Los Angeles Kings: The Time Is Now to Fire Terry Murray

If I went to you before the season started, and placed the Kings roster in front of you, a roster that sports Mike Richards, Drew Doughty, Simon Gagne, Justin Williams, Dustin Penner, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Jack Johnson...

Would you have looked at it and said, "Yep, worst offense in the NHL. I see it."?

There has been a lot of surprise in the NHL this season so far—like two coaches fired on the same day, the rise of the Minnesota Wild, and the Shanahan effect. But one of those notable surprises has to be the talented group in L.A. floundering at 11th in the West in points, and dead last in the NHL in team offense (2.24 goals per game), 29 games in.

The Kings are 3-6-1 in their last 10, and have lost four in a row. Tempers and frustration are running very high. But not if you talked to coach Terry Murray, whose postgame quotes have been so vanilla and positive it's puzzling.

Take a look at Kings Insider Rich Hammonds postgame interview and you'll see what I mean.

It's year four of the Terry Murray era, and while he is, and was, a very solid defensive fundamental coach, and a learning coach that was very good for young players to work with, the time is now to move on.

My biggest concern with Terry Murray is systematic.

The Kings system is predicated on team defense, and dump-and-chase hockey. A system that was designed for players like Ryan Smyth, Michal Handzus, and Wayne Simmonds.

This is not a system for skill guys like Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, Andrei Loktionov, Justin Williams and Dustin Penner. But the story has been trying to force square pegs through round holes.

There comes a time when coaches have to look at their personnel, and create a system that works for them. When teams and players collapse is where players are asked to play in ways they are not comfortable/familiar/capable of. 

Instead of seeing the talented forwards show...

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