Deadspin: Where Did the Kings' Offense Come From?
- Thread starter Ziggy Stardust
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Easy... Pearson was brought up and put in the top 6 after the Olympic break. I'm not saying it is all Pearson, more it is the no grinders in the top 6. After the Olympic break I believe Nolan had 1 game in the top 6 the week or 2 after in the top 6 and again in the first few Sharks games.
The addition of Gaborik also spread out the Kings offense. Before the Kings maybe had 1 dangerous line that would go up against the other teams top line. Now if you want to shut down the Kings first line, the 2/3 lines are scoring threats as well.
Oh yeah and abandoning the Kings snail slow break out plan.
Honorable mention to Crawford
The addition of Gaborik also spread out the Kings offense. Before the Kings maybe had 1 dangerous line that would go up against the other teams top line. Now if you want to shut down the Kings first line, the 2/3 lines are scoring threats as well.
Oh yeah and abandoning the Kings snail slow break out plan.
Honorable mention to Crawford
Winger23
Registered User
- May 3, 2007
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Easy... Pearson was brought up and put in the top 6 after the Olympic break. I'm not saying it is all Pearson, more it is the no grinders in the top 6. After the Olympic break I believe Nolan had 1 game in the top 6 the week or 2 after in the top 6 and again in the first few Sharks games.
The addition of Gaborik also spread out the Kings offense. Before the Kings maybe had 1 dangerous line that would go up against the other teams top line. Now if you want to shut down the Kings first line, the 2/3 lines are scoring threats as well.
Oh yeah and abandoning the Kings snail slow break out plan.
Honorable mention to Crawford
Imo its the system. The system requires high energy that just can't be sustained over a full season. The kings feast on turnovers from a heavy forecheck, thus when they play with more energy the scoring goes up. This is the reason they have struggled against the hawks as well since they have a very mobile defensive group.
Of course adding gabs helped a ton. It should be interesting with carter now appearing to be healthier if the kings can take advantage of having 2 great snipers playing on different lines...
Twin
West Coast Hockey
In that third period it seemed like the defense of the Hawks slipped alot. We had several odd man rushes in the third that wet my whistle.
etherialone
dialed in your mom
I have asked myself and others including JackF if they had any opinions on our ability to find O at times without any problem and how the style of how we execute our system seems to be evolving and everyone points to the system and how when we play it to a T it forces other teams to make mistakes that we can capitalize on.
That may be true but it cant be the entire truth. I mean before Gabby came to the team we had a much harder time finding so much balance to our game which is where I see our O coming from, team balance.
But even then you have to see the impact that having Carter moved to C and having TT and TP as his wingers as playing a HUGE part of the way things have changed too. Likely it is a combination of all of these things and more but in the end this team sure seems to have taken its game up another notch.
I thought we had the horses before the playoffs started but any doubt has been removed. I mean every team can always get better but we sure look more than capable of winning things today. More so then we did a couple of months ago.
That may be true but it cant be the entire truth. I mean before Gabby came to the team we had a much harder time finding so much balance to our game which is where I see our O coming from, team balance.
But even then you have to see the impact that having Carter moved to C and having TT and TP as his wingers as playing a HUGE part of the way things have changed too. Likely it is a combination of all of these things and more but in the end this team sure seems to have taken its game up another notch.
I thought we had the horses before the playoffs started but any doubt has been removed. I mean every team can always get better but we sure look more than capable of winning things today. More so then we did a couple of months ago.
Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
The addition of Gaborik and bringing up Toffoli and Pearson and shifting Carter to C suddenly gave this team a huge boost in depth.
This is the lineup that opened the season for the Kings:
King-Kopitar-Williams
Frattin-Richards-Carter
Brown-Stoll-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Nolan
Regehr-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Muzzin-Greene
Quick-Scrivens
Scratches: Carcillo, Martinez
Changes to the lineup have made the biggest difference. Look at how weak that opening night lineup is compared to this:
Gaborik-Kopitar-Brown
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
King-Richards-Williams
Clifford-Stoll-Lewis
Muzzin-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Martinez-Greene
Quick-Jones
Scratches: Nolan, Schultz, Regehr (inj.)
In a matter of months, those changes made the team younger, faster, and a lot more difficult to defend against. That wasn't the case with this team up until the Olympic break.
This is the lineup that opened the season for the Kings:
King-Kopitar-Williams
Frattin-Richards-Carter
Brown-Stoll-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Nolan
Regehr-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Muzzin-Greene
Quick-Scrivens
Scratches: Carcillo, Martinez
Changes to the lineup have made the biggest difference. Look at how weak that opening night lineup is compared to this:
Gaborik-Kopitar-Brown
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
King-Richards-Williams
Clifford-Stoll-Lewis
Muzzin-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Martinez-Greene
Quick-Jones
Scratches: Nolan, Schultz, Regehr (inj.)
In a matter of months, those changes made the team younger, faster, and a lot more difficult to defend against. That wasn't the case with this team up until the Olympic break.
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Pixie dust.
This is it, imo. In addition to our high-pressure game we're able to really bear down in the playoffs...and in both games in this series you've seen the team with the lead get a chance to absolutely bury the other team when they start trying to take chances.
This is it, imo. In addition to our high-pressure game we're able to really bear down in the playoffs...and in both games in this series you've seen the team with the lead get a chance to absolutely bury the other team when they start trying to take chances.
Twin
West Coast Hockey
Reclamation Project
Cut It All Right In Two
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Pucknut50
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2007
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I really liked the King-Stoll-Brown line and we switched to these lines I feel Kings that much better.
Gaborik-Kopitar-Williams
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
King-Stoll-Brown
Clifford-Richards-Lewis
King RAZZ
Los Cucarachas
Omni Owl
▽
- Mar 9, 2008
- 6,932
- 1,603
Its funny looking back at this. We all had so much hope that Frattin would come in and fill that 2nd line LW spot. He turned out to be a huge non-factor and scratched most of the time. The addition of Gaborik and the emergence of Pearson/Toffoli has made a world of difference. I'm hoping DL finds a way to keep Gaborik. He helps make that top line lethal...
123slam
Registered User
- Dec 28, 2006
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It's just that we have more creativity now. We actually have players (Carter, Gabby, Kopi, Top Titty, Pears, Stick) that can make those plays in tight situations. No longer do we have Brown or King on the wings losing the puck as soon as they are pressured. We had absolutely no offensive skill on the wings, and now we have a ton more.
Rorschach
Who the f*** is Trevor Moore?
The offense starts with the defense. Martinez and Muzzin stepping up, pressure was relieved from Doughty too. Then add two scorers, the move of Carter back to center...that made our middle stronger on the offensive side...Pearson keeping up with Carter made for a dangerous 2nd line. Toffoli pushed Williams down along with Brown going to the first line...we all know about Williams' success.
Gabby gets two credits...not only igniting Kopitar but finally fixing the PP1 unit. And the push down from that unit made the PP2 better as well.
Basically Lombardi and Sutter are evil geniuses.
Gabby gets two credits...not only igniting Kopitar but finally fixing the PP1 unit. And the push down from that unit made the PP2 better as well.
Basically Lombardi and Sutter are evil geniuses.
Reclamation Project
Cut It All Right In Two
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Another Carter Snipe
Terminated User
Gabs plus the two kids ready for the primetime.
Gaborik is a perfect fit with Anze, and he's produced beautifully (as well as upped Kopitar's game.).
Pearson has 9 points in 14 games, Toffoli with 9 points in 16 games, and those haven't been empty points either. We're talking huge plays from both of them. Sutter put them alongside Carts and you get a damn good second line.
Gaborik is a perfect fit with Anze, and he's produced beautifully (as well as upped Kopitar's game.).
Pearson has 9 points in 14 games, Toffoli with 9 points in 16 games, and those haven't been empty points either. We're talking huge plays from both of them. Sutter put them alongside Carts and you get a damn good second line.
Chain
Registered User
- Feb 2, 2014
- 1,183
- 0
Like most things, it's probably a combination of factors.
Adding Gaborik definitely helped. Adding Toffoli and Pearson did as well. Then the line changes.
On top of that, even though some of the vets aren't the fastest guys around, there is a lot of mental toughness going around and they don't seem to be phased when the going gets roughed. If anything, it seems like they have trouble getting up for the game until it's on the line - like those boxers and MMA fighters who don't feel like they're at their best until they get punched in the face.
If they can just keep the little mental mistakes to a minimum - the poor passes, the offsides, and bad penalties - this teams got a great shot at taking the whole burrito.
Adding Gaborik definitely helped. Adding Toffoli and Pearson did as well. Then the line changes.
On top of that, even though some of the vets aren't the fastest guys around, there is a lot of mental toughness going around and they don't seem to be phased when the going gets roughed. If anything, it seems like they have trouble getting up for the game until it's on the line - like those boxers and MMA fighters who don't feel like they're at their best until they get punched in the face.
If they can just keep the little mental mistakes to a minimum - the poor passes, the offsides, and bad penalties - this teams got a great shot at taking the whole burrito.
Basilisk
Registered User
- Aug 5, 2012
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LoL, I still want Frattin back! LoL, the dude hit 14 goal posts....... He was gunna be good here.......
BigKing
Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
There are a select few of us that were banging the Carter at 2C drum since July of last year while I was rolling out projected lineups with Toffoli attached to Carter's hip. Laughed at those that said "Can't have two shooters on the same line" then and I laugh even harder now.
Both guys have great shots; however, it doesn't mean they aren't gifted offensive players that can make passes as well. Still can't believe some people and there NES Hockey way of thinking.
Gaborik addition is huge, obviously, but the main thing for me is that this team has a second line that produces as opposed to a Richards-led 2nd line that is busy fishing the puck out of its own net...especially when Carter was put up with Kopitar and all of the eggs were in one basket.
Both guys have great shots; however, it doesn't mean they aren't gifted offensive players that can make passes as well. Still can't believe some people and there NES Hockey way of thinking.
Gaborik addition is huge, obviously, but the main thing for me is that this team has a second line that produces as opposed to a Richards-led 2nd line that is busy fishing the puck out of its own net...especially when Carter was put up with Kopitar and all of the eggs were in one basket.
