Line change?

hi rich,

i was down at toyota training center today for an event. i can confirm this.

the lines are as follows:

1) kopi - brown - sully
2) stoll - frolov - moeller
3) zeus - simmonds - calder
4) zeiler - ivanans - boyle

scratches army - richardson

Nice to hear. Hopefully they'll let them play together longer than one game. Sure seems like Kopi is gripping to hard, so maybe getting his buddy back will help. I'd rather be seeing on the blog that Eee Zee Eee is still in goal, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Go Kings.

Good idea...Really, why has this taken so long?

Hooray!!!!

Well it's pretty sad that our coach has to come here and read what he should do with the lines. Atleast he listens.

I like jed 329`s lineup,but maybe replace Drago with armstrong.Definetly start Eric.

I like it: http://www.icethetics.info/blog/2008/11/18/kings-third-jersey-leaked.html

Oh and Ivanans isn't a center so why was he playing there in practice?

Good,
I hope he keeps it that way for a while.
That he doesn't demote POS to the 4th line if he doesn't score 4 goals on Thursday.

Just give him the same chance you gave Moulson and that worthless Calder.
Its a no brainer.
Stop struggling with No brainers Mr. Murray.

"Old man said:

I like jed 329`s lineup,but maybe replace Drago with armstrong.Definetly start Eric."

Not for the Caps man. Someone needs to go with Brashear.

jediknight329 said:
hi rich,

i was down at toyota training center today for an event. i can confirm this.

the lines are as follows:

1) kopi - brown - sully
2) stoll - frolov - moeller
3) zeus - simmonds - calder
4) zeiler - ivanans - boyle

scratches army - richardson

We're scratching our heads?

Thank God,
That is painful watching Calder on the top line.

Pure Genius
Put Sully on the fourth line for awhile and make him hungry. Then put him back on the first line. This will be great for moral.
This just might be what Sully needed after missing camp.
I think that they will be better than ever now with something to prove.
If this works he will be a contender for the Jack Adams.

Okay, Murray is F-ing with us. He's setting Line 1 up for failure because lines 2-4 make no sense. Here's what you do Murray.

Moller-Kop-Brown
Frolov-Boyle-O'Sullivan
Ivan-Zeus-Richardson
Calder-Stoll-Simmonds ----- All balanced, all dangerous, all committed to defending.

When juggling, go:

O'Sullivan-Boyle-Brown
Frolov-Kopitar-Moller (sometimes Ivan right in front of net)
3and4 same as above.

guys,

i only wrote who were wearing the same colors (lines) as forwards, not necessarily who was the center. if anyone was confused.

Hallelujah!!

I understood, but the lines are still F'd. Zeiler is in there. Nuff said. That's pathetic. When you're struggling to score on every line, why would you bring in Zeiler? F'ing pathetic.

Well its about F-Ing TIME!!

Rich, when is the next practice?

TEEN IDLES said:
Let's repeat history in a positive way, Golden Uniforms:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q124/cdnuniguy/Jerseys/kingssi75.jpg

I love this uniform theme and wishwishwish we'd go back.
------------------------------------------------------
Me too!

I can understand why Murray doesn't want O'Sullivan on the same line as Kopi and Brown. That's HANDS DOWN the Kings best line when it's together, but what does it leave for the rest of the lines? Frolov? Moller? Stoll? I'd like to see Murray break up the lines EVEN MORE so that teams can't put their defensive stopper line out against the first line.

Butthole,

I like your line combos, but I still think Murray needs to play Sully with Kopi and Brown for at least 5 or 6 games before playing musical chairs again. And I don't see what good it does by Murray giving Ivanans quality minutes on the 3rd line. It's painful watching him think on the ice.

Finally!

Bets are we score more now.What took so long?Keep them this way for more than 1 game.

What is all that is holy took so long...

Ranole,i stand corrected, I forgot about Brashear.Dam good thing i`m not the kings couch.(humble pie).

Well I like seeing him up there but lets not start counting our goals until they go in boys. Hopefully the magic is still there but we'll have to see.

It would be nice to see some goals going in so our goalies who both deserve better fates with their respective GAA's get some wins.

Sully on the 1st line finally but Terry will balance this by putting Labs back in net and thus cancel the additional scoring with soft goals allowed.

They need to keep Ivanans in the line-up to deal with the opposing enforcer(s), for those who keep wondering why he's never benched. And that's the only reason why, as far as I can tell. Caps=Brashear.

Zeiler should never skate another shift in the NHL. I wonder why TM hates Richardson and Army so much??

Enough about spreading the talent around and having four scoring lines. It only works if you have enough TALENT for four scoring lines, which all but the most irrational kings homers will admit we do NOT have right now.

If TM sticks with these lines, he will have gotten it right, especially since he doesn't seem to like mixing and matching during power plays. Ice two skill lines (also the top two PP lines), and have a gritty line and an enforcing line. Play the top two lines 18 minutes a game, the gritty line about 14, and the enforcing line about 10.

Also, not sure if you all noticed, but TM was poised to make this move. He changed the FRO line to the top PP line against the ducks since Brown-Kopi-Calder sucked.

Good Bye Harrold, have some rest.

anonymous-you're only point I agree with is that the minutes for the top line have to decrease.
If these are the lines thursday, the Caps will show the kings how to play two nights in a row.
That 4th line is going to get hammered.

my last two cents...

everyone was skating well. quincy did not seem to have any ill effects from his injury. zeiler looked fine (but its practice). some interesting drills, especially ones focusing on puck control coming out of the corners and working it to your linemate for a shot on net. they worked on the pp as well. even in practice they dinked at least 5-6 pucks off of the post and cross-bars.

someone asked about practice times, i don't know for wed, but today they skated/practiced from 930-1130am.

one final thought, several of the players, players and coaches wives/girlfriends came to the event i attended. fro looks strong, big; sully looks strong; calder was wearing a jacket - could not tell how strong/big he looked, definitely not tall; zues is tall; doughty is a little bigger than i thought he was going to be; but wayne simmonds -- is SKINNY. i can't believe he is out on the ice playing hockey. this guy has room for 20-30 lbs to add to his frame. when he does, watch out. great guy though.

go kings...

I'd still like to see TM give Fro-Kopi-Brown a shot with Sully-Still-Moller as the #2?? "Why?" you might ask?? Fro will slow it down and hold the puck, he opens alot of space for Kopi and Brown to get to the net. Sully brings pure attack to that second line... Stoll wins battles in the corners, Sully has a shot from anyhere.. and Moller is a threat as wel..

jedi-thanks for the two bits.
I thought Simmonds had put on weight because he doesn't look small out there. Doesn't play small, either.

I'm gonna give some love to Racheal Hunter right now. She seems like a class act and as though she loves to be charitable to the less fortunate. Maybe Heidi needs an understudy for "spokesmodel." GBY Racheal.

Hopefully, this is zeiler's last "audition" for the KINGS. His usefulness to this team is VERY limited.
He and Ivanans should never be in the same game, let alone the same line(poor Boyle). Richardson should be a mainstay on this team because of his excellence in the faceoff area, and his strong defensive play, which includes penalty killing. Put him with Handzus and any other winger, and they will be a solid defensive
line that can score a little also.

You have to admit something is wrong here ,in that this lineup should include Richardson.Why in the hell did they give up a 2nd rounder for him to sit? Surely they could at least give him PK time and 4th line duties.By the way Sully Brown and Kopi will now breakout of their funk and you can thank Sully because he can make it happen, always could.

these may be coming from a higher source than Murray. If so, he's trying to counteract the possible 1st line chemistry because he doesn't like it. If it was Murray, why would he be using Zeiler? Has Harrold or Richardson not done what he's asked?

Lieweike and Lombardi's fingerprints are all over this.

I have three words for anyone who thinks putting O'Sullivan back with Kopitar and Brown is a bad idea:

Those three words are:

ALFREDSSON
HEATLEY
SPEZZA

(you can break them up all you want, but invariably you have to put them together because IT WORKS.)

P.S. If Harrold sits, then MAYBE we get Stoll back on the point on the PP, and that would be the other thing that HAD to be addressed!

putting your best three players on one line speaks of desperation, not intelligence.

I think what's forgotten every time somebody mentions the Richardson trade is that he was obtained with Detroit's second round pick. #61

In other words, the last pick of the second round. The Kings then picked #63. Were there that many players in that range that the Kings just had to have? With two more picks in that same round coming up?

He was insurance for if one of Moller, Simmonds, Boyle, or Moulson (for a brief time) hadn't made the opening night lineup.

Here's a case for Moller on the line with Brown & Kopitar: One big problem with the top line's scoring is that the opposistion is forcing Kopitar to give up the puck. Especially on the PP, they would much rather have Brown or (shudders) Calder handle the puck. I think Moller handles the puck better than Sulli. Since TM likes keeping lines together even-strength and man-up, with the opposition so focused on denying #11 the puck, we need the best puck-handling sniper availible on that line. I think that's Moller.

Additionally, the second line, Fro, Stoll, Sulli, would still have two puck-handlers.

So let's watch how well Sulli handles the puck when Kopi doesn't.

Bring Back the Shield Jersey --

The Moller solution works for me, although he obviously benefits from being on another line, away from the checking line that opponents should be putting out to counter the Kopitar line. I can't say I've studied the line match-ups to be able to say this for a fact, but I think I've noticed other teams putting their number one lines out against the Kopitar line more than they did last year. If Kopitar's line were scoring more, this wouldn't happen. But as it is, their lack of scoring becomes a kind of double whammy. Other teams don't have to match up against them, so Kopitar et al see more offensive-minded opponents, which in turn exposes sloppy defense. Like I said, I can't swear it's actually the case that teams have stopped putting out "stopper" lines against them (or aren't doing it as much), but there have been a few times this season where I wondered about it.

Anyway, my point is, when Kopitar's line is filling the net, opponents will be forced to adjust. This means weaker opponents for Moller et al to skate against. A domino effect in the other direction. I hope Murray gives POS several games with his old line-mates. But if after a month or so it ain't working, I hope he tries Moller there, or ol' Teddy Purcell. If POS drops off that line in a month, I hope it's to play with Frolov and Boyle, or Frolov and Stoll, or whoever the second line is at that point.

“I know I want to get LaBarbera back in again, but on the other side Ersberg is playing well," Murray said. “We will make a decision on that tomorrow, but I do not see a reason now why I would make a change.”

Hopefully he sticks with Ersberg.

First-Kopi, very physically talented, was new to the league. Has huge standout year

Now-this years Kopi still has all the talent but what parts of his game has grown?? Defences maybe, offecivie, no new moves, did't get bigger or stronger,NO
does kopi play with same enthusiasm and drive he did last year,NO
What were seeing more often, turnovers in ,owns, front of net losses, and Finaally I have been to EVERY HOME GAME AND he has yet to play a leadership role..plain by example, show us a physical game with your body you 6'3 220, no again. Show emotion and intensity.
He has the tool to score 50g and 70ast but he has to develop them to be successful no matter who they throw on the ice against him.
Is he working to improve those traits that made him successful last year or Just tying to live off them this year?????

So many line combinations, it's confusing...I only want to touch on Ivanis...I understand you need an enforcer to deal with other enforcers, but he's barely dropped the gloves this season, the rest of his skills are lackluster and we're scratching a skill player every night that might just get that garbage goal to keep us from getting shut out. I think Ivanis needs to be a scratch every now and then.

New Leaks - http://www.icethetics.info/blog/2008/11/19/new-sens-kings-sharks-third-leaks.html

Marc Nathan, your three names are impressive on paper, but that TEAM has fewer points than we do. Maybe you should chose 3 different ones.

Bring Back the Shield, I very much like that Moller idea. He seems to be our most consistent forward as of late. He's earned that top spot in my book.

I'm excited to watch the Washington game, After a few days rest and a two game skid, we should come out flying.

Please TM, keep iceberg in goal, please:-)please:-)

First-Kopi, very physically talented, was new to the league. Has huge standout year

Now-this years Kopi still has all the talent but what parts of his game has grown?? Defences maybe, offecivie, no new moves, did't get bigger or stronger,NO
does kopi play with same enthusiasm and drive he did last year,NO
What were seeing more often, turnovers in ,owns, front of net losses, and Finaally I have been to EVERY HOME GAME AND he has yet to play a leadership role..plain by example, show us a physical game with your body you 6'3 220, no again. Show emotion and intensity.
He has the tool to score 50g and 70ast but he has to develop them to be successful no matter who they throw on the ice against him.
Is he working to improve those traits that made him successful last year or Just tying to live off them this year?????

WOW, Richardson is not in and Ivanans is in because of Brashear. If anyone has followed the Caps this year Brashear has 25 mins in penalities has one fight under his belt and played in 15 games and 2 assists. Unless Ivanans instigates something Brashear won't drop the gloves. He to smart and for that he gets more icetime than Ivanans. The Caps are full of speed and Murray is sitting one of the fastest skaters on the team if not the fastest to go with an enforcer who can not win faceoffs. Don't understand I guess that's why I gave my 3 season ticket packages to charity.

MarkE - Bollocks.

Sapper - It doesn't make much sense from the outside, the player management, but it's a shame to have fans give up on our team. As a fellow fan, I'd urge patience though I know how difficult that can be. I don't understand the groupings either, but Murray may be sowing seeds of success by playing 'tough daddy.' Maybe give it another 50 games before truly jumping from the ship. You're not the only one who's frustrated.