Five losses in seven games? Power Play worst in the West? Penalty kill abysmal? Slipping down the last few spots of the playoff seeding? No problem, there's the patented NHL solution - fire the coach.
Fruit flies get more of a chance at life than your average NHL coach.
This is my personal experience with Andy Murray: a man who shook my hand, and pointed out my Joe Sakic #19 hat and told me what a quality guy Joe is. This is my personal experience witnessing the ceremony honoring Adam Deadmarsh at the Staples Center last Monday, as Joe Sakic skated over to his former teammate: the crowd erupted in boos. Sakic went on to score two goals in the first period and have a four-point night in the Avs' shut out of the Kings. Quality guy indeed.
The Los Angeles Kings don't deserve Andy Murray. If the players have stopped listening to him, it's their loss. In fact, I'm sure there will be a lot more losses. This winningest coach in franchise history has taken the Kings from an early golfing season to playoff contenders during half of his time with them. His teams have been ravaged by injuries, and has had little to no support from the management in bringing in any kind of "star player" to help lead this team into more than a first-round playoff success. Instead, the Kings have had to deal with Jason Allison's bum knee and little to no production from Anson Carter. Jeremy Roenick would have been an impressive signing in 1996, not 2006. I have heard more grumbling from L.A. fans about the signing, or lack of signing certain players than anything regarding the coaching until this year.
I don't believe Andy Murray is at the core of the goal tending issues the Kings have had. Goalies are still THE hot commodity for any given NHL team - just ask the Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche or New Jersey Devils. Picking up an Islander or two at the trade deadline does not a Cup contender make. The Kings have won 20 games by one goal and lost 16 by one goal. One could argue that the coach is the one who needs to drive home the significance those 16 losses hold. One could also say the absence of a playmaker is the difference. I'm not sure what the Kings offered Peter Forsberg over last summer, but his 52 assists/70 points on the season might have converted a number of those Ls to Ws.
The consensus seems to be that Andy Murray is a good coach and he will likely find work in the NHL in the near future.
