GDT: 2020-21 season LA Kings vs Colorado Avalanche @7:00pm 1/19/21

[Raccoon Jesus]

We are getting from Kopitar exactly what I expected to get from him when he signed his 8-year, $80M deal.

The Kings aren't going to win anything with Kopitar as the 1C.

Still leading the team in scoring by 20 points year after year while playing more minutes than most forwards in the league vs. the hardest matchups 200 feet? That's not at all what you said

Let's be real, the team was/is so bad that it took Kopitar, Doughty, and Quick to have award winning years to blackhole. As ugly as he's been this year, that's not Kopitar's fault. I expected to get another year or two out of him before he transitions to more of a matchup 2C on a competitive team, but if we had that kind of crystal ball, sports would be easy.

Guess you'd better rip up McDavid's contract since he can't get the Oilers anywhere

 

[cyclones22]

Ollie Weeks made a really good observation of the Vilardi line and it really accentuates how much it needs Frk and for Wagner to be dropped down to the 4th line. The main problem is that Wagner these first 3 games has often outskated his linemates (not surprising with his speed) with the puck. Instead of carrying the puck into the zone and waiting for support (because he doesn't have the skill to keep possession), he dumps it in and fails to win the puck retrieval battle while Kempe and Vilardi are still either high in the zone or the neutral zone. Basically, he's just turning the puck over to the opposition and completely changing the role of that line to just killing ice time. It's a complete waste of Vilardi's talents as a playmaker and shot creator if 90% of the time he's on the ice it's defending against the breakout and in the defensive zone after loss of possession. Thank goodness Wagner's ice time was cut as the game went on, but it was too little too late.

When Vilardi carried the puck through the neutral zone and in zone entries, he was much more dangerous and was creating danger opportunities. Kempe works on that line because he's much better at carrying into the zone or dumping and chasing down the puck than Wagner is. Wagner has no puck skills, whereas Kempe does. When does Frk return? Can't be soon enough. The Swedes need more ice time. If you must have Wagner in the lineup, place him with Grundstrom and Andersson and put Moore in the press box. Optimally, you'd move Vilardi to centering Carter and AA, but with the success of the 2 wingers right now, TMc isn't going to make that change. He said he didn't want to do too much line blendering yet, but it was obvious that the team started playing better as a whole last night when he did.

 

[Reaper45]

I’d probably go with
AA-Lizotte-Carter
Iafallo-Kopitar-Moore
Kempe-Vilardi-Brown
Wagner-Andersson-Grundstrom

 

[KingsFan7824]

Going for the Cup in 2014. Trying to defend the Cup in 2015, having made a make the playoffs trade. Summer of 2015, Kopitar is coming off his worst season at that point, and DL obviously wasn't rebuilding that summer anyway. The day Kopitar re-signed, the Kings were 1st in the division, and 4th overall in the league.

The only way Kopitar would've been traded is if DL said screw this after 14-15, or, had the Kings dropped off the planet in 15-16. Other than that, there's no reason the 1C of a two time champ isn't going to be retained by the organization. Doesn't matter how well he's negotiating, no GM trades his 1C at the deadline if the team is doing as well as it was, with or without smoke and mirrors. Whether it was $10m, $9m, $8m, it doesn't matter. A couple extra million on the cap would not have filled the holes on this roster as a result of a lack of success at the draft. It only would've given DL more chances to make more Lucic type moves in the hope of squeezing one more championship out of his turnip.

The going rate at the time for 2 Cups was 8 figures. It wasn't going to end any differently than it did. The Kings were always going to have to adapt to the contracts of Kopitar and Doughty. Everyone else on the team got paid for the Cups. It wasn't going to start not happening with either of those two.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Watched two periods last night, first two, and man...just....getting a weird feeling from the team, they can be REALLY good in spurts, and REALLY crappy in spurts, there is no.......anchor to the team, what I mean by that is imagine I guess 4 blocks (lines) that are in a single line.....but you watch them just floating away from each other....they are missing that line that just sticks, keeps the other blocks from floating, usually that's a strong captain, strong coach, strong team identity, and this team has none of that right now....

Iafallo, Kopitar, Brown, do not work anymore, Vilardi...has flashes...but his skating is so bad, I'm hoping there is another level to him. AA scarily looks like the best player out there on most nights, and he makes some just stupid mental mistakes..... Wagner is a great 4th liner....he can't be with Kempe and Vilardi, would love to see what Grundstrom or Lias Andersson can do with those two....

I think the bottom 6 is better this year than last, but the top 6 has taken a step back..... but its early, long long long lay off.....hoping they get their legs back

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I mean frankly their salaries/caps dont matter in the slightest right now and by the point they COULD we'll have options (AND the going rate for top-10 positional player will be higher than that anyway). Neither salary is preventing this squad from doing anything.

 

[lumbergh]

I don't get it. Kopitar gets two points on a night when the Kings only get two goals, +1, carries the puck through the neutral zone and enters with possession multiple times while skating past checking forwards, and still posters on this board are gonna complain about him.

This team's got a hundred problems, but Anze Kopitar is not one of them.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Watched two periods last night, first two, and man...just....getting a weird feeling from the team, they can be REALLY good in spurts, and REALLY crappy in spurts, there is no.......anchor to the team, what I mean by that is imagine I guess 4 blocks (lines) that are in a single line.....but you watch them just floating away from each other....they are missing that line that just sticks, keeps the other blocks from floating, usually that's a strong captain, strong coach, strong team identity, and this team has none of that right now....

Iafallo, Kopitar, Brown, do not work anymore, Vilardi...has flashes...but his skating is so bad, I'm hoping there is another level to him. AA scarily looks like the best player out there on most nights, and he makes some just stupid mental mistakes..... Wagner is a great 4th liner....he can't be with Kempe and Vilardi, would love to see what Grundstrom or Lias Andersson can do with those two....

I think the bottom 6 is better this year than last, but the top 6 has taken a step back..... but its early, long long long lay off.....hoping they get their legs back

Tend to agree but despite all this, they've been in every game, and literally seconds and inches away from at least 4 points out of a possible 6.

I have to assume they'll get better rather than worse.

 

[Bandit]

Vilaridi goes to the middle, with the puck, AND hangs onto it and makes a play. Not sure we've had anyone like that in a long while. Maybe since Palffy.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Tend to agree but despite all this, they've been in every game, and literally seconds and inches away from at least 4 points out of a possible 6.

I have to assume they'll get better rather than worse.

You would think so right? But I think they need that rudder to make them get better...... on a side note, my god MacKinnon is just a beast..... I know everone is on and on about McDavid, but those two might be as close to neck and neck as you will see.....

 

[lumbergh]

I'd like to see the Kings go (until Frk gets back):

Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown
Athanasiou-Vilardi-Carter
Grundstrom-Andersson-Kempe
Wagner-Lizotte-Moore

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[Sol]

Kopitar 30% retained for 1st round pick

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[tny760]

i'm still a little uneducated about the taxi squad, that's just a paper transaction basically moving andersson down because they wanted imama with the reign and you have to maintain a minimum number of players on the taxi squad?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't get it. Kopitar gets two points on a night when the Kings only get two goals, +1, carries the puck through the neutral zone and enters with possession multiple times while skating past checking forwards, and still posters on this board are gonna complain about him.

This team's got a hundred problems, but Anze Kopitar is not one of them.

I'm one of his biggest fans and defenders. I'll outline my complaints.

-He's noticeably slower and MUCH softer. He gets pinned constantly. We used to complain he circled the net instead of taking it directly there, now he can hardly even get off the wall vs. one checker.
-He's taking the tough minutes--but getting caved in 5v5 night after night, he's one of the worst on the roster with respect to giving up shots and opportunities. Same thing as Doughty, I used that to defend him for a couple of years, but if you can't even tread water vs. the competition...
-I'd love to see zone entry/exit data but I dont have access so hard to make an evidence-backed criticism here but I watched him softly turn the puck over high in the zone with MUCh greater frequency than in the past, that was unusual.


He still has moments, but so does Drew. I remember him completely dismantling Mackinnon in the neutral zone. It was great! Then he tried to skate the puck over the blueline and was feebly pushed off by SAMUEL GIRARD. Great player, but also under 6 feet and listed at 165 lbs. Where the Kopitar that takes on 3 checkers and keeps moving?

Like I said everyone gets 5 games with me before I start really laying into them, but my disappointment with the top vets sans Carter is pretty high right now. They're supposed to be the example and lead the way and their play so far has arguably been why we're in this mess, they've been a wet fart. Slow, uninspired, losing battles everywhere.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Wow, thank goodness we played Lias for 8 minutes.

 

[BringTheReign]

Guess we'll get to see Amadio caved in by the Avs. Andersson needs reps.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Guess we'll get to see Amadio caved in by the Avs. Andersson needs reps.

"we can't wait to bring Lias over and see what he can do"

Bet he's wishing he stayed with the Rangers at this point

 

[BringTheReign]

He still has moments, but so does Drew. I remember him completely dismantling Mackinnon in the neutral zone. It was great!

Remember when Kopitar put up a hat trick against the Avs the year he, MacKinnon, and Hall ended up being Hart Trophy finalists? That's probably the best regular season game I've seen Kopitar play.

 

[cyclones22]

I'm one of his biggest fans and defenders. I'll outline my complaints...

Now is it just me, or was the PK worse last night when Kopi and Iafallo were out there? It seemed to me that the other forwards on the PK were beasting the kills. I'd start cutting Kopi's minutes there. The younger players seem to be pretty adept at killing penalties, let them carry that load. Also, I'd put Vilardi on the 1st PP next to Kopi. He's got the best vision on the team.

 

[Bandit]

Remember when Kopitar put up a hat trick against the Avs the year he, MacKinnon, and Hall ended up being Hart Trophy finalists? That's probably the best regular season game I've seen Kopitar play.

He owned MacKinnon all over the ice in that game too. Took him back to bitch school, if you will.

On another note, what the hell did Vilardi do to get saddled with Brown?

 

[KINGS17]

Still leading the team in scoring by 20 points year after year while playing more minutes than most forwards in the league vs. the hardest matchups 200 feet? That's not at all what you said

Let's be real, the team was/is so bad that it took Kopitar, Doughty, and Quick to have award winning years to blackhole. As ugly as he's been this year, that's not Kopitar's fault. I expected to get another year or two out of him before he transitions to more of a matchup 2C on a competitive team, but if we had that kind of crystal ball, sports would be easy.

Guess you'd better rip up McDavid's contract since he can't get the Oilers anywhere

I am critical of Kopitar when he doesn't assert himself in the offensive zone, and there are long stretches where he vanishes. However, I never have said it is his fault the Kings have finished near DFL for the last several seasons.

I think I said at the time of the McDavid and Draistl signings the Oilers were at least giving the big contracts to players in the correct age group, and that it would be interesting to see if what they were doing would work. I was never an advocate for the Oilers' approach, or against it. I think we would have to at least question the approach now that it has been a few seasons.

With what Colorado is doing at this time, it suggests cost/cap-controlled contracts is the way to go in the NHL. The window for championship contention is going to get smaller and smaller, so GMs better be able to determine when the opportunity is there and be all in when the time comes.

The Kings went all in with Kopitar and Doughty trying to hit an inside straight. Bad idea. The other cards they were holding in their hand at the time not very good.

It didn't take a crystal ball for me to post what I did four years ago. I simply looked at the situation, concluded the ride was over and thought what we have seen for the past four years was the most probable outcome.

 

[KINGS17]

Thats very intriguing but you should have said this too;

“We are getting from Kopitar exactly what I expected to get from him when he signed his 8-year, $80M deal.”

Than you are fair.....yes we would laugh, but at least you stick to it.

However, at those moments you never feel the need to tell us all what you were expecting from him when he signed that deal.

The times a team trade away a captain with two rings at age 28/29, are countable on one hand.

Well, I wouldn't have made Kopitar the captain, but it is an entirely different subject.

 

[Fat Elvis]

Wow, thank goodness we played Lias for 8 minutes.

Did he play that poorly? Sounded like he did alright. Better than the meatball coming back in to replace him.