GDT: 2021-22 season game 55 LA Kings vs Dallas Stars @5:30pm 3/2/22

[Moses Doughty]

Iafallo's play has completely cratered the last dozen or so games. If this team were a meritocracy he would be down the lineup and off of the PP. Brown gets all the criticism on this board (and he deserves most of it) but Iafallo has been just as bad recently.

Honestly since mid/late January. Somehow he's actually produced even more pathetically than Brown with more ice time the last 5 weeks. Works hard but that's it. I see no reason him or Brown need to play at all in all honesty. Nothing Iafallo is doing that JAD/Lemieux/Tonka can't do, and there's more than enough guys that can PK

 

[bland]

Iafallo's play has completely cratered the last dozen or so games. If this team were a meritocracy he would be down the lineup and off of the PP. Brown gets all the criticism on this board (and he deserves most of it) but Iafallo has been just as bad recently.

No, that's simply not true.

Brown struggles to make simple plays. Iafallo hasn't scored for sure but he is winning battles and was a key to that little hot streak Kempe just had. Kempe has only had the room he has had because Iafallo has been working his ass off away from the puck.

Brown ends attack after attack with lost battles, poor angle shots and misplaced easy passes. There isn't anything about Iafallo's game that comes close to being a liability like that.

 

[ru4reals]

Alright gonna try to keep it positive only two games after winning 5. So after this losing streak of 5 I believe we'll figure it out again.

 

[LAKings88]

Brown really is the place plays go to die.

 

[MBH]

Iafallo's play has completely cratered the last dozen or so games. If this team were a meritocracy he would be down the lineup and off of the PP. Brown gets all the criticism on this board (and he deserves most of it) but Iafallo has been just as bad recently.

Last 8 0-1-1 18 shots 19:07

Weird numbers considering his linemates.
Kempe 8 games 7-2-9 27 shots
Kopitar 8 games 1-8-9 23 shots

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Kempe - Kopitar - Kaliyev
Iafallo - Byfield - Grundstrom
Lemieux - Lizotte - Anderson-Dolan

 

[kilowatt]

Not to be a downer but if Vegas and Edmonton each win their next game, we’re back down to fourth place in the division and Dallas is only two points behind us with two games in hand for the last wildcard spot. So uh, whoops.

 

[bland]

Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Kempe - Kopitar - Kaliyev
Iafallo - Byfield - Grundstrom
Lemieux - Lizotte - Anderson-Dolan

I'd like to see Brown with Byfield and Iafallo for a few games.

 

[Herby]

\

No, that's simply not true.

Brown struggles to make simple plays. Iafallo hasn't scored for sure but he is winning battles and was a key to that little hot streak Kempe just had. Kempe has only had the room he has had because Iafallo has been working his ass off away from the puck.

Brown ends attack after attack with lost battles, poor angle shots and misplaced easy passes. There isn't anything about Iafallo's game that comes close to being a liability like that.

Ok, well we will have to agree to disagree. Iafallo plays with our two best forwards and is on the #1 PP unit. There has to be an expectation that he produces. Brown has mostly played with a guy who probably won't be in the NHL in a year and a 19 year old rookie who looks completely lost at the NHL level. Again, not excusing Brown's poor play, but there is more of an expectation for Iafallo and he has failed miserably recently.

And speaking of QB. I don't know what to do with him at this point, it's just not working, he has looked lost more nights than not and this team is trying to make the playoffs and he just can't be counted on to be a positive contributor at this point. I was initially against it because of how little he seemed to have gained from being down there last year, but he's a negative for the Kings right now and having him sit is worse for his development than playing games in the AHL. I think it's time to just send him back down and see where we stand at camp next year. I know that won't be a popular take here and I don't blame him for a lot of it, he should have been up last year in meaningless games but his play is not helping this team and I truly think people are watching him play with rose-colored glasses and not reality.

 

[Moses Doughty]

I'd like to see Brown with Byfield and Iafallo for a few games.

This might be the only way Byfield could be less set up for success than he has been already. Stick him on the power play and let him play with guys who are actually capable of producing offensively at the moment

 

[SufferingSelfCreated]

Laughable. Thats on Doughty and Kopitar especially defensively then they had a powerplay in the third where they stayed out pretty much the entire two minutes and did squat.

You're not wrong. But I don't think I am either. We had breakdowns all over the ice tonight, could've used a big save from Cal iall I'm saying. Which is far from laughable. What is laughable is how emo you are over my opinion. ...LOL

 

[AbsentMojo]

Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Kempe - Kopitar - Kaliyev
Iafallo - Byfield - Grundstrom
Lemieux - Lizotte - Anderson-Dolan

The universe is doing its best to give Koala a hint re the 2nd line should be together (AK)

 

[Moses Doughty]

\


Ok, well we will have to agree to disagree. Iafallo plays with our two best forwards and is on the #1 PP unit. There has to be an expectation that he produces. Brown has mostly played with a guy who probably won't be in the NHL in a year and a 19 year old rookie who looks completely lost at the NHL level. Again, not excusing Brown's poor play, but there is more of an expectation for Iafallo and he has failed miserably recently.

And speaking of QB. I don't know what to do with him at this point, it's just not working, he has looked lost more nights than not and this team is trying to make the playoffs and he just can't be counted on to be a positive contributor at this point. I was initially against it because of how little he seemed to have gained from being down there last year, but he's a negative for the Kings right now and having him sit is worse for his development than playing games in the AHL. I think it's time to just send him back down and see where we stand at camp next year. I know that won't be a popular take here and I don't blame him for a lot of it, he should have been up last year in meaningless games but his play is not helping this team and I truly think people are watching him play with rose-colored glasses and not reality.

I'd agree on Byfield but Todd has done as much as possible to give him zero chance to succeed. Of course he's going to struggle when he's coming off a broken ankle + Covid and the linemates he frequently has who just can't play offensive hockey (minus Athanasiou). Compare what Todd has done vs Eakins with Zegras, letting him learn and play with offensive talent.

If it doesn't work, send him to the A and see what Turcotte or JAD does, but play him on the PP and with either (a) Kopi/Kempe as a winger to lessen his responsibilities or (b) with guys like AA/Arty/etc who aren't black holes for offense

 

[bmr]

Kopitar and Doughty looked like trash tonight. What in the world??

 

[yankeeking]

it really is time to send QB back down or at minimum sit him for a game or two , he just isnt accomplishing anything , wins a board battle but then the puck acts like his stick is made of super balls and bounces ten feet away . you can see the talent coming but he appears to just not click yet, and when he does there is a turnover by a line mate and they are back to chasing the puck, if they do not put a possession guy with him especially on the road we are in trouble over the next 10-12 games, good teams coming up and who or how decided they had the 5th easiest schedule

 

[Schmooley]

You're not wrong. But I don't think I am either. We had breakdowns all over the ice tonight, could've used a big save from Cal iall I'm saying. Which is far from laughable. What is laughable is how emo you are over my opinion. ...LOL

No need to be a clown were just talking hockey here why you so offended by me saying laughable it was nothing personal

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

it really is time to send QB back down or at minimum sit him for a game or two , he just isnt accomplishing anything , wins a board battle but then the puck acts like his stick is made of super balls and bounces ten feet away . you can see the talent coming but he appears to just not click yet, and when he does there is a turnover by a line mate and they are back to chasing the puck, if they do not put a possession guy with him especially on the road we are in trouble over the next 10-12 games, good teams coming up and who or how decided they had the 5th easiest schedule

I think he's up for the remainder of this roadie for better or for worse but if at the end things haven't started clicking any more than now, I agree.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Not even really mad about the loss because they're gonna lose at some point. Sucks that it was to Dallas, and the "how" was worrisome, because it was way too reminiscent of the team at the beginning of the year. You should absolutely NOT lose a two goal lead in that fashion.

Next game will tell us a lot about whether we're about to see a playoff team or an epic car crash.

 

[bland]

\


Ok, well we will have to agree to disagree. Iafallo plays with our two best forwards and is on the #1 PP unit. There has to be an expectation that he produces. Brown has mostly played with a guy who probably won't be in the NHL in a year and a 19 year old rookie who looks completely lost at the NHL level. Again, not excusing Brown's poor play, but there is more of an expectation for Iafallo and he has failed miserably recently.

And speaking of QB. I don't know what to do with him at this point, it's just not working, he has looked lost more nights than not and this team is trying to make the playoffs and he just can't be counted on to be a positive contributor at this point. I was initially against it because of how little he seemed to have gained from being down there last year, but he's a negative for the Kings right now and having him sit is worse for his development than playing games in the AHL. I think it's time to just send him back down and see where we stand at camp next year. I know that won't be a popular take here and I don't blame him for a lot of it, he should have been up last year in meaningless games but his play is not helping this team and I truly think people are watching him play with rose-colored glasses and not reality.

Fair enough, there are a lot of mismatched parts on this roster that don't fit into the right grooves.

Kempe, god love his goals, struggles with so many aspects of the game that his gaudy numbers gloss over. Iafallo has no business on the right side there, he gets no quality looks at all but he keeps a lot of shifts alive.

Byfield needs to play, no point in sending him down barring a total team meltdown. I would give him Iafallo to do the dirty work with an offensive tilt he just won't get with the pair of Grundstrom and Brown. At least the insertion of Grundstrom has allowed that line a chance to cycle, but Iafallo can look for a chance instead of rolling around in the corners.

The biggest concern is the aging out of the core. I can't be the only one noticing the real lack of side to side mobility in Kopitar and Doughty. Straight ahead has been fine, but they have both really struggled when called on to make horizontal movements. That won't be changing at this age and with those minutes.

That's the real problem. They are a good team, good enough to challenge for the playoffs but the kids who need the experience to move into the key shifts aren't getting those reps. Its an uncomfortable situation where the good hockey they have been playing does more harm than good.

This team has to take a step back in ambition and expectations so they can take the necessary steps forward to get past this stage.

 

[SufferingSelfCreated]

No need to be a clown were just talking hockey here why you so offended by me saying laughable it was nothing personal

Saying laughable towards someone's words or opinions, infers you don't respect someone's words or opinions. That's really not that hard to understand. If you really were confused as to why I was offended, then maybe you should try not being so dismissive or belittling of someone right from the go. Just a thought.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Fair enough, there are a lot of mismatched parts on this roster that don't fit into the right grooves.

Kempe, god love his goals, struggles with so many aspects of the game that his gaudy numbers gloss over. Iafallo has no business on the right side there, he gets no quality looks at all but he keeps a lot of shifts alive.

Byfield needs to play, no point in sending him down barring a total team meltdown. I would give him Iafallo to do the dirty work with an offensive tilt he just won't get with the pair of Grundstrom and Brown. At least the insertion of Grundstrom has allowed that line a chance to cycle, but Iafallo can look for a chance instead of rolling around in the corners.

The biggest concern is the aging out of the core. I can't be the only one noticing the real lack of side to side mobility in Kopitar and Doughty. Straight ahead has been fine, but they have both really struggled when called on to make horizontal movements. That won't be changing at this age and with those minutes.

That's the real problem. They are a good team, good enough to challenge for the playoffs but the kids who need the experience to move into the key shifts aren't getting those reps. Its an uncomfortable situation where the good hockey they have been playing does more harm than good.

This team has to take a step back in ambition and expectations so they can take the necessary steps forward to get past this stage.

I know you're being generous here. Their legs are absolutely TOAST. Doughty got roasted in a straight line more than once tonight. Then played nearly 30 minutes. God bless them both they're surviving on raw ability alone but I know you and I aren't the only ones noticing Kopi's inability to get back on defense or get back in the play if he DOES get a headstart on defense.

Doughty was fantastic all season but the last two games have been coast city, like 2019. Not sure where his head is but his physical game is following right now and Mikey Anderson is great but not good enough to salvage a half-ass Doughty.

Those two either pull it together or we fall right out.

 

[Schmooley]

Saying laughable towards someone's words or opinions, infers you don't respect someone's words or opinions. That's really not that hard to understand. If you really were confused as to why I was offended, then maybe you should try not being so dismissive or belittling of someone right from the go. Just a thought.

Sorry didnt mean it that way

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Not even really mad about the loss because they're gonna lose at some point. Sucks that it was to Dallas, and the "how" was worrisome, because it was way too reminiscent of the team at the beginning of the year. You should absolutely NOT lose a two goal lead in that fashion.

Next game will tell us a lot about whether we're about to see a playoff team or an epic car crash.

Had to watch on tape delay, game had the jittery feeling all night, from everyone. Crazy to say it since Kaliyev scored twice, but that line wasnt clicking tonight, and every time that line is missing, Kings lose, they really do set the tempo. Past few games, Durzi and Bjornfot, have been awful, which is to be expected, both rookies, but they need to make a change there for a game or two, to settle them down

 

[kingsboy11]

What really worries me about this team, and it's been really evident these past 2 games, is that they don't know how to react properly to when a team is beating them at their own game. When a team is as aggressive as the Bruins/stars have played we tend to fold. Just need to relax and control the pace and the tempo. Weve been the team that's been doing that since the Olympic break. Have to bounce back with authority next game because in this playoff race you can't give an inch

 

[apocalypse]

He'll come back and put Kaliyev on the left side on the PP. Book it.

Kaliyev should be on Kopitar's line with Iafallo and Kempe sliding down with Byfield. Time to develop these players and not rush them. I don't care about the playoffs. We're a playoff team as it is. We've proven that. Time to develop.