Kings vs. Blue Jackets - 03/11/11 - POSTGAME THOUGHTS & TIDBITS
HELL YES! 2 POINTS! 5th Place! Kopitar hat trick! Production from Penner! Man I am stoked! Just what the doctor ordered! Onto the next game, it is time we get revenge against the Stars! GO KINGS!
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"It has not been a good day. I lost my glasses early this morning and I had to go buy a pair of 79 dollar reading glasses today. 79 bucks. You can literally get them at Costco, three-for-20." - Darryl Sutter's response to going up 2-0 in the series.
So are you saying that every other level of pro hockey is the same as the NHL? Just curious.
Nope. But we're not talking about some kid here that's coming off of battling teenagers every night and maturing both physically and emotionally whilst trying to carve out a career in the NHL. Westy is already emotionally and physically mature. He's already played a more demanding role for 4 years of professional hockey since he's given more responsibility and is less of a liability at the AHL level. Westgarth's role in the NHL is to skate north and then south for 5 minutes and maybe get into a staged fight. Sure, with experience he'll get a little better at the NHL level but never enough to justify him playing in so many games.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tonellisghost
I don't believe in all the griping and whining that goes on around here so I will leave my opinion at this, Clifford and Westgarth are two different types of players who have been groomed to play two entirely different types of game and are given two entirely different amounts of time to learn how to bring their games up to the NHL level.
Clifford is great and in fact he makes Simmonds look expendable most nights in my opinion but if we were to give him 2 mins per game and expect him to produce more than Westgarth it wouldn't happen imo.
Westgarth is doing fine for what he is given. Can he be better? Allot better in my opinion but comparing him to Clifford simply because he (KC) plays with an edge is like comparing Kopitar and Stoll because they are both offencive centers.
Thats what I think anyways and thats all I have on the subject.
I don't think people are comparing Clifford and Westgarth just merely using Clifford as an example to show a player that can effectively alter the flow of a game or instill fear in another team because A) he's a good hockey player that can keep up with the play and thus be involved; and B) he can and will fight anyone.
The pro-goon crowd is always using the cliche that Westy allows, from the bench, our guys to play free or somehow prevents opponents from going after our players when there's no evidence to support that. The only guys that are going to fight Westy are the designated goons from other teams in staged fights like we saw earlier. Why? Because for one the trade-off doesn't make sense unless it's goon-for-goon. And Westy is rarely involved in the play. He never gets into heat of the moment scraps because he's usually the last guy showing up to a scrum trying to initiate something after the fact with someone who knows better than to fight a terrible hockey player. But with Clifford they'll take notice.
It's more just an argument that we need more guys like Clifford to up the ante on team toughness while guys like Westy are just a facade and tip of the cap to a bygone era.
__________________ "I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough." - Mark Twain.
Last edited by William H Bonney: 03-11-2011 at 08:45 PM.
The ending was scary, but you have to realize the Jackets actually needed this WAY more than the Kings. They were eight points behind us going into this game, and if they didn't win or at least go into overtime to have the chance to win, their season was basically over.
They threw everything they had at the end and almost tied it up. They're now 10 points back of us and are pretty much done.
My position though remains solid in that you simply can't compare the two based on how the fact that they are entirely different players who are given entirely different assignments and amounts of ice time and expectations.
I would love it if Westgarth had Cliffords skills but he doesn't. Westgarth is given two minutes a night and a limited role which he plays pretty well for his first year at the NHL level. Clifford is expected to develop into a top 6 forward and I think he will in a year or two.
Its comparing Westgarth with any other player that is incorrect in my opinion as he has the same type of specific role that Quick or JB has with the exception that he is given much less ice time to prove himself.
I am not pro goon or anti goon. I am pro fight whoever drops the gloves and that is why I love Clifford but I am not going to bash Westgarth when I think he is doing as good of a job as can be expected of him with the limitations that his job allows, especially as a rookie at the NHL level.
... Another win on the road. Kopitar with the hat trick, John B. with 32 saves.
Loving it.
I'm not a Bernier hater, but Jon definitely needs to work on his rebound control. He's got a great D in front of him but he's going to get burned if he won't improve in this area.
We are in the mix for 4th place, not sure where our shootout wins leave us, but we are 4 points out of third against the Sharks and 5 points out of second behind the Red Wings (who are currently down 1-0 against Edmonton in the third period).
I am not pro goon or anti goon. I am pro fight whoever drops the gloves and that is why I love Clifford but I am not going to bash Westgarth when I think he is doing as good of a job as can be expected of him with the limitations that his job allows, especially as a rookie at the NHL level.
... Again, I don't think anyone is blaming Westgarth here. He's doing what he's asked to do. The blame is on the coach who feels that Westgarth's role is necessary, when in fact it isn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Albi
I'm not a Bernier hater, but Jon definitely needs to work on his rebound control. He's got a great D in front of him but he's going to get burned if he won't improve in this area.
... I don't feel that the Kings' defense was as impressive as usual tonight.
KINGS = 4 : 2 = BLUE JACKETS 
Goals: 3, Assists: 0
Goals: 1, Assists: 2
Goals: 1, Assists: 0
