Vancouver winger Byron Bitz has a meeting with the league about his hit last night on Kings winger Kyle Clifford. Bitz was given a five-minute major penalty for boarding, and a game-misconduct penalty, when he drove Clifford into the boards in the second period. Clifford did not take another shift. He stayed on the bench for the rest of the second period and stayed in the locker room for the third period, as the Kings announced only that Clifford had an “upper-body injury.” Clifford looked dazed when he got up after the hit but skated off by himself. Any updates on Clifford’s status will be passed along as soon as possible.
As for Bitz, he faces a possible suspension today after his hearing with the league’s “Department of Player Safety.”
3 games
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Stuart Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:25 am
@3Bcrown, I’m going with 3, too. He’s a no-name scrub so he’ll be dealt with swiftly. Had it been a big name, then just a fine…
btw, did anyone notice the side of Cliffy’s face??? It was red like raw hamburger meat. he’s either got the thickest skull or some serious auto-pilot to get up after that hit.
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vinny Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:32 am
@Stuart, ya seriously, love this guy, hope he’s ok
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Kissmyblarneystones Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:43 am
@Stuart,
Serious Auto Pilot!!! I love it!!
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rogiesbackup Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
@Stuart, I’m concerned about this no name guy in Bitz?? Is the Canucks trying to peel us like a banana then go for the jugular when many of our guys are injured?? Feels like the Canucks plan is to get rid of our force then start to pick on our goal scores!!
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KC23 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:46 am
@3Bcrown, Don’t know his history. 2 to 3 games with no history, more if he has a history.
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MM Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:21 am
@3Bcrown, I’d bet 1 if he has no history, 3 if he does.
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gralx Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
@3Bcrown, Above all else, I want Clifford to be OK. Instead of suspending the goon for 3 games, they just suspend the healthy sister for 1 game and make Bitz play every shift in place of Sedin
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2 games
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josh Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:47 am
@Darren, I doubt Clifford will keep fighting now after concussion #2. He has too much potential as a hockey player. Need a new guy that can kick some butt though, hopefully dean addresses it in the offseason.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
@Darren, Disciplinary action against concussion is way too lenient. NHL has to do more if it’s serious about curtailing concussion. Maybe penalize the team as well. Maybe bench the team’s leading scorer as well for the same amount of days.
2-3 days in nothing to a guy who effectively alters a players career!!!
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Darren Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:20 pm
@rogiesbackup, I was correct.
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It was a bad hit, but I’ve seen worse cheap shots. Clifford is a tough guy, so if anyone can handle a hit like that, it’s him. Whether or not Bitz is suspended isn’t going to change the outcome of this series.
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Lake Forest Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:19 am
@Tyler, he is a tough guy, but that was a gnarly hit. If clifford doesn’t come back in a game you know it was a BIG hit.
He needs to be suspended. Have we had any players suspended this year for a bad hit? I know stoll last year in playoffs, but this year I can’t remember.
I know DD8 got the fined for the hit on Oshie earlier this year.
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:23 am
@Tyler,
Clifford’s concussions are fast becoming a concern for his overall health. Hope he’s ok.
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:50 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair),
Yea, this will be the third I think in about a 14 month span. He’s really young to have to deal with that many so early.
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Duckbasher Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:52 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair),
I agree, He’s had his bell rung fighting too many times. I think he needs to put a visor on for a while so he’s not inclined to fight (assuming he comes back from this hit). It’s really too bad that Westgarth is such a liability on the ice and plays so soft. I mean he’ll do one of those stupid staged fights… but that’s all. If we lose Cliffy… it’s a bigger deal than it may seem because we have no one right now to replace him (due to Richardson’s surgery).
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fsd1 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:13 am
@Duckbasher, Westie has played well when in the lineup this year, and calling him soft is a real stretch, he is a very capable 4th liner or he wouldn’t still be on the roster. I have no problem if Westie has to play.
Neil Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:25 am
@Duckbasher, I completely agree. I think Westie is a liability. He is no where near as skilled as any player on the team. We don’t need a guy to come in to take stupid penalties and fight. This is playoff hockey. Keep the Cup in mind, not weather the tv ratings will be there cause some goon. No room for him on the roster in my opinion especially in playoff hockey.
Jack Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:40 am
@Tyler, I dont think the makeup of players noggin’s vary that much…more so from the neck down…
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Ian Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:10 pm
@Jack, It actually varies quite a bit. Some boxers have all the tools but can’t take a punch.
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40YearKingsFan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
@Tyler, My hope would be that Bitz would be suspended because the intent to injure seemed pretty clear. And although you’re right in that Bitz isn’t going to make a differrence one way or the other I would hope that Vancouver’s transgressions would be sort of accumulative and the refs and Shanahan would stay on top of it. I believe they’re trying to hurt Doughty also and by doing so bait the Kings into that kind of game. The first suspension should get them some added attention, IMO.
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40YearKingsFan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
@40YearKingsFan, Something else to keep an eye on is after the end of last night’s game I feel relatively certain Richards will be a target also. He was compromised for the better part of the season from a concussion and we can’t afford to lose him. Since he smacked Burrows and got in his face you can bet the Vancouver goon squad will be looking for him.
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Bets on there will be no suspension. There hasn’t been one for any hit on a Kings player all season, though several were deserved. Do you think Shanahan will change his spots now? I don’t.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:23 am
@justmyopinion,
Still hates the Kings for 2001.
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justmyopinion Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
@Michael J., That’s what I’ve been saying all season.
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SLG1013 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:39 am
@justmyopinion, I suspect that since they announced a hearing that there will be a suspension. The league is probably hoping it takes attention away from the Shea Weber hit on Zetterberg at the end of last nights Wings/Preds game. You know the league doesn’t want to suspend Weber, but they really should… His actions were a direct intent to injure
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Stuart Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:41 am
@SLG1013, this is exaclty what I mean when I say the VAN guy is a no-name scrub, so he’ll get the suspension, vs Webers who is a markee name, he’ll get a fine and a dirty look.
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:45 am
@SLG1013, Weber absolutely should be suspended. I saw that hit, and it was a cheap shot just like that punk Bitz.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:48 am
@puck73,
If Webber isn’t suspended, that atrocity in combination with Clowe’s antics will entrench the NHL as the new WWE. They will lose credibility as a real sport.
SLG1013 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:50 am
@puck73, And just as we both agree on this, the league fines Weber $2500… No suspension. Absolutely pathetic… I don’t understand why the league takes into account whether an injury occurred or not; imo, the intent is what should be penalized.
Bitz will get a suspension though and deservedly so…
PRMan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:26 am
@puck73, In Shanny’s defense, Weber’s hit probably couldn’t cause a concussion, even though it was intent to injure. I think that’s a good time to levy the $2500 fine.
johnjuan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
@SLG1013, Zetterberg elbowed him in the head first.
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KC23 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:47 am
@justmyopinion, Trust me, he’ll get suspended.
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justmyopinion Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
@KC23, I really hope you’re right.
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justmyopinion Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
@justmyopinion, Glad you were right!
His punishment should be Clifford taking a run at him.
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Mars Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:34 am
@KOHO, I am all for that one.
Hardly any players take their punishments like a man. Too many little girls out there let others retaliate for them… Yeah I am looking at the Sedin sisters, Crosby etc etc.
Then effin clowne shoes even lies to the media.
No respect or honesty. What the heck are we teaching our players and kids!?!
How hard is it to say, I was pissed, it was a heat of the moment play. Hey its sports, sure it wasnt a great idea, but be honest.
I miss the integrity and saying what it is, everyone has to sugar coat everything they say now. just sad.
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letswinthecup2012 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:39 am
@Mars, +1 say it like it is
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josh Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:49 am
@letswinthecup2012, +2
Yep yep he was targeting his head fursure …punk took a run for his head couldn’t have made it looked any more intentional
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That hit worth 3 games but I guess Toront makes it 2 because it’s us.
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I hope Cliffy is ok! Crossing fingers theres no concussion
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dodgervern Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:35 pm
@kenny, Now that cliffy has taken this cheap shot and may be concussed it seems everyone wants to argue about whether Westy should play or not.The problem is we got nobody at Manchester to bring up and besides westy and no one else who is really good at scrapping and standing up for the team.If they don’t suspend Bitz for at least 3 games we get severely penalised unequally because we lose a valuable player longer than they do,and whats to stop them from doing this again?
I think this is a result of Lombardi sitting on his hands for too long and just drafting goalies and smaller “athletic”types who we trade before they mature.It is obviousto me these last few years that the other teams are going to smack us until we get a couple of players who are willing to “smack” back.I still think we have the better team andGK,GO!!
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johnjuan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
@dodgervern, King and Nolan have size and I know one of them scrapped in the minors.
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dodgervern Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
@johnjuan, That is good cause playing a team like Vancouver and its cheap shot artists means we are going to need em.GK,GO!!
#winitforCliffy
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now wouldn’t be nice if the league would suspend kessler for his repeated dives.
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Mars Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:38 am
@QUICKsilver, That is the beauty of it, it will be how he is remembered, how he is currently treated and known. Just sad.
It is guys like that, that screw it up for the guys that are getting hurt, the refs have to scrutinize everything now. One (of many) screwing it up for all. making a mockery of the sport.
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:43 am
@Mars,
I’m no Kessler expert, but hasn’t ‘embellishing’ been a part of this sport since the very beginning? Diving is one thing, but a lot of players sell a legitimate penalty. Seems to me that distinction gets lost in all the ‘dive’ talk.
Brown, who is the very best in the NHL at drawing penalties, is a great example of this. Not a diver, but very good at selling a call. For me, it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:47 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair), Gotta say Waves, nobody ever dove more then these 2…Peter Forsberg and Bill Barber. These 2 are in a class by themselves.
Michael J. Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:57 am
@puck73,
That guy who wore 99 seemed to dive a lot if memory serves me well.
EmptyTank Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:26 am
@puck73, I always called him Peter Flops-berg for that very reason
SLG1013 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:43 am
@QUICKsilver, What’s actually most depressing about Kesler is that he is a great player who really doesn’t need to resort to those cheap tactics… I remember watching both he and David Backes for team USA at the Olympics and thinking at the time that I’d love to have either on the Kings…
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KC23 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:50 am
@SLG1013, Well said. Kessel has great talent, but really makes himself look foolish with his weak dives.
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Mars Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
@KC23, That is my point, it deters from their talent and makes them look sad.
There is a line between drawing penalties and just looking like a sisiie or poor sport.
One thing I did dislike from the Kings recently was half of the guys stopped to wave at the refs when Clowne poked his stick out. Play til you hear the whistle. point it out when the play stops.
I am not saying I am a perfect guy, if I had done what Clowne did I would hav sat myself out. If I were the coach, I woulda sat him too. The fact the HNL did nothing. Sad.
The players need to hold themselves accountable too.
As much as I dont like Ovechkin, pulling himself from the allstars was a class act in my opinion. It did give me some respect for the guy.
Michael J. Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:51 am
@QUICKsilver,
On Sunday, rather than bringing signs to “protest” that Bob and Jim can’t call games that the Kings haven’t qualified for yet, why not bring those scorecards that the judges use in diving contests so we can all give Kessler, Sedin, et al the credit they deserve???
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:06 am
@Michael J., #99 would have never made it in todays game. Heck, just yesterday, some guys on this site said that Dionne was overrated as well, and that if Stamkos played back then he would have potted 120!
After reading some of those comment I have concluded the following…The only reason Gretzky and Dionne were able to do what they did is because the rest of the league at that time felt sorry for them because they were smaller and frail players and they didnt want to hurt them.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:24 am
@puck73,
I wonder if those guys ever saw Marcel play… According to Daryl Evans, Marcel’s legs were both about as big as his waist, over-the-top muscular. He told me that when Marcel had position nobody could knock him off the puck.
Yah, I can picture Potvie, Trottier and Smith feeling real sorry for Gretzky.
EmptyTank Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:31 am
@puck73, yeah, whoever said that about Dionne has no clue whatsoever… With all the “clutching and grabbing” that went on back in those days top scorers needed to be deft and strong but not necessarily fast and nimble. I agree with Michael J, I doubt those guys ever saw Marcel play
PRMan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:36 am
@puck73, Anybody that thinks that never watched Dionne or Gretzky.
Dionne would plow right through defensemen on the way to the net. I never saw anyone better at going through people (early Mario, maybe). Dionne would constantly take the puck in his own zone, go end to end and score. Actually, Jagr pulled a move like that in the Penguins/Flyers game yesterday, but he didn’t score (the goalies are a bit better these days).
Gretzky was small and frail, but he was a great skater. Not at pure speed (he was kinda slow, actually) but he could pirouette and jump on skates like a figure skater and he could spin on a dime. He was so good as escaping contact at the last possible second that many players injured themselves on the boards when they thought they had Gretzky lined up. And if you went at him, he would spin, go around you to the front of the net and score. Which made people stand back and allow him to get hundreds of assists. And I saw him throw a puck across the slot through 2 defensemen and a forward (over a stick, through one’s legs, etc.) and still land it flat right on the blade of his teammate. There was NEVER a better passer than Gretzky and I highly doubt there ever will be. And he would constantly find a way to be “forgotten” in the offensive zone. Multiple times a game. How do you lose the greatest scorer of all time? But it happened.
mrbrett7 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:45 am
@puck73, Gretzky would be hard pressed to put up 80 points a year in the league today. When he played, 6’4″ 230lb. dmen couldn’t skate or play like they do today.
There was no video coaching nor real schemes back then.
Wayne was/is the greatest, however, he plays today and he isn’t what he was, and he knows that.
He was never a great skate. He never had a real hard slap or wrist shot. He was just always the smartest and most gifted on the ice.
King Alex Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:49 am
@puck73, Dionne was built like a fire hydrant. He was the perfect center for Tayloy & Simmer. Great, great line that was. Charlie Simmer was the glue that brought it all together!
King Alex Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:50 am
@puck73, Make that Taylor. Soory for such disrespect Dave. My apologies for the typo!
King Alex Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:51 am
@puck73, Sorry….Damn little keyboard…LOL
johnjuan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
@puck73, I watched both of them, They could both play in todays game.
In Canada it’s not diving, it’s resurfacing the ice.
(not directed at my canadian king fan brothers)
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:46 am
@Lake Forest,
Or, if you’re Chimera, you resurface the ice with your face.
http://bloguinmedia.com/lightthelamp/images/stories/player_pics/chimera_landing_on_head.jpg
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vinny Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:19 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair), whoa..speechless..what a pic tho. what wouldve happened i wonder if he had had a visor?
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:31 am
@vinny,
He would have done a better job at resurfacing.
Mars Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
@vinny, The faces in the pic behind them is priceless.
Hope he didnt get hurt bad though.
From TSN: Campbell is all upset because his linesman missed an offsides call that led to a Philly goal.
I just had to laugh.
Really, Colin? You’re upset about THAT, eh?
No bias in his office.
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:49 am
@IceGuy, Exactly. But when something happens to a team that is run by Leiweike and Lombardi, whom Betmman hates both, just pretend you didnt see a thing and ignore it.
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goldielocks Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:50 am
@IceGuy,
Yea … his guys (all 4 of them) missed Clowe’s stick, too. But it was just a laughing matter to him.
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KC23 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:51 am
@IceGuy, Read that as well … I put up a post that said:
Clowe can poke check someone from the bench and nothing, but God forbid there is a missed offsides. Wonder if they’ll post it or delete it.
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Cynic Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:09 am
@KC23, My post is similar. Look under the poster ‘Paincorp’. There are a few others up there as well. NHL is just backwards in their priorities
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If Clifford misses time, who replaces? Richardson didn’t make the trip…Westie? Hope not. Loktionov? That would take a lot of moving around of players to accommodate. Only allowed to make one more transaction.
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QUICKsilver Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:39 am
@He Shoots, He Scores, yeah, that more than anything is what has me nervous right now.
Certainly not the CanSucks
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fsd1 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:42 am
@He Shoots, He Scores, Westie would do fine, just like last year….
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variable Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:46 am
@He Shoots, He Scores,
i think i would take lotki over westy…but it’s a close call…
both players have their own liabilities…but because westy might be more susceptible to penalties, i’d take lokti and put him on the 4th line…he played good defense when he was up here the last time…
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:51 am
@variable,
Not sure about the 4th line, but I agree. I hope we go the Lokti route instead of trying to counter the Canucks physically with Westy. We can handle their physical play all night long without Westy sitting in the box.
Another interesting tactic would be to play 7 defensemen. Vancouver will undoubtedly shift from trying to intimidate us to out-skating us. We’ll need to be extra focused on solid defense in game 2 and perhaps having that extra man will allow the top guys to be fresher come crunch time.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:58 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair),
Where is Peter Harrold when we need him?
puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:02 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair), Loved Peter Harrold. Too bad Leslie Nielson didnt care for him much.
variable Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:03 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair),
that’s not a bad suggestion at all…
vinny Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:27 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair), except youre still down to 11 guys up front, which if vancouver starts out-skating em, would make it tough to keep up the energy for the full 60..and tired, double shifted forwards=slow backchecks=odd man rushes=…
mrbrett7 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:08 am
@He Shoots, He Scores, It’s Westgarth. It’s a 4th line physical role.
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Pasadena Hockey Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
@mrbrett7, When is the last time Westy played? I don’t think he played down the stretch. This is not an easy decision.
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on one of the TSN pages, a Vanfan (presumably) left this little nugget:
if I was Vancouver…my biggest guy would step up and knock out Mike Richards..it’s the playoffs..but it doesn’t mean you play like a dirt bag..it’s coming Mike..keep your wee little head up!!!!
He said MR is playing like a dirt-bag? Then Floppierre, Burro, Sedins, et al are playing like latrine bags!!!
hilarious!
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letswinthecup2012 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:42 am
@Stuart, that guy sounds like the dirt bag…
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:51 am
@Stuart, Floppiere? Is he related to Floppy Divac ?
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mrbrett7 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:09 am
@puck73, No…the King Floppa himself (Forsberg).
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Stuart Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:11 am
@puck73, yes… as are their parents!
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:55 am
@Stuart,
I love that Vancouver fans think their team will out-muscle the Kings. Keep it up! Let’s grind these clowns down and put them out on the golf course asap. As great as the Red Wings are, Detroit fans will never forget that whopin we gave them. I hope we sear the same kind of memory into the brains of all of Vancouver.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:58 am
@Stuart, His wee, little body knocked wee, little Burros on his wee, little fanny.
Wee are a little amused!
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Mars Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:13 pm
@Duncanz, +Weeeeeeeeee
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Cliffy is great, but how can you say he lookded dazed? haha Cliffy always has that “nobody’s home” look going!
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letswinthecup2012 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:42 am
@JWRocks!, classic
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:56 am
@JWRocks!, True. I could only tell because he was stumbling. Otherwise, he looked fine.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:09 am
@JWRocks!, I like to call him the skating dead.
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vinny Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@mrbrett7, lmao
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Mars Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:14 pm
@mrbrett7, You missed the patent pending for your TV show, movies and games.
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mash-ola Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
@JWRocks!, Cliffy always looks dazed. I saw him at a local bank here in Manhattan Beach during training camp and he looked dazed then too!
Hope he’s ok and ready to continue the battle!
GO KINGS GO!
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after seeing the replay several times, i do think a suspension is warranted…i think shanny will give him at least two games, possibly three…
like everyone else on here has already said, i hope cliffy is going to be alright…he did look like he was dazed the whole time he sat on the bench during the second period (the two quick shots we got of him afterwards seem to indicate that)…
i think the kings have to show maturity in game 2 and go in there with a similar game plan…stuff like this always happens in the playoffs and unfortunately, bitz did cross the line – he did follow through towards cliffy’s head instead of pulling away…bitz did have plenty of time to adjust his plight….and since his actions resulted in an injury, shanny has no choice but to bench bits…
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:52 am
@variable, Dazed and confused?…somewhere, an old rummy in Alistair Crowleys castle is smiling (Jimmy Page)
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variable Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:04 am
@puck73,
or richard linklater…
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:01 am
@variable,
Those last two games against the Sharks could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The Kings might have learned a big lesson in knowing when to keep your emotions in check and play your own game no matter what.
I expect them to show a ton of maturity in game two. I don’t expect them to win because Vancouver will play like it’s game 7, but if we contain them well enough to make it close, it’s a win for the Kings IMO.
Hell, we already split these two games so we are looking good and I think the boys know it. All business Friday night.
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variable Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:08 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair),
i agree, but i wouldn’t say the canucks are guaranteed anything, including a win, tomorrow night…i think if the kings play the same way sans the penalties, it’s gonna be a tough task for anyone to beat them…
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:15 am
@variable,
If the Kings can stay consistent, they will win. Unfortunately, they have not shown consistency for long stretches. We all know they can play with anyone. It’s just a matter of stringing together 240 minutes of solid hockey.
RobSD Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair),
Think about how much pressure is on the Sucks right now. They are not feeling good about themselves after that game. If we can come out hard again like last night and put them on their heels… it’s going to be fun. Luongo can’t keep up how he played last night. We get another 39 shots next game and at least 4 are going in (not including EN).
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Canucks are dirty and an example of how a hockey team should not play. Flopping, complaining, no respect for other players, and hoping for the refs to bail them out and help them win. Pathetic.
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Todd Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:43 am
@Todd, And their fans are just as annoying as well. All around frustrating.
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QUICKsilver Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:48 am
@Todd, just loved the way they were chanting curses when Bitz got the misconduct. Classy with a K.
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Steve C Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:55 am
@Todd, As a Metro Vancouver resident I couldn’t agree more. Although it would be much better for me if my favorite player Trent Hunter is still playing for the Kings, I am cheering for them regardless because I can’t STAND Vancouver’s tactics. Even CBC analysts say they are embellishing and rub the refs the wrong way.
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Based on what they gave Weber for last night’s antics, it’s safe to say that Bitz won’t get a suspension.
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fsd1 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:53 am
@RobBordesen, yes he will
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Sebastian Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:01 am
@RobBordesen, Hes got a hearing with shannahan, so a suspension is coming, the question is how long. i say 3 games. the sad part is this guy is not a key player for vancouver, it would be like Westgarth getting suspended, nobody would care. its actually a good tactic to use, send out a guy you dont mind sacrificing, have him elbow a guy in the head…say Westgarth takes out a Sedin, kill the 5 minute penalty, and the other guy is out for the series.
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Itchy Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:14 am
@Sebastian,
That’s a terrible tactic! Well, we can’t beat these guys in a 7 game series… better injure all their skilled players in the first 3 games so we can pick up the last 4. That’s not good hockey, that’s assault and battery.
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KingsFanatic08 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:23 am
@Sebastian, But that would be stooping down to the level of them. We are Kings, we are better than that.
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johnjuan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
@Sebastian, If they headhunt, you headhunt.
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Bitz is a fourth line, 10 min per game winger. He’s not a key player but with Sedin out and if Bitz gets a couple games it will impact the Canucks.
The flip side is that Cliffy being out will probably impact the Kings more.
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Michael J. Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:54 am
@LA_1968,
Yup, Cliffy is more important to the Kings than Bitz is to Van.
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Duckbasher Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:57 am
@LA_1968, Especially with Richardson down for a while.
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Just watched highlights on NHL.com
so nice!
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LA_1968 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 10:57 am
@Lake Forest, Yes, these two days are for enjoying.
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The other thing, if Cliffy is out, is going to be the line setups. I would presume DS goes Lokti over Westie.
Do you put Lokti on second line with Carter and Richards? Then move King down to fourth where he is a better fit than Lokti?
Or is this Penner’s chance to move up from 3rd to 2nd. Put Lokti on 3rd? King on 4th. Thanks Penner for last night but I hope not.
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:00 am
@LA_1968, I think Westgarth has to be put in. In fact, I felt Westgarth should have been in the lineup anyway over the kid Nolan. I think Nolan looked a little wet behind the ears last night.
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LA_1968 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:03 am
@puck73, Good point. DS could just put in Westie on 4th line and be done with it. No messing with very important 2nd and 3rd lines. I guess I am a fan of our 4th line nowadays which is why I’m so worried about it hehe.
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:06 am
@puck73,
As Sutter said, the only way to get these kids playoff experience is to play them. I would expect Nolan and King to have been very nervous. Only natural. But to sit Nolan now would not be good for his development IMO. Unless he’s a total liability, then play him and let him get comfortable.
As for Westy vs. Lokti, I go with Lokti because the Canucks are going to move away from sitting in the box all night and start skating like crazy.
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puck73 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:11 am
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair), You make a good arguement. I just feel Westgarth could be a good deterrent against the Nucks when they attempt cheap shots.
mrbrett7 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:11 am
@puck73, He did…but Nolan is a much better skater, thus why he was playing.
But, we agree with this…the Kings don’t have the wheels in their lineup to skate with the Canucks, so, beat them along the boards.
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LVKINGS88 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:15 am
@puck73, I agree, maybe with Westy out there the Canucks will tone down the cheapshots, not the diving and whining mind you, but DS needs to tell Westy no dumb penalties, I think he had an assist on Penners goal the last time we played the Nucks in he play-offs.
Brown/Kopi/Willy
Penns/Ricky/Carts
King/Stoll/Lewy
Westy/Fraz/Lokti/Nolan
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BarMade Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:08 am
@LA_1968, Vancouver has the last change, so gotta go with speed.
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I don’t think it really matters whether Bitz gets suspended or not–he’s a bit(z) player whose only impact on the game unfortunately hurt both Clifford and his own team. The Kings might want to petition to let him play if he promises to take more stupid penalties.
Or, can we pick another player off their bench to suspend whose absence might prove an actual detriment to the Nucks…?
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Minimum 2 games.
Also, I think VAN shot their “dirty” wad yesterday and are stunned the Kings not only ouplayed them but actuually won. Now, they have to play more cleanly and that is where th Kings will kick their arse. I don’t like it but knowing Cliffy, he will be back in this series. GKG!
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I think the standard suspension time should be all of the time the person you injured is out plus an extra 33%(rounded up so it’s a minimum of 2 games): ie, Cliffy misses 1 game, bitz is out for 2… Cliffy misses 3 games, bitz is out 4… Cliffy out for 10, bitz out for 14.
Hits to the head aren’t hockey plays and if you want to cut down on hits to the head that would help. I mean you’ll still have teams carry worthless players who’s only job it is to try and take out skilled players but at least this keeps one goon from taking out an entire forward line… he can only take out one person and you can only fill so many people on a playoff roster.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:19 am
@Itchy, Hokey!
)
( did i spell that write?
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Itchy Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:22 am
@Duncanz Samz,
Dude, you gotta save those for tomorrow night… maybe hotkey it or something
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I see a fine being imposed, but probably not a suspension even though it should be for at least one game. Kings always get the short end on these matters.
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Just putting in my 2¢ for inserting Westie into Cliffords spot. As much as people are worried about him taking bad penalties, I think based on his play this year and during last seasons playoffs that he can step up and be a solid 4th liner in Sutters system. He may not have Cliffords speed, but he has the physicality, doesn’t make overly dumb plays with the puck, and if kept on a tight leash might be able to draw a few retaliatory penalties without going to the box himself.
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:21 am
@LomitaKingsFan,
I totally agree except that Westy’s lack of speed will be the main problem. We handled Vancan’s ‘physicality’ all night long without Cliffy and they will not likely try that tactic again with us on Friday. So I’ll take Lokti’s speed and shuffle the lines accordingly.
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Based upon what happened with Weber, I don’t expect a suspension for Bitz. I expect a raise and national holiday in his name.
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I wish they would have suspended Patrick Roy back in the day for Goalie pads the size of friggen sofa cushions.
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variable Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:20 am
@puck73,
hehe…
he still probably can’t hear you because he has a stanley cup in each of his ears…:)
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:23 am
@puck73,
I still dream about beating the Habs and Sandstrom winking back at Roy after scoring the game winner.
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LA_1968 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair), Haha! Sandstrom was my favorite Kings sniper back in the day and that wink still haunts me.
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LA_1968 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
@LA_1968, Woops… I was talking about Roy winking at us in the finals.
Where’s Ayr Force 1 pee wee coach and general yokels advocate, @Hasty to weigh in on this issue ??
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Stuart Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:16 am
@Duncanz, he’s at itzy-Bitzy-spiders hearing himself, ready to pummel him with his man-bag!
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Duncanz Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:25 am
@Stuart, ” You mean you’re only gonna give that THUG 40 games and a slap-on-the-wrist $90,000 fine for putting the kibosh on the next Pavel Datsyuk ????
GET A CLUE, MAN !!!!!!!!!!!
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vinny Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:35 am
@Stuart, lmao
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Dressing Westgarth over Lokti for at least one game will have a ginormous psychological effect on the Vancouver Cannots.
At the risk of presuming what is in Vigenault’s mind, I dare guess coaching staff that sends no name scrubs to headhunt other players will act just as cowardly when they see a smaller, younger, less physical player replace someone like Clifford.
THAT is why I would like to see Westy next game, instead of Lokti.
And the first play for Westy should a massive “Hi, Missed me?” hit on Kessler, Burro or Lapierre in the first minute of the game.
We did well playing them physically. It provoked them to play dirty and it sent them to the box multiple times.
DRESS THE KRACKEN< DS!!
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LVKINGS88 Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:21 am
@Gustavo, Nice!!! Van Cannots,Nice hehe.
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this is the thing…
if you start westy, he’s bound to get into some shenanigans with kassian…even though i hate to admit it, the refs are going to be a lil’ bit more on edge for game 2 and probably the rest of the series…
anytime a player gets suspended (the probable outcome for byron bitz) in the playoffs, the league takes more interest in the officiating…so with westy being the much more physical player than lokti, it increases the probability of penalties being called against the kings…
now i know westy played pretty well last year in the first round…he was very good on the cycle and got himself in front of the net to screen shots during his limited minutes…westy could play very well again this time around, too…but i’m afraid it won’t take much contact by him to attract the attention of the officials…i mean, it’s not like they are gonna be unaware as to why he’s in the game…
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:27 am
@variable,
Good points. But I think the ‘contact’ Westy would get called for would more likely be for hooking than hitting. His lack of speed would be more of a vulnerability tomorrow than his obvious physical presence.
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Shuchuk Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:31 am
@variable, lots of variables indeed.
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LomitaKingsFan Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
@variable, Its really picking the better of two less desirable options. No one can fully replace Clifford. So the choice becomes what part of him do you want replaced? Grit and physicality gets you Westgarth. Speed and tenacity gets you Loktionov.
As much as we want to try and match Vancouvers speed by inserting Loktionov, I feel his lack of size will leave us more exposed than Westgarths lack of speed. You can make up lack of speed through good positioning. You can’t easily make up lack of size unless your extremely talented. While Lokti may get there someday, he isn’t quite there yet.
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For anyone else who was watching the NBC broadcast… did you guys hear them mention anything about Cliffy being out of the game? Just wanted to know if I missed them mention it before I get annoyed at the fact that they ignored it.
As soon as I noticed he was gone, I kept waiting for them to say something and they never did… unless I missed it.
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Pumpernicholl Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@FiG17, You are right, they never said another word about Clifford that I ever heard, so I kept scanning the Kings lines for Clifford to see if he was somehow coming back, and of course he did not.
Holding Clifford out of the rest of the game was, I’m sure, at the absolute minimum simply standard precautionary procedure for a hit like that one.
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When a player is suspended the team should be forced to dress one player short. That would definitely make a played question whether or not they should do something dirty
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So lets assume Cliff is out due to “upper body” injury. The best available players are Westgarth, who has limited skill, but is a big body that can hit (if he can get his timing down) and can take hits. We also have Loki, who has skill, but will be torn apart by the savages that we know as canucks. Someone get Luc out of retirement!
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KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair) Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@Mikey, We played just fine without Clifford last night. The Canucks won’t be taking penalties tomorrow night. They will be much more disciplined. Use Lokti’s speed. We’re gonna need it.
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Mars Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 12:18 pm
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair), I agree. I dont think we need another big body. Penner filled that role last night after Cliffy went out. Penner became very alive and agressive after all of that. He stepped up big. Maybe we have him in the wrong role.Not sure if that is accurate, but something got him going.
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SLIM Reply:
April 12th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@KingsNewsDaily (formerly wavesinair),
Free Lokti!!!
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what’s the status of ethan moreau? He seems to fit the role and comes with playoff experience as well…
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As I see it these hits are not stopping even with the current discipline.
I’d like to see that when supplementary discipline is handed out the offending team gets a one game player limit of one less players………… then the coaches will maybe take a little more control of their players. Just think of how that will cause a lot of line adjustments.
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I am sorry my King Brothers but am I the only one who thinks Alex Burrows is the biggest puke in hockey.. Love seeing Brownie lay him out clean last night and his lame attempts at trying to draw a penalty on Dustin. Then Brown pushes him aside and he fall/dives like he was shot with an elephant gun.Would love to send him and Corey Fairey on a one way cruise to nowhere. I think Kings finally redeem themselves and take this series in six. This is not the pushover young team of years past folks we have arrived.
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lynch him
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Canuck fan here..That’s an easy 3 gamer. So should Weber’s
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http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=171899
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