Frozen Royalty Audio: Interview With LA Kings Head Coach Terry Murray, August 24, 2011

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Ever since he completed his first season with the Los Angeles Kings, head coach Terry Murray has graciously taken time out of his busy schedule during the late summer when he is busy preparing for the upcoming season—rookie camp, rookie tournament, training camp—to talk with Frozen Royalty about the previous season and what’s ahead for the upcoming one.

Los Angeles Kings head coach
Terry Murray
Photo: David Sheehan

This summer, we talked in his office for about an hour on August 24, 2011, and you can read the five-story series based on that interview:

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LA Kings Head Coach Terry Murray Talks Prospects, Goaltending, And The Return Of The Trap

FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: In Part 5, the final installment of a series based on an exclusive interview with Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray, he talks about the chances for the Kings’ young prospects, such as center Andrei Loktionov, to make the big club’s opening night roster. He also discusses the loss of some of the Kings’ prospects to European leagues, his team’s goaltenders, and he warns of the return of the neutral zone trap…or a variation thereof.


Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray (right) talks with (from left) Kyle Clifford, Willie Mitchell and Trevor Lewis during practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — With the addition of veteran forwards Simon Gagne and Mike Richards this summer, the Los Angeles Kings have upgraded the talent on their first and second lines. Add to that the signing of veteran left wing Ethan Moreau, who joins centers Jarret Stoll and Brad Richardson up front—the Kings have plenty of veteran talent on their forward lines.

Then you have Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Scott Parse, and heavyweight enforcer Kevin Westgarth—these forwards will likely fill out the remaining left and right wing spots on the third and fourth lines.

There is also a yet unknown factor…center Colin Fraser, who was acquired in the trade that sent left wing Ryan Smyth back home to the Edmonton Oilers on June 26 . Even though the Kings have filed a grievance with the National Hockey League, alleging that the Oilers misrepresented his condition at the time of the trade, it is unlikely that any remedy will result in Fraser being returned to the Oilers. As such, it appears that young prospects, such as center Andrei Loktionov, among others, are going to have a fierce battle ahead of them to get ice time, let alone a spot on the Kings’ 2011-12 opening night roster. Read more of this post

Terry Murray: Added Talent Up Front Does Not Mean A New Style Of Play Is On The Horizon For LA Kings

FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: With the addition of center Mike Richards and left wing Simon Gagne over the summer, the Los Angeles Kings’ top two lines are both legitimate offensive threats, something head coach Terry Murray has not had at his disposal since his arrival in Los Angeles. What impact will they have on the team, and how will their presence change the Kings’ style of play? Also includes an update on veteran left wing Dustin Penner. Part 4 of a series.


Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray outlines a drill for his players during practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Since Terry Murray signed on as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings on July 17, 2008, his teams have had mixed results in the offensive zone, struggling to score goals in five-on-five situations.

Last season, the power play went south to join the five-on-five scoring, leading the Kings downward to rank 25th in National Hockey League in goals scored.

But with the addition of skilled, veteran forwards Mike Richards and Simon Gagne to the lineup—both were acquired earlier this summer—the Kings are expected to turn things around in the offensive zone in 2011-12. Read more of this post

LA Kings Head Coach Terry Murray: Drew Doughty And Jack Johnson Need To Take Steps Forward In 2011-12

FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: In part 3 of this series of stories based on an exclusive interview with Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray, we look back on the play of defensemen Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson in the 2010-11 season, one in which both took a step backwards.


Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray watches his players execute a drill during practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Although the 2010-11 Los Angeles Kings made some progress, most notably, in their defensive zone coverage, penalty-killing and goaltending, they took a step backwards in their play in the attacking zone, both in terms of five-on-five play, and on the power play.

Contributing to that step backwards were the Kings’ top two defensemen, Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson, whose performances dipped a bit from the 2009-10 season.

Last season, Doughty scored eleven goals and tallied 29 assists for forty points, with a +13 plus/minus rating and 68 penalty minutes in 76 regular season games.

Those numbers were well off what he posted in 2009-10, when he scored 16 goals and added 43 assists for 59 points with a +20 rating and 54 penalty minutes in 82 regular season games. Read more of this post

Terry Murray Dishes On 2010-11 LA Kings’ Offensive Zone, Power Play Struggles

FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: The 2010-11 Los Angeles Kings were lights out in the defensive zone, especially on the penalty-kill. But in the attacking zone, during five-on-five situations and on the power play, they were pretty much the exact opposite. In Part 2 of this series based on an exclusive interview with Kings head coach Terry Murray, Frozen Royalty looks back at the Kings’ woes in the offensive zone last season.


Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray (center, standing) makes a point during practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — The 2010-11 Los Angeles Kings made progress in some aspects of their game, most notably, their defense, penalty-killing and goaltending. But, at the same time, they took at least one big step backwards in the offensive zone.

Looking at their 2009-10 numbers, the Kings ranked ninth in goals scored, averaging 2.82 goals per game. But with their five-on-five scoring ranked just 19th, the goals came, in large part, from their power play, which ranked seventh in the National Hockey League, with a 20.8 percent rating. Read more of this post

Los Angeles Kings Head Coach Terry Murray Looks Back At 2010-11 Season

FROZEN ROYALTY EXCLUSIVE: Each summer, since his arrival in Southern California, Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray has graciously taken a break from his preparation work for the new season to talk with Frozen Royalty during a one-on-one interview. He did so once again this week, looking back at last season and ahead at the 2011-12 campaign. In this story, the first of a series, Murray shares his thoughts on his team’s up-and-down 2010-11 season.


Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray (standing; third from left) with his team during practice at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
Photo: David Sheehan

EL SEGUNDO, CA — One of the most talked about aspects of the 2010-11 season was the fact that the Western Conference playoff race was so tight from the first day of the season all the way to the last, as the eight playoff teams were not determined until the very end.

“The division, the conference was so competitive,” said Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray. “It came right down to the last game of the year, whether Chicago gets in, or Dallas gets in. It was that competitive.” Read more of this post

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