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Around the League 2024-25 season

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FrozenKing18 said:
I want that “GRIT LA” culture/play-style back. Such a cool identity for the team then.
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Those teams were 99% BEEF.

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King'sPawn said:
We tolerated it in the second half because Lombardi had a vision of how he would build a team and culture.

We were clearly frustrated by the previous administration selling youth for band aids and missing the playoffs.
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Of course, and the Lombardi part of it is what the Ducks are in right now and what we were hoping from Blake when they declared a rebuild.
 
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FrozenKing18 said:
I want that “GRIT LA” culture/play-style back. Such a cool identity for the team then.
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Its not secret what had been missing. Look what was (finally) addressed over the summer, and see the impact.

You don't insulate kids by putting offensive players in front of them to cover for production, you do do by adding plumbers to set the bar for the hardest parts of the game.

Had the Ducks added Jeannot, Foegle and Edmundson instead of the Kings the gap would be much closer now.
 
KingsHockey24 said:
Heck even those teams shortly after the Cup teams had that with Clifford, Andreoff, Nolan, Schenn, McNabb, Lucic, Forbort, etc.

But then the whole "sMaLl anD fAst tEAms WIn nOt uS" narrative happened.
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The tone was set when Tkachuk elbowed Doughty and nothing happened.

Sure, things went down the next time they played, but the biggest set of balls on the Kings that night was Jarome Iginla taking it to Engelland after the latter roughed up Kopitar. Kings pretty much had no chance to make the playoffs at that point but there was Iginla in the last couple weeks of his career, fighting Engelland and then Maroon on back-to-back nights.

Sutter out. Nice guy Stevens in. Tkachuk continues to go after Doughty. Multiple Kings are injured over the next few years and nobody does anything when it happens or the next time they faced the offender.

Teams do not win in the NHL with that type of mindset. I will not pass up an opportunity to shit on Blake, but they targeted a type of player this offseason and you see a team that appears to be closer-knit and, let's face it, a little less 8 and 11-centric. A big problem for Blake when scrapping the rebuild was building a roster that lacked the level of balls needed to win in the playoffs. Of all the Blake playoff teams, this one might look the least talented on paper, but it feels like the one with the best chance to actually win a round.
 
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Raccoon Jesus said:
Marchment is low key a giant piece of shit too, I'm not giving him the benefit of the doubt on that one

Surprised he didn't throw his hands up and beg for a call on Hyman too
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Is your description of Marchment completely accurate? 100%, yes. Would I take him on my team in a heartbeat? Also, a big yes. Dude is a menace in the best way and built for the playoffs. I wish I could grow a moustache like his and had his cold, psychopath eyes.
 
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King'sPawn said:
We tolerated it in the second half because Lombardi had a vision of how he would build a team and culture.

We were clearly frustrated by the previous administration selling youth for band aids and missing the playoffs.
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Lombardi's vision was also his undoing. He refused to believe the league was changing and continued to draft will [ or his favorite word character] over skill using some insane draft interviews as his basis. Add Sutters old boy out of touch mentality into the mix and we ended up with the disaster that followed. I would've loved to seen what Futa would've done had he taken the job instead of Blake.
 
kingsfan28 said:
Lombardi's vision was also his undoing. He refused to believe the league was changing and continued to draft will [ or his favorite word character] over skill using some insane draft interviews as his basis. Add Sutters old boy out of touch mentality into the mix and we ended up with the disaster that followed. I would've loved to seen what Futa would've done had he taken the job instead of Blake.
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The "disaster" was that the Kings spent all their ammunition on a brief run to compensate for the lack of leadership and alpha approach by the players Taylor had drafted. Every one of those players Dean brought in to raise the compete level left with nothing in return, the core got massive raises, and they couldn't afford to replace the mental strength that left the organization.

The drafting was only a minor part of the problem.
 
There was this big push by the leauge formore scoring and speed combined with rule changes that virtually eliminated holding, clutching and grabbing and stick to stick checks anywhere in the vicinity of the hands of an offensive player. Bettman said scoring sells tickets. Robitaille took that stuff as gospel and ignored the fact that size, defense and goaltending wins in the playoffs. Always did. Always will. Robitaille said he wanted the team to become faster and the games to become more like soccer matches. Around this same time drew doughty loudly proclaimed he wanted no part of a total rebuild and it was decided he was important enough to the franchise to help direct the kings franchise into a retool around 8 and 13. Blake hired dejardins as coach and the franchises direction was totally lost. The kings became a rudderless mess and the goal devolved to once in the playoffs to win a round. The goal has never been to win championships. The goal has appereantly been to gain the black hole of mediocrity which we are firmly entrenched in. Everybodys retirements are secure and all our old mates from luc's, rob's and bergy's playing days are taken care of. Cozy aint it?
I think the kings have the best chance of advancing into the second round this yr than they've had in ten yrs. It would be exciting as hell to see that happen. The goal would be achived. What kind of a competitive goal is to be counted as a member among many competitors instead of as champion?
 
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chris kontos said:
There was this big push by the leauge formore scoring and speed combined with rule changes that virtually eliminated holding, clutching and grabbing and stick to stick checks anywhere in the vicinity of the hands of an offensive player. Bettman said scoring sells tickets. Robitaille took that stuff as gospel and ignored the fact that size, defense and goaltending wins in the playoffs. Always did. Always will. Robitaille said he wanted the team to become faster and the games to become more like soccer matches. Around this same time drew doughty loudly proclaimed he wanted no part of a total rebuild and it was decided he was important enough to the franchise to help direct the kings franchise into a retool around 8 and 13. Blake hired dejardins as coach and the franchises direction was totally lost. The kings became a rudderless mess and the goal devolved to once in the playoffs to win a round. The goal has never been to win championships. The goal has appereantly been to gain the black hole of mediocrity which we are firmly entrenched in. Everybodys retirements are secure and all our old mates from luc's, rob's and bergy's playing days are taken care of. Cozy aint it?
I think the kings have the best chance of advancing into the second round this yr than they've had in ten yrs. It would be exciting as hell to see that happen. The goal would be achived. What kind of a competitive goal is to be counted as a member among many competitors instead of as champion?
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<thumbs down>
 
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Raccoon Jesus said:
But i mean

what kind of org goes yeah lets pick up the scoring and trade for speed and menacing forechecking

and then go 1-3-1

There wasn't a coherent vision
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It's funny because that's the thing that sticks with me regarding Blake. He obtained a bunch of speed and skill, forced them into a defensive system that neutered their strengths under Todd. Now he aquires a bunch of grit and toughness and the Kings are playing a much more open offensive style of play.
Just completely backwards acquisitions.
 
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Sol said:
Funny to read on the Wings board that the consensus about Tmac is already “At least he’s a bit better than Lalonde”

And “I hope he learns” boy oh boy do us fans have something to say about the reverse swept coaches ability to learn lmaoooo
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The guy is nothing more than a hollow martinet thats making his way around to alot of my favorite nhl franchises. So as to not write myself into a near violent rage, i'll just wish little todd well away from us.
 
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