GDT: GM#8 LA Kings vs Buffalo Sabres @12:30pm 10/20/18

[kingsfan28]

The team Lombardi took over in 2006 can’t be compared to what Blake started with last summer. You’re not even being fair here.

I’m just surprised that there are pockets of fans who will absolve any wrong-doing on Lombardi’s part and lay all the blame on Blake. I think the run from 2012-14 is clouding some judgement and you guys are forgetting the series of setbacks that has set the organization back by years due to awful trades and nonexistent player development for a long period of time under the old regime.

This is where i see the Kings major issue, drafting the wrong type of players that are currently ineffective today. Aside from Kempe, i don't see anyone Lombardi drafted making a major impact.Looking around the league at the guys drafted during that same period and each team has at least one or more guys making an impact. Blake has come in and done well starting to clean up the mess he inherited , especially with the kids. JAD or possibly Valardi would never had a chance [probably not drafted] under Lombardi, let alone play as 19 year olds.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Well next game is on KCOP so I wont be watching that one.

It'll be interesting to see how we f*** up against Dallas.

 

[Omni Owl]

Awful f***ing start to the season. I'm afraid we're going to be a bottom of the barrel team this year.

 

[Little Psycho]

They haven't had enough time to practice!

 

[KINGS17]

Awful ****ing start to the season. I'm afraid we're going to be a bottom of the barrel team this year.

Detroit won in Florida tonight. That is huge for the Kings in their tank to lose for Hughes. LOL

 

[King'sPawn]

Detroit won in Florida tonight. That is huge for the Kings in their tank to lose for Hughes. LOL

Kings are tied for third worst. If this keeps up, they would pick 6th overall at worst

 

[KINGS17]

Kings are tied for third worst. If this keeps up, they would pick 6th overall at worst

The Kings can suck better than this. I have faith.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The Kings defense game might be worse than the Lakers defense.

 

[damacles1156]

The middle six is terrible. That is much harder to fix.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Detroit won in Florida tonight. That is huge for the Kings in their tank to lose for Hughes. LOL

LUGHES FOR HUGHES !

 

[Little Psycho]

Did he tell them they are all on the hot seat?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Did he tell them they are all on the hot seat?

With Wally George?

 

[damacles1156]

Also it looks like they brought Quick back too early. Quick is really slow reacting to the play.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Bunch of Kings players at the Lakers game, and the Lakers appear to be showing more fight and heart in their first home game against Houston. Maybe they can learn something from watching them.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Maybe John Stevens should dress up as a jackass.

 

[Butch 19]

It's beyond a slump.

Getting completely blown out by the bottom teams in the league.

The Kings are a bottom team.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

The Kings are a bottom team.

Next time someone gets Blake on a mic on TV, should blindside him and ask "so, Hughes or Kakko?"

 

[AlphaBravo]

What's happening to this team is beyond Xs and Os, and beyond a skill/speed issue. I have seen crappy rosters put up more of a fight and squeeze out a win or be in the thick of it during the game. The players are straight up telling us during interviews that they have no fire, and the coach is clearly stating he has no answer. The answer is simple. If I was GM I would do the following:

1. Send JAD to juniors. He is not helping and he is not developing. Let's not destroy the future.

2. Don't play Vilardi when he heals. Let him either do a serious long-term rehab or go back to juniors and be closely monitored.

3. Fire Stevens, and have Mike Stothers temporarily coach the team until December. Blake should then interview several coaches until December and find out what philosophies each coach is proposing. My preference is going back to possession hockey.

4. Trade deadline. Move Carter, Muzzin, Pearson or Toffoli. I think trading these players will be a good start to getting rid of the stale cup squad. Bring in one or two character/grit players that are on one year contracts. I am hoping for a tank this season, so these types of players will at least give us a reason to watch the games (hits/fights etc.)

5. Gear up for next year.

 

[lexlavender]

Watching a terrible team that admits it needs work would be much easier than watching a terrible team which is advertising itself as a contender. Just give it up already.

 

[AlphaBravo]

I have ragged on Luc a lot, but to be fair, this team on paper should be near contender status. The problem is that, other than Iafallo, no one is playing to their potential or their heart out.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Quick clearly wasn’t ready to come back after his injury. They’ve rushed him back and it shows how rusty he is. They should give Quick more of a rest and ease him back in the lineup. There’s no point in risking further injury to him this early in the season. Let Campbell sink or swim.

Actually I think Quick's game has deteriorated overall. When the Kings won 2 Cup '12-'14, Quick's style was unique and he was hard to beat. Now that the game is faster and more wide open in terms of scoring chances, Quick hasn't been so great. Other goalies play his style now, so teams know how to play against Quick better. From what I have seen from him lately even when he's healthy, his playing of angles has not been as good, he still relies too much on reflexes(age is catching up and the injuries are becoming a bit more frequent) and he's making too many spectacular saves. I think Quick needs to play a little more positional and stand more upright on some shots. Also, his rebound control and being ready for 2ndary/additional shots has not been as good(goes back to his positional play).

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Actually I think Quick's game has deteriorated overall. When the Kings won 2 Cup '12-'14, Quick's style was unique and he was hard to beat. Now that the game is faster and more wide open in terms of scoring chances, Quick hasn't been so great. Other goalies play his style now, so teams know how to play against Quick better. From what I have seen from him lately even when he's healthy, his playing of angles has not been as good, he still relies too much on reflexes(age is catching up and the injuries are becoming a bit more frequent) and he's making too many spectacular saves. I think Quick needs to play a little more positional and stand more upright on some shots. Also, his rebound control and being ready for 2ndary/additional shots has not been as good(goes back to his positional play).

Quick was the least of the Kings’ problems last season and was their best player in the playoffs. He just won the Jennings as well for lowest GAA last season.

He’s clearly playing hurt now, and it’s hampering what he’s known for, his flexibility and athleticism.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Did he tell them they are all on the hot seat?

Probably sat around in a circle, held hands and talked about each other’s feelings.

 

[yankeeking]

Watching the game live at staples felt just like it did in October/November 2011 there are just no answers for the team to be this bad , I know the team then was young blah blah but this team is not being outplayed they seem to not be able to execute even simple plays ...... that Punk ass skinner skating freely from behind the net right out to the crease , no tape to tape passes , a horribly deployed power play where we can’t even setup, I hate to speak badly of a player like mike Richards who struggles with an addiction but the whole top six and top four look like they are stoned like mike, they can’t handle or make simple clearing plays or passes, I know the smart people on here want to blame the last four years on this so then can prove how smart they are but this is a simple game played by great athletes and what we are seeing is not poor drafting , or failure to get the most for elite athletes when their contracts are up or results of bad trades this is way way deeper and to me it is reminiscent of 2011 when again the team seemed lost and leaderless, a change has to be made

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Well, I had to tap out after the second period. It's one thing to lose, but it's another to play lackadaisical BORING hockey game after game after game dating back well into last season . The Kings are a hard watch that this California native now residing in Virginia is going to find increasingly hard to justify staying up late (or waste a Saturday afternoon) to watch this garbage.

The Stevens hire was a mistake. Many of us knew it, but this roster is going nowhere under him.

Blake needs to put his mark on this roster. He has yet to do what Lombardi refused to do, move on from at least one "core" (I'm using this term loosely) and shake up this locker room of scholarship players. The problem is, now is not the time of the season when you see those kinds of trades happen. It should have happened already (offseason/draft), and there is no excuse for it to not have.

Honestly, I have a really hard time seeing this organization pulling out of this nosedive. The only positive I have it that I really like the potential top 5 of next years draft. The trade deadline better be insanely busy this year