GDT: 2023-24 season Western Conference Quarter Finals LA Kings vs Edmonton Oilers Game 1

Who wins the series

  • Oilers in 4

    Votes: 25 23.8%
  • Oilers in 5

    Votes: 47 44.8%
  • Oilers in 6

    Votes: 15 14.3%
  • Oilers in 7

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Kings in 4

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • Kings in 5

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Kings in 6

    Votes: 8 7.6%
  • Kings in 7

    Votes: 6 5.7%

  • Total voters
    105
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SherVaughn30

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Jan 12, 2010
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It's almost like the coaches/PK forgot why they were so consistent throughout the season. Keep the skates moving and have the sticks in the passing lanes. Nope, instead just being stationary like your skates are stuck in deep mud! Oilers have an art to how quick and fast they pass and moved around to create mismatches and space, but you have to find a way to somehow disrupt that.
 

SherVaughn30

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Jan 12, 2010
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Let me just say I dislike this 1-3-1 because it's too patient and passive, when you need to be generating offense and trying to score goals to get the lead first. The Oilers speed/offensive skill attacks the 1-3-1 and exposes it by pressuring points the Kings don't seem to match speed enough speed with. I also don't like how the Kings don't get enough offensive pressure from their D. Opponents don't feel the King D-group is much of an offensive threat other than maybe Doughty. Spence provides some offense but that is it. Clarke would be the Kings best offensive d-man if he played a whole season for them. If you can generate more offense from the D, then opponents have to respect it more and not cheat(converge so much) on the forwards. 1st half of the season the Kings forward group was looking good offensively, but as the 2nd half rolled around the Kings forwards were not so productive.
 
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SherVaughn30

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Jan 12, 2010
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There is not a single King any opponent is intimidated by. What is the point of Englund in the lineup if he isn’t going to punish opponents?

Not only did the Oilers outshoot the Kings, they also blocked a lot more shots than them, which goes to show you how badly one team wants to win and how the weaker team is probably scheduling their tee time for next weekend when this series is over.
Hiller passes on too much of what TMac coached, being passive, lack of energy, lack of physicality and lack of will/determination. Oilers want it bad despite Skinner putting up not so good numbers in the playoffs and their team having such a lack of good defensive talent! The Oilers explosive offense even strength and PP, makes up for their lack of team defense, PK, defensive talent and goaltending!
 

AbsentMojo

F-ing get up and hunt! Cmon Todd!
Apr 18, 2018
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Let me just say I dislike this 1-3-1 because it's too patient and passive, when you need to be generating offense and trying to score goals to get the lead first. The Oilers speed/offensive skill attacks the 1-3-1 and exposes it by pressuring points the Kings don't seem to match speed enough speed with. I also don't like how the Kings don't get enough offensive pressure from their D. Opponents don't feel the King D-group is much of an offensive threat other than maybe Doughty. Spence provides some offense but that is it. Clarke would be the Kings best offensive d-man if he played a whole season for them. If you can generate more offense from the D, then opponents have to respect it more and not cheat(converge so much) on the forwards. 1st half of the season the Kings forward group was looking good offensively, but as the 2nd half rolled around the Kings forwards were not so productive.
Awhile ago I compared offense of top 4D of contenders 5x5 and the Kings were the worst. Gavrikov was not the right part to add with Roy 2 stay at homes. Mikey another one. Then DD is not a good 5x5 offensive player - he never skates or hits the guy with speed preferring to settle play down and wait to make a pass to guys coming back to him or standing still... good for possession but never dynamic. The Kings are basically a 4 corners offense like in old days of college basketball before the time clock.
 

SherVaughn30

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Jan 12, 2010
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Awhile ago I compared top 4D of contenders 5x5 and the Kings were the worst. Gavrikov was not the right part to add with Roy 2 stay at homes. Mikey another one. Then DD is not a good 5x5 offensive player - he never skates or hits the guy with speed preferring to settle play down and wait to make a pass to guys coming back to him or standing still... good for possession but never dynamic. The Kings are basically a 4 corners offense like in old days of college basketball before the time clock.
4 corners translates to perimeter play in hockey...
 
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SherVaughn30

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If I were Blake and trying to keep my job as GM, during the offseason I would let Roy either walk or trade his rights for a pick to another team. My guess Roy could command somewhere in the price range of $4 - 5 million per year. Either use that money in signing a offensive d-man in FA or allocate that amount to a #1 goalie(which would have to be via trade) as the FA goalie market is garbage for this offseason. Regarding PLD, a buyout would be disastrous on the teams salary cap(he has what 7 years left on that contract). Either trade for him out for another bad contract that maybe the return player fits the Kings system better, or trade him with salary retained for whatever you can get(retained salary would be far better on our team salary cap than a buyout). Also promote Clarke to full-time in the D groups top 6!

One idea I have is making some kind of trade with the Caps, with the two big contract players involved being Darcy Kuemper and PLD. The Caps are starving for offensive talent and strange as it may be PLD might actually be a better fit for them than with the Kings. Kuemper has 3 years left @ $5.25 million per year. He's 3 years younger than Talbot, has a background being a solid #1 goalie(he fit the Kings system for one trade dead line when I think Quick was lost for the season due to injury) and has the Cup winning experience(that is always worth something to a young team starving to win a playoff series or two). While Kuemper is here, it allows for Erik Portillo to be gradually groomed as the future #1 goalie for the Kings with no rush needed.

It is.. and you rightly pointed to the lack of offense from the D.. thats one of the key problems because the opposing team can sag more which means less room for passes to high danger areas.
Oilers are cheating with their team speed to converge on the Kings forwards, yet Kings still got 4 goals because the Oilers D and Skinner are playoff average at best!
 

Peter James Bond II

"Man, we were right there" - De-Luc-sional
Mar 5, 2015
3,682
5,519
I was so hoping no-snarl-Carl played his last game as a King and stayed on LTIR.
What is the King management fascination with him? His last good game was vs Oilers in 2022 playoffs, taking Nurse on his back to the goal and scoring. That was probaly his last good play.
Teams let loose of players, after apx 1-3 months of ineptness. Not 1.5 years. (see resigning Edler for a second year...signing Athanisiou a second year) Know when to let loose of any player
that can no longer play at a needed level to elevate the group. They were getting all excited when he was playing his games in Ontario, hoping he would be ready for this series...right after a -2 game vs Bako. Great! Bring on Carl! "our hardest hitter on the forecheck!" Nice. How many of those hits, are the opponents on their butt and Carl takes the puck and does something great? Once a year, maybe? WOW!! After Akil scored 3 goals and 1 assist in his last 6 games on the Kings and was playing great in all 3 zones...and and mixed lines and still producing. Let's send Akil down....Carl is almost ready to take Akil's spot! Akil plays with instincts...that may not be good for the system!... Carl has zero instincts. Or robot like ones. Any opponent knows he's just going to go hard in a straight line and you can force him to shoot or dump it...no way will he try to go around you...and if you're a D, don't sweat him coming to you to hit you hard...take the hit...he won;t hurt you, be viscious or face wash you...he's the Lady Byng winner of 'hard hitters' in the NHL. Oh and he won't take the puck from you, so proceed with your play. You may at worst, hear a naughty word in Swedish.

What's missing from the Kings, is a lot of things mentioned in this thread (and most all threads...it's a King team thing) is players that play with instincts and bring something to big games. Akil and Turcotte have a history of being big in big games...as well as Clarke. Those 3 should be playing.
The Kings PP is stagnant and here you have Turcotte with 3 PP goals 72 hours ago and Clarke, that had 3? asssits and has offensive instincts few on the Kings have. You really have nothing to lose, by removing Carl and one of Spence / Englund and playing Clarke and inserting either Akil or Turcotte. Look at Laferriere in his first playoff game? Going balls out...8? hits and a sweet assist on Moore's goal. Let the kids play. Akil,. Turc and Clarke are ALL at their young career best right now.

I am so done with Lizotte...this bizarre fascination with thinking he can elevate your team as the MUCH needed championship level 4th line....whereas he has about 20% success rate at successfully completing whatever play he is involved in....is lunacy. I started counting all and any plays he's involved in and measure success on what the result is...it's pitiful. It ususally ends in getting knocked down, barely keeping play alive, sometimes making a of uccessful pass or cycle...but NEVER the end result is a great one...maybe a goal every 30 games...BFD. Akil can score a goal ever 4 periods, in a variety of ways. Yes he battles, sometimes wins...but never, ever, is an opponent overmatched, pummelled, or has fear facing him. Why the F do you even want a player like that on your team? Heart and hard work = faliure, if you fail at 80% of all of your plays consistently for YEARS. How many times is he knocked dwn, to every time he knocks a player down? 50-1 I would say....and once in awhile, it's by a slew skate type of thing, with his stick used, like on Vilardi.
Kings mantra. Hard work, compete, play the system = success. BS. Skill, finishing ability, instincts and beating your opponent in multipe ways = championship level success.

Burn this thng down, as it's not what I wanted...but any new regime, first to go are Liz and Carl...and Lewis is let go...and a new 4th line that can win NHL playoff games, will be constructed....just one of the several things that must be done....Now, if Helenius was the answer...great. But so wish he was as hoped. Maybe scouting and development need to go.

Please put in Rittich from here...what did he have? One turd game all year? Go with him.
Would install Turc / Akil / Clarke and sit Liz, Carl and Englund as well. Clarke PP1. PP2 gets no time. DD and Clarke both on unit 1. Why not? Both are pretty adept at shooting from 40 feet....only one would have to be 55 feet back near the line. If the Kings are going down, give the kids a shot.
 
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Albi

Registered User
Nov 24, 2004
4,805
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If I were Blake and trying to keep my job as GM, during the offseason I would let Roy either walk or trade his rights for a pick to another team. My guess Roy could command somewhere in the price range of $4 - 5 million per year. Either use that money in signing a offensive d-man in FA or allocate that amount to a #1 goalie(which would have to be via trade) as the FA goalie market is garbage for this offseason. Regarding PLD, a buyout would be disastrous on the teams salary cap(he has what 7 years left on that contract). Either trade for him out for another bad contract that maybe the return player fits the Kings system better, or trade him with salary retained for whatever you can get(retained salary would be far better on our team salary cap than a buyout). Also promote Clarke to full-time in the D groups top 6!

One idea I have is making some kind of trade with the Caps, with the two big contract players involved being Darcy Kuemper and PLD. The Caps are starving for offensive talent and strange as it may be PLD might actually be a better fit for them than with the Kings. Kuemper has 3 years left @ $5.25 million per year. He's 3 years younger than Talbot, has a background being a solid #1 goalie(he fit the Kings system for one trade dead line when I think Quick was lost for the season due to injury) and has the Cup winning experience(that is always worth something to a young team starving to win a playoff series or two). While Kuemper is here, it allows for Erik Portillo to be gradually groomed as the future #1 goalie for the Kings with no rush needed.


Oilers are cheating with their team speed to converge on the Kings forwards, yet Kings still got 4 goals because the Oilers D and Skinner are playoff average at best!
Blake already lost his job.
His days are numbered, and I wish Luc will follow the same path.

We need people who have a damn clue on how to run a hockey club
 

lumbergh

It was an idea. I didn't say it was a good idea.
Jan 8, 2007
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Richmond, VA
It's almost like the coaches/PK forgot why they were so consistent throughout the season. Keep the skates moving and have the sticks in the passing lanes. Nope, instead just being stationary like your skates are stuck in deep mud! Oilers have an art to how quick and fast they pass and moved around to create mismatches and space, but you have to find a way to somehow disrupt that.
I actually think the Oilers found a weakness in the Kings penalty kill and exploited it over and over last night. Last year the Kings played a weird 1-1-2 penalty kill, which left McDavid at the left circle to snipe goals. This year the Kings play a 1-2-1 diamond to try and close off chances from the circles. This leaves a player along the goal line open. Jim Fox has noted this during broadcasts before. It's a feature. That guy becomes the responsibility of the goalie. Often when that player gets the puck he's in too close and has no angle to score.

The Oilers clearly already knew this coming into the game. Their power play features their best power play forward, Draisaitl, in that goal-line corner slot. Instead of moving him close to the goal, he is stationed about 20 feet from the goal. When he gets the puck, Draisaitl is capable of beating Talbot with a one-timer up high at a very steep angle with his left-handed shot (which he did). Talbot, despite being a pretty big guy, can be beaten above the shoulder. Now that Draisaitl has shown us he can score from that angle, you have to respect his shot.

The next time instead of shooting, he looks to pass from there. In front it becomes a one on one in front of the net, which is fine. Here's where the Oilers eat you alive. Their guy in front moves away from the front of the net 3-5 feet to get open for a pass from the corner, so the Kings defenseman has to move his stick out to defend that slot shot. Unbeknownst to him, the Oiler forward on the goal line from the other side of the ice sneaks in, making the defender try to defend the slot forward and the back door at the same time. Draisaitl is not only one of the best snipers in the league, but he's also an outstanding passer. He will find the guy that the defender cannot cover for the back door goal.

The Oilers have clearly scouted the Kings penalty kill and found a weakness to exploit. The Kings have to make an adjustment before tomorrow or they'll be down 2-0 coming home. You can't hope to win against any team when their power play is north of 50%.
 

fsanford

Registered User
Jul 4, 2009
7,805
3,194
I actually think the Oilers found a weakness in the Kings penalty kill and exploited it over and over last night. Last year the Kings played a weird 1-1-2 penalty kill, which left McDavid at the left circle to snipe goals. This year the Kings play a 1-2-1 diamond to try and close off chances from the circles. This leaves a player along the goal line open. Jim Fox has noted this during broadcasts before. It's a feature. That guy becomes the responsibility of the goalie. Often when that player gets the puck he's in too close and has no angle to score.

The Oilers clearly already knew this coming into the game. Their power play features their best power play forward, Draisaitl, in that goal-line corner slot. Instead of moving him close to the goal, he is stationed about 20 feet from the goal. When he gets the puck, Draisaitl is capable of beating Talbot with a one-timer up high at a very steep angle with his left-handed shot (which he did). Talbot, despite being a pretty big guy, can be beaten above the shoulder. Now that Draisaitl has shown us he can score from that angle, you have to respect his shot.

The next time instead of shooting, he looks to pass from there. In front it becomes a one on one in front of the net, which is fine. Here's where the Oilers eat you alive. Their guy in front moves away from the front of the net 3-5 feet to get open for a pass from the corner, so the Kings defenseman has to move his stick out to defend that slot shot. Unbeknownst to him, the Oiler forward on the goal line from the other side of the ice sneaks in, making the defender try to defend the slot forward and the back door at the same time. Draisaitl is not only one of the best snipers in the league, but he's also an outstanding passer. He will find the guy that the defender cannot cover for the back door goal.

The Oilers have clearly scouted the Kings penalty kill and found a weakness to exploit. The Kings have to make an adjustment before tomorrow or they'll be down 2-0 coming home. You can't hope to win against any team when their power play is north of 50%.
Gavrikov was horrible. Absolutely horrible. It is better to try and block a shot from the slot than leaving guys near the post and blue paint. They had 2 tap ins.

You play the probabilities
 

kovacro

Uvijek Vjerni
Nov 20, 2008
9,934
5,415
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Went to bed after the first whistle when I heard they had a highschool band playing music during the stoppage.

File:Winston Salem State University band.gif - Wikipedia


I see I didn't miss much. At least they got four past Foreskinner, too bad they gave up seven. Jeebus.
 

GoldenBearHockey

Registered User
Jan 6, 2014
10,208
4,293
I actually think the Oilers found a weakness in the Kings penalty kill and exploited it over and over last night. Last year the Kings played a weird 1-1-2 penalty kill, which left McDavid at the left circle to snipe goals. This year the Kings play a 1-2-1 diamond to try and close off chances from the circles. This leaves a player along the goal line open. Jim Fox has noted this during broadcasts before. It's a feature. That guy becomes the responsibility of the goalie. Often when that player gets the puck he's in too close and has no angle to score.

The Oilers clearly already knew this coming into the game. Their power play features their best power play forward, Draisaitl, in that goal-line corner slot. Instead of moving him close to the goal, he is stationed about 20 feet from the goal. When he gets the puck, Draisaitl is capable of beating Talbot with a one-timer up high at a very steep angle with his left-handed shot (which he did). Talbot, despite being a pretty big guy, can be beaten above the shoulder. Now that Draisaitl has shown us he can score from that angle, you have to respect his shot.

The next time instead of shooting, he looks to pass from there. In front it becomes a one on one in front of the net, which is fine. Here's where the Oilers eat you alive. Their guy in front moves away from the front of the net 3-5 feet to get open for a pass from the corner, so the Kings defenseman has to move his stick out to defend that slot shot. Unbeknownst to him, the Oiler forward on the goal line from the other side of the ice sneaks in, making the defender try to defend the slot forward and the back door at the same time. Draisaitl is not only one of the best snipers in the league, but he's also an outstanding passer. He will find the guy that the defender cannot cover for the back door goal.

The Oilers have clearly scouted the Kings penalty kill and found a weakness to exploit. The Kings have to make an adjustment before tomorrow or they'll be down 2-0 coming home. You can't hope to win against any team when their power play is north of 50%.

HNIC broke it down, Edm adjusted by sliding down a guy on the back door, essentially creating a 2-1 down low, (worked twice) and LA failed to adjust,

Draisaitl's goal, should NEVER EVER EVER have gone in, that's solely on Talbot, that was such a brutal Angle....
 

KingsHockey24

Registered User
Aug 1, 2013
14,542
13,363
If the rest of the series goes how it did last night it is clear that we need bigger and stronger D that'll clear the front of the net.
 

BigKing

Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
Mar 11, 2003
11,660
12,638
Belmont Shore, CA
google.com
There is zero pressure on the LA Kings from external forces. This is not a hockey town and the "media" covering the team are team employed.

There has to be internal pressure. You get that with a Lombardi and definitely a Sutter. You also get that from drafting and acquiring certain types of players.

The Bluc era is just one big con to ride Cup nostalgia into tons of paychecks for themselves and their friends.

Rob Blake is a Kings killer and has been for over twenty years now. As fans, you only get so many years to watch your team and this regime has flat out wasted nearly a decade of our fandom.

The greatest moments of the Bluc era are milestone nights, jumbotron thank yous to returning players that were traded and retirement ceremonies.

It's sad, man. They've sapped my enthusiasm for the Kings and hockey and I can't wait until they are gone.
 

chris kontos

Registered User
Feb 28, 2023
3,995
2,570
trying to run a defensive system with this personell is ridiculous.
talbot was washed up 5 yrs ago and rittich couldnt hold down a #2 job on other nhl teams.
smallish puck moving d men that get bitch slapped and run over by big fwds.
a questionable mix of low involvement fwds that cant seem to decide if thier defense first, scorers or men of leisure.
the team president says we want a speed high scoring new nhl type team and the gm says we want a defense first grind you to dust team.
all of this has been obvious to the most casual observer with even a small amount of attention paid to the team.
if a dumb ass like me could see it from the beginning it must be obvious.
its a f***ing mess- and this game was and will continue to endure as the result.
 
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