On the loss to San Jose:
“The last three games we’ve lost, we’ve been giving up four and five goals…A lot of games we win, 6-5. We’ve got to clean up our D-zone. We’re trying to climb out of four-nothing, four-one. It’s not an easy thing to do. At the end of the day, our goals against has got to come down. You look at why we were successful last year – we weren’t scoring a lot of goals, but we were winning games one-nothing and two-one. We’ve got to really tighten up our D-zone.”
On the team’s offensive performance:
“I mean, I think speaking for my line, the last few games have been pretty good games on the offensive side of the puck. We probably had 15 shots at the line tonight, which is a significant amount. We’re finding ways to get pucks in the net. But again, right now it’s about tightening up our D-zone at the end of the day. That’s how we win games here.”
2 reasons kings are allowing so many more goals this year. Quick is not the quick of last year. Absence of Mitchell and Greene. It’s pretty simple. I hope bernier gets the start next game.
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Ryan Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:46 pm
@tornado12, What happens to Quick is Bernier continues to play well? Would you rather see Bernier dealt for a defeseman or start Bernier and bench Quick? I don’t know which I’d rather have. I think Quick is essential to Kings’ success this year.
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tornado12 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:56 pm
@Ryan, Until quick gets his old form back you ride bernier. That might not be until next year. No way you trade bernier. But if the kings want to win this year they will have to give up some future to get a stay at home dman they sorely lack tight now. You have to assume Mitchell isn’t coming back and Greene won’t be back until it’s too late.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:17 pm
@tornado12, Ok. Then if you aren’t willing to part with Bernier how do you acquire said defenseman?
tornado12 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:40 pm
@tornado12, Are you saying bernier is the only tradable commodity? Come on now. The kings system is stacked they have alot of young players now on the roster and they have plenty of picks and cap room. Are you going up get a top 4 dman? Probably not. You always have to give to get but in DL I trust and frankly I don’t know the right answer and thankfully it’s DLs decision not any of us armchair GMs right?
HockeyNerd Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:48 pm
@tornado12, I think I asked a fair question. You have to give up something to get something. Do you really think someone who hasn’t played in the NHL yet is going to fetch the defenseman we need? And if not who would you be willing to part with? Muzzin? Martinez? Stoll? Williams? Nobody is going to be ringing DLs phone off the hook with offers because the defending champs have a weakness.
tornado12 Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:03 am
@tornado12, very legitimate question. I agree it’s gonna take a roster player but it would have to be a younger dman IMO. Any veteran you lose is gonna leave a gap NOW and then you are just running in mud. There is no voynov equivilant waiting in the wings this year at the forward position. I think of the names you listed Martinez makes the most sense. He has the most experience, a sc ring and highest trade value that I would be willing to give up. I think he is more easily replaced right now. Again it’s still prob not enough to fetch a top 4 shutdown guy but to a team lookin to rebuild you just might be able to get a serviceable steady veteran on the blue line to hold the fort until at least Greene comes back. The pk really needs to improve and the available players are just not getting it done right now
chuckie Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:05 pm
@Ryan, The first time Bernier gives up two goals in a game Quick gets the next five starts.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:25 pm
@chuckie, Nonsense!
wobsse6 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:33 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth..actually, Chuckie is correct.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:53 pm
@chuckie, Actually, no. Hasn’t happened and won’t.
Duckbasher Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 10:53 am
@Chuckie – Good point. Bernier has looked solid this season and deserves to start (at least right now).
rogiesbackup Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:19 pm
@Ryan, Many team, coaches, and fans take starters for granted……..soooo soooo very important to have a good back-up. I am a strong advocate of playing the back-up about 30-35% percent of the time just for insurance purposes-yeah it’s like real “insurance,” it’s for peace of mind and it’s nice to have when something goes wrong.
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Ryan Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:41 pm
@rogiesbackup, I understand having a good back-up is huge and a great asset the Kings have but if Bernier is the greatest trade asset the Kings have and someone becomes available via trade that the Kings certainly can get, I wouldn’t be opposed to move him. Now what I wouldn’t do is definitely not trade Bernier for Iginla. The offense is fine, defense is what needs to be improved.
Kingsation8 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:47 pm
@tornado12, Couldn’t have said it better. I honestly think Quick has not recovered from his back surgery yet. His mobility seems very limited. Lateral movement specifically.
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tornado12 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:02 pm
@Kingsation8, His timing and swagger are just not there. I remember saying last year it was almost impossible to find a soft goal. This year its dlmost 1 a game.
One also has to wonder if the big contract he signed has put some pressure on him that he hasn’t felt before but will have to learn how to deal with it. he is the ultimate competitor and I have the utmost confidence he will recover his stellar play but again it might not be until next season.
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chuckie Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 7:19 am
@Kingsation8, The Kings are 4-4 in their last eight games. You can analyze those games to death but one stat that sticks out is the 18 goals Quick has allowed in the four losses during that stretch. Thank God the schedule maker booked Calgary into Staples for two games last week or it could have been a lot uglier. Look at the schedule for the rest of the month. San Jose, Phoenix twice, Dallas and Vancouver. Then a brutal 5 game road trip. My feeling is if Sutter tells Bernier he’s going with him the rest of the season and Lombardi keeps his nose out of it the Kings have at least a chance of making the playoffs. The vote of confidence extended Quick for his play last year isn’t working. Every team they face will be working Quick up high and peppering his glove side with shots that he would have saved last year, but are finding the back of the net this year. Quick is by far not the Kings only problem, but his play is fast becoming their biggest concern, or should be.
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kingrussell Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 11:39 pm
@chuckie, Not sure if I would go that far,but Bernier should definitely be playing for now.
CB14 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:48 pm
@tornado12, Yup, it’s really quite simple.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:04 pm
@CB14, If we don’t get one of them back, we’re probably screwed–unless DL pulls a shutdown defenseman out of his hat. He’s got to be thinking about Bernier’s stock going up and being more expensive to sign now, too, which makes it harder still.
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CB14 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:13 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Agree with the 1st part. Personally, unless Quick continues his poor play, I don’t see Bernier coming back next season. It’ll be tough for the Kings to pay him what he’s going to deserve and make him fit under the cap.
Ryan Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:20 pm
@CB14, Doubt Bernier would want to come back anyways. The more he plays, the more confidence he gains, the more he understands he can be a starter in the NHL. Never going to happen in LA.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:27 pm
@Ryan, He’s got no choice. He’s an RFA.
HockeyNerd Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:28 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, We need a good one but our options are limited particularly if Bernier is off the table. We *may* be able to get a rental for some spare parts. Otherwise DL is going to have to consider names like Martinez, Muzzin, Williams, Lewis and Stoll. Would he? Should he? Thoughts?
CB14 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:36 pm
@Ryan, that’s also a very good point.
Kenneth, He could always hold out. In that case DL would surely trade him, he hates people who piss him off.
HN, I think Martinez would be easily replaceable. You all know how I feel about Stoll. I like Williams, but with his cap hit, and Toffoli being a possible replacement, he is a possibility.
Ryan Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:38 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, What I meant was that Bernier will go out and get a deal the Kings cannot match due to cap reasons rather than wait around waiting for the Kings to give him an offer.
And I wouldn’t be against trading Martinez since I believe he’s a RFA after this season also and the majority of the Kings money is going to go to Voynov and Scuderi. With Muzzin producing on offense, having 4 offensive minded guys isn’t really a necessity.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:57 pm
@HockeyNerd, I’m not a big trade conspirator…but if he’s getting defense, he might have to give up Martinez and a pick or something, just for a rental. Steep, when you don’t know what kind of goaltending you’re going to get after that. I think he’d have to think he can sign whoever he gets if it’s a rental. Hate thinking about this stuff. Glad DL’s good at it.
@CB14, He’s not going to hold out.
@Ryan, DL doesn’t work that way and he’s not that cap bound. He’ll go to war over it, and other GMs won’t test him.
jess Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:11 pm
@tornado12,
He will. It’s common sense at this point. Good post.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 8:50 am
@tornado12, You can fault Quick for one goal last night. He isn’t the Quick of last year, and expecting him to be is absolutely nuts.
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tornado12 Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 10:43 am
@mrbrett7, maybe not, but a save % lower than .900? that is not acceptable and i think he would agree
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Duckbasher Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 11:00 am
@tornado12, We can also look at it as the law of averages. His save percentage last season was off the chart (as good as it gets in the NHL). There’s an old saying… what goes up must come down…
kingrussell Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 11:36 pm
@tornado12, Thank you. Bernier should be playing at least until Quick gets his act together.
Do the “Tighten Up”….
Brownie …You played well tonight..
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Brownis 100% heart. In Brown we Trust!!
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I think if the Kings do a “Harlem Shake” locker room video, we can turn this ship around
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You weren’t successful last season when you were winning games 1-0 and 2-1, you were successful when you were able to finally score some goals to go along with your excellent defense.
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freezerflatten Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:49 pm
@CB14, right on.
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tornado12 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:06 pm
@CB14, Yup. It’s about putting it together. Last year, After the carter trade and the team adjusting to sutters more up tempo style they found it. They need to find it again this year with a really young defense all playing different or expanded roles. In the shortened season it’s gonna be tough.
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Awful game by Quick, and Martinez and Doughty made a completely boneheaded play on that last San Jose goal. I seriously am worried about Quick’s mental game right now. He looked lost on the second goal (which didn’t look tipped to me on the replay), and he had a clean look at the third and just missed it.
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freezerflatten Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:48 pm
@KingMe20, agree. quick looked totally dejeted when he was replaced.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:28 pm
@freezerflatten, Wouldn’t you?
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Duncanz Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:50 pm
@KingMe20, Looked tipped to me … but it was still a wide angle lens shot ….
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:55 pm
@Duncanz, It fluttered a bit, but he had plenty of time to see it and stop it. It was a bad goal. That said, things happen fast on a power play, and as a lot of people indicated, he seemed surprised.
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LVKINGS88 Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:08 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, He was playing deep in his net,he was crouching down,it was not a 2 on 1 so why would he be so deep,he doesn’t play that deep,the shot was from about 12 ft out,usually JQ is out at the top of the circle and is cutting down the angle.
rogiesbackup Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:23 pm
@KingMe20, Actually, Voynov played one of his poorest games too.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 9:13 am
@KingMe20, It was absolutely tipped (although I think he still should have had it) and he never saw the 3rd. That thing came from between about 8 pairs of legs.
At some point, you have to give credit where it’s due to the opposition.
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kingrussell Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 11:42 pm
@KingMe20, One of many awful games by Quick this year.
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DB sounding like DS.
We don’t actually win many games 6-5..
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dont know about tightning up defense, but the last 10 minutes were pretty exciting.
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“We’ve got to really tighten up in our own D-zone.”
Oh the contrasting irony from 365 moons ago ….
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Muzzin made two bad rookie mistakes that basically cost the Kings three goals, but he’s a rookie, and that’s gonna happen. Just a really bad day for him.
Quick should have had the second goal, but then again, the penalty killing was pathetic. Ironically, if Quick doesn’t give up that second goal and still gets pulled after the third (which would be the second), Bernier has a better chance to get the W and doesn’t get the loss (Quick does.) Doesn’t seem right for Bernier to get the loss, but he gave up the game winning goal.
At this point, Sutter should go with Bernier, and one of three things will happen:
1) The people who think it’s all on Quick will have to shut up after seeing Bernier victimized by the same bad play.
2) The defense will tighten up in front of Bernier as they tend to do and pull through this.
3) Bernier will stand on his head, and pull through this.
Finally, the Kings better continue to take care of business at home, because we’re going to keep seeing rookie mistakes in road games like Muzzin made tonight (not singling him out, the other young guys make mistakes when they’re under pressure too.)
Disappointing loss, but aren’t they all? Good news? They draw the same team next game, and they had a bit of momentum at the end. Wish it would have been a bit more chippy, but they had to concentrate on trying to even it up.
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chuckie Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:59 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Bonehead Doughty really scored that fourth goal.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:02 pm
@chuckie, Interesting point too…Dewey doesn’t give that up, it changes the game quite a lot. Bernier wouldn’t have been the goalie of record until the next goal they gave up (which could have been in OT, so there’s that, still.)
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PP Anybody? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:24 pm
@chuckie, Some credit should go to Burns on the play. He did manage to pull the same stand up poke check on two other Kings players and was a general nuisance and effective player for them. But yes, Doughty shouldn’t be getting burned that bad by anybody(no pun intended).
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Duncanz Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:12 am
@PP Anybody?, PP on DD …
PP Anybody? Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:38 am
@PP Anybody?, I see what you did there..
Duncanz Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:42 am
@PP Anybody?,
Mars Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:03 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, I love both netminders, but sick of everyone badmouthing Quick. Say waht you want, he won the cup, even if he gives us a lifetime of bad netminding he win us the cup. I am sick of the lack of respect, moreso the fair-weather fanning.
If its just critical opinion, cool, but the bet on the wrong horse or trade him crap is despicable. I dont see those people as real Kings fans.
In a perfect world we could keep both, shared duties, I just dont see JB doing that, nor can I blame him. That said yes we should play him more, get our monies worth, bump his trade value too, and pray we don’t lose him for nothing.
Our young D had a rough game, it happens. Just bummed by the past two games.
Hopefully the two losses give the guys a kick in the pants they need.
Not the end of the world, not panic time, not trade talk time.
Just time to buckle down and play smart.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:08 pm
@Mars, The badmouthing of Quick is part of the reason I want to see Bernier in now. Let’s just find out how “bad” Quick is. I think people will see it’s the grade A chances the Kings give up this year.
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PP Anybody? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 11:32 pm
@Mars, Agreed with everything,save for the trade talk. Not in the sense of “trade so and so, they suck”, just the reality of the situation. Believe it, if DL can find a way to get a veteran shutdown guy to come in here to cover the loss of WM and MG, he’s going to do it. It’s all about winning, and if he can pull another move like JJ for Carter worked last year, then so be it.
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KingMe20 Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:11 am
@Mars,
You’ll never find me in the trade Quick camp, because he proved what he could do last year. That being said, I don’t think he deserves a free pass, either. I don’t know if he’s still recovering from the back surgery, or worse, if the success of last year and his new contract have made him too comfortable because he knows he’s the number one guy. Something is going on with him, and he needs to snap out of it.
It’s not just that the guys in front of him are giving up great scoring chances (they are). Quick has been in this weird place where it’s like he’s forgotten everything he knows about playing the angles, and how to keep from overcommitting on the initial shot so that he can get to the rebound.
I think trading wither Quick or Bernier would be a mistake right now, but I also think blind loyalty to a goalie based on his past accomplishments is a mistake too. I’m for playing whichever goalie can get them wins right now, and we’ve seen this version of Quick far more than the one we saw against Calgary on Monday night.
I know that may not be the most popular opinion out there, but that’s how I see it.
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Duncanz Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:17 am
@KingMe20, All good with me!
Nice post.
KindSir Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 4:20 pm
@KingMe20, agree 100%
YoBro Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 6:04 pm
@KingMe20, Ah, a voice of reason.
Go Kings
kingrussell Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 11:45 pm
@Mars, Niemi won the CUP for the Hawks,now he’s a Shark.
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It’s not my line’s fault!
… which might be true, actually..
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All the Brown haters need to pound sand.
He’s a King for life.
He is the cap.
My only complaint is I want him to go back to hitting more.
Other than that, nothing but gravy!
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 14th, 2013 at 10:56 pm
@Mars, +1
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More alarming to me than Quick’s three goals allowed was the four shots on his glove side in the 1st period. One went in, two hit posts, and the fourth went wide. The King’s didn’t really come alive until Bernier stopped waiting for his defensmen to come back for the puck and just started headlining it up the boards to them.
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kingrussell Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 11:45 pm
@chuckie, Thank you.
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Way to represent Captain.
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DS told Muzzin to be aggressive, so no problem with him sticking up for Fraser. Could it have been handled better to not rack up so many penalty minutes? Sure, but kid is a rookie.
Love Quick, but you have to sit him at this point. Can’t let him play through it with the race so tight and the condensed season.
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Take the positives out of this game….the PP and the 5/5 play with the first line is starting to really gel. A LOT of MOVEMENT on the PP and also on the 5/5 with the first line. Also, Kings gave a valiant effort with good momentum for next game. This would’ve been a victory until the turning point of the game which was the Fraser/Muzzin moment.
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This dude kicked butt tonight. Created his own chances. Lead by example.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:00 am
@MmmmYummy, Yeah, I’d like to see a lot more of the Dustin Brown that showed up for part of tonight’s game.
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shiny Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:14 am
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Yeah, it’d be great if he came to play like this every night
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MmmmYummy Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 12:34 am
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, I think there is a likely correlation between Carter scoring and Brown not.
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Oh well there will be another game
Go Kings Go!
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I have been reading the comments about the offense is fine and the defense needs improving. That is bs. What needs to happen, is that the forward need to Backcheck a little better and pick up their defensive zone responsibilities and tighten that up. The kids on defense are just fine. More than fine, actually. The forwards need to pick it up.
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Sutter: Guys, you’re just talking. Talking, “la-la-la-la”, like this is business as usual. It’s not.
DL: We’re trying to solve the problem here, Darryl.
Sutter: Not like this you’re not. You’re not even looking at the problem.
DL: We’re very aware of the problem. I mean…
Sutter: Okay, good. What’s the problem?
DL: Look, Darryl, we all understand what the problem is. We have to…
Sutter: Okay, good. What’s the problem?
DL: The problem is Quick can’t stop an f’n puck.
Sutter: Nope. What’s the problem?
DL: Same as it’s ever been. We’ve gotta get Bernier in there.
Sutter: Nope. What’s the problem, Stevens?
Stevens: We need a .962 save %, and a .50 GAA.
Sutter: Ehh! [imitates buzzer] The problem we’re trying to solve is that there are defensive teams and there are pourous teams. Then there’s fifty layers of crap, and then there’s us. It’s an unfair game. And now we’ve been gutted on D. We’re like a welcoming committe in the slot. Boston’s winning, Sharks have taken our heart. And you guys just sit around talking the same old “good body” nonsense like we’re selling jeans. Like we’re looking for Fabio. We’ve got to think differently. We are the Big Dog at the bowl. You see what happens to the runt of the litter? They need to die!!
——————————————————————————–
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Voynov had a bad game, same with Doughty, Martinez and Muzzin. Muzzin’s penalties for dropping the gloves on the Fraser hit basically cost us the game. Quick looks uncomfortable out there
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I’m glad Brownie is calling out the D and Quick….offense clearly isn’t the problem. 1st periods and getting down 2,3,4 goals is. Can’t keep playing from behind. Quick is obviously not keeping us in games. Players have no confidence playing in front of him. And our D is spotty at best. Doughty is having an awful year ($7 mil???) and the youngsters aren’t playing great D, seems they’re more concerned with jumping up in the play and scoring.
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kingrussell Reply:
March 15th, 2013 at 11:47 pm
@cup4kings, Now if only Sutter would do the same.
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