On the balance of advancing the puck with Jake Muzzin:
“I think our offensive game’s pretty good together. Obviously, I’m usually getting that puck at the blueline, but since he can make plays now, maybe that’ll up a little more space for me that I haven’t had in the past few seasons, so I’m looking forward to that.”
On what he expects from Phoenix tomorrow:
“I’m still expecting them to come out hard. They’re a good team. They always play us hard. They’re hard on the forecheck. They bang bodies, and it’s never fun going into their building and playing. Tomorrow’s game’s going to be a rough one, but we’ve got to come out with a win. It’s all we can really say.”
On what was successful on the penalty kill:
“Quickie was making some big saves, that’s for sure. We kind of did a different kind of forecheck, and that was kind of working out. In the zone, he had good sticks. We weren’t giving them those lanes to shoot, and when they did get a shot, we were blocking them if Quickie didn’t have to save it. We need to continue to improve on our PK, because it can definitely win us a few points like it did tonight.”
On Jarret Stoll getting in the way of passing lanes:
“And Stolly blocked a few shots, too. I thought Stoll was probably our best PK’er all night. He’s always been great at that, and that’s why he’s such a huge part of the team, especially on the penalty kill.”
Doughty! You are over due for a goal! Few goals at that!
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Doughty! You are over due for a goal! Few goals at that!
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Doughty! You are over due for a goal! Few goals at that!
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If only we had the DD from the poster on the house on Montery ave in South Pass, we’d be in even better shape
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Duncanz Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 1:32 am
@Ravens, Lol, where is that now?
I can only guess that you’re living up to your pledge to only post whilst in a certain controlled liquid-induced condition.
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ZQ Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 8:32 am
@Ravens, I see that poster almost everyday. Three times i have tried to stop and give those guys tickets. Each time nobody comes to the door.
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good job doughty!
-boy, do I miss terry murray.. -nothing to complain about anymore.
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Golly gee Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 8:17 am
@jess, Don’t forget about missing Jamie Kompon and his fabulous power play!
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King Cobra Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 8:41 am
@Golly gee, I know it is just devastating what he has done to the Blackhawks…..
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Drew, your throwing them off the scent.
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Now if you focus on DD, Muzzin gonna kill ya. Soon DD will get that space and then watch out.
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Mikey J. Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:15 pm
@KC23, Thanks for finishing that thought KC23.
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:22 pm
@KC23, What did he mean by getting that space that he hasn’t had the last few seasons? Like space to shoot? Interesting that he’s thoroughly enjoying being paired with another OD like himself when the system that works so well for the Kings (or did last season anyways) was 1 homer/1 OD…
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Kenny44 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:33 pm
@shiny, yeah, he’s been the focus of attention for sure.
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Just got home from Staples.
Stoll should have gotten ALL the stars tonight. He played and awesome game far above everyone else.
Great to see Voynov and Muzzin keep contributing on the offensive end.
What a great pass by Muzz to Stoll!!
What a a greater pass from Voynov to Brown!!
I’m not worried about Doughty not scoring, as long as he keeps doing a good job shutting down the opponents best players.
Martinez did a lousy job on the play that led to the Flames goals, but other than that, he had a strong game.
Kopi and Penner should get their paycheck docked for missing those goals in front of the next…My 89 yr old mother would have missed those shot, too…..(but come on, she’s 89, after all)….gggrr!!
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KC23 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:19 pm
@Gustavo, Agreed on Stoll. I’ve been very hard on Stoll in my posts, but not tonight. He was awesome. Voynov’s pass was not greater than Muzzins pass to Stoll IMHO and Muzzin is the one who set up Voynov for his pass. Muzzin is playing out his mind. Muzzin and Voynov on the PP is golden for the Kings.
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:34 pm
@KC23, I agree. Muzzin is playing awesome. He’s stepping up his game so much and he’s so confident out on the ice. You know what I like best about Muzzle? He looks like he’s having a ball out there. He’s so chill and relaxed (soooo nice when I met him yesterday) and he looks like he’s just going out and playing pick up hockey just for fun (even though it’s the NHL and he’s doing a super job). I say this because I see him smiling at every turn and even when he’s focused, he’s still having a grand ol’ time. No wonder he’s such a good partner for DD. They’re perfect together right now – two young kids just going out and enjoying their time in the NHL like it’s a pick up game.
Stoll was fan-frigging-tastic tonight. And shockingly, he didn’t take any stupid penalties!! No faceoff whoopsies, no interference calls… And he completely shocked the hell out of everyone with that snipe that sent the water bottle flying. I loved his expression. It’s always shock like “What? Did you see that? I put it IN the net, not AROUND it! What up, son!” (I swear to God, he was mouthing “What up” tonight after he scored. Maybe I read it wrong)
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KC23 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:36 pm
@shiny, Actually, Stoll pointed at Muzzin and mouthed “what a play” … and for good reason. Muzzin’s pass to Stoll was exceptional.
shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:38 pm
@KC23, oh thank you. I’m bad at reading lips. I usually get half the words wrong LOL. But you’re right, it was a sweet move by Muzzin
Gustavo Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:40 pm
@KC23,
Voynov’s pass to Brown thread the neddle among several defensemen and the goalie. Muzz passed to an open Stoll, perfect timing, but not as difficult as Voynov’s
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KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 8:46 am
@Gustavo, We’ll just agree to disagree. Muzzin’s pass was with a forward right on him, Voynov had a lane, but it was a perfect pass. Probably too close to call either one of them better. It’s all good!
shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:28 pm
@Gustavo, To be fair to both Penner and Kopi, before they were able to get the shot off, they were stalled. Penner if he’d been about a half second to one second earlier (and I do mean that literally), he could’ve easily dished it into the net. But he had a couple things working against him: 1) he’s not as skilled as Carts so he doesn’t have the ability to put the puck into the empty net with his back to the net. 2) He was a hair slow turning around (he may have been trying to rush, hard to say), so he got stifled by a d-man
Oh well, you live and learn.
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Ryan “The Cheater/Liar/Hyprocite” Clowne is worth a first round or a couple second round draft picks?! Are you kidding me?!
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KC23 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:37 pm
@shiny, I just hope he goes east. Hate that guy.
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DD taking on a more defensive role as well as PK situation is actually going to be the thing that turns him into a Norris trophy winner. A complete player in all situations.
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:36 pm
@Kings x, He was incredible tonight. There was a move he did when it looked like he was going to be beaten on the rush but he didn’t panic. He simply took a few extra strides, got his body even and then leaned on the guy so he couldn’t take the shot. I love seeing DD at his best and this season, he’s playing like a Norris Trophy candidate (though un-shockingly, he’ll probably get overlooked just because his +/- took a hit when the Kings were a mess at the beginning of the season and because he plays in the Western Conf)
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Duncanz Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 1:21 am
@shinny, I was also marveling when DD made that great defensive play tonight, for what it’s worth.
I thought there was no way that that forward could get cut off like that and DD managed it.
Class!
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KC23 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:40 pm
@Kings x, Yeah, I got no problem with DD not scoring because he is creating space for his partner Muzzin on defense and Muzzin is scoring regularly. Sooner or later, it’ll be Muzzin getting creating the space for DD and then things will realy get fun.
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:44 pm
@KC23, I don’t know if there’s enough time for Muzzin to figure out what it took DD 5 seasons but he’s a quick study so maybe by the end of the season we’ll see Muzzin hold down the blue line (though to be honest, I like DD there because he’s a bit more experienced and confident when it becomes a sudden rush. I have so much love for DD if you couldn’t tell. On a side note, I’m disappointed I didn’t get to meet him yesterday but that’s another story that I won’t bore you with now…)
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Forum67 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:47 am
@Kings x,
All this Muzzin and Doughty love. Where’s the Voynov love? Especially since he’s been the Kings best d-man for the first half of the season. By the way, he’ll be a Norris candidate for his first time before Doughty will for his second time. I’m guessing that if Mitchell and Greene make it back this season, Ellerby and AMart will be the odd men out.
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KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 8:49 am
@Forum67, Good point. No question Voynov is our best d-man atm, but that really doesn’t surprise me that much. Muzzin progress is a huge surprise.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 11:21 am
@KC23, …with Mitchell out, he’s our best d-man.
We want the coach!
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:45 pm
@Kenny44, I seriously believe that DS should be nominated (AND SHOULD WIN cuz I’m WCB
) Coach of the Year. He genuinely cares for all 22 guys on that roster like they’re his kids, especially the young ones. He’s got kids that age and he really tends to think of them as being like his kids. He inspires them and doesn’t let them get too down or get too ahead of themselves
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KC23 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:49 pm
@shiny, This year I think the Sens coach is doing the best job. Their injuries are absurd and they are still playing pretty well. Course they are playing in the crappy over rated eastern conference, but still.
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:54 pm
@KC23, How about Darryl Sutter turning around a team that was at one point missing half its defense? Even in the wake of Marty’s absence, they were winning games and managed to get along with a rookie (Muzzin), a guy who’s mostly a healthy scratch (DD2), and 2 veteran guys holding down the blueline (DD and Scuds). Plus, they got VV to really step up his game. I don’t know if he got any assists tonight but he’s got already 16 points and his total last season (over 52 games) was 20. He could very well double that in the remainder of this season.
There’s a ton of talent on this team and the coaching staff has done a remarkable job of getting them all to play at a higher level and improve with every game.
Now tell me that that coach isn’t worthy of an award. (Maybe I’m just biased…)
KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 8:51 am
@shiny, Many would say that is more of a testimony of TM’s problems than DS’s magic. Might not be fair, but there is certainly a good argument for it.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 11:24 am
@KC23, Just remember who got it last year and how well they’re playing this year. They can have all the baubles they want, I want that big ol’ dented thing with all the names on it.
His performance tonight makes me want to chase models and perform inadequately at my job but clutch up every now and again so I don’t get fired
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Duncanz Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 1:13 am
@Kings x, He’ll take that as a compliment..
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Grrr here comes the East Coast bias. Darren Dreger was talking so proudly about Henrik Lunqvist needing to play like a Vezina because he WAS the Vezina winner last year. Let’s see, he was tied for 10th with a young goalie from the West Coast. Ok, 1 point in his favor. He carried his team to the playoffs – oh no, he didn’t, but point in his favor anyways; he carried his team to the Stanley Cup – oh wait, nevermind.
Western Conf goalie with pitiful defense and no offense in front of him manages TEN shutouts in the regular season and TWO in the playoffs (super difficult to do in the regular season, even harder in the post season); he carried his team to the playoffs and managed to keep them in when they had bad breakdowns; he was the most positive influence and the backbone of the team when they were struggling and he’s not a Vezina winner?
Stupid ECB!!!
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KC23 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:54 pm
@shiny, Did you just call the King’s defense last year pitiful? Nah, you couldn’t of meant that. Right?
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:57 pm
@KC23, Alright, it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t GREAT, but it wasn’t bad. It became MUCH BETTER when we unloaded JMFJ, brought VV back up and got Carts in return. DL was saying that VV was so good and so impressive last year that he basically convinced DL to put him on the roster – he ousted a freaking Olympian (albeit only a silver medal winner) because he’s that good.
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jp Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 3:57 am
@shiny, “It wasn’t GREAT, but it wasn’t bad.”
That’s just not true. We were 2nd in goals against, 4th in PK, 5th in shots against. Yes, Quick was outstanding and yes, JJ was occasionally a liability, but we still had one of the best d-corps in the league.
Just got home from Staples. Had a great time in the suit with puck73, luc20rules, Dominick, King Alex and his brother. It was also nice to meet fellow insiders Neil/neil, Crashin da net, Duncanz, and Jeff_R.
I thought the Kings played great in the 1st period, then kind of let off the gas the rest of the way. Quick was strong, Muzzin was GREAT, VV was very strong, and believe it or not, I thought Stoll played really well. He was great on the PK, didn’t see any time on the PP (which is always good), and was able to use that great snapshot that he has to score the game winning goal. Muzzin just gets better and better every single game. DD was very solid defensively. AM lost his jock on Calgary’s score, it wouldn’t surprise me to see DD2 in the line-up tomorrow night. I still can’t believe that Penner missed a WIDE OPEN net.
Overall it was a great night, thanks again puck73!
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:49 pm
@CB14, Wish I could’ve been in the suite with you but at least I managed to snag some tix last minute.
Penner missed the net but it wasn’t entirely his fault. Honest! He was a tad slow to turn around (hey, it’s a giant body to turn around) and that was enough time to allow the Flames’ defense to just get a stick on it.
Hopefully I’ll see you next time Puck hosts a suite night.
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King Alex Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:10 am
@CB14, nice to share the suite with you & everyone else. Really cool meeting lots of Insiders by the Great One prior to the game also. It was a nice win & great to extinguish the Flames in the season series. A big shout out to @Puck73 too for the invitation. You are a class act Mike! Looking forward to meeting more Insiders and watching our boys kick some tail! Hanging with the Insiders really makes the game better!
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Duncanz Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 1:10 am
@BC14, Igualmente, amigo!
My partner in crime says, ‘Hey, don’t forget me, big guy!’, btw.
(he has personally posted on the Insider before, too, albeit unbeknownst to me when he nabbed my iPhone)
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 11:26 am
@CB14, Must have been a really tight squeeze, all you guys in one suit.
Sorry…had to.
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Williams waved at Jeff Carter on the bench to take his place in last 20 sec or so, giving him a chance to score empty netter. What a class guy.
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shiny Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:49 pm
@goldielocks, These guys are all classy. I’m sorry, I’m like comment bombarding every one. I’ll stop
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goldielocks Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:53 pm
@shiny,
Hey, don’t stop. I’m liking your comment.
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KC23 Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:52 pm
@goldielocks, They were also trying to get DD his as well. Was glad when Brown put an end to it though. First priority is to win the dam game.
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Mikey J. Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:53 pm
@KC23, “damn” sorry
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goldielocks Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:58 pm
@KC23,
I’m pretty sure if Brownie notice Carts coming off the bench he would have the puck to him. I thought Brownie said “Sorry, I didn’t know you were on the ice” in the celebration… or maybe it was just my imagination …
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goldielocks Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 11:59 pm
@goldielocks,
*would have given … sorry getting sleepy.
shiny Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:02 am
@goldielocks, Time was running out and I think KC is right. First priority is to win the game. And Brown was kind of trapped against the half wall. He’s just skilled enough that he could swing around and put the puck in the net. Or that’s what it looked like from my angle (and the brief highlight I saw on NHLN)
goldielocks Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:07 am
@shiny,
Yea, he did the right thing. Carter was coming from behind. Unless Carts yells at him there’s no way Brownie would know but Carts wouldn’t do it either.
shiny Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:00 am
@KC23, That’s what it looked like to me but I was too far away to see. I swear Brown looked at DD who may have declined or there just wasn’t a good opportunity and Brownie makes the sweet move around 2 Flames sticks to get the empty netter
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jp Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 3:59 am
@shiny, DD shot and it was blocked, rebounded back to Brown.
Whaaaat Brownie gets Kevin Weekes’s #1 star of the night. Am I seeing this right?!
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KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:10 am
@shiny, That is just lazy media work. Muzzin or Stoll were a better pick tonight. I think Stoll deserved 1st star with his goal and strong PK work. Muzzin was very good though … yet again.
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Mikey J. Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:11 am
@shiny, Being there was only two games, not that amazing. Weekes is pretty solid on his calls.
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shiny Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:18 am
@Mikey J., Good points from both you and KC23. I did think that Muzzin was better, but I don’t discount all the little things he did tonight. He was good at moving his feet and he got into perfect position for the first goal. Weekes seemed a bit clueless about Muzzin but what isn’t he clueless about in the Western Conference? LOL
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TK Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 6:37 am
@shiny, Especially during his days playing for Vancouver.
KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 8:55 am
@shiny, Actually Weeks called that the Kings would win the Cup before the first round was over last year. Not bad.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 11:29 am
@KC23, Yeah, there were, like, two guys in the general hockey media pimping the Kings, and he was one of them.
Nice win tonight. Tomorrow night should be a fun one against those flea bitten desert mutts then we finally get those No. Cal fish with their dopey fans & their stupid arm chomp. Maybe the Kings should show both Phoenix & San Jose pictures & video of their time with the cup because that is as close as they are going to get to it!
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shiny Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:19 am
@King Alex, LOL. NHL Tonight was saying that Sharks are barely managing to score a meager .5 goal per game. And Kings will have a rest day Wednesday to be prepared for the Sharks. I wonder if they’ll come home tomorrow night or if they’ll fly straight to SJ. Do you know?
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King Alex Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:23 am
@shiny, I don’t know but best guess is straight to San Jose.
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KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 9:04 am
@shiny, They’ll go straight to SJ and have an optional skate day would be my guess.
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Can someone explain to me how is it that we have 2 more points than Minnesota, 1 more regulation win and 1 less regulation loss and we’re #4 while they sit pretty in #3? I’m just curious how we only managed to move up a single spot. It’s not a big deal as it’s not a playoff standing but I want to know why that is…
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Forum67 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:59 am
@shiny,
Minnesota is first in the Northwest Division. The first place teams in each of the three divisions in a conference are always the top three seeds regardless of how many points the 4th through 15th seeds have.
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TK Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 6:38 am
@Forum67, Until next year and realignment; thank you ATL for being unable to sell tickets.
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I love tgat at DD’s age he’s become the veteran presence on the ice for the young guys. He is currently our best defensive defensman with Mitchel and Green out all season and has been our best physical presence from the back end all season also. Taking on a rookie as a partner and helping him to not only adjust to the NHL but become a top pairing guy is exactly what Scuds did for him. And the guys still only as young as most rookies to boot. DD this season is the real deal.
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King Alex Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:49 am
@Dominick, imagine how good he will be when he is 27 or so. The sky is the limit with DD. BTW, really nice meeting you tonight!
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KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 9:02 am
@Dominick, Here, here. I would call this DD’s best season myself and I’m not a big DD fan after his hold out. DD’s decision making process seems more mature. Less whining to the refs too, which I really didn’t like about DD in last years playoffs (game 5 Phoenix).
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Each of the three division leaders/winners get the top 3 spots, regardless of thier points.
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LittleRhody Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:39 am
@LittleRhody, Ooops.. that was a reply to Shinny above.
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shiny Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 12:42 am
@LittleRhody, Oh thanks!
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And before you guys start claiming DD is a puck mover not a stay at home try looking at assignments, and how the Kings have survived this long without 2 of their starting stay at home D-men for the last 24 games.
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KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 9:06 am
@Dominick, It has been fun watching DD improve on the PK. He struggled at first, but now has picked it up quite well.
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If and when WM and Greener come back…that will create a formidable 3 deep pairing with a strong rotation. DD-Scuds, WM-Voynov, Greener-Muzzin….Amart, Ellerby and DD2 available for rotation. Foxy mentioned that DD has adapted to his new role as an anchor on the blue line who plays in all situations and is piling up minutes. I could not agree more. I’ve never once bashed the kid. He’s a hockey savant and the emergence of Muzzin and the continued offensive development of VV this team is scary good.
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KC23 Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 9:08 am
@Bonvivant, Unless we trade either Martinez, Ellerby or DD2 we will likley lose at least one of them and maybe two. We’ll protect Martinez no doubt.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 11:32 am
@KC23, I’m thinking Ellerby and/or Drewiske will probably be sent down, and maybe picked up on waivers.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 11:33 am
@KC23, Teams in the Kings’ position often lose players on waivers…part of that “parity” BS.
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