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03-22-2006, 06:12 AM
Kings fire coach Andy Murray despite winning record
By BETH HARRIS, AP Sports Writer
March 22, 2006
AP - Mar 21, 10:02 pm EST
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Kings' winning record has them in the middle of a playoff race, yet a string of lackluster performances got coach Andy Murray fired.
"This is a drastic step, but we're looking to turn things around," general manager DaveTaylor said Tuesday night after announcing the decision to let Murray go. "If we did nothing, I felt we were going to continue in this downward direction."
The Kings (37-28-5) are tied with Edmonton for seventh in the Western Conference, but the Oilers have two more games remaining than Los Angeles.
"It's a little odd that we're nine games over .500 and we're making a coaching change, but we do have high expectations for our team," Taylor said. "We know we have to play better down the stretch."
Murray said he was disappointed he wasn't able to get the Kings into the playoffs.
"I don't have regrets because the only time you can feel regret is when you didn't try your hardest and didn't put everything in the job that you could. I certainly tried to do that," he told KCAL-TV.
Assistant John Van Boxmeer was also fired as a result of the Kings' weak power play. He was the other finalist for the top job when Murray was hired in June 1999.
Assistants Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett kept their jobs.
John Torchetti will become interim coach Wednesday. He hasn't been working in the NHL this season, but had been scouting games on his own.
Taylor said he will be interviewed for the permanent job.
"With John coming aboard, the players will hear a different voice and the players will hear a different perspective," Taylor said.
Torchetti went 10-12-4-1 as the Florida Panthers' interim coach at the end of the 2003-04 season.
The Kings were beaten 5-0 by Colorado at home Monday -- their fifth loss in seven games.
"It's totally disappointing that we would be lacking the sense of urgency that we needed -- to be falling down, mishandling pucks, having scoring opportunities but not being able to get the shot away, losing too many puck battles and not getting saves when we needed them," Murray said afterward.
Taylor said that during the last 20-25 games, he had been thinking about making changes.
"Our team had competed at an outstanding level in the first half of year," he said. "Coming out of the Olympic break, I was hoping with rest that we might be able to turn things around. We've played at a .500 rate since then, which is not good enough.
"We've been outscored pretty badly and just in general our play, particularly in home games, was the biggest concern for me," Taylor said.
Murray made the jump to his first NHL head job from coaching at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn., a prep school south of Minneapolis. He also served as an NHL assistant with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Winnipeg, and coached Canada's national team.
Los Angeles reached the playoffs in his first three years before missing the following two seasons.
During the NHL's break for the 2002 Olympics, Murray was seriously injured when the truck he was driving slid off an icy Wisconsin highway. He missed five games while recovering from post-concussion syndrome.
The Kings have 12 games remaining in the regular season.
"I understand it's a very short period of time for us to turn this thing around and we're in a battle," he said, "but we want to see the Kings play like we think we're capable of playing, and we'll live with the results."
Updated on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2
By BETH HARRIS, AP Sports Writer
March 22, 2006
AP - Mar 21, 10:02 pm EST
More Photos
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Kings' winning record has them in the middle of a playoff race, yet a string of lackluster performances got coach Andy Murray fired.
"This is a drastic step, but we're looking to turn things around," general manager DaveTaylor said Tuesday night after announcing the decision to let Murray go. "If we did nothing, I felt we were going to continue in this downward direction."
The Kings (37-28-5) are tied with Edmonton for seventh in the Western Conference, but the Oilers have two more games remaining than Los Angeles.
"It's a little odd that we're nine games over .500 and we're making a coaching change, but we do have high expectations for our team," Taylor said. "We know we have to play better down the stretch."
Murray said he was disappointed he wasn't able to get the Kings into the playoffs.
"I don't have regrets because the only time you can feel regret is when you didn't try your hardest and didn't put everything in the job that you could. I certainly tried to do that," he told KCAL-TV.
Assistant John Van Boxmeer was also fired as a result of the Kings' weak power play. He was the other finalist for the top job when Murray was hired in June 1999.
Assistants Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett kept their jobs.
John Torchetti will become interim coach Wednesday. He hasn't been working in the NHL this season, but had been scouting games on his own.
Taylor said he will be interviewed for the permanent job.
"With John coming aboard, the players will hear a different voice and the players will hear a different perspective," Taylor said.
Torchetti went 10-12-4-1 as the Florida Panthers' interim coach at the end of the 2003-04 season.
The Kings were beaten 5-0 by Colorado at home Monday -- their fifth loss in seven games.
"It's totally disappointing that we would be lacking the sense of urgency that we needed -- to be falling down, mishandling pucks, having scoring opportunities but not being able to get the shot away, losing too many puck battles and not getting saves when we needed them," Murray said afterward.
Taylor said that during the last 20-25 games, he had been thinking about making changes.
"Our team had competed at an outstanding level in the first half of year," he said. "Coming out of the Olympic break, I was hoping with rest that we might be able to turn things around. We've played at a .500 rate since then, which is not good enough.
"We've been outscored pretty badly and just in general our play, particularly in home games, was the biggest concern for me," Taylor said.
Murray made the jump to his first NHL head job from coaching at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn., a prep school south of Minneapolis. He also served as an NHL assistant with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Winnipeg, and coached Canada's national team.
Los Angeles reached the playoffs in his first three years before missing the following two seasons.
During the NHL's break for the 2002 Olympics, Murray was seriously injured when the truck he was driving slid off an icy Wisconsin highway. He missed five games while recovering from post-concussion syndrome.
The Kings have 12 games remaining in the regular season.
"I understand it's a very short period of time for us to turn this thing around and we're in a battle," he said, "but we want to see the Kings play like we think we're capable of playing, and we'll live with the results."
Updated on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2