Cloutier notes and quotes
No King was happier to get training camp started than Dan Cloutier, who missed the final three and a half months of last season after having hip surgery.
``It was a long and frustrating rehab process,’’ Cloutier said. ``Whenever you have to rehab that long, you’re just looking forward to the next training camp.’’
Cloutier said he knew in the first week of the season that he had done severe damage to the hip. Every time he went into his stance, he would feel bone dig into bone.
``If you’re a goalie and you’re a second or two late, you can’t really compete at that level,’’ Cloutier said. ``That’s what I found. I wasn’t playing very good. I was getting beat every night on saves that I should make.’’
He admitted to being stubborn for not having the surgery earlier, saying his desire to play after missing most of the previous season because of a knee injury played a part.
Entering training camp, he said he is feeling close to 100-percent physically but will need time to get back the reaction time and instincts that made him so good in Vancouver.
``Health-wise, I’m there,’’ Cloutier said. ``It’s everything else. It’s getting out there and playing, the speed of the game with traffic. Those are the things you lose. You don’t necessarily lose guys coming down the wing and shooting. You lose all the little things, tips and battling around the crease.’’
He wants to be the starter in the regular-season opener, though he admits it could be a while before he returns to his top form.
``I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I guarantee I’ll work as hard as I can to get there.''
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J.P. Hoornstra writes about NHL and IHL hockey for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. He welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
E-mail J.P. at jp.hoornstra@inlandnewspapers.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews
.com.
Vincent Bonsignore is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News. E-mail Vinny at vincent.bonsignore
@dailynews.com.
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Danny boy looked good today.
"he is feeling close to 100-percent physically but will need time to get back the reaction time and instincts that made him so good in Vancouver."
scary :(
I hope that Kings fans will give Cloutier a chance instead of booing him right out of the gate. It was a selfish move to be stubborn last season when he knew he was hurt/ineffective and kept playing anyway, but this is a new season and the truth is he's a MUCH better goalie than we saw last year. I hope he can regain some of his old form- we don't need GREAT goaltending, we just need GOOD goaltending, for now.
Cloutier was, and still is, the only major blemish on Lombardi's resume since he came to LA. Not just a major blemish, but a raging blackhead! It's time to pop the zit and get on down the road!
I will admit that I did my fair share of Cloutier bashing in the past, but I will not boo him right away. I hope that he will provide the Kings with solid goaltending.
He gets the chance, but he has to realize his leash with the fans is going to be shorter than an Antarctic summer. Obviously the guy's a competitor if he could feel bone on bone and was still trying to play thorough it.
Doubt it will happen, but given the character Cloutier has, imagine the boost he would get if he actually got a decent reaction from the fans when he plays in his first game this season... I'm rooting for him, but can't help but be a little skeptical