News Article: ESPN'S Panel picks their Div, Conf and Cup winners

[Alisa]

I have so enjoyed watching us go from a team that nobody in the media respected/acknowledged to where we are today. Amazing and about time!

Me too! I had been telling people that I'm okay with the Kings dropping the ball this year, and wasn't necessarily expecting us to go far. You know, cup one year, conf finals the next... As a fan who is used to disappointments, lol, I can only expect failure this year. But after reading that we are essentially favorites, what the hell guys, let's just go ahead and win anther one and make it official.

Seriously though, I'm excited for this year. We have a lot coming together. It could be a long season

 

[T2M]

Coyotes eh? Allllllright......

Before 2012 it was "Kings eh? Alllllright......" One amazing cup run and a trip to the WCF the next season and this team is a proven reality, but, frankly, nobody would have been surprised if the 2012 team barely missed the playoffs and had to seriously consider retooling after making the playoffs and being ousted in the first round the 2 seasons prior. Winning is a catalyst, but I think we all forget that the team we beat in the WCF in 2012 was Phoenix. If Smith comes to play, what Dave Tippet can do with that team should scare all of us. The man is the coaching equivalent of Rumpelstiltskin, consistently turning straw into gold.

 

[kingsfan]

Preseason favorites are always such ********. Pens won't win jack with their goaltending. I think the Blues could take a step back this year. And San Jose? Give me a ****ing break.

There's always this idea of these "powerhouse" teams with a great lineup. Give me the team that's hottest going in to the playoffs or after round 1.

I agree with you on everything but St. Louis. If they didn't run into us each year I think they'd be in the 3rd round or further each of the past two seasons. They are built just like us, only we have more skill up front and in net. If St. Louis can ever avoid having to face us they could a long ways.

Are you implying SJ has no chance because of their past playoff failures?

That's kind of like saying the same thing about the Kings prior to June of 2012.

Really? We had two failures, both of which while we were the youngest team in the entire league. Then we won the cup and made the 3rd round again last year. SJ has been a contender since before Drew Doughty hit puberty and they usually can't make it out of round two.

Here is something from a writer named Ryan Dunn I agree with.

"They have the pieces to win the Stanley Cup again, provided that Robyn Regehr, Matt Greene, and Willie Mitchell are able to play shutdown defense once more (or in Regehr’s case, ever), and Daniel Carcillo never touches the ice."

Anyone that says Robyn Regehr hasn't ever played shutdown hockey is a dolt. The guy might not be the rock he once was, but when he was in Calgary he was the backbone of the defense that came within a game of winning a cup.

Before 2012 it was "Kings eh? Alllllright......" One amazing cup run and a trip to the WCF the next season and this team is a proven reality, but, frankly, nobody would have been surprised if the 2012 team barely missed the playoffs and had to seriously consider retooling after making the playoffs and being ousted in the first round the 2 seasons prior. Winning is a catalyst, but I think we all forget that the team we beat in the WCF in 2012 was Phoenix. If Smith comes to play, what Dave Tippet can do with that team should scare all of us. The man is the coaching equivalent of Rumpelstiltskin, consistently turning straw into gold.

Only thing is, before 2012 no one was saying the Kings would win the cup that I recall.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I agree with you on everything but St. Louis. If they didn't run into us each year I think they'd be in the 3rd round or further each of the past two seasons. They are built just like us, only we have more skill up front and in net. If St. Louis can ever avoid having to face us they could a long ways.



Really? We had two failures, both of which while we were the youngest team in the entire league. Then we won the cup and made the 3rd round again last year. SJ has been a contender since before Drew Doughty hit puberty and they usually can't make it out of round two.



Anyone that says Robyn Regehr hasn't ever played shutdown hockey is a dolt. The guy might not be the rock he once was, but when he was in Calgary he was the backbone of the defense that came within a game of winning a cup.



Only thing is, before 2012 no one was saying the Kings would win the cup that I recall.

Regehr played in the playoffs last season with a torn bursa sac. Whether or not he played good or not is beside the point, when you're going into battle that is the kind of guy you want next to you (or in my case well in front of you). The Kings are loaded with guys like that, I think that's what separates them from most other NHL clubs. I think the Kings will better this season because you're replacing lazy shifts from Penner with in your face shifts from Frattin and Quick was able to train this summer rather than re-hab. Looking forward to another season as a confident King fan, expect them to win each game I watch which is a great feeling.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Really? We had two failures, both of which while we were the youngest team in the entire league. Then we won the cup and made the 3rd round again last year. SJ has been a contender since before Drew Doughty hit puberty and they usually can't make it out of round two.

How long have you been following the Kings? Up until 2012, their entire 45-year existence could have been deemed a failure. Just stop.

 

[kingsfan]

How long have you been following the Kings? Up until 2012, their entire 45-year existence could have been deemed a failure. Just stop.

Oh, so were going to be looking at 45 years of history now, as opposed to the time that a teams core can actually be held accountable for?

Is it Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty's fault the Kings history is mostly a litany of flops? Of course not. Are they the reason the Kings won a cup in 2012 and made the semi-finals the next year? Not completely, but a good chunk of it is.

Is it Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski's fault the Sharks haven't won a cup ever, or even made the finals? Of course not. Is it their fault the Sharks haven't claimed a cup in the past nine years, many of which they were either a favorite or a darkhorse to win the cup? Not completely, but a good chunk of it is.

I guess though we should just look at a teams history for ever and just give props to the one that has the most cups. I guess Toronto is just the second best team ever then, huh?

There's no way I'd 'just stop.' You are, again, playing the roll of antagonist, I assume just for kicks. Please, post your we won't make the playoffs thread again, so that the team can go 82-0. Seems like the more you complain and rally against the team you profess to cheer for, the more they win.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

There's no way I'd 'just stop.' You are, again, playing the roll of antagonist, I assume just for kicks. Please, post your we won't make the playoffs thread again, so that the team can go 82-0. Seems like the more you complain and rally against the team you profess to cheer for, the more they win.

Settle down, Turbo...I'm not complaining (at the moment), I just wouldn't write off SJ....yet. I think SJ outplayed us in the playoffs last year...had it not been for Quick, it would have been SJ in the WCF.

 

[etherialone]

Only thing is, before 2012 no one was saying the Kings would win the cup that I recall.

Well I wouldn't say nobody was saying the Kings would win the cup in 2012.....

 

[CNS]

Are you implying SJ has no chance because of their past playoff failures?

That's kind of like saying the same thing about the Kings prior to June of 2012.

No. I'm implying the Sharks have done nothing to improve. They've had the same core for a while now and even adding *shudders* good? young players like Couture hasn't gotten them over the edge. They simply won't win a cup with this core. Period. They'll be par for the course - make the playoffs, do nothing substantial. As long as that team makes the playoffs, Wilson and McLellan will continue to be allowed to let that team fail. And I'm fine with that.

 

[etherialone]

No. I'm implying the Sharks have done nothing to improve. They've had the same core for a while now and even adding *shudders* good? young players like Couture hasn't gotten them over the edge. They simply won't win a cup with this core. Period. They'll be par for the course - make the playoffs, do nothing substantial. As long as that team makes the playoffs, Wilson and McLellan will continue to be allowed to let that team fail. And I'm fine with that.

I agree.

Sure hypothetically it still holds true that anyone can win the cup any season but in some cases or in fact most cases you can look at a team and how it has progressed in order to determine how legitimate a chance at winning the cup they have.

The Sharks have had significantly more talented rosters over the past 7 years and have yet to win the cup or even be a true contender imo. Will they be good this year? Sure. Will the be good enough to compete for the cup I guess so but they clearly aren't close to being favorites or maybe it is better to say that they have added nothing to their team this offseason to make me believe that they are better then they were last year or the year before that etc.

 

[kingsfan]

Settle down, Turbo...I'm not complaining (at the moment), I just wouldn't write off SJ....yet. I think SJ outplayed us in the playoffs last year...had it not been for Quick, it would have been SJ in the WCF.

Nice backpeddle hero.

And of course they would have made the 3rd round because they were the only other team in that second round series. Someone had to advance. If St. Louis had beat us in round one and advanced to play San Jose I don't think SJ wins that series though. SJ is on the decline, not improving.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Nice backpeddle hero.

And of course they would have made the 3rd round because they were the only other team in that second round series. Someone had to advance. If St. Louis had beat us in round one and advanced to play San Jose I don't think SJ wins that series though. SJ is on the decline, not improving.

Backpeddle? You lost me there....

SJ demolished Vancouver...and I hate to say it, they made the Kings look silly more times than I'd like to remember in that 2nd round series.

All I'm saying is if your going to discount SJ due to their past failures, it sounds pretty f-ing stupid coming from a Kings fan.

Kings have two years of success (one of them where they were closer to missing the playoffs than winning a cup) and all of sudden we are the elite of the elite and laughing at all of these other 'loser' teams who've accomplished nothing? I don't think so...let's win a division now and then we can start being taken seriously as a perennial contender.

 

[kingsfan]

Backpeddle? You lost me there....

SJ demolished Vancouver...and I hate to say it, they made the Kings look silly more times than I'd like to remember in that 2nd round series.

All I'm saying is if your going to discount SJ due to their past failures, it sounds pretty f-ing stupid coming from a Kings fan.

Kings have two years of success (one of them where they were closer to missing the playoffs than winning a cup) and all of sudden we are the elite of the elite and laughing at all of these other 'loser' teams who've accomplished nothing? I don't think so...let's win a division now and then we can start being taken seriously as a perennial contender.

Made us look silly? Who won the series?

And no, it wasn't all because of Quick.

I'm discrediting the current SJ core for their failings, I'm not sure why you keep failing to understand that. No one on this board or SJ's board cares anymore about the success/failure of Rogie Vachon or Kelly Kisio. The current cores is all that needs to be discussed, and our core has out done theirs in far less time.

And whose laughing at 'loser' teams? I'm not laughing, but I'm certainly giving us more of a chance at the cup than SJ.

Btw, if you think a Stanley Cup and two straight seasons in the final four doesn't count us as a perrenial contender but a division title does, you may want to rethink your understanding of what's more important in this game.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Btw, if you think a Stanley Cup and two straight seasons in the final four doesn't count us as a perrenial contender but a division title does, you may want to rethink your understanding of what's more important in this game.

You do realize that winning the division might guarantee home ice advantage during the playoffs, right? You do realize that that winning the conference would definitely guarantee that, right?
You do realize that perennial contenders are expected to have home ice in the playoffs because its supposed to be an advantage, right?

You think that might have helped our chances against CHI last year? I tell you what, it's one of the only reasons why we got past SJ.

 

[kingsfan]

You do realize that winning the division might guarantee home ice advantage during the playoffs, right? You do realize that that winning the conference would definitely guarantee that, right?
You do realize that perennial contenders are expected to have home ice in the playoffs because its supposed to be an advantage, right?

You think that might have helped our chances against CHI last year? I tell you what, it's one of the only reasons why we got past SJ.

Is having home ice a benefit? Of course. That doesn't mean that we aren't right now a perennial contender but we will be if we get a division banner. You do realize that winning a cup is the ultimate goal and we achieved that.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Is having home ice a benefit? Of course. That doesn't mean that we aren't right now a perennial contender but we will be if we get a division banner. You do realize that winning a cup is the ultimate goal and we achieved that.

Then I guess we can all go home now, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[T2M]

Only thing is, before 2012 no one was saying the Kings would win the cup that I recall.

I can't recall if anybody did or not, but mind you we also didn't have a WCF in the last 2 years either. Phoenix is the wildcard in the division and have been for the last few years. Let's just say that a hot streak in the playoffs with a couple of players playing above their abilities wouldn't surprise me in the least and we all know what can happen what those stars align.