Other than the obvious — tomorrow’s Game 5 — there was a lot of chatter in the Kings’ locker room today about the 25-game suspension given to Phoenix’s Raffi Torres for his hit on Chicago’s Marian Hossa. Willie Mitchell, who is regularly outspoken and eloquent about the dangers of head injuries — having had a high-profile concussion himself — did he applauded the league’s decision.
MITCHELL: “First of all, I just want to say that it’s just not Raffi. It doesn’t matter who it is. If you’re a repeat offender, it’s about time they got aggressive. I give Brendan (Shanahan) and the league compliments, because they’ve done a good job in the regular season. I think, in the playoffs, they maybe got away from it early on, and they set a precedent that was tough to get away from. If you look at our series, with Cliffy [Kyle Clifford], it was kind of light. I felt it was a little bit light, in my opinion, but maybe there are more pressures this time of year. I kind of think it’s almost a five, 10, 25 thing. First offense is five, because sometimes it happens, where guys aren’t known for that style of play, so you don’t want to say 25. But maybe a five, 10, 25. I’d like to see that. Then, past that, put them out half a season. There’s no need for that in the game.
“It hurts the team, but the No. 1 person it hurts — and I’ve been through three of them — is Marian Hossa. That’s his life. His life is changed. There’s no doubt about it. It’s changed. Obviously it’s changed, where he’s not healthy and he’s in pain every day, but it’s changed from the fact that he’s much more susceptible to another one. It’s changed that maybe he might have issues for the rest of his life. It’s changed because it could affect his livelihood. Maybe he’s more susceptible and maybe a team isn’t going to take a risk on him because of that. There’s a lot of things that affect the player.’’
Still think the kings are lacking in the toughness category unfortunately now without clifford.
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Marc Nathan Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:09 pm
@josh, hardly.
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Ravens Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:17 pm
@josh, remember we have King, Nolan, Penner, Greene, Mitchell, Richards, Brown, just to name a few, and those are some pretty big and tough Hombre’s
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Gustavo Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:19 pm
@Ravens,
Penner???.really???
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tellmeY Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@Gustavo, well actually Josh is right….I’ve seen Penner take one arm and throw a guy 10 ft when he wants them out of his way…..just wish he would do that more often…like guys who are in his way of the net!!!
California Royalty Reply:
April 22nd, 2012 at 8:54 am
@Gustavo, You can question Penner’s hockey skill all you want. If you saw a guy on the street that is 6 feet, 240 pounds, would you think he’s tough? Of course you would.
old man Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:26 pm
@Ravens, Lets just hope Penner can bring a little more toughness.
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KC23 Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:21 pm
@josh, Not against a soft team like Vancouver, no I don’t.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@josh, Hopefully you don’t define toughness as dirty. Kings are very tough and classy IMO.
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josh Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 5:03 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), We let them take consistent cheap shots at us after the whistle. I wish someone would back up Lewis for once every time he gets whacked after the whistle by Bieksa.
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YoBro Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 5:29 pm
@josh, Agree. I’d also like to see someone make that dipstick Bieksa pay for that x-check to MR’s ribs on Wed!
Go Kings
SDGolfer Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 6:00 pm
@josh, the ref’s ALWAYS get the retaliation. If you have been reading this blog, every player from Captain Brown all down have been saying they will play hard between the whistles and not get involved with the after the whistle BS.
Mars Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 6:22 pm
@josh,
@YOBRO
I cannot believe the refs are letting that go, then not cracking down on it later on too.
That kessler dive was one of the worst things I had ever seen in my life.
I have seen spearing and all sorts of stuff after the fact and the ONLY time the nucks try to get tough is when a ref is in the middle or the sucker punch from behind.
They tried to eye gouge DD. Really WT… YEAH.
I half wish the kings would just line up at the start of the game, ignore the puck and each guy drop his coverage guy. A punch straight to the effin mouth. BUT of course I know it wont happen, but dang it would be SWEET!
josh Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 7:55 pm
@Mars totally agree brother!
mrbrett7 Reply:
April 22nd, 2012 at 12:48 am
@josh, Why…so the Kings can get the retaliation penalty? All those scrums, that is exactly what is wanted by the opponent. The same goes vice versa.
Bitz should have got 5 minimum, it was very intentional and totally avoidable….maybe even 10 games.
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letswinthecup2012 Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 9:56 pm
@Donald, i’d be fine if that was the first and last time i heard the name bitz…. just my humble opinion
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Donald Reply:
April 22nd, 2012 at 10:53 am
@letswinthecup2012, agreed
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I’m not negative, but if they don’t win tomorrow… I don’t know. The Kings choke at home in big games, meaning game 7 is a very strong possibility.
Gotta believe though! As long as they play their game and don’t play in response to Vancouver’s, I like their chances.
One thing the Kings have struggled with from the first game of the season, is their inability to counter a strong forecheck. If the other team is forechecking hard, they turn the puck over almost every time.
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Gustavo Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:21 pm
@California Royalty,
Have Faith!!
Bob & Jim have a good record announcing games vs Vancouver Cannots…:)
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KC23 Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@California Royalty, Beat Quick 4 in a row … not a chance imho. Sooner or later Quick is gonna put up blanks for Vancouver. I don’t see this going 7.
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InTheCrease Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 4:55 pm
@California Royalty, Yes, I see your point. If they don’t win tomorrow, they’ll end up losing the game. Lose all three remaining games in the series, and they’ll be out of the playoffs. Conversely, if they win the game tomorrow, or any of the remaining three games, they will win the series and remain in the playoffs…
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Donald Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 5:00 pm
@California Royalty, Let’s not give Vancouver any tips!!
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Willie should know. He’s been through THREE Marian Hossas!
That’s him saying it, not me..
So, all this goes to begging the question;
Which is more valuable, 3 Marian Hossas or 3 Scott Parses???
(sorry, Rich)
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rumpa#19 Reply:
April 22nd, 2012 at 12:15 pm
@Duncanz, 3 willy mitchells
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Right on Willie!
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I though the kings best chance was Wed. night. Now they’re next best chance is tomorrow. See where I’m going. Just win Sunday and we can all start talking about the next series. We will need at least one of the following things to happen. Quick plays well, we win, or we score three or more, same result.
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Eastern Conference is wild once again. If things stay as they are right now all lower seed teams will have a chance to clinch in game 6. That is except for the Panthers who might be the only top seed able to clinch in game 6. Going to be wild in the next 2-3 days if things remain as they are now.
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Had to post this doozy…
Bieksa doing interview as Kesler…
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/canucks-kevin-bieksa-does-entire-interview-ryan-kesler-204302315.html
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Duncanz Reply:
April 21st, 2012 at 5:17 pm
@SVELTEY,
“Wyatt arndt you Ryan Kesler? You look just like him.”
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KingsFan1971 Reply:
April 22nd, 2012 at 12:31 am
@Duncanz, That was a beauty eh! No offence to this guy but anyone here would know the difference between the 2 and he shouldn’t be allowed to interview anyone after this… wonder how he felt after he found out who he was really talking to?
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Duncanz Reply:
April 22nd, 2012 at 1:32 am
@KingsFan1971, I would say, ‘Bieksarated’!
I respect most hockey fans, unfortunately I’m only able to focus and comment on kings hockey. Until the kings dispatch van. I don’t care about the east.
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I said Torres should get a suspension like Hunter got for the hit on Turgeon, glad Shanny saw it the same way.
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Duncanz Reply:
April 22nd, 2012 at 1:25 am
@Osaka, Ron Hextall concurs.
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