It’s always interesting to observe the mood of a team the day after a bad loss, and losses don’t get much worse than the 8-2 mauling the Kings took in Detroit last night. The Kings were on the ice at 1 p.m. local time today, and things were quiet at the start, but coaches kept the tempo of practice and a high level and the mood seemed to follow. The team cracked up when Mike Richards went for a one-timer and had his skate slide out from under him, and there was cheering and razzing when practice ended with a 2-on-2 competition between the “white’’ team and the “black’’ team. After practice, captain Dustin Brown talked about the mood of the team today, and what was accomplished in practice, as did Willie Mitchell and interim coach John Stevens…
BROWN: “I think everyone was still (upset) about it this morning. When you get embarrassed and you play like we did, it’s not a thing that you can just let go. But, at the same time, it’s part of the battle of playing every other day. There’s nothing we can do to change the outcome of that game, or how we played. The only thing we can focus on is playing Toronto and being better. It started today in practice, by getting out there today and having a good practice.’’
MITCHELL: “Those are the practices we’re going to need if we’re going to get out of this. It was up-tempo. The forwards were buzzing, they were going to the net hard. It pushes the limits of defensemen when you practice like that. It’s the old cliche but it’s true. You need good practice habits to play well in the game. I don’t think our practices have been the best around here. It was a good skate. It was quick, it was up-tempo, the guys worked hard and it was perfect for me to test the groin.’’
STEVENS: “It was good. We met this morning as a group here today and just kind of addressed what happened last night. If you look at Detroit, as good as they are and as talented as they are, once you sit down and watch all their goals, it just comes from good, hard work. It’s checking and playing the game the right way and being determined. So even though they’re a talented team, they don’t just step on the ice and try to out-skill you. They’re pretty determined to outwork you, and I think that’s something we have to learn from. I thought the focus today in practice was excellent. I thought the guys worked hard, picked up the tempo, got to the net, did the things we asked them to do. We can’t change what happened last night in Detroit. I really look at this road trip as an opportunity to go 2-2 under some pretty tough circumstances, and I thought the guys were very professional about their approach today.’’
“I don’t think our practices have been the best around here.”
Wow.
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variable Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
@MindGeyser,
i was surprised to hear willie say that, too…
but there must be some truth to it…willie is not a separatist or someone who pulls his punches…
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MM Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 9:09 am
@variable, I would be interested in Willie going a bit more into detail on this. I agree, Willie isn’t one to make cheap comments so there must be truth to this.
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It doesn’t take much to read between the lines to know what he was meaning.
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Bama Kings Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
@taz42, Mitchell is our Captain if Brownie were to lose the C. He “ABSOLUTELY” is ready to get in there. This guy is what we need.
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Dominick Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
@Bama Kings, No one’s going to take the captaincy away from Brown, and there’s no reason for Brown to give it up either. No one questions Browns determination on the team, or his commitment even though you might. The guy is 4rth in scoring on a team that can’t score, and has been our most productive right winger for years now. In fact, he leads all Kings right wingers in goals for a few years now.
Unless you have some inside information that he’s a problem in the dressing room, I disagree.
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Osaka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:34 pm
@Dominick, Agreed. If everyone on the team put in the effort Brown does every game we would be in first place.
Osaka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@Bama Kings, Mitchell is an URA after this season, how can you make him captain?
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Osaka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@Osaka, I mean UFA
Dominick Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
@Osaka, I agree. The only guy I could see Brown giving up the C too, if he wanted it, would be Richards, and Richards likes just being a hockey player again. Other than that, I think Brown’s a very proud player, who relishes being Captain, and wears the C with pride.
Eric Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
@Dominick,
Does diving and flopping constitute pride? Not in my book…
Dominick Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
@Eric,
Thats what they say in Anahiem. He is the captain wether you agree or not, and that won’t change anytime soon.
Christian T Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
@taz42, Kind of laughable that anyone outside of the NHL would even think that the C should be taken away. We are fans. Extremely passionate fans but just fans. Ask around the NHL and you will find players and management will tell you he is one of the best in the league.He’s young on a young team that is struggling it’ll turn around. I hate it when captains are spouting off a bunch of nonsense because someone told them that is what the C’s do.
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Bama Kings Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
@Christian T, I don’t think think Brown should be stripped of the C, not one ounce. It was a theme from another thread. And I think Mitchell will be re-signed.
It wasn’t a knock on Brown. I simply like how Mitchell speaks and plays. He is consistent and vocal. Richards isn’t the right choice if a C move were made, not yet. In a couple years maybe. This isn’t his team yet.
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You can hear it behind the words of many of these interviews. There is frustration with how some of the guys have handled the slide. Personally, I’d bench JJ and DD. There have been SO many mistakes coming from them. They are going to be great long term players, but right now they need to be put on the pine.
We need to send two guys up the middle and smash the freaking puck into the net, even against its own will.
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Oliver Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
@Bama Kings, Benching those guys makes no sense. What’s done is done, there’s a new coach on the way. They need to play through this and learn how to get out of a slide like this. Also, Johnson hates to lose more than anyone else on the team. Stoll showed some emotion on the bench last game. These guys are mad, and its about time. The most competitive guys need to have an opportunity to unleash the fury on the Leafs and hopefully have a better result Then this team starts feeling confident again.
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Christian T Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
@Bama Kings, You can’t bench JJ and DD. Just because they have made mistakes trying to get some offense. That’s their job as offensive defensive. We just need the team to play better so when JJ and DD try to get things going everyone is on the same page. This is a team problem not a forward or defensive problem. No one is playing great.Our 4th line is playing good but thats about it.
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DEH Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
@Bama Kings, well when your forwards are not producing young defensemen try to do too much and make mistakes. DD and JJ hate losing. DD is an extremely emotional player who needs to learn to contain and use the emotions efficiently. Hopefully Sutter can channel the emotion to good production.
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I didn’t need WM to tell me the practices haven’t been good. When there is constant undisciplined play (too many penalties, early in the game penalties, penalties as a side order, all the different variations), and Professional hockey players (so as I understand it, amongst the best in the world) are incapable of making basic tape to tape passes…. I can figure it out on my own that the practices have in all probability been ‘less than’
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Christian T Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
@number 6, I agree that it was obvious that practices were not the best for the Kings. But let’s make sure that all the blame is not placed on the coach’s. I know that they have a lot to do with it but so do the players and almost all of them are big enough to know they deserve as much blame as the coaching staff.
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They get all happy about a good practice. Shouldn’t that be what happens most all the time, good practices? How could it have been allowed to get to this point? Years ago DL talked about changing the “culture” here, and well, here we are.
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number 6 Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
@Seano,
It starts at the top… only I don’t know who represents the top in this organization.
Or is that…. or gan eye za scionn?
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Jeff Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
@number 6, Basically with what is going on Practice is where it starts to begin to rise upward. As far as I am concerned I want Sutter to come in and have them do a bag skate to start. Then talk to them and tell them that all that crap from before is going to stop now and that he isn’t going to any crap from anyone. Today is where we start, game 1 and go from there. This is a team and we are all together on the same page. Pratices will not be fun in the mean time.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
@Jeff, I seriously doubt he’s going to start with a bag skate. That would be about the surest way to demonstrate that he’s not going to work with them. He’s going to tell them how it is, and that he expects them to toe the line, and if the response is unsatisfactory, then it’ll be a bag skate or 30.
Christian T Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 5:03 pm
@Seano, It always get to this point. That is why the coach gets fired. That is also why he gets hired again. When the players tune out its time for a different coach. But most GMs don’t blame just the coach but what else can you do. There are maybe 3-4 coaches that can retain their jobs on the same team for more the a few years.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
@Christian T, exactly. Just watching the team, you knew Murray either was incapable of responding to the circumstances, or the team wasn’t listening any more. Either say, what we’re seeing had to happen. “This point” is where we already were, and why the coach was canned.
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What kind of pathetic excuse for a professional team are we? Having to hear from one of our own players that our coaches don’t hold sufficient practices to prepare the team for games is absolutely unacceptable, and downright embarrassing. You guys want an excuse for why we can’t score in the first period? An excuse for all the momentum-killing penalties we take? How about an excuse for our complete lack of offensive creativity?
I’m absolutely furious to hear this. Overhaul the whole damn system. I hope Sutter shows Stevens and Kompon the door.
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Osaka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
@Adam, Stevens is the one who held the “good practice”, so fire him? I think he was saying with all that had been going on since Murray’s dismissal the team hadn’t been the same, didn’t have the jump in practice. His statement can be read other ways like a shot at his teammates and their effort or a shot at TM and the way he ran practice, but I don’t see how you blame Stevens.
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neil Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
@Osaka, its a shot at the whole organization…Practice??? You are talking about practice!!!!!
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Adam Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
@Osaka, I would like to think that Stevens had some input with the practices while TM was still around….in that case, he should be held accountable as well.
I never want to hear from one of our players that we don’t have good practices. I doubt anyone else does either.
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Osaka Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:01 pm
@Adam, But it was under Stevens we had the good practice.
Christian T Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
@Adam, Stevens? Really? He runs the only part of the team that has been successful. We are all upset about the Kings right now but we can’t blow this out of proportion. This practice and tuning out is not an excuse it’s a fact in sports. Fresh blood brings a fresh perspective.
It’s like when we were kids and tuned out what our parents were saying because we heard it over and over again.
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Adam Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 7:05 pm
@Christian T, Yes. Stevens.
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Kingstane9 Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
@Adam, Kompound yes, Stevens no, we must keep him, but Sutter…?…
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What an emotionally fragile group. They’re more worried about their mood rather than the play on ice. Team is not putting the work in. They lost their game. Better enjoy it while they can because Sutter is a known kill joy.
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petemagoop Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
@Räikkönen, funny, he doesn’t look it
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FiG17 Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:21 pm
@Räikkönen,
Well, I actually think that their play on the ice is a result of their mood. They’ve been so worried about their play on the ice, about the x’s and o’s, and about shooting and scoring and defending, that it’s all become mental. They’ve lost their jump and that’s what they need to get back. Their play will reflect it. I say finally worrying about the mood they come in with every day is a good thing. Just my opinion, though.
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Interestingly, when Stevens was fired by the Flyers, Laviolette made the same comments about the conditioning of the entire team. My feeling is Laviolette exhausts them too much but Stevens didn’t do enough. Hopefully there is a happy medium with Sutter because based on these comments, the practices aren’t good enough.
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Even if Mitchell isnt the captain he can still speak up..This started in training camp..remember???
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Christian T Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
@neil, One of the great things about this team that will help us in the next few years is that we have so many leaders on this team and many do not have a letter on their jerseys. Those that have been slacking are being ripped by every leader on the team and you will see how this quickly changes to a positive.
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Not surprised at the practice comment. When was the last time this team started a game and actually looked prepared to play the game? Coaches provide a ho hum practice but expect the team to come out in the game ready to play? This team is in serious need of a culture change!
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neil Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
@Blueline, Like I have said many times….A teacher is not a coach.Its like have a P.E. Teacher….coach a team…usually doenst work…
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wow. just wow
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I have never heard Stevens or TM or DL say that the practice was bad…Its always good..maybe once the coach should stop practice and tell the truth…This practice is sucking right now…change it… When I coached Basketball with High School Kids..I needed to refocus the team during practice..not all the time…but sometimes….Same with the Kings if practice isnt going well thena good coach will stop it….
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If they don’t turn it around with a new coach, what’s next? Calling it in for the season, and hoping for a high draft pick that will actually make an immediate impact on the team?
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MindGeyser Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 4:33 pm
@Eldoret, What’s next is identifying the players that aren’t performing, understanding why, and addressing it, potentially via player movement.
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This franchise, this team is in shambles. Rome is burning. It’s simply a joke. Below the level of professionalism. How did this happen? Contender to rebuild. I havent really though so until just now, but I think DL is truly in the hot seat now.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
@Kings x, I think that’s hyperbole. We’re talking about a team that’s adjusting to change after failing to be inspired by their coach. You might want to consider giving it–oh, perhaps the rest of the season–before pronouncing the sky fallen.
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The most important thing I got from this is that they watched game tape and realized WHY they got beat. Not only that, they realize they can DO what Detroit does, they just haven’t been doing it.
Self-Realization is a pretty important concept of success. I just hope they can start believing it.
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Kenny44 Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
@Cynic, I don’t think they realized anything about why they lost. All Stevens said was that they got outworked. He said nothing about a weakness in our system – the Kings constant struggles against puck possession teams.
I heard an interesting comment from Versteeg of the Panthers tonight after their win. Asked about Florida’s surprising season, he said they’ve focused on holding onto the puck more, causing the other team to panic and then taking advantage. I sure like the sound of that, but I can’t say I expect to see that style here.
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King John Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:39 pm
@Kenny44, We used to be a puck-possession team a couple of years ago, with Frolov and all. I remember our team keeping the puck in the other team’s zone for long periods of time, and even if we didn’t score, we cycled and cycled and it kept them bottled up a long time. No one could get around Frolov’s big a–rear end!… to take away the puck. And the other players like Simmonds would hustle to pucks along the boards and keep the cycle going. Now we don’t seem to have a sustained attack but a lot of turn-overs.
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“test the groin” should be the new improved team mantra
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Kenny44 Reply:
December 19th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
@DoomViking, Yeah, this team’s been nursing it long enough. Time to test it!
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