GDT: 2021-22 season game 17 LA Kings vs Carolina Hurricanes @1:00pm 11/20/21

[Ray Martyniuk]

One thing this team has now is an identity.. couldnt be said for say the last 5 years.. so i give some credit to the coaching staff for that. Finally moving Brown down was smart.. so that all is positive. Kempe played his best game ever.. in the past it was always 1 good, 3 bad with him. If he can develop any consistency (which I doubt) he will deserve to stay in the top 6.

Kempe has been good with Yafallo and is looking good with Arvidsson. He needed to pass off to Kopi 1 time that I saw that could have been a goal

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Canes warned it but at some point Peterson needs to pick the Kings up with a save. Lots of deflections and turnovers but he’s just not in sound spots to react.

 

[ru4reals]

Overall I ain’t even mad.

Need to win tomorrow and start putting points on the board again.

Yotes going....alright boys easy game tomorrow can't lose to these F***ers.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Looks like we’re back to a steady diet of moral victories, but the difference is the whipping boys (Kempe and Lizotte) are leading the way.

 

[Fishhead]

Not even mad. We have some great pairs emerging, lots to look forward too. He gets a ton of shit around here but TM has them playing pretty inspired, they are developing an identity, and he actually put Brown somewhere away from the first line. Outside of Peterson, not to much to complain about.

 

[KingsFan7824]

5-7-5 in regulation. That's not going to get them very far.

 

[tny760]

Looks like we’re back to a steady diet of moral victories, but the difference is the whipping boys (Kempe and Lizotte) are leading the way.

i think i'm alright with a moral victory here, yeah the goaltending made it a gong show but carolina ain't no joke. i don't think i'd feel the same against many other teams

it's not just the whipping boys stepping it up though, both of their lines did as a whole which is an important distinction imo, there were many fewer passengers in the lineup today

better show up tomorrow too though

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Not even mad. We have some great pairs emerging, lots to look forward too. He gets a ton of shit around here but TM has them playing pretty inspired, they are developing an identity, and he actually put Brown somewhere away from the first line. Outside of Peterson, not to much to complain about.

i think i'm alright with a moral victory here, yeah the goaltending made it a gong show but carolina ain't no joke. i don't think i'd feel the same against many other teams

it's not just the whipping boys stepping it up though, both of their lines did as a whole which is an important distinction imo, there were many fewer passengers in the lineup today

better show up tomorrow too though

The problem is how many games can you play like this without a win before the air starts to come out of the tires?

Last season had similar signals. Then we saw the team crash like Enron stocks.

Like, we play like shit and lose, we play like gods and lose...may as well preserve the body for next year.

 

[Fishhead]

Carolina - #1 in the league
Washington - #3 in the East
Winnipeg - #5 in the west.

Could have won any of those games, we were neck and neck with them. Those teams just have that extra player or two that separates them. Washington was missing a few guys, sure, but these teams would have pummeled us in the last few seasons.

The big test is the next 3, they should win 2 of those. If they get 4+ points I'll be pretty confident that this is the team we will see going forward, not the crap we've had to endure the last few seasons. If they continue to slide the groundhog might be going back down his hole.

 

[HookKing]

Big game tomorrow. Gotta stop the slide. Probably couldn't play a worse team either. The damn(ed?) Coyotes, at home, on a back to back, coming off 3 straight losses, with a couple days off afterwards. That's a Kings recipe for disaster.

That's classic not current Kings. They've really been out of just 1 game all year (first game without DD on the road and b to b to boot). I just hope DD doesn't look at MA and TB at -4 apiece and rush his return even more than he already would.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Only two more games till Thanksgiving and currently out of a playoff spot. Gonna need a whole lot more than a win vs. AZ to inspire some confidence.

Then after that and through early Dec it's basically all divisional games.

Sadly, like last year, it may be lights out before Christmas. Hope they prove us wrong.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

That's classic not current Kings. They've really been out of just 1 game all year (first game without DD on the road and b to b to boot). I just hope DD doesn't look at MA and TB at -4 apiece and rush his return even more than he already would.

I'm all for moral victories at this stage as it's growth and an 86 point pace is an improvement on last year to be sure but these guys need to continue to trend up. Lose 2 of the next 3 and we're literally exactly where we were last year and the previous year. Small sample sizes and all that, but that's both 1. how bad we were to start the year and 2. how unenthused I am about the current 'results' if they don't continue.

In fact, lose 3 of the next three, and regardless that's year over year regression three years in a row. Who keeps their job?

I want to believe because 'looking better' is a thing and the effort is sure there but results will speak loudly.

 

[johnjm22]

Loved the energy the team brought today.

There was some bad individual defensive play down low around the net, and that's what costs us.

Mike Anderson isn't particularly good at anything at this point. The only reason he gets a spot is because he's younger and has some potential, but as of now he's not better than any mediocre dime-a-dozen NHL dman.

Kings were in position to win all 3 of the last games against good teams.

Nick Nickson was great.

 

[LAKings88]

They are trending up in the eye test and without Doughty. Plenty to work on still. This isn’t THE team yet. Getting closer but if they put the effort in like the last three I’m ok with losing. I’ll be real happy if they win the next four.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

I am glad no one "ragged the puck" today....or did someone rag it and Nick miss that?

Some thoughts since Drew has been out. Tobias has stepped up with more confidence. Loved his first attempt today and he almost got his own rebound.
Lemieux can play hockey. Only because of 2 injuries, Clague got a chance and has shown he can play. I think only 2 or 3 ES goals against with him on the
ice all year. Pretty impressive and you can no longer say he's not an NHL defenseman. Just hope they keep him over Maatta. I feel confidence in his PP time and
not worried when he's on the ice at any time...but why put out Roy on the 6 on 5 and not Kale? Roy is Dustin Brown Bad on the PP.

Speaking of Brown, been bad the last 2 games and I felt bad for Kupari and Moore. I thought they looked okay today and because of 23 (and Lizotte's line going)
they had few opportunities.

I dare TM to scratch Brown tomorrow for Lias or Carl....and he'd better not scratch Clague for Durzi's debut. Beettter be Maatta

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Nick Nickson makes the game enjoyable along with Jim Fox! Hate the other guy the big loud mouth schook!

 

[Ghetty Green]

Mikey getting walked again. So frustrating, is he even getting better ? He seems to have stagnated even tho I know he is a analytics darling

 

[Peter James Bond II]

I'm looking forward to adding Doughty and Byfield. Can only be a good thing.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Bjornfot is 20 and Anderson 22...I am 100% okay with them at this point in time. When they were victimized they were put in positions where they weren't able to sort out coverage quickly enough to do changes/bad turnovers. That will come. They're currently victims of circumstance, essentially playing--again, at 20-22--as #1/#2 d-men on a shitshow. If there's anyone on this roster I'm willing to give some slack, it's them. They are doing a lot of the little things at an elite level...and I'm happy the analytics are flattering of mikey in particular because he does a LOT that is completely underrated. Bjornfot at least visibly lugs the puck a bit more--Mikey is an absolute top-tier guy at taking an extra step or stickhandle to buy a forward some time before wiring an excellent pass even when the opponents know he's not going to skate it. Imagine those guys with the 3-4 more years of development that most dmen take.

And on that goal where mikey gets 'walked' a goalie having a normal night pokechecks that puck instead of halfassing a pokecheck and halfassing a save. That's the kind of breakdown in trust between the D and Cal tonight, neither believed the other could do their whole job.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

If Quick was playing this good at the last 2 trade deadlines, may have had offers for him and possibly dealt him....AND the Kings may still have Campbell, in that case.

 

[SufferingSelfCreated]

I know it's too small of a sample size, but Peterson objectively has not been good enough this year. He needs to step up his game big time.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I think Raccoon Jesus called the losing streak coming after the seven game win streak. Now watch them lay down and play like crap tomorrow against the Coyotes, who have two wins this season.

 

[Bandit]

I think Raccoon Jesus called the losing streak coming after the seven game win streak. Now watch them lay down and play like crap tomorrow against the Coyotes, who have two wins this season.

You act like it could possibly go any other way.

 

[King'sPawn]

Mikey getting walked again. So frustrating, is he even getting better ? He seems to have stagnated even tho I know he is a analytics darling

He's on the Muzzin path. Mistakes are how the young guys learn.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

You act like it could possibly go any other way.

That’s true, plus the December doldrums are coming. This is about the time they start to play like crap, and Kopitar pulls off another disappearing act. One goal in his last 8 games, and a -5 rating.