GDT: 2023-24 Western Conference Quarter Finals LA Kings vs Edmonton Oilers @7:00pm game 2 Edmonton leads 1-0

[Moses Doughty]

Such bad roster construction there. He is not a playoff caliber bottom 6 center.

Yep. Full respect for his compete level and you wish more guys had it, but he's nothing more than a decent regular season player. Can't trust him when the pressure/intensity goes up.

Been saying it all year.

Grundy didn't;t get a shift did he?

I let em both walk in the off season and try to re-sign Arvy after Roy.

Akil takes line 4 C, with Lewis and someone else , maybe Kaiyev.

Yea just the 1 shift. Maybe he was hurt/issues with coming off a multi month lay off, but no idea what happened. I'd let go with Lizzo and Lewis (can find a PK guy with a little more all around game than him if needed) but keep Grundstrom as a spare/fill in guy. If he could gain some consistency he'd be a real quality player on the bottom 6 if used correctly.

Disagree. Rittich is technically the 3rd string goalie and only played this season up with the Kings because of the strange injury to Copley. Talbot is an experienced goalie and you just don't pull the plug on him for having 2 games where there should have been shots he could have stopped. Neither Skinner or Talbot have been good enough, but tonight Talbot actually came up big on that Oilers PP to end the 2nd. With how dangerous the Oilers PP is, not allowing them to make it 4-3 going into the 3rd was huge.

True he was the 3rd stringer, but this is a guy who has significant NHL experience, albeit not encouraging playoff results as you mentioned elsewhere. But I think it should be accounted for that 1 game was a wacky COVID bubble game with a double goalie pull with Talbot coming back in after Rittich came in for him, and the other with a completely overmatched Preds team against the Cup winning Avs.

Agreed Talbot came up big, but I have concerns on his workload. Already the most he's played since 17-18 and at his age that's a lot of work. And I think we're seeing that of late with alot more poor than good since the end of March loss to Edmonton. He can have moments, but can he string it together enough to win playing every game?

 

[BigKing]

Through 2 games:
.867 SV%
4.96 GAA

He's about to be 37 years old.

I agree Hiller will likely keep starting Talbot. But it shouldn't be that hard to justify a change looking at those numbers.

I'm not a Talbot fan but just saying that a change isn't happening.

 

[SherVaughn30]

And I think that has been the story of the other 2 playoffs as well.. coming down to a matchup of special teams

It might come down to which goalie falters more in the series.

The marsupial amygdala tends to glitch, leaving those poor Koala's frozen with fear and vulnerable to the apex beasts behind the benches in the NHL.

What?!

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Overall a very competitive, fun game. Both goalies were not great but a couple of Talbot’s bigger saves were the difference maker. Team never quit.

Tonka got hurt, I assume? It wasn’t mentioned on Sportsnet.

 

[fsanford]

What do you think is talbots glaring weakness as a goalie. I think today he had a lot of difficulty knowing when to be aggressive towards the shooter

That's because the Oilers are the master of the East to West cross ice pass. Talbot is getting moved side to side more than normal.

I think he gets mentally fatigued
You probably sit him for game

Look what a period off did for Kopitar in game 1. Sitting him most of the 3rd gave him his legs back.

 

[Surf Nutz]

It might come down to which goalie falters more in the series.

What?!

McLllelan over played Talbot, even more than Hiller.

 

[ru4reals]

Even Strength, Kings hold a 9-7 edge in goals, but are losing the PP battle 0-4.

Been saying this for three straight years now this series will be won on the PP.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I'm not a Talbot fan but just saying that a change isn't happening.

Talbot's career playoff stats.

33 Starts, 16-17 record, 2.65 GAA, .917 SV%

You have to stick with him.

 

[johnjm22]

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not.

He's clearly trying to get a piece of the puck, but It might just be to prevent an icing.

I agree with Jim Fox on this. It sounds like an exaggeration, but if that was an intentional pass it's one of the best I've ever seen.

 

[Live in the Now]

They won’t change Talbot unless he is the reason they lose Game 3 or 4. He would have to be THE reason.

 

[AbsentMojo]

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not.

He's clearly trying to get a piece of the puck, but It might just be to prevent an icing.

I agree with Jim Fox on this. It sounds like an exaggeration, but if that was an intentional pass it's one of the best I've ever seen.

QB was asked after the game - he said he just wanted to prevent an icing there.. he chopped it like tipping in front of the net - it chopped down the ice nicely right to Kopi - hockey gods gift

 

[fsanford]

Does anyone else think, after playing Oilers for the past 3 years, the Kings actually F'd around with McDavid in this game.

Byfield hit
Several guys hitting him after the play including Kopi.
Doughty laughing in his face.

He was still great, but maybe Kings got in his head just a little bit.

Could be a recency bias thing, but glad they started to mess with him

 

[AbsentMojo]

The question isnt Talbot or Rittich.. it is why do we have to pick between them in the first place

 

[Sol]

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not.

He's clearly trying to get a piece of the puck, but It might just be to prevent an icing.

I agree with Jim Fox on this. It sounds like an exaggeration, but if that was an intentional pass it's one of the best I've ever seen.

With how fast play was going and the pressure the Kings had on them I am willing to say he was just trying to avoid icing IMO

 

[SherVaughn30]

What do you think is talbots glaring weakness as a goalie. I think today he had a lot of difficulty knowing when to be aggressive towards the shooter

When a goalie is a bit fatigued, he's late on reacting to plays as they develop. Talbot on some of those semi long shots that got past him, he didn't look ready or his read was late. He was off angle on those long shot goals. Shooters read off the goalies body language and will take what the goalie gives them in terms of spots to shoot on net.

 

[Ghetty Green]

If we win this series, we are going to face either Vancouver or Nashville in the next round. Just saying.

If we can beat Edmonton we will make the WCF at minimum

 

[Sol]

Does anyone else think, after playing Oilers for the past 3 years, the Kings actually F'd around with McDavid in this game.

Byfield hit
Several guys hitting him after the play including Kopi.
Doughty laughing in his face.

He was still great, but maybe Kings got in his head just a little bit.

Could be a recency bias thing, but glad they started to mess with him

No this is definitely true. The Kings definitely took it to McDavid today. A lot more than they ever had. And he was ineffective. I think whatever they were doing was working. McDavid game one killed the Kings . Game 2 he got hit and the kings tried to get in his head, and the result was like one point for him?

 

[tny760]

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not.

He's clearly trying to get a piece of the puck, but It might just be to prevent an icing.

I agree with Jim Fox on this. It sounds like an exaggeration, but if that was an intentional pass it's one of the best I've ever seen.

when talking to oilers fans, it was absolutely intentional and assist of the year

between us, ..yknow.

 

[johnjm22]

QB ended up having himself a night.

 

[AbsentMojo]

2nd favorite play of the nite for me in the Kings org

 

[SherVaughn30]

The question isnt Talbot or Rittich.. it is why do we have to pick between them in the first place

Next season, I expect the goaltending to be completely overhauled, and Portillo needs to cook more with the Reign. By Talbot's improved numbers from his previous season with the Sens, he will get a good bump in what his cap hit might be. He made $1 million with us, but next season I could see him getting a 1 year deal for $3 to 3.5 million. At age 37 Talbot should not be your #1 goalie next season. The Kings really need to put some money next season into paying a younger goalie to be their #1.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Next season, I expect the goaltending to be completely overhauled, and Portillo needs to cook more with the Reign. By Talbot's improved numbers from his previous season with the Sens, he will get a good bump in what his cap hit might be. He made $1 million with us, but next season I could see him getting a 1 year deal for $3 to 3.5 million. At age 37 Talbot should not be your #1 goalie next season. The Kings really need to put some money next season into paying a younger goalie to be their #1.

The goaltending has been suspect for 3 straight seasons...almost as an after thought. What contender goaltending duo totals 2mil aav combined? Not even the tanking lottery teams have anything close to that level of thrift. A contender should spend at least 5m for a decent starter - and sure then get a Talbot as your solid 20 game backup that could fresh enough to fill in during playoffs in an emergency.. but this situation is unheard of - prob in history of the league.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Been saying this for three straight years now this series will be won on the PP.

Maybe. Oilers are losing the even strength battle. Playoffs are still more about how you score goals even strength. Getting PP goals is a bonus. Oilers are still a team that relies too much on their PP and it's why they don't win more than 2 rounds in a playoff year. Also, a high powered offense can only do so much to compensate for bad goaltending, defense and PK.

 

[SherVaughn30]

The goaltending has been suspect for 3 straight seasons...almost as an after thought. What contender goaltending duo totals 2mil aav combined? Not even the tanking lottery teams have anything close to that level of thrift. A contender should spend at least 5m for a decent starter - and sure then get a Talbot as your solid 20 game backup that could fresh enough to fill in during playoffs in an emergency.. but this situation is unheard of - prob in history of the league.

Talbot still has enough in him to platoon. If he had only played 13 less games it would have made him more fresh for the playoffs. Even if Talbot would re-sign for 1 year and expect to be the backup, you still would have to pay him minimum $2 million. If you resign Rittich, he will command at least a multi-year deal at $1.5 million minimum per year.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Man they tackled kopi hard here, luckily he didn't get hurt