Darryl Sutter hinted, in recent days, that he would break up the Kings’ top line of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, and he did it today, with Brown moving to the second-line right-wing spot — he had been playing left wing in recent weeks — and rookie Jordan Nolan moving up to the first line and going back to his natural position of left wing. The Kings, it seems clear, aren’t going anywhere unless Kopitar and Brown get going. Kopitar has two goals in his last 10 games and Brown has gone 11 consecutive games without a goal. After practice today, Sutter was asked about the new-look lines, in the context of trying something different in order to get the offense going…
SUTTER: “Different? Yeah, Kopitar and Brown to get going. Neither one has done much for six weeks. These guys talk too much about the team. They should talk more about more about themselves, what they bring to the table. … Kopi and Brownie have been stale, from my standpoint, for a little while together. In terms of producing opportunities, if it’s working backwards, in terms of who you perceive as your fourth line, to your first, then it’s not really a team thing.’’
Sutter was then asked about what has been lacking in Kopitar’s game, and he spoke at length about both Kopitar and Brown…
SUTTER: “He has to bring more energy and more purpose when he has the puck. It’s not that he’s playing poorly. If you didn’t look at him as a high-end offensive player, he’s playing well enough in the three zones, but when he’s got the puck in the offensive zone, he’s got to be a lot more determined, purposed player when he has it in the offensive zone. He does a really good job of getting there with it and helping everybody else get there, but he’s got to do a better job once he has it there, because he’s capable. … Up until we went on that (road) trip, there were times when he was close to dominating in those areas. Then we went on the trip, and it started to slip in his game.
“Brownie is a straight-line, up-and-down, go-to-the net, shoot-the-puck, run-over-people player. Just break it down. If he’s doing those four or five things, he’s effective. If he’s not doing all those things, he’s not effective. That’s what ties into Brownie’s scoring, is those areas. It’s simple. He’s not unlike any other power player. When they stop doing those things, then those chances go down and their scoring goes down. That’s where he is right now. We moved him to left wing, probably 12 games ago, and he has scored one goal there, and that was the game against Calgary. That was the only time. So I’ll take as much responsibility in that as he should. He thinks he’s a better left winger, but I would say that he has done the majority of his teamwork, or good work, on the right side.’’
I would love to see Brownie get back to playing the way Sutter described. Straight line, run you over, power forward who goes straight to the net. Hell, run over the goalie and take a few goalie interference penalties if need be..just play hard and aggressive!
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Kingsfletch Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
@Kingsfletch, also love how he calls these guys out. Needed to
be done. Good job Sutty
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thrustable Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:18 pm
@Kingsfletch, if Sutter is Sutty, does that make Penner Penny?
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Shakes Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
@thrustable, Well technically Anfernee Hardaway is Penny which makes Penner (somewhat appropriately) Lil Penny.
TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
@thrustable, no, it makes him Pencakes
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
@thrustable, er … Penny Loafer.
Gordon Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
@thrustable, If I got a penny for every time I’ve heard that… I’d have 1 penny.
KingsFletch Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 5:28 pm
@thrustable, LOL yeah i guess Penner would be Penny.. but only because pennies are worthless
Otherwise I like the pancakes nickname. I just like Sutty better than DS but i don’t think Sutter would approve, what do you guys think? lol
gene Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
@Kingsfletch, Agree 100%. Bronw is not Brown this year. For what ever reason, he is not the hard nose, crash into the boards, get in the face of the goalie and or be nasty at times. Just not the same. Maybe he should get rid of the C and just be himself and not worry about the C on his chest?????
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PRMan Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
@Kingsfletch, He’s already doing 1,2,4 and 5. He needs to do #3 (go to the net). That’s the only one he stopped doing.
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Kiosku2 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
@Shakes, etc. or @RICH HAMMOND…
Rich, do you ever laugh at some of the one-liners on here?
Some of these are quite good!
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KingsFletch Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
@PRMan, Idk maybe you’ve been seeing something the rest of us haven’t.. but lately Brown hasn’t one any of those things. I miss the Brownie i was used to seeing… hopefully he’s in there somewhere and this defense first mentality hasn’t completely ruined him.
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Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to keep talking about it. But, I guess there’s nothing else to do.
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tantrum4 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
@Weasel,
So when a reporter asks him a question he should did sit there and not say anything? I don’t get what you’re trying to say here.
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Amen Brother D, nobody has ever said it better.
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I like this coach…and not just because I agree with much of what he has to say, but because he actually says it.
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pautna Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
@wavesinair, Agreed. I was just thinking the same thing.
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Cunning Plan Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
@wavesinair,
I agree with you calling Penner HORSECRAP and now calling out Kopitar and some other players the Honeymoon is definitely over but it’s good. TM never really ever called any of the top players out. When DS first got here I was surprised because he seemed like he wouldn’t call anyone out trying to keep it all in the “locker room”. Well his true colors are coming out and I like it.
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LA_1968 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
@Cunning Plan, I agree with most of your take on DS except the colors coming out. It’s apparent to me that he went out of his way protecting the guys for the first couple months in order to build trust. He showed the guys that he knows how to protect them. Now that he has given them a few breaks, and they know it, he points the finger right between their eyes. Notice these guys are captains. So if by colors you mean he takes everything to the press then I disagree.
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KingMe20 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
@Cunning Plan,
Not true. TM did call out Frolov, but by then his game had already gone south. Of course, with the way things are going lately, I have to wonder if it was the system that ruined Frolov, or if he just wasn’t willing to be what we thought he could be.
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variable Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
@wavesinair,
yeah…he’s been a good coach so far…
but we still can’t score…
…and charlie don’t surf…
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DesertKing Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
@variable,
And I ain’t smelling any napalm this morning, so I ain’t smeling any victory either.
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40YearKingsFan Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
@wavesinair,
I’m in agreement on the way Sutter is handling players but I am puzzled at his handling of the X’s and O’s. What is the statistical probability that this many players with decent or good career scoring numbers go this flat, for this long, all at once? I think there is more going on here than calling out players will solve, although it might help somewhat. The tallest blade of grass is the power play. Sutter can call people out all day long and it’s not going to improve our power play one bit. Even teams with awful rosters score power play goals, but we can’t and we haven’t all season. It seems to reason that our offense in general suffers for the same reason. It’s not as much desire and execution as it is what they’re being asked to execute. I have serious doubts that adding a winger, even a good one, will change anything at all if we continue with the same failed offensive strategy.
Like I said, I like Sutter’s player management. It’s refreshing. But how about calling out Kompon and saying you need more from him? I think a little bit of that Sutter candor should be flying his way.
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CamFan Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
@40YearKingsFan, Think you hit it on the head. Calgary’s goal highlighted this to me. It seemed a set play and was *fast-no time for Quick to react. There was a time when, if we needed a goal and we had an offensive zone face-off, we could get it! With a roster not nearly this talented.
Most other teams know exactly what to do when they get the puck. The don’t waste time. Often, we mess around in our own zone then proceed to try to carry it up… and if the other team won’t let us do that, we go down the side, every time! The King are SO predictable! 5 on 5 or power play. The don’t seem to have good offensive strategy. We make opposing goalies look great but really they have just figured us out–eons ago.
Rather than trades I hope we can find someone who can teach the guys good offensive strategy and key plays. I’m hoping Nichols might help but he was another era. Much harder to score today (tho it CAN be done!)
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AH yes, the “Honeymoon” is over. Time for Mr.SUTTER to take the gloves off!
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Roger Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
@John Roy Morgan, AGREE
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Keep moving the deck chairs around. At least, once the ship sinks, they’ll be able to put a puck in the ocean.
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vplaza Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
@Dropdapuck,
I wouldn’t count on this team hitting the ocean with a puck.
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DesertKing Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
@vplaza,
Wide right, they hit Vegas.
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tornado12 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
@vplaza, it would just go high and wide…
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Shane Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
@Dropdapuck, so very true.
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We need more from brown and kopitar? Sure, I agree with that. But he failed to mention that we need more from everyone not named quick.
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FdoFmFull Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
@thrustable, True.
However, it starts at the top.
When the “C” and one of the “A”s (highest payed player on the roster” are not producing, you gotta call ‘em on the rug.
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KingSurfer Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
@FdoFmFull,
if by “(highest payed player on the roster” are not producing, you gotta call ‘em on the rug.” you mean Doughty then YES!
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hey darryl…
what do you want from us fans…?
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wavesinair Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:25 pm
@variable,
Sutter…
“Good fans are clever-line, pithy-approach, first-to-the-blog, shoot-from-the-hip, take-over-the-thread commenters. Just break it down. If you’re doing those four or five things, you’re effective. If you’re not doing those things, you’re just an anthony.”
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TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:28 pm
@wavesinair, hahahaaha
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variable Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
@wavesinair,
thanks, coach…
oh…btw…
can i borrow yr brown plaid sportscoat…?
y’know, the one with the faint, off-orange squares…?
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wavesinair Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
@variable,
talk to DITK. they’re my official clothier.
HockeyfanB4Gretzky Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
@wavesinair, Not to many peaple know who Anthony is .
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fsd1 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
@HockeyfanB4Gretzky, and that is a good thing…..
wavesinair Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
@HockeyfanB4Gretzky,
Isn’t it weird though that Sutter does? Must be a legend up in Calgary…
tornado12 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
@HockeyfanB4Gretzky, and some things that should not have been forgotten, were lost…
JFont Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
@wavesinair, wow, that forgotten name, Anthony… It has been a while….
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
@JFont,
letswinthecup2012 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
@variable,
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DesertKing Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
@variable,
“Uh, whatever AEG wants?”
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KingMe20 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
@DesertKing,
“Whatever you tell me to, Drill Sergeant?”
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It will be interesting to see how the line shake ups will play out. But DS nailed it when it comes to DB and Kopi. Both players are missing key aspects to their game that make them sucessful and in turn contribute to the teams success. I can also appreciate DS saying he has some of the blame for not changing the lines up sooner. I hope a little change in the lines will be a spark to the team. I guess we will find out on tuesday if what DS said has sunk in and changed how DB and Kopi adresss tbeir game and how it will help the team overall.
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It seems a pretty obvious strategy for opposing teams to place a priority on stopping the Kopitar line as there is little to worry about beyond that. Have kopi’s been getting extra attention recently?
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I think Kopitar was being more aggressive for awhile then in the last few games he’s backed off a little. Playing with Nolan on his line should help. As for Brown the more he looks like a runawat train the better. He’s not a finesse player.
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what kind of depth does this team have? it’s ridiculous that we are looking to two kids in King and Nolan to spark this team offensively.
Lotki! Are you kidding me with this guy. He gets knocked off the puck if someone breathes on him.
He’s a liability in the defensive zone.
This team is costing Quick the MVP not mention us fans the Stanley Cup.
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kopitaristheman Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
@Snoop Dogg, lotki has been playing really well, hes always up in the other teams’ face forechecking, he has taken the puck away numerous times, and he is able to keep the puck and move it around when the other team is all over him.
unfortunately, all that hard work seldom pays off, it means more time in the offensive zone, but not much actual production from it. We need lotki to be teamed up with a winger who can take his passes and put them in the net.
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tornado12 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:28 pm
@Snoop Dogg, lokti is a skill guy that needs skill guys around him. he will get stronger as his body matures, he will be just fine, but you are right, he is here to produce and it just isnt happening.
as far as depth goes, we are incredibly deep on the backend, in fact some could argue too much, so DL needs to use that depth to aqcuire more up front. Of course, it should also be noted that 2 of those depth players (moller and holloway) that could help us right now are playing in Sweden because our creativity stiffling play chased them off…
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
@tornado12, That’s exactly what everyone said about Oscar also and where is he?
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So Coach Beaker? Does this mean Kopi has freedom to focus primarely on his offensive game and not so much on defense?
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kingrussell Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:24 pm
@the hockey don, That is a good point.He expends so much energy being our best defensive forward that sometimes it hurts his offense.And let’s remember he had to recover from a fairly serious leg injury in the offseason and my be starting to run out of gas a little.
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Snoop Dogg Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
@kingrussell, Yeah, what do you want from the guy? Nash only has 18 goals on the season.
What does Kopitar have, 17? Kopitar is one of the best two way players in the game.
Imagine if this team averaged two goals a game. They would be on fire.
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the hockey don Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
@Snoop Dogg, hey Snoop for what ever reason your post made me realize that Kopi has more points than Nash and almost as many goals. So is Nash a victim of a bad club or is he all hype? What can we really expect from him? Would our coach be calling him out as well?
KingMe20 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
@the hockey don,
In Nash’s case, I think that he has even less help around him than Kopitar does.
Meant to say runaway.
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Put bernier in goal put penner as a back up goalie. Move nolan to 4 line or something. Put in quick on first like lw. Maybe he can score some goals. I have faith.
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DesertKing Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
@Kingsfan602,
Agree with it all. Lets put Kompon on the checking line, Bailey on the 2nd line and rotate the Ice Crew members through the 3rd line (distraction value). These changes can’t do any worse than the two home shut-outs in a row.
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Kingsfan602 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
@DesertKing, have kompon drop the gloves with shane doan tomorrow who wins?
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DesertKing Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
@Kingsfan602,
How about with the biggest guy on the team?
KingMe20 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
@Kingsfan602,
But if Quick scores a goal, then Poorman will just tell us that he was right, and that he should have been shutting out those teams he lost 1-0 to AND scoring the game winner.
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Sutter finally opens his mouth!
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FdoFmFull Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
@kings king, No more Mr. Nice Guy! (about time!)
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Glad Coach Sutter doesn’t mince words…
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Brown has no success on left wing he is a right winger and was a right winger during his 30 goal seasons.
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Here we go Murray tried the same thing. Lets change the lines. If we really want to shake it up lets put Doughty as a foward that way we can skate with the puck across the blue line instead of dumping it in ALL the time.
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g smith86 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@Roger, the only reason DD is able to skate the puck in the zone sometimes is because he is a defensemen who knows when he can rush the puck in, which usually happens on the PP or when the defense is not quite set and he surprises them…I think as a forward he would have a lot of the same problems other King forwards have at the line…not enough blazing speed or overwhelming size to make teams backoff…this team scares nobody in that regard…BTW..were you joking? Cuz I actually had written a post months ago saying that since Martinez was a healthy scratch every night that they should try him at wing…he has descent speed and a good shot…so if you were joking, I don’t think it is actually such a bad idea ( to move a dman up to forward) at this point, what does DS have to lose?
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What about richards? He’s been a ghost to say the least.
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love that Sutter calls it straight up and to the point. Coach has to do what he has to do to light some FIRE under his player’s arse’s
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SJ is down a defenseman and is now hurt in the Nash sweepstakes. They will not trade 2 forwards from there roster for Nash.
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Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
@Jeff_R, Darren Dregger tweeted that Philly is most likely out of getting Nash, as the asking price is too high for them. He thinks NY is the frontrunner. Most likely though this has come down to a two team race between NY and LA. Unless a surprise team comes in at the end.
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PP Anybody? Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
@Jeff_R, Nice! That puts us in as good of a position as we had with Brad Richards.
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The Puck Stops Here Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
@PP Anybody?, I thought the same thing. NY is going to be a monster squad for years to come if they land Nash too!
Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
@PP Anybody?, @The Puck Stops Here, How does NY do that trade with there Salary Cap without gutting there Roster. Most likely Columbus would want Stahl on defense plus NY doesn’t really have a Goalie to give up. Plus they will have 2 Wingers making over $15 million. What do they do with Gaborik? I think they will hurt there team as for the first time they have basically built the team mostly through the draft. Yes they have added a couple of UFA’s (Richards and Gaborik) but most all the team is built through the draft and for the first time in a long time they are doing well. I can’t see them ripping it up for Nash at the deadline.
Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
@PP Anybody?, Richards went to NY because of Torts and the fact that it is close to his home. His family is a short trip away. Us getting top UFA’s is tough because we have the most travel and most of these players like to stay in the East as most of the cities are close to each other. Look at where the UFA’s sign 90% of them do so back east.
More? Really? Wow, I didn’t see that coming!
More needs to be expected from the whole team, but that hasn’t been happening on a consistent basis.
Playing the ol shell game with the same players on this team, is going to make little to no change.
If you have a predictable, anemic offensive group, facts is facts, and scoring is absent.
What is scary is everyone in the media is expecting the Kings to make some big blockbuster deal. All the sports talk, hockey discussion from in between periods,post game shows and NHL Live all are talking about what the Kings need to do.
Everyone is a arm chair GM these days.
Last season Lombardi was under the microscope and made what everyone thought was going to be this great addition to the Kings, which was sure to improve them, and get them past the 1st round,
After that trade, all the analysts were praising Lombardi, and the Kings for taking that next step by adding Penner.
Nobody thought that trade would fall on its face. Lombardi is either going to do little to nothing, or he’s going to blow out some current roster players, prospects and picks, and sell his soul to the devil.
There are too many teams within points of the other, not enough sellers now, more like buyers, but not much to buy.
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rene Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
@Neil Shafton,
ty, spot on. this team is going fishing at the end of the year. what a terrible product.
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IceGuy Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
@Neil Shafton,
We should all be clear.
The failure of the Penner deal is on Penner – not Lombardi.
I have some issues with Lombardi’s choices, but making the play for Penner was a worthwhile chance.
It didn’t work. That mistake should have been dealt with last summer, but that’s blood under the bridge.
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The Puck Stops Here Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@IceGuy, Dealt with last summer? How? By attempting to trade his underachieving ass to who? Other teams were well aware he didn’t perform when it counted. His cost exceeded his value. Perhaps DL TRIED to trade Penner, but there were no takers. I don’t understand why people harp on the same garbage all the time. Getting Penner was a good move at the time. Now people are calling DL out because Penner didn’t perform? The defensive structure here handcuffs players like Penner. End of this season, he will be UFA, he’ll get a lower cost contract with the Sharks, and he’ll come to Staples Center and kick our ass. Mark my words.
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
@IceGuy, I also thought what everyone here thought, that Penner would bring us at least 12 more goals when he got here but instead he took a vacation at the Kings expense. And he’s still on vacation. I don’t blame DL at all.
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Good Job sutter!!!!
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The best part of this post is Sutter’s quote, “These guys talk too much about the team. They should talk more about more about themselves, what they bring to the table.”
Whatever changes are made at the deadline or during the summer the players are held accountable. I love Kopi and Brown but this is not TM’s Kings. If you really want to help the “team” you must be a big part of our scoring. If they score Richards and Lokti and Stoll will start to score.
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dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:01 pm
@Christian T, nobody will start to score unless team changes system they are playing
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fsd1 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:07 pm
@dm3977, could not be farther from the truth, the truth is that very viable scoring chances were created in both 1-0 losses, nothing at all is wrong with this system, nothing, players just need to finish, plain and very very simple.
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dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
@fsd1, all of sudden all the forwards could not finish…. hmm
interesting thought
fsd1 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@dm3977 All of a sudden? are you high?
DEH Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
@dm3977, so how is St. Louis able to score???? They run the same kind of system?
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DEH Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
@DEH, not to mention they have less talent??
dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
@DEH, check the stats… st.louis is number 23 in gf
Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
@dm3977, If the Kings were 24th out of 30 in Goals For the Kings would be in first place in the Pacific ahead of SJ. Actually I just looked and ST Louis is 20th at 2.51 goals for. I would be ecstatic if the Kings were in that spot and with the roster the Kings have they should be.
PP Anybody? Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
@DEH, St. Louis does not run the same system, at all. Hitchock explained in an interview last month his philosophy. He wants all his players to be interchangeable on offense or defense. Meaning, if a defenseman can get in on the forecheck, he is instructed to. The Kings keep both their D men glued up high to the blue line. There is no interchanging of roles on this team. The D always stay back, hardly ever pinch, and leave the forwards to break out of the zone every time. Nothing like the Blues current system.
Helvetica Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
@dm3977, They scored last season. They scored the season before that. Even this season they started strong enough to win games. Same system, different results. These guys need to find a new level of play within themselves. It’s not just Kopi and Brown, but by being leaders on the team, they can raise the level of play from everyone if they start demonstrating how it’s done with their own play on the ice.
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dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
@Helvetica, brown is average player. nothing special… and kopi (as much i like him) is getting washed up too. it’s happening with a lot of star players. look what happened with ovechkin
g smith86 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
@Helvetica, they have not been better than 25th in GF for the last three years…I think the PP was more consistant in prevoius seasons, but that is about it…now this year the PP and 5on5 play is horrid and this team is soooo predictable on offense…that is why the Kings have to face Tim Thomas every night…cuz every goalie in the league has confidence when they are going against the Kings…there is very little in the way of surprises when it comes to this team and it’s atrocious offense…so, to put it all on the players would IMO not be completely accurate, although I will admit that they could bury more blatant chances when they come…that would help
Helvetica Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
@g smith86, Thats not completely accurate. Last season, they were 25th in scoring at 209 goals. You are correct there. In 09-10, they were 9th in scoring at 231 goals. However, what i was REALLY getting at, is that they can and have scored goals under this system. This season, they are on pace for about 170 goals scored. The last two seasons, they broke 200 goals scored.
With that said, i was never trying to imply this is ALL players fault. We all know the system they play limits their chances. But the fact is, they are way down on goals (as a team), and they have shown that they can score goals at a higher rate than they have this season. This post is about needing more from Brown and Kopi and I think it’s VERY fair that those two are called out by name. The team needs more out of these two, Kopi especially by nature of his contract and Letter.
flex Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
@Helvetica, Scoring problem with this team starts after Frolov departure.Last season we got Handus ,Smith,Simmonds…this season there is nobady in front of the net…Brown is the shadow of Zus..Penner is wrong guy for this system.It is clear,DL did not understand true roll and value of Handus and Simmonds.Yes,we got good collection of talent,but out of balance player….two extra Very good D ,two very good goalies,five or six Centers…and at list two short on wings??after so much disappointmaents we like Sutter being “vocal”,but the problem is ..Brown would be same old ,same old(his best years was ,when he played next to Fro,simple statistic) ,as well as the rest of the team.The worst thing this team is facing is low confidance.with Sutter team got energy ,but the system/puttern is much the same.Most of the guys are trying hard ,but that is not enough.Is the Sutter good coach,Yes ,He is.was the Sutter the right man for this team (????)I do not know,because,again,this line up is out of balance and Infected
with bad virus…conditional name” TM system.”…For me this is like cursing…
Mixing the lines??? silly..Tm tryed a few times and…Failed BIG..that is much the same like,…if 2+3=5..and if you do 3+2…you never would get six …until you are a manager in Bank of America loan department…
Helvetica Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
@dm3977, They scored last season. They scored the season before that. Even this season they started strong enough to win games. Same system, different results. These guys need to find a new level of play within themselves. It’s not just Kopi and Brown, but by being leaders on the team, they can raise the level of play from everyone if they start demonstrating how it’s done with their own play on the ice.
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PP Anybody? Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
@Helvetica, Just a final thought. Have you considered that just because a system might have worked enough to get by before, has now been scouted out and completely figured out by the opposition? It’s a possibility, and therefore it’s also possible that the only fix is to change it so that it is not as easy to defend as it currently has become.
KingMe20 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
@Christian T,
I think what he’s getting at is they need to be less worried about spreading the wealth to their teammates, and being more selfish with the puck. Brown and Kopitar have been thinking pass first much too often. For Kopitar to go through an entire game against a team battling them for a playoff spot (PHX) without a single shot on goal? Way too unselfish, and way too unproductive.
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Mr. Sutter,
It’s conceivable that by “team” Kopi and Brown mean “coaching staff” of which you are the leader in chief. No wonder you take exception. It takes a whole lot of players – not just Kopi and Brown to have a GFA under 2.0 – or a really sucky offensive plan that helps all those players underachieve.
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fsd1 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
@MmmmYummy, quit blaming the coaching and blame the players, they need to finish the opportunities they get every freaking game.
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dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
@fsd1, yep, players…
one name…. simmonds
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Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@dm3977, Actually I wouldn’t put Simmonds as to a reason why we aren’t scoring. I was happy when he was traded as it opened a spot for Kyle Clifford. The people we are missing is Smyth and Zeus. As they were the only ones who would go to the net and deflect pucks and put in rebounds. No player on the roster now does this consistently. Penner should and maybe even Brown. They do it once in a while but not enough to matter.
Michael J. Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
@dm3977,
Do you mean Wayne minus-2 Simmonds? That Wayne Simmonds???
dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
@dm3977, 21 goals and 16 assist wayne simmonds
The Puck Stops Here Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@Jeff R, I think he was being sarcastic when he said “Simmonds.” Simmonds left LA and suddenly became a 25-30 goal scorer. The point is, offensive players don’t do well here. I agree. The players don’t go to the “hard areas.” the problem with the system is there is no apparent offensive system. How many times have the Kings cycled the puck this season. I can count on one hand how many times it actually looked like they practice that system. The shots come off the half wall or the point. Nobody is crashing the net! Why is that? When the players have an open net, they fail to bury the puck, (usually it’s high or wide). Part of that is on the players, part of that is on the coach. If I were the coach of the WORST offense in the NHL, I’d be very embarrassed, and I’d make the guys practice hitting the net and making passes like the all star skills competition. Get back to basics. That much I put on the coach!
Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
@The Puck Stops Here, I don’t agree with the fact that players here can’t score. Kopi, Stoll, Williams, Brown, Smyth all had 20+ goals last season. The problem we are having is not the system or defense first. It is a matter of guys just not being able to finish this year like in past years. While we weren’t an offensive powerhouse we still scored over 2.5 goals a game. If we did that this season we be in first place and not having to worry about not making the playoffs. WHy they can’t finish like they use too I guess has to do with the fact that they will not go to the dirty areas to score, they won’t chrash the net. they won’t screen the goalie and they hesitate before they shoot. Those are main reasons why. Guys that have left that have scored more don’t do it because they are in a better system or don’t play defense first, they do it because they go to those scoring areas. It doesn’t hurt that they are playing with World Class players also. Another thing the Kings do is pass the puck too much, especially with it done around the perimeter. That is one thing that Jeff Carter won’t do as he shoots the puck a lot. Carter has never seen a shot he didn’t like. What we need is either Nash or Carter and a mid level Winger to come in and help our guys out. If it is Nash great. If it is Carter then we go after Parise in the Summer and then we can have our Centers be Kopi/Carter/Richards.
PP Anybody? Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
@fsd1, I’ll keep blaming the coaching staff and DL until I actually see them change their approach and show they understand the slightest bit about offensive strategy. If they continue to complain about offense, yet don’t use more offensive plays, and continue to rely only on defensive structure, then I will continue to point that out cause I’d like it to change.
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PP Anybody? Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Jeff_R, why do you think players who leave the Kings go to the scoring areas now, and didn’t while on the Kings? Why do you think that every player on this team won’t? Are they all scared? Are they all talentless? Are they all that inept? Are they just not doing what the coaches ask them EVERY game? Or are they just following instructions each game? What makes more sense? System, or complete failure to communicate with 23 guys?
Helvetica Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
@MmmmYummy, Players were scoring last season, and the season before that, under the same system. I know it’s trendy right now to blame the system, but the fact is these guys are capable of scoring under this system and have not developed the professionalism to go out every game and WIN games. Last years stats aside, they should still be capable of putting pucks in nets even with a system focused on strong team D. They need to take charge and be more assertive. They are getting out played right now.
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PP Anybody? Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
@Helvetica, There’s nothing trendy about blaming the system. The fact is, the offense has been trending down each year. It’s also just a fact that this team was built and structured for defense, and here we are now at it’s height of fruition. Problem is, I don’t see that DL has given much thought to how to create offense under such a defensive structure. It’s more “oh just score more and play harder”, but we want you guys to follow this strict defensive structure that we envision to be “the right way to play”. Being assertive doesn’t change the fact that 3 guys are in the neutral zone when we are on an “offensive attack”, to prevent against a possible outnumbered turnover. Once in a blue moon Doughty takes charge and rushes into the offensive zone, but then all other 4 players hold back at the blue line to cover for him.
The scoring issues are a direct result of how this team is asked to play, and how they are told to support each other. There is no support on offense, just on defense. Just the way DL envisioned it.
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Old coach: We’ve been showing a lot of compete. We’re getting our chances, but we’ve been getting some unlucky bounces. Random guy on 4th line needs to show more net presence.
New Coach: Kopi and Brown look like pansies out there and need to really step up their game.
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dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
@Helvetica, kings need new coach, new gm and new owner
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Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
@dm3977, That is not true….Although I might agree with a new Owner after the Kings raised my season tickets over 50%.
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dm3977 Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
@Jeff_R, i stopped my season tickets after 2005-06 season. i saw enough of kings organization …. unfortunately under current management kings are going nowhere and i am not paying for it.
Jeff_R Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
@dm3977, I don’t agree your opinion of management but respect it. I would renew my tickets in a heartbeat if they didn’t raise it over 50%.
Jim S. Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:41 pm
@Helvetica, I agree with your points throughout this thread (and on the blog). This is the growing pain I was expecting this year… Brown & Kopi have to man up & carry this team on their backs, period! No more vets to shield them so they have to bring consistent scoring every night. Literally, the time is now!
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I’d just like to point out that we never hear Sutter, DL, or any of the coaching staff talk about getting players in to the slot in between the circles for scoring opportunities. All we hear about is “energy” or “determination”. For once, I’d like to hear someone in management talk specifically about getting players into the prime scoring areas. I’m not talking about “net presence” either. That is not prime scoring, that is garbage time. I’m talking about getting players in front of the goalie with a few feet to spare so they can actually get a shot off and over a goalie’s pads, instead of being 6 inches away and tapping pucks into a goalies knee pads for a stop like this current strategy gets us.
I want to know why this isn’t being the first thing talked about. It is obviously a glaring problem. I want to hear how they are asking players to stop staying up high along the blue line. I want to hear how they want guys to plant themselves in the slot instead of digging along the boards. I want to hear him ask Kopi to stop supporting the puck behind the net, and get between the face off circles. That is what I want to hear.
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After seeing players come and go from the Kings over the last few years…it should be obvious that playing a conservative system (whether it’s sutter or Murray) simply does not work. Think of all the players who come here and simply don’t produce like they can. Penner, Poni, Moulson, Purcell, Boyle. And watching Schenn and Simmonds play like they are playing in Philly makes me cringe. We need to completely open up our style and be more offensive minded. We have a nasty 1-2 center punch of Kopi and Richards. Adding a Nash would be nice..but I think it comes down to eliminating this tight/conservative/boring style of hockey
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The Puck Stops Here Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
@Doughty_Franchise, Agree 100%!!!
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rcinsc Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
@Doughty_Franchise, The kings used to play that way, and lost a lot of games by a score of 8-6. It’s actually close to the Flyers this year. How can it be the system when many players, including some who have spent their entire careers with the Kings, are having career-worst seasons? This roster has the talent to go all the way, they just need the confidence. How do you get the confidence? Score a few goals. It’s quite a catch, that Catch-22…
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It does seem rather redundant to switch the lines…but with no other real viable options, what choice does DS have…musical lines…or, maybe try another approach DS! Try using some of your depth at defense and see if there is anyone willing to play forward…better yet, who really wants to try it…DD1, DD2 or AMart…send penner down and recall Voynov, put him on wing…DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! We have seen the forward-go-round already numerous times this season with little to no results…this current group of forwards are not getting it done and now you are putting a rookie up with Kopi…I thought they (King and Nolan) looked good in their first couple of games with MR…why not let them get a feel for each other and leave that line together for a while? …
I just don’t see this approach working…why?…because we have seen this before and it didn’t work then either
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I like Sutter a lot — he is probably one of the best decisions by the Kings since Jari came south for the winter to play finesse hockey with the Great One. But here’s the rub — we need someone to play finesse hockey with Kopi. As stated by Sutty, Brown is the bull in the china shop; take out the goalie forward. So who is the finesse player going to be Coach? It worked before, make it work again. I like the line changes but we need someone to play the touch game or it will be a long end to the season.
By the way, I think Coach is playing a bit coy here….. I’m sure that other teams are making moves at our forwards for names like Nash, etc. What a better way to get them back looking where the Kings want to trade (Bernier/Johnson/Pencake/future draft picks) than to blog like Kopi and Brown are playing croquet out there. Good job Coach! On to the 24th…
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@Finesse Hockey, we don’t need finesse players. This ain’t tennis. We need players who can finish, a scoring touch.
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Finesse Hockey Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@thrustable, you say players who can “finish” a scoring touch — I say players who can “finesse” a scoring touch. Tomato, tomatoe… Jari was a “Fin” by the way both in play and in country.
I remember the Miracle on Manchester yet I’m an old dude — they did play pro tennis at the Forum during that time in addition to some of the best touch hockey ever seen in the NHL.
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Congratulations to TM for developing Kopi into the best checking center in the league.
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It’s the curse of Jimmy Carson!
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TiredOfIt Reply:
February 21st, 2012 at 12:54 am
@Harrison Merkin, Exactly….Funny…I still have an old VCR tape of him scoring his 50th goal against Darren Pang at the Forum. He had the hat trick that night and would have scored four but one was disallowed. When was the last time a King scored 50? Carson was only the second american born player to score 50 in a season. Thanks for the memories Jimmy. Sorry about the curse
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No doubt that the whole team is shootin’ blanks, however, it all starts with the top line and the leaders on the team.
It’s been well documented over the years that “Browpitar” is a non-starter.
Instead of Brown, Kopi needs a power forward that can finish, open space, keep possession, and make the occasional good pass. Brown, even at his best, opens space and makes the odd good pass. When Brown is not on top of his game, which is ~8 of 10 games lately, he negates many chances in the ozone by turning the puck over, shooting too soon and mostly from low-percentage areas, and passing back tot he point religiously. In addition, whenever the top line gets shutdown resposibilities against the opponents’ top line, Brown is the biggest liability in the Dzone.
Nolan is too young and inexperienced to do the things I mentioned needed on the LW. However, in the absence of the 4th-6th forwards on this team, he has to do for now.
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Love Sutter. Calls it how he sees it. We need that. Get your asses moving. This team had such high expectations coming into the season. Did everyone think that the cup would be handed it to them. Quick has stepped up his game into another dimension. Everyone is blowing Lunqvist (well deserved at least) while Quick is just as good maybe better but you would never know it watching NHLN. This team is 9th in the west but should be last if not for Quick. 30th in scoring. 30th!!!!! Columbus scores more than us, new jersey, carolina, Buffalo even scores more than us.
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WOW…Did I just read about an L.A. coach “calling out” his star players for lack of production? That has to be a first in King’s history…Yes a first
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