alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />Terry Murray’s postgame thoughts…
(on whether he was more impressed with the Kings’ offense or defense…)
MURRAY: “The defensive part of the game. That’s a good thing. You have to do that. When you get into these kinds of games, the remaining part of the season, it’s always about the checking and defensive structure that you show. Holding teams to a fewer number of shots is always the read that I make on our hockey club.”
(on Frolov’s game…)
MURRAY: “He played an outstanding game. He gave us a big effort in all areas of the game. His strength, obviously, what was see every game, is down below the dots in the offensive zone. His cycle, his holding onto the puck in one-on-one situations, he was showing his complete game tonight. Lots of speed. I like to see that. That’s one of the reasons, one of the thoughts, I had for putting him on the right-wing side, that we might get more out of that part of the game from him. I liked his effort. … His work through the practices (coming out of the Olympic break), he was pushing hard, showing a lot of speed and quickness and puck-possession plays. It’s nice to see.”
(on whether Frolov is playing like he’s trying to prove something…)
MURRAY: “This is a big, big time, a big measuring-stick time for all players, all teams. When you get into where we are in the standings, and trying to keep pushing up and trying to develop that playoff attitude as we go forward, this is a huge time. This is where we get the right read off people, who is going to compete, who is going to get the job done. This is his contract year. We all know that, and I’m really pushing him. I hope he keeps playing the kind of game he showed here tonight. It will be a positive result for him.”
(on the negatives of a lopsided game…)
MURRAY: “When you get into these kind of games, between periods, you’re talking to your team about maintaining focus, structure, good habits, doing the right things, all of the cliches that you want to keep pushing, to maintain that attitude going forward from this game. We know who the next opponent is. It’s going to be a real difficult game. It’s one of the best teams in the league and we’re going to have to make sure we’re doing all the right things.”
(on what improved on the power play tonight…)
MURRAY: “More of a shot mentality. Net presence was pretty consistent and we scored. Obviously the end result is always what you’re looking for. I really felt that the full length of the ice, the breakouts, the passing of the puck was crisp. The ice got a little heavy there at the end of the first period, and I thought we should have read that and got more pucks to the net when we were still looking to pass it. But we got back at in the second and the third.”
Thank god Nick Nickson was calling the game.
I like Jim for his knowledge but having him call the last game, I believe, is what caused the kings to lose. His adrenalin-packed play-by-play sucked all of the air out of the Staples Center, leaving the kings gasping for breath and unable to sustain any energy or focus….
@rontheking, Lol. Nixon is great at what he does, calling games. Jim is more of a co-pilot, does the replay part of the game.
@rontheking,
uh, since when are the people in Staples Center listening to the play by play on the telecast or radio?
Only old dudes come in with their AM/FM radio and headphones.
And, what the hell was with the crowd tonight and the organ guy?
We were playing great and the place was dead. Where were the heckling organ cues? or the columbus sucks organ cues?
I know teh blue jackets were playing pathetic hockey and it may be mean to rub it in…but, give me a break, the crowd needed those cues. They weren’t involved at all and felt like they had nothing to do.
@Gary Livingston, i’ve never heard the organ guy do the suck chant with a shutout on the line. As far as the crowd not having anything to do, there is always $10.75 to spend on beer…
@Gary Livingston,
Where do you sit. I have season tickets in the cheap seats, but usually like to upgrade and buy packages that are a bargain. I like the 100 level, but it lacks the lively crowd. Its full of people that just like to be seen at games, and the premier section forget it its half empty and the people their look at you funny if you yell for your team like its in appropriate or something. 200 level probably has the best mix of diehard fans and a good view of the game, but its too hard to get a feel for the game when teams are at the other end. I was in row 6 of the 301 section for this game and the crowd was good and loud. Does a knowledgable fan really need queques from the organist?
SIGN FRO, we should have done it mid-season when we could have likely convinced him 3.5 mil a year was good. He has always been a hot/cold type player and now he is HOT. I hope he stays hot thru all the way and thru the playoffs. I think Frolov has a shy personality, and he tends to be a pass first player, but when he gets on a roll he shoots way more and tends to take full advantage of his puck skills to get into the shooting areas. He just scores more when he is agressive which is true of all players its just way more drastic with Fro. When he is cold he is still a good play maker and solid defensive forward, but when he’s hot he is Jagr-ish.
@luc20rules, i know PLENTY of die hards in the 100’s. money and seats don’t make a fan, a team does. we have this convo on LGK all the time. sure the 300’s are great, but i love any seat at staples. if someone looks at you funny cause you yell, yell louder! who cares? you’re at a game and you’ll probably never see that person again!
I don’t think it’s fair to be hard on Jim. I thought he did a remarkable job in a pinch, actually. Sure, we love Bob and Nick–but they’re Bob and Nick, and they’ve been doing it a LONG time!
@luc20rules, yeah part of me wasn’t too concerned about keeping Fro after this year…but if the guy keeps playing like this…he’s a keeper for sure! just keep signing him to 1 year contracts to he keeps it up. lol.
@Gary Livingston, we’ve been listening on our little sonys at Kings games since the 80s Gary. Sorry to disappoint, but sometimes it’s fun for us “old dudes” to listen to Nick call the action and let us know when we might miss something on the ice and yes me and my friends are die-hards, been dying a long time with the Kings but always the hope the Kings will win Lord Stanley some day and I can be at the parade with my Butch Goring jersey on. Let me guess, you’re one of those Wayne Gretzky band-wagon fans?
next on Fox (no pun intended): When King Fans Attack, 4
@Gary Livingston
LOL. I’m not a dude and I’m not that old and often listen to the Bob & Jim play by play at the games because I don’t want to miss out on their broadcast since I have season tickets and otherwise wouldn’t hear them. In addition to calling the game they also provide background on the opposing team that I wouldn’t otherwise know and besides that they’re entertaining to listen to. Perhaps there was no excitement in the arena last night because the game was too lopsided to create any tension in the crowd?
@Goring19
I’l admit that I started watching the Kings after the Gretzky trade, but since I’ve been following them for almost 20 years, can I stop being considered a band-wagon fan? LOL
Fro has been and is key to this teams success. I hope DL signs him this summer. If he doesn’t I’m afraid our puck possession time is gonna go down down down.
@Gary Livingston,
actually i’ve noticed they haven’t done the organ suck chant at all when we played columbus this year. I guess they don’t want people screaming “BJ’S SUCK”
@lilcarp, you’re excused lol
@lilcarp, has it been 20 years already, damn, I am an “old dude” ha