After a day off after his first game since Jan. 19, Kings defenseman Matt Greene reported no setbacks following Saturday’s practice. Greene played a regular shift in Thursday’s victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, his first game after suffering a back injury that required surgery. Greene wasn’t all that impressed with his play Thursday, which impressed Kings coach Darryl Sutter on Saturday.
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Kings defenseman Matt Greene had two shots on net and five hits in 22 shifts over 16 minutes, 15 seconds in his first game Thursday night after sitting out 42 following back surgery in January. He spoke after the Kings’ grind-it-out 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets about his return to the active roster.
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The Kings welcomed Matt Greene back to their lineup for a gritty 2-1 victory over the scalding Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night at Staples Center, looking whole again after 42 games without their veteran defenseman.
It would have made for a better story if Greene scored the go-ahead goal on an end-to-end rush that lifted the Kings to a victory in another in a string of nerve-jangling games. But that’s not his style of play and that’s certainly not what the Kings ask of him.
Defenseman Drew Doughty and enforcer Kyle Clifford scored the Kings’ goals, helping them to end the Blue Jackets’ five-game winning streak. Dalton Prout scored the Blue Jackets’ only goal, his first in the NHL in his 30th game, as Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick made 20 saves.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Kings (25-14-5) didn’t need highlight-reel caliber plays from Greene to stay in front of the San Jose Sharks in the fight for fourth place and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Slow and steady saved the day.
“You want to see how your back holds up,” Greene said of playing for the first time since he hurt his back Jan. 19, and required surgery. “You can do as many exercises as you want, but it all comes down to being physical and battling. If I can’t battle in the corners, I’m pretty much useless.”
It was Kings coach Darryl Sutter’s wish to have Greene play as many games as possible before the playoffs begin April 30. Sutter hoped Greene might be fit to play in Tuesday’s game against the Sharks in San Jose, a shootout loss, but it didn’t happen.
Greene practiced with his teammates Wednesday and when he woke up feeling fine Thursday, the Kings activated him from injured reserve just before they took the ice for their morning skate. He received a fine ovation when he hit the ice for his first shift against the Blue Jackets.
Defenseman Matt Greene, who injured his back during the Kings’ season-opening game Jan. 19 against the Chicago Blackhawks, returned to the active roster Thursday after sitting out 42 games. The Kings activated him from injured reserve, announcing the move before the team’s morning skate. The team faced the Columbus Blue Jackets later in the evening at Staples Center. Greene was cleared Monday for his full-contact practice since he was hurt. Coach Darryl Sutter hoped Greene could play in Tuesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks, a loss at HP Pavilion. After a practice Wednesday, the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings activated the 29-year-old Greene on Thursday. Sutter said he hoped Greene could play three or four games in preparation for the playoffs, which begin April 30.
The Kings played almost all of the lockout-shortened season without veteran defensemen Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell. Greene could be back soon after undergoing back surgery after playing one game. Mitchell is out for the duration after undergoing two knee surgeries. Their absence created a void and young players Keaton Ellerby and Jake Muzzin filled in capably, giving the Kings the sort of boost they needed to stay competitive.
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Defenseman Matt Greene reached another milestone in his rehabilitation and recovery from back surgery Monday when he participated in his first full-contact practice with his teammates. Kings coach Darryl Sutter said Greene was given medical clearance and would travel with the team to San Jose for Tuesday’s game against the Sharks.
“I was hoping, well, not hoping but originally, I wanted him to play tomorrow but that’s not the case,” Sutter said. “That was his first (day of contact), yeah. I don’t think there a real answer. It’s more how he responds to it. If you have a day where you have a setback, then it’s all back. There’s no way of saying, ‘That’s the day.’ “
Said Greene of his back: “It’s the same. It’s the same as when I talked to you guys last week. I am going to travel. It’s just the same thing, skate and rehab. That’s not going to change. … They haven’t told me anything (new), just keep skating. The team’s playing well. If they need me I’ll get back in the lineup. That’s the most I’ve done just because we finally got a chance to do a full practice. The guys are playing every other night and it’s tough to get somebody willing to do some contact. It’s good to get out there today with two days between games. You’ve got to play without fear.”
Greene was injured in the Kings’ loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on opening day Jan. 19.
As much as he wants to play tonight against the Ducks, as much as it’s killing him to sit and watch his teammates skate to secure the highest possible playoff seeding, Kings defenseman Matt Greene might not be fit to rejoin the lineup when the playoffs begin April 30. Kings coach Darryl Sutter said Friday he wasn’t sure when or if Greene would play.
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Defenseman Matt Greene skated before the rest of the Kings practiced Wednesday and remains on track for a return to full-contact workouts in a few weeks. Greene played only in the season opener Jan. 19 before undergoing back surgery. The Kings hope he’ll be fit to play a key role in the playoffs, as he did last spring in the team’s Stanley Cup run.
Left wing Dustin Penner also skated on his own Wednesday, but there’s no timetable for his return to the lineup from a lower-body injury. He was placed on injured reserve Monday (retroactive to Sunday). He has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) and is averaging a modest 12 minutes, 54 seconds of ice time over 25 games this season.
Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said defenseman Willie Mitchell underwent platelet rich plasma therapy Tuesday for his surgically-repaired right knee, but there is no timetable for his return to the lineup. Mitchell has had a number of setbacks after undergoing surgery to repair torn meniscus in December.
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Ryan Smyth has been there before.
It was Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, his Edmonton Oilers against Justin Williams’ Carolina Hurricanes. The Oilers led 4-1 after two periods in Raleigh before losing 5-4. The series went the full seven games before Carolina won.
“It really set the shifting of that game, in my opinion, in their favor,” said Smyth, one of the Kings’ veteran leaders, with Williams sitting a few feet away in the team’s locker room after practice. “But we battled hard. We stayed in the series. We obviously pushed it to (Game) 7.”
Willie Mitchell has been there before, too.
Down three games to one to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2003 playoffs, his Minnesota Wild won three straight to advance to the second round.
“Sometimes individuals have to go through that in order to know how to handle it,” the Kings defenseman said. “The roles have been reversed the other way. We won 4-0 up in San Jose, it was the same thing. It’s a learning experience for some guys on this team who haven’t been through that.”
The Kings’ 6-5 loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of their first-round series Tuesday was nothing new to several of the teams’ veterans. The Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators are the youngest teams participating in the playoffs (average age: 26.9).
Head coach Terry Murray complimented the older players Wednesday, when the Kings went back practice trying to put Tuesday’s debacle behind them.
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