Simmer Down There Coach Murray

Terry Murray Apparently Shows More Emotion During Press Conferences

The Kings have 84 points and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.  Alot of credit should go to Terry Murray and the coaching staff for staying the course with a defensive-first system and believing in this roster.  With that said, his criticism of the fans after Thursday night's listless effort is ridiculous and completely out of line.

As proud as I was of Terry Murray for showing some emotion after the Kings controversial loss to Vancouver at the beginning of March; I'm equally disappointed with his criticism of the fans.  Coach had this to say on Thursday.

“You know what the most disappointing, frustrating thing was? At the end of the second period, we were booed off the ice by our fans. That is the most embarrassing thing I have ever been through. That’s the worst I’ve ever been through, in all the years I’ve been coaching. I’ve been behind the bench almost 3,000 hockey games in the NHL, and booed off the ice by your own fans at the end of the second period, here after this road trip, going 4-0 in hard places, very disappointing.”

Really?  The MOST disappointing and frustrating?

Not the fact that you had zero shots in the first period?
Not the fact that you may have lost Kyle Clifford for the rest of the season after he got knocked the heck out in a useless staged fight that served no purpose?



Not the fact that you got outshot 17 to 4 in the second period?
Not the fact that Jonathan Quick looked like Patrick Roy for the first half of the game only to turn into Dan Cloutier in the second half?  Really???

I paid $60 bucks for the tickets.  $7 for parking.  $12.50 for some over-priced dried out chicken tenders and a bottle water.  And what was I treated to?

An evening of disappointment.  Great.  The Kings went 4-0 on a road trip, came home, and forgot how to play hockey?  As they like to say: Every Game Is A Must Win.  Guess Terry Murray and the Kings didn't get the memo.  The Blues played Anaheim tough last night and dominated the Kings for much of the game.

A coach can only do so much as far as a gameplan but his main responsibility is to get his players motivated to play.  What I saw on Thursday night was a group that wasn't prepared OR motivated.  The Kings came out flat in the first period.  Kevin Westgarth made sure to leave his impression on the game with another staged fight.

Second period comes along.  Kings show some signs of life.  Fans are waking out of their slumber.  A McFlurry looks promising with a faceoff in the offensive zone and under a minute to play.  And then all of a sudden, Matt D'Agostini goes 200 feet and puts the puck shortside on Quicker with seven seconds left.

As a paying customer, I've got every right to boo that effort.  It only got worse after that.  For those that think true fans don't boo.  You're crazy.  Homers might not boo; true fans call a spade a spade.  That was a stinker of an effort and we should all be upset.

The Ducks come in on Saturday night.  If Terry Murray can't get his players motivated and ready to play for that one than we've got real issues.