Ersberg speaks
Here's what Erik Ersberg had to say about his big road trip, which included the first two starts of his NHL career. Ersberg stopped 61 of 66 shots in losses to Minnesota and St. Louis...
``First of all, it was a great experience to start some games and play some games up here. It was really fun. We didn't get too many points though, but I think I played OK.''
I asked Ersberg how playing NHL games differed from his expectations...
``It was actually kind of what I thought it would be. It's a fast game, really fast, compared to the minors and where I've been before this year. It's a little more structured and there are obviously better players. But I think it's a little easier to read what's going to happen because there's not so many broken plays. Some parts of it are almost easier up here.''
I asked Ersberg if it helped to watch games from the bench, and also to make a couple ``relief appearances,'' before he was out there on his own starting games...
``Every time you're on the bench, you try to watch and see what's going on out there and maybe pick up a thing or two. So I'm sure it helped me a little bit.''
Finally, I asked Ersberg about his rebound control, one area in which he received a lot of praise. I asked him if that was something he prided himself on, or if he's been working on it...
``It's something I've worked a lot on this year down in Manchester with the goalie coaches. It's an important part of the game. If you can do that well, you're going to help your `D' a lot and make them not have to take such long shifts sometimes.
Good stuff, thanks Rich!
Rich, THIS is why we love you. Never leave us, please!
The whole Labs thing got me thinking. The fact that he has not translated his AHL success into NHL success proves to me two things:
1) The JLB experiment proves my point that the AHL experience DL is forcing on guys like Purcell, Boyle, Moulson, et al, is not so useful. A winning environment is a nice thing but have these kids not been on winning teams a majority of their hokey lives? That's how most young talent rises to the top; through winning.
2) If they REALLY aren't ready for the NHL, even on a losing team, then maybe they will never be.
I know I said two, but maybe the third - and real - reason is that the Kings have struggled for so long that the many management teams and the fan base have become resistant to patience. Just a thought.
In Response to Daniel.
Championship teams are not built over night. I have to give lots of credit to Dean Lombardi for being patient and not going for the quick fixes. Also as a fan I can see that kings ownership has recognized from past failures that you can not mortgage the future by trading away draft picks for rentals that have produced nothing but losing season after losing season for this franchise. Dean you are on the right track and don’t change a thing. Lets end the season and hopefully draft another Anze Kopitar. And I can see with Boyle, Purcell and other prospects this team can only get better. But we need defensemen that can bring a different dimension to the blue line.
Of course you know that Dean.
Roger
Hey Rich,
When you get a chance, do you think you could interview with Handzus and see how he is doing? This is a player that usually (when he is healthy) always his 40-50+ points a season and was one of the best two way forwards in the league. Now his stats have lagged significantly due to injury. How is he feeling and what does he see in his future? As the King's four million dollar man, how soon does he expect to be back on his game to claim the second line center position that was his to lose at the start of the season? I am really interested in his projections for himself next season if he can get healthy and his overall healing process now.
"The JLB experiment proves my point that the AHL experience DL is forcing on guys like Purcell, Boyle, Moulson, et al, is not so useful. "
I think that's not entirely true...sure there will be exceptions like Kopitar Brown and Johnson that need to go right to the NHL but that is not the normal development path. these are exceptions to the rule and if they can make the team out of camp more power to them.
also, Labs is a guy who had played a ton in the AHL and he's a borderline NHL #1. he was bound to do well being stuck there as long as he had the right attitude. he's not good enough to be a dominant #1 but let's be fair to him, his stats (outside of Wins) are still highly respectable on a poor defensive team. it was only a few weeks ago he was in the top 15 in the league in SV%, right there with the ranks of Giguere et. al. this late in the season on a team playing for nothing but pride and playing through injury? that's about as good as we should expect.
I really like what Ersberg had to say in the interview. this guy is smart, is already good enough to back up on this team and will only get better as he adapts to the NHL game and trains here in the offseason and I don't see why he shouldn't have the opportunity for a future with this organization.
not to mention, he has one of the coolest Kings masks I've seen. makes me wonder, did he wear that thing in Manchester?? it looks new. he must have really good hopes if we went out and got 2 masks painted before had even played a single game in NA.