Kings Lose 7-2

[Reclamation Project]

he had an awful season, no doubt about it. You don't have to be a fan, but you have to at least respect his talents. He's got a very unique skillset--only two players over the last decade have had x (I forget the exact number) number of hits and points, and those two are Brown and Ovechkin. I'll look harder for the stat soon. Regardless, the guy is a year in and out 50-60 point league leader in hits, that's a very unique player, so you can not like him for various reasons, but at least acknowledge that he's a damn fine player.

20 goals and 50 points like clockwork his entire career. One down year.

 

[damacles1156]

Pretty sure Brown is the only player over five seasons of 250+ hits 20 goals and 45+ points

I think Ovi was the only other guy

 

[Herby]

I'd get rid of Brown before Richards since he would yield a higher return and give more cap flexibility for Dean. At some point leadership has to be held accountable for the poor results this year and Brown's cap hit is an albatross as well.

Dean was about to make leadership accountable after he canned Murray, and it didn't turn around quickly after that firing. The team was still coasting until Brown was on the verge of being shipped out of LA. Once he heard the rumors, he went into beast mode. Now he's back to pre-trade rumor mode.

Richards was dealing with an illness during the olympic break, and hasn't regained his strength. Dean knows more about Richards health than anyone else, and doubt he is on the way out.

His play was horrible before and after the Olympic break, you can't blame an illness on 60+ games of horrific offensive play and two seasons worth of awful defensive play and a fading physical game.

I just don't see any way Lombardi can justify keeping Richards and that contract unless he is confident he can play at a high level on the 2nd line, and to me, there is no way he gets anywhere close to that level again, he was awful this year and is trending downwards in a big way.

Dean has to realize no one is going to blame him or look at the buyout as a bad move, these things were negotiated into the CBA because there were a lot of awful contracts signed before the lockout, Richards wasn't an awful contract at the time, but right now it is among the worst in the NHL. AEG wants to win, Dean has won them a championship, if he goes to them and says we can't win a championship with this contract, I believe they will ok the buyout. You just can't have a 3rd/4th line player signed to a 6 year, $36 million deal and be expected to still build a championship team.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

I believe in brown rebounding. He's put up good points as a king his whole career. He's had one bad year. He was really good last year when Kopitar was mia. He carried Kopitar. Brown deserves a slide.

 

[damacles1156]

Richards game has declined over three seasons now , the advance stats and numbers just can't be ignored now.

Even though Richards produced last playoff go , he was still the Kings worst defensive center.

The Hawks exploited that.

 

[Riposte!]

On the topic of Mike Richards, his career was over after this hit. He got David Booth'd (ironically by his old team). Has never been the same.

 

[BigKing]

His play was horrible before and after the Olympic break, you can't blame an illness on 60+ games of horrific offensive play and two seasons worth of awful defensive play and a fading physical game.

I just don't see any way Lombardi can justify keeping Richards and that contract unless he is confident he can play at a high level on the 2nd line, and to me, there is no way he gets anywhere close to that level again, he was awful this year and is trending downwards in a big way.

Dean has to realize no one is going to blame him or look at the buyout as a bad move, these things were negotiated into the CBA because there were a lot of awful contracts signed before the lockout, Richards wasn't an awful contract at the time, but right now it is among the worst in the NHL. AEG wants to win, Dean has won them a championship, if he goes to them and says we can't win a championship with this contract, I believe they will ok the buyout. You just can't have a 3rd/4th line player signed to a 6 year, $36 million deal and be expected to still build a championship team.

I said in here last Friday that we will all look back in regret if Dean doesn't use at least one of the compliance buy-outs this summer. The new CBA screwed the Kings long laid-out plans regarding the cap; however, they were given two mulligans to help soften the lowered cap ceiling. Dean felt he didn't have any bad contracts last summer but I think he'd have to feel differently after this season.

I'd use both of them with Richards being one and Regher possibly the other. Take a look at the list of buyouts so far and it is pretty interesting. A lot of $2MM type cap hits. Space is so damn important and this team needs to spend the $8.75MM between Richards and Regher in better fashion.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Meh, Regehr doesn't even bother me that much. He's been pretty solid after the Olympic break.

 

[Little Psycho]

Yayy Fraser called up and Vey getting sent back.

Our savior!

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Meh, Regehr doesn't even bother me that much. He's been pretty solid after the Olympic break.

Yeah I have no problem with Regehr, he's played his way out of his early problems and stabilized his suck big time.

 

[Trolfoli]

This team is going to need to inject cheap, talented youth moving forward to complement the core. Linden Vey needs to be given every opportunity to play next year; same with Pearson.

Did Chicago add significant FA's after getting bounced by Phoenix for their second Round 1 loss in a row? I think it was only Roszival and he wasn't highly sought after because most believed he would never walk, let alone skate, again after taking the hit from Brown.

What they did have was Leddy, Saad and Shaw really step-up and become important pieces to a team that had committed the majority of its cap space to 5-6 guys.

Vey, Pearson, Toffoli, McNabb, Shore, Forbort etc... are so damn important to this fun ride continuing. Do they start using this youth more next season, as they should, or do they continue to run Richards, Stoll and bring back one of Mitchell and/or Greene?

Going to be interesting to see how this plays out. This team needs tweaks and not to be blown up. Time to see if this development system is as great as it has been touted to be the last few seasons.

Well we all got to see how great Sutter is at youth development and getting them into the line up where there skills can be put to the most use while the rest of their games develop. Toffoli does look good on the 4th line. Shame Fraser is in the AHL so Toffoli can't be paired with him right now. e

But if the Kings used Pearson, Vey, and Toffoli in the line up all year they may have missed the playoffs.

Well here's to hoping Sutter gets blown out in the next 2 home games so that he realizes he needs to "retire" this off season.

Ok I'm just mad that I watched a season of the 20+ ranked offense hearing how defense wins championships. That 6 GAA is just great right now.

Edit: Fraser got called up? You aren't ****ing kidding me?

 

[KingKopitar11*]

Yayy Fraser called up and Vey getting sent back.

Our savior!

lmfao wtf DL hahaha

 

[DryIslandBartender]

His play was horrible before and after the Olympic break, you can't blame an illness on 60+ games of horrific offensive play and two seasons worth of awful defensive play and a fading physical game.

I just don't see any way Lombardi can justify keeping Richards and that contract unless he is confident he can play at a high level on the 2nd line, and to me, there is no way he gets anywhere close to that level again, he was awful this year and is trending downwards in a big way.

Dean has to realize no one is going to blame him or look at the buyout as a bad move, these things were negotiated into the CBA because there were a lot of awful contracts signed before the lockout, Richards wasn't an awful contract at the time, but right now it is among the worst in the NHL. AEG wants to win, Dean has won them a championship, if he goes to them and says we can't win a championship with this contract, I believe they will ok the buyout. You just can't have a 3rd/4th line player signed to a 6 year, $36 million deal and be expected to still build a championship team.

Dean is not going to buy out Richards.

Like I said, he knows more about his medical history than you do and its affected his play. Richards was not openly rumored to be traded by Dean, it was Brown. I am stealing this from Quisp...Flashback to our first SJ playoff series. DL Quotes:

Then you [...] look at the playoffs [...], a 4-0 lead (in Game 3 [against San Jose, a game which the Kings lost 6-5]). [...] we have to learn from this and not get in that situation in the first place. [...] the point is that to be a really good team is to learn to be professional. If you look at the good teams, you have to define the problem and then recognize the signs that this is not going to seep in again. That’s the responsibility of your captains [...], that when you get off to 12-3 and you start seeing that slide, knock it off. Detroit, when they’re in a slide, they’ll be .500, but you don’t go 0-8 or 0-9 or whatever.”

http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/04/27/lombardi-on-success-and-disappointments/


That's been the M.O. of the Kings under Dustin Brown and Dean Lombardi had no problem calling out Brown before for his shoddy leadership. He was real close to be traded for the lack of leadership abilities to recognize problems on the team. We can't get married to Brown because he was the first guy to lift the cup, and can't stay stuck in the year 2012. Kings need to chase Cup banner #2.

Captaincy isn't about points and/or hits, its about leadership and the latter Brown is severely lacking.

 

[Trolfoli]

Shame Frattin was traded. Frattin/Fraser/Lewis would look real good.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Dean is not going to buy out Richards.

Like I said, he knows more about his medical history than you do and its affected his play. Richards was not openly rumored to be traded by Dean, it was Brown. I am stealing this from Quisp...Flashback to our first SJ playoff series. DL Quotes:



http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/04/27/lombardi-on-success-and-disappointments/


That's been the M.O. of the Kings under Dustin Brown and Dean Lombardi had no problem calling out Brown before for his shoddy leadership. He was real close to be traded for the lack of leadership abilities to recognize problems on the team. We can't get married to Brown because he was the first guy to lift the cup, and can't stay stuck in the year 2012. Kings need to chase Cup banner #2.

Captaincy isn't about points and/or hits, its about leadership and the latter Brown is severely lacking.

So...You would hold onto Richards and dump Brown.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Kopitar-Physical
Williams-Soft
Gaborik-Soft
Brown-Soft lately
Richards-Soft lately
Carter-A little bit physical. More so this series than any of these other chumps.
King-Big Teddy Bear

That about sums it up. To add insult to injury none of the above are FAST. So the Kings are now slow and not physical.

I hope in the off-season they add an agitator and a speedster. They need both...badly.

You don't think Carter and Gaborik are fast?

A player like Gaborik doesn't need to be physical, we don't need to ice a team full of neanderthals. The problem is the players who do have a physical side to their game (Brown, Richards, Clifford, Nolan, etc. ) are not delivering any big hits.

I do agree that the Kings need to add an agitator and a speedster in the bottom six, perhaps Steve Downie and Mason Raymond?

 

[DryIslandBartender]

So...You would hold onto Richards and dump Brown.

Yes.

I know its unpopular to defend Richards on here. That said, Richards has won on every level and has actual leadership traits. His record speaks for itself, and Richards is hell of a lot smarter than Brown in terms of understanding the game. I would go and either name him or Kopitar the captain next season. They both are intelligent beings and understand the game a lot more than derp Brown.

 

[DocWest]

Yes.

I know its unpopular to defend Richards on here. That said, Richards has won on every level and has actual leadership traits. His record speaks for itself, and Richards is hell of a lot smarter than Brown in terms of understanding the game. I would go and either name him or Kopitar the captain next season. They both are intelligent beings and understand the game a lot more than derp Brown.

Rewarding Richards with captaincy for his **** play for two straight seasons is madness. Kopitar would deserve it.

 

[Reclamation Project]

KK11 displays all the traits of a leader - level, even mental keel; patience, grit, tenacity, and most important of all - he respect for others.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Rewarding Richards with captaincy for his **** play for two straight seasons is madness. Kopitar would deserve it.

The point is, Captaincy is usually reserved for someone that understands the game and can talk to teammates when something is going the wrong way. Yzerman was the smartest player on the Red Wings and understood not just the game but the pulse of the team.

I don't believe derp Brown has those traits or abilities.

 

[TheSentinel]

Shame Frattin was traded. Frattin/Fraser/Lewis would look real good.

The cup is would have been ours!!.

 

[kingsholygrail]

The point is, Captaincy is usually reserved for someone that understands the game and can talk to teammates when something is going the wrong way. Yzerman was the smartest player on the Red Wings and understood not just the game but the pulse of the team.

I don't believe derp Brown has those traits or abilities.

Yzerman was a better player than every single Kings player on the roster.

And if Richards can't motivate himself to player better, how does he motivate a team?

 

[Reaper45]

Yes.

I know its unpopular to defend Richards on here. That said, Richards has won on every level and has actual leadership traits. His record speaks for itself, and Richards is hell of a lot smarter than Brown in terms of understanding the game. I would go and either name him or Kopitar the captain next season. They both are intelligent beings and understand the game a lot more than derp Brown.

Wait what? So Richards, who's been on the decline since the Bergenheim hit, should replace Brown as captain because Brown has had an off year (his first) and because Richards has won at every level and understands the game better?

 

[damacles1156]

Mike Richards wouldn't take that C......

Mike Richards is on record saying "Brown is the perfect Captain everything you want in a Hockey player".

Mike Richards is done being "The Guy".

 

[Riposte!]

Mike Richards wouldn't take that C......

Mike Richards is on record saying "Brown is the perfect Captain everything you want in a Hockey player".

Mike Richards is done being "The Guy".

Sounds like he'd be more useful in the analyst booth.