Postgame quotes
Here's some of the quotes from last night's game at Staples. Interesting note from the team...the Kings haven't had a losing record in the preseason since 1988. What does that mean? Nothing, but it's sort of bizarre to note. Here's the quotes...
-----
Terry Murray, on his game thoughts...
``I take a lot of good things out of this game. There was a lot of good execution. We had our moments when it wasn't quite where we'd like it to be, but with it being the first game, I thought it was good. The effort, the intensity, the compete was very good. I was very happy about that. There were a lot of people that were very good. I was very happy about that. There were a lot of people that were involved in the physical side of it and that brings the whole team in whenever you get big hits and a couple of fights in there. I like that part a lot.''
Murray, on his team's defense...
``I thought there was a very conscious effort on the defensive part of the game and in all the zones. Our neutral zone, when it came down to crunch time, was excellent. I thought our positioning the whole lines were very good. Then right back into our own end, we had some good things happening with coming back into the home plate area. Pucks were on the outside of the dots and that's something that we've talked about as far as being an OK play. Let it happen out there but make sure that the front of the net is protected.''
Oscar Moller, on the game...
``It was pretty exciting. I didn't really know what to expect when I came out there, but I just started playing my game and it turned out pretty good.''
Moller, on playing in the NHL...
``Well, you're playing against men now, not playing against boys and kids. So the speed is higher and they're stronger, so I got to keep my head up and be strong out there.''
Moller, on training camp...
``Yeah, I'm satisfied with it. I guess it's been going pretty good. We're working hard and we're working on the new system here with the new coaching staff and it feels pretty good.''
6 Comments
Leave a comment
About the bloggers
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.
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.
Rich,
Any word on where Frolov was?
Frolov was not dressed. I attended a vip event in the green room pre-game and during the first period and first intermission. frolov visited with us, signed autographs and took pictures. he was there about 10 minutes during the first intermission. he did not look hurt. i think he was given the game off.
Kinda of a dangerous game O'Sullivan, maybe more to the point O'Sullivan's agent is playing. He only has a single complete season under his belt with decent but promising numbers so I don't understand what their contract snag could be, either length or money?
So in comes a (mostly) new coaching regime with no history or preconceived notions of any player and they have a few available spots to fill on the roster. If someone rises to the top of the prospect heap, like Oscar Moller, Patrick O'Sullivan could become a memory this season.
worth a quick look
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/photo?slug=9931dbb74dd987dd0eddacc632d1a381-getty-82399019cp008_phoenix_coyot&prov=getty
Postgame quote from AEG management after the KC game:
“I can’t think of any reason this doesn’t work here,” Leiweke said. “Kansas City has the best arena without a hockey team in the world. I didn’t look at this as an audition game (for the NHL). I’ll bet we have as many in here tonight as we have in LA. Preseason hockey the first couple of weeks in any market is a bit of a trick.”
Source: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/809049.html
I wish the KC media had spoken to Tim Leiweke and asked him why the vast majority of Kings fans want AEG to sell the Kings. He has made nothing but false promises and outright lies to Kings fans ever since AEG arrived here in 1994. All they wanted to do was build Staples Center and develop downtown to pad their pockets. They do not care about a winning hockey team in the least. I have had Kings season tickets since 1988 and AEG is the worst owner we have ever had and that is saying something. In KC at least AEG would only manage the Sprint Center and not own the team there so they are already better off without them than we are here in LA. Check out the letters in last Saturday's LA Times for more anti-AEG sentiment.
It takes more than a fancy arena for a franchise to thrive, but Timmy's too dim to comprehend that aspect. His boss Philip Anschutz is one of the wealthiest men in the world, yet the Kings are run on a shoestring budget in the 2nd largest market in the US. And to brag that KC would have as many fans as LA had for the same meaningless exhibition game is just ludicrous. AEG charges Kings season ticket holders full regular season prices for exhibition games, and in an arena that they own, they schedule games on the worst night of the week and then wonder why they do not sell out. The team has not made the playoffs since 2002 and has finished 27th and 29th overall the past 2 years. Heck, they are lucky anyone comes to watch the glorified minor-league talent they have tried to pawn off on the savvy fans. The sooner AEG sells the Kings to an owner that wants to build a winner and not just make a winner of buildings, the better off all local hockey fans will be.