The boys at Funny Or Die did this video for the fans. They sent it to me to share.
Click on the link and enjoy.
I chuckled.
Tag Archives: Matt Greene
Due Droughty and Ol’ Yeller
Our reader, Tom, brings you this article. It’s the second he has written for S&S and we look forward to many more.
“I don’t really know much about him. I heard he’s a bit of a yeller and I think that’s a good thing.”
That was Droughty’s quote before Sutter arrived, which Due spat out between claps for the birthday kid at a Chuck-E-Cheese off-day arcade day. This was probably his only chance to get out of the house in those old King’s pajamas he still wears. Since Sutter’s arrival, Due has really elevated his game, now at nearly curb level and expecting to reach tire-rim heights soon.
Am I down on Due Droughty?
Hell, yes.
As a salary leader on this team, Droughty cannot escape responsibility. Many applaud Due’s purported contribution as a high-minute D-man on a very good defensive team; I postulate that the team succeeds defensively despite Due Droughty. Continue reading
I Feel Guilty & Conflicted About Matt Greene
It started in the playoffs last season. Well, probably before then, but the subconscious voice arrived at the conscious during game one.
At first, I chalked it up to my own insecurities. I was being silly and immature. What do you mean you are falling out of love with Matt Greene? What has he ever failed to do for you? He is a provider. He is a protector. He is an inspiration. He came here when times were bad. He took us in for better and for worse, till trade do us part. We went through the worst together. Now, we’re in the better and what do I feel? Gratitude? No. I “feel” like we can do better. How dare I think that way?! Continue reading
Rob Scuderi Is A Funny Guy
As I read this article from fellow blogger, The Mayor, I had flashbacks of…
Tommy DeVito: You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it’s me, I’m a little fucked up maybe, but I’m funny how, I mean funny like I’m a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I’m here to fuckin’ amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny? Continue reading
Let’s Talk About Hickey, Muzzin, Voynov And, My Man Crush, Brandon Kozun
Thomas Hickey told Rich Hammond today, “I want to make this team really bad.” I laughed out loud. Kids today, gotta love them. He of course meant he badly wants to make this team. The question I ask is this – if not now, when? Hickey was a 2007 draft pick. He is on the last season of his contract. While “defensemen take longer” (a cliché made for Hickey), at some point you have to decide if this kid is good enough to make the big club or is he, to quote Surly from today, trade bait? On the depth chart, I put him behind Muzzin in development. Hickey seems above average in every area of his game. I struggle to find any weaknesses but I also find little that stands out about him. This is the problem with Hickey. He is the compact sedan of our defensive depth. Economical and gets you from point A to point B, but if you’re going win a race, pick up chicks or run over Ducks’ fans, you need speed, style or size to go with it.
Jake Muzzin. A smooth skater, good acceleration, he can hit, he can take a hit, plays with an edge and has a quiet dirtiness / mean streak to him that I can see yearning to come out. At the rookie camp, he was a man among boys. Today, he fit right in with the professionals. For Jake, this is his spot to lose but watch out for Voynov, because he is coming on strong. Jake is equal or better than Hickey in every area of the game. He comes with some big club experience (an intangible you must not underestimate with our coach) and he, with Matt Greene, give us size and a physical edge in our 5 and 6 defensive spots while Alec Martinez takes the top 4 spot. All of this assumes He Who Must Not Be Paid holds out. If he does, it may be, at this point, a coin toss between Muzzin and Voynov as to who makes the team, although there is still plenty of camp and two exhibition games left.
Vitaly Voynov can skate, if not flat-out fly. I saw that today with my own eyes. He has a great shot, with an unusually short wind up. I keep asking myself whether he is good enough defensively? I didn’t watch him as closely as I wanted to today but, from what I saw, he looked pretty not bad. I asked myself whether the fact he is an offensive defenseman, an asset we have plenty of, gives him a reasonable chance to make the team? But I then come back to, “what the hell is He Who Must Not Be Paid? Isn’t he an offensive defenseman?” If you had asked me a few days ago, I would have told you Voynov wasn’t going to make the team. Ask me today and I am not so sure. I think he may be neck and neck with Jake Muzzin as of this minute.
“Does Kozun do anything you don’t like?” Surly asked me today. “No…I love him” I answered. Brandon Kozun is ready. He is the fastest forward on the team and may be the fastest overall. His first step, mid-range and top speed are orgasmic. He can score from anywhere, as he showed during the first rookie game. That snipe top-shelf from the bottom left circle left grease on the cross-bar for 20 minutes. He plays to his strengths. You don’t see him hanging out passively along the boards waiting for the play to come to him. Brandon goes after the puck when it is loose and, when it’s on his stick, it’s either on net or fired tape to tape to a teammate. Kozun will score 20 goals if he makes the team as the third line right wing. “You’re freaking crazy, Scribe” you yell back? Bet me. The problem is, will he make it? There is so much competition for that 3rd line right wing spot and, unless Terry’s enthusiasm matches mine, Kozun may find himself in Manchester where he may tear AHL goalies apart.
Screw Dean & Don & Drew. I Care About LA Kings
Right now the LA Kings does not include Drew Doughty. As such, he can find himself a filthy little corner of my thoughts to rest in until he decides to wear the crown again. Until then, I will focus on people wearing the uniform I love.
So more importantly than all this other garbage, who is going to the opening of training camp tomorrow? Bobby & I will be there for a good chunk of the day, probably from around 10am until 3pm. We hope to see a good cross section of the 3 groups. This is our first chance to see Richards and Gagne on the ice in our sweaters. Tomorrow will be the first time we get to see Kopitar skate since that awful moment back in March. I miss the feeling of seeing my favorite King glide over the crisp white surface. Hungers will be satiated and some questions will be answered. We’ll get to see if Penner can skate for more than 30 seconds without getting winded. We’ll get to see how 3 year AHL veteran Voynov stacks up against NHL defensemen and forwards. We’ll get to see if Brandon Kozun can keep up with the big boys.
Until Drew is on the ice with those guys, he can do whatever the hell he wants on the wrong side of the border. He is dead to me until that time. This is not to say I blame him entirely for his hold out, not at all, it has nothing to do with blame but rather simple fact. The time, thought and energy I reserve for love of hockey and the Kings is wasted on him until he is again a part of the team I am so overly passionate about and to whom I remain so dedicated.
Bring on the gap toothed smiled of Dustin Brown and the awesomely tawdry jokes of Matt Greene. Give me a face-off drill with Jarret Stoll. Show me Mitchell and Scuderi disarm and frustrate all the kids leftover from rookie camp and show the youngins the ropes. I want Clifford’s intensity and Williams’ puck handling on display. How much better has Alec Martinez become? Does Muzzin stack up? Will Hickey finally make the team? Will Trent Hunter earn a contract? Will Richards and Gagne find chemistry with Brown? Who does Moreau play with in drills? Will one of Lewis or Richardson pull away from the other? Did Westgarth learn to skate over the summer? Will Scott Parse make it through a day of skating without getting hurt? How much muscle has Jack Johnson put on this year? Will the drills indicate Murray opening up the system and/or Kompon utilizing the skill of his players?
I expect a massive turnout tomorrow. I expect, no demand, that when I start the call to arms of “GO KINGS GO!” that you will all cheer on our boys with me. Loudly and proudly. Remember guys and gals, we are one. We are the 7th man.
There are more important things than Drew Doughty. Let’s enjoy them.
Surly & Scribe’s L.A. Kings Season Preview – The Defensemen
It’s September and the best part about September is that it is almost October. The 2011-2012 NHL season is on the horizon.
I generally find season previews annoying, mostly because they all say the same thing. Here is how they go: This player performed ___ last season. This season, we expect ____ from him because of ____. If the writer wants to add a little credibility to the opinions, he or she throws in a few stats. Screw that. I have something else in mind. Each defenseman will be evaluated within the parameters below and each such parameter is solely within our arbitrary and capricious discretion. Let’s get started.
1. At his best
2. At his worst
3. If only he
4. If I were to fight him
5. If Surly were to run from him
Jack Mother F’Ing Johnson
At his best, Jack is a top six forward (not a typo) who plays an efficient two-way game. If you are frustrated with Jack because he is not the prototypical defenseman, you’re a dummy. Judge him by standards consistent with his skill set – a force on the powerplay, offensive upside through the universe and the potential to not be a liability on defense. If he reaches that potential, we will have one of the best offensive defensemen in the league on our blue line.
At his worst, he is Terry Murray’s nightmare – aggressive pinches at the wrong time, giving the inside to rushing forwards, letting cross ice passes get through and, on the offensive side, sending slap shots high and wide.
If only he would focus less on strength and speed on defense and more on positioning & angles and use his lower body to gain leverage on the checks and pins along the boards.
If I were to fight him, distance would be key. I am an athlete as well, so his strength wouldn’t initially overwhelm me but I am guessing there is no way I survive if he gets a hold me long enough – enter cheating and cheap shots – if I can sweep the legs and do some damage while he is down, I may not get killed.
If Surly were to run from him, he wouldn’t get very far. Jack isn’t just big and strong, the Mother F’er is fast so I am thinking he has Surly in the first 10 steps and there is little left of my co-writer by the 6th punch.
Willie Mitchell
At his best, his style resembles water boarding torture – relentless and suffocating. He is the porn star of the hockey world with his long stick. Willie Mitchell was my favorite defenseman last season, until his injury.
At his worst, he is injured or just returning from injury and therefore playing tentative…or not playing at all.
If only he would remain healthy, we would have a rock solid defensive defenseman in our top 4. Mitchell is the glue that keeps the defense together.
If I were to fight him, he would laugh at my jokes and take me fishing.
If Surly were to run from him, he would catch Surly and invite him fishing…because that’s the kind of upstanding guy Willie is.
Rob Scuderi
At his best, Scuderi is a poor man’s Nicklas Lidstrom – exceptional positioning on defense, cuts down the angles better than any other Kings’ defenseman, clears the front of the net and doesn’t overcommit to any play. Now, he comes with no offensive upside, but who cares. That’s not in his job description.
At his worst, he struggles in the rough and tumble games. While Scuderi is no slouch, the most effective way of neutralizing him is playing him hard and physical.
If only he would teach that positioning skill to Jack Johnson…Jack would win a Norris.
If I were to fight him, I would wear a “support our troops” ribbon and talk about my positive experiences with law enforcement. We would become best friends.
If Surly were to run from him, he would probably let Surly go while he and I point and laugh.
Matt Greene
At his best, he is a young Matty Norstrom – defensively competent, physical, a leader on and off the ice. When the game slows down, Greene excels.
At his worst, he has a slow first step, poor mid range speed and is a liability when shutting down creative offensive forwards who stay away from the boards.
If only he would get faster – goodness, what a defenseman he could be if he had speed.
If I were to fight him, I would borrow Willie Mitchell’s stick and at all times maintain a distance of 6 feet.
If Surly were to run from him, Greener would probably crack jokes the entire chase, force Surly to slow down due to laughter and then pummel him.
Alec Martinez
At his best, he has flashes of a top 4 defenseman within him – great speed, especially mid-range (with a beautiful glide), an accurate shot, deft passing, solid defensive instincts, willingness to hit and be hit and a swagger all his own.
At his worst, he is a reliable bottom pairing defenseman. The kid has very new negatives. What a difference a year makes.
If only he can keep improving, he would be interchangeable between top 4, bottom 2 and could fit in any circumstance – power play, penalty kill, 5 on 5, defensive role, you name it.
If I were to fight him, I would kick his butt. Period.
If Surly were to run from him, I would tell Surly to turn around and go kick his butt.
Drew Doughty
Words cost money, especially great ones. I have been writing for you for 2 years. That is 2 years of quality material that has kept you informed, entertained and yearning for more. Here we are again. You are reading this article and enjoying it, as you should. But what about me? What’s in it for me? Where is my pay-day? Don’t tell me you’ll buy me a beer. Screw you and your beer. Is that what I am worth to you? A beer? I have paid my dues. I deserve more than, “hey, great article, Scribe” or “Brilliant, amazing, Chaucer has nothing on you”. I want financial remuneration, long-term, something that will take care of me and mine for a very long time. If you want to keep receiving the same prose, then prepare to pay the price. No deal in principles here…just good old-fashioned greed.
Drew Doughty’s replacement
At his best (this season), he would fit nicely in the bottom pairing role while Martinez shows his stuff in the top 4. He will give Terry Murray options so when Murray needs the size and strength out there, he will fit in. When Terry needs more of an offensive upside, he goes to Martinez.
At his worst, he will make mental mistakes. That just comes from youth and inexperience but, with time, comes that experience and I expect he will get better as the season progresses.
If only he can shine from day 1 and make Drew Doughty, in the short-term, look expendable. Nobody in their right mind would want Doughty replaced by any of our prospects during the season’s long haul but, for my team, I don’t want to see them miss a step as a result of Drew’s absence.
If I were to fight him, his mom Judy would kick my butt.
If Surly were to run from him, Judy would scream, “keep running!”
Who am I writing about here? Come on. The kid has skills. He has only begun to show them.
GO KINGS!
In Defense Of Drew Doughty
Drew Doughty has spent three seasons with the LA Kings. He made the team out of camp as a rookie, had a solid inaugural season and appeared poised to become one of the best young defensemen in the league. In season two, promise intersected with production and Doughty exceeded every level of expectation by playing like an experienced and perennial All-Star as evidenced by his Norris Trophy nomination, one that, if he had won, would not have surprised anyone. He manned the blue line for his country, earned Gold and was a significant factor on both ends of the ice for team Canada, a team of super stars. From Mike Babcock, team Canada’s coach:
“I think Doughty’s been one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League this year. I think he’s that good. I’m so impressed with how he plays offensively and defensively. Is he going to be star-struck at this tournament? I don’t believe that for a second.”
The Olympic stage showcased Drew’s talents. The playoffs affirmed it further with 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points in 7 playoff games – a point per game. He performed like an elite defenseman. Mike Babcock was right – Drew Doughty was one of the best defensemen in the NHL.
Doughty came into camp without being in top shape and then suffered an injury that affected his numbers. In the second half, he returned to form and was again one of the best players on the ice each and every night. He put up respectable numbers, 11 goals, 29 assists and 40 points with a +13. By comparison, the other star defenseman, Jack Johnson, had 5 goals, 37 assists and 42 points but with a -21. Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi were a + 4 and + 1, respectively, and those are the team’s defensive defensemen. Matt Greene was a + 3.
So, who is the best defenseman the Kings have on this team that consistently brings a balance of offensive numbers and defensive prowess? Drew Doughty.
Here we are. Summer of 2011. He wants to be paid like one of the best NHL defensemen in the league. He wants to be paid commensurate with his elite talent. What is that number? That depends on the length of the contract.
Do the Kings expect to cut into his free agent years? His prime? Where on the open market he will receive in the future, taking into consideration escalating salaries, a rising cap and Drew continuing to establish himself as a defenseman in the mold of a Niedermayer, Lidstrom and other household names, numbers well into the $7 and potentially $8 million dollar per season range? If so, then the Kings should be committed to paying close to those dollars now. If the team is not, then there is no reason for Drew to sacrifice those prime years, take significantly less dollars than he will earn at that time, solely on the boot-strapped premise of “necessity” to win the Cup. A $1 million dollar cap hit in any given season will not keep the Kings from being a contender and raising the Cup. If it does, then Doughty’s contract is the least of this team’s problems. The different between $6.8 million per season and $7.5 million per season is even less than that – a whopping $700,000.00. That’s a little more than what we pay Davis Drewiske to not play.
If the Kings aren’t willing to pay that amount for the prime years, then let’s sign a 5 year contract. Once again, why isn’t $7.5 million dollars reasonable for one of the top defensemen in the league? Are we really supposed to believe, using the same analogy, that $700,000.00 per season is going to keep this team from being a contender? Is 5 years too short? I certainly hope the Kings intend to win the Cup in the next 5 years and, if they will be a contender year in and year out, why the insecurity of Drew walking when he reaches UFA status? Are we back to money again? Then, pay him to keep him longer and the problem is solved. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t expect Drew to commit long-term, take away his best years where he will earn the most amount of money but, today, accept a big discount for it.
Now, if the Kings don’t believe Drew Doughty is “worth” that kind of money, then there is simply a difference of opinion on the value of this player to this team and that means the Kings don’t place top value on a defenseman that has proven himself as being the best the Kings have on each end of the ice as of today and is poised to become the most coveted young blue liner in the NHL. I don’t believe that for a second. If the Kings didn’t place such a value on Drew, they wouldn’t offer him a 9 year contract. You don’t offer nearly a decade if you don’t believe you have something very special.
You can argue that Dean Lombardi will set a precedent with other players if he pays Drew too much. But I ask you, what elite level forward, defenseman or goaltender do the Kings have that is one of the best in the NHL today and has a future as bright as Doughty? In other words, who is the comparable? Jonathan Quick? Is he one of the top goalies in the league? No. Jonathan Bernier? He hasn’t even earned a number 1 role with this team. As for defensemen, Jack Johnson is already under contract and nobody else even comes close to Drew’s status. At forward, our star centers are already under contract and none of our wings are generational talents. Sounds like a case of fearing fear and not a hypothesis based on common sense or the current state of the franchise. Now, if the Kings do develop a 40+ goal scoring top 6 forward or a defenseman of Drew Doughty’s caliber, why shouldn’t he be paid top dollar? Nobody is there yet…except Drew Doughty.
**
Why did I write this article? Today, I challenged myself to see Drew Doughty and Don Meehan’s perspective and this was the result. Did this give you that perspective? Did it make a dent?
THE ROYAL REPORT CARD, PART I – THE GOALIES AND DEFENSE
Harry Halkidis is a knowledgeable LA Kings’ and hockey fan, an excellent writer and an all around good guy. I have been courting him for nearly a year to join us at Surly & Scribe and he finally honored us with his puck wisdom and written words. Surly thinks of Harry as S&S’s third jersey and we hope to see much more of him going forward. Here is part I of his Royal Report Card. First up, the goalies and defense…
The Kings season concluded in April and the organization is currently in the process of conducting exit interviews. Exit interviews are an opportunity for the coaches, management and players to reflect on what went right, what went wrong, and what could be better as they gear up for the 2011-12 season. This time of year also enables fans, observers, critics, purists and experts to chime in with their year-end reviews on individual and team performances. To start, I will focus on the team’s strengths. Every player will be graded solely on their performance this season; no past accomplishments or what may or may not happen in the future. In the first installment, the focus will be on goaltending and defense
GOALTENDING
Jonathan Quick (A-): Quick was the Kings’ most valuable player. The first goalie in Kings’ history to register back-to-back 30-plus wins, Quick finished 4th in the NHL with a 2.24 GAA (among goalies that started a minimum of 30 games), and ranked 11th with a .918 save percentage (also among goalies with a minimum of 30 starts). The goalie is the backbone of any defense, and Quick was a significant reason why the Kings finished 6th in goals against. Although Quick has been faulted for allowing a questionable goal every now and then (something every goalie could be faulted for), but Quick stood out as the most consistent performer on the Kings throughout the 2010-11 season. The most you can ask for from a goaltender is consistency, and Quick delivered with above average consistency.
Jonathan Bernier (B+): The promising young Bernier had an up-and-down start to the season with some inconsistent performances due to sporadic starts. Bernier struggled seeing through traffic in front of him and had difficulty tracking the puck, but after a rocky start to 2010, Bernier cleaned up his game and finished 2011 with a 7-2-3 record.
DEFENSE
Drew Doughty (B-): Doughty had a seesaw 2010-11 season, both offensively and defensively. From the start of the preseason, Doughty was showing some uncharacteristic behavior on the ice that was not prevalent in his first two seasons as a King. He was playing undisciplined hockey, taking lazy or needless penalties. He was also reckless and at times careless in his own end, either being out of position, or haphazardly defending against an attacking player. Although some credited Doughty’s struggles from his concussion following a collision with Erik Cole in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 20, 2010 at Staples Center, there was speculation that Doughty showed up to camp out of shape. To add fuel to the fire, Doughty reportedly finished last in conditioning scores among all Kings players during training camp. Despite the scrutiny and pressure to exceed his monumental sophomore season that earned him Norris Trophy consideration as the best defenseman in the NHL, Doughty was able to turn his play around and prove just why he is considered one of the league’s top young defensemen at 21.
Jack Johnson (B): For a period of time, Jack Johnson was unquestionably the best defenseman on the Kings’ roster. Similar to Doughty, Johnson experienced erratic play throughout the 2010-11 season. Despite finishing third among defensemen in power play assists and fifth among defensemen with 28 power play points, Johnson found himself on the bottom of the barrel in plus/minus, finishing the season as a -21. Only six others finished the season with a worse plus/minus. Call it dumb luck or missed assignments, Johnson often finds himself on the ice when a goal is scored against the Kings. But despite his struggles with consistency, Johnson did display progression in all areas of the game, leading Kings defensemen with 42 points and leading the team with 133 blocked shots.
Willie Mitchell (A): When Dean Lombardi signed Willie Mitchell to a two-year contract in the summer of 2010, there were some questions raised on the health and durability of a 33-year old defenseman coming off a concussion that curtailed his 2009-10 season. Mitchell’s play in 2010-11 put those questions to rest as Mitchell proved to be the glue that held the defense together. Despite missing 25 games due to a broken wrist and a lower body injury, Mitchell’s contributions had a significant impact on the Kings’ improved defense. He also established a new career high by scoring five goals, tied with Jack Johnson for second most goals by a defenseman on the Kings.
Rob Scuderi (B+): For a second consecutive season, Scuderi was a stalwart inside his own blueline. The veteran defenseman is a quiet leader who is always counted on to play a shutdown role. While his game is not glamorous, Scuderi’s active stick and strong positional play helped reduce LA’s shots against average to 27.9 shots per game, good for third best in the NHL. Scuderi can be counted on as the Kings’ most dependable defenseman.
Matt Greene (B-): The heart and soul of the Kings’ defense, Matt Greene is always sacrificing himself and laying his body on the line to block a shot, defend a teammate and to protect a lead. Greene led Kings defensemen with 243 hits, good for ninth overall in the NHL. However, Greene was also prone to making some mistakes, committing errant penalties or at times getting caught out of position. Greene is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and brings his lunch pail to work; he will never be faulted for a lack of work ethic. Although Greene struggled at times against faster forwards and occasionally was caught out of position due to overzealousness to finish a check, Greene consistently provides the most physical presence on defense.
Alec Martinez (B+): The most surprising performance of the season came from Alec Martinez. Coming out of camp with little to no expectations, Martinez beat out a number of highly touted prospects in Voynov, Hickey and Muzzin to secure a spot on the Kings’ blueline. Martinez displayed a lot of poise in controlling the puck, becoming a regular fixture on the second power play unit. The emergence of Martinez as a puck-moving defenseman helped solidify LA’s top six defense. Martinez’s play will likely sign a one-way contract this summer, a reward that he is deserving of.
Davis Drewiske (C): It wasn’t that long ago when Davis Drewiske was in Alec Martinez’s place, having earned a one-way contract due to his impressive play, forming a solid pairing with Matt Greene on the Kings’ third defensive pair. After earning a one-way contract, Drewiske has played himself out of a regular rotation and found himself as a healthy scratch for 44 games. Drewiske has size, but never uses it to his advantage and often times was rattled from physical play. He may have found comfort in being the seventh defenseman on the Kings roster, but the 26-year old defenseman has regressed since his impressive showing as a rookie two seasons ago.
Peter Harrold (C+): Peter Harrold has been a jack of all trades for the Kings, having been used as a winger, center and defenseman. He has done an admirable job in his spot duty and does whatever is asked of him by his coaches. While his versatility is valued by the organization, Harrold does not necessarily excel at any aspect of the game. Harrold was a healthy scratch for 63 games and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
In the second installment, the Kings’ forwards will be analyzed.
JONATHAN QUICK STEALS ONE FOR THE KINGS 3-1
My heart sank when we went up 3-0. I tried to keep my emotions in check. I chewed on my LA Kings‘ hat. I lost command of the English language. In the middle of the second, the wife asked me how the Kings were doing. I barked at her. It confused my dogs. By the middle of the third I was on the living room floor making saves to each of the San Jose Sharks‘ shots on goal. Four got past me. Quick saved each of them.
When the buzzer sounded, I breathed. It felt good.
I am willing to forfeit the home thing for game 6 and stay in San Jose.
I should have told Surly to take a “if you’re a moron, chant Beat LA!” sign with him…or “9 out of 10 doctors agree that Beat LA chants cause incurable ignorance.” Alas, Surly doesn’t need signs. His text to me before the game…”This is awesome. So glad I came. Sharks fans have nothing.” During the game, “well, I’m having a grand old time.” After the victory, “whooooiookkoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!”"”"!!!!!!!!”. I advised him via text, “their fans will be as bitter as they will be ugly. Their women especially…” For the sake of our female readers, I will leave out the rest of that text.
Was I freaking out that the Kings were playing defense only since the first second of the second period? No…and yes.
Do I love Kyle Clifford almost as much as life itself? Yes. 5 playoff games to date. 3 goals and 5 points. Mark my words. We are seeing the dawn of a big game performer.
Did I laugh when Terry Murray called a timeout? Very much so.
Did I curse Matt Greene’s name in that third period? Twice.
Am I convinced those bastards in San Jose screwed with the game clock and slowed it down in the third? Yes.
Was I screaming for Sharks’ coach Todd McLellan to put in Antti Niemi instead of an empty net? You bet your ass.
Did I fall in love with Ryan Smyth all over again as a result of that back check? Chocolates and roses.
Did I consider starting a religion dedicated to Jonathan Quick called Quickslam with no virgins and the trinity of hockey, loose women and beer? Already did it.
Surly is getting drunk right now. I’m going to go pass out. GO KINGS!
KINGS, DUCKS, SWANS & INSANITY – AN LA/ANA GAME PREVIEW… SORT OF
So I just saw Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. Liked it. Been around the ballet for a while (blame my female), so the insane psychosis is not too shocking for me.
Got me thinking.
A duck is just a retarded swan. Malformed. Malnourished. Something went awry in the genetic line. It would be like an entire race of little people with half-brains evolving from humans. If such a thing were to occur, Orange County seems a likely candidate for such an unfortunate primordial ooze.
This thought then reminded me of a few people I met last Saturday night. They were discussing golf and asked me if I liked tennis. “No,” I told them, “just golf & hockey.”
Their eyes lit up.
“So you’re a Duck’s fan?”
You can imagine my response. A string of epithets cascading down my cortex, checked at my lips only by a mild sense of manners. Still, a burst of laughter and a quick “Are you f***ing kidding me?” made its way past my only partially functional censor.
The conversation that ensued managed to be pleasant enough. These two knew a decent bit about hockey, unlike most of their kind. I kept most insults veiled. Though I think this of a great many people I meet, I can’t help but draw a correlation between their love of Duckdom and the vacant, glazed expression behind their eyes that matched the jilted nature of their logic.
I won’t go into greater detail. The point here, if there is one, is that the Ducks suck and that my brain works in mysterious ways.
There’s a game?
Oh yes! A hockey game. Its been a while. I don’t count whatever that was that took place last Saturday on Long Island as a hockey game. So what do Kings fans have in store for them tonight as they conclude a three week series of road games in the motel they store their worn, tattered and kept mistress, the Honda Center? For starters, defenseman Davis Drewiske will see his first game action since the Nashville Predators came to town on January 6. That’s 48 days of wearing a suit and tie, for those keeping track. Whiskey will replace Alec Martinez in the third pairing with Matt Greene.
Also busting out his formal wear will be Alexei Ponikarovsky, who gets bumped in favor of world-beater Kevin Westgarth. I’m a little surprised that Westgarth has enough gas left in the tank to play after standing up so valiantly for Anze Kopitar after a cheap shot by Isles defenseman Travis Hamonic. One would think that the fully deserved beating Westgarth rained upon Hamonic must have tuckered out the Kings’ enforcer but no, Kevin’s mind is fresh after thinking really hard about doing something he never did.
That leaves the Kings with a fourth line of Clifford-Lewis-Westgarth to go along with the other three new lines.
Sturm-Kopitar-Simmonds
Smyth-Stoll-Brown
Richardson-Handzus-Williams
I will reserve judgement on these lines, but at first glance… me no likey. Foresight tells me that Williams is on the wrong line and hindsight tells me that Sturm will needs a few games to get into top-line speed.
Perhaps the Ducks aren’t the only insane ones in Southern California.
Time will tell.
Quick in goal. The expected solid performance from our goalie, a lucky bounce or two on offense and the least amount of rust from Sturm and Drewiske could just spell a win for the Kings.
GO KINGS GO!
**the article you have just read was brought to you by a delirious sick person and as such no responsibility will be taken for any weirdness but all disrespectful comments towards ducks or swans will be claimed as that of a clear minded individual**
KYLE CLIFFORD: THE LA KINGS’ VERSION OF A YOUNG ADAM GRAVES
From Rich Hammond in an interview with Matt Greene about Kyle Clifford, “one bad dude.”
GREENE: “It’s just a guy making the ultimate sacrifice. They’re trying to get the momentum going, and it’s the hardest job in hockey, for sure. He’s a guy who came in here, and both he and Westie [Kevin Westgarth] have done a great job for us this year. I think it’s lost on a lot of people, some of the guys he’s fighting. Thornton, I don’t even know how old he is, but he’s 12, 13 older than him, and there’s no fear. The way he goes about what he does, it’s amazing. It’s amazing to all of us, and you just want to let guys like that know that they’re appreciated and how valuable they are to a team.”
Answer: So that’s palpable on the bench, right? I see you guys banging your sticks on the boards, that sort of thing…
GREENE: “It’s huge. He’s got everybody’s respect in this room. At the same time, you can just tell from the way he approaches the game and the way he battles, that he will do anything for us. I know that I, and I’m sure everybody else in this room, would do the same thing for him, too. It’s amazing to watch him go out there and do it every night, him and Westie. It’s a tough job, and you just want them to know they’re appreciated.”
Kyle Clifford is developing into a very special player. Set aside the pugilistic skills for a moment. He’s 19. He is willing to hit anyone, be hit to keep the play alive, has no fear of going to the net, doesn’t hesitate to shoot when the puck is on his stick and he has a lane, is an excellent skater and, most importantly, has already gained the respect of his teammates. That is leadership in the making. That is a player who, down the road, may become the team’s heart and soul. Think Shane Doan, Brendan Morrow, our own former Adam Deadmarsh or, my favorite analogy to Kyle Clifford, a young Adam Graves.
Some question whether Kyle will be a 20 goal scorer and get to the top 6 forward spot. If his development continues at this pace, I am not sure you could reasonably argue to the contrary. Fortunately, there is no rush. Right now, I enjoy seeing Clifford on the ice. I do wish he would fight a bit less, especially the heavy weights. He’s no goon and I don’t want to see a freak injury set back his development. There is a nice skill set in that bad dude package and Greene is right, Kyle is one bad dude.
HOPE, SHUFFLE & CLICK: THE MYSTICAL MURRAY
All of the following quotes are from Rich Hammond.
Terry Murray on the buzz words “shooting mentality”:
MURRAY: Especially at an important time in the game, in that second half. There were not enough pucks going to the net, not enough offensive-zone time in order to get wins on the road. We’re putting a number up there, every game, as a goal that we’ve agreed upon. That’s shots at the net. They don’t actually have to be on net, and we’re off that number considerably. It’s a focal point every game. It’s something we have to be much better at, just trusting our game. When you’re playing against a team that is protecting the lead, like last night, the only way you break it down, that defensive structure, is to keep putting pucks to the net. You’re going to get second and third opportunities, because they have to turn around, they have to try to recover. So now you’ve got a 50-50 chance of recovering and putting more pucks to the net. We haven’t figured that out, here in the last few games.
So, you just want shots thrown at the net? Why not launch them from center ice? Probably get a ton on net. If we are below that number late in the game, send more from our own zone. Will hit your target number, right? But isn’t the object of hockey to get shots in the net? Isn’t that best accomplished by creating lanes through the middle to the net? Aren’t lanes created by spreading out the defense and bringing the defensemen away from the net? I am no mystic, but it seems that good and great teams use their skilled players to play a skill game, by carrying the puck into the offensive zone, backing off defensemen, making cross ice passes for one timers, sending defensemen down low and near the net while rotating forwards to open areas of the ice. You know…hockey. I am clearly nuts. You’re right. We should just focus on shooting pucks at the net. All that other stuff will just happen by itself.
On Matt Greene’s goal:
MURRAY: He doesn’t have any hesitation in his thought process, when the puck comes up top to him. He wants to get it to the net. The way the game is today, you’ve got to bring a lot of shots from the blue line and hope for second and third opportunities.
Ok. I want to make sure I have our offensive system clear. Dump the puck into the corner. Send players to the puck. The opposition pursues or is already there. You hope to get the puck free so you can get it to the half boards and hopefully outwork the opponent enough to hopefully get the puck to the point, have the point man take a shot that hopefully makes it through the bodies, skates and sticks, ultimately to the net in the ultimate hope that it generates a rebound. Does that about cover it? So, when the opponent has figured this out, double teams you at the half boards, does not allow the pass to get to the blue line and if it does, takes away lanes because the opponent knows that you are not looking for the cross ice pass, to move the puck to the middle of the ice above the dots and below the circle, are not looking to take any shot other than a point shot, your response to losing the puck and going the other way will be to try the same thing again the next time around. I see. There is a word for this but I’ll be polite.
Terry Murray on yet more line changes after the St. Louis game:
MURRAY: I just keep looking for that player to fit there with Kopitar. That’s probably the place I’m looking all of the time, with, what can I get here that’s really going to make that line have good chemistry, good feel and be very effective on a consistent basis? So that’s why I do what I do. I’m finding, though, that with Stoll and Smyth and Williams, they go back together last night and they had a good game. I’m finding that kind of consistency with them, so I’ll probably not touch that one in the near future. I’ll let them play. Hopefully everything starts to fall into place, with some results, but I sure liked the way they cycled and the way they had offensive-zone time. But the search goes on, with Kopi’s line.
Question: You’ve gone back to Ponikarovsky in that spot a few times this season. Is that just a situation where you’re hoping the light comes on, that something clicks?
MURRAY: That’s the right word, clicks. You just hope that something starts to click. Chemistry is a very mystical thing. It clicks or it doesn’t. There are reads, plays happen and there are some signs, obviously, in the game that you look for, off cycles, off O-zone play, off reads and support. Right now, it’s just not there. So I’ll see what I do after I finish up this afternoon, and start messing around with the lines again.
This is the same Ponikarovsky that you have tried on the first line before, right? The same one that shortly after you put on the first line, you decided would not work out…just because it didn’t…not because you were actually patient enough to give it some time. And that is because you are looking for “clicks.” That’s how chemistry works. It’s not like a mixing of chemicals and patience to let the right formula develop, it’s more…mystical…a sort of wiggling of the nose, waving of the wand or the proverbial snap of the finger and viola, chemistry. That’s why you never stop messing with the lines. Why the hell didn’t you just say that before? If we knew that sorcery was driving your line changes and game plan, we could have saved a lot of time on this site trying to make sense of it.
Let’s move on.
Our look at Dean Lombardi’s interview is coming up next.
TOP 10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO ALLEVIATE THE STRESS AND FRUSTRATION OF LOSING
Losing streaks wear on mind and body. They weaken our faculties and reinforce our negativity. Id overwhelms ego. If you let yourself fall victim to the torments of feeling your heart shatter game after game, one goal loss after one goal loss, you will soon find yourself to be no more than a sputtering engine, with flat tires… made of vegetables… drooling crude oil and crude remarks… the thing on your head that used to house your brain now just a cipher without encryption, a treasure map with no X to mark the spot.
So, to help in our common goal of regaining our strength and our sanity, I offer you the top 10 things you can do to soothe your inner chaos. Be forewarned, some are dangerous and once you follow some paths, there is no road on which to return.
Without further wordy adieu:
10. Make a trade, and do it quickly and without much thought. Trade your childhood memorabilia for a pair of an old man’s socks. I also suggest trading your girlfriend for a pick or two. Just make sure whoever is making the picks has nice, long fingernails to get good and deep inside your sinus.
9. Learn to do Buddhist breathing exercises, then introduce rubber cement into the equation.
8. Practice origami on your Kings jersey.
7. Get a massage. If at the end, she asks you if you would like a happy ending, call a timeout, pull your goaltender and then decline.
6. Strip naked, step into a quiet sauna with only your ipod and headphones. Turn on a playlist that consists of only Dean Lombardi’s interviews. You will soon find your conscious floating through a sea of tranquility.
5. Do your best Matt Greene impression – no, don’t crack smarmy jokes or stare at your cohorts without rhyme or reason. Go out to your local ice rink with a friend. You will need one stick and one puck (leave the pads and helmets). Give your friend the stick and the puck at center ice, and then lie down in between the face off cirlces, facing the puck. Let your friend do the rest. You will wake up (maybe), the sunshine on your mind eternally spotless.
4. Rearrange the furniture in your room to every possible combination. Alternatively, for the next three months make it a rule that you can never be more than 6 inches from a wall when moving about your home. Remember, empathy is the first step to healing.
3. Become a Ducks fan. You will not be welcome back, but I’m sure the devil will appreciate the extra soul.
2. Alcohol. Or more specifically, MORE alcohol.
And the number one way to alleviate the frustration of the Kings’ recent struggles…
1. Watch the next telecast on tape delay. Put your TV on mute, fast-forward through the game, stopping only when you see Heidi Androl.
If none of these work for you, if you are the stubborn type, there is only one thing you can do. Go to the game tomorrow and scream and cheer your head off louder than you ever have before, because no matter how much this team tortures us, dammit, we love our Kings.
GO KINGS GO!
THE TURNAROUND STARTS TOMORROW
Call me optimistic…or crazy…but my instincts tell me tomorrow night against the St. Louis Blues, our season turns around. What? Why? Come on. I know, I can hear you. Hear me.
Willie Mitchell is still getting his legs underneath him. He now has had two starts and several days of rest including the last two. A healthy Mitchell in the defensive fold is the glue that keeps our top four playing well. Without him, the defense doesn’t work because we have to rely on Matt Greene to play top four, which he is not, and too much emphasis on the kids, Doughty and Johnson, when they don’t have the maturity to carry the defense.
A better defense means less shots get through and less rebounds hang around in front of Jonathan Quick. Less of each around Quick means he gets his confidence and “swagger” back. A Quick with swagger is a goalie I would take over just about any other in the league. Jonathan is going to find his mojo.
Surly said something to me today that made a lot of sense. That doesn’t happen too often so I will share it. We were talking about Justin Williams and he commented that Williams needs a hot center to get and stay hot. Justin feeds off his center because one that plays with speed, gets the passes stick to stick, and puts the shots on net creates the recently elusive time and space for Williams to operate. Remember when Stoll was in fuego? That is when Justin Williams was as well. Why? Because Stoll drove the opposing defenses back with his speed and puck possession game, banged bodies in the corners, put the puck on Williams’ stick and visa versa and created room for Williams to operate through the neutral zone and over the blue line. We have an all-star number one center in Anze Kopitar who has been playing well all season and possesses each of those attributes. Goodness knows Anze has been far more consistent than Jarret. So, Kopitar brings back Williams’ game and any shots that don’t land in the net are cleaned up by our other winger who is offensively hot, Ryan Smyth.
I then look at Marco Sturm who for the last two games has been getting his legs back. He is making nice passes, using his speed, taking the puck to the net and has become far more positionally sound on defense.
A hot first line, Sturm playing better, the defense back where it belongs and Jonathan Quick returning to form will do wonders for this team on both ends of the ice. I think we win the next two, go into Dallas and St. Louis and kick the crap out of both of them and, boom, you have a four game winning streak.
I can feel it.
Good things are about to happen.
LET’S GET SOME!
I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING…
…and I feel your pain. But take a moment and reflect. The team before you is the same core as last season. It still lacks a sniper. Sturm? Come on. How many shots sailed high and over the net? How many went wide? It still misses a top four defenseman. It continues to struggle with inconsistent top two lines. It still misses the consistent necessary component on the left wing of the third. Why?
First, Willie Mitchell. Two of those goals you saw tonight (one by Hossa and the other by Doughty off Toews’ skate / leg) don’t happen with Willie Mitchell on this team. The Kings’ penalty kill shuts down the Hawks with Willie Mitchell guarding the crease. He is the glue to our defense. He balances out the top four with his intelligence, puck management and stick handling. He frees Jack and Drew (whomever he is paired with) to play their offensive game. He puts Matt Greene where Matt is best fitted, as a number 5, not a 4. I can hear you asking…so, you’re saying we win all of these games with Mitchell? No. Darryl Evans made the same mistake in response to my comments on Kings’ talk tonight. What I am saying is that we don’t go on these losing streaks with Willie. We win the majority of the 1 goal games. We don’t let those terrible goals against at critical times. Look at the Kings’ record with Willie. Look at the Kings’ record without him. Most of all, look at how we dominated and suffocated high scoring opponents with him in the lineup. If you avoid the losing streaks, you win more consistently and you hold your position in the top 6 of the conference while others fall.
Then we come to Ponikarovsky. This one is easier. He allows Terry Murray to run four lines. Without him, we have to count on players like Westgarth to play a game to which they are not built or accustomed. Without him, we rely too much on the youth of this team in the bottom nine. He isn’t the catalyst like Mitchell is to his position but he is the depth that we so lacked last season with an inconsistent Frolov and is perfectly situated with his veteran experience, size and speed to play on Handzus’ left side.
So, before you lash out at the moronic first penalty call against Rob Scuderi (which nearly had me plotting that zebra’s death), the head shaking Wayne Simmonds turnover, the freedom with which Hossa skated to the net and scored or the blood curdling Doughty clearing attempt that hit the progressively uglier and befitting punk status Jonathan Toews, keep in mind that the margin between winning and losing is very small in this league and the two pieces missing from the lineup are that very margin.
Then again, it may be easier to scream, “injuries are no excuse!” and go nuts. Hey, whatever works.
Surly is fit to be tied. I don’t blame him. I was so upset after the San Jose loss, I decided it best that I not write anything for concern that the article may read more like an explosion than prose. Eventually though, we all have to calm down, analyze and reflect. Do the same. Tell me where your mind settles.
KINGS VS ANAHEIM DUCKS GAME PREVIEW: ‘TIS THE SEASON
If you haven’t read it, read it now. If you have read it, read it again.
Corey Perry, Joffrey Lupul & Wayne Simmonds’ Revenge.
Let us not forget that a mere 2 months ago, Corey Perry and Joffrey Lupul waltzed into a Kings fans’ Halloween party, uninvited, and destroyed said Kings fans’ Wayne Simmonds bobblehead in an act of immaturity and jealousy that will be refreshed violently upon Perry’s pasty white ugly face tonight. You can help. Scribe and I will be there passing out posters and photos for you to hold up. Display them with pride. Reminders of Perry’s atrocities against Simmonds and Lupul’s against fashion.
For tonight is the night when the Anaheim Ducks trespass on Staples Center ice for the first time of the season, and while other may think it is the season of giving, when it comes to the Ducks, it is the season of taking away.
Take away their game. Take away their rhythm. Take away their goals and their confidence and above all take away their two points.
We often try to keep the cursing and foul language to a minimum here, but sometimes only one phrase will suffice.
Fuck these guys.
More poetically (ignore the pro-Sharks undertone, focus on the altruistic message):
So who are the water foul this year anyway?
Well, they are the team that despite having played 5 more games than the Kings possess one less point and two fewer wins than the more beloved of the Southern Californian hockey clubs. They are the team with a defense as tough as a blond curl on a infant’s head and as in control as a blind race car driver. They are the team whose suck surpasses its rhyme with their moniker.
Corey Perry manages to score a bunch of points. As do Getzlaf and to lesser extends Selanne and a disappointing Bobby Ryan. Beyond that, there is nothing. The one Duck for whom I hold the smallest bit of affection, Lubomir Visnovsky, is having a season worthy of the contract Dean Lombardi signed him to several years ago. I am happy for him on a personal level and appalled on all others.
Some of you may unpleasantly recall that which Duck fans will cling to until we rip it from their feathery dead fingers, that the last time these two team’s met the Ducks caught the Kings in the midst of a slide that allowed the lesser team to skip to their Lou all the way back to Orange County with a 2-0 win over the Kings. The light of luck can shine on even the darkest corners of the earth.
But that took place in another building. A cesspool. A shelter for the inbred and the indiscriminate. Tonight the game we all love will be played on home ice. Energetic ice. Ice which fans of the game flock to whether their team is riding a high or low. Passion exists here, Pride runneth over and Power is forcefully exerted on those who dare enter Staples Center.
The Kings are riding a 2 game winning streak and after narrowly squeaking out a win over the Edmonton Oilers in a shootout after a grueling road trip, enter tonight rested and ready to ignite the fire in their eyes. Matt Greene returns to the lineup and Jonathan Bernier returns to the crease. Two men with something to prove is a recipe for success.
Kevin Westgarth will sit out, because with the Frank Zappa moustache on George Parros’ face, no one can take him seriously. If Parros wants to ring a bell, he can ask Kyle Clifford to ring his.
I always want the Kings to win.
Tonight, I need them to win.
Its been such a wonderful holiday thus far. The tingling in my bones tells me it will continue tonight.
Fuck the Ducks.
Always and forever,
GO KINGS GO!
One more time,
GO KINGS GO!
Its never enough!
GO KINGS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHERE IS OUR INJURY UPDATE ON MATT GREENE?
I’ve admittedly been a little out of the loop lately.
I’ve had to speed through recordings of the last three games. I’ve barely been able to write a quick thought on the games, and my reading time has been drastically cut with what has become a much more busy than usual holiday season. So if my somewhat hostile query is moot, yell at me and then forgive me.
What the hell is going on with Matt Greene?
We can pretty much assume he is sitting around Los Angeles, head still spinning from what is most likely a concussion he suffered when hit hard by Niklas Kronwall a week ago against the Detroit Red Wings.
The last word I can find is from Hammond on the 17th, 5 days ago, before the game against St. Louis where Greene flew back to LA to get evaluated by our team doctors. Since then… nothing. Did the doctors not have an evaluation? Is PCS a big secret now, or is something else going on? The Kings have played remarkably well without Greene and Willie Mitchell, but these guys are needed back on the blueline, crushing forwards and dislodging kidneys.
Mitchell is apparently two weeks ago, according to Murray a few days ago. Not as much information as I would have liked, but its something.
I don’t think its too much to ask to get a time table for Greene’s return.
I’m hoping I just missed something along the way while I was out shopping for a family far too large and preparing a shoot that was far too wet.
CHANNELING RAGE – KINGS v. PREDATORS PREVIEW
Every smug face at the gym today looked like Steen…and forced me to turn away or risk imminent assault. At the gas station, a fifty something year old man with a St. Louis Rams hat walked to his truck…I suppressed the temptation of spraying him with the gas pump and launching a match. I must manage this anger at the 6-4 loss Thursday night. Medicine lies in tonight’s game.
The Predators. They are 8-0-2 in their last 10. Hunchback…blowback…camelback…Lindback, that’s the misbegotten name of Nashville’s goaltender who has danced with success the past several games. Bernier is expected to start for our soldiers. He is at the very center of my prayers. His success is the Kings’ success or Murray may ride Quick into the ground like he did last season.
Nashville touts 40 points, 6 of which are of the OT variety. They have played two more games than the Kings. Their powerplay sucks, their penalty killing is right there with ours and they otherwise match up pretty well with L.A. They also possess the no talent punk my fist to his face, Shane O’Brien, and pretty slick forwards in Steve Sullivan, Martin Erat and Cal O’Reilly. On defense is my favorite Pred, Shea Weber.
We don’t have Mitchell. I am still unclear as to whether we have Matt Greene. That’s a #2 and potentially our #5 off the defensive roster. Poni heads to the fourth line, which is amusing because two good shifts will get him right back to the third.
Will the Kings score first and gain the momentum? Will Kopitar and Brown continue their torrid scoring pace? Will Williams and Stoll regain their scoring touch? Which Drew Doughty will show up? Will Jack bring the mother f’ing Johnson on both ends of the ice? Will Clifford drop them with TooToo? Will Bernier shine brighter than hatchback? Will we win so I can forget about Thursday?
I think we will and I do know this. If the Kings lose tonight, God help the first bastard I see wearing a cowboy hat or humming a Garth Brooks tune.
LET’S GO KINGS!!!
WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALEC?
Not the Baldwin. Martinez. He has been a hockey godsend.
Willie will be back in about a week. Our top 4 will stabilize. That leaves Greene, Martinez, Whiskey and Harrold + a potential Muzzin but not likely with the already existing log jam for 5 and 6. Assuming Whiskey doesn’t become a fixture as a fourth line left wing (I am only partially kidding because we all know there are no fixtures to any of the Kings’ lines) that is four defensemen and two open spots. You know that one of those is going to Greene so that leaves one open spot and three defensemen. We could dress seven D. I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong), Drewiske and Harrold would have to clear waives if they are sent to Manchester.
What do you think? I haven’t wrapped my head around it yet.
SCOUTING THE DETROIT RED WINGS
GOOSE: “That’s him. Iceman. It’s the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes. He wears you down, you get bored–frustrated–do something stupid and he’s got ya.”
Transition. That’s the Wings’ game. They wait for you to make a turnover, make a mistake and immediately swarm to your net and then make you pay. By their position through the neutral zone, they are ready to expose the opposing defensemen willing to throw errant passes along the boards or down the middle. In the neutral zone, they stick check and dare you to skate around them. The Wings rely primarily on positioning rather than power to take the puck away and create turnovers.
Offense. This is not a team with a heavy forecheck or a cycle after the puck is stopped along the boards. Their version of a forecheck is zone entry and quick passing. Their passing is exceptional. Not just stick to stick but on the move. Rarely do you find the Wings stationary and waiting to receive the puck. Skates in motion, through the center of the zone or down low. The Wings are also the opposite of the “just shoot” mentality that permeates Terry Murray’s style. They do shoot and quite often, but generally from the center of the offensive zone or circle and only after there is a lane. Once they have control, it is not unusual to see two to three players between the hash marks, ready for one timers. Against the Ducks, every time Detroit had the puck, they were looking for that one time shot. The problem for the defense starts when the Wings gain that lane due to their zone entry and after they force the defense to move to cover the potential shooter. What happens after the shot? Unfortunately, they have five to six players willing to stand in front of the net and look for the deflection or rebound. This is a team concept and each line, from first to fourth, plays the exact same game.
The defensive side of the game was most interesting. Detroit will give you the first shot. They are more focused on picking up rebounds and clearing them through quick transition passes. This shows me two things. First, they have confidence in their goaltender that the initial shot, when seen, will be stopped. Second, they recognize that so many goals are scored down low so collapsing two players at all times near the net will limit second chances in those high percentage areas.
In goal, I don’t know yet know if we’ll see Jimmy Howard. He played against the Ducks and played well. If we do, we’ll see a small goaltender who is very flexible and plays high in his crease. His set up is also high but he drops quickly to his pads.
This is a very well coached team. In some respects, I am jealous. To see a creative offense and a team concept that doesn’t rely on slowing down the game and endlessly cycling along the boards but using the skill to optimum levels makes me question what Detroit’s style within our organization would and could do.
I know what you’re thinking, “Holy crap Scribe, what do we do?” Fret not. I was actually encouraged watching the Wings take the Birds apart 4-0. Let’s go through the keys of winning this thing.
No turnovers. I am looking at you Jack Johnson. If the pass is not there, skate it out and fortunately, we have good skating defensemen in Johnson, Doughty, Scuderi and Martinez. Greene is exposed and it’s important he keep the passes short and let our more mobile defenders carry the puck.
Play your offensive game with a tweak. The Wings are not built for the physical game. They are not a small team, but if the Kings can gain the zone entry and use their size to control the puck, we should cycle it well especially if they give us lanes and that first shot. None of this will mean anything if we are hanging out along the boards. We must (here is the tweak to which I referred) get the puck to the center of the offensive zone. In many respects, the Wings are vulnerable against their own style. Of course, that shot from the circle will mean little if Smyth, Brown and Handzus are not permanent fixtures in front of their goaltender. If the Kings create traffic, they will double that which already exists around the Wings’ goaltender. Also, look for Kopitar to get his body down low. Hanging out above the circle isn’t going to do it. That deadly wrist shot of his, with bodies in front, will be nearly impossible to stop if the shot is released around the low / inside circle and near the hash marks.
Quick will need to be sharp. Rebounds will happen. It’s unavoidable against this team. However, our defense must be ready with a support player to receive the pass. If Quick is giving up rebounds and there is nobody there for the Kings to pass and skate the puck away, we are in trouble.
Coaching? Not even close. Watching Babcock match lines against Carlyle was fun. They were jousting all night and both are good coaches. Murray’s admitted lack of concern with matching lines will mean our fourth line will sometimes see Detroit’s first, just like the game against Chicago. Henceforth, it is incumbent on our defense to avoid mistakes and therefore pressure when our best players are not on the ice.
Games like this can bring out the best of Doughty and Johnson or expose the worst. Games like this can kick-start winning streaks by bolstering confidence in beating one of the best executing teams in the league or test your conviction and send you back to the drawing board.
I am excited…and for some reason I have a XXXL shirt that is three Xs and one L too big for me, with a huge “RED WINGS SUCK” on it. Oh yeah…that’s coming to the game. It’ll be a flag I wave and, when nobody is looking, wrap around a bandwagoner’s neck until he admits he’s never been to Michigan, has no family there and only supports the Wings because he’s soulless maggot with no purpose in life and that’s after his girlfriend buys me a beer and I tell her “no” when she asks to see my long but distinguished…Johnson…Jack mother f’in Johnson who will have a solid game.
Fuck Detroit. GO KINGS!
LESSONS FROM A 2-1 LOSS
Per Rich Hammond, the players were locked into some grueling video sessions and critique of their game. There isn’t one on the squad who didn’t deserve it. Last night’s game against the Blackhawks showed this writer a team that was out of sync for all but 10 minutes of the third. When you consider how many posts the Blackhawks hit, we could have easily lost this one 4 or 5 to 1. The only positives were Rob Scuderi’s play, especially breaking up Hossa’s breakaway, Kyle Clifford’s continued growth, Alec Martinez’s surprising elevation of his physical game (“viva la raza!” as a fellow fan who regularly sits in front of me cheered at a big hit in the third) and Jonathan Quick’s consistency. The rest of the players can take a long hard look in the mirror and ask themselves a few questions, starting with “when will I take ownership of this team and my role?”
Terry Murray can also self reflect. Being out coached in your own building is a little embarrassing. Not doing a damn thing about it while your fourth line keeps landing on the ice with the opponent’s first is a bit more.
There is so much to discuss. Kopitar’s hesitancy in the offensive zone, a powerplay that has one set play and no secondary options beyond kicking the puck to the point for a shot, Brown’s difficulty in adjusting to the left wing (three instances of breaking to the right side – old habits die hard), Dwight King and Kevin Westgarth doing their impression of skating in mud and completely neutralizing Richardson as well as any hope for that fourth line to contribute, Westgarth’s one contribution of his face and nose to Scott’s fists, Handzus having a hell of a time holding on to the puck, Doughty playing the role of a grunt and not a skilled offensive defenseman, and Matt Greene clearly without his skating legs yet.
Alas, I consider the Kings fortunate to have only lost 2-1. This could have gotten ugly. Give Chicago credit. Once they took the 1-0 lead, they locked the door to the blue line and L.A.’s polite knocks were sent away.
Is it possible that losing two players could have such an impact on the team? Yes. This team, as it stands, is as good as the one last season, the one that just made the playoffs but couldn’t get past the first round. Willie Mitchell is the defensive glue that keeps the top four together. His veteran leadership was apparent from the first minute of the first preseason game I saw him skate in a Kings’ jersey. Poni had tremendous chemistry with Zeus and Simmonds. Despite Terry Murray’s clear belief to the contrary given his erratic line changes, chemistry can take a good line and make it a great one.
The Kings are at this moment a group of talented individuals that lack a nucleus and not one player has stepped up to take that “ownership”, not even our captain.
This however will pass. Despite seeing nothing but red (read: rage) by game’s end, watching the soulless fictional bandwagon fans that mirror those of the Red Wings and, like their heartless counterparts, will one day be supporting another flavor of the season, I am confident the Kings will turn this around. Gut check moments are defining ones. It’s time for this team to define the moment before them.
GO KINGS!
KINGS LOSE TO OTTAWA SENATORS AND ERIC FURLATT 3-2
Who is Eric Furlatt? Apparently, he is super human…and a magician. He is able to see at real-time speed what Toronto and multiple video angles could not determine after over 10 minutes of review. You can’t call Eric Furlatt a retard. That wouldn’t be very nice. You could say he sucks, but that wouldn’t be very specific. You could say Eric Furlatt is an incompetent baboon. That would be closer but, Darwin’s theories aside, the primate reference wouldn’t add much substance to the discussion. That is why we chose the word magician. His incredible eye sight which is able to slow down the game to 1/8th of its speed and pause it at angles that don’t exist within any video replay technology ever invented actually clearly saw Ryan Smyth’s stick about the cross-bar at the time of contact with the puck with 3 seconds left in the game. It’s refreshing to know that all of the criticism of officiating over the past three seasons and what some call a downward spiral of the NHL’s credibility as a result of the veterans retiring and being replaced with inexperienced and/or unqualified officials doesn’t translate to Eric Furlatt. Unfortunately for Furlatt, the “inexperienced” tag line does not apply as he does have nearly 9 years of officiating experience. I suppose we will have to settle for incompetent after all.
Look, it’s not just the officiating. Furlatt’s idiotic call as well as the reversal of Simmonds’ goal earlier in the game (when the Senator Matt Carkner intentionally pulled the net off the mooring) did for all purposes decide the game but when all is said and done, the Kings blew it…”it” being the lead they had 2-1. How many leads have we given up in games? A lot. It may be five. I haven’t counted but whatever the number is may add a gray hair.
As for the game, two of the Senators’ goals exposed two of our defensemen. Alfredsson made Jack Johnson look like Drew Doughty against Jamie Benn as he stripped the puck, spun him around and passed the biscuit to Michalek who tied the game with less than a minute in the second. If ever there was a momentum changing goal (as late second period goals tend to be), this was it. Unfortunately, Jason Spezza made Matt Greene look almost as bad close to mid-way in the third as he drove past Greene and beat Quick from a sharp angle. Bad goal? Yes.
Hey, the Kings’ powerplay finally produced…that’s something, I suppose.
Finally, remember when I wrote that it will only be a matter of time before our mad scientist coach Terry Murray puts Simmonds on the first line? There you had it tonight. Murray put Brown with Richardson and Lewis and Simmonds with King and Kopitar. Expect this musical lines to continue until the Kings find a way to win, even though the line changes rarely, if ever, have any impact on the game result.
There is so much more I could write about this game but quite bluntly, the officiating has me seeing red right now…with that, I leave it to you to comment, question and vent, as you wish.
GO KINGS!
KINGS @ OTTAWA SENATORS GAME PREVIEW
Here we go again with one of those must/should/better/will-win games.
While not one of the teams stuck in the 2010 fall doldrums, the Ottawa Senators are a below .500 team with a record of 9-10-1 through 20 games. Any team under .500 is a team the Kings need to walk up to, bitch slap, and go home with their kickball and 2 points. They failed to do this against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, failing to do so twice on the same road trip is not in the realm of acceptability. Particularly with a very good Montreal team coming up on Wednesday, the Kings’ must win tonight to ensure they come home with at least a .500 record of their own on the road. But we will let Bernier and the Kings worry about Montreal tomorrow. For now, impeaching the Senators is a contained singularity of purpose.
A few words about the home team.
The Senators have a decent powerplay and a less than decent penalty kill, at 17.6% (13th in the league) and 80.5% (20th) respectively. This matches up well for the Kings who look to get both of their own specialty team units back on track, or in the case of the powerplay, out of the junk yard and on the tracks in the first place. The Kings defense also looks to get back to a place where it is not blowing coverage on important shifts and, again, this bodes well in terms of matching up with the Senators. Ottawa has about half of a first line, a third line and two fourth lines. Wonder what that means? Take a look at the Senators’ roster and figure it out. They have two dangerous forwards in Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson and two weapons on defense in Sergei Gonchar and youngin’ Erik Karlsson. Otherwise you have a bunch of jerks and jokers in Chris Neil, Jarkko Ruutu, Matt Carkner and Jesse Winchester. This would be one of those games where Kevin Westgarth is a necessary evil, though I expect Kyle Clifford to go toe-to-toe with one of the aforementioned d-bags.
If the Kings forwards can pressure the points to keep Gonchar and Karlsson in a state of frequent distress and Matt Greene keeps up the punishing fire that overwhelmed him in the third period against the Boston Bruins, then the Kings should skate to a victory akin to those won in the first three weeks of the season.
Kings will ice the same lineup as Saturday.
Also, the Senators have crappy jerseys (though their thirds are pretty cool).
Always and forever,
GO KINGS GO!
