Postgame Bullets -- 13 goals in two nights for Kings forwards not actually playing for the Kings
by Quisp on Nov 27, 2010 11:01 PM PST
in Game Recaps
Email
PrintMonarchs continue offensive onslaught - Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010
The Monarchs routed the Portland Pirates 6-1 Saturday night and have has scored 13 goals in their last two games heading into a trip to Worcester today. "It was really great to see our guys playing a complete game from start to finish," said Monarchs head coach Mark Morris. "I thought all four lines were rolling. We had strong goaltending and our (defense) moved the puck as well as we've moved it all year. We just hope we can bottle it" [...] The Manchester onslaught began 2:36 into play as Corey Elkins scored his sixth goal of the season. Patrick Mullen's shot from the point was stopped by Leggio and Elkins banged [in] the rebound [...]. Oscar Moller made it 2-0 at 9:30, finishing off a give-and-go with Andrei Loktionov. [...] Brayden Schenn scored the third Manchester goal, tipping an Andrew Campbell shot in from close range at 13:43. Justin Azevedo completed the four-goal salvo with a laser one-timer off a Brandon Kozun pass in the right circle. The early bulge gave Monarchs rookie goalie Martin Jones (34 saves) some breathing room. "When you get that kind of goal support it's easy to get comfortable in there and know that if you do give one up, they're going to be there for you," Jones said. [...] The Monarchs got the lead back to four goals on a Moller tally at 4:04. Loktionov's shot from the left circle was stopped by Jhonas Enroth (in to relieve Leggio), but Moller was able to knock the rebound in on the right post. Manchester closed the scoring with the only goal of the third period. Ray Kaunisto scored his third of the season [...]. The two lopsided wins in as many nights has Morris believing that his team has turned a corner. "It appears to me (that) guys have taken ownership of the team now," Morris said. "Once that happens, that buy-in from our players and they know what they need to do to win it makes it so much more fun for everybody involved."
- Oh, the Kings? Yeah, they scored a goal on a 5-on-3 power play.
- Breakdowns happen. Jack Johnson had four turnovers, but I can't blame him on the one that led to the first goal.
- The second goal was an example of what happens when you drive to the net.
- I think there may be a problem with goal support. As I pointed out in the Quick/Bernier/Ersberg post, less than 3 goals = a loss most of the time; more than 3 = a win most of the time.
- Also, I can tell you why the Kings went from 0-6 to 1-6 over the last 13 games.
Ready?
Anze Kopitar Dustin Brown and Smyth/Loktionov/Richardson/Parse/Simmonds/Handzus/King have been the Kings #1 line all season. Conventional wisdom is that teams are keying on Kopitar and shutting him down, thus leaving the second line -- Smyth/Stoll/Williams -- relatively unfettered. This, the theory goes, explains the second unit's success. Kopitar is drawing the fire of the opponent's best players.
Makes sense.
So QUALCOMP, which measures the quality of the competition a player faces, ought to show Kopitar and Brown at the top of the heap. Here's the Kings' forwards QUALCOMP ranking, from stiffling competition to weakest (top to bottom):
- Handzus
- Ponikarovsky
- Simmonds
- Smyth
- Stoll
- Williams
- Lewis
- Clifford
- Parse
- Richardson
- Westgarth
- Kopitar
- Brown
- King
- Loktionov
- Schenn
If you limit that list to players who have played 10 or more games, Kopitar and Brown are at the bottom of the list.
I think what's happened is (apart from the obvious key injuries), other teams were keying on Kopitar's line to start the season, and the second line took off, and teams realized -- somewhere along the way -- that they had better key on the Stoll line instead, and now they are; the second line is neutralized, and the first line, which is skating against weaker opponents, still isn't getting it done.
There is a stock response to any criticism of Kopitar. It's, "what do you expect with wingers like [insert whomever]?" I have said a million times I don't think it's reasonable or even rational to blame a bunch of (mostly) rookies for not magically elevating Kopitar's game to Kopitarian levels.
(p.s. the power play would be much improved if you just brought up Moller, Loktionov and Schenn and gave Brown and Kopi a rest; I'm not actually suggesting this; it's generally bad form to sit $11MM of salary in favor of a really hot AHL line; but seriously, does anyone think they would do worse?)
Unless Lombardi is planning on bringing in a legitimate top-six left winger (doesn't have to be Dustin Penner), I don't think Murray has much of a choice but to break up the second line. Teams know what to do now, and they're doing it.
I just remembered something good about tonight's game: the line of Clifford/Handzus/Lewis looked really scary and great. And Quick was sharp. So there you have it. It's not all doom and gloom.
(BONUS HAPPINESS: With tonight's win, Martin Jones' GAA dropped to 1.39, SV% up to .954, still good for second in the AHL. Not bad for a rookie playing his first pro games.)
66 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
How about reuniting Kopi with Smyth and Williams and at least seeing what happens?
With Williams playing so well this year, and Smyth playing decently himself, I think it might give Kopitar the boost he’s looking for.
With the competition now focusing on the Stoll line, and the subsequent decrease in production, what’s to lose by breaking them up? Tried pretty much everything else…
Standing Around
The power plays tonight were a joke. Every single Kings player is literally standing in one spot waiting for a perfect pass so they can get that one perfect shot. On the play where they scored Kopitar was standing perfectly still and even though he scored I am still going to criticize them. MOVE. That goal was lucky. By moving around you get get the penalty killer moving around to cover you and that is what opens up the lanes Bob and Jim keep talking about that the defensemen are looking for to get the shots through. It has become so frustratign watching this team’s inept useless forwards/power play units.
And yes, it is time to break up the 2nd line. They have not been producing of late either.
It’s also time to bring back Moller and Loktionov. Let them play on the 2nd line with Stoll while Williams and Smyth move up with Kopitar. Take that useless sack Brown and put him on the 3rd line where he belongs. How many times do I have to watch him try to force plays by himself when he has open teammates he could pass to? God I want to see him traded…
wow
“useless sack Brown”
seriously? based on what?
Like a TV pundit says, people are entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. Brown is tied for the lead in team goals, and is the team leader in plus/minus. He is the freakin’ captain of the team you supposedly root for, is showing offensive ability after being a top-3-in-the-league hitter for the past three years, also. What exactly would he have to do to please you?
End Corporate Personhood.
PASS
And stop trying to make one-on-one moves that he should have learned long ago he is incapable of succeeding at. He never utilizes his linemates and while he may have 9 goals he has probably screwed up at least twice that many scoring opportunities. He has hands of clay and keeps fumbling these chances in the crease that a more talented player put into his position would score sometimes (e.g., Simmonds, Moller, Loktionov).
And who cares if he is captain? I said at the time and have maintained ever since that Kopitar should have been named captain at that time.
Youre absolutel right though when you say he is a league-leading hitter. That’s why he should be on the 3rd line with Handzus and Ponikarovsky (when he returns) because he can have an impact there with other players of his ilk instesd of trying to be an offensive monster.
I would have agreed with your take on Brown's one-on-one tendency last year...
…and it is still there somewhat, but really all year I have been seeing improvement from DB in using his teammates. Sometimes he has no options, on rushes, and Murray doesn’t like lateral passes on entry so when Brown is leading the rush he either has to dump it in or try to beat a guy one-on-one. But really, I think that once the possession is established, Brown has made some really good passes this year, definitely improving in that area. Maybe he isn’t all the way there yet for you, or me, but I have really seen improvement.
End Corporate Personhood.
And as well, Moller and Loktionov have already had their chances at exactly what you describe...
…and the only one that came out with results was Brown.
End Corporate Personhood.
While Garrett79 could clearly have been less hyperbolic and angry (possibly the 1-6 run has had something to do with this)...
I have to say I agree in general with what he’s saying, provided that we dial the emotion (which I totally get) down to about 5 from its current 11.
In general, I think Brown just tries to do too much. This sounds admirable, but it’s really not, because what it means is he’s drifting from the system. Trying to do too much (as I said in a post on my previous blog, which I may have to dig up now) is a nice way of saying he doesn’t trust his teammates, or the system, to stick to the plan. Or else, to the degree that the system allows him to take initiative, he may just have bad judgment. I’m not sure what the problem is, but I know that Brown appears frequently to be the player breaking up his own line’s play, whether by trying to skate through players, or by shooting insanely hard and very very wide, by being fancy at the blue line instead of getting it deep, by going for the big hit instead of the strategic one (e.g. separating defender from puck, getting it to Kopi, driving to net — Brown’s frequent move is the big hit on the player who just successfully dished off to a teammate; exciting, but strategically “all hat no cattle”).
Last night, I started to think that Brown’s problem may be that he has it in his head that he’s a “hard hitter” (which he is) and a “hard worker” (which he is) and so he just tries to do everything “hard.” Hard shots, for example. Maybe he ought to try to shoot less hard and more accurately. Is that any easy thing to do by force of will? No. But, as with many things in Brown’s game, he’s like a bull in a china shop.
He’s capable of spectacular plays. But he strikes me as a guy who needs someone else to be the leader, to point him in the right direction and say do this not that. Maybe those guys are already on the team. Maybe they’re injured and… you know what…that’s another thing, there are injuries and Brown seems to be saying, “I’ve got to do more.” And so he’s doing all of the wrong things more. He needs actually to do less, and do it better.
Or I’m completely out to lunch.
It may also be that the Kings do actually need a top-six LW and everyone’s suffering under the weight of having to compensate for that. It might be a little bit of both actually.
(when I’m watching a game I’ve recorded, like last night, I frequently have the impulse to fast forward through all of Kopitar/Brown’s shifts — they’re very frustrating to watch.)
Wait till this year.
Like I said, last year I could have, and probably was, an author of Garrett's exact words here.
I am just saying that to call him useless when he is tied for the team lead in goals, and call for him to be traded when he is the captain, and to ignore his plus/minus in so doing is too extreme to be given credit for being partially correct without challenge.
I mean, I agree with the assessment about over-playing and going balls-out with little finesse, I have posted that myself here many times. But, I do think he has inproved this year, and would continue to do so but at an even faster pace if he got that LW we need.
End Corporate Personhood.
I think his being captain is actually part of the problem.
I truly believe Brown was a better player under Marc Crawford in part because he was not the captain of the team. Obviously I can’t prove this, but I think that in his mind the captaincy makes him think he has to go out there and do everything. And as a result he tries to do too much and that is when he becomes ineffective. If he is hitting opposing players in their zone to get loose pucks and putting them to the crease that’s great (and it’s what he is good at), but when he is trying to make one-on-one moves to get the puck toward the crease on his own that is bad because he is not a skilled enough player to do it so he gives the puck away all the time (which is what I was referring to when I said he has screwed up more scoring opportunities than he has cashed in).
I am willing to bet that if you go back 3 years and watch his play he was doing more of the former and almost none of the latter. I really believe that is an element that has crept into his game when the C was put on his chest, this notion of having to carry the team and do more than his job.
The fact that he is now doing the latter more than the former is why I call him useless today and why I think that he has not improved as a player, but has in fact taken steps backward.
And when I call for him to be traded, it’s not like I just wanna see him leave town- he is simply a guy other teams would like to have and could be used to pry someone like Iginla away and into a Kings uniform.
Just re-watched the game on DVR...
In this one game, for sure, Brown makes many passes and very few “bull-rushes.” In the first period alone he created two scoring chances with rushes to the half-boards and then passes to the slot for tips, plus a little pass on entry to Simmonds.
But I know the tendency you talk about, and last year it was really bad in just the way you described, probably for the reasons you mentioned, also. This year, I think he is playing within himself more, and with all due respect I think “useless” is just way over the top and indefensible.
Guess it’s a matter of degree, but I guess we just have to agree to disagree.
End Corporate Personhood.
A) Terry Murray has told the team that they need to shoot the puck, get it to the net, work for a rebound. This is exactly what Dustin Brown does.
B) The right winger carries the puck in the zone on the Kings. This means Brown has the puck a lot.
C) Brown is a puckhog who shoots too much
A + B = C
I am willing to bet that if you go back 3 years and watch his play he was doing more of the former and almost none of the latter.
3 years ago Kopitar was carrying the puck in on every play. Now Kopitar’s by his goal line when the Kings break out of the zone.
The fact that he is now doing the latter more than the former is why I call him useless today
Brown drew 2 penalties against Zdeno Chara, penalties against 2 different Canadien players, and a penalty against Chicago’s best penalty killer with 7 minutes left in the game when the Kings were down by 2 on Saturday.
In this one game, for sure, Brown makes many passes and very few "bull-rushes."
This is because he was on the left side on Saturday and was usually the 2nd one in the zone with options to pass.
The only problem Brown has is that he listens to Terry Murray too well. You tell him to shoot, he’s going to shoot. You tell him to pass, he’s going to pass. He’s like Arnie from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? If you don’t tell him to get out of the bath tub, he’s not going to do it.
by RudyKelly on Nov 29, 2010 12:48 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
So actually, the problem is with Terry Murray. What he needs to do is stop telling Brown to shoot and start telling him to score. Predictably, he’ll do as he’s told and all will be right with the world.
View From My Seats
Sarcasm: God's gift to smart people...
Spot on
It’s true, Quisp, and very well stated. Kopi’s line hasn’t been the #1 line even though that’s what we all refer to it as. Kopi and Brown are under-performing and it seriously should not matter this much who their left-winger is.
On another matter, I am 100% open to Jack Johnson being packaged in a deal for something/someone top-notch. Jack may turn in to a solid defenseman but I do not think he will live up to his potential and certainly not to his hype. This is a classic “sell high situation” as far as I’m concerned. Johnson, prospect X, and a pick…
Funny, I found myself thinking along the same line. Thought Johnson turned a corner on maturity until the past few games. But that “one mistake, focus is lost and overplays his role” pattern has returned.
Admittedly I am on thin ice here as I can only point to last night, two games ago and the game Doughty went down. But a burned Johnson tends to abandon the team game.
It appears Martinez may be a gem which gave me a brain itch that Johnson may be good trade bait and open cap space for a good winger…if Martinez becomes consistent…
Are Teemu Selanne and Melanie Griffith Twins?
One word for the Kings recently: Ugh
We will eventually have to move JMFJ, it might as well be now… And I agree with your Johnson for Penner deal…
Short of that, what about starting the Brayden Schenn at LW1 experiment?
"Before I make a mistake, I don't make that mistake" -Johan Cruijff
And one more thing...
…Kevin Westgarth has no balance and is a terrible “heavyweight”. If we are going to dress the required cement-skated player let it be some one who can actually do the job. Guy is just getting killed out there.
I agree.
Westgarth is total dead weight. He might need that Ivy league degree here real soon if he continues to perform like he has.
I know Clune is not a heavyweight but he could probably do as much as Westgarth has and probably draw some penalties and contribute a bit (albeit small) to the scoring sheet as well…
Sorry, one more thing...
I’ve never been a big fan of JMFJ (I think the “M” now stands for minus).
If we trade him, we also have one less RFA contract to have to deal with at the end of the year. I guess with his crappy play, even if we keep him, he shouldnt get much with a new contract anyhow. Unless his father steps in…
…but, I say trade him. He doesnt seem to get it. He is never going to be able to a become a quality defenseman in this league unless he starts taking care of his own end more. He has plenty of offensive skill but that’s it; he is one dimensional. Does it really matter if you pile up the goals and assists but punish the team with break downs in the defensive zone? It’s sad, because initially it looked like we got ourselves a steal when Carolina did that deal. Too bad but might be time to move on and call it what it is…
I'm All For Reuniting Smyth-Kopitar-Williams
Not sure why Murray seems so insistent to keep Brown and Kopitar on together, when clearly that isn’t the best fit for either player.
Having said that, I feel the need to defend Kopitar a little bit here. He does have 21 points in 22 games this season – nearly a point a game average which is pretty much what you expect from him. And is there another center in the league of his caliber who is playing with the types of wingers Kopitar has had? Does anyone doubt that Kopitar would be a 100 point player in this league if he had the types of linemates other 100 point centers (like Backstrom in Washington or even Sedin in Vancoucer) have? It cannot be busy going out every night and having a different winger line up to the left side of you. Chemistry on a line in important, and Kopitar hasn’t really had it all season and he’s sill nearly at a point a game pace.
But I echo the sentiments of those above – a trade needs to be made and everyone knows it. And if that means giving away Johnson to get a legitimate top line left winger, than so be it – although I do believe Johnson is worth more than Penner.
I know why Kopitar and Brown are together.
It’s because of this:
The centers of the first three lines are set: Kopitar, Stoll, Handzus. Handzus is and must be the defensive stopper line. He’s going to get the players who can handle that burden. Is Brown that guy? He miiiight be. But:
The RWs on the first three lines are Williams, Brown and Simmonds. You can start putting people on their off-wings, but it’s not a great solution. Williams is clearly a top-six guy, and that leaves Brown and Simmonds, who are both really third line “types” with top-six potential. Just as Stoll and Handzus are both third line centers ideally (but with top six potential), Simmonds and Brown are both ideally third line guys. And Simmonds has excellent chemistry with Handzus. Murray likes his pairs and he knows those guys work very well together.
Murray’s instinct this year was to put Williams with Stoll and that turned out to be a stroke of genius. If Stoll/Williams is another “pair,” then Brown has literally nowhere to go but to play with Kopitar. Is he really suited to that role? No. But Murray knows that if Kopitar and Brown can re-establish their chemistry from three years ago (the wild and crazy no-defense Marc Crawford days) then he will have three pairs to work with. With regard to Kopitar/Brown, it hasn’t worked out at all.
The fact that Simmonds gets all the tough defensive assignments and Brown gets the easiest ones tells you pretty much all you need to know about why Brown isn’t on the third line. I personally think he likes the mental discipline to play on the Handzus line. Anyway, he has nowhere else to go but to work it out with Kopitar.
I think Murray will put him back on the Stoll line and hope that THEY can work it out.
I always feel like an uncheritable a**ho** when I talk about Brown, because I like him as a personality, and I know he’s a character guy and he often does great things. As I said somewhere else, maybe if Lombardi were to score a big juicy top six LW, the pressure would be off and Brown would settle down or settle in or whatever.
re Johnson vs. Penner: yeah, maybe. But that depends on which Johnson emerges. Just taking the Penner idea as an abstraction (meaning, could be Penner or someone else of equal value), would you rather lose Johnson, or Moller and Teubert?
Wait till this year.
I would rather lose Moller and Tuebert but I think the salary cap makes that choice moot next summer.
If we could keep Johnson and score a LW within the cap, I would trade Moller and Tuebert, but I think if we trade them now and get a LW, we end up losing Johnson next year anyway
End Corporate Personhood.
not necessarily. unless johnson is asking for more than $4M, the Kings can afford him and an LW.
Moller and Teubert I think it would be shortsighted to trade though.
Wait till this year.
What I’d like to see is a few more games of Martinez before venturing into this ring but Johnson’s league wide image may be larger then his (not so bad but inconsistent) game. Considering this and his RFA why trade youth if this can be taken advantage of?
Are Teemu Selanne and Melanie Griffith Twins?
I understand the idea of trading Johnson while he's overvalued
But I still think the only way he gets traded before the season is out is if Lombardi is absolutely certain that he’s getting immediate replacement value for him as part of the deal. Like I said in the other thread, I can see one of Hickey, Martinez, Voynov or Muzzin filling his present role nicely, but not for another couple of years. He’s just not going to pull the trigger on a deal if he thinks it will weaken the team in the short term in any way, even if he’s able to strengthen the team at another position.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
I agree there is a ground swell about not stepping backwards…but still I would like to see more Martinez this year, hopefully he could be readied for a run next year.
Today opened with Penner rumors ($4.5M). Its a tempting thought.
Are Teemu Selanne and Melanie Griffith Twins?
I'm just keying off of stuff Lombardi said almost a year ago
After the Kings started to look like a legit playoff team, he talked about the difference between being a buyer and a seller in the trade market, how the Kings were now a buyer and no longer a seller.
I’m also thinking of the way he handled Frolov last year. He probably knew by mid-season that it was unlikely that he could bring Fro back, but he didn’t trade him. That tells me that he either didn’t want to break up a successful team, or he couldn’t get a deal that would return equal value in the short term. He would rather have lost Fro for the following season and get nothing rather than weaken the team for the remainder of the current season.
But I agree about Martinez. I think he will get a chance; either someone will get hurt or he’ll bump Drewiskie and/or Muzzin for playing time.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
Agree, wouldnt mind seeing Smitty and JW back with Kopi.
WRT trading for LW. The only viable candidate I see is Penner. No other teams are really in a position to trade a top 6 guy. Penner fits the cap structure, but is he a team guy?
Can we afford to trade JJ at this point? Until WM is back, that would leave a huge hole. However, I do believe Muzzin will be at JJs now level, next year. Really like that kid. I also believe Muzzin to be ahead of Hickey. Could we package Hickey and Parse to EDM for Penner?
Watched the Monarchs game yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at Teuberts play. Been reading alot of crap about his play, but looked calm, and solid yesterday at any rate.
Loki is gonna be real good next year, and hope Moller can steal a top 6 as well.
Kopitar's Line
would be fine if Kopitar could manage to win a few more puck battles.
Teams know what to do now, and they’re doing it.
I don’t know if I’m overreacting to the power play, or TM’s odd comments about it, or what…but it seems to me like other teams know what our deal is, and adjust, but our coach isn’t really interested in trying counter-moves. Yes, there’s been a bit of line juggling. But it’s “Keep the same plan, just execute it better,” and “Umbrella now, umbrella forever!” Of course better execution would be great, and certain players really need to wake the heck up, but sometimes I wonder what would happen with a different kind of coach or system.
Then again, it’s the morning and I’m cranky so maybe I’m oversimplifying it all. And maybe TM will actually implement some bigger shakeups. Probably out of other options. IDK.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
I yearn for the time that Tippett was our special teams coach. I can’t believe I’m still not over that. It was the right thing to do, to let him go have his own head coaching job, but DANGIT!
Now I sound like a TM hater. I’m not, I just would like this PP fixed. Everything’s so predictable and apparently they still can’t see it.
Eh. I need a nap. You know your fandom heart is unsettled when a simple Tomas Fleischmann trade rumor makes it skip a beat.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
PS I should mention that the rumor is Fleischmann for Bieksa, not to do with us.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
OK, now it has morphed into something to do with us. Voynov. Vancouver media, for what that’s worth.
That article is odd in that it decries the fact that “anyone can make up a rumor” and yet he adds the Kings one without giving a source. And the Province and the Sun have never made stuff up. Whatever.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
If Fleischmann is a natural center, I don't see the Kings involved
It would mean that they’re either going to add a center and shift a center to wing yet again, or they’re just going to trade a center for an equivalent center.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
MSM reporters spend a lot of time discrediting blogs as rumor-mongering wannabes and/or unprofessional gossips and fanboys
but the truth is the big blogs are more rigorous in their vetting than the MSM since they have the stereotype to battle. MSM writers are obviously under a lot of pressure to report any f***ing thing they find on a message board, because they all know they need to succeed as blogs because that’s the future. this happened to film editors twenty years ago. they learned to cut actual film and then all these whippersnappers showed up with their computers and a lot of words were spilled trying to define “real” editors to exclude “digital” wannabes who don’t even know how to catalogue a trim or whatever. Meanwhile, they were all secretly taking night courses in digital editing. and most of them were just sent out to pasture.
Wait till this year.
Ha ha! Woe is he. This internet world is so strange, he must outdo it. At least Chesnokov put his name on it (and no, he didn’t mention Bieksa at all).
I thought this was a funny comment:
Kuzma, I understand that The National Inquirer has an opening for a gossip columnist. With your credentials, you would be a perfect fit.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
I think Martinez looks great in general and will yield something on the power play if he sticks around
I also think Stoll firing at will from the point is a good idea.
Having Smyth as the ass in the goalie’s face on one unit and Handzus on the other unit is a good idea, too. It really comes down to Kopitar and who and Williams and who as the two forward pairs. Choices are Brown and…Simmonds?
Also, you need Stoll on one unit and Handzus on the other, in order to take faceoffs.
I would consider bringing up Loktionov, Moller or Kozun and put one of them on Kopitar’s line.
Wait till this year.
I make a funny...
Our Power Play uses the “Dumbrella.”
In related news, Kings play the Fumb Ducks next.
End Corporate Personhood.
or even "telebrella"
since we know where every pass is going.
i guess nobody liked “pylon pentagon.”
Wait till this year.
I would consider bringing up Loktionov, Moller or Kozun and put one of them on Kopitar’s line.
Would TM ask for those players? They are getting Zeiler, for his energy. And maybe the Lost Boy Schenn.* I don’t know if it’s a case that he can’t ask for them (contracts, DL’s call etc.) or if he just doesn’t want them.
*Poor chipmunk.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Having Smyth as the ass in the goalie’s face on one unit and Handzus on the other unit is a good idea, too. It really comes down to Kopitar and who and Williams and who as the two forward pairs. Choices are Brown and…Simmonds?
Brown & Smyth never seemed to click on the power play because Smyth would kind of roam around looking for the puck and Brown could never play off him. Handzus and Brown worked because Zeus would plant in front of the net and let Brown work in the corner. I’d use Simmonds-Smyth and Zeus-Brown. Mix and match with the 2 umbrella tops, see how it works.
Adjustments to the Power Play...
Many teams use a setup where the point men are in the extreme corners at the blue line. They are as far apart as possible, and as far back as possible. Detroit comes to mind, Chicago, also. I think Washington does it, too.
That setup makes for a dynamic where the three forwards have more room to operate. By drawing the defenders farther out to block point shots, or else concede/make easier point shots by staying low, more room is created from the faceoff circles in. Essentially it makes possible a two on three, with fewer legs in the shooting lanes. Penalty killers just cannot collapse as close to the net, and are spread thinner with a 3 on 2 as opposed to congested with a 4 on 3, or 5 on 4.
Of course, Phase Two of that setup’s strategy is for the forward’s to initiate a high cycle, not a board cycle, but trading positions between the dots and hiding off to the side of the net before moving to screen the goalie in time with the shot. This is a change that can be made. I don’t care if Kompon has to whistle “Sweet Georgia Brown” and the Kings go into a Globetrotter Weave, as long as they get the puck to Curly or Meadowlark and it goes in the hoop.
Also, I believe Jack Johnson has actually blossomed as a power play quarterback this year, or has at least imrpoved dramatically. He is moving laterally, and making good passes after drawing defenders. His teammates are not exploiting the ice JJ gives them, however.
Johnson has shown he can distribute the puck in the umbrella, he can certainly do so in other setups. The problem is the Kings do not have the booming one-timer from the point. Al McInnins (spelling?) had such a heavy shot that if it didn’t go in it was almost always gonna make a rebound. But, he was able to get it through, because he took the pass far out near the blue line, and the defender had to come out farther to block it, at which point (point, tee hee) one quick side-step properly timed would make that defender have over-committed and gave time to get the shot away.
Murray talks about “shot mentality.” Perhaps what needs to be made clear is that on the power play shooters need to have a "QUICK Shot Mentality.’ It is very fristrating to see the lanes close while a point man stops the puck, raises his stick and looks, then either shoots it into legs or passes it slowly to someone else.
If I were Kompon, I would be stressing the outer point system, not the unbrella, and I would be stressing snappy passes with one-time shots or return passes. Since I am not Kompon, I am just stressing.
End Corporate Personhood.
Pun coincidental, but that's a good point about the point shot
Too many shots on the PP are being blocked, it seems to me. Almost everyone is giving the defense enough time to get back into position, and that’s what I think is so frustrating to watch. The shot — especially from the point — needs to come more quickly.
On Kopi’s goal, it seems to me, he just ripped it. No hesitation, no thought of passing. Just teed it up. I hope the coaching staff can use that as a teaching moment.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
And by the way, Schenn was sent to manchester for 14 days on Nov. 15th...
So decision time is nigh.
If you are gonna ice rookies, Lewis, Westgarth, Clifford and King, do you go with the guy that obviosuly has the most upside? Do you just forgive his mistakes and let him play limited time as a winger just to get him into the NHL?
And, do you eat the 4.14 cap it thereby limiting your ability to sign established players this summer? Do you commit to Schenn now just so he is more ready next year, even if that means you lose one of Williams, Johnson, Simmonds, Handzus or Ponikarovsky?
The Kings have a cap crunch coming. Not the cereal, either.
End Corporate Personhood.
I think the real question is what is the target year to go for the ring? I thought DL said it was next season.
If so the team should consider staying with the building and development process and enjoy the level of success which results as a bonus rather then peak early and blow the program in the process.
Are Teemu Selanne and Melanie Griffith Twins?
Agreed...
DL also said he intends to keep the “core” together. But how does he do that this summer…Maybe you saw all the back and forth under “So Far, so….what?” http://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/2010/11/25/1836809/so-far-so-what#
Bottom line of my thinking there was that we cannot give Doughty the raise and keep all of Johnson, Zus, Williams, Ponikarovsky, while also giving deserved raises to Simmonds and Richardson.
Of that whole group, I feel that Johnson has the highest trade value now, will likely want more than his worth this summer and end up in arbitration, and will make the total amount spent defensively too much if signed anyway.
End Corporate Personhood.
I enjoyed “So Far, so…” greatly. Quisp’s insightful analysis and work sets our blog above the rest.
Through I missed how that particular article shines on JJ as an RFI I am not worried about the current streak or concerned what the Kings will look like when they emerge. The Club should be just fine by the end of the season.
I find amusing is how the current streak changed my perceptions of the line up and allowed me to consider options that I would not have imagined two weeks ago…such as swapping JJ and his RFA for…someone….soon…with a three year fixed contract.
I’d been preaching stay the course and not trade youth so a swap works fine for me. More so as I feel your arbitration point will prove prescient.
Are Teemu Selanne and Melanie Griffith Twins?
Not Falling But Paint is Starting to Peel
There is no magic to Quisp’s observations. Its been apparent for two weeks. Teems have keyed on the second line. Williams was neutralized the last two games and Smyth has been ineffective on the boards for the past four.
Could it be that we are now seeing the real shortcoming of having focused on Kovalchuk?.
Yet that does little to explain why the recent trend of not chasing pucks into the zone or a lack of awareness. Last night was dump and forget. And it seems that the frequency of no one positioned at the net was more about lack of awareness then willingness.
Has the entire team (except Clifford) come down with a flu?
Are Teemu Selanne and Melanie Griffith Twins?
dont have time to read all the comments, so sorry if this was mentioned
anyone else notice the penalty kill is still perfect at home?
Hey, leave your “ray of sunshine” at home. Can’t you see this is a doom and gloom thread!?
by JZarris on Nov 28, 2010 8:59 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Who would have thought that Ponikarovsky was the indispensable man?
I’m glad you cite the QUALCOMP numbers, Quisp, because I’m always too lazy to look for stuff like that on my own. :-) What I’m seeing is that Murray is basically using the Handzus line like he did last year, as the stopper line against the opposition’s top forwards. Theoretically, this should free up the “top two” lines in terms of match-ups. This suggests that Ponikarovsky’s value to the team is greater than his raw numbers would indicate. So when he goes out, the top defensive line loses size and experience. It becomes less effective, which means that the overall advantage gained by being able to match up your “third” line against the opposition’s top line is mitigated.
In a league where the difference between the best and worst teams is really not that great, that could be just enough, combined with the vagaries of chance, to send you into a losing streak.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
HockeyBuzz Report
Matt Barry is reporting the Kings and Jack Johnson are close to a 6- or 7-year deal. I don’t generally regard anything I see on that site as even remotely likely to transpire, but I was curious on this one, whether anyone else has heard anything else to confirm or deny.
I’d like to see the Kings lock Johnson and Doughty both up long-term and it makes sense to sign Johnson first so you can work up from there on Doughty’s instead of the insulting method of negotiating down from Doughty’s for JJ.
Since all the talk on ESPN.com by Lebrun has been about how the Kings aren’t talking to Doughty yet this would kind of make sense if it’s actually Lombardi’s strategy to sign JJ first.
First I've heard
If it’s true, the term surprises me, and I would have to think that the cap hit would be on the low side to compensate for the Kings being tied to JJ for that long. I can see Doughty getting a big deal that would be for lots of years and lots of $; Johnson not so much.
But yeah, I see your point about it making sense to sign JJ 1st, DD 2nd.
"Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" — Invader Zim
That would be terrific news if true
Plus I agree with your idea about JJ first then DD, enlightening view. If they can sign JJ for an average cap hit of 3.5, it keeps all options open. By that I mean he doesn’t hurt the team excessively cap-wise, and remains tradeable personnel-wise. Term surprises me, too, but if term keeps average hit down, it seems like the best concession by the team that won’t impact the immediate future. Can’t wait to hear some numbers, hope this is true.
End Corporate Personhood.
I am stunned, the whole thing sounds so reasonable. Man, I hope this is real...
End Corporate Personhood.
First PP unit should be Smyth-Kopitar-Williams
This would re-unite the Kings’ best line from last year while keeping Smyth-Stoll-Williams together 5-on-5.
Smyth plants his ass in front of the net, Williams recovers the puck and feeds the points and Kopitar can still hang out on the half wall.
I think QUALCOMP measures essentially the scoring ability of your opposition, not their ability to shut you down.
I’m not that surprised by the results. Back in the day, Pahlsson had the Ducks’ highest QUALCOMP numbers, not because anybody was shutting him down — rather that was his role against top scorers in the league.
www.battleofcali.com
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Jewels From The Crown
Related FanShots on Jewels From The Crown
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
