Tonight's lineup

First game Ivanas sits, right?

Our first defensive pairing is going to be in for a long night.
From there on down its AHL all-stars.
I really worry when a perfectly good grind-line is this close to coming together, but TM goes and puts Purcell with Calder/Stoll instead of Simmonds.
Purcell on Fro/Zoos isn't a sensible grouping?

Clouseau Murray...

Maybe they brought up Westgarth to fight our own players in practice.
That's good for competition.
Ivan is, reportedly, nursing an injury.

If Lombardi trades for that tool Chris Neal after all this, I'm really gonna be pissed.

Rich When can we expect to see Westgarth play? And does this mean if either Ivanans/Westgarth plays the other sits?

well, at least I am semi-vindicated by Westgarth not playing tonight. It certainly made no sense... Though the idea of him kneeing Calder is awfully appealing on a lot of levels (grin.)

I'm only worried with Gauthier and Preissing on the ice at the same time - especially with Preissing not having played in forever. and if the Kings can score more than one goal, then we'll probably be OK

Take Brown off that line.
It hasn't been working.
What has he done thus far.
Put Frolov with Kopi and Sully, then start counting the goals. Give it a shot.
Geez, this coach depresses me.

I agree Anthony! I still don't know why TM doesn't get it.

You know, its not a bad lineup at forward. Obviously the top unit has been under acheiving, but I can understand the hope to spark chemistry that has been obvious in the past. You know, Alfredson-Spezza-Heatley have had their stretch of bad games as well.

The defense is scary, but really the best we can muster without DD and JJ. I would prefer to have it as:
Quincey-Greene
O'Donnel-Preissing
Gauthier-Harrold

Surprising that Westgarth and Ivan are scratches. Could be to send the message that they are there to take the first spot of anyone who plays soft with no heart... sadly lately that would mean replacing the whole team.

Oh well, the last two games were so depressing. Still going tonight, so I'll hope for the best, but I've started to refuse to cheer until they give me something to cheer for. I'm not there to rile the team up, I paid for my ticket and they get paid to rile me up.

I am as confused as a Kings fan. Why bring Westgarth from east to west to sit and not play? Does AEG understand the cost of plane flights these days? Wow that makes us about 12 million and change below the cap now...What a waste!

At least both of the goons sits against the wings. I think that's a decent start. Only problem is that our 4th line isn't much better.

I would have these lines together against the wings:

Kopi/Fro/Brownie
Sully/Boyle/Purcell
Simmonds/Stoll/Calder
Zeiler/Handzus/Army

I find it amazing that TM has us believing that no Kings are playing with heart.
Peter Harrold played 20 minutes the other night and was even plus/minus.
Gauthier is at least trying to make something happen when he pinches and goes for the hit.
Brown NEVER plays lackluster hockey. He runs people over every night and pays the price in front of net.

On the other hand, Greene had a shocker against NJ but he's on the 1st defensive pairing.
Handzus hasn't hit anyone for weeks, and played very poorly against NJ (particularly on faceoffs) but Boyle is sent to the 4th line.
Zeiler plays with passion, intensity, and grit every game but he'll get 5 minutes on the 4th line tonight.

WHERE IS THE CONSISTENCY WITH MURRAY?

If you want your 1st line wingers to play more like Zeiler, play Zeiler on the 1st line.
If you want your defensemen to make smart plays that contribute to supporting the teams goal of winning the game, promote Harrold to 1st defensive pairing.

Instead, we get 2 slow-footed defensive-defensemen paired against the best skating team in the league.
WHat kind of a hockey-genius expects results when he can't even follow his own program?

sense13,

I think your lines are pretty good. Amazing we all see it but TM can't.
I'd switch Brown and Purcell around but beyond that those are pretty much the lines I think ANYONE who's been watching this team, in this format, would go with.

I don't even think the 4th line is all that weak with Handzus AND Army there.

I haven't seen the Sully-Kopi-Brown line play one descent game.
Not even one.
On the other hand, I have seen Kpoi & Sully play well with a different winger.
Maybe last years success was a fluke. Its obvious now that the chemistry between the three are gone.
All I sse now is:
-Kopi losing the puck once he enters the zone.
-Sully taking impossible angle shots.
-Brown never passing at all.
And it keeps happening all the time.

re "Amazing we all see it but TM can't"

Uh, yeah, it's amazing. You can't put Handzus on a fourth unit when he plays in all crucial defensive match-up situations, along with Simmonds.

Anthony,

This top line has played together on the PP for a while and shown little ability to dominate with an advantage. I just don't see these guys complimenting each other out there in terms of skills.
Its not that they couldn't, but where is the creativity on the PP?
Only a few weeks ago did we see any chemistry on the PP and that was with
Frolov/Handzus/Purcell paired with
Quincey/Stoll on the blue.

What's funny is that even on the PP, we're often playing defenseman on their backhand for the cross-ice passes. There's not even time to set up or one-time it on some of these PP's.

The PP coaching isn't flattering itself much.
Most of the PP success is simply off of point-shots. I can't remember one really nice play by the forwards to finish a PP goal. Not one. Well, maybe the occasional Stoll one-timer, but I think I've only seen that twice this season. And in reality, it's when he's playing point.
Maybe Stoll should be out there with Frolov and Kopitar and set up on the half-boards a la Hull, Selanne, Cammy...etc.

Quisp,

Yeah, and risk losing like we've been losing?
Good point.
Don't try that.
Just keep doing what we're doing.
It's amazing that you can't imagine a player that's stong defensively centering the 4th line.
Amazing, too, that even after Handzus has earned a demotion (and you support demoting Boyle, Purcell, Lewis, etc.) you rally against it.
Demote Stoll, but not Handzus?

Very consistent in your support of Murray's inconsistency.

Eat,

The PP sucks because Sully and Kopi are playing the wrong position.
Switch the two and you might have something.
That's Jaime Kampon's job. He's been showing some incompetence too.
Soon, We should be asking asking for head.

EAT,

Yeah, it don't really matter to me whether Brownie goes down to 2nd line or Purcell up to 1st. Bottomline is that the first 2 lines should always consist of Kopi, Sully, Boyle, Purcell, Fro and Brownie. And the remaining players should make up the 3rd and 4th lines.

TM, just let our boys play. Right now, our boys are playing like they're afraid to make mistakes.

Sense,

This all really brings into question WHO all this is for?
Is TM trying to get a group of kids to become a winning team, or is he trying to get one more year of contract by making the playoffs the only way he knows how?
Is he trying to get a team to overachieve because it will get him another Head Coaching position after he's gotten as far as he can with what's here?
Is TM really trying to showcase himself for a return to the Flyers?
It certainly doesn't seem like he's willing to let the players punish themselves and each other for their mistakes.

Like I said the other day, we're building a bridge here,
but it seems more like "The Bridge on the River Kwai."

I'd love to hear the fans break out the "Bridge on the River Kwai" whistle throughout tonight's game.
That would be priceless.

WoW,
I meant to say, "We should be asking for his head too."
Jaime Kampon that is.

Sorry, that's what happens when you're talking on the phone and typing

I really liked Boyle's play as of late actually.. and I'm no Boyle fanatic. I think that Boyle-Sully-Purcell line is a fun line to watch.. but I guess TM see's something that us armchair coaches don't.

Everyone cries to keep the lines together so the team can develop chemistry with their lines, then once we do, everyone points out how it isn't working. We can't do both things...

markisonfire.

These are NEW LINES.

AGAIN!

What happened to Frolov - Kopitar - ?????
and
O'Sullivan - Boyle - ?????

Did Handzus and Stoll EARN their promotions from the last 2 games?

I'm not saying they aren't new lines, but earlier in the year everyone was going crazy because Sully/Kopi/Brown weren't played on the same line together. Then once he finally did, Sully got moved off. I'm going to be honest, I don't see it as a bad thing to try and reignite their spark. Let them try to work it out. That was a killer line last year and at least try it for a few games in a row is all I'm saying.

markisonfire,

The O'S/Kopitar/Brown line has played together on dozens of Power Plays with little or no success.

I definitely agree with that, but part of that problem is the dump and chase we play on the power play. Even strength hockey is different than on the power play. It seems to me that we try to do the same thing every time on the power play, and it hasn't exactly worked. We play pretty decent puck possession but never get a great shot off. Last year, Sully/Kopi/Brown had success carrying the puck in and made plays through the neutral zone and came in with speed, instead of just dump and chase, battle in the boards, and ultimately lose the puck. I never see forwards skate into the slot and shoot or do anything creative with the puck anymore. What happened to this team?

EAT,

I don't think it has to do with contract extension or his return to the flyers. From what I see is that TM is extremely ridgid when it comes to discipline. As soon as someone is out of line or makes a mistake, it's the fourth line assignment or a healthy scratch. I understand that he wants a well disciplined team that is sound on defense but he's got the players looking over their shoulders. TM is treating some of the players like they're kids. IMO, whether you have a veteran team or a younger team like the kings, you always treat your players like a professional.

IMO, I just think some of the players have pretty much tuned TM out at the moment and TM needs to find a more effective method of communicating.

My lines would be right now

Frolov - Kopitar - Simmonds
O'Sully - Boyle - Purcell
Stoll - Handzus - Brown
Calder - Army - Zeiler

My first line played great together for the 2 1/2 periods that they were actually together. Line 2 has had great pressure with little results but you can see something coming. Line 3 is a checking line that can score, well Brown used to score but you can say that about the whole team right now. Line 4 are players that will not be with the team by the end of the year, Zeiler maybe around but I see the other 2 getting traded if there are buyers out there. I am ready for Richardson to step up and show something when he gets back.

On Defense there is not much to do when you best two studs are out. Would be great to see them out there against Dallas.