Murray, on lineup changes

Here’s what Terry Murray said, after today’s skate, about his lineup changes for Game 2 tonight…

MURRAY: “I feel the reasoning applies to Jones and Justin Williams. I need them to have a bigger bite in the game. Both players are veteran guys. We added players such as Williams and Jones to be important players at this time of the year. I think, on Williams’ side of it, unfortunately with his severe leg injury, he has worked very hard to get himself back to the level of game that he was playing before the injury. There have been games that I have seen that play, but it’s just not there right now. It’s a very drastic move, I know. It’s a hard move for a coach to make. It’s one of the hardest things you do as a coach, is take a veteran player out of the lineup and try to get the player to understand why. But it’s Game 2. Right now, it’s about winning the game. It’s not about feelings. I’m trying to do the right thing to help the Los Angeles Kings win this second game.

“With Raitis, I liked Raitis’ game. I like what he’s been doing in the last several games that he has played. He has actually calmed down, settled down, relaxed, handling the puck more, making plays. In fact, I liked what he did in the first period. He had a scoring opportunity, screening the goaltender. I’m looking at making a change there, on the fourth line, to give me an opportunity to play some more minutes from that group. It’s four minutes, five minutes with Raitis, only, and I think I can go deeper into the game with that kind of a look.”