2017-18 Kings News/Rumors/Tidbits

[damacles1156]

So if Kempe is on Kopitar's wing, and Lewis takes the 2nd center spot, they go from a winger that can't win any faceoffs, to a winger that can't win most faceoffs. They're in total adapt mode right now though. Whatever can get them through one game with a win, however they have to do it.

No Carter, Brown has 3 in 13, Kopitar has 2 in 13, Gaborik is credited with 2 goals in 11, Iafallo can't score, Pearson has 2 in 13. Even with Muzzin, it's an inexperienced defense. Quick has been shaky lately. Their 1st and 2nd periods are still consistently sub par. 2-5-1 in the last 8, all against the West, and 7 against the Pacific. A lot of issues are converging at the same time.

5 games to get things going before another extended break. 3 of those games against the division. Thankfully all on the road, but Anaheim and Calgary have sort of taken it to the Kings this year. For the Ducks to get a point in LA without Getzlaf and Kesler, and a minute away from winning outright, that's not good. Someone has to stop the bleeding.

The Kings were not going to be able to feast on the EAST all year. Have to sort out the Pacific and the West. Or they are toast.

 

[damacles1156]

They should just stick Amadio in between Toffoli and Pearson. See what he can do with talent, not stiffs like Clifford or Andreoff.

Shouldn't surprise anyone. Stevens is just like 99% of all NHL coaches. Likes Veterans.

Stevens will probably ease Amadio into the game. If Amadio has some jump and good legs, will probably move him up.

 

[tny760]

i guess what i see in that lineup is an attempt to spread the "energy" guys around? not that kopitar and brown should need it, they should be creating on their own..

 

[damacles1156]

Man,

Miss the days of Stoll winning 57.9% of the draws he took. Dominant.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The Kings were not going to be able to feast on the EAST all year. Have to sort out the Pacific and the West. Or they are toast.

9-10-4 against the West, but 1-4-2 at home against the Pacific. That leaves an 8-6-2 record otherwise. 18 points in 16 games isn't great, but you can work with it. That's 92 points over 82 games. Not a playoff record, but that plus something else even average would be ok.

The home Pacific record is wounding the team right now. 4 points in 7 games is 47 over 82. That's as bad in that small sample size as Colorado was all of last year. Actually 1 point worse, but who's counting.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Man,

Miss the days of Stoll winning 57.9% of the draws he took. Dominant.

Seriously. He was the perfect checking center. There’s no wonder the team was so dominant during that time.

 

[BigKing]

Love MacD but he needs to take a little bit of a breather here at the NHL level and regain some confidence. Get back to making simple plays like he was at the start of the year.

I just don't see Fantenberg as anything more than a PP specialist as he just isn't very good at playing defense. Maybe he gets it together but he seems like the type of guy that could be an AHL all-star but not be able to handle NHL-level forwards.

Amadio deserves another shot so I'm glad he got the call-up. Let's hope the anointed one can play solid minutes on the blue line and not burst everyone's bubble that believes he is a Top 4 guy at present. Would be a real game changer if LaDue can step in and just click.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Man,

Miss the days of Stoll winning 57.9% of the draws he took. Dominant.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The Pens have been playing Reaves and Oleksiak and the Kings send down MacDermid? Ouch. Gonna be a rough Thursday for Clifford/Andreoff.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The Kings are totally exposed for having a bad 4th line. Clifford-Mitchell-Andreoff? Jesus.

Clifford's time is up, Kings have AA and Big MacD. Kings need to deal for a winger who can skate and chip in 8-12 goals and put him alongside Mitchell and Andreoff. AA has better than Clifford this entire year with his entire game.

 

[Sol]

For every 5 face offs one, there was a beautiful board on the forecheck by Stoll at a pivotal moment. He kept the plexiglass workers honest.


Glad they sent MacD down. I don't know, I like Fantenberg. He has upside.

 

[Sol]

The Kings are totally exposed for having a bad 4th line. Clifford-Mitchell-Andreoff? Jesus.

Clifford's time is up, Kings have AA and Big MacD. Kings need to deal for a winger who can skate and chip in 8-12 goals and put him alongside Mitchell and Andreoff. AA has better than Clifford this entire year with his entire game.

100% Clifford and AA are both redundant. But AA is better as a whole.

Id get rid of both, but if you're keeping one you keep AA

 

[damacles1156]

The Kings are totally exposed for having a bad 4th line. Clifford-Mitchell-Andreoff? Jesus.

Clifford's time is up, Kings have AA and Big MacD. Kings need to deal for a winger who can skate and chip in 8-12 goals and put him alongside Mitchell and Andreoff. AA has better than Clifford this entire year with his entire game.

If Your 4th line winger is scoring 8-12 goals at ES, you would have the best 4th line winger in the entire NHL. Top six player Tanner Pearson (Example) only has 8 ES goals through 44 games, think about that.

Folks Fourth line players don't score a whole lot.

 

[lumbergh]

Man,

Miss the days of Stoll winning 57.9% of the draws he took. Dominant.

I don't think he'd win so many draws now that the person taking the face-off can't play the puck with his hands.

 

[damacles1156]

Basically,

If your fourth line players can net you 5-8 ES goals and or 15-20 points in the season, you have one of the best fourth line players in the NHL.

Little bit of trivia, name me the last Kings fourth line player to score 7 or more ES goals in a season.

 

[damacles1156]

I don't think he'd win so many draws now that the person taking the face-off can't play the puck with his hands.

Even after the Stoll rule was put into effect Jarret was still above 55% on average. He was simply masterful at face-offs.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Nosek (3 goals), Bellamere (4) and Carrier (1) vs Andreoff (2), Mitchell (2) and Clifford (1). Just an example. Vegas 4th line has about 3 more goals, but in terms of assists, its about double. 12 to our 6 total assists.

So it's safe to say the expansions team 4th line is almost doubling our 4th line in all cateogires. Granted, Carrier and Clifford haven't played full seasons.

 

[Sol]

If Your 4th line winger is scoring 8-12 goals at ES, you would have the best 4th line winger in the entire NHL. Top six player Tanner Pearson (Example) only has 8 ES goals through 44 games, think about that.

Folks Fourth line players don't score a whole lot.

Tbh you're being unfair using Pearson as an example, yes he's on the top 6 but he's been really bad in production this year.

 

[damacles1156]

Tbh you're being unfair using Pearson as an example, yes he's on the top 6 but he's been really bad in production this year.

Pearson's skill set is more in line with a grinder. You're not going to put someone like Toffoli on the 4th line. I thought that would be pretty obvious.

Trevor lewis who is having another career year, 10 ES goals through 44 games. Trevor is currently one of the best bottom six players in the league. Also the Kings use Lewis as a (Tweener) Brown only has 10 ES goals through 44 games, and Brown might have 60 point season.

 

[Sol]

Pearsons skill set is more in line with a grinder. You're not going to put someone like Toffoli on the 4th line. I thought that would be pretty obvious.

No one said you would, while his play style is more of a grinders, he's got much better tools than most grinders.

Is it just me or has Pearson gotten noticeably slower

 

[damacles1156]

No one said you would, while his play style is more of a grinders, he's got much better tools than most grinders.

Ok, so you just proved my point about 4th line players typically not being skilled enough to score like certain people think they should.

Seriously folks, the league average for fourth line players is right about what Clifford scores yearly.

Ironically For his career Kyle Clifford is just about above the league average.

 

[damacles1156]

Gabo/Kopitar/Brown
Pearson/Amadio/Toffoli
Kempe/Iafallo/Lewis
Clifford/Shore/Brodzinski

Alternate Kempe/Gabo if you have to. Shore would stabilize the 4th line immediately. That's what I would try.

 

[BigKing]

In a perfect world, your 4th line would chip in and pick up the slack when the top players go AWOL; however, you just can't rely on that: no team can.

The team goes as far as its top players will take it. When those players are clicking, the 4th line isn't an issue but when they go cold, everyone starts looking at the worst players on the team since it feels wrong to criticize Kopitar, Brown, Toffoli et al. because "where would we be without them?" even though the question is soon going to become "where are we with them" if they don't get back to playing the way they were earlier in the year.

If they get the glory, then they get the shit too. Kings are playing good teams here lately and have several more tough games on the horizon. The best players on this team have not yet risen to the occasion and an additional eight goals from the 4th line over the course of the season isn't going to mask that fact.

They have a chance to make a bit of a statement here--good or bad--with games against Pittsburgh/Anaheim/Rags this weekend. I feel this team will go on a steep slide or a hot streak depending how this weekend goes: will be a huge momentum swing one way or the other.

 

[regulate]

 

[Herby]

It's not only about the goals generated (although Kyle Clifford has 2 goals in his last 45 games). You just can't give up that many goals when playing so little, remember in 2014 playoffs the Clifford-Richards-Lewis line nearly cost the Kings the series with Chicago.

During this losing streak Clifford has played 34 minutes and been on the ice for 5 goals against, Mitchell has played 41 minutes and been on the ice for 7 goals against. That just can't happen guys, even if the better players play better you can't overcome a fourth line getting that dominated, especially on home ice.

And I know he is very popular here with many posters and many were excited for his return to the lineup, but it's hard to not come to the conclusion that Kyle Clifford has drastically worsened the Kings fourth line since returning in mid December.