4 down, 78 to go: random first impressions on the first 2 weeks of 2010-11
by Quisp on Oct 17, 2010 11:19 PM PDT
in Too Much Free Time
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Print- The Kings are in the middle of one of those awful four-days-without-hockey breaks. They never play well after those. I hate time off. More games please.
- Undefeated Toronto, Dallas, who else? [looking it up] Nobody. Resurgent Leafs, good for hockey. Same with the Oilers, though I draw the line somewhere before they start beating LA.
- New Jersey Devils: not only the worst first six games since 1983, but the lowest goal output (ten goals) in franchise history, including the years as the Kansas City Scouts and Colorado Rockies. And only Anaheim has allowed more goals-against. WTF.
- Oh, and since Anaheim won tonight, New Jersey now has the worst record in the entire league. Tied with Buffalo. Tied with Buffalo?
- Detroit looks like Detroit. That must piss some people off (the people who like the "changing of the guard" narrative -- but these things rarely follow the script, do they?).
- Tampa Bay -- Teddy Purcell / Steven Stamkos high fives are fun to see. Go Ted.
- New York Islanders -- same as Toronto. Fun to watch. Still rooting for Matt Moulson. I always forget Jon Sim in an Islander.
- Kings -- I don't think they've looked that good so far; but they're winning. Winning while not looking great is something elite teams do. This is what I tell myself. I await the rise of Kopitar.
- Why is Toronto undefeated? Let's see. They're scoring 4 goals per game. They're allowing only 23.8 shots per game (second only to STL). Their PK is running at 93%.
- The Kings, Islanders and Penguins lead the league in goals in the third period, with 7.
- Kings are at the bottom of the league in goals in the first and second periods (with one in each). Only BOS is worse in the 1st (zero goals), and SJS in the 2nd (zero goals).
- The Kings have allowed no goals in the first period so far.
- The Devils and Ducks have the most major penalties so far, with 7 and 9, respectively.
- Loui Eriksson has scored 4 goals on 7 shots. Matt D'Agostini is 3 out of 6. Clarke MacArthur 5 out of 12. Brian Boyle 2 out of 5.
- Jonathan Quick has a GAA of 0.97 and a SV% of .963. That's pretty good.
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cha ching!
I await the rise of Kopitar.
As goes Frankenstein’s creature/Anze the Giant, so go the Kings all the better.
And if you haven’t noticed, the ever-writhing nymphs which inhabit the chain link fences and concrete banks and neglected trestles along the sinewy curves of the L.A. River also await with baited, sun-dappled breath the emphatic rise of our big A and beloved Slovenian.
(Same, btw, with the offensive prowess of #8.)
i'll show you my butt tattoo if you'll show me yours
Like the start/Hate the break!
Hello Quisp. Read a lot of your blogs, especially during the Kovalchump drama. So happy the Kings didn’t drop their drawers to sign him. The whole way that played out proved to me Kings management IS different from the past.
Thus far this season, not overly impressed with the offense, but really like the solid 2 way play from the forwards and the responsible defense. Quick has been solid and with a 2 headed monster in net that will allow a 50/30 split or thereabouts, the Kings will be much better for it. Saw quite a bit of Ponikarovsky with the Penguins, was NOT impressed. I do have to say a mere 4 games into the season he’s done more for the Kings and been more aggressive and going to the net than I saw his entire time in Pittsburgh. That is encouraging because I really thought it was a bad signing. I hope I continue to be wrong on that. Still looking for Wayne to step it up, looked better vs. Vancouver, expect him to be a factor like he was last season. Hate this 4 day break that for whatever reason will be repeated next week I believe. Hopefully the Kings learned something from last season….
My own random thoughts: I’m just happy to see Leaf fans happy.
Myers is reaaaally struggling in Buffalo. I think he misses Tallinder.
Have you seen any of the Predators’ games? Every year, I just dread the thought of playing them. All hail the Trotz.
I hate breaks too. Boo. Any guesses on who will be going back to juniors?
In Dinglebarn We Trust
juniors:
it would be weird if schenn went back.
clifford? well, remember he has to play nine games before they have to decide, and he’s only played two. westgarth is doing nothing, zip, nada. so i can see clifford getting a bunch more games and really making the most of it; or, obviously, he can go back to barrie, which is somewhat pointless.
Wait till this year.
Isn't it 9 NHL games (by the Kings)? Whether he plays or not?
Doesn’t Clifford get his NHL salary when on the Kings roster, even if he’s not playing?
How good is Quick?
His GAA went up after giving up the goal to Vancouver, lol.
Westgarth did have that sweet pass to Richardson against the Canucks – but then I do think that was the first pass he completed this year. Would love to see Clifford in more games, and Westgarth out, but for some reason they seem determined to keep Westgarth. Strange.
I noticed that, too
It was right on the tape; had to give him credit for that, at least.
But yeah, that absolute insistence on having a dedicated enforcer is probably my only real disagreement with how Murray runs the team. Such a physical game it was, and what else did he contribute besides one pass? He didn’t even drop the gloves; that was left to Simmonds.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
Is the question becoming what do we do with Dustin Brown?
Maybe an extended time playing with Kopi will develop his offensive “sense”. He has the actual skills, but it seems like his mindset, for lack of a better word, needs to be adjusted. Prolonged possession, small feints, dink passes to maintain a cycle, getting open for the split second in a soft area on the strong (crowded) side of the ice, these are not his forte but are easily within his skills to adjust to. Brownie loves the bull rush, the one-on one with speed, but his value will increase immensely if he develops the finesses game and uses his teammates more.
I think he can do it, and that positioning on Hamhuis for the goal was exactly what is needed. It was a thing of beauty to see Hamhuis at once screened from coverage on Kopi and then outmuscled for inside position as he held the only check available…
Anyway, for me the awakening of Kopi cannot be self-induced; Kopi is doing what Kopi does, he checks anybody and powers out of the defensive zone, gains entry and looks for plays. The more times he has recipients the more times he will have passes to make, and if that happens in the first period Kopi is gonna be super-dangerous the rest of the game with the Defense not knowing if he will pass or skate right by them.
Only real dark spots so far, for me, are the power play and the slow starts.
Last year the Kings were a second period team, and locked down the third for the win. This year we would do better to return to that than stay with the current, albeit very short, trend.
Power play, I dunno, chances come and they just don’t go in, but there have been quite a few zero-shots-in-two-minutes events. I think it is still just new chemistry needing to coalesce, and that means JMFJ and DD getting used to each other. On paper it seems scary good dnagerous, I am hoping to see the reality match the potential soon.
End Corporate Personhood.
I always forget Jon Sim in an Islander.
I like Sim, he’s good at what he does, draws a ton of penalties and makes very few mistakes. But the way people reacted to him making the team this year (He had a two way deal and was assumed to be spending more time in the AHL) you would think Sim was the Devil.
After the 2nd Period of Opening Night "Best Period of the year" DevonPSU
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Send Clifford back to Barrie
At least he’ll play there…
Schenn should stay… He hasn’t scored sure, but he keeps putting himself in positions to have chances… Loki looks invisible compared to Schenn…
"I still love my ex-wife, but only when we're not talking"
Loktionov always looks invisible. That's part of his charm.
Last year he looked invisible in his first AHL game. And he got a hat-trick.
Wait till this year.
by Quisp on Oct 18, 2010 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I like the "snake in the grass" analogy you used.
He is deceptive, which is something you want from a skilled forward.
One thing that my relatively brief experience with a martial art taught me is that showiness and effectiveness can be inversely related. The most effective moves are not seen by observers because they’re quick and deceptive; if the opponent doesn’t see them, an observer won’t, either.
I’m not surprised that a guy who was nicknamed Jimmy Neutron would play that way. It’s smart, especially for a kid who was a little on the small side. It’s a lot easier to retain your freedom of action if nobody notices you until it’s too late.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
4th line against Carolina: Clifford-Richardson-Lewis with Bernier in net.
It will be good for Schenn to get a look from the press box and I like giving Lewis his first game of the season. Keep the 4th line in game shape.
I would have started Quick and given him an extra day off before the Saturday game, but it will be good for Bernier to get a home start.
I think this fourth line could work. Makes sense against Carolina to sit Westgarth, and since Richardson hasn’t impressed much so far this season, perhaps Lewis can add a spark to Schenn and Clifford.
I agree it’s odd that Bernier is starting tomorrow. I assumed that like last time they played back to back, Quick would get the first start, and Bernier the second. Perhaps it’s only because Phoenix is a division rival, and thus the game is more important, so they want Quick in net then.
I think you're right about the reasoning
I also thought that Quick would start the first game, since he’s been sitting for four days as it is. The idea that Phoenix is the more important game makes sense to me.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
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