Line Combos: at practice today

[Minor Boarding]

Perhaps that's the dominant issue with Mike Richards, then, that given his lack of size and overwhelming skill, his productivity is dependent on perfect health in order to be truly effective in the type of game he plays. True, players play better when healthy, but if his true strengths are his smarts and battle, his limitations easily show when lacking health. In others words, when players lack the obvious 3 S's: size, speed and skill, perfect health matters much more, especially if having to measure up to high expectations that star players like Richards has. I guess this combo of factors is why I hold my breath every time Richards takes a hit.

But with that said, I think that's the beauty of Richards in the lineup, being that he is the perfect complement to Kopitar. If the occasion requires size and skill, Kopi fits the bill. And if the occasion requires smarts and battle, plug in Richards for the need.

I don't think Richards has smarts above Kopitar. If we go by history it's not even close. That said Mike has more agitating and tenacious abilities.

 

[damacles1156]

Mike's a winner period.

He is just not in game shape, just like more than half the top six is not.

These guys are playing themselves into game shape. Takes a few games.

Remember how bad Drew looked last year with no training camp?

Yup.

 

[Mr Teeny]

23-11-14
13-10-77
12-15-24-71
25-74-28-22

If those line combos are what we're going with, the questions would seem to be who sits between Gagne & Richardson, and Penner & King.

I think Brad needs to get into a game soon because he always injects some energy. Maybe that's tonight.

Penner and King have both been bad, but Penner is going against his former team and that might get him up a little bit more. Although he's taken some crap penalties due to not moving his legs, he's also showed more hustle on certain shifts than King has. Dwight's been basically invisible in both games so far. I'd sit him and see if Dustin can rebound this game.

 

[onlyalad]

http://www.foxsportswest.com/01/24/...obile_landing.html?blockID=853961&feedID=3650
Some info on Mitchell

 

[Nefarious]

http://www.foxsportswest.com/01/24/...obile_landing.html?blockID=853961&feedID=3650
Some info on Mitchell

Love this,

"I would love to play 28 to 30 [minutes] every night if I could..."

Nice!

 

[KingKopitar11*]

I miss the old richards that made bernier look like a ***** as a flyer, you just really that spark from him any more. I was so happy when we got him, but he just really looks inconsistent, injuries or not, he really doesnt have the same emotion as he used to. I hope Im wrong. I just want him to really bounce back but I am doubtful.


And Drew is a champ, I want him to play more too. He needs as much as time he can get. 28-30 mins is fantastic.

 

[YP44]

I hope Gagne plays, and Penner sits.

 

[KINGS17]

It looks like Clifford despite not having the opportunity to play in the AHL during the lockout recognized the need to show up ready to play right from the jump.

Shows a level of maturity that doesn't often exist in one so young. I bet Sutter and Lombardi are impressed. He deserves a shot at playing with Carter and Richards at least for a bit. Penner better get his game face on in a hurry.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

I hope Gagne plays, and Penner sits.

As do I. Rotate them until someone contributes.

Man, what if Clifford pounces on this opportunity and doesn't let go? Mabye HE is our future top six replacement!

 

[Wildturkey12]

It looks like Clifford despite not having the opportunity to play in the AHL during the lockout recognized the need to show up ready to play right from the jump.

I think playing in the ECHL kept him in game shape. Watching him at the one Reign game I went to, he looked like a different player. I realize the level of talent is off but he was driving the net hard on every shift and even had a pretty sweet goal you wouldnt think he would make.

 

[scramble91]

I think playing in the ECHL kept him in game shape. Watching him at the one Reign game I went to, he looked like a different player. I realize the level of talent is off but he was driving the net hard on every shift and even had a pretty sweet goal you wouldnt think he would make.

Yea in one interview (frozen royalty I think). Clifford mentioned that they only rolled 3 lines in Ontario so he was getting a lot of ice time and was often tired in the 3rd period. Now with reduced minutes, he is just flying all over the place.

His speed is amazing and from the 2 games this season, he appears to be much stronger on his skates. In another year, if Clifford doesn't bump king (who hasn't impressed me yet this season), could you imagine a 4th line of Andy A, Clifford, and Nolan? That would be a fun line to watch

 

[GKJ]

After watching Mike Richards for a season now, I'm still not sure exactly what he's great at.

I loved the trade when it happened, but that was entirely based on reputation alone from his PHI days, not on observation or knowledge. He seems to have great instincts, which usually leads to nice positioning..but that usually leads to nothing b/c of a lack of other skills/size. So again, what exactly makes Mike Richards so great? Please inform.

I think that got ballooned when he had a break out season in 2007-08. He was never supposed to be a real top-line player. He wasn't even really always used that way once the Flyers got Briere back for a full season. He should be around 55 points for most of the rest of his career, pivoting between 2nd and 3rd line.

 

[Herby]

I've learned to accept Richards for what he is. Like GKJ mentioned, he had ballooned expectations coming into last year, and I think many of us (myself included) were disappointed when the offensive game was just never there. Richards is a quality 2nd line player who can play in all roles and adapt to different types of games. I don't think the 80 point player is ever going to come back for the Kings.

 

[damacles1156]

I've learned to accept Richards for what he is. Like GKJ mentioned, he had ballooned expectations coming into last year, and I think many of us (myself included) were disappointed when the offensive game was just never there. Richards is a quality 2nd line player who can play in all roles and adapt to different types of games. I don't think the 80 point player is ever going to come back for the Kings.

The Kings PP would have to be world class for that to happen.

Richards scored around 40 PP points (that 80 point season).

Richards on the Kings is a guy that is going to play in all situations, and give you about 50 points a season.

That is all I would expect from him.

 

[TimbeS]

The Kings PP would have to be world class for that to happen.

Richards scored around 40 PP points (that 80 point season).

Richards on the Kings is a guy that is going to play in all situations, and give you about 50 points a season.

That is all I would expect from him.

He is definitely not a scorer. Richards is a momentum player that gives 100% for the team. I hope he gets his **** straight soon and starts to play like he should be

 

[Herby]

He is definitely not a scorer. Richards is a momentum player that gives 100% for the team. I hope he gets his **** straight soon and starts to play like he should be

The problem is, with his role on the Kings he is expected to score. He is the 2nd line center on a team that has average at best skilled wingers. He also happens to play a ton on the PP. Mike Richards had 44 points in 74 games last year, right now he looks worse than he did at any point last year. Like I said in my earlier post, I think most of us have written off ever getting back the 30G, point per game guy he was about 4-5 years ago in Philly, but we certainly atleast expected the 25 and 65 type years he had his final two years in Philly.

If Mike Richards is going to be a 45-50 point a year player on this team, then perhaps it may be wise to either add or call up another player capable of generating some offense.

 

[Thrice]

The problem is, with his role on the Kings he is expected to score. He is the 2nd line center on a team that has average at best skilled wingers. He also happens to play a ton on the PP. Mike Richards had 44 points in 74 games last year, right now he looks worse than he did at any point last year. Like I said in my earlier post, I think most of us have written off ever getting back the 30G, point per game guy he was about 4-5 years ago in Philly, but we certainly atleast expected the 25 and 65 type years he had his final two years in Philly.

If Mike Richards is going to be a 45-50 point a year player on this team, then perhaps it may be wise to either add or call up another player capable of generating some offense.

Don't forget that Lombardi pursued Brad Richards HARD in free agency even after Mike Richards was acquired. I think Kings brass know exactly what Mike Richards is and what he's going to put up on the score sheet, that's why they wanted to add another skilled Center to compliment him and Kopitar.

 

[I Am Ziggy Palffy]

Richards' point production lives and dies by the PP. Look at his Philly scoring years and you see he was a monster with the man advantage but very mediocre playing even strength. So the issue to see play out is, will the Kings PP thrive with Richards as a piece, or will it struggle along with Richards? Don't think Richards has the skill to carry a PP, so he's going to have to be in a situation that uses him well as a piece.

 

[Herby]

Don't forget that Lombardi pursued Brad Richards HARD in free agency even after Mike Richards was acquired. I think Kings brass know exactly what Mike Richards is and what he's going to put up on the score sheet, that's why they wanted to add another skilled Center to compliment him and Kopitar.

I was actually thinking about this also.

But if the Kings were still in the market for a higher scoring second line center in hopes of Richards sliding down to the 3rd line, why on Earth did they sign Stoll to that ridiculous multi-year contract?

I think we are going to have Kopi-Richards-Stoll as our top 3, and any additional skill added to the lineup will be on the wing.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I was actually thinking about this also.

But if the Kings were still in the market for a higher scoring second line center in hopes of Richards sliding down to the 3rd line, why on Earth did they sign Stoll to that ridiculous multi-year contract?

I think we are going to have Kopi-Richards-Stoll as our top 3, and any additional skill added to the lineup will be on the wing.

Because it's not easy getting talent. We know what the Kings had to give up to get Richards. We see what free agents the Kings have actually been able to get over the years.

If Richards gets a lot of points on the PP, then we can see why he doesn't get a lot of points with the Kings, it seems to be where PP goals come to die(except when it mattered most last year, woohoo!). We don't know how good King and Lewis are offensively over the long term, but they're not great offensive wingers for Stoll. A couple years back when Smyth and Brown were on his wings, he had a decent year. Last year sucked, but nobody outside of 3 guys scored last year.

 

[Thrice]

I was actually thinking about this also.

But if the Kings were still in the market for a higher scoring second line center in hopes of Richards sliding down to the 3rd line, why on Earth did they sign Stoll to that ridiculous multi-year contract?

I think we are going to have Kopi-Richards-Stoll as our top 3, and any additional skill added to the lineup will be on the wing.

If the right offensive-minded Center becomes available Stoll can be traded. Look at what Buffalo got for Gaustad at last year's trade deadline. a 1st round pick for a soon-to-be UFA who's never scored more than 12 goals in a season.

You know there's a bad team out there willing to give Stoll top-6 minutes, especially now that he has a ring.

 

[Herby]

Because it's not easy getting talent. We know what the Kings had to give up to get Richards. We see what free agents the Kings have actually been able to get over the years.

If Richards gets a lot of points on the PP, then we can see why he doesn't get a lot of points with the Kings, it seems to be where PP goals come to die(except when it mattered most last year, woohoo!). We don't know how good King and Lewis are offensively over the long term, but they're not great offensive wingers for Stoll. A couple years back when Smyth and Brown were on his wings, he had a decent year. Last year sucked, but nobody outside of 3 guys scored last year.

Agreed on getting the talent part. But now if the Kings were able to upgrade at center, they have Jarret Stoll and that awful contract, still owed over 6 million for the next 2 years after this one. Stoll is basically a 4th line center at this point, it was poor asset management to give him that contract, he literally gets worse and worse with each game.

As for the other comment, that line had a good couple of months, then became statistically one of the worst in the NHL after about January. I like Brown alot as a player, but I wouldn't exactly call him an Einstein on the ice, pair him with two guys like Smyth and Stoll who have zero game sense and it equals a disaster, especially defensively. And once Stoll and Smyth stopped scoring that year, both became total liabilities on the ice, no matter who they played with.

 

[bobafettish*]

i wonder if penner and stoll hadn't gotten those series gwg, would they be kings today.

 

[damacles1156]

Agreed on getting the talent part. But now if the Kings were able to upgrade at center, they have Jarret Stoll and that awful contract, still owed over 6 million for the next 2 years after this one. Stoll is basically a 4th line center at this point, it was poor asset management to give him that contract, he literally gets worse and worse with each game.

As for the other comment, that line had a good couple of months, then became statistically one of the worst in the NHL after about January. I like Brown alot as a player, but I wouldn't exactly call him an Einstein on the ice, pair him with two guys like Smyth and Stoll who have zero game sense and it equals a disaster, especially defensively. And once Stoll and Smyth stopped scoring that year, both became total liabilities on the ice, no matter who they played with.

The Kings can buyout Stoll, Or pay a portion of his salary to trade him.

Those are new options in the CBA, Stoll's contract is not a problem.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

i wonder if penner and stoll hadn't gotten those series gwg, would they be kings today.

It wasn't so much just those goals that defined their playoff performance, but they really did play exceptionally well during the stretch run. Stoll's line was producing, mainly due to the work of Dwight King and Trevor Lewis, but Stoll was winning big draws and shutting down the line he was matched up against. Penner was using his size, shielding the puck, and was creating room for Carter and Richards. From the second round on, they were contributing even if they weren't getting on the score sheet.

This season however is a different story. They're among the group of players who should be doing more. It's unfair to single out just them when you have about 9 players who have yet to show up, those names include...

Kopitar, Brown, Williams, Richards, Carter, Gagne, Penner, Stoll, King. The only forwards who have looked good are Clifford, Nolan, and Fraser. That's it.