GDT: 2022-23 season Game 2 LA Kings vs Seattle Kraken @7:30pm 10/13/22

[cyclones22]

Why does every defensive pair look like they've never played with each other? Even Drew and Mikey look out of sync. Mikey fumbling the puck left and right and reaching instead of moving his feet. Are you telling me that it was Olli Maatta that was the backbone of the pairing with Matt Roy last season? WTF. Edler is ancient and looks ancient. Walker has a year's worth of rust on him to put it kindly. With exception of Clarke, most of these guys couldn't pass it to a teammate to exit the zone to save their lives. The defensemen have been ridiculously slow in making first pass decisions.

So Fiala on Kopi's line didn't even last 2 games before Iafallo was brought back. Fiala made some ill-advised passes, but he still looked more imminently dangerous than Kopi and Kempe combined. You know how Kopi looks right now? Like when pre-improved skating Gabe had to center Carter and AA 2 seasons ago. Two speedy guys and a slow guy. That didn't work 2 seasons ago and it's not going to work this season either. Interesting deployment for QB this game with 33.3% oZone starts. That line seemed to get a lot of ice time early, then less as the game went on. Weird since that line was hardly the problem offensively or keeping possession in their oZone.

One thing that I've not seen from this team yet, at least team wide, is winning board battles. That was a key part of last year's squad. Coming away with the puck in 1 on 1 and 2 on 2 battles. The QB line seems to be doing fine in that regard, but last season every line and every pairing seemed to come up with the puck on board battles. I'm not seeing that at all so far. Where's the stick work and body positioning? Boxing out and separating the puck carrier from the puck? They better rediscover this quick or they're going to get buried early.

 

[SufferingSelfCreated]

We may have to adjust our expectations for this season.

I went to the 1st two games of the season. I think that's gonna be it for me lol.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Bjornfot and Spence > Walker, Roy, Durzi, Edler.

What happened to Roy? He's been brutal.

 

[kingsholygrail]

He wanted to be signed. DL didnt want to pay him.

DL didn't want to make the same mistake he did with Richards and Williams was only going to stay for term and overpayment. He said in plenty of interviews the family wanted to move back to the East, but he would have stayed for the right price but obviously that didn't line up with what the Kings were willing to pay. And don't forget that Williams wasn't immediately picked up either. Washington was really his only option and he had to sign for less, iirc.

 

[KingsFan7824]

He wanted to be signed. DL didnt want to pay him.

Couldn't. There's a reason DL went hard on Lucic at 50% for 1 year. Kopitar was going to get a raise, and that extra $3m(Lucic at 50%, or Williams at 100%) couldn't be taken up for 16-17.

Nevertheless, his wife did want to go back east(just like Scuderi), and he was on 14-15 crap fest. A season where they needed more leadership than ever, and they all failed.

 

[AbsentMojo]

DL didn't want to make the same mistake he did with Richards and Williams was only going to stay for term and overpayment. He said in plenty of interviews the family wanted to move back to the East, but he would have stayed for the right price but obviously that didn't line up with what the Kings were willing to pay. And don't forget that Williams wasn't immediately picked up either. Washington was really his only option and he had to sign for less, iirc.

OK - but he did want to stay and apparently was going to cost more than DL was willing to pay. Bottom line, he was the best leader the Kings have ever had and I wish they wouldve worked it out.

 

[kinghock]

Bjornfot and Spence > Walker, Roy, Durzi, Edler.

What happened to Roy? He's been brutal.

Spence >Bjornfot> Durzi >> Walker, Roy, Edler

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Only saw the 1st two.....but from what I saw.....tell me if I am wrong, but Clarke got beat to hell out there....he made some good plays, but for the most part, his play now, vs play in pre-season is night and day?

 

[Bandit]

You know the game was a turd burger when it's 2022 and the conversation turns to Justin Williams...

 

[kingsholygrail]

OK - but he did want to stay and apparently was going to cost more than DL was willing to pay. Bottom line, he was the best leader the Kings have ever had and I wish they wouldve worked it out.

He gave LA a chance, but it wasn't a realistic one.

 

[KingsFan7824]

We may have to adjust our expectations for this season.

I went to the 1st two games of the season. I think that's gonna be it for me lol.

They may play themselves out of the playoffs by the end of the month if they keep this up, but can we give it a sec?

 

[bland]

On the brighter side, the road trip couldn't have come a better time.

They started the year with a lot of enthusiasm and played like they were skilled enough to win without paying strict attention to detail, got thumped and (hopefully) embarrassed. Now they can dial it back down and get to work.

The RHD-RHD thing was such an obvious mistake, its hard to believe that management couldn't, sorry, WOULDN'T see it coming. You are guaranteeing turnovers and lost board battles with that alignment. Nobody ever gets enough reps in that spot to know where your half seconds are - those little, tiny split seconds are the ones that allow you to sort things out, right now every single shift of that 2nd pair is a scramble. That is 100% on the hubris of management to try and force that to work.

 

[Schmooley]

Only saw the 1st two.....but from what I saw.....tell me if I am wrong, but Clarke got beat to hell out there....he made some good plays, but for the most part, his play now, vs play in pre-season is night and day?

Yea rough first period, better 2nd period, and the 3rd he looked like preseason playing real loose. Him and Doughty were a pair together at the start of the third.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Only saw the 1st two.....but from what I saw.....tell me if I am wrong, but Clarke got beat to hell out there....he made some good plays, but for the most part, his play now, vs play in pre-season is night and day?

He looked tentative to start, that's for sure. Presumably a reaction to first 'real' game and maybe in watching everyone absolutely dumpster Durzi. But by the 3rd he was one of our best players again.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

He looked tentative to start, that's for sure. Presumably a reaction to first 'real' game and maybe in watching everyone absolutely dumpster Durzi. But by the 3rd he was one of our best players again.

Yea rough first period, better 2nd period, and the 3rd he looked like preseason playing real loose. Him and Doughty were a pair together at the start of the third.

Ok, curse of me being on EST....times I just can't keep my eyes open that late....

I think TM panicked last night, but a line jumbler in a game and a half in,........not....good...at all regardless of how they were playing, you have to let shit settle before you do that...in my opinion....

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

but for the most part, his play now, vs play in pre-season is night and day?

I think we could say that for just about every player on the Kings right now.

 

[YAYSAY]

Clarke looked much better as the game went on. He deked out Beniers I think it was and walked the line towards the slot, it was probably the only exciting play for the kings all game.

It'd be one thing if the games were close and we were just getting bad luck, but it's not that. They look like they don't care or even want to play except for a few. Last years slump they looked bad but they also had a lot of early injuries, right now it looks like they all have brain injuries. That fumbled Doughty to Kopitar pass at the end of the game was pathetic

 

[tkb81]

ahhh two games in and the sky is falling ... if anything as kings fans we are consistent

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Clarke looked much better as the game went on. He deked out Beniers I think it was and walked the line towards the slot, it was probably the only exciting play for the kings all game.

Yah, he needs to start shooting in those situations.

 

[ibleedkings]

Ok, curse of me being on EST....times I just can't keep my eyes open that late....

I think TM panicked last night, but a line jumbler in a game and a half in,........not....good...at all regardless of how they were playing, you have to let shit settle before you do that...in my opinion....

It’s called coffee my guy

 

[tny760]

ahhh two games in and the sky is falling ... if anything as kings fans we are consistent

i don't know if the sky is falling but it's kinda just like.. welp, same ole shit with a new winger.. same ole problems

just frustrating

 

[cyclones22]

Who says the sky is falling? Check any forum of teams that are currently winless and it's much of the same. Pointing out the obvious problems that have led to losses isn't saying the sky is falling. Good grief.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The stuff that sucked in the "it's just the preseason" is the same stuff sucking now, so this is hardly a revelation or a new set of criticisms--just games that count, including one where we got outplayed worse than we have in a decade and one where we lost at hom by several goals to a non-playoff divisional rival that was on a B2B.

Please, feel free to enlighten us on why we should not be pessimistic rather than just going 'see you're pessimistic.'

About the only positives so far are Byfield, Vilardi, Iafallo, Kaliyev, Doughty, Clarke.

 

[Sol]

I don’t know how you can be a kings fan and be an optimist in regards to them. A franchise that’s known for sucking and randomly winning two cups out of nowhere. They have pretty much never been a great team like Tampa has been in the regular season and that translated the same into the playoffs. The kings what like crawled into the playoffs and steamrolled for a month both times out of years of sucking.

Being negative is the way to be unless they give us a reason not to be. If the Kings begin to finish top 5 in the NHL then I will change out my glasses too. Until then. Fire Todd and trade Roy

 

[cyclones22]

The stuff that sucked in the "it's just the preseason" is the same stuff sucking now, so this is hardly a revelation or a new set of criticisms--just games that count, including one where we got outplayed worse than we have in a decade and one where we lost at hom by several goals to a non-playoff divisional rival that was on a B2B.

Please, feel free to enlighten us on why we should not be pessimistic rather than just going 'see you're pessimistic.'

About the only positives so far are Byfield, Vilardi, Iafallo, Kaliyev, Doughty, Clarke.

Hey remember when the Kings had problems beating teams in the Western Conference last season? Someone tell me that this next road trip is in the East!