Odd stat

Does running into the boards count as a hit?

maybe the score keepers got confused with the number of tequila hits they were taking versus the game hits...

it was a physical game...but i think that's a big reach...

HIT STATS/INFO FOR THE SEASON:

- the kings are currently ranked second in the league with 2019. the rangers are first with 2194.

- to add credence to rich's theory that the home team gets liberal scoring in this dept.:
kings home hits: 1160
kings road hits: 859

- 10 teams currently have been credited with more road hits than home hits. of which, the wackiest margin is of the atlanta thrashers.
thrashers home hits: 482
thrashers road hits: 822

- on the other side of that anomaly, the dallas stars have 1236 at home and 770 on the road.

if i have time, i'll see if i can track down some other info on the kings own team highs this season...the nhl stats site doesn't have an easy spread sheet on this info...

Boyle has a couple of good games. I'd like to see him finish out the season strong.

The parts i watched early on, the Kings were definitely being physically, finishing checks whenever they had the chance. They were strong on the forecheck and dominated for stretches. They could have easily won the game if not for their offensive impotency.

On a positive note, Purcell showed some good improvement, hustling into the corners and winning battles. Some of the stickhandling moves he made in close were just sick. I can see his potential, now if only he lives up to it.

Boyle should have been adapting to the NHL all season.
It is really unfortunate that this opportunity was wasted.
Calder got a ton of TOI up until the trade deadline and I just don't get why more people aren't critical of this fact.

It's quite obvious that Calder was being groomed for a trade, especially in Jan/Feb.
We also wasted a roster spot on Preissing for far too long.
I don't think these mistakes are forgiveable.

I think DL and TM need to be shown the door.
TM for sure, DL can possibly be given one more season but he should be absolutely prohibited from trading Kopi, Brown, Frolov, Boyle, Quick, Johnson, or Doughty.

after looking through the Event Sumamry for every game this year, I came up with these numbers, ironically all in losses:

Saturday Feb 21 loss to Phoenix, 44 hits, 33 shots
Saturday Jan 17 loss to Dallas, 45 hits, 22 shots
Monday Dec 29 loss to Columbus, 43 hits, 24 shots
Saturday Nov 1 loss to Calgary, 42 hits, 36 shots

I noticed Boyle had a more physical presence last night. I also noticed how lazy the high sticking penalty he took in the first period was. He was beat by a Coyote player by about a stride on a rush coming out of the defensive zone and Boyle just takes a long swipe at the player's stick, it rides up the shaft and strikes dude in the head - 2 minutes in the bin.

Hopefully, he will learn from that because, barring his inclusion in any trade over the offseason, I believe he may finally get a regular NHL shift next year on a third or fourth line as a "cap friendly" option over the likes of soon-to-be free agents, Derek Armstrong or Kyle Calder. More so if the Kings land a big contract player over the summer.

brad...

thanks...i just did the same thing and here
s what i got concerning the kings hits this season...:

since you got the team highs, i'll concentrate on the individuals:

- dustin brown...obviously...leads the kings with 16 games w/6 or more hits...he had a team season high with 12 vs. edmonton on 2/14 in a 3-2 home loss
the breakdown of his 16 games:
w/6 = 9
w/7 = 4
w/8 = 2
w/12= 1

others with 6 or more hits in a game:

- stoll has 5 games (6,6,6,7,8)
- gauthier has 4 games (6,6,7,8)
- greene has 4 games (6,6,6,7)
- ivanans has 1 game (6)
- patty o' had 1 game (6)
- simmonds has 1 game (6)
- zeiler and boyle had 1 game last night of 6 each

- for a game w/both teams, the lowest hit total i saw was a 4-2 loss at vancouver on 3/13 where we out hit them 11-9....

- of the 5 games the kings were credited w/4o or more hits, 3 were at home and 2 on the road...

Boyle only had 7 hits? We should definitely bench him, send him to the minors, make him play with Ivanans (oh wait, he was), stick him on wing, put him back on D, etc. I am sure Murray will somehow put a negative spin on his performance and demote him to 4th line wing.

Here's a change of subject... Lets get the Sedin twins

Here's a change of subject... Lets get the Sedin twins

Until we see them perform in the playoffs...I wouldn't touch them.

I live in Vancouver and by proxy get to see/hear ridiculous amounts of Canucks coverage. The Sedins are good players when they are not your #1 option. They have been notoriously difficult to find a linemate for (not because of personalities, but merely chemistry issues) and they can disappear for stretches at a time, most notably in the playoffs.

They also will be commanding somewhere in the league of 6 million each next year. At 12 mil for two players you could definitely do better, especially when the Kings most likely only need one significant offensive addition.

I'd be open to hearing somebody else's opinion on this though. I think I've seen too much of them to be impartial

lucas/rob...

lucas...i agree...they haven't done much in the playoffs...they have probably the best goaltender in the league in luongo...(lundy/martin/miika are there, too)...and this year, the 'nyuk, 'nyuk, 'nyuks could be a sleeper as a team who can take down some big ships...

until that happens, there will always be a question about them...coincidently, henrik was on nhl live today and spoke about how he liked the make up and chemistry of the team...

having said that, they are both excellent players...and they have not be in as good as situation as they are in now...

it is definitely their time to make it happen and stand out in the playoffs...if they can rise to the occasion, it makes them that much harder for the 'nyuks to give up...

it would be cool to see the twins play with moller or frolov...that is, if frolov is still with us under that scenario or any at all...

a good question about the twins to re-visit after the playoffs end...

also...

burke in toronto...who originally drafted them...would probably go after them aggressively if they are not re-signed...

Lucas said about the Sedins: "they have been notoriously difficult to find a linemate for".

Boy, that's the truth! Watch a Canucks game and count the number of times the twins pass the puck between themselves even when their linemate is open. It's amazing.

I know they are good players but in my opinion they are a bit overrated. I don't know how any team other than Vancouver will be able to fit them both into their salary structure.

There is no way they can be signed for 12m combined, even if the cap does not come down.
I thought they did their best with Bertuzzi.

Until Murray is gone, it doesn't matter who the Kings acquire.
Maybe Lomba, too.