Drew Doughty gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so, after his summer contract squabble and his $7-million annual salary. It’s not so much the money but, as coaches always say, your best players have to be your best players, and by extension, your highest-paid players should be your best players. So, is criticism of Doughty warranted? Overall, his numbers aren’t strong, but numbers don’t always tell the story, and Doughty is actually on the upswing under Darryl Sutter. In 28 games under Terry Murray, Doughty had two goals, eight assists and a minus-6 rating. In 16 games under Sutter, Doughty has one goal, nine assists and a plus-8 rating. The criticism seems to extend from the perception that Doughty’s game has not progressed since he was a Norris Trophy finalist two years ago. Asked, in particular, about Doughty’s game last night, Sutter gave a lengthy breakdown of Doughty’s recent play…
SUTTER: “We wanted to match up, with Hejduk and O’Reilly’s line. We wanted that matchup, so that’s who he played against. I didn’t really have a problem with our defense last night. I think we’re trying to get the three older guys [Greene, Mitchell, Scuderi] to be a little more assertive in their games. I think they’re doing better at that. Those three young guys [Doughty, Johnson, Voynov], they’re kids. They’ve got lots to learn. I don’t think one of them is any different than the other ones.
“Drew, he has done a good job. That’s the thing I like about Drew, the way he plays against top players, for somebody his age. He can play head-up, and that’s the best thing. The other stuff is just going to be, not a process, but for him it’s going to be a curve always, until he figures it all out. The guy I coached who was closest to him was (Chris) Chelios. Once Chelly figured out the whole thing, instead of `one night this, one night that,’ then he was dominant. He didn’t get that until he was 28, 29 (years old). Most kids like (Doughty) are still juniors in college. As long as he’s doing a good job in his preparation, and being a pro, then his game can only get better, because that’s what he will do, I think.’’
i had a conversation with KC23 regarding dd on the previous thread when he asked if i thought he was worth the investment…here’s the re-post…:
well…right now, i think it’s hard to realize that dd CAN be worth the investment…missing training camp was huge – can’t be overstated…
since the team relies on the defense to ignite the forwards on offense, the lack of transitional play from blueline to blueline has been as big of an issue as any…so in many ways, dd, jj, slava, etc. are catalysts…and if they are not on their game, the team suffers…
i really like jim fox’s take on drew’s season thus far…foxy says that drew has to play like a kid in a grown-ups body instead of treating hockey like work or a business…and i completely agree with jim when he says that drew tries to do too much at times which leads to him turning over the puck…last night, foxy also commented on the constant head fakes and finessing that dd and jj try to do rather than getting their shots on net…
drew has all the potential to be the best overall defensemen in the future…and who really knows what the salary cap will look like 5, 6 or 7 years down the road…you would have to think that top-player salaries will eventually go up and that $7mil per year will eventually be standard pay for them…unfortunately, in most professional sports, you pay more money up front to keep a player and their potential future greatness…the nba and the nfl had just addressed those issues during last year’s cba agreements, respectively…
so, i think the investment will eventually pay off…and that drew will be an integral part of the team’s success…
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FRO Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 5:54 pm
@variable, Foxy’s analysis on everyone is always spot on. Love that guy.
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- ViC - Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:45 am
@FRO, yeah that dude is freaking smart.
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Christian T Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:04 pm
@variable, I agree. In the end this will be a bargain contract. Sutter will teach this kid to be a man. Many expect too much out of such a young defenseman. They mature late. It’s gonna be fun watching our three young D-men grow under DS.
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MmmmYummy Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:43 pm
@variable, One issue with DD is consistency – age can have a lot to do with that. I disagree that DD needs to play more like a “kid.” He needs to play more like an adult that has mastered consistency.
It would be nice to see Doughty questioned on what role he thinks consistency plays in his game and how he approaches consistency is his game. If it’s clear he does not have proper insight into this, someone should be helping him with this aspect. “Consistency” is something hard to get one’s mind around and it takes many incremental steps to get to the result\goal. It’s not good enough to just tell someone they need to be more consistent. It takes preparation, focus and determination to build consistency into one’s “game” – one step at a time. There are tactics one can use like visualization and others to help the process. But if someone doesn’t have the insight to build their own consistency then they really need a helper to expose them to the tools and coach them along the way. A large part of the “potential” DD has is contingent on his ability to master consistency.
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Seniors in college, actually. Thank you very much. haha
Doughty’s definitely stepped up his game under Sutter. The player we saw his sophomore year shines through more and more each game.
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Michael666 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:40 pm
@FiG17, I thought he was the worst player on the ice last game
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Christian T Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:06 pm
@Michael666, I’m not concerned with a bad game here or there from a defenseman. Plus the fact that just about everyone seemed like the worst player out there last night.
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Ashykon Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:30 pm
@Michael666, no one is worse than stoll
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Kingsfanone Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:38 pm
@Ashykon,
You are correct. Stoll has been bad.
FiG17 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 11:44 pm
@Ashykon,
I actually don’t like the way Williams has been playing either. I know Fox keeps praising him and I know he’s been scoring, but I don’t know… he always seems to be giving up pucks and ALWAYS causes an off-sides. I guess if he’s scoring, I shouldn’t be complaining.
nykingfan Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 5:07 am
@Michael666,
Did you watch Richards/Stoll/Penner?
Hard to be any worse than those 3
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mrbrett7 Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 6:59 am
@Michael666, I agree, he was, but as someone else just stated, I don’t care about one single game.
I care about an entire season. Consistency…every play, even the greatest, have bad games.
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If we have to wait until Drew’s 28 or 29 before he finally puts it together we’ll be in bad shape these next 7 years. I like Drew, but I think Lombardi’s decision to give Drew an 8 year deal was the wrong one. Not that he won’t someday be worth it, he probably will, but he isn’t worth a 7 million dollar cap hit this year. He will likely not be worth it next year either. I would’ve much rather seen him signed to a 5 year deal with a lower cap hit, mabye 5.5? That would’ve given us more cap room to use these next few years.
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variable Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:06 pm
@CB14,
i agree…i would have also preferred a shorter deal, but the kings didn’t want to negotiate with both kopi and drew during the same year…and a 5-year deal would have created that exact scenario…
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DEH Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:12 pm
@variable, Doughty wanted a 5 or less year deal. Eventually DL convinced him otherwise by offering 7 mil avg over 8 years.
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variable Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:19 pm
@DEH,
correct…
Dominick Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@CB14, Much rather have signed him for 1 million. Price is besides the point anyway, because the price is set, and isn’t going to change.
His price is relative to what he is at 21, compared to any other 21 year old defenseman in the game today. Not too many 21 year old defenseman could lead their teams defense in scoring, or become their teams leading minute big situation defenseman. Thing is, DD could do it anywhere if he was on other teams.
If he was in Detroit, he would be leading them too. If he was in Washington, same. He is a King. To expect him to lead the league offensively on the worst scoring team in the league is a tough call. Imagine what his offense would look like on any other team that knows how to attack, and ask yourself if you would be fine with that.
Purcell wasn’t even a 4rth line winger with the Kings, but look at him now. There isn’t even a team in the league who would refuse to take DD for any reason, even at a 7 million dollar caphit.
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CB14 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:48 pm
@Dominick, I wasn’t bashing DD, I was simply referencing what Sutter said about how long it took Chelios to put it together. I think a 5.5 cap hit for a 5 year deal is a very reasonable number given the fact that he got 7 million with 3 of his UFA years bought up, but that wasn’t really even my point. My point was a shorter term deal would’ve brought a lower cap hit, thus giving the Kings more cap room to acquire better players.
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Osaka Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:57 pm
@Dominick, Then we should trade him to Detroit or Washington where is style of play (or lack of) fits into there system because he doesn’t have enough of an effect of the outcome of the game for the Kings to justify a 7 million cap hit.
Your argument that Drew is worth his contract because of his accomplishments at a young age uses his age as an asset. I don’t see how this is possible. Sutter just said he isn’t as he could be because he is young, that is a liability. Why is being young an asset? He can play a long time? He can become a much better player in the future? The youth is an asset is a myth of sports (see the Red Wings cup teams). The true value of a player is when he has reached his full potential as a player.
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Dominick Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:30 pm
@Osaka, Your twisting my words around, and missed the point entirely to provide your own arguement. His talent makes him the best D man on whatever team he is playing on, and the levels will reflect that teams status. If you don’t think he is the most talented D man on the team, ask Mitchell. My point is, he will always be the alfa male on whatever team he plays on. Washington, and Detroit were just examples (didn’t think I had to explain that, but maybe I should’ve)
The reason he’s not leading the league is because the team he plays on sucks offensively.
As to your arguement on his salary, if he was worth 7 million right now, he would be paid 7 million right now. His contract (aside from popular belief) actually rises as he gets older in actual salary, and he doesn’t actually make 7 million in cash right now. My point on his age was that at 21, no other 21 year old D man in the league is even near as good, or depended on by their teams. Once he is older, his high end will be higher because right now his high end at 21 (22 now)is higher than any of the other 21 year old D man out there.
jpl Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:59 pm
@CB14, i dont know if any of you recall this past summer but from what i remember drew was gona get 7 on a 5 year deal but dean was holding out for longer term. drew was not going to accept a deal for under 7 as he was comparing himself to webber. On top of that if drew develops as hoped and he had only signed a 5 year deal what would happen after those 5 years when youve got an unrestricted free agent all star d man loking for 9 mill a season? a la what will happen to stamkos.
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“We’ll see”…Said the blind man.
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So in 7 years DD will have it all together and be worth 7 Million a year and his contract is for 8 years. Something is wrong with this picture. I have said DD is probably the most talented player on the Kings. I say besides Quick, how Drew does on the ice has the most effect on how the Kings play. Still with this being said, with how much he is being paid and with his trade potential the Kings would be better serve to move that asset. He may someday have a bigger effect on the outcome of the game, but how can you justify a 7 million cap hit if he doesn’t reach the potential for 7,6,or even 5 years. Saying he will be worth his contract in 5 years is the most absurd business and hockey decision the Kings had made.
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CB14 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 6:49 pm
@Osaka, I thought Dominick was hard on me, I can’t wait to see what he says to you.
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Osaka Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:01 pm
@CB14, Hahaha I know. I love Drew, but not for 7 million.
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Dominick Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:12 pm
@CB14, I wasn’t being hard on you. The 1 million comment was a joke. Sorry.
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CB14 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:33 pm
@Dominick, Oh don’t worry Dominick, it’s all good. Hard was the wrong word anyways. What I meant was like the amount of info you put into your response when all I said was that I would rather do a shorter term deal. I was just saying that there would be a much longer response to Osaka’s comment about trading Drew. No need to apologize.
lakingbob(chi) Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:55 pm
@Dominick, Guys, we are ALL frusterated right now so we all know we respect and love each other as Kings fans in the Kingdom. We win with Ottawa we will be just fine…
If the kings as a whole were scoring goals dd wouldnt be ss much as a target…..dd is the lease of our problems…
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number 6 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:52 pm
@neil,
Neil, just read your post after doing mine just below.
I said the same thing.
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What does the lakers and kings have in common?……both have only 3 scorers…
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Kingsfanone Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:45 pm
@neil,
The Kings have 3 scorers? LOL.:D
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Shuchuk Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 11:11 am
@neil, the Kings are more like the Dodgers last year…good defense/pitching, NO OFFENSIVE PUNCH (despite having Kemp/Eithier or Kopitar/Richards).
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maybe if the Kings wouldn’t turn the puck over so much on botched passes they could keep it in the offensive zone and score a bit more.
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rt16 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 7:51 pm
@DEH, truth of the matter is if we had some more talented “shooters or snipers” doughty would have better numbers. he may be trying too hard. he has made some great passes setting up others like many dmen do only to be feeding feeble offensive players who dont have great shots. Our presence down low is nonexistent . . . we miss zus and simmer down low no question. Even foxie said it last night and there is no doubt . . . we need a sniper and/or better shooters. we are challenged offensively and thats just who we are right now. DL you listening???
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I know there is a lot of scuttlebutt out there wrt one Mr. Drew Doughty….. esquire. But HE is not the problem for the Kings. I personally am far more concerned about this org’s lack of development of their forwards. Who is in the system now that we can look forward to being a serious contributor next year. I’ll tell you who. No one.
Tyler Toffoli is not going to come straight out of juniors and become a thirty (or even twenty) goal scorer on the Kings. I’d Love to be proven wrong on that one, but I seriously doubt he’ll even play anywhere but Manchester next year, unless they bring him up to fill in for injuries.
Otherwise no one at all from Manch that looks to make noise. THAT is their principal problem. Last two years they had problems scoring 5-on-5. Each new season I couldn’t see where they would rectify the problem….. and they didn’t.
Now I don’t see how they will rectify it again going into next season Unless DL makes some very very intelligent and savvy moves. He doesn’t have the same resources with which to do something the way he did two years ago.
Good luck DL.
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neil Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Sa@number 6, same page…..our defense is great…
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mrbrett7 Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 7:17 am
@number 6, Well said.
One of the big reasons I was so upset about trading away Schenn. I know, Richards is proven, but all he has proven to me this year is that he really isn’t that good.
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Wait till doughty gets hurt then we’ll all see what he’s worth. I think most of you will be surprised.
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DesertKing Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:10 pm
@Purple and gold,
We’ve seen how bad we become without Mitchell. DD will only get better, but he did have a terrible game last night.
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CB14 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:17 pm
@Purple and gold, We went 4-1 without him earlier this year, and we went 4-2 without him last year. Also, we won the Philly game this year in which he played 2 shifts then got injured. I’m not surprised.
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The Batman Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:12 pm
@CB14, Not to mention that jj turns into a beast when doughty is out for some reason
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LGK!! Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 11:21 pm
@The Batman, this totally true. I’ve been saying this for a while now. There is clearly an issue that needs to be addressed with JJ, because clearly his head is not in the right place when DD is around. It might be that he buckles under the “alpha-maleness” that DD assumes when he’s on ice or it just might be because he’s a very intelligent person and DD is just an idiot who gets under his skin. Either way, the problem needs to be solved by either getting JJ to suck it up or we need to trade him.
Jeff_R Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 11:24 pm
@CB14, That isn’t a really big sample size to come up with a conclusion.
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CB14 Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 11:33 pm
@Jeff_R, Never said it did, just pointing out what record we have when Drew doesn’t play.
Bottom line is simple, We need to score goals, simple. We are still in and we are okay considering everything.. PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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For most of the past 40 years or so, it has been painful to watch the Kings on defense. Most fans would prefer root canal surgery to seeing defensemen like Mark Hardy, Jerry Korab or Jay Wells, the stalwarts of the 80s.
We did have one decent high pick defenseman in the 80s — Larry Murphy. As might be expected of our always-challenged franchise, some stooge coach gave up on him before he learned the game well enough to get his Hall of Fame career on track.
In the 90s, we had journeymen like Tim Watters and Charlie Huddy — even when we went to the Final. Marty McSorley was a liability, to say the least, in the defensive zone.
When we tanked in the mid-90s, we got a high pick — third overall — and used it to select defenseman Aki Berg. Berg never fit into the NHL and after a few subpar seasons went home to Finland to play in a league where there would be no checking.
Against this backdrop, it is a joy — an absolute joy — to have Drew Doughty as a member of the Kings. He is easily one of the top five players ever to skate for the Kings.
Admittedly, at his young age he still needs coaching. But he’s putting up great numbers under Coach Sutter (Plus Eight in 16 games) and it looks like he will soon be back in the hunt for the Norris Trophy.
Indeed, Doughty’s recent Plus numbers under the new coach over a full season would reach the Borquian level of Plus Forty.
As an ancient Kings’ fan, I thank the Almighty we have Drew Doughty under contract for years to come.
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lakingbob(chi) Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:49 pm
@Hadley, it sounds like you have been around since me with the Kings, that said you are right on and the situation is not Drew so I believe just let him be he is not the scape goat, Further more we were in a way different situation with #5 Larry Murphy. To this day it was bad… Good posting..
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Shaibou Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 11:19 pm
@Hadley, Excuse me? What about Blake,Zitnik,Sydor…
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Jeff_R Reply:
January 22nd, 2012 at 11:28 pm
@Shaibou, Yea Blake won a Norris trophy. Guess he don’t matter. Don’t forget Lubo and Norstrom.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 9:21 am
@Jeff_R, Lubo? Lubo on this or any other planet is not a good defenseman. He can score, yes, but the job of a defenseman is to STOP the other team from scoring.
Hadley Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 11:11 am
@Shaibou, if I were trying to catalogue, rather than highlight, the Kings’ defensemen from over the years, I would have included Bart Crashley who in only four games in 1975-76 was an astonishing Minus Ten.
As for the three you mentioned, each of those players arguably had their best seasons with other teams.
Oleksiy Zhitnik had a difficult learning curve when he played just over two seasons for the Kings in the early 90s. For those two seasons, he was a problematic Minus Seventeen. As with Larry Murphy a decade earlier, the Kings gave up on Zhitnik and traded him to Buffalo for a very used Grant Fuhr and possibly some hockey cards.
Once he was in Buffalo, Zhitnik had an outstanding career and played in the NHL All-Star Game on two occasions.
Darryl Sydor was yet another example of the Kings’ unwillingness to let a defenseman develop. Darryl played for about five seasons in Los Angeles, posting a somewhat lamentable Minus Twenty-Seven for those formative years. Sydor’s prime was in Dallas where he played 8 years as a Top Four defenseman — playing alongside Buffalo’s Alex Zhitnik in the 1999 All-Star Game.
Rob Blake was the worst six million dollar man in the history of hockey when he played for the Kings in 2007 or whenever it was. He put up Johnsonian Minus numbers in his last two seasons here.
Back in the 90s, even when he won the Norris, Blake was a Minus Three for the season. After winning the Norris, he was traded to Colorado where he went on to win the Stanley Cup. Blake is a Minus Eighty-Eight for his career with the Kings but a Plus Eighty-Four with the Avs and the Sharks.
In short, many people would argue — at least so far as their seasons with the Kings are concerned — Drew Doughty (+18) is better than Alex Zhitnik (-17), Darryl Sydor (-27) or Rob Blake (-88).
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CabbagesAndKings Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 11:39 am
@Hadley, I think highlighting a players career with one team compared to his career with another team says more about the teams he played for then the player. Of course Blake had better numbers as an Av, they won the Stanley Cup.
Fantastic post though — enjoyed it.
nykingfan Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 5:10 am
@Hadley,
Really good post
People have no idea how difficult it is to excel on the blueline in the NHL. He’s just a kid learning his craft..and playing against the best every night.
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Show me the money!
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DesertKing Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 7:53 am
@Kingsfanone,
I had some money once. I spent it on tickets to Kings games.
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You build the team around the highest payed guy otherwise what’s the reason to pay that much? Unfortunately, that concept doesn’t apply to this team. Everytime DD decides to carry the puck into the O-zone, no one else follows him. He ends up with losing puck because there’s no support around. They’ve been talking about involving D-men offensively but what they are doing is trying to use D-men in supporting role. How about forwards support Ds? When they drive to the net, give them a pass. Don’t think they are always decoys. What DD and JJ need is other players who can read their offensive plays and provide a support. Otherwise their talents and the money will be wasted.
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PP Anybody? Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:58 am
@goldielocks, This is a major point. Management still can’t get a grip on how to involve the D into the attack. They give DD the green light, but yet they tell everyone else to hang back at the blue line and the neutral zone just in case DD gets caught down low. Well guess what? He’s going to get caught down low, because he has absolutely no one supporting him on the offensive attack. With no one driving the slot or coming in as a trailer, he has no one to ever pass to. He gets stripped of the puck, pinched off behind the net, or dropped on his a$&, and the other team is off breaking out of our zone.
DD, JJ, and Voynov are being SEVERELY wasted by this conservative defensive philosophy. These guys were MADE for entering in and joining on the attack, yet they are relegated to being glued to the points most of the time, and if they do jump up then the rest of the team makes it pointless. I’m truly over this whole mindset. It has to change. Preferably, I’d like to see it change before DL is fired, and half the team is traded away.
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Good point because it seems both of them have been crashing and the only thing that is happening is burning…
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The whole team seems out of sync for 9/10 games this year. It is somewhat understandable since a linchpin was gone for training camp and 3 of the top 6 forwards were still sort of new: Gagne, Richards, Penner.
By this point in the year the team should be a well-oiled machine, but because of underachieving and a coaching change, adjustments will take place.
As much as I like Sutter personally more than Murray, much of the Kings’ success was motivation due to seeing their old coach get canned.
If this team is going to pick it up it has to come from individual efforts and camaraderie.
There is something going on in the dressing room.
And guys who have performed well before have to perform at or above that level NOW.
Kopitar needs to check.
Brown needs to crash the net.
Doughty needs to end-to-end deke and score.
Johnson needs to pick up his defensive game and use his toughness.
Gagne needs to retire and spend time with his family. For his health. For theirs.
Loktionov might just not be NHL caliber.
Penner needs to stop thinking and play. And go to sickfatandnearlydead.com
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It’s really sad we to cheer for the ducks to keep us in the playoffs, when the kings can’t do the job!!!
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Coach Sutter should watch Doughty video in years one and two. He was fearless and nearly flawless. Now he’s tentative, and makes really bonehead decisions more often than not. I’m not throwing the baby out with the bathwater because I know he’s an extraordinarily capable player, but he’s been far more ordinary to the extra over the past season plus.
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I got a feeling DD is going to have one heck of a year next year. That’s my prediction. That being said he certainly has not earned his keep this year, but he isn’t alone. Kopitar, Richards, Brown and Williams have earned their money, but that’s about it. Penner, Gagne and Stoll are going to end up being huge failures this year, but the rest of the forwards have also disappointed.
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If you look at Chelios’ stats, after a short stint in 83-84 his first 3 full seasons were very up-and-down. After a stellar rookie season he struggled a bit his 2nd and 3rd years (as his +- attests) but seemed to come into his own during the 87-88 season, midway thru which he turned 26. I think its a so-so comparison (cause I dont expect DD to ever be as physical as Chelios) and so I’m not all that worried about him.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8446053
I think an even better comparison might be Brian Leetch, whose style more closely resembled DDs. He had a great rookie season in 87-88 and then struggled over the next two seasons before hitting his stride in the 91-92 season, during which he turned 24. Be patient, people!
http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8448769#&navid=nhl-search
With our forwards I have less patience, cause there’s little development likely to happen. We need help from without there.
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Offense isn’t scoring so lets focus our frustration(Jealousy) on a defensive phenom! All the doughty hate needs to go. This is one of the best kings to ever suit up. I sit back and I think how lucky the kings are. Not waiting on Fast Food Fans to accept. A good meal takes time, preparation and skills. Isn’t available on every conner and doesn’t show up on the 99 c menu.
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neil Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 8:05 am
@Roxo, Our defense has been the only “constant” all year.DD is a great player….now if fans want to discuss the bottom six….lack of scoring…lack of moves by DL..Iam all in!!!!!
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I actually find this team and focusing on Doughty kind of normal. The problem now is that the whole apple is spoiled from the inside and its no longer a normal environment. That is the big challenge of recovering from bad games…Once the situation gets the best of you, and you cannot put your finger on it, teams disintegrate. No one can predict anything.
Each one of us has to be in their shoes…imagine, you star the season with high hope, start very well, and than it goes kaput quite suddenly, your coach gets canned. Not to mention the trade of Handzus and Simmonds (which I am sure upset the chemistry of this team as well as DD negotiations).
Sports is a bit of a roll of the dice, teams that seem to control their destiny long term with spartan reserve is rare (DTW Red Wings).
Overall, dont you guys think we are supposed to have enough talent to hit open nets?? I would have thought at this point in time, any NHL player should have the ability to shoot accurately, respond quickly and basically know how to play.
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nykingfan Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 6:24 am
@jack,
It seems contagious with this team. Everyone sesm to be gripping their sticks too tight.
You’re right that no matter how offensively challenged people think this team is, it’s impossible for them not to be able to hit open nets…but that’s how it’s gone all season.
the only thing they can do is keep working hard (unlike Saturday night). At some point the worm will turn in our favor. The law of averages says it has to!
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Pretty big game tonight against the Sens…The Kings need to come out guns blazing from the opening faceoff and take the play to them early and often.
You would hope after watching the tape of the previous game, guys like Richards/’Stoll/Penner are thoroughly embarrassed about their play against Col and will want to make ammends. Lord only knows why the 3 decided to steal a pacheck against a conference foe at home, but they did.
This is the last game before the long 8 day break. It would be nice to have a nice, comfortable win against a real tough opponent going into the break. It’s going to take 4 lines to get the job done. They better be ready to go!
Go Kings!
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KC23 Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 8:14 am
@nykingfan, It’s almost painful to say, but I’ll be there cheering our Kings on. Kills me to go to this game after that horrid game I went to on Saturday, but I’ve had these tickets from before the season started. Hope it is a good one.
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nykingfan Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 9:55 am
@KC23,
It can’t get much worse than Saturday night..gotta look at the positives
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I am surprised that they didnt have a kick ass skate…I dont think these days off ice have been effective all season…when attitudes need to change, they need to work, work, work, not stay at home, to have time to stew and get upset over themselves. If they feel tired, because of extra hard practices, THAT will motivate them to play better…Pain, not rest!!
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DD did not have a good game against the Avs, but most of the time he does really well. The problem, as many of you pointed out, is not our defense. The entire team, including forwards, D-men and goalies (yes, including JB) have been outstanding. The problem is and has been the offense. Some are blaming DD and criticizing his play, but when you really look at it, we are asking him to continue to play outstanding defense and become our top scorer? Sorry, but the Bobby Orr days are over and that ain’t happening.
You only have to look at Matt Greene’s stat line to see the problem – he has more goals than almost all of our forwards. Greene Greene the Offensive Machine!! Penner and Stoll will be gone next year, their money will go to Quick, and hopefully we can find a scoring forward with whatever is left over. Heck, we might even want to look at that Toffoli kid since he seems to be able to light the lamp. GKG!!!
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The Ducks are coming…. The Kings need a winning streak like the Ducks…5 in a row…not one pointers….
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neil Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 8:09 am
@neil, 11 points behind….3 games in hand….If you were first..who would you rather face in the first round..Kings or Ducks?????
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I think people overlook DD skill and ability to control the tempo.. Hes matched up with the top players every game and thats one reason our D is so good. Really the D problems are only amplified because of the lack of scoring..
I do agree with a comment above, for some reason JJ plays beastly when doughty is out (under pressure), while i think doughty does worse under pressure. While we bash on the defense really its the offense thats the issue.
i do think it is the D’s responsibility to set up more chances, but even with chances the forwards are failing to finish.
One thing i noticed stoll does is he always dumps in or plays the puck back to a D man. I’ve seen a few times the possibility for a chance and he turns around and passes or takes back into our zone.. Hes reliable on D but he really needs to focus on his offensive chances
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On still a lighter note, I want to share some really good photos from Saturday night taken by LomitaKingsFan, including this group shot at center ice!
http://deepinsidethekings.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/groupshot.jpg
You can view the entire slideshow and video here:
http://deepinsidethekings.com/2012/01/bitter-suite-a-night-of-contrasts/
And if you’d be open to share your photos, email me and I’ll post them! Thanks and enjoy.
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DesertKing Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 9:46 am
@wavesinair,
Thanks Waves, awesome job by LomitaKingsFan!
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I really don’t think it’s a good idea to trade DD…I am pretty sure that the results would not be to our liking…DD has nothing but upside to his game…he may have struggled a bit lately, but has also played brilliantly…so he may have some inconsistancy in his game at times…As DS said, he is young and it’s a process…I still believe that DD will develope into one of the greatest Dmen the Kings have ever had…but to do that he has to bring it every night…there can be no nights off…once he “figures it all out” he is going to be scary good…That is why he is the 7 million dollar man
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g smith86 Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 10:59 am
@g smith86, and i certainly don’t want to see him in another teams’ jersey making plays and scoring goals…that’s all I need…trade him to Dallas and watch him win the norris trophy…that would make me puke!
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The greatest parallel that I can observe between Chelios and Doughty is the penchant to take stupid, undisciplined penalties at the wrong time.
Maybe Chelios was way overpaid too.
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What a bunch of hooey. At the same age, Chelios put up a 64 point, +11 season, with elite-level physical play. He may not have won a Norris until he was 27, but Chelios was dominating much earlier than that.
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g smith86 Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 8:24 pm
@Yog S’loth, what’s 64 points in the 80′s …that’s like 20 points now…And Chelios was very undisciplined when he was younger…it took him a long time to develop any respect from the Refs…I do agree thatv DD will nev er be as physical as Chelios was, but DD will become as dominate
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