On the defense (not the defensive)
I meant to blog this stuff last week, but got caught up in my time off and the Cloutier mess. It's from Marc Crawford, talking about the Kings' defensive problems and areas that need improvement. It's kind of an insight as to what the coaches are looking for from the players...
Crawford said: ``Our defense, they have to recognize, judging the time and the score and all of the elements that go into the game, when it's not opportune for them to go in and try to join the attack. We've had a couple times, especially in last (week's) game against St. Louis, when we were guilty of trying to manufacture something. And that's a fine line, because you want your guys to be interactive with your forwards but you have to make good decisions. The time and score of the game, and who you're out there against, those are the important elements in making that decision.
``And our backcheck, while it's been a staple of our game, we can shore up on that and we can pick it up. When we're playing well you should see, as a trademark, tremendous back-side pressure. You should see guys just really working hard on the backcheck. ... That's the type of time we have right now. We're not big on defense. We lost some people at the trade deadline and we're young in those positions. We have to give those people as much help as we can. When you look at shoring things up, the one thing you can control is the amount of rush chances you give up. There's going to be mistakes and there's going to be mistakes in coverage down deep in the zone, with a young team, but we're not talking about those. We're talking specifically about how we can eliminate rush chances.''
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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
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Vincent Bonsignore is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News. E-mail Vinny at vincent.bonsignore
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"``And our backcheck, while it's been a staple of our game, we can shore up on that and we can pick it up. When we're playing well you should see, as a trademark, tremendous back-side pressure. You should see guys just really working hard on the backcheck. ... That's the type of time we have right now. We're not big on defense. We lost some people at the trade deadline and we're young in those positions. "
Interesting take that might have some credence if we weren't LAST in the league in goals against at the trade deadline too. Goals against isn't something new the past couple of weeks.
That said, they do need big physical bodies back there. We have smaller mobile guys but you need some size to make guys pay in front of the net. Guys are lighting fires and cooking s'mores in front of the crease all season long so far.
so... that standing in front of our own net - while the other team cycles at will - until they hypnotize our defense and they score on an unchallenged pass to the guy right in front of crease/net thing isn't an issue???
cool.
The major problem I see on D is not odd-man rushes but a lack of ability to clear the zone, both 5 on 5 and on the penalty kill. The Kings constantly get trapped in their own zone for extended periods, unable to touch the puck, or even worse, not decisively clearing it when then they do get a hold of it. They do a good job of keeping opponents on the perimeter but eventually the King defenders tire and there is a breakdown.
Here's an unique idea for Crow....How bout less Escort sevice on other teams puck carriers? Get the idea into D that takaways on their part would look so nice, instead of the other way around.
I see the biggest problem on D is our inablility and reluctance to hit. If we had big D who could hit, and did hit the oponants forwards every time they came into our zone... they would not only force turn-overs, but they'd intimidate the oposing team and make them feel the need to make a play fast, quick passes, or quick shots... which forces them to give up puck posession...
i think our biggest problem is that we allow the oposing teams forwards to do whatever they want in our zone,,, they just skate around... I can't say i how many times this season I've watched a forward just be 'marked' by a d-man, giving him time to stick handle and find somebody in the slot to pass it to... 9 times out of 10 on ALL the goals we've given up this season I can look at the replay and say, if that d-man hit this guy now, that goal would never have gone in...
oposing forwards are confident in just skating around our D... but if our D takes a page from Dustin Browns book (who hits oposing D men when they have the puck in our offensive zone, which creates turn overs and often results in goals *ALL STEMMING FROM THE ORIGINAL WILLINGNESS TO TAKE THE BODY*)
if oposing forwards were afraid of attacking our net or zone, if they knew that everytime they entered our zone they'd be hit hard, they wouldnt be NEARLY as successful as they have been this season...
your thoughts?
Nick, I agree with you 100%. Nobody is afraid to play the kings. They know they can park someone in front of our net and or even take a run or to at our goalie without worring about paying the price. The Kings need 2 BIG d-man that can and will do that. Def. and goaltending win standly cups.
We need old time hockey brought back to L.A.
Rich thanks for this kick ass blog!
It's amazing that Joe Schmoe on this blog (no offense people) can see more glaring issues than a NHL head coach. I agree with everyone I've seen comment at this time (Tim 3/14 3:29).
What drives me crazy is pretty much what Jack Handy said. How many times does an opposing player score unmolested in front of the net. Often the D is standing right there but they seem to be unaware of their danger. And the 5 on 5 power play other teams seem to have in the kings zone.
Another thing that bothers me is the inability to keep the zone. We have all these offensive minded defensemen and so many times the puck bounces towards the point and you think, "cool they'll hold it in", but instead the D has already pulled back to the redline. I don't know how many odd man rushes I've seen because the D simply tried to hold the zone.
soft coach=soft team