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Sutter: ‘I’m not into feeling sorry for guys because they’ve been around a long time’

Sutter Peace Sign

So, here’s a curious development out of Los Angeles....

On Friday, LA Kings Insider spoke to veteran rearguard Matt Greene about being a healthy scratch for the last three games, then asked Kings head coach Darryl Sutter if he anticipated Green being in the lineup soon.

Sutter said no -- “I’m not into ‘what you did,’ I’m into ‘what you’re doing’” -- before sharing some thoughts on parking veteran players like Greene in the press box.

“I’m not into feeling sorry for guys because they’ve been around a long time. I’m in to how they play. Very simple. Either they accept it, or they don’t.”

[Reporter: Does it seem like he’s accepting it?]

“He better. He better have a good attitude, very simple. The only thing I don’t accept is anybody with a bad attitude in terms of work ethic, attitude, or how they’re received by their teammates. It’s why we’re a good team. It’s a change that we’ve had to make, obviously, in the last three years here.”

Not exactly clear what prompted this. Kings Insider reports that Greene’s handled the demotion well and hasn’t complained about the situation, so perhaps this is just a case of Darryl being Darryl.

That said, it’s pretty obvious Greene’s role on the team has greatly diminished. The 30-year-old alternate captain has essentially been replaced in the lineup by 26-year-old Alec Martinez, who scored his fourth goal of the season last night in a 4-2 win over Boston.