GDT: 2023-24 season game 50 LA Kings vs Buffalo Sabres @4:00pm 2/13/24

[kilowatt]

Cam Talbot's career: 2.65 GAA, .913 SV%
David Rittch's career: 2.81 GAA, .906 SV%

Both guys are on the downswing of their careers, unlikely to see them averaging these numbers the rest of the way.

 

[DoktorJeep]

You need legit talent to win a Cup, but hockey is still a sport that can see a mediocre team talent wise be a problem if they are max effort all the time.

Kings came out playing like a team that cared in the 1st period of the Edmonton game. They looked like the usual disengaged guys tonight.

Yup. The coaches have been talking about it being an issue of confidence. I was interpreting that to mean inside individual players. Maybe it’s players aren’t confident their teammates are any good.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Wow. What a turd that was. Kopitar minus 6. Yikes

Jeez wasn't really paying attention. I didn't know all the goals were on him.

 

[LAKings88]

Kings can’t hit the ocean if they fell out of a boat.

Scorers have all dried up. Lewis is the only one scoring and that’s a problem.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

It’s pretty weird they looked so bad right after a very good win against the Oilers. Even if you think this roster is inherently flawed, and mediocre at best. It’s difficult to point to why you see these types of performances.

I always figured the talent was overrated by the homers, but talent alone doesn’t explain the difference in the two performances.

Oilers were on their third game post all-star break, and on a back to back, they looked fatigued. Kings had not played in 9 days, and had it bit of a jump because it was the Oilers (who they clearly hate).

 

[johnjm22]

I watched the Sabre's feed.

Did they say on the Kings telecast Kopitar is injured?

If he was, that would give the Kings a good reason to not be buyers at the TDL

 

[KingsHockey24]

ITS ALMOST LIKE THERE CAN BE MORE THAN ONE PROBLEM

TM was never the problem.

First quarter of the year people had him in the coach of the year discussion. Rob Blake and the roster he created is not good enough.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Fire everyone

 

[tny760]

I watched the Sabre's feed.

Did they say on the Kings telecast Kopitar is injured?

If he was, that would give the Kings a good reason to not be buyers at the TDL

foxy just went on like a 5 minute tangent around a commercial break about how he must be hurt if he's -6

 

[head eyes]

I watched the Sabre's feed.

Did they say on the Kings telecast Kopitar is injured?

If he was, that would give the Kings a good reason to not be buyers at the TDL

They were coping/speculating.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Oilers were on their third game post all-star break, and on a back to back, they looked fatigued. Kings had not played in 9 games, and had it bit of a jump because it was the Oilers (who they clearly hate).

For sure, everything went right for them against Edmonton. Oilers did put on a push and test Rittich though, so that’s what made me think something had been effected by the coaching change.

 

[Schmooley]

Is it time to make a Fire Rob Blake thread?

 

[bland]

Yup. The coaches have been talking about it being an issue of confidence. I was interpreting that to mean inside individual players. Maybe it’s players aren’t confident their teammates are any good.

There is no on-ice accountability in this roster, no repercussions for slack play due to the reverence for sacred cows. They accept what comes and don't demand better.

 

[jgs]

Luc and Rob have no buisness running an organization. The PLD trade should not have happened. It took all their cap space and then dumb Blake has no money left to bring in a legit goaltender which is one of the most important position. They were real lucky on the start but now they're luck has run out and they are a mess. This line up isn't going nowhere but down.

 

[Lt Dan]

Watch this a few times. It'll take the sting off

 

[chris kontos]

Rittich was a big reason the Kings won their previous two games. It's not like the Kings played great hockey in them.

Now that Dave's mini hot streak is over, and Talbot has cooled off, Kings will probably get back to losing.

These two guys were slotted into positions they didnt have the chops for- talbot has been washed up for 3 yesrs and rittich couldnt stick as a #2. The system the kings play demands stout goaltending- a defense first system. Neither one of these guys could ever have done the jobs they were asked to do and it was borderline unfair to ask them to do it.
Eye test. Numbers on these guys are extremely misleading

 

[bland]

They were coping/speculating.

Fox would know. He wants us to know.

Watch this a few times. It'll take the sting off

I am partial to The Fall Guy.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Only help on the scoreboard is StL losing. Preds may still end up losing too. Every other score doesn’t help the Kings.

 

[Seattle King]

When you're flying all the way across the country and starting a road trip in a different time zone, I can understand why a team would be dopey.

But the Kings arrived in Buffalo yesterday. And this was their second game in 13 days. They should be fresh as a daisy.

And there's a difference between being dopey and losing 7-0 to a mediocre team.

Buffalo is far from mediocre. They are flat out terrible, one of the worst teams, and we provided them with their greatest victory of the season.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The Ducks lost 5-0 and had two fighting majors - at least they have balls and show they care when they lose.

The Kings are weak.

 

[kingsboy11]

You weren't kidding

Wish I was wrong

 

[Bandit]

TM was never the problem.

First quarter of the year people had him in the coach of the year discussion. Rob Blake and the roster he created is not good enough.

Todd was a problem from the moment he was hired. Guy is arguably the biggest choker coach in the history of the nhl.

 

[KingsHockey24]

The Ducks lost 5-0 and had two fighting majors - at least they have balls and show they care when they lose.

The Kings are weak.

They actually had three.

Henrique, Carrick, and Johnston.

 

[LAKings88]

Great goalies cover a multitude of deficiencies.

Great defense can make mediocre goalies look good.

Kings have neither.

I like big save but if hopes are on him they are truly f’d.

Team is a mess. Watch them beat Boston tho.

 

[The Butcher]

Is it time to make a Fire Rob Blake thread?

Might be interesting to speculate who they could replace him with.