10/14 New line combos...King moves to 1st line

[MsMeow]

It's not improvement, I understand Florida is a bad team. I just don't get why he didn't do this a game or two earlier. Carter has 4 goals and even if Richards hasn't scored, he's still been setting people up well, like in the last game. The first line had a great goal, best work I've seen from them in a while.

Whatever the lines are fine, like I said, it's the timing to me that seems off. I'd at least wait for a bad game before mixing things and it's not like we haven't had bad games this season already.

I think it's because they expect more. This was the first regulation win of the season and against a weak team, so they have to do something to try and get the others going.

 

[FootKnight]

King has only played 86 games in the NHL - barely more than one regular season. I really don't get the scorn.

The coach apparently likes him because he works hard and does what he asks - it's no mystery. He doesn't light up the scoreboard, but he he doesn't make boneheaded mistakes - he's dependable. Sutter hopes he can do more, and I'm willing to see how it plays out.

Sutter is experimenting with the lines because beating Florida doesn't tell him anything about his team. I mean, who doesn't beat Florida?

This is obviously a big reason why Sutter likes King and it's because he always makes the safest play. Which is a good thing, especially for a bottom 6 winger, but generally you want more creativity in the top 6. It's in sharp contrast to say Williams, who commits lots of turnovers, but it's because he's always trying to make something happen. In the same situation, Williams is more likely to try to make a move and pass to someone, King is more likely to chip the puck deep. I'm not as down on King as some and I think he can work temporarily in the top 6 if all he does is bang bodies to get loose pucks and then give it to someone else. Although I'm still not sure why Nolan never gets these opportunities, as I believe Nolan can do that as well, but that Nolan is also willing to try more creative things in the offensive zone.

I'm interested to see how Kopitar-Carter works, hopefully for more than a couple periods. It could give Kopitar more room, because defensemen aren't going to drift off of Kopitar to cover Brown or Williams, but they might for Carter. Brown and Williams don't get into the slot when Kopitar is carrying the puck into the offensive zone as much as I'd like either, which Carter should do, possibly creating some more opportunity for set ups that way rather than just Kopitar going around the net with the puck.

 

[Rusty Batch]

Williams is the best possession winger in the league for the last 6 years. He is a great partner for Kopitar since he has the puck that much more often in the offensive zone

He should also be a great partner for Richards though for the same reasons

You are probably right. My frustration with the kopitar line has more to do with carter not being on it. Then williams.

If we are going to continue to play carter at wing it just makes sense to put him with our best center who is also a great playmaker and puck possesion guy.

I havent looked at advanced stats for williams but from the eyeball test it seems like brown hardly ever gets the puck to kopitar in space and although williams occasionally does it doesnt seem to happen as often as it should.

I suspect williams and browns possesion numbers are significantly inflated due to them always playing with Kopitar who is unquestionably an elite possesion player in the NHL.

In williams 6 years 5 of those have been on the kopi line and a handful of games on carolina where he prob played with Staal.

Prob any winger in that situation consistently puts up great possesion stats.

Regardless I hope we give the carter kopi experiment a long look.

 

[Minor Boarding]

How are you getting a "sky is falling" vibe from this thread? I think it's perfectly reasonable to say that Dwight King is not at all a top 6 forward in this league. This move isn't going to singlehandedly destroy the Kings' season, but having Dwight ****ing King on the top line is far from an ideal situation.

King plays the heavy game Sutter likes. And Bryan Bickell was a top liner on last years cup winner. Hockey is a team sport where the best team wins, great offensive talent hasn't brought Edmonton far has it?

fyi I always thought King an Nolan played their best when on the same line.
And Stoll an Lewis lack the on ice chemistry to play together in the offensive zone therby should be split (Lewis should get to play with Richards/Kopitar ... He's been better than Frattin, Carcillo and King anyway)...