Gretzky believes Kings can repeat

[JureEe]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=653065&navid=DL|NHL|home

A year ago we were here at this very camp and when I asked you for your predictions, you never mentioned the Los Angeles Kings, but you did say watch out for the New Jersey Devils. You were halfway there. So even though it's only been a little more than a week, I'll ask you again -- predictions for this season?


"I think you have to give it at least 25 games to see where everybody shakes out of the tree, but I always say you never go against the Stanley Cup champions. When you're a Stanley Cup champion, somebody has to steal it from you. Bryan Trottier told me this one time, and I'll never forget it: After they [the New York Islanders] won their first Stanley Cup, we're sitting there at the NHL luncheon in Montreal and I asked him, 'How was it winning the Cup?' He said, 'You know Wayne, it's the greatest feeling I ever had. I wish every player that plays in the NHL can experience that, but that's what makes it so special is not everybody is going to get that experience.' It's so true. That's why I always say when a team that has won, they know what it's like to do what they did and how hard you have to work. I always say the team that won last year, watch out. So L.A. is going to give it a run.

"But San Jose looks as good as good as any team I have seen. [Patrick] Marleau and [Joe] Thornton are playing with a spirit and passion that has gone to another level. Minnesota made a lot of changes and they could be a tough team. They have always been good defensively and they added firepower from the blue line in. Chicago looks as good as anybody in the West right now. In New Jersey, Marty Brodeur is a special player. He's up there with the greatest goalies to ever play. He's a unique man and age is not a factor for him. I think he'll have a tremendous year so watch out for New Jersey.

"But I think like everybody else, the New York Rangers look as real as any team I have seen this year. They seem to have everything. The one thing about that team is they work so hard and they have such a good goalie [Henrik Lundqvist], but let me tell you, this Rick Nash, he's a really good player. When you have a hard-working team like the Rangers, with guys like [Ryan] Callahan, and you bring in the most talented guy and he works as hard as those guys it goes through your room like it's infectious. That's one thing Nash does, he's a good player and he works his rear end off every day."

Click to read more...

 

[Butch 19]

in before "Gretzky is not the best Kings player ever, let alone the best in the NHL - he screwed up this or-gan-EYE-za-tion waaaay too much before he left."

 

[KINGS17]

Don't know why, but I think the Rangers will lay a giant egg.

San Jose looks dangerous and with a shortened season their vets may be fresh enough come playoff time to do some real damage.

in before "Gretzky is not the best Kings player ever, let alone the best in the NHL - he screwed up this or-gan-EYE-za-tion waaaay too much before he left."

Damn, that's a shame cause most of it's true. Best ever is BOBBY ORR, hands down.

 

[Shootmaster_44]

Don't know why, but I think the Rangers will lay a giant egg.

San Jose looks dangerous and with a shortened season their vets may be fresh enough come playoff time to do some real damage.



Damn, that's a shame cause most of it's true. Best ever is BOBBY ORR, hands down.

I'm not going to argue with you about the greatest player ever, so we shall leave that aside.

But I agree I see the Rangers being the Canucks of last season. They will make a hard charge for the Presidents Trophy and then lose in the first round.

After last night's game against Vancouver, I am starting to see some life out of the Kings and I think they have a very good chance to repeat. I think the contenders out West are us, the Sharks and the Hawks.

In the East, I'm not sure who will come out of there. I frankly don't follow the Eastern Conference that much. So I am going to say the Capitals come out of the East, why? I know Braden Holtby's parents.

I agree with the sentiment that Gretzky said about the Kings being the Cup champions and someone having to come and take it from them. This season, the Kings are playing with a target on their backs, even if you are the worst team in the league, you will step up your game when the Cup champs are in town.

I'm sure if the NHL had their way it would be the Leafs and Kings in the Cup Finals every year. The most popular team in Canada against the number 2 TV market in the US. I'd be curious how the ratings in the US did last year with the Kings in it compared to the years when say Detroit played. I'm thinking the Kings probably had better ratings simply due to the sheer size of their TV market and the fact that a lot of people are Kings fans in some form or another due to Gretzky being a King once. That's how I became a Kings fan.

 

[kingsfan]

I think if there's been any team that could repeat since Detroit did it in 1998, it's us. Unlike every defnding cup champion since then, we got an extra 3 months off after winning the cup and we don't have to go through a 82 game schedule. All the extra rest really will help down the stretch, not to mention we are playing without two of our key defensemen and adding them back into the fold as the season goes along will be just like a couple of big trade deadline additions.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

in before "Gretzky is not the best Kings player ever, let alone the best in the NHL - he screwed up this or-gan-EYE-za-tion waaaay too much before he left."

If you said that Gretzky would not be well-liked by the die-hard Kings fans after his career with the Kings is over during the early 90s, you'd be called insane.

 

[Bandit]

Of course then CAN repeat...

 

[no name]

in before "Gretzky is not the best Kings player ever, let alone the best in the NHL - he screwed up this or-gan-EYE-za-tion waaaay too much before he left."

I've seen people say he wrecked the team but i don't know if I've seen anyone say he wasn't the greatest King.

 

[tigermask48]

I've seen people say he wrecked the team but i don't know if I've seen anyone say he wasn't the greatest King.

I think people may be confusing him with Bruce McNall then...

 

[Ron*]

I don't know about the thread title...reading the article, it appears Gretzky picked five or six teams "to watch out for."

:/

 

[riseandfall9]

San Jose will choke in the playoffs like they do every year.

 

[Butch 19]

If you said that Gretzky would not be well-liked by a very small minority of die-hard Kings fans after his career with the Kings is over during the early 90s, you'd be called insane...

ftfy hey - no infraction pls, mods.


... most Kings fans are just glad they had the opportunity to watch him play night after night.


GO GO!! (HF needs the chevy logo smilie damnit!!)

 

[Lead Role in a Cage]

Perhaps needless to say but Gretzky's opinions, or praise, or whatever it is, should be taken very very lightly. Case in point, only Crosby and Brad Richards has better hockey sense than Kyle Turris. Apparently "he's going to fit into that category soon."

 

[kingsfan]

I think the issue with Gretzky's praise is the fact that he now seems almost incapable of critizing anyone. If they ask him about a guy (say Turris for example) he'll only say good things about him. Long gone is the Gretzky who called New Jersey a Mickey Mouse organization.

 

[JureEe]

I don't know about the thread title...reading the article, it appears Gretzky picked five or six teams "to watch out for."

:/

Thread title its same as artice title..

 

[theMajor]

San Jose will choke in the playoffs like they do every year.

i cant wait for all the fans to disappear

 

[Scottkmlps]

After last night's game against Vancouver, I am starting to see some life out of the Kings and I think they have a very good chance to repeat. I think the contenders out West are us, the Sharks and the Hawks.

I think the one thing that separates the Kings from the Sharks and Hawks is the defense and especially goaltending. In a 7 games series I take Quick over Crawford and/or Niemi, and the Kings defense over both the Hawks & Sharks. The Kings are built for the playoffs from top to bottom.

 

[Kaname]

I've seen the Hawks in 3 games this season and there a pretty dominating team for the most part. But goal tending is certainly an issue for them. If they had a really good goalie in net, I would pick them for having the best chances of taking the whole thing this season. But it's still early so we have to see. I'm still waiting for our guys to start scoring the way they're supposed to

 

[One Winged Angel]

If Greene can come back by playoff time or the Kings can get a veteran presence on the blueline, they can most definitely repeat. Still close to the deepest team in the NHL right now.

I picked them to repeat prior to the start of this season and I'm sticking with that. I still think when push comes to shove, barring any more major injuries, the Kings will pick up their play and repeat.