Speculation: Another year of this Bluc **** (The 2024-25 season thread)

[FSL KINGS]

What’s the feeling on Jeannot? Is he staying long term? And at what cost?

GM gave up a 2nd for him so probably looking to extend. Who knows what Jeannot is thinking.



It's like, 97 is a hot head & will take bad penalties if you mess with him.

Also, great defense. Got under 30 seconds left
Unlikely your team gets possession again. No opportunity for ref to call penalty. Just throw 97 in a headlock.

 

[unicornpig]

What’s the feeling on Jeannot? Is he staying long term? And at what cost?

if he stays, hes making less than what he is now

 

[Reaper45]

First time i've seen the McD / Laf hit clip -- I don't see how anyone can watch that and NOT come to the conclusion that McD was going for his head and with an extra surg/effort to boot. There seriously was nothing from the league?!?

God damn I want someone to end him already. He’s a scumbag just like Malkin.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Someone throws a hit on McDavid: "this guy has to fight through EVERYTHING, it's so unfair, that should be a PP, I can't believe the league doesn't protect it's best players."

McDavid throws a flying elbow with his helmet attached to it: "he might get a fine just because they hate him and he's right to be frustrated because they didn't suspend five guys on the other team last night, hollywood reffing amirite"

 

[Omni Owl]

Of course Wes McCauley was officiating that shitshow of a game. Refs face zero accountability or consequences for their ineptitude, like a few other professions...

 

[tigermask48]

At least it isn't like MLB where terrible umps like Joe West are almost celebrated in how bad they are.

 

[Reaper45]

At least it isn't like MLB where terrible umps like Joe West are almost celebrated in how bad they are.

Terrible umps and no mention of Angel Hernandez? Shame shame shame.

 

[tigermask48]

Terrible umps and no mention of Angel Hernandez? Shame shame shame.

Well Angel was just horrible and everyone knew it. Joe was openly celebrated for just being an asshole and how badly he would call a game was secondary to how he would over react to anything.

Joe West was just Don Koharski in a different sport, both needed to go have another donut as well.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

The measure of consistency and the fact Moore Phil Byfield Fiala are all having seriously subpar years. Add to the fact the Kopitar and Kuemper have been carrying this team but, are and will wear down by April; is leading to a very disappointing finish to the season and possible playoff performance.

Gavrikov will want 8 years at top dollar and Laf is due for a big raise will mean this team will at best stay the same on the ice with an even higher payroll.

Things are getting worse not better! No where to go but down.

 

[kingsholygrail]

I am actually surprised they suspended him for 3 games.

 

[KingsOfCali25]

I am actually surprised they suspended him for 3 games.

He has deserved a suspension before but hasn't had one. I'm happy they gave him multiple games. Now if he does anything again he'll be a repeat offender so it will be multiple games again.

Now if they could start calling Draisaitl for his embellishment/flopping and interference; the league would be a heck of a lot better for it.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The first half of this season will have been the peak of this version of the team. It’s all downhill from here with age and youth that haven’t been given opportunity and with no one else behind them coming to save the day. We will trade whatever else is not nailed down fora backup goalie and scoring help then proceed to misuse it on our way to a 103 pt finish and first round exit, they’ll proclaim it a successful season. Groundhog Day baby.

 

[tigermask48]

The worst part is, it's going to continue just like RJ and Salty said until changes in the front office are made.

We've seen what this team is the past 3 years, and it's all the same. Give up more assets to fix perceived problems with the roster, rely on aging veterans and an antiquated style of play, make playoffs, get bounced.

The black hole is real, and the Kings are very much stuck in it until Kopitar and Doughty retire.

 

[Schrute farms]

Now if they could start calling Draisaitl for his embellishment/flopping and interference; the league would be a heck of a lot better for it.

And slashing the calves of guys when he gets mad

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

And slashing the calves of guys when he gets mad

God damnit that makes me so mad at home haha, I've never seen any single player get away with that so damn much

And it's not even harmful really it's just annoying and almost always a 2 minute for any other player because it's an escalation move that doesn't serve any other hockey purpose, it's just an I'm going to whack you because no ref has the balls to call this on me but you're damn sure getting a retaliation call if you do anything

AKA the kind of move that many Edmonton fans say justify McDavid crosschecking a guy in the teeth

 

[chris kontos]

I think they’ve raised like half a million dollars though. They’ll probably do a ceremony with it tomorrow night which will raise more. I think they redo the ice on certain road trips anyway. These guys suck at a lot of things but I think they got this one right.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Idk... maybe I'm CRAZY but it might get better.

Tbh it's kind of funny how much posters on these boards start panicking when the team goes on a little skid. Like haven't you guys been watching hockey for YEARS???? Teams, even VERY good teams, go on cold streaks / experience rough patches. Let's maybe have a little composure? Act like you've been there a little bit? They've lost 2 in a row and you'd think they were pointless in their last 10 and a bottom 5 team in the league with some of these takes we're seeing.

I'm not saying it's all sunshine and rainbows and I'm also not saying this team is going to win the cup but a couple of uncharacteristic bad games doesn't mean all is lost.

Scoring has gone a bit cold - that won't last forever. Doughty return soon - say what you want but these guys LOVE Doughty and Doughty LOVES playing hockey... His return will absolutely energize the group. Laf will also be back soon I'm sure - let's not forget that even though his scoring has slowed down a bit he's still one of our better forwards this year... His absence is not insignificant. And hell, maybe a couple games off will do him some good and allow him to reset & get back on the scoresheet more consistently again.

The Kings are the best defensive team in the NHL. They also lead the league in time spent leading or tied in games (They legit spend like 80% of the time leading or tied in their games... no team in the league has a higher %).

This group is better defensively than we've seen in recent years. They have more size than we've seen in years. They actually have a bit of a backbone and don't get pushed around this year. All of those things speak to the team being better suited for playoff hockey. Strong defense, size, some sandpaper.

If this team had even just a top 20 powerplay, they would be battling it out with Vegas and EDM right now for the division. Getting Doughty back and adding another shooter at the TDL should 100% help with that.

Deep breaths ladies, we're still in this thing.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Idk... maybe I'm CRAZY but it might get better.

Tbh it's kind of funny how much posters on these boards start panicking when the team goes on a little skid. Like haven't you guys been watching hockey for YEARS???? Teams, even VERY good teams, go on cold streaks / experience rough patches. Let's maybe have a little composure? Act like you've been there a little bit? They've lost 2 in a row and you'd think they were pointless in their last 10 and a bottom 5 team in the league with some of these takes we're seeing.

I'm not saying it's all sunshine and rainbows and I'm also not saying this team is going to win the cup but a couple of uncharacteristic bad games doesn't mean all is lost.

Scoring has gone a bit cold - that won't last forever. Doughty return soon - say what you want but these guys LOVE Doughty and Doughty LOVES playing hockey... His return will absolutely energize the group. Laf will also be back soon I'm sure - let's not forget that even though his scoring has slowed down a bit he's still one of our better forwards this year... His absence is not insignificant. And hell, maybe a couple games off will do him some good and allow him to reset & get back on the scoresheet more consistently again.

The Kings are the best defensive team in the NHL. They also lead the league in time spent leading or tied in games (They legit spend like 80% of the time leading or tied in their games... no team in the league has a higher %).

This group is better defensively than we've seen in recent years. They have more size than we've seen in years. They actually have a bit of a backbone and don't get pushed around this year. All of those things speak to the team being better suited for playoff hockey. Strong defense, size, some sandpaper.

If this team had even just a top 20 powerplay, they would be battling it out with Vegas and EDM right now for the division. Getting Doughty back and adding another shooter at the TDL should 100% help with that.

Deep breaths ladies, we're still in this thing.

I think you are on the wrong site, sir. This is the 'doom & gloom' board.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Hiller is going to have to duct tape Doughty to a chair to keep him out of the lineup tonight LFG

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Idk... maybe I'm CRAZY but it might get better.

Tbh it's kind of funny how much posters on these boards start panicking when the team goes on a little skid. Like haven't you guys been watching hockey for YEARS???? Teams, even VERY good teams, go on cold streaks / experience rough patches. Let's maybe have a little composure? Act like you've been there a little bit? They've lost 2 in a row and you'd think they were pointless in their last 10 and a bottom 5 team in the league with some of these takes we're seeing.

I'm not saying it's all sunshine and rainbows and I'm also not saying this team is going to win the cup but a couple of uncharacteristic bad games doesn't mean all is lost.

Scoring has gone a bit cold - that won't last forever. Doughty return soon - say what you want but these guys LOVE Doughty and Doughty LOVES playing hockey... His return will absolutely energize the group. Laf will also be back soon I'm sure - let's not forget that even though his scoring has slowed down a bit he's still one of our better forwards this year... His absence is not insignificant. And hell, maybe a couple games off will do him some good and allow him to reset & get back on the scoresheet more consistently again.

The Kings are the best defensive team in the NHL. They also lead the league in time spent leading or tied in games (They legit spend like 80% of the time leading or tied in their games... no team in the league has a higher %).

This group is better defensively than we've seen in recent years. They have more size than we've seen in years. They actually have a bit of a backbone and don't get pushed around this year. All of those things speak to the team being better suited for playoff hockey. Strong defense, size, some sandpaper.

If this team had even just a top 20 powerplay, they would be battling it out with Vegas and EDM right now for the division. Getting Doughty back and adding another shooter at the TDL should 100% help with that.

Deep breaths ladies, we're still in this thing.

Well my other beef right now is they've seemingly modified the system to be more passive again.

If that's an energy-saving measure for now, well ok

But they're backing way off opponents like they did in the 1-3-1 days and that's going to artificially inflate your fancy stats and defense since you're playing 'not hockey' for NO ONE to score.

When they were on fire they were playing aggressively on their toes and hitting, not back on their heels, getting outshot and outchanced nightly regardless of opponent. THAT is what signals trouble to me, not a few losses. And I'm consistent with that, too. When they were playing well but losing, I was ok, But they've not just been 'playing bad,' they've been showing MAJOR cracks like they did before last season's downfall. THAT has to change immediately, or the season goes down the tubes with the next 5 game roadie this weekend.

Yes, I've been watching hockey for years and the normal ebbs and flows of a season are just that. The last few games, Van nonwithstanding since they are in shambles, indicate more than a bad luck losing streak. They're indicating a gassed team with no answers for everything from last place -36 teams to top-tier teams and they're trying to D and goalie their way to 1-0, 2-1 victories. That's how to get into the playoffs and lose. WE've seen this movie before and they need to do more than that to change my tone, they had me fooled thru mid-Jan though.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Hiller is going to have to duct tape Doughty to a chair to keep him out of the lineup tonight LFG

wow, did not see that coming today.

No way he's playing tonight - he needs a couple 'full contact' practices first.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Well my other beef right now is they've seemingly modified the system to be more passive again.

If that's an energy-saving measure for now, well ok

But they're backing way off opponents like they did in the 1-3-1 days and that's going to artificially inflate your fancy stats and defense since you're playing 'not hockey' for NO ONE to score.

When they were on fire they were playing aggressively on their toes and hitting, not back on their heels, getting outshot and outchanced nightly regardless of opponent. THAT is what signals trouble to me, not a few losses. And I'm consistent with that, too. When they were playing well but losing, I was ok, But they've not just been 'playing bad,' they've been showing MAJOR cracks like they did before last season's downfall. THAT has to change immediately, or the season goes down the tubes with the next 5 game roadie this weekend.

Yes, I've been watching hockey for years and the normal ebbs and flows of a season are just that. The last few games, Van nonwithstanding since they are in shambles, indicate more than a bad luck losing streak. They're indicating a gassed team with no answers for everything from last place -36 teams to top-tier teams and they're trying to D and goalie their way to 1-0, 2-1 victories. That's how to get into the playoffs and lose. WE've seen this movie before and they need to do more than that to change my tone, they had me fooled thru mid-Jan though.

This is definitely fair.

To me it seems like more of just a cold scoring streak causing a majority of their issues but I could be missing something. Wasn't able to watch the SEA game but it seemed like a bad one. Last game against the Pens seemed pretty uncharacteristic. It has been 2-3 weeks now of not being able to generate much offensively - going to be hard to win a ton of games when that's happening and it's definitely something they need to address. Hopefully they can get back to playing more aggressively and generating more offense.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

This is definitely fair.

To me it seems like more of just a cold scoring streak causing a majority of their issues but I could be missing something. Wasn't able to watch the SEA game but it seemed like a bad one. Last game against the Pens seemed pretty uncharacteristic. It has been 2-3 weeks now of not being able to generate much offensively - going to be hard to win a ton of games when that's happening and it's definitely something they need to address. Hopefully they can get back to playing more aggressively and generating more offense.

Since the beginning of January they've been a bottom third team by almost all metrics and that includes the wins over NJ, TBL, WIN--IE their troubles started, and were being called out, before the shit hit the fan on this road trip.

They have to correct course or their play in January suggests they're playing at the level of a non-playoff team....AKA this is the same story we've watched for the last half-decade.

They have an opportunity to change the narrative, but you'll have to forgive some of us that aren't biting on it, especially given all our nonstop concerns about the roster are coming to roost, AKA older guys getting older, youth getting benched/demoted/waived for shitty vets, etc.

Hell, I'll buy you a beer if Drew enters the roster and Burroughs goes out. The way Hiller is trending, Clarke is going to the bench for Edmundson's sins, because we just have to ice the worst dman in the NHL in back to back years.

 

[Herby]

Idk... maybe I'm CRAZY but it might get better.

Tbh it's kind of funny how much posters on these boards start panicking when the team goes on a little skid. Like haven't you guys been watching hockey for YEARS???? Teams, even VERY good teams, go on cold streaks / experience rough patches. Let's maybe have a little composure? Act like you've been there a little bit? They've lost 2 in a row and you'd think they were pointless in their last 10 and a bottom 5 team in the league with some of these takes we're seeing.

I'm not saying it's all sunshine and rainbows and I'm also not saying this team is going to win the cup but a couple of uncharacteristic bad games doesn't mean all is lost.

Scoring has gone a bit cold - that won't last forever. Doughty return soon - say what you want but these guys LOVE Doughty and Doughty LOVES playing hockey... His return will absolutely energize the group. Laf will also be back soon I'm sure - let's not forget that even though his scoring has slowed down a bit he's still one of our better forwards this year... His absence is not insignificant. And hell, maybe a couple games off will do him some good and allow him to reset & get back on the scoresheet more consistently again.

The Kings are the best defensive team in the NHL. They also lead the league in time spent leading or tied in games (They legit spend like 80% of the time leading or tied in their games... no team in the league has a higher %).

This group is better defensively than we've seen in recent years. They have more size than we've seen in years. They actually have a bit of a backbone and don't get pushed around this year. All of those things speak to the team being better suited for playoff hockey. Strong defense, size, some sandpaper.

If this team had even just a top 20 powerplay, they would be battling it out with Vegas and EDM right now for the division. Getting Doughty back and adding another shooter at the TDL should 100% help with that.

Deep breaths ladies, we're still in this thing.

I would argue it's not people who are overly pessimistic about this team overreacting to a small losing streak, it's people who are overly optimistic overreacting to another 40 games of regular season games. Posts like this (and with some ppl PM's sent) have been made each of the past two seasons when the Kings were third in the Pacific, about how its going to be different.

It wasn't size, backbone, defense or any of these other cute little intangibles, the Kings lose to the Oilers because they are overwhelmingly outmatched offensively in an era where the game is geared towards offense. This team is horrible offensively because they are in the bottom 20% of the league when it comes to skilled players on the roster, that is why the PP sucks.

It's the Jimmy's and the Joe's, not the X's and O's. And those type of "culture changer" Jimmy and Joe's are not acquired at the deadline from garbage teams, they are usually drafted in the 1st round of drafts, and that gets back to the continued biggest issue with why this team is a faux-contender instead of an actual one.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Since the beginning of January they've been a bottom third team by almost all metrics and that includes the wins over NJ, TBL, WIN--IE their troubles started, and were being called out, before the shit hit the fan on this road trip.

They have to correct course or their play in January suggests they're playing at the level of a non-playoff team....AKA this is the same story we've watched for the last half-decade.

They have an opportunity to change the narrative, but you'll have to forgive some of us that aren't biting on it, especially given all our nonstop concerns about the roster are coming to roost, AKA older guys getting older, youth getting benched/demoted/waived for shitty vets, etc.

Hell, I'll buy you a beer if Drew enters the roster and Burroughs goes out. The way Hiller is trending, Clarke is going to the bench for Edmundson's sins, because we just have to ice the worst dman in the NHL in back to back years.

I guess I'd just evaluate the team a bit differently. I wouldn't consider this last road trip as one where 'shit hit the fan'. That's part of what I was saying in my original post... I'm not going to overreact (for lack of a better term) to a 2W-3L road trip and I'm not going to overreact to an uncharacteristic bad loss to the Pens coming off that road trip.

If these things continue, yeah - I'll start to get more concerned. But even just looking at January as you said, they started off 3-0 with 3 strong wins against very good teams. Then they get goalie'd against a decent Flames team. They played solid hockey that night. Outshot the Flames 32 to 18. Dustin Wolf stood on his head.. It happens. Then you lose a tough one to a VERY good Oilers team 1-0 (in EDM). Then absolutely DOMINATE a struggling Canucks team. Then admittedly a bad loss to Seattle and a rough one against Pittsburg.

TLDR: It's a mixed bag. They've been on a little bit of a skid and they've been struggling to create chances and finish offensively lately and if that continues yes it could be a concern but virtually all teams go through stretches like this. And yes, we've seen them have bad January's before - All the more reason to have confidence that they'll turn it around soon. Because we've seen them do that for the last 3 years. I'll give you yes, the treatment of younger players continues to be a bit of a concern but all-in-all, I'm not losing faith in this group over a 4W, 4L January - I mean to be honest that's not even that bad of a skid. And they were one of the hottest teams in the NHL prior to this last stretch. Just like their hot stretches don't prove they're going to win the stanley cup, their cold stretches don't prove that they're destined to lose in the first round.

I would argue it's not people who are overly pessimistic about this team overreacting to a small losing streak, it's people who are overly optimistic overreacting to another 40 games of regular season games. Posts like this (and with some ppl PM's sent) have been made each of the past two seasons when the Kings were third in the Pacific, about how its going to be different.

It wasn't size, backbone, defense or any of these other cute little intangibles, the Kings lose to the Oilers because they are overwhelmingly outmatched offensively in an era where the game is geared towards offense. This team is horrible offensively because they are in the bottom 20% of the league when it comes to skilled players on the roster, that is why the PP sucks.

It's the Jimmy's and the Joe's, not the X's and O's. And those type of "culture changer" Jimmy and Joe's are not acquired at the deadline from garbage teams, they are usually drafted in the 1st round of drafts, and that gets back to the continued biggest issue with why this team is a faux-contender instead of an actual one.

I wouldn't say I'm being overly optimistic. I think it's clear this Kings team is better (and different) than we've seen in years past. Maybe you disagree, that's fine. I also don't think the Kings lack as much skill as you seem to think. And I don't think this team is horrible offensively. In my post, I'm not saying "This kings team is so amazing oh my god they're definitely going to go on a long playoff run".... I'm just saying "Hey, let's take a deep breath and remind ourselves that this might just be a little skid/cold streak and that doesn't mean everything is doomed and we're automatically going to lose in the playoffs again"