GDT: GM#8 LA Kings vs Buffalo Sabres @12:30pm 10/20/18

[Ziggy Stardust]

Lombardi didn’t create these problems, the players themselves did. It’s unreal that players continually get absolved of any blame here.

The GM can trade them. He gave them the rope and they just tied the noose that he hung himself on. If the GM calls the shots and failed to address the problems, then he’s responsible for creating this mess that they’re currently in.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

You’re not arguing in good faith whatsoever.

Dean came in and said right away his plan was to rebuild. He said we were going to build from the net out, we’re going to change the culture, we’re going to be more involved with our AHL affiliate, we’re going to overhaul our scouting staff, etc. etc. He had a plan, he communicated that plan, and he ultimately executed that plan.

Blake came in and said we have a contending core and we’re going for another Cup.

You don’t see the difference there? What has Blake done to deserve your defense? He’s been just as bad as Lombardi by your own criteria. He can angrily shake his fist to the Athletic all he wants. He’s still spending tons of cap space on guys like Kovalchuk and riding shotgun to Luc’s bull****.

Blake has by and large stopped the hemorrhaging of assets that Lombardi caused, and he deserves credit there. But until he actually - your words - puts his stamp on the team, I’m remiss to give him more praise, especially when his own boss is publicly delusional regarding the state of the team.

The team Lombardi took over in 2006 can’t be compared to what Blake started with last summer. You’re not even being fair here.

I’m just surprised that there are pockets of fans who will absolve any wrong-doing on Lombardi’s part and lay all the blame on Blake. I think the run from 2012-14 is clouding some judgement and you guys are forgetting the series of setbacks that has set the organization back by years due to awful trades and nonexistent player development for a long period of time under the old regime.

 

[Telos]

Well... shit.

 

[kingsholygrail]

The team Lombardi took over in 2006 can’t be compared to what Blake started with last summer. You’re not even being fair here.

I’m just surprised that there are pockets of fans who will absolve any wrong-doing on Lombardi’s part and lay all the blame on Blake. I think the run from 2012-14 is clouding some judgement and you guys are forgetting the series of setbacks that has set the organization back by years due to awful trades and nonexistent player development for a long period of time under the old regime.

2012-14 was worth it. Name me a better time period for this franchise. All DL tried to do was keep the run going. The run ended. So, Blake takes over and instead of rebuilding, he keeps everyone and even promotes assistant coach. So he's pretty much just carrying on with what DL had going. You're satisfied with that for some reason I'd like to know why.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Lombardi didn’t create these problems, the players themselves did. It’s unreal that players continually get absolved of any blame here.

Everyone involved with the team has a part to play in this movie.

Look at the number of mistakes Lombardi made before the 2012 playoff started. Up to today, parts of the 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010 drafts are hurting the team. Without the Cup, Penner is Lucic. Of course Lombardi had a hand in the problems. He missed on a lot of high picks. Traded a lot of the future to win today(or back then, whatever). Then doubled down on all that after 2014.

There's no one single event or person that creates a dynamic and holistic situation. His move to make the Kings a true contender, the Richards trade, only put them multiple moves away from winning the Cup. Lombardi also isn't the only person to credit for the golden years, although he also certainly gets credit for them.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

2012-14 was worth it. Name me a better time period for this franchise. All DL tried to do was keep the run going. The run ended. So, Blake takes over and instead of rebuilding, he keeps everyone and even promotes assistant coach. So he's pretty much just carrying on with what DL had going. You're satisfied with that for some reason I'd like to know why.

Where did I ever say I’m satisfied with it? I’m just waiting to see what Blake is going to do. I’m not sure what others are expecting to happen immediately. I’m just trying to convey how all of this is his fault when he was handed this mess. Last season’s performance just delayed the inevitable.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Can someone tell me what the point is in keeping JAD on the roster right now when hes either scratched or getting 5 minutes on the 4th line? He needs to be playing #1 C minutes in junior, not wasting away in the press box or getting 4th line minutes

Yes, he does, but keep in mind, practicing at NHL speed vs junior speed, MUCH MUCH different, he has to think the game about 10x faster while up here, so mine as well make the most of it while you can

 

[kingsholygrail]

Where did I ever say I’m satisfied with it? I’m just waiting to see what Blake is going to do. I’m not sure what others are expecting to happen immediately. I’m just trying to convey how all of this is his fault when he was handed this mess. Last season’s performance just delayed the inevitable.

Not hire Stevens as head coach at all let alone hold onto him this long. Start moving contracts and collecting picks. Why hold onto Carter? Those are things he could have done right away. Doughty likely doesn't re-sign if he knows it's gonna be a rebuild so you move him at the deadline for assets. Y'know... rebuild.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

The GM can trade them. He gave them the rope and they just tied the noose that he hung himself on. If the GM calls the shots and failed to address the problems, then he’s responsible for creating this mess that they’re currently in.

Yet in the first Luc/Blake press conference since the canning of Sutter/DL. They claimed it was a championship core and they will build on it.

We believe this team has the core in place to compete for the Stanley Cup,” Robitaille said.

Huh? Weird.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Not hire Stevens as head coach at all let alone hold onto him this long. Start moving contracts and collecting picks. Why hold onto Carter? Those are things he could have done right away. Doughty likely doesn't re-sign if he knows it's gonna be a rebuild so you move him at the deadline for assets. Y'know... rebuild.

If he did that day one, then who is there left to retain? Why bother keeping Kopitar or Quick? I don’t think it’s as easy as you make it out to be. I think Blake is finding that out as well and this season is giving us a better sense of the reality of the situation this franchise is in.

To me, it made sense for Blake to go with what he has to get a better sense of who to retain and who to move. Now he’s getting a better sense of what this team is made of.

I’m just not blaming him for creating this situation, but I’ll blame him if he doesn’t fix it.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

well, I called for a 6-1 loss, so something would be done....and it was 5-1. I guess Skinner needed a few more minutes to score his 4th goal.
Why the Hell can't the Kings get a player like that? How did the Sabres trade Cliff Pu and a 2019 #2 for Skinner?

So, if nothing is done but 'soul searching' and
trying out 'new combinations' (BARF) the next day or 2, I hope for a 6-2 loss in Dallas on Tuesday. That should do it.
Fire Stevens and Don Nachbaur. And please send JAD back, to get him away from this bad culture. He has the ability now,
but needs to get stronger and play a ton. Put Ladue in and make Amadio #3 center and not move him around all game.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Yet in the first Luc/Blake press conference since the canning of Sutter/DL. They claimed it was a championship core and they will build on it.

Huh? Weird.

Dean seemed to think the same thing about the window being open. What makes you think the team would be in a better position now had things continued to go on the same path?

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I find all this arguing about Lombardi did this, Blake did that amusing, and redundant,

Can't change the past, people who have a grudge against Luc/Blake for whatever reason are going to call it country club etc,

I find it funny that same people BLASTING Blake for being a former player, and not knowing anything, etc, goes on to praise Hextall over in Philly calling him a remarkable GM etc....yet...former player etc...so maybe...former players CAN do something...

I don't know if one year is enough to make any judgement of any kind, but apparently some do

 

[member 88115]

The team is a mess with zero confidence. Everyone is out of sinc and management expects it to come back sooner or later & it’s not happening. Blake is to blame for promoting Stevens as a coach and letting this crap show go on. If you want to implement a new hybrid system, don’t hire a Sutter mini me. The players have not look prepare to start a game since 2015 and last year we were always coming from behind. Now it has worn thin on the players. They are coasting through with no direction. Stevens needs to go, like yesterday.

 

[Sol]

I wonder how soon Stevens will get fired. A team this dejected rarely comes back.

 

[Reaper45]

well, I called for a 6-1 loss, so something would be done....and it was 5-1. I guess Skinner needed a few more minutes to score his 4th goal.
Why the Hell can't the Kings get a player like that? How did the Sabres trade Cliff Pu and a 2019 #2 for Skinner?

So, if nothing is done but 'soul searching' the next day or 2, I hope for a 6-2 loss in Dallas on Tuesday. That should do it.
Fire Stevens and Don Nachbaur. And please send JAD back, to get him away from this bad culture. He has the ability now,
but needs to get stronger and play a ton.

Lowry should go too. He's not immune.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I think it's time to fire the strength and conditioning coaches as well. I've never seen a team consistently not ready to play and look completely out of energy during games. They look like they're playing with Thermablades on their skates and they are on full blast at the start of the games.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Quick clearly wasn’t ready to come back after his injury. They’ve rushed him back and it shows how rusty he is. They should give Quick more of a rest and ease him back in the lineup. There’s no point in risking further injury to him this early in the season. Let Campbell sink or swim.

 

[Sol]

Quick clearly wasn’t ready to come back after his injury. They’ve rushed him back and it shows how rusty he is. They should give Quick more of a rest and ease him back in the lineup. There’s no point in risking further injury to him this early in the season. Let Campbell sink or swim.

Yeah, Quick does look bad.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

The team Lombardi took over in 2006 can’t be compared to what Blake started with last summer. You’re not even being fair here.

I’m just surprised that there are pockets of fans who will absolve any wrong-doing on Lombardi’s part and lay all the blame on Blake. I think the run from 2012-14 is clouding some judgement and you guys are forgetting the series of setbacks that has set the organization back by years due to awful trades and nonexistent player development for a long period of time under the old regime.

I don’t absolve Dean of anything. I have a picture perfect opinion of him. He was a great GM until he wasn’t. He deserves a ton of blame for the state of this franchise today. A ton. Some (including me) simply appreciate the good years more than we malign the bad. I’ll trade a decade of black hole suck for 2012-2014, as would pretty much any hockey fan.

That’s not absolving him of his horrid 2014-2017. It’s just pointing out the facts. Lombardi 2006-2014: great GM. Lombardi 2014-2017: bad GM.

He deserves blame. So, too, does Blake.

 

[King'sPawn]

I feel Blake was allowed an evaluation year to see how the players responded when they got a coach they wanted. I was okay with him holding onto pieves and taking his time.

But now that time is gone.

Not only the players, but coaches, scouts, and development coaches need to be reevaluated/changed.

The players may have a country club atmosphere, but we have gone far too long with bad results from top to bottom.

 

[bob77]

There’s a mystique within the organization that it’s Quick’s net, and that he likes lots of work, like all the games, and the room will fall apart, and him as well, if he does not play every game. This has to go. Campbell was hot for a few games, and then went cold a bit. But what if he would have just stayed hot? Give Johnny back his net, that’s all that would have happened. The Kings are at a point where you play the hot goalie until he cools off. If that’s Jack for 5 straight, then so be it.

 

[kingsfan28]

So glad I missed this game. My god, what has happened to our defense? It's the same as last year, yet they've given up what, 21 goals in the last 4 games? It all seemed to start with a bad training camp, to a bad preseason to now. You used to count on our defense to keep them in games when they couldn't score, now even that's not there. Just ugly hockey!

 

[Sol]

I feel Blake was allowed an evaluation year to see how the players responded when they got a coach they wanted. I was okay with him holding onto pieves and taking his time.

But now that time is gone.

Not only the players, but coaches, scouts, and development coaches need to be reevaluated/changed.

The players may have a country club atmosphere, but we have gone far too long with bad results from top to bottom.

100% agreed. Futa and his boys need to go as well.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

So glad I missed this game. My god, what has happened to our defense? It's the same as last year, yet they've given up what, 21 goals in the last 4 games? It all seemed to start with a bad training camp, to a bad preseason to now. You used to count on our defense to keep them in games when they couldn't score, now even that's not there. Just ugly hockey!

15 GF 28 GA -13 differential

When Stevens talks about "we can't shutout the other team every night and win" ....speaks highly of your offense and being a peabrain. You can make it your goal to win the William M Jennings Award
every year....but no one cares about that trophy, or hoists it over their head, passes it to the next teammate and drink champagne out of it....and fans don't go crazy all over town and have a parade. You do not get your name etched in it and take it around the world to show off.....