Vegas
11-10-2005, 10:41 AM
http://www.dailynews.com/kings/ci_3200037
Kings coach Andy Murray doesn't understand, or at least pretends not to understand, all the fuss regarding his team's goaltending situation. He dislikes the mere mention of the word "controversy." But Wednesday's overtime loss to Detroit illustrates why the situation isn't as simple as Murray would like everyone to believe. The Kings are still making goaltending decisions on a day-to-day basis and while Jason LaBarbera has the edge right now, it's tough to draw conclusions off his game Wednesday.
LaBarbera allowed five goals but faced 39 shots and numerous quality scoring chances as the Kings' defense was sometimes shaky in front of him.
After the game, Murray said he had yet to decide who would start in goal Friday at Chicago.
"I'm a day-by-day kind of guy," LaBarbera said. "That's how I live my life and play my career. I'm not the kind of guy who wants to read into things. ... I'll let (Murray) make the decisions."
LaBarbera's goals-against average has risen sharply of late but remains a respectable 2.44.
Mathieu Garon, who was widely presumed to be the No. 1 goalie entering training camp, has played just one period in the Kings' past five games. Murray didn't tip his hand about the rest of this trip but did allow that "our team expects Jason to be in there and he has earned it."
"Fatigue is not a factor," Murray said about LaBarbera, citing the fact that the Kings don't play back-to-back games on this trip. "You'd like to keep the other guy sharp, but at the same time when the team is expecting one guy to be in
there ... it's hard not to put him in there."
Familiar faces: The Kings' trip
to Detroit, not a highlight for most players, was welcomed by Michael Cammalleri, who played in Ann Arbor for three seasons with the University of Michigan. Cammalleri scored a goal in the first period to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.
"I spent three of the greatest years of my life here," said Cammalleri, who played for Michigan from 1999 to 2002. "It's pretty nostalgic when you get to go back to campus."
Cammalleri spent Tuesday night having dinner with some old friends and Michigan freshman Andrew Cogliano, a fellow native of Ontario, but said he wasn't asked for a donation to the university.
"I bought dinner, that's my donation," Cammalleri joked.
We'll show them: It was a big night for the Kings' unofficial alumni association in Detroit. Former Kings Robert Lang and Andreas Lilja got the goal and assist, respectively, in overtime, Manny Legace got the win in goal and Mathieu Schneider had one assist.
Kings coach Andy Murray doesn't understand, or at least pretends not to understand, all the fuss regarding his team's goaltending situation. He dislikes the mere mention of the word "controversy." But Wednesday's overtime loss to Detroit illustrates why the situation isn't as simple as Murray would like everyone to believe. The Kings are still making goaltending decisions on a day-to-day basis and while Jason LaBarbera has the edge right now, it's tough to draw conclusions off his game Wednesday.
LaBarbera allowed five goals but faced 39 shots and numerous quality scoring chances as the Kings' defense was sometimes shaky in front of him.
After the game, Murray said he had yet to decide who would start in goal Friday at Chicago.
"I'm a day-by-day kind of guy," LaBarbera said. "That's how I live my life and play my career. I'm not the kind of guy who wants to read into things. ... I'll let (Murray) make the decisions."
LaBarbera's goals-against average has risen sharply of late but remains a respectable 2.44.
Mathieu Garon, who was widely presumed to be the No. 1 goalie entering training camp, has played just one period in the Kings' past five games. Murray didn't tip his hand about the rest of this trip but did allow that "our team expects Jason to be in there and he has earned it."
"Fatigue is not a factor," Murray said about LaBarbera, citing the fact that the Kings don't play back-to-back games on this trip. "You'd like to keep the other guy sharp, but at the same time when the team is expecting one guy to be in
there ... it's hard not to put him in there."
Familiar faces: The Kings' trip
to Detroit, not a highlight for most players, was welcomed by Michael Cammalleri, who played in Ann Arbor for three seasons with the University of Michigan. Cammalleri scored a goal in the first period to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.
"I spent three of the greatest years of my life here," said Cammalleri, who played for Michigan from 1999 to 2002. "It's pretty nostalgic when you get to go back to campus."
Cammalleri spent Tuesday night having dinner with some old friends and Michigan freshman Andrew Cogliano, a fellow native of Ontario, but said he wasn't asked for a donation to the university.
"I bought dinner, that's my donation," Cammalleri joked.
We'll show them: It was a big night for the Kings' unofficial alumni association in Detroit. Former Kings Robert Lang and Andreas Lilja got the goal and assist, respectively, in overtime, Manny Legace got the win in goal and Mathieu Schneider had one assist.