Dean Lombardi Appreciation Thread

[KINGS17]

I do not, and never will, buy this meme of "the NHL has CHANGED, man...all about speed and skill now!" As if speed and skill were never valued in professional hockey until two years ago.

The 2012-2014 Kings would be just as dominant in 2018 as they were back then. Yes, trends do happen around the league. Teams are always trying to emulate Cup winners. But that doesn't mean a hard hitting, physically imposing team like the 2012 Kings could not find success in today's NHL.

As far as Blake goes, I remain rather unimpressed by him. So far, he really hasn't done much. His big coaching hire was a guy who had already been on the bench for years. He has held on to his picks, and some of them look promising. He managed to sign Kovalchuk. He hasn't continued to torpedo the team's future like DL post-2014, but he also hasn't signaled any new direction or definitive long term plan. If anything, he's still riding the fumes of his predecessor's success. And by all intents, Lombardi seemed to moving into the same neutral gear after 15/16.

Until Blake moves out of DL's shadow and truly takes the team in a new direction, he's basically the same GM.

I tend to agree with all of your points here. There were teams relying on speed and skill in the 2011-12 through 2013-14 seasons. The problem most of them had against the Kings was the Kings had superior goaltending, good to very good puck moving defensemen, and a forecheck that exposed the oppositions smaller defensemen and wingers.

The Blackhawks gave the Kings the most trouble because they were ultra-skilled with the likes of Hossa, Kane, Sharp, Toews, and Keith.

The closest the Kings came to looking in the mirror was the St. Louis series in 2013. The Blues decided to fight fire with fire and it almost worked. Swap Quick (who had a .944 save percentage in that series) for Elliott and it is probably a series win for the Blues. That series was very low scoring, but if you couldn't appreciate it as a fan, you're missing the point on what the best of NHL playoff hockey is supposed to be all about.

I think Dean did a great job of building a team for us to watch over three seasons which may be the most exciting Kings hockey we will ever see. I am hopeful the current management team will soon get on with the business of rebuilding.

 

[Herby]

The biggest difference between Blake and Lombardi is with the draft. I was watching a video on someone (maybe JAD) and Futa was interviewed and mentioned how JAD was the type of player they had neglected for awhile and were trying to add (paraphrase).

But I do agree, that Blake has been way to vanilla. I can kind of understand it when he first took over, they either had to decide to start over or keep going. They went with keep going and almost everyone returned and they once again didn't win a playoff game. That is when the huge changes should have been implemented. I fear that Blake may not have enough gamble as a GM, Blake is like the nit at the poker table who only plays big pairs and A-K. Signing Kovalchuk has been his biggest gamble, but it only cost cap space. I want to see what he gets for Muzzin, Toffoli, Pearson or Martinez, someone like that.

 

[tonellisghost]

I have been very vocal about my love for DL since his hiring day but towards the end he would shut himself in his office and brood unlike any other. I understand but there was more to it then simple understanding that you had lost control of things.

So I will always give DL a pass for doing the absolute impossible in bringing us two cups. The guy gets a flat out pass. Now that he is gone I like what I see from RB at the draft (as has been said by other smarter better posters) but he might have to give in and make a couple of key personnel changes before the season slips away. It's early but it isn't long before it's too late.

 

[mrkolice]

An oasis typically has water, not diarrhea...

true, and that is sad. but compare this with a cesspit threat about pig stevens in space. it's like a walk in the park.

 

[KINGS17]

I have been very vocal about my love for DL since his hiring day but towards the end he would shut himself in his office and brood unlike any other. I understand but there was more to it then simple understanding that you had lost control of things.

So I will always give DL a pass for doing the absolute impossible in bringing us two cups. The guy gets a flat out pass. Now that he is gone I like what I see from RB at the draft (as has been said by other smarter better posters) but he might have to give in and make a couple of key personnel changes before the season slips away. It's early but it isn't long before it's too late.

Hey, hey, I placed Stevens in the company of immortals like John Glenn and Neil Armstrong in that thread.

 

[BigKing]

The biggest difference between Blake and Lombardi is with the draft. I was watching a video on someone (maybe JAD) and Futa was interviewed and mentioned how JAD was the type of player they had neglected for awhile and were trying to add (paraphrase).

But I do agree, that Blake has been way to vanilla. I can kind of understand it when he first took over, they either had to decide to start over or keep going. They went with keep going and almost everyone returned and they once again didn't win a playoff game. That is when the huge changes should have been implemented. I fear that Blake may not have enough gamble as a GM, Blake is like the nit at the poker table who only plays big pairs and A-K. Signing Kovalchuk has been his biggest gamble, but it only cost cap space. I want to see what he gets for Muzzin, Toffoli, Pearson or Martinez, someone like that.

Which is kind of funny since he supposedly oozes character and his backstory seems like something DL would really latch on to. I understand it is the player type and not the player, but I feel like DL would have liked him.

As an aside, anyone else get an Oscar Moller vibe off of him?

 

[DryIslandBartender]

I tend to agree with all of your points here. There were teams relying on speed and skill in the 2011-12 through 2013-14 seasons. The problem most of them had against the Kings was the Kings had superior goaltending, good to very good puck moving defensemen, and a forecheck that exposed the oppositions smaller defensemen and wingers.

The Blackhawks gave the Kings the most trouble because they were ultra-skilled with the likes of Hossa, Kane, Sharp, Toews, and Keith.

The closest the Kings came to looking in the mirror was the St. Louis series in 2013. The Blues decided to fight fire with fire and it almost worked. Swap Quick (who had a .944 save percentage in that series) for Elliott and it is probably a series win for the Blues. That series was very low scoring, but if you couldn't appreciate it as a fan, you're missing the point on what the best of NHL playoff hockey is supposed to be all about.

I think Dean did a great job of building a team for us to watch over three seasons which may be the most exciting Kings hockey we will ever see. I am hopeful the current management team will soon get on with the business of rebuilding.

Agree but regarding your last paragraph and specifically this current management team. I don’t see any success from them. There’s a lack of experience in terms of building a team and how they (Blake and Luc) got their jobs in the first place. Dean emphasized culture a lot and what it means to wear a kings jersey etc. Dean really meant it, with Luc and Co. it comes off as a sales job to fill the season ticket quotas to me. Or maybe it’s phony because I know Luc knifed Dean Lombardi in the back to get control of the franchise.

I don’t know, certainly there’s not a lot of Dean Lombardi’s but should the wheels fall off, the Kings should be looking outside the organization for someone with lots of hockey knowledge, connections and leadership.

Stop with the Dave Taylors, Vachons, Luc’s etc. They are great players but doesn’t mean they are terrific managers.

 

[KINGS17]

Which is kind of funny since he supposedly oozes character and his backstory seems like something DL would really latch on to. I understand it is the player type and not the player, but I feel like DL would have liked him.

As an aside, anyone else get an Oscar Moller vibe off of him?

He's cute, but too small to be effective in the NHL?

 

[KINGS17]

Agree but regarding your last paragraph and specifically this current management team. I don’t see any success from them. There’s a lack of experience in terms of building a team and how they (Blake and Luc) got their jobs in the first place. Dean emphasized culture a lot and what it means to wear a kings jersey etc. Dean really meant it, with Luc and Co. it comes off as a sales job to fill the season ticket quotas to me. Or maybe it’s phony because I know Luc knifed Dean Lombardi in the back to get control of the franchise.

I don’t know, certainly there’s not a lot of Dean Lombardi’s but should the wheels fall off, the Kings should be looking outside the organization for someone with lots of hockey knowledge, connections and leadership.

Stop with the Dave Taylors, Vachons, Luc’s etc. They are great players but doesn’t mean they are terrific managers.

I agree 100%. I don't expect a Robitaille-led regime to be successful.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Which is kind of funny since he supposedly oozes character and his backstory seems like something DL would really latch on to. I understand it is the player type and not the player, but I feel like DL would have liked him.

As an aside, anyone else get an Oscar Moller vibe off of him?

Ah man. In a positive way, yes, not in a "breaks collarbone, fades into obscurity" way. Tenacious, agile, pretty fearless, despite smaller stature. I can see it.