Is LA intentionally giving less than 100% in the regular season and is it right ?

[LolClarkson*]

Whether its 80% or 90% or 95%. I think they are making an effort to lift their foot off the gas in the dog days of the regular season and I don't think its right.

"I don't give a hell about the regular season"- Daryl Sutter

^Coach Sutter said it best himself and if I was Bettman, I would have a word with him for uttering those words.

They over-play their young players. All of their star players have bad numbers. Kopitar and Brown are prime examples. They are always worse then they should be in the regular season. Listen to any of the interviews of the players when they are asked about their position in the standings. They aren't phased. Then they come out guns a blazing in the playoffs.

The paying fans go to these games to watch professionals play at 100%. And nothing less. I personally think they are making an art of dogging it in the regular season and its BS.

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[winnipegger]

I'm not sure it's intentional. Fact is, the Kings have played more game in the last 3 years than anyone (stats guys am I right? too lazy). I think it's catching up to them a bit.

But yeah, they'll pick it up in Feb their team is still ridiculous and built to win.

 

[IdealisticSniper]

Regular season doesn't matter until you miss the playoffs. Then it kinda matters.

 

[jigglysquishy]

The goal is to win the Cup. The Kings have done it twice in three years and made the conference final three years in a row.

Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right.

 

[danktopshelf]

Couple thoughts:

1. Impossible to prove. No player would ever cop to it.

and 2. Genius if they are doing it. Goal is to lift the cup, no point in peaking in November and going all out. Need to peak in mid-late spring.

I have a feeling Kings fans aren't too distraught if that is what's happening. To draw a parallel, in basketball Pop is notorious for sandbagging the Spurs and resting his vets during meaningless regular season games. That's why he's the best coach in the game. Danowski at Duke lax does the same thing. There's no trophy for being the best regular season squad.

 

[chunkylover53]

There's no trophy for being the best regular season squad.

....but there actually is

 

[Strik_IX]

....but there actually is

And no one wants to touch it

 

[Anglesmith]

Fans must be furious about how they keep doing it. I mean, if it was resulting in them winning cups for the fans, that would be one thing, but.... wait, they are winning cups. If I'm an LA fan I'm happy right now no matter what they do during the regular season.

And besides, in order to make the playoffs, you need a successful record. It's not like they can be awful, give their fans a poor product, then win in the playoffs. If they're really that bad, they wouldn't make the playoffs in the first place.

 

[colchar]

The paying fans go to these games to watch professionals play at 100%. And nothing less.

I thought fans wanted to see their team win.

 

[ratbid]

As a canucks fan I'd happily trade those president's trophies we won for a cup. Everyone plays harder in the playoffs, you're just wording it differently. For example: "Justin Williams always gives it 120% in game 7s!". Does that mean his 100% in every other game is him just being lazy?

 

[LolClarkson*]

Regular season doesn't matter until you miss the playoffs. Then it kinda matters.

Dogging it may mean the difference between having the gas to win the cup. Fine line.

Regardless, its unethical in sport

 

[LolClarkson*]

The goal is to win the Cup. The Kings have done it twice in three years and made the conference final three years in a row.

Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right.

so every good team should coast in the regular season in front of their paying customers ?

 

[LolClarkson*]

Couple thoughts:

1. Impossible to prove. No player would ever cop to it.

.

Not when the head coach is openly bragging about it.

"I don't give a hell about the regular season" ie, play the young guys, baby the stars until playoff time

 

[Anglesmith]

Dogging it may mean the difference between having the gas to win the cup. Fine line.

Regardless, its unethical in sport

To say it's unethical in sport is to say that resting your stars on the last game of the season is unethical. If so, than most teams are unethical.

 

[jdatb]

As a canucks fan I'd happily trade those president's trophies we won for a cup. Everyone plays harder in the playoffs, you're just wording it differently. For example: "Justin Williams always gives it 120% in game 7s!". Does that mean his 100% in every other game is him just being lazy?

I agree.

 

[PuckSeparator]

I have 0 doubts that they don't go full steam until they have to. They have figured out their own recipe for success and it most definitely does not contain the ingredient of going 120% in December. If I remember correctly, the Boston Bruins were/are notoriously slow starters as well and even the Blackhawks were quite low in the standings a couple of weeks ago. Proven champions know how to pace themselves better than anyone else.

 

[Jacob]

I doubt they're doing it intentionally, but it's their right to do so if they are.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

I have 0 doubts that they don't go full steam until they have to. They have figured out their own recipe for success and it most definitely does not contain the ingredient of going 120% in December. If I remember correctly, the Boston Bruins were/are notoriously slow starters as well and even the Blackhawks were quite low in the standings a couple of weeks ago. Proven champions know how to pace themselves better than anyone else.

So true. When you've done it multiple times recently (Kings AND the Hawks), and have a lot of the same players, you can claim to have somewhat figured it out. And if you've figured it out without home ice advantage, well, even stronger claim, and less emphasis on forcing it in the regular season.

 

[gordie]

Whether its 80% or 90% or 95%. I think they are making an effort to lift their foot off the gas in the dog days of the regular season and I don't think its right.

"I don't give a hell about the regular season"- Daryl Sutter

^Coach Sutter said it best himself and if I was Bettman, I would have a word with him for uttering those words.

They over-play their young players. All of their star players have bad numbers. Kopitar and Brown are prime examples. They are always worse then they should be in the regular season. Listen to any of the interviews of the players when they are asked about their position in the standings. They aren't phased. Then they come out guns a blazing in the playoffs.

The paying fans go to these games to watch professionals play at 100%. And nothing less. I personally think they are making an art of dogging it in the regular season and its BS.

If they are doing this then the NHL should have its officials take care of Darryl Sutter and the Kings during the playoffs. Just like how they have handled enforcers over the years, look the wrong way while on the ice and you get a penalty. I bet Darryl Sutter wouldn't be so flippant about the regular season ever again, that is if he is able to keep his job.

 

[ThirdManIn]

"Is it right?"

How is this even a moral or ethical question. There are no rules against taking it easy until the postseason, and if it wins championships I suppose it's a good strategy, isn't it?

 

[Bixby Snyder]

They have the best home record in the west and one of the worst on the road, so at least season ticket buyers can't complain.

 

[ThirdManIn]

Not when the head coach is openly bragging about it.

"I don't give a hell about the regular season" ie, play the young guys, baby the stars until playoff time

That is a far cry from "openly bragging about it." He doesn't give a hell about the regular season. Why should he? Who cares about the President's Trophy when the Cup is the goal?

What is more likely is you are reading too much into a comment. They obviously care enough about the regular season to get into the post season, right?

 

[SirPaste]

I wish the Blues would take notes

 

[BigBrown]

The Kings play their best when they're desperate and they have a hard time finding that desperation in the regular season these days. It's been the formula for years now... start hot then be completely awful for a while, then turn it around right around the trade deadline and start steamrolling. Then once a playoff position is secured, start losing and go into the playoffs on a whimper.

As a Kings fan it's frustrating but whatever they're doing has had clear results so I can't really be mad about it. I was a complete wreck during the 11/12 season, it was so miserable, but it showed me that it's pointless to feel frustration about it because they won it all in the end and all that time I wasted being angry about their mid season performance was completely pointless. The consequence of that is now I'm having a real hard time fully enjoying regular season hockey since I no longer allow myself to be mad about it. It's pointless.

But I am sort of jealous of Hawks fans who can have success in both regular season and playoffs, that's gotta be fun.

 

[amnesiac]

my dad and I were just talking about that this morning....

I think its a definite possibility. Especially when it comes to goalies, I think at team like Montreal may be shooting themselves in the foot playing Price as much as they are right now.