-One thing learned from last night’s game wasn’t really “learned” at all – it’s something that any hockey fan who has watched the Vancouver Canucks has accepted as gospel. If Henrik and Daniel Sedin are given any extra opportunities, or provided any additional cushion of space, they’re going to take advantage. As soon as the Daniel-Henrik-Burrows line stepped on the ice to counter the Clifford-Fraser-Nolan line for Los Angeles, I commented to the person sitting next to me that this shift could become “problematic”. There weren’t any Grade-A opportunities for Vancouver on a first look, and when Drew Doughty shoveled a net-bound feed with his glove forward to Kyle Clifford, it appeared as though the Kings were on their way to clearing the zone and a harmless line change. Whether he was concerned about handling the puck in a volatile area or was looking for teammates exiting the zone, Clifford’s turn up ice was roundabout, and his urgency in handling the pass and clearing the zone didn’t take precedence. The Canucks created a turnover and immediately worked the puck low, where Henrik Sedin showed his trademark patience and string pulling from the right of Jonathan Quick, and Dan Hamhuis – who had activated earlier and was standing alone – like, really, really alone – in the right circle as the play developed – went unmarked and buried a Burrows pass past a helpless Jonathan Quick.
-“Helpless Jonathan Quick”: Yea or Nay? I was fighting Internet gremlins and an uncooperative computer for most of the night, and I wasn’t able to gauge any sentiment of Kings fans and writers on Twitter and in the blog comments. I felt the Canucks were out-chanced through large stretches of the game. They had four goals on 17 shots through two periods. In the goal described above, there wasn’t anything Quick could do, other than be in two places at once. On the goal that put Vancouver up two to one, it wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary for Quick to make a save on Mason Raymond’s shot, but there were also some Kings coasting into the defensive end leading up to the goal. Mike Richards didn’t seem particularly concerned that Raymond, the opposing center, was using a burst of speed through the neutral zone to gain penetration into the L.A. end. Richards didn’t create pressure on the backcheck, offering no resistance against a skilled player who unleashed a crisp shot up high to beat Quick in what was a one-on-one with Davis Drewiske. On the goal that put the Canucks up 3-2, there was cheating up ice by both teams. Slava Voynov and Clifford were all-in in the offensive end while Henrik Sedin snuck past the Kings’ forwards as the puck pinballed around near the Vancouver blueline before Alex Burrows eventually found him. He shuffled the puck to Daniel Sedin, and while the shot was taken from the right faceoff dot, my goodness, what a perfectly placed blast that was to the far post by one of the league’s premier goal scorers. While Quick’s postgame comments shouldered the blame, there were breakdowns on all four goals he allowed that could be shared between him and the players in front of him.
-It wasn’t exhibited for the full 60 minutes, but the Kings did some good things in the offensive zone last night. There was frequent traffic in front of Cory Schneider. Momentum was clearly heading in their direction leading up to and including Jordan Nolan’s game-tying goal. Even when they were trailing by two late in the third period, there were quality chances turned away by Schneider, who saw all the shots despite the traffic and kicked them aside. The late push was exactly that – late – but it was good to see a response and some resilience as L.A. ventured to tie the score.
Spot on. Quick shouldn’t have been in the position to have to make those saves but we’re used to him making them.
[Reply]
SDGolfer Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 12:45 pm
@4tee, that clearly wasn’t last years JQ. This years JQ’s not looking like he’s going to
steal many games for us
[Reply]
Agreed.
[Reply]
As someone mentioned in a previous post, Quick gave a definitive shake of his head after two of the goals scored. This indicates to me that despite the defensive breakdowns Mr. Rosen noted, Quick STILL believed he should have made those stops.
[Reply]
soo-do-nihm Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 11:27 am
@Forum67, DS pointed out that at the end of the day, the puck literally stops with the goalie. So the goalie is always going to blame himself for goals he thinks he should’ve stopped.
What kills me is that Nolan caught Schneider with his pants down (as in, off guard), did a beautiful wrap around goal and then like 60 seconds later, Canucks get a breakaway and score. The momentum was going their way and they just let it slide.
[Reply]
Quick seemed a little off, but you can’t expect Superman every game. The defense needs to be there and it just wasn’t last night. More scoring would have helped keep them in the game too. Just like at the beginning of the season, the Kings looked like they forgot how to skate.
[Reply]
soo-do-nihm Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 11:33 am
@Kat Posell, Hang on, wait, is that what those black things tied to their feet are?? Finally, now I know what they are!
[Reply]
Munchrat Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 1:15 pm
@Kat Posell, Why not? we had him last year
[Reply]
Definitely agree that there were many defensive breakdowns. Kings get caught in a change, but the guy coming onto the ice (Richards) feels no need to hurry, leading to DD2′s painful indecision about what to do as he was all alone with no backup. To be fair to DD2, decision making skills become easier with experience (which is something that of course MG and WM bring to the table).
Should Quick have made the saves on those high shots? Hard to say. I’m not a goalie coach and I’ve never been a goalie and I don’t know Quick personally to say if he really could’ve had it. But as someone above stated, we’re used to seeing him being able to make those saves.
Kings can and will regroup and they should defeat Preds tomorrow. Nashville is on a serious losing streak and Pekka Rinne has been giving up a lot of soft goals lately. So here’s hoping tomorrow’s game goes better than yesterday’s.
[Reply]
Droughty just seems so paranoid in his own end, he coughs up pucks in his zone almost every single game it seems. Yeah he’s young and one of the highest paid D in the league, but I’d sure like to see him sit a game or two to bring him down to reality and his sub par play.
Quick did look a bit hard on himself after a couple of those goals, I don’t remember him talking to himself as much before. He’s the reigning Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup champ. I think he’ll be back stronger next game.
Gotta love Carter and Nolan for showing up and providing effort every shift.
Kudos to Jon Rosen for doing a great Jon on this fan blog, Rich was great too. Please keep up the good work.
Go KINGS Go!!
[Reply]
soo-do-nihm Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 11:32 am
@FabKings, I think Doughty is trying to play defense all by himself or he feels like he has to be the leader on the ice. I know he’s been playing in the league for 5 years but he’s never had this much pressure before and I think he’s trying to overplay everything. He’s never had so much responsibility because he was always paired with a good stay-at-home guy who had his back. Now Doughty is in a position of leadership and IMO, he’s trying to fill MG’s skates.
The coaches really need to sit down with Doughty and tell him to relax, play his game and just let things come naturally. He’s extremely skilled and he has good hockey sense so I’d like to see him settle down a bit.
[Reply]
phil sykes Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 9:00 pm
@soo-do-nihm, yea , hes running around a lil more than usual simply because he dosent have the trust in the young kids hes playing with
[Reply]
CB14 Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 12:30 pm
@FabKings, The Kings can’t afford to sit DD.
[Reply]
Belexes Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 1:57 pm
@CB14,
No intelligent team could afford to sit DD.
[Reply]
FabKings Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 2:38 pm
@Belexes, so our weakest link this far this season ( our D) is somehow immune to having star D men scratched a game? I seem to remember Dion Pheneuf scartched a coupke years back while with Calgary……Maybe so, but Doughty has been a liability just skating……Sure he has more pressure because of Green and Mitchell out, but this should make him rise to be smarter and play HIS game, he is NOT doing that.
I will give him credit for much improved hip checks ala Rob Blake, but even has improved from game to game. Doughty is just puzzling to me, unfortunately I think he started believing his own myth.
Maybe someday he’ll be a GREAT defense men, I see it being a ways off though. Voynov will outplay him almost every game.
GO KINGS GO!
phil sykes Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 8:59 pm
@Belexes, lol … doughty was the only dman who played well last night … everyone else stunk … belexes … some people just dont get what doughty brings – puck possession ……….. its not about goals or points …. he plays good defense and once he gets it on his stick in the dzone he takes care of the rest 99 percent of the time …… its best to just save your breath on some of these commenters who think doughty is a bust ………….. and , by the way , i use to hate doughty , but now i realize how good he is
This should have been a 2-2 game going into the third. Kings were very sloppy in their D-zone and gave them a lot of chances. Kings were also very good in the oofensive zone. The difference is their golie stopped the shots and Quickie didn’t. No need to sugar coat…he had an off night. The more I see him and Bernier in action, the more I think this is going to be a ‘competition’ all season long. I know Quickie was GOD last season, but so far this season it is not there (yet). Hard for most team to rotate goalies and have no clear ‘starter’. It is not healthy as you head towards the playoffs. I hope a clear cut front runner emerges at some point, although we may need both with the very compressed schedule for the next two months.
[Reply]
Agree on the defensive breakdowns, but the goaltender is the last line. Premier goal scorer notwithstanding, 2 of those goals were stoppable shots, and Quick has to make those saves. It holds true everyone has an off night however. I’m not putting all the blame on Quick, there’s plenty to go around to everyone. The Kings had their chances, PP etc. and couldn’t finish. They didn’t play a dominant game and were sloppy at times. You can’t play that way against a high caliber team like the ‘Nucks. You have to bring your “A” game. The Kings brought their “C” game. In the end it comes down to scoreboard. Somebody wins and somebody loses. At that point nothing in between matters.
[Reply]
OT: Hawks ain’t goin’ down without a fight. They tie the game and will probably manage to keep their scoring record alive.
[Reply]
“Whether he was concerned about handling the puck in a volatile area or was looking for teammates exiting the zone, Clifford’s turn up ice was roundabout, and his urgency in handling the pass and clearing the zone didn’t take precedence.”
– this is why you should never let someone who has never played at this level, comment about play at this level.
you won’t publish this, of course, but please refrain from commenting on things that (a) you don’t know about (b) are basically arm-chair quarterbacking from a seat high above the ice and (c) make you sound like you know more about the game than the few years of pick-up hockey you have played.
[Reply]
Kudos to all you fans seeing that game for what it was. One out of many and in the regular season that is just the way it goes. No need to “fix” the way the coach coaches, send you best players to the scratch list or declare Quick is now are 2nd best goalie.
Just another regular season game. Park and ride like the man said.
[Reply]
Neil Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 12:16 pm
@KC23, another game on March second !!!!
[Reply]
SDGolfer Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 3:17 pm
@KC23, nobodys saying quick is the 2nd best, he just isnt what he was last year
[Reply]
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 4:46 pm
@SDGolfer, Most of last year, he wasn’t what we most remember. He’ll come around.
[Reply]
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 4:46 pm
Besides, his last few were great.
Ever so slightly off topic, I’d like to take a moment to express my personal opinion that with all due respect to Mr. Rich Hammond, who blazed this trail for us, I do believe that I am enjoying the Insider more now than ever before. Mr. Rosen is doing a superb job providing incredible content at a nicely measured pace. Mr. Rosen, if you happen to read this comment, please accept my thank you for a job very well done.
[Reply]
What happens first, DD scores a goal, or the Blackhawks lose in regulation?
[Reply]
FabKings Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 12:43 pm
@CB14, Blackhawks lose in regulation for sure.
[Reply]
soo-do-nihm Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 12:44 pm
@FabKings, How sad, but I think you’re right LOL
[Reply]
This is not the same Jon Quick we were used to seeing last year or even past seasons. gotta wonder about the off season surgery.
He’s not getting a lot of help from his mates both defense and forwards. I guess this is something we should have expected with Greene and Mitchell out. Those guys covered up a lot of mistakes made by the forwards. We also used to count on JQ to bail everyone out.
I’ m certainly not writing off Quick. I still believe he will get back to the Quick we all know and love. I just hope it happens quickly (pun intended)
[Reply]
phil sykes Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 9:10 pm
@Nykingsfan, i think back surgery has nothing to do with it …. i think a worsened defense because of injuries has exposed his weakness to other teams ….. that weakness – he comes too far out of the net
although this was not on display last night ………….. im just saying his weakness in general ….. last night he was fine …. he just got beat on every qualty scoring chance 1 on 1 pretty much with a shot that beat him ….. ill live with that any day …. i just dont like the tons of empty net freebies he gives up while hes 20 feet out of the net smimming around
[Reply]
Ho hum. Just another game down back at the farm (team). Toffoli another 2 assists and Vey a goal and assist. Both approaching a point a game status. Both in the top 11 AHL scorers. Toffolli 11th in total points and Vey all the way up to 7th.
Wonder who we get to see first, Toffoli or Vey?
[Reply]
soo-do-nihm Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 1:22 pm
@KC23, I asked Mayor John Hoven about it and he said that Pearson, Vey and Toffoli will get “long looks” (as he put it) at camp next fall. He doesn’t think that anyone from Manch. will get the call up this season but IF (and that’s a giant IF) circumstances are right, most likely is Toffoli this season as Center is stacked at the moment.
Hard to say if any of the Manch. kids will get a real good shot next season until the RFA/UFA stuff has been dealt with.
[Reply]
When Quick is playing well he has his glove hand high when facing a shot. Last night and a lot this season his glove has been low almost resting on the top of his pad. I figured it was a conditioning thing, but he looked like the quick from two years ago who always got beat glove high. I thought one of his biggest assets last season and into the playoffs was his strength in being able to keep the glove high at all times.
Glad I stayed home to watch that one, but we’ll beat them when it really matters!
[Reply]
phil sykes Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 9:23 pm
@aKinginVancouver, he dosent look like hes changed a thing to me … hes always held his glove hand traditional and is suseptable to a perfectly placed high glove hand shot … there are some goalies now in the league who are starting to hold their glove hand by their ear with their arm permanently bent crooked …. it works well and might be the new wave of the future …. schneider , crawford , and elliot to name a few , all employ this new style and are almost impossible to beat high glove ………… however , it does open up over the pad under the glove , which previously was never open ….. where williams scored last night ….. but shooters dont seem to be catching on to this change
quick to me is exactly the same as always … traditional … once he is in the process of dropping to his knees in the butterfly the arm lowers and tightens to his body … ive detected no change in his butterfly style at all …. just my opinion
[Reply]
I’m really dissapointed with Richards this year. Last night he looked like he didn’t want to be out there
[Reply]
Question for JR – I heard that a couple of Kings players were skating and practicing at the rink near Palm Springs. Can you advise who they were and if they will be spending more time there? Thanks!
[Reply]
I felt that on the Raymond goal, Carter did a good backcheck and even caused the pass to Raymond to be lost. Drewiske was backing in so far, Raymond had time to regain the puck 20 feet later and gather it up for a quick-wrist shot.
Screen grabs here http://holdthepoint.com/2013/03/03/twins-go-twixt-and-tween-kings-vancouver-322013/#comment-110 show what I mean, it was a wrist shot from maybe 35-40 feet, from aguy that was surrounded by 3 Kings. Photos tell it all…
[Reply]
Kenny44 Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 4:05 pm
@PlayerXatHoldThePoint,
That first pic is very telling. What the hell is Drewiske doing at the tops of the circles while the puck is still being brought across the blue line. With back pressure he HAS to step up there. I know he’s not the fastest guy in the world, but you’ve got to challenge the guy. The forwards can’t be expected to backcheck Raymond off the puck if the D keeps giving him space to pull away from the forwards.
I would have been all over a beer league d-man if he gave that much room to an opponent. Why the hell should I chase this guy down the ice if you’re just going to let him walk in for a shot?
[Reply]
PlayerXatHoldThePoint Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 9:43 pm
@Kenny44, Yeah, especially cuz Drewiske had Richards coming back, so if Drewiske stands him up Richards can cover in case the guy gets by. Terrible read, passive D, I have to think that Drewiske has yet to play hkmself into the thinking part of the game
[Reply]
Kings x Reply:
March 3rd, 2013 at 10:11 pm
@PlayerXatHoldThePoint, drewiske out and martinez in and we are that much better on D. Muzzin is holding is own ok, ellerby is in the learning curve phase. Being a defense based team, until that aspect is rocking, we will not be rolling
Good breakdown Mr. Rosen.
[Reply]
It’s like good old times when kings fans are bitching about how bad our team is playing regardless if they won the cup last year or not. It simply is not in our nature
[Reply]