GDT: 2021-2 season game 74 LA Kings vs Minnesota Wild @2:00pm 4/10/22

[Ziggy Stardust]

It’s become rather evident this staff doesn’t hold players accountable for their efforts. I know a lot of the inexperienced players are getting exposed and are struggling right now (which is expected), but the biggest let down has been from the supposed leaders and veterans on the team. Those guys are seemingly bulletproof, no matter what they do.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It’s become rather evident this staff doesn’t make players accountable for their efforts. I know a lot of the inexperienced players are getting exposed and are struggling right now (which is expected), but the biggest let down has been from the supposed leaders and veterans on the team. Those guys are seemingly bulletproof, no matter what they do.

I can't stress how disappointed I am in Kopitar this season.

Not a guy i ever thought I'd see make physical errors, 'effort' (fatigue) mistakes, but it's constant.

 

[jgs]

Well Sutter is doing a great job with Calgary.

 

[cyclones22]

So which rookies will be punished for the next game for the first line playing like shit? They will be held accountable I'm sure.

 

[AbsentMojo]

I can't stress how disappointed I am in Kopitar this season.

Not a guy i ever thought I'd see make physical errors, 'effort' (fatigue) mistakes, but it's constant.

Again we bag on players - but its the enlightened one pulling the strings that has created a Korpse out of Kopi as many of us (esp you) have pointed out on many occasions. I recall railing on his overuse back in November. One things about Jeff Carter that didnt seem to rub off on anyone else, is he used to work out all summer and come into camp ready to roll. Something I admire from a vet. I dont think Kopi has that ethic and he needs that at this age.

 

[Little Psycho]

What the f*** happened? Was only able to watch the first. Damn, that blows.

Jack Adams coach my ass. His stubbornness was what cost him in SJ and Edmonton.

 

[AbsentMojo]

What the f*** happened? Was only able to watch the first. Damn, that blows.

Jack Adams coach my ass. His stubbornness was what cost him in SJ and Edmonton.

I cant relive it - it will cause too much pain to explain it. But it was up 3-0, lose 6-3 in a nutshell.. game turned on a non-call followed by a bad call for tripping on the goalie.

 

[AlphaBravo]

I have been a Kings fan for a very long time and seen some really bad times. But something about this game really broke me. This team really does not deserve to make the playoffs.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

I can't stress how disappointed I am in Kopitar this season.

Not a guy i ever thought I'd see make physical errors, 'effort' (fatigue) mistakes, but it's constant.

I'm not. Father time has come for Kopi, and that's not his fault. The man has basically given everything to this organization. To think he's going to continue to handle borth first line and top of the NHL ice time in his mid 30's is a massive failure by this coaching staff and organization.

TLDR: At his age Kopi is being put in a position to fail, because he's not that guy anymore

 

[volcom92886]

Iafallo needs to be demoted to the 3rd or 4th line or even be scratched for a few games. He has played like absolute dog shit since January and still gets 1st line TOI and is somehow on the 1st PP.

 

[head eyes]

Is Iafallo's girlfriend a pharmacist or something?

 

[Little Psycho]

It's sad that the coaching staff is so stupid that they can't realize these two are not working together.

 

[kilowatt]

I'm not. Father time has come for Kopi, and that's not his fault. The man has basically given everything to this organization. To think he's going to continue to handle borth first line and top of the NHL ice time in his mid 30's is a massive failure by this coaching staff and organization.

TLDR: At his age Kopi is being put in a position to fail, because he's not that guy anymore

There are only a few guys in the entire league older than Kopitar that play more minutes per game than he does, and most of those are defensemen.

Burns, Letang, Suter, Ovechkin, Stralman, and Giordano. That’s it.

And to take it a step further, on a points-per-game basis, Kopitar is outside the top 32 among centers, so he’s not even really a 1C anymore this season points-wise either.

Realistically, we have two second-line centers in Kopitar and Danualt, at least in terms of offensive output. I was excited to see their defensive output but it’s actually been pretty underwhelming for both of them. Our best defensive forward by a mile according to advanced analytics is… believe it or not… Arthur Kaliyev.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Such a joke. Meanwhile Iafallo still hasnt gotten scratched.

TM confirmed the Kaliyev scratch was injury related.

 

[kilowatt]

TM confirmed the Kaliyev scratch was injury related.

No he didn’t. He specifically said he was scratched “for other reasons”, I listened to the post game conference. Here’s a note from LAKI as well: “Todd McLellan confirmed after the game that Arthur Kaliyev was not out of the lineup tonight due to injury.”

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

No he didn’t. He specifically said he was scratched “for other reasons”, I listened to the post game conference. Here’s a note from LAKI as well: “Todd McLellan confirmed after the game that Arthur Kaliyev was not out of the lineup tonight due to injury.”

My bad, I read that wrong...didn't see the 'not'.

 

[YAYSAY]

There are only a few guys in the entire league older than Kopitar that play more minutes per game than he does, and most of those are defensemen.

Burns, Letang, Suter, Ovechkin, Stralman, and Giordano. That’s it.

And to take it a step further, on a points-per-game basis, Kopitar is outside the top 32 among centers, so he’s not even really a 1C anymore this season points-wise either.

Realistically, we have two second-line centers in Kopitar and Danualt, at least in terms of offensive output. I was excited to see their defensive output but it’s actually been pretty underwhelming for both of them. Our best defensive forward by a mile according to advanced analytics is… believe it or not… Arthur Kaliyev.

So he put in the work to become better defensively, as he was criticized for lacking in the little areas, grinded it out on the 4th line in order to "pay his dues," still put up respectable numbers, most goals on PP that struggles for goals, and was still scratched? Love the message that sends

 

[Frolov 6'3]

This was a disgrace.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Again we bag on players - but its the enlightened one pulling the strings that has created a Korpse out of Kopi as many of us (esp you) have pointed out on many occasions. I recall railing on his overuse back in November. One things about Jeff Carter that didnt seem to rub off on anyone else, is he used to work out all summer and come into camp ready to roll. Something I admire from a vet. I dont think Kopi has that ethic and he needs that at this age.

Brown to his credit had a revival to his career the last few years because he started working out in the off-season and studying younger players around the league. It's too bad everything finally caught up to him this season, but Kopitar should have already been prepping harder. Doughty will need to do the same.

 

[Herby]

The Kopitar thing is partly coaching but mostly a management/scouting problem. That is why the comments that are critical of Kopitar’s play, that while legit are pretty unfair in the big picture. This is a player nearing 35 years old, with 1300 NHL games in a demanding role as both the teams top scoring and top shut down center for basically his entire career. At this stage he should be playing a veteran 2nd line role as he finishes up his Hall of Fame career, but because of the failure to replace him (especially offensively) with any of the four centers taken in 2017-2020 we are at this stage with an older player clearly slowing down but sadly still the best option down the middle.

I bet there are more 1st/2nd line players in the NHL that are 22 or under than there are ones who are 34 or older. But some say it’s unfair to expect any of the Kings young players to have assumed that role but not unfair to rip Kopitar.

Blake and Lombardi wronged Kopitar by screwing up multiple chances to draft his successor the last 7 years.

 

[Kudelski37]

Well Sutter is doing a great job with Calgary.

Sutter has the healthiest team in the league (.lost ~80 man games to injury this season) and Calgary plays in the most injured division. MN is second healthiest around 140 man games lost. Seattle lost ~250 man games. Every other Pacific team has lost over 350 man games. LA, Edm, Van, and Vegas are four of the 9 most injured teams in the league. The Metro has only two in the bottom 9 (Phi,NJ) as does the Atl (Buff,Mtl). Arizona is the other team of the bottom 9.

 

[mysterman2]

Here is the ice time breakdown for Kings PP this season.....ludicrously bad when you look at the #s and tmacs hesitancy to try anything different.

 

[Herby]

Here is the ice time breakdown for Kings PP this season.....ludicrously bad when you look at the #s and tmacs hesitancy to try anything different.


View attachment 529612

Alex Iafallo is the single biggest reason this team is where they are right now. I have defended TMac because the overall results had been there for this team up until recently but if they miss the playoffs by a couple of points his usage of Iafallo is going to be the reason why.

The really crappy part is the Kings probably could have gotten a late 1st from a contender at last years deadline. And a year later he’s basically a negative asset.

 

[mysterman2]

Alex Iafallo is the single biggest reason this team is where they are right now. I have defended TMac because the overall results had been there for this team up until recently but if they miss the playoffs by a couple of points his usage of Iafallo is going to be the reason why.

not even blaming Iafallo per se but the coachs unwillingness to try anyone else in his place is just absurd.

Vilardi has the same amount of goals with 155 less minutes of PP time...TMac never considered just going to the old perch a big guy in front of the net for screens and deflections? Or by that same token lining up Kempe and Kaliyev at the respective circles and just feed them one timers at every opportunity? Either scenario probably delivers better results.

 

[cyclones22]

Iafallo doesn't even look effective anymore, let alone statistically. It's like Moore took all of his hunger and battle and added it on top of what Moore already has shown last season. I still think there's physically something wrong with him, but even if that's true, it's on the dumb ass coaching staff to know that a 70% Iafallo is NOT as effective as a 100% rookie. He does nothing to justify those big minutes and opportunities he's getting.