The Kings are on the ice this morning with new coach Darryl Sutter, and still with assistant coaches John Stevens, Jamie Kompon and Bill Ranford. Here’s how the Kings are lined up early in practice. Richards is in a normal jersey, not a no-contact jersey.
Richardson-Kopitar-Brown
Gagne-Richards-Lewis
Penner-Stoll-Williams
Clifford/Fraser/Westgarth/Loktionov/Hunter
Scuderi-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Johnson-Greene
Martinez-Drewiske
A couple pictures of Sutter’s first minutes on the ice follow…
…wtf…?…
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jonsey Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:21 am
@Doughty2Simmonds, I don’t get it?
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Doughty2Simmonds Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:21 pm
@jonsey, Richardson and Lewis suck…what dont you get?
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Kings4life Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:29 pm
@Doughty2Simmonds, Love the lines, each line has speed, skill and grit…. Top three Centers are awesome Iove the lewis and richie promos. Somebody has to get into the corners and get these playmakers the puck. Got a good feeling
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Doughty2Simmonds Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:44 pm
@Kings4life, I really am not trying to be such a downer but anyone who thinks the kings will be more offensively successful with richardson and lewis in top 6 roles is dellusional at best. Speed means absolutely nothing if you have hands of stone. It may work very short term to get kopitar and gagne skating but the effect will last 2-3 games tops.
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Jason4Kings Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:49 pm
@Doughty2Simmonds, Fine, call Murray back and let’s just keep doing what we were doing then.
Doughty2Simmonds Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:54 pm
@ Jason4Kings, super smart rebuttle…look, the Kings are working with what is available to them and I get the speed argument. That doesnt change the fact that richie and lewis still suck
Kings4life Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:54 pm
@Doughty2Simmonds, Young legs go to the dirty areas to make plays and get the puck to soft hands of scorers. Great lines are able to play in many different ways and I think these lines can do that. Telling ya watch and see what richie and Lewis can do!
Christian T Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:58 pm
@Doughty2Simmonds, I know the lines we’ve had up till now with our top 6 players was tearing up the score sheets so let’s keep doing the same thing.
Come back to this in a few weeks and see if this isn’t better.
Doughty2Simmonds Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 1:13 pm
@ Kings4life, man I hope it works! I’m a Kings fan guys!!! I just dont want anyone to think these guys are gonna be lighting the lamp often. I dont think the lines needed a change, just the attitudes.
Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 4:14 pm
@Doughty2Simmonds, 100% disagree – Richardson and Lewis do not suck. they aren’t 30 goal scorers, but they play a role that is key in scoring goals. they just haven’t been playing with talented players.
Richardson has previously shown that he can elevate his game, especially when paired with Kopitar.
scoring goals is about controlling the puck, and Richardson is great on the forecheck and forcing turnovers. he plays well in the corners and he’s responsible defensively as well, which hopefully will free up Kopitar a little in the offensive zone.
you may be right that this may not be a long term solution, but i think it’s a great idea to get the lines going. plus, i think you’ll see a different mentality about offense under Sutter and these line changes speak to that.
rogiesbackup Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:40 pm
@Doughty2Simmonds, Maybe this line IS intended to be short term. Maybe just a starting point.
Wonder what the Oils are asking for Magnus Pajaarvi or the Flyers Voracek. Pajaarvi is down at the minors now that Nugent-hopkins is lighting the lamp for the Oils.
Kasey9 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 6:57 pm
@Doughty2Simmonds, lol He has been here a day and your already complaining about lines give him a chance
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Darryl: “Pssst… Anze. Prepare to work harder than you’ve ever worked before”.
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:41 am
@Helvetica, It’s already apparent. Way more skating.
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tornado12 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:43 am
@wavesinair, is richards still in the dont-touch-me jersey?
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:46 am
@tornado12, No.
tornado12 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:49 am
@waves, WOOT!
Scot Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:44 am
@wavesinair,
And why is Williams in the don’t-touch-me jersey?
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:46 am
@Scot, He isn’t. Colors mean nothing.
HOSO Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:49 am
red is good, dont-touch-me jersey is yellow
wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:58 am
@HOSO, Nope. Non-contact is only the single jersey, regardless of color. The second line is yellow this morning.
sloth Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:14 pm
@Scot,
he’s afraid Sutter will beat him
Kings4life Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 1:23 pm
@wavesinair, Good he is better when he is movin his feet. I got a good feeling about kopis game
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Those lines are interesting. Obviously just practice lines though. Right?
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scootty Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:56 am
@OC Hip Check, Looks like he’s putting at least one player with good speed on each line.
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UpperV Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:03 am
@OC Hip Check,
He has two skilled and creative players on each of the top 3 lines. Looking for some balance across those lines. I like the idea, but the problem is that Penner and Williams don’t get to have a creative center that can get them the puck. Stoll has almost no playmaking ability whatsoever. He has a good shot and some speed, but no creativity.
To solve this and to improve scoring on the 2nd line, I think it would make sense to have Stoll be RW on the second line and put Lotki in the middle of Penner and Williams on the third line and then have Lewis on the 4th line.
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Lars H Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:16 am
@UpperV, Meh. Williams is the playmaker on that line. He’s never been a finisher.
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JGrombie Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:23 am
@UpperV, I like that line, reminds me of the line last year of Smyth,Stoll,Williams. Penner and Williams will dig the corners and Stoll can set up for closer one timers.Williams will more and likely be the playmaker on that line.
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Resedakingsfan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:32 am
@UpperV, I have no problem with this line. It’s the same line Stevens used in the last few games, and they were the best line out there. Both Williams and Stoll scored when they were on this line, and Penner has played his best hockey with the Kings on this line.
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RobSD Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:35 am
@UpperV,
Stoll has a good shot? You mean when he hits the net? Which is almost never.
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fuzzerson Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:06 pm
@RobSD, Stoll has a hard quick shot. Yes good would imply hitting the target.
Press Box Scratch Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:27 pm
@RobSD, Agree … the ratio of hearing “Stoll has a good shot” vs. seeing Stoll take a good shot (quick, hard, accurate) is about 1000 to 1. Other than faceoff’s the dude’s hockey IQ is pretty low.
In the Net Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:36 pm
@Press Box Scratch, Well he still holds the NHL record for percentage of shoot-out goals for those with 10 or more shoot-outs. I’d say that’s a pretty good shot.
Go get ‘em DS!
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so does this mean the assistants remain intact?
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:45 am
@tornado12,
Yes. They are all here…including Kompon.
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tornado12 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:48 am
@wavesinair, thx waves, but i meant through the rest of the year…i guess if there was going to be a change there it would have happened already..right?
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bmova Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:56 am
@tornado12, Can’t we just get rid of Kompon??? He can’t be that hard to replace!
wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:39 am
@tornado12, I’d think so too. But I’m sure each assistant must be on edge. Maybe Sutter just doesn’t want to ruin the holidays for someone.
mcsorleyfan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:45 am
@wavesinair, I was hoping to have seen the last of Kompon…
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Jeff Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:07 am
@tornado12, Most likely he is keeping all the Assistant Coaches in tact until he gets a feel for the players and to help him until he does. After a while once he has control of the team, he will change things up. This might not possibly happen until next season though. Remember when DL took over he kept the same scouting staff for his first draft, however he fired them all and instituted a new scouting staff afterwards. This might be the same case here.
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I’ll be posting video throughout. Much easier to post video via twitter… I have Sutter stepping on the ice @deepinsidekings
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Jgomez Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:48 am
@wavesinair, Sweet! Keep them coming, I need something to do at work.
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Dominick Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:56 am
@Jgomez, how bout doing some work? lol
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Jgomez Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:00 am
@Dominick, I work at a school and it closes today and opens back up on 1/3. I finished up everything I had to do last week. In these last 3 days, I think I have done about 2-3hrs of work ahaha.
Now my work consist of reading this blog! GO KINGS GO! haha
Dominick Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:10 pm
@Jgomez, Just giving you a hard time. I do the same thing at work.
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Let the Sutter era begin! I think it will be great for the Kings!
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Here’s hoping for the best. Hope that the Kings respond to DS and pick up their play all around.
Hoping that MR will be playing soon, DD & DP continue their good play, and the rest follow suit.
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What does Kompon have on these guys to continue to coach? LOL
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well Brad is a happy dude!!
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Wasn’t that third line our second line over the last 4 games???
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I think lewis and richardson have skills…..need to devolope those two players…..spread the scoring thru 3 lines….4th line can grind.you need to find out what you have with richardson and lewis…..they may having scoring talents under a new coach….i like it
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Resedakingsfan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:33 am
@neil, Agree 100% with everything you said.
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neil Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:07 pm
@Resedakingsfan, richardson…..lewis…..cliffy…..= purcell….boyle….moulson?
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40YearKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:40 pm
@neil, Looks like the Lewis-Richardson crowd is getting an early Christmas gift from DS if those are the lines he goes with. On the 1 & 2 lines with Kopi and Richards? This is the opportunity of a lifetime for both these guys. I hope they capitolize!
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I don’t mind Richardson up on that line at all. I would have lined them up a bit differently with:
Richardson – Kopitar – Brown
Gagne – Richards – Williams
Penner – Loktionov – Stoll
Clifford – Fraser – Lewis/Hunter
But I’m glad he’s looking at some balanced scoring lines. Does anyone know his reputation for switching up line combinations — obviously every coach does it, but it would nice to see some stablity in the lines moving forward.
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Billy Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:00 am
@CabbagesAndKings, If you don’t like richardson on that line then why do YOU have him on that line.
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MM Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:10 am
@Billy, CabbagesAndKings said he doesn’t mind Richardson up on the 1st line meaning that he is OK with it. I don’t see where he said he didn’t like Richardson…
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boytano Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:10 am
@Billy, He said, “I don’t mind Richardson up on that line at all.” I think you thought he said “like” instead of “mind.” Personally I love it…
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BringMattyBack Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:37 pm
@CabbagesAndKings,
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Does this mean Mike Richards will be playing tomorrow night? I’m assuming yes since he is practicing on the 2nd line and is not wearing a no-contact jersey..
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neil Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:55 am
@Scot, can richards be activated with the roster freeze….dont they need to send someone down?
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Jeff Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:10 am
@neil, I don’t see why they can’t make a change during the roster freeze, because what happens if there is an injury and you need to call someone up does this mean you can’t do so because of the freeze. Not sure how this works exactly. Maybe Quisp can help us.
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Scot Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:17 am
@neil,
I looked at team transactions over the last few days, & teams are activating players, recalling players, etc, so it does look like they would be able to activate him.
I think the roster freeze means you can’t trade players, or place players on waivers.
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kevco Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:38 am
@Scot, thats correct, hurricanes just re-called a player today so it seems that its trades and waivers that are frozen.
Sure looks like Sutter is “out and about” with the boys more than the previous coach? or is it just me?
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I see Kompon in that picture. Does this mean he is going to remain with the team?
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Kopi and Sutter in one picture, that is just handsome overload!
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Perro Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:03 am
@Dave, Boom haha
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KopiSTAR Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:34 am
@Perro, Who would of thought a sloth and a raccoon on the ice talking together. 0.o
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trytodethroneus Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:32 pm
@KopiSTAR,
That’s because we are going to get a lot of ugly wins
notice Sutter using the old Bauer wood shafts – old school hockey, ladies and gentlemen. This is going to be good!
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JWR Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:39 am
@txkingsfan,
They don’t brake as easily as the new compisit sticks so he will not have to keep going back to the bench for new ones when he beats those dogging it.
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No promises, but I have never seen more scoring in a practice…and we’re only 1/2 hour in. Goal after goal after goal.
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Helvetica Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:59 am
@wavesinair, Practice makes perfect?
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John Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 10:59 am
@wavesinair, Is there a goalie? hahaha
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nykingfan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:01 am
@wavesinair,
don’t tell me our goaltending’s gone south too! lol
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Jgomez Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:02 am
@wavesinair, I hope most of those goals are going in on JB and not JQ! haha
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MM Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:10 am
@wavesinair, Are they using the extra large nets?
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Jeff Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:12 am
@wavesinair, Maybe they can think they are in practice when playing the game. BTW what is the tone in practice? Is it lighthearted? How is it?
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:19 am
@Jeff,
Lot of new drills. Everyone is really focused. With all the scoring they’re doing, lots of celebration. I’d say intense and strong is the tone. It’s good IMO.
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Resedakingsfan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:37 am
@wavesinair, Does the vibe seem different today with Sutter as opposed to practices with TM? Just wondering since a few players made comments about practices under TM.
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:40 am
@Resedakingsfan,
VERY different to me as an observer. But it was the first day so I’d expect that.
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Love the D pairs..
As much as Drewiske has deserved to play because of his goals in consecutive games, I would still prefer Voynov in the lineup.
Just get Williams on the 2nd line with Gagne & Richards and I’ll officially be aboard the Sutter Express!
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Good line combos spreading the speed and skill on all of the lines.
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i kind of like the forward lines. i don’t love the d-pairings as i still don’t like Johnson with Greene but if Voynov is in that might be the best option. why not put Doughty with Greene?
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Marbles Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:04 am
@Dave,
Greene isn’t quick enough to cover Doughty and make quick decisions. His best pairing would be with Scuderi or Mitchell.
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Marbles Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:04 am
@Marbles,
**As in Doughty would be best paired with Scuderi or Mitchell.
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Westy19 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:17 am
@Marbles, On the powerplay, Voynov and Doughty, but otherwise I say Doughty with JMFJ or Mitchy
Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:11 am
@Marbles, if Voynov is in the lineup then he needs help. so i understand the Mitchell pairing there. but why does Doughty need someone to cover him? he makes $7M/year, he should be able to play with anyone. Johnson always gets stuck with the bad pairing – why not have him with Scuderi as that pairing has always been good?
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Dominick Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:18 am
@Dave, We are 5th in the league defensively. None of the pairings on defense are bad ones unless you thinking offense. And DD doesn’t make 7 mill till after Kopi does. Even so, DD’s playing great, and 6 mill or not, he’s still our best defenseman, and has been playing in a flawed system offensively. Give Sutter a chance to change that, since he came all this way to do just that.
FiG17 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:36 am
@Dave,
Doughty’s also an offensive defensman who often takes the risk of going deep into the offensive zone… it doesn’t matter how much money a player makes, if he does that, he needs someone to be able to cover him.
Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:46 am
@FiG17 – so does Johnson, no?
FiG17 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:56 am
@Dave,
Touche. lol I wasn’t really thinking about Johnson… I was more just defending Doughty. But you’re right, Johnson takes those risks as well.
Westy19 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:15 am
@Dave, Doughty is to offensively minded lately and Greene makes WAY! To many mistakes. We’ve lost many of games on account of his mistakes, with them together we’d be giving up 6 goals a game.
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Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 4:16 pm
@Westy19, so you want to put Greene with Johnson because Greene makes too many mistakes? i actually don’t agree about Greene, but that isn’t a good enough reason to not put Doughty with Greene and instead put him with Johnson.
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AZ King Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:22 am
@Dave,
Greene can’t play DD minutes, so you would have to end up mixing things up during the game.
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Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:25 am
@AZ King, i think they would be OK even strength. it’s not like Jack doesn’t play 20+ minutes.
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Darryl, make Kopi and others rock!
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It skates!
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Is DS pulling names for his lines out of his arse? Wish Stevens would have told him that Richardson isn’t a first-line winger.
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luuc Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:05 am
@deadcatbounce,
Not all first lines have 3-scorers. Sometimes you need someone to get into the corners and dig out the loose pucks, but it only works if the system supports that style.
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Dominick Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:12 am
@luuc, I think Richardsons got great puck recovery, and knows how to use his speed on the walls. Probably the biggest reason why he’s trying Richardson there. It’s only his first practice, and the lines might change often till he finds the right combinations.
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Mike Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 1:24 pm
@luuc, I agree. I was always of the general belief that a good line has 1) a passer, 2) a “grinder” (someone who can go into the corners and dig the puck out), and 3) a scorer. Doesn’t always work out that way, but genrally that’s what I’d like to see.
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ponch0v Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:07 am
@deadcatbounce, So TM gets hammered for shuffling lines, and now Sutter doesn’t even get a chance to see something new for himself?
Why not give him a chance to come up with something new? Seems like sticking to the same lines they had (were they really working?) would be pointless.
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DanD Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:32 am
@ponch0v, Everyone has pretty much played with everyone at this point. This is Sutter’s first practice. I can’t imagine he is familiar with a lot of these players, so heeds time to familiarize himself with the guys and just what each players brings to the table, who works well with who etc.
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Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:12 am
@deadcatbounce, i like Richardson on the first line. he was good with Kopi in previous years. and i love Lewis in the top 6 – let’s see what he can do with some skilled guys.
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tornado12 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:37 am
@Dave, Im sorry but TL is not top 6 material right now. He has no offensive prowess and freezes up when he gets a chance. On the PK and in his own zone he is solid, but he has to earn a top six role IMO.
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Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:48 am
@tornado12, Lewis does other things that will make him good on that line. he is good defensively and will be able to be the F3 forward.
plus, Lewis has not had any opportunities to play with talented players.
tornado12 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:54 am
@Dave, granted he did fairly well last year at the end for a stint when injuries forced him into that role, I just think this year he has not shown me the offensive knack. he had a couple real good opportunities last game to get a good shot away and either shot wide or over thought the situation and allowed the defense to make a play on him. maybe with more opportunity he can learn to relax in those situations and make a good play. We just have to see. if he can bring that to his game, the team can play much more balanced lines, which is a weakness right now for sure.
Dave Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@tornado12, Lewis was a first round pick. he has the skill but he hasn’t played with anyone to be able to show it. TM had Lewis on the fourth line and was playing Moreau on the third line. i like that DS is putting the talented guys that haven’t produced yet in positions to succeed. nothing will bring confidence but success, so set these guys up to succeed.
Choralone Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 4:54 pm
@tornado12, I don’t care if he’s “earned” it or not. That’s up to the coach to decide. I just care if he’s effective there. We’ll soon see.
Helvetica Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:31 am
@deadcatbounce, It’s his first practice with the team. lets see how things pan out after a couple games before jumping in with the “he’s doing it wrong” attitude.
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40YearKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:45 pm
@Helvetica, Yeah, no kidding.
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Sutter is trying to address the speed issue that this team has had, well, forever. Murray criticized Lewis for not generating offense but how is he going to score on the fourth line? Looks like he’s getting a real shot. I’ll be interested to see how they skate on Thursday night.
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Dominick Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:07 am
@KingsCast, I don’t think individual speed throughout the line up was ever the problem. More like speed through the puck, and a slow boring style.
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Westy19 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:23 am
@Dominick, Exactly. Player couldn’t get into the game because of the offensive stifling Muray was giving them. Now hopefully with some offensive play thell play with their hearts
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From cows to sheep. long road from the farm to tinsel town. Hope he can improve the offense.
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Sebastian Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:13 am
@Dominick, Tinseltown? come on man! El Segundo, Downtown LA, Inglewood…the one thing they have in common is they have nothing to do with HOLLYWOOD.
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Dominick Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:21 am
@Sebastian, Guess I’m the only one who’s ever used that fraze.
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ZERO yelling so far for all you pigeon-holers.
But one thing IS very different: Sutter has a strong presence on the ice. He is clearly the leader and very active in his instruction.
Intensity.
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Forum Gold Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:13 am
@wavesinair, Love the updates. Thanks from this Die Hard. GO KINGS GO!!!
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Sebastian Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:13 am
@wavesinair, good stuff, thanks for the updates.
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SaveByCechmanek Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:14 am
@wavesinair, Zero yelling… so far….
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:15 am
@wavesinair, Good to hear! thanks for all the updates….I actually have a real good feeling about all this and think DS will be just what we need.
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Jeff Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:15 am
@wavesinair, Did he do a bag skate to start?
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UkKingsGuy Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:16 am
@wavesinair, INTO IT.
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boytano Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:23 am
@wavesinair, Appreciate the updates, this is going to be an important turning point for the Kings and DL. Hopefully for the better… I love it so far
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Dominick Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:26 am
@wavesinair, Yelling for no reason, and bag skates? isn’t that what he was supposed to do?
I would suspect that everybody gets a fresh start, and none of them have played bad for him yet. Even though fans were hoping for it because they’ve played bad for them, I would of been disappointed to see that.
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DLB Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:51 am
@wavesinair, people expected ranting out of the gate? It’ll happen sometime. But I don’t care about yelling or not. Just offense.
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40YearKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:49 pm
@wavesinair, Yeah, thanks Waves. You’re the next best thing to being there watching the practice. No place else we could get this.
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 2:49 pm
@40YearKingsFan, You’re welcome!
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Looks good!!!
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I actually like these lines. Stoll and Williams are good for each other. Richardson and Lewis work hard with speed and can recover pucks on the top two lines. Three lines of scoring threat looks good to me.
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40YearKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:52 pm
@Jason4kings, I was thinking the same thing. I’m sure there will be complaints, but it looks like 3 potent lines to me. If Ritchie and Lewis respond, this could be fun to watch. Whetever DS decides, I just hope they get some time to develop some chemistry and a “line identity”.
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Interesting…
This line-up tells me a lot. Yes it’s just practice, but it seems as if Sutter has been watching game tape. He’s put ‘Strengths’ together:
Richardson-Kopitar-Brown: Richie opens up space for Kopi with his tenacious forecheck. He did well with Kopi the times he has played with him and Kopi benefitted from Richie’s attack in the o-Zone. Brown drives to the net and plays hard on the boards which also helps Kopi. Obviously the theme here is to open up space for Kopitar.
Gagne-Richards-Lewis: Obviously this is to put Gags & Rick togather since they have past experience and chemistry, but putting Lewis with them tells me he wants this line to go against the #1 line of the opposition. These three are your top defensive forwards on the team not named Kopitar. Richards is not afraid to take offensive chances, Gags has the skill to compliment that and Lewis can cover them as the f3 defensively.
Penner-Stoll-Williams: The three guys on the team who are struggling the most get put together. Isolate and conquer. These three can help lift each other up, but they also compliment each other as well. There is a lot of skill on this line waiting to break out.
Clifford-Fraser-(Other): Cliffy & Frase are locks here. The RW will be determined by necessity and I believe Lokti is going back to Manch once Richards is activated. He needs more seasoning unfortunately.
I like Voynov back with Mitchell. I hope he gets back in. Whiskey played well during his run, but he’s a role player and SV has more skill overall.
IDK, I’m a little surprised by these lines, but I really like them. I’m not a Sutter fan but if he set these lines up, maybe I’m missing something. I don’t mind eating crow for the greater good.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:26 am
@Cynic, You can bet your ass that DS has watched game tape. I agree with your assesments and break down…. good post!
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thatguypaul Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:37 am
@Cynic,
Gagne-Richards-Lewis is all about counter attack. Play against the top line, create turnovers, and they’re off to the races…
I like it.
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bringbackbutchgoring Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:38 am
@Cynic, yeah, good post. I mentioned the other day I thought Richardson and Lewis would benefit from Sutter but I never could have imagined this. I really like the third line in particular as there are zero weak links and we can actually have 3 scoring lines (in theory)
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:51 am
@Cynic,
I think you’re going to start liking Sutter.
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Cynic Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@wavesinair, I’ll have to get your first hand account on this later. It’ll take a lot, but this line-up was a start.
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Kenny44 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:13 pm
@Cynic, One thing I notice about these lines is they seem to align more with DL’s view of these players and his expectation level (based on what he spent to obtain/keep them).
DL certainly was heavily involved in getting Sutter up to speed. If Sutter came up with these lines on his own from watching tape, he may a (mad) genius.
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King John Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 2:04 pm
@Cynic, Thanks for your analysis. I’m excited about the lines, and I bet Richie and Lewis are too. If this works (give it a few games to see), then maybe we can have three lines as a threat. I think the 3rd line actually can be successful just like last year’s 2nd line: it’s Stoll with Williams, and Penner in front of the net instead of Smyth. So here’s to success!!
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I like the look of the lines. Give Ritchie & Lewis a chance with some talent around them for the hustle they already bring to the ice. We were rock bottom in scoring so it’s worth a try. I’m looking forward to some braised Duck tomorrow night. Practice hard boys & bring it on gameday!
GO KINGS GO!!
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Sick lines. Spread out the scoring. Sutter doing a good job already. Richardson works hard every shift and will flourish under Sutter. Apparently he sees that, as well. Bravo.
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jonsey Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:22 am
@aegwillnotwinthecup, You have to like the speed of the Gagne Richards Lewis line!
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RobSD Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:45 am
@aegwillnotwinthecup,
Spread out what scoring?
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I must say that i at first look i really like those lines. I Like both Richardson and Lewis for there speed and down right hustle that these guys bring every shift and its good to see them get elevated roles. I think both can do a good job at puck recovery for their respective lines and both can be very helpfull on the back and forchecks. There is enough skill and creativity in both Kopi/Brown – Richards/Gagne to justify having these guys on the other wings.
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Tomorrow will be an intense game. Kings coming back from a disappointing loss to the ducks in the last minute of the game. New coaches. New structure.
We will be analyzing his every move.
I might get a PBR to imitate DS during the game!!!!!
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Didn’t hear any yelling on the ice, but I’m in NH!
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After making the rounds and talking to many players one-on-one, Sutter has left the ice. Practice is all but over with just a small group still taking some shots on Quick.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:48 am
@wavesinair,
Thanx dude!
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:50 am
@Kingsfanone, You got it pal!
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Forum Gold Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:53 am
@wavesinair, GO KINGS GO!!!
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Mars Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 5:52 pm
@Forum Gold, I still think maybe we need a shlub loaner goal for the team to practice against, let them hit the net in practice too. That might boost thier confidence. With Quick and Bernny in the net, they cannot get used to it feeling good to get net as often as they should.
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Gotta hand it to Sutter, he’s being very proactive to get these guys going. Placing Lewis and Richarson with top-line centers is really going to play to their strengths. Lewis’ speed along with Richards and Gagne should be a sight to see. Richardson’s hustle and energy should be contagious for Brown and Kopitar. Third line looking to reprise the success of the “Geezer” line from last year.
GKG
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:44 am
@Michael J., I remeber alot of people on this blog having an issue with the “Geezer” tag/name that was put on them… I personaly thought it was funny and went with it.
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Michael J. Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:46 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
Since I’m probably ten years older than Smyth I think I can call them that, although I never thought it was a very good name.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:52 am
@Michael J.,
You are correct, I totally agree with you!
Can’t wait!
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Tomorrow should be a great game.
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Admittedly, a very strong third line he’s got going there. If it sticks, should help the “bottom 6″ numbers for sure, provided Penner and Williams continue their improving play.
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With a practice like that and Richards back for tomorrow’s game, I’d say Sutter couldn’t have gotten off to a better beginning. It’s early but I really like what I saw here today in El Segundo.
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AZ King Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:50 am
@wavesinair,
That’s great to hear. I’ve been looking forward to you analysis. Since I’m stuck in AZ I have to rely on you to keep me informed. Thanks for the info.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:51 am
@wavesinair, Richards back for tomorrows game? do you know something we dont?
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:56 am
@BrokeKingsFan, He played the full practice as 2nd line center. That’s a pretty sure sign, although not guaranteed since he may not feel well later today. Of course, Rich’s latest update also confirms
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:05 pm
@wavesinair, didnt see that he had the new post about richards before i asked. I can say for sure i heard it from you first!
Sebastian Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:57 am
@BrokeKingsFan, hes been cleared to play per Helene
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vplaza Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:51 am
@wavesinair,
Thanks for the updates. It’s good that there may be some things to look forward to.
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California Royalty Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:01 pm
@wavesinair, How did Ricahrdson fare with Kopitar and Brown?
Based on how Rich has it marked down, Brown is back to the right side. Did he play on the left at all?
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wavesinair Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:04 pm
@California Royalty,
Richardson could possibly be the happiest guy on the team right now. With his amazing effort, being scratched for sub-par players must have been tough. I thought he played well but it is just practice. Brown was on RW the whole time as far as I saw.
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Are there any players at Manchester that would seem to fit with Sutter’s preferred style of play? Dwight King seems to be playing pretty well there, is his game similar to Hunter’s?
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Lake Forest Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:38 pm
@Weasel, Ethan Moreau HAHAHA
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Mars Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 5:54 pm
@Lake Forest,
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It will be good to have a fresh eyes on these guys. He can judge each one on what he sees rather than what they are paid or where there potential is and blah blah blah.
As far as the pairings go, we all know that Richardson and Lewis couldn’t score in a monkey whore house with a fist full of bananas, but they create tons of chances.
Those chances getting passed over to someone that can bury it could be very beneficial. Richardson and Lewis create so many good opportunities but just can never finish.
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Kenny44 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:19 pm
@RobSD, And if you play them with skill players, those opportunities will come back to them with a few easy, tap in goals. That will build their confidence, and maybe then they start finishing more on their own. Kind of like what happened with Mike Donnelly back in the day – fast guy who got the yips when shooting until he got matched up with skill guys, then he developed his touch.
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Lets see how this all works out..
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Problem with the first line: lacks a real finisher as lines two and three have. Kopitar is going to have learn to pass to create his own second chances and finish his own opportunities. Hopefully Sutter can get him to break away from his safe zone between the face off dots and the half boards.
Would switch Williams for Brown, esp since Wiliams is starting to show signs of life again.
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DD2 has played decent and put up a couple goals. AM seems solid… we have so many good D men. We need to make a trade or something. I don’t understand why Greene never sits.
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AZ King Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 11:57 am
@RobSD,
New coach, new rules. Maybe he will sit on occasion, all we know is for now he is in tomorrow. If he starts to lag a little maybe DS will sit him out and play Whiskey. A lot of unknowns right now, going to just have to wait and see how it pans out.
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Not saying I disagree with it, but I kind of laughed when I saw Richardson on the top line… haha Here we go. Right off the bat, Darryl is making a head scratching move!
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fsd1 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@California Royalty, makes total sense to me. Let Richardson grind and muck and let kopi score.
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Capt Jam Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@fsd1,
Only problem with that is that Kopi is a passer first not a scorer. Richards is by far our best scoring threat down the middle.
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fsd1 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 1:56 pm
@Capt Jam, Dont think we want kopi the passer, we want kopi the finisher.
Cynic Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:06 pm
@California Royalty, Read my assessment above. Not so crazy.
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BringMattyBack Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Give DS a chance
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Remember what Hitch said after his hiring? He said he learned alot while he hadn’t been coaching. What if Sutter also have?
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California Royalty Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:02 pm
@goldielocks, Unlike Hitch, Sutter was still involved in the game. I’m starting to come around.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:03 pm
@goldielocks,
You can learn things by taking a step outside and watching sometimes.
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Forum Gold Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:11 pm
@goldielocks, After reading about Sutter I have the feeling he has been learning about our team 24/7 since last week and came to practice today with a game plan that will energize this team. GO KINGS GO!!!
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I don’t see how Kompon can stay on. Stevens can help with the players but Kompon is flat out terrible. If DS is managing the PP or telling Kompon how to do it, what is the use of even having him? He has had plenty of time to change things up. Send him packing. Fresh start.
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Anyone know if the press conference be streamed? Thanks for the updates.
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I think that for the fourth line is put Lokionov in over Hunter and Westgarth because Hunter is not great passing the puck well enough and for Westgarth is sometimes he always going for a lot of fighting a lot and a Penalty Killing so we should sit off Westgarth and Hunter and put Loktionov in for the 4th line
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AZ King Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Lokti needs to go back to Manchester and learn a little more. He looks like he’s regressed from where he was last year. Way to timid, and not decisive enough with the puck.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 12:20 am
@AZ King, Maybe DS will change Lotki’s luck!!
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Steve C Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 2:53 pm
@Adam M, Lokti will likely be headed to Manchester with Richards coming back. Also I believe Hunter plays more of Sutter’s game.
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Adam M Reply:
December 22nd, 2011 at 1:02 pm
@Steve C, Okay @Steve C, here is the deal first of all is that Mike Richards will say no way to Manchester if you saying that again and do not use Hunter because Hunter is no on a Healthy scratch right now from Daryl Sutter end of decision for now for Loktionov and Richards
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@Helvetica, I thought it was perfect practice makes perfect
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fsd1 Reply:
December 21st, 2011 at 1:57 pm
@LAK27, Practice makes perfect, if you dont get in the habit of practicing well you wont play well. Practice makes perfect.
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I like what Darryl is doing however next question will he start to save Kopi, Williams, Gagne, and Stoll for 5v5 or PP and do not play them on PK……….use the utility guys on the PK and allow them to rest. One of the issues has been they are tired during the game and go to sleep…..
PK
-Richards, Lewis
-Richardson, Brown
-Clifford, Fraser
I saw what Cliffie can do on the PK in Detroit for 45 seconds in the 3rd. Give him a chance and with Fraser all is good.
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It would appear from the defensive pairings that JJ is being treated as the more defensively sound playing with Greene while Doughty is paired with Scude and Voynov with Willie. Smart moves.
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face time, bebeh.
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Well like the good teams in the league, he’s spreading the talent across all 3 scoring lines and stacking the goons on the 4th. Each line has a combination of size grit and speed. Interesting..
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It’ll be interesting to see how good Lotki will become under DS.
Also if one still needs speed and skating abilities…maybe trade one of our Dman for the Oils Magnus Pajaarvi. He is playing down in the minors.
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That evil face on the left of the second picture, Koupon, Kompound, Kompon, I’m not even sure anymore what he is, should be gone.
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