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About This Page: This is a discussion on LA Kings Talk within the LetsGoKings.com forums, at Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum. Thank you for sharing that!
After not having seen Cloutier for so long and hearing this news, I hope he comes up and Aubin is traded at the deadline. I hated Cloutier so much last season, and I hate Aubin this season, but since we are already on the track of placing last, I wanna see if Cloutier is any better.
It's freaking weird how much calmer it makes me to hear DL express his thoughts from time to time. It's just clear that he has a vision for the future (which I don't think we could ever question). All I hope is that this initial losing doesn't dissuade the core of the team from that future.
So far, it doesn't look like it has since Kopitar, Brown and O'Sullivan are all making strides as forwards. Fro is doing his usual contributing, and even though we all think he could be better, I'm hoping that as the team improves, so will he. I just don't see Cammy being around much longer, which is fine, because someone has to go and he'll probably have a better career elsewhere anyway.
On the D, the only one who's really suppose to be making strides is Johnson, and he's definitely doing that. Lubo is having an off-year so far to say the least, and I'm not willing to throw in the towel on him yet. I've seen him play too well for too long to believe that it could all go away in one season. I think he's another guy who's going to be around long enough to improve with the rest of the team. Preissing is coming along as well. The rest of the D doesn't really matter anyway, which is why it's going to be great to see how well guys like Hickey develop once we have them come up. They're the ones who are going to be anchoring our D so they are the ones we should worry about, not Blake and Stuart.
As for goaltending, I'd hope that our D is established by the time Bernier comes around. Labs and Aubin are plugs until we get our **** together.
Great interview...hope we hear some more later on about who he likes in the draft and what he plans on doing near the deadline.
Q: We're discussing Dustin Brown and how his game has evolved - what have you noticed about Dustin Brown?
DL: Oh... like a lot of players... where do you want to start... I think one of the things he's starting to develop is confidence with the puck. He's worked hard, he's always played physical. Two things have happened this year and its funny when personalities of a player grow off the ice it tends to reflect on the ice and vice versa but he's starting to grow as a person.
When I first got here he couldn't look you in the eye, he could barely talk to you and put two words together. He's evolving and his game's evolving and he's starting to express himself more and more on the rink and have confidence with the puck and he just keeps getting better and the biggest thing I've noticed and you never know about kids is... until you see them every day is he really takes losing personally.
The right type of kid when you're trying to build something is that you need to eventually have kids take responsibility for winning and not just be happy being in the league. I think we're starting to see a little of that too that he's trying to take things under control when the game's on the line and I think he's only going to get better.
His upside is not complete, his body is still not physically mature, he's still just barely shaven and I think he's just gonna get better.
Q: When you talk about people like Dustin Brown that take losing personally, how do you monitor that? There's some players that, especially younger players that maybe take it a bit little too far down on themselves ...as an example here in Calgary is Christian Huselius. When he's playing great when he's confident he's incredible but when he's down on himself its like he goes off on an edge and you don't even see him again.
DL: That's something you have to monitor over time. It's more when you're around the team, when you talk to them after games, when you call them into your office... you can tell... you can tell the guys who are giving you lip service and saying the right things versus I think there's a sincerity there. Again, I think this is something that has to be driven home to these kids. Eventually you are going to be the one called into the office when we're not winning. Right now we're not gonna be all over you, you've still got some maturing to do but realize its coming and you need to start learning that now.
The other thing I can say that you can probably tell on the rink... there's always critical moments in a game, critical moments in a season, whatever, but watch 'em when we've got a one goal lead or down a goal. Is he trying to make something happen. That's some of the things that we're starting to see here. He's rising more and more to the occasion to try and make... even if he messes up I'd rather see a kid say "I'm trying to make something happen here" versus not trying at all. Like the puck's a grenade and everything. I don't think it's one thing... It's usually a series of things....
There's saying the right things and then there's saying it and meaning it and I think he means it.
Q: Speaking of maturing, I said a lot of ridiculous things when I was 19 years old that I'd like to have back so when DL hears future netminder Jonathan Bernier blasting his head coach at the World Juniors saying he was treated unfairly, he doesn't like the way he was handled, what goes through your mind? You think its a very serious thing that needs to be addressed or is this a 19 year old who didn't think the right thoughts and more specifically didn't say the right things.
DL: Well, I just got back from there last night so... I was there when that happened, I actually.... it was an issue there. He played so well in the Czech game and then the Swedish game I thought he had 2 solid periods, in that 3rd period he probably maybe should have had one of them but.... I don't think it was entirely his fault. I think he realizes that he would have liked to have done better. With that being said, when this controversy supposedly started and they had the Finnish game and it was becoming a fairly hot topic over there on which guy to go back with... when he was told he actually called me the next day. The point there when I talked to him was "Jon.... the most important thing now is to be a good team mate". Then that statement came out and I had talked to some people and I said "well what does this mean"? and I think the way it was explained to me was that the way he had said it in French and it was not the way it came out and when it was read to me and described to me when he made the French version was his only disappointment was that he didn't hear it from the coach directly heard it from his team mates and then when I say the English version I said "well, this looks worse".
I guess the bottom line is he shouldn't have said anything as far as that. If anything you go and tell the coach "well, I wish you would have told that to my face" and move on.
I went to see him after they had won the gold medal I went downstairs and I was watching him the whole time during the celebration, I was watching him in warm ups 'cause I told him that day "Now's a test for you. Its another test. Your most important obligation is to be ready and to be a good team mate" and I thought he did that. I was watching him afterwards and he wasn't pouting. I went downstairs after the game and smiling and I gave him a litle pick me up. I gave him a list of 8 goaltenders and on that list were guys like Rox Hextall, Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy.. 8 guys that were in that caliber and I said "what do you think these guys got in common?" and he looked down and said "I don't know" and I said "these guys weren't even invited to this tournament. So understand this is a great experience for you, its a great accomplishment to have been invited here... sure you would have liked to play but that's another challenge for you. Now that you get to go back and you have a gold medal and that will live with you forever so...
Hexy just talked to him yesterday and he's going back to his junior team and you got to look at it as a positive and in the end the most important thing is to win a Stanley Cup someday and that's what you have to focus on here now.
We overlook the fact with young players that we have to build men as well as athletes.
MORE LATER
Last edited by CBGB; January 9th, 2008 at 06:39 PM.
the only tear cloutier is going to go on is when he tears up that BS contract of his while crying himself to sleep after playing in the minors for the rest of his career.
...why do I have this sinking feeling that Cloutier puts on a Kings sweater and goes on a tear? Just enough to put us in 10th or 11th place in the West, maybe 20th in the NHL.
cloutier: (kloo-chay) - of the beast, spawned from the loins of bielsabub, and unleashed onto the glaciers of British Columbia, and Los Angeles. "Thalt shalt not use thy Cloutier in thy games, por que' he wilt not stop und beachball." also see: Stauber, Berthiaume.
Glad all enjoyed...if anyone has sirius, this show is really a great listen everyday. Its on from 1pm to 3pm with a replay from 3pm to 5pm on Ch 122.
The only problem is I never know who the guest are going to be and if I had left my car 10 seconds sooner like I planned I would have missed this interview completely. I'm sure I've missed other good interviews, so it would be good to know other people from the board are listening.
Glad all enjoyed...if anyone has sirius, this show is really a great listen everyday. Its on from 1pm to 3pm with a replay from 3pm to 5pm on Ch 122.
The only problem is I never know who the guest are going to be and if I had left my car 10 seconds sooner like I planned I would have missed this interview completely. I'm sure I've missed other good interviews, so it would be good to know other people from the board are listening.
I'll make sure to add that channel to the presets in my car. Oh, and thanks for the post, even if it did mention the possibility of Cloutier bumbling his way back on to an NHL roster.
PPharoah
