GDT: Buffalo Sabres 1, Los Angeles Kings 0 (Final)

[fsanford]

Richards was the Kings best player other than Quick tonight. Will be interesting to see how he follows it up, that has been a huge issue the last calendar year, he will have a great game where he looks like his old self and then he returns to being Brad Chartrand for 6 games.

And DS needs to stop putting him into defensive spots, and I found the calling out after the game to be a bit unprofessional and not typical of Sutter. Richards clearly messed up badly on the goal, but like you said he otherwise had a very strong game and ultimately when you as a coach put a weak defensive player in a defensive situation in a 0-0 game and he costs you a goal don't criticize the player after the game, look in the mirror. This is actually what DS said after the game to a Buff reporter.

Joe Yerdon
‏@JoeYerdon
"It's a bad play by Mike Richards.You can't drop off. It's a set play for us. You can't drop off in the corner unless we have full control."

So I guess many (including myself) ripped Greene for basically just doing a Kings set play, assume MR is supposed to read what Greene is doing and only break into the corner as an outlet if Greene or McNabb gained possession. Still not to crazy about Greene, McNabb and Richards on the ice at the same time killing a penalty. Reminds me of the Maginot Line.

Sutter should point the fingers at everyone or no one, especially after scoring 1 goal in 2 games. You can blame everyone, including the coaching staff.

Sutter was right, he should not have dropped down below the net at that point in time, unless the Sabre player was going to flip the puck up over the net off Quicks he was not a threat to score.

If he stays in position the Kings D gets back out in front of the net and we might have a point.

5.75 million dollar players who don't score, cannot afford to make bad plays in other area's. Facts are facts, with high salary comes high expectations.

That said King and Nolan were set up by Richards several times and just suck at handling the puck.

Maybe give Richards a shot with Toffoli and Pearson, put Carter back up with Kopi and Gabby. Lewis centers Brown Williams, and give Soll, King and Nolan. It won't happen because Sutter is pissed at Richard's now, but we once again are going into our cannot score mode.

Buffalo is just a house of horrors for the Kings, but at the same time it sucks to the Kings go into holiday mode and give points to other teams.

Lastly we have got to lead the league in shoot into defenders legs.. Maybe we need to aim high and knock a couple of these guys down, so they won't be so apt to stand there like trees blocking the pucks path

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Every damn game I find myself saying this, but Richards deserves Kopitar's wingers.

 

[Ron*]

It's probably tough to hear from way up there on your pedestal, but this team is currently barely clinging to a wild card playoff spot and showing signs of getting worse rather than better. Anyone pretending this isn't the slightest bit concerning...Id have to call that bravado b

Seriously, it's comments like this that prompted me to take the night off from this place.

I'm not on any pedestal. I'm just a hell of a lot more optimistic than way too many posters here, and I can't help but mention that my optimism has been rewarded by three consecutive deep runs by this team in the playoffs, including two titles, while others have looked foolish trashing this team and then having to come back with their tail between their legs.

Where, if anywhere, is it acceptable to write "**** this team" and then roll back to celebrate a championship? (Not saying you did, others have here.) Sorry, not in my book. And then posters get upset for me calling them out when they do.

Maybe I'm the only one to realize that this is an 82-game season. I take into consideration, as others have here, that this team has had three deep runs in the past three seasons. That has to wear on you. Not only that, they have had numerous injuries to one player we expected to contribute mightily to our offense (Gaborik), not to mention the emotional roller-coaster of having one of their best defensemen indefinitely suspended, and subsequently charged with a crime.

Let's not forget that due to other injuries to defensemen, this team played two games shorthanded, have had to train two defensemen never meant to get a sniff at the lineup on the fly, and have had to deal with the league on an unfair suspension and cap hit.

And with all that, these guys are still contending in the West.

A lot of you guys aren't thinking. This team has gone through all this **** and they are still in the hunt, and we still have 54 games to go in the season. 54 games.

I've said it before to others in past seasons, and I will say it again. It is one thing to constructively criticize a team's efforts, it's another thing to blindly trash a team that has rewarded this community, as recently as this past season, with a championship. I'm not concerned because I have faith in this team to bounce back (a reasonable faith that has been rewarded three seasons in a row).

As a reminder (and as an example), this happened back-to-back at home in early 2012 (1-0 losses), and I was at the game both times. Take a look at those PGT threads, listed below. Sound familiar?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1109491
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1111263

 

[KingsFan7824]

You can make numbers say whatever you want, but it's just another snapshot of the team's struggles. Picking on Kopitar again too. In his last 12 games, he has 1 goal, and 5 points. The goal was on the PP, one of the assists was on the PP, and another assist was on an empty net goal. So at ES, he's got 2 real assists in his last 12 games.

The Kings record in those 12 games? 6-5-1, which isn't terrible considering Kopitar isn't putting up any points while at even strength. Or at all, but especially 5-on-5.

In the race between the tortoise and the hare, the Kings are the tortoise. It doesn't look good at the beginning, or in the middle. Until the end doesn't look good either, you can't get too crazy. You have to figure they get it going at some point. They just no longer have the cushion from that 6 game winning streak at the start of the year. They're now sitting outside of the playoffs, with 3 road games left before a back to back/home and home with St.Louis, who should've beaten the Kings in their first meeting, if not for Quick.

 

[fsanford]

Calgary despite their great start sits 3 points in front of the Kings. Kings have 2 games in hand on the Sharks as of today. Winnipeg is still Winnipeg.

At the end of the day 4 teams are already considered out, Yotes, Oilers, Stars Avs. That leaves 10 teams for 8 spots..

If you put the Flames, Sharks, Wild, Kings, Jets, Canucks in a pool, and 4 of those teams will make the playoff's which 4 would most hockey guru's pick.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

That may have been the most boring Kings game I watched in the past year. I'm sure there is something that tops it but you could smell that coming from a mile away.

 

[Jeff18]

Seriously, it's comments like this that prompted me to take the night off from this place.

I'm not on any pedestal. I'm just a hell of a lot more optimistic than way too many posters here, and I can't help but mention that my optimism has been rewarded by three consecutive deep runs by this team in the playoffs, including two titles, while others have looked foolish trashing this team and then having to come back with their tail between their legs.

Where, if anywhere, is it acceptable to write "**** this team" and then roll back to celebrate a championship? (Not saying you did, others have here.) Sorry, not in my book. And then posters get upset for me calling them out when they do.

Maybe I'm the only one to realize that this is an 82-game season. I take into consideration, as others have here, that this team has had three deep runs in the past three seasons. That has to wear on you. Not only that, they have had numerous injuries to one player we expected to contribute mightily to our offense (Gaborik), not to mention the emotional roller-coaster of having one of their best defensemen indefinitely suspended, and subsequently charged with a crime.

Let's not forget that due to other injuries to defensemen, this team played two games shorthanded, have had to train two defensemen never meant to get a sniff at the lineup on the fly, and have had to deal with the league on an unfair suspension and cap hit.

And with all that, these guys are still contending in the West.

A lot of you guys aren't thinking. This team has gone through all this **** and they are still in the hunt, and we still have 54 games to go in the season. 54 games.

I've said it before to others in past seasons, and I will say it again. It is one thing to constructively criticize a team's efforts, it's another thing to blindly trash a team that has rewarded this community, as recently as this past season, with a championship. I'm not concerned because I have faith in this team to bounce back (a reasonable faith that has been rewarded three seasons in a row).

As a reminder (and as an example), this happened back-to-back at home in early 2012 (1-0 losses), and I was at the game both times. Take a look at those PGT threads, listed below. Sound familiar?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1109491
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1111263

The Kings are still my fav team and I still think they are good, but i'm pissed at the bull **** effort that I watched for two and a half hours. Also, it's definitely not okay to lose to Buffalo.

I'm not worried that much about the future of this team either. Just shocked at this particular game.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Remember how bad the Kings were last December ? They are Five points BEHIND that pace. With Kopitar having a career worse year so far.

Think about that folks.....

With The Pacific being much stronger this year.

Is it though? Other than Calgary and Vancouver starting out strong, which I don't expect either to continue....Anaheim is better..but SJ and Arizona are screwing the pooch

 

[fsanford]

The Kings are still my fav team and I still think they are good, but i'm pissed at the bull **** effort that I watched for two and a half hours. Also, it's definitely not okay to lose to Buffalo.

I'm not worried that much about the future of this team either. Just shocked at this particular game.

you could ice an all star team slap Kings sweaters on them and they would still find a way to lose in Buffalo..

 

[Jeff18]

you could ice an all star team slap Kings sweaters on them and they would still find a way to lose in Buffalo..

that's definitely a possibility just like the sharks lost to the oilers, but still pretty pathetic imo.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Seriously, it's comments like this that prompted me to take the night off from this place.

I'm not on any pedestal. I'm just a hell of a lot more optimistic than way too many posters here, and I can't help but mention that my optimism has been rewarded by three consecutive deep runs by this team in the playoffs, including two titles, while others have looked foolish trashing this team and then having to come back with their tail between their legs.

Where, if anywhere, is it acceptable to write "**** this team" and then roll back to celebrate a championship? (Not saying you did, others have here.) Sorry, not in my book. And then posters get upset for me calling them out when they do.

Maybe I'm the only one to realize that this is an 82-game season. I take into consideration, as others have here, that this team has had three deep runs in the past three seasons. That has to wear on you. Not only that, they have had numerous injuries to one player we expected to contribute mightily to our offense (Gaborik), not to mention the emotional roller-coaster of having one of their best defensemen indefinitely suspended, and subsequently charged with a crime.

Let's not forget that due to other injuries to defensemen, this team played two games shorthanded, have had to train two defensemen never meant to get a sniff at the lineup on the fly, and have had to deal with the league on an unfair suspension and cap hit.

And with all that, these guys are still contending in the West.

A lot of you guys aren't thinking. This team has gone through all this **** and they are still in the hunt, and we still have 54 games to go in the season. 54 games.

I've said it before to others in past seasons, and I will say it again. It is one thing to constructively criticize a team's efforts, it's another thing to blindly trash a team that has rewarded this community, as recently as this past season, with a championship. I'm not concerned because I have faith in this team to bounce back (a reasonable faith that has been rewarded three seasons in a row).

As a reminder (and as an example), this happened back-to-back at home in early 2012 (1-0 losses), and I was at the game both times. Take a look at those PGT threads, listed below. Sound familiar?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1109491
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1111263

Not to mention the famous Let's face it guys, the Kings aren't going to make the playoffs" thread

 

[Trolfoli]

you could ice an all star team slap Kings sweaters on them and they would still find a way to lose in Buffalo..

Buffalo has it down.... don't cheat offensively... play defense... don't give up counter attack opportunities, because the Kings grind it out in the corner game is ineffective at scoring. Same problem as last year... same problem today.

The big difference between last year and this year is last year the Kings were gifted a playoff spot because so many teams in the Pacific were bad. That and Mike Smith got injured going down the stretch when PHX had closed to a couple games in the standings.... Oh yeah and the 3 goal/game pace the Kings put up after the Olympics. This year Vancouver isn't a train wreck because of their coach and Calgary is playing much better.

Can the Kings turn it on at the end of the season and play catch up? Sure we've seen it in the past... does that guarantee the Kings will put up say 3 goals a game all of a sudden and go on a crazy tear?

Oh yeah and Sutter.... right call out Richards for losing the game... You lost the game because your team couldn't score a goal, not because Richards made a mistake. Trying to win 0-0 in a shootout is just stupid because one mistake or bad bounce will cost the game. Lots of bad bounces in hockey.

Just curious did Williams get called out against the Flyers for blowing the coverage on his guy letting him skate right down the middle for a wide open shot? Oh wait that's right he was bumped up with Gaborik/Kopitar for the next game....


Edit: oh yeah and Sutter you lost the game again because your PP sucks!!!

 

[Buddy The Elf]

I think I learned to not ride the emotional roller coaster of a Kings season about 5 or 6 years ago. The way the team has played this season has not been encouraging but its still fairly early in the season. I don't know if it is the cynicism of years past but I fully anticipated last nights result. And I wasn't disappointed.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

I think I learned to not ride the emotional roller coaster of a Kings season about 5 or 6 years ago. The way the team has played this season has not been encouraging but its still fairly early in the season. I don't know if it is the cynicism of years past but I fully anticipated last nights result. And I wasn't disappointed.

The Elf acts like he has been there before.
More people should follow the Elf's example

 

[42]

Except this year, Kopitar is in a career worse year. The Kings are Five points behind last year's pace. Calgary/Van, are legit and much improved.

Carter has 2 Goals in his last 20 games.

The time to turn this ship around, IS RIGHT NOW.

The Kings are missing the playoff's if Kopitar/Carter don't turn it around in the next 20 games.

They will have Dug themselves a hole, they most likely won't recover from.

The Kings would have to pray, SJ/VAN/Calgary all fall off the map. The Kings are 8-9-5 since the 6-0 home-stand.

One thing I noticed about him this year is that his SOG are way down. He's got 57 SOG in 28 games, nowhere near enough to score 30+ goals, which is what pretty much is expected of him. He just doesn't shoot as much as his usual. Not sure to what to attribute this fact.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Regardless though. You guys can keep defending them, and I agree, but honestly, do you enjoy watching this ****? It's gotten to the point that I don't even look forward to Kings games. Just go through the motions for 82 games.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Besides the playoffs we aren't a very exciting team, it's been that way since we hit success. It's the way it is and making the dance is all that matters. It's frustrating during the regular season but the team has shown they never like the easy way. We will bust out of this slump.

 

[Reclamation Project]

The last run, outside of the first three games snide, was some of the best hockey I've ever seen.

 

[sinister6000]

Play Richards on the wing with Kopitar, or Lombardi has to trade Stoll. Because Sutter always goes back to Stoll as the 3rd line center. He loves Jarret Stoll at that spot, and that leaves Richards to have to play with the likes of Cliffford, Nolan, and Lewis. Which makes no sense because he's a playmaker.

 

[deeshamrock]

Every damn game I find myself saying this, but Richards deserves Kopitar's wingers.

That's not gonna happen , Sutter has his own vision of things. That he was more upset at MR making a mistake and costing the Kings a goal last night and identified him as such and not the other kings, who's total indifference shift in and shift out, game in and game out for most of the season, including last night, go with repercussion. MR played a good game last night, he was one of the few Kings who put it out there every shift, but Sutter , as usual, didn't see that again.

Williams blunder in the Flyers game led the GWG and he wasn't called out. Stoll took 3 bad penalties the game before last, the last 2 in the 3rd period that were costly and not a word or reprimand, no he gets Dustin Brown, a scoring winger and gets to stay on the 3rd line (where he'll remain despite how he plays; Sutter will not demote him) and got the majority of PP time on the 2nd unit PP. Richards has worked harder, played better and given a damn in almost every game and to Sutter he remains totally invisible, he never sees the positive . Maybe if he continues to play as well, work as hard and give a damn, he get promoted to the 5th line.

Kopitar has been indifferent , almost going thru the motions in most games and still gets top wingers and PP time. Carter has been MIA with 2 goals since 10/25 and gets top wingers and PP time and also has skated too many shifts lazy and not caring, turnovers, sloppy play. IT doesn't matter how poorly they play, they know they won't move from where they are, so there is no fear of reprimand.

ANd no changes in the lines today, which means another L tomorrow night.

The 'they will flip a switch' in March and 'turn in on when it counts' is just as blasé an attitude as the team has. There is no switch, and the year is nothing like the prior years. The teams in the divison has changed ,the competition is better.
Last year they played very well thru Jan and then took the nose dive for about 6 weeks but had such a bank of points built up they had a safety net.

They don't have the luxury this year and as a fan I am concerned because they don't care that they're putting themselves in a bad position. HOw many points below the 8 mark do they have to be before they wake up? What if Quick gets an injury? All these points they've thrown away thru the first third of the season will come back to haunt them

They need to be the team that takes a 3-1 lead into the third and maintains it and does it on a regular basis. They need to be motivated, hungry and play like they are in the NHL. And Sutter's got a large hand in the teams inconsistency and lazy play as well. If he's that upset that the 'top guys' aren't scoring, they bench Kopi and Carter for a game and embarrass them. But that will NEVER Happen, for the same reason they never get demoted. He has his whipping boys who do get called and they are not in that elite group.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Seriously, it's comments like this that prompted me to take the night off from this place.

I'm not on any pedestal. I'm just a hell of a lot more optimistic than way too many posters here, and I can't help but mention that my optimism has been rewarded by three consecutive deep runs by this team in the playoffs, including two titles, while others have looked foolish trashing this team and then having to come back with their tail between their legs.

Where, if anywhere, is it acceptable to write "**** this team" and then roll back to celebrate a championship? (Not saying you did, others have here.) Sorry, not in my book. And then posters get upset for me calling them out when they do.

Maybe I'm the only one to realize that this is an 82-game season. I take into consideration, as others have here, that this team has had three deep runs in the past three seasons. That has to wear on you. Not only that, they have had numerous injuries to one player we expected to contribute mightily to our offense (Gaborik), not to mention the emotional roller-coaster of having one of their best defensemen indefinitely suspended, and subsequently charged with a crime.

Let's not forget that due to other injuries to defensemen, this team played two games shorthanded, have had to train two defensemen never meant to get a sniff at the lineup on the fly, and have had to deal with the league on an unfair suspension and cap hit.

And with all that, these guys are still contending in the West.

A lot of you guys aren't thinking. This team has gone through all this **** and they are still in the hunt, and we still have 54 games to go in the season. 54 games.

I've said it before to others in past seasons, and I will say it again. It is one thing to constructively criticize a team's efforts, it's another thing to blindly trash a team that has rewarded this community, as recently as this past season, with a championship. I'm not concerned because I have faith in this team to bounce back (a reasonable faith that has been rewarded three seasons in a row).

As a reminder (and as an example), this happened back-to-back at home in early 2012 (1-0 losses), and I was at the game both times. Take a look at those PGT threads, listed below. Sound familiar?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1109491
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1111263

This is 100% different than what you were writing last night and I can get on board with this. Optimism is good; blind optimism coupled with "you people"s and "I told you so"s is not.

I feel better this morning too but much of that is due to Helene's article as it seems like DL isn't just sitting on his hands; he's been remarking about the hunger of the Manchester kids and it seems like he's plotting. Like others, I'm not suggesting a blowup, but it's pretty clear complacency out there when people are losing focus on routine plays. The problem is the changes that were necessitated--like McBain--came in and played hungry. They made mistakes but the team played BETTER with 'the replacements' running around. Now that we have just about everyone back, the lull is in. I don't care how optimistic our posters are or that we are in the golden age of Kings hockey (which I believe), that is troubling.

And again, I'll stress I'm 100% with you on this and maybe I am more than most--I really do believe that three deep runs tear you up.

 

[deeshamrock]

This is 100% different than what you were writing last night and I can get on board with this. Optimism is good; blind optimism coupled with "you people"s and "I told you so"s is not.

I feel better this morning too but much of that is due to Helene's article as it seems like DL isn't just sitting on his hands; he's been remarking about the hunger of the Manchester kids and it seems like he's plotting. Like others, I'm not suggesting a blowup, but it's pretty clear complacency out there when people are losing focus on routine plays. The problem is the changes that were necessitated--like McBain--came in and played hungry. They made mistakes but the team played BETTER with 'the replacements' running around. Now that we have just about everyone back, the lull is in. I don't care how optimistic our posters are or that we are in the golden age of Kings hockey (which I believe), that is troubling.

And again, I'll stress I'm 100% with you on this and maybe I am more than most--I really do believe that three deep runs tear you up.

Complacency is much better fit than indifference which I used. And complacency is very dangerous thing, it's contagious and extremely hard to break free of because it's a mental challenge.
Agree on DL not sitting on his hands. He's spoken freely about how he feels this team has the potential to be dynastic, because hat is a short (as he put it, post Cup 1) 5 year window. Other teams get better, stronger and the road gets harder.

I do believe as the rumors have stated on the last month or so, that he wants to upgrade at D (and I think Voynov has played his last game as a King) and he has to recognize the wingers on the bottom 2 lines have to be upgraded. JW has moved back to the 1st line and that leaves Brown as the only scoring winger and that won't cut it , not with the teams they'll have to face.

I don't think he'll make a move pre xmas trade lockdown (12/19) but I do think between when that is lifted thru the deadline he'll make at least one if not 2 moves. If he wants one of those hungry kids to come up and contribute, that should be done in Jan, giving then 40 games or so to get their feet wet. And King and/or Cliford or Nolan getting moved for a pick would do that

 

[taz346]

This place is really depressing sometimes. So many fans who think they know more than Sutter; finding fault with his decisions. Funny, how after taking this team to the finals and 2 cups, he suddenly doesn't know what he's doing.
If people had been following the Kings for many,many years, they'd be aware of the fact that this is an up and down team, as most teams are. Some nights they shine bright and other nights they fade like the sunset.
Maybe it'd been better if they'd never won those cups because peoples expectations are so ridiculously outrageous.
These guys are humans, not machines.
They're going through a slump right now, but I trust Sutter to get them out of it. If it's personal problems or whatever, he'll handle it.
Games like last night, how about giving the other teams credit for winning, rather than tearing the Kings players apart.

Also, if any old timers are around, you're aware of Ted Nolan and his past problems. He was drummed out of the NHL years ago due to some problems over a certain star goalie and a GM. His last coaching job was in Latvia, where he made a winning team of them. He had been a great player in his time. He now has an NHL coaching job and has a lot to prove, to the NHL and to himself. Like I said before, don't short change him.

 

[damacles1156]

My concern is kopitar/carter. You people do realize that they are both on career worse trajectories right ?

Carter has 2 goals in his last 20 games folks. The Kings are not going to win games with those two not scoring. That is a huge red flag.

I would agree with the flip the switch thing , if the two top point producers were right as rain. But if the production doesn't pick up , there will be no switch flipped.

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

Some good posts this morning. I think a lot of posters realize that the Sabres have our number in Buffalo. (Huge credit to Ted Nolan.). But if last night's 1-0 loss had been to the Oilers, though...

I think what is disturbing is not one game in isolation, but the recent trend.

Part of the fun (?) of being a fan is the emotional highs and lows, which I fully participate in, but I learned in the San Jose series that the Kings are mentally strong and to never count them out. After Game 3 I thought it was over.

Re. The Manchester boys, which ones are we thinking about? The kid with the most buzz is Nick Shore and he's a center. Wingers?