Jason Lewis: The Human Side of Hockey Players

I enjoyed reading this piece Jason.

You like analytics and use them to support your points in most of your posts. Articles like this articulate to us that you still are a fan of the sport and can see the human element. Thats what makes you a good writer. Blending the current and intelligent with the human and the "x factor" or "intangibles".

a few points. A lot of Kings fans on this sight point to a dollar value when tied to specifically Dustin Brown and Mike Richards. I understand that most 15-20 goal 50-60 point players don't make nearly 7 mil a year. I get it. I just firmly believe the reason the Kings beat the Sharks, Ducks, and Hawks and 7 game series is due to the character and "intangilbe" value of guys like Brown and Richards.

Look at the game against the Coyotes. That is what Dustin Brown is capable of bringing and i don't mean the two goals. I mean the goal where he screens the goaltender and the assist to Martinez. I mean the hit against Sedin in 2012. I mean the hit by Richards against Kesler in 2012...

The Kings aren't built to win the President's trophy and I am fine with it. The latest indications are the salary cap will rise to 73 million. I believe Dean Lombardi knows what he is doing and if he believes Dustin Brown is worth nearly 7 mil per season, who am I to doubt that. Lombardi and Brown have delivered the only championships in franchise history. Posters like Mikeoxbyg will argue that we may not even make the playoffs with these guys but I think thats idiotic and pessimistic. I believe if anything our issues are on defense wihtout Voynov and the ability to consistently break out of the zone cleanly.

At any rate Go Kings Go.... good read Mr. Lewis.

Posters like Mikeoxbyg will argue that we may not even make the playoffs with these guys but I think thats idiotic and pessimistic.

- QuicksEnnormous

Let's clear this up right now. I like the guys we have when they are playing the right way and playing to their potential. It has been real streaky in regards to that this season, and yes I am taking injuries into consideration (even the players who have not sat out due to injury have been streaky). I don't think we are a presidents trophy team nor do I expect that. What I expect is a solid 60 minute effort and playing like you have a heart in your chest and something between your ears. IMO I don't see that game in and game out in fact I am seeing some "no shows", and winning games we shouldn't and losing games we shouldn't because of it. I complain about foot speed because we still don't have it and if you look at the first goal the flyers scored it was due to a lack of foot speed on the back check. players like stoll, williams, and richards are too slow. and it DOES have an adverse effect on the ice (Did you see the game where stoll had to push williams with his stick to get him up to speed on the back check?). so while they are great locker room guys and have done great things I can't ignore what I see, nor will I ignore it and say we are a team "built for the play offs" or anything of that nature. The players themselves have said and will say, that there is no "switch" come play off time. It just doesn't exist. What it is, is the experience of being in pressure situations and knowing how to handle it, which is not a "switch" you flip on, you just have it the whole season long and it only shows in those situations.

So to restate, my problem is not with the players, it's with the way they are playing, even full potato Doughty. I like having him when he plays well, but hate the stupid plays he makes. And let's not confuse games that the Kings won like Arizona, where they appeared to crush them. That was a mistake ridden game by both teams and the kings just capitalized on the Yotes mistakes.

Pessimistic, idiotic?

Let's clear this up right now. I like the guys we have when they are playing the right way and playing to their potential. It has been real streaky in regards to that this season, and yes I am taking injuries into consideration (even the players who have not sat out due to injury have been streaky). I don't think we are a presidents trophy team nor do I expect that. What I expect is a solid 60 minute effort and playing like you have a heart in your chest and something between your ears. IMO I don't see that game in and game out in fact I am seeing some "no shows", and winning games we shouldn't and losing games we shouldn't because of it. I complain about foot speed because we still don't have it and if you look at the first goal the flyers scored it was due to a lack of foot speed on the back check. players like stoll, williams, and richards are too slow. and it DOES have an adverse effect on the ice (Did you see the game where stoll had to push williams with his stick to get him up to speed on the back check?). so while they are great locker room guys and have done great things I can't ignore what I see, nor will I ignore it and say we are a team "built for the play offs" or anything of that nature. The players themselves have said and will say, that there is no "switch" come play off time. It just doesn't exist. What it is, is the experience of being in pressure situations and knowing how to handle it, which is not a "switch" you flip on, you just have it the whole season long and it only shows in those situations.

So to restate, my problem is not with the players, it's with the way they are playing, even full potato Doughty. I like having him when he plays well, but hate the stupid plays he makes. And let's not confuse games that the Kings won like Arizona, where they appeared to crush them. That was a mistake ridden game by both teams and the kings just capitalized on the Yotes mistakes.

Pessimistic, idiotic?


- MikeOxbyg

I gotta say it........This is a very surprising post from you.
your usually so up beat, giving too much praise to doughty and going on about Mike Richards speed.......just weird!

I gotta say it........This is a very surprising post from you.
your usually so up beat, giving too much praise to doughty and going on about Mike Richards speed.......just weird!
- dprice818

I thought I would change it up a bit



I am not a fan of Mike Milbury, but I am going to scour the internet for Doughty at his full potato-y best and so here is a couple highlights of such plays and I will post more as I find them... Again I don't care what you think of Mike Milbury we all know he is a tool so just focus on the footage which I am sure you will justify somehow and spin it to suit your opinion... I am sure it won't be hard to find more footage of DD making bad plays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWlxZE08AoU

I thought I would change it up a bit



I am not a fan of Mike Milbury, but I am going to scour the internet for Doughty at his full potato-y best and so here is a couple highlights of such plays and I will post more as I find them... Again I don't care what you think of Mike Milbury we all know he is a tool so just focus on the footage which I am sure you will justify somehow and spin it to suit your opinion... I am sure it won't be hard to find more footage of DD making bad plays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWlxZE08AoU
- MikeOxbyg

just thought I'd practice my sarcasm a little.

I dont even need to see the link....DD has had too many steamer plays this season. I think he needs to play with more discipline but when hes on his game his risks are mostly rewarding. This season, so far, he has been giving a lot of credibility to your opinion of him.


I just watched that video......Milbury makes some decent points but he has never been a fan of DD's to begin with. DD plays with alot of heart and not alot of control so far this season. Lets hope he gets better the rest of the way

just thought I'd practice my sarcasm a little.

I dont even need to see the link....DD has had too many steamer plays this season. I think he needs to play with more discipline but when hes on his game his risks are mostly rewarding. This season, so far, he has been giving a lot of credibility to your opinion of him.


I just watched that video......Milbury makes some decent points but he has never been a fan of DD's to begin with. DD plays with alot of heart and not alot of control so far this season. Lets hope he gets better the rest of the way
- dprice818

Yeah you are right, when he is on it is an amazing thing to witness. and he has those flashes at both ends of the ice. I don't want to speculate on why he has inconsistencies in his game, I just see them and get bummed that he is the awesome version 90% of the time.