GDT: 2022-23 season game 67 LA Kings vs Nashville Predators @7:30pm 3/11/23

[johnjm22]

MacEwen had a strong game last night, if you guys couldn't see that, well, its not exactly surprising. The Kings 4th line was more effective last night than at any point in the last ten games.

The 4th line was much better when it was Kupari centering JAD on his LW.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Meh, messy ice and you can't win them all. Losing sucks, but with the lousy ice, probably hard to get going.

Still find it ironic people defending sitting Spence to play Walker to keep a regular rotation, yet no rotation is utilized to keep Kaliyev and Bjornfot warm.

But surely when they hit the ice again after 6-8 games of sitting they'll be admonished for not being sharp.

Imagine watching Walker/Spence last game and thinking Spence is the one that should sit so you can resurrect the worst dpairing on the team.

Just another night of TM outsmarting himself...win against the champs, make wholesale lineup changes to come home, sit JAD, Kaliyev, Spence with no Fiala and use Walker on PP2 with some of the coldest hands on the team...

TM is always, ALWAYS coaching in hard mode and it's insane.

Gonna be pretty sweet this offseason when Blake indulges him by trading Kaliyev, Spence, and a 1st for some random 29 year old winger and signs MacEwen to a 4 year deal and lets Gavrikov walk so we can play 5 RHDs next season. ALl that before losing Fagemo, Bjornfot, Kupari, and Thomas to waivers.

It's like they make some changes to see what works, and, consequently seeing it works, quickly going NOPE and going back to what doesn't work.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Imagine watching Walker/Spence last game and thinking Spence is the one that should sit so you can resurrect the worst dpairing on the team.

Just another night of TM outsmarting himself...win against the champs, make wholesale lineup changes to come home, sit JAD, Kaliyev, Spence with no Fiala and use Walker on PP2 with some of the coldest hands on the team...

TM is always, ALWAYS coaching in hard mode and it's insane.

Gonna be pretty sweet this offseason when Blake indulges him by trading Kaliyev, Spence, and a 1st for some random 29 year old winger and signs MacEwen to a 4 year deal and lets Gavrikov walk so we can play 5 RHDs next season. ALl that before losing Fagemo, Bjornfot, Kupari, and Thomas to waivers.

It's like they make some changes to see what works, and, consequently seeing it works, quickly going NOPE and going back to what doesn't work.

The Koala runs a myopic vetocracy. After that win in Denver, how do u do that deployment? Its straight up illogical.. again pulls all the wrong levers after a win.

 

[kingsfan28]

yeah that 4th line was definitely playable last night. when they do what they did in the 1st and come out and bang, it's a line that todd can/will play. it's a tempo change

don't get me wrong though, he's not a good hockey player

He's worth not getting an extra rep penalty every other game. Pepe was costing them goals any way you slice it.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

The Koala runs a myopic vetocracy. After that win in Denver, how do u do that deployment? Its straight up illogical.. again pulls all the wrong levers after a win.

Yet prior to last night they had won five in a row. You are not good with math, dude.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Yet prior to last night they had won five in a row. You are not good with math, dude.

Im pretty good at math. Maybe i exaggerated a little. My point is that after a resounding victory against the Avs, why muck with the d-pairs at all? Similarly I wasnt happy w starting JQ twice in a row at NYR.. when typically its Copley's turn as #1.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Im pretty good at math. Maybe i exaggerated a little. My point is that after a resounding victory against the Avs, why muck with the d-pairs at all? Similarly I wasnt happy w starting JQ twice in a row at NYR.. when typically its Copley's turn as #1.

I posted this yesterday…my theory is that TM will be rotating D the rest of the way. Need depth going into playoffs, need all these guys in game shape.

Agree on the JQ decision in NY, hated that. My theory there is that JQ is known for playing the Rangers well and they were looking for something to light a fire under his ass.

 

[Sol]

I know this may be hard for some of you to believe but Todd is a mediocre coach carried by a really good team making him look a lot better than he is. If you look at his brain dead decision making then it becomes very evident that there’s nothing happening in that skull.

If disco Dan can get carried to the cup then I don’t see why a Koala can’t get carried to the playoffs

 

[kingsfan28]

Last night was sort of a meh game. Not good, not bad, just meh. We got a point but it felt like we left one out there and wasted a good effort by Copley. The pp looks very stagnant. There's nobody to run it now. Doughty was his usual awful self. Win the draw, get it to Doughty and expect his next pass to get blocked or fumbled or turned over. The Preds on the other hand, won the draw, got it to the point then to the shooter and scored...in under 5 seconds. Lost the battle of the special teams, even the shootout guys looked really off.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I know this may be hard for some of you to believe but Todd is a mediocre coach carried by a really good team making him look a lot better than he is. If you look at his brain dead decision making then it becomes very evident that there’s nothing happening in that skull.

If disco Dan can get carried to the cup then I don’t see why a Koala can’t get carried to the playoffs

More brilliance from Sol…if the team is bad, it’s the coaches fault, if the team is good…it’s to the players credit.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Last night was sort of a meh game. Not good, not bad, just meh. We got a point but it felt like we left one out there and wasted a good effort by Copley. The pp looks very stagnant. There's nobody to run it now. Doughty was his usual awful self. Win the draw, get it to Doughty and expect his next pass to get blocked or fumbled or turned over. The Preds on the other hand, won the draw, got it to the point then to the shooter and scored...in under 5 seconds. Lost the battle of the special teams, even the shootout guys looked really off.

See to me....Copley was ok, good maybe...but he was fighting the puck the entire way.

The entire game was sloppy on both sides, couldn't pass, couldn't skate, couldn't shoot....there was no cohesiveness last night......

 

[AbsentMojo]

I posted this yesterday…my theory is that TM will be rotating D the rest of the way. Need depth going into playoffs, need all these guys in game shape.

Agree on the JQ decision in NY, hated that. My theory there is that JQ is known for playing the Rangers well and they were looking for something to light a fire under his ass.

I hear that re JQ, just didnt like it since he was 0-9 before the win at NYI. I dont think rotating the D is the right move because what you need to zoom in our your 3rd pairing entering the playoffs - not mix and match. Spence looked really good in his one game back, like a difference maker - adds a dimension that Edler and Walker do not have, and has experience QBing a powerplay.. where Walker looks lost out there. It would be very interesting to me, to follow that up with another start to see if he may really be Voynov 2.0.. he looked heavier and stronger in the 1 game.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I hear that re JQ, just didnt like it since he was 0-9 before the win at NYI. I dont think rotating the D is the right move because what you need to zoom in our your 3rd pairing entering the playoffs - not mix and match. Spence looked really good in his one game back, like a difference maker - adds a dimension that Edler and Walker do not have, and has experience QBing a powerplay.. where Walker looks lost out there. It would be very interesting to me, to follow that up with another start to see if he may really be Voynov 2.0.. he looked heavier and stronger in the 1 game.

What dimension does Spence have, that you think Walker doesn't?

 

[AbsentMojo]

What dimension does Spence have, that you think Walker doesn't?

I think Spence is better in every category than walker...he's 100% better offensively. He's almost point per game in the A, where Walker never made it to .25 PPG in the A. Spence is even more physical. What do you think Walker does well?

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I think Spence is better in every category than walker...he's 100% better offensively. He's almost point per game in the A, where Walker never made it to .25 PPG in the A. Spence is even more physical. What do you think Walker does well?

Walker is a better puck mover, skates better, care less about points in the AHL.....look up TJ Tynan to see why.....but if you want to go there, 17 points in 22 games his 2nd year pro, 5-6 years ago when LA was a black hole offensively in both leagues.... this version of Spence, maybe more phsyical, have to see more than one game etc....

IMO they are carbon copies of one another, one is just younger, and one takes up more cap......I think Walker needs to be gone, but that's cap reasons, not OMG he's bad reasons

 

[AbsentMojo]

Walker is a better puck mover, skates better, care less about points in the AHL.....look up TJ Tynan to see why.....but if you want to go there, 17 points in 22 games his 2nd year pro, 5-6 years ago when LA was a black hole offensively in both leagues.... this version of Spence, maybe more phsyical, have to see more than one game etc....

IMO they are carbon copies of one another, one is just younger, and one takes up more cap......I think Walker needs to be gone, but that's cap reasons, not OMG he's bad reasons

I disagree on Walker better puck mover and skates better.. but lets say they are about equal right now. Spence is still developing and from my perspective he adds some dynamism like Durzi that Walker has never displayed. So thats why Id like to see Spence given a good solid look since he's had 2/3 of a season to develop further in the A and looks like he's put on some weight and strength based on the 1 game we all saw the other night.

 

[johnjm22]

The hockey obsession with making the team tougher, even if it makes the roster worse, is totally braindead and nonsensical.

What we needed last night was a player or two that gives us a chance at an extra goal.

Kaliyev literally leads the team in GSE/60 at 5v5. JAD is 3rd on the team in actual goals P/60 5v5.

And both AK and JAD are better defensively than MacEwen. Playing him over AK/JAD so we could be "tougher" accomplished absolutely nothing.

Not to mention the PP is starting to struggle so it would obviously make more sense to have AK in the lineup.

JAD-Kupari was looking great together. Not sure why TMac went away from it.

 

[YAYSAY]

The hockey obsession with making the team tougher, even if it makes the roster worse, is totally braindead and nonsensical.

What we needed last night was a player or two that gives us a chance at an extra goal.

Kaliyev literally leads the team in GSE/60 at 5v5. JAD is 3rd on the team in actual goals P/60 5v5.

And both AK and JAD are better defensively than MacEwen. Playing him over AK/JAD so we could be "tougher" accomplished absolutely nothing.

Not to mention the PP is starting to struggle so it would obviously make more sense to have AK in the lineup.

JAD-Kupari was looking great together. Not sure why TMac went away from it.

Yeah the get tougher argument would work if we got players like Wilson or Tkachuk aka players who actually played. I don't see the point in dressing MacEwen or Lemiuex for that matter when he was here. They add nothing because all they do is throw some hits a little bit in the 1st period then their ice time is reduced until they get like 1 shift in the 3rd. No one is scared of these tough players when they're sitting on the bench.

 

[Sol]

More brilliance from Sol…if the team is bad, it’s the coaches fault, if the team is good…it’s to the players credit.

Are you incapable of seeing the difference between a talented roster and a bad coach? Sorry if this concept is out of your league.

Let me over simplify for you

Talented team can negate the effects of a bad coach.

Todd= Bad coach

roster= Good.

Both can be true at the same time. Hope you can grasp that now.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Todd has a history of having great rosters that end up being less than the sum of their parts. San Jose, McDavid oilers, present Kings.

I'd love this to be the place he dashes that history but his past mistakes haunt him and are still occuring here.

The measurement for me this year is winning a playoff round. Let's see it.

Much like McVay had that one coach who kept him on the sidelines so he didn't get run over or a flagged, TM needs a coach to pass him a sheet of paper that simply says "you have a time out"

 

[Schrute farms]

Are you incapable of seeing the difference between a talented roster and a bad coach? Sorry if this concept is out of your league.

Don't be an idiot Sol -- you already know the answer to this question.

 

[mysterman2]

Todd has a history of having great rosters that end up being less than the sum of their parts. San Jose, McDavid oilers, present Kings.

I'd love this to be the place he dashes that history but his past mistakes haunt him and are still occuring here.

Would be nothing better than seeing TMac when the Cup as coach of the Kings- but eventually the self inflicted blunders start to add up. Huge win to end the roadie against the Stanley Cup champs- no need to change the D Corp at all when facing a substandard opponent especially knowing the debate would be best player on the PP- an area Walker has no business even being in the discussion.

 

[Mattias]

Todd has a history of having great rosters that end up being less than the sum of their parts. San Jose, McDavid oilers, present Kings.

I'd love this to be the place he dashes that history but his past mistakes haunt him and are still occuring here.

The measurement for me this year is winning a playoff round. Let's see it.

Much like McVay had that one coach who kept him on the sidelines so he didn't get run over or a flagged, TM needs a coach to pass him a sheet of paper that simply says "you have a time out"

Here is the question: If Los Angeles loses in 6 games or less, without multiple players out of the lineup, will Todd be fired?

1 year left on the deal. Most expensive coach we got. We don't have an AHL caliber coach so would have to poach someone from another team.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Here is the question: If Los Angeles loses in 6 games or less, without multiple players out of the lineup, will Todd be fired?

1 year left on the deal. Most expensive coach we got. We don't have an AHL caliber coach so would have to poach someone from another team.

if they get two or fewer home playoff games, I'd hope they'd look at it

now more than ever a lot of moves look like squeezing budget

 

[Mattias]

if they get two or fewer home playoff games, I'd hope they'd look at it

now more than ever a lot of moves look like squeezing budget

Oh if LA is swept I feel it's a foregone conclusion Todd would be shown the door.

Things get interesting when season ends at 6 games.