GDT: 2019-20 GM#4 LA Kings vs Nashville Predators @3:00pm 10/12/19

[DAkings20]

Kopi with 7 pts thru 4(gotta get em in early before his yearly hibernation starts)
Kovy with 6 pts thru 4

 

[kilowatt]

The Kings have scored 18 goals in their first 4 games. Last year, the Kings scored their 18th goal in their 10th game.

 

[crassbonanza]

The Kings have the highest ES GF/60 rate in the league and are second in GF per game played. It's early on, but they seemingly have a brand new identity, I'm actually very impressed with how the veterans have been adapting to such an extreme change in styles.

 

[Mats26]

Glad Iafallo finally got rewarded. Didn't have the best game but I noticed he is playing better along the walls and winning more puck battles than last year.

 

[Lt Dan]

The Kings have scored 18 goals in their first 4 games. Last year, the Kings scored their 18th goal in their 10th game.

The defense needs help. We need to build a wall and make the ducks pay for it

 

[johnjm22]

Dustin Brown is a gem.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

I like that for the most part they have started on time and played strong early in games. Some of these 3rds have been a mess though. The scores have been bananas.

 

[Telos]

I mean, if we aren’t going to be a contender then high scoring games are at least a little exciting. At least the offense is scoring... But man, that defense and goaltending couldn’t stop a beach ball being blown gently into the net by the wind at this point.

Onto the next game, GKG!

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Dustin Brown is a gem.

Honestly - the famed 2003 draft...look at the list now. Most ALL of them have now faded. Only a few really still playing reasonably well: Suter, Parise, Fleury, Getzlaf and...Brown. Brown is off to the best start of all of them!

2003 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Smart to put Kovalchuk and Amadio together. They worked well together today. They are both producing, so why not? It's Carter and Kempe that each have only 1 assist in 4 games...and Carter's was today on an empty netter. Say what you will about Kovy, but at least he's producing and also hit a post the other day and could have 7 points or more. Minus 2 at the end of the today. Yes, Carter and Kempe are both minus 5. I think Amadio is the MUCH better center, compared to Kempe (who should be LW..heck, he may not even be the BEST Kempe) who does not control the puck and see the ice like Amadio...Amadio has a good stick and steals pucks like Mike Richards used to. Kovy is working pretty hard and getting to areas where Amadio can feed him...and Kovy is actually an underrated playmaker. He's showing he's not a 1 dimensional PP guy...and he gets attacked more than anyone on his defense, but actually making more effort and even taking thebody. He's 36. I think he may well have 35 - 45 pts at the deadline and the Kings can deal him, and not take a loss; maybe retain some of his last year, but maybe get a prospect or pick back.

Some of my favorite things, after seeing 4 games

1. The Kings have a real coach
2. Kopitar is not glued to the halfwall, going to the net and the slot and shooting...and scoring. He looks about 15-20% quicker this year. Probably better condition.
3. Amadio is legit and may see a 50 point center, we hoped he would be. he's crossed the line where he's not only an NHL player - but a very good one...yes, it's early, but you can see it -
the confidence, poise, patience, hands, skill. He can make plays every shift! This is not a Wagner, Luff, Kempe, etc, where you are hoping they put it all together - no, this is like he has it all ! Exciting and not what we've been used to, as with the aforementioned.
4. Walker has emerged and shown me he's for real. One of his quick retrievals just over his own blue line and moving back up ice - was one of the best skating transitions I have
ever seen in my life. Freaking impressive. If he's not great in his zone and reads - he's improving. He's getting better. He can also be a scoring threat EVERY GAME.
Just how good will he be? Hard to know, but I think he's good enough to probably play on any team in the NHL...and not some body filling out the 6 D on this team.

There's more too, but these are some of the most impressive things. Could expound on TM, being a real coach, but don't need to. He's a pro.

adding this an hour later: so funny, it's Amadio and Walker that have emerged..when prior to camp, I was thinking some of these would SURELY take the next step: Grundstrom, JAD, Kupari, Prokhorkin, Luff, Kempe. It's not like all of these are disappointing, it's just that I thought some of these would be taking the steps that Amadio and Walker are.

 

[kingsfan28]

Duechene is the new king of the divers. 2 straight up sell jobs, the first was pathetic.

 

[The Butcher]

Are people here really still complaining? This is the youth movement we all asked for... we dressed 3 rookies on defense tonight and beat Nashville.

Some of you have never sat through a rebuild before and it shows.

 

[kingsfan28]

Guys give Quick crap for giving up goals, 3 of 4 Campbell's goals were stoppable. Needed to make a few stops when it was 4-2 instead of just letting rebounds bounce all over the place.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Amadio, Brown and Walker impressed me.

 

[kingsfan28]

Update on those underlying stats after game 4.

The Kings are 7th in CF%(53.66), 4th in FF%(54.58), 2nd in SF%(56.37), 5th in SCF%(53.89), 8th in HDCF%(56.45), 3rd in xGF%(55.80).

All fantastic numbers, however they have a league worst 83.15 SV%, a full 3% lower than the next worst team.

When one guy has given up 14 and the other 7 in 4 games you'd expect a poor save pct.

 

[kingsfan28]

If we go from the worst team in the NHL last season to 1 point out of the playoffs I call that a mission success.

And in doing so, also knock SJ out of the playoffs by beating them during the final week of the season.

 

[Ghetty Green]

Walker has proven me 100% wrong so far. Hope he keeps this up

 

[KINGS17]

Hey, if Amadio can facilitate the Kings trading Kovalchuk at the deadline this season, Amadio should be the team's MVP this season.

 

[kilowatt]

Hey, if Amadio can facilitate the Kings trading Kovalchuk at the deadline this season, Amadio should be the team's MVP this season.

If the Kings can get assets for Kovalchuk, sure, I agree. Take a look at our defense, though. The more veteran guys we trade away, and the more prospects we play in the lineup, the worse this team will be. I really do think we need to slowly filter some of these guys in, and if that means signing a veteran or two as a stop-gap, so be it. We have a lot of guys on the cusp: Anderson-Dolan, Kupari, Thomas, Turcotte, Bjornfot, Anderson, Clague. Could you imagine the nightmare that would be if they were all in the lineup?

I am guilty moreso than anyone of fantasizing about future Kings lineups, but we ought to all temper our expectations and realize that plugging one or two rookies into an already-strong lineup (like when we inserted Toffoli and Pearson in 2014) might work, but assembling a U-20 team and rolling them out against professional hockey players probably won’t produce results.

With that said, I think we can ice a pretty competent lineup:

Iafallo - Kopitar - Brown
Kovalchuk - Amadio - Toffoli
Kempe - Lizotte - Wagner
Clifford - Carter - Lewis

Hutton - Doughty
Martinez - Walker
MacDermid - Roy

Send Bjornfot back to Sweden - this defense isn’t ready to shelter him when necessary. It needs sheltering of its own. Send Grundstrom down to Ontario to get some time with Kupari and JAD.

 

[Albi]

Make Carter an eternal healthy scratch

please

 

[Herby]

Make Carter an eternal healthy scratch

please

I agree with you, but just like with Quick they are going to try and prolong it as much as they can and just hope he can play out of it. LA is not Montreal or Toronto, but it would still be a pretty big news story in the hockey world when/if they decide to finally sit Carter.

 

[Mats26]

No love for Lizotte? I think he is the most surprising player that has been overlooked so far. Kid was a free NCAA pickup and looks like he has a spot on this team for a long time. At 21 and only 5 NHL regular season games under his belt he is only going to get stronger and better.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Walker has proven me 100% wrong so far. Hope he keeps this up

Of the two I had always liked Walker more than Roy.

 

[Statto]

I agree we need to trade away certain vets but we cannot do it too quickly. We can’t dress too many rookies/2nd yr players, as we will only damage their development.

I like Kempe and before everyone prematurely rights him off after 4 whole games let’s give him some time to adjust to a new coach and for the coach to adjust to him. It’s only a matter of time before he gets a look on the wing IMO.

Amadio has really impressed me, I really wasn’t sold on him so I’m very happy to be wrong. I also think Walker seems to have embraced the new system and it plays to his strengths. He’s another that may prove me wrong.

Kovalchuk reads off Amadio well, and I think he’s really showing his skill level at the moment. He definitely needs guys on the same wave length as him as he makes occasional passes that no one else on the team is capable of. He’s got a lot more to give IMO.

It’s also great to see DD enjoying himself out there, he’s been given more freedom offensively out there and it definitely shows.

I have no comment on the goaltending...

 

[Butch 19]

Guys give Quick crap for giving up goals, 3 of 4 Campbell's goals were stoppable. Needed to make a few stops when it was 4-2 instead of just letting rebounds bounce all over the place.

Don't get me started.