The Kings had won three consecutive games at Joe Louis Arena and were looking for their first four-game winning streak in Detroit since 1991-93. Well, it was a nice thought, anyway. The Red Wings have scored 10 goals on the Kings in two games this season, and the teams meet twice more this season. Here’s how the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News covered last night’s game, followed by a couple postgame quotes from the Red Wings’ locker room, from The Associated Press…
10 straight wins at Joe Louis Arena (Detroit Free Press)
Wings crush Kings for 10th straight home win (Detroit News)
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COACH MIKE BABCOCK
“I thought we started real well and we weren’t able to maintain that kind of intensity, that kind of effort. But we did lots of good things, scored lots of goals. It was a tough night for them. We’re happy to get the two points.’’
—–
DREW MILLER
“I think it’s huge to get the contribution from everyone. There’s going to be nights where our big guys aren’t scoring all the time. You count on your third- and fourth-line guys to chip in and come up big for the team. It’s good to see Emmer [Cory Emmerton] get two goals. It’s a little kudos for the third and fourth lines.’’
Go ahead…rubb some more salt on the wound.
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who would imagine the Wings haven’t one four in a row at home in almost 20 years?
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petemagoop Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 9:48 am
@petemagoop, oh gawd, ignore above
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If the rumors of SUtter being introduced as Kings coach on Tuesday in LA are true, then why would they not just do it today in Toronto and get this thing going?
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Jason4Kings Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 9:51 am
@LA_1968,
Because Sutter has been living in Somalia the past year, they need to do some body scans and stuff before he joins the team.
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DesertKing Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:14 am
@Jason4Kings,
Ebola?
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Cruiznblue Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 9:52 am
@LA_1968,
He probably needs time to do his homework…he has a LOT of work to do.
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LA_1968 Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:01 am
@Cruiznblue, The way they cover us nationally he probably doesn’t know more than 3 players names.
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Pesus Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:22 am
@LA_1968,
He probably thinks Luc is still on left wing
I hate the view from Detroit.
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i can’t wait for darryl… i know many here aren’t as happy as i about his arrival (and i wasn’t even that excited until i watched last night’s debacle), but i think we’re seeing that it’s less about the systems that were so quick to be blamed and used as the fodder to fire TM (at least by fans), but instead it’s a lack of character, heart, discipline, responsibility, accountability, etc. by this group of players… if there’s one thing that can be said about sutter, it’s that his teams certainly don’t lack those attributes… TM did a great job with the X’s and O’s, and that developed this team wonderfully over the last 2 seasons, but a hard-nosed motivating disciplinarian he was not… now the organization is at a point where developing is over, winning is the expectation (we spent too much time developing talent over the years, and too much money acquiring top talent over the off season to not expect that)… i don’t buy the statement that we don’t have the talent that we thought we did, we just don’t have the talent we thought we did maximizing their potential (heck, we’re not even scratching the surface)… this may get a few boooo’s from fellow bloggers, but i would like sutter to come in and make an example in his first game by healthy scratching dustin brown… and then i’d like him to move right down the line and healthy scratch drew doughty, justin williams, and so on and so forth (to have been playing the healthy scratch game all season with richardson, lewis, etc. because of a perceived lack of performance by those guys is over looking and giving the obvious culprits a free pass, when in theory those are the guys that should be leading and producing the most… it’s about accountability)… i’d even like him to look at potentially moving C’s and A’s around too (just as TM could only take us so far before the team developed around him into something that needed more than teaching, i too think the same can be said about dustin brown’s tenure as captain… he was a great quiet leader for this team as it developed from a basement dweller to a playoff contender, but the team has now developed into something more than needing a quiet leader, this team now needs a true captain… first game back, richards should have the C)… i hope that darryl sutter comes in with the biggest can of whoop ass any NHL team has ever seen, i hope he makes mike keenan look like a choir boy… i still have faith in this team, and i still think this season is far from over, and that’s why i think that tough times call for tough measures… darryl sutter, welcome to LA. good luck.
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DFW King Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:22 am
@ddc, I agree on all of your points. I think its a time for new leadership all around. Perhaps even at the GM level. Though, I will give them the rest of the season to see if we can turn things around. We just need to make the playoffs and be clicking to make a run, and I will hold out hopes for that.
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BringbackButchGoring Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:30 am
@ddc, What would be the benefit of scratching DB and how would that be a positive in the locker room. By your criteria, Steve Nash should be scratched also. He’s the captain of a losing team so obviously he needs to take all the blame…
Kings fan’s would be ecstatic picking up a player that has averaged 28 goals a season the last four years that is always in top 5 in the league in hits and top 5 in league in penalties drawn. Yet in LA, we call this guy a third liner because all he does is hit and call him a dumb player. It takes a hockey IQ to play in this league at 19, be a captain in the league at 21, score only 9 less goals than Kopi in the last 4 seasons, and be at the top of league in hits and penalties drawn. This is a guy that knows hockey.
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ddc Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:02 am
@BringbackButchGoring,
accountability… all your numbers and facts about DB from previous seasons are true and i support, but this is a totally different year, with different players, different expectations, different circumstances, and different trouble spots… DB has not played well to date (as with just about all the other top players on the kings aside from kopi and richards), and his leadership has been called into question on multiple levels (heck, even the GM called out his captain)… i love DB and think he will rebound, but at this point change is in order, it’s been proven to date that the status quo won’t suffice… i’m not blaming DB by any means, but accountability starts from the top down… from DL (his day will come soon if things aren’t fixed quickly), to TM (history), and onto DB and company… you are right, DB knows hockey, but that doesn’t mean he’s immune to rough spots and accountability… maybe if the extra pressure of being captain of a team with such high expectations was lifted off his shoulders, he might just return to the DB of old…
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BringbackButchGoring Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:14 am
@ddc, Agree but the team only has played poorly the last 15 games or so so you would think a captain of six years would be given more than a fifteen game stretch of games to try to do what he can without demoting him or scratching him for no cause. The guy is 7th in the league in hits and third in the league at drawing penalties, which are hustle categories. You don’t bench the guy that leads the team in hustle and effort.
ddc Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:23 am
@ddc,
what i’m saying isn’t a one size fits all fix… do we need to go to all the extremes that i’m talking about on everything, no… could brownie be given a pass for now, absolutely… but he should certainly be put on notice that change is in the air if things aren’t righted (as should many of the other underachieving kings)… my point is we need to reestablish the character, heart, discipline, responsibility, and accountability of this team, and probably through tough love, not placation… and that starts from the top down… and sutter just might be the guy to do that.
GO KINGS GO!
gmo Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:41 am
@ddc,
great post!!!by far one of the best ones ive read in the last few weeks. we need a breath of fresh air…
best wishes to SUTTER, he will need it
go kings go
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PP Anybody? Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:50 am
@ddc, Yeah, personally I think we need to move on. I think it’s time to trade Brown, Kopi, Williams, Penner, Gagne, Stoll, Richardson, Lewis, Cliffy, Westgarth, Hunter, Lokti, Doughty, JJ, Martinez, Greene, Scuderi, Mitchell, Quick, and Bernier. If we just get some more players with some real grit and passion to grind along the boards with actual compete, that weren’t afraid to get some net presence, and actually shot the puck, to go along with Richards and VV, I think we’d be well on our way to getting back to the top of our division with a chance to actually win the Cup. Once Sutter gets here, I’m sure he’ll see things the same way, and hopefully make the kind of decisions to make this happen.
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ddc Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:03 am
@PP Anybody?,
love the sarcasm… but obviously the status quo isn’t working…
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PP Anybody? Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:58 am
@ddc, True that the status quo isn’t working. That’s why I was hoping that there might be a philosophical shift, cause it doesn’t seem to be working either.
I do hope that you’re right though. If all it takes is Sutter whipping these guys into shape, I’ll be happy to see it.
I was at the game Saturday in Detoit and basically to sum it up. The Kings were horrible all the way around.
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Steve W Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
@Kinger, Was it you, on an earlier thread, who said you wanted to sell your ticket to the game, and called Quick a train wreck ready to happen?
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http://youtu.be/vmXWZFPvCAU
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Pesus Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:20 am
@wideleft,
They should play that on the big screen at staples.
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Didnt get to see the game since we were flying to Oakland for the Raider game, but monitoring via the Insider, it almost seemed like all of the players just mailed it in. We met up with @Puck73 in San Fran last night looking at the ice set up in Union Square (yes, he brought his skates ) and discussed the possibility that the crux of the problem is a divided locker room. It seems like the players are playing as individuals and not as a team. If this keeps up, I have a feeling we won’t recognize this team next year.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:40 am
@DesertKing,
Skate with him and see if he has a heavy game, or if he really can compete. Don’t stand in front of his shot tho, he’s got a rocket!
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Mikey J. Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 11:04 am
@DesertKing, Go Raiders! Hey there playing Detroit.
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Steve W Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
@Mikey J., And will also lose badly!
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Well I’m glad Detroits happy today NOT! maybe we can skip the view from Detroit for now on
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the confidence is shot to hell. just as bad as a slump. it will pass. just hope they don’t dig these into a hole too deep to get out of.
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@Rich Hammond,
2 game scores 4-1 and 8-2 vs Detroit.= 12 points.
Thanx!
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tornado12 Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:49 am
@Kingsfanone, i think the King’s slump is contagious…
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 18th, 2011 at 10:53 am
@tornado12,
They may lack a little leadership now. I’m sure Sutter will address that when he gets onboard.
All teams run into slumps during a season. Hopefully this is the end of theirs.
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“View from Detroit”……That was easy…..
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It would not matter who Dean trades for, especially if he is a high scorer. We have many of those on the team….but they are not scoring. The “system” squelches and stifles scoring and rewards defensive play only. Someone, anyone, coach these guys on offense. If it is true that Pulford said he would coach PP, get him on board immediately
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