GDT: Game 44: Monday January 16, 2017- Lightning @ Kings 1:00 PM PST

[Ziggy Stardust]

With 2:11 left in the game, after a TB icing call Sutter throws out Clifford-Shore-Nolan for a faceoff in the offensive zone.

We're back to Terry Murray hockey. I wonder what relic from the past Dean Lombardi will uncover next.

 

[KingsFan7824]

They could've used a PP goal. They had enough talent in the game to get a PP goal. Could've used a call at the end there, but whatever, they didn't play well enough to get the calls anyway.

Tampa came to play. Probably easier to get going on a road game in the afternoon. No kids running around, or your own bed to wake up in. Although I don't know what SJ's excuse was then today.

7 game home stand, and they're 3-3, with of course 2 of those wins in OT. 12-18 in regulation. 7-7 at home in regulation. They are what they are.

 

[onlyalad]

Ducks lead the division
Ducks have played 2 more games than the Kings
Ducks have 2 more wins than the Kings
The world hasn't come to an end. Yet
A bad game happens.
Tequila for lunch lets you see the bright side of many things
Kopitar will start scoring
Toffili will return
Gabby will get some goals
Sutter will figure out the d pairs
Dean will make a trade
Korea will become a democratic state

 

[Trolfoli]

Kopitar was completely invisible tonight. If he doesn't play better it's going to be a long season.

Game wasn't bad. Lots of grinding. Bottom 6 played well.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think that's the scary thing. We're oddly close to a divisional playoff spot--even the division lead--but we're closer to out of a spot altogether. Aside from the top teams, it's a dogfight. Have to just stay in it.

I was hoping for more from this homestand, but also didn't expect to be without TT and Kopi. Sucks. even 4-3 is not good enough, but it could easily end 3-4. Then out on the road where we've been terrible...but need to find ways to be better so maybe it's a good thing.

Ugh...the road trip opens with a 3 in 4 AGAIN in New York and 4 in 6 finishing in Carolina...Hope these guys don't get the flu from Kopi

 

[Butch 19]

silver lining about this afternoon's game / loss (had to work today, and called the score 2-1 TB before checking 10 minutes ago):

It opens up my evening. So, thanks for that, Kings!

 

[tsanuri]

I think that's the scary thing. We're oddly close to a divisional playoff spot--even the division lead--but we're closer to out of a spot altogether. Aside from the top teams, it's a dogfight. Have to just stay in it.

I was hoping for more from this homestand, but also didn't expect to be without TT and Kopi. Sucks. even 4-3 is not good enough, but it could easily end 3-4. Then out on the road where we've been terrible...but need to find ways to be better so maybe it's a good thing.

Ugh...the road trip opens with a 3 in 4 AGAIN in New York and 4 in 6 finishing in Carolina...Hope these guys don't get the flu from Kopi

They seem to like the 3-4 and 4-6 on the road.
So maybe that is what we need.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

They seem to like the 3-4 and 4-6 on the road.
So maybe that is what we need.

That's true, need to have the odds piled against us.

 

[TonySCV]

12 regulation wins in now 44 games. Oof.

 

[Bandit]

With 2:11 left in the game, after a TB icing call Sutter throws out Clifford-Shore-Nolan for a faceoff in the offensive zone.

We're back to Terry Murray hockey. I wonder what relic from the past Dean Lombardi will uncover next.

Look at the roster. The Kings barely have 6 "offensive" skaters right now as it is. Do you honestly think that Carter's line plus Gaborik could have played the last 2:11 straight?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Look at the roster. The Kings barely have 6 "offensive" skaters right now as it is. Do you honestly think that Carter's line plus Gaborik could have played the last 2:11 straight?

Goes to show how this organization is allergic to talent and has done a poor job in scouting, drafting, developing and assessing talent.

You only need a couple of fingers to identify the top six talent this team has brought up under Lombardi's management.

 

[The Tikkanen]

Look at the roster. The Kings barely have 6 "offensive" skaters right now as it is. Do you honestly think that Carter's line plus Gaborik could have played the last 2:11 straight?

That's a crucial faceoff with tired defenders out for TB. Sutter chose Clifford and 2 players who combined for 1 shot on goal the ENTIRE game.

 

[kingsfan28]

That's a crucial faceoff with tired defenders out for TB. Sutter chose Clifford and 2 players who combined for 1 shot on goal the ENTIRE game.

Sutters 2 min strategy is horrible. He's done this now 3 times , if not more, putting the fourth line out there with ZERO reason why. They were out there at the faceoff with 2:14 to go, didn't get off the ice until 1:22.

 

[KingCanadain1976]

Sutters 2 min strategy is horrible. He's done this now 3 times , if not more, putting the fourth line out there with ZERO reason why. They were out there at the faceoff with 2:14 to go, didn't get off the ice until 1:22.

Nolan has been playing well and getting lot offensive opportunity. King also played a good game defensively and was had a few good shifts in the offensive zone/

 

[kingsfan28]

Typical TB. Play dirty, dont answer the bell. Getting pretty sick of these eastern conference teams doing dirty **** then hiding behind the instigator penalty since they wont see us again.

I think Garrison met his quota with the refs when he got his third penalty of the game. Should've been called for a trip on Shore and the high stick on King later on in the 3rd.

 

[kingsfan28]

Nolan has been playing well and getting lot offensive opportunity. King also played a good game defensively and was had a few good shifts in the offensive zone/

That's fine during the first 55:00 min of the game, but you don't put them out on the ice in order to:
1. win an important ozone draw late in a game.
2. generate scoring opps with 2 min to go.

They didn't do jack and all they did was kill time off the clock and pass it to Muzzin who shot it into a skate and out of the zone. The 3rd line was out there when icing was called, so why go with the 4th line?

 

[KingCanadain1976]

That's fine during the first 55:00 min of the game, but you don't put them out on the ice in order to:
1. win an important ozone draw late in a game.
2. generate scoring opps with 2 min to go.

They didn't do jack and all they did was kill time off the clock and pass it to Muzzin who shot it into a skate and out of the zone. The 3rd line was out there when icing was called, so why go with the 4th line?

I was only showing that the was reason to put them on the ice not that they should be there but that they were as good a choice outside the carter line who should be resting for the 90 secs of the game

 

[Trolfoli]

Kings lost that game fair and square. Sutter didn't blow it in the last 2 mins. Besides they didn't give up an empty netter so that's a victory!

Sometimes Sutter does stupid **** at the end of games, but this was a team loss and not Sutter's fault.

Also I don't give a crap if he rewards the bottom 6 after that game because they were spending time grinding in the offensive zone. They did just fine.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Goes to show how this organization is allergic to talent and has done a poor job in scouting, drafting, developing and assessing talent.

You only need a couple of fingers to identify the top six talent this team has brought up under Lombardi's management.

Hoo boy.

Do we need to do this exercise again? Come on.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Hoo boy.

Do we need to do this exercise again? Come on.

Lombardi has been the GM for 11 drafts. He's had a crap ton of selections and barely has anything to show in terms of finding top six talent.

I'll make it easier for you: try naming what top six players the Kings have drafted under Lombardi's watch. It won't take you long to come up with those names as it is a very short list.

But if you need bottom six players with limited upside from the WHL or OHL, he's the best at finding them!

 

[Johnny Utah]

He's not too far off.

The only top six offensive talent under 30 are Pearson and Toffoli. Kopitar was drafted in 2005, that was over a decade ago. Brown and Carter were taken in 2003. That is 13 and a half years ago and one wasn't even drafted by the Kings.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Go ahead. Lombardi has been the GM for 11 drafts. He's had a crap ton of selections and barely has anything to show in terms of finding top six talent.

But if you need bottom six players with limited upside from the WHL or OHL, he's the best at that!

Not gonna dig up all the articles lauding the Kings as a model organization for being a 'homegrown' championship team because frankly they're numerous and I've done it too much.

On the current roster: Pearson, Shore, Andreoff, Toffoli, Gravel, Forbort, Clifford, Nolan, Dowd, Doughty, Martinez, King, Lewis, Quick

Traded away: Simmonds, Schenn, Colin Miller, Martin Jones, Deslauriers, Bernier,

Fair to say are likely NHLers: Mersch, Kempe, LaDue, Clague, Amadio, Cernak, Brodzinski

Other trades that people around here are upset about except when they're bashing DL: McKeown, Fasching, Zykov

Stupidity: Bartosak, Voynov

Waived: Hickey, Berube

Not really counting Muzzin because he was UFA even if we developed him...

...I dunno man. I don't know how blind you have to be to pretend this organization is terrible at scouting, drafting, developing, assessing.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'll make it easier for you: try naming what top six players the Kings have drafted under Lombardi's watch. It won't take you long to come up with those names as it is a very short list.

Schenn, Simmonds, Toffoli, Pearson. Which is fine, because he had to rebuild the D first, and when we were ready to compete, he started moving picks (bye bye firsts) for impact players like Carter, Gaborik, Lucic...you know, established top-sixers at a time when the org is competing and doesn't have the luxury of waiting around for a Zykov, Kempe, etc.

But that's also moving the bar a loooong way. "DL has barely drafted top sixers" is ignorant of context and a looooong way from "has done a poor job in scouting, drafting, developing and assessing talent."

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The last forward the Kings drafted to play in the NHL was Pearson in 2012.

The Kings have not found any late round gems in quite some time and have blown a number of second round selections. Their scouting staff and Lombardi are both overrated. That's why their prospect pool is so damn mediocre.

 

[Johnny Utah]

This summer will be the 11 year anniversary of the hiring of Dean Lombardi. I love the guy and what he has done for this team but in 11 years he has only drafted two top six forwards still playing in la?

Lombardi's problem was he broke his own mold by selling off assets for rentals and giving out long term deals. Penner and Carter worked out both short term and long term but why give Gaborik a long term deal? Why trade for Sekera? Kings looked horrible that year. Why trade for Lucic knowing the Kings would have cap issues and Lucic had no term. Lombardi always talked about trading for players with term. After the first cup he broke all his own rules and principals. Dealt picks, gave out long term deals, didn't buy guys out when he had the chance.

AEG is now on the hook for Mike Richards buyout and the remaining years of Brown and Gaborik? They can't be happy with that.