How bitter was that pill last night? How much were you in shock and disbelief that the Kings lost that game in that fashion? How many of you realize THAT was not the real reason we lost. We should have never been in that position in the first place.
Terry Murray says “I liked the effort in the first period…”. Really? Is being down 2-0 and outplayed 15 of 20 minutes something you like? Unless you’re Yogi Berra or phrased that in the form of a sarcastic question, I have SERIOUS doubts that you should continue on as coach of this team. Look Terry, I get defending your guys and highlighting the positive, but whatever happened to that hockey player mystique: Guys that are honest, passionate, great, down-to-earth people who not only can handle the truth, but routinely dish it out in an almost charming way.
Why are we coddling this team’s emotions?!?! These are HOCKEY players, not FOOTBALL or BASKETBALL crybabies! They can handle it! Let ‘em have it! (Hell, let me do it and you can blame any further problems on that crazed fan/blogger guy). Whatever it takes to convey the emotions necessary to elevate this team’s game!
Last night, our Kings played 25 minutes out of 60 and the look of shock and disappointment on their faces after Bobby Ryan’s fluky (but full of effort and deserved) goal tells me that somewhere in their minds they should have won, or at least got to OT. Now don’t get me wrong, I WANT my team to always believe they can win no matter what, but Dustin Brown’s comments after the game (Which you can read here on the Insider: http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/12/06/brown-postgame-quotes-dec-6/) sound a WHOLE LOT like Terry Murray explaining what happened. At this point of the season, if my team is one of the worst in the NHL in goal scoring, especially in the 1st period where leads are SO important in the new NHL, I’d be showing some serious emotion about what’s going on. Now Dustin Brown’s personality is low key, but you’re our CAPTAIN man! You are the emotional measuring stick of this team by default. Confidence is dropping, fundamentals are being forgotten on the ice and your team hasn’t played a complete 60 minute game in a while! If we have the players as you say (Which I completely agree with), THEN PROVE IT! PLEASE!
How much do you all miss Mike ‘Tenacity’ Richards & Willie ‘Big Stick’ Mitchell right now? I sure as hell missed them last night.
We lost against the Ducks because we played 25 of 60 minutes. The Ducks completely dominated the second period. We finally woke up in the third and had them seriously reeling. The effort by Bobby Ryan won it for them, but we should not have been in that tight situation to begin with!
If the Kings had the Ducks offensive system and the Ducks had the Kings defensive system, those two teams would both be top 5 in the league! Yes, I’m serious. The Ducks can score goals, but can’t hold leads. The Kings don’t allow goals goals but can’t hit the broad side of Staples Center. Can the coaches possibly watch some game tape on Anaheim and their attack strategies and learn a few things? We have the defense here to handle it. I’d LOVE to see the Kings pressure defenses like the Ducks do.
A few game notes:
Dustin Penner had his best game of the season. It still needs work, he’s half-assing passes in his own zone, he’s still playing tenative in the neutral at times, but he is showing a lot more speed, parking it in front of the net, and using his size on the boards better. KEEP GOING!
Slava Voynov had a few mistakes last night, but this kid knows how to read a play! His goal was all about that. He’s not afraid to get dirty, he’s aggressive, and has even more ice vision than I thought. 1/2 our team should play with this kid’s confidence.
Justin Williams & Jarret Stoll – Nice finish boys. Good way to break a slump
Andrei Loktionov – Did he even see ice time in the 3rd? Wondering if we’ll see Trevor Lewis or Brad Richardson as the 3rd line center on Thursday. When Richards is back, He’ll be in Manch. He’s just not making things happen. Has nothing to do with his wingers either.
Jonathon Quick – Had a ‘Mr. Softee’ moment, but the way he’s played this year, not even an issue. Twice this guy has been on hot streaks just to have them interrupted by Coach Murray to give Bernier ‘Some Work’. This after Murray said he would ’Play the hot hand this year’ as opposed to penciling in goalies on the schedule. As mellow and calm as JQ is, that has got to mess with your head a little.
There is a MAJOR pschyological dilemma with this team. That falls on the coach and leadership group (Which is under the coach). The only two things I want for Christmas:
1) An effective offensive system, and
2) A hockey team with a Detroit Red Wings mentality: Accountability FIRST, Forgiveness LATER. It’s about winning the Cup, not feeling good while trying.
Gosh Cynic.. I wish YOU were the coach.
Awesome perspective, you have great hockey sense.
Flat out, the team has the wrong leadership. The wrong coach, and the wrong Captain. (And I’m beginning to think the wrong GM for not FIXING it — and maybe even the wrong President/owner for not fixing THAT!) Sure, we’ll win games here & there, but that’s still going to ultimately translate to a lack of success in the long run.
I sometimes wish I was a Red Wings fan. What would there be to complain about? Great management, great leadership, and just an overall great hockey sense on the ice AND off the ice. The Kings organization, as a whole, just doesn’t have “it.”
To DL’s credit, getting Mike Richards was brilliant. That is a key piece that WILL help you toward the ultimate goal. You need a lot more players like him, though. In my mind, he is the captain of this team. (And I’m sure, in several of the players’ minds too)
Wow, thanks Scot! I’m not always right by a longshot, but I love hockey. I can think of a bunch of posters who could fill that role better than me. I’ll have to make that staff roster list someday.. LOL!
Dustin Brown is a leader by example. He IS a leader, just not THE leader in my opinion. He doesn’t have the personality for it, but I dig DB! He is 100% a King. I want him to retire as one.
I have a little insider first hand knowledge that the front office IS the group to take us all the way. I was VERY fortunate to get to have lunch with Luc Robitaille in a small private setting where literally I was the ONLY GUY willing to talk hockey with him. We got to talk for over 30 minutes just about hockey. He told me the story of his year in Detroit and the attitude from the towel boys all the way to the President of the club was exactly the same: “I’ll do whatever you want Mr. Robitaille, as long as you win us a Cup.” There’s more to that story. I’ll post it up here one of these days. Luc wants that same mentality here and has already started the ball rolling. DL to the top are all of the same thought. It took Detroit 10 years to get there, we’re at 5. I think we’ll get there faster than 10, but it’s tough when you’ve waited so long.
Thanks for reading and the compliment!
wow, Cynic…(!)
hit ‘em where it hurts…
last night’s game was a huge disappointment…and yr assessment of how they played and what they lacked is spot-on…
as for the “it’s always sunny at staples center” mantra of murray and brownie…:
that’s always gonna be these guys personalities…i know peeps have issues with tm’s decaffeinated responses and brownie’s inability to expose his forehead vein in interviews…but i don’t think there are many nhl’ers, if any, today that are gonna rock the mic without the pantyhose during interviews…
he and the whole darn team can eliminate these types of discussions by us off the ice if they were to do something more tangibly obvious on the ice…i know that’s what fans want to see – raw emotion and inspired 60 minute efforts…
i just want to see more scoring, but i’m not sure we are gonna get that part of the game ever up to our expectations this year…
You’re right regarding the interviews, but Hiller went pretty commando on his boys the other day. There’s a time and a place for that and Hiller just had enough. Honestly the Ducks needed to be called out by someone. Hiller, being as quiet as he is doing it, made the statement that much more emphatic. It seemed to help the Ducks the first 2 periods (and the last minute).
I think when the Team Captain is continuing to making generic comments after an extended history of repetetive negative issues, there’s a deeper problem than the issues themselves. DB is not going to change who he is and I would not expect him to.
I would, however expect the COACH to change who he is though. That’s a pre-requisite of coaching for crimeny sakes! If you can’t grow, adapt and change more than your players, how are you going to set the example for them to move forward? If the team’s current stagnancy isn’t pure proof of this point, then I’m not sure what a better example would be.
Now that the closet door is open V, I SWEAR if I see you rockin’ pantyhose at the next suite event, they better be on Heidi Androl or a reasonable equivalent or I’m calling the Staples Center Fashion Police!
The way I look at it, when you take the team as a whole, they seem really great. Then you do the breakdown player by player and they are all so streaky. You know? One is “on” while the next is slumping.
I’m the first to put blame where it lies, but not sure it all lies on Murray. I’m not a fan of his anymore but this is more than just TM. The team is not cohesive. What can we do to get everyone on the same page? Player changes? Coach changes? GM changes?
You note the looks on their faces last night. I see that too. A collective wtf? The players don’t even know what to do to change this roller coaster of crap.
I’ve been through this for so many years, at least its not surprising to me. I just want my Kings to do better!!!