there some value to keeping intact the lineup that gave you a pretty good game on Monday?
MURRAY: “There’s value to it, I suppose. I’m not superstitious, though, about those things. I like the way we are starting to get going here. Our game has good pace, doing the right things, moving the puck quickly right now. So the group has been playing well, and it keeps getting pushed up, a little bit, to the next level with every game that goes by. But on the other side of things, too, I always believe that you put your best players into the lineup whenever you’re ready to go, and you play those guys. Penner is a good player, and we’re just waiting our time for him to get a little bit better before he goes in.’’
I hope he does get “a little bit better”.
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Soooo, looks like no trade, sorry guys.
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John Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
@fsd1, Hmmm…. TM could have been told to stall. ??? what do you think?
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fsd1 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
@John, Possibly.
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well i know one thing. his hand injury isn’t from people begging him to sign autographs from all the scoring he’s doing.
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kovalking96 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
@Newf,
People get autographs for there name, not what there stats are. And as a player for the kings I would love his autograph.
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Ersberg Reply:
December 1st, 2011 at 10:24 am
@kovalking96, I wouldn’t mind having his autograph, either, just not as a King.
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TM you could sell ice to a Eskamo. Come on; please don’t take us for idiots. At some point TM start telling the real story.
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Räikkönen Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
@gene,
The real story is Murray is not in a rush, especially when you have Dustin Brown making the move to LW and doing a good job. What’s the big deal? It’s not like Penner was lighting it up before the injury. He’s already said eventually he’ll integrate him into the lineup. so.
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gene Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
@Räikkönen, Ok you are not seeing the point I made. IF what you said is true, then TM should say that. Don’t say his injury is healed then say it isn’t. Say Penner is healthy but for the time being we are going to keep Penner on the IR becasue I like our present line up. Period.
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BringBackKingston Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
@gene, but I don’t think you can keep a healthy guy on the IR. So, TM can’t really come out and say that even if that is what he thinks.
EASportsMgt Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
@gene, Could it possibly be that although there wasn’t a setback per se, maybe some of the swelling or discomfort hadn’t been reduced as expected and so there is no need to put him in right away?????
By just stating that he is not quite ready he is stating the truth. He doesn’t have to give us any specific details.
gene Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
@Räikkönen, OK if that is the case you are thend 100% right.
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Check out the top players and COACHES for the first quarter:
http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/7298720/pierre-lebrun-makes-awards-picks-first-quarter-pole
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King John Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Coaches are under Jack Adams award.
Also Anze is mentioned! (guess where…)
Brad Richards honorable under Selke (best two-way forward).
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goldielocks Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
@King John,
Don’t be Bob. It’s Mike Richards. And no TM’s name under Jack Adams.
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fsd1 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
@King John, so out of the 30 coaches TM is not in the top 5 or 7 or 8? Who cares? I know I dont.
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dMan Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
@King John, Wait, what? Doughty not listed for the Norris!? I’m shocked! Shocked I tell you.
Nice mention for Kopitar and Richards.
I think the coaching choices are appropriate. Bylsma and Tippett are my favorites though you got to give a “tip o the hat’ to Hitchcock.
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Go Penni, go! Enough injuries…
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I like the line up right now. The line changes were needed. Brown, Gagne, Clifford are doing a good job occupying the left-side. Gives Penner extra reps to be 100%. We don’t need a Marco Sturm situation.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
@Räikkönen,
Kimi? Is that you?
ps-Loved Kimi when he drove F1. He was awesome!
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SantaMariaKing Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
@Räikkönen,
Brown,Gagne and Cliffy are in on the occupy deal. Hope it doesn’t interfere with the game tommorrow night………….
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I hope he gets a little bit better with his health, then a lot better in the way he plays
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Ive lost all faith in Penner. put him on waivers and if he clears send him down. I dont care what his salary is or what he was supposed to do… he has proven he is useless this year. The chopping block for him!
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FiG17 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
“when he clears”
fixed it for you.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
@FiG17, LOL…so true
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We would have been better served with Ponikarovsky! would have been cheaper too.
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fsd1 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, What if, What if, What if……Coulda Woulda Shoulda, none of it applies anymore.
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DesertKing Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
@fsd1,
Maybe
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
@fsd1,I just made a statement buddy…no what ifs. Sorry it rubbed you the wrong way (i guess). BTW….the statement at this point is true. One thing i know for sure that doesnt apply is Penner being effective.
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Can we please try to give Coach Murray a little credit? Honesty is good, but the last thing one of your players needs to hear…when he’s already been struggling and is coming back from an injury…is “yeah, he’s ready, he’s just not better than the guys I have out there so I’m keeping his sorry butt glued to the waiting room.”
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The Third Vopat Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
@Mel Powell,
Ouch!!!, Truth does hurt. Yeah, let’s keep honesty to a minimum and stick to sarcasm and/or humor. Penner, You’re The Bestessess in the Westessess.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@The Third Vopat,
Translation: Best of the Worst?
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Is anyone else pissed that Ryan Smyth had more goals than Kopitar and Richards?
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Ryno Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
@Ryno, I meant “has more”
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
@Ryno, Not one bit! Personaly….I could care less what old man Smythers is doing.
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Michael J. Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
@Ryno,
No.
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Deke'r Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
@Ryno, Why?
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King Sachmo Stallion Maximus The Great Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
@Ryno, Who’s Ryan Smith?
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Reading between the lines:
MURRAY: “Not quite. Not quite. Closer (to dumping him) every day, but not for tomorrow (hopefully, soon). No setback (the team we were talking to wanted to trade a peanut vendor, so no go on that one). Just moving forward with it (continuing to look for any suckers…errr…takers). He’s getting closer (to being swapped for a warm bucket of pucks).”
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DesertKing Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
@vplaza,
“Yep, he’s just about ready to play, ready to play for another team”
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Vman77 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
@DesertKing, HaHa, good one
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Trade Dustin Penner and left overs back to DUCKs sounds good for Bobby Ryan.
Penner Getzlaf & Perry tore up the AHL in their youth! REUNITE!
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Ryan Smith is playing with young hungry guys and just picking up garbage goals!
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penner is terrible
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Donald Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
@Harty, How many bottom 6 players do you see on this team 2 years from now?
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Bkrs-Bud Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
@Donald, 12.
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Harty Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
@Donald, I see the following in 2 years……..
-Clifford
-Richardson
-Lewis
-(maybe) Fraser
…….that’s it……
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One thing I take out of his comments is that Penner hasn’t been ready to play Knigs hockey since he got here
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g smith86 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
@g smith86, oh sorry that is what I think
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nykingfan Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
@g smith86,
I’ll agree there!
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We gave up a guy like Handzeus to make cap space for a guy like Penner?
ARRRGH
Penner has not been a good fit at all – watching the rest of the way the team grinds , when hes out on the ice he really stands out. Frustrating to lose a guy like Zeus for a guy like Penner- its like painful to see Penner in a Kings Jersey =/
Way to go Ethan, Gagz n MikeyR to bring us up a notch tho- didnt I hear something aboot Penner goin across to the FowlPond that would be awesome if he went and we brought back Visnovsky!!
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Trade DP, A-Mart and EM for Bobby Ryan!
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Vman77 Reply:
November 30th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
@King Sachmo Stallion Maximus The Great, you want to give the ducks three players for a struggling Bobby Ryan. You sound more like a ducks fan, We’ll give you guys dustin penner back, and you can keep your bobby ryan too
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We have such a good developement program, but can’t seem to grow left wings..
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Wake me up when “good players” in the top six actually score goals.
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Thank you Mr. Penner!
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