GDT: 2020-21 season game 17 LA Kings vs St. Louis Blues @5:00pm 2/22/21

[cyclones22]

maybe if the season doesn't get cancelled LA owuld have kept winning changing their draft position and not getting Byfeild.

From a purely hockey standpoint and not making light of why the season ended, thank goodness that didn't happen.

No.

I laughed. This place needs more than just "like" button.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The Kings are 8-6-3 this season. It's really the only record that matters. Every team is dealing with injuries and COVID-19 related absences. They're on a hot streak now. It's easy to look at the current hot streak and pool it together with their last hot streak and artificially call them good. They're where many of us thought they'd be, middle of the pack.

Like I said above, I don't really disagree. They are what they are, and injuries--and this year, Covid related concerns--are part of the game, you deal with the hand you're given.

I'm merely extending the musing. It was just a fun thought experiment from Jesse. But the fact is,people wondered if that ending to the season was smoke and mirrors. I would just suggest that the current play, with the team healthy, is in a similar vein. Like you say, it doesn't really tell us things we don't really know--only that when near full power, they're pretty damn good and can hang with anyone. And that they're also, in relation to other teams, more poorly equipped to weather absences. IE the Kings losing Roy is catastrophic, while the Blues losing Parayko SUCKS but they can still hang near the top of the standings. Ultimately it lands us in the middle of the pack where we thought/hoped they'd be, challenging for a playoff spot, but it's nice to know it's not soley from slogging through the standings--it's from being able to take splits from top-rung teams and flat out dominating stretches. That's growth!

 

[Sol]

Lest we forget how much better they're playing now compared to the beginning of the season. They could be losing but I'd still say they're playing better. This hot streak isn't to say they're a good team now, more so they weren't as bad I personally thought they were considering how bad they were doing early on.

 

[Bandit]

The Kings are 8-6-3 this season. It's really the only record that matters. Every team is dealing with injuries and COVID-19 related absences. They're on a hot streak now. It's easy to look at the current hot streak and pool it together with their last hot streak and artificially call them good. They're where many of us thought they'd be, middle of the pack.

Yup and given taht ever game is a 4 pointer, a small slide could easily see them right back in the cellar. As long as they're making progress on the ice, and I think they are, that's all that matters.

 

[HookKing]

It's an interesting thought experiment. If we go 7-3-1, we likely lose one of Walker, Strand, Clague, or Maatta. Is losing one of them a killer for us? I love what Walker brings on our third pair, but has Strand played any worse? And if Clague, to be completely honest, has Maatta been that bad on the third pair?

Kopitar
Kempe
Iafallo
Grundstrom
Andersson
Brown
Carter

Doughty
Roy
Walker/Clague

Petersen

I wonder if we expose Walker and run Clague/Strand next season. Interesting. Interesting...

I sorta reached the same conclusion that we will likely lose Clague or Strand. They like Walker a lot. I think they go with 7/3 to protect Brown. Having said that, I think Seattle would be taking a big gamble picking Brown if he isn't protected. Does their GM really want to piss off Blake? Moreover, there are going to pick players that want to be there. Too much risk Brown might just mail it in.

Hell if he keeps up with the SO's they might just take Quick. No way I protect Andersson over Moore or AA (they need to re-sign him). Carter probably doesn't need protection either. Seattle isn't going to skip over the Columbus part on his resume.

 

[Kingz4life]

With two games remaining for Bjornfot's ELC to trigger, I think Blake should pull the trigger and replace him with Clague. Doesn't mean he won't be recalled soon after and exceed the 7 games, but we have a LHD in Clague that's looked good. I would sing a different tune if his replacement was MacDermid or Alt..

 

[lexlavender]

Bjornfot is remarkable. Can't tell by his play that he's still a teenager. I also can't believe people harped on his selection, and on top of that, I've seen some fans consider the Muzzin trade a bad one for the Kings.

I believe people harped on his selection over Kaliyev primarily, but it made everything ok when we ended up getting Kaliyev with the second.

 

[Lt Dan]

Bjornfot is remarkable. Can't tell by his play that he's still a teenager. I also can't believe people harped on his selection, and on top of that, I've seen some fans consider the Muzzin trade a bad one for the Kings.

Come forward Naysayers! I challenge thee!!

Grundstrom, Durzi and the pick that led to Bjornfot vs Muzzin


Bjornfot will very soon be better than Muzzin ever was. The only downer from the trade is Durzi and hopefully we can ship him somewhere else for an asset

 

[Stimpythecat]

There is also the option of trading a 3rd or something to get seattle to take wagner/luff/amadio.

Not sure if that will do it but the option is there. Then who to protect becomes moot.

 

[mbar]

I hope we don't get too cute with the expansion draft and trade away assets to extra protect players or get an agreement to lose a certain player. The names floating around for likely losses (like Strand) don't seem that big a deal. I mean, I'm really impressed with what we've seen recently but is he really that huge a loss? I find it hard to imagine we'll lose Brown either. If I'm Seattle I pick Quick before I pick Brown but probably I'm not interested in expensive end of their career types.

I dunno. You all are smarter then me but I feel like we're in a good position expansion draft wise.

 

[Lt Dan]

I hope we don't get too cute with the expansion draft and trade away assets to extra protect players or get an agreement to lose a certain player. The names floating around for likely losses (like Strand) don't seem that big a deal. I mean, I'm really impressed with what we've seen recently but is he really that huge a loss? I find it hard to imagine we'll lose Brown either. If I'm Seattle I pick Quick before I pick Brown but probably I'm not interested in expensive end of their career types.

I dunno. You all are smarter then me but I feel like we're in a good position expansion draft wise.

I wouldn't give us too much credit

this is a fun toy though
Seattle Expansion Draft Simulator - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

I think out must protects are Kopitar, Kempe, Doughty, Walker, Roy and Petersen

with the last spot: Brown is a gamble to leave open. I doubt anyone would take Carter. I don't think Maata gets protected unless he has Norris caliber play the rest of the way

 

[The Butcher]

Loving what I am seeing, nice to see the vets firing on all cylinders and the kids are starting to grow. May not be able to take on the likes of the Lightning, but this team is still dangerous and can only go up from here...

If we get to play the lightning this season I'd say it was a massive success.

 

[Stimpythecat]

I'd be ok with paying seattle to take a certain player if it were only like a 3rd round pick or something.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Brown is just no nonsense, just sends that shit in the net.

Are you talking about the "legend of Brown"!Watching him play with our Super-Star Kopitar all these years makes me want to puke most times!When the Kings drafted him in 2003 I asked who? Well that isn't quite true. When the Kings turned him pro at 18 turning 19 in November of the 2003 season I was cautious...Then he scored 1 goal that season! OMFG I thought LA laid another egg! When Dusty made the Kings after spending the Strike year 2004-05 in Manchester(AHL)Brown made an impression with his hitting! Some of the hitting was borderline suspension and fine "worthy" though! Not sure where his career would have gone had he not Kopi-Star to "latch unto"! He wouldn't have scored 670 plus points in 1200 games that's for sure! After the 4 straight garbage years of under 30 points and stripped of his Captaincy,had he played with different linemates on a different team he would have been retired and long forgotten! Today he's developing a scoring touch he never had before makes me wonder? Did he go to the Mark McGuire-Sammy Sosa,Cory Millen...school of "Medicine" for a "high" dosage! And when you see the smugness, after a goal I want to hall off and...then he tries to make a skilled pass and falls on his ass most everytime! The "legend Brown"

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Faulk, on the other hand, is very good

Yep I'd say Faulk is pretty good too! Would look great in a LA uniform! I wonder how much it will take to extract him from the soon to be Cap strapped Blues...Schwartz a UFA at seasons end,Tarasenko? Don't know and on and on...Faulk would be a great numero dos

 

[Bandit]

Are you talking about the "legend of Brown"!Watching him play with our Super-Star Kopitar all these years makes me want to puke most times!When the Kings drafted him in 2003 I asked who? Well that isn't quite true. When the Kings turned him pro at 18 turning 19 in November of the 2003 season I was cautious...Then he scored 1 goal that season! OMFG I thought LA laid another egg! When Dusty made the Kings after spending the Strike year 2004-05 in Manchester(AHL)Brown made an impression with his hitting! Some of the hitting was borderline suspension and fine "worthy" though! Not sure where his career would have gone had he not Kopi-Star to "latch unto"! He wouldn't have scored 670 plus points in 1200 games that's for sure! After the 4 straight garbage years of under 30 points and stripped of his Captaincy,had he played with different linemates on a different team he would have been retired and long forgotten! Today he's developing a scoring touch he never had before makes me wonder? Did he go to the Mark McGuire-Sammy Sosa,Cory Millen...school of "Medicine" for a "high" dosage! And when you see the smugness, after a goal I want to hall off and...then he tries to make a skilled pass and falls on his ass most everytime! The "legend Brown"View attachment 399732 View attachment 399735 View attachment 399739

He captained our team to the only two cups we’ve ever had and this is your take? How unfortunate.

 

[The Butcher]

Are you talking about the "legend of Brown"!Watching him play with our Super-Star Kopitar all these years makes me want to puke most times!When the Kings drafted him in 2003 I asked who? Well that isn't quite true. When the Kings turned him pro at 18 turning 19 in November of the 2003 season I was cautious...Then he scored 1 goal that season! OMFG I thought LA laid another egg! When Dusty made the Kings after spending the Strike year 2004-05 in Manchester(AHL)Brown made an impression with his hitting! Some of the hitting was borderline suspension and fine "worthy" though! Not sure where his career would have gone had he not Kopi-Star to "latch unto"! He wouldn't have scored 670 plus points in 1200 games that's for sure! After the 4 straight garbage years of under 30 points and stripped of his Captaincy,had he played with different linemates on a different team he would have been retired and long forgotten! Today he's developing a scoring touch he never had before makes me wonder? Did he go to the Mark McGuire-Sammy Sosa,Cory Millen...school of "Medicine" for a "high" dosage! And when you see the smugness, after a goal I want to hall off and...then he tries to make a skilled pass and falls on his ass most everytime! The "legend Brown"View attachment 399732 View attachment 399735 View attachment 399739

It was a loooong and painful wait to watch a player in a Kings uniform lift the Stanley Cup. I was convinced that we would never see it happen.

And without Brown and the team built around him it probably never does. I've met the guy once and almost teared up when I shook his hand and thanked him for helping to make one of my childhood fantasies come to life.

The man is nothing short of a legend in my opinion and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the heros from our golden era need to be defended over and over on a Kings forum.

I know I've been hard on Drew this season but would never disparage his career as a whole and what he has contributed to Kings hockey, I only wanted him to live up to his obscene contract and lately he's making me take my foot out of my mouth, thankfully.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Missing like half our lineup to injury.

Some people are blind to that

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Some people are blind to that

Literally no one is blind to that

They're just not refunding our points for the games we were missing an entire 2nd line and 2 of our 3 best defensemen so we'll be fine taking them from other teams going through issues too.

You can only play who is put in front of you.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

It was a loooong and painful wait to watch a player in a Kings uniform lift the Stanley Cup. I was convinced that we would never see it happen.

And without Brown and the team built around him it probably never does. I've met the guy once and almost teared up when I shook his hand and thanked him for helping to make one of my childhood fantasies come to life.

The man is nothing short of a legend in my opinion and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the heros from our golden era need to be defended over and over on a Kings forum.

I know I've been hard on Drew this season but would never disparage his career as a whole and what he has contributed to Kings hockey, I only wanted him to live up to his obscene contract and lately he's making me take my foot out of my mouth, thankfully.

The Kings built their team around Brown? Before Kopi-Star arrived during 2006-07 a season Brown was coming off a 14 goal and 14 assist 2005-06 campaign! Not the kind of numbers that impresses the brass to throw every last asset,every chance on! A winning organization doesn't play to sentimentalities! Then the "Legend" followed that up scoring 17 goals and 29 assists placing fifth ahead of Derek Armstrong, the vet who played in 14 less games than Dusty with 2 less points!So Dusty had 46 points and Army 44! Brown was a minus 21 though and Army a plus 13!Then during the 2007-08 season playing on the Kopi line he pots 33 goals nearly double the output from the previous regular season! That's the player I liked the one who hit players,was aggressive and scored some goals. Nowadays after some horrible seasons he comes alive again at 36! I'm always suspicious of athletes who have banner seasons or go on a torrid scoring pace especially after 35 and after long,hard,grinding season after seaon! Always suspicious,always?Call it the last hurrah I don't buy it. Personally I'd like to see all the Swedish forwards and Finn Kupari to get a legitimate shot before Kopi blows away in 1,2 3 years time...Chromiak,Simontaival?Lee? Oh yeah Brown well Dusty will be 37 in November and on his last year (2021-22) and contract right? He'll come back at 38,39,40? Please no! We need speed in the new NHL! Players that can play,score,shoot,Pass! Players that are speed merchants!

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Literally no one is blind to that

They're just not refunding our points for the games we were missing an entire 2nd line and 2 of our 3 best defensemen so we'll be fine taking them from other teams going through issues too.

You can only play who is put in front of you.

At this point I'm sure we ever had a 2nd line? Sometimes we didn't have a 1st either! At this point all I see is all the bodies and players that can't really do a whole lot as a True Elite Pro should! We have some great talent we just need to put the right players together and F... the past,loyalty! Players have earned big bucks so a teams loyalty should be to the fans and putting the best product on the ice,period!

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

I sorta reached the same conclusion that we will likely lose Clague or Strand. They like Walker a lot. I think they go with 7/3 to protect Brown. Having said that, I think Seattle would be taking a big gamble picking Brown if he isn't protected. Does their GM really want to piss off Blake? Moreover, there are going to pick players that want to be there. Too much risk Brown might just mail it in.

Hell if he keeps up with the SO's they might just take Quick. No way I protect Andersson over Moore or AA (they need to re-sign him). Carter probably doesn't need protection either. Seattle isn't going to skip over the Columbus part on his resume.

You are protecting a 37 year old? He's not Gretzky at 25,Bossy.Lemiux,Rocket Richard,Orr,Beliveau,Geoffrion...Brownie? OK good Luck with that

 

[The Butcher]

The Kings built their team around Brown? Before Kopi-Star arrived during 2006-07 a season Brown was coming off a 14 goal and 14 assist 2005-06 campaign! Not the kind of numbers that impresses the brass to throw every last asset,every chance on! A winning organization doesn't play to sentimentalities! Then the "Legend" followed that up scoring 17 goals and 29 assists placing fifth ahead of Derek Armstrong, the vet who played in 14 less games than Dusty with 2 less points!So Dusty had 46 points and Army 44! Brown was a minus 21 though and Army a plus 13!Then during the 2007-08 season playing on the Kopi line he pots 33 goals nearly double the output from the previous regular season! That's the player I liked the one who hit players,was aggressive and scored some goals. Nowadays after some horrible seasons he comes alive again at 36! I'm always suspicious of athletes who have banner seasons or go on a torrid scoring pace especially after 35 and after long,hard,grinding season after seaon! Always suspicious,always?Call it the last hurrah I don't buy it. Personally I'd like to see all the Swedish forwards and Finn Kupari to get a legitimate shot before Kopi blows away in 1,2 3 years time...Chromiak,Simontaival?Lee? Oh yeah Brown well Dusty will be 37 in November and on his last year (2021-22) and contract right? He'll come back at 38,39,40? Please no! We need speed in the new NHL! Players that can play,score,shoot,Pass! Players that are speed merchants!

I guess all that matters is numbers to you but intangibles are just as important in the overall scheme of things.

He was the captain and yes the team was built around him and Kopi early on. The way he played the top seeded Canucks making a ton of game and series changing plays inspired the team and gave them the confidence to march almost directly to their first Stanley Cup.

Piss on his legacy if you must but the steroid comments are way over the line in my opinion. You show no gratitude or respect for what he's done for the Kings.

By the way your grammar is almost a difficult to swallow as your take.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

I guess all that matters is numbers to you but intangibles are just as important in the overall scheme of things.

He was the captain and yes the team was built around him and Kopi early on. The way he played the top seeded Canucks making a ton of game and series changing plays inspired the team and gave them the confidence to march almost directly to their first Stanley Cup.

Piss on his legacy if you must but the steroid comments are way over the line in my opinion. You show no gratitude or respect for what he's done for the Kings.

By the way your grammar is almost a difficult to swallow as your take.

Steroid comment bothers you? Can't have thin skin around here...Brown is not Superman,Superboy wonder

 

[The Butcher]

Steroid comment bothers you? Can't have thin skin around here...Brown is not Superman,Superboy wonder

Thin skin has nothing to do with anything. I just think you shouldn't throw around baseless accusations towards one of the heros of this organization.

Take care, bud.