GDT: 2024-25 season game 2 LA Kings vs Boston Bruins @10:00am 10/12/24

[Raccoon Jesus]

PP1 is egregiously bad - they cant enter the zone to save their lives. Thats the first thing Id focus on with the day off.

The thought process is there

this just isn't a high skill team, you'll notice the defense isn't threatened at all of our puck carriers, they're on their toes ready to punch a breakaway

When teams play guys like McDavid, you see them on their heels, backing off to make sure they don't get torched

Byfield might be that guy but it's gonna take time

 

[AbsentMojo]

The thought process is there

this just isn't a high skill team, you'll notice the defense isn't threatened at all of our puck carriers, they're on their toes ready to punch a breakaway

When teams play guys like McDavid, you see them on their heels, backing off to make sure they don't get torched

Byfield might be that guy but it's gonna take time

Byfield for sure can be that guy... hopefully they adjust and get him up there. When you dont have any top 50 talent, you have to stack your PP1 and just let your PP2 suck if necessary... QB needs to be on PP1.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Last comment for now

3 of 4 points to open the season across the country before noon, I'll take it. The process is there--they definitely weren't beautiful games

Took two periods and savant goaltending to hang in vs. Buffalo till their found their feet

Had the feel of things from the start today and played a much different, detailed, systematic game vs. the biggest opponent in the league and only lost the skills competition

You know me I'm a huge Kings pessimist but I saw a team that looked pretty poised while learning a new system, got mostly stronger each period since Buffalo.

Now get Lewis out of there and Thomas in

 

[kingsfan28]

Clarke was brutal but we're going to get those games.

Kings overall brutal 4v4 and 3v3. Really liked the 5v5 game today. Worlds better than in Buffalo.

I just saw the replay again, I totally forgot Clarke skated into his owe man creating a 2 on 1 down low in OT before they got the puck back.

 

[BigKing]

yeah because being benched for one game is awful for a players development when they shit the bed bad. Giving a player the chance to reset is awful.

High IQ comment.

Fiala should sit with him too then. He was the forward version of Clarke today.

I think you roll Clarke right back out there. Similar performance next game and you have him watch the next one.

Mistakes being made from trying to make plays is one thing, but being totally lost in his own zone is another. Coach him up before the next game and let's see how he responds.

 

[Gjwrams]

As rough as Clarke has been, he needs to play. Nothing more to gain from an AHL demotion. We clamor for the kids to play, these are warts you get.

 

[kingsholygrail]

As rough as Clarke has been, he needs to play. Nothing more to gain from an AHL demotion. We clamor for the kids to play, these are warts you get.

Too early to pull the plug on him for sure.

 

[Sol]

Fiala should sit with him too then. He was the forward version of Clarke today.

I think you roll Clarke right back out there. Similar performance next game and you have him watch the next one.

Mistakes being made from trying to make plays is one thing, but being totally lost in his own zone is another. Coach him up before the next game and let's see how he responds.

I know you love to rag on Fiala, and he didn’t have a good game but I don’t know if you actually noticed that the puck was bouncing all over the ice the entire game.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Rough OT for Clarke, had to just get control of the puck and not change . They also looked like there was 4 guys out there too.
Sigh.

You know what maybe the guy jumping on forced Clarke to change.

Clarke looked gassed and vulnerable, the coaches were probably yelling for the change too.

He was mostly solid, apart from OT.

You guys are over reacting.

Clarke has had way worse games than that.

Lots of guys looked off: Byfield, Kempe. Fiala, Foegle, Danault , Moore, Spence.

I don't think Kuemper made the wrong play.

If you have possession and open guys why give up a face off and risk it?

I liked Jeannot better today.

I think maybe its time to give Kuemper a rest not because of his play, just because they lost.

We miss DD in overtime and Hiller and Co., went for it too much.

But they are cornered with D men that are way defensive or way offensive and lack in the opposite.

Therefore using Gavrikov is the right move and I would use him more in OT.

Maybe 10 a.m. was tough despite being adjusted to the time zone.

Would like to see Akil get worked in.

But I don't wanna move Jeannot because he was effective.

I feel like the roster has a lot of guys that are somewhat offensive/ defensive or polarized in other one strength one weakness roles.

Kopi - Kempe - Clarke, I get it and keep them. Forwards that have a better chance covering for Clarke.

Byfield - Fiala - Gavrikov

Danault - Moore - Spence

Turcotte - Foegle - Anderson

 

[Gjwrams]

I know you love to rag on Fiala, and he didn’t have a good game but I don’t know if you actually noticed that the puck was bouncing all over the ice the entire game.

Right. I have ZERO concerns with Fiala getting it going. That ice was horrible today.

 

[BigKing]

I know you love to rag on Fiala, and he didn’t have a good game but I don’t know if you actually noticed that the puck was bouncing all over the ice the entire game.

He wasn't good in Buffalo either. Need the most skilled guy on a low skill team to be much better.

Wasn't a puck bouncing issue today but a decision making one.

That said, the top three lines all have a winger that should be 3rd or 4th liners on a contender. I don't think these lines will hold but the only way to improve wing would be to move Byfield back but developing him at C is more important than trying to lose in the first round again.

Really shines a light on the decision to end the rebuild. Now look at us.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

This is what happens when guys aren’t slotted correctly.

Spence is a very good 3rd pairing guy.

Clarke should be going against 2nd and 4th line guys and getting up to speed while being the most skilled guy on the ice.

Lewis is cooked and doesn’t have a place on this team. He’s the guy you pick up for depth in the playoffs not the guy you roll 82 games.

I like the way the centers are being deployed. Guys need to build chemistry. Leave the lines alone other than subbing Thomas and Turcotte around as needed to give them minutes but not cook them.

Gavrikov is a f***ing mess!

Our D is really f***ing bad! We are going to give up a lot of odd man rushes and struggle gaining entry because a good first pass is going to be very hard to come by! We may have to look at launching Kempe and Fiala via stretch passes but that becomes predictable if used to often and an Achilles heal.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Decent game. Goal scoring is an issue right out the gate.

 

[unicornpig]

This is what happens when guys aren’t slotted correctly.

Spence is a very good 3rd pairing guy.

Clarke should be going against 2nd and 4th line guys and getting up to speed while being the most skilled guy on the ice.

Lewis is cooked and doesn’t have a place on this team. He’s the guy you pick up for depth in the playoffs not the guy you roll 82 games.

I like the way the centers are being deployed. Guys need to build chemistry. Leave the lines alone other than subbing Thomas and Turcotte around as needed to give them minutes but not cook them.

Gavrikov is a f***ing mess!

Our D is really f***ing bad! We are going to give up a lot of odd man rushes and struggle gaining entry because a good first pass is going to be very hard to come by! We may have to look at launching Kempe and Fiala via stretch passes but that becomes predictable if used to often and an Achilles heal.

you mkust have watched a differnt game then me

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Bluc’s development of Clarke has been criminal. No surprise he’s struggling.

 

[BigBrown]

My standouts

Good:
Byfield - I mean his speed and power is unmatched
Kopitar - If you don't love him you don't deserve him
Kuemper - Another good game
Moore - The only guy noticeable on that line

Decent:
Edmundson - Surprisingly not a disaster
Laferriere - Keep working hard, bud

Underperforming:
Kempe - Doing mostly the right things but not at full power
Foegele - Looks like Iafallo on a cold streak
Jeannot - Not showing much with the puck at all

Bad:
Fiala - Just terrible, but he's a notorious slow starter IIRC
Clarke - Not a good game at even strength, to say the least

Not a great game but could have gone either way. Glad to have a point at least.

Also: good to see them not looking intimidated against the biggest team in the league. Happened too often these past few years.

 

[Trash Panda]

Bluc’s development of Clarke has been criminal. No surprise he’s struggling.

The talent is there, just give the kid some reps.

 

[Herby]

The Kings don't seem to understand that no matter how long you slow-cook a player, there is still going to be a learning curve at the NHL level. Whether it's at 18/19 or 21/22. Byfield could have gotten adjusted a lot quicker had he been in the NHL right after being drafted (like he would have been on any other NHL team) and the same is true of Clarke if he had a full season of games in the NHL last year (like he would have on any other NHL team)

There are going to be mistakes made by Clarke, especially if he's allowed to play his game. He will get better and limit the mistakes, but you can't teach NHL speed and NHL reps at the AHL level.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

The Kings don't seem to understand that no matter how long you slow-cook a player, there is still going to be a learning curve at the NHL level. Whether it's at 18/19 or 21/22. Byfield could have gotten adjusted a lot quicker had he been in the NHL right after being drafted (like he would have been on any other NHL team) and the same is true of Clarke if he had a full season of games in the NHL last year (like he would have on any other NHL team)

There are going to be mistakes made by Clarke, especially if he's allowed to play his game. He will get better and limit the mistakes, but you can't teach NHL speed and NHL reps at the AHL level.

Like they did with Oli Jokinen? and McBean and Berg,

Wait, all prospects are cookie cutters.....

But it's not the Kings don't seem to understand, I guarantee you they know this, it's the fans that don't seem to grasp that concept.

 

[Herby]

Like they did with Oli Jokinen? and McBean and Berg,

Wait, all prospects are cookie cutters.....

But it's not the Kings don't seem to understand, I guarantee you they know this, it's the fans that don't seem to grasp that concept.

Not all prospects hit, why are you bringing up a bust like Berg? No matter how he was developed he was flopping.

But look at the way teams develop picks that high for the last 15-20 years. Looking at how teams have chosen to develop top of the draft prospects in the last 2 decades, do you believe it's an incorrect statement to say that other teams would have handled him differently? How many Top 2 picks in the last 15 years has the NHL team chosen to have him play somewhere other than the NHL? Especially for forwards.

The Devils had a player jump straight from the USHL (a league well below the OHL) and he was completely lost, but they as an organization felt it was correct to let the player develop and improve at the NHL level, and he became a huge star in the NHL at age 20.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Not all prospects hit, why are you bringing up a bust like Berg? No matter how he was developed he was flopping.

But look at the way teams develop picks that high for the last 15-20 years. Looking at how teams have chosen to develop top of the draft prospects in the last 2 decades, do you believe it's an incorrect statement to say that other teams would have handled him differently? How many Top 2 picks in the last 15 years has the NHL team chosen to have him play somewhere other than the NHL? Especially for forwards.

The Devils had a player jump straight from the USHL (a league well below the OHL) and he was completely lost, but they as an organization felt it was correct to let the player develop and improve at the NHL level, and he became a huge star in the NHL at age 20.

Not all prospects are the same, why are you treating them the same? Yes, the Devils had a player jump right from the USHL, into the NHL, they also had a #2 OA play a full year in the AHL before bringing him up....

Wait...there's more than one way to develop a player, imagine that, imagine they probably based everything off of, the player itself.

You are touting Seamus Casey, ignoring that injuries put him there, but LA did the same with Laferriere, and it was BECAUSE of injuries....amazing how that works.

NYR did the same with with Kaako that NJ did with Hughes, how's that working out?

 

[Sol]

He wasn't good in Buffalo either. Need the most skilled guy on a low skill team to be much better.

Wasn't a puck bouncing issue today but a decision making one.

That said, the top three lines all have a winger that should be 3rd or 4th liners on a contender. I don't think these lines will hold but the only way to improve wing would be to move Byfield back but developing him at C is more important than trying to lose in the first round again.

Really shines a light on the decision to end the rebuild. Now look at us.

Who was good game 1 really? I’m not making excuses but going after fiala for game one and the puck bouncing around like a football seems like an ice issue considering the fact every player couldn’t handle the puck.

Try to be more reasonable in your assessment rather than how aboutisms to deflect

 

[funky]

I know why Lewis was picked up and why he has been put out there, but he was a massive hindrance today. Many others were as well, but Lewis is an easy fix.

We have scored three goals in regulation in two games. I don’t count the empty Netter.

We need more skill in the lineup and that is exactly what Thomas brings.

Now the best player in both games in his limited minutes has been Turcotte. He is hounding pucks and has shown great speed.

They won’t play three rookies on the bottom line so I propose moving everyone down one line and Turc up to play with Byfield

Jeannot moves down to the fourth line that is centered by Thomas and gets to play another game. That would be an in your face gritty fourth line with skill.

Warren moves down to the third line with Danny and Mr California. I have not been impressed with him at all the last two games and Phil has a way of dragging teammates into the game.

Turcotte becomes the puck hound and defensive presence on a line with Byfield and Fiala. The kid has that high rev motor and gets to all the hard areas. He also has more skill than Foegele. If the injuries are behind him, he could take a massive leap this year.

The only thing I’ve liked in our defensive end this year is Kuemper. I want to give Edmonson some slight kudos as he’s doing exactly what we need and Gav hasn’t been so bad. Unfortunately, neither of those two are worth what they’re getting paid.

Three out of four points for the first two games of the year on the road and missing Drew is a better outcome than I would’ve imagined

 

[Herby]

Dealing with facts here GBH. If there are so many ways to develop prospects, why does the Kings way involve the most AHL usage for 1st round picks of any team in the last eight years?

Do you listen to any of the interviews with members of the front office? Plenty of them have admitted that they are a slow cook team that heavily uses their AHL affiliate. Yannetti, Emerson, Murray. Look at the quotes when Turcotte signed as an example. Most NHL teams would keep that player in the NCAA and hope to bring him up to the NHL at 20, the Kings went against conventional wisdom. But despite them telling you that, and the facts that back up the Kings heavy AHL usage, you somehow still fight it, why?

Since 2010, there have been 21 forwards (other than QB) taken with top 2 picks. 20 of those made the team out of camp, 19 stuck in the NHL the whole year. The one who didn't make his NHL team right away was Matty Beniers, who turned down Seattle's contract offers to return to college for his sophomore year.

So yes, it is fair to say the Kings development choices with the player are completely different than how other teams have chosen to develop similar players. If you want to say the Kings are right and everyone else is wrong, well you are entitled to your opinion, but you aren't entitled to the facts, which show that NHL teams overwhelmingly put Top 2 forward picks right into the NHL. Unless you think 90+% is not overwhelming.

The same is true of Clarke, you think most other teams would put a player like that, a top 7 pick coming off the season he had would have sent him to the minors?

 

[Omni Owl]

I can tell special teams are going to be a problem for the whole year. Clarke might be playing with a mild concussion after Zucker's high cold shoulder. Thomas needs to take Lewis' place FFS.