GDT: 10/18 LA Kings @ Minnesota Wild 5 PM on FSW, FSN

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Little Psycho

Registered User
Feb 4, 2007
34,946
13,171
Non-Yah
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Better, but softer.

My big worry in this sort of transition is that we lose any identity whatsoever. We've lost a lot of toughness for a team that's not going to out-skill you. Not that sitting Greene isn't a good move.
 
Look's like our lines:

king-kopitar-toffoli
pearson-carter-setoguchi
brown-shore-lewis
andreoff-dowd-nolan

mcnabb-doughty
muzzin-martinez
forbort-gilbert

zatkoff-budaj
 
Better, but softer.

My big worry in this sort of transition is that we lose any identity whatsoever. We've lost a lot of toughness for a team that's not going to out-skill you. Not that sitting Greene isn't a good move.

2014 Cup winning team

Gaborik Kopitar Brown
Pearson Carter Toffoli
King Stoll Williams
Clifford Richards Lewis

Muzzin Doughty
Mitchell Voynov
Martinez Greene

I've bolded the people who would probably be considered tough players. Most of these players also can't play hockey very well. Our identity of toughness and work will always be defined by our system and by the top players. Kopitar, Carter, Pearson, Toffoli, Muzzin, Doughty, Martinez are all more than capable of playing a physical, hard working game, and they have done so in the past. Even Gaborik and Williams, who were tradition considered soft, played physical in our system.

I think losing added grit/fighting/hitting/penalties is worth getting more capable players.
 
2014 Cup winning team

Gaborik Kopitar Brown
Pearson Carter Toffoli
King Stoll Williams
Clifford Richards Lewis

Muzzin Doughty
Mitchell Voynov
Martinez Greene

I've bolded the people who would probably be considered tough players. Most of these players also can't play hockey very well. Our identity of toughness and work will always be defined by our system and by the top players. Kopitar, Carter, Pearson, Toffoli, Muzzin, Doughty, Martinez are all more than capable of playing a physical, hard working game, and they have done so in the past. Even Gaborik and Williams, who were tradition considered soft, played physical in our system.

I think losing added grit/fighting/hitting/penalties is worth getting more capable players.

I don't disagree we need to get 'better,' and I know those guys became withered shells. I just think in getting more skilled, we run the risk of getting away from whats made us good, and we'll never be skilled enough to keep up with the Joneses with this incarnation of the team. There's a difference between a physical/working game--which I agree these guys bring--and being physically punishing. We're more often than not the team getting ragdolled these days in both skill AND physicality.

Just a musing.
 
Better, but softer.

My big worry in this sort of transition is that we lose any identity whatsoever. We've lost a lot of toughness for a team that's not going to out-skill you. Not that sitting Greene isn't a good move.

Which is basically what people want, because that's how the league is going. You can't be Purcell soft, but giving up some size for better puck movement would be a step in the direction of the league. Big guys that can move the puck are the best choice, but you have to pay for them.
 
I don't disagree we need to get 'better,' and I know those guys became withered shells. I just think in getting more skilled, we run the risk of getting away from whats made us good, and we'll never be skilled enough to keep up with the Joneses with this incarnation of the team. There's a difference between a physical/working game--which I agree these guys bring--and being physically punishing. We're more often than not the team getting ragdolled these days in both skill AND physicality.

Just a musing.

Same thing happened to the 03-04 Flames. That year they were Iginla, Kiprusoff, a couple other guys, and then 3rd/4th liners. As the years went on, they brought in a little more skill each year, went out in the 1st round each year, and then sort faded away for half a decade while they hung onto an aging Iginla.
 
Kings can't score and have been boring as **** to watch. Nothing like a game in Minnesota to turn the tide!

Kings lose 3-1.

McNabb -5.

Lone goal by Toffoli.

Clifford takes a slashing penalty with 1:30 left and the goalie pulled.

EN goal by Stewart.

Kopitar post game - "We need to be better."

I think I'll skip this game and give myself an audit.
 

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