Postgame thoughts 10/27

I thought Calder played really well and someone please tell prime ticket that thr rinkside is terrible.

I noticed Gauthier didnt get one second of ice time after his dumbass...err ill advised pass up the middle. I hope he learns his leasson sitting in the press box vs Vancouver.

Raise your hand if you exclaimed "OH SHIT" as soon as you saw the puck leave Gauthier's stick.

Preissing and Goat-hier, two of our "experienced D-men just giving the puck and games away. Un-effin believable! There's a reason Doughty and Quincy are getting so much ice-time. Jeezus H!

Where is the petition to sign to ban rinkside view? I am totally on board with that one.

Why is gauthier starting over preissing?

When will the kings realize that Ivanans is useless and constantly takes penalties.

Still im happy we got a point tonight. Good effort all around tonight. LaBarbera was solid tonight.

I agree about the rinkview, but Gauthier did get another shift after he made the play. And if you would have told me before the game that the Kings would have lost in a shootout to the Wings, I would have been happy. Gauthier made a bad pass, so what. Its a long season. Take one point against the best team in hockey and move on.

I hate Ivanans. As much as I hate Zeiler.
He takes a lot of minor penaties for a player who only plays 3:55 minutes. He's more of a liabilty than an asset.
Brown and Sully played poorly today. Neither had any room on the ice. Maybe TM should bench them Thursday in favor of the Magnificent Moulson and John Zeiller.
I thought TM coached very porly tonight.
Placing your best shoot-out player last instead of first blew my mind away. Not including Kopi on the list of shoot-outs. Bad call.

Rinkside View? Who's idea was this? That has to be the worst way to watch a hockey game I've ever seen.

Rich, if you get a chance to talk to someone in the know, ask them why they decide to pick the best format for hockey on TV, High Definition, to show the worst camera angles possible of a game.

Watching the first two periods in "Rinkside View" I felt bored and the game had no passion or intensity. You can't watch plays develop and can't see much of the puck even when it's on the TV screen. Is anyone else complaining about this? Can we get them to NEVER show this format again? Please!

It was so bad that I switched to the Detroit feed for the third period. I hate Detroit, but I preferred their feed for this game because it used the regular cameras.

If anyone knows who is responsible for making decisions on the broadcasts like this and has contact info, preferably an email, please post it.

JLB was good during the game, but horrible in the shootout. Has anybody ever told him NOT to go for the shooter's first deke move? He needs to watch a tape of the game and study Vernon's approach to handling a shootout.

Also, I agree with the criticism about Kopitar. Sure, he's struggling, but who would the goalie fear more - Kopitar or the rookie Moller?

Last point for tonight: I like looking at Heidi Androl, but her interviewing skills are high-schoolish at best. Also, don't ask any more semi-famous TV actors their opinions about hockey while they are sitting in seats along the glass obviously given to them for free. What made it worse tonight was the guy falling into his native New York accent to say "Go Rangers." To him, I just say, "Go Away."

Enough for tonight.

*raises hand*

I personally like the rinkside view, enjoy the different perspective it gives, wouldn't want it every game though.

Lets not forget Frolovs goal off Lidstroms skate, quite a bit of good fortune on that one! Maybe the result is what it should have been, not that I like another loss to that team in particular. The Wings just disemboweled LaBabs in the shootout! /

Please tell Fox that the rinkside is BAD.. a couple of times i didnt know what side we were headed too....If the Kings fans are upset with a point against the Champs...just think how Detroit fans must feel since they had to go to overtime to beat what is perceived as a team that is not going to make the playoffs....If the Kings continue to play hard and with passion..they WILL make the playoffs...

Why does Ivanans play in a game against the Red Wings? It's not like they're exactly known for their fighting.

Gauthier played after his big gaffe, and gave it away at the blue line. Poor Guy, I feel bad for him, Maybe we'll see Preissing on Thursday? Gauthier took two big hits from Tkopky (spelling?) and kept his cool, making safe plays earlier in the game.

Moller is legit, no question about it. Aside from a less than stellar shootout bid, he played his best game. Twice in the 1st he made outstanding defensive plays, and twice he had sure goals saved by defensemen blocking shots.

Good bounceback game for JLB.

Let's hope the Kings come away from this game with a lesson on how to win tough games, and put it to Vancouver on Thursday!

send your complaints about the rinkside view to fox.

http://msn.foxsports.com/feedback

Kopi and Brown need O'Sullivan in order to produce more.Your best shooters go 1st in the shootout.Lack of shots and generally being indecisive cost Murray that extra point. Murray stop being nice playing weak players out of sympathy.It would be nice to go for the win,because you will find it will create a winning attitude which is imperative for these kids to have,if this franchise is to be successful.

Kopi and Brown need O'Sullivan in order to produce more.Your best shooters go 1st in the shootout.Lack of shots and generally being indecisive cost Murray that extra point. Murray stop being nice playing weak players out of sympathy.It would be nice to go for the win,because you will find it will create a winning attitude which is imperative for these kids to have,if this franchise is to be successful.

Yeah, it was a terrible pass by Gauthier that cost us the second point. There's a reason "up the boards" is a cliche in hockey.

However, let's not forget how lucky we were to have that 3-2 lead. Frolov's goal was nothing but a fluke, and anytime you're outshot at a 2-to-1 clip, you shouldn't be in the game, especially against Detroit. It's a big letdown to take the SOL (yep, s.o.l.), but we were playing the best team in hockey, and we played them tough.

And give credit to Labs. Aside from looking like he didn't know how to play goal during the shootout, he played very well tonight. He made some excellent saves when called upon.

I feel bad for Labs right now. I always blame him because of all the soft goals he lets in, but when he has one good game, Gauthier can't make a simple chip up the boards. What the hell was he thinking? There were two Red Wings right there. You shouldn't make that pass when up a goal in the first place. I'm so pissed!

Oh and the shootout was over before it started.

I feel bad for Labs right now. I always blame him because of all the soft goals he lets in, but when he has one good game, Gauthier can't make a simple chip up the boards. What the hell was he thinking? There were two Red Wings right there. You shouldn't make that pass when up a goal in the first place. I'm so pissed!

Oh and the shootout was over before it started.

I disagree about the Frolov goal. You can call it a lucky bounce if you like. But look at the play. See how open Simmonds is if Lidstrom's skate doesn't get in the way? Not a sure thing, but at least it's a golden scoring chance. So it was broken up by Lidstrom and it went in anyway. Those things happen when you earn them. The whole play, Handzus's pass to Frolov, Frolov's move into the zone, Simmonds outskating his man to be open for the pass, Lidstrom having to play the pass (because Simmonds beat his man) instead of playing Frolov... it went in; the Kings got the bounce. But it was not a fluke. Hard work + good bounce.

I hate when people say things like, "If you would have asked me before the game whether I'd be happy getting a point against Detroit..." How about this question: "If you were winning by a goal with 2 minutes left, would you be happy with a point?"

This is a game the Kings should have WON in regulation, and if fans, let alone the players, are HAPPY with a point, then you shouldn't expect a winning team. Just be happy with mediocrity.

I believe Terry Murray deserves the majority of the blame for the Kings clutching defeat from the jaws of victory. His first mistake was to have the Kings go from an aggressive style of play, putting pressure on the Wings, to an incredibly ineffective defensive shell at around the 10 minute mark.

His 2nd mistake was his choice in line combinations in the third, especially late. What in the world was Gauthier doing on the ice in the first place with only two minutes to go and the Wings about to to pull their goalie.

that's a bad argument, bbtsj. i'm happy they got a point against the champs; at the same time they obviously should have won the game and am disappointed.

Gauthier is really, really bad. I like his physical presence, but nothing else about him is a positive. Preissing should be back for the next game.

WINGS OUTSHOOT THE KINGS IN THIRD PERIOD 16-3.

The rinkside view was better when they used the cameras behind the nets. When they used the center ice views, it was awful again.

Yes, Ivanans and Gauthier cost the Kings the regulation win, and LaBarbara was awful in the shootout. These things all happen, especially to a young team playing their 8th game together.

But I prefer to take the positives out of this game. We took a point from the best team in the NHL, and for 90% of the game we outplayed them.

Good effort by the Kings. Every point is important.

In LaBarbera's defense (can't believe I just said that), he has had a winning record in shoot-outs. Even so, this game never should have gotten to a shoot-out. If Gauthier is with any other organization, he's playing in the AHL.

You play the entire 3rd period on your heels and you deserve to lose. The Kings were fortunate to get a point.

This is a Terry Murray loss plain and simple.

Bad argument, huh? Whether one takes the "big picture" view or the "small picture" view, it's pretty compelling. "Small" picture: Kings should have won the game. No doubt about it. "Big" picture: if, at the end of the year, one were to look back at the season (which is about as big picture as it gets) and looking at this game, would one say to themselves, "I'm happy we got a point for that game." OR do you say, "That's the game Gauthier gave the puck away, right up the middle, with only 1:30 left in the game and we were winning. What an idiot. It cost us the game."?

Now some people may choose the former, but without question, the second response is perfectly reasonable, and problably the one taken by most people. So the range of descriptions for this argument ranges between "reasonable" and "consensus opinion". "Bad" would be being happy with 1 point when you should have gotten 2.

Voice your displeasure of the Rinkside View here:

tom.feuer@foxsports.net

Is there something ailing Kopitar? I was at the game last night and it just seems like he is waving his stick to come out of every shift (seemingly after only 20 -30 seconds). He doesn't seem to have any visible injuries but there appears to be something bothering him.

I'd be interested to see if someone has some insight.

Well, I haven't packed my bag like it was the end of the world. That was a fantastic game last night. Total blast to be there. To bring it on to the Detriot machine was pretty impressive. With so many shots on goal and only 3 went in? Seems like the Kings are getting a step better each game.

Please get rid of the rinkside camera angle..PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!
I had to turn on the Detroit feed to enjoy the game. I couldn't get a feel for the game with the other angle.

Obviously it was a terible pass by Gauthier. Looking at one of the angles from the Detroit feed, it looked like he never saw the Detroit player. Someone had skated in his line of vision as he was about to release the pass. Just my opinion, but still doesn't make up for the pass going up the middle. You have to be 100% sure you can complete the pass, or else go up the boards.
So now people are calling for him to get benched? Before that play I didn't think he played all that bad. Mistakes happen to everyone..unfortunately, this cost us the game.

I thought Barbs played great. I couldn't fault him on any of goals and he made some great saves. I also thought the D played outstanding as a whole....Especially Doughty. This guy is going to be a big time player. I thought before he reminded me of Leetch...I actually think he reminds me of Ray Bourque. If he can become half the player Bourque was, we have a superstar here.

As far as the shootout and the choice of players..I had no problem seeing Moller get the chance. Maybe he shows something in practice on shootouts that we don't know about. or maybe he was being rewarded for the great game he played.
When it comes to a shootout, Detroit's skill is too much to handle. Those moves they put on Barbs were world class moves. I don't think there's a goalie in the league who would have stopped those.

bbtsj. I'll take the game as an early season success. We should have come away with 2 points, but they also showed that they can compete against teams like Detroit. For a young team that finished 29th the year before, that's a huge positive to take from the game. This season is a learning process...every game should be treated as a lesson. By the time the 2nd half comes, I think these are the kind of games we put away.

Zetterberg against Moller in the shootout. That says it all. Both of their shootout goals were placed up high, beautiful goals. Ours were on the ice, into the pads of Osgood who was NOT the better goalie tonight. When the other team has twice as many shots on goal, please stop blaming the goalie for those games. What a thankless job!

So the range of descriptions for this argument ranges between "reasonable" and "consensus opinion". "Bad" would be being happy with 1 point when you should have gotten 2.

It's definitely a bad loss. I'm still happy they got a point against the defending champs. This isn't really a hard concept to understand. Two of our worst players (Ivanans and Gauthier) made stupid mistakes that cost us. It's not something that's going to happen all the time, simply because they won't even play all the time.

Meh, I'll take the point. I was thinking what a nice pivot Gautier had just made to put himself in position to chip that puck up the boards when I noticed him look to the middle. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! That's going in." I told my wife. . .bam. So predictably "Kings" of them. And if Zetterberg still has Labs jock I think Jason might want it back before Thursday.

As far as rink-side view, I kinda like it. As someone who plays some, I enjoy seeing the play from behind or above. . .it gives a more "players-eye" view of the game. I do think they stay with the neutral zone cams too long though. I don't see why they can't just put together a nice mix. The traditional camera angles lose too much of the board play and action away from the puck but a pure rink-side style loses some orientation for some people. I at least applaud the effort to come up with something new.

Well, Nick, I'm glad we made it through this session without being banned. And here's where I'll even grant you your point: If the Kings make the play-offs (jinx, no jinx) by 1 point, I will happily say how happy I am that they got that point against Detroit. For me, it's all about attitutde. I don't want to see the "Gutty Little Bruins" or "Lovable Losers (Cubs)" mind-set become acceptable.

(sorry if this posts twice)

Bob Miller and Foxy are awful they make the game more boring especially now that they play that boring system there is no offence so Kopi will only get 50 to 60 pts that sucks let him play TM

Nykingsfan....You are the voice of reason and your call is sound, good review again.

Nick, well said and I agree with you. Gauthier's pass was horrible. As soon as he released it, I said the same thing, "There goes the game...." before the Wings had even scored. I knew Detroit was pinching in and they were wide open. It's really too bad since LA had this game wrapped up. The obvious pass in that situation is up the boards, shoot they teach that in Bantams. I was sick since it would have been two well earned points against the best team in the world. It happens but somehow it just doesn't make me feel any better. My son, looking forward to the shootout said "Do you think the Kings have a chance?" I said, with all of Detroit's snipers??? And that's the way it happened, just a bad play, a real bad play. Very frustrating, especially after how well LA played, they deserved to win.