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GDT: 2019-20 GM#69 LA Kings vs Colorado Avalanche @7:30pm 3/9/20

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rajuabju said:
Are we really going to screw up our draft position like this. Better stop it ASAP. ugh.
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After last year, I am not so convinced it really matters.. There will be a few more losses forthcoming.

But I much prefer watching his team play solid fundamental hockey. The young D core is really starting to blossom. Anderson certainly looks like he belongs. Vilardi has such a high hockey IQ

The GAA against some high powered offenses has been nothing short of impressive.

Big game on Wednesday, it is possible Ottawa could be picking 1 and 2... given the Sharks current situation.

The draft at the top is center heavy, and of course if you are there you take the best player possible, but Kings are in pretty good shape at this position.

Later in the top 10 there are some good D and Wingers, probably a bigger need.

Honestly losing sucks, and COVID-19 be damned I enjoy going to games again. And to see that maybe the King's prospect pool is more than just prospects, and could be some good NHL talent.
 
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I prefer to see them get the winning attitude back and let the chips (balls) fall where they may. You can have all the talent in the world but the mental game and work ethic will often overcome and succeed. The Kings cup teams weren’t the most talented but they were warriors and proven winners at all levels.
 
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This is definitely better than the 8-9-1 stretch that they closed last season out with but that record is also a reminder that both the Kings and their opponents play differently around this time of year: the Kings are looser and having fun at school like a high school senior at the beginning of June while their opponents don't respect them. Call it the Coyotes Syndrome where they sucked every year, finished decently and then everyone was like "Look out for these guys next season".

That being said, I'm highly encouraged by what we are seeing from some of the young guys and, maybe most importantly, from the goalies. They very well might play themselves in to that 6-8 spot like many of us thought at the beginning of the year. Just need to come out and win games at the beginning of the year next season and at least have that feeling that it isn't over by December. I've felt the best case scenario for this rebuild is to have a 2009-type season for 2021 where we see young guys start to really produce and they sort of push for a playoff spot. Then Blake should have a real good idea of what he's working with and can then make moves to be a playoff team in 2022.
 
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BigKing said:
This is definitely better than the 8-9-1 stretch that they closed last season out with but that record is also a reminder that both the Kings and their opponents play differently around this time of year: the Kings are looser and having fun at school like a high school senior at the beginning of June while their opponents don't respect them. Call it the Coyotes Syndrome where they sucked every year, finished decently and then everyone was like "Look out for these guys next season".

That being said, I'm highly encouraged by what we are seeing from some of the young guys and, maybe most importantly, from the goalies. They very well might play themselves in to that 6-8 spot like many of us thought at the beginning of the year. Just need to come out and win games at the beginning of the year next season and at least have that feeling that it isn't over by December. I've felt the best case scenario for this rebuild is to have a 2009-type season for 2021 where we see young guys start to really produce and they sort of push for a playoff spot. Then Blake should have a real good idea of what he's working with and can then make moves to be a playoff team in 2022.
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Exactly who I thought of.
 
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It’s just refreshing to watch a roster stocked with kids go out and compete for the puck. If playing the trap is the interim strategy while the youth gain experience, I’m fine with low scoring games if it means wins.

The bonus is not having to watch Forbort and Carter for the last couple of weeks.
 
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The difference I'm seeing is how the team is starting to solidify its lines and chemistry is finally developing. Cal playing great is pushing Quick to compete for his job which can only have good results. I expect them to lose plenty more games, but they're going to fight through it. Doughty even looked inspired last night.
 
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Either one guys.... either one!!!
images
 
Yep, the team is energized with the change of personnel. I'm not blaming the players who left (except Forbort, good riddance), but sometimes you need to mix up the ingredients to change the chemistry. The team's underlying numbers have been good, so the system itself is fine. When you can get just pretty good goaltending, and combine that with NOT having the worst special teams on the planet, while chipping in some goals? That's going to result in wins.

I'm absolutely fine with how the team is playing and its impact on "the tank" because the kids are helping make this happen. Plus, go ahead and run Tankathon a good number of times and you'll notice that most of the results will include at least 2 of the top 3 positions being populated by teams making jumps into the top 3. We know full well that dropping is more likely than staying in the current spot or jumping up. The odds are in favor of losing draft position(s). I'm very glad that the Top 8 prospects at least look very good. I don't even dare to dream of #1 overall and I've never even watched a Lafreniere highlight. Lotto gods please bless me with a reason to watch his highlight reel in April.
 
rajuabju said:
Are we really going to screw up our draft position like this. Better stop it ASAP. ugh.
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Meh, the team is playing cohesively, embracing a system, and developing not only players but confidence is just as important. A team can rise to the top with the prospect base that we have right now, but it takes a long time to teach a team to learn how to win.

An elite prospect is a dice roll no matter what. The odds of success are based on the foundation we have now, not on the chance we draft any single player. Edmonton is a prime example of why that philosophy fails. Would it boost our rebuild heavily? Sure, but it won't guarantee any future success unless we remedy the foundation and get the franchise off the ground. TMac saw it first hand, and I think how we've gone about things has been significantly better than Edmonton's approach.

No matter what, we are going to get a player that is likely capable of playing in the NHL. Just have to keep developing, growing, and filling the gaps through free agency and trades as things progress.

s-l400.jpg
 
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kingsholygrail said:
No. Too many teams ahead of the Kings need to fall and the Kings need to be perfect.
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2016, Wild made it with 87 points (they're 3 games away from tying the number of wins, 38, from 2016). If the Kings go undefeated till the end of the season, they'll end up with 88 :sarcasm:

Pay off odds of Kings winning Division: 350,000:1 (Vegas is 3 points away from making this zero)
Pay off odds of Kings winning Conference: 200,000:1
Pay off odds of Kings winning Cup: 300,000:1
 
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I hate seeing stuff like the above when we missed the playoffs in 2015 with the same # of points we won a Cup with in 2012, 95. Would've needed 97 and a tiebreak or 98
 
Probably more likely the 3rd seed in the Pacific only requires 88 points than the 2nd wildcard does. Both extremely unlikely regardless.

But, if by some miracle we did win our next 13, we'd only need Calgary and Vancouver to shit the bed to take 3rd in the Pacific (and for AZ/SJ/ANA to maintain their current point %) vs. needing 3 of WPG, MIN, CGY, VAN, and NSH to fail to reach 88 for the last wildcard.

Either way, we can at least enjoy rooting against them all until we lose our next game.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
I hate seeing stuff like the above when we missed the playoffs in 2015 with the same # of points we won a Cup with in 2012, 95. Would've needed 97 and a tiebreak or 98
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Look at it this way... A full season with talented kids, a new 3rd pairing vet, a talented goaltending tandem, year 2 of TMac's system and more kids ready to play should/will push our win/point totals way up...
Returnees
Gabriel Vilardi: full season(managed of course) likely gives us 45-50 pts
Matt Roy: likely takes another step defensively and if he shoots more could hit Muzzin like production
Sean Walker: Needs to add some weight but is Dan Boyle-lite
Cal Petersen: Has been the perfect compliment to Jonathan Quick and
Blake Lizotte: Another season to workout in El Segundo will do wonders
Nikolai Prokhorkin: Is showing a solid all around game, would to see him return

Prospects
Alexis Lafreniere: Why TF not!
Tobias Bjornfot: Looks like he'll steal a spot next season, Marc-Edouard Vlasic anyone!
Kale Clague: Looked smooth though physically overmatched in his debut. Trade Bait?
Carl Grundstrom: Has been hit by the injury bug and his auditions havent gone as planned. Tweener?
JAD: Needs some serious physical maturity, seems to be a bottom 6 energy guy. Trade Bait?
Daniel Brickley: Has all the tools to be a bottom pairing guy, needs to have a injury free season
Marc Michaelis::sarcasm:

Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown
Carter-Vilardi-Frk
Kempe-Lizotte-Moore
Prokhorkin-Amadio-Wagner

Bjornfot-Doughty
Anderson-Roy
UFA-Walker
MacDermid

Quick-Petersen
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
I hate seeing stuff like the above when we missed the playoffs in 2015 with the same # of points we won a Cup with in 2012, 95. Would've needed 97 and a tiebreak or 98
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That season the Kings were so bad in closing out games and in OT/SO, they also choked some games in the last week of the season that cost them a spot. You can tell that intensity and drive from previous years was starting to fade.

Quick remained phenomenal that season, but it was back to little offensive support that season with only two players scoring over 50+ points and only three scoring 20+ goals. They surrendered 15 points in extra time. That season was the beginning of the end.
 
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kingsholygrail said:
No. Too many teams ahead of the Kings need to fall and the Kings need to be perfect.
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Negative Nancy
If the Kings win every game (with no losses at all) and all the right teams lose in the right order they have a chance. Even with one loss they have a chance.
It is better chance than Magic Johnson playing for the Lakers but worse than Chargers winning the Super Bowl next year
 
bouncesonly said:
2016, Wild made it with 87 points (they're 3 games away from tying the number of wins, 38, from 2016). If the Kings go undefeated till the end of the season, they'll end up with 88 :sarcasm:

Pay off odds of Kings winning Division: 350,000:1 (Vegas is 3 points away from making this zero)
Pay off odds of Kings winning Conference: 200,000:1
Pay off odds of Kings winning Cup: 300,000:1
Click to expand...

giphy.gif
 
I'm very pleased with how things are progressing! Let's keep winning, it's good for the culture and there are 15 spots that have a chance at Alexis. It's all luck, and as we've seen many times the teams with the worst records usually get screwed.
 
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As I said last year around this time, I'd rather the Kings play well and drop in the draft - even miss out on one of the top players - than be really bad and get a top pick. I.e. An improving team drafting, say, 10th overall > a terrible team drafting in the top 3.

The only time I'd ever hope they lose a game if it's the last game of the season, and a win would move them up a spot or two from the bottom.
 
I would like a top five pick regardless.

Laffreniere
Byfield
Stutzle
Rossi
Drysdale

That said, the Kings will get whoever they are meant to get.
 
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