GDT: 2023-24 season game 59 LA Kings vs Vancouver Canucks @7:00pm 2/29/24

[KOPITARRULEZ11]

Oh man I didn't realize Vegas had been losing so much that the Kings vs oilers first round is now a possibility.

I didnt realize Canucks are on a bender now too I kind of feel a little better about our bs seems the hot teams early on hitting skids.

 

[Docgonzo]

I didnt realize Canucks are on a bender now too I kind of feel a little better about our bs seems the hot teams early on hitting skids.

Now just imagine where they’d be if they managed to at least play .500 hockey during January.

 

[Sol]

Man, honestly it was kind of a blessing in disguise that Kempe got injured. The guy was just collecting points by the grace of Byfield. Turcotte looks infinitely more engaged as to be expected. Hopefully Kempe can recalibrate because he was honestly coasting so often. I think it’d help out Byfield a lot to have a player like Turcotte on his line even more since Turcotte plays a much more dynamic game than Kempe who tends to be rather stationary in the cycle and limp along the boards. I’m not hating on Kempe by saying this either. We all saw how good Kempe was in the preseason until he got injured and never really looked great since.

I’m hoping to see more of that like to see what they offer.

I know I stated before this season that this is going to be Byfields defining year and thankfully he has panned out. He’s looking better and better, becoming more and more dominant. I was pleasantly wrong about him. That being said, I think Turcotte has the ability to become an impact player. There’s something unique I see where he has a great ability to find the soft spot on the ice, forecheck, and retrieve pucks. He seems to have a flare offensively as well. I have a feeling Turcotte will pan out if he stays relatively healthy for a prolonged period of time.

The kids thankfully are doing better when given more rope. Who would have f***ing guessed? Not Todd and the staff apparently. Injuries have given them a chance to shine, and they have.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I couldnt decipher it myself.. but whatever. great game. What do you think of the 11/7 .. I think they should keep doing it.. give more time to Byfield and keep Clarke in every night

Thought it was strange on a 3rd game in 4 nights, didn't like it too much, too much risk there for little reward.

 

[kinghock]

Moverare has been lights out.

no, he was not good at all

 

[lumbergh]

Anze Kopitar TOI: 19:11
Quinton Byfield TOI: 22:49

Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've been waiting for. Your new #1 centerman, Quinton Byfield.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

no, he was not good at all

He was serviceable.....made safe plays, didnt stand out

 

[lumbergh]

He was serviceable.....made safe plays, didnt stand out

That's all you want from him, right? Prototypical #6/7.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

That's all you want from him, right? Prototypical #6/7.

Pretty much...you want him to plug in for injuries, if he wants a steadier spot ala Englund, then he's gotta be consistent, not saying he can't be, he hasn't been given a chance too

 

[johnjm22]

Not to rain on the parade, but I think last nights result is more so due to the Canucks poor play.

Hughes, Pettersen, Miller all terrible. We caught them at the right time.

 

[GameNight]

Moverare screened Talbot a couple times. He can be the EBG if that's what he really likes doing

 

[lumbergh]

Regular season certainly means something. The NHL is becoming more and more like the NBA where playing at home is a huge advantage, the Canucks right now would have home-ice in at least the first two series they play this playoffs. That means a lot.

2023 playoffs team with home ice advantage won 11 out 15 series
2022 playoffs team with home ice advantage won 9 of 15 series
2021 playoffs team with home ice advantage* won 5 of 15 series
2020 playoffs team with home ice advantage** won 14 out of 23 series

* 2021 of course was a pretty weird year with no fans in many of the playoff games
** 2022 was the bubble with teams playing in effectively neutral sites

You could be right that home ice is becoming more and more important over the past two years, but it's too early to call it a trend.

 

[SFKingshomer]

They won because I started Demko instead of Talbot in my deep keeper fantasy league...

 

[Three On Zero]

Not to rain on the parade, but I think last nights result is more so due to the Canucks poor play.

Hughes, Pettersen, Miller all terrible. We caught them at the right time.

Canucks are in the midst of a slump and dealing with injuries that they have no depth to fill. Kings did exactly what they needed to do and suffocated them. I may be a Canucks fan but the Kings played a near flawless 60 minutes last night, it was actually fun to watch

 

[lumbergh]

Kings finished February 7-5-0 under Hiller, point percentage of 58.3%, which is pretty much the same as their point percentage under McLellan from October to January (59.6%). On a 97 point pace now.

Huge stretch of games coming up. 8 games in 14 days between March 3 and 16. Buckle up, friends.

 

[kings11]

Man, honestly it was kind of a blessing in disguise that Kempe got injured. The guy was just collecting points by the grace of Byfield. Turcotte looks infinitely more engaged as to be expected. Hopefully Kempe can recalibrate because he was honestly coasting so often. I think it’d help out Byfield a lot to have a player like Turcotte on his line even more since Turcotte plays a much more dynamic game than Kempe who tends to be rather stationary in the cycle and limp along the boards. I’m not hating on Kempe by saying this either. We all saw how good Kempe was in the preseason until he got injured and never really looked great since.

I’m hoping to see more of that like to see what they offer.

I know I stated before this season that this is going to be Byfields defining year and thankfully he has panned out. He’s looking better and better, becoming more and more dominant. I was pleasantly wrong about him. That being said, I think Turcotte has the ability to become an impact player. There’s something unique I see where he has a great ability to find the soft spot on the ice, forecheck, and retrieve pucks. He seems to have a flare offensively as well. I have a feeling Turcotte will pan out if he stays relatively healthy for a prolonged period of time.

The kids thankfully are doing better when given more rope. Who would have f***ing guessed? Not Todd and the staff apparently. Injuries have given them a chance to shine, and they have.

The funny thing with Turcotte is that he just seems to make the right plays on a team that for whatever reason struggles to do just that..
the kid is all heart and a good amount of talent, in a few more games I think he’ll start producing more specially if he stays in the top 6

 

[Trash Panda]

The funny thing with Turcotte is that he just seems to make the right plays on a team that for whatever reason struggles to do just that..
the kid is all heart and a good amount of talent, in a few more games I think he’ll start producing more specially if he stays in the top 6

That’s been his MO since he was at the USNTDP. A supreme hockey IQ coupled with excellent skating & work ethic. Every time he touches the puck, it’s getting funneled to the right areas of the ice.

His health was always the only thing holding him back from success.

 

[lumbergh]

That’s been his MO since he was at the USNTDP. A supreme hockey IQ coupled with excellent skating & work ethic. Every time he touches the puck, it’s getting funneled to the right areas of the ice.

His health was always the only thing holding him back from success.

Every time Turcotte goes in to forecheck I'm nervous for him. He is playing very well, though. Sort of a JAD but faster, Lizotte but bigger. He made some nice plays last night. Nice to see him rewarded with ice time.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

His health was always the only thing holding him back from success.

I think the fact that he weighed like a 150lbs didn't help either. Pretty sure I read that he put a lot of effort into bulking up in this past offseason.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I know I stated before this season that this is going to be Byfields defining year

Before or after you declared him a BUST?

 

[tkb81]

Not to rain on the parade, but I think last nights result is more so due to the Canucks poor play.

Hughes, Pettersen, Miller all terrible. We caught them at the right time.

your a bigger buzzkill than buzz killington the third .. haha :p

 

[YP44]

Anze Kopitar TOI: 19:11
Quinton Byfield TOI: 22:49

Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've been waiting for. Your new #1 centerman, Quinton Byfield.

Except he was a wing, but I have loved how Hiller has been double shifting QB

 

[kings11]

I think the fact that he weighed like a 150lbs didn't help either. Pretty sure I read that he put a lot of effort into bulking up in this past offseason.

He’ll never be a huge guy but if he can continue building out his lower body, he’ll be in a very good position to continue improving his all around game..

Let the f***en kids play.. the motto for the rest of the season

 

[Trash Panda]

Every time Turcotte goes in to forecheck I'm nervous for him. He is playing very well, though. Sort of a JAD but faster, Lizotte but bigger. He made some nice plays last night. Nice to see him rewarded with ice time.

I get the nervousness, but he looks to have changed his approach this season a little bit, at leas by what I can tell.

He is no longer barreling in like a crash test dummy, and seems to be taking a bit off the top to think about the situation he is blazing into. I’m extremely glad to see it.

If he can turn into a 40-60pt “culture” kinda guy who plays the game the right way, I’m then I’ll call that pick a success every day. Players like that are a lot more valuable that most stat geeks want to admit.

 

[Schrute farms]

I'm not sure what JAD brings over Thomas. I'd much prefer giving Thomas a shot over JAD. Fagemo would be better as well due to the PP and RHS need -- but i can understand those are much different type players. But Thomas is more along the JAD side and he'd be much a better option. At least giving him a chance

How much better would the team be and Turcutte himself, if he had been allowed to make the team this year and given minutes all year. Heck, even going back a couple years and allowing him to grow as an NHL player. Instead of letting AHL goons make macaroni & cheese with his brain.