GDT: 2024-25 season game 1 LA Kings vs Buffalo Sabres @4:00pm 10/10/24

[Johnny Utah]

Lewis is done. Insert Thomas - and move either Thomas or Lee up with Danault/Moore and move Jeannot with Turcotte and either Thomas or Lee.

Kings have enough vets in the line-up.

 

[Lt Dan]

Lewis is done. Insert Thomas - and move either Thomas or Lee up with Danault/Moore and move Jeannot with Turcotte and either Thomas or Lee.

Kings have enough vets in the line-up

Indeed

I would love Thomas on that line

 

[lumbergh]

Lewis is done. Insert Thomas - and move either Thomas or Lee up with Danault/Moore and move Jeannot with Turcotte and either Thomas or Lee.

Kings have enough vets in the line-up.

Here's something you don't see often:
Akil Thomas
0.59 points per game in the AHL
0.57 points per game in the NHL

 

[Herby]

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise but we are weak at wing.

Arvidsson was one of the most underrated players in the NHL and still is.

60 point wingers who can be effective on the PP AND are right shots are pretty rare. ESPECIALLY on this franchise. Those are tough shoes to fill.

"Replacing" Arvidsson with Laferriere isn't a thing. It's unfair to Laf, different roles anyway. And he's CERTAINLY not replaced by Jeannot. That's a big gaping hole that hurts badly with Vilardi and Arvidsson gone and with no reinforcement on the way. Maybe Thomas helps, but we wouldn't know since we have to have Bernie on the 4th line.

This team is going to struggle its ass off to score all year and there is almost no way to address that very very visible weakness. You can't check the puck into the net. We've tried.

Agree 100%

The Kings are extremely weak on the wing and especially with right shots. Both of these issues are management driven though. They traded a 2nd line RH shot winger in a bad trade, and have overall ignored the position considerably both at the draft and in the market (other than VA) You also have to factor in that the team has had a very difficult time evaluating and developing goal-scorers under this management team. That was my big reason for wanting to go Caufield in 2019, sometimes you have to just be honest with yourselves and acknowledge your organizational shortcomings and just go out and get a player who is so good at that one thing you struggle with that you don't have to worry about messing it up. Some teams have problems developing goalies, some teams it's defenseman, with this team it's very clearly goal-scorers.

The Kings have a great defensive system, two excellent defensive centers (although I think PD is slowing down a bit, but QB should improve defensively as he adjusts to center) and they really focus on that side of the game, but more and more this is becoming a 4-5 goals to win league vs. a 3 goals to win one that Sutter used to always reference, and as you mentioned that is going to be a big issue with this team this season, being able to keep up with the more well constructed teams.

All the sports leagues (not just the NHL) have changed rules to make it more friendly to offense, and I think the Kings under Blake have really failed to realize that dynamic and are trying to win games the way teams won during Blake's career as a player.

 

[Schmooley]

Lewis is done. Insert Thomas - and move either Thomas or Lee up with Danault/Moore and move Jeannot with Turcotte and either Thomas or Lee.

Kings have enough vets in the line-up.

Theyll probably run the current lines for a stretch and see what works.
If its not clicking I thought the Jeannot-Danault-Thomas looked good together in that preseason game and is worth another look.
Could try something like
Moore-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala-Byfield-Foegele
Jeannot-Danault-Thomas
Lee-Turcotte-Laferriere
Or
Fiala-Byfield-Kempe
Moore-Kopitar-Laferriere
Jeannot-Danault-Thomas
Lee-Turcotte-Foegele

 

[FSL KINGS]

Love this place!
Good game because King's gutted out a win. Effort level was excusable because it's the first game. They need to switch to high volume shooting & cut the cute plays. Hitting & physicality need to pick up. King's are an average skilled team that needs to learn to beat up the skilled teams & get under their skin.

Weak on wing: You know who would be a great wing that went to the net? PL. Vilardi can't stay healthy & can't skate so he's not an answer either.

Lewis hitting 1,000 games as a bottom 6 forward (except that special time he skated with Kopi, or occasionally took shifts on D) is a huge accomplishment. Not many bottom six guys gut out 1,000. Try to enjoy the little things. There will be injuries & Thomas will get a shot again this year.

EK said Blake is looking at the NYR goalie that just turned down 11AAV. EK isn't reliable at all & most people are saying, What GM would spend 12-13 AAV on a goalie? Blake 100% would.

Boston is going to be a good test. King's are going to need to man up.

D: A Walker level D would be really nice at this point.

 

[Nasti]

Kopitar with his usual hot start only to fade by the time the playoffs roll around. Talbot was also hot to start the year last year. We’ll see how Kuemper holds up.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Kopitar with his usual hot start only to fade by the time the playoffs roll around. Talbot was also hot to start the year last year. We’ll see how Kuemper holds up.

Yeah my worry with Kuemper was never with his ability per se, just like with Talbot. It's about their endurance and age. I can't count ont his team to manage people's minutes so I'm expecting a year similar to last where we are a pacific playoff team till around the allstar break then fighting for a wildcard after with age catching up to old guys playing stupid minutes.

 

[Statto]

I’ve been a Thomas fan boy from the day we drafted him and I think that this season he and Turcotte should be fixtures (once he gets his chance). However Thomas himself stated after he scored the 1+1 in preseason that he had a slow start to training camp. So it didn’t surprise me that he was the odd man out last night. It also therefore doesn’t make Hillers decision unreasonable.

He just needs to make sure he takes his chance when it comes. Given he can play up and down the lineup I’m sure it won’t be long.

Kopitar with his usual hot start only to fade by the time the playoffs roll around. Talbot was also hot to start the year last year. We’ll see how Kuemper holds up.

If the management of his minutes was a sign of things to come, him fading becomes less of a worry.

 

[Surf Nutz]

They are missing another dynamic scoring winger at the RW. A Fiala light type player. Too bad Vilardi was traded and Fagemo is Frk 2.0.

The solution is to bump Turcotte up to the Danault line and put Jeanott on line 4, he wasn't doing much and it was the same in pre season.

I mean his role is important but it can be done from L4.

I would rotate Akil into L4 center and rotate Lee out for now.

Have a team diner at a good Chinese place and bam big game in Boston.

I'll talk to you right now! What makes you think Turcotte is about to "break out" and that a line of Turcotte-Danault-Moore will score? The guy is 23 and has 1 goal in 33 games in the NHL. At this point I'm hoping he'll be a decent replacement for Blake Lizotte.

Lol. I was just playing around Lumbs.

Al Tu just seems to be reading the game well, making a lot of good little plays. displaying his offensive chops more.

He is closer to being an Arviddson type or a Fiala than Jeannot.

I wanted to try Jeaot on L1 with Kopi but Laf has been good and is showing growth.

Jeaot is looking more like L4 material than I hoped.

Al looks like he put on a bit more muscle and confidence.

I saw it in his press appearance too.

I liked his pre season and thought he was even better last night.

As someone noted he even got PP time, so the coaches know he has that potential

Seemed like Dault and Mo were mostly playing off each other and Jeaot was not doing much.

Turc is more suited for L3 and Jeaot fits L4 and would do well with Akil and Lewis.

Really not feeling some of the above suggestions lads.

Laffy has proven he can work with Kopi and looks to be improving why kill that?

People don't seem to be seeing what Turs is doing he deserved to be bumped up.

You don't just bump Akil above him over that.

Akil comes in as L4 with Jeannot and Lewis.

Lewis gets another go, vets important on L4.

Lee seemed to fade slightly late in game.

Wanting more from Foegle with Byfield and Ke Fi.





Fark managing minutes with goaltending like that, get the damn point we will need by the end of the year.

Darc- baked the cake and good passers and Kopiar iced it!

Rest goalies when they falter and give the other half of the pair a run then.

I am not against calling up Cops or Ports if there is an injury or run of poor form.

 

[Lt Dan]

This guy is a legend

https://x.com/i/web/status/1844619428031508857

 

[Surf Nutz]

That Edmundson cross check was a thing of beauty, not because Zucker got dinged by it, but because we haven’t had anyone willing to do that in FOREVER.

Broadcast showed the Kings being 3-15-1 in Buffalo before tonight’s win. Can we just stop going there? Glad to get the W.


Do they still make Jolt?

No but we should be brewing up some Jeanolt on L4 and telling him to hammer guys.