A Letters From Kings' Players

[CarlaMuller]

Dear Fans:

The players all got together and decided the least we could do after our fans spent their hard earned money watching adults get paid to play a game they loved since being kids is write our fans a personal apology from us as individuals and as a team.

The skaters are now willing to come clean and admit that they spend the first period waiting for the goaltenders to give up goals quickly and in multiples. We, skaters, appreciate we should make a more concerted effort to keep the puck in our opponents’ zone. Even if we didn’t score, at least our opponents wouldn’t be ahead before we remembered that the game already started.

The goaltenders admit that they are sick of watching the skaters keep the puck in our defensive zone, waiting for us to make a mistake. We get, as fans, you are all sick of watching us give up like the umpteenth rebound or five hole goal. We know you are blaming us for these goals.

Actually, Jason and Jean Sebastian have subconsciously decided to let the skaters find their way out of the hole they put us in. It would serve our teammates right to have to play catch up since we are expected to start playing from the first face-off even though they forget to start their individual game play until we have become the goats of the game. We’ll show those skaters and teammates of ours, serves them right!!

Every player secretly wants to acknowledge we are in denial. None of us knows how to find our way out of this free fall of a season. We players get we have everything to do with this situation. The forwards blame the defense and the goalies. The goalies blame the defense and the forwards. All the players figure they can blame the coaches. The coaches figure they can blame management.

Together, we need to stop looking for a scapegoat instead of putting a mirror up to ourselves. We all have given up. We have no answers. We find silence and losing is easier to deal with than accountability so that is what we are going with. We figure this is a rebuilding year and our fans are counting on Stamkos to be the answer. We know we aren’t giving anyone any reason to believe the answer is in our own dressing room, much less inside our jerseys where our hearts are supposed to be.

Fans are all calling us heartless. You know what? We secretly wonder if we are. Our play on the ice sure begs the question. If Crawford would pick another tack, talk to us nicer, than maybe if he had the answer, perhaps we would consider listening to him. Players have a pool going as to when the new coach comes in, if we want it to be Lewis, if Hextall could save us if he wanted to coach, or is there anyway we can ensure that whomever is to blame, it isn’t us.

Golly, gee, everyone says we have more talent this year. If this new found talent can’t find the net, or the win column, if it isn’t the coaches, we have considered the possibility it is the fans. How can our fans expect us to get up for games when they boo us on and off the ice?

Our fans want us to show up on post game shows, open our dressing room and have answers. Have we forgotten to mention again how we don’t have answers? ... Because we really don’t and we are finding it easier to lose by a goal then start hating to lose. Surely if we are in games then it doesn’t matter if we win, right? We didn’t think so.

Like we said, we are sorry. We are embarrassed. We are hiding from ourselves, from our teammates and our collective hearts. If any of our fans have the answer, please send it to the Kings’ players new team - fan e-mail address which we will read, we promise. Please write to: www.kingshavenohearts.com

Thanks for listening,

The 2007-2008 Kings’ Team

Rest in Peace

[johnmac44]

FIRST!!

Karma fatwa on all of you!

[lakings20]

when a team ask the fan what to do.... they are in big problem

[KingsQueen949]

Brilliant as always Carla. I particularly was touched by this:

"We find silence and losing is easier to deal with than accountability so that is what we are going with. We figure this is a rebuilding year and our fans are counting on Stamkos to be the answer. We know we aren’t giving anyone any reason to believe the answer is in our own dressing room, much less inside our jerseys where our hearts are supposed to be. "

Are these NHL players turning into the spoiled, egotistic, individual performers that we see in the NBA? Are there any LEADERS on this team? No one has or will step-up, which means no one has the desire. Absolutely pathetic.

[CarlaMuller]

Originally Posted by KingsQueen949

No one has or will step-up, which means no one has the desire. Absolutely pathetic.

There is no question last night's loss hit a nerve with me -- hence this game's blog. Even so, I need you to be wrong that these players have no desire. I think that emotion is in some of the players; it isn't being translated into action, I get that. Giuliano and Brown played their hearts out yesterday. Giuliano worked his way up to the #2 line and didn't look out of place in that spot. I felt Brown played his typical strong in your face game.

Those were the two players who stood out most as people who didn't want to take the loss lying down. Bottom line, there was nothing about last night's game that could result in me being positive. Selfishly, since I have received feedback that some within the organization read my blogs -- including some players -- I spoke out in a fairly dramatic way hoping to get their attention. There was nothing to sugar coat from that loss. ....

[nosoupforyou]

I believe in the talent of this team. I believe in the future of this team. I believe Dustin had 9 hits in the game last night - he's willing to sacrifice his body for the team. Calder in front of the net getting pounded, he's willing to sacrifice as well. Johnson skating his ass off to jump into the rush and playing better and better defense - I've recently been wondering if he is faster than Lubo. And numerous other instances last night of individuals working hard even though the team was getting killed. As a goalie, playing with an inconsistent team defense is one of the hardest things to do, you start playing tentatively, you start playing deeper in your net, you can never feel comfortable challenging a potential shooter as much. More goals go in and the cycle gets worse. You start expecting the worst instead of expecting to make saves. And what you focus on becomes reality.

It felt like there was about 100 different line combinations last night. Certainly some tinkering could happen, how do you get anything going when you are playing with people you aren't used to playing with? and then not playing with them again the next shift?

I think the team will bounce back vs the Leafs. I think, for the most part, they have heart. I just wish the whole team had it for 60 minutes at a time.

[daxx1313]

I'm a little annoyed at this post Carla. To say that a player has no heart is not a very accurate statement.

I was at the game and I was hoping for a win on my birthday. But that didn't happen. I was six rows back from the Kings net for the 1st and 3rd, so I got a really good look at what caused Antonio to get scored on three times in seven shots. It was a number of dumb mistakes that created scoring chances. How? The Preds were forechecking like madmen early on in the game. This caused turn-overs by a number of Kings defensemen, and thus created scoring chances for the Preds. What the turn-overs were not was a representation of "heart" by the defensemen.
Defensively, the Kings have great players that play with heart all the time. Offensively, its the same thing. But dumb mistakes make scoring chances for the other team.
Last night, a number of Kings defensman were in the trapezoid and they had no forward to pass to get the puck out of their zone. Taking too long to set up from behind their own net gave the Preds a chance to get deep on the forecheck and cause turnovers. Dumb decisions not lack of heart.
This team is growing mentally, and its a BIG punch in the gut to the players that they can't score one goal when they're getting blown out of the water. To say they are heartless doesn't help them.

I'm obviously not a hockey expert, but what I do know is playing hockey with heart. I play ice hockey and I play with heart every second that I'm on the ice. Just ask anyone who I have played with at the LGK games, or come watch me play. Does my playing with heart translate to making smart plays. Not necessarily. I have some really great days when the bounces go my way and I read the plays like a book. Then I have days where I will mess up on a pass and don't clear my own zone, or I'll miss a wide open net on a tap in. Does this mean that I'm playing with heart when everything goes well and not playing with heart when it doesn't? No! It means that I am human and I make mistakes.
This team needs to experience when everything goes right and when everything goes wrong as well. It is how you learn as a player. All players go through this at some point in time through the course of their career. Telling them that they have no heart does not help them get through the mental blockages.
I respect you as a writer Ms. Muller, but this recent post of yours I think is unwarranted.

Daxx

[CarlaMuller]

Originally Posted by daxx1313

I'm a little annoyed at this post Carla. To say that a player has no heart is not a very accurate statement.

I respect you as a writer Ms. Muller, but this recent post of yours I think is unwarranted. Daxx

I make no apologies for what I wrote but can appreciate your passionate reply. I have spent the entire season, prior to last night, screaming, pleading and preaching patience that this year's Kings absolutely do have heart. After last night's ugly loss, and I am speaking more to the effort -- not the score -- one in your face kind of blog seemed appropriate. Your point is well taken. I get that and am glad you spoke up. It is hard to be in the minority when talking about this year's team and trying to get others to appreciate this team/organization is better than their standings suggest.

[Mr. Teeny]

I think the entire team, coaches and management included, need to sit down together and watch the tape from the Detriot-Colorado game. Then they need to watch the tape from their own game. Then they need to identify the differences in positioning, movement, and desire shown in the two games, and get freakin' upset about it.

[fansince67]

Originally Posted by Mr. Teeny

I think the entire team, coaches and management included, need to sit down together and watch the tape from the Detriot-Colorado game. Then they need to watch the tape from their own game. Then they need to identify the differences in positioning, movement, and desire shown in the two games, and get freakin' upset about it.

You mean instead of answering blogs?

[tougie2]

I think as fans and season seat holders, we have been to lenient with the organization. Quite frankly, I expect more for my entertainment dollar. I have been a season seat holder for only three years but have forked out over $12,000 on season seats, not to mention the overpriced food and beverage. Having two young kids, I can only imagine what that $12,000 would do for their future education. If you go to a movie and it's bad, you don't have to see it again. Same with a concert or other forms of entertainment. Season seat holders are screwed because you're locked in. I can'teven give my seats away.

In the past, when our team lost, we went down fighting. We don't even do that anymore. Someone needs to answer up. Heads should roll. We are rebuilding but are getting worse????? WTF