DUSTIN PENNER
This season: 65 games, 7 goals, 10 assists, minus-7 rating.
The good: Where to begin, when discussing the enigma that is Penner? How is it possible to reconcile the fact that Penner had 17 points in 65 regular-season games, then had 11 points in 20 playoff games? For whatever reason, Penner found his game in the playoffs. It wasn’t just the goals, although he scored a couple big ones. Penner also, for the most part, worked hard pursuing the puck when it wasn’t on his stick. Throughout his up and down year, Penner maintained a great attitude, and that’s not hollow praise. When he played poorly, his teammates could have turned on it. Instead, they liked him and pulled for him to improve.
The bad: The Kings had high hopes for Penner at the start of the season, and he was most often brutal. At one point, Darryl Sutter publicly called out Penner and indicated that he had reached last-change status, and that if he didn’t improve, his spot in the lineup might be gone for good. Penner seemed to respond to Suter, but will it last? Nobody doubts that Penner has an enormous amount of skill. The question is, he can sustain a high level of play for any decent period of time? Going into next season, the Kings are counting on Penner to produce at the level of a top-six forward, but should they? Can they afford to?
Going forward: It’s easy to root for Penner. He’s talented, he’s a good teammate and he has a good sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously. That only carries a player so far, though. Penner is now entering his third “life’’ with the Kings. They gave him one when they traded for him, one last year after he put in a strong summer of off-ice conditioning, and now one based on his excellent playoff run. Penner showed confidence in himself when he agreed to return to the Kings on a one-year contract. Sutter seems to be the type of coach that can bring the best out of Penner, but only time will tell.
The talent is there. If he can just put it to good use day to day. I’m impressed with the one year contract and his ‘show me’ attitude. He should have done that last year, but he’s get a rare second chance.
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luc20rules Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:45 pm
@Donald_S, +1,
Hammer “the Kings are counting on Penner to produce at the level of a top-six forward, but should they? Can they afford to?”
Yes, Gagne is the backup(top 6 guy that will play bottom 6 to spare his vets body(head history of PCS), while keeping him sharp.) and we have cap space if improvements are needed at the trade deadline as well as many assets that can be moved.
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TJM Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
@luc20rules, I agree with you all the way, Donald. In my book, the contract was perfect – one year to show you’re still into it.
I am a firm believer that something happened late in the season, and this dude fixed whatever was wrong with his conditioning/training. He was skating in mud all year, then suddenly against Vancouver he was blowing past people on defense. What’s that all about?
I think Rich’s point about him being great off-the-puck is spot on. He was fantastic in the playoffs being a bully (in a good way) and using that prolific size of his to push people wherever the hell he wanted them. If he does it for a whole year, he will be a scary player for us.
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TJM Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
@TJM, Furthermore – being on a line with Carter, who has one of the absolute best shots in hockey is perfection. Penner being able to just move defenders out of the way, and screen the goalie is unbelievably dangerous.
Kenny44 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
@TJM,
You’re dead on. The mix for that line was perfect – playmaker, spacemaker, sniper.
Kenny44 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
@luc20rules, Very astute observation. Depth, options . . . all we need now is a season.
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Kenny44 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
@Donald_S, Day to day says it all (for alot of us).
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USHA#17 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
@Donald_S,
“If he can just put it to good use day to day.”
More like if he can be motivated day to day. That’s been the issue dogging the man year after year…even the season he won a ring with the Ducks.
While I was one of those calling for the Kings to acquire Penner but now I have regular season concerns…unless of course there was a long term injury that was kept on the QT.
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‘gotten a rare second chance’ Yes, I speak goodfull.
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Stanley Cup Champion. A.
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Lake Forest Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
@Howe9, A?????
What are you talking about?
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Penner regular season: D-
Penner post-season: A
Penner beard: off the freaking charts.
Go figure.
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LB Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
@Howe9,
Well I do agree with your point, it’s hard to give any of these guys bad grades given that they played so great in the playoffs and won the Cup. The Cup is the goal, not regular season point production. But because Penner was so awful during the season, he can’t get higher than a B in my view.
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Lake Forest Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:47 pm
@LB, it’s like having an argument for rehiring kompon…because we won the cup!
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
@Lame Kompost,
Because … it’s the Komp!
Lets do it again Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
@LB, I agree with you I gave him a c+. He got a A for the playoffs but a D for the regular season. So C+. No way I would given him an A overall , and I really like Penner . Hope he turns it around next season.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
@Howe9, Huh? Did you give Lokti an A too? He almost COST the Kings the playoffs. In my mind you can’t just completely ignore that.
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TJM Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
@HockeyNerd, In no way, shape or form was Penner’s performance this year an A. I’m EXTREMELY happy with him in the playoffs – and that should bump him absolutely to a degree. You can’t just not show up a whole season and then be an “A” player because of a good playoff run.
The media brainwashes people into thinking the cup is the only thing that matters when evaluating a performance. That means that every King is an “A” and every non-King is an “F”. Stupid logic.
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Michael_DD8 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:55 pm
@HockeyNerd, Lokti almost cost the kings the playoffs? LOL how? thats interesting.
HockeyNerd Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
@Michael_DD8 “He”,meaning Penner even though I had just mentioned Lokti. Wait….now I’m confused, lol.
I think the commentry that Rich just posted above was spot on. I also think a 1 year deal is fair as well considering how his season went.
Hopefully, he plays with an edge and attitude to his game on most nights because if he does…Penner and the Kings will be REALLY difficult to play against.
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Stuart Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
@puck73, funnies thing was his “good” section wasn’t that good. LOL could’ve been more aptly titled “the bad” and “the worse”…
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Crown Royal Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
@puck73,
Agree 100%! Sutter should figure out a way to make DP mad before every shift. If he could do that Penner would be one of the most feared players in the league.
Barry Smith, when he was assistant coach for the Red Wings, once told me he got paid a lot of money to make sure Fedorov was motivated every night.. He was, of course, exgatterating, but there was s lot of truth in what he said.
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Kenny44 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
@Crown Royal,
This looks like a dramatic re-enactment of Sutter’s motivational speech to Penner, with an assist from JW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODjE-_OB3JI
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Kenny44 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
@Kenny44, Not work safe, BTW
Crown Royal Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:05 pm
@Kenny44,
That was pretty funny!
Kenny44 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 11:40 pm
A bear reference in the pep talk, and there’s also a pancakes reference in an lame attempt at humor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXo6UnxM_0c
Find a better Penner analogy than Swingers. You can’t!
This is one cat that WONT have 9 lives… hopefully the 3rd one is the charm!
As good ole’ GB once said: fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.
And in this case, I aint gettin fooled a 3rd time! if he doesn’t have 15-20 points by the deadline he’s gon-zo!
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puck73 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
@Stuart, I think you are spot on. Dean Lombardi has been more then patient, as for Daryl Sutter? You and I know he wont put up with a slacker. Even Lombardi said that Sutter ripped him a new one in the exit meetings, and Lombardi was surprised that Penner didnt take his puck and stick and go home! lol
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luc20rules Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
@Stuart, For the line he is on playing with Carter, Richards, and the skilled D pairings the Kings have he better have 30 pts by the trade deadline unless the season is shorten by work stoppage. The trade deadline is like 55 games into the season a guy like Penner should have 17 G, 23 A, so 40 Pts at that point in the season.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Come on, @Stuart.
Not even my Uncle Gary would utter such crass tripe as that!!
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Penner gets a C from me due to his playoff redemption. If not for his turn around in the post season I would have given the guy an F… no doubt about it. Hopefully Penner can find his inner chee and give us a full season of the player everyone knows he can be.
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Steve Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, I had the same analysis.
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He was a D in the regular season and a B+ in the playoffs, so I gave him a C+. his injuries early on really set him back and he definitely wasn’t a good fit for TM’s system. IF he can stay healthy and motivated, i could see him back in the 20-25 goal range.
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Penner had to deal with some hard issues off the ice that im sure effected his on ice performance. In the playoffs he was a beast! I think Hitchcock was quoted as saying something along the lines that they had no answer for Penner specifically. He was very good after the whistles as well, dishing out facewashes, head locks, etc. Im glad hes coming back for another year, hopefully he plays more consistently during the regular season.
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vplaza Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
@Sebastian,
The other thing that I think contributed to his poor regular season was injuries. If what I read somewhere else was right, there was a quote where he said there was some times when he told his center that he couldn’t shoot, so don’t pass to him. Not sure if that was true, but if it was, then there are other aspects to his poor performance.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
@vplaza,
He was too busy thinking up humorous things to say like that one?
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C
Regular season F..playoffs A
This is a tough one. His regular season was so awful that giving him an F was being genreous, but his playoff performance was what we were all hoping for all along. He used his body to shield defenders and played with an edge. So which player are we getting this year? I think getting him signed for 1 year wa a stroke of genius by DL. You would think/hope/pray that coming off the post season, he would be ready to get back to being one of the most dominant power forwards in the league.
Hopefully he recovers well from the wrist injury.
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
@nykingfan, I agree. I also think his personal issues played a large part in his performance, and now that they’re gone, he should be back to the 25 goal 25 assist player that he has been in the past.
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If you look back on my posts about Penner on this blog when he was a non-factor down the stretch last year and during the playoffs, I was as harsh as anyone. I wanted the “Tin Man” gone.
But if what has come out about the things that he was dealing with are true (off-ice and injuries), coupled with his performance during the playoffs, I think that a “C” for the year is adequate.
That said, I’m glad he’s back at a very reasonable cost. We get the chance to see if he can continue to play at the right level but not at great risk with his contract. I hope he shows that he deserves a new deal after next year by lighting it up.
If he doesn’t, then no so be it.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
@vplaza,
!La diplomacia se hace el orden del dia!
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kingsfantom Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:00 am
@vplaza, VERY well said. There were so many games I was yelling at him in utter disgust . Such a big and talented guy that just wasn’t performing. A little slack can be given for circumstances, but he was in a hole. I really had to think about this one for a while, but I gave him a C that he deserves. Averaging reg season and playoffs is tough cause virtually everyone stepped it way up in playoffs.
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I think Dustin must have given himself an “A”. That’s Chutzpah…errrrrrr I mean… Confidence.
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I based my vote on regular season only. F.
A for the playoffs however. I’m not doing averages.
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Like most, I voted “C”. If he keeps destroying
Conan on twitter, might have to upgrade to
A “B”. Even with the brutal regular reason, hard
not to root for the guy.
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c+ for the year B+ for the playoffs i’ll go with a straight B for big penner
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So I guess no player evaluation for Scott Parse? That would be the definition of Incomplete (he did play a few games).
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Stuart Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@AliCali, parsisely!
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
@AliCali,
Looks like Rich Parsed on him.
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
@AliCali, He also missed Trent Hunter and Ethan Moreau. Two players who were an intergal part of the Kings Stanley Cup win, and i’m not being sarcastic. Without their horrible existence on this team, some talented players like Dwight King and Jordan Nolan might’ve been with the Kings from the beginning of the year. And it’s possible their presence might’ve led to a few more wins, which means the TM firing might’ve never happened. Who knows?
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
@CB14,
Well, you could spin this theory every which way to China!
But I’ll run with it.
So what brand of bedtime hot chocolate do you think TM would have chosen to politely sip out of Lord Stanley?
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
@Duncanz, I don’t think in the above scenario that the Kings would’ve won the cup with TM at the helm.
AliCali Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:21 am
@CB14, Good point about Hunter and Moreau; I just didn’t think of them as members of the team, while I still thought of Parse as a King. I wonder if it’s because of future possibilities, or because Parse didn’t play because of injuries, while the other two didn’t play with the Kings because of lack of production.
I will say that fans here were pretty high on Moreau when he signed, as he wasn’t expected to score a lot, but rather provide leadership as a former captain. I put Hunter and Moreau in the low-risk category, in that they didn’t cost players, didn’t cost a lot of money, and could’ve made a contribution to the team.
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Penner Power!
B
Go Kings Go!
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You have to make the playoffs before you can play well in them. Penner did not help the Kings make the playoffs at all. They’re paying him $2 million/year too much. D
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fsd1 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
@tkecanuck341, still bitter……
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
@fsd1, aaahhh….good ol fsd1! always short, to the point, and a matter of fact. good to see you posting.
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tkecanuck341 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
@fsd1, Bitter to the point that I don’t want him on my team, especially at that cap hit.
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Michael_DD8 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
@tkecanuck34,
“that cap hit” 3.5 isn’t even anything, ESPECIALLY at one year. Wheres the logic?
For those of you who follow or have followed Jim Rome…
Dustin Penner is the Robert Horry of the LA Kings.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:02 pm
@Noel, Yep… agree. Winning isn’t just about having guys who can score. Usually, the key to winning is putting the right balance of guys together who play well together and also play for each other. Not just skilled guys, but a balance. Penner does have that Robert Horry affect if you ask me. There’s some weird intangible to his person/game that goes beyond stats. I believe his situation (injury/personal issues/lack of scoring) played into the dynamics and the outcome of the LA kings as a “team”. From all I have seen/heard, Penner is one of the most liked guys in that locker room. And they all knew he was struggling, but they didn’t turn on him when he and they were down. Supporting each other is the foundation of team building. Dean lombardi knows the value that Dustin Penner brings to this team. And I think Dean & Darryl will be rewarded next season when Dustin Penner gets back to being a 20+ goal scorer and using his body to help his linemates put up even bigger numbers.
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Regular season is bringing down Penner’s balls…Don’t you guys remember this:
http://lakingsinsider.com/2012/04/12/changes-coming-for-canucks/
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Consistency will be what makes or breaks ‘Cakes. Hopefully his head is in the right place, and hopefully he finds his old form. Gave him a B-, only cause there were zero expectations from me!
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Reign Mafia Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
@Reign Mafia, I would also take him for color commentary if Foxy needs an emergency replacement! This guy was shear comedy during interviews
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I dont trust his effort nor his conditioning, so he’ll have to prove himself this time. His regular season was miserable, so hard to give him anything above a C. He is the biggest question mark going into the new season.
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C+ only because he was good in the playoffs!.. If not for that.. It coulda been an F
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After coming alive in the playoffs, if Penner scores 25-30 this season, would it be s stretch to say he’d become one of the more popular Kings of the past 20 years? We all love a comeback story, and he seems like a great guy. He’s one of the more personable interviews, he represented us at the ESPY’s, he spends his offseasons locally….I think his popularity would be up there with Brown, Kopi Greene, etc etc.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
@A Cup B4 I Died!,
If he gets 35 he can play the pipe and lead all my children away, he’d be that much of a folk hero!
Form like that would spread throughout the team and make us utterly unbeatable … again!
One can dreamily muse, which I guess is a great asset to the amateur improv comic as DP would understand only too well.
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His grade went up with his response to Conan
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I gave Dustin a “C”.
Because of the field that I work in, I probably have a lot more empathy for Dustin than most do. The mental, emotional and physical challenges he had last season, on top of all that it takes to play in the NHL, were enormous. more than most could bare. For that I give him a pass (like my opinion matters).
I’m rooting for Dustin to be the type of player that he was in the playoffs. Three injuries and marital problems are a lot to add to an already difficult job. I’m wishing for a healthy full season for Penner.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:26 pm
@Michael J., You’re not City of Fullerton PD, are you?
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Michael J. Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@Duncanz
Yah, I transfered from LA a few years back. Only three more years until I retire and move to Kootenai County.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
@Michael J., I lived in Kootenai County for 13 years. Moved there from Camarillo in 1998. I got tired of the long winters and moved to Bend, Oregon last year (300 days of sunshine). I’m sure you’ll love it there. That is until you get a winter like we had in 2008 & 2009. Shoveling snow does get old. GO KINGS!
Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 10:45 pm
@Michael J.,
Lol, fancy guess, huh?
I’ve been there one day in my life – K Cnty, not CoF.
I got a good haircut there and had a nice clam chowder, which when I thought about it later was for sure out of a can.
The hairdresser was pretty fresh, though.
Moral of the story?
Things don’t change too much wherever you go.
B Regular season C (being generous) Playoffs A. Expect B+ next year. No excuses Dustin!
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If I rate him on his entire body of work last year, I have to give him a “C” – and I am being lenient. He was truly awful during a large part of the year – both in effort and in production. I am hoping for better things next year, but am not at all counting on it.
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Was it because of his SUCCUBUS?
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Stuart Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
@Lake Forest, It wasn’t because of his SUPERBUS!
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
@Stake Forest, @Lu,
Stop BUSting his bollocks, you BUShwackers !
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vplaza Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
@Lake Forest,
Maybe it was INCUBUS?
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Penner’s improvement was based on prodding from Sutter but also, IMO, from his respect for his veteran line mates Richards and Carter. I got the sense that he didn’t want to let down two guys he admired. Since those pieces remain, I expect him to sustain his playoff excellence.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
@JackPennCooke,,
Excellent points.
But what about before that, during the regular season, your excellence?
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JackKentCooke Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
@Duncanz,
My take is that DP is the “class cut-up type” who requires third party discipline. Sutter, Richards and Carter provided that at the end of the year. Professor Murray failed to rap his knuckles with a ruler.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
@JackKentCooke,
Hmmm, sounds like personal experiences kicking in here, young fella’ …
Go on, tell me I’m wrong!
I gave Penner a C+, and I love the guy. I was as disappointed in his effort as the rest during his miserable season. He did come alive with Richards and Carter, and was a major force in the march to the cup. His sense of humor, and his very nature makes you like him. He became the epitome of a team player. His comments after hoisting the cup were consistent with what he ultimately did…he took a hometown discount to remain with the team he loved, and wanted to see this through. The best thing that could happen would be for Penner to have an awesome year with 20-30 goals, and 50-60 points, and then resign with LA to finish his career. He also gets my respect for the humorous way he has handled a few situations, including the pancake fiasco, and his recent verbal battle with Conan. He is the type of character the Kings need…providing his effort is an “A” every game.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
@Dan, The fact the guy actually turned the pancake fiasco into a charity event speaks volumes as well. not only did he take the situation in stride he turned it into something positive for the benefit of others…its not always what happens in life but how you deal with it. Penner gets an A from me on a personal level for sure.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Well stated.
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Kingscup25 Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 1:24 am
@BrokeKingsFan, Great take on Penns!
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As usual with PennFen … more questions than answers …. Right?
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Lake Forest Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
@Duncanz, boom. jeez
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I’ve shown my peculiar admiration of Penner in my earlier posts on the board. I’m very glad they resigned him. As with so many players on the team, he managed to re-invent himself with the addition of DS, particularly following his benching. He seemed to show that his problems were more emotionally founded than skill based. He has immense talent, very good hands for his size, and the ability to knock the living bejeezus out of other players. I look forward to his new found comfort carrying forward into the new season (if we have one) and having a 25-30 goal season. Overall, B (can’t discount his post season play)
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Michael J. Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
@plywood,
I think he “re-invented” himself after removing a cretain (ankle) weight that was slowing him down.
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plywood Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
@Michael J., agreed
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DEH Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:45 pm
@Michael J., yeah, it’s called his wife…
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
@DEH,
Are you sure he didn’t mean playing on the 3rd line with Stolly?
Utah Chris Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:02 am
@Michael J., as stunning attractive as that ankle weight was… she got inside his head like no other ankle weight can… that is the only explanation I can imagine for the poor performance on-ice the last two seasons. I think she was the 800 pound gorilla in the off-ice room. I have nothing to base that upon and it probably not gentlemanly of me to suggest it. But according to my beautiful spouse, my hunches are generally spot on.
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I thought about this longer and harder than for any of the other evaluations so far. I decided I could not ignore the very big points that he had in the playoffs and for that reason only I bumped him up to a C. Had we not made the playoffs boy could the finger have been justifiably pointed at him for his dismal performance. That regular season total for someone who is EXPECTED to score at LEAST 20 goals just won’t cut it.
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I went with a D+.
D for the season because 7 goals just doesn’t cut it for a guy who’s had 20+ for 4 of the last 5 seasons.
+ because of his playoff performance was what I had hoped for when the Kings acquired him in 2011.
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TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 3:58 pm
@FKA PakiFro, D+???? Is his twitter account not funny enough for you? Is him scoring the goal that got us into the SCF not cool enough? Is him being nationally recognized as “the hockey player that got injured eating pancakes” not awesome enough for you… I’m just joking, I gave him a B+ because he didn’t put up great numbers in the regular season, but then again the only person who did was Quick. He has this season to prove himself, and hopefully he does.
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
@TheAcaciaStrain,
Just for full disclosure…i never jumped as high as out of a couch as I did after Penner scored the game 5 clincher in the WCF. Like he said, that goal is bigger than he is.
But yea, D+. The others had rough seasons, but not anywhere near as bad as big penns. The others came along during the last 20 games or so but Penner still struggled.
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we will see a different Penner next year….Daryl Sutter will make sure of that! Our guys just needed some tough love (Penner being the extreme case) and Sutter brought that. I expect a team next year that lives up to thier and fans expectations from the get go. No more TM coddling and un-accountability (is that even a word?) with this team. DS and the “identity” he brings was a god send for this team and us fans and no more so than for good ol Pens.
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puck73 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Wow, you mean a coach can make a diffrence? Funny, everytime I post something like that, waves of Leslie Neilson supporters are right there to remind me that the players were the reason TM got fired.
BTW, I agree with your take. Good post, succinct, enjoyable read.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
@puck73,
Well, it was the players. is it TM’s fault the players can’t score from the boards?
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Michael J. Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
Actually, I think that its the opposite. I see DS as a coach who is engaged with the individual persons who make up the Kings. Don’t get me wrong, Sutter is frim and he expects nothing but the best effort from his players. I never saw TM as a “coddler”. He seemed more like the emotionless, indifferent boss who never really put you in a place, nor provided the tools, for you to succeed.
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plywood Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
@Michael J., Bingo. I think the input from TM was simply, throw you on a different line or put your butt on the bench. DS has built and amazing rapport with this team in such a short time. I hope we get a season this year where he can pull the full potential from this team. I honestly don’t think we’ve seen it yet.
[Reply]
BrokeKingsFan Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
@Michael J., when someone can underachieve the way penner did and see no reduction in ice time or line drops and all he could say was “wee need Penner” ect. than that to me would be showing extreme kindness… and while not verbatum the definition of coddle it pretty damn close. I think TM provided the tools neccesary to be successful and is a great teacher, he just didnt hold guys accountable and the lack of emotion when it was needed most was his downfall. when there is no consequences to your actions (such as DP under TM) than there is no motivation to change them. DS did not show Penner the extreme kindness TM did and demoted the guy and it did wonders for him. I do see your point but i think your taking it a bit to literally.
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Dustin Penner = an enigma wrapped in a pancake….or Pens in a blanket!
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DesertKing Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
At least he isn’t Frolov – an enigma wrapped in a paradox clothed in Armani.
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I heard that Penner’s wrist injury was bugging him for most of the season. Supposedly he said in an interview, “I would sometime tell my center before the game not to pass to me because I couldn’t shoot.” That might explain the lack of effort during the regular season. To his credit, if this is true, he clearly put it behind him during the playoffs.
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Stuart Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 4:39 pm
@DEH, I sincerely hope this was NOT the case or he was doing himself, his teammates, and the fans a huge disservice by taking up a roster spot if indeed he was too hurt to handle a puck. If your wrist hurts that bad, get it checked out and go on the IR! There were others that would’ve played/been called up and his ailments could’ve been on the mend instead of slugging it game after game… I’m all for playing injured and sucking it up and what not, but when you’re a drag on the team you aren’t helping anyone… imagine had he gone on the IR for a month or whatever, maybe two, he would’ve been 100% (possibly) to end the season and roll into the PO’s.
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DEH Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
@Stuart, knowing Penner, he probably said it in the interview but was joking or exaggerating to an extreme extent. Remember Penner has that quirky sometimes self deprivation humor at times. I don’t doubt that he had some nagging injuries, wrist surgery at the end of the season implies that, but most players have some nagging injuries by the end of the season. There’s a rumor that Brown played the last round and a half with some broken ribs.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
@Stuart, I’ve seen Penner play for a while now and there was definitely something wrong with him most of last season. In previous seasons (with the Oilers) he never seemed to shy away from shooting. Maybe it was the system but in any case he looked like a different guy than the one I knew. We might also want to consider that he was in a contract year. That would be a little bit of a motivation to try and stay off the IR if it was me. For our sake (King’s fans) and his, I’m glad he’s on our team for another year. And I think his teammates feel the same.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
@Stuart,
Well, you would certainly have said the same of Mike Richards, n’est-ce pas??
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I am a huge Dustin Penner fan and have been rooting hard for him ever since he’s gotten here, but for everyone who thinks he can be a 20-30 goal scorer next season I think you will be disappointed. In 20 playoff games he had 3 goals and 8 assists. That’s a pace of about 12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points during the regular season. Personally I would be extremely pleased with Penner of he could get 15 goals and 30 assists for 45 points next season. I feel that is more reasonable for him and would be still some much needed improvement to our offense
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luc20rules Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
@Aves, If that is the case Gagne deserves the 2nd line LW position, and Penner the 3rd Line LW slot. I think Richardson could put up 45 pts if he stayed healty on a line with Richards and Carter for a full season. King if last years sample was accurate would also be better slotted there. That said Penner is capable of a 25+ G, 30+ A year with those line mates. Taking the Playoffs as your comparison is not very reasonable playoff pts are very hard to get. In the regular season you are playing weak teams as well as playoff caliber teams, teams play with less passion in the regular season, and we played the 1,2,3 seeded of the West & East Champs in the playoffs. He also only played on the 2nd line after the 4 game vs Vancouver.
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BringbackButchGoring Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@luc20rules, I’m not sure you should discount playoff scoring in comparison to regular season scoring since we actually scored more goals per game in the playoffs than the regular season. The truth is Penner scored 3 goals which put him 8th on the Kings in goals scored in the playoffs. I don’t see why Penner can underachieve and underhustle for the whole year and then get handed the 2nd line spot over Gagne. I’d say Gagne gets the nod and Penner should have to take it away from him through hard work and success.
On the other hand, dang, it’s hard not to like the guy and wish him success. I actually think he could score 30 for us; he’s done it 3 times with other teams…This guy makes my head explode.
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KC23 Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 7:58 am
@luc20rules, Richardson couldn’t put up 45 points in two full seasons even if he was with Crosby and Malikin. No way no how. He’ll be lucky to play at all next season.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:41 am
@KC23,
i couldn’t agree with you more. Richardson just doesn’t have the size nor the skill to remain a regular on a team like the Kings. With as much talent as there is, everyone coming back, I see a very limited role unless someone goes down with an injury. Let’s not forget that we also have some very hungry boys in the pipeline that for sure have more potential to break into the lineup than richardson does of staying in it.
evan chouest Reply:
July 19th, 2012 at 9:24 pm
richardson playing with malkin and crosby would score 70 pts easy he’s great offensivly not so hot on d or checking cant keep intensity up but is offensively gifted. Unless he’s traded to columbus he will remain a fill in offensive 4th liner. ONE THING STruck me as odd in the player reviews hammond says fraser is more offensively gifted than derek armstrong was i see the complete oppiste fraser wouldndnt score 10 goals on the first line. fraser works hard but my lineup would be 1st:brown kopitar williams doughty scuderi 2nd:penner richards carter voyonov mitchell 3rd:gagne stoll king greene martinez 4th:nolan richardson clifford quick bernier extras:fraser,hickey,lewis,lotkonov,drewski.although if we want a dynasty trade bernier,hickey,2 1st rounders to columbus for nash,wisnewski and mason. new lineup after signing colicovo= nash kopitar brown doughty coliacovo,2nd:penner richards carter voyonov wisnewski, 3rd:gagne stoll williams scuderi mitchell, 4th:king richardson clifford quick mason.extras:greene,martinez,nolan,lewis,fraser.what do you think?
Duncanz Reply:
July 21st, 2012 at 1:45 am
@evan chouest,
… If there were even a word, I’d say you were an … “eventuist”!
Gustavo Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
@Aves,
Penner has intangibles that do not show in the stats. They do not give assists, points or even kudos for 6’4″, 245 lbs forwards who park their massive humanity in front of the net and prevent the defense from getting to the shooters (Jeff Carter/Richards).
During the Phoenix series, Penner did just that, specially on the game Carter scored the hat trick in Phoenix.
That’s what I want him to bring this next season. I don’t care if he gets no points, as long as his line mates score and the team wins.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
@Gustavo, RIGHT ON!
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
@Aves, Actually that’s a pace for 12 goals and 32 (8×4=32, not 24) assists, for a total of 44 points. But who’s counting? I would be ok with those numbers, but I think he’ll do better than 44 points. His anchor last season, the ex-wife, has been tossed overboard and now it’s full steam ahead for the Penncakes.
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YEAH!!! Kompon gone to SJ! Who will replace him? Bernie? Just very pleased he hi gone. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
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luc20rules Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 5:24 pm
@crashin’da net, Kompon signed with Chicago. Larry Robinson ex King Coach signed with SJ.
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crashin'da net Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
@luc20rules, thanks for the corection, caught out of the “corner of my ear” on the radio. Regardless, he’s gone and that’s what matters.
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For anyone that hasn’t seen it:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/first-look-la-kings-stanley-cup-dvd-clips-170403495–nhl.html
Going to be pretty awesome..
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plywood Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
@evan, I love the comment by Willie after they showed Penner’s goal against Phoenix. “Everybody’s got their own story and unless you’re in the locker room, you don’t know that story” . I don’t think it was a coincidence that this was inserted where it was in the video. I think one of the reasons Dustin was re-signed was because the team “knew” his story and supported him 100%.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:29 pm
@plywood, Yep, I think Dustin adds something special to the locker room. Plus… being 6’4″ 245lbs also adds a little something too… ya think?
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Speaking of people who had a poor regular season with the kings, NHL.com reports that the Blackhawks hired Jamie Kompon as assistant coach, GG!!
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DesertKing Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
@DEH,
hehe…haha…HEHE…HAHA…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! The only was this could be better is if he had joined Anaslime, VanHoover, Phonyix or the Red Flings. Our chances to repeat as the Stanley Cup champions (yes, the STANLEY CUP champions)are getting better e very day. C’mon CBA, get done so we can enjoy HockeyFest, Frozen Fury and our season as the champs.
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
@DesertKing,
Wonder if Toews, Kane and Sharp are scratching their heads?
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DesertKing Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
@jess,
Oh the joy of watching them learn that great PP strategy and the importance of stopping and standing at the half-boards and waiting for the perfect set-up.
jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:28 pm
@DesertKing,
That will be very interesting to watch.
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
@DEH, Why couldn’t he had gone to a team with a good Power Play? Chicago’s sucks worse than ours did. They can’t get much worse.
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Although we are talking about Kompon here. I take back that last sentence.
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DesertKing Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
@CB14,
Regular season performance C…If you and I had to deal with his injuries and pre-divorce head game drama with a gold digging future ex-wife, our work performance would have lacked, as well.
Playoffs performance: A Nothing less.
Solid overall “B” for me.
We root for our players and we hope they bring the best they got. Here is to a super pancake next season!!
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Michael J. Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:09 am
@Gustavo,
Spot on analasys of his regular season performance.
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Regular season, D, and that is being generous. I understand he had some personal problems to overcome, and he was playing under that “other” coach for most of it, so no big.
Playoffs, A. Pretty much the biggest turnaround I’ve ever witnessed with an individual player.
I still think Penner and Carter will be one of the most dangerous pairs in the NHL, providing Pens stays on the throttle with his improvement.
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DesertKing Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
@jess,
That is a scary pair, especially when you think of MR between them.
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
@DesertKing,
Abso-effin-lutely
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Gustavo Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
@jess,
I remember JC jokingly say something like “if Pens clears the deck, my only problem is choosing where I shoot the puck”…THAT is what I hope these two can bring more consistency next season.
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:37 pm
@Gustavo,
That’s what I was predicting when Carter was traded to the org cause their styles are an unusual match, two big bodies, can really do some damage in front of that net. Of course, I was laughed off the blog
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
@jess, So what did you give him?
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
@HockeyNerd,
I posted it.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:19 pm
@jess, But that’s 2 grades. If you voted twice I’m calling the Hammond police on you
Michael J. Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:11 am
@jess,
Voting twice is rather commonplace in certain counties in Illinois
jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:18 pm
@HockeyNerd,
I could not give Penner one grade. His situation is too complex. This goes for most everyone with the exception of Mitchell, Scuds and Quick, who all played solid the entire season. We had a coaching change, Pens went through a divorce, Carter, Nolan and King came on board at just the right time, JJ went to CBJ and Voynov & Martinez filled the gap.
I truly believe the coaching change is the largest factor, but there are others. This is why I feel compelled to give two grades for most everyone, for two separate seasons, and two separate coaches.
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
@HockeyNerd,
No I did not vote twice
I didn’t use the poll at all.
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:29 pm
@jess, I wish my girlfriend could say that.
I gave him a B.
The guy went through a lot of emotional hurdles. I don’t know exactly what extent but, it was enough to cause the guy to completely lose his game for a while there…not to mention real life stuff he had to face because of it all. And, despite that…he got himself back on track, dealt with way more criticism and harsh opinions than he probably deserved, and became a player that the team needed to help them win their first cup.
Not only did he help out on the ice but, he carried himself incredibly well in front of the media and fans. Always trying to share something positive and making jokes that weren’t distasteful in any way.
Penner seems like a solid person and I’m glad they resigned him. So, yeah, a B from me.
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Duckbasher Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
@Gary Livingston, Plus… that playoff beard alone should be worth some kind of extra credit… right?
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Gary Livingston Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:42 pm
@Duckbasher,
Right.
=)
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Penner played his best when it mattered most.
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I gave him a generous “B” – I think that a BIG part of his problems was marital strife and that once that was behind him, he was able to focus on his work/game. I also think that Sutter found the right fit in Richards and Carter and that move alone helped boost his game to new heights. He took a pay cut and helped us win the cup. In fact, I think he’s a HUGE reason the Kings won the cup – he scored big points, Game 1 vs Vancouver, the assist to Voynov in St Louis, the empty-netter in St Louis and of course, the series clincher vs Phoenix.
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
@CAA,
Yup, those were big alright.
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F + A = C+
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He hurt his back with a pancake.
How did he hurt his wrist?
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Gustavo Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:54 pm
@MmmmYummy,
Meatballs?
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CB14 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
@MmmmYummy, Waffles?
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KingsFan on EastCoastTime Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
@MmmmYummy, Putting together the pieces from what I’ve read, seems like it was a carpal-tunnel kind of thing.
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MmmmYummy Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
@KingsFan on EastCoastTime, Repetitive motion type carpal-tunnel?
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Duncanz Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 1:45 am
@MmmmYummy,
Aunt Jemima twist tops.
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I gave a B for Best Beard. On a serious note he showed his grit after his personal problems were out of the way and played his heart out in the SC Playoffs. He is so well liked by his teammates and I am expecting a very consistent season from him under DS. This team game takes all kinds of characters to be successful and Dustin is one fun character. GO KINGS GO!!!
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Conan has nothing on you brother. I was one of the few who did ot crucify Penner. And the conan thing. I will never watch that third rate comedian. Maybe when he grows up he can be a carrot top too!
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DesertKing Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
@PalmSpringsKingsFan,
Conan who? Didn’t he used to have a late night TV show about barbarians during the 70′s? I heard he lives in Anahein and vacations in VanHoover.
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wideleft Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
@DesertKing, at least you got to see Penner on NBC, something Conan couldn’t muster
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DesertKing Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
@wideleft,
Sorry, I didn’t see the show. Conan wasn’t funny when he was an Arnold barbarian, he wasn’t funny when he was the warm-up for Leno, he wasn’t funny when he replaced Leno, he obviously wasn’t funny when they fired him and brought Leno back, he isn’t funny now and he won’t be funny tomorrow or the next day. In the words of a funny guy and true Kings fan, Will Ferrel, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Gary Livingston Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:43 pm
@PalmSpringsKingsFan,
He’s just a NY fan. He’s being a loyal guy to his team.
But, loved Penner ribbing him right back. haha.
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IMO the Penner subject merits deeper discussion.
When he was first traded to the kings, I watched him very closely for awhile. Something I noticed immediately, was his eye for a developing play and the skilled hands to back it up. Out of the gate, penz tried feeding complex passes to kopi, who wasn’t awake yet under TM, and was too busy skating straight to the boards in the O zone, where he would spend the majority of his time until the opposing team cleared the puck. Kopi was simply following the system and not looking for passes yet. Penner made several more attempts at creative plays, but simply gave up knowing it was an exercise in futility.
Don’t believe me? Go back and watch the games.
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Mars Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
@jess, I agree.
I remember when he seemed deflated and broken, not then knowing that like I do now. Rather I was calling for a trade.
That is also part of the reason I say he gets an incomplete.
The one year is fair, based on record and history.
Mid season trade, getting unfattened, injuries, TM, divorce. New mates.
It was a tough time. I say put out of get out, BUT want him to succeed now.
See below.
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The Batman Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
@jess, yes this is why playing him with carter is the best thing, because carter actually reads his tricky play development, case and point, penners behind the back lead pass to carter leading up to the goal that won te WCF
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
@The Batman,
That was the goal alright. I think the two will have fun this year together. Both big bodies, great sets of hands, and penz can turn on the jets when the will is there to do so.
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I cannot lie, I hated him through the season, I wanted him gone, put on waivers, traded for a water bottle, I didn’t care.
His tail end season started to change my mind, he awoke from slumber after his divorce.
I also felt. Ad for him too I must admit. But it didn’t excuse him yet , I just decided to quit pickin on him.
His playoff performance showed me what he is capable of. So I dug deeper, it seems to be his motive;
Dull in the season, clutch in the playoffs.
That said, a one year deal is good, move it or lose it.
I didn’t grade him, I will say incomplete for now, pardoning him with a pass, and I will cat my grade for next season.
Don’t take this negatively. I am rooting for him, the guy kicks but and is hilarious.
How can you hate a guy with a few injuries, as public and humiliating as one was, with a divorce, being called out too?
The guy has heart and deserves a one year shot!
I now want him to win it! But don’t take that as favoritism, if he fails, we have great depth waiting and pining for his spot.
Next year Penner, put out or get out buddy!
I am hoping you succeed!
Go Kings Go!
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jess Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
@Mars,
Well said. Tough to grade with so many complex factors.
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Hello Rich, I hope you do not mind this post it’s a get-together For Kings fans!!?
Andros & I will be posting several time, just make sure people got the message!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
3:00pm until 10:00pm
Get away from behind your keyboard and come hang with us at the Beach!
Let’s enjoy our Southern Cal ways and head to Bolsa Chica State Beach. Meet up with each other and most of all, share our memories as Kings fans.
This isn’t a pot luck or a BBQ. Just a great day to celebrate summer with each other for the day.
Be sure to:
Bring your own kindling or firelog to start your fire. A bundle of wood slowly burning will last about 2 hours.
Bring your own chair.
Bring food, drinks, wet naps (or baby wipes) and 1 plastic trash bag.
Bring Smores supplies.
It does tend to become windy at about sunset so DO bring warm clothing even if it is summer.
There is free parking near the Jack In the Box. But if you do not wish to hassle the search for free parking, there is pay parking available for $15.
For our exact location, Go to Facebook link and signup! http://www.facebook.com/events/337876449628329/
ALL Kings fans are welcome, even if they are not in our Knights of the Forum. Feel free to spread the word. Let’s make this the largest beach party for us fans as we celebrate the Los Angeles Kings, the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions!
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Sammuch Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
@Sammuch,
Rich you are spool invited if you are in town!?
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Sammuch Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 9:39 pm
@Sammuch,
Correction: sooooooooo
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puck73 Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 10:39 pm
@Sammuch, Big Sam….coming thru in the clutch!
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Andros Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:08 am
@Sammuch, Nice job, Sam!
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Michael J. Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:18 am
@Sammuch,
Excellent! Count me in!
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I despised Penner until this year’s trade deadline. I’m not going to rehash why because everyone knows. I will say that when he hurt his back eating pancakes (yeah, right), I despised him less and started feeling sorry for him.
Penner has definitely redeemed himself. He is a staunch defender of the Kings. He loves the organization so much that he took a significant contract reduction to stick around. He is personable with fans and the media. He scored the OT Western Conference Finals series-winner. I believe he also had the game-winner in the first game if the playoffs. He played well in the playoffs overall. He is a positive force in the locker room. I’m genuinely glad he is back and hope he improves his game (not just to play as well as he did in the playoffs because he could have been even better).
I gave him a C+, which is decent since he had an F the day before the playoffs began. I heavily weight the playoffs in this subjective grading system. However, we almost missed the playoffs, in part, because of Penner. He walks away with a passing grade, some self-respect, and great expectations next year.
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This one is easy. I voted for All of the Above.
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Lets hope he just says no and gets/stays in shape. I can’t tell.. We wouldn’t have the hardware without him.
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Off topic…PICTURES WITH THE CUP!!
This afternoon we got a nice snail letter giving us our date and time for the opportunity to upgrade our season seats. In the letter it also said to stay tuned to for more info to come about the day and time for season ticket holders to TAKE PHOTOS WITH THE STANLEY CUP sometime in the fall.
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CAA Reply:
July 19th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
@Gustavo, YES – 23 years full season seat holder – I was hoping that they would do something like this
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Pens gets a C+ from me. I like the guy & he’s got passing & puck handling skills for a big man. I hope we have seen him at his worst already & his road to redemption continues. This coming season for him is all about heart now. All I do know is when Pens gets the puck in the O zone, someone needs to go to the net cause Pens will throw a nice centering pass.
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I gave him B for Benefit of the Doubt.
Off topic: I have a bone to pick with NHL.com’s “Goalie Fan Vote.” They’re having fans vote on which goalie had the best game, and the game that Quick’s up for isn’t really all that fantastic. Of all the good games he’s played, I don’t think that one’s his best. They’re setting him up to lose that vote by choosing that game over all the others. I know it’s not very important, but it still irks me.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 11:33 pm
@FiG17,
Jonathan Quick:
1. Conn Smyth winner…..CHECK
2. Vezina Finalist…….CHECK
3. Stanley Cup Champion..CHECK
All others poser awards….STFU!!!!
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KC23 Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 8:12 am
@FiG17, Quick getting the Con Smyth pretty means none of the other goalie accomplishments can compare. So they can have their little “best game” award that will be forgotten the day after it is awarded. Con Smyth awards don’t get forgotten. Ever.
[Reply]
Many intangibles to Pennzys game. I found myself cheering for him when we got him, cursing him after awhile, cheering again at flashes of excellence, cursing. I gave him a B for his OT game winner against PHO. I’ll trade for that every day of the week and twice on Sunday
[Reply]
Way off topic here
My dad did a short film about a kid on a minibike (my cousin bill) as a UCLA film project, 1970. I believe it really takes you back to california in the 70′s music, geography etc. and was shot with a super 8. Very liberating feeling it invokes for me, and memories.
It’s about three minutes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbGYTr2fPLI&feature=player_embedded
[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 8:17 am
@jess, Cool little film. I was 14 at the time and had been a hockey fan for just about a year. Good music choice.
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variable Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
@jess,
very cool 70′s grain….classic student 16-shot expose….nice post…:)
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SLIM Reply:
July 19th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
@jess,
Great little film…
Was waiting for the train crash and alien..
Well done…
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Off topic but I need to ask a question of the Insider faithful. Let me first set this up. A friend of mine is a season ticket holder(10 game plans) since ’90 (Great Western Forum)She just received her schedule of games and it was “pretty sad” as to what games she got. The real sad thing was the announcement that from now on, 10 game plan holders will only be able to purchase playoff tickets to ONE game per round, instead of the USUAL guaranteed seat for EVERY game of the playoffs by way of pay-as-you-play. Am I missing something here? She isn’t given the option to buy them? What difference does it make who sits in the seat as long as it’s sold? A 23 year buyer of tickets, through ALL of the “lean” years, is now being “penalized” for the Kings winning the cup? This is totally 100% wrong. Again, looks like this isn’t our Kings anymore Toto. Somebody needs to take a look at this really hard. Long time fans who can’t afford the championship season prices are getting pushed out? Total joke…these are the things that won’t allow me to change my name. I love this team but C’mon
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Gustavo Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
@TiredOfIt,
The answer is simply. And there is no logical reason to get upset with the organization. After winning the Cup, the sale of FULL season tickets has skyrocketed. So there are many more full season ticket holders. This automatically pushes privileges out of the hands of 10 packs ticket owners. In a dream world for the LAK all seats would be owned by season ticket holders, even at a discount. It guarantees sold tickets, even if the seat goes unoccupied.
Our challenge is trying to upgrade our seats. At least we keep the playoff privileges. Your friend may have to upgrade if he wants affordable playoff tickets.
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TiredOfIt Reply:
July 17th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
@Gustavo, OK, but there are only so many seats. the only possible answer is now that it will be sold out, which 10 game plan holder do you sell playoff tickets to and how many. Well, you may be right but it still sucks. Then why offer 10 game plans at all? Because they were not expecting the demand.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 12:50 am
@TiredOfIt,
If the bandwagon stays crowded, I expect the 10 packs to go away after next season. We’ll see, said the blind man.
TiredOfIt Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
@TiredOfIt, True…very true
Shotongoal Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 6:01 am
@TiredOfIt, Price of doing business. I understand the frustration but this is what happens when a team becomes successful. This is no different than when Gretzky came. Just an evolution of success.
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DesertKing Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 8:46 am
@Shotongoal,
Damn that Cup! WE WON THE CUP!! WE WON THE CUP!!
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TiredOfIt Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 11:27 pm
@DesertKing, LOL….yes
Kopi Bryant Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 7:49 am
@TiredOfIt, I upgraded my season plan to half season before the playoffs started and now I see that the Kings have a fixed half season schedule out which means I won’t even get to pick the games I want to go to. Like Shotongoal said, price of doing business, it does suck for people that have been supporting this team through all the bad years but if the Kings keep winning I have no problem with it.
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So i just watched the long highlight clips from the kings winning games vs phx and nj. It reminded me of how INSANE quick was. He made some insane stops. Taking a second look at the games when the emotion is removed and i know the outcome really makes me appreciate how great he was. quite amazing
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 4:22 am
@cortex949, You’re about 8 hours too “Quick”, LOL.
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I don’t know if this has been posted already.
But going into next season, Penner now knows how to make a comeback. If he’s in a slump, he knows it can be done, because he’s done it in a big way.
So, C for Confidence.
A+ for his Tweets.
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Regular season: F.
Playoffs: B+.
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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/trades/2012/07/17/toronto_maple_leafs_report_jonathan_bernier_los_angeles_kings
I don’t remember Bernier requesting a trade… Does anyone else? Who knows if there’s any truth to this, but it’s worth sharing.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 8:43 am
@California Royalty,
JB, according to some Canadian reporter, did make his trade request public. I still suspect it’s all a Toronto media ploy to force Brian Burke’s hand to bring a local boy to the team net. JB wants to start, no doubt, but going public in such an antagonistic manner as was reported contradicts everything JB has done while being a King player
Could also be a maneuver by Burke to let Gillis of Vancouver know that Luongo is not the only good goalie in the market and to drop the asking price for him.
We’ll see, said the blind man.
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California Royalty Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:48 am
@Gustavo, I agree. I (we) follow the Kings a lot closer than the Toronto media, and I have never heard him request a trade.
It was documented that at a golf tournament, Bernier said he expects to be traded, but that’s it.
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RoyalPain Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 9:50 am
@Gustavo,
…as he picked up his hammer and saw.
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Stuart Reply:
July 18th, 2012 at 10:07 am
@RoyalPain, One bright day in the middle of the night…
I give Doctor Dustin an F and Mister Penner an A
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Its weird how there’s a grading curve on the results. The most vote in the middle, with gradually less up and down. There’s no wide range, of most giving on one side or the other. Seems like most posters have very accurate reads on there performance.
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I gave Penner a C+. I don’t give breaks for personal issues and what not. I see Penner putting up 15 – 20 goals and maybe 45 total points. Anything over 20 goals or over 30 assists would be an excellent year for Penner imho.
I thought Penner was a poor fit on the 3rd line with Stoll and Lewis. I blame that on the coaching staff to a large degree. It became very obvious Penner was a MUCH better fit with Carter and Richards.
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C+ here too. He would have had a D- in regular season. And B+ in playoffs. Regular season weighted more because of more games.
The guy was hilarious right out the gate. When he did that interviewing for K-Vision. The part with Westie, saying he hadn’t read the Princeton year book “cover to cover” haha.
Bottom line is he was a huge let down until the playoffs. He needs 20 goals period.
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Nice overview/ synopsis, Rich, all of these evaluations have been very good. No way around the “enigma” definition when it comes to Pancakes. What strikes me about Penner is that ‘positive attitude’ — the light-hearted self-deprecation when he’s struggling (which has been most of his time in LA), the ‘props’ he dishes freely on teammates, his wit and humor, and his way of pulling the team together as friends, not just guys with a common employer. Hard to know what to expect from Penner on the ice, but hard not to enjoy him personally no matter how it goes. Teammates pull for him to succeed, and lately disappointed fans (I’ve been at the front of that line) pull for him too.
It’s interesting that Penner’s evaluation has prompted the greatest number of reader comments, at least of players evaluated so far– even more than front line stalwarts like Kopitar and Brown, Greene, Doughty, Mitchell (I’m thinking the flood gates may open when it’s Quick’s turn, though).
Others may have noted this, but in moving alphabetically from Nolan’s evaluation to Penner’s, one is almost compelled to conclude that Rich knows something in regards to Lombardi _not_ making any concerted effort to resign Scott Parse (he may not be under contract, but he played nearly as much as Drewiske did during the campaign being evaluated). Best wishes to Scooter, wherever he may land.
(Rich: a few of us wouldn’t mind if you chose to comment on that last paragraph)
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Did anyone else catch “Oil Change” yesterday on the NHL Network? There was a brief segment on Penner while he was still in Edmonton….
The guy was actually moving!! I couldn’t believe how tenacious, mobile, and aggressive he used to be. How can we get him to “regress” to that Penner??
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CAA Reply:
July 19th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
@Save, Hrudey!, OK, so you go back and watch any of the playoff game highlights from this Cup Run that the Kings had and you will be amazed by the number of times Penner would get in the zone and use his big body to possess the puck, go to the front of the net, make the right pass or shoot at the net. It was one of the constants in this run – Penner was tenacious and aggressive. I said it once but it’s worth repeating – the impending divorce / marital strife must’ve taken its toll on his performance.
I also think that the Carter / Richards linemates are perfect for Penns
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Save, Hrudey! Reply:
July 20th, 2012 at 2:40 am
@CAA,
Not sure I agree with you here. I did see Pens play improve drastically once in the playoffs. He did a lot better job positioning and moving his feet and getting involved.
However, not sure if you saw his play in the Oil Change segment I mentioned earlier. That was an entirely different level of aggression and tenaciousness. Dude was fighting for the pucks and getting off wicked shots. To be honest, that was the first I had seen him play in an Oilers jersey. Not sure if that was a normal type of play for him. However, he has not played like that since being on the Kings….and that includes these past playoffs.
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B for Butterworth, the missus. Goes great with Pancakes.
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Watching Penner this year was like viewing a movie that you had to wonder “Why am I watching this?” Then the end comes and you’ve got tears running down your face and you’ve just had a moment you will never forget. Oh yeah, and he thrives when playing with talented players. Pens gets an A for that goal against Phoenix too and he’s funny.
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