GDT: 2021-22 season WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER FINALS Game 3 LA Kings vs Edmonton Oilers @7:00pm Series Tied 1-1

[Ziggy Stardust]

Remember what Kopitar said after Game 2? I guess it shouldn’t matter to us that they got embarrassed yet again on the scoresheet. I’m sure he can’t wait to get back to Slovenia when they get ousted on Tuesday.

 

[Peter James Bond III]

If the Kings go down 4-1 and don't show much fight or are in the next few games....Blake should have his Summer list...it should include a coaching change, but probably won't happen.

Need size and toughness. A game changing first line scorer. A big LHD that can play 22 minutes in all situations (that is 28 or younger) and get some other teams #1 goalie prospect that is between 20-23, ideally.
Good luck!

forever gone: Brown, Edler, AA, Maatta, Stetcher. Try to make Iafallo forever gone too in any deal you can get. No jam, no finish, not skilled enough for top 6, 4 million too much for smallish, lackluster, bottom 6.

 

[Schmooley]

If the Kings go down 4-1 and don't show much fight or are in the next few games....Blake should have his Summer list...it should include a coaching change, but probably won't happen.

Need size and toughness. A game changing first line scorer. A big LHD that can play 22 minutes in all situations (that is 28 or younger) and get some other teams #1 goalie prospect that is between 20-23, ideally.
Good luck!

forever gone: Brown, Edler, AA, Maatta, Stetcher. Try to make Iafallo forever gone too.

Is it time to move on from the old core also? This is as far as they will go with them leading the charge and its possible they still have good value.

 

[tomd]

Is it time to move on from the old core also? This is as far as they will go with then leading the charge and its possible they still have good value.

Who is in the "old core"? Because as I see it, the "old core" (Kopitar, Quick, Doughty, Denault, Arvidsson) are still their best players. This has been the strangest rebuild I can ever remember.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Pretty sure they do . Danault said it all in the presser. Nobody's happy with the loss. But like he said, the series is 2-1 now. Whether we lost 8-2 or 4 -2 . the series is still 2-1.

Yah, but the last two games does not bode well for what we can expect the rest of the series. You don't get blown out like that in the playoffs -- playoffs are tight, 1-2 goal games. We just had back to back blowouts, losing by SIX f***ing goals...that is just horrible.

It's been a fun season and I was optimistic that the boys could make this a good series, but I've seen enough now to know that's not going to happen. Oh well, great strides made, need to build on this next season where hopefully our #1 dman isn't injured for half of it.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Yah, but the last two games does not bode well for what we can expect the rest of the series. You don't get blown out like that in the playoffs -- playoffs are tight, 1-2 goal games. We just had back to back blowouts, losing by SIX f***ing goals...that is just horrible.

It's been a fun season and I was optimistic that the boys could make this a good series, but I've seen enough now to know that's not going to happen. Oh well, great strides made, need to build on this next season where hopefully our #1 dman isn't injured for half of it.

Yeah, you have optimism after your goalie f***s up and costs you the game in a 1 goal game like like in game 1. Not after you get embarrassed losing by 6 goals in back to back games. Of course the series is 2-1 and the Kings are still in it. But tough to see them taking the series, let alone 2 more games.

 

[Schmooley]

Who is in the "old core"? Because as I see it, the "old core" (Kopitar, Quick, Doughty, Denault, Arvidsson) are still their best players. This has been the strangest rebuild I can ever remember.

I think Danault and Arvidsson are the new core for the next 3-5 years.
I meant Kopitar, Doughty, Iafallo and Quick. Do you think it would be a smart move to explore trade options? All 4 have good value.

 

[tomd]

I think Danault and Arvidsson are the new core for the next 3-5 years.
I meant Kopitar, Doughty, Iafallo and Quick. Do you think it would be a smart move to explore trade options? All 4 have good value.

Not many contending teams can fit a $10 million salary into their existing payroll so the options for Doughty and Kopitar are very limited (to say nothing of the NTC/NM clauses in their contracts). Quick has one year left on his contract and deserves to be a King for life. Any trade involving Iafallo would be selling him very low at this point.

 

[kingsfan28]

Sure it did, first goal was 4v4. That's 'even strength' but it's still a situation in which you're not exacty playing 5v5 hockey. Then Edler's dumb ass who has no business pinching offensively in that situation crashed the net and fell giving McDrai a 2-on-1, just a brain dead play.

The second goal was PP.

Everything after that is almost irrelevant, even though they hung in until goal #4. Special teams set the tone.

Edler was a complete dumbass for sure. You can do that 5 vs 5 when those guys aren't on the ice, not 4 vs 4
Once he went down behind the play , it was over. That's really where the game was lost. Man, Kempe came so close to lifting Draisital's stick on the first goal , mere inches and his stick went over LD's stick instead of under it.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Yah, but the last two games does not bode well for what we can expect the rest of the series. You don't get blown out like that in the playoffs -- playoffs are tight, 1-2 goal games. We just had back to back blowouts, losing by SIX f***ing goals...that is just horrible.

It's been a fun season and I was optimistic that the boys could make this a good series, but I've seen enough now to know that's not going to happen. Oh well, great strides made, need to build on this next season where hopefully our #1 dman isn't injured for half of it.

Strange playoffs,

5-1, 5-0, 4-0, 4-3 Night 1
4-3, 4-2, 7-2, 1-0 Night 2
5-2, 5-3, 6-2, 6-0 Night 3
5-2, 5-1, 2-1, 2-0 Night 4
4-2, 5-2, 5-1, 8-2 Night 5

So 20 games played and only 8 have been within 2 goals......

 

[Schmooley]

Not many contending teams can fit a $10 million salary into their existing payroll so the options for Doughty and Kopitar are very limited (to say nothing of the NTC/NM clauses in their contracts). Quick has one year left on his contract and deserves to be a King for life. Any trade involving Iafallo would be selling him very low at this point.

Youd for sure have to retain on Kopitar. If Pittsburgh doesnt bring back Malkin they may need a guy like him. Boston and Minnesota may want a center like him also. Doughty may be a but tougher in that you cant retain that long and probably have to take back contracts.
Quick I suppose would be pointless to trade at this point. Like its probably not worth retaining half and sending him to a team like Washington for a 2nd and a 3rd.
Looking at it now Id say moving Kopitar and Iafallo might be worth it. Doughty and Quick not as much.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I refuse to believe that even a McLellan coached team can lose a series to Mike Smith. Oilers may have the advantage in talent and depth, but the only thing they’ve proven to be this year is streaky.

I think they’ll come back with a much better game tomorrow. Quick is the one guy on the team who has shown the ability to take over a game. You just need the forwards to start bumping Smith every shift. It’s the only tactic the Kings have available to get the Oilers off their game.

 

[Schmooley]

I thought it was weird that the young players were playing well in the first and he still benches them. It would make more sense if the top lines were playing amazing and the kids were blowing it but it wasnt like that. Vilardi and Kaliyev can be weapons and instead they are treated as liabilities.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I thought it was weird that the young players were playing well in the first and he still benches them. It would make more sense if the top lines were playing amazing and the kids were blowing it but it wasnt like that. Vilardi and Kaliyev can be weapons and instead they are treated as liabilities.

It’s not about performance. The kids only get their 12 minutes if the Kings have the lead.

 

[Peter James Bond III]

AA must be scratched and done as a King now.
He's been given golden opportunity on line 1 and has been terrible.
He may be the worst puck handler on the entire team.
He's only capable of a few flashes per game at best and has had 0 of those in 3 games.
he's a liability defensively and has no chemistry with anyone on this team - ever.

Move Vilardi up there. He can make plays, has a good shot, anywhere within 40 feet of the net
and played hard this last game and looked good. Get him on PP1 or 2 as well.

 

[Mats26]

This is what happens when you attempt to fast track a rebuild, you stall in no man's land, get bounced and eventually start rolling down the hill again. Players overachieved this year. Team's around us will also get better. It's going to be a rough ride next year to get into the playoffs. The picks need to turn out if we expect to be competitive or I can see this rebuild sliding.

Also, the faster we realize we aren't winning with Brown-Kopitar-Quick the faster we can hand this team off to a new core. And that is the problem. Who forms this new core?, who takes over? We need to add to those players(Danualt, Moore, etc..) this off season if we feel none of the prospects can handle it.

Until Quicks' and Kopitar's cap hits come off the books we'll have to settle for fillers. I say 2 more years until we start seeing what we really have so we can possibly make that Richards + Carter trades.

 

[Fat Elvis]

Really hard to be optimistic going into tomorrow’s game. Tough when you spot your opponent a touchdown lead.

 

[Bandit]

This team showed its pride and self respect plenty during the year and this is where the argument that you “ negative” types get to whine and how dare we question your remarks goes south , we are all crushed at the last two games but damn how about the coaching staff and GM takes some of the blame for this , 1) a PP that hasn’t produce all year and more like a couple of years and they did nothing to help, 2) a rash of injuries that rivals the Andy Murray days and they made no trades or signings to help all year, 3) a PK that struggles all year and they did nothing to help and then when the team was fighting for 2nd and a playoff spot they decided to sit on their asses and do nothing , nothing to help , getting a goal scorer or another vet may not have even have helped but it would have shown the team that they believed in them and their chances but they did nothing ……the team has 11 first time playoffs guys and are going up against the best player in the world, 5 top ten picks on their power play alone WTF did you think was going to happen, the team is fine needs more experience and better talent on almost every line but heart and soul they got

Not really sure what you're going on about. I've been very vocal all year about my disdain for the coaches and their ineptitude.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

Who is in the "old core"? Because as I see it, the "old core" (Kopitar, Quick, Doughty, Denault, Arvidsson) are still their best players. This has been the strangest rebuild I can ever remember.

it was the most amateur naïve rebuild I've ever seen

throw some unprepared 1st round prospects at Dean Lombardi's core

have absolutely no bridge players in terms of age (24-28yr olds)

add some more San Jose staff (McLellan, Sturm)

"help" Kopitar by signing players that don't play with Kopitar

keep failing at PP / PK and say "this is ok with me"

give LIASSS 5 million chances at being somebody in life (because of nepotism)

etc.

it's bad... it's very bad

 

[Telos]

I had my own game last night and missed game 3, and of course, the last game of the season is this Sunday at the same time as game 4 =/ In the end, neither team has a snowball's chance in hell of winning the cup. McDavid won't sniff postseason glory until he leaves Edmonton.

I don't know what anyone expects TMac to do here, he has literally made most of the changes that many have been clamoring for. It's time to stop blaming the coach. He's not the greatest, but he is good enough. The finger needs to be squarely pointed at the players, and partly the nepotism of Sturm.

I sympathize a little with the players because they did fight hard and work together to get here. Many other teams are golfing right now and it is a step in the right direction (big question marks about player development aside). No matter what, this season was a victory, but it wasn't a big one.

The roster is clearly not good enough to compete at a true playoff level. I mean, neither is Edmonton really, but that reveals more about the Kings Sturm shouldn't have this job, he never should have. It was a buddy hiring and needs to be corrected, but just like TMac, these are NHL players. They've been playing competitive hockey all their lives. Literally, any system should generate more offense than has been provided so far on the powerplay. It is the age-old debate we've always had with arguing over coaches and the offensive production of this team, but the bottom line is they are not talented enough. If we threw Colorado sweaters on them all and sent them out there together with their system, it would yield the same result. Kopitar is a 2nd PP unit complimentary player now and so on. We all can list every player on special teams and give three reasons why they don't belong there.

The team is lacking the next dimension, the next generation, and I feel that falls on upper management and our development staff more than anything. No other team seems to be having this much trouble with getting their top prospects to produce. These players have the tools, sure we have been really unlucky with injuries, but they should be better than they are out there by now and they did not reach whatsoever compared to where they were selected. Pretty much all of the veterans outside of Danault and Arvy are complimentary players now. Yes, they are young and raw, but the entire success of this "plan" relies on the kids taking the reigns and pushing the front line. When they are on the back ranks and we are praying for Kopitar to re-ignite 2012 glory their efforts are doomed to fail from the start.

The foot is off the pedal somewhere. The whole organization needs a huge injection of focused urgency to develop non-passive offensive talent.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

This is what happens when you attempt to fast track a rebuild, you stall in no man's land, get bounced and eventually start rolling down the hill again. Players overachieved this year. Team's around us will also get better. It's going to be a rough ride next year to get into the playoffs. The picks need to turn out if we expect to be competitive or I can see this rebuild sliding.

Also, the faster we realize we aren't winning with Brown-Kopitar-Quick the faster we can hand this team off to a new core. And that is the problem. Who forms this new core?, who takes over? We need to add to those players(Danualt, Moore, etc..) this off season if we feel none of the prospects can handle it.

Until Quicks' and Kopitar's cap hits come off the books we'll have to settle for fillers. I say 2 more years until we start seeing what we really have so we can possibly make that Richards + Carter trades.

Quick's cap hit has been extended via Petersen's contract, we have over $16m off the books this summer (Brown, Athanasiou, Maatta, Edler, Stecher), so if we wanted to, we can fix this team.

The problem isn't Kopitar's contract, and Quick's can be bought easily, the biggest problem is Blake's lack of a vision; what's the Kings' identity?

Remember when DL took office and at his first conference he explained the vision and pointed to Mattias Norstrom as a true warrior with Dustin Brown sitting next to him. He explained how you actually build around these types of players to create a winning atmosphere first.

From that conference you already knew he was serious and he was going to change Kings culture

Blake did none of that
Blake wanted to collect draft picks and have them solve the Kings issues on its own. This is further evidenced by his inability to improve his roster via the abundance of prospects at his disposal

Year 5, this is Year freaking 5

it's time to fire the entire staff, unfortunately many will see this season as a success and a step in the right direction

To those that think this way, expect LA's woes to extend another half decade

 

[KingsFan7824]

This is what happens when you attempt to fast track a rebuild

No youth has been traded yet.

you stall in no man's land

Is that determined in a year? If they were a bottom 5 team, again, would that have been an example of stalling as a bottom 5 team?

Players overachieved this year.

Some also underachieved. Some weren't even in the lineup most of the time.

Team's around us will also get better.

But the Kings won't? Will teams around the Kings stall, or will other teams only progress?

It's going to be a rough ride next year to get into the playoffs. The picks need to turn out if we expect to be competitive or I can see this rebuild sliding.

Yeah, if the picks are busts, like it Turcotte is hurt forever, and Byfield turns into the project that never will be, then yeah, obviously that's not going to help. The Kings lucked out to get what should've been a top 2/3 pick in Kopitar at #11, which certainly helped soften the blow of completely missing on the 4th pick in 2007. All the current eggs were put into the top 5 picks though. There was no safety blanket in an inherited 1C prospect.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

If the goal is to get through the game without taking a single penalty then okay I get it. But you and I disagree with what's relevant because instead of clawing back into the game they went on to give up 6 more goals at even strength. 1-3 vs 1-4 pp

Maybe irrelevant is a little much but that game clearly had plenty to do with special teams. Even if they don't score 4-v-4, don't concede that pp goal and it's still only 1-0 when and if Kane gets that rebound. That's much more manageable than shooting yourself in the face because Edler thinks he's 20 again and forgets who is on the ice. The game was lost on those first two special teams situations, the 3-0 goal was the dagger, and while they could have spent the rest of the game putting together solid habits and clawing back in, the real blowup didn't happen until after that. I'm not too concerned about those goals mostly just because that's a pattern this year, not something the Oilers in partiuclar are 'too good' at, if you recall Seattle pasted us 6-1 in similar manner, so did Colorado. Best in the league, worst in the league, doesn't matter, we suck at that.

I guess in short I just don't think i'ts fair to overlook that the scoring was opened on special teams, no matter what happened next.

 

[Gjwrams]

If the Kings go down 4-1 and don't show much fight or are in the next few games....Blake should have his Summer list...it should include a coaching change, but probably won't happen.

Need size and toughness. A game changing first line scorer. A big LHD that can play 22 minutes in all situations (that is 28 or younger) and get some other teams #1 goalie prospect that is between 20-23, ideally.
Good luck!

forever gone: Brown, Edler, AA, Maatta, Stetcher. Try to make Iafallo forever gone too in any deal you can get. No jam, no finish, not skilled enough for top 6, 4 million too much for smallish, lackluster, bottom 6.

Agree with needs. It does not have to happen all in one offseason.

1st line impact player is on my list of highest priority.

the other three can come after that.

in my opinion anyhow.

 

[Sol]

Todd needs to go.
Sturm needs to go.
Sign Forsberg.
Send Byfield to boot camp or jail and have him come back buff.

Fire the scouts too. They chose the wrong people in the first round.