Game #42: Kings vs. Blues - 1/2/2013 - Regulation Loss, 5-0

[CowMix]

Regehr, Mitchell and Greene are starting to seem redundant. At this point in their careers they all seem to be third pairing shutdown defensman.

Muzzin and Martinez are also redundant as third pairing puck movers. We are missing elite defenseman to play with Doughty and Voynov. I don't know if we have the cap space to fix it this season though. Muzzin is not skilled enough defensively to be a top pairing player in our system, maybe in Washington.

 

[Oh Snap]

For those of you fans who are off the bandwagon again, much as you were at the beginning of the season, go **** yourselves and root for the Ducks or Sharks. I am tired of reading your ****.

For those of you who are serious like me and know this team will be there in the end; well, we were never bandwaggoners to be begin with. So join me in kicking the naysayers off.

Thank you all for reading.

Much respect Ron, but fans are allowed to be upset when there team fails to perform or show any desire to win. I'm not about to give up on this team, not by a long shot, but it sure is frustrating watching a team get out coached and out played on the ice. Emotions get the best of everyone in this sport, including the fans.

Calling people "bandwagoners" because they show frustration isn't a fair way to go about it.

 

[Ron*]

Much respect Ron, but fans are allowed to be upset when there team fails to perform or show any desire to win. I'm not about to give up on this team, not by a long shot, but it sure is frustrating watching a team get out coached and out played on the ice. Emotions get the best of everyone in this sport, including the fans.

Calling people "bandwagoners" because they show frustration isn't a fair way to go about it.

Of course, most of my posts in this fashion are a little tongue-in-cheek, but I do feel this way for the most part.

As far as the bolded part goes, Sutter has out-coached Hitchcock pretty regularly for the past three seasons, using the Blues as a ****-scraping mat in the playoffs. He is allowed to have an off-night and let Hitch finally take one, IMO. No one is perfect. Let's not jump on him because he is human.

 

[Muzzinga]

Doesn't mean anything , what is killing the Kings is Dustin Brown , and Mike Richards playing like they should be healthy Scratches. Unless those guys pick it up....The Kings are fu%#$ed. Cuase that would mean two top six players the Kings would need to replace.

The defense is fine . But six goals in five games and only one PP goal says it all.

Martinez helps the offence hugely though. He ensures the 3rd pairing end a majority of their ice time in the offensive or neutral zone. Meaning our scoring lines can start their shifts in the offensive zone and generate chances. The Greene Mitchell pairing get trapped in their own zone, meaning Kopitar has to come out and waste shifts just getting the puck out of our zone against top lines, instead of starting the the offensive zone against 3rd lines

Its a trickle down effect. With all 3 defensive pairs keeping the puck in the other end, the Kings as a whole generate more chances. With a 3rd pairing incapable of getting out of their zone, the rest of the team has to start in the defensive zone more, and end up taking more penalties playing long defensive shifts

I think id like to see Mitchell put back with Doughty. Regehr kept with Voynov, then Martinez and Muzzin together on a 3rd pair given all the soft minutes

 

[deeshamrock]

Sutter from Jan 2 Morning Skate Comments


On Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown being named to the U.S. Olympic team:
It wasn’t a surprise. Basically, they’ve said that for six months that those guys were on the team. I was disappointed that Lewie didn’t make it...[/I]

On whether the adjusted lines indicate an effort to get more from the third and fourth lines:
I mean, I don’t know who the ‘third and fourth lines’ are, so unless you know something I don’t

 

[KingKopitar11*]

Sutter from Jan 2 Morning Skate Comments


On Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown being named to the U.S. Olympic team:
It wasn’t a surprise. Basically, they’ve said that for six months that those guys were on the team. I was disappointed that Lewie didn’t make it...[/I]

On whether the adjusted lines indicate an effort to get more from the third and fourth lines:
I mean, I don’t know who the ‘third and fourth lines’ are, so unless you know something I don’t

He didn't need to tell us he didn't know, it's quite obvious during games.

 

[KINGS17]

I could see it on the first goal. Jones didn't get his body to post, just a skate which they took advantage of.

The second goal was a big rebound..

Scrivens played like crap.



Still doesn't explain the lack of production on offense though. They didn't lose 5-4, 5-3, 5-2, or even 5-1. They lost 5-0. The goalie isn't gonna score a goal.

The 2nd goal was on a deflected shot that never got through to Jones. Jones had no chance on that goal. Just a bad bounce for the Kings on that one.

There was no reason to pull Jones last night after the 2nd goal, and what happened with Scrivens in goal was all too predictable.

 

[Basilisk]

Has this team finally learned to tune-out Sutter? Is that Sutter's life expectancy for this team? Two years and done?

 

[KINGS17]

Has this team finally learned to tune-out Sutter? Is that Sutter's life expectancy for this team? Two years and done?

They're stupid if they have tuned him out. This team has to play a certain way to win, and Sutter has already proven that he has that recipe. It's not Sutter's fault that Brown and Richards have not played well as of late.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

**** it, I'm gonna look at it like this:

The Kings are 14-6-4 since Quick has went down.....and let's not forget how important Quick has been to this team over the past 3 years, we all felt a little doomed after that Buffalo game. So, how many of you would be jumping for joy if you knew that was the record the Kings would be putting up after that?

Kings were fortunate to get VERY hot playing their backup goaltenders, and now they're very cold. Still a LOT of games to play and it's too hard to assess the future until Quick comes back.

With that said, bring Vey back up, Martinez over Greene and put Carter back with Richards.

 

[BigKing]

Sutter is just laying the groundwork for Quick's return by crapping on the backups who everyone is in love with. It's obvious that Jones wasn't playing bad and I refuse to believe he actually thinks they are the main reason for the loss, although Scrivens was trash tonight.

He is harsh on goaltending in the press; always has been. He doesn't heap praise on the players very much except for a select group of guys with everyone else being open for a media tear down. I don't read too much in to it.

Everyone should go take a look at the highlights of the Monarchs 5-2 win from 12/29/13. Look at that skilled guy wearing #9, look at the plays he makes and then try to figure out why the **** he isn't on this team. I'm not going to be stupid and start calling for 3-4 guys from down there, but Linden Vey is NHL ready and, more importantly, brings skill to a team that is severely lacking in the scoring department.

 

[bmr]

**** it, I'm gonna look at it like this:

The Kings are 14-6-4 since Quick has went down.....and let's not forget how important Quick has been to this team over the past 3 years, we all felt a little doomed after that Buffalo game. So, how many of you would be jumping for joy if you knew that was the record the Kings would be putting up after that?

Kings were fortunate to get VERY hot playing their backup goaltenders, and now they're very cold. Still a LOT of games to play and it's too hard to assess the future until Quick comes back.

With that said, bring Vey back up, Martinez over Greene and put Carter back with Richards.

I don't think it's a big secret why we are starting to lose. Early in the season, we weren't playing that great but found a way to win the shootouts. Once we had some injuries and modified the lineup, we were playing great. Now, we've inserted some of these knuckleheads and we suck again.

Martinez definitely adds a dimension to this team that we need. Remember the pairings from the Stanley Cup run. Always need a puck mover with a stay at home guy. I'm not sold on resigning Greene next year.

 

[redcard]

Is it ****ed up that I kind of enjoyed that?

We needed someone to kick us while we were down a bit, we've played so well through the first half of the season that we started to look a bit complacent. The team knew they had to step up when Quick went down but that novelty wore off.

We're in a rut, we got our ass kicked, now lets see how the team responds.

 

[deeshamrock]

**** it, I'm gonna look at it like this:

The Kings are 14-6-4 since Quick has went down.....and let's not forget how important Quick has been to this team over the past 3 years, we all felt a little doomed after that Buffalo game. So, how many of you would be jumping for joy if you knew that was the record the Kings would be putting up after that?

Kings were fortunate to get VERY hot playing their backup goaltenders, and now they're very cold. Still a LOT of games to play and it's too hard to assess the future until Quick comes back.

With that said, bring Vey back up, Martinez over Greene and put Carter back with Richards.

Greene's starting to worry me, and I don't think it's any coincidence that the team plays better and their record is better with AMart in and him out. It seems he takes a lot of penalties and almost a nightly basis. And the PK seemed to be much better when he wasn't on it.
But for some reason, I get the feeling that Sutter doesn't like AMart.

20-5-4 with Martinez in the lineup
12-12 with Greene IN the lineup
13-1-4 with Greene OUT of the lineup

And to echo what others have said, I miss Vey. I'd rather have him getting even 4th line minute wand learning the NHL game , it sure as hell couldn't hurt.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Is it ****ed up that I kind of enjoyed that?

We needed someone to kick us while we were down a bit, we've played so well through the first half of the season that we started to look a bit complacent. The team knew they had to step up when Quick went down but that novelty wore off.

We're in a rut, we got our ass kicked, now lets see how the team responds.

This. And I think many of us in the GDT were hoping they piled it on when it was clear the game wasn't going our way. a 3-2 loss isn't nearly as embarrassing/shaking as a 5-0 thumping no matter what you did right (which wasn't much--but you know if it was 3-2 we'd get a lot of "just a bounce here and there, work on special teams, etc.").

Of course, most of my posts in this fashion are a little tongue-in-cheek, but I do feel this way for the most part.

As far as the bolded part goes, Sutter has out-coached Hitchcock pretty regularly for the past three seasons, using the Blues as a ****-scraping mat in the playoffs. He is allowed to have an off-night and let Hitch finally take one, IMO. No one is perfect. Let's not jump on him because he is human.

So, so true. If there was ever a time to get a loss to the Blues out of our system, it was now.

 

[theMajor]

lets hope this game sits as poorly with the players as it does with the fans, and that they take that sting and use it as means to fire themselves up against the Canucks

 

[Reclamation Project]

There is simply no excuse to have Alec Martinez not playing. That is the only decision that I have a problem with. He gives us a better chance to win as his record in the lineup proves. It's a ****ing joke that he's in and out of the lineup while other, lesser talented and impactful players, are in it.

 

[bmr]

There is simply no excuse to have Alec Martinez not playing. That is the only decision that I have a problem with. He gives us a better chance to win as his record in the lineup proves. It's a ****ing joke that he's in and out of the lineup while other, lesser talented and impactful players, are in it.

I was just talking to my GF the other day about wishing I was in the media. I'm sure Sutter would come up with some B.S. reason why we have a better record with Martinez in the lineup. I know Greene was part of the Stanley cup run - but he was on a pairing with Martinez. Martinez definitely gets way too much crap...it would suck to lose this guy. I understand the dilemma that Sutter faces, though..you can't take out those veteran guys..so it's either Muzzin or Martinez. Really unfortunate. We can't put out a hit on Greene

 

[KingsHockey24]

Watch us get smoked against Vancouver 6-0 loss and blame it all on someone..

 

[Reclamation Project]

I was just talking to my GF the other day about wishing I was in the media. I'm sure Sutter would come up with some B.S. reason why we have a better record with Martinez in the lineup. I know Greene was part of the Stanley cup run - but he was on a pairing with Martinez. Martinez definitely gets way too much crap...it would suck to lose this guy. I understand the dilemma that Sutter faces, though..you can't take out those veteran guys..so it's either Muzzin or Martinez. Really unfortunate. We can't put out a hit on Greene

I want...

Doughty - Muzzin
Mitchell - Voynov
Greene - Martinez

 

[kingsfansince1967]

Okay, now do we panic?

Not now, but if we don't get out of this slump during the upcoming home streak, yes we do.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Greene was hot garbage last night. I'm really disappointed in his play.

I also am a Martinez fan, and I cannot fathom him NOT going into the lineup after this trip. Muzzin may be better with Doughty, but Martinez is better everywhere else in the lineup.

 

[kingsfansince1967]

Okay, now do we panic?

Not now, but if we don't get out of this slump during the upcoming home streak, yes we do.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

"I'm disappointed Lewis didn't make the Olympic team."

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's a bit eye popping to see so many players struggling all at the same time. Brown and Lewis have been bad all season long, but now you have Williams playing like crap, Regehr and Greene are both crapping the bed, Mitchell has been slowing down. Only one line is sustaining any offensive zone pressure and the rest are only able to dump the puck without the chase, and that's about it. The special teams has been garbage, and we're seeing some questionable decisions being made by Sutter in his treatment of the goaltenders.

I'm wondering if they need some fresh blood that hasn't been tainted yet to be put back in the lineup. As others have pointed out, we have too many redundant players and need more variance in the lineup like a Linden Vey who was able to inject some offensive flair to the bottom six.

At this point, I'd much prefer to have Carcillo in the lineup over Lewis and Clifford. I thought him, Vey and Nolan were doing just fine until the coaching staff elected to sit Carcillo and send Vey down. Lewis is simply too weak to play center. He's better suited as a wing but he's only good for chasing and pressuring and not much else.

If we are to hold players accountable, then Dustin Brown shouldn't be anywhere near the top six, let alone the top nine. He has been one of the worst players on the ice every night since the start of the season.