GDT: 2024-25 season game 31 LA Kings vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 4:00pm 12/17/24

[Lt Dan]

Not that mods are beyond reproach, but it always says a lot about someone when they try to absolve themselves of responsibilities for their actions when they accuse mods of supporting "the old boys club".

There are plenty of people who disagree passionately, and maybe even crossed lines. A lot of people get into it with GBH but he doesn't get punished by mods.

But it's unsurprising that people who can't discuss issues honestly want to blame everybody else for their inability to get along.

I would attribute it to the change of hormones that go along with a pregnancy

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Ok. Byfield does more then play offense. He is like a baby Kopitar. Turcotte reminds me of Williams. No offense to one of the greatest player we ever had.

Yah, but he hasn’t proven to be a 80+ point player at the age of 22. HE’S GOT TO GO.

 

[Maynard]

I would attribute it to the change of hormones that go along with a pregnancy

Wow so I’ve been ignoring a pregnant girl?

Wish I’d done that with my first wife. Heyyoooo…

 

[Herby]

Come on, Byfield is nowhere close to what Kopitar was defensively. Even at that age, Kopitar was already one of the best defensive centers in the NHL, in addition to being by far the teams best offensive player.

 

[King'sPawn]

Ok. Byfield does more then play offense. He is like a baby Kopitar. Turcotte reminds me of Williams. No offense to one of the greatest player we ever had.

I think it's fair to say Byfield is nowhere close to Kopitar was at the same age, offensively or defensively. But that's okay. Kopitar was and is a special player.

Byfield doesn't have to be Kopitar-good. Those aren't fair expectations. He just needs to be consistently good.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Kopitar wasn’t blocked by Craig Conroy, so we have the benefit of seeing him as top C since day 1. Stop comparing QB to Kopitar.

 

[Sol]

Byfield is blocking himself and people have the nerve to say he is a game breaking talent…

If you want to see game breaking talent then you look at Kopitar smoking Pronger game 1 in the NHL and never looking back.

Byfield is how many years in the NHL and all he has to his name is the rare flashy goal or producing next to Kopitar, which Iafallo did as well and people thought he sucked. I don’t get the reason to use such extreme descriptors and pretend he’s a great player when he’s only consistent at being disappointing.


It’s no shock that once Byfield is left to his own devices that he is back to being an offensive black hole while Kopitar and Kempe have not even seen a drop in production with him gone.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Not that mods are beyond reproach, but it always says a lot about someone when they try to absolve themselves of responsibilities for their actions when they accuse mods of supporting "the old boys club".

There are plenty of people who disagree passionately, and maybe even crossed lines. A lot of people get into it with GBH but he doesn't get punished by mods.

But it's unsurprising that people who can't discuss issues honestly want to blame everybody else for their inability to get along.

It's because I am always right bud, you know that.......just saying, I wish that was the reason, but it's more because I've probably calmed down, all the people who want to bitch and moan, even now...will bitch and moan...I saw a post earlier that I had made back in 2014 about the Kings Offense....and there were people in January of 2014, bitching and whining about how THAT team wasn't a contender wouldn't do anything, etc etc....

So sure.....most of the times people just talk to hear themselves talk.

Come on, Byfield is nowhere close to what Kopitar was defensively. Even at that age, Kopitar was already one of the best defensive centers in the NHL, in addition to being by far the teams best offensive player.

No, he isn't, but he's getting there, Kopitar is a 1st ballot HHOF, no doubt of anyone in the league, not sure if trying to compare Byfield to Kopitar...is fair to Byfield...at all.

 

[Choralone]

Kopitar had the benefit of playing a men's league in Sweden iirc. I think that helped him hit the ground running.

 

[The Butcher]

I think it's fair to say Byfield is nowhere close to Kopitar was at the same age, offensively or defensively. But that's okay. Kopitar was and is a special player.

Byfield doesn't have to be Kopitar-good. Those aren't fair expectations. He just needs to be consistently good.

I want to say Kopitar is a first ballot hall of famer in any sane and rational world but we all know the NHL will likely continue to disrespect him post retirement.

QB isn't in this category but I still think he will be a special player in his own right once the dust has settled.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I think the difference is Byfield struggles because he cares. PLD struggles because he doesn't.

There was a point last night where they missed the same open net three times...kinda felt like the writing was on the wall there.

The Kings have been great lately about getting just enough offense to win and shutting it down...I DO think that their style of defense wins in the playoffs, but I 100% agree that they don't have the scoring to overcome the inevitable powerhouse teams that have guys you literally cannot shut down for a whole series, especially as they just cannot handle a situation that is not 5v5 offensively. PP sucks, 4v4 sucks, 3v3 sucks. PK is great but gets eviscerated by top PPs. We have seen this entire damn movie before.

I gonna have to wear a fire suit after a saying this. PLD in 31 games with the Caps, he cares and likes playing for the team he's on now. Coach Carbery is even using PLD's line to match-up against the opponents top lines. He could shoot more, but he's recording assists(primary), and he's playing smart along the boards.

its obvious you didnt watch the game and who gives a f*** what happens to washington and pld?

Bitterness too much, I sense in you.

 

[SherVaughn30]

..

This team has a pattern of only giving guys a shot after injuries...color me not impressed w the self-reflection

An outside coach would do this team some good...

 

[AbsentMojo]

..

I gonna have to wear a fire suit after a saying this. PLD in 31 games with the Caps, he cares and likes playing for the team he's on now. Coach Carbery is even using PLD's line to match-up against the opponents top lines. He could shoot more, but he's recording assists(primary), and he's playing smart along the boards.

Not too surprised he's playing better there. No one excels here offensively... Still we wont soon forget what a gutless lazy bum he was here. Sounds like Carbery is a good coach if he can get that bum to buy in...That contract will not age well tho. Ill put money on that.

 

[SherVaughn30]

..

Not too surprised he's playing better there. No one excels here offensively... Still we wont soon forget what a gutless lazy bum he was here. Sounds like Carbery is a good coach if he can get that bum to buy in...That contract will not age well tho. Ill put money on that.

A good deal of 8 year contract extensions don't age well. Right now in year 2 of his contract, he's on a much better point pace than with what he did in one year with the Kings. The bottom line is PLD has been put in a far more suitable situation with the Caps, than he was with the Kings. Blake had a knee jerk reaction to how the Kings got bounced by the Oilers, so he thought a more offensive skilled guy would make the team better. Blake was terribly wrong, as a #1 goalie, top 4 d-man and a goal scorer were the more important priorities.

 

[AbsentMojo]

A good deal of 8 year contract extensions don't age well. Right now in year 2 of his contract, he's on a much better point pace than with what he did in one year with the Kings. The bottom line is PLD has been put in a far more suitable situation with the Caps, than he was with the Kings. Blake had a knee jerk reaction to how the Kings got bounced by the Oilers, so he thought a more offensive skilled guy would make the team better. Blake was terribly wrong, as a #1 goalie, top 4 d-man and a goal scorer were the more important priorities.

All true... esp that he blew out the cap to sign him and got lucky that RV went on LTIR and Laf turned out to be serviceable...bad eval/asset management, bad cap management from the confederate of dunces running the show (wont just blame Blake)