GDT: 2024-25 season game 55 LA Kings vs Vegas Golden Knights @7:30pm 2/24/25

[Kingfan1967]

It really was his mustache.

If Fiala every grows that thing back, it's time for some old school hazing (full body shave)

 

[BigKing]

Moore has always been streaky. He had a horrible stretch last season but still finished with 31. Year before that? 10 in 59 games. Agree that he looked to have more jump and looked to be skating better. The two week break could be doing wonders for him.

Byfield likes to try silly shit. Fiala likes to try silly shit. Finding a partner for Fiala has been impossible but maybe Byfield is it. Would be nice if playing with Fiala unlocks Byfield's offensive game.

 

[johnjm22]

Fiala has a motor. Byfield or Turcotte might be the only centers that can keep up with him.

I also don't think it's a coincidence that Kempe looked better as soon as he got away from Kopitar. Adrian looked constantly dangerous in the 4N tournament, as soon as he's back with Kopitar his game looked neutered.

 

[bland]

Putting Fiala with Byfield has done wonders for both of them. They also looked deadly when Kempe was on the other wing. That should be the #1 line moving forward.

Byfield has twice as many points as Kopitar since the turn of the year.

If someone could convince him to quit the fancy stuff and play a strict power game, he could be unstoppable.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Loved the look of LA's new Super-Line...wow they are going to make Defenses heads spin and goaltenders to have many a Sleepless nights babbling to themselves about War wounds and sensical things like that there all the while bashing their heads against the wall

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

If someone could convince him to quit the fancy stuff and play a strict power game, he could be unstoppable.

Personally, I want him to keep trying the fancy stuff.

I understand it won't work all the time and could lead to turnovers/goals against, but the more he tries that stuff, the better he'll get with it.

He's a creative player with great puck skills, vision, and passing ability. Telling him to 'stop trying the fancy stuff' is basically like telling him to ignore his strengths. A huge part of the reason he was drafted 2nd overall was because of his playmaking ability. Let him be creative and make plays. If he's able to establish consistency in his creativity, that could be the difference between him being a ~60 point player and an ~80+ point player.

We complain about LA's lack of offense and creativity and then as soon as a player starts trying to be creative with the puck we want them to remove it from their game and keep it simple?

Nah... If Byfield is going to have a chance in becoming a 1C you can build around, he needs to be able to play freely and creatively.

 

[King'sPawn]

Byfield has twice as many points as Kopitar since the turn of the year.

If someone could convince him to quit the fancy stuff and play a strict power game, he could be unstoppable.

I disagree to a point. While he needs structure, part of the benefit of being skilled and young is to think outside the box in dealing with problems, which sometimes means doing fancy stuff.

He just needs to learn how to take smart, calculated risks, and he needs to grow in his confidence.

 

[bland]

Personally, I want him to keep trying the fancy stuff.

I understand it won't work all the time and could lead to turnovers/goals against, but the more he tries that stuff, the better he'll get with it.

He's a creative player with great puck skills, vision, and passing ability. Telling him to 'stop trying the fancy stuff' is basically like telling him to ignore his strengths. A huge part of the reason he was drafted 2nd overall was because of his playmaking ability. Let him be creative and make plays. If he's able to establish consistency in his creativity, that could be the difference between him being a ~60 point player and an ~80+ point player.

We complain about LA's lack of offense and creativity and then as soon as a player starts trying to be creative with the puck we want them to remove it from their game and keep it simple?

Nah... If Byfield is going to have a chance in becoming a 1C you can build around, he needs to be able to play freely and creatively.

Actually no, he does not possess "great" puck skills, vision, etc. He loses confidence for entire games at a time when something unnecessarily fancy doesn't work early on.

Byfield pushes the puck, he doesn't carry it well. His strengths are his ability to recover pucks using his tenacity, then using his speed and size to move the puck into dangerous areas with those gifts. His hands are the single biggest deficiency in his game.

The simpler he keeps things, the greater advantage he has over his opponents. When he tries to get tricky he almost always fails and gives away that advantage. He negates his own strengths far more often than being stopped by the opposition.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Actually no, he does not possess "great" puck skills, vision, etc. He loses confidence for entire games at a time when something unnecessarily fancy doesn't work early on.

Byfield pushes the puck, he doesn't carry it well. His strengths are his ability to recover pucks using his tenacity, then using his speed and size to move the puck into dangerous areas with those gifts. His hands are the single biggest deficiency in his game.

The simpler he keeps things, the greater advantage he has over his opponents. When he tries to get tricky he almost always fails and gives away that advantage. He negates his own strengths far more often than being stopped by the opposition.

100% disagree, first of all, at full speed, EVERYONE PUSHES THE PUCK....no one stick handles just to stick handle, and he has some amazing vision and hands, it comes in spurts, and he needs to get consistency that's about it.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Actually no, he does not possess "great" puck skills, vision, etc. He loses confidence for entire games at a time when something unnecessarily fancy doesn't work early on.

Byfield pushes the puck, he doesn't carry it well. His strengths are his ability to recover pucks using his tenacity, then using his speed and size to move the puck into dangerous areas with those gifts. His hands are the single biggest deficiency in his game.

The simpler he keeps things, the greater advantage he has over his opponents. When he tries to get tricky he almost always fails and gives away that advantage. He negates his own strengths far more often than being stopped by the opposition.

Disagree with most of this. You're right that Byfield's speed and tenacity are major strengths of his but I think you're wildly underestimating his passing/playmaking ability. Also, his hands are well above NHL average.

Consistency and confidence - those are the two biggest deficiencies in Byfield's game (mostly the former). Not surprising for a 22 year old player tbh.

All season long we've seen this guy FLYING through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick to gain entries. We've seen some very nifty stick handles and cuts with the puck on his stick to retain possession and create space in the o-zone. That assist on the Foegele goal last night was special. Sure seemed like elite vision to me.

The problem lies in consistency. We see these flashes of elite skill from Byfield and then it goes away for some time before we see it again. Which again, isn't necessarily surprising when talking about a young player - consistency is usually the hardest thing to establish in the NHL. He's going to be a hell of a player when he does establish a little more consistency in his game but the answer isn't to tell him to stop trying to make creative plays. The answer is to encourage him to keep taking risks so he can learn what he can and can't get away with at the NHL level. And so he gets more comfortable making those high level plays.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I like that they give byfield rope to experiment

it's the polar opposite of the clarke treatment

oh haha nice assist clarke stop taking chances, here's 5 minutes a game, don't f*** up and dont you dare show up the opponent like that again

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Personally, I want him to keep trying the fancy stuff.

I understand it won't work all the time and could lead to turnovers/goals against, but the more he tries that stuff, the better he'll get with it.

He's a creative player with great puck skills, vision, and passing ability. Telling him to 'stop trying the fancy stuff' is basically like telling him to ignore his strengths. A huge part of the reason he was drafted 2nd overall was because of his playmaking ability. Let him be creative and make plays. If he's able to establish consistency in his creativity, that could be the difference between him being a ~60 point player and an ~80+ point player.

We complain about LA's lack of offense and creativity and then as soon as a player starts trying to be creative with the puck we want them to remove it from their game and keep it simple?

Nah... If Byfield is going to have a chance in becoming a 1C you can build around, he needs to be able to play freely and creatively.

I concur...try shit and it works some of time and baffle the Opposition...

 

[kilowatt]

Not trying to be a downer here as Byfield looked great and the Fiala - Byfield - Kempe line was awesome, but saying how great he's doing in comparison to Kopitar doesn't mean a ton; Kopitar isn't producing at all right now. Byfield's got 14 points in 19 games since January 1st, while Kopitar's got 7 points. Danault is also out-producing Kopitar since 1/1.

Devastatingly, Byfield's being outproduced by Pierre-Luc Dubois, Gabe Vilardi, and Tim Stutzle since 1/1 (and since the beginning of the season), so just adding a little context to the conversation.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The last 6 games are proof that Byfield can score at a literal 137 point pace with an 85% GF percentage while playing C, getting regular PK duty, barely touching PP2, and getting amongst the hardest zone starts amongst Kings forwards and people will look for cracks in his game

Yes it's a small sample size, but the point is in February you need to look for a different punching bag

 

[funky]

Not trying to be a downer here as Byfield looked great and the Fiala - Byfield - Kempe line was awesome, but saying how great he's doing in comparison to Kopitar doesn't mean a ton; Kopitar isn't producing at all right now. Byfield's got 14 points in 19 games since January 1st, while Kopitar's got 7 points. Danault is also out-producing Kopitar since 1/1.

Devastatingly, Byfield's being outproduced by Pierre-Luc Dubois, Gabe Vilardi, and Tim Stutzle since 1/1 (and since the beginning of the season), so just adding a little context to the conversation.

I agree, but at the same time I believe it takes proper linemates to flourish. Swap Vilardi and Byfield all year and I am sure their numbers would be a lot different. There is a lot of skill on that Winnipeg line.

Stutzle is half the defensive player Byfield is. I know Byfield lacks consistency but when he is on he is a two way force. He does disappear a bit but playing w Kuemper and Fiala would keep him motivated.

Young guy still taking steps.

 

[psych3man]

I like that they give byfield rope to experiment

it's the polar opposite of the clarke treatment

oh haha nice assist clarke stop taking chances, here's 5 minutes a game, don't f*** up and dont you dare show up the opponent like that again

The Kings neuter young players' exceptional skills.

 

[BigKing]

It was fun last night but that backhand pass for the goal is not something you expect to be replicated. It was a low % pass that happened to work. He hits on those every blue moon but, most of the time, his cute shit gets stuffed.

I don't want him to be a robot that never tries anything, but let's not expect him to be Magic Johnson out there all the time.