Game #1: Kings lose to Blackhawks 5-2

[CNS]

Call me crazy but Kopi and Mitchie are the two most important people on the team not named Quick and I want BOTH healthy. Mitchell truly is an elite defender and I firmly believe that if he played like he has since joining our team for his entire career, he'd be a hall of famer. Dude is just so ****ing good and he's added a bit of offense to his game, which is just icing on the cake from him. As good as Doughty is and as much of a game changer he can be, Mitchell is the rock on D and he's so ******* crucial.

Also, as for my comments on Penner, I didn't call him a top 6 winger. I said he looked a whole hell of a lot better. But then again, before I though of him as an absolutely ****ing useless plug so unless you change your name to Dan Cloutier or Sieve Mason, you have nowhere to go but up. Would it be nice for him to be a good top 6 forward? No ****. But I'd rather have a good hockey player, in any capacity, than a bad one.

 

[damacles1156]

I really don't understand why we need a whipping boy every game we lose. Gagne wasn't even the weakest skater on the Kings, nor was he responsible for the 5 freakin goals. It was a team loss.

It's not going to matter who our forwards are unless we fix our transition D. Four goals in transition is unacceptable.

Not the whipping boy, Don't even care the Kings lost.

But someone has to come out of the top six, and the lineup when Kopitar comes back Tuesday.

That is what is being discussed.

People seem to be ok with Penner out of the tops six, And clifford or Nolan out of the lineup.

So Gagne can find his game he lost years ago.

 

[bobafettish*]

give gagne a couple of games. if he continues to suck it up, he'll be on the trading block where there will probably lots of interest.

 

[etherialone]

Not the whipping boy, Don't even care the Kings lost.

But someone has to come out of the top six, and the lineup when Kopitar comes back Tuesday.

That is what is being discussed.

People seem to be ok with Penner out of the tops six, And clifford or Nolan out of the lineup.

So Gagne can find his game he lost, Six years ago.

He scored 17 goals playing part of the season with a weak TBL team (2010/2011 he scored 17g and had 23a in 63g for 40pts while playing injured) before we signed him. He came injured (I was very much against our signing him) and he has yet to be healthy long enough to show us what he can do.

It wasn't six years ago, it was the season before this past one. Now I am not saying that he should be our top line LW or that he is what I would call an acceptable top 6er even just yet but, we signed him, we played him before he had surgery on his neck and now that he is at a place where he says that he feels the best that he has in years I think that we will give him every chance to prove himself.

If he can/does then we get a LW that can be dangerous and pop in 15g during this shortened season which will be acceptable for a second line LW. Not great but not terrible either.

Again, I am not saying Gagne is the player that I would have picked to be our second line LW but he is and I have faith in the mgmt group who brought us our first cup in the teams history to make the right call on when where and how often he plays.

Its one game, the guy will need at least a couple of weeks to get himself back up to speed but then so will most of the rest of our team. I like our roster and our chances at making the playoffs again this year and as we have all seen, once we get there anything can happen.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

We have some serious Gagne lovers. For what he has done so far as a king there's a lot of admiration. Interesting. I for one don't judge on history or performance on another team, I make my judgments on what have you done as a king so far, and there's nothing really eye catching. Tons of injuries, fragile, and maybe he can score if he's healthy but I think if he doesn't pull in any great plays in the next couple games then I am for sure he's done, there's no excuse any more, especially since today he did nothing. I think he's done but it's alright if you guys want to give him a chance, I just think it's more realistic and probable that he's lost his touch.

 

[damacles1156]

I just can't wait for Kopitar to get back, please no setback's Kopi.

The middle of the ice was awful without you.

 

[etherialone]

We have some serious Gagne lovers. For what he has done so far as a king there's a lot of admiration. Interesting. I guess neutrality isn't very common

I must be missing the posts where people are claiming to love Gagne. I see allot of wait and see posts that to me are neutral in their own right but nobody actually loving on Gagne. Can you post a few examples? I just read through each post to find what you are talking about and I just don't see it. Not being sarcastic either. I feel like I am missing something which happens.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

I must be missing the posts where people are claiming to love Gagne. I see allot of wait and see posts that to me are neutral in their own right but nobody actually loving on Gagne. Can you post a few examples? I just read through each post to find what you are talking about and I just don't see it. Not being sarcastic either. I feel like I am missing something which happens.

I reworded and clarified. Lovers is an exaggeration, but ultimately I feel he has a looser chain then he should amongst some of the fans

 

[Quattro]

forgot how silly this place can get

to cheer everyone up, Bailey just posted this pic on twitter of the banner in it's permanent home

 

[KingKopitar11*]

I just can't wait for Kopitar to get back, please no setback's Kopi.

The middle of the ice was awful without you.

Very true. He is the catalyst for our entire line up

 

[etherialone]

I reworded and clarified. Lovers is an exaggeration, but ultimately I feel he has a looser chain then he should amongst some of the fans

That's fair enough. I probably am one of the "looser chain" gang. Not that I think he will recapture his formerly solid/elite top line play. I just think that since we signed him and have given him so much time already that we will likely keep doing so until he either proves that it is all over or that he belongs for the rest of the season.

I think we will be fine but I aways lean towards optimism on these things.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

That's fair enough. I probably am one of the "looser chain" gang. Not that I think he will recapture his formerly solid/elite top line play. I just think that since we signed him and have given him so much time already that we will likely keep doing so until he either proves that it is all over or that he belongs for the rest of the season.

I think we will be fine but I aways lean towards optimism on these things.

I understand why cause of his past performances but ultimately I think he's too fragile and worn down to keep up with the Kings forechecking style. He's very fragile and he doesn't seem to have the hands he used to have. I just don't want to wait too long you know what I mean, I think we should move him and pull the bandaid and get the most we can from him since he has a big chance to flop in the near future

 

[kingsfan28]

forgot how silly this place can get

to cheer everyone up, Bailey just posted this pic on twitter of the banner in it's permanent home

Looks about right.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

LA Kings Can’t Flip The Switch After Stanley Cup Banner/Ring Ceremony

My report on Saturday's ceremony and game. Includes some photos that might be of great interest to you!

LA Kings Can’t Flip The Switch After Stanley Cup Banner/Ring Ceremony

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Call me crazy

 

[SuperAlmeida]

As others have mentioned, Gagne didn't play well last night. If that continues, then I think we should give Toffoli a tryout for some games!

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Mike Richards was twice as bad as Gagne last night, and I'm sure nobody will be calling for him to be scratched.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Good to see Gagne is the scapegoat after one game. And I thought I overreact sometimes...

 

[BigKing]

Some guys are going to look bad for awhile since these games are essentially pre-season games for those that weren't playing during the lockout.

I would worry most about Quick; not Gagne. Back surgery and wasn't cleared to play until recently...not the rosiest situation for your all-world goaltender. He's far more important to this team than Gagne.

Gagne is an easy whipping boy because he really wasn't part of the Cup victory so he doesn't have any fans on the board for the most part, outside of those Kings fans who are also Flyers fans. I'm sure he will look better once Kopitar is back: everyone will look better.

Oh, and my love for Jordan Nolan's game continues to be vindicated. Need this guy in the lineup.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

We have some serious Gagne lovers. For what he has done so far as a king there's a lot of admiration. Interesting. I for one don't judge on history or performance on another team, I make my judgments on what have you done as a king so far, and there's nothing really eye catching. Tons of injuries, fragile, and maybe he can score if he's healthy but I think if he doesn't pull in any great plays in the next couple games then I am for sure he's done, there's no excuse any more, especially since today he did nothing. I think he's done but it's alright if you guys want to give him a chance, I just think it's more realistic and probable that he's lost his touch.

I think it's more unrealistic and probable for the fanbase to overreact to an opening night shelling whilst the team is struggling with key injuries and didn't play together for 7 months.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Chicago has wrecked us in transition for years, have they not (minus the end of last year)? That's one of their biggest strengths...when you have someone like Kane, you don't want to give him space. Add the chaos/rust/disorganization of the first game back into that, and viola.

Yesterday was an even game when the teams were in their flow, but with the bad turnovers and coverage, blue line to blue line was a freaking pickup game and their skill players took advantage. No biggie. Should be a good wake up call!

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Anyone see Quick, Stoll, Greene, and Brown in the Game Center commercial this morning during the Sabres-Flyers game?

 

[LAX attack*]

They really need to put richards and carter back together. Both but especially richards are so much less effective when on their own. Basically lewis and clifford were our two best offensive players. But the hawks got 2 fluky goals and we got dominated by the hawks four best players. That team is probably better than anything we faced in the playoffs i reckon.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

They really need to put richards and carter back together. Both but especially richards are so much less effective when on their own. Basically lewis and clifford were our two best offensive players. But the hawks got 2 fluky goals and we got dominated by the hawks four best players. That team is probably better than anything we faced in the playoffs i reckon.

I wouldn't go that far. The Blackhawks are good, but they are returning pretty much the same team that they had last year. Every team the Kings played in the playoffs was better than the Blackhawks.

Not trying to take anything away from the Blackhawks because they are a good team, but the Kings were just awful yesterday. That had more to do with the Kings losing than the Blackhawks being good.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Instead of jumping all over Gagne, I think people should be casting a more critical eye at Dwight King. Unlike Gagne, he's actually had the luxury of playing since the lockout started. His play at Manchester during the lockout was less than impressive, to say the least. All he did yesterday was continue that same level of play. If he keeps that up, I could see him being the one taking a seat on the bench when Kopitar comes back.