DARRYL SUTTER
This season: 40-27-15 record, 16-4 in playoffs.
The good: The Kings were stuck in neutral when Sutter arrived. He jump-started them, and it wasn’t as much about style and system as it was about attitude. Under Terry Murray, the Kings had become a bit stale, and Sutter’s arrival — with his intense focus on preparation — opened players’ eyes and gave them something of a fresh start. Sutter thinks like a player and does everything he can in order to put his players in a position to succeed. He pushes them hard, and isn’t shy about being critical of them, but everything is does is designed to make the team better, even if it bruises some egos along the way.
The bad: It’s tough to nit-pick a coach who came in mid-season and won the Stanley Cup. The only question is, will the bloom come off the rose at some point? Sutter’s high-intensity approach was exactly what the Kings needed in order to get turned around in the short term, but will the players be as receptive to it in Year 2 (and beyond)? Coaches such as Sutter have a tendency to wear players down over the years, particularly if the roster remains static. As the Kings attempt to defend their Stanley Cup championship, Sutter will have to be ever-mindful of not letting complacency settle into the Kings.
Going forward: Life is full of surprises. There were a lot of nervous faces around the Kings’ locker room in December, when players learned that Sutter would be replacing Murray. By June, the players gushed with praise about Sutter and what he had done to help improve the team’s mindset, and credited him with the team’s turnaround. The “book’’ on Sutter is wrong. He’s not a monster. Far from it. He is, however, intensely dedicated to the idea of “team’’ and anything or anyone who stands in the way of that — whether it be an underperforming player or a reporter — is liable to incur a bit of his wrath.
A
[Reply]
wes Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:36 am
When Lombardi tapped Sutter, well, I was one of the critics that was making what turned out to be the wrong call. Given everything that then transpired, Sutter’s “A” is too obvious to need any explanation, but . . .
For a few months, Dean Lombardi was the target of nearly as much disdain in these threads as was Terry Murray. I’m wondering if Rich posts an evaluation poll for Lombardi, and assuming he does, wondering how many of the “fire the bum” set will confess that they just might have gotten that wrong? (I would’ve given him a ‘B’ in the team’s darkest hour, he had a ‘big plan’ to patiently build a heavyweight post-season contender, and he pretty much stood by his guns)
[Reply]
TJM Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:37 pm
@wes, I appreciate that you’re one of the few who’s able to stand up and say this. Most people just wave their banners and cheer even though they spit venom at this guy when he got here.
[Reply]
Mars Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:13 pm
@TJM, I wasn’t saying fire him (DL) but did say is a loud TM going to make a difference?
I will say I feel bad for DS he clearly has the wrong reputation.
But I also think he is the type of guy not to care what others think!
DS will go down in the Kings history books. LEGEND!
Nobody should feel bad about being wrong, EVER.
It takes a lot more courage to admit your wrong or made a mistake.
That is also why I disliked Clowe, LIAR!
And why I am glad whomever on NJ turned over the game 6 puck!
Idiot and stand up guy.
Thanks Wes you are a true man!
Mik3ysfv Reply:
July 26th, 2012 at 12:33 am
@wes, I admit losing patience w/DL. I also admit ridiculing the hiring of DS. Crow of this caliber=awesome.
[Reply]
waiting for that F vote…..just waiting
[Reply]
Andros Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:11 am
@LosAngelesKing, Yup. Troll away, troll. Ha ha!
[Reply]
Mike in Oregon Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:12 pm
@Andros, 3 morons managed to push that button. Must be figure skating people.
[Reply]
Santa Claus Jackson Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 8:42 am
@Mike in Oregon, ha ha ha ha!!! bunch of daisies…
Sandy Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:36 am
@LosAngelesKing, How can there even be a B vote
[Reply]
Stuart Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:09 am
@Sandy, exactly. Got an A from me… no F yet either, but one D. ludicrous.
[Reply]
Lets do it again Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:37 am
@Stuart, I gave him a A should be the only grade to pick from . Somebody gave an F what a idiot.
Duckbasher Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:57 pm
@Stuart,
Howcome no AAAAA, AAAA, AAA, AA choice?
ten for instigating Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:53 am
@LosAngelesKing, The F is jsut people trying to be funny. How is even a B+ possible though. People honestly believe he doesnt deserve an A?
[Reply]
Verno Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:54 am
Sutter is, as he’s quoted many times saying, AWESOME!
[Reply]
Roger Vogt Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:34 pm
@ten for instigating, All the non A’s probably come from Jersey!!
[Reply]
Sutter also gave the Kings an identity as a team. We were a bit lost before, trying to make an identity with a few talented guys…. He’s a chef, he put all the ingredients together.
[Reply]
magnum69 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:35 am
@DiggerRocket, Sutter is xxxactly what the doctor ordered. He’s wise like an owl and resembles one, if you don’t mind me saying so, lol. A firm hand, yet, I have seen him more then once, putting his arm around a player and giving advise or props or whats needed at the time. A coach and a father figure rolled into a man who may soon have his name on the Cup in 2013. I gave him an A and it’s well deserved!
[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:16 pm
@DiggerRocket,
Mike Keenan, when the move was made said during an NBCSC game, that the Kings didn’t have a personality, that they were ‘vanilla’ and that Sutter would give them the needed personality. I guess so.
[Reply]
DiggerRocket Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:51 pm
@number 6, Keenen nailed it.
[Reply]
Mik3ysfv Reply:
July 26th, 2012 at 12:40 am
@number 6, you’ve been here long enough to get this: mabe it was Anthonyy who voted “F”
[Reply]
I feel he did a pretty average job.
Signed @puck73
[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:42 am
@Belexes,
He should have played Bernier more.
Signed @poorman
[Reply]
TheAcaciaStrain Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 9:19 am
@DesertKing, He hasn’t been on this board since February…
I searched google, and this seems to be his most recent comment (back in February)
http://lakingsinsider.com/2012/02/28/sutter-postgame-quotes-feb-28/#comment-1176074
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:46 am
@Belexes, Ha Ha !
[Reply]
Uh. You’re kidding me on anything other than an A, right? The Jeff Carter trade allowed some guys move to their more natural positions, but this was the same group that was miserable in December. Right?
Awesome.
[Reply]
Interesting case this, because if you go by the regular season as a lot of posters have been insisting, then an “A” is a little high, nest-ce pas?
[Reply]
Itchy Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:31 am
@Duncanz,
Do we get to give the Carter trade a grade at some point?
[Reply]
Aehhh….
[Reply]
Underachieving team, tuned out coach, mid-season replacement, takes them to the victorious Stanley Cup Championship run.
We call this a no-brainer “A.”
[Reply]
was 16 wins the max he could get in Playoffs?
[Reply]
Shakes Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:54 am
@zdfun, a real coach would have no ceiling to their success, Sutter could only manage to win 16 in the playoffs… and it took him 20 whole games to do it. 20! in the last 3 games of the Stanley Cup finals we lost twice, that’s 50% of our playoff total! the team was clearly on a downward trend
#sarcasm
[Reply]
Mik3ysfv Reply:
July 26th, 2012 at 1:08 am
@Shakes, how dare you realize DS lost 100% of the games in the finals that he did the entire playoffs! Who does that?
#more sarcasm
[Reply]
Takes over an underperforming team midway through the season and leads them to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, yet 3 idiots vote B+??? Would love to hear what it would take to get an A from them…
[Reply]
Alright, break it up. Nothing to see here. “A” all the way.
[Reply]
A, even though his team was “only” 1-4 in game 4 situations during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs
[Reply]
NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:43 am
@Shuchuk, And only 15-0 in all other play-off games.
[Reply]
Shuchuk Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:45 am
@NOW IMPRESSED, almost. they lost game 5 of the SCF.
[Reply]
Jordan Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:48 am
@Shuchuk, as long as we’re being pedantic, they were actually 1-3 in Game 4s.
Hard to be 1-4 when you only play four Game 4s.
Stuart Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:11 am
@Jordan, LOL pedant-away!
The answer…. duh
[Reply]
Its hard to believe right now but he will be fired in the future…..great job last season and proved that TM system was to blame for the lack of scoring….
[Reply]
Shuchuk Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:47 am
@neil, EVERY coach & GM is hired to be fired one day (unless they walk away). they’re grown ups, they can handle it.
example: Chicago is probably going to cut Joel Quenneville loose next season. what have you done for me lately?
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:48 am
@neil, Dont you think TM has taken enough abuse on this site? Oh! Wait, er, uh, nevermind.
[Reply]
Lets do it again Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:15 pm
@puck73, No I dont
[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:44 pm
@neil,
DS will bring at least 2 more Cups to LA, then retire gracefully hand the reins over to John Stevens who will bring us two more.
[Reply]
“He is, however, intensely dedicated to the idea of “team’’ and anything or anyone who stands in the way of that — whether it be an underperforming player or a reporter — is liable to incur a bit of his wrath.”
Rich, were you an underperforming reporter for Darryl? Did he make you do any Herbies?
I gave him an A and Rich voiced my biggest concern. This high intensity style has a short lifespan. Tortorella and Keenan have that abrasive style and it can lead to success but get ignored pretty quickly as well.
[Reply]
Jack Aubrey Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:45 am
@Bob Bobson, I don’t see a lot of comparison between Darryl Sutter and Torts or Iron Mike. I’d say, as long as a player is giving his all, Sutter has his back. He’s a player’s coach in that way. Can’t say that about Torts or Keenan, IMHO. Will Sutter run out his course? Seems reasonable, since that’s kind of what you sign up for when you become a coach. But, I don’t think it will be for his intensity and insistance on players earning their keep.
[Reply]
Jack Aubrey Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:46 am
@Jack Aubrey, insistence! Doh!
[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:22 pm
@Bob Bobson,
Living in ny I’ve seen a lot of Tortorella on tv. He is ‘intense’ with a capital z on the end. Sutter didn’t seem that way to me at all. He seemed actually very supportive of the players, yet making it clear in various cases (Penner being one) that they were welcome to play on a regular basis….. assuming that they met A) B) and C) as conditions.
That’s quite different. If several players do slack off then he’ll clearly have to deal with it in whatever way seems fit.
I don’t want to jinx anything, but there are several players on the team who seem to have a pretty good compete level and high degree of professionalism already built in to their character. Willie Mitchell, Scuds and Richards and JW just to name a few. It’s some of the younger less mature guys who would be a cause for concern. Jeff Carter…. I hope you’ve passed into the former category and not the later. We still have your contract for a lot of years yet.
[Reply]
Bob Bobson Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:21 pm
@number 6 @Jack Aubrey, Well he is not a screamer on the bench but I do remember player interviews where they seemed to talk about Sutter similar to the way players under Tortorella. However, my memory has failed me in the past so maybe I got my reactions confused with players on other teams. In any case I guess we will have to see how a full year under Darryl Sutter goes.
Agreed on concern for Carter and the long number of years left on his contract.
[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:17 pm
@Bob Bobson,
Bobby (perfect for your moniker). I tend to agree w you that Sutter probably did tend to get too intense in the past with players. That said, I think that he showed an adaptability to how the game is played today, in the ‘new’ nhl. So that makes me believe that he also had a pretty good understanding of how to deal with his players. It’s one thing if someone is always on ’10′. But Sutter wasn’t. Torts to me seems to very often be on ’10′. So if Daryl picks his spots then he can make it work imo.
“A” for Sutter. Just as you said, Rich, he made the players better instead of TM’s robotic strictly system approach. My dislike for TM’s coaching is well known here so enough about TM.
When Scotty Bowman was coaching the Red Wings I asked him that very question about players getting tired of hearing the same voice repeatedly from the same coach. By that time Bowman frequently skipped attending practice allowing his assistant coaches, Barry Smith and Dave Lewis to run the practices in his absense while only showing up to coach the games. Scotty agreed that players eventually tuned the coach out and that hastened the demise of many NHL coaches.
Sutter should have several years ahead of him before his message gets stale. He proved to be the right coach for this team. Thanks,Daryl Sutter!
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:49 am
@Crown Royal, Enough on TM? Go ahead, Keep piling on!
[Reply]
Crown Royal Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:10 am
@puck73,
Who is TM? LOL!
[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:45 pm
@Crown Royal,
I think TM is related to JK, but only photographically.
For the first time I disagree with Rich’s evaluation, I think it was more style and system than attitude. I always thought for the most part the players tried hard under TM, so the attitude was there.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:51 am
@Pesus, Not a bad take. Sutters agressive forecheck in the playoffs really suited this team well. BIG UNDERSTATEMENT huh !?!
[Reply]
Where is A+ and the right to my first born child?
[Reply]
Will and is going to to be the best coach in Kings history!
[Reply]
kingsofsb Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:39 am
@Sammuch, He already is.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:52 am
@Sammuch, What about Barry Melrose? lol
[Reply]
YuriM Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:24 pm
@puck73, 12 hours later for my laughing to die down to fits of school girl giggles
[Reply]
Of Topic, concerning the Penguins and Wings – and how I’m surprised. Going into free agency, there were two things I felt were just a matter of time.
First, the Penguins were going to land a top winger to play with Crosby. With the Neal, Malkin, Kunitz line being so productive – It looks like Crosby would be penciled into play with the likes of Cooke, Kennedy, Dupuis – and even if all three were on his line, the gives him about $4 million worth of wingers to play with. After dealing Staal and losing Michalek, they have 10m in cap just waiting for that winger to come along, but they didn’t make it happen.
Second, the Wings were going to acquire a suitable defenseman to help in strengthening their back in after the departure of Lidstrom. Suter and Carle seemed like possibilities, but neither happened. And then they had a shot at Weber but it slipped away. They have 13m sitting in an enveloped labeled “Lidstrom’s Replacement” – but as of right now, that envelope is still sealed.
I just can’t remember an off season were Pittsburg or Detroit stuck out in the off season, much less both of them. They still have time, and maybe they have something up their sleeves – but up until this point, I’m pretty shocked that both teams look worse on paper then how they ended last year.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:53 am
@CabbagesAndKings, The LA Kings are the new platinum standard now.
[Reply]
FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:58 am
@CabbagesAndKings,
Well..if the CBA does in fact roll back the salary cap to say 60m (random number), then both are in good shape and there will be some serious selling coming from Philly, Minny, and a couple of others. So we’ll see if this was really a bad off-season for them.
[Reply]
Lets do it again Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:21 pm
@CabbagesAndKings, I could’nt care less about either one of those teams. Im sure they have there own blogs why dont you find those.GO KINGS
[Reply]
BringBackButchGoring Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:34 pm
@Lets do it again, That’s a very well thought out response. We should just sit here and say Go Kings all day and never discuss anything else. Bravo for intellectual curiosity
[Reply]
Duncanz Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
@BringBackButchGoring, Let’s do it again ………
number 6 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:26 pm
@CabbagesAndKings,
Pittsburgh doesn’t look worse than when they ended the season. They got a true third line center (speaking of Sutters) in exchange for Staal. Plus a pretty well positioned 1st round pick. Shero knows what he’s doing. He’s very smart that guy. They have plenty of talent. Also, don’t count them out in the Bobby Ryan and/or Doan situations as well.
[Reply]
If you don’t vote an A on this one you have unreasonable expectations of a coach and a team.
What an amazing run!!
GKG!!
[Reply]
I voted “F” for “F’n Awesome.” I was naysayer and felt that DS was a bad hire, a retread old-schooler who was going to be another predictable coach. I was completely wrong. He gets it. He understands it (even though we can never understand him), and the players respond to him. He throwsin just enough changes to keep opponents off balance. You can tell that he has a plan and pretty much sticks to it. The players defnitiely understood that and responded. He brought out their full potential. He is very good at reading people and determining what is either their best best motivator or what will fix their weaknesses. TM always seemed lost in space and had the aura of not being sure what was ging on and how to react to it. DS always knows what is going on and is willing tomake the decision needed to address what is happening. His hiring is what will eventually give DL an “A” on his evaluation.
(By the way,I actually voted “A”)
[Reply]
This is not baseball, right? He found a leaky tractor and patched it up. Nothing big. Technicolor.
Darryl should get an A for his quotes alone.
He
[Reply]
Duncanz Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:09 pm
@&Bakes,
If you can find a better analogy than that, you can’t!
Pretty neat.
[Reply]
A for “Awesome, Awesome”
[Reply]
Where’s the A+ Button?
[Reply]
Gotta admit, I wasnt overly thrilled when DL hired a re-tread, and old friend as the new head coach. I thought we needed someone who was younger, and had some fresh ideas. As it turned out, Daryl Sutters time away from coaching gave him some fresh perspective on the state of the NHL today.
Also, going down to Manchester on the advice of Jack Ferriera and using his former GM instincts turned out to be a blessing for this organization. The funny thing is, I believe had Nolan and King been called up while a perplexed, and bewildered TM been coach, both of those players would have been spinning their wheels and going nowhere in that “shot mentality” system.
Dean Lombardi gets alot of major props, he made all the right decisions this season, and maybe the biggest was hiring Daryl Sutter.
[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:57 am
@puck73,
Good point about the manchester trip, taking Ferriera’s advice and then using his past GM expereince. These are all things that thepast few Kingscoaches would never have done.
[Reply]
Sammuch Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:19 pm
@puck73,
Yes you are correct! During the all-star breck! DS went to watch the boys in Manchester! Then called up King & Nolan!
[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:47 pm
@Sammuch,
And ditched Moreau and Hunter…..
[Reply]
neil Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Y@puck73, you dont think tm gets enough abuse here????
[Reply]
variable Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:23 pm
@puck73,
yep….nice post….
sending ds down to manchester during the all-star break was definitely a pivotal part of this season…
[Reply]
nykingfan Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 4:49 am
@puck73,
excellent post..except for the TM reference!
[Reply]
When I first heard that Sutter was the possible replacement for TM I was a bit lukewarm to the idea. Then I did a little reading and saw that his former players continue to have a great deal of respect for him. Also, I specifically remember Iginla saying that he always gets the best out of his players. I was sold; will always take what the players say over the opinion of a reporter (except for Rich).
I was hoping that he would turn out to be a “retread” in the same fashion that Bill Belichick is a “retread”. So far, so good.
[Reply]
Personally, I thought he deserved the Coach of the Year award given what he was able to do mid season with a team that was so talented and couldn’t seem to put it together until about March. He took a team that was stuck and lit a fire under them. But alas, he wasn’t even nominated (probably due to East Coast bias and the amount of time it took the Kings to start winning;unlike SLB who were winning a lot. However, that doesn’t mean anything since our team swept them in playoffs).
I think anyone who can get 20+ guys to band together as a team and start playing like one and then helps them
[Reply]
Robyn Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:29 am
@Robyn, stupid technology shall be the death of me!
But anyone who can take 20+ personalities and get them to play like a team and help them achieve the ultimate goal of winning the highest honor in the sport deserves nothing less than A+.
I can’t see Sutters coaching style grating too much on the players since he really seems to get them. Certain players were butting heads with previous coaching staff before DS came along and he just treated the guys like his sons and they really responded to that and these guys have nothing but the highest level of respect for him.
So in summary, A+++++++ all the way for this fantastic coach whom the players really respect.
[Reply]
In case you missed it on a slow day yesterday, here’s my extensive summary of Rich’s player evaluations, including YOUR final grades… http://kingsnewsdaily.com/the-survey-says/
[Reply]
I get a kick out of the in-game interviews he is forced to do that you know he doesn’t want to be bothered with. The reporter will ask an 80 word question and DS will respond with ten words and be taking his earpiece out and turning around as the reporter is thanking him. No matter, I only understand about every third word the guy says….
[Reply]
OT: Looks like Nash to NYR about to happen.
[Reply]
Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:37 am
@goldielocks,
Good for him. He’ll be another sucker on a loser team
You hear that Shane? Strike while the iron’s hot.
But I did laugh at this headline: Rick Nash traded to the Rangers, internet explodes. http://bit.ly/NMP7fJ
Darren Dreger’s reporting it so it’s legit.
[Reply]
goldielocks Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:41 am
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
Yup. I’m more interested in what CBJ gets in return. CBJ might be a lot better team without Nash.
[Reply]
Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:46 am
@goldielocks, Looks like they are getting robbed.
goldielocks Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:50 am
@goldielocks,
No kidding. Dubinsky, Anisimov, Erixon and a 1st? Howson is the winner of the biggest sucker.
Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:55 am
@goldielocks, At least they’ll have a shot at getting a good young player in next year’s draft
(assuming the #1 is for 2013)
FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:07 pm
@goldielocks,
They’ve now got 3 picks in the 1st round of 2013. Kings, Rangers and their own. Not a bad position for a rebuilding franchise. I don’t know about next year’s draft class, but a package of picks could bring in current help or move him up in the draft.
Stuart Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:09 pm
@FKA, but of those 3 picks only theirs will net them anything in the top 5… Ours and NYR will be from 20-30, IMO… Howson just got taken to the cleaners, if this is all true… I guess he was getting desperate.
BringBackButchGoring Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:38 pm
@goldielocks, Sorry but I am in the apparent minority that believe Nash is terribly overrated and I don’t really see this as that one-sided. I bet Columbus puts up more points next year than they did this year with Nash, plus have a number 1 next year. Nash was a cancer to them this last year.
FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:40 am
@goldielocks,
Says who? Just curious.
[Reply]
FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:45 am
@goldielocks,
Interesting…JMFJ to be Captain I’m sure
[Reply]
Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:48 am
@FKA PakiFro, You don’t think one of the alternates will get moved up? Prospal or Umberger?
[Reply]
FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:54 am
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
I think JMFJ scored major points with his open optimism about joining the team. Plus he did some sort of twitter campaign this weekend and some other event with the club last week. Him getting the C might make great sense for them.
Cruiznblue Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:40 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
I don’t think so…I think jmfj gets the c. They need to build around a young core right now and jj looks like the best fit for that.
A Cup B4 I Died! Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:56 am
@goldielocks,
Nash leaving the Western Conference is good+Maybe Doan and Weber to follow?
[Reply]
Sutter is xxxactly what the doctor ordered. He’s wise like an owl and resembles one, if you don’t mind me saying so, lol. A firm hand, yet, I have seen him more then once, putting his arm around a player and giving advise or props or whats needed at the time. A coach and a father figure rolled into a man who may soon have his name on the Cup in 2013. I gave him an A and it’s well deserved!
[Reply]
@BringBackButchGoring, If that’s true, you’re a far better person than I am. I can only understand every other sentence. I was rewatching G3 of the SCF and Pierre was interviewing him about the PP. I had to rewind it 3x to figure out what the heck he was saying. But I always love his interviews.
[Reply]
Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:38 am
@Robyn, Turn on subtitles, right?
[Reply]
A for a great job. Very similar style to Bob Pulford who had been the best previous coach the Kings had. Not afraid to call players out and then praise them when they responded. Also very strong “team” coach who understood the players viewpoint as he went from player to coach.
[Reply]
“A”
And A is not good enough to reflect what this man has done for this team. Thank you, Coach!
[Reply]
Off topic….
Just got messages that Rick Nash is going to the NY Ranger for Dubinsky and Erickson. Anyone knows something more official on it?
[Reply]
Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:51 am
@Gustavo, Yep, scroll up 5 comments.
[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:12 pm
@Gustavo,
YUP!
TSN reported it. Anisimov, Dubinsky, Erixon and a 1st round pick for Nash.
[Reply]
An A+. I just love his passion for the game and his huge desire to win every shift. Thanks Darryl for for all your help in bringing the Cup to LA. GO KINGS GO!!!
[Reply]
OT: Gotta wonder what Lubo is thinking… http://bit.ly/NGRwaC Still though, wish he was on board for the great ride of 2012.
[Reply]
Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:34 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), poor guys been having it rough lately
[Reply]
DS should get an “A” just for understanding the concept of a “time-out” and then being able ti implement it correctly.
[Reply]
OT: I hear CBJ is also sending 3rd pick and minor-league defenseman to NYR in Nash trade. What a moron … SH, you are fired!
[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:23 pm
@goldielocks,
I agree. Howson should have taken the Wings offer for better players than what he got from NYR. But no, his delusional fantasies made him think CBJ is somewhere near at the same competitive level of the Wings. Not even in the same galaxy, lol.
[Reply]
Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:32 pm
@goldielocks, did Nash get traded?? for real?
[Reply]
goldielocks Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:44 pm
@Kings Fan In Temecula,
Nash deal now official. It’s Nash, conditional 3rd rder (it goes back to CBJ if NYR make Cup final) and minor leaguer Steve Delisle to NYR.
[Reply]
Kings Fan In Temecula Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:14 pm
@goldielocks, wow!! what a ridiculious trade
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… I hope you can make it to, you are sooooo invited if you are in town!?
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!
[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:31 pm
@Sammuch,
We live in HB and we know fire ring competitions at Bolsa Chica State beach are INTENSE!!
Unless you have someone there EARLY in the morning to stake out a fire ring, there is no chance we’ll get one at 3:00PM.
We have enough equipment to set it up early in the morning, but we need other volunteers to stay there all day. Empty camps around the fire rings get moved or buried in the sand by ‘fire ring pirates’. Been there, done the digging up of chairs, umbrellas and empty coolers.
[Reply]
Sammuch Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:25 pm
@Gustavo,
I’ll pass the info to the group! Go to post link we should have an answer there in 24 hours…
[Reply]
The hiring of Darryl Sutter and the turnaround of the team into champions has to rank up there as a classic sports story that truly transcends hockey. Think about all the fear, trepidation, doom and gloom when his hiring was announced. You would have thought he was the bogeyman.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:22 pm
@Joel, For sure.
[Reply]
The people or “trolls” that come on to this website and mark an F on players and our coach…I would normally say shame on them and how pathetic they are. This time around I will just say I pity them that their lives are so bad they have to go on a website and give a bad grade to another team because theirs did so bad. Very sad.
[Reply]
ON TOPIC:
Anybody seen the NHL Network commercial of Kings’ cup winning scene with DS’s voice over?
[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:39 pm
@goldielocks,
YUP! Love it!!
[Reply]
goldielocks Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:29 pm
@Gustavo,
I can watch NHL Network all day long, just to see Brownie and Quicker versions as well.
[Reply]
Robyn Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 9:38 am
@goldielocks, I’ve never seen it. Any chance it’s on YouTube?
[Reply]
So proud of what this guy gave to the team and everything he did to make them believe in themselves, he’s done us such a service for us, really needed that intensity, good coach
[Reply]
Wow did I learn a valuable lesson with the Sutter hire on this blog. I listened to the panic from a lot of folks I respect on this blog and jumped the gun, instead of doing the research myself. I wrote Lewieke an email asking him if maybe we should get someone younger and take some time on this very important hire. He replied to me explaining very politely that it was in DL’s hands.
By the time Carter was rumored to be coming to the kings, I had learned my lesson and done the research myself this time, and ignored the “penner 2.0″ remarks which were thrown around on the blog. I knew well in advance, he would be a great fit for the team.
Lesson learned, do the research yourself!
And of course, Sutter gets an ‘A’!!
[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:50 pm
@jess,
Excuse me, could you pease pass the crow and that jar of Grey Poupon?
[Reply]
HockeyNerd Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:55 pm
@DesertKing, And save plenty of that Crow for me too. I only posted like 1,000,000 times that “nobody is firing TM and he can get the job done”.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:25 pm
@jess, This post gets an A. The only reason not an A Plus is because you didnt bury TM in a verbal ditch. Hopefully next time you will remeber that!
[Reply]
jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@puck73, -sooo funny
[Reply]
variable Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:46 pm
@jess,
panic was on the streets of la….
panic in the the streets near staples center….
we wondered to ourselves…
hopes my rise on the ice, dear….
because darryl sutter will show no fear…
so we have a parade downtown….
a quarter million proud….
hug the ds….hug the ds….hug the ds….
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:10 pm
@variable, Wow, Morrisey is alive and well on this site. Richard Blade would be proud.
[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:20 pm
@jess,
Jess, I don’t think it was a case of doing the research. Sutter did in fact have a reputation as a defensive minded coach and a tough coach. That led a lot of us to believe that he was intractable and not appropriate for what ailed the Kings at that time. But he showed a heck of a great understanding in terms of breaking down where things weren’t working and what was needed to make it work. I don’t believe any amount of research could’ve foreseen that.
[Reply]
“…He is, however, intensely dedicated to the idea of “team’’ and anything or anyone who stands in the way of that — whether it be an underperforming player or a reporter — is liable to incur a bit of his wrath…”
As a paying season ticket holder, I expect to have to pay a higher price to see my team play after this fantastic achievement. I accept that, or I’ll move out of the way. At the same time, I also expect my team to increase their level of play to defend what they earned last month and throughout the entire playoffs.
DS is the right man to smack that ‘more intensity’ concept on the back of their heads if they get sidetracked, somehow.
[Reply]
A, right?
[Reply]
DesertKing Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:51 pm
@Lake Forest,
No, A, left.
[Reply]
Hey Rich, isn’t that the regular season record under BOTH TM and DS?
BTW I voted “A”. No brained there.
[Reply]
HockeyNerd Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 12:52 pm
@HockeyNerd, “no brainer”, as in “my iPhone has no brains about what it thinks I want”
[Reply]
This guy was exactly what this team needed. He was able to keep what was good (goaltending, defense) while injecting some aggressiveness into the offense. Hell, he even improved the defense (Voynov > Johnson, post-Sutter Doughty > pre-Sutter Doughty). One of only three As I’ve given (Quick and Mitchell the other two).
[Reply]
OFF TOPIC:
The only conclusion I can come up with this outrageous trade between CBJ and NYR is, Scott Howson has a nervous breakdown. I mean … he could have done this deal by the trade deadline or the draft. In the end, he held out this until now for no reason … it just doesn’t make sense.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:03 pm
@goldielocks,
IMO, Howson had no choice. He had to get something for Nash and the Rangers were probably the only ones who obliged. I guess that’s what happens when a player demands a trade and puts the GM in a position of weakness in trying to trade him.
[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:31 pm
@vplaza,
Wrong!
The wings offered Howson the players he asked for, but he reneged in making the deal. His lack of vision got the best of him. Did not want to trade Nash to a division rival
…as if CBJ are anywhere in the same level to compete with the wings in the next 3-5 years. By the time Howson does build a competitive team, Nash will no longer be the impact player he is today.
[Reply]
I am at work in Santa Monica. Anyone know where I can get a crow dinner around here? I only posted to this blog about FIFTY MILLION TIMES that “TM is a good fit for this team and he has it headed in the right direction”. If there’s nowhere around here that serves crow then is there a restaurant that serves a generous helping of my words?
[Reply]
Lake Forest Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:15 pm
@HockeyNerd, Right there with you. At the time, I did not think they would let TM go. Glad they did. Glad DS wasn’t like how people on here described him.
We can be wrong, hell I can be wrong all day if we get another cup!
@Tiredofit, still waiting for you to change your name!
[Reply]
Michael J. Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:44 pm
@HockeyNerd,
Goes well with my “It’s the players, not the coach…”
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@HockeyNerd, At least you admit to it. There are still some others that are still suckling Murray’s Milk.
[Reply]
Lord of the ring… Umm I mean CUP!
[Reply]
Go Kings Go!
[Reply]
I was skeptical when DL named him coach, but that night I saw two interviews by players (JR and Inginla) who he coached and both evoked the same message – he demands the best from his players, he’s very intense and you don’t want to get on his bad side. I still wasn’t so sure but as winter melted into spring, that’s exactly what I saw.
He’s given this team an identify, a passion, and an extremly high level of competitivness. They were a very close group (by their own account) to begin with and he became the tough father they needed to both console and kick ass depending on what was required. Without him – No Cup.
They all believe in him and play willingly for him, given their talent and unity, no reason to think they don’t repeat in 2013 and go deep for years beyond.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:30 pm
@Deirdre, Good post. Thank you very much.
[Reply]
“hey, man….i just like the fact that now i can decide when i want to shovel (crap) or not…”
thankfully, ds didn’t take any crap from his players either…
they say that location is everything, but i’ve always believed timing is more important…in this case, dl used perfect timing and ds steered the team towards the ultimate destination – stanley cup champs….
it all came together at the right time…and has immortalized the slogan “the time is now” for years to come….
i’ve delivered my mea culpa in regards to being wrong about ds, version 2012+ many times on here about 20 games into his job…so, like many on here, i’m not ducking or bobbing and weaving at all about the fact that i thought he was not gonna be the coach we needed…how-ev-a, there was all the reason in the world to think this wouldn’t work out when he was hired…and, as always, i love being wrong if it makes it right…:)
so now the rest of the league has a new “concept car” to model themselves after…but like all originals, i’ts hard to duplicate – for both our franchise and the rest of the league…
congrats to ds in being the straw that stirred the drink…if the kings can continue to swallow what he’s selling, the team (and sutter) shouldn’t fizzle out for the next few years….
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@variable, I love how descriptive your posts are. Very enjoyable read.
[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:22 pm
@puck73,
Puck, please don’t tell him that. He might get a big head
[Reply]
Sutter was the difference in this season and I was so wrong when they hired him. I thought he was just like TM but Sutter’s aggressive style of play is exactly what the Kings needed to turn their season around. Hopefully Sutter can keep their attention this season after the short offseason and the possibility of a letdown. But he was the perfect tonic for this talented and underachieving team.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:07 pm
@Dave, He definately has been quite a “Tonic” !
[Reply]
Whoever is giving an F to any of the players or coaches is either a moron or Ducks fan with nothing better to do.
[Reply]
A big “A”
Sutter’s record with the Kings was actually 25-13-11
Crucially, 9-2-3 to finish the regular season when Rich famously posted:
http://lakingsinsider.com/2012/03/11/so-youre-saying-theres-a-chance-2/
16-4 in the playoffs is correct, and the most important stat of all!
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:12 pm
@Kings Win, Ducks Lose, @Dominick would be proud of those stats. The Kings were also 28-8 when Jeff Carter suited up
[Reply]
neil Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:16 pm
@Kings Win, Ducks Lose, people posted on that post way after the fact!!!!
[Reply]
To pick up on what the writer said about the team ‘defending the Stanley cup’. That’s not possible, it was won in year 2011-2012. For 2012-2013 there is no champion. A team must again play to win the cup. Defend what you don’t have = spend years/decades trying to win it again.
[Reply]
B+. Seems like winning the Stanley Cup makes people forget just how close this team was to missing the playoffs. Which is understandable. As much an improvement as DS was, and he was a HUGE improvement, it still took him awhile to get this Kings team figured out.
[Reply]
scootty Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 6:27 pm
@CB14, Of course it took him some time to get the team figured out. It took some time to implement his system, which is understandable with a new coach coming in without a training camp to run through. He changed the system, and put every player into a position to succeed. For that, he gets a big fat ‘A’.
[Reply]
It was a change in systems. In short, TM was about always being in a good position defensively, even when on offense. DS’s system (at least in the playoffs) was about attacking offensively and attacking the puck carrier when on defense.
[Reply]
Sutter gets an A for his press conferences alone. He also gets extra credit for his fist pumps.
[Reply]
A
its impossible to give him anything less.
I think some people are going way overboard in their criticism of TM. You can’t take anything away from the job Sutter did, but his success does not mean that Murray did a poor job. Like any other coach in sports, eventually the time comes that a change has to be made. Rich said it correctly that the Kings had become stale.
Murray took this team from the depths of hell and mad us contenders. Sutter then took the team and made us Stanley Cup champions. There’s no need to praise one and denegrate the other. Both were necessary for us to be where we now are.
STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS
GO KINGS!
[Reply]
Thousands of grades, not one ” C “.
Alberta Zen. Pull your wdight, What a concept!
GKG, as always!
[Reply]
I couldn’t imagine not giving him an ‘A.’ That said, the next season’s challenge is to come into preseason with passion and to point out that even though the Kings hadn’t, lots of teams win the Stanley Cup–one every season. It is the rare team that repeats, and the reason is because complacency creeps in. He needs to make it clear that everyone in the room must be committed to put in what will seem like the longest season of his career, and that anyone who’s not prepared to do that isn’t going to get the playing time. It takes true greatness to repeat, and that greatness is in reach. That said, winning solves all sorts of problems, so now is the time to double down and demand that excellence without apologies.
After this season, or if things don’t go well, however, I do expect some of the magic to wear off. I suspect, based on his assistant coaching candidate requirements, that he plans to be a coach here for a limited time. At this point he may already be the greatest coach in Kings’ history.
[Reply]
Have to admit, I thought this was a bad hire. It’s amusing how things turn out, when the Ducks hired Bruce Boudreau a couple of days after he was fired in DC, I thought that was unfortunate, since i thought he would have been an excellent choice to replace TN, after the season, if the Kings needed a new coach, to take them to the next level. When Sutter’s name started to be the one that media zeroed in on i though, he’s a retread hard line guy, who hasn’t been behind the bench in a while, and he wasn’t a ken Hitchcock, back in his day. It wasn’t until they tweaked the lineup in February, to get much bigger on the forward lines, that things really turned around. The stretch run, with that little bauble of the final 2 games in the home & home vs the SJ Extra Sticks in the play, and the 20 game playoff run(NY Rangers played 20 playoff games without making the final!) to win the Stanley Cup was AAAwesome! I would have had to grade Sutter an A just for the sweep of the Blues and Hitchcock, whom I had been brainwashed into thinking was the superior coach.
[Reply]
Thank you Darryl!
Adjustments were brilliant, and your staff did a great job. Power play still stinks, but hopefully there’s more adjustment there duing the summer. 1 word “backdoor”. Spread the 4 man box east/west more next season, and have the point man attack the slot with the puck more instead of just firing it on net from the point which is the farthest possible distance in the offensive zone. If there’s a clear lane down the gut, take it!
[Reply]
Thank you Darryl!
Adjustments were brilliant, and your staff did a great job. Power play still stinks, but hopefully there’s more adjustment there duing the summer. 1 word “backdoor”. Spread the 4 man box east/west more next season, and have the point man attack the slot with the puck more instead of just firing it on net from the point which is the farthest possible distance in the offensive zone. If there’s a clear lane down the gut, take it!
[Reply]
Definitely an A. He was exactly what the team needed. What I can’t wait to see is how he guides the team next season. I have the feeling that he’s not going to tolerate any Stanley Cup hangover or complacency.
[Reply]
We need a A++ for this poll.
[Reply]
A This is exactly who we needed.
[Reply]
“and it wasn’t as much about style and system as it was about attitude”
Stop perpetuating this myth. It WAS about style and system. Compare the first 20 games and the playoffs. Completely different.
Attitude followed the DBrown trade rumors, and DBrown 2.0 being born.
[Reply]