Dustin Brown, media darling of the first three rounds of these playoffs, has had an interesting, tough-to-reconcile, Stanley Cup Finals series thus far. Brown has one point, an assist in Game 3, in four games. He was effective in that game, even though he didn’t record a shot on goal, but seemed far less effective in Game 4, when he also didn’t have a shot on goal. To be fair, the Kings’ first line, in general, did not have a good game in the offensive end, so Brown shouldn’t shoulder all of the criticism, but the Kings would certainly like him to show the big-goal mentality he seemed to have throughout the playoffs.
After today’s practice, Darryl Sutter was asked whether the reduction in big offensive plays by Brown could be attributed to his own play or how the Devils have been adjusting to him…
SUTTER: “I think probably both. But he’s still the physical guy, the hard guy to play against. I think in the earlier rounds, you were talking about him more because he was more of an offensive guy. You’ve got to be careful of that, because he’s a 20‑some-goal scorer that scores big goals for you. We still need him to do that. We still need him to be a physical guy and to be strong on the walls. Everybody always asks about our captain, those things. It’s something we get asked a lot about. But it doesn’t change, right? He has an identity. If he plays in that identity, that’s what he does for us. He complements Kopi and Justin.’’
Brown will be fine.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
@rumpa#19,
Two words:
–HIT SOMEBODY!
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luc20rules Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@rumpa#19, I hope your right. 1.5 pts per game until Mike Smith slashed him in the back of the knee, and now its been .4 pts per game all assists. I think that slash did more than just a one days worth of damage.
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EternalOptimist Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
@luc20rules, He has been a streaky player his whole career so this isn’t surprising. Don’t know why, but if he ever figures it out he would be a consistent 35-40 goal scorer. Hopefully the drought ends tomorrow.
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Kingsfanforlife Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 8:19 am
@EternalOptimist, yep, waiting for him to sneak one on a breakaway, possibly shorthanded again and into the net, come on Brown we need you!
Jeff Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
@luc20rules,
Brown was injured during the WCF. While watching the final game I caught something on the tape that turned out to be very telling. I would not be surprised if we find out much much more after the finals have ended.
I’m sure if the Kings wanted it known something would have been said publicly already, just like the rumors that Kovalchuk is injured.
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DaveP Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 2:42 am
@luc20rules, I think you are all onto something here. Brown has absolutely not been the same player since receiving that slash from that Jack*ss Smith. When that happened to Brown I’ve never seen a look on his face like the one he had. You could tell that he was really hurting and there also seemed to be a real look of concern in his face as well. I hope I’m wrong, but since that incident our captain has not been the same player. Hopefully we can end it all tonight and start partying!!!
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I bet he gets one(hopefully two)tomorrow night,sucks that we did’nt win it at home
but i don’t care lets just do it and bring it home.I love this team,always have
since 1978. GO KINGS GO
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
@tory17, What did the 1967-1977 Kings do to deserve your hatred?
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
Bore him to death?
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tory17 Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 7:35 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
since i was born in 1962,i was alittle too young to love the kings then but me and my dad did go to the quarter finals game vs boston in LA back in 1975 and that was my first game i ever when to.funny I got the tickets and had to drag my old man to the game
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Yeah I wanna see that Dustin Brown that Hit’s everything that moves on the Other Team, lol. Been kinda missing the last 6-7 games. but Brown Is such an awesome Player, I Think will start to see that alil more I hope from him.
Go Kings Go!!!
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gino Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
@Joe, I personally think he’s hurt…. After the game against Coyotes -the slashing on the leg and boarding he took…. He hasn’t been the same previously Brown. BUT I felt he actually started to pick it up again GAME 4. So we’ll have to wait and see come GAME 5.
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JeremyGee Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
@gino, agreed… have heard this from more than one person…
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luc20rules Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@JeremyGee, +1
Joe Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
@gino, Yeah that’s So True to, All these Players playing banged Up. Well Hopefully Only One more Game for these guy’s so they All can go on their well deserved Vacation I think either way really to me. but of Course we Fan’s want that Cup as do the Kings.
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mask0425x Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 10:24 pm
@gino, +1
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Keep it going Brownie!!! Shut the Devils down… GO KINGS GO
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He is playing hurt.
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Not going to talk about last game, last series, two series ago, what happened before the All Star break or what I got for Christmas when I was 8. All I want to think and talk about is what The Kings are going to do to win tomorrow, one shift at a time.
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DesertKing Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
@Itchy,
So what did you get for Xmas when you were 8?
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Duncanz Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
@DessertKing, That’s a silly question, and pretty non-hockey related.
Hey Scratchy, what happened before the All Star break and also how do you feel about high school kids not being able to get soda from their soda machines in some school districts?
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Itchy Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
@Duncanz,
Take away the cross ice pass, tie up sticks in the slot and transition from DZ to OZ fast like we’ve been doing.
No sugary drinks over 16 oz.
Itchy Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 7:23 pm
@DesertKing,
Not The Cup…
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Brown is our Captain…… Nuff said about his identity.
Finish This.
We Believe!!!!!!
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Duncanz Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 7:00 pm
@Finagle Hockey,
I didn’t bring it up.
Coach did!
We Do To !!!!!!
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Finesse Hockey Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
@Duncanz, Yo, I’m just a bit onry tonight!
Jonessing for the puck drop!
We ALL Believe!!!!!!!!!!!! (how bout that….)
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After 3 rounds of dominating play, I am sure that DeBoer looked at the video and said “We need to do something with this guy.” DS needs to help Brown figure out what NJ is doing to neutralize him and Brown will work his way out of it. It is similar to what we have been doing to Kovalsuk, but I don’t think he has the guts to work his way out of it like Brown does.
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On my way to Jersey for game 5… literally, as in flying right now… I saw 1 other Kings fan on the plane. Hoping to see more in Jersey… LET’S BRING THE CUP HOME, BOYS! GO KINGS!!!!
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Sutter needs to wake up brown he hasent played that well since game 2 of the yotes series. He needs to step it up. Bench him for a shift or two let him realize that theyre not done yet. If devils win game 5 theyre right back into this.
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gino Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 5:53 am
@PlayMaker1077, I totally Disagree. At this time of season you can’t afford to do that. He is a captain for a reason.
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Kingsfaninmonterey Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
@PlayMaker1077, I agree.
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Brown will find the slot. His indentity as Sutter said is a goal scorer and a hitter. Also, the way he feeds Kopi. His job is to multi-task. He’ll get the game winner, though, I’d love Mike Richard to get it. Man he works hard.
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YoBro Reply:
June 8th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
@Richard, Yeah, for a smaller man, he sure plays much bigger, don’t he? (MR that is)
Go Kings
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I’ve thought a lot about Brownie since ‘that game’ where he not only was slashed and did such an extraordinary job of embellishing (lol… thanks Smith who had the Audacity to say that BROWN should be banned for life), but that extremely nasty hit by Martin Hanzal which couldn’t have helped Brown’s whole body at all. That was a very bad hit and you could see him laying on the ice. So his whole body took huge abuse in that game. I don’t see how he could be in the same physical condition after all of that that he was before it. Makes one not terribly appreciative of the Coyotes. One can only help that his teammates can now help him and make some very big plays.
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number 6 Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 5:08 am
@number 6,
Sorry, one can only ‘hope’ that his teammates can help pick up the slack. To me, I’m not sure that even Dwight King has hit with the same force that he was earlier in the playoffs. The whole team’s physicality the other night reminded me more of an important regular season game than a SC finals game.
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Brown is playing possum, like that critter in the tv commercial. Mohammed Ali did the same thing. When everyone takes him for dead, he’ll scored a shorty and lay consecutive massive hits on their top players that will send them into next season.
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NJ has had their time in the sun.
Tonight is OUR TIME!!!!
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I am sick of reading Devils crap, as if they already evened it all out, and its just a matter of time…I wish the Kings could shut them up in convincing fashion as in game 3…not even a close game, as that will make the Devils fans keep blubbering about how close it was and it could have gone either way.
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Kingsfanforlife Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 8:25 am
@Jack, yep, they keep talking how they won 3 and 4 in a row in the two previous series agains Philly and NY….well this is a different team you are playing NJ, THE LA KINGS so get over yourselves!!!!
GKG!!!
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SpencerMaze Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 8:39 am
@Jack, Yea and their imbecile of a head coach continually stating that it’s unfair that the Devils are in the situation they’re in. Gimme a break dude – fair’s got absolutely nothing to do with it. The better, more resilient team is up 3-1 and that is irrefutable.
S
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Jack Reply:
June 9th, 2012 at 8:47 am
@SpencerMaze, I actually lost all respect for him….Shame is that the crying and whine does have an effect on the ref’s it seems…If the Kings were down like them, it would be all about opportunistic scores, bearing down on defense and whatever else the Devils media/MBC and fan numbnutz can think of to justify it.
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That pass over to Kopi’s stick the other night was not that shabby!
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PLEASE WIN THIS THING TONIGHT BOYS! Monday will cost me another arm and leg if you don’t, would much rather show up in LA next week for the PARADE!!!!!
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