Confirmed with Link: The koala has been fired!! Todd McLellan fired, Jim Hiller named Interim Head Coach

[Statto]

The object way of looking at this is that yes Blake has made some mistakes BUT the roster his currently underachieving. It probably overachieved at the start of the season (on the road at least) but it’s otherwise not measured up to the talent on it.

It’s then a combination of the players/coach.

TMac has also made mistakes. His over usage of #11 and #8, at times being too passive, not being able to get the team out of the slump, some of the line combinations, not using the elites of QB in overtime (with a couple of exceptions).

The players must take some responsibility too. AK has been poor and inconsistent, Laf has been sloppy recently… PLD… Danault hasn’t been good, Englund has stopped being a presence and has been poor. I could go on ni picking.

There is plenty of blame to go around and everyone has responsibility. TMac has been rightly made accountable at this point, at the end of the year Blake will be judged and hopefully Luc also.

I for one hope Hiller can get it done.

 

[Statto]

TM consistently improved the output of this team year after year. He’s been here almost five years, it doesn’t just fall apart in a month due to the coach. Absurd.

Year on year improvement was the minimum you’d expect because the roster improved each year as players got older and players came in. We can debate if that’s been done the right way for long term sustainability but it definitely improved. So I’d expect that from any NHL caliber coach.

 

[Kudelski37]

The object way of looking at this is that yes Blake has made some mistakes BUT the roster his currently underachieving. It probably overachieved at the start of the season (on the road at least) but it’s otherwise not measured up to the talent on it.

It’s then a combination of the players/coach.

TMac has also made mistakes. His over usage of #11 and #8, at times being too passive, not being able to get the team out of the slump, some of the line combinations, not using the elites of QB in overtime (with a couple of exceptions).

The players must take some responsibility too. AK has been poor and inconsistent, Laf has been sloppy recently… PLD… Danault hasn’t been good, Englund has stopped being a presence and has been poor. I could go on ni picking.

There is plenty of blame to go around and everyone has responsibility. TMac has been rightly made accountable at this point, at the end of the year Blake will be judged and hopefully Luc also.

I for one hope Hiller can get it done.

The roster was set up to underachieve though. PLD was always going to play third line minutes if Kopitar and Danault were healthy and the coaches/GM demanded PLD play center. He doesn't win faceoffs or play defensively so you don't want him on the ice late in close games or killing penalties so he gets less time than Kopitar and Danault. This would have been manageable if he clicked with Fiala, but they didn't for obvious reasons. Now, there are two high priced offense only forwards that got off to bad starts. Trying to jump start them by separating spread the issues so there were more close games resulting in more time for older vets. This has worn down the older vets and resulted in more sloppy play due to exhaustion. It is a feedback loop that is amplifying negatives.
Will the long all star break and coaching change reset it? I don't know. The team has struggled coming off long breaks the last few seasons so we might see if that was a players issue or a coaching issue.

 

[Statto]

The roster was set up to underachieve though. PLD was always going to play third line minutes if Kopitar and Danault were healthy and the coaches/GM demanded PLD play center. He doesn't win faceoffs or play defensively so you don't want him on the ice late in close games or killing penalties so he gets less time than Kopitar and Danault. This would have been manageable if he clicked with Fiala, but they didn't for obvious reasons. Now, there are two high priced offense only forwards that got off to bad starts. Trying to jump start them by separating spread the issues so there were more close games resulting in more time for older vets. This has worn down the older vets and resulted in more sloppy play due to exhaustion. It is a feedback loop that is amplifying negatives.
Will the long all star break and coaching change reset it? I don't know. The team has struggled coming off long breaks the last few seasons so we might see if that was a players issue or a coaching issue.

As I said Blake has made mistakes (with the roster) but I didn’t bother repeating them for the 1 millionth time in this thread.

We will see if a different coach, approach and maybe system can gel things any better. I have said before I don’t think that PLD has been deployed effectively in terms of system positioning etc (which of course makes me question getting him). However his poor usage doesn’t excuse his lack of work rate. That said if Hiller uses him better then he’ll probably play better and hopefully deliver more. Hopefully he can get more out of Fiala also whilst also improving 3/3 by using Clarke and QB. Simply improving OT would make a big difference.

I just hope everyone doesn’t start losing it when we lose in Hillers first game, it might take a few games. I’m happy to give it until the TDL to judge Hiller but the judgement (from upstairs) on Blake might come sooner. If we are sellers he’s done.

 

[Schrute farms]

Axl is right. Come on people wake up. Can you seriously blame the head coach TM for items like:

• OT lineups and usage -- and continuing to do the same thing as OT loss after OT loss builds up?
• Overplaying Kopi causing him to be less effective during & at end of the season
• Overplaying DD
• Playing the 1-3-1 and sticking with it even when teams have figured it out
• Not playing and giving some guys a chance
• PP player utilization (wrong guys used)
• Playing wrong guys on PK (Durzi?!?)
• Timeout usages

These are just some of the unfair criticisms put on TM. He was only the head coach for the team. I don't know why so many expect TM to have a hand in these items and be responsible for it. So unfair of you all. Why don't you put the blame for these things on someone responsible and in charge of these things.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Axl is right. Come on people wake up. Can you seriously blame the head coach TM for items like:

• OT lineups and usage -- and continuing to do the same thing as OT loss after OT loss builds up?
• Overplaying Kopi causing him to be less effective during & at end of the season
• Overplaying DD
• Playing the 1-3-1 and sticking with it even when teams have figured it out
• Not playing and giving some guys a chance
• PP player utilization (wrong guys used)
• Playing wrong guys on PK (Durzi?!?)
• Timeout usages

These are just some of the unfair criticisms put on TM. He was only the head coach for the team. I don't know why so many expect TM to have a hand in these items and be responsible for it. So unfair of you all. Why don't you put the blame for these things on someone responsible and in charge of these things.

These same 'items' were used and resulted in a 91-52-11 record the previous two season and had the Kings as one of top 3 teams in the league at around the Dec 1st mark of this season. I know facts aren't something we like to discuss around here, but it is what it is.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Axl is right. Come on people wake up. Can you seriously blame the head coach TM for items like:

• OT lineups and usage -- and continuing to do the same thing as OT loss after OT loss builds up?
• Overplaying Kopi causing him to be less effective during & at end of the season
• Overplaying DD
• Playing the 1-3-1 and sticking with it even when teams have figured it out
• Not playing and giving some guys a chance
• PP player utilization (wrong guys used)
• Playing wrong guys on PK (Durzi?!?)
• Timeout usages

These are just some of the unfair criticisms put on TM. He was only the head coach for the team. I don't know why so many expect TM to have a hand in these items and be responsible for it. So unfair of you all. Why don't you put the blame for these things on someone responsible and in charge of these things.

Oh, and how come your list didn't include the following:

• massive drop in shooting %
• massive drop in Talbot's save %

Two extremely key reasons why the Kings have spiraled, and certainly that's all on TM, right?

 

[tny760]

Axl is right. Come on people wake up. Can you seriously blame the head coach TM for items like:

• OT lineups and usage -- and continuing to do the same thing as OT loss after OT loss builds up?
• Overplaying Kopi causing him to be less effective during & at end of the season
• Overplaying DD
• Playing the 1-3-1 and sticking with it even when teams have figured it out
• Not playing and giving some guys a chance
• PP player utilization (wrong guys used)
• Playing wrong guys on PK (Durzi?!?)
• Timeout usages

These are just some of the unfair criticisms put on TM. He was only the head coach for the team. I don't know why so many expect TM to have a hand in these items and be responsible for it. So unfair of you all. Why don't you put the blame for these things on someone responsible and in charge of these things.

+rep. This player is fantastic, just needs to work on communication, aim, map awareness, crosshair placement, economy management, pistol aim, awp flicks, grenade spots, smoke spots, pop flashes, positioning, bomb plant positions, retake ability, bunny hopping, spray control and getting kills

maybe theres at least one other person here who gets that joke sorry

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Axl is right. Come on people wake up. Can you seriously blame the head coach TM for items like:

• OT lineups and usage -- and continuing to do the same thing as OT loss after OT loss builds up?
• Overplaying Kopi causing him to be less effective during & at end of the season
• Overplaying DD
• Playing the 1-3-1 and sticking with it even when teams have figured it out
• Not playing and giving some guys a chance
• PP player utilization (wrong guys used)
• Playing wrong guys on PK (Durzi?!?)
• Timeout usages

These are just some of the unfair criticisms put on TM. He was only the head coach for the team. I don't know why so many expect TM to have a hand in these items and be responsible for it. So unfair of you all. Why don't you put the blame for these things on someone responsible and in charge of these things.

Considering that you have most others have no f***ing idea about the 1-3-1 and continually reference to it's usage as of its utilized 60 minutes of a game,

Kopitar is averaging over a minute LESS than his career average, let's define OVER PLAYING...

Not playing and giving some guys a chance...like who exactly? Who hasn't been give a chance?

Playing wrong guys on the PK....again...Durzi was fine on the PK, but again this is the same crowd that thinks the 1-3-1 was a 60 minute system....

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Considering that you have most others have no f***ing idea about the 1-3-1 and continually reference to it's usage as of its utilized 60 minutes of a game,

I find this one hilarious as well -- it's like the cool catch phrase among the 'educated' Kings fans -- they play a 1-3-1 and other teams have figured them out!!

Well correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't the Kings been playing this system the entire time under TM...so like the last 5 years? So, did like some league memo go out around 12/15 that detailed the code break in the Kings system?? Was it posted on Reddit or something? WHAT TOOK SO LONG??

 

[Herby]

Not at all, very few people had issues with the ‘roster construction’ after first couple months of season. Todd was on his way to Jack Adam and Blake was GM of the year. This is on the players.

Very few people were concerned with the fact that the Kings had Talbot and Copley as the goalies, that the #1 C was 36 and the #1 d-man was 34?

I told you this when you were prematurely claiming victory and telling me if I was ready to admit I was wrong, but you thought the season was over after 20 games.

This was never a contending roster and anyone who thought it was a contending roster was greatly mistaken.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Very few people were concerned with the fact that the Kings had Talbot and Copley as the goalies, that the #1 C was 36 and the #1 d-man was 34?

I told you this when you were prematurely claiming victory and telling me if I was ready to admit I was wrong, but you thought the season was over after 20 games.

This was never a contending roster and anyone who thought it was a contending roster was greatly mistaken.

You also considered Vilardi and QB to be busts, but hey we all make mistakes, right?

Excuse me if I was high on the team when they were being close to #1 overall in the league in early Dec. My bad!

 

[Herby]

You also considered Vilardi and QB to be busts, but hey we all make mistakes, right?

Excuse me if I was high on the team when they were being close to #1 overall in the league in early Dec. My bad!

Vilardi yes.
QB no.

My whole point is, people who could see the big picture knew that no team with a core this bad had ever won a cup. No elite #1C, no elite #1D and not even a capable starting goalie. What was their path to victory? This is why you can't try and win with unproven methods. You need multiple developed stars to win Stanley Cups, that is what the last two decades have shown us. It would be like an NFL team with Kirk Cousins and an average defense thinking they were contenders.

But don't worry, you were not the only one, the President and GM felt the same way. But they were probably just lying to save their jobs.

 

[kingsboy11]

Every part of this organization deserves part of the blame.

Coach, GM, Players, Luc, scouting, development, analytics etc

I can't pin down who shoulders most of the blame because everything that has gone wrong this year is a result of everything that I mentioned. The roster is a good roster, but inherently flawed. Good enough to win games and should be good enough to make the playoffs. But is it good enough to win the Cup? Its not looking like it

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Vilardi yes.
QB no.

My whole point is, people who could see the big picture knew that no team with a core this bad had ever won a cup. No elite #1C, no elite #1D and not even a capable starting goalie. What was their path to victory? This is why you can't try and win with unproven methods. You need multiple developed stars to win Stanley Cups, that is what the last two decades have shown us. It would be like an NFL team with Kirk Cousins and an average defense thinking they were contenders.

But don't worry, you were not the only one, the President and GM felt the same way. But they were probably just lying to save their jobs.

Fair enough, but where excuses did the majority of hockey pundits who DID think this team was scary have?

You act as if no one in pro hockey thought the LA Kings of the first 20 games were the real deal.....when that is so clearly not the case.

 

[Herby]

Fair enough, but where excuses did the majority of hockey pundits who DID think this team was scary have?

You act as if no one in pro hockey thought the LA Kings of the first 20 games were the real deal.....when that is so clearly not the case.

I would have said the same thing to people who thought the Los Angeles Angels were contenders in 2022 because they were in first place at the quarter point.

GET REAL!

And I said as much on this forum and to people like Axl.

How can a team without any star players win a Stanley Cup?

Sports pundits are wrong all the time, many times because they try and find the trendy longshot picks they can then use to toot their own horns. This happens yearly with another Los Angeles team, and I'm sure it will be on overdrive even more with their new head-coach.

Maybe this is the history major in me talking, but who was the historical comp for what this Kings team was trying to do this year? What team similarly constructed to the Kings was successful? Maybe you can say the 2019 Blues, but that team kind of caught lightning in a bottle, they never did anything before or after that hot run and their best players were better than the Kings best players.

 

[Schrute farms]

These same 'items' were used and resulted in a 91-52-11 record the previous two season and had the Kings as one of top 3 teams in the league at around the Dec 1st mark of this season. I know facts aren't something we like to discuss around here, but it is what it is.

Fact: TM got fired by the La Kings
Fact: none of us posters here had anything to do with that firing whatsoever.

I think someone's anger is a bit misplaced.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Fact: TM got fired by the La Kings
Fact: none of us posters here had anything to do with that firing whatsoever.
View attachment 815998


I think someone's anger is a bit misplaced.

Who's angry? Not me. I bet a buddy of mine that he would of been fired within 5 days after the Buf game...I lost that bet, was a bit ticked about that though.

 

[chris kontos]

.

 

[kingsfanman]

Kings' journalists/media people keep praising how well they were treated & how humane Todd was. To me, that was just another red flag, too much talking. Every answer was yes and no, bla bla bla. In my opinion the main guy needs to be an authority & demand performance, not an empathetic teacher who is too generous.

 

[Little Psycho]

I wouldn’t trust a word that Doughty says because what do you expect him to say? That Todd sucks? Todd had lost the room for sure with the way they cratered. If you choose to unsurprisingly not lay any blame on your man then that’s that. But Todd definitely killed the team like he has regularly in the playoffs.

I mean this is the same Doughty that said similar things about Sutter and then spilled the tea after the season along with other players

 

[chris kontos]

Drew doughty is an AH and needs to shut the f*** up.
We shouldhave traded him sometime ago when we could have got something for him

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Drew doughty is an AH and needs to shut the f*** up.
We shouldhave traded him sometime ago when we could have got something for him

You ok, bud?

 

[Lt Dan]

Drew doughty is an AH

Anaheim Hills?
Anti Hero?
Ampere Hours?
Auditory Hallucinating?
At Home?
Admission Hold?

 

[chris kontos]

Anaheim Hills?
Anti Hero?
Ampere Hours?
Auditory Hallucinating?
At Home?
Admission Hold?

All ho*ky