GDT: 2020-21 season game 55 LA Kings vs Colorado Avalanche @6:00pm 5/12/21

[tny760]

Hot take - strip the letters off EVERYONE. No more letters. After the pathetic removal of C from Brown demote them all.

i think that sends a statement that the team needs right now

i'm not absolving kopi of everything just because of his points total, the team has repeatedly underachieved under his leadership. he'd probably be sour but i wouldn't be against it

 

[Sol]

I think that was a typo, Todd actually said, “I’m wasting my time here.”

I think those who don’t think McLellan should be fired don’t want to give the players yet another easy out. They’ve had four different coaches since 2017, and it’s the same result over and over again.

Unfortunately we can't fire the players. Trust me. However TMac has a history of being associated with teams of mental midgets. He's a bad fit. Felt that way since day 1 but RJ convinced me to have an open mind. But yeah my worst fears came true. One of the reasons I wanted Kopitar traded was because I don't like him being penned as the leader of the Kings when he doesn't have the personality of one. And doesn't play like one.

 

[Reclamation Project]

i think that sends a statement that the team needs right now

i'm not absolving kopi of everything just because of his points total, the team has repeatedly underachieved under his leadership. he'd probably be sour but i wouldn't be against it

The performance of this sorry ass team makes me sour!

 

[ru4reals]

There are many reasons to get angry after missing the playoffs again, but after observing this team for 55, 56 games you have to be honest they did the best with what they had. Quite frankly I'm more surprised they won 21 games. Just look at the make up of this team, Aging kopi, Brown and Quick, and a roster full of third and fourth liners with a few first and second year players in and out of the lineup. Plus the D has only Doughty, and pretty much a bunch of young inexperienced defenseman and two rookies playing every other shift and the great Olli Maatta . Really can't expect to compete for a playoff spot with the current players on this team. So to sum it up we expected this at the beginning and this is what we got. Hey Colorado stunk up the joint for a few years, built their club from the bottom and now they're an elite team. No where to go but up I guess. I feel for us Kings fans, but lets just be glad it's not the nineties kings when our best prospects were freakin Donald MacClean, Justin Hocking and Josh Green.

 

[Reclamation Project]

There are many reasons to get angry after missing the playoffs again, but after observing this team for 55, 56 games you have to be honest they did the best with what they had. Quite frankly I'm more surprised they won 21 games. Just look at the make up of this team, Aging kopi, Brown and Quick, and a roster full of third and fourth liners with a few first and second year players in and out of the lineup. Plus the D has only Doughty, and pretty much a bunch of young inexperienced defenseman and two rookies playing every other shift and the great Olli Maatta . Really can't expect to compete for a playoff spot with the current players on this team. So to sum it up we expected this at the beginning and this is what we got. Hey Colorado stunk up the joint for a few years, built their club from the bottom and now they're an elite team. No where to go but up I guess. I feel for us Kings fans, but lets just be glad it's not the nineties kings when our best prospects were freakin Donald MacClean, Justin Hocking and Josh Green.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

i just really hope there's some change over the offseason, don't really care to throw about blame but there's plenty for everyone, team and coach

whether it's the players quitting on the system, the system sucking, or a combination of both, a 6-0 loss with 14 shots for is just embarrassing for an NHL club

*deliberately without MacKinnon

Unfortunately we can't fire the players. Trust me. However TMac has a history of being associated with teams of mental midgets. He's a bad fit. Felt that way since day 1 but RJ convinced me to have an open mind. But yeah my worst fears came true. One of the reasons I wanted Kopitar traded was because I don't like him being penned as the leader of the Kings when he doesn't have the personality of one. And doesn't play like one.

And I get why people would say it's not time to fire TM as well, its' on the players, too many 'outs', etc...but the guy I saw in tonight's presser is the same one we saw evaporate when the going got tough elsewhere.

There are many reasons to get angry after missing the playoffs again, but after observing this team for 55, 56 games you have to be honest they did the best with what they had. Quite frankly I'm more surprised they won 21 games. Just look at the make up of this team, Aging kopi, Brown and Quick, and a roster full of third and fourth liners with a few first and second year players in and out of the lineup. Plus the D has only Doughty, and pretty much a bunch of young inexperienced defenseman and two rookies playing every other shift and the great Olli Maatta . Really can't expect to compete for a playoff spot with the current players on this team. So to sum it up we expected this at the beginning and this is what we got. Hey Colorado stunk up the joint for a few years, built their club from the bottom and now they're an elite team. No where to go but up I guess. I feel for us Kings fans, but lets just be glad it's not the nineties kings when our best prospects were freakin Donald MacClean, Justin Hocking and Josh Green.

I mean, we all expected them to suck, or at least finish just outside the playoffs. There are some legit excuses--Roy and Walker injuries for example. No depth on D behind them, lots of rookies, etc.

We did not expect the how. We were to expect improvement. I saw regression from damn near everyone in the organization. We ALL saw a lifeless team night after night.

So yeah, I expect losses, I'm not angry they missed the playoffs. I AM angry they rolled over vs. the teams below them in the standings and no-showed every game that matters for the umpteenth year and mailed it in either feeling sorry for themselves or being over it.

I would have argued "nowhere to go but up" after last season but they already proved me wrong. I am legitimately very, very worried that this team will be worse next year and look just as f***ing lost night after night.

 

[ru4reals]

*deliberately without MacKinnon




And I get why people would say it's not time to fire TM as well, its' on the players, too many 'outs', etc...but the guy I saw in tonight's presser is the same one we saw evaporate when the going got tough elsewhere.




I mean, we all expected them to suck, or at least finish just outside the playoffs. There are some legit excuses--Roy and Walker injuries for example. No depth on D behind them, lots of rookies, etc.

We did not expect the how. We were to expect improvement. I saw regression from damn near everyone in the organization. We ALL saw a lifeless team night after night.

So yeah, I expect losses, I'm not angry they missed the playoffs. I AM angry they rolled over vs. the teams below them in the standings and no-showed every game that matters for the umpteenth year and mailed it in either feeling sorry for themselves or being over it.

I would have argued "nowhere to go but up" after last season but they already proved me wrong. I am legitimately very, very worried that this team will be worse next year and look just as f***ing lost night after night.

Totally agree 100% no doubt about it, and hate to say it but the bolded is happening, and maybe even the year after that. Hey at least we may get a chance at Wright and Bedard.

 

[Sol]

*deliberately without MacKinnon




And I get why people would say it's not time to fire TM as well, its' on the players, too many 'outs', etc...but the guy I saw in tonight's presser is the same one we saw evaporate when the going got tough elsewhere.




I mean, we all expected them to suck, or at least finish just outside the playoffs. There are some legit excuses--Roy and Walker injuries for example. No depth on D behind them, lots of rookies, etc.

We did not expect the how. We were to expect improvement. I saw regression from damn near everyone in the organization. We ALL saw a lifeless team night after night.

So yeah, I expect losses, I'm not angry they missed the playoffs. I AM angry they rolled over vs. the teams below them in the standings and no-showed every game that matters for the umpteenth year and mailed it in either feeling sorry for themselves or being over it.

I would have argued "nowhere to go but up" after last season but they already proved me wrong. I am legitimately very, very worried that this team will be worse next year and look just as f***ing lost night after night.

There's no doubt that TM has thrown in the towel. I don't know why Blake brought him in on a rebuilding team. TMac has no playoff success for a reason. His teams always were emotionally unfit when they had talent. He's the same man. Kings need to catapult him into the sun. The team has a Kopitar problem but we can't fire him.

1-3-1. That's all that needs to be said. This team is trash and is amazingly showing no signs of progress. TMac can't have a job after this season with the Kings. And if he does, Blake needs to get fired, and then TMac. Blake has shown zero promise. Only the scouting has.

I'm not here to pile on Vilardi. But an injured Eichel or Dahlin are gonna be better than Vilardi ever be. Kings need to do a trade and bring in some talent

 

[Reaper45]

There's no doubt that TM has thrown in the towel. I don't know why Blake brought him in on a rebuilding team. TMac has no playoff success for a reason. His teams always were emotionally unfit when they had talent. He's the same man. Kings need to catapult him into the sun. The team has a Kopitar problem but we can't fire him.

1-3-1. That's all that needs to be said. This team is trash and is amazingly showing no signs of progress. TMac can't have a job after this season with the Kings. And if he does, Blake needs to get fired, and then TMac. Blake has shown zero promise. Only the scouting has.

I'm not here to pile on Vilardi. But an injured Eichel or Dahlin are gonna be better than Vilardi ever be. Kings need to do a trade and bring in some talent

Wait you’re shitting on Vilardi who’s been our best player recently and was even in a game the Kings got shutout 6-0?

 

[Zz80]

Wait,wait....are we really seeing a problem in Kopitar? Fiture Hall of famer? He is top player on team for 10 straight years, 1st PP ,1st PK center, they play him 23 minutes per night ( cause there is no one else capable taking this role), heart and soul of the team....and he is a problem? Even Mcdavid alone cant turn this team around.

 

[Reclamation Project]

I used to think this team was a tragedy, but now I realize, they're a comedy!

 

[Docgonzo]

Kopitar with 50 points in 55 games at the age of 33, while being the top guy on our PP&PK. Anybody that says Kopitar is a problem is an idiot and I don’t care whose feathers I ruffle.

There hasn’t been forward talent added since Toffoli/Pearson except Lucic in 2015. And Kempe who started hot has been almost caught by Moore and Vilardi.

And Kopitar is the problem as a leader? Funny who taught McDavid and Draisitl how to compete? Kassian ans RNH? Matthew’s and Marner? Patrick I got my C stripped Marleau? Who taught Kane and Toews to compete? Kieth? He hasn’t won anything before them. MacKinnon and Landeskog? Did they need Kadri to come hold their hands?

At some point some kid needs to step up and want to be the man. Until that happens this team is going nowhere. The “core” is 4 players and not a damn youth player wants to take the baton and run.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

It's time to move a vet out to shake things up among those who remain. Problem is some of the contracts are untradeable.

I don’t agree, actually. They are tradeable, just Blake needs to bite the bullet and just jettison the vets. He can retain salary, take a mid round pick etc. Just dump them.

 

[kilowatt]

At some point some kid needs to step up and want to be the man. Until that happens this team is going nowhere. The “core” is 4 players and not a damn youth player wants to take the baton and run.

Yeah, I really feel this too. To be fair, the kids are still pretty young. Vilardi, the oldest of our top prospects, is 21 and missed two years with a back problem. He's got as much hockey under his belt as Turcotte, basically. Next year is going to be really telling: can Byfield, Kaliyev, Turcotte, or Vilardi step up and be the next Kopitar? We need a top line guy. End of story. We need one of our top prospects to step up and start to look like a top player in the NHL. We need guys to start looking like they can replace Kopitar and Doughty. They were what, 20 and 18 when they stepped in the league?

 

[Sol]

Yes because Stats and the past paint the entire story. Some insightful dissection I'm seeing here.

Kings routinely don't show up after many coaches. "welp can't be the fault of the guy with the C on his chest because points" excellent deduction. So we shouldn't blame the guy under his captaincy the team has become shit. "Kopitar scored against brodeur in 2012 Omg how can you say he's not the same Player in 2021"


Goes to show who's only Stat watching and living in the past. I'm sure these guys were the same ones who were waiting for Richards' to bounce back when he was clearly the worst Player on the Kings solely because "triple gold, and I watched the SHIFT ON YOUTUBE WHEN HE WAS FLYER"

If Kopitar isn't a problem because POINTZ and the past then who is the problem?
Is it wagner's ginger hair?
Is it Brown who doesn't have a letter?
Is it Quick who isn't a starter?
Is it Doughty whos been the best King this year by far?
And I thought Carter was a big problem because he was very visibly taking many games off. But he's gone now too.

Who's fault is it? We keep talking about the lockerroom but there's some that want to pretend that Kopitar isn't a big factor. I dont care how many points Kopitar has. I've seen him have better years with less points. The fact this team can't wake up for games CONSISTENTLY with him dawning the C is more than enough for me to say he's at least 70% percent responsible for the team not giving a f*** because there's many nights where he doesn't seem to give a f*** either points be damned. If there's a problem with the core tell me which player do you think it is and why it isn't Kopitar?


I agree though, lets fire TM. He's been a mental midget his entire career and should have never been a coach for this team. But how many coaches do we gotta go through before we look deeper into the team? Don't get me wrong, how many coaches does Blake have to go through before him and Luc get on the hotseat. The team is continuously stagnating and not showing growth. They should be feeling heat too. Lets get a new coach and remove the C at least. Let the young kids know that the organization doesn't support this lackadaisical bullshit that's become too standard for the Kings.

 

[Docgonzo]

When someone, other than the keyboard warriors on here, questions Kopitars leadership then I’ll think he maybe unfit to lead. But why would I trust people who have Andy’s vs Brown/Iaffalo grudges against Kopitar over anybody who have never said anything but good things about him.

The captaincy is overrated, Chicago challenged for the playoffs without their intangibles messiah Toews.

If you can’t see that it’s been an organizational failure from Lombardi to Blake on stocking talent between the ages of 23-26, then I can’t help you.

But yes POINTZ and PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS!!

 

[Docgonzo]

And the problem with the roster is there is no “Core” anymore. There are 4 players left from the cup days all on the downhill side of their careers. There is no more core it’s a transition, and until the younger players take over and form a new core this will happen.

 

[DoktorJeep]

The problems are the big money contracts given to players past their peaks. It throws everything else out of whack. It’s not just about the cap effects alone. Paying guys in their 30s $10M plus is bad business. Everything we are seeing now from top to bottom since 2016 is due to giving too much money to players who aren’t good enough by themselves to dominate on a nightly basis.

It sucks to blame Kopi, the greatest King to play for this team. But he and Drew are overpaid and that’s a fact. Coaches will always play the guys making money, or they make their GM look bad.

 

[funky]

I totally disagree about Kopitar. He is a one-man island on offense. We have no other player that is even a top six player on this team. This guy plays up to 25 minutes a night in all occasions against the enemies best checkers. He leads the PK which is one of the better ones in the league.

It is obvious why he wears down as the season goes on. He has no help. His best winger is a 37 year old guy that is best known for some massive borderline hits 10 years ago. I love Brown but he is a third line, PP specialist at this point.

Kempe sucks or is good or sucks. Not sure from game to game.

Iafallo I love but is not a top line winger.

there is no center on this team to let Kopitar rest or that draws the oppositions best.

put Kopitar on The Avs, TB or other decent teams he is a yearly 90 point guy.

what more do you people expect this guy to do?

if asked he would probably do play by play between shifts

 

[Sparky206]

I totally disagree about Kopitar. He is a one-man island on offense. We have no other player that is even a top six player on this team. This guy plays up to 25 minutes a night in all occasions against the enemies best checkers. He leads the PK which is one of the better ones in the league.

It is obvious why he wears down as the season goes on. He has no help. His best winger is a 37 year old guy that is best known for some massive borderline hits 10 years ago. I love Brown but he is a third line, PP specialist at this point.

Kempe sucks or is good or sucks. Not sure from game to game.

Iafallo I love but is not a top line winger.

there is no center on this team to let Kopitar rest or that draws the oppositions best.

put Kopitar on The Avs, TB or other decent teams he is a yearly 90 point guy.

what more do you people expect this guy to do?

if asked he would probably do play by play between shifts

He plays 23 minutes a night, apparently its his fault that no one else can consistantly score during those other 37 minutes a night from the other 3 lines.


... Just like its Doughtys fault that Maatta cant hit a team mates stick with a pass to save his life and blows his coverage every 3rd shift

 

[Mats26]

Reading some of these comments, you would think we are a rebuilding, non-contending team that is years away from playoff contention and reaching respectable hockey team status.

But seriously what did we expect when you strip the team of Muzzin, Martinez, Tofolli, Pearson, Carter, Clifford, Lewis etc.. and not replace a single one with a legit veteren or 2 to help support the young and developing talent. Chalk another one up in the " it's a learning process" category for Blake.

 

[Sparky206]

I'll give it to DD though, he is rubbing off on Mikey. Not sure if others have noticed in the last 5 games or so since the defense has been encouraged to be more aggressive but Mikey has started to show some serious poise with the puck. Hes shown a few times some Doughty traits where he looks off a forechecker and just holds the puck patiently while they turn away, or a trademark Doughty fake pass then turn with possession to buy time. He's quietly improving.

 

[LAKings88]

Kopitar and Doughty are not the problem.

There is no secondary scoring.

Defense is a mess.

Brown isn’t really a first liner.

 

[The Gabe Blade]

I would be shocked if TMAc was fired. He signed a 5 year contract. AEG is not going to pay him off to go away at this point.

which also will mean they don’t make a FA splash this summer.



expect more of the same next year.

 

[Zz80]

I totally disagree about Kopitar. He is a one-man island on offense. We have no other player that is even a top six player on this team. This guy plays up to 25 minutes a night in all occasions against the enemies best checkers. He leads the PK which is one of the better ones in the league.

It is obvious why he wears down as the season goes on. He has no help. His best winger is a 37 year old guy that is best known for some massive borderline hits 10 years ago. I love Brown but he is a third line, PP specialist at this point.

Kempe sucks or is good or sucks. Not sure from game to game.

Iafallo I love but is not a top line winger.

there is no center on this team to let Kopitar rest or that draws the oppositions best.

put Kopitar on The Avs, TB or other decent teams he is a yearly 90 point guy.

what more do you people expect this guy to do?

if asked he would probably do play by play between shifts

Exactly.
Put Kopi on Avalanche,and you have a Selke and Hart nominee every year....