GDT: GM#38 LA Kings vs Vegas Golden Knights@7:00

[kingsfan28]

Kings have averaged 2 or less PPs for the last 16 games, according Nick and Evans.

I'm guessing the opponents have averaged twice as many. Vegas got 5 tonight.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

"On whether Alex Iafallo was hurt, given that he played his final shift in the second period:
He’s not hurt."

So benched then...

Maybe sick, too. Lots of roster mysteries lately. The disappearance of Jokinen. Clifford healthy, then not, then in again without a release. Iafallo suddenly canned.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

SJ is 5 points behind us with 3 games in hand.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm guessing the opponents have averaged twice as many. Vegas got 5 tonight.

5-1 tonight
5-2 vs SJ
2-3 vs Avs
6-1 vs. Flyers
5-3 vs. Isles
3-1 vs. Rangers
2-3 vs. Devils
3-1 vs. Carolina
4-1 vs. ottawa
1-3 vs. Minny
4-1 vs. Chicago
5-4 vs. STL

Frustrating month for sure, 45 times on the PK vs. 24 on the PP...no wonder it's boiling over a bit.

 

[KINGS17]

The Kings are getting out possessed, outworked down low in their own zone, and out shot on a pretty regular basis lately.

 

[Sol]

27th in PPs let that sink in for some of you guys bitching. I've seen so many more games this year where the Kings got no calls, and the other team got many.

Momentum plus countless one sided powerplays will lose you games.

Kings lost but not to the Knights. They lost to the inept biased refereeing in the game.

I hope those officials disappear off thus planet.

Refs get way too much leeway. They need to be held to a higher standard.

 

[Sol]

But I thought his opinion and facts went together...

They do, it's probably more so recently he's been scoring on him then. And don't think stats could show that tho.

 

[Herby]

Wouldn't shock me if the Kings gave some thought to sending Iafallo down for a little bit to try and regain his offensive confidence. But really is there a winger down there even worth giving a look to? I used to be a fan of Mersch 3-4 years ago but right now with the emphasis on speed in the NHL I don't think he has a future.

 

[KingsFan7824]

And the end of the second period tonight was just the last straw or what?

I think it was predictable that he'd hit a wall, and I wouldn't be TOTALLY opposed to letting him sit a game or two to rest, watch, learn, but really random time to sit him.

That, I don't know. Stevens does his own thing when it comes to ice time. MacDermid has played more on the PP than the PK this season. If he's not agile or quick enough for the PK, then he's also not skilled enough to be on the point. He's only averaging 25 sec of PP time, but, Stevens seems to be situational. Especially with the young players.

I'm pissed about some of the previous ones, and definitely the recent SJ one, but losing a game to the hottest team in the league...there's never a 'good loss' but this one I can stomach. It's a blown opportunity and a bummer vs. a division opponent, but I'll only start getting worried about the divisional if we blow the Canadian trip coming up too.

At least they've been better on the road against the Pac than at home. Not much better, 5/10 points rather than 4/10 points, but better.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Wouldn't shock me if the Kings gave some thought to sending Iafallo down for a little bit to try and regain his offensive confidence. But really is there a winger down there even worth giving a look to? I used to be a fan of Mersch 3-4 years ago but right now with the emphasis on speed in the NHL I don't think he has a future.

Why send him down? He played on the top of the line for 95% of the season thus far, through all the success, and still didn't score then either. Let's send Pearson down too.

 

[ibleedkings]

Gaborik with the goal? Didn’t look like he even touched it. Doesn’t really matter but Kopi lost his assist. He’s had a bunch of points taken away by coaches challenges this season.

 

[KINGS17]

27th in PPs let that sink in for some of you guys *****ing. I've seen so many more games this year where the Kings got no calls, and the other team got many.

Momentum plus countless one sided powerplays will lose you games.

Kings lost but not to the Knights. They lost to the inept biased refereeing in the game.

I hope those officials disappear off thus planet.

Refs get way too much leeway. They need to be held to a higher standard.

You have to possess the puck in dangerous areas to draw penalties. Right now the Kings are not doing it, and their opponents are maintaining possession for long stretches in the Kings zone.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

You have to possess the puck in dangerous areas to draw penalties. Right now the Kings are not doing it, and their opponents are maintaining possession for long stretches in the Kings zone.

Yes, they are, via heat maps and high danger scoring chances.

"Just possession" shouldn't result in penalties or the Sutter Kings would have been better off as well.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

They do, it's probably more so recently he's been scoring on him then. And don't think stats could show that tho.

He scored one goal in 2 games vs. us this year, 1 in 3 games last year, 4 in 6 games in 2016, 0 in 3 in 2015. You may be scarred from 2016!

 

[KINGS17]

Yes, they are, via heat maps and high danger scoring chances.

"Just possession" shouldn't result in penalties or the Sutter Kings would have been better off as well.

The Kings have not been possessing the puck in the offensive zone in recent weeks.

I never said just possession. Possession in the offensive zone, and driving to the net does result in drawing more penalties. In the following seasons here are the Kings PP opportunities vs the average:

2012-13 - Kings 166; Average 160
2013-14 - Kings 284; Average 269

Then you look at the seasons under Sutter where the players got "tired" of playing his system:

2014-15 - Kings 247; Average 251
2015-16 - Kings 235; Average 255
2016-17 - Kings 241; Average 245

When you don't go to the net you don't get the calls. The eye test from 2012-13 and 2013-14 compared to 2014-15 through 2016-17 makes it obvious to me. The Kings were below average in PP opportunities in each of the three seasons prior to this season, because they didn't possess the puck in dangerous areas.

This season:

Kings 111; Average 122

 

[DoktorJeep]

Bad season debut for Gravel. -2 in 12 mins of ice time. What will it take for LaDue to get a shot?

 

[tny760]

Bad season debut for Gravel. -2 in 12 mins of ice time. What will it take for LaDue to get a shot?

i'd say the stats don't really dictate his game very well. first goal yeah, he got caught drifting, second goal he got punished by macdermid (amongst others) losing his man

i feel he did a lot of good things on the breakout and in general defensive zone work. macD just had an absolute stinker of a game and it rubbed off on him to the point that stevens shortened the bench

 

[Sol]

He scored one goal in 2 games vs. us this year, 1 in 3 games last year, 4 in 6 games in 2016, 0 in 3 in 2015. You may be scarred from 2016!

Must be ptsd

 

[Little Psycho]

Caught Brown's speech this morning, anyone else noticed he didn't thank Sutter? Hmmmm okay.

 

[Little Psycho]

SJ is 5 points behind us with 3 games in hand.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The Kings have not been possessing the puck in the offensive zone in recent weeks.

I never said just possession. Possession in the offensive zone, and driving to the net does result in drawing more penalties. In the following seasons here are the Kings PP opportunities vs the average:

2012-13 - Kings 166; Average 160
2013-14 - Kings 284; Average 269

Then you look at the seasons under Sutter where the players got "tired" of playing his system:

2014-15 - Kings 247; Average 251
2015-16 - Kings 235; Average 255
2016-17 - Kings 241; Average 245

When you don't go to the net you don't get the calls. The eye test from 2012-13 and 2013-14 compared to 2014-15 through 2016-17 makes it obvious to me. The Kings were below average in PP opportunities in each of the three seasons prior to this season, because they didn't possess the puck in dangerous areas.

This season:

Kings 111; Average 122

I know you didn't just mean raw possession; I was pointing out that despite less possession, the Kings ARE getting to those scoring areas with greater regularity than in any recent season and more than their opponents are. In the past, that worked against us; this season, it inexplicably continues to work against us. Opponents are possessing the puck with us more, but they're actually doing less, which is what makes the phenomenon more baffling.

i'd say the stats don't really dictate his game very well. first goal yeah, he got caught drifting, second goal he got punished by macdermid (amongst others) losing his man

i feel he did a lot of good things on the breakout and in general defensive zone work. macD just had an absolute stinker of a game and it rubbed off on him to the point that stevens shortened the bench

On both goals, we got caught with a lot of youth and/or inexperience out there losing coverage briefly, and a team as deep as VGK exploited that perfectly.

 

[sinister6000]

I think the Kings have 3 wins against the pacific division, they better start picking up some wins in the division. Now the Ducks have their chief pain in the butt Ryan Kesar back. The guys worst than Cory Perry, which says something. Kopitar better watch his back.

 

[deeshamrock]

27th in PPs let that sink in for some of you guys *****ing. I've seen so many more games this year where the Kings got no calls, and the other team got many.

Momentum plus countless one sided powerplays will lose you games.

Kings lost but not to the Knights. They lost to the inept biased refereeing in the game.

I hope those officials disappear off thus planet.

Refs get way too much leeway. They need to be held to a higher standard.

Yes they did lose to the Knights and deserved to lose. Refs didn't steal the Kings sticks and create the 1 SOG midway thru the 2nd. Refs didn't force the Kings to sleep for 2 periods. Kings had every opportunity to be better cycling and creating pressure in the offensive zone 5 x 5. THey didn't show up until midway thru the 3rd. Like the couple of years, far too many times this year, they are a bit lazy and decide as the 3rd period is waning down, to wake up. They need to get that 3-1 lead and then lock it down the third. Power plays are great, but they are gravy. Kings need to be better 5 x5 and not rely on PP's to win games.
The Knights are a good team, they worked harder last night, skated better , faster and hustled more. They earned that W and the Kings are damn lucky to get that point.

 

[deeshamrock]

I think the Kings have 3 wins against the pacific division, they better start picking up some wins in the division. Now the Ducks have their chief pain in the butt Ryan Kesar back. The guys worst than Cory Perry, which says something. Kopitar better watch his back.

Kings are a good team that were hot at the start of the year in a cold division (except for the knights) That wasn't going to last. The Sharks are a very good team, and stingy GA, they are going to be in the top 3, the Ducks started the year with injuries and until recently, weren't healthy ,esp down the middle. THat will change. Oilers should be better, have played better recently but I don't think it will be enough for them. Flames , should have started better, and haven't been consistent. Knights will win the division, I think. They are not a fluke, or flash in the pan. Curious to see what they do at the deadline.
Bobby Mac said he expects January could be a fairly busy trade month, too many teams don't want to wait to the deadline, they feel they'll lose ground or a team behind them will gain.

 

[Sol]

I consider them a flash in the pan because this tear they are on won't be there next season. They're running on emotions and not enough talent. When the emotion goes down which will happen, they will struggle. Not this year, but the next year will be telling.