Rumor: 2018-19 Kings News/Rumors/Tidbits

[tonellisghost]

I don't see Stevens being able to adjust his version of the TMurray D above all else system. We needed a change of culture before the start of last season but it didn't happen. For what it is worth I have been saying that this core would win 3 Stanley cups since 2011 (there were two or three of us around here who believed the same back then) and still believe that we can pull one more rabbit out of our butts before it is all over. We have seen these guys come back from certain death (multiple times in 2014) and win it all. We only have to be in a position to truly have a shot at the cup one more time.

I do like seeing the caliber of kids that we have on the farm. I think our D is going to be elite level for the next several years and while I agree that we haven't done enough to bring in high skill styled forwards in the past we certainly have had two consecutive drafts were we have done a great job at addressing that problem.

This season imo comes down to heart. It is going to come down to these guys doing what they know needs to be done and like they did in 14 tune out the coach and play for each other. If they do that I can see us winning another cup. I haven't seen anything this pre-season to make me believe too much in this season being the one where we come together and win it all again but that doesn't mean that it won't or can't happen.

For my money I am a true believer. We all love the team, it is why we are here. I think that once this group gets things going that we will be hard to stop. We know what it takes to win it all, now we just have to do it.




tg

 

[BigKing]

And there are decent non-fighters that pass through as well. Most teams go with what they have as opposed to waiting to see what happens with waivers. Still doesn't mean there shouldn't be concern over losing someone like MacDermid, even if it a real blow to the AHL roster as opposed to the big club.

 

[lexlavender]

I love everyone saying the Kings need to run and gun more. They were running and gunning vs the Ducks and got their asses handed to them. Possession play doesn't just mean "not scoring". The Knights are both a strong possession team and high scoring, because they have a cohesive system and players who fit that system.

Stevens isn't holding the team back from being creative. They were trying their damnest to be fancy and creative, and they got slammed.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I love everyone saying the Kings need to run and gun more. They were running and gunning vs the Ducks and got their asses handed to them. Possession play doesn't just mean "not scoring". The Knights are both a strong possession team and high scoring, because they have a cohesive system and players who fit that system.

Stevens isn't holding the team back from being creative. They were trying their damnest to be fancy and creative, and they got slammed.

So does that mean the Kings aren't a talented team? Or are they a team with no identity? If they're unsuccessful at the "run-and-gun" game and can't convert, then are they better off playing a defensive shell game and trying to win games 2-1?

Do we really miss Terry Murray hockey?

 

[Sol]

The really frustrating thing is we started to trade possession/defense for offense at the beginning of last year...then the team promptly acknowledged we might kill Quick that way so quickly pulled back.

Problem was we continued dumping possession and didn't improve offense.

While they did let in more goals.. They were still winning. You're right.

 

[lexlavender]

So does that mean the Kings aren't a talented team? Or are they a team with no identity? If they're unsuccessful at the "run-and-gun" game and can't convert, then are they better off playing a defensive shell game and trying to win games 2-1?

Do we really miss Terry Murray hockey?

They are very obviously a team with no identity. And why does it have to be one or the other, guns flying no defense or Terry Murray shell game? This team was originally built to forecheck and be aggressive, transition our of the zone quickly, and pile up on shots. I see no reason why they can't shoot more and have less cross ice passes into someone's shins. I see no reason why our defense can't play their proper sides and we trade for literally any rhd at this point. We will never be a Vegas where they burn past everyone and create chaos. We'll never be a Tampa where we dangle past people and wow the crowd with creativity. Trying to bash our heads into the wall the be those ways won't work, no matter how many nice things Stevens says. You don't have to be boring dump and Chase, shots from the point all the time, but we have to recognize that if we're not getting shots on goal, we're not scoring.

 

[Sol]

I love everyone saying the Kings need to run and gun more. They were running and gunning vs the Ducks and got their asses handed to them. Possession play doesn't just mean "not scoring". The Knights are both a strong possession team and high scoring, because they have a cohesive system and players who fit that system.

Stevens isn't holding the team back from being creative. They were trying their damnest to be fancy and creative, and they got slammed.

... Running and Gunning would imply attacking.. Kings barely did any of that.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I love everyone saying the Kings need to run and gun more. They were running and gunning vs the Ducks and got their asses handed to them. Possession play doesn't just mean "not scoring". The Knights are both a strong possession team and high scoring, because they have a cohesive system and players who fit that system.

Stevens isn't holding the team back from being creative. They were trying their damnest to be fancy and creative, and they got slammed.

I'm certainly not saying they should be playing pond hockey because they're not the Tampa Bay Lightning. But you have to admit there's a whoooole lot of grey area where the offense can be improved. If you called the Ducks game run and gun, that just makes our offense look even sadder. I agree that possession play and offense aren't mutually exclusive; I'm just saying we were one of the rare teams that played possession like a football running team, using it to run out the clock and grind down the defense rather than as offense like the other top possession teams of the past were (DRW, Chicago).

Have to disagree with you on the last statement though. Just like with Sutter, this team is on rails.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

They are very obviously a team with no identity. And why does it have to be one or the other, guns flying no defense or Terry Murray shell game? This team was originally built to forecheck and be aggressive, transition our of the zone quickly, and pile up on shots. I see no reason why they can't shoot more and have less cross ice passes into someone's shins. I see no reason why our defense can't play their proper sides and we trade for literally any rhd at this point. We will never be a Vegas where they burn past everyone and create chaos. We'll never be a Tampa where we dangle past people and wow the crowd with creativity. Trying to bash our heads into the wall the be those ways won't work, no matter how many nice things Stevens says. You don't have to be boring dump and Chase, shots from the point all the time, but we have to recognize that if we're not getting shots on goal, we're not scoring.

Let's be realistic, does anyone here expect them to play that style? They don't have the firepower to do any of that, nor do they have the playmaking ability to move the puck around as well as other offensively capable teams in the division/conference/league.

This team has been winning the Corsi battle for years, which is exactly what you are suggesting they should be doing, getting shots on goal. But they tend to do it outside of the dangerous scoring areas, and as management and the coaching staff and advanced stats prove (and backup), the Kings were among the worst at doing that.

It's as if the middle of the ice is a no fly zone to this team.

 

[Fishhead]

So does that mean the Kings aren't a talented team? Or are they a team with no identity? If they're unsuccessful at the "run-and-gun" game and can't convert, then are they better off playing a defensive shell game and trying to win games 2-1?

Do we really miss Terry Murray hockey?

Good questions that need to be answered in some way this year.

A lot of this is the Kings own doing, but for a good reason. For 3 years there, you can bet every team in the league was analyzing them. “OK, how do we beat LA, how do we beat Chicago, or other strong teams like St. Louis. How do we break down their defensive systems.” It turns out team speed was the answer. You beat highly structured teams by introducing speed and chaos, neutralizing their methodical, responsible decision making.

The Kings can try to make the shift, but it’s not an easy change, you need a different team makeup and personnel. You can’t just change players, because the types you won with are no longer in demand. Because of their success, your guys got paid. What’s worse, is the system you built your team to play isn’t effective, so sticking with it does nothing.

This stuff always goes in cycles. I can all but guarantee that in 6 years the boards will be full of whining about how the league needs to change the rules to prevent trapping, because that’s how you neutralize team speed. Line up across the blue line, slow them down, and drop one guy way back to retrieve the dump-in.

If the Kings find a way to make a run, it will be quite an accomplishment. For that to happen, Stevens and his coaches need to find a happy medium where they play faster, take more chances, and rely on their defensive strength to minimize damage. Continuing to bang that square peg in the round hole isn’t going to work, and completely opening it up isn’t either.

 

[lexlavender]

... Running and Gunning would imply attacking.. Kings barely did any of that.

Because they're so bad at it that they don't get shots and get slammed for it. How many times did we get a nice entry into the zone only to make a cross ice pass into someone shins, or hold the puck for a little too long on the outside, just to get it taken away.

 

[Sol]

MacDermid cleared Btw.

 

[Fishhead]

I get why Brickley was sent down from a personnel management angle, but not from an icing your best team angle. A trade to make room for him wouldn’t surprise me if he keeps it up, ala Voynov.

 

[Sol]

Because they're so bad at it that they don't get shots and get slammed for it. How many times did we get a nice entry into the zone only to make a cross ice pass into someone shins, or hold the puck for a little too long on the outside, just to get it taken away.

Disorganized is the word you're looking for. You're right about that. But they weren't attacking and that's what the term is used for.

 

[lexlavender]

Let's be realistic, does anyone here expect them to play that style? They don't have the firepower to do any of that, nor do they have the playmaking ability to move the puck around as well as other offensively capable teams in the division/conference/league.

This team has been winning the Corsi battle for years, which is exactly what you are suggesting they should be doing, getting shots on goal. But they tend to do it outside of the dangerous scoring areas, and as management and the coaching staff and advanced stats prove (and backup), the Kings were among the worst at doing that.

It's as if the middle of the ice is a no fly zone to this team.

Stevens does, his "system" wants to mimic Vegas so badly it's pathetic. I fully recognize our lack of high danger chances over the years. I attribute that to horrible players, a team that hated their coach, and a coach that refused to open things up. But the Sutter system still worked better than whatever we're doing now, and I'm sure there is room between the 2016 Kings system and attacking the middle more.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Because they're so bad at it that they don't get shots and get slammed for it. How many times did we get a nice entry into the zone only to make a cross ice pass into someone shins, or hold the puck for a little too long on the outside, just to get it taken away.

Or those point shots we all love and admire get blocked, or they take shots that are "one and done" which create no rebounds and secondary or tertiary opportunities. Playing "safe" hockey is what this team has been doing for years, and continuing on in that style isn't going to lead to any further success. It certainly isn't going to lead to an increase in goals or scoring chances either.

 

[tonellisghost]

The reason the middle lane is verboten is because we play a modified trap system who's #1 purpose is to push everything to the outside lanes. Then in both transition and attack we ask our players to do the things that they are told to never let happen when going the other direction. I know it sounds crazy but at the rate of speed that the game happens sometimes it is hard to make the switch mentally. I think we do a very good job of playing transition hockey and also do a great job in our own end and the neutral zone but in doing so we create a problem on the rush. Other teams don't play the same D system and I would even go so far as to say that most other teams play the exact opposite of our system in doing everything possible to focus on their offense first and foremost.

For what it's worth these are the reasons that I think that we needed an entire change of culture before the start of last season. I like Stevens as a coach but I think that we need a major overhaul of how we play away from the ozone and I am not certain that he is the right guy for the job. Another possibility is that the problem is systemic though out or entire org. Still, I think we should give this season a chance and run it until the next off season before we do anything about it. One last chance before restoration.

 

[lexlavender]

Disorganized is the word you're looking for. You're right about that. But they weren't attacking and that's what the term is used for.

Run and gun is a term for high risk plays while sacrificing defensive outs. You can run and gun while still getting zero shots on goal. Look at the last few years Ottawa teams for an idea of that.

 

[Bandit]

Disorganized is the word you're looking for. You're right about that. But they weren't attacking and that's what the term is used for.

I'd add "indecisive" as well.

 

[redcard]

I get why Brickley was sent down from a personnel management angle, but not from an icing your best team angle. A trade to make room for him wouldn’t surprise me if he keeps it up, ala Voynov.

Its hockey, someone will get hurt and he'll be called up in no time.

 

[lexlavender]

Its hockey, someone will get hurt and he'll be called up in no time.

Or traded.

 

[lexlavender]

I'd add "indecisive" as well.

Decisiveness requires a coherent system where you can depend upon the locations of your teammates. We don't have that, or from what I can tell we're not executing it.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Too bad he didn't find more offense...

 

[lexlavender]

I want a system which plays to our strengths, but to be honest I'm not sure what our strengths are now, as a team. I know we have good players, but what as a whole are we good at?

Holding the puck? Kopi is good at that, but Kempe and Kovalchuck aren't.

Retrieving the puck? Doughty and Phaneuf are good, but Muzzin and Martinez aren't.

Speed and rush chances? Carter and Kempe are good at that, but Kopitar isn't good at that.

I just don't know what we are. We have sets of players for different strengths, asking them a to do a combination of everything. It's absurd.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

Kings are really good at convincing a lot of fans that they're good