GREAT interview with Lombardi...

[Psych3man]

Well worth the subscription (I bought it just to read this interview...well worth it even though no direct Kings coverage yet).
LeBrun: One-on-one with Dean Lombardi on Kings exit, working...

On Mike Richards (it's exactly what Puck has said through the years):

Now, how do you explain that? That’s the tragedy to me. There’s no way Mike Richards should still not be playing today. He’s not old. When I had the decision about whether to buy him out or not, I put together a video of what he was like in Philadelphia and what his skating was like now. I had a guy put on video where he put it side by side, I remember saying to Mike, `You’re 28 years old, you’re not beat up, you’re not hurt, promise me you’re going to get back to this guy.’ And obviously it didn’t turn out. But whenever I talk about that team learning to win, and that’s what that team has now — make no mistake — not only is L.A. a very good team but it knows how to win. To me, it all started with that special thing with Mike. I think Michael, what he left there, you can’t put that in numbers. Rising to the occasion. All the things that went on here that are still not public, that’s for another day. But I look at this as, it’s so ironic that the player who taught an entire franchise how to rise to the occasion, had to go out like that.

I wish I could say it’s like it was with Mike Ricci and all the players that I still hear from now, because he has no idea the special quality, I don’t even think he realizes it, the gift he had. And why this ended this way, at some point, it needs to be examined so it never, ever happens again… It should never happen again that a player of this quality and special attributes ends his career this way.

LEBRUN: Do you guys still talk?

LOMBARDI: No, I haven’t talked to him. Michael is not the most… he certainly became more withdrawn as time went on, he’s not a touchy feely guy. He just knows what needs to be done. He lived through a lot as time went on. Maybe one day… When I went to see him (at Richards’ place in Kenora, Ont.) when I decided not to buy him out, I spent some time with him up there, hopefully some day, I know he likes to hunt and fish, who knows some day I’ll bring him to Idaho and we’ll go hunting. Let’s forget the past and let’s go forward. He’s got his whole life ahead of him. I got to believe a guy like this has so much that he can still give. Maybe we can look at it from that standpoint.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I'll have to sign up but he pretty much said what I have said all along - Richards was a winner, period.

It's no secret to you guys that to me the defining moment of of this franchise going from the Bad News Bears to Stanley Cup juggernaut was when Richards destroyed Burrows in Game 1 of the WCSFs in 2012. Richards made big plays all season long too during 2011-12, and they were momentum shifting plays as well as lead by example actions that built up for the playoffs. He didn't tolerate nonsense from anyone, stuck up for his teammates and led by example.

That was a statement hit, not only to Vancouver letting them know "we're not screwing around, President's Trophy or not" but also to his own teammates telling them "THIS is how you win". It was refreshing considering Brown was the captain and did not do what Richards did even though Richards didn't have a letter on his jersey. Brown's moment cementing him to me being a weak captain was when he let Malkin elbow Simmonds at the end of a blowout and skate away into the tunnel.

He was truly the missing piece of the puzzle, stats not withstanding. He's a little guy but probably played bigger than any NHL player I have ever seen. You cannot teach those intangibles, you either have them or you don't and he had them in spades.

I'll never forget reading an article in the mid 2000s where Richards confronted a talented but underwhelming teammate in Philadelphia. He felt that player (who it is escapes me) sandbagged it most of the game and he had no problem going right up to him and telling him if you aren't going to give it everything just go back into the locker room and gear down. I remember the Kings being in rebuild and thinking damn it would be nice to have a guy like that. I had no idea he would be a King a few years later.

It's a shame what happened to him, but it's also on Dumbo for not cutting his losses when he had not one but two chances to. Loyalty is great but he let it cross into his personal feelings for the guy, which was a huge mistake as we know and then the separation was about as ugly as it gets.

I personally do not think Richards will ever play in the NHL again but for the time he was here in LA he delivered.

 

[Kings4OT]

Agree with everything on Richards, dude was a winner. For whatever reason I could see he was done and needed that buyout. As I type this Brown with his 2nd of the game....fucking ass, where was he for 3+ years. DD offsides so maybe not

 

[Kings4OT]

in Brown fasion he watched Montador take out Kopitar and just skated by

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Saw that - color me shocked.

 

[Vegas]

in Brown fasion he watched Montador take out Kopitar and just skated by

Maybe he's still upset that Kopitar got the C.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Not to nitpick, but Montador is dead - committed suicide if I recall not too many years ago.

Maybe he's still upset that Kopitar got the C.

I have a feeling you're in jest, but that's just who Brown is. Not retaliating for Simmonds getting elbowed in the face by Malkin, skating away when the Rozsival hit happened in the WCFS against Fee-nix in 2012 while everyone else cleaned up his mess, always hiding behind a referee and reaching over - if at all - in a scrum. Way to lead bozo.

Compare his actions to those of Richards and it's extremely easy to see why Richards was respected everywhere he went.

The hit on Burrows I refer to, and watch to the end. Not only does Richards level him, when confronted by Burrows he tosses him down again and confronts him. Matt Greene is there for support and back up although not needed, and you'll see Brown just skate away as usual.

The issue with Brown is he may be a coward but he is a good guy, which is why his teammates like him. If he was a dick I can assure you no one steps in for him, much like how when Khristich was here and he got into a fight in practice with Potomski and no one stepped in. Khristich was known to be a locker room disturber and these are the consequences of being one.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Agree with everything on Richards, dude was a winner. For whatever reason I could see he was done and needed that buyout. As I type this Brown with his 2nd of the game....fucking ass, where was he for 3+ years. DD offsides so maybe not

Five years - he has been in steady decline since the first Cup. Nice to see him be effective again, I hope this is how he plays all season long.

 

[Vegas]

Kings should sign Doug.

 

[LoCal Kings]

Not retaliating for Simmonds getting elbowed in the face by Malkin,

That one still bothers me. The NHL should retro-actively suspend Malkin for that one, albeit it was 6 or 7 years ago. I'm sure Malkin has delivered a cheap-shot to someone on almost every team in the NHL.

One of favorite memories of Richards on the Kings, was in the first 20 or so games of his tenure. Kopitar was holding the puck, circling behind the opponent's net, while on one leg, and being checked by a d-man. The second defender skated over and slammed Kopitar's head (as he was leaning over, Kopi's head was only about waist high). While not a penalty in those days, it was clearly a very dangerous play to make on someone clearly off balance and vulnerable.
When the 2nd defender turned around to head back to the slot, he was met by Richards doing a superman impression, flying through the crease to fight the guy. As I remember it, Kopitar actually manged to through the puck towards the slot, but Richards completely ignored it as he was already in mid-air, going for the take-down. Awesome.