GDT: 2022-23 season game 39 LA Kings vs Colorado Avalanche @6:00pm 12/29/22

[Raccoon Jesus]

And let's be real, Byfield on the 1st line was more of a message to Fiala than it was any sort of 'boost' for QB. McLellan will have him buried back on the 4th or scratched for next game, he just couldn't f*** with two lines that were playing well (2 + 3) so he had to get our prized prospect up to nearly 7 ES minutes.

nice "reward" for instrumental plays leading to two PP goals.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

And let's be real, Byfield on the 1st line was more of a message to Fiala than it was any sort of 'boost' for QB. McLellan will have him buried back on the 4th or scratched for next game, he just couldn't f*** with two lines that were playing well (2 + 3) so he had to get our prized prospect up to nearly 7 ES minutes.

nice "reward" for instrumental plays leading to two PP goals.

One of those plays, I think it might have been the 3rd.....man...ended up in a goal, but he showed his passive side, he took the puck out of the corner, and could have walked that circle and took it to the net, but backed off.....and passed to the point......man...I was waiting...waiting felt like a goddamn deflated balloon, thinking what if....

 

[Schmooley]

One of those plays, I think it might have been the 3rd.....man...ended up in a goal, but he showed his passive side, he took the puck out of the corner, and could have walked that circle and took it to the net, but backed off.....and passed to the point......man...I was waiting...waiting felt like a goddamn deflated balloon, thinking what if....

Yea I was thinking the same. My biggest knock on him is he has the tools to do it but lacks that mean streak to just impose himself. Maybe hes scared to make a mistake/turnover or maybe hes just not that kinda guy.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Yea I was thinking the same. My biggest knock on him is he has the tools to do it but lacks that mean streak to just impose himself. Maybe hes scared to make a mistake/turnover or maybe hes just not that kinda guy.

I think if that was AHL, he does it.....it's just getting used to being on NHL ice I hope

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

One of those plays, I think it might have been the 3rd.....man...ended up in a goal, but he showed his passive side, he took the puck out of the corner, and could have walked that circle and took it to the net, but backed off.....and passed to the point......man...I was waiting...waiting felt like a goddamn deflated balloon, thinking what if....

I agree that if this is the AHL or even juniors he does it. He's still being deferential instead of being the guy. He f***ed up Toews' life so badly on that check he had him dead to rights and a clear path to bulldoze right to the net. It still ended in a nice play and goal but I know exactly what you're saying and I hope that's something that he starts doing more naturally when he's getting more time but to me it's pretty clear he's still jsut trying to be a 'good teammate' to get in todd's good graces instead of being unleashed.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I agree that if this is the AHL or even juniors he does it. He's still being deferential instead of being the guy. He f***ed up Toews' life so badly on that check he had him dead to rights and a clear path to bulldoze right to the net. It still ended in a nice play and goal but I know exactly what you're saying and I hope that's something that he starts doing more naturally when he's getting more time but to me it's pretty clear he's still jsut trying to be a 'good teammate' to get in todd's good graces instead of being unleashed.

I don't think that is what it is, being a good teammate etc, I think honestly, that was a play that looked like he was trying to work the system.....he had the lane, he started to take it, then bailed, and went to the point, he saw it was there, but didn't take it, I don't think it had anything to with being the guy, being a teammate etc, and everythign to do with structure/practice etc.

I don't think that is what it is, being a good teammate etc, I think honestly, that was a play that looked like he was trying to work the system.....he had the lane, he started to take it, then bailed, and went to the point, he saw it was there, but didn't take it, I don't think it had anything to with being the guy, being a teammate etc, and everythign to do with structure/practice etc.

Didn't see the Todd's good grace part etc....I would hope that that the coaching staff saw the same thing and told him, to take it......we will only know if it happens again and see what he does

 

[Lt Dan]

And let's be real, Byfield on the 1st line was more of a message to Fiala than it was any sort of 'boost' for QB. McLellan will have him buried back on the 4th or scratched for next game, he just couldn't f*** with two lines that were playing well (2 + 3) so he had to get our prized prospect up to nearly 7 ES minutes.

nice "reward" for instrumental plays leading to two PP goals.

This

I don't understand the koala. I know that they are mysterious animals by nature. But his actions are questionable, even by koala standards.

 

[King'sPawn]

Credit to McLellan and the Kings. They fell apart in the second period, but fought back.

And even if I wouldn't have made the adjustments he did, it was nice to see Byfield get time with higher quality players. He responded accordingly.

 

[Seattle King]

It does not at all

Lankinen is younger than Copley and in 8 games is sporting a .925 on a much worse team. We shoudl probably trade a 1st for him and quickly turn around and sign him to a 1m extension.

Why not? or why not just sign him next offseason?

Is it because it's ridiculous because he has no pedigree/history and he's an older journeyman?

Again, I dont see how offering Copley an extension (not a Cal contract) is somehow a bad idea, especially given our horrible organizational depth. Feel free to continue arguing against that point, but you lost me at hello.
You get that Copley is UFA and has all the leverage as each victory occurs and each day passes, right?

 

[johnjm22]

I had to listen to this one on the radio. Nick Nickson is so good.

Not sure if they discussed it on the TV feed, but Arvidsson is apparently one of the best players in the NHL this year when it comes to primary assist rate.

I think he's been very shifty. He started off the season slow as he was coming off the injury, but he's in a groove now.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I had to listen to this one on the radio. Nick Nickson is so good.

Not sure if they discussed it on the TV feed, but Arvidsson is apparently one of the best players in the NHL this year when it comes to primary assist rate.

I think he's been very shifty. He started off the season slow as he was coming off the injury, but he's in a groove now.

You should try and watch a replay of Danault's goal, Arvidsson got absolutely smashed from behind by Girard, a cheap move if I ever saw one, was stunned.....gathered himself, got the puck and dished it in the same movement and DAnault scored, then Arvidsson went over to Girard and told him to f*** off.....in Swedish probably.....

 

[johnjm22]

You should try and watch a replay of Danault's goal, Arvidsson got absolutely smashed from behind by Girard, a cheap move if I ever saw one, was stunned.....gathered himself, got the puck and dished it in the same movement and DAnault scored, then Arvidsson went over to Girard and told him to f*** off.....in Swedish probably.....

I did.

I think that's one of the best King's plays of the year so far.

Teammates love that shit too.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I did.

I think that's one of the best King's plays of the year so far.

Teammates love that shit too.

100%, now to all the other ones proclaiming, OMG no one stepped up....imagine if they did? No goal, we lose the game.....there is ALWAYS a time and a place for that...and sometimes it's not right away

 

[KingsFan7824]

They had to bounce back because he wasn’t playing too well. Yeah he bounced back but he was bouncing back for a reason. You don’t get graded for a portion of the test but the entirety of it. I’ve been pretty high on Copley but maybe you should be a bit more cautious before dunking your head into the koolaid.

And let’s not forget the days of Martin Jones and Scrivens in recent history with the numbers they put up. He’s an upgrade right now but he’s only played 9 games.

Almost had you confused with TM dealing with prospects. Forcus on the negative, not the positive. Not graded on a portion, but an entirety, Be a little more cautious.

 

[Sol]

Almost had you confused with TM dealing with prospects. Forcus on the negative, not the positive. Not graded on a portion, but an entirety, Be a little more cautious.

Almost seems like a joke that everyone would look over the whole picture just because they like the conclusion. Must be those types of people who will say a movie was good just because they liked the ending of it. There’s no doubt he battled back but the key word is “back”. Sheesh.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Again, I dont see how offering Copley an extension (not a Cal contract) is somehow a bad idea, especially given our horrible organizational depth. Feel free to continue arguing against that point, but you lost me at hello.
You get that Copley is UFA and has all the leverage as each victory occurs and each day passes, right?

It's a bad idea because we aren't even halfway thru the season and this guy hasn't even played 10 NHL games...it's a gamble on a guy who is an easy replacement any single year.

Yeah, who knows where you'll ever find another goaltender who can put up a .905 in 9 games for cheap?

Oh yeah, 30+ of them were signed in the first two weeks of July alone, half even cheaper than Pheonix, and many of them performing even better.

I like the guy a lot and he's brought a major stabilizing influence to the Kings for the moment but you guys are absolutely jumping the gun with the extension talk. Remember Martin Jones, Peter Budaj, basically any Kings goalie for the last decade but Quick.

And I'm not against re-signing him, I'm against re-signing him right now.

 

[King'sPawn]

I agree with RJ. Replacement-level backup goalies are readily available annually. And the Kings have until July 1st before Copley becomes a free agent. No need to rush.

 

[KINGS17]

This

I don't understand the koala. I know that they are mysterious animals by nature. But his actions are questionable, even by koala standards.

I'll answer ten questions, which require a "yes or no" answer only.

 

[AbsentMojo]

I agree with RJ. Replacement-level backup goalies are readily available annually. And the Kings have until July 1st before Copley becomes a free agent. No need to rush.

100%. Looking at Cal and even a guy like Soup who had shown some success but now has > 4 GAA (and is year 1 of 5 years at 5mil)... Kings should be twice shy about pitching any more salary toward goalies.

 

[Statto]

One of those plays, I think it might have been the 3rd.....man...ended up in a goal, but he showed his passive side, he took the puck out of the corner, and could have walked that circle and took it to the net, but backed off.....and passed to the point......man...I was waiting...waiting felt like a goddamn deflated balloon, thinking what if....

I think it’s the chicken an egg scenario of being trusted and having confidence. I think if he felt trusted he’d have the confidence to make that play, but of course he needs to earn that trust first on this team. I think the point in case is JAD. When he first came up he looked great but since that first spell has been in and out and looked more tentative each time. Waivers followed by injury meant he got his chance and to begin with he played just the system and looked pretty vanilla. Gradually he’s built confidence and has gotten more ice time as the trust grows because so does his confidence . There is zero chance JAD even tries that play that led to Vilardi’s goal 10 games ago.

This is where I think they get Byfield’s handling wrong so far - to be clear I just mean Byfield because different players need different things. He has always struck me as a player that needs to feel trusted (and loved) so sticking him at 4C immediately puts him on the back foot. You don’t want him thinking about his game, in the offensive zone especially and the example above is exactly that. He needs to believe he will still be trusted (and played) if he makes that play and it goes to shit. He needs minutes to feel trusted, he continues to need pp time to get comfortable and confident . You can see the difference in his body language in the AHL vs the NHL, he looks slightly unsure. Even if they do not trust him they need to act like they do and let him make mistakes.Then they will start to see the best of him.

Just my take. It was the same in the AHL the difference was he was given the trust to lose, rather than having to earn it. He started unsure but they kept playing him until he settled in and off he went. It’s part of why I want the development of these guys prioritised over an early play-off exit, because if they get to the play-offs by doing that they probably go deeper and we get closer to a cup. If they miss they still have a key piece able to play a more meaningful role next season.

 

[Statto]

Moved post…

 

[All The Kings Men]

I had to listen to this one on the radio. Nick Nickson is so good.

Not sure if they discussed it on the TV feed, but Arvidsson is apparently one of the best players in the NHL this year when it comes to primary assist rate.

I think he's been very shifty. He started off the season slow as he was coming off the injury, but he's in a groove now.

As a matter of fact it WAS discussed on the telecast.

I've been chewing Zach Dooley's ear off for a few months about it and I've been fighting with Jim Fox about it for almost a year and a few games ago I looked up Arvidsson's total primary assists over his time as a King and showed it to Zach and then we started looking into the per 60 rates and just playing around with different ways to highlight the fact that Arvidsson is "the best playmaker on the team" (that's the phrase I've been using) and then clearly that information wound up being shared with the TV and radio guys.

And ordinarily I don't care about credit or who gets it and everybody had a good laugh at practice today about how petty I'm being about demanding credit on this but I'm having a weird month so I'm being petty.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Again, I dont see how offering Copley an extension (not a Cal contract) is somehow a bad idea, especially given our horrible organizational depth. Feel free to continue arguing against that point, but you lost me at hello.
You get that Copley is UFA and has all the leverage as each victory occurs and each day passes, right?

 

[Surf Nutz]

It's a bad idea because we aren't even halfway thru the season and this guy hasn't even played 10 NHL games...it's a gamble on a guy who is an easy replacement any single year.

Yeah, who knows where you'll ever find another goaltender who can put up a .905 in 9 games for cheap?

Oh yeah, 30+ of them were signed in the first two weeks of July alone, half even cheaper than Pheonix, and many of them performing even better.

View attachment 628230

I like the guy a lot and he's brought a major stabilizing influence to the Kings for the moment but you guys are absolutely jumping the gun with the extension talk. Remember Martin Jones, Peter Budaj, basically any Kings goalie for the last decade but Quick.

And I'm not against re-signing him, I'm against re-signing him right now.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
He can be had relatively cheaply now.
If he continues to play close to this the rest of the year its gonna be Cal money or more, or he may wait and see what else he is offered in the summer and end up elsewhere.
Thats the counterpoint to your more conservative approach.
Guys like me and SK have seen enough from Copley and want him extended now for less.
Despite the risk.

Not unable to be resigned or resigned for more or resigned because he pooped out a bit and was affordable.
Its all just perspective.
Looking at what they have , which is jack shiite is another reason to sign him now and try to also acquire another tender as well. Having to acquire two goalies or even one other expensive one is a tough task.
I dont want to trade unless we are getting a bonafide starter in net.
If that happens we have Copley as a backup.
We still need a LHD and some toughness.
I always respect your posts and completely understand your valid arguments.
We will see how the Copley situation is handled by Blake.
One viewpoint will be more correct than than the other.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
He can be had relatively cheaply now.
If he continues to play close to this the rest of the year its gonna be Cal money or more, or he may wait and see what else he is offered in the summer and end up elsewhere.
Thats the counterpoint to your more conservative approach.
Guys like me and SK have seen enough from Copley and want him extended now for less.
Despite the risk.

Not unable to be resigned or resigned for more or resigned because he pooped out a bit and was affordable.
Its all just perspective.
Looking at what they have , which is jack shiite is another reason to sign him now and try to also acquire another tender as well. Having to acquire two goalies or even one other expensive one is a tough task.
I dont want to trade unless we are getting a bonafide starter in net.
If that happens we have Copley as a backup.
We still need a LHD and some toughness.
I always respect your posts and completely understand your valid arguments.
We will see how the Copley situation is handled by Blake.
One viewpoint will be more correct than than the other.

That's illustrated by my photo, though. All the goalies who put up "copley numbers" signed for less than a million on one year deals.

Bird in a hand, two in a bush is how we have Cal.

You guys can't argue both Cal is a bad contract AND sign Copley now.