WCQF: (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs (WC1) Los Angeles Kings | VGK Leads Series 3-0

I hope Vegas wins so they can be rested and be remembered as getting a first round sweep in their first year.

But I'm not expecting it. LA will only be more motivated in G4.

 

Murray was their guy after last season, and they needed to shed Fleury's 5.7m cap hit to re-sign him and 2 other RFAs.

If the Exp Draft didn't exist they still would have tried to find a team to take his cap hit.

 

I wonder what happens with the Kings if they go out like this. Not a good look.

 

Brooms on standby

 

Kudos to Vegas... I feel like such an idiot getting on the one line team over the 4 line one.. smh

 

I've seen even some Kings fans here saying their team might need a reset, regardless of what happens in this series.

What does a "rebuild" entail for the Kings?

Seen a bunch of talk of Doughty leaving, don't get why he would but if so is the plan get what you can from a Doughty trade and collect young assets the next two seasons then get back at it with Kempe/ Vilardi/ who ever else is young and in LA's system or gathered in those seasons?

When does Brown's contract expire? He was good this year but is that the only big money contract LA would want rid of in the future to make room for a newer generation? I believe Kopitar will be good as he ages so he can be part of this future.

 

Quick has let in 2 consecutive weak GWG's in a row. Not good enough...

 

It was foolish of LA to come out hitting everything in sight. I said so to myself at the time, when they were clearly winning the physical battle but had little to show for it. As Game 2 (with its double OT tilted towards the Kings' end) proved, Vegas has the better endurance. All that the Kings did was wear themselves out, and it culminated in them allowing 3 goals in the 3rd period. It was particularly apparent on the game winner, since they iced the puck twice in a row just beforehand and three players were too tired to beat a Knights player to the puck on a face-off that the Kings won cleanly.

Despite a year of promises to the contrary, Stevens is still a Sutter protege and that was exemplified last night by him trying to win the game the same way that Sutter would've. This is exactly what I feared when I objected to his promotion nearly a year ago. The promise of a more offensive system may seem to be kept in the regular season when the team is hot (even though Sutter's teams got offensively hot now and then, too), but then goes right out of the window when the playoffs start. Some of the names may be different, but this is still essentially the same team as its been the last 3 years (when they missed the playoffs twice and won only one playoff game in the other). LA's management has been too afraid to make needed changes (like hiring a fresh, outside coach and trading guys like Muzzin) because they're trying to hold onto the past.

 

Stevens is a Murray protege not Sutter protege.

 

You're technically right, because Sutter inherited him, but I don't think that you can act as an assistant for a guy for 5 years and win two Cups in that time with him without it heavily influencing how you coach. Perhaps "disciple" would've been more accurate than "protege." After 5 years and 2 Cups, I think that it's fair to call him a Sutter disciple, especially since he's kept more of Sutter's system and methodology than he's discarded.

 

Er, that was about the only time they've been competitive. If they could have capitalized on some of those opportunities and gone up 2-0 or 3-0, maybe the game looks different. I think frankly that's about the only game plan they can pull off that ends in victory. Not sure what else they can do to NOT gas themselves. Better to staple a Knight to the boards than let them keep skating with Kings chasing.

Stevens definitely not a Sutter protege, if he was, this would have been more of a possession team all year instead of a collapse and pray team. That's a Terry Murray specialty. We went from top CF% team to middle of the pack/below. Sutter Kings were WAY different protecting leads, they kept coming.

 

I noticed an interesting stat today. LA's best face-off man in this series hasn't been Kopitar, even though he's won 57% of his draws. It's been Nate Thompson, winning 24 out of 30 draws, for an astounding 80%. It's too bad that he's not very useful in any other way or else that proficiency could be better taken advantage of. At least he's proving useful, which is more than can be said for just about everyone else in the Kings' bottom six.

You made this point last night and I kept thinking about it afterward and today, so I decided to look into it by reviewing as many defensive face-offs that I could find in this series. What I noticed is that, more often than not, when the Kings win the face-off, both defensemen drop back to or below the goal line. Where Doughty went is where the inside defenseman seems to be coached to go to receive the puck. The problem is that he never received the puck because Reilly Smith got to it first.

You can blame Rieder, but I'm not sure that there was a whole lot that Rieder could've done to prevent Smith from getting to the puck without getting an interference penalty for it. Muzzin was the closest player to where the puck was drawn back to, yet was beaten to it by Smith and Rieder, who were both further away. That was his puck to retrieve (and either clear it along the boards on his side or pass to the open Doughty) and he was too slow to get to it. He's a slow-reacting defenseman to begin with, but it also didn't help that he and his linemates were already tired because he had just iced the puck to create that defensive zone face-off.

For those reasons, I blame mostly Muzzin for that goal. Doughty could've reacted to the missed coverage better, and he definitely looks like a goat on the surface, but I think that you're right that he wasn't out of position as far as the system goes.

 

He only rode the pine in 16. So not much.

09 he was the man
17 he split half the postseason with Muzz.

 

Go breathe yourself HandSolo.
It's much easier to have the refs in your back pocket.

 

So did you read what you wrote? Of the three cups he earned 1.5. Like I said RODE THE PINE.

 

Implying I can afford to hire a ref for a pee wee game right now

Not sure what made you so cranky but I recommend separating yourself from whatever it is.

 

He just needs to take a deep breath. Let in, let out.

 

First, MAFFY Duck wouldn't touch my sister....he plays for the other team. Second, no one would touch my sister. That's just gross.
I didn't say he didn't play well, he just hasn't been stellar or stood out like alot of people on here suggest or like every telecaster spews. But it plays nicely with how the league has set them up to fairytale like.
And before you post, go do your research. MAFFY played 1.5 games worth of cup finals enroute to his 3 cups. Meaning, if you are quick with math, he really only won one....I will give him two. To be nice.

 

It's simple dude. The league wants your wittle team at least into the next round to finish off this story book season that was born from tragedy. Those are the best storylines and they sell merchandise and tickets.
I will eat crow only if your boy Haula hoop gets a game for the intent to injure butt end he threw at a superstar.
Otherwise the fix is definitely in.

 

He won one as a starter, and won one as a backup.

 

It was a punch in the face, just like 100 other punch in the faces this playoffs. No need for disipline. The league isn' even considering a suspension....Or fine.

 

The weakest/softest/shoulda had that goal he let in was Neal's. Do you watch hockey?

 

Doughty is crazy. He should stop all the nitpicking he's doing.

 

And so was Doughty's hit! Carrier moved his head into Doughty's shoulder. This is ridiculous....if you don't think this crap isn't fixed, I fear for your common sense. Every major pro league is fixed.

 

Lmao....how do win a cup as a BACKUP? Seriously. That's like the Penguins trainer saying he won the cup.