GDT: GM#12 LA Kings vs Philadelphia Flyers @7:30 pm 11/1/18

[kingsholygrail]

Wasn't Kempe supposed to be a winger?

 

[BigKing]

Lombardi and Sutter were assholes though for not putting Kempe on the 2016-17 opening night roster.

 

[Sol]

Best part of the game for me was sleeping through the first and second period. Great nap 10/10

 

[Winger23]

All I can say is go Florida! I'm thier biggest new fan for now.

 

[TopT]

"This should be the end for Stevens!" says increasingly depressed man for the 100th time this year.

Why ? We want Hughes, dont we; I think its clear with Stevens still being here that Blake has decided we are tanking. It could be a good thing in the long run

 

[KingsFan7824]

this **** is just unreal to me

like what in the absolute **** does stevens think this is going to accomplish

He's desperate for a win, and the team has no depth. A lot of the minutes for Kopitar and Doughty are on the PP. Those are the easiest ones they can play. The problem on the PP is they have to keep going back and forth down the ice because nobody can do anything.

If I woke up to news tomorrow that they have traded one of Toffoli, Pearson, Carter, Martinez or Muzzin, I would have a lot more confidence in what they are doing. It would be a clear sign that the team is going to get younger and change the room a bit. Sadly I think it's more likely to get a text that Blake has traded for someone trying to fix this mess.

Just harder and harder to defend Blake with each passing game.

The Kings are not the only team struggling, and there has yet to be a trade of any significance in the league since the start of the season. Blake can't trade with himself.

Between 2006 to 2016, how many top six forwards have come up through the Kings' pipeline? Just Tyler Toffoli? Holy crap that is beyond abysmal.

Lombardi had to trade a lot of the future just to get out of the 1st round as the 8th seed, then re-signed Gaborik, then traded more future for Lucic. It's amazing they won the Cup with all the mistakes made by Lombardi between 2006 and 2011. That grand rebuilding project was failing until a couple Hail Mary passes by Lombardi.

It's amazing, and people try and defend the Kings drafting the last decade. The Kings may have drafted more 4th liners or guys who had cups of coffee than anyone else, and people reference that to say the drafting has been strong. But please, give me one Vladimir Tarasenko or Kyle Connor over three of Shore, Clifford and Forbort.

Because it did eventually work out. Winning cures everything. Without the Cups, if they just make it to the 3rd round at best, every move Lombardi made prior to the 2012 playoffs would have the same scrutiny that everything after the 2014 playoffs have had. They were getting that kind of scrutiny IIRC, but then they did manage to win, so sins were forgiven. Penner was Lucic before Lucic. Halpern was Versteeg. Richards would've gone down as the worst trade in team history. But then they won.

You don't know how many times I got attacked for calling their drafting into question. Those types of decisions set organizations back for many years. Just look at the Raiders as a prime example of that. You miss on those high draft picks, you'll be paying for the consequences for many, many years. And on top of those misses, they dealt away a number of those picks.

It's like a repeat of the mistakes the organization kept making in the 70s and 80s in dealing high picks for quick fixes. Thankfully Blake has restrained from making such moves, and I hope this downfall forces him to get rid of dead weight that's been lingering around for far too long.

Just to get out of the 1st round, Lombardi had to trade the 5th overall pick from 2009, a 1st in 2011, a 1st in 2013, and a quality young forward. Who knows, if Kopitar doesn't get hurt before the 2011 playoffs, maybe they beat SJ, then Lombardi doesn't go all out to get Richards. Maybe he still does.

Shows how tough it is though. Have to get lucky every now and then. Catch a break. You can make a mistake, even a few. You have to get the right players, at the right time, which is clearly rare. Most teams that win are one year wonders where it all comes together that one time. A few teams manage to get the right mix and can squeeze out a few titles. Then there's what Detroit did for 2 decades, which is almost impossible.

 

[KINGS17]

Detroit was able to do what it did because there was no salary cap. Ilitch was buying the best players available in free agency and putting them on Detroit's 2nd and 3rd lines.

No one could compete with Detroit's depth, and Ilitch was one of the few owners willing to spend like a drunken sailor. The salary cap has been great for the NHL. Mistakes by GMs can no longer be papered over with the owner's money.

 

[The Tikkanen]

Firing Stevens may not be enough.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

LOL Well that was...interesting, figures I go to bed about 30 seconds before Kovalchuk scored so I missed that, but Kings played like crap, played like they were off for 3 days and spent time at Disneyland....

Besides the obvious, Kempe really needs to work on his defensive awareness and coverage, that 2nd goal, never should have gotten that far, if he had peeled off his guy and taken the guy with the puck behind the net, he could have prevented that pass from happening in the first place, then the 3rd "goal" which I have no idea how they let that stand, he covered the guy solid, he was all over him, and the guy still got the puck to the front of the net.

Walker still looks good in the offensive zone and like a stalwart puppy in the defensive zone, he's gonna have to learn how to tie guys up in front, or he won't last.

Wagner looked good the few times he had the puck, so that's a positive sign....

 

[johnjm22]

You're at home, coming off 3 days rest, playing a bottom feeder team that's playing on the second night of a back-to-back. You get gifted PP's early on, including a lengthy 5-on-3, and you still get beat 5-2.

The Flyers had the worst GAA of any team in the league coming into this game and still the Kings could only muster 2 goals. The Kings have by far the worst offense in the NHL right now.

This franchise now has 3 wins in its last 17 games.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

You're at home, coming off 3 days rest, playing a bottom feeder team that's playing on the second night of a back-to-back. You get gifted PP's early on, including a lengthy 5-on-3, and you still get beat 5-2.

The Flyers had the worst GAA of any team in the league coming into this game and still the Kings could only muster 2 goals. The Kings have by the worst offense in the NHL right now.

This franchise now has 3 wins in its last 17 games.

I'm sure we can expand on that...they have 300 wins in their last 1000 games...sounds better, go bigger right!

 

[Reaper45]

Force awakens was good but everything else has sucked so far. At least there was some good scenes here and there, can't say the same about the kings

I hated both of them.

 

[DoktorJeep]

The only entertainment the Kings are providing this season is finding worse ways to fall apart with each loss.

It’s sad, because Kovalchuk has been pretty good at scoring. And with better depth, you can see how a lot of the guys who were good last year, could be scoring more than what we’ve seen. Both vets and kids.

The fatal flaws are obvious. Slow defenseman who can’t breakout the puck. And coaches who fail to integrate youth into the lineup. No single person is to blame, so any fix is bound to be painful off the ice.

Either alone is Impossible to fix overnight and crazy to expect it to be fixed this season.

Any fan who hopes to see a contender in the next decade are probably drinking themselves into a coma until management comes out and announces a re tool / build.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

The only entertainment the Kings are providing this season is finding worse ways to fall apart with each loss.

It’s sad, because Kovalchuk has been pretty good at scoring. And with better depth, you can see how a lot of the guys who were good last year, could be scoring more than what we’ve seen. Both vets and kids.

The fatal flaws are obvious. Slow defenseman who can’t breakout the puck. And coaches who fail to integrate youth into the lineup. No single person is to blame, so any fix is bound to be painful off the ice.

Either alone is Impossible to fix overnight and crazy to expect it to be fixed this season.

Any fan who hopes to see a contender in the next decade are probably drinking themselves into a coma until management comes out and announces a re tool / build.

Sorry....what?

Here's a list of who has played this year, that's 25 and under

JAD, Kempe, Wagner, Amadio, Walker, Rempal, Iafallo, Ladue

Of those, out of the 12 games played, Kempe and Iafallo has been in 12, Wagner in 8, Amadio in 9,

Not sure if that's failed to integrate youth into the lineup there....

 

[Fat Elvis]

The more games I watch the Kings play, the more I realize the team is done. Quick, no Quick, the team is done. Brown, no Brown, the team is done.

Dealing AMart or Lewis won't solve any problems this team has. If they keep this coaching staff, they may as well start dealing the Big Dogs.

Vote of no confidence

 

[KingsHockey24]

Sorry....what?

Here's a list of who has played this year, that's 25 and under

JAD, Kempe, Wagner, Amadio, Walker, Rempal, Iafallo, Ladue

Of those, out of the 12 games played, Kempe and Iafallo has been in 12, Wagner in 8, Amadio in 9,

Not sure if that's failed to integrate youth into the lineup there....

We've had plenty of youth added to this line-up. I guess people just want more minutes? Though I dunno who's minutes you bump down exactly. Do you move Toffoli/Carter/Iafallo down lines?

Just another excuse people will make. Our youth has sucked ass cheeks.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

We've had plenty of youth added to this line-up. I guess people just want more minutes? Though I dunno who's minutes you bump down exactly. Do you move Toffoli/Carter/Iafallo down lines?

Just another excuse people will make. Our youth has sucked ass cheeks.

LOL I guess...and yea, minutes could be more according to some people, but none of our youth is a Dahlin type who can be trusted with 22 minutes a game etc, it takes time...I expect them to send Wagner down bring up Luff, give others a looksee throughout the year, I thought there was a limit on how many times that can happen, but that might have been done away with and it might all be service games now.....I don't follow that closely.

 

[KINGS17]

If Kovalchuk didn't come back to the NHL to live on the beach and is willing to waive his NTC, the Kings may be able to get something for him at the deadline.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Look at the bright side guys, they didn’t lose last night by a score of 10-1.

 

[johnjm22]

Force awakens was good but everything else has sucked so far. At least there was some good scenes here and there, can't say the same about the kings

I thought Force Awakens was just okay. Could've been much better with a few changes IMO. I did have fun watching it in the theater. It was fun seeing a new SW movie.

Rogue One and Solo were boring. Last Jedi was abysmal.

 

[Reaper45]

I thought Force Awakens was just okay. Could've been much better with a few changes IMO. I did have fun watching it in the theater. It was fun seeing a new SW movie.

Rogue One and Solo were boring. Last Jedi was abysmal.

I liked Rogue One. Haven't seen Solo. Not a fan at all of Force Awakens or Last Jedi. Characters feel super forced and just not realistic to me I guess. But whatever. I'm done with SW until they fire the chick responsible for these shit movies.

 

[johnjm22]

I liked Rogue One. Haven't seen Solo. Not a fan at all of Force Awakens or Last Jedi. Characters feel super forced and just not realistic to me I guess. But whatever. I'm done with SW until they fire the chick responsible for these **** movies.

I just saw Solo on streaming recently. It's okay. It's the first SW movie to come out in my lifetime that I didn't see in the theater.

I'm done with SW also. I grew up worshiping this franchise, but I just don't care at all about these new characters or what happens to them. These new films are made by a corporate committee. The best they can be is mediocre. No thanks.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

If Kovalchuk didn't come back to the NHL to live on the beach and is willing to waive his NTC, the Kings may be able to get something for him at the deadline.

I doubt we’ll trade him, his wife won’t be interested in going to Edmonton, Colorado,Calgary etc.

Trade options could be real limited for Kovalchuk, though I could see him in New York with the islanders or Tampa Bay. We’d have to take back salary to make it work but Kovalchuk with the Lightning on a team already with a lot of firepower would be fun to watch.

 

[Reaper45]

I doubt we’ll trade him, his wife won’t be interested in going to Edmonton, Colorado,Calgary etc.

Trade options could be real limited for Kovalchuk, though I could see him in New York with the islanders or Tampa Bay. We’d have to take back salary to make it work but Kovalchuk with the Lightning on a team already with a lot of firepower would be fun to watch.

Maybe the Panthers could be a player for him and Voynov?

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

If Kovalchuk didn't come back to the NHL to live on the beach and is willing to waive his NTC, the Kings may be able to get something for him at the deadline.

I'd be shocked if he waived his NTC. He has 2 years left on his deal after this one. He'd have to uproot his family and move them to wherever it is he gets traded. It's pretty clear at this point his wife wants to live in LA.