Game Thread: Florida Panthers @ Los Angeles Kings 3/22 @ 1:00pm PST

[PuckinUgly57]

On Muzzin, he consistently makes huge mistakes that lead to excellent scoring chances or goals. Many of the plays he messes up are things he should have learned long before the NHL which makes it plausible to say he will never learn and always be a liability. He has picked up his physical play which was severely lacking for his size but even with that he doesn't seemt to know when to go for thebig hit or just play D.

Being called a Muffin doesn't help!

Ox, this is pretty much it - he isn't a 21 year old rookie, he is 25 years old and has played hockey a while before he hit the NHL. He is arguably the worst defender on the Kings in terms of magnitude of mistakes. And it isn't one of those it happens every 10 games type things, it's one of those it happens 3 times a period type things.

I absolutely cannot wait for this clown to leave the Kings' organization. I was right about a certain guy who hung around this organization for far too long, it's easy for me to be decisive nowadays - I know a shitty defender when I see one.

He has a good game now and again, and I use the term good loosely, meaning he didn't completely shit the bed, but so did J-Blow. It''s just that the mistakes were so often and so huge, you seriously don't even like seeing the guy hit the ice. That's where Muzzin is for me.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Muffin playing everyday kept him out of the lineup as well

Martinez should have been playing all season long over Muzzin, no question. Safe plays, makes an impact offensively.

Muzzin is just another Zeiler love affair from Kings brass.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

Well like I said you all know more about the details of playing than I do and see mistakes and goofups that I obviously miss. I just trust in Sutter that he knows a lot more about hockey than most fans and he keeps putting him in the lineup so there must be something more to his game than we realize. I did see that going into today's game he is a +4 and I know what everyone thinks of the plus/minus stat but if he was really as bad as everyone seems to believe I would think that number would be in the minus anyways.

I also get the Zeiler reference but that was quite a different period in Kings history. They didn't have much to replace him with and he was a 4th line center and not a top 2 (or top 4 depending on your opinion) defensive pairing.

Ox

 

[Kings4OT]

Muzzin was even worse when he didn't have DD as his partner to bail him out so often. You could argue that he brings DD's play down a bit. Sutter has been critical of Muzzin as well if I remember, just because Muffin plays doesn't mean Sutter wants him there.

 

[davnlaguna]

Nothing like an Eastern cellar dweller to lift your spitirts

 

[pete6835]

Usually we play down to these teams. You must see some positives today?

 

[pete6835]

Holy crap. Quacks get our scraps on Sunday again????

 

[davnlaguna]

Holy crap. Quacks get our scraps on Sunday again????

I haven't looked at the numbers ut it seems to be a lot of Ducks on the second half of back to backs

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I haven't looked at the numbers ut it seems to be a lot of Ducks on the second half of back to backs

Wouldn't be surprised, they seem to flip flop this every year. I recall the Kings getting a bunch of the second B2Bs a few years ago with Anaheim playing the other team first on Friday and the Kings getting them on Saturday.

Works itself out over the years.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Well like I said you all know more about the details of playing than I do and see mistakes and goofups that I obviously miss. I just trust in Sutter that he knows a lot more about hockey than most fans and he keeps putting him in the lineup so there must be something more to his game than we realize. I did see that going into today's game he is a +4 and I know what everyone thinks of the plus/minus stat but if he was really as bad as everyone seems to believe I would think that number would be in the minus anyways.

I think Muffin has some talent but what he lacks is smarts. Same kind of thing we saw in Jack Johnson, Aki Berg and many other touted defenders who have come through this organization. Talent without intelligence is nothing.

He makes the same mistakes over and over and over and over again, which should not be happening because a) he isn't a spring chicken and has played high levels of hockey prior to the NHL and b) for the amount of playing time he gets and who he is paired with* he should be well versed, decisive and know what to do when most situations come up. He simply does not, makes the same bonehead plays and expects different results.

Isn't that close to the definition of insanity?

I also get the Zeiler reference but that was quite a different period in Kings history. They didn't have much to replace him with and he was a 4th line center and not a top 2 (or top 4 depending on your opinion) defensive pairing.

Ox

The Zeiler reference was of course in tongue in cheek, and you get it as I intended. The Kings sucked when Zeiler was in the lineup 15-17 minutes a night because as you said, the Kings were building and had to field a team.

That actually brings me to this point, which is the Kings are a legitimate contender for the Cup and have been the last 3-4 years. They are built long term, systems and structure are in place and personnel is developed, not allowing the young kids to get cracks at the lineup until these established players leave.

Seeing what Martinez brings to the game, why has he sat? He played the Kings' Cup season and didn't make the glaring mistakes Muzzin has in the same situation, with the same players and the same system. Martinez is getting the shaft and I for one am happy to see him get a shot to stay in the line up but more importantly he is playing well, plays smart and is an impact player in the offensive zone while not being a loose cannon in front of Quick.

Muffin looked like a deer in headlights the last playoffs and teams targeted that because they knew he could be pressured into making mistakes. The Blues made him their bitch in that 6 game series, as did SJ. You would think that would be motivation enough for a player to improve him game but he has been spotty at best, consistently inconsistent at worst in every season he has been in the NHL.

Martinez came up through the system, is about 2 years older and they both make the same amount of money. Now and again a gem does get undrafted and goes on to make an impact at the NHL level (St. Louis for example) but when you aren't drafted and in your mid-20s, odds are very good you may be serviceable (Drewiske is another example) but not a nightly player.

Muzzin gets undeserved playing time, plain and simple and I honestly believe there is some unwritten rule between Dumbo and Sutter that he should play more. Sutter is not a huge fan of Muzzin from what I have gathered these last few years and I believe if it were 100% up to him he would not be in the line up as much as he is. He has no tolerance for boneheads which is evidenced throughout his career as a coach.

* I read your notes on Doughty, and believe me, his Orr impressions madden me sometimes but he is skilled but more importantly intelligent enough to recover. When he biffs it, overall it's because of an opposing player, not because of a decision he made unlike Muzzin.

Doughty is a thinker and a quick one at that, Muzzin is reactive and ends up causing more problems than he solves.