Los Angeles Times: Kings' Matt Frattin pays for his mistakes

[hockeywiz542]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-kings-fyi-20131019,0,1495600.story#axzz2i8MHk07p

Matt Frattin is now intimately familiar with the repercussions of a couple of miscues while playing for Kings Coach Darryl Sutter.

Frattin, a right wing acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the off-season, was among the group of Kings who lapsed in allowing Nashville's Matt Cullen to score a first-period goal Thursday.

And when a similar Predators pass got by Frattin and pressured Kings' defenders about midway through the third period, he found his minutes in the Kings' 2-1 shootout victory to be 2 minutes 22 seconds after the second intermission.

"That's a play I have to make and I can't let it get through," Frattin said Friday, when the Kings conditioned off the ice in El Segundo in preparation for Saturday night's game at Staples Center against the Dallas Stars.

"You have to be accountable and if there's something that happens on the ice and you don't know what to do, you've got to ask. Communication is the key. That's something I'm learning as a young professional and something I have to keep learning about their system if I want to play."

Frattin, 25, is goal-less with three assists through eight games for the Kings (5-3), and his goal differential of minus-five is the worst among Kings forwards. He said he has tried just one shot in the past three games.

Although Sutter said Friday he didn't bench Frattin for any specific reason, Frattin said it was made clear to him afterward, with an assistant coach telling him, "I can't play you if this is going to happen this late in the game and the score's 1-1."

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[HolyShot*]

Accountability. I like it. True signs of a winning team.

 

[damacles1156]

He has been completely underwhelming. he has brought not one attribute that Lombardi talked about.

Nothing....

 

[Reaper45]

He has been completely underwhelming. he has brought not one attribute that Lombardi talked about.

Nothing....

He definitely hasn't been what Toronto fans were telling us. No shot, no big hits. He looks like Bambi out there. Easily pushed of the puck.

 

[Telos]

I don't remember the pass, so perhaps he was accountable there, but he sure as hell can't be held accountable for that goal. He was covering his assignment and was in position when Mitchell decided to pass it to the wide open Predator for a goal, who was on the opposite wing and end of the ice as Frattin.

Yeah, so far in the regular season he hasn't shown a whole lot, but he did in the preseason. Hopefully he gets a better opportunity on an offensive line. He has been solid defensively and the few times he has been along the boards battling he's been physical. He just needs to put in more effort to showcase his talents and distinguish himself on the line to earn his minutes. He has been playing too tentatively.

 

[hockeywiz542]

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=2013020105-X-h

(NSH) Matt Cullen (10:33 in 1st)

http://video.predators.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=462387&catid=739

Matt Cullen cleans up the rebound

Nashville Predators forward Matt Cullen pounces on a loose puck after a frenzy in front of Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick.

 

[Telos]

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=2013020105-X-h



http://video.predators.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=462387&catid=739

I see. Frattin definitely let a bad pass go through to the slot at the start of the play before the scrum, but ultimately it was King/Stoll's responsibility to get Cullen. Frattin definitely lost track of that first shot though.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

I've not been happy with Frattin. When the best you can say about a player is that he hasn't been bad defensively, that's not a good thing. He's tentative, not hitting like advertised, and is just plain invisible. I said immediately after the trade that acquiring Frattin did nothing to fill the second line LW hole we have had for years, and that Frattin was just a third line RW. It only took two games for him to be moved off that second line LW spot, and he's been just as bad on the third line.

 

[Muzzinga]

Amazing. Making a winger who has been pretty mistake free in every game accountable for 1 mistake? ok, fair enough, i can get that

Allowing Regehr to not be held accountable for single handedly costing the team games? Yep sure

 

[Fishhead]

Hoping Frattin gets an opportunity on the next home stand in a scoring role. Only getting a couple games on the 2nd line is silly, especially since he actually put up points in both of those games. Sutter really needs to show some patience with certain guys and it will pay off. Or at least give them the same opportunity that he affords others.

It took him a while to get Martinez in (despite his strange penchant for scratching him) and he has played great. I think Frattin could do the same with a good 10 game stint on the 2nd line.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Hoping Frattin gets an opportunity on the next home stand in a scoring role. Only getting a couple games on the 2nd line is silly, especially since he actually put up points in both of those games. Sutter really needs to show some patience with certain guys and it will pay off. Or at least give them the same opportunity that he affords others.

It took him a while to get Martinez in (despite his strange penchant for scratching him) and he has played great. I think Frattin could do the same with a good 10 game stint on the 2nd line.

Frattin was moved to the third line because he was a square peg in a round hole on LW. He's a RW, plain and simple. In those two games on LW he looked bad taking passes on his backhand to the point where it was obvious he was not comfortable playing on the left side. Since he's a RW, third line is the best case scenario for him because we already have Williams and Cater. Sutter moved him to his natural position in the hopes of making him feel more comfortable. Problem is, he's not going to get any help offensively on the 3rd line playing with Clifford and Lewis/Stoll

 

[KingKopitar11*]

Matt Trashin.

 

[MsMeow]

I'm not going to jump all over him yet. He's on a new team and was supposed to play LW which didn't work and now he's back to RW where we're stacked. He has to find his place on the team.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Matt Frattin pays for his lack of veteran status.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Plus you never know with knee injuries. He hurt his knee once, had surgery, then hurt his knee again after coming back(same one, different one, I don't know), and had surgery again. We all saw what happened to Handzus after his first year with the Kings. He was a different player in his 2nd and 3rd years.

Maybe Frattin just doesn't trust the knee yet. The only way to do so is to play through it.

 

[agentfouser]

Matt Frattin pays for his lack of veteran status.

Nailed it.

 

[Telos]

Matt Frattin pays for his lack of veteran status.

Pretty much. By not just Sutter, but also the fanbase

He is the point leader out of our bottom 6, on an offensively inept team, and he isn't put in a position to score. He isn't a creative winger, he needs a center. Is he a 2nd line player? Probably not, but it is not his fault he is being demanded to score next to Stoll and King while being responsible for the whole rink defensively (something that he's never had to do yet).

I'm not a fan of the guy, but I do think he is a definite upgrade over most on our bottom 6, and needs to be given a chance. There are several other grinders and sub-par players that need to go before Frattin.

I think people are angry with him because they think he is the reason Toffoli is down, and that he failed with Richards, even though he was only given a couple of games after having a great training camp. He isn't the reason Toffoli is down. Toffoli had a bad camp and we have a load of redundant fourth liners in the press box and on the bench.

 

[Cosmos]

The problem lies in Lombardi not finding a true LW and forcing talented RW's like Toffoli and Frattin to waste develop time on their off wing.

This has been one of DL"s errors in judgement.

 

[damacles1156]

Matt Frattin pays for his lack of veteran status.

He sure is, cause he is a team Forward worst -5...You guys can talk crap about how Clifford/King/Lewis ETC aren't doing anything...

But they are at least not costing the team goals like Frattin is.

The guy has done nothing since the regular season started...Except be on the ice for goals against.

Probably has something to do with not being a Veteran, and understanding the Game very well.

Frattin has been a huge disappointment, No hitting(worth mentioning), No speed, No creating, No nothing.

Hell King has had at least a few games so far that he has made stuff happen.

Although I will give him credit for ringing that one shot off the pipe that Brown put in later, at least Frattin is decisive on the PP.

He has looked nothing like the player he was in Toronto, maybe that Knee is really damaged.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The problem lies in Lombardi not finding a true LW and forcing talented RW's like Toffoli and Frattin to waste develop time on their off wing.

This has been one of DL"s errors in judgement.

It's usually difficult to find offense from the LW position. It's not just a Kings/Lombardi problem.

 

[Thrice]

It's usually difficult to find offense from the LW position. It's not just a Kings/Lombardi problem.

Kings had the lowest scoring collection of LW in the NHL last year. It's difficult to NOT improve on that.

 

[Rob11]

Leafs fan here.

Wow seriously disappointed in what you guys are saying about him. I hope he picks it up..

When he's playing with energy he throws the body hard, attacks with speed and is solid defensively.

He needs to be playing with players that feed him the puck. He has a wicked release and when he's set up to score he does. He need creative line mates to succeed.

When he's on he will score 7 goals in 7 games or 10 in 13 like he did in the AHL playoffs. His problem is finding the consistency. More experience and he will figure it out. You guys have a good player in Matt.

I have no doubt once this kid gets comfortable and finds his game he will play well.

 

[Thrice]

Leafs fan here.

Wow seriously disappointed in what you guys are saying about him. I hope he picks it up..

When he's playing with energy he throws the body hard, attacks with speed and is solid defensively.

He needs to be playing with players that feed him the puck. He has a wicked release and when he's set up to score he does. He need creative line mates to succeed.

Yeah. This is what he showed in the preseason. Once the games started counting, ehh, not so much.

 

[Telos]

Leafs fan here.

Wow seriously disappointed in what you guys are saying about him. I hope he picks it up..

When he's playing with energy he throws the body hard, attacks with speed and is solid defensively.

He needs to be playing with players that feed him the puck. He has a wicked release and when he's set up to score he does. He need creative line mates to succeed.

He hasn't really been that bad, people are just being sensationalist and dealing with our struggles in their own way. Frattin and Martinez are getting a little bit of the Frolov treatment from Sutter. I am sure they will be back in the lineup soon enough and will be fine. Sutter might correct the lines sooner or later, his loyalties and biases are pretty debilitating at the moment though.

 

[Jason Lewis]

Potentially out of the lineup today for Colin Fraser. Eek.