Postgame notes/quotes

Thanks for the quotes Rich.

I really liked Martinez tonight, best game I've seen him play. The whole team looked confident; it was palpable. Schenn's passing and vision is remarkable, and I feel so lucky that we have both him and Loktionov in the system.

To everyone who is constantly clamoring for a trade or signing for a 2nd line center, BE PATIENT! We have that guy already, two of them, all they need to do is grow some facial hair.

I did a write-up on the game if anyone is interested in some late night Kings snacking:

www.lakingsnews.com

Wow.
The team looks sharp. Lots of "compete" from top to bottom, making up-coming decisions very difficult.
I think Bernier may make the team.
Quick/Bernier....wonderful tandem.
The 1st line looks incredible.
The defense looks incredible.
Just need to see more from the 2nd line. The 3rd line will be good, with Frolov and Simmonds scoring and Handzus makes a good, albeit expensive 3rd line Center.
The 4th line can be dangerous, with the likes of Schenn and maybe Clifford.
The Kings don't have to "throw together" a bunch of junk players this year to make a 4th line.
Usually its Ivanans and garbage like Zeiler or Armstrong or Calder or some other junker, but now..
we can make a 4th line of talent.
If the 2nd line scores, we can be real good.
Smyth-Kopitar-Williams
Purcell-Stoll-Brown
Frolov-Handzus-Simmonds
Schenn- -

What a great game. Had a blast watching the battle.

Surprises of the night for me:

Simmonds is a completely different person from a year ago. The guy is blowing my mind at how good he's gotten. He is gonna be a mad man.

Schenn was much better then I thought he could play at this point. He basically looked like a bonafide NHLer to me.

Westgarth looks like a boy next to Ivanans and Parros. Parros ate him up. He's the Wyatt Earp monster and I think I might have nightmares tonight.

Smyth is really something to watch. He is so slippery and quick. It's great to see that on the front line.

Williams: I was surprised at how slow he skated tonight. Not for lack of effort, just problems skating.

Clune looked lost.

Drewiske seemed to come out of nowhere to snatch that spot. He's kinda like Simmonds last year. One moment he's just another guy competing for a spot, the next moment it's as if it was his all along. He's making the very best of this opportunity.

Hickey made really good decisions with the puck over and over and over again. He looks so solid and calm. He's just so darn small. I saw him get absolutely squashed right in front of me. Ouch. I'm thinking he's gotta call Lubo and ask him how to get thicker. He needs mass.

Frolov was chatting with Luc and Leiweke for quite some time. Zeiler, and Quick were there too.

Scoop of the night: I believe Voynov was there too. I'm almost positive. If it was him, his hair is now GONE. Cut, snip, buh-bye. I dig the nhl-hippie-look so I was bummed.

waves,

I hope you're wrong. I loved Voynov's hair. If his is gone, Westgarth is the only one in the system with true hockey hair.

I don't understand. Hair rules. When most people think "old-time hockey", they think bench clearing brawls. I think hockey hair.

On Clune, I didn't think he looked lost. Sure, a few plays he was caught looking around, but otherwise he was very feisty and on the puck. He's not going to make any great plays, but I didn't think he screwed up badly at any point.

Also Westgarth didn't really get handled by Parros. Neither really landed a punch, and Westy fell because of lost balance. He basically threw himself backwards trying to catch his balance after a missed punch. Fight was a draw in my opinion.

Simmonds fight was awesome. He messed up McCarthy with one powerful uppercut. Beautiful. Ivanans can't hit worth a crap. Thought it was hilarious that they gave him "hit of the game". Westgarth at least connects with his hits.

I agree with the rest of your assessments.

LOVED the Smyth goal... as you can see from my article :)... and since that link wasn't clickable, here's one that is you can click, for posterity... http://www.lakingsnews.com/

Excellent game report JDM. First rate IMO. Tried to comment there but it didn't let me. ???

This Schenn kid is going to be a good one. One of the youngest guys in the draft. Just turned 18 four weeks ago. Glad we have him!

Thanks waves!

I'll look into the commenting problem. All the settings seem correct... so I'm not sure what's going on there. But I will figure it out, because we'd love to have you guys commenting!

Johnny Kick,

Agreed. He's no small dude already, but I salivate at the thought of him having one more nice big growth spurt.

I was at the game tonight. Some initial thoughts:
1) Defense - Martinez was much better than last year when he was either invisible or bad. Drewiske did no come out of nowhere - he was very solid at the end of last year and I believe DL had him 100% penciled in for a starting line up - he will be this years Quincey. HIckey - young, small but should make the team.

2) Offense - Smith looked great and was the best forward on the ice; he will teach Kopitar how to play hockey this year. Kopitar looked stronger on the puck and I think he will have a very good year. Schenn based soley on his play last night, should get the first 10 games of the season at a minimum, but does Lewis have a better chance this year. Simmonds could generate 60 or 70 points this year or next. Williams looked better than last year.

Goalie - give Bernier his due. I think that Quick and Bernier is the combo until it fails.

DL - no more trades. This will be a young team again, but the kids are going to make DL, RH and TM into some tough choices.

I'd keep Schenn on the roster and get rid of Justin Williams.

Loved seeing the Princeton Pounders going at eachother... i think it was a draw... both Westgarth and Parros landed a punch or two...
i think its clear that Westgarth deserves to be the Kings enforcer this year... Ivanans has not been effective for almost 2 seasons now... Keep Westgarth up, release Ivanans...

Excellent post game notes everyone. Thanks for the updates. Things are certainly looking bright for the team and us fans.

Bring on Oct 3rd!!

Martinez was incredible. I haven't seen much of him in the past, but I do believe he challenged Drewiske for a spot last night. Hickey was very impressive as well. Its so nice to have all these guys in the system.

Imagine last night's team with Frolov, Purcell, and Doughty thrown into the mix? It's time.

So Rich is Schenn going to say up and play at least nine games with the Kings at the start of the season?

"To everyone who is constantly clamoring for a trade or signing for a 2nd line center, BE PATIENT!"

Again, JDM, if put forth almost $10/m this season to be better. Adding another $1.5-3/m more won't kill us for one season, especially if Schenn is sent down.

Look at the facts..

Stoll has athritis issues. Couple that with his late last season injury, and we could have some serious problems, there. In addition, we all know he's more of a "point center" that prefers to shoot, so that doesn't help a 1/2 line in the playmaking department.

Zus is a two-way 3rd/4th line shutdown center. He too, isn't our 1/2 guy.

So, who's left? Lewis? He'll be a 3rd/4th line career guy. And as you've guys have graciously pointed out(thanks Quisp), Lok ins't ready for the "bigs" yet.

I just scratch my head everytime I see you guys say "wait" on a center.

Wait for WHAT exactly? The Chinese New Year? The next coming of Christ? I just don't get it.

Our whole family went to the game last night. It was great. I can't remember the last time the Kings had so much energy and were go getters. Granted a lot of the players were trying to prove themselves, but so were the young ducks (lower case on purpose). The game was really much more one sided then the stats show. I can't remember a time during the game when I had that ole KIngs feeling like they were on thier heels or the Sucks would come back.

Smyth was great. I think he's going to be the old Ryan Smyth we saw with Edmon.

Bernier played well. The tandem should be Quick with Bernier backing him up.

Schenn was great too, he came real close to a hat trick.

Bottom line is...the Kings have a lot of great young talent and are going to be contenders in the years to come.

JDM, fantastic review. I really like your writing style and have always enjoyed your observations and perspectives. Will you be writing on a consistent basis? Weekly? Per game? I would definitely put you on my favorites list. It's pre-season and you can't put too muck stock in the games, win or lose. My question to you is, who in your mind will transition into the regular season and be productive?

If Stoll has problems playing this year, I'm going to have to side with Ersberg. It would be in our best interest to bring someone in. We need to break this habit of expecting these 18 year olds to solve our problems. They need to develop for a few years, then be brought up to the big club. Yes, they will be our future, but we have to let them develop first(in most cases of course).

Wonder what time the axe drops? Who will get cut?

Some good reviews of the game, but from my perspective - and I was there, too - Williams deserves credit for playing a very solid game. If the puck rotation was a little better, particularly on the PP, he might have more to show for it statistically. As it is, his positional game was very sound, his wrist shot as accurate as ever, and yes, he's not the fastest skater out there but he's hardly going to be caught out of the zone. He brings a lot of poise to that line.

Simmonds' game was no surprise to me. He's playing just a little more within the system than last year, when he'd often outskate the rest of his linemates in an effort to do it all himself, end to end. I caught training camp earlier in the week too, and wow, he was an animal on the suicide wind sprints at the end of the session. His acceleration is just incredible, even if he isn't terribly fluid once he gets going.

Bernier impressed, though he had a relatively easy game. He seems to be dealing with traffic in the crease area a lot better than in the past. Lupul and Penner were being pests, but Bernier handled it calmly. Very economical in his movements, too, never getting pulled out of position.

This is the first time in a number of years when I truly feel optimistic about the season.

@ Big A -

couldn't agree more on Williams. i appreciate what he's been bringing to the team thus far in the pre season. let's hope he is as effective throughout the duration of the regular season and (dare i say) playoffs.

as it stands right now, i like his game far better than PatiO's.

our 'first' line looks good. i love the puck possession game they're bringing.

"I think the mistake a lot of us make is thinking the state-appointed shrink is our friend."

-jack

re: Williams,

He was all over the place last night. Smart player. He could use to work on his puck handling while skating, but he was very good and generates chances. I'm really liking that first line.

Ersberg and Duckhunter, re: 2nd line center,

Well if Stoll's arthitis severely affects his play, then you are right, we have a problem and it might be prudent to look outside for help. However until I see him play, I'm going to take his and Rich's word for it that he will be ready to go and it won't negatively affect him too much. If healthy, I think Stoll and Zus are good enough to hold us over until Schenn or Loktionov can take over, which I'm starting to feel like may be next year. I didn't mean to say that one of them should be 2nd line center this year, that's what I meant by "need to grow facial hair." You don't need to wait for the 2nd coming of Christ Erbserg, just the 2nd coming of a Schenn. :)

Now what would be REALLY great, is if in 2 years one of those kids is ready to challenge Kopitar for his spot. Then we have ourselves a cup contender.

Duckhunter, re: the site

There will be a story on every game, and other stories as well. I'm not the only writer over there, but I will be posting articles as often as I can, bi-daily (if that's a word) most likely.

Glad others noticed Martinez as well. Dude was flying. He had one great rush up the ice, took it wide and around the net, and made a slick pass to someone in front (I think Brown??). It's amazing what team confidence can do. I blame Terry Murray. Everyone seems to be buying in, and that's amazing. Like his system or not, if he can get everyone on board with it and feeling confident, we will be a good team.

Wait... I think I may be stupid... bi-daily would be twice daily. I meant once every 2nd day... which would be... tri- or quad-weekly?

JDM: Every other day.

waves,

That's way too simple, easy and correct. :)

Actually Ersberg...it's pretty simple.

Is the team going to win the Stanley Cup this year? Probably not even close.

It's not worth wasting the 2-3 million that will be locked up (most likely) for another 2-3 years, that will be needed to lock up your future, just to make the playoffs THIS season.

Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Forget the fried duck. Pass the Pay-King Duck and lots of Hoisin sauce.