alt="LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond" />Terry Murray’s postgame thoughts…
(on Brown’s comments about the need for more urgency from everyone…)
MURRAY: “I’ll have to have a talk with him and ask him how the pecking order goes here. I don’t know how to answer that. I don’t have an answer. You’ll have to go talk to him some more. Did he explain any more to you? I don’t know what he means by that.”
(on the apparent lack of desperation…)
MURRAY: “You guys are way off here. You’re way off. You’re asking the wrong questions. The first period, we come out, we’re fine. We’re leading 1-0, we’re outshooting them 12-7, everything is fine. The start of the game, the right attitude, the right effort, the right intensity, everything is good. It’s the penalty killing. Let’s not over-evaluate here. Our special teams were no good here tonight. Penalty killing was no good. The power play was no good. We don’t score on the opportunities. That’s it. Don’t over-evaluate, don’t over-analyze here, because you’re going to go the wrong way. The first period, the start of the game, is fine. We’re in good shape. We’re leading the game. Everything is under control. Five-on-three power play, 4-on-3 power play, puck goes off our defenseman’s skate, everything is OK.”
(on the number of penalties by the Kings…)
MURRAY: “They’re tripping. They’re interference on a faceoff. They’re just penalties. They’re just being called. Everything is being called, around the league right now, to the letter. They’re very close, very tight, especially when you have two teams that are in our situation right now. Dallas is 11 points out. We’re in there right now, and everything that you do is going to be called very, very close. That’s not unusual. … But you guys are going way the wrong way with this game here tonight. Everything was good. We started fine. Everything is fine.”
(on the fact that his captain seems to disagree…)
MURRAY: “Well, it’s pretty emotional out there, you know? I go in and I say some things after the game is over. It’s very emotional. Players are going to respond to that, and I hope that they do. I was not happy with the way the game ended, but I’m not going to go where you guys are going with it, with `Let’s blow it up and start all over again.’ That’s just not the way it is.”
(on whether it will be good to take tomorrow off…)
MURRAY: “No, I would love to practice tomorrow. I would love to, but what do you do? You’re going get in at 5:30 at night. You’ve got to go in and play another game.”
I’m tired of everyone saying “this is a young team” etc etc.
What quantifies a player as “young”?
Experience?
Age?
Because then what would you call:
OD
Fro
Halpern
Handzus
Williams
Stoll
Ivanans
Modin
Smyth
Jones
That’s half our friggin team.
NO MORE EXCUSES ABOUT BEING YOUNG!!!!
Boo Murray! What do you mean by “Pecking Order!” Don’t run this team like a fascist Dictatorship! Listen to the voice of reason!
Reffing? TM get real.
Heres a coaching strategy that might actually work better than Terry Murray’s musical chair tactics:
1. Strip Heidi Androl
2. Place naked Heidi behind opposing teams net
3. Strip Jim Fox and Bob Miller
4. Place naked Jim and naked Bob left and right of Heidi in the corners behind opposing teams net
I guarantee a higher SOG percentage.
@MR King, LOLZ!
TM is cracking!
@Deadmarsh,
Speaking of Heidi. She admitted she can’t cook tonight. I still think I would eat arse of skunk if she made it for me!
“The players came out and did not understand why they were handed hockey sticks for a pillow fight”. TM
@runningman, There’s a fire in his kitchen and he’s waiting for the fire department to arrive instead of grabbing a fire extinguisher.
@Losers,
Give us the source for this “quote.” I doubt its sincerity.
@runningman, yepp, he has to go while there is still time to salvage the season.
@Deadmarsh, hell, I even forgot Scuderi.
It comes down to this team’s inability to play a full 60 minute game.
The Detroit/Nashville game looked like two teams primed and ready for the playoffs. They were both incredibly impressive looking tonight.
My fellow Kings fans, if anyone knows of a Mark Grace Slump Buster, please send her into the locker room ASAP. The Kings do not have much time left.
Regards,
@Deadmarsh,
There are so many words I can call Jones, but NONE of them would be appropriate for these boards.
Odie might be one of the few players here collecting social security checks on top of a paycheck from the Kings.
Halpern and Ivanans = useless.
Fro is our version of Rodney Dangerfield, just doesn’t get the respect he deserves.
“Everything is fine. Everything is fine.”
Sounds like me when I’m pissed off. That’s a good thing. Let’s get some emotion ahead of this quick two-game trip.
In any event, I still think we’ll clinch a playoff spot on April 1 against Vancouver.
While I agree with Murray that this is no time to panic, I am dumbfounded with his assessment that everything is fine. It reminds me of the manager in Heart of Darkness who says “Everyone is behaving splendidly! Splendidly!”
@Losers,
Bring in the Great One!
@sasKing,
Let’s hope Vancouver clinches before that day so they will let up on the Kings.
Losers!
@runningman, call up Romy, he’ll get call Gracy for ya. Set out the salt blocks and they come a lickin!
Pathetic!
Instead of wearing black, I’m bringing my paper bag!
@runningman, Could he do any worse?
sickening!
@Goring 19,
Awesome…
Poor – Piss Poor – Pathetic
These guys are not the same team who believed they could not lose a couple months ago…Now that has something to do with coaching right?
Another sell out loss…7th place hardware on the shelf and looking for the 8th place ribbon around the corner.
Everything isn’t fine. I just got back from the game and have to agree with Brownie. Flat. No emotion except from him (and Williams looked pretty good too).
There was no creativity shown at all. Looked like a bunch of guys punching time cards just wanting to get through the day’s work. A system is one thing, but someone needs to think outside the box a little and make something happen!
@Luke Schenn’s Brother, What?
Revolting!
No need to panic. They have games in hand on every team minus Chicago. However if they don’t get their game together really soon, those games won’t matter.
@I’m Just Saying”, It is time for the coach to step aside for the betterment of the team. So what if we lose 12 more games. How does that help us grow? Time to go.
@Luke Schenn’s Brother, please dont spam…
What a revoltin’ development this is.
@Luke Schenn’s Brother,
Oh look! It’ Luke Schenn’s little brother!
Get your arse on this team now, we ain’t got no 2nd line centerman. Bring us stability, throw checks, setup your teammates and bring us a Cup.
Dear Dean Lombardi,
In addition to Schenn, can you bring up Bernier and Moller and Voynov? k plz thx!
@David,
I understand you do not like repetition, so how are the Kings losses affecting you?
@Ziggy331, 0-11 or 0-12, like it matters?
@Deadmarsh,
Odie might be the elder statesman collecting 2 checks but by far the most sonsistent d’man we have! If Raitis had been just dressed he might have done a better job throwing some weight around…Agreed Jones and Scuds are horrible. Fro is Fro and Murray has changed his line…Should be playing with Handzus and Modin…
@Losers, This guy is a nice guy, dont get me wrong. But a good coach? No ..any of us could have achieved the numbers he is credited with. We have a better team with a much improved goalie..Almost 40 wins..This guy (TM) changes the lines so often I truly believe he ask’s his asst. coaches “whos out there now”? We need a coach with a go get em attitude. You have a good goalie in there now so take chances an dgamble send 2 guys to forecheck let Doughty and Johnson create and carry the puck down low..join the rush..Generate some Offense. This dump and chase and pull everyone back to Home plate attitude is killing us one goal at a time. We have now scored on ourselves 4 times in 3 games…Keep it TM and you can have my Season Seat next year as long as you are not behind the bench…I am worried that AEG will move him upstairs..Hopefully to help serve the Buffet.
GO KINGS…I am pulling for you guys, but you do not make it easy Year after Year…sorry, Decade after Decade..
Flabbergasting
“Everything is fine”. Well, Murray I understand what you are saying.
But you are confusing THE effort…
Yes we are grinding, this team IS trying, BUT YOUR strategies are finally catching up to show how mediocre YOU ARE as a coach.
Not only that, can you please explain to us about the MUSICAL CHAIRS you are playing? The lines you have pulled out of your *** are not working. You keep mixing them after 5 mins, no time for the players to create chemistry.
You once famously said your beloved Flyers are CHOKING. Well Murray, it wasn’t the players. It was YOU.
Said it once and I’ll say it again…Terry Murray is a joke!
@David, aint nutin but d truth
@I’m Just Saying”, Quick is fare at best. We need a great goalie to compete. Some of your other stuff made cents tho
At this rate I am a bit confused. I think at this point I would much rather not make the playoffs and see us go after a new Coach then to back in limping into that 8th spot Lose 4 straight and Murray get an Extension for leading us there…
@Chris P. Bacon, Plyn 20 mins a nite is not trying. We need a new direcsion.
@I’m Just Saying”, DL is the real problem. They both mus go.
I think the players heads are spinning. To me it seems like TM is the one who panicked, with these erratic line changes and really long training sessions in practice. He’s got the players all totally in their heads trying to reason their way into a win rather than playing their way in. They are playing flat because they aren’t having any fun. He would have a practice if he could tomorrow so he can explain some more to them what they are doing wrong. I think Murray is the one that has been the problem since the break. By the second game, when the rust was working it’s way off he pulls a 90 practice? All of the momentum that Dustin, Jack, Doughty, Zeus and Quick brought back with them from the Olympics was snuffed out, and he doesn’t even see it? I think TM is a good coach, but maybe he needs to listen to his players for a change.
@Everything is fine, One step at a time my friend
@MR King,
Forget bob and jim and just get heidi out there on PP, naked of course. We will score at will
Happens every season. It’s the ‘Kings Curse!’
Terry meant everything is fine in the way the game was going. We were up 1-0 and things were fine. I watched parts of the game after the fact and things seemed fine to me after the first period too.
I was waiting to see what messed the Kings up. It seemed like it was the special teams mostly. (We score one while they easily score four.) Really, we are taking a lot of needless penalties… The Kings aren’t playing smart. You work so hard trying to get a goal and then a stupid penalty negates all that and they score and we’re further down. Stay out of the penalty box!
Also, why don’t the Kings defensemen realize by now that when you stop a puck with your skate in front of the net, there is a high likelihood you will deflect it in. They keep making the same mistake over and over. That’s not smart either.
This team needs John Tortorella type of coaching now. Sometimes a head coach has to criticize your own player when he makes a mistake that brings the team down. Is TM afraid of players or something? And he thinks he can win a game without making correction other than messing up with line combinations? Like TM said 1st period we had a good start and then Simmer took penalty and OD took stupid one at the end of the period that obviously deflated the momentum they had built up. And what happens next is obvious. Players doubt each other and their system as well. I don’t see any confidence or composure on this team. TM … you are the one who needs desperation right now. Be angry at their mistakes.
@Larry, “Scuds is terrible”
Really? I think hes been for the most part, solid all year.
No you are not “fine” Murray, your team hasn’t played a solid 3 periods. You got off to a good start in the 1st, great what about the other 2 periods? Usually we play like robots out there in the first 2 periods and then turn it on in the third period.
It’s been sporadic play lately, and that BS doesn’t cut it in the playoffs. As it stands now, this team will have an early exit from the playoffs.
@kingfish, At this point I don’t think any of the Kings would be able to score with a naked Heidi.
TM is a very good coach. Unfortunately, DL gives him wimpy players that don’t play physical and bring energy/intensity… Modin and halpern = yuck
@Everything is fine, Thank you fellas!
@I’m Just Saying”,
Agree with you that TM’s a meathead. The revolving door lines HAS GOT TO STOP!! I however disagree with your belief that JQ is a “good goalie”. Why have we scored on ourselves so much lately? Because all our D-Men are trying to play goalie cause they know,know, that JQ blows.They’ve seen too many of their minor miscues end up in the net.And our “lost sock drawer” lines up front are only thinking defense too. Does everyone forget how this team played when JQ was pulled last week? Kind of an “hey, our keeper will stop “em, let’s go score” type of deal. Please,PLEASE give JQ a bus ticket to Manch and save our season.
The offense is just so tentative lately, too deliberate. You can pretty much predict what they are going to do depending on who has the puck. For a couple of games back a bit Frolov tried to bring the puck to the front from the boards and that created some hesitancy on the part of the d-wings; now they just drop back to cover the point cause they know it’s going there again. The passes are always deliberate and readable, never done in combination with speed. And the forecheck is always too late to bottle up the d.
I dont know how the team lost their zip but they have. Maybe they need to bring a couple of amateur squads and have them come at the Kings at full speed helterskelter in the offensive zone and make the kings practice making decisions quicker and putting it to then net with crashers.
And once again Quick was below .900 save %, 4 games in a row. In the past when the team was sluggish he would keep them in the game, now he’s part of the problem.
Perplexing.
@MR King,
If Hiedi was naked,I wouldn’t be able to watch the game.I’d probably spend the entire game banging on the glass.With a stick of course,just not one made of wood.
@King John, You actually think Scuderi even had the chance to react to [let alone see] either of the pucks that went in recently off his skates? Really?
@bbb7, Well one of the goals went of Scuds and there wasnt anything Quick could have done. And if you keep giving the other team a ton of power plays, they are bound to score.
Maybe morning wood.
@bbb7, Save % can also be caused by D letting O get better chances. But as for 32’s recent puck handling – WOW – my heart flutter now every time he skates for a puck and I’m sure it effects the confidence of the team too.
@goldielocks, That’s what I’m saying. If Murray can become that guy than I don’t mind him staying. Otherwise he needs to go now.
At least two players (maybe it was three) said something about how they came out flat. I don’t see how TM himself can be in denial.
@Khanon, He has to deal with what DL gives him. If Modin and Halpern suck, they shouldn’t get ice time. If players aren’t being physical and finishing their checks they need to be reprimanded. C’mon lets see some toughness from the coach downward!
@bbb7, There are games where you can blame Quicker. This wasn’t one of them. Definitely had to do with everyone playing soft in front of him.
@runningman, sure looks like he is….
Someone opened up TM’s head and smoothed out his meat.
Hey Terry, your first line of Smyth, Kopi and Williams isn’t producing. So why do you insist on keeping them together? Richardson, Kopi and Simmonds have played well together, stop trying to force a line that hasn’t played well together since November.
Speaking of forcing, give Quick a night off. I’m really not sure what your trying to prove at this point.
Not a great time to play our worst hockey of the year. Everything is not fine, figure it out.
Look everyone-
Terry Murray is a Damn Good coach. His specialty is in training younger players and handling them properly. This is like a Dad protecting his kids. He’s been protecting them from too harsh of criticism for the past two years. It’s hard for him to let anyone be critical of his team right now, especially before the playoffs, because he doesn’t know how his young team will handle it. THAT is the problem.
Dustin Brown comes out and shows he’s all grown up now by spewing the truth to the media. TM’s ‘Pecking Order’ comment obviously shows that he runs his leadership a very specific and careful way. DB is outgrowing this ‘Shell’ mentality and branching out as a leader. Terry needs to (With all due respect) simply shut up here. Dustin is doing EXACTLY what the coaches and management have wanted him to do for the last 2 years (Break out of his shell and LEAD) and now Terry is worried about the results?!?! TM is being TOO protective here!
LET THIS TEAM HAVE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTMENT!
It will stir up the competitive professional athlete in them. It’s doing it to Dustin Brown! Terry, you need to let your team feel the heat here! LET THEM HURT A LITTLE! Let DB bust a few chops. Maybe you should even let him bust YOURS a little. You’re not above it and it will do you AND the team some good. They already respect you, now give them a little respect and let them deal with this LIKE MEN!
That being said, we played like dog feces in the last 2 periods tonight. Admit it Terry. Just admit it. Everyone admits it but you. We know why you are saying ‘Everything is OK’, but you don’t need to do that anymore. I want to see Dustin calling people out. Jonathon Towes does it all the time and he’s younger than Brownie! Why is it OK for him and not Dustin? Have you seen Chicago play lately? Towes’s teammates respect him because he’s intense and isn’t afraid to call out anyone who doesn’t give 100% every night. Dustin is becoming that type of leader and you’re questioning him in the media? Not the brightest of moves IMHO. I think you’re absolutely right about how emotion plays a part in things that are said, I just think you should be listening to your own advice at this point instead of throwing it at Dustin. I’ll end by saying you’re still a great coach, just not perfect. You’re allowed.
Everything was not fine through the first, the players had a noticeable lack of jump to their step – even in the first period. Kings were getting manhandled – even in the first period.
LOL, TM & his clucking with his “pecking.” Sounds like his chickens are coming home to roost.
It baffles me how people can blame this on Quick–yet again, a Kings defenseman put it in his own net. Yet again Quick had to stand on his head early. Yet again, he got no scoring support or defensive help.
@Dominick,
Let’s hope you don’t get caught out there with a broken shaft.
If TM doesn’t think that a fire needs to be lit under his (and our) teams butt he’s making a huge mistake. By dumbing down what Brownie said in his comments, he makes it seem like things will come around on it’s own. We can’t afford to rely on things turning our way at this point in the season. Winners take it upon themselves to turn things around. I hope the team listens to Brown’s advice, and not TMs BS. You have to work for a W harder than the next team, for the entire game. The Kings can’t honesty think they’re doing enough, can they?
@Luke Schenn’s Brother,
Ha ha ha thats funny dude!
@Dominick,
composite
@rontheking
Translation: “the system is fine, IF YOU F-ING STICK TO IT.”
Get this Murray guy out of here. These comments about my boys going into the playoffs for their first time disgust me. This coach should have no reason for putting it on his players. Suck it up TM, teach 2/3 of your team/the city of LA on how to make the playoffs and succeed. I hate hearing this whining from the players/fans/and most of all you. You’re in LA bud and you have a steady team in front of you, PJ and Torre have lived up to their hype, now it’s your turn.
Yep, the team is playing bad hockey lately but did we really think they were that good? We are talking like they are PIT or WASH. Growing pains is what we are seeing. It sucks! I know, but this is not the Kings of the past. We all know this. We have just had so many BAD years to let our fear go so easily.
Brown was right to say what he said and TM was right to try to protect his players from the media and us loyal fans. Both are appreciated in the lockeroom because of this.
Any of us that have coached know what it is like to coach have been through times when every move does not work. So we change lines, and sit players, yell… But the players are just completely off.
Don’t blame the coach or DL. It’s the players. I did not see anyone become more intense when Brown got punched. OD finally stepped up later for JJ but where is that team mentality we saw earlier? Let’s stick up for each other the next couple games and if we take a penalty that makes us lose the game well then oh well.
The system isn’t broke but we do seem to be passing to skates a lot. Thats why we see no flow.
I really love this blog and all the rabid Kings fans that come here but TM was right when he said lets not blow it up.
Or maybe the players are reading this blog and feeling the pressure of our expectations so let’s calm down and get ready for the reward our guys are giving us…”The Playoffs”…lol
@David, Scuds is not terrible, but imo his play does NOT justify his contract.
He is just horrible at starting any form of transition from the defensive zone. His chip it off the boards style is fine, but more often than not he chips it to either the other team or ices the puck. Maybe that’s what is expected of him, but it just absoultely negates any offensive breakout. I would say his first pass out the zone is the WORST among all the Kings’ blueliners.
His defensive zone coverage is so-so. Sometimes he’s in great position, and sometimes he either gets smoked by the opposition forward, falls down or simply blows his assignment. I’m sure that can be said of most defensemen, but it happens more frequently than not with him… especially lately.
Personally, if Scuderi was our 5th/6th defenseman on the depth chart, we’d be in pretty good shape. I don’t see what Pittsburg fans saw and it wouldn’t phase me a bit if he were traded.
That being said, he’s still better overall than Randy Jones and Davis Drewiske.
That being said, our defense won’t be winning many playoff games. Espeically with Quick playing like a monkey as of late, if we make the playoffs, don’t expect much.
As Dustin Brown said… four and out.
Not to be negative, but our defense needs a bit of reshaping in the offseason if the Kings expect to compete with the elite NHL teams on a consistent basis.
@Everything is fine,
Are you even aware that the Kings have 8 games left? Sorry if I upset your applecart with actual facts.
@Larry,
Think your a little off with Scuderi. And, this is a guy proven to really step up in the playoffs.
See how he is in the post season and then judge.
Oh look at big Terry Murray, the top of the pecking order. Look at him, he’s so big and powerful and at the top. Terry if your at the top, then your getting all the blame you deserve for this lackluster team that has been on the ice since Williams come back.
Its all your Fault Murray Its all your fault. Its always been your fault and will always be your fault. IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT
@Christian T (AK), I don’t know we got like 5 guys in the olympics and 4 of them in the finals of the olympics. We played well against pits and wash this year along with San Jose. Why not, why isn’t the team considered good enough for you? We are one of the few teams with 6 players over 30 points. We got one of the winningest goalies this season and our center is shinning. Our players have a history of winning, in tournaments in juniors and such. I believe….Do you believe. Only thing stopping us is a dumb coach who has a hard on for Williams and treats Frolov like used and abused hooker.
@Masked Man,
The problem is the players are not capable or willing to be physical. He can’t scratch 16 players… It was and is DL’s responsibility to build a team capable of the grind, but he failed to do so. Looks like I will have to disparage DL on NHL live once again Monday morning
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, This is wierd to me, I thought they came out with a lot of zip and did well untill the penalty-kill. I think their excuses are just said without even thinking.
OD, come on, man that’s two games in a row with stupid penalties taken at bad times. What good is his experience if he still X-checks guys in open ice and commits the most obvious interfence?
@Cynic, While we agree on so much regarding Mikus, man I don’t agree with the whole TM’s specialty is training younger players and handling them properly. I think this is one of his biggest weaknesses. I don’t think he instills confidence in them nor puts them in the best position to succeed. I think he jerks them around. He’ll scratch you for a bad game, stick you on the top line when you’re not ready then start moving you all around til you have no idea what’s expected of you. Only two young players have done well under TM: Doughty, who’s too good for TM to screw up, and Simmonds who has been with Zeus on the third line almost every single game for 2 years. Everybody else that had a chance of making the team is gone, GONE. And in their place we’ve got crappy Halperin and Modin, and to some extent, Jones. Some of this is DL’s work, but TM’s inability to get Moulsen, Boyle, Purcell, Segal, Drewiske to play better has forced DL’s hand.
where’s gordon bombay these days?
@Player-X, The Flames are giving us 4 playoff games. 8+4+12
@I’m Just Saying”, Why go haf way?
@goldielocks, We need Barry Melrose back. He can win.
@BringBackTheShieldJersey, in every other game versus the Stars, they were on them early and often–it wasn’t really a contest. Yes, they squeaked out a goal and kept the Stars off the board until the penalties, but tell me you didn’t see it coming (as I did) before the Stars scored any goals. I did. When the Stars scored the third goal, I wasn’t surprised (but sure was upset) and went to peek at the score for the second consecutive time this season (something I think I’d only done a total of twice before.)
@khanon, Murry is not playing Ratis or Clune = bad coaching. But DL sucks to.
Lombardi needs an early “exit-style” interview with Murray to try to get some accounting of specifically what he sees is wrong and what he’s going to do about it so that he can get a head start on determining whether TM has “taught all he can teach,” and whether it will be time to bring a different type of coach in next season. It’s probably too early in general, but he’s going to have to start looking at it as a possibility.
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, Are you sure there is meat in there?
@BringBackTheShieldJersey, Yeah, TM sucks, but DL is right there with him. Moulson, Boyle, Purcell, Segal and Drewiske are all AHL players. DL needs to get some real talent here or we need a GM who will get them.
This is the literary source for my comment. ;-)
http://baetzler.de/humor/meat_beings.html
@WWAMD, We have a couple of good players, a few hasbeens and some kids. This is not a playoff team and that is on DL. Time to get a good GM.
@WWAMD, No, it is DLs fault for hiring him and bring in crapy players. The GM has to go.
This is the movie version. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaFZTAOb7IE
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, No Get rid of DL. Higher a real GM to higher a good coach.
@Everything is fine, This is the kind if hysteria that doesn’t help.
@Everything is fine, so is this.
@Everything is fine, This is also the kind of hysteria we don’t need.
How much higher?
Brown will have a big game tomorrow. Just a thought. He will lead by example which apparently he seems ready to do.
@kings4queens, I doubt quick brought a whole lot of momentum back from the olympics
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, The Stars definately came out very physical, but the Kings were moving quite well, and definately creating more chances than the Stars. Wasn’t there a stretch in the 1st period where the Kings were out-shooting the Stars 9-0?
There was a stretch in the middle of the period where they got the cycle going and got some shots on the net, but they hardly dominated in the beginning, against a team they’ve dominated all year, and they ended the period pretty badly.
@WTF, Tell me which one of those players you could build a team around?
I like TM, but I can’t help think of these other coaches having success who we keep hearing are aware enough to alter their coaching style to fit the type of talent they have on the team. I don’t see this here, and I think it’s the biggest reason for, as just one example, Fro’s inconsistency. That only makes perfect sense, rather than trying to retrain and force a halfback to play left-guard. In watching this team it seems like they all have huge rubber-bands on for resistance and are working on their power skating, rather than being freed to GO…
@David,
Scuds has been solid this season. However, I think EVEN HE would say he had a horrible game against the Stars. But Scuds is not alone. The whole team is playing less than stellar hockey right now.
Let’s review:
Crawford didn’t really have anything to offer, as far as I could tell. The results spoke for themselves.
Andy Murray will always have a soft spot in my heart for making it possible to knock out the Red Wings in the first round through a hell of a gutty, risky move. But his style of coaching wore down the players so that by this time in the season they were like sunflower seeds that had been shelled.
Larry Robinson was a good player and something of a player’s coach. He probably didn’t wring as much out of the team as he could have, which probably resulted in Andy Murray’s tenure, who wrung them out so hard there was nothing left when it mattered.
Barry Melrose, in my opinion, was in the right place at the right time–totally overrated as a coach. Great hair, though. This was Gretzky’s team, and he was the boss. Melrose was the front man.
That’s as far back as I can personally go. But I will say this. For most of this season I have been impressed with TM’s leadership. I do believe it has been his system of sound defense first (home plate, etc.) that has been instrumental in bringing this team along (remember for much of the season they were giving up 20 or less shots on goal average per game–I like that strategy).
I’ve also liked his calmness (so I have to take back my earlier comment that he should have been screaming at the team) with young players who are probably already feeling enormous pressure under the microscope.
One final thought on that: for the coach to go nuclear on the team relieves the players of responsibility for looking inside themselves because it changes the focus. Sometimes to not react might be the best thing (ala zen master obi wan Phil Jackson, who doesn’t save the team by calling a timeout on the court when they are being buried, forcing the players to take responsibility and save themselves). This is one of those times for the Kings players to look within themselves, not outside at the coach or the other team–they have to right themselves.
I still think TM’s system is a good one; the players just have to implement it.
I have to agree with Terry Murray 100%, all of you are blowing this out of proportion. Look at how each of the goals were scored. On the PowerPlay! Kings did very well 5-on-5. The Kings are finding the niche, all they need to do is stay disciplined. We stay disciplined in Minn, we got this.
@roadtripper,
Reason the other coaches had good outcomes, is because they had players like, Wayne Gretzky, Adam Deadmarsh, Luc Robitialle, Rob Blake, Ziggy Palffy, Felix “The Cat” Potvin. Star players when they were coaching. None of these coaches were dealing with young babies on the ice.
@#1faninvegas, I agree vegas, I’ll think everyone’s forgetting how well we’ve done this season up to this point. So we had a little drop off since the Olympic break but I still think TM has done a great job this year as well as DL with the 5 year plan. DL has done more for this franchise’s future than any gm in Kings history. Everyone is over-analyzing and nit-picking every time we lose a game but come on, these guys are only human. We’ve fallen out of our groove but we’ll get it back and when we do I feel we can go on a tear. With the exception of Dallas we really haven’t played that bad the last few games just unfortunate bounces and bad penalties. I still will take Terry Murray’s patience over Marc Crawford’s screaming at young players any day.
@Everything is fine, Well they do stand on a bench… How much higher do you want the coach?
@Cynic, Amen brother. +100
@BringBackTheShieldJersey, +100 for you too.
@Christian T (AK), Maybe you dont know hockey too well but it is not an exact science. Watch those Penguin games and stuff it because they play a lot of slop as well. I say we are equal to what the Blackhawks were last season.
@Chris P. Bacon, I felt all along we erred bigtime when we did not bring these player’s. Halpern and Modin have size but will never drop their gloves ala Frolov. My me some men with grit and a nasty temper.
@Everything is fine, Oh yeah despite the fact that we spent 7 years with other coaches that couldn’t drag us out of the gutter.
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?, We don’t need to pay attention to comments from a 12 year old. :)
@Deadmarsh, Every player you listed should be gone because they are too soft! Also, bring up Bernier to give Quick some competition.
@rontheking, That sounds kind of dangerous. I think this situation has the potential to destroy a lot of the players confidence.
@RYC, At least Jim Fox was not screaming in his sqeeking voice last night. At why did he refuse to comment on the cheap hit to Dustin Brown as Mr. Class, Bob Miller did.
@#1faninvegas, In what way were we great 5-on-5? All I saw was a bunch of broken plays and our guys getting nailed. Meanwhile the Stars do stretch pass after stretch pass beating everyone of our players clean. Thank god for Quick for making TM look “good.”
@Buster, finally i see someone who doesn’t have a man crush on ivanans….he is useless. randy jones blows as well, i prefer drewiske.
they should change their team name from L.A. Kings to L.A. Frolovs….hot cold hot cold streaky streaky. very annoying.
@BringBackTheShieldJersey,
Well dude, while it’s impossible to disagree on Juraj Mikus, We’ll just have to disagree here. TM has done this everywhere he’s coached. He gets young teams to the playoffs but he just can’t seem to take the next step as a coach before it all falls apart. When we hired TM, I honestly believed (and still do) he’s a 3-4 year coach for us because when the kids begin to come out of their shells, TM will still want to mentor them like kids and not vets. It’ll be his downfall unless he can change his protection mentality and let the boys start policing the room like men. He has to let them grow. If now, they’ll grow past his coaching anyway.
DL is simply answering the request ofhis players by bringing some vets in to help. He’s also calling out the younger players who are subscribing to the mentality that ‘I’m in the NHL now, my work is done’ by showing he’s not afraid to trade some youth for a little help. Now that help isn’t helping much right now, but once the playoffs hit, we all know players change. At least, that’s what they’re SUPPOSED to do. ;-)
TO me, this is really all about TM and allowing his team to grow within themselves and just staying out of the way emotionally at this point. He just needs to coach and not mentor at this point.
The Kings appear to have 3 problems:1.They’re desparate,and desparate players do desparate things; 2. They’re thinking to much about what they should or shouldn’t do, what if I make a mistake…relax it’s a game; 3. They’re uptight and not having fun; Lighten up for the next 8 games. Kick some serious butt,and they’ll end up 47-28-7 = 101 points
RELAX GUYS !
It’s not fair to blast coach Terry Murray, I just didn’t agree with him why he puts Williams so early with Kopitar, Smyth together.
Here’s my take…Kopitar-Smyth-Simmonds
Brown – Frolov – Modin
Handzus – Williams – Stoll
Parse – Moller – Richardson
As I said earlier in the season one more year of TM and DL. This season was a huge step in the right direction if they can keep it up and get us in the playoffs this year and next year then I disagree with everyone, but if the team plays like they have been I think it is easy to say they will both be out of a job. All I would say to defend them is look at past seasons then look at this one and you cant deny the amount of positive things this team has done this season and I know the team has played like crap but guys like DD, Quick, Kopi, and JB all have had great seasons and the future looks bright for the Los Angeles Kings.
Was at the game last night and I just thought stupid penalties did them in.
Very curious last period where they gave no real effort.
they deserved to be boo’ed off the ice…
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?,
I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. TY WTFK.
“The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.”
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War
For all you negative nancies that have so much criticism for most of the players and the coaching staff, I for one am more disappointed in you as fans than I will ever be in the players and the coaches. It really appears that some of you have no idea about hockey or any team sport for that matter.
If you think that we are going to go through the year and not have adversity then you certainly have never played any kind of sport. If you can’t handle the team’s ups and downs and expect nothing but ups then pick another sport or a different team because you certainly don’t like this one. As much as I want our team to be successful, I hate the way they are ripped apart by wanabees and know it alls.
It’s a good job the coaches and GM don’t over react like some of the fans.
@Everything is fine: Ever heard of Drew Doughty? That’s a Dean Lombardi move.
Blame TM and DL for the slide, Bernier should stay here and he will make the difference. Quick and Jones shouuld be out, Quick not finding ways stopping stoppable shot from the opponents. If we allow quick to play more and jones on the D we will not make the playoffs.
Was Murray watching the same game I attended? Nothing wrong? The Kings had no energy and did not skate hard the entire night. I agree with Brown’s assessment of the game. They were terrible and really need to pick it up. I Calgary gets hot the Kings could miss the playoffs if they continue to play as they have the last week.
Just saw the statements by TM on my DVR’d kings aftershow – there are nuances that you get from the audio which give the words better context. It seemed like a weird jumble of thoughts on here, but it’s more clear when you hear the questions & see him pause for thought to answer different questions.