GDT: 2023-24 season game 9 LA Kings vs Toronto Maple Leafs @5:00pm 10/31/23

[KopitarGOAT420]

Yoooooo if Arvidsson stays on IR until the playoffs and we send Copley and Lizotte to San Jose with a couple of picks in exchange for Blackwood we could run this in the playoffs.

Not a lot of grinders lol but 4 sick scoring lines. Y'all rocking with this??

Edit: Oh my bad thought this was the 23/24 season discussion thread but the question still stands.

 

[johnjm22]

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Yoooooo if Arvidsson stays on IR until the playoffs and we send Copley and Lizotte to San Jose with a couple of picks in exchange for Blackwood we could run this in the playoffs.

Not a lot of grinders lol but 4 sick scoring lines. Y'all rocking with this??

Edit: Oh my bad thought this was the 23/24 season discussion thread but the question still stands.

Turcotte would likely be a downgrade from Lizotte.

Why would we want Blackwood? If we have cap space available we should try and get a legit upgrade.

 

[BaileyFan]

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Yoooooo if Arvidsson stays on IR until the playoffs and we send Copley and Lizotte to San Jose with a couple of picks in exchange for Blackwood we could run this in the playoffs.

Not a lot of grinders lol but 4 sick scoring lines. Y'all rocking with this??

Edit: Oh my bad thought this was the 23/24 season discussion thread but the question still stands.

Blackwood sucks though. Korpisalo but much worse.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Blackwood does not suck he has a .907 save % on like the worst team in the history of sports

But I feel yall. Losing Lizotte would hurt a bit and Blackwood maybe wouldn't be a massive upgrade but he'd DEFINITELY be an upgrade over Copley and he's a young goalie playing really well right now on a terrible team.

If you put this kings team/defense in front of him I bet he'd be pretty damn solid.

Just throwing ideas out there though

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

You think TSN panelist really know a damn thing about LA? Johnson keep referring to LA as a top defensive team, something that has not really been the case for a while.

Except it is correct and has been the case for a while. The Kings have been one of the best teams at preventing quality chances against, particularly last season and this season. Goaltending has been an issue leading to goals against, but the actual team defense has been some of the best in the league.

 

[King'sPawn]

Whilst I don’t prescribe to the view that ‘we suck’, I certainly don’t agree with TSN saying we are Elite. Given they say most years that this year the Leafs will win, they don’t do a particularly good job of assessing teams. They frequently pump the Leafs tires and saying we are Elite is how they excuse the Leafs being dominated so badly. We are a very good side that beat a very over rated (by Canadian media) Leafs team.

That said if Kempe finds his top form, PLD settles, Talbot stays fit , Clarke gets into the lineup and AK47/QB continue this seasons development curve we may well be Elite by the play-offs. Lots of ‘ifs‘ though and we need most of them to hit.

I don't know how many people have actually said the Kings suck.

A lot of us have questioned the Kings ability to get by the first round. And that they have two conflicting directions between development and competing for the cup.

 

[Statto]

Turcotte would likely be a downgrade from Lizotte.

Neither a downgrade or upgrade. They are completely different players suited to completely different roles. Apples to oranges.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Great game, we dominated. Trevor Moore looks like he might be reborn after last year.

Though, my concern is the same, it's not Talbot, it's who is backing him up if he fails.

Also, Kings could still use a gritty forward up front.

 

[johnjm22]

Except it is correct and has been the case for a while. The Kings have been one of the best teams at preventing quality chances against, particularly last season and this season. Goaltending has been an issue leading to goals against, but the actual team defense has been some of the best in the league.

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A phrase that gets used around here that gets on my nerves is "Kings are a team that needs to outscore their problems". The implication being that LA is some kind of run and gun team. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

LA is a tight structured defensive team, that happens to have bad goaltending.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

A phrase that gets used around here that gets on my nerves is "Kings are a team that needs to outscore their problems". The implication being that LA is some kind of run and gun team. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

LA is a tight structured defensive team, that happens to have bad goaltending.

They might have to outscore goaltending problems but the defensive structure is strong. The PDOcast has Kevin Woodley on frequently, and he has access to Clear Sight Analytics data (which tracks much more info than the public models for its expected goals model, including pre-shot east-west puck movement), and he has talked in the past about how good even on the private models the Kings are on the at limiting quality opportunities against.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

A phrase that gets used around here that gets on my nerves is "Kings are a team that needs to outscore their problems". The implication being that LA is some kind of run and gun team. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

LA is a tight structured defensive team, that happens to have bad goaltending.

which is....a problem you need to outscore, right?

It's not implying they're a run and gun team, only that they have weaknesses at goaltending, non 5v5, and coaching.

I agree with all of this, especially your cantankerous pessimism!!!

There is a lot to be encouraged by, driven mainly by the younger guys taking a step - it gives us depth that can be relied on. Talbot has also been great, I posted previously that he may well do well for us and that his health was the biggest risk (still is). Englund has also exceeded my expectations.

However to be called Elite we need to start winning games against the other Elite sides and be dominant in our division over everyone bar Vegas (I’ll take .500 there atm). That includes the Oilers because as a team they are definitely not Elite. I’ve no doubt we will make the play offs but an Elite side will be seeded. It’s very early, so I’m enjoying the ride for now.

Yep, Toronto isn't Vegas, but it's a step in the right direction, beating a challenging playoff team soundly.

 

[YP44]

A phrase that gets used around here that gets on my nerves is "Kings are a team that needs to outscore their problems". The implication being that LA is some kind of run and gun team. But that couldn't be further from the truth.

LA is a tight structured defensive team, that happens to have bad goaltending.

this is not helping my argument that our coach sucks...therefore I will ignore..

 

[psych3man]

yeah I wouldn't have minded sending out one of the top 2 units with how Domi handled himself there at the end

Came in to see how far back I’d have to scroll to see somebody crap on the Kings after this dominating performance, only had to go back a few posts. Never disappoints

The guy scrolling to look for negative and rejoice in pointing it out is better than the guy pointing it out???

Edit: Sorry Kingboy...that top quote was added by accident

 

[Nasti]

Just wondering. Are there still folks who see absolutely nothing encouraging about Byfield’s game?

 

[kilowatt]

Talbot has admittedly played pretty well this year, certainly beyond my expectations, but he is what he is. He's older than Kopitar, and over his last ~200 starts he has a .907 SV% and a 2.86 GAA. That's about on par with Petersen's career (only ~100 games though), and slightly better than Quick's last ~200 games (.897 SV%, 3.01 GAA). Copley's career is right around Quick's numbers. Talbot had a pretty good three year stretch with Calgary and Minnesota, and I'm guessing that's about what we can expect from him this year (which is about league average).

It would be nice to have some stability in net for the first time since the rebuild started though.

 

[Little Psycho]

Few guys are sick so they didn’t participate in practice as a precaution.

 

[tny760]

Few guys are sick so they didn’t participate in practice as a precaution.

god i'm so sick of f***ing dooley's clickbait

he tweets out "a few guys"

like f***ing WHO!

 

[YP44]

Talbot has admittedly played pretty well this year, certainly beyond my expectations, but he is what he is. He's older than Kopitar, and over his last ~200 starts he has a .907 SV% and a 2.86 GAA. That's about on par with Petersen's career (only ~100 games though), and slightly better than Quick's last ~200 games (.897 SV%, 3.01 GAA). Copley's career is right around Quick's numbers. Talbot had a pretty good three year stretch with Calgary and Minnesota, and I'm guessing that's about what we can expect from him this year (which is about league average).

It would be nice to have some stability in net for the first time since the rebuild started though.

I agree goaltending needs to be addressed. Seems like it won't happen till the summer.

If Calgary pivots into sell mode I wonder if they move Markstrom to make room for Wolf. Think Buffalo makes more sense as a trade partner for them, but LA should be picking up the phone. Hard to make the cap work, but not impossible with Arvidsson on LTIR.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Buffalo and Calgary both have extra goalies to move.

BTW, Peterson has had 4 starts in the AHL and only 1 win.

 

[lumbergh]

Except it is correct and has been the case for a while. The Kings have been one of the best teams at preventing quality chances against, particularly last season and this season. Goaltending has been an issue leading to goals against, but the actual team defense has been some of the best in the league.

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Unfortunately goaltending happens to be the most important part of the defense.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Unfortunately goaltending happens to be the most important part of the defense.

Not as it regards the ability of the 5 players in front of him to control the quality of chances against.

 

[King'sPawn]

Not as it regards the ability of the 5 players in front of him to control the quality of chances against.

Kings are bottom half in the league in goals against. If the Kings are structurally sound, and the five players are more important than the goalie, then why are more goals being scored against the Kings than over half the league?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Call it what you want.

I'll call it a dominant team stopped from becoming not just a contender but a FAVORITE by mediocre special teams and goaltending.

 

[lexlavender]

Call it what you want.

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I'll call it a dominant team stopped from becoming not just a contender but a FAVORITE by mediocre special teams and goaltending.

Expected Goals against: 2nd

Goals against: 28th

LOL

 

[mbar]

Where does one find all these cool analytical stats that you all post? Is their a particular nhl app you recommend for seeing these things?

I know for soccer there are a few apps I use that have cool Xg info and stats like player ratings, heat maps, distance covered, speed, etc.

What's the best source for NHL stuff?