Postgame notes (2/7)

Oh Yeah, Rich forgot to mention that the Kings are PERFECT in February! Go Kings, Go!!!

:-)

Excellent win. Best game of the season all around.
Playoffs here we come.

Roger

What a team.Sixty minutes of great kings hockey.Congratulations LA.Keep it going!

Just got back from the game and what a fantastic game it was. The 2nd period just took the air out of the building. The Rock isn't the most energetic place (unless it's Devils/Rangers) but even by those standards it was dead until the Devils Holy Floater goal with 10min remaining...

Highlights & Thoughts:
- Holding onto a lead in the 3rd period without going into a defensive shell
- J.Quick just taking a stick from a Gionta and chucking it away from him in the 3rd period prompting the crowd. The Devil had to skate to the other side of the zone to get his stick... the crowd of course noticed and promptly chanted "a$$hole" towards our beloved #32 for the next minute or so
- The guy on the PATH train who was dared by his friends to see how many times he could run across the platform before the train doors closed....upon running across the first time he slid and fell in the parallel train track (don't worry he lived and everyone in the train bursted out laughing)
- Terry Murray wears the worst ties
- Army stepping up and defending Patty O with a the fight against Langenbrunner. By the way I had my doubts about the future of Army with the team at the beginning of the year, but he's been such a good scrappy team player this team is better with him

Just when I thought I was losing hope in the team for this year before the All-Star break and was prepared to emotionally detach..they do this to me and boy is it awesome to win.

Being a skeptic about this team by nature, I went to the game tonight not quite sure what to expect. I've absolutely bought into a few things about the Kings, and I laid them out to the Devils season seat holders who brought me to the game. (1) The goaltending, with Quick, is absolutely to be trusted 100% of the time IF the defense is making the outlet passes, and keeping bodies from roaming around at will in front of the net. Quick is quick, and he moves very well from side to side and whereas with every Kings goaltender that has preceded him over the last 30 years (save for the stretch of games by Potvin when he was as lights out as any goalie to ever don an NHL uniform...) I don't expect that horrific backbreaking goal that comes at the least opportune moment of the game. (2) The key youngsters are NEVER overmatched. The poise that Doughty shows, and the talent level of Kopitar, O'Sullivan, Brown and Frolov generally means that there will be order in the court (on the ice) for reasonably large stretches of time. (3) As much as I don't care for some of Terry Murray's quotes and rationale, his systems are sound, and really have been since the start of the season.

So, couple that with the fact that the worst player on the ice tonight BY FAR was Scott Clemmensen, and well, I headed back to my hotel satisfied and a number of Devils fans were shamed and embarrassed. If you go into the third period down 3-0, you need to put shots on net, and for the Devils, getting 7 in the 3rd was both a testament to the shutdown play of the Kings, and the inability of the Devils to create solid chances despite Coach Sutter changing up the lines radically for the final period.

I'm sorry I'm not staying through Tuesday to see what happens against the Isles, who I believe have won 5 in a row, and are just as due to come back to earth as the Kings... maybe more so, because stacked up, the Kings are the better team (hell, I think Manchester is the better team ;) )

This is the second year in a row I've been to a game at the Prudential Center, and while there was no magnificent Brian Boyle first NHL shift goal to marvel at, it was a fun game to watch once the Kings took the air out of Jersey's tires.

I'm not ready to commit to playoff tickets just yet, but there sure is so much more to like about this team than there has been since the days of Larry Murphy, Jim Fox, The Triple Crown Line, Harpo and Wells.

Youngest team in the League.

Lowest payroll in the League.

Highest cap space available in the League.

2 Points out of the Playoffs.

Games in hand.

March 4, Trade Deadline.

Put us over the top Deano!

I hate to do this, but TM deserves alot of credit for this win. He managed the game and the line combos perfectly.
I'm keepin an eye on Sully. This kid gets goals in bunches. If he gets hot - watch out. He'll be kncckin em in like Kobe.
I'm serious.
TM, don't touch that line.
Can I get an Amen to that.

Will someone please stop pretending to be "anthony" already? I mean it looks like he actually complemented what was going on...

@Marc Nathan were you wearing the King's 3rd jersey, I think I may have seen you, or at least someone with their Devils buddies. I was the Indian guy with the Kopi jersey who said hi to someone (maybe you?) during the 1st intermission..

Kings looked good tonight. I thought they closed out the 3rd period pretty well. NJ did get a goal, but they weren't really close to getting within a goal or tying the game. The Ivanans/Rupp fight was one of the lamest fights I've ever seen. Quick looked good again, EE could be on the block for the trade deadline.

Re: March 4, Trade Deadline.

The Kings have been notorious for making bad trades at the deadline. I like the group the way it is now, but I certainly would welcome a scoring winger (Kovalchuk?). Keeping in mind that you have to give up something to get something (meaning that we're not going to get much more than low draft picks for guys like Calder and Gauthier)...who are you guys/gals willing to trade?

Thoughts?

Nope, I brought my O'Sullivan Monarchs jersey to NY but I was trapped shopping in midtown and didn't get a chance to get back to my hotel to wear it, so I was dressed as a civilian in my Capitol Records hoodie, and amusingly, a red scarf... Had a great lower bowl seat in Section 4, and got to see all five goals... (including the one that didn't count.) Sometimes the ice tilts like that :)

Great game by the Kings...A whole sixty minute effort, with great execution working with the lead in the 3rd.

I think we're finally starting to see a solid three-line team developing now. One night, it's the Handzus line that produces. The next, it's the Stoll line. Then, it's the Kopitar line. TM is starting to roll three lines with production and chemistry...Just great to see after those dismal games before the break. I'm curious to see how TM works Moller back into the line-up with everyone starting to click. A nice problem to have I guess.

Amen to Anthonys request.

I don't want to take anything away from the Kings win, but I did want to share this wonderful insight from the coach who played against NJ last night.

"When you go minus-2 on your power play, it's not a good sign."

- Thrashers coach John Anderson on giving up two shorthanded goals in a 5-1 loss to New Jersey.

Rich, here's what I want to know. With about 8 minutes to go in the second, there was a shot of the Kings bench, showing Doughty talking to JJ. Doughty did this kind of hilarious impersonation of someone making a side-to-side move (or else dancing), and then JJ did his own version of the same move. What the hell were they talking about?

I love those two.

I concur with Anthony,and frankly embarassed to say maybe TMs' patience with this team is paying off.They drive me crazy but you gotta love the effort and chemistry the team is now exhibiting.Now if only AEG weren't cheap bastards.Kudos to Drewiske,haven't seen him make a mistake yet.Army for sticking up for "Sweethands Sully".Quick again was Outstanding.Really want Richardson to score a goal,he is working hard after the layoff.Hoping Moller adds to the mix without messing the recipe.TM please keep rolling the 3 lines,with the 4th sparingly.Playoffs here we come! Can we move to the Eastern conference?

When Tafkact praises the team, you know things are going well.

It sure is fun being a Kings fan right now. Can't wait for the next game!

I caught the first two periods on radio, but Kopi was really flying in the third. It's like he was a different player than he has been so far this year. It makes me wonder (again) if he was playing hurt earlier in the season.

Marty mentioned Drewiske. I want to expand on his play. I thought he looked VERY calm out there tonight. I purposely watched when he had the puck in our zone under pressure. No panic at all. For a kid in his first 3 NHL games, he's really playing well and I think I'd be disappointed if he got sent down when Goat comes back. If he continues to play like this, let him stay! It can only be good for his development. It's better to play with studs like Doughty and Johnson who are SO patient with the puck and set a good example than down in Manchester. Davis has been a nice surprise. Softly killing the #44 curse.

Unbelieveably controlled game played by the Kings tonight. No panic, total confidence, solid. When NJ got that freak goal, they put the breaks on the tempo and retook control of it. Honestly, I don't think I've seen ANY team take another team that has been on such a hot streak and COMPLETELY control them like that in a while. We had NJ completely besides themselves IN THEIR HOUSE!!! That was a beautiful 60 minutes of hockey.

Their new motto should be "F- the plane...TAKE THE DAMN TRAIN!!!"

I'm almost afraid to put Moller back in right now because everything nis gellin' so well. Maybe put him in Ivanans's spot? I mean even FROLOV is checking the crap outta guys! (Nice to see. It really completes his game IMHO) We don't need Ivan right now I don't believe with all the checking being done. Army-Moller-Harrold doesn't seem like such a bad 4th line to me.

My only fear now is the underestimation of the Islanders. I don't see TM allowing that to happen. I think we need to pay the Isles HARDER than we played the Devils tonight. SO jacked up for Tuesday!!

This was a big win. Hopefully they can get 2 more points in Long Island. Is there a way they can stay on the road the rest of season? Who needs Staples Center?!

Hello everybody! My o my My what a wonderful game ! I think if we play like this every game we can win the cup ! We are the best team in all sports right now ! We are wonderful! We might be more wonderful if we can score 7 more goals each game! But that is to much much to just hope for so please join me in prayer and ask that god help us beat the islanders. Good night everyone!

Tonight the Kings played a very complete game. Really nice to see. With them playing so well there is a few things to think about. First, even with a healthy Moller, the Kings are playing so well I wouldn't touch the lines now unless you can put him on the fourth line which I don't think would benefit him well. Second, I would rather not make any trades at the deadline unless we can get rid of Gauthier and Preissing. But some one mentioned that Ersberg could be on the block which is true but I doubt any team would pick him up, especially cause a team that would do it would have no chance at the playoffs and if we do make it an Ersberg/Quick tandem would be really nice. Lastly, I hate to say this before anything happens but the Kings are playing really well and beating really good teams (NJ was 9-1 in the last ten before tonight) and have a legit shot at a) making the playoffs and b) being in a position to have a better record that the Sucks (and I really hate everything about them). It would be good to see the Kings make it and the Sucks not.

Also something I forgot to mention. What i liked most about this game was the Kings aggression. From the beginning of the game they were in NJs face and made them frustrated and lose there game. In short, they were playing playoff style hockey.

I figure another 40 points would definately put them in the post season,for a total of 93 pts.Thats 20 wins or approximately 4 points out of every 6 the rest of the way(.666) winning percentage. With 31 games left,I've seen crazier things happen. Like Barrack Husein Obama become President of the USA.

Major props to the Handzus-Richardson-Simmonds line...at least twice they cycled the puck in the NJ zone for the entire shift, and they totally controlled the game whenever they were on.

Someone mentioned Army...thank you for jumping in in defense of Sully in period two. Fourth line center is the perfect role for him on this team, and all four of our lines are settling into position.

I can't see us making a trade at this point, unless we're just dumping a Gauthier or a Zeiler...and, honestly, very few buyers jump out at me for those two. Let's see what our group can do.

One of the best Kings games I've been to in quite a long while. It's always fun when home crowd goes nearly silent.

Great game!!!
I liked the way we handled that 3rd period.
Monster hit by brown that drew a penalty from elias.
I got scared, however, with the O'S penalty with a minute five to go.
Way to finish it off.
You can't say enough about Quick, can you?!
I think he's The One.

Fantastic game last night enjoyed every minute from Norway at 1 AM.

Dont see any need in trading for a gunner yet. Dont need one 50 goal scorer when you have 5 potential 20+ goal scorers in your line up (kopi, sully, brown, fro, moller). Not to mention next year, simmonds should be good for 12-15, same goes for Stoll.

In my opinion, there is one guy out there we could use down the stretch.......Neal from Ottawa. Hes tough, and has a bit of a scoring touch, a huge upgrade from Ivan.

1. Fro-Kopi-Sully
2. CBS
3. Moller-ZUS-Simmonds
4. Army-Rich-Neal

3 Scorers potentially available: Gabby (injury prone), Kovo, heatley (no trade claus)

Kovo and Heatley would cost: 1st rounder, Sully or Fro, Boyle, Purcell and Hickey. At this point Bernier could also be trade bait, but not Iceberg. Is it worth it??? They also come with a huge price tag. Heatley has a few years left and only costs 7+ mil. So he is probably the most resonable. Kovo will cost 9+mil in 2 years. Gabby is gonna hold out for big bucks and with his injury history-I dont want him unless we get a 4 mil salary plus incentives according to performance and games played.

PS-dont trade Calder. At best we get a 3rd rounder and we have plenty of picks this year. An important side note however is..........how much will Fro sign for??? JJ??? If Fro is barking at over 5 mil/year then I might try to steal Heatley.

Any other thoughts????

If you ask me the real unsung heroes right now are the Richardson - Zeus - Simmonds line. Every time they hit the ice the puck is along the boards in the offensive zone. Those three guys could make an instructional video on how to be a shut down line.

I think the reason why our offense has sparked is because TM now has the group he has needed to shut down the opposing top unit. Leaving Kopitar to face the lower end lines and the CBS line able to play their game against the middle of the opposition's lineup. It has made all the difference. And I gotta admit, I didn't like Richardson at first. But I stand corrected. He is earning a role on this team game by game.

Where does Moller fit in right now? Its not productive putting an offensive talent like him on the 4th line. What if...just what if we packaged him with Ersberg and a draft pick for a big name talent on deadline day? Just stirring the pot here...what do you guys think?

Anyone else think to themselves how “Strong on the puck” Wayne Simmonds play was last night? His playing as of late has come up ten fold!

I’ve thought he’s shown potential as a rookie all year, but his play looks veteran as of late!

I Was wrong - This was the best win of the season - not WA- The 3rd period forecheck was the best defense we could bring- I was bent when simmonds didn't make the squad last yr out of camp - his reads in the D zone are so good twice last night he intercepted plays at the high slot and moved the puck out- I gave Anze grief earlier this yr for consistency but his game is at another level the last mo. His D on the backcheck has been so good- They talk about Mason in Cbus - Quick to me is making a great case for serious consideration for the Calder- He is seeing the puck so well and doesn't get out of position for 2nd chance opportunities-

KingsFan4ever. . .this team will pretty much be on the road for the rest of the season!

Despite not scoring, I thought Simmonds was the best forward on the ice defensively and had a couple of nice flashes on the offensive end. IF he can just find his finish, watch out! I think he's better than Brown was at the same stage of his development.

This is the best stretch of games I've seen the Kings play in longer than I can remember. It's not just the wins, it's the teams they are beating and how they are doing it. \

And how confident does everyone feel now that our goaltending tandem is Quick and Ersberg?!?! I have faith in both of these guys. . .I don't think I've ever felt that way about a Kings goalie tandem.

Well done boys.

I've only watched the last two games since Detroit and I can't tell you how happy I am for Kopitar. He has finally shown some skill and it's slowly rubbing off on O'Sull as well. Have to say the boys showed more creativity last night, than I seen all year. Did everybody see how beatiful they looked, criss-crossing, drop passes, a little stutter here, a little dink there, the wingers taking it to the middle, (instead of just straight ahead) and making plays. Last nights game was a thing a beauty. I am extremely happy for the boys.

Qiuck, again was outstanding. I'm not a goalie expert, but Quick in my mind, (as ETR says) is the "ONE". He has my full trust, absolute and complete. This may be a bit premature to some, but I would rest my future on his shoulders. Quicks outstanding play sure complicates things a little doesn't it? I'm just wondering if the defensive system is making him look so good or does he have that much skill and composure.

JJ has made a bigger impact than I expected, and watching him out there has made me smile as well.

Have to give props to Zues, I was not much impressed with him last year, and his improvement this year has been a huge part of the King success so far. I now see what people were saying all along about this guy.

Also think Stoll is playing his best hockey of the season. Really liked his game against Washington. I thought he was one of the better players that game.

Even though he hasn't fully settled in yet, I like the speed, the defense and the dynamics Richardson brings. His speed can really create some problems for the other team.

I believe Quisp stated awhile ago, he thought the road trip would bring the guys closer together. I'd say so far he was correct. The chemistry is coming together and everything else is falling into place.

Sorry for the rant, just wanted to give props to the boys.

I agree with you BLUE LINE,Simmonds is doing a super job.He seems to get better with each game.

I knew Anthony and Marty were the same!

What a road trip this is turning out to be. You can't find anyone out there not playing well. It's been a total team effort. Can't wait to go on Tuesday.

Tough decisions coming up for DL. He'll have some many sleepless nights in the next month.
You can make an argument for making a move and staying the course. This is what you pay your GM for. Good luck DL.

NYKINGFAN, I can assure you the only thing is the love for the Kings and question of Murrays choice of linemates and constant personell changes,that Anthony and I have in common.I hope. Just thought of something,will the Goat ever play again,should he?

Rich---

I hope you'll let me do this...if so, THANK YOU. If not, I understand.

I have an extra ticket to Tuesday's game. It's on the glass behind the goal the Kings attack in period 2...ya know, when they do all their scoring. Face value is $75, but the price is very negotiable. We just wanna see a Kings fan in it, rather than have it go vacant.

If you're gonna be in NY Tuesday and want to go, e-mail me (laikaloco@aol.com)...use "LA-NYI tix" as the subject matter or I will delete it if I don't already know you. We can set up a meeting at Nassau Coliseum before the game.

Rich, again THANK YOU...it's a wonderful service you provide, especially for those of us on the other side of the continent.

Man, definitely a well-deserved love fest for the Kings today. Everything is coming together nicely.

Solid goaltending and D-play is letting the forwards do their thing in the opposing end. More forechecking and the resulting turnovers sure makes it seem like the lines are all gelling. All the guns are blazing and the role players, energy guys... are all playing great hockey too. Army... what can I say. Talk about making 4 minutes of ice time count.

No let down against the Islanders, and then let's elevate the game against our western brothers!

Agreed with dirtmover, I thought the Caps game was the best this season until the NJ game. This was a total, 60 minute effort with a complete shutdown of another top team in their house.

Nykingsfan, Duckhunter, Cynic, Shakes, Quisp, ETR, etc...What can you say about these guys???

The Kings have been amazing of late. They're 7-0 in their last seven (I count the Montreal game as a win even tho the league doesn't....) and are playing out of this world. The Kings are proof in that you can have both an offensive/defensive game, shutting down the Devils was not an easy task although NJ had played in Atlanta the night before. Quick is the deal but there are so many others. Coincidence that this team is on the roll they are since JMFJ came back? I think not.

Overconfidence now an issue as they head to the Isle. This has been a remarkable trip, even if they lose at NY it's been totally successful. Boy do I now wish they had that Montreal game back!

Welcome back Oscar which will make this team even better. On to the Isle...Go Kings!

I agree!!! this is a wonderful team and we can all thank the power of prayer. I think we will beat the Islanders by 9 goals. I also think we will beat the Ducks because we are wonderful. The Stars and Sharks are an evil team and we need to beat them too. Go Kings go kings go kings!!! Also, I hope the Kings have a wonderful day on Valantines day all day long. If they win in the islanders Terry Murry should take them out for Pizza like they do in the movies.

A few weeks ago everyone was talking trade...it's amazing how in a few days they have turned it around. Last night's game was so well played. A few early mistakes may have made a difference, but then in the 2nd, it seemed like every play was rehearsed--everyone knew where everyone else was on the ice, and excellent passing, moving w/o the puck, and forechecking. It will be interesting on the Island with Moller back. I think it will take a few games before he regains his pre-injury form--does TM go with a small, but speedy 4th line Moller-Army-Richardson? I hope they don't play down to the competition--like they've been playing up (or better) than the last 2 games.

That was a great game. I think Simmonds has been underated all season. I really haven't seen him play a bad game. DD nothing needs to be said except rookie of the year. Good to see the lines are finally producing. Please keep the lines the same TM. I don't know where to put Moller except maybe the forth line, but don't mess with something good. Get rid of Ersberg? Who would be the backup? Bring up Bernier. I do like the fact that if Quick has a bad night they can throw Ersberg in there. All goalies have a bad night once in a while or need rest from numerous games in a row. Throwing Ersberg in there to give Quick a rest when he needs it may be a good idea. I would love to get a good winger to throw in there, but I don't want to give up in future talent. I almost fell out of my chair when I read anthony's comments...

Great road trip so far. Should be 4 in a row but 3 is great.

Quick is playing amazing. I hope he can keep this up all season long.

The big guns are finally firing.

The support cast is doing it's job.

PK is back on track.

PP is doing what they should...cannon from the point, screen, pick up the garbage.

Anyone calling for a trade should have their head examined. This is NOT the Kings year. They're playing great and if they keep this up and make the playoffs it's gravy. Next year is when they were supposed to be fighting for a spot, and that's when we need to worry about an off season aquisition if needed to shore up the team. Don't sacrifice anything in the future for right now!

Oh, and Simmonds is playing well but with 4 goals I can hardly call it s a fantastic season. If it was anyone but him people would be calling for his head and for Boyle to be taking his spot.

Kings fans crack me up...I guess it's been so long since we have had any kind of success, we don't know how to handle it.

2 weeks ago, this place was just nuts...now it's a love fest!

It's been quite a bit of fun watching these kids come together, grow together, and seeing this team gel.

Quisp...that shot of Doughty and Johnson on the bench joking around says it all. I have no clue what they were laughing about, but I think it is just the picture perfect image of this team. Kids having fun...there is SO MUCH talent on this roster, all they needed was someone to believe in them, and teach them the parts of their games that wasn't there (defense).

The solid goaltending from both Quick and Ersberg hasn't hurt, and let's give some kudo's where it's due.

Brown is the leader of this team. Teams reflect their leadership, and along with Brown, Murray. This team remains calm under pressure, and handles adversity unlike kids their age should (so far). That is a compliment to the leadership on the squad, and the coaching staff. Harpo needs to get major kudos for the defense and PK, and you have to give Morris down in Manchester quite a bit of credit for the development of some of these kids.

All of this...this is what an organization is about, and what this franchise has been trying to achieve for some time now.

Quisp---

They were probably imitating a scoreboard bit featuring a CGI of the Devils mascot. It was doing a stupid "dance" to the song that goes, "I like to move it, move it." I couldn't see the bench from my seat upstairs, but the way you describe it sounds awfully similar.

really impressed with intensity, effort and quick's amazing goaltending lately, but i hate to knitpick. Rich, at 23-21-7 how does that make the kings 2 games over .500? more like 5 under, right? I realize you get a point for an overtime or shootout loss, but it's still a LOSS. Again, i apologize for picking knit, i love your blog and keep it coming!