-Lisa Dillman chronicled the team’s defense of Jonathan Quick a day after he was awfully tough on himself for his performance in Vancouver, even in the absence of the 200-foot defensive help he generally receives. She also asked Rob Scuderi for his take on the early stages of his contract negotiations with the Kings. “If we want to talk, I hope we can talk,” Scuderi told Dillman. “I hope we can get moving on it and if it’s one of those things where we feel it’s going to drag on, I would rather say politely, ‘Look, let’s just deal with it at another time so we can focus on what’s important, which is the hockey.’”
LA Times: Kings come to defense of goalie Jonathan Quick a day after Vancouver loss
Helene Elliott chatted with Keaton Ellerby about his acclimation to the Western Conference and highlighted the lineup changes for tonight’s game.
LA Times: Kings’ Keaton Ellerby comfortable in not-so-wild West
LA Times: Bernier to start, Martinez to return on defense for Kings
-Stu Hackel likes the direction the Kings are heading, and paid particular attention to Anze Kopitar’s terrific third period against Detroit last week.
SI.com: Kopitar leading Kings back to Stanley Cup form
John Hoven looks at stats beyond goals and assists for Jarret Stoll and notices he hasn’t been shooting the puck as frequently as he has been dishing out hits at home. I see a lot of value in what Stoll brings as a third line center. His scoring is down from a top-six role, obviously, but he fits in his current slot quite well. He has speed, he hits, he kills penalties, he forechecks. It’s through the performances of players such as Stoll that help give the Kings their “heavy” identity. Perhaps I’m misreading fans’ and writers’ opinions (am I?), but I get a sense that there are beginning to be some grumblings over Stoll’s production. Stoll articulates what he feels his own responsibilities are: “Be a good penalty killer, be a good defensive player, try to be a plus-player when I can, and help our line chip in offensively and score some goals here and there.” He continues to do that.
Mayor’s Manor: Jarret Stoll has a few theories about statistics
Gann Matsuda recaps yesterday’s practice and identifies the ways the team will be looking to solve Nashville’s airtight defense, which has not allowed a Los Angeles even strength goal over 125 minutes of hockey.
Frozen Royalty: LA Kings Try To Learn From Sub-Par Effort At Vancouver, Work On Solving Nashville’s Defense
Quisp examines the varying identity changes for teams that relocate, using the similarities of the Jets and Thrashers as the principal example.
McSorley’s Stick: Guess What? The Jets ARE the Thrashers
Robert P. assigns grades from the Vancouver game, while Langluy previews Monday’s tilt against Nashville on Jewels from the Crown.
JFTC – Kings vs. Canucks; Game Grades and Stat Analysis
JFTC – Predators Preview: Save Us, Alec Martinez
KingsCast debuts a new segment, Who the Hell is Keaton Ellerby?, while Keith realizes that he kind of misses Jamie Kompon.
Episode 181 – Simon Gagne Traded To The Flyers
Life in Hockeywood has highlights from the Vancouver game and Patrick O’Neal’s post-game interview with Jordan Nolan.
Hockeywood Dailies: Mar. 2
Paul Armbruster links to the New Hampshire Union Leader and offers his own thoughts regarding Manchester’s two-game weekend sweep of St. John’s. Highlights are embedded.
Kings News Daily: Very scores, Toffoli with two helpers as Monarchs sweep
Lo, there is a new Kings blog! Go check out Hold the Point and share your thoughts as Player X strives to find his own voice within the Kings blogosphere.
The Hold the Point site looks pretty good but why would I ever listen to a Sleestak? The Sleestaks couldn’t even throw a check on Cha-Ka and little Holly kicked their butts in just about every fight. I think I will stick with JR and KND.
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jess Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:21 pm
@DesertKing,
And Sleestaks don’t contribute to the tax base. Precisly the opposite. I heard they get free cartons of marlboros and cases of whiskey. Liability! I say quit subsidising the sleestaks, and make them pay taxes just like the rest of us. It’s only fair.
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DesertKing Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:27 pm
@jess,
yea, and take away their Screen Guild Union cards too!
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phil sykes Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:41 pm
@jess, my mother had a boyfriend in the early 80s … and i went to his house one day , and there were pics of his father – who was also there …. anyways – the pics were of the father in the sleestak outfit ……….. im like huh …………. and they are like yea “my dad was one of those sleestaks on land of the lost” ….. i was like … “oh wow” …. i was like 12 years old … hehe …. life is funny
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PlayerXatHoldThePoint Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:58 pm
@jess, But we do get green cards…
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PlayerXatHoldThePoint Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
@DesertKing, Wait a minute, are you saying I don’t play a heavy game dot to boards? We survived the Ice Age ya know, we can be tough if we need to.
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Awesome Jon. And Paul gets a mention too. Well done.
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Preds are always a tough match-up. But without Hal Gill they lose their biggest, strongest defenseman. It’s almost equal to the Kings losing Mitchell. Since Gill and Chara are the two defensemen in the league that hold a size and strength advantage over Kopi (that I’ve noticed) I think this bodes well for the Kings’ chances tonight.
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DesertKing Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:20 pm
@Michael J.,
That was a slice of good news
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tornado12 Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:48 pm
@Michael J., douglass murray, sheldon souray are big guys just to name a few….
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Kenny44 Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
@Michael J.,
Weber has laid Kopi out before.
Hal Gill is a great big turnstile who wouldn’t survive without the Predators back check of insanity. I remember that in Montreal it got to the point they couldn’t use him because his best value was on the PK (half-ice play) but he was usually the one in the box. He’s found a perfect fit there.
Hannan also has been resurrected a bit there for the same reason.
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Sutter keeps pissing away what should be great performances by Quick. We know that the game after a less-than-average game, he’s dead nuts, so it’s just baffling he’d do this.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:27 pm
At least this is a back-to-back, and he’ll be playing tomorrow night. Actually, giving Berns the shot against Nashville, between the two, is good for him.
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CB14 Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:29 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Makes sense to me. It’s a back to back, and Bernier owns Nashville. Quick can play tomorrow night against St. Louis.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:48 pm
@CB14, Yeah, as you can sorta tell, I chilled a bit after I posted.
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is it 7:30 yet?
Here we go Kings here we go!
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Neil Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
@Mars, Somewhere …just not in L.A. !!!
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WRT Sutter being a good coach(iam baiting..I know)If before the season if you knew the Kings were going to be without 3 of their top six on defense and was this close to 4th place in the conference(with all the road games)..would you take it??? If you answered yes then Sutter is doing his job…if you answered no then you think that Sutter isnt getting the most out of his team..I vote YES !!! P.S. also having Kopi injured at the beginning …Have a take..dont suck..but no name calling !!! The ONE/TWO only Neil
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so-dungokim or whatever his name is was right – ellerby over drewiske ……. yea , i think i agree with daryll and the blogger the more i think about it …… we just need ellerby to be that stay at home size guy for the 5 , 6 pairing ……… and drewiske has started to struggle
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As someone who complains about Stoll, I should probably offer my thoughts on the subject. Stoll does a good job at those things you say Jon, hitting, killing penalties, forechecking, and using his speed. What he doesn’t do is create anything offensively for himself or his linemates. I’m of the mindset that a Center should be someone who creates for their linemates. Mabye it’s wrong of me to feel that way, but that’s the way I feel.
I don’t agree with people excusing his diminshed offensive production due to the fact that he is on the Kings 3rd line. The Kings 3rd line isn’t used like typical 3rd lines are. Stoll does not match up against the other teams top lines. Richards’ line does that. And when Richards doesn’t, Kopi’s line does. Stoll doesn’t have to face the other teams top lines, thus his line should have more offensive zone time. I understand there will be a drop in production going from the 2nd line to the 3rd line because his wingers aren’t as talented, but it shouldn’t have been as pronounced as it was. The wingers he’s playing with aren’t unskilled defensive grinders. Penner and King have offensive skills, but that line isn’t producing.
Also, Stoll plays on the 2nd Power Play unit. It’s not like he is only playing against the other teams top lines and on the Penalty Kill all the time. He gets quality offensive zone time and doesn’t produce enough offensively to justify the amount of money he makes. As much as people like to forget about players salaries, that plays a part in the discussion. I said at the time that I would’ve let him leave via free agency, and my thoughts haven’t changed. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Stoll traded this off-season if Dean decides to re-sign Scuderi.
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DesertKing Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:00 pm
@CB14,
Doesn’t he get any points for scoring with hot women?
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CB14 Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:06 pm
@DesertKing, As a guy yeah, but not as a hockey player.
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Neil Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:07 pm
@DesertKing, all that counts in my scorebook !!!! Bernier wife is hot…. Carter’s girlfriend is hot…Now you know my favorite Kings !!!! Just for the record…My wife is the hottest…. Neil #1 and # 2 has approved this post !!!
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CB14 Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:11 pm
@Neil, Yes, but what does neil think about it?
BluLiner Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
@Neil, You’ve got a good sense of humor Neil, I don’t know about neil though.
phil sykes Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:18 pm
@CB14, no way are the kings going to trade stoll ………. they think he is the perfect number 3 center …. cb – this is a defensive league , a defensive conference , and probably the most defensive minded team in the league ……….. the league has been trending this way with each passing day since the new rules were implemented after the 04 strike ……….. peeps just have figured out how to clog the middle with all 5 guys and play defense ………… you and myself may not like it – it sucks compared to the 80s with all the endless 3-2 rushes and antiquated stand up goalie techniques – but , unfortunately , this style of play is here to stay
so therefore , jared stoll is doing exactly what the kings want him to do …….. the kings love this guy for a thrid line center …. they droll over him …….. yes , i believe the kings need more scoring … but lombardi just refuses to do it pretty much …. it is frustrating
you know …like trade for one more finisher …. or call up toffoli ….. but dean moves so so slowly ………. way too slow for my taste …. yes , i am aware he has won a stanley cup peeps …… so save that argument ……. i get that …. just saying he moves too slowly for my taste
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CB14 Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 8:19 pm
@CB14, And I didn’t even mention all the stupid offensive zone penalties that he takes. At the start of the season it looked like he had cleared them up, but lately he’s been producing them like he did last season.
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In my honest opinion, quick did not make the saves he normally does easily, and did not play well in Vancouver. Don’t get me wrong, I think the highest of quick when it comes to clutch goaltending and his level of talent. 2 shots he simply missed with his glove… But, on the brightside, we have bernier. As much as i love watching quicks acrobatic saves, I am very excited to see bernie in the net more often. Splitting time will challenge both goalies to be their best. Im also REALLY REALLY REALLY hoping that bernier starts to feel like he belongs in LA. GREAT combo!
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Doughty needs to score a goal (with that conract you would think he could buy one and yet I dont even see a purchase order)and Brown need to score and hit more.
I once heard a guy yelling at a kings games a couple of seasons ago(me and my sons nicknamed hime the obnoxious kings fan)But what he was yelling was the key to the win.
FORECHECK LADIES FORECHECK !! TIES RIGHT IN WITH SUTTER TALKING ABOUT GIRLS SOFTBALL.
I am not in doubt of the talent of this tea and will never give up on it. But The CUP may have turned some of the players soft and satified with what they have already acomplished. Only they can reach deep down inside and continuewhere they left off last season.
GRIT BABY The preditors will be the hunted tonight and become the PREY.
Calling 23 your up!
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YoBro Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:38 pm
@PalmSpringsKingsFan, well, one COULD argue that with 5 wins in the last 6, they have reached down & dug deep. (we’ll just forget about Van-OK?) I just wanna see ‘em keep rollin’
Go Kings
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PalmSpringsKingsFan Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 5:45 pm
@YoBro, Yes they have found ways to win. but almost all of them have been nail biters. I am sorry I just feel a sense of urgency, and see the season slipping away. (bad start short season)
Even if we lost them all i would still be hoping for the best I hate every other team.. period.
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where is 33 it seems like he is leaving all of us and his teamates hanging. just the lack of communication is sad. but what do I know?
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Thanks, Jon!
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