Confirmed with Link: Brendan Lemieux from NYR to LA for a 4th

Penner was good that playoff run. I also enjoyed his dry humor. in the video above, they referenced the Oshie hit on Penner, where Richards stepped in to fight Oshie and then (as Penner points out) Perron jumped on Richards bavk...which gave Penner the invite to say hello

NHL playoffs 2012: Los Angeles Kings' Dustin Penner goes to the mat | National Post

“Would you agree that was a fight between (Mike) Richards and (T.J.) Oshie? When I saw a third man in, which is in the rule book, I thought, ‘Well, that’s not fair, I have to come and help.’”

This is the hit/fight/scrum Love Richards yapping at the Blues from the penalty box.

 

It looks like Penney went dead weight on him

 

This is why I think players like Andersson (sort of) and Lemieux are much needed for this team. Players who will stand up and get involved for their teammates. Obviously nothing is going to discourage another team from taking runs or cheap shots, but it's about what happens after. Even in Ontario, there is a very noticeable lack of 'response'. Lot of skill, very little bite.

Maybe that's important, and maybe not. I've always been a fan of that. Anyone who's played knows how it feels when your teammate stands up for you or is willing to get in there and battle for you. The cup teams were full of those types of players and probably a big reason they were so successful.

 

Pretty much agree with all you write, except for not discouraging cheap hits. Having a Marty McSorley type player in your lineup will set the tone of DFWUAH.

 

Those were the days my friend!

 

Brendan Lemieux requested trade before Rangers dealt him to Kings

“It’s going to give Pepe an opportunity to maybe play in a little bit more of a role that he’s looking for,” said head coach David Quinn before the Rangers played in Buffalo on Thursday. “He was a good player for us and we’re going to miss him.”

 

All of you going on about not having players like that anymore, etc....when's the last time the Kings have played meaningful games where this type of character would be displayed? Yah, long time.

 

I agree with the point about unity but I cannot name a single pro player I know that would be deterred by the response they’d get. I include the semi pro guys in that also. Guys that are prepared to cheap shot are prepared to deal with the consequences. Fighting doesn’t deter anything, it’s just revenge and/or entertainment.

 

Literally any game?

 

This right here is revisionist history. He was in two fights during the 2012 season and then the one in the playoffs against Stewart. Six fights in the shortened 2013 season and then seven in 2014. His KO hit of Klesla was in pre-season of 2013 and his giant hit on Peter Harrold was during the 2013 regular season. Crushes Krug and immediately fights Lucic in 2014. Suspended one game for smoking an Oiler for touching Kopitar in 2014. Counting stats back this up as well as his hitting pace didn't drop off until 2016.

Now, it is revisionist to think that the Kings were out there fighting all of the time but the point was that they generally responded to cheap shots. Even something like Folin hitting Kopitar with a clean hit had Richards immediately going after the guy. Williams even had the odd scrap. On top of that, it was the Kings doing the hitting and being tough to play against. They didn't have to dress a MacDermid type because they had dudes that could play and handle themselves. Shit...Dwight King held his own with Reaves no problem.

The Kings have been on the wrong side of some questionable hits this year and they've pretty much all been on young defenseman that are key to the future of this franchise. The lack of a response is a pattern that goes back years now which also coincides with the loss of the culture that was so hyped up. It's a problem that needs to be rectified. Like, Stephenson is thrown out of the game...cool. There are 20 other guys that can go have a huge run taken at them.

 

Honestly you bring up something that’s maybe key to all of this and that’s the ‘possession’ Kings were the ones racking up the hits. So maybe the shots didn’t bother me as much then because even if we weren’t dirty other teams were paying for every inch of ice. The idea of the power play as enforcer was faulty because we couldn’t score for shit but at the same time it arose because teams got frustrated with getting smoked by big Kings all game.

Now, we’re getting the shit kicked out of us and it’s STILL happening. I’ve changed my stance after that Stephenson hit. If a f***ing cream puff like that can smoke a good kid like Toby and have nothing happen, I WANT instigators. I want to be as gritty as f***ing possible at this point. Protect the kids at all costs, show them you’re going to stick up for them, W/Ls don’t matter this year imo as much as creating an environment over this year and next of a culture that’s going to have to grow with Turcotte, Byfield, and the rest of the kids. You have to start setting the tone now—and the tone so far this year is lose, get kicked in, don’t respond to dirty play at all. It’s time for some criminals. Need to be the cliche ‘harder to play against.’

 

Bingfkngo. On one hand it's downright embarrassing that we're stringing hopes on one guy possibly changing the temperature in the room, I thought a lot of this stuff should just come naturally from fierce competitors that fight in packs. On the other hands, at least it's something and if it actually does anything than Blake is obviously filling something that was needed.

edit : That's an awful final sentence but I'm keeping it.

 

By God I hope someone in that locker room has a good clear image of that play and a good memory.

 

It's hard to be a tough team when Kopitar is soft as shit.

 

You know you're team is fun when you are winning and every other fan base thinks your team is dirty. Vegas is the best example of this right now since they win a lot of games but also ice guys that can take care of business when needed.

Kings were like that during the golden years. Dustin Brown was public enemy #1 and had 93 hits in the 2012 run and 125 in the 2014 run. He used to be in the 4 hit per game range and is now down to below 2 with today's hits not being as intense as they used to be. Don't blame him because he's put a lot of miles on his body but his hitting was a big part of this team's identity. Anyways, if he played on a division rival we would all think he was a dirty player and a total bitch for never fighting and backing it up.

Stoll? Had his fair share of questionable hits and has been suspended. Nolan? Suspended multiple times. Killed Klesla for no reason with that open ice job in a pre-season game. Clifford has escaped suspension but has been fined a few times. Richards basically forced the league to ban blindside hits. Regher and Greene would live in the penalty box if they played right now. Lombardi went out and added Carcillo to this team lol. Before acquiring Richards, the Kings had Simmonds out there and packaged a guy in Schenn who has since been suspended. Muzzin and Martinez aren't dirty but they could light you up as well if you weren't looking. We were not cheering on a bunch of goodie-goodies.

There isn't a Cup winner this decade that doesn't have some dirt on them. It's got to be the right kind of dirt which is what TB added last year v. the dirt they already had which was be a bitch once you are losing dirt. That's fun to watch as an outsider but that is also what the Ducks kind of had last decade v. say the '07 Ducks that just went out and kicked your ass from the hop. The problem with this Kings team is they have pretty much zero dirt on them. There is no swagger. Lemieux is probably the wrong type of dirt but this team needs to be dragged into battle so he's going to have to do for now.

 

He’s not going to be a spark plug and that’s fine. But I wouldn’t call him soft. The guy is a contact sponge. He plays a ‘hard’ game, imo.

Pepe is an absolute scumbag and at this point I’m here for it.

 

I wouldn't mix the two together. I think being big and tough to knock off the puck makes you a good puck protector. Not someone who's gonna protect their teammate, throw a big hit, or get in their faces. That to me is a hardnosed player whos not messing around and undoubtedly that inspires players around them to be the same. It's why the Ducks have always been a chippy team because Getzlaf doesn't f*** around when it comes to getting into someones face. I never liked the fact that Kopitar is a pacifist and also the captain. I think it takes the bark out of the younger players when they see their captain avoiding conflict. I love Kopitar as a player, not as a captain. I think the fact he's captain and the team is so soft is some kind of causation. But yeah, Kopitar plays a hard game but purely because of his puck protection. And you're not inspiring guys to stand up for one another by protecting the puck.

 

Can agree with all that.

Just disagree with the characterization of ‘soft’ is all.

 

I see, no worries. I do kinda get jealous when I see guys like McDavid playing with a lot more of an edge than Kopitar. Kopitar is a big dude, and he's not as talented. Just sucks that he's the captain when with that frame and size, he can bring a lot more to this team if he had that important dimension to him and unsurprisingly the dimension is missing from him and the team. Cant put the fight in the dog.

 

I also wonder if Rangers fans were over blowing the fact that Lemieux was a locker-room cancer. Seems like pests and agitators have that perspective attached to them. I never liked Carcillo even as a King because there was something off about him and after the retirement. His tenure as a King was one I didn't like. If Lemieux is actually a good locker-room player with his head screwed on straight, all while being a good agitator and pest. Im good with that.

 

Frankly unless he can put his game back together as well I doubt he’s long for this team either. Maybe this year and next. But he’s an excellent body for now.

 

Someone posted a close up of that sometime afterwards. It wasn't clean, Folin actually ticked Kopitar's back skate (with his skate) and that's why he went down like a sack of potatoes. It wasn't really dirty either, just an accident.

 

Completely random Carcillo memory: I seem to remember reading that he was technically eligible to have his name on the Cup in '14. Yeah, yeah, I know; no way/no how was that an actual realistic possibility - I do wonder how he would have reacted had the Kings actually done this, though...

 

Really? Just watched it again and looks super clean to me. Suicide pass to Kopitar and Folin decided to step up on him.

Point though is that there was an immediate response. This season, we have Kopitar into the turnbuckle and we are applauding Kempe going over to Krug with some harsh words and some stick work. AA fought him, which was great, but I'd like an immediate response: penalties be damned.

 

Good post. You have been promoted to GinormousKing