WCF Gm#2: KINGS vs. Hawks - 6/2/13 - Heading Home 0-2 Again...

[Muzzinga]

Actually a few of us, (myself and johnjm i think at least) thought King should have been traded last off season, since he is just a very very very average bottom 6 player who happened to run good and score 5 goals in 20 games or whatever it was

 

[Reclamation Project]

That's fine. Each and every one of them wishes the team and franchise they root for were in the position the Kings are in currently, which is defending champ, participant in the Conference Final, and most of the core locked up long term and not in cap hell. You'd be bitter too, if you were them.

Exactly.

 

[KingsFan7824]

While some thought it was a great idea for players to keep in condition by going and playing for other teams, I felt and still do that being under contract and being paid by their NHL organizations, that players shouldn't have been allowed to do this. Kopi is a good example of just why. Sure, he had fun, but his team is now suffering because of it.

They weren't under contract, or being paid by the organizations. They were locked out.

 

[Sydor25]

Kings are not losing because of their bottom 6 and bottom pair. It is the top 2 that are killing the Kings. Williams has been putting up some goals, but he also went 7 or 8 without a goal during this year. Kopitar and Brown are 30 points behind where they were last playoffs. That is at least 1 goal per game less. If the Kings were getting that scoring, they wouldn't have taken 13 games to get out of the first two rounds and wouldn't be as tired and banged up.

Before the shortened season started, the Conference Final is what I wanted to see the team achieve. They've done it and I'm happy with the season overall, they proved that they can come back in a series and win a game 7. Last year's 10-1 road record was as much of a fluke and this season's 1-7 record. Sutter wanted the team to defend home ice this season and have had their best home record in team history (points %). They are 7-0 at home in the first two rounds.

Kings get a full training camp with Sutter for the first time and they have some young, hungry players that can push for jobs next season.

Quick also showed that last season wasn't a fluke. Once he recovered from his back surgery, he's just as dominate. The Kings just stopped scoring in the playoffs.

Go Kings!

 

[theMajor]

Kopitar gets a pass because he's injured but King plays like he's brain dead. And another thing, you thought that adrenaline high series was actually king playing at his level. He was playing above his potential and this year it showed.

Kopi doesnt get a pass, his lack of production is hurting the team more than King's underwhelming play ever could

 

[KingsFan7824]

That's fine. Each and every one of them wishes the team and franchise they root for were in the position the Kings are in currently, which is defending champ, participant in the Conference Final, and most of the core locked up long term and not in cap hell. You'd be bitter too, if you were them.

I think it's because the Kings were an 8th seed. It just doesn't seem right that they won. Plus, it's LA.

Look back to 2010, and the Flyers and Canadiens were the 7th and 8th seeds in the East. Worse than that, Philly and Montreal had the 18th and 19th best records in the league. 3 teams in the West that had better records than both the Flyers and Habs didn't even make the playoffs. Philly and Montreal end up making the conference finals that year. Had either of those teams beaten Chicago that year, you don't hear much about how lucky they were. Maybe part of that is because it's Chicago and they were stacked, but it's also because it would've been either Philly or Montreal winning. At the same time, nobody hears much about how lucky Chicago was to have played a team in the Finals that made the playoffs without an NHL goaltender, and on the last day of the season because of a shootout.

Why? Because none of that really matters. You have to beat who you play, and play them how they are. The Kings caught a break last year with Sedin being hurt. Who knows, maybe the Hawks have caught a break with Kopitar not being healthy. Them's the breaks.

 

[Papa Mocha 15]

Dwight King. 15 games, 0 goals, 3 assists and -4. That is tied for worst...with Martinez. Enough said.

Yeah but Martinez did it in two games.....

 

[Fat Elvis]

Kopi doesnt get a pass, his lack of production is hurting the team more than King's underwhelming play ever could

True, the 1st line except for Williams in gm 6-7 in the SJ series has been pedestrian at best. Your best players need to play that way. King should be 4th line and 6-9 minutes, anything more is just asking too much. Kopitar and Brown need to step it up or this thing will be a short series. Chicago is just too dang good to get by without your big guns, and our big guns have been limp.

 

[Herby]

They have each stepped up in past playoffs, but right now Dwight King and Kyle Clifford are not NHL players. I challenge anyone here to come up with anything positive that Clifford or King have added to this team in the playoffs. Stoll did not play well in either game, but we will give him a pass coming off injury, Lewis was abysmal in both games in Chicago. Fraser has been poor all season.

Chicago got production from their bottom six players and the Kings bottom 6 has been a total blackhole.

And no, this is not an excuse for how poorly Kopitar and Co. have played. Just an observation about the bottom 6.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

There really has been just one line that has played well, and that was the Carter line in Game 2. I think the run from last year set up some lofty expectations for the Kings, but let's not kid ourselves, they were not going to replicate another run like that.

It's not just the production of the players that is a major difference, but I think it is fairly evident that this squad is just not as healthy and physically able to go through another hard hitting round of hockey after what they withstood against the Blues and Sharks. They barely made it out of those series and survived the first two rounds.

We're witnessing just how tough it is to win a Stanley Cup, let alone trying to win one back-to-back. It took a lot for them to get this far and they've played more playoff hockey than any of the remaining playoff teams over the past two seasons.

We might have seen a different result if the team wasn't so banged up, but playing hurt is part of playoff hockey. I said to a friend of mine that beating San Jose this year was like winning the Cup, because it looked like such a difficult task to achieve. That may have been their high point in 2013.

 

[CanadianKingsFan14]

Game 3 Go Kings Go!!!!

 

[taz346]

They weren't under contract, or being paid by the organizations. They were locked out.

OK OK, but I still think it was wrong for nhl players to go play for other teams. Contract lock-out or not. Kopi just wanted to play with his bro and that's a pretty sorry-ass excuse for hurting himself and his team here in U.S.
Another thing I don't like and noone agree's with me, but I don't mind speaking my opinion, I hate them going to the Olympics in Russia too. Those games were meant for amateur's and it's those very Russians who caused pro's to get into it. These guys risk injury and then coming back to their teams,for rest of season in same shape Kopi is in. I can't change it back to the way it was meant (See Herb Brooks) but I don't have to like it.

 

[bmr]

Actually a few of us, (myself and johnjm i think at least) thought King should have been traded last off season, since he is just a very very very average bottom 6 player who happened to run good and score 5 goals in 20 games or whatever it was

The problem with King is he's not playing like he was in last year's playoffs, neither is Nolan. They were both possessed and always in the right place at the right time. You know who else I don't want to resign? Fraser. Time to breathe new life into this organization next year.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

OK OK, but I still think it was wrong for nhl players to go play for other teams.

Then the NHL should stop locking them out

 

[CowMix]

Well I'll try my hand at some new Richard-less lines for game 6

Richardson - Kopitar - Williams
Penner - Carter - Toffoli
Brown - Stoll - Lewis
Clifford - Fraser - Nolan

Doughty - Regher
Voynov - Scuderi
Martinez - Greene

The fourth line looks scary based on their current play but I think they can pick up their play. I think Nolan should come in for King cause we need more hitting in our lineup.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Well I'll try my hand at some new Richard-less lines for game 6

Richardson - Kopitar - Williams
Penner - Carter - Toffoli
Brown - Stoll - Lewis
Clifford - Fraser - Nolan

Doughty - Regher
Voynov - Scuderi
Martinez - Greene

The fourth line looks scary based on their current play but I think they can pick up their play. I think Nolan should come in for King cause we need more hitting in our lineup.

Call me crazy, but I would almost rather play Pearson that Richardson

 

[CowMix]

Call me crazy, but I would almost rather play Pearson that Richardson

I'm hesitant to put a rookie with 4 minutes of 1 nhl game for experience anywhere near the top 6. I put Richardson there since hes been a pest on the forecheck and has good speed. Maybe Pearson replaces someone on the fourth line?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Something I've noticed with Brown of late that has driven me nuts is that he's resorted to trying to deke through players or try to make a move and shoot the puck through a defender, which hasn't worked for him at all.

I don't understand why he's not attempting to go around the player as opposed to through the player. He builds momentum skating with the puck then slows himself down and causes turnovers that lead to counterattacks. He needs to cut to the net by building up speed from the outside, going around a defender, and has to get the puck on net.

While Kopitar's play has been uninspiring of late, his wingers have to help him out, and the only player who has showed up on that line (though off and on) has been Justin Williams.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Something I've noticed with Brown of late that has driven me nuts is that he's resorted to trying to deke through players or try to make a move and shoot the puck through a defender, which hasn't worked for him at all.

I don't understand why he's not attempting to go around the player as opposed to through the player. He builds momentum skating with the puck then slows himself down and causes turnovers that lead to counterattacks. He needs to cut to the net by building up speed from the outside, going around a defender, and has to get the puck on net.

While Kopitar's play has been uninspiring of late, his wingers have to help him out, and the only player who has showed up on that line (though off and on) has been Justin Williams.

I think he has a shoulder injury. Dingo intuition.

 

[kingsfan28]

So the main board is like Los Angeles and this board is like Edmonton?

More like Tijuana and this board is Irvine.

 

[I Am Ziggy Palffy]

We're also seeing the Hawks get properly rewarded for a great regular season. Even with the DET series, the Hawks road seem like cake walk compared to the wars the Kings have gone through to get to this point. No wonder why one team is so active and the other is skating in quick sand.

But even so, I still believe this Kings team is too one dimensional.. We can hit and grind plenty. We just need that extra speedy winger who can score to plug in and change things up a bit.

 

[Reclamation Project]

More like Tijuana and this board is Irvine.

 

[Little Psycho]

This is so done on purpose. Crew Doughty? Seriously?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

This is so done on purpose. Crew Doughty? Seriously?

Surprised we haven't seen one with Alex Martinez.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Disgusting. I don't find that funny at all.