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Kings Gameday: Point/Counterpoint on Sully/Williams

LA Kings vs. Dallas Stars

7:30 PST, Fox Sports West

 

Point:  Patrick O'Sullivan had regressed this season.  I don't think anyone will argue that point.  Despite the fact that O'Sullivan had played mostly with Anze Kopitar and Jarret Stoll this season, he still couldn't outscore himself from last year when he played with Michal Handzus.  I don't know what is was, maybe he didn't like playing for Terry Murray as much as he liked playing under Marc Crawford, maybe the time off at the beginning of the season was bad for him, or maybe he just got unlucky.   He wasn't as dynamic offensively, wasn't as efficient defensively, and looked somewhat disinterested all year.  Whatever the reason, he was not the player we expected him to be.  Oddly enough, I think the player we were all expecting Patrick O'Sullivan to turn into was Justin Williams from 2 years ago.

Two years ago, Justin Williams was one of the better players on the planet.  He helped lead the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup on the strength of his 76 points (33 goals) in the regular season and 18 points in the playoffs.  The season after that he increased his goal total but saw a slight dip in his overall point total.  The season after that, he tore his ACL and missed most of the season.  This season, he battled back from an Achilles tendon injury only to immediately break his hand.  When healthy, Justin Williams gives us another Alex Frolov with a slightly different skill set.  That "when healthy," though, is a caveat big enough to to drive through.

Ultimately, I'm a little disappointed by the trade.  It's not that I loved Patrick O'Sullivan (I liked him, but I wasn't in like with him) or that I think Justin Williams is a terrible player, it's just that I don't see why the Kings would throw in a 2nd for an oft-injured player; of course, when you look at Dean Lombardi's love of injured players* it becomes rather obvious.  I think Lombardi believes there is a market inefficiency in hockey and that market is injured players.  Williams did eff his Achilles Tendon but his hand injury probably gave him a little time to heal that wound and get ready for next season.  I think Patrick O'Sullivan will go on to make a good NHL player, Justin Williams will regain his form and help the Kings next year, and the 2nd might or might not come back to harm the Kings.  There's too many "if's" to learn much more than that.

*Alyn McCauley, Michal Handzus, Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene, Dan Cloutier, etc.

 

Counterpoint:

.

Star-divide

Justin Williams' injury history:

Feb 16, 2009: Broken hand, sidelined indefinitely.
Dec 4, 2008: Missed 25 games (achilles tendon).
Sep 17, 2008: Achilles tendon, sidelined indefinitely.
Apr 5, 2008: Missed the last 2 games of the regular season (back injury).
Apr 2, 2008: Back injury, day-to-day.
Apr 1, 2008: Missed 43 games (torn ACL).
Dec 21, 2007: Torn ACL, remainder of the regular season.
Oct 4, 2005: Shoulder injury, day-to-day.
Mar 27, 2004: Missed 1 game (bruised ankle).
Mar 25, 2004: Bruised ankle, day-to-day.
Feb 21, 2004: Missed 3 games (broken left wrist).
Feb 13, 2004: Broken left wrist, sidelined indefinitely.
Apr 6, 2003: Missed 36 games (sprained left knee).
Apr 4, 2003: Sprained left knee, day-to-day.
Jan 20, 2003: Sprained left knee, remainder of the regular season.
Jan 18, 2003: Sprained left knee, left Saturday's game.
Nov 27, 2002: Missed 5 games (strained left shoulder).
Nov 15, 2002: Strained left shoulder, early December.
Dec 16, 2001: Missed 3 games (sprained right shoulder).
Dec 10, 2001: Sprained right shoulder, day-to-day.
Mar 19, 2001: Missed 12 games (broken finger).
Feb 22, 2001: Broken finger, late March.

 

***

Congratulations to Sean O'Donnell and Erik Ersberg for signing contract extensions of one year and two years, respectively.  O'Donnell is awesome and kind of reminds me of a really nice Ron Perlman, while Erik Ersberg looks like an elf and tends a pretty good net to boot.  I was expecting the O'Donnell re-signing because he's worked out so well and he should slot in nicely into that spot currently occupied by Denis Gauthier (5th defenseman, penalty kill specialist) nicely next season.  The Ersberg signing, on the other hand, was a pretty big shock, especially for so cheap.  I mean, $750K a year for a 27 year-old backstop that has averaged a .913 SV% over his career?  Maybe he thought they meant 750 Euros or something.  I like the Ersberg signing because it provides a performance floor for our younger goaltender, Quick and Bernier.  The line is now at .910 SV%; dip below that and Ersberg is taking your spot.  At the very least it provides competition, and from my experience goaltenders are the most competitive people on the planet so I think it'll work out well.

***

Wouldn't it suck to play for a team called the Stars?  It sounds like a WNBA or Arena League team.

Prediction: 4-3, Kings.  Goals by a heartbroken Kopitar, Stoll, Johnson and Harrold

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Comments

Display:

Another game I won’t be able to watch. If I didn’t have a huge quiz in my math class next Tuesday, I’d consider ditching today’s mega-lecture to watch the game… on second thought, I’d probably rather go to the class than watch the game.

Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.

by Kevin Y on Mar 5, 2009 3:57 PM PST reply actions  

The return (O’Sullivan AND the pick) seems excessive considering the injury history. Still, this is one of those “time will tell” deals, but I can’t help but think that it might have gotten done with less.

The re-signings are really solid for those prices. But hey, Swedes don’t use Euros so I don’t think that’s the case there ;)

by Malurous on Mar 5, 2009 4:06 PM PST reply actions  

Then again, “Maybe he thought they meant 7,5 million crowns or something” would’ve sounded extremely stupid, I’ll give you that.

by Malurous on Mar 5, 2009 4:08 PM PST up reply actions  

at the rate that Dean gets pissed off and then dumps players like Sully and Cami I think this team is destined for mediocrity. Here’s to us getting Doubty after his arbitration.

BTW. Help a brotha out would you, beat them stars tonight.

by Mike in OC on Mar 5, 2009 4:16 PM PST reply actions  

People who think O’Sullivan is by far the best player in this deal haven’t seen him play this season. A lot of times he doesn’t show much corazon, and he’s pretty easy to knock off the puck. That said, I don’t know how Dean couldn’t get this done without giving up the 2nd round pick as well.

by Nut on Mar 5, 2009 6:05 PM PST reply actions  

One point to consider

Did you know that O’Sullivan is #2 in the NHL at creating Power Play opportunities for his team (behind Dustin Brown, so you guys are spoiled in L.A.). That’s a nice bonus to have in a player.

More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.

by Dirk Hoag on Mar 5, 2009 7:13 PM PST reply actions  

11 power plays tonight. Who needs Sully anyways?

by RealDrew on Mar 5, 2009 10:24 PM PST up reply actions  

Wow, you guys are totally going to win the Stanley Cup after those 2 points tonight.

Oh wait. The other thing.

Miss the playoffs.

by Brad Gardner on Mar 5, 2009 10:17 PM PST reply actions  

who are you talking to?

by Nut on Mar 5, 2009 10:25 PM PST up reply actions  

Flac’s got to put us arrogant Kings fans in our place. Just making sure we don’t get a big head after our teams finally wins a game. Thanks Flac, for being a douche.

I wonder why someone would feel the need to antagonize Kings fans.

by RealDrew on Mar 5, 2009 10:33 PM PST up reply actions  

Who needs Manny when Los Angeles already has their own Greek God? Way to go Zeus!!!!!!!!

!

Just leave Heidi Androl alone!

by DodgerBlueBalls on Mar 5, 2009 10:22 PM PST reply actions  

DBB… I think that picture’s too small.

Anyway, as far as Manny goes, I disliked him when he was in Boston because I’m an Angels fan. But after he was traded to the Dodgers last July, I felt like he was my new favorite player. I was in New York at the time he was traded, and I was at Yankee Stadium for an Angels/Yankees game the very next day. Me and some Yankee fans from New Jersey sitting in the row in front of me (who actually left in the fifth inning to go to Atlantic City because of me… funny story, but for another time) were talking, and it seemed like the only time an Angels fan and some Yankees fans were best friends.

All in all, I’m glad he re-signed with the Dodgers. I don’t like the Dodgers as a team because of the SoCal rivalry, but since they only play six games a season against each other, that’s not enough for me to hate them. And Manny is a likeable guy. He’s just funny.

Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.

by Kevin Y on Mar 5, 2009 10:33 PM PST up reply actions  

What the fuck!??!

I wish I could’ve gone to this game… this was an absolutely incredible finish, and after last season’s “Royal Rebound”, even the Stars announcers had a feeling the Kings would come back.

As much as I’m upset I wasn’t there tonight, I think the “Royal Rebound” from last year was still emormously better… and that’s saying something.

Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.

by Kevin Y on Mar 5, 2009 10:23 PM PST reply actions  

The Kings played like crap tonight. It took a little devine intervention from greek god to pull out the win tonight.

Seriously, were the Stars trying let the Kings win. The Kings had a two man advantage for almost four minutes straight.

Stupid penalties and bad luck gave the Kings the win tonight. I’ll take em any way we get them.

by RealDrew on Mar 5, 2009 10:27 PM PST up reply actions  

Turco took that stupid tripping penalty, Fistric took that stupid roughing penalty… as well as the hooks to Parrish and Robidas. All those penalties eventually led to the Kings getting those goals. The Stars broadcasters didn’t seem at all confident that the Stars were going to get the W, even after they went offside when Doughty came blazing down the ice, or after Brown’s goal was called back for interference (thank God… er, Zeus, that he didn’t get a penalty for it, since he drew the roughing minor and his stick helped the Kings get that final goal). To me, the announcers felt the Kings were destined to win based on the Royal Rebound from yester-season.

The final goal was freaky. Brown had broken his stick, and the pass to Kopitar was intercepted by said stick on the boards. He just throws it towards the goal and it goes in off the Stars player who was about 10 feet away from the net. That was just pure luck.*

*By the way, does Brown get an assist for that goal? The puck hit his broken stick right before getting to Kopitar, after all.

ZUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!!!

Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.

by Kevin Y on Mar 5, 2009 10:41 PM PST up reply actions  

Hopefully they turn it around after that bit of confidence. Dallas basically gave us that game, but we deserved one we didn’t earn after Montreal, Calgary (2x), etc.

by Nut on Mar 5, 2009 10:27 PM PST reply actions  

And even though I didn’t see it, the game where the Kings lost in a shootout after tying the game in the final moments of the third period was probably another point we didn’t deserve.

Probably didn’t deserve the points against the Oilers or Thrashers, also. Deserved two points against the Red Wings back in October (fuck you, Gauthier) and probably better than an 0-3-1 record against the Sharks, but I think all the points they should’ve gotten and the points they didn’t deserve all cancel out, for the most part. The Kings’ record right now: probably where it should be.

Fuck you, Denis Gauthier. You deserved that 5-game suspension.

by Kevin Y on Mar 5, 2009 10:36 PM PST up reply actions  

If only they put some money into this team.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Mar 6, 2009 1:11 AM PST up reply actions  

I think Earl’s at the “Anger” stage of the 5 stages of grief.

Also, I hate having a real job. It’s 5 AM, why am I up?

The West Coast is the Best Coast.

by RudyKelly on Mar 6, 2009 5:50 AM PST up reply actions  

Yeah, sort of — but it is something I mentioned before the season started as well.

It’s just that — as much that is going well about the Kings, and as close as they’ll come to the postseason — there will always be that "what if they spent money" aspect. And even a tragic postseason ending would be a big step forward for the club and their kids.

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Mar 6, 2009 5:07 PM PST up reply actions  

Rather get that playoff lesson later? I think there’s some value to having kids go through that once before they try to be serious contenders.

I don’t think I’m necessarily alone in my thinking that playoff experience helps kids — what’s the upside in avoiding that?

http://www.battleofcali.com/

by Earl Sleek on Mar 7, 2009 9:18 AM PST up reply actions  

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