Game #44 Kings vs. Wild SOL 2-1

[Whiskeypete]

lack of skill and lack of offensive creativity - period. need to finish and need to keep a defense off guard. i've said this for years. this team has struggled and been near the bottom of the league in shooting %. puck possession time and 30+ shots a game don't mean anything, when you can't score.

the team has to look at creating a different mindset or philosophy in the O zone. the constant cycling and current shot mentality is epic fail. team's today (including LA) play D to counter this. yet LA goes down on offense and plays this passive O game that lets the other team essentially dictate what will happen.

it's just frustrating to sit and watch this night after night. for the goalies to post shutouts or only 1 goal for this team to win.

 

[ibleedkings]

Im sure Sutter will think the fix is to put Greene in and sit Amart.

Barf!

 

[TimbeS]

I'm worried about Richards too

.......

I, for the life of me, cannot understand why Sutter changed his lines when the team was doing so well at the time. In fact, I think Mike Richards was tied with Kopitar for the team lead in scoring at the time. Am I missing something here. And for those of you who have this sudden hate-on for Richards, you should remember that Lombardi`s deal for him and Carter had a great deal to do (not all of it) with the Stanley Cup win. I`m giving him a lot of lee-way just for that fact.

Yeah, I thought of this too. Right now I feel like we should try something like 74-11-14 and 23-10-77 for our top 6. Richards and Carter really have a great chemistry, yea Richie played well with Toffoli earlier but now that Toffoli is having a slump too it's not looking good. MR is my favourite player and I have a gut feeling that he is getting traded sooner or later if he doesn't improve dramatically...

 

[KingsFan7824]

Since the start of the 11-12 season:

Carter - 98GP, 47G, .480gpg
Brown - 171GP, 48G, .281gpg
Kopitar - 173GP, 48G, .277gpg
Toffoli - 40GP, 11G, .275gpg
Williams - 174GP, 46G, .264gpg
Richards - 166GP, 36G, .217gpg
King - 118GP, 19G, .161gpg
Stoll - 166GP, 19G, .114gpg
Clifford - 164GP, 15G, .091gpg
Nolan - 107GP, 9G, .084gpg
Lewis - 155GP, 8G, .052gpg
Fraser - 122GP, 4G, .033gpg

This season:

Carter - 34GP, 15G, .441gpg
Toffoli - 30GP, 9G, .300gpg
Kopitar - 44GP, 13G, .295gpg
Williams - 44GP, 13G, .295gpg
King - 44GP, 10G, .227gpg
Brown - 43GP, 8G, .186gpg
Stoll - 40GP, 6G, .150gpg
Richards - 44GP, 6G, .136gpg
Nolan - 37GP, 5G, .135gpg
Clifford - 35GP, 3G, .086gpg
Fraser - 21GP, 0G, .000gpg
Lewis - 35GP, 0G, .000gpg

Lewis and Fraser are sort of negligible either way, although 1 or 2 goals from those two could be an extra point in the standings somewhere along the way. Clifford is about the same. Everyone else is actually scoring more per game this season than in recent seasons combined, except for Carter, but he's so far and away the best goal scorer that he deserves a little slack.

Then there's Brown and Richards. If you take their numbers since 11-12, and average them out in the games they've played this year, they should each have 4 more goals right now. Hardly Stamkos or Ovechkin levels. You add 8 more goals to the Kings totals at this point, 8 more goals in 44 games, how many extra points in the standings would that be?

 

[Ollie Weeks]

I wish we had 4 Dwight Kings, I really do.

 

[KINGS17]

Ever since King left that line , Richards/Toffoli have been garbage.

King is having one hell of a season , guy makes 750k .....

It's great to see a guy improve and gain confidence in his game. I wasn't sure this is what would happen, but I definitely wanted to see what a first-time training camp and full season under Sutter would do for guys like King and Nolan. Both have responded quite well in the roles they have been asked to play.

Now Sutter really needs to get the young guys that are playing just ok back on the right track and reaching their full potential. Guys like Voynov and Toffoli.

 

[KINGS17]

I'm worried about Richards too but let's put some perspective on it. I haven't seen the team W-L calendar one of our posters was putting up recently but relate the recent run of Ls`to Sutters line-up changes and you may be unpleasantly surprised to finding a relationship between poor team performance and a lack of scoring by Richards (and other`s).

You cannot expect Mike Richards to be all things, an elite scorer and a defensively responsible 200 foot player when he`s continually shoved around between normally a rookie and whatever slug available that Sutter wants to throw on the other side. I`ve watched and Richards (unlike Kopitar) is once up, once down, off the ice, anywhere from 40-50 seconds and when you`re playing with offensively challenged players, you`re defending more than not. Tough to suddenly go on offense when you`ve already spent 40 seconds of your shift in your own zone.

I, for the life of me, cannot understand why Sutter changed his lines when the team was doing so well at the time. In fact, I think Mike Richards was tied with Kopitar for the team lead in scoring at the time. Am I missing something here. And for those of you who have this sudden hate-on for Richards, you should remember that Lombardi`s deal for him and Carter had a great deal to do (not all of it) with the Stanley Cup win. I`m giving him a lot of lee-way just for that fact.

I don't think there is any hate for Richards per se, but as another poster mentioned his line should be seeing some very favorable matchups with Kopitar's line set up the way it is and Williams and Brown together on another line.

Isn't the role that Sutter has placed Richards in be one in which he should excel? If you can't put your rookie RW with Mike Richards and get some production out of that line when they are going up against the other team's 2nd or 3rd defense pairing, then someone isn't doing their job. What's Sutter supposed to do, move King down to rescue that line?

 

[KingsFan7824]

MR is my favourite player and I have a gut feeling that he is getting traded sooner or later if he doesn't improve dramatically...

It won't be sooner.

Teams don't just trade any player going through a slump, especially these days. You used to see trades all the time during the season. Now, not nearly as much.

Plus, this is Dean Lombardi we're talking about. Mike Ricci would be #1 on his list. If Mike Richards isn't #2, I don't know who would be.

 

[YP44]

I don't think there is any hate for Richards per se, but as another poster mentioned his line should be seeing some very favorable matchups with Kopitar's line set up the way it is and Williams and Brown together on another line.

Isn't the role that Sutter has placed Richards in be one in which he should excel? If you can't put your rookie RW with Mike Richards and get some production out of that line when they are going up against the other team's 2nd or 3rd defense pairing, then someone isn't doing their job. What's Sutter supposed to do, move King down to rescue that line?

I like the King-kopitar-Carter line. we should have the horses between the 2nd and 3rd lines to produce secondary scoring while leaving that line. Have Brown-Stoll- Toffoli as one one line. Than LW-Richards-Williams as the other. That LW spot is up for grabs. Pearson, Frattin, Clifford.

 

[KINGS17]

I like the King-kopitar-Carter line. we should have the horses between the 2nd and 3rd lines to produce secondary scoring while leaving that line. Have Brown-Stoll- Toffoli as one one line. Than LW-Richards-Williams as the other. That LW spot is up for grabs. Pearson, Frattin, Clifford.

The way things are going I can see Pearson getting a shot as Richards' LW real soon, but Richards really needs to own the responsibility of making that line effective against weaker competition.

 

[Pucknut50]

I guess the good news is we will never have to deal with the 3rd string goalies and crappy teams in the playoffs. We play well vs the good teams except for Hawks.
So we need to hope we don't face them in the playoffs - We can beat anyone else in a 7 game series.

 

[haelwho]

Mike Richards is seriously struggling. Getting pretty tired of seeing him turn the puck over behind the net in the offensive zone and then lazily skate back. If he's not gonna score, he's gotta at least put the effort in defensively. He's playing like he's hurt, no quickness at all. On the plus side Brown's game seems to be coming together.

 

[mbar]

I'm pretty sure if we had won the shootout this thread would be 3 pages long and everyone would be "man I wish we scored more, but I Love the way we dominated this game. Kings hockey at its finest..."

I think it's funny how something that is essentially a coin toss and a joke (The shootout) can change peoples conclusions on the actual hockey being played so dramatically. We tied.

Still, would be nice to score more.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Yup, I thought Brown looked much better last night.

 

[johnjm22]

Might as well put Carter and Richards back together. Kopitar seems to end up producing the same regardless of who he's playing with, but Richards needs Carter right now.

I'd like to see this at some point:

King - Kopitar - Toffoli
Brown - Richards - Carter
Clifford - Stoll - Williams
Pearson/Frattin - Vey - Nolan

 

[LAKings88]

I would like to see kopi with jdub and brown again.

Carter with King and TT

Richards Pearson Frattin

Nolan Stoll Clifford

A trade for a guy like moulson would be nice too.

 

[deeshamrock]

Mike Richards is seriously struggling. Getting pretty tired of seeing him turn the puck over behind the net in the offensive zone and then lazily skate back. If he's not gonna score, he's gotta at least put the effort in defensively. He's playing like he's hurt, no quickness at all. On the plus side Brown's game seems to be coming together.

He wasn't last night, he was one of the best forwards on the ice in all 3 zones and put a lot of effort in, had alot of energy and drove to the net. He had a very strong start, thru mid Nov but someting happened to him the week b4 thanksgiving, his whole game changed, esp his skating and shift time. Whatever that was, seems to have healed, the last few games he's improved.
I know Sutter thinks nothing of juggling linemates for some players every othre game but that's just not constructive. He's had a revolving door on LW all year.
Stability would be nice.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It is night's like last night where I start to question exactly what purpose do Lewis and Clifford serve out there. Clifford had 7:53 of ice time, Lewis saw 9 mins and was a dismal 25% on faceoffs. He's the worst centerman on the draw at 46.2 on the season.

 

[bmr]

It is night's like last night where I start to question exactly what purpose do Lewis and Clifford serve out there. Clifford had 7:53 of ice time, Lewis saw 9 mins and was a dismal 25% on faceoffs. He's the worst centerman on the draw at 46.2 on the season.

I think Lewis is still living off of his play during the last game of the Vancouver series. Seriously, what has he done since then? Nothing special. This dude should be scratched right now. Have no idea why Sutter gives him such a long leash. I believe he is loyal to the players that have filled the role he wants.

Nolan is a better Clifford this year. I have no idea what Kings coaches/management are thinking right now.

Vey/Pearson are rookies but they injected a hell of a lot of life into this team during that stretch. I'd rather see some mistakes from them and get them acclimated to the NHL. Vey has been in Manchester long enough and Pearson is clearly our best option on LW that we don't currently have in the lineup.

 

[KINGS17]

I think Lewis is still living off of his play during the last game of the Vancouver series. Seriously, what has he done since then? Nothing special. This dude should be scratched right now. Have no idea why Sutter gives him such a long leash. I believe he is loyal to the players that have filled the role he wants.

Nolan is a better Clifford this year. I have no idea what Kings coaches/management are thinking right now.

Vey/Pearson are rookies but they injected a hell of a lot of life into this team during that stretch. I'd rather see some mistakes from them and get them acclimated to the NHL. Vey has been in Manchester long enough and Pearson is clearly our best option on LW that we don't currently have in the lineup.

Lewis scored a huge goal against San Jose in the playoffs last season, but yeah he has been awful this season.

 

[Butch 19]

I'm pretty sure if we had won the shootout this thread would be 3 pages long and everyone would be "man I wish we scored more, but I Love the way we dominated this game. Kings hockey at its finest..."

I think it's funny how something that is essentially a coin toss and a joke (The shootout) can change peoples conclusions on the actual hockey being played so dramatically. We tied.

Still, would be nice to score more.

yeah, against a team that had gone 1-8-1 in their last 10 roads games.

pro or con re the shootout doesn't change the FACT that this team can't score worth a ****!!

This team plays up or down to their competition, and without King, they would be in MUCH worse shape. I can't believe that is even true as I type it into my keyboard!!

 

[kingsholygrail]

I've seen this all before.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Might as well put Carter and Richards back together. Kopitar seems to end up producing the same regardless of who he's playing with, but Richards needs Carter right now.

I'd like to see this at some point:

King - Kopitar - Toffoli
Brown - Richards - Carter
Clifford - Stoll - Williams
Pearson/Frattin - Vey - Nolan

Agree, Richards needs Carter, but I think Brown needs Kopitar....I say put the old lines back together:

Brown - Kopitar - Williams
king - Richards - Carter

 

[Herby]

Mike Richards is seriously struggling. Getting pretty tired of seeing him turn the puck over behind the net in the offensive zone and then lazily skate back. If he's not gonna score, he's gotta at least put the effort in defensively.

To me, that is the most frustrating aspect of Richards game right now. He has gone through awful stretches of offensive production in his previous two seasons, but my God has his defensive game just gone into the toilet like never before.

I still say Sutter is doing the right thing by keeping the #1 line together, the Kings expect guys like Brown, Richards, Toffoli and Williams to be able to produce against second and third defensive options. Sutter can't be blamed for the collapse of Richards as a player this season, sure that line could use someone a little bit better than Frattin, but 1 assist and -5 over 11 games? 1 goal in 27 games? 3 ES Goals in 44 games? For a player the Kings are paying almost 8 million to this season, that's pathetic.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Oddly I felt that Richards' line and their time spent inside their own zone was just fine. The line that had the biggest problems last night appeared to be Kopitar's line. Twice they got trapped for very long shifts and were stuck chasing the puck in the defensive zone.

Richards and his line generated plenty of scoring chances, as did Stoll's line. Kopitar's line had plenty of chances and puck possession time but defensively they didn't do as well as they normally do and the fourth line was completely invisible (save for one shift where Richards skated with Clifford and Nolan and they generated their only scoring chance).