And for a guy who has yet to record a single point in two pre-season games, Scott Parse is quickly becoming one of the key focal points of the team's news items right now.
Below are ten tidbits from last night's second (and final) pre-season game at Staples Center...
* Andrei Loktionov scored the lone goal for the Kings. He also had two shots on goal and two takeaways. In the faceoff circle, he only won two of seven draws (29%).
* For the second game in a row, Alec Martinez led all Kings players with 22:25 of total ice time. Slava Voynov wasn't far behind, with 22:20 total.
* Voynov only had one official shot on goal in the game. Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams each had five shots on goal.
* Dustin Brown, Dustin Penner and Matt Greene led the team with three hits. That wasn't much of a consolation for Greene, who said this about the game - "No real positives at all, actually. Just a bad game for us. We got outworked. We didn’t really have a great effort, great execution... We just got outworked in our own building."
* Back to Martinez - "He had a couple good looks and missed the net," said coach Terry Murray. "He had some problems receiving passes tonight. There were a lot of pucks that hit his stick and went underneath."
* Murray also said he can carry eight defensemen on the trip to Europe, which had to be good news to Voynov and Thomas Hickey - assuming Drew Doughty still isn't signed by the end of the week.
* Murray on Loktionov - "I would like to see him have the puck on his stick more. There were a couple of opportunities for him to enter the offensive zone with the rush. I'd like to see him be that type of a player a little bit more. Overall, I like his game though."
* Kevin Westgarth had a scrap with Anaheim’s Brian McGrattan early in the second and didn't return to the game, due to a blow he took under his left eye. Murray said they'll continue to monitor it, with another update expected today.
* Murray also said it's "too soon" to determine if Loktionov would be better off playing on the Kings fourth line or spend another year in Manchester. When followed with a 'we have four games in five nights coming up' quote, it sounded like he was leaning towards not making that decision until just before the team leaves for Europe.
* Oh yeah, Parse... "He's still not moving the way I would like to see him move," said the Kings coach. "Some plays, just inside of his own zone, on breakouts, turning the puck over. He has a chance there, off an offensive-zone attack, and there’s not much happening on either side of the puck for him right now." He later added that he's not worried about stats right now. Instead, he wants "to see him get back to work." Then, Murray again reiterated that he wants Parse on the third line with Jarret Stoll. BUT, "His plays and decisions with the puck are not real good (right now)."
Unrelated to the outcome of the game, just prior to the action getting started, the Kings officially announced nine more roster cuts - including top prospects Brandon Kozun and Tyler Toffoli. Full details of the roster trimming can be found here.
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22:25 of total ice time & not a single goal. Unacceptable Alec. :|
ReplyDeleteAs hard as Parse worked to recover from surgery last season to get back for the play-offs, it's kind of shocking that he wouldn't be prepared for camp. Could there be something more going on??
ReplyDeleteI spent most of the game wondering exactly what Parse was doing. He looked lost out there. Even my friend who had never been to an NHL game was wondering why "#21 looked so lost". It just bugged me that he blew a lot of chances. I know he has to get back into the swing of things but right now, sorry Parse, he seems like the biggest joke TM has played on us. I do love the dude but come on. He's a professional. He has to step up or TM could throw him on any line and watch him flounder. I don't wanna see that. Not this year or ever.
ReplyDeleteLast night was a statement. A well played statement by the team and management. They are asking Drew to come back and play.
ReplyDeleteLine 1 was checking out their speed differences. Is Kopi slower after the ankle? Is Penner faster after the off season? Good way to find out is to just work on penetration in a game situation. JW showed he isn't hesitating at all and is back to form.
Line 2 was merely working on their reads. Gags, Rickie, Brownie all playing off each other and learning their timing. Rickie is getting much closer to the perfect read off his wings.
Line 3 was checking out Parse. He failed. Miserably.
Line 4 was Loktionov's chance to show he could beat the other AHL'ers out on the ice and bring it on home for a goal. He succeeded, but one goal wasn't enough, obviously. He gave it his best, and showed TM that he has what it takes, even if it means centering a low minute line, or if a call up is needed. I do believe he CAN and WILL compete at the NHL level this year.
On defense, Martinez missed some pucks and what not, but he is also trying out new sticks and getting used to them. I give him a pass on that. Plus he led in ice time. Maybe ask him to read an eye chart, I have a feeling his eyesight might be slipping just a bit.
Willie Mitchell is a stud. I wasn't kidding about the assassin thing. I think he could be a legitimate assassin or international spy. The dude is a consummate professional and is just so clean and smooth with all of his actions. I LOVE watching him play.
Voynov looked great and I think he will be a welcome addition to the blue line.
Thomas Hickey played last night also. You didn't know? Neither did he. I think his days are numbered.
Dont have anything to say about Green and Wiske. C+ for both.
Quick was shaky but I dont blame him. He is allowed a few shitty goals per season, and I'm stoked he got them out of the way last night.
This whole game was a sucker plan. It was thrown. I think TM and DL got together and said to the boys, "this is what's happeneing, we want you to do this for several reasons..."
1. Show Drew that we miss and love him and want him back ASAP
2. Give the hopefuls a chance to show what they have to offer in a game situation (obviously)
3. Give the NHL'ers time to get the glue into their collective fabric (I'm talking to you Line 2)
4. Let the Ducks have one game (its only preseason)
5. Give us fans something different to bitch about.
Jack Johnson sat out last night. Curious. Was it the massive amount of ice time from Wednesday's game, or was it something else? I think JMFJ might have asked to sit so as not to be a part of the game tossing. I hope he dresses up as Captain America this year for Halloween. I think he could pull it off.
All jokes aside, I do think the Kings played terribly last night and really do believe some of the shit I just wrote. The rest is a joke. You decide where the sarcasm lies.