GDT: GM #6 LA Kings vs Toronto Maple Leafs @4:30pm 10/15/18

[kingsfan28]

I agree the team needs a new coach, but they need a lot of new things. Ranford and Imoo are the only two who have produced consistent results. The development team, core, and coaching staff needs a shakeup.

But who? Let's say after 20 games its the same, who replaces him [ and don't say Tippett or Bylsma ]?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Stevens:

Stevens, on what central tenets he’d like to see improved at home this week:
I think it’s important to get better in all areas of our game.

LMAO

but trying to be fair I really like what he said about Campbell:

Stevens, on Jack Campbell taking responsibility for the loss, and not having the luxury to rest him with Jonathan Quick out:
You’re assuming that’s the case. I think everybody looks at a goalie differently. The goalie’s on your team, right? It’s because it’s a specialized position like a quarterback. Jack’s played some great games for us. We’ve all got to be better. Jack’s a great kid, he works hard at his game, he’s only going to get better. Don’t put the goalie on the island there. He’s one of the 20 guys that were dressed tonight, and we’re going to need everybody to win.

 

[GQS]

Don't tell the leafs fans that. Kings can't score to save their lives and the Leafs fans are boasting about their d core lol

I think the vast majority of Leafs fans know that they could improve in the defensive area which is why people constantly talk about trading for a Dman, especially Nylander for a Dman. The thing is as much as people harp on how bad the Leafs defense is, they still managed to finish 12th in goals against last season so while it certainly can improve, their defense and goaltending were definitely far from horrible.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Kopitar has 1 assist in his last 11 games.

 

[Sausages]

All the good teams have crappy starts to the season....... sometimes.

Saying that, Coach John "I can't look you in the eye any more" Stevens is like a deer in the headlights, and must go soon.

 

[crassbonanza]

The team just looks broken. If Doughty is lacking confidence, I can only imagine how the rest of the locker room is. Doughty is one of the cockiest players I have ever watched play. This is the guy who got deked out of his jock in the Finals and came back the next shift to score a goal. This is the kid who at 20 years old was carrying major minutes for Team Canada in the Olympics. It is actually impressive that Stevens has been able to break him.

 

[KINGS17]

Is Stevens the equivalent of Jeff Fisher coaching the Rams? Ton of talent, doesn't know how to use it right.

This roster does not have a ton of talent. C'mon guys it's the players, they simply aren't good enough to be contenders.

 

[bouncesonly]

I thought it was pointed out Kings needed offense after failing to show up in the first round (or was that lack of bounces and refs). Yet here we are......still no power play, questionable defense, and very few goals. Summer camp, preseason....all a waste of time, so far (lol who are we kidding).

 

[kingsfan28]

After looking at the final score too.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

This roster does not have a ton of talent. C'mon guys it's the players, they simply aren't good enough to be contenders.

This team was a 99 point team last year without jeff carter or ilya kovalchuk, suddenly they're a 68 point team?

Edit: and actually to me it's less about the results and more about the process, not sure I've ever seen a more disjointed, dysfunctional team from top to bottom, which is what I think @kingsfan28 is saying, they're absolutely underperforming unless you think the roster is terrible.

 

[fsanford]

This roster does not have a ton of talent. C'mon guys it's the players, they simply aren't good enough to be contenders.

Goff was considered a bust when he played under Fisher.

 

[kingsfan28]

This roster does not have a ton of talent. C'mon guys it's the players, they simply aren't good enough to be contenders.

Fine, but they have more than enough talent to be a good team, not this crap we've been watching.

 

[Legionnaire]

Hey its not how I meant it at all! Maybe the kings are having a slow start of some kind, its also entirely possible that they are tired or so.

Im sorry for sharing my initial impression, I didnt mean it in a bad way at all!

No one took what you said in the wrong way. You nailed it.

I too think and hope this team can turn it around but most here think there are larger issues that that.

 

[KINGS17]

Goff was considered a bust when he played under Fisher.

Geez, Goff was a rookie. Yes, Fisher was probably the wrong coach for him. Bring a new coach in and I still don't think the Kings are any more than a bubble team.

 

[Winger23]

Geez, Goff was a rookie. Yes, Fisher was probably the wrong coach for him. Bring a new coach in and I still don't think the Kings are any more than a bubble team.

Agree, but to be honest I'd settle for a bubble team over this crap on display right now.

 

[KingsFan7824]

If everyone is regressing at once, that's coaching.

I didn't watch to know any better but that would be consistent with everything so far. Only guys that looked worth a damn in all previous games were Iafallo and...yeah that's about it.

I don't think it's likely, no matter what the age, that 15+ players suddenly don't know how to hockey.

They've been regressing from the moment Kopitar hit that post in frustration. Really it was well before that, but that moment in time is the perfect snapshot. They were always on the edge of disappointment and success though. 8th seed, clawing their way through 2 rounds on Quick's back, down 0-3, three Game 7's on the road. Once that "just get in" armor was dented, they haven't been able to get it back. Mr. Game 7 was even in that Oilers game, and missed an opportunity to score an important goal.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Geez, Goff was a rookie. Yes, Fisher was probably the wrong coach for him. Bring a new coach in and I still don't think the Kings are any more than a bubble team.

That's the point though, I don't think anyone thinks they're more than that, only that they shouldn't be a basement dwelling, identity-less sack of roll over and die.

 

[KINGS17]

Agree, but to be honest I'd settle for a bubble team over this crap on display right now.

The goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Better to get on with a new plan on how to accomplish that as soon as possible. It isn't with this roster.

 

[Sausages]

I'm starting to think Alex Curry was the glue of this team. They're just not the same since she left.

Screw Brown and Quick. Bring back Alex!!

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

They've been regressing from the moment Kopitar hit that post in frustration. Really it was well before that, but that moment in time is the perfect snapshot. They were always on the edge of disappointment and success though. 8th seed, clawing their way through 2 rounds on Quick's back, down 0-3, three Game 7's on the road. Once that "just get in" armor was dented, they haven't been able to get it back. Mr. Game 7 was even in that Oilers game, and missed an opportunity to score an important goal.

I remember you bringing that up pretty often, I don't disagree from the standpoint of that was the moment the championship mystique was over. But they've rebounded to better point totals at least since, so to just fall off the map in terms of both results and process is a huge regression.

 

[KINGS17]

That's the point though, I don't think anyone thinks they're more than that, only that they shouldn't be a basement dwelling, identity-less sack of roll over and die.

What does it matter? I think it speeds up the decisions which need to be made. This what many wanted isn't it, to watch Kopitar, Quick, and Doughty play out the string with enormous cap hits and no chance of really getting younger and better.

 

[Fishhead]

They played great for some of the game tonight, but I think we can all see that something isn't right.

Soon it will be time for Blake and Luc to put up or shut up. If they truly think this roster can contend, like they've stated before, they will make a move for a new coach. If they just let the team continue to struggle, then that was just lip service to try and sell the team to fans and they don't really think this roster has it in them. Stevens isn't completely to blame, just like Murray wasn't when they had to make a move 6 years ago. When Toronto scored that second goal, Stevens looked totally deflated. Sutter would have been cussing and spitting fire, which may or may not have been effective, but it was something.

Teams take the demeanor of their leaders. Stevens is generally quiet, appears timid, and never has really exuded any sort of confidence to me. The team has played the exact same way since the initial honeymoon period after he was hired. It's just time. There's too much comfort.

 

[scramble91]

We are back to blaming guys that play 6-9 minutes a night when the middle six is having another power outage ehh ?

Kempe hasn't scored a goal in 37 games.

Don’t think that this is factual, but you are right about the secondary scoring.

 

[SherVaughn30]

This team was a 99 point team last year without jeff carter or ilya kovalchuk, suddenly they're a 68 point team?

Edit: and actually to me it's less about the results and more about the process, not sure I've ever seen a more disjointed, dysfunctional team from top to bottom, which is what I think @kingsfan28 is saying, they're absolutely underperforming unless you think the roster is terrible.

While other teams have become faster, Kings did so too but since Stevens favors older players, the team continues to be slow and unproductive. This happened to the Caps in '16/'17 going into the playoffs. Last year they infused a bunch of younger, faster, inexperienced players. The first couple months together was a challenge, but as the season progressed they became much better as a team. The key difference that was never talked about, was Trotz became a lame duck coach and Reirden(Associate Coach) was the one who was coming up with the right schemes and utilizing the younger players right. My point is the Kings could do a similar thing, but they have to fire Stevens and find a coach from outside that can get the older and younger players to gel together.

 

[Kingspiracy]

They played great for some of the game tonight, but I think we can all see that something isn't right.

Soon it will be time for Blake and Luc to put up or shut up. If they truly think this roster can contend, like they've stated before, they will make a move for a new coach. If they just let the team continue to struggle, then that was just lip service to try and sell the team to fans and they don't really think this roster has it in them. Stevens isn't completely to blame, just like Murray wasn't when they had to make a move 6 years ago. When Toronto scored that second goal, Stevens looked totally deflated. Sutter would have been cussing and spitting fire, which may or may not have been effective, but it was something.

Teams take the demeanor of their leaders. Stevens is generally quiet, appears timid, and never has really exuded any sort of confidence to me. The team has played the exact same way since the initial honeymoon period after he was hired. It's just time. There's too much comfort.

Kopitar is also the leader of this group, perhaps he isn't the right man for the job? He is a placid nice guy. Brown also seems like a nice guy, but he used to kill people with his hits. I know the game has changed to a quicker cuter game these days, but as soon as Brown stopped killing people things went down hill. The Kings are too placid.