GDT: 2023-24 Western Conference Quarter Finals LA Kings vs Edmonton Oilers 4/28/24 EDM leads 2-1

[Vamos Rafa]

They don't need generational talent, they just need talent and a balanced roster. Edmonton is the poster child of dumpster diving for a McDavid for years and looks where that has got them...

It isn't going to be a quick fix, not anymore after the PLD trade especially, they just don't have the prospect pool, picks, or cap space to put anything together. Not to mention, even if Blake is fired, I question if the new GM would even have the green light to rebuild in any way and we won't see major changes for another 1-3 seasons. I think the Kings are headed for a few more first-round exits.

Where it’s gotten them? You mean contending every year? At least winning a playoff round every year, something the Kings haven’t dons in 10 years? And yes I know winning the Cup is the ultimate goal but you’re making it sound like the Oilers have failed to build a contender since drafting McDavid.

I’m just saying a generational talent would be nice. No need to argue against it. The King haven’t done shit since 2014. The end.

 

[kingsholygrail]

I don't know about you all, but I feel if Sutter was coaching this roster in the playoffs, he would get far more out of them than TMac/Hiller combined! This is not to say I want Sutter back, but to how bad TMac/Hiller coaching are.

Sutter's a possession first guy so today's game is closer to how he would have handled it. Minimize the Oilers chances. Cycle cycle cycle.

 

[BaileyFan]

I didn’t expect the Kings to outplay the Oilers in a single game this series so that’s something I guess. I’m assuming Game 5 will be another blowout loss so it’s fitting that the final decent game of Blake’s tenure had the team playing pretty much the way it was built to play, and the result was no different than the Vegas series from Blake’s first year: nonthreatening and easily contained in a 1-0 loss.

What a waste of 7 years this has been.

 

[CowMix]

Sutter wouldnt be afraid to move DD and/or Kopi off PP1, he'd probably put Clarke on PP1 right away and develop him throughout the season - and pay his bonuses personally. He does everything by his gut and does not give a damn two shits what players (and even the GM) think. That mentality is whats needed.

Is this the same Sutter I remember? One of fans biggest complaints of Sutter is he wouldn't play skilled young players enough and would overplay his Vets and grinders.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Is this the same Sutter I remember? One of fans biggest complaints of Sutter is he wouldn't play skilled young players enough and would overplay his Vets and grinders.

I never understood the "Sutter hates young players" meme. King, Nolan, Voynov, Martinez, Toffoli, Pearson, etc. All young players given the opportunity to step it up especially in the playoffs.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Is this the same Sutter I remember? One of fans biggest complaints of Sutter is he wouldn't play skilled young players enough and would overplay his Vets and grinders.

Well in this case, there not enough vets/grinders to play over the younger skilled players.

 

[kilowatt]

Uh no this is the gameplan the Kings want. They have a better chance beating the Oilers in a grinded out defensive showdown than and offensive free for all. One or two bounces go a different way and we could have won this game.

We could have but uh we didn’t. And we haven’t for three years running. And we’re maxed out on cap space. And this is the exact team Blake wanted to build.

The team isn’t good enough. The rebuild, if anyone wants to call it that, has failed. Three straight first round exits is not good enough.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Is this the same Sutter I remember? One of fans biggest complaints of Sutter is he wouldn't play skilled young players enough and would overplay his Vets and grinders.

I dont want Sutter - but im pretty sure he would put his best players out there.. And he was the one that insisted upon King and Nolan being brought in from Manchester after he was hired - because he wanted to play a heavier game.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

They give Arvidsson the plug all this icetime over byfield in pivotal moments where byfield had a great game while Arvidsson was doing shit besides turning shit over and falling over. Then you have that f***ing midget playing over Fiala who’s strapped to the most useless players on this roster Lewis and Lizzotte you can’t make this shit up

Kings have 1 goal in 2 games. Why go back to the Fiala-Danault-Moore line? Lol

Zero playoff series wins in the last 10 years.

 

[Master Yoda]

waiting for Carrlyn Bathe to tell him he's wrong and to remove the tweet

 

[tny760]

waiting for Carrlyn Bathe to tell him he's wrong and to remove the tweet

what was blake supposed to do?!?!

 

[AbsentMojo]

I never understood the "Sutter hates young players" meme. King, Nolan, Voynov, Martinez, Toffoli, Pearson, etc. All young players given the opportunity to step it up especially in the playoffs.

And one thing I remembered is him putting the kids out there with 2 minutes left in a 1 goal game.. if he like a kid he would trust them - and build their confidence.. something this regime has no f***ing clue about. They are experts at ruining confidence.

 

[ru4reals]

And one thing I remembered is him putting the kids out there with 2 minutes left in a 1 goal game.. if he like a kid he would trust them - and build their confidence.. something this regime has no f***ing clue about. They are experts at ruining confidence.

Hiller did this more than Todd too. Which was I frustrating as hell.

 

[King'sPawn]

what was blake supposed to do?!?!

"Let him cook."
"Ha."

 

[ru4reals]

Teams should have shaken hands after today's game. Delay the inevitable. Good night folks. Better days are ahead of us. Hopefully after Wednesday.

 

[kilowatt]

Kopitar is a failed captain.

 

[All The Kings Men]

Holy shit, someone actually asked Hiller what he thought about Fiala and Dubois only contributing 2 goals despite being paid a lot. He didn't really answer. lol

It was Austin Stanovich.

 

[Live in the Now]

Kopitar is a failed captain.

I hate when I read comments like this. The captain is the biggest reason we won a game. Is he supposed to go in the GM’s office and fix all his countless f***ups? There’s no such thing as a captain who could win with such a mediocre organization. The other players being shit is not the captains fault.

 

[BigBrown]

Biggest disappointments of the series:
Fiala and Moore.

PLD isn't a disappointment because this is what he's been all season.

 

[tigermask48]

I hate when I read comments like this. The captain is the biggest reason we won a game. Is he supposed to go in the GM’s office and fix all his countless f***ups? There’s no such thing as a captain who could win with such a mediocre organization. The other players being shit is not the captains fault.

I've said it before, look around the league and who the captains are, teams' take on the identity of their leaders. The Kings with Kopitar as captain have taken on his worst qualities. They are a frustratingly soft, inconsistent defense minded team, with a pass first mentality.

So does Kopitar deserve all the blame or even most of it? Of course not. But when his tenure as captain has been under-performing teams, that get pushed around and have little fight in them. Yeah you at least have to be open to the discussion of him being a "failed captain".

 

[kilowatt]

I hate when I read comments like this. The captain is the biggest reason we won a game. Is he supposed to go in the GM’s office and fix all his countless f***ups? There’s no such thing as a captain who could win with such a mediocre organization. The other players being shit is not the captains fault.

Every captain in Kings history save Dustin Brown is a failed captain thus far because only Brown won the cup, but we’ve never even won a playoff series in Kopitar’s tenure, as crazy as that sounds. I’m not pinning these roster woes on Kopitar but that doesn’t change the outcomes for him unfortunately. He deserved better.

 

[kinghock]

None of the stiffs that have coached the team will move DD off the PP... at best Clarke would displace Spence. The Kings top 4 D are all brutual offensively

Kings top 4 D are all not very good defensively.
Gavrikov is just horrible.

 

[kinghock]

Biggest disappointments of the series:
Fiala and Moore.

PLD isn't a disappointment because this is what he's been all season.

Biggest disappointments of the series for me:
Gavrikov, Moore and Arvidsson.
P.S. Mediocre goalies and bad coaches are not disappointments.
It is team design issues.

 

[mysterman2]

Would love to know why Akil Thomas wasnt on the final playoffs roster. Even with Clarke- you have to ask why did Kings go into playoffs not playing their best players? After Thomas run at the NHL you would have thought this an absolute no brainer right?

 

[jtalton]

Would love to know why Akil Thomas wasnt on the final playoffs roster. Even with Clarke- you have to ask why did Kings go into playoffs not playing their best players? After Thomas run at the NHL you would have thought this an absolute no brainer right?

this is no brain office running the team.
they always find a way to complicate everything. One example would be what you pointed out another would be cap management