I’m starting to think this is a systemic issue. The forwards flying the zone and not giving the D good passing angles has really stuck out to me the past couple of weeks. It’s very frustrating because more often than not it leads to the Kings not being able to carry the puck through the neutral zone with speed. As a forward you’re taught to not skate straight ahead of the defenseman because that creates a terrible angle for both the D to send the pass and you to receive the pass. You’re supposed to support laterally in order to create a better lane. Todd seems to want them to do the opposite for some unclear reason.
This is definitely Todd's type of system. Thinking how San Jose used to play, the forwards were well spaced and they were very quick to move the puck out of the zone. It's much different than the system the Kings traditionally use when they try to come up the ice as a 5 man unit. This is why the Sharks always looked faster than us - not because they were a bunch of speedsters but because they did longer passes with less focus on puck support.
The biggest difference is a huge one. Instead of having Burns, Boyle, Pickles, Demers, etc. moving the puck up to the forwards we have Doughty, Walker, and a lot of inexperienced guys trying to do it. DD and SW can adjust, they've been around the block and have it figured out but the others are struggling. It's still a visible issue, so what do you do? Do you make it a simpler system like Sutter's with a ton of puck support, or do you go through the growing pains of having the younger defensive guys learn it? Based on how the team is being built, the 2nd might be the better option. I'm sure this is being taught to the Reign as well. I haven't seen many games, but it would explain the struggles earlier in the season.