Murray, on LaBarbera
Here's what Terry Murray said about the recent play of Jason LaBarbera, and his confidence level, going forward, in the goalie...
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Question: What were your thoughts about LaBarbera's last game? He only gives up two goals in regulation but it seems like he would want at least one of those back...
MURRAY: ``The one you would talk about is the first goal. That was a broken play and that was a shot that not many players would throw at the net. Drury seems to have that knack to be able to score goals like that. He puts it to the net through two people. I'd sure like to see a save on it, no question. It hits his glove and trickles across, even though I do feel there was some traffic and some screen. It seemed like it caught everybody by surprise. The other one is a penalty shot, it either goes in or it doesn't.''
Question: Going forward with Ersberg, at least for the next two weeks, do you feel confident in going with LaBarbera?
MURRAY: ``He's going to play. He's our No. 1 goalie and he's going to play. In talking about Quick, he looks pretty good in the practices and morning skates, but it's a different ballgame when you get to this level. We'll talk it over. That's the situation that we have. LaBarbera, when he played against Columbus and won 3-0, I thought he could get himself on a roll and keep it going for a month or two months. He seemed to be calm and collected and under control. Then he came back and played in Colorado and it looked like a different person altogether. I'm hoping that in this game he will be able to show us the same game he gave us against Columbus.''
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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.
start of season: labarbara is our #1, we suck 10 games
after 10 games: let's see what ersberg has for 1 game
after 10 more games, in which ersberg generally performs well: "i don't like to toss around that #1 label"
after ersberg gets injured: labarbara is our #1
can anybody guess where the next 10 games are going?
if you answered down the s***ter, then you are correct.
Q: Coach, do you have confidence in LaBarbera?
A: Let me tell you about my fishing trip last summer.
This is a little bit frustrating.
Kind of like the situation with the forwards (Boyle, Purcell, Lewis).
If we're building for the future isn't NOW the time to see if they can play in the NHL?
If Murray is trying to have the best record possible, and push into the playoffs, shouldn't he realize a goalie that turns into a shambles after a strong game against Columbus is not the answer?
Like I said yesterday, "you either fish, or cut bait."
We don't seem to be doing either from my perspective.
Rich - we need you're "inside" opinion.
Why is this going on in net and on the 4th line?
Is it playoffs? Or rebuild?
I like his comment re: the penalty shot goal, "it either goes in or it doesn't"?! Some pretty insightful stuff there...;)
Please JLB, hire a search party to go find your game, you're getting chance after chance here, stop blowing it!
I'm hoping when TM says Barbie is our #1 he is just trying to keep Barbie confident. I really hope its #1 while Ersberg is injured. I also don't know if Barbie needs much confidence when the guys breaking sticks, staring down players after he gives up soft goals like he is blaming the team. Even his comments after the game make me think Barbie thinks the team is costing him games and not helping him. I'm convinced Barbie is a wacko and needs medical attention.
Buffalo aside. We should beat them if LaBabs doesn't beat us. Say he holds his own, we win and then we put him up against Detroit who just shelled San Jose 6 - 0. I have no expectation that we can compete with Detroit with Labaraba in net. Or do we start a total rookie against arguably the best team in the NHL.
We are in a total no win situation for Saturday.
I say we go with Quick on Saturday and see what he's got.
We win, he is on a huge roll. He loses, he was expected to lose.
TM's answer is frustrating if you take it at face value. But let's break it down. JLB is our "#1" goalie. Which means what? In terms of how many games that gets you, it means nothing. It's just a little salve on JLB's fragile psyche. Then he says, LaBarbera played great in one game, and in another, "looked like an entirely different person." i.e. a bad goalie. I get the impression TM likes to hide behind the "I don't really know so-and-so" answer. Whatever.
He didn't know Erik Ersberg either, till he played him for 10 games.
As Jon Lovitz used to say, "Get to know me!"
Ok, I get it. They're taking the hardcore trade path. No bend, no change, only 'stay the course.' They're going to stick with Labs come hell or highwater until they can find a suitable deal. This can be the only explanation because there's no way TM or DL really believe that Labs a #1 goaltender in this league. No way.
Just wow, are you kidding me?
Don't get me wrong...I like Terry Murray and what he has done with the team, but he couldn't possibly manage this netminder situation any worse.
Drury is on pace for another whopping 20 goal season. That tells me that 49 times out of 50 that shot is saved or he would be scoring 50 routinely.
This coaching staff needs to start giving Esberg his due love. He has been nothing but solid and consistent the past 2 seasons. Even the Brodeur's and Luongo's of the world have a bad game or let a soft goal.
LaBarbera is failing because he is no longer making the routine saves that were the strong part of his game. He was never going to dazzle you by standing on top of his head, and I am ok with that. He kept us in games by not letting bad goals.
He is no longer making those routine stops though and he needs to be called out for it, like they did with Ersberg for his 1 bad game out of 10.
It's so frustrating to see hockey player work hard to make it to this level, which Labs did. And to all of a sudden forget what got him to the big leagues, and then start to self destruct. He seems to be second guessing himself. That puts him a step behind the shooters. When a goalie begins to think instead of react he is done, his confidence is broken and almost irreparable.
If the team was playing bad defense in front of him. I would say there is legitimate reason why he is playing like the way he is. But this team is playing some of the best defense I have seen this team play for a long time now. So there are no excuses. You either step up to the plate and deliver, or go home.
Roger
Furthermore, I am tired of this #1 goalie nonsense. It reminds me too much of the Cloutier situation. Does Murray really want to ride this out until the playoffs are out of reach?
I was all for LaBarbera being #1 and playing 60+ games. Unfortunately, until he starts playing like we all know he can, I think it is about time for some pressure to be put on him to EARN that #1 tag back.
He is a pretty laid back guy, and I am sure it takes alot to rattle him. He needs to get back to his basics and stop the stoppable shots before he falls down the depth chart.
LaBarbera playing like we know he can?! He's had four seasons of inconsistency. That'll be his legacy. Dave Taylor took a chance on a career minor leaguer and it didn't work out. it's time to end the experiment.
Don't we want a chance for the first pick overal in the 2009 draft? The Kings need a couple more blue chippers for the core of the future. Making the playoffs or nearly making the playoff will not achieve the long term DL plan. Tampa is doing it right this year and could easily add the first pick again.
Play LaBarbara!
Wow... there was no screen on that first goal. Ridiculous.
TM's perspective is pretty scary. This is gonna be one screwy weekend.
Dear Terry Murray,
Maybe you've seen this on LAKings.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) -The Los Angeles Kings' sputtering offense needed a quick fix. Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and defenseman Tom Preissing helped provide it, making goalie Jonathan Quick's NHL debut an absolute breeze.
Brown had two goals and an assist, Preissing scored twice during power plays and Michal Handzus had a short-handed tally in the Kings' 8-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
So, to recap, you're gonna play FluBarbera and let Preissing model his winter wardrobe in the press box.
OK... got it.
#1?!?!?!?! Please!!!!! More like #3,457. I know he can't blast the guy publicly but, he shouldn't say that he is the #1 goalie. I hope they win tonight but, if Quick comes into one of these games either as relief or a starter DL has no choice but to move on from the goalie formerly know as Jason LaBarbera.
Roger - Good post and, unfortunately, very accurate.
Deadcat - I agree. Labs is lost in a "purple haze."
Marc Nathan - Usually I agree with a lot of what you say, positive or negative, but I have to question your sanity if you want Preissing in there.
He's got no heart, little talent, and he's costing a sh*t-load of money.
I'd buy him out tomorrow and bring up a kid rather than put him back in the lineup.
And, I'd rather DL spent more of Big Phil's dough on McLaren than see Preissing saunter through another King's game.
I'd rather depend on Hanah-Barbera in a shootout than count on Preissing.
Preissing is almost as bad a signing as Cloutier - at least Hanah cost's less than 1 million a year.
I'm with deadcatbounce on this one. LaBarbera is fundamentally unsound. Anyone who knows him targets his 5-hole. I and my friend have nicknamed Barbs the "$2 hooker" because he can't keep his legs shut. He recently discovered his fault and in an effort to make up for his past blunders, he overcompensates. Now he gets beat in every penalty shot and suffers other fundamental flaws.
This is a veteran goalie folks! The guy our youth is supposed to learn from.
The only thing I see them learning is what not to do.
I do want to point the obvious hypocrisy with Murray though. I'm going to say it in 1st person narrative to add that little bit of sarcasm for flair.
"This week we are going to change up the lines for the 20th time this year. At the same time, I'm going to stick with our goalie because I'm not sure about the other guys."
I digress with one final question directed at Murray... If you aren't sure about Quick, WHY DID YOU BRING HIM UP INSTEAD OF BERNIER???
I'd have to agree with much of what is said here. I wish TM wouldn't use that label "#1 goalie"...that's what got him into trouble with this whole goaltender debate situation between JLB and EE at the start of the season to begin with.
As someone else posted, not sure what TM meant when referring to the penalty shot situation the other night, "that one either goes in or it doesn't". Uh, last time I checked TM, that's the case with ALL shots.
Well, let's see. Either JLB bounces back with what HE would consider a "strong" performance, squeaking out a one goal win, OR he absolutely falls flat on his face and falls behind early in the game, forcing TM to bring in Quick (in a situation I would consider to be less than beneficial to a young goalie's development), OR JLB has a one goal lead going into the 3rd period, only to let it slip away in the final minutes, AND either loses the game in regulation OR loses it in, what else, a shoot-out.
Take your pick
Inept
Rich, next time you talk to Murray, could you ask this: "How long are you going to put up with the sub-par goaltending of LaBarbera?" I'm serious; this is getting ridiculous.
LaBarbera has lost what little composure he had. He looks so lost after every goal he allows. Please sit him on the stool at the end of the bench and make him earn his way back into the lineup. His game has too many holes...