When Darryl Sutter spoke to the media following this morning’s skate, he fielded a pair of questions pertaining to tonight’s game before offering a detailed account of what makes Anze Kopitar the type of player that he is. It was very interesting to hear Sutter dissect Kopitar’s on-and-off-ice qualities and provide an example of when plus-minus is at its most accurate as a statistic.
On reasons behind the statistics that indicate L.A. improves as the game progresses:
“I think first, we need four lines, especially in the schedule the way it is. If you don’t have four lines that can give you eight minutes of even strength, you’re going to have trouble. I think that’s the most important part.”
On what Phoenix possesses that presents a challenge to any team:
“Veteran mobile defense. Other than the kid – who’s a star – their veteran mobile defense.”
On Anze Kopitar:
“He’s the best all-around centerman that I’ve coached, period. Period. Faceoffs, last minute, first minute, penalty killer. Plays against everybody’s top player, whether it’s a defenseman, a center, a checking role or an offensive role. He plays 20-plus minutes. Doesn’t take penalties. It’s the whole deal. He can play it whatever way we want. Do you want to come and get me? Come and get me…He can play it any way we want. And you know what? The best thing about Kopitar is he’s getting better. And when they do the comparisons with guys that are like that, there’s only a handful of them.”
On Kopitar “playing the body”:
“Big guy. The biggest adjustment that he’s made since I’ve been here…is playing that way all the time, and I think the playoffs last year, that stimulated him into seeing the ability to stay with it instead of getting frustrated with anything that’s got to do with numbers. Just to stay with it. He’s a special player.”
On Kopitar “initiating contact”:
“It’s not so much anything to do with initiating. It’s just that when there’s loose pucks, it used to be where he would see what was going to happen out of it. Now he goes and gets it, and then he protects it, which is the biggest part of it. It’s possession…because he wants to play a possession game. But he’s a hard guy to take the puck away from, because he’s so skilled, and he has good size, and then he sees it. He’s got the vision in traffic. We call it ‘expect numbers’, meaning he expects numbers – he expects two or three guys all the time. He’s very gifted at it. If you look, even at the start of the year, hey, he missed two weeks. Say what you want about it, but he missed two weeks. He got to play one game in Colorado, and then it took him like four or five games, and you could just see it, just see where his game was going, right? The other thing about it is he’s a high-plus guy. That one ain’t going to lie when you play as much as [him]. He’s a high-plus player, and…everybody says, ‘well, that stat may or may not be important’. For guys like that that play a lot and play against everybody’s best player, whether they’re high-offense or…checkers, that is a stat that tells you what’s going on. You even look at our center ice position, and guys that are really on and guys that aren’t…we can use our centermen effectively against other teams’ centers just because Kopitar, Richards-slash-Carter, Stoli and then Fras – they fit the role of where they should be. But he still gets most of it when you look at it. Nine times out of 10 he’s your best faceoff guy. He’s the guy you want taking a big faceoff, and that’s the other best part about Kopitar too. The communication during the game and before the game in terms of who, what why, all those things? Spot on. He’s not afraid to turn and tell you, ‘Jeez, do this. You should try this. Do this.’ Or, ‘I can’t get anywhere.’ And you know what? That means they’re special guys. Not every team has guys like that.”
On Kopitar being a “low maintenance” player:
“No, he’s not a high maintenance guy. But the difference – that’s one of the things when I came here, I had get these guys to practice at a level. They were a paced team because of the style they played, and he was the guy that had to make the biggest adjustment, quite honest. So it kind of pulls everybody with him.”
I like the way he is able to keep the puck on stick with one hand while keeping his opponent away with the other.
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Mars Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen him do that while skating through three guys; all of them after the puck and he just makes it look so easy.
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Goring 19 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:53 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, seen a football stiff arm or two from Kopi…
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TimZim Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:28 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, I’ve always been amazed at how well he can skate around the offensive zone with on arm up on the defender and his other hand on the stick pulling the puck wherever he wants it to go. It’s special when you expect a player to cut through a defense every time he gets the puck and he actually does consistently.
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@JonRosen, just to clarify was he asked about Kopitar? Or just wanted to focus on him?
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JR Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:00 pm
@LB, he was asked about Kopitar.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
@LB, For what it’s worth, the moment Kopitar stepped on the ice this morning, Sutter came right to him and started talking as they skated. Don’t know why it jumped out at me but it did. If I had to guess, maybe Sutter just finished watching some video of him and had some thoughts to share.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:12 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), Probably a likely scenario.
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jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:34 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), Hey Kopi, the wife finished 4268th.
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I like the way he is able to keep the puck on stick with one hand while keeping his opponent away with the other. That is streangth.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
@kissmyblarneystones, Frolov-like.
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ethman Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), Sorry Paul, but I wouldn’t even mention those guys in the same sentence. As good as Frolov was he’s got nothing on Kopitar.
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:11 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
<3
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Shakes Reply:
March 19th, 2013 at 5:47 am
@FKA PakiFro, #NeverForget24
iansez Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), now if Kopi could only get better at wrap-arounds…)
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A King for Life!
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
@meman, I sure hope so!
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Mars Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Better be. Brown too.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
@Mars, amen to that
Puckhandler Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:34 pm
@Mars, I’d love to see both their jerseys in the rafters some day
Nice to get a quite hones in there. Maybe DS is back to his old self.
No one should ever question anything DL or DS does in terms of moves or personnel. They won us a cup by doing the aforementioned. Have eternal respect and faith you armchair dweebs
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Nice to see the staff has moved past the idea that Stoll is a top faceoff guy. He had maintained that reputation for years after it stopped being true.
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bbb7 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:06 pm
@Schlock, Stoll still has the highest FO% among the starting centers but, yes, he’s not as dominant as was once thought.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
@Schlock, Jarret has led the team in face offs every year since he’s been here since 2008 and he continues to lead the team this year.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:13 pm
@Schlock, Stoll consistently is among the top 10 to 20 guys in the NHL in faceoff percentage. That equates to a top faceoff guy.
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Michael J. Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
@Schlock,
What in the “Schlock” are you talking about? Stoll is tops on the Kings, 17th in the league this year-which is a down year for him thus far.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20122013&gameType=2&team=&position=C&country=&status=&viewName=faceOffPercentage
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KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:41 pm
@Schlock, Stoll is without question a top faceoff guy. Kopitar has moved up to be as good though. Kopitar is so under rated in this league. If Kopitar was on Pittsburg, Boston or NY he would be on NHL.com non-stop. That’s okay though, hopefully Kopitar name will just have to settle on being on the Cup several times instead.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
@Schlock, I’m having a hard time figuring out what the issue is with a faceoff percentage of 54.3…it was 55 percent last season, so it’s really fallen off the cliff.
/sarcasm
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Been some good players that have worn #11 over the years with this club, but Kopitar is king.
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KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
@Belexes, Yep, I’m betting he’ll be the last King to ever wear that number.
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
@KC23, it would be tragedy if he wasnt!
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:24 pm
@KC23, Let’s hope so.
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” A paced team”. Hmmm, wow, Nothing quite as exciting as watching Ethan Moreau on the powerplay, Kopitar and Penner playing along the boards, and getting the puck back to JJ only to have the slapper blocked…again, and again, and again….
TM….Boo Boo Boo Boo
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 12:52 pm
@puck73, hey now … JJ got his shots through… its Doughty who always got his blocked..
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puck73 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 12:53 pm
@TeamJMFJ, Him too !!
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Forum67 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:46 pm
@TeamJMFJ,
It’s because Doughty takes too long to get his shot off and seems to prefer a slap shot rather than a wrist shot.
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Belexes Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 12:52 pm
@puck73,
ha, so true. Took some time to get some behaviors changed..
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bbb7 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
@puck73, Yep, VV and JM move more in one game of PPs than the points did in the whole season under TM.
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:13 pm
@bbb7,
Except for that one series against Vancouver where they killed it. Otherwise..yea
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Lake Forest Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:10 pm
@puck73, dont forget trent hunter
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:16 pm
@puck73,
I think he was referring to practices, no? And I can tell you the speed, intensity and focus of Sutter’s practices far surpassed Terry Murray’s. And it’s not like he’s a drill sargent out there (most of the time). He’s basically as calm as Murray but the pace and structure of the session is just so much more active and purposeful in my opinion.
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puck73 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:23 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), In other words…..TM, Boo ?
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:47 pm
@puck73, Hmmmm.
Neil Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:37 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), agree I only went to that one practice and it was fast….players didnt seem to mine..Results ??? Right???
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:46 pm
@Neil, For sure. It’s not even that they are ‘harder’ per se. They are just more purposeful IMO. You only went to that one? Come on now. Get on down there
jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
@puck73, I guess you never saw Crawford. TM turned the Kings into a hard working team and Kopi into a defensively resposible player. I am sorry you could not see his work.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:26 pm
@jet, He was an improvement…he just ran into a wall. Seems the book on him being a “teaching coach” rather than something more impressive kinda proved itself…and who starts the backup when the starter is rested and has three straight shutouts?
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“He’s the best all-around centerman that I’ve coached, period. Period. Faceoffs, last minute, first minute, penalty killer. Plays against everybody’s top player, whether it’s a defenseman, a center, a checking role or an offensive role. He plays 20-plus minutes. Doesn’t take penalties. It’s the whole deal. He can play it whatever way we want. Do you want to come and get me? Come and get me…He can play it any way we want. And you know what? The best thing about Kopitar is he’s getting better. And when they do the comparisons with guys that are like that, there’s only a handful of them.”
I shed a tear reading that! just beautiful!
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UpTheIrons! Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Me too, no joke!
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Going to the game tonight and sitting elsewhere which means I have my seats I usually sit in for sale. $35 each for a total of $70. Face Value they are $51 each. They are located in Section 328 Row 2 Seats 8&9. They are on the side where the Kings shoot twice, Handicap Section and right behind the Goalie (or as in football they say the end zone.) Anyone interested email me at jrosene28@gmail.com and I can email you the tickets or we can meet at the Gretzky statue and I can give them to you there. Once again email me and we will go from there. I will post here when the tickets are gone.
jrosene28@gmail.com
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Just one hot streak away from being securely in playoffs. Make it happen Kings! GKG
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jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
@Weasel, 14 sins
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jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
@Weasel, and 14 wins also
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These two games are actually pretty key in that I consider Phoenix a true bubble team; two Kings wins puts them 6 pts back with 18 games left and makes their road really uphill in ousting the Kings from a spot. A split means it’ll still be a fight for at least a few more weeks. Two Phoenix victories mean the boys are right back in the meat-grinder.
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Kopi is the best. Period. Park and Ride.
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puck73 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:19 pm
@vplaza, The Best? Nope. Actually its…Harens Coffee, smoked marlin dip, white pineapple, Browns on the beach restraunt. The Big Island of Hawaii…now thats the best.
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vplaza Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:20 pm
@puck73,
Yeah, but can Haren’s take a faceoff?
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puck73 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
@vplaza, No, be he can sure roast those coffee beans!
shiny Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:22 pm
@vplaza, no doubt
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We need four lines … exactly. Until we fix 2nd and 4th lines’ defenseive exposure, we are not going to win many road games. At home, Sutter can protect those 2 lines with changing the line match ups but on the road he doesn’t have the advantage. Our top line gets it done in both end. We need more from other lines.
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puck73 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:21 pm
@goldielocks, With Toffoli in the lineup on Saturday,
I thought the 3rd and 4th lines were outstanding! Much better balance in the lineup IMO. Hopefully that trend continues.
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goldielocks Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:51 pm
@puck73,
Agreed. I think how Toffoli complements the line mate in both offensively and defensively, is DS’s main focus.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:16 pm
@goldielocks, Despite the penalty, I thought Toffoli’s best effort was the backcheck that resulted in the penalty shot.
If you don’t want someone to score, best way to stop them is to shatter their stick.
DesertKing Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:18 pm
@puck73,
+1
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freezerflatten Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:55 pm
@DesertKing, do we really think quick would have stopped that penalty shot?
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:29 pm
WAT
McSorleyfan Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 7:09 pm
@puck73, Our starting “thug” had 2 goals… Balance? Yes sir, I think so! Hoping Westy’s liking NC… Not a bad guy but I’m happy to have been wrong about wanting an old-style enforcer around when I look at that cup banner.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
@goldielocks, Good thing they have 5 straight at Staples to work on it before facing a huge test in Chicago.
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goldielocks Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
That match will be able to tell where we at, Can’t wait.
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Kopitar is pretty friggen awesome, he gets some serious brolove here.
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Deke'r Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:51 pm
@MmmmYummy, ….thanks Carl….
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Kings are the best team in the league. They will win the Stanley Cup again.
No way any other team beats them 4 times out of 7.
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Niko Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
@go, Not with Sutter at the helm, he won’t allow it!
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KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:46 pm
@go, If we get a healthy Mitchell back, I would agree. If not, we’re not the same team imho.
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regulate Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:13 pm
@KC23,
Agreed about Mitchell. No Heathly Mitchell, no long Stanley Cup run. Our defense is consistenly exposed. It’s as simple as that.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
@KC23, Maybe Mitchell or Greene…but probably requires Mitchell.
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Go Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 6:01 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, disagree, kings don’t need them to win it all again. What they need is good goaltending.
They are basically the same dominating team as last year, just goaltending, Quick, has been worse.
I predict he will either get back in form or Bernier will lead the team to the Stanley Cup again.
Anze Kopitar is one of the best players in the NHL, certainly top 5 in all categories.
Awesome Kopi keep it going buddy…
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Michael J. Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:28 pm
@harty,
That I agree with you 100%!
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KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:47 pm
@harty, I’d say top 10, but moving on up. Recently he was rated 9th and the centers above him were pretty reasonable choices.
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Go Kings Go!
To the home first nap time, get some rest boys then go to the net to the net to the net, in your dreams and on the ice later on tonight too, then shoot shoot and more shooting keep trying always!
Go Kings Go!
Se ya later boys!
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Neil Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:40 pm
@gailweb, I did that for you on the last post !!!! LOL…
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You think Mike Richards would agree? LoL, was thinking of what his thoughts would be hearing that quote about Kopi. But I have to agree, Kopi is a special player….all-around game and one of the best attitudes, hard to beat. At $6.8 mil/yr, he’s a bargain and has played better than the contract he received (*cough* Doughty, looking at you).
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
@cup4kings, Im sure Richards would agree
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Doughty needs to be traded. Way to much money for him and he never lived up to the money!
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Jeff_R Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:38 pm
@KingsOfKomedy, You know where we be without Doughty right now? 6 ft under. It be a totally different story with Drew if Mitchell and Greene were playing. As it is he is doing there 2 jobs along with his own.
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Neil Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
@Jeff_R, agree DD is a stud….and a Stanley Cup champion…
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gailweb Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:43 pm
@Jeff_R, agree he is very good, and he just needs to go out there and stay calm and play his old game and have fun, he just needs to get the air cleared, he has been trying too hard
Go Kings Go!
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cup4kings Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
@KingsOfKomedy, I wouldn’t go that far
I’ve been more critical about Doughty and his play as much as anybody, even making that joke above. He is no where near a $7 mil/yr defenseman and he also put the Kings in a bind with his hold out. He gives up the puck in his own end was too much. However, he’s still only 23, leads the Kings in ice time (and probably most D-Men in the league), and has brought his + – way down the past few weeks. Yes, Doughty isn’t playing to his contract but I wouldn’t trade him.
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shiny Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:31 pm
@cup4kings, not that it matters, but I was curious so I looked it up. He’s 6th overall of defensemen in the league because of his total minutes logged (and everyone above him except Suter has played more games), he’s 2nd of all defensemen in ES TOI with 20:53/game (Byfuglien actually has logged 1 min/game longer than DD but has less total TOI havingplayed 3 games less than DD). The next closest leader is 20 seconds behind him (which doesn’t sound like a lot but we all know what can happen in 6 seconds or less).
He is 3rd in SH TOI behind only Shea Weber and I think Phaneuf. I was looking at it but started messing with the table so I lost track.of what I was looking at lol.
Pretty much matter how I sorted the tables, he was top 10, if not top 5. This guy is a.superstar and clearly Sutter thinks so.otherwise he’d get scratched
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
@KingsOfKomedy,
Future Captain. Future Norris winner. Future HOFer. Future jersey retired.
Worth every penny and more.
And yes, even when his jersey is retired, #8 will be available.
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cup4kings Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
“Future Captain. Future Norris winner. Future HOFer. Future jersey retired.”
So you’re saying you like Doughty??
I’m not sure about all those but I hope you’re right! Seems to me he’s regressed from that Norris campaign a few years ago. But he’s only 23, he’s not in best years yet (hopefully).
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:20 pm
@cup4kings, He has had to take on 10x more responsibility since that Norris campaign. IF both Greene and Mitchell didn’t get hurt, and obviously nobody knows for sure, but I suspect we see a different Doughty this season.
He can’t be who he is because his responsibilities on the ice have changed without those two. PK time has increased (biggest part) and he consistently goes up against the other teams top players, playing in front of a struggling goaltender, and a partner (whomever it is on each night) who isn’t at his level.
Yes, he has made mistakes. Most if not all from trying to do TOO much.
cup4kings Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
@mrbrett7
I agree with you about this year (although he had a lot of trouble with puck give aways in his own end early this season to his own admission). However the last couple years, he hasn’t had to do everything. The year following his Norris year was a considerable drop (59 pts to 40, -7 in + -)….hence the backlash he got when he held out. Then the year following his hold out, he regressed further (36 pts). I’m just saying he’s regressing, not just in points, and he’s not a $7 mil/yr defenseman…..not even close to being in the discussion for a Norris which is what that pay would tell you. Kings are paying him on potential at this point.
NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:58 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), I hope you are right. Sutter said the the great thing about Kopitar is that he is getting better. Can’t say the same about Doughty right now. There is this weird thing about some hockey players, and I hope it’s not true with Doughty, but their best years is their first couple of years and they slowly get worse and settle down to be “better than average” the rest of their careers. It happens a lot, Dion Phaneuf is one the comes to mind.
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Forum67 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:18 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED,
Tyler Myers is another. He won the Calder Trophy and now the Sabres can’t even move him because of hid big contract.
Michael J. Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:30 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
At least it will be available around here!
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Forum67 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:14 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
All I can say is if Doughty is worth every penny he is paid and more, based on what the Jolly Rancher said about Kopi, and based on Kopi’s salary in comparison to Doughty, Kopi is plying his trade for semi slave wages.
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mrbrett7 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:17 pm
@KingsOfKomedy, You certainly are a great comedian…
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King Alex Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
@KingsOfKomedy, You post is the reason you would never be a scout, coach or GM in the league. DD is 23 years old playing the most difficult position in the game and he is mentoring the entire defense too. Any GM in the league would drool over the opportunity to get him and pay him more than even we do.
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Michael J. Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:32 pm
@King Alex,
I believe that this tough year for Doughty might be exactly what he needs to become an elite defenseman every night. He is learning as much as his younger teammates on the blue line are.
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KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
@KingsOfKomedy, Remembers playoffs and winning the cup. I’d have to disagree.
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Forum67 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:06 pm
@KingsOfKomedy,
I am going to post this BEFORE I read any of the replies to your post. All I can say is stand by. Drew Doughty has “Most Favored Nation Status” for many who post on this blog. For me it is as plain as looking through a pane of clear glass that Doughty has not played anywhere near his Norris Trophy finalist season other than last years playoffs. That being said there is no doubt that Doughty is a very good defenseman. Seven million dollars a season good? Probably not. Best defenseman on the Kings? Maybe (Voynov would have to be given strong consideration for that title). Do the Kings need him? Hell yes, especially with Greene and Mitchell out). Will he still be with Kings when his current contract expires, and if so, will he be re-signed. Probably not and no.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:32 pm
@KingsOfKomedy, Oh, look! It’s the “trade him, he’s a slug and he’s too expensive” take.
For the sake of argument, let’s call him a slug (though people who know what they’re talking about say otherwise.) Who’s gonna buy this slug–and what are they going to give?
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MmmmYummy Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:59 pm
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, I’ll take him for a couple tacos then sell him down at the bus station for like $10 to the chick with the “Doughty – I want you STICK” sign.
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I remember his 1st game, 1st shift like it was yesterday. You knew from shift #1 this kid was going to be something special.
I recall early on saying he was our Crosby and kind of got ridiculed. He is our Crosby!
I don’t want to say he’s better than Crosby or some other guys, but just like DD, there’s not a player in the game I would trade Kopi for.
His hockey acumen is off the charts. He knows where to be at all times and rarely, if ever gets caught out of position.
He wasn’t always a great face off man. Early in his career he was downright brutal. Amazing what he’s been able to build on top of incredible god given skill.
I still think we would have won that playoff series if he would have played. Unfortunately when he went down, so did any chance of winning that year. He more than made up for it last year.
He will go down as the greatest King ever!
Eventually #11 will hang from the rafters next to the multiple Stanley cup banners that he will be largely responsible for.
[Reply]
LB Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:13 pm
@Nykingfan,
so I’m sure you’ve already answered this before, but I was wondering how you got to be a big long term Kings fan, living in NY ? Was it Gretzky? I know a lot of far-away Kings fans starting rooting for the team because of him…
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wobsse6 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:18 pm
@LB, Not to answer for @NYKingfan, but I too was a huge Ranger fan back when I lived there growing up in the early 80′s. Moved out here and so did Mike Allison, Ron Dugay, Barry Beck, Tom Laidlaw, Grant Ledyard, Tomas Sandstrom, Tony Granto…and so on…It was quite natural to turn into a Kings fan.
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nykingsfan Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:25 pm
@LB,
Andre St.Laurent..former Islander/Red Wing/Penguin/King
He wss really cool to me when I was growing up playing hockey on LI, so he was kind of my idol growing up.
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LB Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:14 pm
@Nykingfan, Oh and you’re right on point with your comments. I also thought the Kings would’ve beat San Jose a couple years ago if Kopi was available.
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wobsse6 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:15 pm
@Nykingfan, Thank you Dave Taylor
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DesertKing Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:20 pm
@Nykingfan,
+1
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BluLiner Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:25 pm
@Nykingfan, First goal – He went around Pronger, to the front of the net, and scored on Giggy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zdf-58cuMU
Definitely a sign of things to come.
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KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:51 pm
@BluLiner, Classic first goal. Beating a certina HOF defensemen in his prime outright.
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Forum67 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:27 pm
@BluLiner,
The best part of that clip was hearing the hated “Hazy” being forced to give Kopi his props.
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jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:31 pm
@Nykingfan, The only thing I remember from his first game was OD crushing some poor Islander trying to make the team.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:35 pm
@Nykingfan, ahem…cough…99…
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Maybe this will stop all the nopitar crap.
Man that one really bugged me.
I dont get why anyone would badmouth our team let alone core players.
I get the Moreau’s and Penner before the playoffs.
Hey whatever happened with Parse? I dont remeber hearing anything…..
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 1:57 pm
@Mars,
Parse is with NJ’s AHL club and is currently…yep…hurt. Don’t know if it’s his hip or not.
As for the names, I’m guilty of it. I don’t look at it at all as badmouthing. It’s all in fun to me. Droughty, Nopitar, etc. If a guy is struggling, he’s not above a little ribbing.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Parse update: I just noticed he was released by the Devils organization 5 days ago. Wow, that sucks for him.
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Forum67 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:30 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
I guess we will never know what he might have been.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:37 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), Ouch…I pulled so much for him to make it.
Michael J. Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
Doubty?
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:50 pm
@Michael J., How DARE you!
Mars Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:55 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), I get ribbing and frustrations, and I am not counting trolls and the obvious p00rmans either.
From the regulars I dont mind. From the like of @phil….well…. I kid.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:39 pm
@Mars, “Obvious p00rmans…” Yeah, well, the mushrooms come out when it rains.
Kopitar should have a CC on his jersey instead of a A. CC for co-captain.
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cup4kings Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:04 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED, Not sure about that. I think A is perfect for Kopitar. He’s not a talker, leads more by example with his play. I could be wrong, but I don’t see Kopi as a captain…which is not a knock on him whatsoever.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
@cup4kings, He’s not a talker, leads by example. Hmmm. Who does that sound like?
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Lake Forest Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), haha
NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:16 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), AHhhhh, let me think….could it be Brown?
cup4kings Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:20 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), OK, you may have got me there…but Brownie is waaaay more vocal than Kopi.
number 6 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:30 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com),
Crosby?
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:43 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), I recall this discussion from before. IIRC, Brown “needed,” in a sort of empowering way, to be Captain at the time. It was an encouragement to round out his character in a locker room that had Greener as an alternate. Yes, there was a lot of discussion and disagreement. Kopi has never “needed” that. Yet, leading by example, no one doubts the “A” on his chest.
Anyone else notice the glaring drop off of Kopitar’s shots of goal? Last year he averaged 2.8 SOG/game, this year only 1.7 SOG/game. Justin Williams has 91 SOG this year to Kopitar’s 44.
Any thoughts?
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wobsse6 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:21 pm
@CanadianKing, I don’t see him take the puck to the net much..keeps it along the boards a lot it seems. I would like to see him drive to the net a little more I think…with his skill I think it would generate more production.
[Reply]
Lake Forest Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:28 pm
@CanadianKing, any great player has high goal and assist points. AK leads the team in total points mainly because of his ability to read a play and make the pass.
How many assists does crsby have compared to goals? Same for the Great One
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KingMe20 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
@Lake Forest,
What are these “assists” you speak of?
- Jeff Carter
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jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
@Lake Forest, hmmm, the Great One was usually in triple digits in assists. Not too bad?
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Michael J. Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:37 pm
@CanadianKing,
Kopi is just getting back to 100%. His bum ankle kept his play way down for at least the first month of the season.
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KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
@CanadianKing, I think it’s due to Brown’s poor start myself. Until the last couple of weeks Brown’s play was marginal at best.
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jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:23 pm
@KC23, Look back and you will see the game Sutter moved him back to the left side, was the point of his turn around.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:45 pm
@CanadianKing, Did you also look at his shooting percentage? I didn’t “run” the numbers, but it looks like he’s shooting 30% less and scoring twice as much. I’ll take it.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Clarification: His shooting percentage is roughly twice what it was…total goals are on perhaps a 30% a higher pace as well. Assists appear to be up, slightly, as well.
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Another big thing about Kopitar is – how he’s able to stay healthy…except of that one freak broken leg injury two years ago. This should not go un-noticed. As great as Crosby and Malkin are for example, they keep getting hurt…and of course they’re of no use to their team if they can’t play. Durability is rare in the NHL and Kopitar is one of the few top star players that has it.
But I don’t believe in that stuff…
Hope I didn’t jinx him there
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:50 pm
@LB, Yeah, umm…last time we wer talking about how healthy he’s been…umm…yeah…
Really, I don’t believe in that stuff either, but a lot here do.
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But what does he think about Toffilo???
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I think I agree with either @Neil or @neil above that he would not trade Kopi for any player in the league – I don’t remember which one of the two actually said it.
Some might make an argument for Crosby-who surprisingly is sporting a +21 (Attn: Dominick a little help with Fenwick & Corsi please???) But, I don’t recall seeing Cindy back behind his own net mucking out the puck when his team is in danger. Whereas, Kopi makes a habit of doing it.
[Reply]
Neil Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:54 pm
@Michael J., actually neither Neil or neil said it…it was Nykingfan. But not only is Kopi a great two way player…he is a model teammate !!!!
[Reply]
Michael J. Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:58 pm
@Neil,
So, you are saying that you would trade Kopitar…
[Reply]
Lake Forest Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:02 pm
@Michael J., sounds like Neil states he would in a heartbeat.
Neil Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:55 pm
@Michael J., for Crosby?? yes….But that’s not happenning and Kopi is a great player…but he is not the top player in the league…
KC23 Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 2:55 pm
@Michael J., Crosby is having an amazing year. Can’t take it away from him and I don’t even like the guy. Crosby is clearly the best player in the league this year imho.
[Reply]
Osaka Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:38 pm
@KC23, I am not a fan of his either, but it isn’t even close, he is the best player on the planet.
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Osaka Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
@Michael J., Cindy is a very tough player who is defensively responsible. If who don’t remember seeing him back in his end then you haven’t seen too many Pens games.
[Reply]
LB Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:48 pm
@Michael J.,
The one thing Kopi has over Crosby is durability. Crosby comes with a concussion risk…many GMs might prefer Kopi only for that reason.
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Kingstane9 Reply:
March 19th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
@LB, size, defense, playmaking, shooting procentage probably as well,…
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just got a ticket to tonights game…GKG! GKG! GKG!
[Reply]
jet Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:34 pm
@BrokeKingsFan, Go broke
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@NOWIMPRESSED I responded to your reply on the last thread, sorry was busy with something and didn’t notice that you had replied. Hope it clears things up.
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I think it’s been hard for Kopitar to get recocnition because 1) he plays on the west coast and 2) he’s a little bit of an enigma. He doesn’t have the pound-for-pound magic like Datsyuk, the precision and speed of Crosby, or the scoring mentality of Malkin, but he’s good in every area of the game. I wouldn’t call him a play-making center, nor would I really call him a pure goal scorer. He’s just a really good all-around player and he’s not that flashy, doesn’t call attention to himself. I think he still needs to improve the scoring consistency and I’d like him to play with a little more of a mean streak when it really counts, but I hope he finishes his career as a King.
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LB Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:21 pm
@He Shoots, He Scores, I think Mats Sundin is the best comparable for Kopi…but of course Sundin played in Toronto so got a ton of attention.
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Osaka Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
@LB, Miko Koivu in Minny and Jonathon Towes in Chi Town play great all round games. I am not saying they play the same style as Kopi but all 3 guys play 200 ft of the ice very well.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:53 pm
@He Shoots, He Scores, Not a goal scorer? What he does, when he closes on the net, it’s hard to believe those hands and those skates are on the same body.
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Kopitar is a tremendous player in every aspect of the game. It is always a special treat to have a true star on the team you root for, and we all have that privilege with Kopi.
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That is the most praise for any single player I have ever heard DS give publicly and deservedly so. Brown may be the heart of the Kings but Kopi is the soul!
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Osaka Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:39 pm
@King Alex, Besides Kipper.
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King Alex Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:40 pm
@Osaka, Goalies don’t count!
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Mars Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 3:50 pm
@King Alex,
Heart and soul, I fell in love with you,
Heart and soul, the way a fool would do,
Madly…
Because you held me tight,
And stole a kiss in the night…
Heart and soul, I begged to be adored,
Lost control, and tumbled overboard,
Gladly…
That magic night we kissed,
There in the moon mist.
Oh! but your lips were thrilling, much too thrilling,
Never before were mine so strangely willing.
But now I see, what one embrace can do,
Look at me, it’s got me loving you,
Madly…
That little kiss you stole,
Held all my heart and soul.
[Reply]
Kopi is receiving wicked props on Yahoo’s “Puck Daddy” blog right now.
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That dude Andre Kopidor isn’t half bad either.
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Went to the game Saturday with a fellow law student who is a die-hard Sharks fan. He came away saying that he thought Kopitar may be the best 200-foot player he’s ever seen, and that he views Kopitar in the way that many people do Teemu Selanne: No matter what team he plays for, you can’t help but admire what that guy can do for a team. He said it just seems effortless the way he gets space for himself, and that he just seems to toy with those who try to get the puck away from him on the boards. The best comment he said was, “You can always hear his skates. Every step is strong and heavy, which means you can’t knock him down easily.”
Pretty nice praise from a guy who hates the Kings. I told him that, sadly, I had no such respect for any current Sharks player.
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vplaza Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 4:40 pm
@KingMe20,
+1 on the Kopi comments. And funny how he rarely finds himself on the ice, whereas Brown is on the ice on almost every shift.
And +1 on your last sentence…especially no respect for Clown.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
@KingMe20, I kinda like Doug Murray. We could use a Doug Murray right now.
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Quick is a samething then a closer at baseball. This year he has a problem. Now take the decision. Bernier is a hot hand and he has a closer. Wake up DL and DS
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 5:12 pm
<=========================
@Pico, Lots o' Goalie talk…right there.
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