GDT: Game #32 of the season Kings visit Ducks 10:00 PM ET on 12 - 12 - 19

[Bergey37]

The thing is , these games are close, and they are playing well, imo. So they are entertaining and I guess you just hope for more, and I also think they deserve a better record. But yeah went into this season being cautiously optimistic about a playoff spot. With 50 games left, which is still a lot, just have to make the best of it, and get better, and hope the kids can start to finish. They are not under the gun to make the playoffs this year, but it would be a nice surprise.

This is all true Leo; we ARE playing well, the games are entertaining and we've been "in" almost every one from the get-go. And your earlier comment about being a goal-scorer away from the playoffs is also true as far as it goes. After all, what team wouldn't improve if it could replace an underperforming player with a goal-scorer?

But when it comes to roster decisions, I think it was Fever who said that deals should be viewed on a 3-5 year horizon; whether it's 3 or 5 I don't know, but I do agree that they should be based on long-term fit with the team and it's plan. And then, what do you give up? Finding the RIGHT 25+ goal-scorer that's available and a fit is NOT easy - you can't just pluck those guys from another team. And as you say, there's still 50 games left for the kids to learn and show their stuff. Who's to say that we don't have that goal-scorer among them?

Some folks here give lip service to the idea of patience, and then want us trade for middling players for an expected immediate improvement. There is ZERO point in doing that this year, when we're still finding out what we really have. Unless of course you're already writing off all the kids, but it's still WAY too soon to do that, IMHO.

So temper the expectations, and let's see what develops. We may be surprised come April.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

This is all true Leo; we ARE playing well, the games are entertaining and we've been "in" almost every one from the get-go. And your earlier comment about being a goal-scorer away from the playoffs is also true as far as it goes. After all, what team wouldn't improve if it could replace an underperforming player with a goal-scorer?

But when it comes to roster decisions, I think it was Fever who said that deals should be viewed on a 3-5 year horizon; whether it's 3 or 5 I don't know, but I do agree that they should be based on long-term fit with the team and it's plan. And then, what do you give up? Finding the RIGHT 25+ goal-scorer that's available and a fit is NOT easy - you can't just pluck those guys from another team. And as you say, there's still 50 games left for the kids to learn and show their stuff. Who's to say that we don't have that goal-scorer among them?

Some folks here give lip service to the idea of patience, and then want us trade for middling players for an expected immediate improvement. There is ZERO point in doing that this year, when we're still finding out what we really have. Unless of course you're already writing off all the kids, but it's still WAY too soon to do that, IMHO.

So temper the expectations, and let's see what develops. We may be surprised come April.

Exactly. It's not that you don't try to win every game, but this is a rare season where finishing the season with the best record possible is not and should not be the #1 goal.