Notes and quotes from the locker room
Slightly different atmosphere in the locker room after this game than the last one. This time, the players were actually there. I don't remember the last time I saw Dustin Brown sitting at his locker after a game.
Crawford and the players talked yesterday about erasing Tuesday's game from their memory, but it was obvious they didn't. They came out using those bad feelings to spark them to probably their best first period of the season. Not only did they strike first for the first time in nine games but they lit the goal up four times.
``That was what we were looking for, a strong start and to play with some passion and play within the structure,’’ Anze Kopitar said. ``That’s one thing we’ve got to try every game, to come out of the gate like that.’’
Everyone seemed more determined out there. Brown and others were crashing the net and getting rebounds. Blake and the defense were solid and throwing hits.
``We had some great performances from our defensive core,'' Crawford said. ``Rob Blake looks like he is 28 years old right now. He’s playing with lots of heart and desire, especially playing with young Jack Johnson. They make a nice pair.''
As the game wore on, LaBarbera proved to be the most determined of them all to make up for his performance in getting yanked early out of Tuesday's 7-0 loss to Nashville. LaBarbera made a career-high 48 saves, including some key stops to extinguish a two-man shortage late in the second period.
``We knew we had to come out with a purpose,’’ LaBarbera said. ``We definitely had a lackluster effort the other night and that’s not who we are or who we want to be. We felt like, as a group, we let each other down. So we wanted come out as a team and come out hard.’’
The Kings were outshot 44-13 in the final two periods, but most of that came after they took a 5-0 lead so I think we can overlook that for now.
The most important thing to come out of this game is that I'm no longer a curse to the team. The Kings broke their six-game losing streak with me in attendance.
``We're not kidding anybody,'' Crawford said. ``We're a long way from being back in a playoff race. Right now we just have to look at games as individual challenges. I'm sorry to say that’s where we’re at but that is where we're at, and tonight's game was a great response from our guys.''
What's the deal? They'll lose like it's their job then come up with an onslaught of goals out of nowhere. Perhaps the amount of goals scored in this game will determine the length of their next consecutive losing streak, which will again start on Saturday, no less!
Way to set it on auto pilot towards the end and almost ruin it, fellas! That's what KINGS HOCKEY is all about, right there.
Kudos to LaBarbera for channeling his inner Patrick Roy. He saved their sorry butts from a third period massacre.
p.s. Dustin Brown is hereby exempt from all impending criticism since he brings what the rest of team should bring every night: CONSISTENT effort. I wish I could say the same for Kopitar, but he should've scored in this game. Even though you made it to the All Star game, you need to step it up, Anze!
``We're not kidding anybody,'' Crawford said. ``We're a long way from being back in a playoff race. Right now we just have to look at games as individual challenges. I'm sorry to say that’s where we’re at but that is where we're at, and tonight's game was a great response from our guys.''
Does this guy really think that he is fooling anyone with absolutely ridiculous statements like this?
``We're a long way from being back in a playoff race." Yeah try like a whole new season away!
This guy is unbelievable!!!
Dear 2010-2011,
Chill. I interpreted Crawford's comments as being exactly yours: forget about the playoffs now. But--to the media and in front of his players--he can't say it in those words. There is no King, and no Kings fans, who don't know where we are at this moment, and will be for the rest of the season--on the road to Stamkos.
"The Kings were outshot 44-13 in the final two periods, but most of that came after they took a 5-0 lead so I think we can overlook that for now."
Sorry, I disagree.
Sounds like they sat back on their lead, and given a little more time they would've probably lost this one as well. It's one thing to win 5-2 with most of your goals in the first and little to none in the remaining periods, but it's entirely something else - something bad, too - to stop shooting and record so few shots.
That's playing not to lose instead of playing to win.
what do you want him to say? if he says, "yeah this season is done, we're awful" he'd get crucified by everyone.
i don't like crawford but he's stuck between a rock and hard place in regards to what he can and can't say right now.
Playoff race????
You mean the Stamkos playoff race???
I was at the game last night. I enjoyed the win. Brown was unbelievable. He should be the next captain. He gave out a lot of hits and was a target more than a few times. I think I saw two heavy hits he received from behind. You'd think at lest one other King would have noticed and backed up his teammate. I still think Kopitar hasn't been himself lately or has hit a plateau. I was hoping he could step it up to a level that Ryan Getzlaf has already reached. Jack Johnson was very unimpressive. Took too many bad penalties, the Toronto veterans played him like a top. Johnson seems to not want to shoot from the point preferring to carry the puck in, usually getting caught out when the play swings the other way. They said it was a sellout, I think if it weren't for the massive support for the Toronto Maple Leafs,(I don't recall seeing as many jerseys, more than when Detroit is in town), It could have been the least amount of attendance this year.
In the end, like I said I enjoyed the game, having been born in Toronto, I would have won which ever team won. But I will wait to see the next three games to see if the Kings are in the up swing.
What do you want a coach and players to say? There is only so much sports talk they can do. Do you want their true feelings? You can take most of the quotes at the end of the game and put it in any other athletes coaches mouth in any other sport.
You don't get real and honest until they retire and are on 60 Minutes.
``Rob Blake looks like he is 28 years old right now. He’s playing with lots of heart and desire, especially playing with young Jack Johnson. They make a nice pair.''
...Should have been followed up with, "and he loves Jarome Iginla."
sorry morgan I dont know how many games you have been to this year but thats just how full staples is this season, I was shocked when i sat down for the face off and more than half the seats were full, it was the fullest I had seen the building before a game since the home opener.
But how was JMFJ dissapointing ? He doesnt shoot from the point because he doesn't have a f-king lane to shoot. When JMFJ gets a lane to shoot, he will shoot it; I promise. and one foot over to the left and he hits that empty net, damn.
"I still think Kopitar hasn't been himself lately or has hit a plateau. I was hoping he could step it up to a level that Ryan Getzlaf has already reached."
you do realize kopi is in his 2nd season and getzlaf is in his 3rd and they have the same amount of goals and kopi only has 7 points less... as well as kopi more or less is 1 of 2-3 players carrying this team while getzlaf has a bit more of a supporting cast
``We're not kidding anybody,'' Crawford said. ``We're a long way from being back in a playoff race. Right now we just have to look at games as individual challenges. I'm sorry to say that’s where we’re at but that is where we're at, and tonight's game was a great response from our guys.''
This statement should have been made about one month ago. That is my biggest beef. Since he has desided to make this statement this late in the game he should have said something more like ``We're not kidding anybody,'' Crawford said. ``We're a long way from being A .500 HOCKEY TEAM. Right now we just have to look at PERIODS as individual challenges. I'm sorry to say that’s where we’re at but that is where we're at, and tonight's game was a great FIRST PERIOD START. We can still play better and I except that from our guys.''
All little more truth would be a good thing I think.
The fact that this guy doesn't seem to know how to motivate this team and does everything at least a month late we should be playing at about a .500 pace by the June rolls around. Oh yeah, that's right well be playing golf in June Sh*t!
On a much happier note. Gabe Gauthier and Peter Harrold mad the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star to go alone with Teddy Purcell already making the Canadian AHL All-Star team as a starter
http://kings.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=349567&page=NewsPage&service=page
Way to go boys, bring us fans something to look forward to since there isn't much up here to like.
Here's a great article about Bernier turning a page in his short career...
http://kings.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=349567&page=NewsPage&service=page
Keep your head up kid!
hurray for a win.
however, this is inexcusable.
"The Kings were outshot 44-13 in the final two periods"
unless you center ice having bastards tell me they were all shots from bad angles that is.
"unless you center ice having bastards tell me they were all shots from bad angles that is."
most of the shots wernt what id call good scoring chances, there were a few scrambles where labs probably had 4-5 point blank rebounds that he stoped, but other than that its a pretty deceptive stat
Here's a good story about Thomas Hickey by LAKINGS.COM
http://kings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=349659
I really like this kid. I think he is going to be a Rafalski/Neidermeyer type defensemen. I can't wait to see him don the purple and gold.
I don't know whats more frustrating. Getting our asses kicked on Tuesday or kicking Toronto's ass while playing only 20 minutes of hockey?
Which team is this? I've never seen anything like this.
It also could be attributed to the play of Raycroft. The cone that was wearing his uniform couldn't stop a beachball coming at him. When we talk about other goalies to hold the fort until Bernier is ready, this is what's out there. the grass isn't any greener or browner over there than it is here.
I give this response to their play last night after happily falling alseep after the 1st period.
@Jack
Sorry man, many were grade A chances.
As I mentioned in my post in the "Kings win 5-2" thread, the ONLY reason the Kings won was Jason LaBarbara standing on his head most of the night.
no the leafs totally controlled the last two periods. it was a nice win to have but i don't think anyone in the locker room is going to look at it and say, "we can draw tons of positives from this game to build on." even the first period was sloppy. if not for raycroft being absolutely awful, i don't think the kings come up with a win.
Labarbera was the difference, and it was a positive difference for a change.
"The Kings were outshot 44-13 in the final two periods, but most of that came after they took a 5-0 lead so I think we can overlook that for now."
Sorry, I disagree.
Sounds like they sat back on their lead, and given a little more time they would've probably lost this one as well. It's one thing to win 5-2 with most of your goals in the first and little to none in the remaining periods, but it's entirely something else - something bad, too - to stop shooting and record so few shots.
That's playing not to lose instead of playing to win.
I'm no Crawfish fan.
But I do have to admit that he does have a positive outlook after every game.
Even when the team is losing and losing badly, he mostly focuses on the positives. That's what a coach needs to do (to keep the players confidence up) and he does do it well.
For that I give him credit.
As for yesterdays game, for once the goalie was the difference in the game.
Our offense seems to explode against teams from the East. They play more of open ice game, which suits the Kings.
The challenge now is to carry this game over against a tough, tight checking, Dallas team.
I hate that team almost as much as I hate the quacks.
Labarbera was definetely a factor in this game, but he did not steal this one. He just did what a average goalie is supposed to do. You can say that he "stood on his head" only if you compare it to how he has been playing lately. He was not even selected as one of the 3 stars, that should tell you all that you need to know about his performance.
Hey Anthony
What gives you the right to use my Crawfish nickname. You owe me a beer at the game.