On the road trip:
We obviously weren’t very good in Anaheim. Played well in Columbus. Deserved to win. Nashville – couldn’t generate anything against them because they’re a really good defensive team. We didn’t get much. Played really well in Detroit. Deserved better. Didn’t get the goaltending. Played really well our last night…We’ve got a really young defense, and we’ve got to try and work with them…[on] how we want them to play. It’s not easy.”
On Drew Doughty’s struggles, and whether it’s reflective of the team’s defensive issues:
“No. He has to clearly play better in his own zone. That’s not really a surprise. When your team’s only giving up three or four more goals in terms of for and against, and you have two or three players that are significantly on for more, that’s not a team issue.”
On what he’s “urging” Doughty to do:
“[I’m] not ‘urging’. He’s a young defenseman, so what’s changed? He’s got a lot to learn. It’s no different than all the rest of them. Our oldest defenseman is Scuderi, who is supposed to be a really good defensive player, and the next older is Drewiske, who is 28 and learning how to play, and the other guys are all kids. Don’t single Drew Doughty out. I mean, he’s a young player. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s put in a different situation this year than he has been in any other point in his career.”
On whether he’s “trusting” Slava Voynov a lot more:
“It’s not really trust. We need those guys to play well. There’s not a helicopter dropping in four more defensemen that I see. These guys have been given an opportunity. Whether they can fulfill that prophecy or not, we’re finding out. “
On Keaton Ellerby’s pairing with Doughty:
“What difference does it make who he’s paired with? Quite honest, if you watch the games, one guy plays the power play. One guy plays penalty killing. Last game we played with five defensemen, [and] that was his second game, so I wouldn’t say he was ‘paired with Doughty.’ I think that he was better on the left side than the right side because he’s a left shot, and we’ll work with him. It’s not a drastic change for Keaton, quite honest. In the system, there are little things that he has to adjust to. It’s an adjustment for change of conference. Obviously, he hasn’t played much against these teams out here, so he doesn’t know the players very well. It’s good that we’ve got three or four days to work with him to get him into some more of the system things that we want him to do. He’s a big guy and he skates well, and hopefully that can help our defense.”
On Ellerby switching conferences:
“He’s got a lot to learn. He’s a kid that hasn’t played much. We’re not talking about a player that anybody is familiar with. Quite honest, we’re talking about a player that hasn’t played much in the NHL. It’s no different than three or four of our guys. You know what? They’ve got a lot to learn, and…it’s our responsibility to help him adjust to the Western Conference, obviously, but he’s got an adjustment to make to become a full-time NHL player.”
On whether Jonathan Quick will start versus Columbus on Friday:
“We haven’t thought about it. I haven’t gotten there. Bernie’s coming off a strong game, and…it’s not like I’m jumping, out, saying anything special. We need him to play a hell of a lot better than he has. Our goals against, our save percentage, when you do all that stuff, it’s not where it has to be.”
On facing Columbus on Friday:
“I think just off the top of my head, not even looking at that game, they bring a couple guys back in their lineup, which makes it significantly better, right? They bring Wisniewski in, and they can pair the two Russians [Fedor Tyutin and Nikita Nikitin] together because they’re healthy now, and pair Johnson and Wisniewski. That’s a pretty formidable four guys, so that would be the difference from the last time. So we have to be able to play against them a little more.”
On whether Jake Muzzin will play on Friday, or whether the soon-to-be recalled Andrew Campbell could draw into the lineup:
“I haven’t thought about it…I haven’t seen Campbell. As I said when he was here last week, he has hardly played this year. [It’s the] same as the other guys. Whoever plays the best is going to play.”
IN sutter we trust.
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oh there is no doubt DS would Doughty playing better defensively…..
but, as I have been reminded he is an offensive defenceman with only above average D skills
….however ask Datsuk if his D skill is subpar
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NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:14 pm
@harty, I think any other team would be envious to have Drew Doughty as their 2ND best defenseman. Voynov is our best.
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Osaka Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED, Voynov is play well, but he has aways to go before he is better than Drew.
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:13 pm
@0 sake, Lol, I thought we weren’t weighing those two beside each other anymore.
Osaka Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:49 pm
@Drunk’n Because VV hasn’t even played one whole season worth of games in the NHL yet. It is beyond comparison. Drew on what he has done and what he does do carries the stud title until VV earns the chance for comparison. When VV averages over 27 mins a night and when VV leads the team in TOI during the playoffs and way to winning the Stanley Cup, then we will compare. After 11 games we just say VV is having a better start than DD is having. Their roles not being equal mind you.
luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED, Wow you must really be impressed. DD is better, just not playing that way right now, but its great that Voynov could be put in that catagory so soon. Boy most teams would love to be talking about which early 20s D man on their roster is better and Norris Trophy ready. LOL. This year I don’t think either one will, but potentially if they have shown this much at this early stage it must be a posibility at some point in their careers.
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I guess it’s what have you done for me lately in net.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:45 pm
@Kopi Bryant, while I would generaly disagree with that I think Bernier deserves to start against the Jackets…couldnt say the same for Quick at this point…regardless of the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe trophies
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Generaly disagree meaning I would put Quick back in most of the time…not so much in this case
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Kopi Bryant Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:58 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, I think Bernier is more than capable but Quick gets the start just for the reason that he would have gotten 4 days off and is fresh. It is ridiculous to believe that Quick can play like he did during the playoffs last year all year long even with a shortened season but he will bounce back and his numbers will improve as the season continues.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 3:49 pm
@Kopi Bryant, I buy this. I’d certainly put Bernier in back-to-back situations as long as he continues to perform, though. That’s one of Sutter’s things I don’t like (playing a goaltender in back-to-back nights.)
krash324 Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:33 pm
@Kopi Bryant, In a regular schedule it is Quick. With almost 1/4 of the season gone and Quick not playing upto par, I would have to say Bernier
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“quite honestly what does it matter who he’s paired with?” really? ok how about Elerbey and DD2? aren’t they the same type of player? I thought the idea was to have one moble quick offensive D-man with a bigger tougher stay at home style D-man for balance
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
@Ravens, Of course he’s been paired with DD.
I took that as DS fendIng off the assertion in case there’s a break down later on and he has to realign the pairings.
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paige Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:44 pm
@Ravens, In past interviews Sutter has emphasized that he values right-left shooting parings, defensive-offensive pairings, and veteran-young guy pairings. I think some of his recent pairings reflect his desire to buffer some of the less experienced players with guys that have more NHL experience. As young as DD is, he has more NHL games than all other d-men except Scuderi.I hear wine and cheese pair well too.
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So far this season:
Voynov 2 G 4 A 7 +/-
Jack Johnson 1 G 4 A -8 +/-
So happy we traded Jack Johnson so Voynov can play everyday.
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Sounds like Sutter understands what he has and will work the positive reinforcement angle that is needed in the kids development. I believe 5 of the 7 roster defencemen have less than 150 games played. 150 is the investment the club needs to make in a player to really see what they have.
Unfortunately, there is little chance of making the playoffs with so little experience on the back end. It is ironic, that what has been our strength (defencemen) has become our weakness. nd this is not a knock on DL, stuff happens.
Hang in there boys. Work as hard as you can.
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neil Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
@jet, Same defense that played two/third of the time in the finals…and won.Mitchell and Green only play 1/3 of the game. To not make playoffs cause of two Defensemen is underestimating the rest of the team.Every team has injuries….
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:48 pm
@neil, That’s the most defensively powerful 1/3 on the back end and 2/3 of your pivotal stay at home defensemen, before even considering the hole that’s left on special teams.
There’s not one other team in the league in a comparable situation.
Maybe DET, but they at least had time to bring in two vets in Colaiacovo and Huskins when they lost Lidstrom and Stuart at the end of last season.
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kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:37 pm
@jet,
I though our bread and butter last year was our bruising fore-check and stonewall goal tending.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, it was…and I hope it continues to be there.
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, MG especially has been taken for granted by Kings fans, BIG time.
Now, perhaps we’re starting to see which side our bread was really buttered on last season!
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kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:05 pm
@Duncanz,
I think what the absence of those two has done, is lay bare how inept our offence is/was. If the Kings want to defend cup, lets hope Monday night was a sign of things to come.
xeropoint Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:58 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, Don’t forget the penalty kill. Those guys were two of the biggest 3 cogs in that gear.
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kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
@xeropoint,
It’s true, but I remember Kopi and Richie’s Short-handers more.
luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
@jet, 1st of all its good to hear from a longtime blogger again. Is your assessment for forwards as well as Dmen. We didn’t give Moulson, Purcell, Boyle, etc 150 games. I really can’t fault the Moulson & Purcell we were in playoff runs, but Boyle we could have played him alot with Cloutier/Crawford throwing multiple seasons in file 13.
I think Dmen need the longest of all positions to develop and all our young Dmen under 26 still haven’t reached their peak. I will even throw in DD2(age 28) because he has had limited playing time will even get better. I would even say Nic Desaularies should be coming up soon, but Forbort and Gravel are still big stay at home D projects and are better off taking the slow developing college route.
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jet Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 10:37 pm
@luc20rules, Thanks I think 100 games for forwards is necessary for them to fully adjust to the top league. As I say that, you may remember I posted in Boyle’s second year that college players need even more investment due to playing half as many games as junior players. I urged patience with Boyle, but if you recall it still took him a couple of years in NY to put it all together.
I think part of it is bad luck. Look, we traded Quincey, Tuebert, JJ, lost Hickey to waivers. I love Desaularies, but he still needs work in his own end. I also think he is a little to top heavy to make the necessary stops and starts, and lateral change of direction. One of the best things TM did was bring in a trainer who focus was on strength rather than muscle.
Forbert and Gravel are still years away and that is okay. I encourage to follow Alex Roach, he was undrafted and signed by DL. During his first rookie camp, he was unable to catch and shoot at top speed from the point. He was so frustrated. You could see he was either going to lock up or practice every day. Apparently, he practiced every day. I think he is one of top defencemen in juniors. Miller also has a shot at 20 goals. I recall him having the best lateral movement of any D man in ever in rookie camp. We are set in D after this year.
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luc20rules Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 9:30 pm
@jet, Thanks, appreciate the feedback. Don’t get to look at the rookie & Development Camps as often as I would like.
DS: “Where are the black helicopters when you need ‘em!”
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luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:24 pm
@Duncanz, Protecting Bettman in a undisclosed location.
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
@luc20rules,
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Its amazing we won the Cup if you listen to DS…Our defense is still too young(I know we are missing Mitchell)…our team is young…..ETC..ETC… I am guessing that bolds well for the future…
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pr0cess Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:20 pm
@neil, but once again not for now…
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It sounds like Darryl Sutter has softened on his Quick only stance. I thought Jonathan Bernier a played a great game. I look forward to seeing him play again. Keaton Ellerby looked good as well. I would love to see Jake Muzzin succeed. I would also love to see Campbell get a shot, seeing as Dean Lombardi values people who put in their dues (except for Loktionov)
[Reply]
Kings should get R. O’Reilly from the AVS for a prospect including Taffoli or Vey and a first rounder…what do you guys think???
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KingsGRT Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:30 pm
@rogiesbackup, any deal where we send toffoli away would be a grave mistake imo. vey and a 1st on the other hand might not be a bad idea.
[Reply]
FKA PakiFro Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
@rogiesbackup,
Isn’t O’Reilly a center?
I too would be reluctant to give up Toffoli. He’s penciled in for next year when Penner and Gagne are set to be UFAs
[Reply]
A possible back to back for Bernie? Big change from Sutter after he said he was planning on starting Quick every game. Glad to see Sutts open to a change in the gameplan. Got to go with the guy who is playing the best. Quick is 30th in save percentage, so it’s definitely not him.
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pr0cess Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:30 pm
@Uknojata, I know sutter says he is not dealing with the back but, i just dont think Quick is 100%..
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Uknojata Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
@pr0cess, agree 100%. Quick hasn’t looked comfortable yet this year. The scouting report on him is to go high because he is almost impossible to beat down low. But this year he is beatable just about everywhere.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
@Uknojata, I say J Quick NEEDS to be the goalie vs Detroit. We need his confidence back, but he needs some rest to get the Vezina this year and more importantly to regain his health late in the season.
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goldielocks Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:08 pm
@rogiesbackup,
vs Detroit … it’s like 2 weeks from now.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
@goldielocks, sorry, meant the blackhawks! LOL
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 3:50 pm
@Uknojata, I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions. I think Sutter doesn’t want to talk about it.
[Reply]
Sounds like DS is throwing Scuds under the bus with the statement…”He suppose to be a really good defensemen” implying that Scuds is not….Lot of negative vibe today in DS….
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pr0cess Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:30 pm
@neil, he is fed up i think
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luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:28 pm
@pr0cess, Really odd with the team’s last 2 games being their best 2 of the season. I know we didn’t get the “W”, but I think that Detroit game lite a fire under the team knowing they are going to lose some games even with their A game on the ice.
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KingsGRT Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:33 pm
@neil, well i think its more that he is alluding to the fact that he hasn’t been playing as well as expected. Everyone on the blog is coming down on DD for his +/- and lack of blowing their socks off, but you have to remember that Scud was supposed to be the iron curtain on that pairing and he was out there for the same miserable start to the season.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:36 pm
@neil, Yeah, a major concern of mine of this coaching style is it can really deflate the moral of a championship team. That’s bad news!!!!
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Kenny44 Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
@neil,
It really depends on HOW that was said – I’d need the video to make a judgment. Did DS say it like Vizzini from The Princess Bride (“You were supposed to be this colossus!”). Or was the tone more like “we rely on Scuds so much.”
DS seems to have a little more salt to his pressers this season, secure in the fact that this is his team.
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luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:30 pm
@Kenny44, Atleast the Kings haven’t engaged in a major land war in Asia.
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Kenny44 Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 8:15 pm
@luc20rules,
Clearly, you have a dizziying intellect.
luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
@luc20rules, Its good we don’t play Florida in the swamps. I don’t want any of our players dealing with those R.O.U.S. There is also the Lightning ice/sand in TB.
luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 9:21 pm
@Kenny44, Mitchell’s been cleared by Doctors & Trainers to play and he is not even practicing.
INCONCIEVABLE!! LOL
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
@neil, I caught that too. For his reputation, Scuds hasn’t always been that great. Maybe it’s just another one of Sutter’s subtle slights.
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@Russ Dynda,
You said something a couple of days ago regarding Darly Sutter and his penchant for calling out players in the media, his backhanded compliments, as you put it, and asking what HIS excuse was for our poor performance this year. I wanted to respond to it then but couldn’t at the time. After reading this post (thank you Jon), I’d like to address it now.
Daryl has the task of managing and keeping focused a group of highly talented, rich, egotistical, under-performing 20 somethings. From Sutter’s perspective, nothing they do should ever be good enough because the second he lets up he will have lost them. That is Coaching 101.
You only have to read Dustin Penner’s Tweets to understand what DS is dealing with. Calling him and others out in Public isn’t petty and unprofessional, it’s the only thing that people who live off our adoration respond to.
Example: You call me out in private, and I stick my middle finger in your face. You call me out in public, I have to prove you wrong, in public.
The guys is a Savant when it comes to coaching. And from my experience, he’s one of the better ones out there. No excuses necessary.
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Robyn Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, I agree. DD is a good example that is a young, rich 20-something year old who responds well to the “reverse psychology” especially because of his ego. You gotta hit people where it hurts and for most of these guys, it’s the ego. He could yell and scream and bitch at them all he wants in the locker room; they’ll just ignore him. But when he starts calling them out in public, that’s more embarrassing and a hit on the ego.
All coaches do it. It just seems more apparent with Sutter because the Kings are losing.
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kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:15 pm
@Robyn,
From now on the dictionary should have a picture of him next to the word Coach.
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
@kissmysixthgradebooks, I’ve got the same dictionary! It has a picture of the word ‘encyclopedia’ besIde the word ‘dictionary’.
Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:51 pm
@kissmybullystuds, Agree with all you have to say above btw – except the bit about DP’s tweets.
Fixing a lavatory with a paper clip is a major milestone in any man’s life and ought to be respected in its own right.
There’s always tomorrow to play hockey..
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Russ Dynda Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 1:57 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, Your concept of Coaching 101 is why 95% of coaches are unsuccessful. The 5% successful ones took Coaching 102, i.e. Mike Babcock. And don’t tell me Sutter won a Cup. The players won the Cup over a 20 game span. They largely did it because everything was going well and Sutter stayed out of the way. Now he’s meddling.
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kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
@Russ Dynda,
The players won the cup starting the day Sutter was hired. His immediate decision to call up Nolan, King, stick with Quick while dispensing with Lokti set a very different tone. With all due respect, given your previous statement regarding Mike Babcock(who inherited a dynasty and is now beginning to experience the effects of a depleted system) and coaching 102, I believe I’ve forgotten more about coaching then you’ll ever know.
So you mean to tell me that Sutter’s influence on this team is at or close to Nil? He took an underachieving squad in 12th place and got them to the dance, by which time his system was in place to roll through the playoff, yet he get no love from you. Man, you’re a task master from hell!!! I’ll bet anything, that Sutter squeezes every bit of potential out of this team and that we’ll be in the running for a cup every year for the next 5 to 8 years. I’ll get back to you when it’s done.
[Reply]
Russ Dynda Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 4:19 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, Now I can see where you got your nickname. You have any other compliments to give yourself?
Sutter replaced Terry Murray who gave him a system to work with but had been unable to function on the head coaching level. He was a great practice coach and a catastrophe behind the bench. So Sutter looked good for awhile, until nearing the end of the season when we held on for dear life. We than had a magical 17 game run where Sutter needed to do nothing but stay out of the way. Like a robot, he rolled 4 lines and it worked. Ok, great. Kudos. But now he’s faced with some real problems. And he’s the one who’s the taskmaster from hell, sniping at his players in the media. Any good manager of people knows that you’re dealing with different personalities and you get the most out of them by showing at least enough respect to correct or discipline them in private. My guess is that the talented players on this team are tensed up, wondering if they will be demoted or benched at their first mistake or off day. I wish I could be as optimistic as you about the King’s future. But I look at his past and each time he didn’t last–most recently leaving Calgary in disarray.
I’ll give Sutter credit for one thing. Last week he said the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard any coach in any sport say. He said that it didn’t matter who you played with but rather how well you played when on the ice. DUH! I guess that means that in his mind it wouldn’t matter whether you were centered by Wayne Gretsky or Colin Fraser. If you were playing well you’d get the same result. Maybe he passed your Coaching 101, but that statement makes me wonder if he passed Sandbox.
kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 5:28 pm
@Russ Dynda,
You may doubt my credentials, but you can’t deny my experience.
So, the run was magic and Darryl was the recipient of fortunate timing?
I’ve yet to hear anyone on the team raise criticism of Darryl Sutter yet. Have you? Guys can’t complain about the obvious being stated, and like I stated previously, it’s not a personality contest. He’s the Boss. You may not like the messenger, but you can’t deny the message.
If the talented guys on this team are tensed up, they should be. They had as good an opportunity as any other to show up to camp in the same condition as Chicago, Boston, San Jose, St. Louis, Nashville and others, which was ready to compete! Imagine the Stanley Cup Champions showing up at home against the Black Hawks, That was Gross! So was Colorado and Edmonton. When they show up and play the way the coach expects them to, you might hear less from him.
I wonder why the team is getting better while he’s calling them out? Any Clue?
I wonder why Gretzky never won a cup south of the border?
Look at the Shenanigans that JC and MR got up to in Philly. For the Flyers Org., it was so bad that it was easier to discard them than it was to coach them. Don’t think Sutter is having a problem there. Do you?
I can’t wait to banter with you as the season progresses! BTW… I’m a King Fan!
Russ Dynda Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 8:08 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, I’m a Kings fan, too. And I want to see them as Cup contenders for many years to come, not just making a hot run in the Playoffs. I’m also not into comparing so-called “credentials.” A person doesn’t need to flaunt credentials in order to have a valid viewpoint. Too often people hide behind their so-called “credentials” instead of letting their viewpoint stand on its own. In any case, I have no idea of your experience, nor do you have any of mine.
Of course the run was magic. Going up 3-0 in all 4 series? What else would you call it? The greatest teams in history never achieved that. And Sutter did nothing different in order for that to happen. He was making the same decisions the last two weeks of the regular season and we were sputtering, finally staggering into the playoffs with Lombardi’s and his jobs hanging in the balance. If Sutter was responsible for their success, why have they been sputtering so far this year. Yes, they won their last game against a team that was floundering and played horribly. And, tomorrow, they play, arguably, the worst team in the League. So, forgive me if I’m not overly optimistic, even if they win tomorrow. Let’s see if they can sustain themselves on the upcoming trip with Sutter in the saddle badmouthing them to the media.
Of course no one on the team is going to criticize Sutter now. First of all, he’s the coach and they just won a Cup. This kind of thing festers before it comes out.
You honestly don’t care if the talented guys are tensed up? Tension is the enemy of top performance. It is the coach’s job to get the highest performance from his players. A coach who induces tension can only reasonably expect lower performance. I believe that most of his veterans are professionals, do want to win, and know what it takes individually. Some players respond to the whip; others don’t. You need them all and a good coach knows how to deal with varying personalities.
So Gretsky never won a Cup south of the border? Are you then saying that Gretsky was an inferior player to Fraser?
I don’t think that Richards or Carter were having problems being coached in Philly. Their performance there was at a high level, in Richards’ case, particularly higher than here. I think Richards is being misused here and eventually we’ll learn that he’s not a happy player here and it’s affecting his performance. Call him a baby if you like, but a good coach could get the most out of Richards. He wasn’t Captain in Philly because he was a baby.
kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 9:54 pm
@Russ Dynda,
I’ll be honest with you. I like my Kings when they win, not when they lose. As far as I’m concerned, they are paid to win first and foremost as nothing else matters in professional sports. I do have an emotional tie to this team by virtue of the fact that I have been supporting them since 1972-3 (no later than 76 for sure) when I was a young kid growing up, so it means more to me.
During this time, I have witnessed first hand, The Canadians, The Oilers, The Yankees, The Manchester United’s, The Black Cats of Kilkenny and others. Do you know what these teams all have in common? A boss who calls out his players when they under perform.
The first thing I want known to anyone who considers working or playing for me, is that losing in unacceptable. If you want to work at a country club? go somewhere else. But yet, great players go to the one place where they get the least respect from their paymaster and work the hardest time and again. They go to winning clubs, because they realize that it’s where their best chance of success lies.
Why do you think players cry after achieving their greatest successes. It’s the result of all the tension being built up over the course of a season, if not a lifetime, being released when realizing their sacrifice has paid off and that their dreams have come true.
I will admit, the Kings were loose as F*#K last year during the playoffs. I’ll never forget that shot of Doughty banging into his teammates during warm-ups. He was definitely loose, and I bet Sutter had something to do with that as well.
When you go to a gym, when do you do better? When you are lifting on your own or when you are with a mate who is screaming at you to try a little harder?
I can’t help but think Philly doesn’t quite feel right about the Kings winning the cup with Carter and Richards. They were in Philly to do exactly that, but yet they let them go. I can’t help but feel that the organization is to blame for failing to get those two to realize their potential there instead of here. Why do you let your best players go a year after reaching the SCF’s?
The Gretzky comment was me just thinking out loud.
Russ Dynda Reply:
February 15th, 2013 at 6:30 am
@kissmyblarneystones, Nothing wrong with “calling out” players when they underperform. Only a fool of a coach would not do that. It’s HOW it’s done. Many successful franchises including Toe Blake’s Canadiens, Auerbach’s Celtics, Stengel’s Yankees, Riley’s Lakers, Lasorda’s Dodgers prevailed without us seeing their leaders badmouth players in public. (Lasorda, in particular, was always showing nothing but glowing support for his players.) I have little doubt that all of these leaders verbally lowered the boom when necessary. But they also knew how to pat the players on the back.
Obviously, you and I would have vastly different coaching styles. I have significant experience managing people in business and had a reputation of being very hard on those who underperformed. At the same time, I was their cheerleader when they performed well. And I never verbally demeaned them in front of others. I believe that most, not all, people function more effectively when they know their positive performance is appreciated rather than when they fear that negative performance will result in castigation. In my experience this was particularly true when I coached kids. Apparently you and I see things differently.
You and I are also different in that to me it is not all about winning. It is about performing to your ability. Sometimes you just run into a better team and lose. A mature person recognizes that he’s done his best and just met someone better or who performed better on that occasion. If I was on a golf course and shot the best score I’d ever done, only to lose to my partner who I was competing against, am I supposed to feel bad? That attitude is a recipe for lifelong frustration. Maybe that is what drives you. Your choice. But it doesn’t drive me. I want my team to be successful but I measure that in how they perform rather than whether they win or lose. You might think me crazy but in the 2010-11 season I was proud of our team for how they competed in the opening round of the playoffs, even though they lost. They had to play without Kopitar and yet took the President’s Trophy winner to six games. Without our best player, I felt that was an accomplishment. Did I like losing? No. But I didn’t feel frustrated.
I still totally disagree with you about the Carter/Richards/Philly situation. Carter was given the gigantic contract to lure him away from Philly. I think Philly would have been glad to keep him if the dollars had fit into their cap space. And Richards–I don’t see any reason to believe they wanted to get rid of him. I think they felt they wanted to get younger and free up cap space. In any case, upon coming here neither Murray or Sutter had him playing at the level he played in Philly. And consider this: Lombardi knew Richards during his time working in Philly and still traded for him.
I prefer a “defensive” defense man in the line-up. To me, it appears Muzzin prefers being a “center.”
You’d think in tinseltown, a team that is high offensive octane would be a winning combo, but I learned with the dionne days vs the Danny Maloney/Terry Harper days hockey in Los Angeles can only have a “meat and potatoes”[defensive/grinding team] kind of a team to a have a successful team.
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Love the way Sutter handles this stuff. Perfect and then some.
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Uknojata Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:50 pm
@jess, I love how he holds players accountable. Can’t imagine Terry Murray saying anything negative about Doughty, even when he was playing like garbage last year. Both Doughty and Scuds have a horrible +\- and it’s good to hear that he expects more.
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Robyn Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:57 pm
@Uknojata, and to be fair, he did say earlier that Doughty, who is not having the best start to the season, isn’t the team’s only reason for GA. “Don’t single Drew Doughty out… He’s got a lot to learn.”
As you said, it’s about accountability.
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Uknojata Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:02 pm
@Robyn, absolutely.
jess Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
@Uknojata,
True, and TM would tell everybody what goaltender he was going with for the entire calendar, let alone next game.
It’s important to not give away plans if it isn’t necessary. Everyone available should be ready to go at any given time when called upon. It’s a good strategy, and one which has been employed by successful generals for thousands of years.
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:08 pm
@jest, … when their carrier pigeons weren’t flying to the wrong landing stations!
jess Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:18 pm
@Duncanz,
Must you bring up the journalistic methods of NHL Network (when reporting on west coast hockey) at this time!(?)
BrokeKingsFan Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 2:50 pm
@jess, agreed!
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Full circle and the best motivation if we beat Chicago on sunday
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kissmyblarneystones Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:08 pm
@Lake Forest,
That’s how I see it!
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Woo hoo! We get to keep Hextal!
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:17 pm
@DesertKing, For the meantime. His name gets mentioned practically every time a position opens up.
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He hasn’t though about who will start in goal next game. Yeah right.
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jess Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:10 pm
@CUP4LA,
IT would be careless (and maybe even stupid) for him to divulge that information at this time.
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Andrew Brunette announces his retirement and will join Wild as hockey ops advisor.
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Drew is averaging over 27 mins a game, Slava over 21 mins. Offensively you can compare the numbers and says Voynov is off to a better start. It is tough to compare +/- when they don’t have the same match ups and Drew plays 6 mins more a game. The big number for defenseman is TOI. Every defenseman in the league can handle any assignment if he plays only 2 mins a game. The more you play the tougher that job becomes. Factor in the more your on the ice the greater the percentage a goal will be scored against you while you are out there, even if your playing perfect. For defenseman they refer to a guy who can eat up mins, you never refer to a forward that way unless it is on the penalty kill. Forwards it is opposite, they try to get guys more mins. Drew is 3rd in the NHL in TOI with 27:38 a game so a lot is being asked of him.
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jess Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 3:53 pm
@Osaka, That’s over 30% more TOI than Slava. Quite a bit.
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:05 pm
@0 sake, I agree with you totally.
Slash DD’s minutes and the team GAs go down radically.
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Osaka Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:13 pm
@Duncanz, If the mins were replaced by a healthy Mitchell I am sure they would.
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Alberto Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:34 pm
@Osaka, Look how many minutes Slava plays NOW – more than DD, because DD can’t handle 30min and prbably nobody does. DD visibly playes slow and he completely stopped to make moves with puck along the blue line in offensive zone – nobody does it better.
For the record, “Deserve’s got nothin to do with it”
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Duncanz Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 4:01 pm
@Munny44, That’s rather unforgiving of you.
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I can’t help but think Sutter’s presser style is going to cause more harm than good in the lomg run. I don’t remember him being so publicly hard to pease last year. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems singling out specific players in a poor TEAM showing would tend to be divisive in the locker-room, creating scapegoats or general animus toward players deemed unworthy of their salary because of their coach’s negative pronouncements. Worse yet, to keep complaining even when we win or imply that players with injuries are malingering or in need of psychological evaluation (ex., Mitchell). How is that “coaching”?
Bruce Boudreau & Ovechkin comes to mind as an example of what happens when egos collide. What’s the incentive to perform for a coach that repeatedly and openly shames you? How is it supposed to be an inspiration for anybody to work with somebody who can’t even be pleased hen the team plays well? And how long did Boudreau keep his job with the Caps after his attempts to embarrass an obviously talented (yet spoiled) player coincided with even more losses?
We have players used to being part of a supportive team environment, so I can’t see how publicly giving some players the plague is going to make them get better, let alone receive input/encouragement from his teammates who probably don’t want to catch it in their coach’s eye.
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neil Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 5:34 pm
@YeahWhatever, I agree…I dont know of a coach who is successfull with this style. Some players accept it …others will ignore it.But DS seems to be coaching opposite this season…Remember this coach was unemployed for a reason and lots of folks here didnt want him to be the coach…did a great job last season but is turning the opposite so far..
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JKM Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:50 pm
@neil, I have been watching Sutter coach since he was in Chicago,
San Jose, & Calgary and what we are seeing this year is nothing
new with his coaching style. Sutter’s coaching style last year was
different from what I have seen from him as a coach.
I personally like Sutter coaching style. I feel what has hurt us the most
is losing Mitchell & Greene. But nothing we can do about that.
The Michell situation just bothers me. In all honesty this team came
together & went on a great run to win the Stanley Cup & I was thrilled
to see it. But to expect them to pick up where they left off & do it
all over again is unrealistic. I still enjoy watching them play & still
cuss when they screw up but that is hockey & why I love the game.
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luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
@YeahWhatever, I see what your saying, but its DS being DS you notice he is not going after young guys, but veterans that will handle the pressure. It wouldn’t even surprise me if he reached out to Scuds and Mitchell and said I need this team to get going so I’m going to extra rough on you guys. The young players see this and make extra sure they don’t slip up. Remember what Doughty said about once about DS catching him watching TV between periods of a game in the locker room. DD “I never did that again!”. At some point it may not work or back fire, but in his 2nd season I think thing will be alright.
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Osaka Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 6:53 pm
@YeahWhatever, It is fine for now. In about 2 more years the players will start to block it out. It usually takes 4 years before players stop listening to that stuff. Then Dean will go back to the nice guy coach. Then another 4 years it will be the hard a$$ guy again.
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luc20rules Reply:
February 13th, 2013 at 9:19 pm
@Osaka, +1
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Go Kings Go!
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America!
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i feel that Sutter still having an air of doubt about Quick in the air is done on purpose to force him to concentrate over the next day of practice… i’m pretty sure DS knows exactly what he’s doing and which buttons to press. he had Kipper for a long time and that might be a good benchmark to go through
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 14th, 2013 at 3:54 pm
@Shakes, He’s pushing his “not easy” button.
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