GDT: MOD Warning Post #1 2023-24 season game 6 LA Kings vs Arizona Coyotes @7:30pm 10/24/23

[lexlavender]

Right now the Kings are the best possession team and expected GF team in the league. The problem is their inability to capitalize on chances because of a lack of star power, and poor goaltending that cannot weather grade A chances. It's the perfect storm of shit.

We need our best players to be our best players. That means that Kopitar, Doughty, Kempe, and Fiala need to step up their games. Simply being a strong team isn't enough with this goaltending, you either need to be a DOMINANT TEAM (IE 75% of possession) or a TALENTED TEAM (scores on their grade A chances every time).

It's like Blake looked at Muzzin-Martinez and decided that same dynamic should encompass an entire team.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Kings are a legitimate cup contender. Tonight should be an easy two points against a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a very long time. Anything less than domination should be rare. Whatever the weaknesses of the roster, tonight’s opponent presents a poor challenge. So it’s important to dominate from puck drop, because otherwise, what are we doing here?

 

[Maynard]

Kings are a legitimate cup contender. Tonight should be an easy two points against a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a very long time. Anything less than domination should be rare. Whatever the weaknesses of the roster, tonight’s opponent presents a poor challenge. So it’s important to dominate from puck drop, because otherwise, what are we doing here?

This would apply to a team that realizes they are contenders and has a certain type of determination to dominate. Killer instinct, foot on the throat, will to win at any cost, etc.

This team doesn’t have that. But hey they have gentlemanly play and friendship!!

 

[Fishhead]

I hope Spence looks a bit better tonight. He's not been terrible, but he's struggled a bit with the better teams, gotta get those feet under him along with some confidence.

 

[tigermask48]

Probably won't be anytime soon. Talbot and/or Copley would have to be injured. They're still riding Rittich in the AHL, as he's played in 75% of the games. I'd be surprised if they made any drastic changes.

Look, developing goalies is hard work, doubly so when you have no real interest in attempting to develop goalies.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Kings are a legitimate cup contender. Tonight should be an easy two points against a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a very long time. Anything less than domination should be rare. Whatever the weaknesses of the roster, tonight’s opponent presents a poor challenge. So it’s important to dominate from puck drop, because otherwise, what are we doing here?

Love the tought of an "easy two points" as if it's a real thing.......

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Look, developing goalies is hard work, doubly so when you have no real interest in attempting to develop goalies.

What does that even mean? We've already forgotten about Cal Petersen, right? Obviously, that experiment didn't work out, but to say they didn't try and develop a goaltender to replace Quick? 'No real interest'...except for the 5-million dollars they were willing to pay him! LOL, wow.

 

[ru4reals]

I predicted 0-41 at home this year I'm sticking to it. Please prove me wrong and don't suck.

 

[johnjm22]

One of the top teams in the league by any metric, doomed by the 2nd worst 5v5 goaltending in the league and worst in many other goaltending categories.

That sounds like a pretty good place to be.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

That sounds like a pretty good place to be.

Naw...you aren't getting it man, Kings are a SHIT TEAM.....because they didn't BUILD THE RIGHT WAY....and no one, absolutely NO ONE, is changing his mind about that....

 

[johnjm22]

Kings are a legitimate cup contender. Tonight should be an easy two points against a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a very long time. Anything less than domination should be rare. Whatever the weaknesses of the roster, tonight’s opponent presents a poor challenge. So it’s important to dominate from puck drop, because otherwise, what are we doing here?

Last year Vegas lost games to San Jose, Arizona, Detroit, Buffalo etc.

IT'S THE NHL.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

That sounds like a pretty good place to be.

Like I said in the other thread--unfortunately goaltending, special teams, finishing, and coaching are still part of the game

It's sort of like the Sutter corsi-padding Kings on steroids

We're going to do everything possible to juice our 5v5 metrics with no regard to those other items so it looks good on paper

This team is gonna be .500 because they'll ride near a historic 75% xGF with league worst goaltending and special teams and strategy and pretend its success

I THINK what you're saying is it's reason for optimism because the problems are very clear, but they've shown no interest in addressing those problems for years, so color me skeptical.

 

[Sol]

probably once there is enough evidence that Copley sucks, and provided Rittich puts up good numbers in the AHL.

There needs to be more evidence that Copley sucks ?

 

[DoktorJeep]

Last year Vegas lost games to San Jose, Arizona, Detroit, Buffalo etc.

IT'S THE NHL.

But they didn’t have Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake, Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. Hundreds of millions of dollars of investment has to pay off, or what are we doing here?

 

[Kurrilino]

Kings are a legitimate cup contender. Tonight should be an easy two points against a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a very long time. Anything less than domination should be rare. Whatever the weaknesses of the roster, tonight’s opponent presents a poor challenge. So it’s important to dominate from puck drop, because otherwise, what are we doing here?

And may i ask why is that?

 

[bland]

That sounds like a pretty good place to be.

It was so much easier to see the real issues before folks blinded themselves with numbers that do not matter.

 

[DoktorJeep]

And may i ask why is that?

You calling Luc a liar?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It was so much easier to see the real issues before folks blinded themselves with numbers that do not matter.

They matter, but they don't supersede the most obvious stuff, like having a sub-.900 save %

 

[johnjm22]

I THINK what you're saying is it's reason for optimism because the problems are very clear, but they've shown no interest in addressing those problems for years, so color me skeptical.

It's REALLY hard to build a contending team. It takes a lot of things to go your way. And there's a lot of chance involved. There's steps to getting there. If you're a goaltender away, that's actually a pretty great place to be.

Imagine if Kopitar hadn't been drafted before Dean got here. The whole time he would have been chasing that number one center. And we probably would have never won a cup.

Being a goaltender away, or a winger away, ain't a bad spot to be at all.

PP was 4th last year. Get it back on track (paging Adrien Kempe). Then get the goaltender (which "fixes" our 8th ranked PK)

Then enjoy the ride. When it all eventually blows up, then you can rebuild.

Are we going to win the SC this way? No probably not. Just like if we rebuild we probably won't win it either.

 

[KingsHockey24]

This is going to be a great game to fall asleep to.

 

[AbsentMojo]

This is going to be a great game to fall asleep to.

Well it will be somewhat interesting to see Durrrzi against his former team. And Logan Cooley is a good young player with skill.. otherwise ya

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Being a goaltender away, or a winger away, ain't a bad spot to be at all.

Yeah, it absolutely is, especially when you're capped out with dwindling assets because you started spending them haphazardly to plug holes created by your own self-inflicted shotgun wounds or neglect of issues internet idiots like us saw coming two years ahead of time.

You don't get credit for building a luxury house and running out of money before you forget a roof.

That's not at you directly and more at all the 'wow what a team he put together' people because its' like creating a player on a sports game with a 99 shot and running out of any stats for skating, Blake maxxed out forwards then went surfing.

 

[bland]

They matter, but they don't supersede the most obvious stuff, like having a sub-.900 save %

The most significant factor in hockey is momentum, not control. Coaches spent the bulk of the mid to late 90s trying to reduce chances against in effort to control games, but the results always come down to the ability to take advantage of those chances - no matter how many or few. The amassed total of chances themselves really don't dictate results.

The teams that win series and Cups don't do so by tactics. The mental strength and collected spirit of a group rowing in the same direction can beat any system or style. Coaches that can read and react instead of doubling down on Plan A are always better for a contender. We saw that plain as day with Sutter, especially compared to Murray and McLellan. Fine tacticians, just not able to manage the momentum of a series with largely the same key pieces.

The Kings will make the playoffs because they can outscore their problems enough times to qualify. But I don't think anybody could credibly say that they are mentally strong enough to win a series. Guys like Fiala and Dubois don't help that problem, they exacerbate it.

Kopitar and Doughty are terrific assets when you are down and need to calm and refocus, but they aren't strengths when you need to lift up to meet the emotion of the game. That's what made 12-14 so special, those teams had a tool for every possible job. The tactics were just the map, not the journey.

 

[chris kontos]

Luc robitaille once had the crap beaten out of him twice in one game by chris chelios.
Good times

 

[chris kontos]

This is somewhat off topic, however, is thier birdshi*t on luc's statue yet?
If i lived closer than 300 mi away, i think id put some birdseed on that statue. Cause some texture coat on luc would look great.