Giuliano sticking with Kings
Jeff Giuliano has been up with the Kings for 20 games now, which means he must be doing something right. His numbers are nothing to look at. He has one assist and a minus-5. But he's playing on an energy and/or checking line where offense isn't expected. The Kings previousy tried Gabe Gauthier in the role and he didn't pan out because he is more of an offensive player than a grinder like Giuliano.
Here is what Crawford says about Giuliano: ``He's played a little bit of a checking role. Jeff helped us in the PK department and with his skating. We’d like to see him be very trustworthy in the d-zone, be strong positionally and be able to shut people down. That’s the role he will hopefully fulfill. He’s not a big guy but he does have good strength. He’s not here to be an offensive dynamo. He hasn't been an offensive dynamo at any level. He's very conscientious and an attention-to-detail type of player.''
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About Rich Hammond
Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar. A native of Los Angeles, Rich has worked at the Daily News since 1999 and also serves as the paper's deputy sports editor. E-mail Rich at rich.hammond@dailynews.com.
Guliano's defensive play was really brought to my attention in the game against Toronto. When the Leafs had a 5-on-3 in the third, Guiliano had no less then 4 different plays near the right point where he either blocked a shot or disrupted the intended pass; not necessarily deflecting it, but denying the Leafs the shot setup by staying within the passing lane. His play is really improving and he deserves to play out the season in L.A.