Too Little, Too Leht

[Axl Rhoadz]

Once again, this team can't figure out who they are. If this Kings team is in fact an 'elite' team, they are the streakiest elite team I've ever seen.....because elite teams don't lose 4 in a row.

I'd like to blame it on injuries, but everyone is healthy and our backups are playing better than Quick did before he went down.

I don't like Carter with Kopitar and I never have. Put Williams back up there already.

Oh yeah, one more thing, for God's sake Lombardi, put Brown's name back in the trade rumor mill!

 

[deeshamrock]

But I do agree with you dee it doesn't help when you have no left winger and that's Dl's fault.

I don't know, maybe he just needs to get into better shape. I wonder what his work ethic is off the ice.

He's never been a good skater, going all the way back to Juniors. he's never been a skilled or speedy guy. I know he's listed as 5'11 and 195 but having seen him at Flyers' Charity events, that's generous.
What he gets, is off of IQ and hustle. I've known that since his first games in the AHL and it's because I (as a long time, long long time fan of the sport) recognize and appreciate what he's been able to achieve to the degree he has and under the highest pressure in the sport despite the fact he's not fast, doesn't have a skilled shot . (Olympics, World Juniors, Mem cup, Calder Cup and Stanley Cup) ; to be a leader in each of these accomplishments and the only player in NHL history to do so with the tools he has is admirable.
But he's not a skilled player, he never was ; he gets to where he's gotten from playing all balls and heart and having a mean streak and a nasty side and a sharp set of fangs. And he's an exceptional leader, players/teammates love playing for and with him because there's nothing he won't do to win or to defend them. How far would the Kings have gotten last spring without him when Kopi and Brown were on the side of a milk carton and the 3 line was MIA? That was all IQ and hustle and heart. And because of his stature , and that he plays physical, is not afraid to go into corners for a puck , despite the size and weight of the opponent that will crash into him, it does take a toll.
None more evident than in the 2010 playoffs, when being the best player (17 pts in 12 games and physically being a beast every shift) he had to go 7 games every shift vs Chara, 10 inches taller and 80 lbs heavier. Every time he went into the corner, Chara smashed him, shift in shift out for 7 games. Every time he stood in front of hten et Chara hit the back of his legs and his back with that stick and Richards never backed down. His guts, his teammates watching what he sacrificed, inspired them (as Briere pointed out) and it got them to the next round but it finished him for the playoffs. Other than game 5 vs the Habs, which he was all world, he was done. But it didn't stop him for going what he knew was his job as a leader.

So I'm used to him getting banged up during the year and slowing down. When he does get banged up and you can see it (or at least I can, from years of experience) in how he skates.

He was off to a great start, the best I've seen him play since 2009, but something happened right before thanksgiving time and it showed in his skating and effort.
I noticed in the last 3 games, that has changed and his skating is better.
And being put back on the 2nd line with skilled veteran players will help ALOT.
He was not going to produce on the 3rd line with a rookie and no LW. That was a tall order and Sutter finally realized that and did the right thing and move him back up to where he has better tools work with. He's a better center than Stoll and that line , the more they play together, will be better because of it.

I disagree about the SH breakaway last night, Carter knew where Richards was and his pass was not on target it was a bit ahead (and rolling) . Richards did the best he could with what was there.

 

[moosehead81]

The problem with Richards is that he gets slower every year, and this year it's gotten really bad. He's so slow, that when he finds himself in an advantageous offensive situation he can't even take advantage of it.

He's also not anywhere near as good defensively as he used to be. Outside of Lewis, he has the worst +/- on the team of any player that sees regular ice time.

Kopitar had 17 points in the first 18 games of the season.

Yah- trade him while you can get something for him (throw Carter into the package too). We know how well that went for Philadelphia. If I remember 2010 correctly, Mike Richards was having a horrible year when he was selected for the Olympic team and led the Flyers to the SCFs'. So Mike Richards doesn't worry me when you've had a rookie and a slug on your wings for some portion of your season.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

4th straight loss. How much more for mass suicide on this board?

Upon further review, we're closer than I thought.

We've moved firmly into the "Trade everyone not named Kopitar" phase.

One more loss to St. Louis will be the "trade everyone, and fire staff" dumpster fire.

A loss to Vancouver will be the mass exodus phase, both by "ugh, I quit" and probably bannings

 

[Moses Doughty]

Once again, this team can't figure out who they are. If this Kings team is in fact an 'elite' team, they are the streakiest elite team I've ever seen.....because elite teams don't lose 4 in a row.

Using last season, two elite teams (St. Louis and San Jose) had 5 and 7 game losing streaks respectively. San Jose won 2 of their 12 February games after starting 7-0. Even Chicago had an extended period of sub .500 play after their amazing start.

Remember this is the first time the Kings lost back to back games since the beginning of the entire season. Only time losing more than two in a row all year. After an amazing stretch of games ever since Quick got hurt. The Kings were 14-2-3 ever since Quick got hurt. Even with this losing streak. That's still a 110 point pace. Losing streaks happen.

 

[Kingspiracy]

Once again, this team can't figure out who they are. If this Kings team is in fact an 'elite' team, they are the streakiest elite team I've ever seen.....because elite teams don't lose 4 in a row.

I'd like to blame it on injuries, but everyone is healthy and our backups are playing better than Quick did before he went down.

I don't like Carter with Kopitar and I never have. Put Williams back up there already.

Oh yeah, one more thing, for God's sake Lombardi, put Brown's name back in the trade rumor mill!

I'd prefer Sutter to put Carter on Richards line and spread the offense a bit. I'd even give Toffoli a sniff on the 1st line with Kopi. Alternate between Williams and Toffoli so theres less pressure on Toffoli. I think I would sit Fraser and suit Carcillo.

King/Kopi/Jdub(Toff)
Brown/(Carcillo)/Richards/Carter
Carcillo(Brown)/Stoll/Toffoli(Jdub)
Clifford/Lewis/Nolan

 

[KingsFan7824]

Once again, this team can't figure out who they are. If this Kings team is in fact an 'elite' team, they are the streakiest elite team I've ever seen.....because elite teams don't lose 4 in a row.

I'd like to blame it on injuries, but everyone is healthy and our backups are playing better than Quick did before he went down.

I don't like Carter with Kopitar and I never have. Put Williams back up there already.

Oh yeah, one more thing, for God's sake Lombardi, put Brown's name back in the trade rumor mill!

The best records in the league over the years have lost somewhere around 30 games in some fashion. It's a long season. 4 in a row, or 2 here and 2 there, in the big picture, what's the difference?

Dallas, Nashville, and Chicago. Those 3 teams have given the Kings problems in recent years. They happened to play them in 4 consecutive games. 3 of which were on the road, with a back to back in there.

If all that makes the Kings a non-elite team, oh well. The obsession with the word elite is weird. It doesn't get you anything unless you win.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

The best records in the league over the years have lost somewhere around 30 games in some fashion. It's a long season. 4 in a row, or 2 here and 2 there, in the big picture, what's the difference?

Dallas, Nashville, and Chicago. Those 3 teams have given the Kings problems in recent years. They happened to play them in 4 consecutive games. 3 of which were on the road, with a back to back in there.

If all that makes the Kings a non-elite team, oh well. The obsession with the word elite is weird. It doesn't get you anything unless you win.

I could care less about 'elite' either....what I would like to see is the Kings finally finishing with home-ice advantage, that should be the goal, period.

 

[deeshamrock]

I could care less about 'elite' either....what I would like to see is the Kings finally finishing with home-ice advantage, that should be the goal, period.

I wanted that too, like most Kings fans, but they are now 9 pts back from the top slot in the division and that's a long hill to climb.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I could care less about 'elite' either....what I would like to see is the Kings finally finishing with home-ice advantage, that should be the goal, period.

Which I'm sure it is.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I wanted that too, like most Kings fans, but they are now 9 pts back from the top slot in the division and that's a long hill to climb.

If Anaheim is going to keep up a 123 point pace, which would be the best record since Detroit in 05-06, what can you do? Even that Detroit team lost 9 games in regulation at home that year. The Ducks are bound to lose a few games at home in regulation, but if they don't, and unless they really start sucking on the road, they won't be caught.

The Kings went up 3-0 in every series in 2012. They went 10-0 on the road before losing. Like the Ducks at home this year, these are things that aren't done, and can't be predicted, and if they happen, that's just how it goes.

 

[Herby]

Richards was struggling and having a rookie on one side and nothing on the other was a large part of that and something Sutter finally realized and corrected by putting Stoll back where he belongs on the 3rd line.
Richards, as Sutter noted, has been better since then and played a good game last night. And any line is an equal share of 3 players. Brown is trying but still struggling and that is affecting that line for now, but that line looked better last night and will tomorrow , playing together more will help.
And Richards was the best center on this team for the first 18 games or so when Kopi was struggling. Every player has peaks and valleys.

When Sutter decided to move Carter to the 1st line, It created an imbalance with the roster he has now. I understand the premise of that decision, to have your most talented winger with your top center, but with the players had left and chose to put on the 2nd line, the other half of a top 6, that's not going to give you regular production on a gamely basis., and it hasn't. Stoll is not a top 6 player and that line did have some mted success, and that was due to Williams.
HAd he kept Carter wit Richards and Williams with Kopi, that gives you 2 lines with the threat to score due to talent not 1 .
SUtter likes his big line and that's fine, but he's counting on that line doing most of the scoring and for the majority of the games they've played, that hasn't panned out. IF DL does get an upgrade at LW,the team would hav a better chance of reg. scoring success rather than banking on the top line all the time.

So, pretty much Richards being an offensive force is dependent on playing with Carter?

I agree, and it's why I think Richards is pretty overrated, if he was as great as so many think he would be able to anchor his own line, and he clearly can't right now, not even a 2nd line. There is no reason with as much money they are paying Brown and Richards that they shouldn't be able to form a championship caliber 2nd line, Mike Richards shouldn't need Jeff Carter to create offense.

Kopitar and Carter are together because they are by far the Kings most dynamic players, Sutter plays them together because he needs to have an elite #1 line to win the West, he has that, now the ball is on Lombardi to add to the other lines, although it won't matter if 23 and 10 can't get back to championship level play.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Saying #10 and #23 have been playing the same hockey this season is pretty ridiculous.

And I'm not a fan of having Carter on the top line. The offense is far too top heavy.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Richards leads the Kings with 22 assists and is second in team scoring with 28 points. That puts him at 32nd overall among centers in the entire league in scoring and 15th in the NHL among centers. He has more points than the likes of Kesler, O'Reilly, Stastny, Stepan, B. Richards, Bergeron, Plekanec, Fisher, J. Staal, etc. He's producing as expected.

Sure, he may have hit a slump of late, but look at how he's been put to play with different sets of wingers throughout the season, and he's still putting up more than respectable numbers.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Compared to Brown's whopping 13 points.

 

[Herby]

Richards leads the Kings with 22 assists and is second in team scoring with 28 points. That puts him at 32nd overall among centers in the entire league in scoring and 15th in the NHL among centers. He has more points than the likes of Kesler, O'Reilly, Stastny, Stepan, B. Richards, Bergeron, Plekanec, Fisher, J. Staal, etc. He's producing as expected.

Sure, he may have hit a slump of late, but look at how he's been put to play with different sets of wingers throughout the season, and he's still putting up more than respectable numbers.

His numbers are good with Carter, he can form a good 2nd line with Carter, what I am worried about is his offensive game at ES without Carter. Mike Richards should be capable of forming a 2nd line with Brown and Williams or Brown and Toffoli or Toffoli and a potential new player via trade.

And you are correct RP, Richards has been much better than Brown, no question about it, but it is kind of alarming to see how much less effective he is without Carter. Again there is no reason he should be so reliant on Carter to create offensive 5 on 5. Richards and Brown should be more than capable of leading the Kings charge on 2nd line.

And ZS, while you mention his 22 assists you fail to mention his 6 goals in 41 games, a 12 goal season just isn't going to cut it for a 6 mill a year 2nd line center. Richards has 1 goal in his past 25 games, that's awful.

Last 10 games, 0G, 1 A, -5

 

[Reclamation Project]

His numbers are good with Carter, he can form a good 2nd line with Carter, what I am worried about is his offensive game at ES without Carter. Mike Richards should be capable of forming a 2nd line with Brown and Williams or Brown and Toffoli or Toffoli and a potential new player via trade.

And you are correct RP, Richards has been much better than Brown, no question about it, but it is kind of alarming to see how much less effective he is without Carter. Again there is no reason he should be so reliant on Carter to create offensive 5 on 5. Richards and Brown should be more than capable of leading the Kings charge on 2nd line.

And ZS, while you mention his 22 assists you fail to mention his 6 goals in 41 games, a 12 goal season just isn't going to cut it for a 6 mill a year 2nd line center. Richards has 1 goal in his past 25 games, that's awful.

I'd love to see a line of: Trade-Richards-Toffoli

It amazes how useless DB is this year.

 

[Whiskeypete]

i've always seen Richards as a player that just flips the switch. he goes stretches (like now) where he is absent, then at some point down the stretch he just goes into playoff mode. face it he isn't that big physically, but he does play a physically big game once his motor gets going. personally i don't think his body can take 50-60 games, plus the playoffs playing the way he does late in the season. i think he intentionally plays 'soft' to preserve himself.

MR's best games are when he plays physically, with and edge and up ice. currently he isn't playing this way, due to my 'theory' and also because i think his linemates keep changing. he is playing a safer and higher zone coverage to be third man back, which is always a priority for a center.

his best games also usually mean he is first/second man on the forecheck, where he can utilize his IQ and physicality to create turnovers. we aren't seeing this presently either. he is effective with Carter because they always know what each will do in forecheck - turnover situation. the two of them are a lethal two man combo on a forecheck. there is something to say about chemistry due to familiarity, not to mention both having great IQ and skill sets.

MR is in a funk presently, but he is one of the last guys on this team i worry about. i expect him at some point during the 20 -30 games remaining to go into his usual beast mode.

i want to see Brown put out there with Richards and Carter. Carter will get Richards going. Carter-Richards will in turn get Brownie going.

keep King Kong with Kopitar and move JW back with them. that will balance out the scoring. DS's "elite" line theory is ********. if it was so effective, then why have they scored 9 in the last 5 and lost four in a row?

 

[Herby]

The first line is fine.

The problem is the Kings secondary players absolutely suck right now, Brown 13 points all year, a non factor, looks like he is playing hockey with 3 wood. Richards non-existent at even strength, 1 goal in 25, 1 assist in 10, while playing terrible defensive hockey.

And then you add in the horrific bottom six the Kings employ with the likes of Lewis, Clifford and Fraser and you aren't going to get any offense from them.

That is why the Kings need to add atleast one skilled player to the team, maybe two.

King- Kopitar- Carter are fine, that is the one line the Kings have, a first line to go to battle with, it's all the other lines that need to step up.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Exactly. Brown can rot on the bench for all I care at this point. Outside of one miracle run in 2012 he's the most overrated player in Kings history. He gives the team a reputation of being divers and cheap shotters and it's no mystery why the Kings have been given a surprising lack of power play opportunities this year.

 

[deeshamrock]

So, pretty much Richards being an offensive force is dependent on playing with Carter? .

No, that's not what I said, that's what you read. Richards is more effective with top 6 veteran wingers, which Carter was when they played together. That was my point which you didn't want to read.
And your mancrush on the Kopi and Carter has been noted every time you seem to feel the need to repeat it. But it doesn't make them better, for now, just top heavy. And there no more effective as a team or winning more or scoring more as a result.

 

[deeshamrock]

Saying #10 and #23 have been playing the same hockey this season is pretty ridiculous.

And I'm not a fan of having Carter on the top line. The offense is far too top heavy.

Yes, it is and Sutter is aware of that. And it hasn't made them more effective, scoring more or winning more games. With the roster they have now, he's banking far too much on that line to those 2 goals theteam averages every game.
And maybe he knows something we don't about the trade situation.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

I have an idea. Double shift Carter on the first and second line. He's a fit guy. That way Richards will do better and Kopitar has his shooter. Lol.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

He's never been a good skater, going all the way back to Juniors. he's never been a skilled or speedy guy. I know he's listed as 5'11 and 195 but having seen him at Flyers' Charity events, that's generous.
What he gets, is off of IQ and hustle. I've known that since his first games in the AHL and it's because I (as a long time, long long time fan of the sport) recognize and appreciate what he's been able to achieve to the degree he has and under the highest pressure in the sport despite the fact he's not fast, doesn't have a skilled shot . (Olympics, World Juniors, Mem cup, Calder Cup and Stanley Cup) ; to be a leader in each of these accomplishments and the only player in NHL history to do so with the tools he has is admirable.
But he's not a skilled player, he never was ; he gets to where he's gotten from playing all balls and heart and having a mean streak and a nasty side and a sharp set of fangs. And he's an exceptional leader, players/teammates love playing for and with him because there's nothing he won't do to win or to defend them. How far would the Kings have gotten last spring without him when Kopi and Brown were on the side of a milk carton and the 3 line was MIA? That was all IQ and hustle and heart. And because of his stature , and that he plays physical, is not afraid to go into corners for a puck , despite the size and weight of the opponent that will crash into him, it does take a toll.
None more evident than in the 2010 playoffs, when being the best player (17 pts in 12 games and physically being a beast every shift) he had to go 7 games every shift vs Chara, 10 inches taller and 80 lbs heavier. Every time he went into the corner, Chara smashed him, shift in shift out for 7 games. Every time he stood in front of hten et Chara hit the back of his legs and his back with that stick and Richards never backed down. His guts, his teammates watching what he sacrificed, inspired them (as Briere pointed out) and it got them to the next round but it finished him for the playoffs. Other than game 5 vs the Habs, which he was all world, he was done. But it didn't stop him for going what he knew was his job as a leader.

So I'm used to him getting banged up during the year and slowing down. When he does get banged up and you can see it (or at least I can, from years of experience) in how he skates.

He was off to a great start, the best I've seen him play since 2009, but something happened right before thanksgiving time and it showed in his skating and effort.
I noticed in the last 3 games, that has changed and his skating is better.
And being put back on the 2nd line with skilled veteran players will help ALOT.
He was not going to produce on the 3rd line with a rookie and no LW. That was a tall order and Sutter finally realized that and did the right thing and move him back up to where he has better tools work with. He's a better center than Stoll and that line , the more they play together, will be better because of it.

I disagree about the SH breakaway last night, Carter knew where Richards was and his pass was not on target it was a bit ahead (and rolling) . Richards did the best he could with what was there.

I know it was a tough pass but if he just had a little more hustle he would of got that imo.

So let me ask you this, you have to at least admit that Richards for some strange reason looks slower than usual. I don't know why. When he went on that five game beast mode, he was pretty fast. He's just playing really slow now.

 

[deeshamrock]

I have an idea. Double shift Carter on the first and second line. He's a fit guy. That way Richards will do better and Kopitar has his shooter. Lol.

or maybe they can clone him. There has to be some far out scientist type in SoCal that has the ability to do that. We could have RW's and LW's ...no more problems.