Strength vs. strength

By Rich Hammond on October 23, 2008 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) |

The Kings' game against St. Louis tomorrow features an interesting matchup. The Kings are perfect (23 for 23) on the penalty kill this season while the Blues are No. 1 in power-play efficiency. St. Louis has a remarkable 40.7 percent power-play conversion rate and has scored 11 power-play goals in six games. Coach Andy Murray's first power-play unit has regularly included five forwards, but the Blues have allowed only one shorthanded goal. Here's what Terry Murray said about the matchup...

Question: Should be quite a matchup, with the No. 1 power play against the No. 1 penalty kill...

MURRAY: ``I haven't seen them yet. I'll watch them on the flight over, but I know their power play really has been good. Andy's got the five forwards there on the power play and it looks like a real smart move to go that route. It's working. They've got some players who can really move the puck around. They're intelligent people and experienced on the offensive part of the game. They're making a lot of good things happen for themselves.''

Question: What have you seen with the Kings' power play that you like or dislike so far?

MURRAY: ``I like the things we're starting to get in place here. The attitude is to be an attack power play, an attack team on the 5-on-5 and following through with it on the special teams. Shooting the puck from up top is really an important part of the power play being successful, and I think sometimes we look to make one extra play, but that's something that we have to work our way through. Overall, I think it's been coming pretty well.''

1 Comments

ryan oliver

said:

Does anyone know who the PP coach is in St. Louis? I do love the fact that the PK doesn't sit around in a small box and let the other teams D do what it wants. I like the fact they challenge the opposition into making a play. Hardy is a huge improvement over last year.

October 23, 2008 5:00 PM

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
.com.