From the bench...

Frolov leads the team in goals, but I just have this sinking feeling that his inconsistent play at times and his favorable contract could wind up putting him in a package for an elite forward either at the draft or in the off season. Just a suspicion.

Frolov's turnover? Why not sit Brown for not getting the puck deep on the 4-3, instead turning it over at the blueline which started the Kunucks on their way to their 2nd goal?

Gee THS, aren't YOU just a ray of sunshine tonite! Kings play well, beat Vancouver and are currently only 3 points out of a playoff position (and with 17 games to to, mind you) and this is all you can think of posting? lol Let's worry about things we have absolutely no control over during the offseason when there's nothing going on but waiting for the June draft, training camp and next season, shall we?

Go Kings!

Ok........how about Jack Johnson?

i really like the look of the zeus moller and simmonds line. exciting game to watch and good win for the kings. hope they dont make THIS exciting when they play in Vancouver on friday.

Guys, its not the turnover, or a mistake that matters. Murray forgives mistakes when the player is hustling and just goofs. Brown hustled tonight. Frolov not so much. He played ok, and had a few strong shifts, but he was pumped every time he was on the ice, like the rest of the team was.

Murray benches for lack of effort that leads to mistakes, not just mistakes. That should be obvious, and its a BIG difference.

Also, it speaks to how highly TM thinks of Frolov. He puts a premium on Frolov's play, and its been great for Frolov this year to be held accountable to always play his best. This has been, by far, his most consistent season long effort, and the two times (maybe there were more) he's taken several shifts off he's gotten benched. Last time he got benched, he came back and played the best hockey of his career.

Put that in your pipe.

Fro's only gotten better this season. He can take a knock in ice time and learn from it, hopefully. It's worked so far. If not, would you want him anyway? A young team is all about competition from w/in, and no one should be too comfortable with a roster spot.

Hopefully this is just TM's way of nudging Fro back in line. He's been playing huge minutes lately, so I don't get the feeling he is on his way out.

I missed large portions of the game, but every time I did watch I saw great things from Simmonds. I've never seen a bad game from him, but tonight I thought he was extremely effective. He played over 17 minutes tonight, versus the 11 to 13 minutes he had been playing lately.

I can't wait for this weekend! GO KINGS GO!!!

TM is too hard on Frolov. Frolov is a good player and a veteran and I know he has resilient armor to this type of thing but constant magnification of his single mistakes and harsh punishments maybe the thing that pushes him away from the team. He was one of our better players on the ice tonight. Besides that turnover, he made very little mistakes and was constantly in control of the play around him. I like that TM is heavy on him trying to develop him into a true two-way first line talent, but at what cost? Here's hoping DL offers long-term extension and Frolov takes it...

i think the difference between frolov not getting the puck out of the zone and brown not getting the puck deep is where it occurred. mistakes at the far blue line are usually not as costly as mistakes in your own zone. granted, tough to punish frolov as others made some mistakes out there...but i think TM expects more "veteran" plays from fro.

And that idiot gauthier doesnt get benched for continuously taking bad penalties? WTF?

This team battled their asses off tonight and deserved nothing less than the 2 points.
I think Greene has finally shut his critics up once and for all...especially on this blog. As TM said...He's a warrior. This is a guy that you want on a team trying to win a cup. He takes his share of stupid penalties and gets beat at times, but he more than makes up for it in grit and leadership. He lead by example last night. I kept replaying it at 1:30 in the morning. I couldn't believe he took the shot to the face and got up so quickly and knew he had defensive responsibilities to take care of. That's a guy I want on my team any day of the year.

That was Stoll's best game as a King. He was brilliant on the faceoffs and his 2 goals were huge.
Kopitar had another outstanding game on both ends of the ice which seems to be the norm for him during the 2nd half.

Westgarth took a really stupid penalty. Someone on a previous post mentioned it...there's no difference between Ivanans and Westgarth...both are there for one purpose and both take stupid penalties. Obviously it was no surprise that he never saw the ice again after the penalty.

I agree with a lot of people that Gauthier didn't play well, but he did score and since we won by 1 goal...that's good enough for me.

Another outstanding effort by Moller and Simmonds. Did anyone notice who TM put out there during the final couple of minutes....Moller/Simmonds/Doughty. Those guys have earned the right to be out there at the end....Would anyone trade these guys for any other rookies in the NHL? I sure as heck wouldn't. They are going to be great players in the league for a long time.

I really didn't notice Fro not being out there late in the 3rd period. I guess that's because he was invisible most of the night. That's not what we need during these last handful of games. Every player needs to bring his "A" game to every game and every shift from here on out. If you're not, you don't belong on the ice. I don't care if its Fro/Brown/Kopitar....whoever. Its all about winning and getting to the playoffs.

Sorry for being a little long in comments, but I love this team more than any other Kings team I've seen. They play with passion and heart. It's a team we can all be proud of no matter how this turns out.
Now get your asses into the playoffs!!!
GO KINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting how some players make horrible mistakes game in and game out (Ivanans, Gauthier, etc) but they make it into the lineup every night.

your leading goal scorer who also plays pretty darn good defense turns with the puck in his own end and wasn't aware taht someone was there to poke it and he sits.

Unless it's a different play that pissed TM off.

I saw no fewer than 3 turnovers by guys in their end right before that one. It sucks but I think he's got a chip on his shoulder about Fro or he holds him to a higher standard than the rest.

I just realized the next best thing to the Kings winning more often is less posts by Anfernee about how TM and DL are failing. hahah

If we make the playoffs...IF...we will all remember the shot Greener took to the face. What a teammate. Thats why he's got the A on his sweater.

nykingfan,

I agree that Westgarth took a stupid penalty. The kid generally is expected to be an enforcer, but I tell you, he can really skate. Not saying that he's going to be tearing it up, but if given the chance - and that's a big if - his game could be very similar to that of Simmonds. Can't say the same about number 41.

anonymous said:
Gee THS, aren't YOU just a ray of sunshine tonite! Kings play well, beat Vancouver and are currently only 3 points out of a playoff position (and with 17 games to to, mind you) and this is all you can think of posting? lol Let's worry about things we have absolutely no control over during the offseason when there's nothing going on but waiting for the June draft, training camp and next season, shall we?

Was it about the Kings? YES! Was it based on current events? YES! Was it a response to something our trusty beat writer initially wrote? YES! Then it was a completely pertinent post and I frankly don't care what you have to say about it. And by the way, the Kings played dominated in spurts last night, but they were lucky to win that game in the end. Gauthier's goal was a fluke and Quick gave up two very suspect goals. The Kings did what they had to do in the last 10 minutes which was great, but the Canucks shouldn't have been that close and it almost cost them. Twelve of sixteen on the road now.

And for those who might care about my Frolov comment, it was based on what I've heard Jim Fox report recently (at the deadline) and what he told a member of my family last night privately when the Kings met season seat holders at the Nokia about the Kings off season goals. He's not Dean Lombardi, granted, but Fox is certainly very intimately knowledgeable about the Kings' dealings. It's speculation, but it's fair speculation.

The Second goal would not have happened had one of the Ref's or the Linesman called the too many men penalty against the Canucks that was pretty obvious.

TeamHasHoles...

My ears just perked up. So you got inside info eh?

Please divulge. Did he actually mention Fro as part of a possibly major deal?

Team Has Holes

I completely agree it's a relevant point.
If its ok to blast guys like Calder when they suck, its ok to question Frolov when he's not playing well.

Frolov is an enigma. There are very few players in the NHL with his skill level. Why hasn't he become a dominant player/scorer in the league?

He's in the prime of his career and this year has certainly been his best since he came into the league, but he leaves you with wanting some much more from him. I can't explain it...other than to say he should be a lot better than he is...Maybe its because he doesn't come with the same compete level every night.
I always try to compare it with Dustin Brown. I've never seen him not hustling. I can't say the same about Frolov.

I thought Frolov played an incredible game - they way he has been protecting the puck down low is exceptional (I can see Simmonds is taking notes).

This, however, is exactly why I'm not suited to be a NHL coach. I didn't even notice the turnover.

what about double D saving quicks bacon???

that was a helluva play by the kid.

wow.

Jack...that was a HELL of a play by Doughty! That's why he is who he is, and why Stamkos is failing.

mrbrett,

sorry to break it to you, but Stamkos is not "failing".. He's not having a good year, that's it. Drew Doughty deserves Calder Trophy recognition, but Steve Mason's taking it, unfortunately..

Doughty will be a star in the NHL, and Luke Schenn will fail miserably..

One of the best games the Kings have played all season against a very skilled and physical Vancouver team! It got scary in the third period, but they showed a lot of grit and Quick came through when needed.

I have to admit that I knocked Stoll early this season, but he has been playing very well and is nasty on the power play. Matt Greene, I want to thank you for sacrificing your face last night! Those are players that you win with.

Great to see the young players contributing in big spots. Purcell, Moller, Doughty, and especially Simmonds continue to impress. This experience of playing big games in march can only help, even if we fall short of the playoffs.

I love watching this team and can't wait till friday night. Two tough games this weekend but its fun to have games in march that mean something. Lets keep it going!

Sorry AK...Stamkos, as of right now, is a failure. He is as good as Alexandre Daigle was.

He may very well turn into one of the greatest to ever play the game, but until then, he's no better than Jarret Stoll.

Stamkos is a failure when compared to Doughty.
He may turn out to be great...or he may turn into Daigle as mrbrett7 points out.

Think about if Stamkos was a King this year putting up those numbers....We would all be calling him a failure...especially when compared to Doughty.

mrbrett,

Its kinda ridiculous to say Stamkos is failing because Doughty is doing so well. Its possible for them both to be good or both suck independently of each other. That said Stamkos is struggling this year on a bad Lightning team. That doesn't mean his career is over and he is a failure. He is having a decent rookie season and it may just take him time to grow and get to his potential.

Just so JDM can't just keep that smug look on his face, if Murray benches people for "lack of effort leading to mistakes" then he'd be benching people all over the place. One clear example is hooking penalties, the vast majority of which are caused by being beat and then instead of moving your feet you reach out with your stick. Lack of hustle -> mistake. Happens all the time. So TM's punishements are anything BUT obvious.

BBSJ,

Are you watching me? haha, don't worry, my smugness is far more deeply rooted than comments can sustain =).

I agree that hooking penalties are simply making up for mistakes made due to lack of effort. This is generally true, but not all hooks are created equally.

I've seen TM bench players for hooks. Westgarth, if I remember correctly, didn't take a shift after taking that slash, which a different ref could have easily called a hook (from where I was sitting in the 300's... no tv replay).

I also don't recall too many hooking penalties lately. Seems we mostly get holding penalties.

But I'm glad I inspired you to respond simply out of spite ;).

Nobody benched superstars for one mistake .

The handfull of times I've seen Stamkos play (granted, not nearly as much as Doughty for obvious reasons), he has looked grossly out of place in the NHL.

He has the speed...so did Daigle.

He has the shot...so did Daigle.

He has the vision...so did Daigle.

He has no heart (so far). You cannot teach heart. You cannot teach compete or passion. I have yet to see any of that from him. For all his hype, and for all the hand wringing here and elsewhere for not having him...I wouldn't want him, no matter what he turns into.

Ok, my mistake mrbrett. You have a good point.

I haven't seen him play almost at all either but I would say in defense of Stamkos give him a few years to adjust before you get so down on him. Being a skill player playing in the NHL he may be adjusting to the more physical game. His whole life it had probably been easy for him but now he really has to work hard. I heard he started a new strength program a while back with the team and started playing well since then so maybe he's just still adjusting. I'm sure it is hard to adjust to the NHL, all the expectations everyone has on you and you are still only 19 years old and on a losing team that is pretty bad once again.

Honestly during the draft I was wishing we would get the first pick so badly because I figured Lombardi would be able to possibly trade it and still get one of those elite defensman like Doughty or Pietranelo. I'm sure Stamkos will bounce back but I was never that interested in him. I thought the D prospects would be better players and was hoping for that first pick just so we could have all the trade value it has then try to fall back to maybe even the #2 spot and still get Dought while adding another player or pick for moving down but too bad the ping pong balls did not go our way. I've been very happy with Doughty and am glad we got him over Bogosian