Vegas Golden Knights Defeat LA Kings 4-0 and Advance to Western Conference Semi Finals

[HanSolo]

Theyre going to the cup finals, tbh wouldnt be surprised if they won it all. Craziest story in sports history if they do.

Up there but I'll still take the Miracle on Ice or Leicester City.

Vegas does have the compelling plot line of this happening in response to a horrendous tragedy and uplifting their city though.

 

[HanSolo]

Or the Penguins will put an end to another surprise western conference opponent.

Well they have to get to the finals first. Not exactly the most certain eventuality.

 

[neXis]

Again, LA never got blown out. LA played well. I picked Vegas in 6, I did not expect a sweep. It was a boring defensive chess game throughout the entire series. Vegas just got the crucial first goal in the game that was a difference maker. They just had to protect the lead.

Both Vegas and LA had horrible offense.

 

[OttawaKing]

1:55 - 1:58
I have decided to believe that had this gone in, LA would've won the series.
If this was 2012 against the Blues, Brown WOULD'VE actually scored too...

 

[PensandCaps]

Well they have to get to the finals first. Not exactly the most certain eventuality.

Like their chances alot in round 2. But round 3 is where they will be challenged. Jets or Preds have the Capability to run 4 lines but with better top end players and a better Dcore. Who knows, maybe the Avs pull of something crazy and they meet in round 3..

 

[Choralone]

Lol at all the Ottawa fans piling in here to make this about Doughty somehow.

 

[Talon70]

better ? I'm not convinced. I'd say almost as good as MAF and better by a mile than every other goalie in the playoffs, but Fleury was en fuego.
A bad bounce here or there could have changed the Quick:MAF pecking order but as it stands, I can't see a case for Quick outplaying MAF.

you can't blame MAF for not stopping the shots he didn't see.

Fleury played well but the Kings generated far less quality shots than the Golden Knights. When they did have a man open (like Brown in game 1) the puck bounced away. The Kings did not have a scoring chance like McNabb had in game 4, or Neal and Karlsson had in game 3, not even close to those type of chances. If they did the series wouldn't be over.

 

[Blue Goose]

I could say he was the equal tender in this series. Neither goalie let one by they shouldn't have.

I don't know, Neal's goal in Game 3 should have probably been stopped. Just check Quick's reaction - he doesn't even move and just drops his head and puts his hands down on his lap, after allowing the tie-breaking goal with 5 minutes to go.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

"Let's just wait and see"
-----------------------------

1) 8-2 start to the season. Ehh small sample size for the Knights, let's just wait and see.
2) Halfway through the season. Leading the Western Conference, ehh let's just wait and see.
3) Then leading the Pacific and winning the Pacific, ehh let's just wait and see.

Don't wait too long or you'll miss it.

This.. ... Even on paper at the beginning of the season, they lacked high end talent, but didn't have any glaring weaknesses. (If anything, it would be the D) Once guys started emerging as greater players in their new roles, it's a lot clearer; the team is well built, deep, and capable.

I don't bet on sports much, but Vegas has given me about a 9/10 record this last season on a variety of wagers. (And a reason to watch hockey as a Canucks fan)

 

[Osprey]

Fleury played well but the Kings generated far less quality shots than the Golden Knights. When they did have a man open (like Brown in game 1) the puck bounced away. The Kings did not have a scoring chance like McNabb had in game 4, or Neal and Karlsson had in game 3, not even close to those type of chances. If they did the series wouldn't be over.

I'd say that Kopitar's chance in OT was at least as good as Neal's, and Toffoli's was as good as Karlsson's. The difference is that Quick allowed Neal's shot while Fleury stopped Kopitar's and Karlsson successfully picked the top corner while Toffoli couldn't lift the puck 8 inches off of the ice. Overall, the Knights had more chances, but I don't agree that the Kings didn't have chances similar to the ones that the Knights scored on. The Kings just didn't finish theirs and/or Fleury stopped them.

 

[Hal 9000]

Most expansion teams going back to the early 90's had the same thought process, draft the best player and insert him immediately, grab a couple has beens, some grinders, make a side deal for a Past his prime star goalie and play the most defensive style known to man...collect picks for a couple years.

From day one, Vegas said they were drafting speedy players, good skaters and were gonna play run and gun hockey....guess what? So far it has worked out pretty good.

 

[aemoreira1981]

What’s the going rate on crow? I need a good helping of crow as I had picked this series as an upset special for the Kings.

 

[Hal 9000]

He's one of the precious few reasons we even had a shot, but the boxscore watchers won't see that.


For the series he was 57% CF, which was nearly 11% relative to team. No other LA d-man--not even his partners--came close. Next closest was Dion at 50%.

Relative zone start ration of nearly -10%, worst on the Kings, being hard matched against the top lines of other teams.

Dude completely tilted the ice and shut down the competition when he was on. We definitely needed more scoring from our top guys, and you can include Doughty in that crowd, but to pretend he's the reason we lost when he did as much creation from the back end as he could given the minutes he got is rough. Look at the flow of the game in G2 when he was missing vs. the other games. It's not an accident.

It's fun that you send out a thinly veiled insult to boxscore watchers, then proceed to base your entire argument on what a stat sheet tells you.
Anyway, the flow of the games wasn't dictated by Doughty, the flow changed because after 2 games of the Kings trying to intimidate the Knights, they realized they were 2 games down and should try playing hockey. It was entirely predictble.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It's fun that you send out a thinly veiled insult to boxscore watchers, then proceed to base your entire argument on what a stat sheet tells you.
Anyway, the flow of the games wasn't dictated by Doughty, the flow changed because after 2 games of the Kings trying to intimidate the Knights, they realized they were 2 games down and should try playing hockey. It was entirely predictble.

What did I say that was inaccurate?

The flow of the Kings' play was dictated heavily by Doughty and anyone watching could see that, I'm just supporting it. I can cite plays all day--the pass to Toffoli in the slot, the various one-man breakouts, the breaking up of oddman breaks on his end, then making a move around another forechecker to start an oddman rush the other way. No other d-man on the Kings came remotely close to his effect in transition and offense after playing great defense. The rest of the guys collapsed, and some could get the puck out to a good degree, but Doughty was the only one who really got the play moving effectively consistently.

You've been going out of your way to be offended by me all week man.

 

[powerstuck]

"Let's just wait and see"
-----------------------------

1) 8-2 start to the season. Ehh small sample size for the Knights, let's just wait and see.
2) Halfway through the season. Leading the Western Conference, ehh let's just wait and see.
3) Then leading the Pacific and winning the Pacific, ehh let's just wait and see.

Don't wait too long or you'll miss it.

Don't get me wrong. On my NHL bracket I am calling for Golden Knights vs Jets in Western final. Either of the two teams making the final/winning the cup would make me happy. Obviously my heart hope they also meet my Bruins in the final so I avoid deception.

 

[kingsfan28]

1:55 - 1:58
I have decided to believe that had this gone in, LA would've won the series.
If this was 2012 against the Blues, Brown WOULD'VE actually scored too...

Yeah, it probably would've.Never seen a series where the puck wouldn't go in for the Kings. Sometimes the hockey gods are kind, other times they give you the double middle finger and tell you not this year.

 

[RickyHP]

i really dont understand why everyone is so surprised. its not like VGK just swept the 07-08 wings

 

[The Gongshow]

Vegas, you mad lads. You actually swept em!

 

[c9777666]

If you told me before this series that the Kings would allow 7 goals in 4 games, I’d have figured LA would be up 3-1 or a tied 2-2 series.

I did NOT think the Kings would only score 3 goals, especially considering their regular season offensive improvement from recent years.

 

[Hal 9000]

What did I say that was inaccurate?

The flow of the Kings' play was dictated heavily by Doughty and anyone watching could see that, I'm just supporting it. I can cite plays all day--the pass to Toffoli in the slot, the various one-man breakouts, the breaking up of oddman breaks on his end, then making a move around another forechecker to start an oddman rush the other way. No other d-man on the Kings came remotely close to his effect in transition and offense after playing great defense. The rest of the guys collapsed, and some could get the puck out to a good degree, but Doughty was the only one who really got the play moving effectively consistently.

You've been going out of your way to be offended by me all week man.

I'm well aware of who Drew Doughty is and what he can bring to a game, you might want to read my article from before the series began. As for being wrong, I have no doubt that the stats you rely so heavily on are accurate. My disagreement is with the supposition that the Kings play was dictated by Doughty, rather than out of nessesity and recognition of their situation. Doughty statistically generated more opportunity for the Kings than other players, but that doesn't mean he played well - he didn't. Game 1, he was taken off his game early and overreacted earning himself a suspension (whether one agrees with it or not, he put himself in that position). Game 3 he again came unwound and played poorly... was on the ice for the GWG. Game 4 he didn't do a lot either...and all that video of him laughing may have been endearing to those who love him, fact is; that' the sign of a person who has come undone.
Doughty didn't lose the series for the Kings, but everything he did that was positive, ended in zilch while every thing he did wrong, went really bad for him and his team.
You can read all the stats you want, but Doughty had probably the worst playoff stretch/series of his career, truly dreadful week for Doughty.

PS- I had no idea that this poster was the same person who I got in sheet for after confronting last night. I guess I should be careful eh?

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm well aware of who Drew Doughty is and what he can bring to a game, you might want to read my article from before the series began. As for being wrong, I have no doubt that the stats you rely so heavily on are accurate. My disagreement is with the supposition that the Kings play was dictated by Doughty, rather than out of nessesity and recognition of their situation. Doughty statistically generated more opportunity for the Kings than other players, but that doesn't mean he played well - he didn't. Game 1, he was taken off his game early and overreacted earning himself a suspension (whether one agrees with it or not, he put himself in that position). Game 3 he again came unwound and played poorly... was on the ice for the GWG. Game 4 he didn't do a lot either...and all that video of him laughing may have been endearing to those who love him, fact is; that' the sign of a person who has come undone.
Doughty didn't lose the series for the Kings, but everything he did that was positive, ended in zilch while every thing he did wrong, went really bad for him and his team.
You can read all the stats you want, but Doughty had probably the worst playoff stretch/series of his career, truly dreadful week for Doughty.

PS- I had no idea that this poster was the same person who I got in sheet for after confronting last night. I guess I should be careful eh?

Between this and your writeup before the series began, no, I guess you're not aware. Writing an article doesn't make you credible, it just puts your ignorance in print.

The stats and the eye test disagree with you and Drew was awful against the Sharks. He was great here. It just wasn't translating into goals (obviously a problem but a different one).

Not sure how in the world you can claim he was taken off his game when playing significantly more time than any other player with the toughest matchups and dominating 60% of the shots especially when the eye test with him on the ice vs. off the ice was so stark.

 

[kingsfan28]

If you told me before this series that the Kings would allow 7 goals in 4 games, I’d have figured LA would be up 3-1 or a tied 2-2 series.

I did NOT think the Kings would only score 3 goals, especially considering their regular season offensive improvement from recent years.

I thought about this this morning. 4 goals over the 4 games and the series is tied. It's frustrating to watch goals that went in all season not go in , or at least see a few ugly ones that every teams gets over a series.

 

[Hal 9000]

Between this and your writeup before the series began, no, I guess you're not aware. Writing an article doesn't make you credible, it just puts your ignorance in print.

The stats and the eye test disagree with you and Drew was awful against the Sharks. He was great here. It just wasn't translating into goals (obviously a problem but a different one).

Not sure how in the world you can claim he was taken off his game when playing significantly more time than any other player with the toughest matchups and dominating 60% of the shots especially when the eye test with him on the ice vs. off the ice was so stark.

You just can't stop, can you?

 

[Osprey]

The stats and the eye test disagree with you and Drew was awful against the Sharks. He was great here. It just wasn't translating into goals (obviously a problem but a different one).

Not sure how in the world you can claim he was taken off his game when playing significantly more time than any other player with the toughest matchups and dominating 60% of the shots especially when the eye test with him on the ice vs. off the ice was so stark.

You two appear to be arguing two different things. You're talking more about Doughty's shift to shift contributions, and you're right that his play was very good and very valuable. He seems to be talking more about Doughty's discipline, and I agree with him, too, that Doughty's shortage of that was a negative. He got frustrated in Game 1 and went for a big hit that led to him missing a game. When he returned in Game 3, his clapping act with seconds left in the 2nd period might've motivated the Knights during the intermission and contributed to them playing much, much better in the 3rd period. Add his quotes in between games and the series was largely about him, not the team, which was probably somewhat distracting for his teammates who desperately needed to focus on on-ice issues. Basically, his individual performance was terrific, as usual, but much of its usual value to the team might've been negated by the other stuff.