GDT: Kings press conference Game thread

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Kopitar quote from press conference:

https://lakingsinsider.com/2017/04/11/bullet-points-todays-press-conference-media-availability/

-Kopitar, who noted “there’s definitely going to be some soul-searching” over the summer, said that teams in the Western Conference “are getting smaller and quicker,” and that the team’s style of play, which highly effective in the playoffs, was difficult to pull off over 82-game regular seasons. “Well, we played a hard style of hockey, yeah for sure,” he said. “It was very physical. It was very intense. And if you think you can sustain that for 82 straight games, I’d say you’re crazy. And we all know that in the playoffs that works and you get the extra boost just because it is the playoffs but to have it for that 82-game stretch, it’s a bit of a push and that’s why we got in trouble sometimes. But you know what, I think, for the most part it worked. When we executed to a T, it worked and we were winning games.”

I dunno Anze, how about you play hard for even 60 regular season games? Is that too crazy for you?
 
Far too much 'we' from Kopitar and not enough 'I'. He was the most disappointing player on this roster and a big reason they didn't make the playoffs.
 
Worked with the league, business saavy, good connections, college education, good player/knows the game. A lot of assumptions but his background wasn't too different from Shanahan who was well-sought-after too. Or Hexy.

I think a lot of the venom is the name "Blake." An additional portion is the AEG Old Boys Club connection. But theoretically, he's well-qualified as an entry-level GM.

Totally agree.He probably put the same amount of time that Yzerman did in Detroit before becoming Tampa's GM. Blakes more qualified than the stats kid running the Cryotes.
 
Far too much 'we' from Kopitar and not enough 'I'. He was the most disappointing player on this roster and a big reason they didn't make the playoffs.

The thing I think which was garbage in Kopitar's quote was I don't think Sutter ever insisted the team play "heavy" for 82 regular season games.
 
Sutter also didn't make Kopitar allergic to the net. Kopitar needs to drive to the net and attack it, yet he doesn't. These quotes are pure meaningless ********. Give me a break with this nonsense.
 
Totally agree.He probably put the same amount of time that Yzerman did in Detroit before becoming Tampa's GM. Blakes more qualified than the stats kid running the Cryotes.

That's comforting, but if the Stanley Cup window is still as open as everyone in the Kings organization claims, do they have time for Blake to learn on the job?
 
That's comforting, but if the Stanley Cup window is still as open as everyone in the Kings organization claims, do they have time for Blake to learn on the job?
It's taken Jason Garrett in Dallas five years (of literally "learning on the job" -- Jerry Jones). Not a very exciting proposition for us Kings fans.
 
Apparently being drafted by the Kings and being HHOF players make them qualified for these positions.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 - GM Jim Rutherford, former NHL player and played for the Penguins. Didn't see anything regarding formal education at a university.

Chicago Blackhawks 2010, 2013, 2015 - GM Stan Bowman, Bowman graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1995 with degrees in Finance and Computer Applications

Los Angeles Kings 2012, 2014 - GM Dean Lombardi, During his college freshman year he played hockey at Division 2 power Elmira College, before transferring to the University of New Haven, where he was selected the scholar/athlete his senior year, and served as captain his junior and senior years. Lombardi graduated third in his class. Lombardi later attended law school at Tulane University, graduating with honors and specializing in labor law.

Boston Bruins 2011 - GM Pete Chiarelli, Played for Harvard University between 1983 and 1987, serving as the captain of the team. He later played for the British Hockey League Nottingham Panthers.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2009 - GM Ray Shero, Played his college hockey for the St. Lawrence University Skating Saints, captaining the team from 1983–85. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1982, but never played in the NHL.

Detroit Red Wings 2008 - GM Ken Holland, Drafted in the 12th round, 188th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft. He played a total of four games in the NHL. After his playing career was over, Holland took a job with the Red Wings as a scout in Western Canada. He subsequently served seven years as Director of Amateur Scouting and three as Assistant General Manager. That's 10 years of paying dues.

So, you get the idea.

Rob Blake was selected 70th overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He had completed his freshman year with Bowling Green State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) when he was drafted and went on to play three years total in the college ranks, earning CCHA and NCAA West First All-Star Team honours in 1990. Blake was also the first player to ever receive the CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman award. Foregoing his final season of college eligibility, Blake joined the Kings for the final four games of the 1989–90 season before tallying 46 points in his NHL rookie campaign in 1990–91 to be named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

You guys can read these and see how they compare.

Lombardi's educational background puts everyone to shame save Bowman.

Reading this made me depressed.
 
It's taken Jason Garrett in Dallas five years (of literally "learning on the job" -- Jerry Jones). Not a very exciting proposition for us Kings fans.

It's okay. It's total BS anyway. The window is closed.

We are now back in the land of AEG spin mode with Luc as the front man. Not sure Luc knows this.
 
Lombardi's educational background puts everyone to shame save Bowman.

Reading this made me depressed.

Should be no surprise which GMs won 5 out of the last 7 Stanley Cups. Add in Chia, who is obviously no dummy after being accepted at Harvard, and you have 6 out of 7.

Dean's big flaw, loyal to a fault.
 
There was absolutely zero "hard style of hockey" being played by the 2016-2017 L.A. Kings, so Kopi needs to find another excuse

Kopitar and Doughty are both out of excuses. They are the highest paid players on the team, and now must lead.

Williams, Mitchell, Stoll, Richards, Regehr, and Greene aren't here to lean on anymore.

They're still lucky to have Quick. He is the only player with brass balls the Kings have left.
 
Should be no surprise which GMs won 5 out of the last 7 Stanley Cups. Add in Chia, who is obviously no dummy after being accepted at Harvard, and you have 6 out of 7.

Dean's big flaw, loyal to a fault.

Yep. I would like to say he was learning from his mistakes by not keeping Lucic, but it seems clear now that he hitched his ride to Sutter's, once again, to a fault.

Just disappointed and sad all around. Dean's a smart guy and a great GM, overall. But one character flaw sinks him. It's like a Greek tragedy.
 
There was absolutely zero "hard style of hockey" being played by the 2016-2017 L.A. Kings, so Kopi needs to find another excuse

EXACTLY 100% CORRECT.

Sutter is still to blame though, for not getting the roster to even play Sutter hockey.

The Kings haven't played Sutter/Lombardi hockey (Kings hockey) since 2015.

Kopitar/Doughty are out of excuses now.
 
Should be no surprise which GMs won 5 out of the last 7 Stanley Cups. Add in Chia, who is obviously no dummy after being accepted at Harvard, and you have 6 out of 7.

Dean's big flaw, loyal to a fault.

He was also an agent and scout. So he was comprehensively qualified, still more so than anyone in the league pretty much. Given a clean slate, I think he'd be a perfect builder yet again.
 
Totally agree.He probably put the same amount of time that Yzerman did in Detroit before becoming Tampa's GM. Blakes more qualified than the stats kid running the Cryotes.

Shanahan and Yzerman have won dick. But hey, at least we're not as pathetic as the Coyotes... Please tell me you're joking?
 
EXACTLY 100% CORRECT.

Sutter is still to blame though, for not getting the roster to even play Sutter hockey.

The Kings haven't played Sutter/Lombardi hockey (Kings hockey) since 2015.

Kopitar/Doughty are out of excuses now.

Agreed, it still falls on Sutter for not getting them up to play his system, or adjusting his system to produce results. This year felt like a team going through the motions, plain and simple
 
Agreed, it still falls on Sutter for not getting them up to play his system, or adjusting his system to produce results. This year felt like a team going through the motions, plain and simple

What system motivates lazy players that don't want to pay the necessary price to win?
 
What system motivates lazy players that don't want to pay the necessary price to win?

I know they're professionals and even Sutter and the players themselves have pointed out it's their duty to be prepared, but if we're being honest with ourselves, one major part of a coaches job is to prepare, inspire, lead somehow. It doesn't have to be motivational speeches or something, but man, how many times did we get scored on first this year, looking wholly unprepared? Sure, part of that prep is on the players, but if there was one thing to fix coming down the stretch, wouldn't he peel the paint of the walls or something? I mean hell, maybe he did, but it didn't get through, and that's a failing of a coach and a signal his message here is done.

I think we can be too literal sometimes when we say it's up to the players to perform. No one will disagree it's the guys on the ice that can bury a coach--Kopitar's production struggles, for instance--but there were very visible things to adjust on this team that were never addressed.
 
Yep. I would like to say he was learning from his mistakes by not keeping Lucic, but it seems clear now that he hitched his ride to Sutter's, once again, to a fault.

Just disappointed and sad all around. Dean's a smart guy and a great GM, overall. But one character flaw sinks him. It's like a Greek tragedy.

It's not really a flaw, and it wasn't what sunk him. Lombardi is who is he, in good times and bad, and ultimately, in my mind, the team missing the playoffs in 14-15 set the stage for the following 2 seasons, and the players are what got Lombardi fired.

After 2014, Lombardi wanted to win as much as he could as quickly as he could, before Kopitar and Doughty needed their big UFA contracts. Brown signed a big deal, then his offense disappeared. Gaborik is brought in as a result, does very well, and then he's signed at a lower cap hit because Brown was taking up a bunch of cap space but stopped scoring. There was a 2 year window after 2014 to win while Kopitar had a good contract, and his raise was basically the cap hits of both Williams and Lucic.
 
- Bring up the young guys with no experience. The coach should let them make mistakes! Let them learn on the job in the NHL.
- Don't hire a GM with no GMing experience. What if he makes a rookie mistake? The NHL isn't a place to learn on the job.
- Why does Lombardi keep all these old guys that can't play?
- Finally some of those old guys that can't play are gone. What happened to the leadership of the team though? You can tell the team is really missing the old guys that can't play.

We have to figure out this experience vs. no experience thing we have going on, because we're all over the place with it.
 
Should be no surprise which GMs won 5 out of the last 7 Stanley Cups. Add in Chia, who is obviously no dummy after being accepted at Harvard, and you have 6 out of 7.

Dean's big flaw, loyal to a fault.

Chia is also the guy that traded Seguin for an older Eriksson, and got the Bruins into cap trouble. Now he all but inherited McDavid on his ELC to build around, so his job is a bit easier these days. Bowman took over a team that won the lottery to get Kane. Without Kane, the Hawks aren't the Hawks, no matter how smart Bowman is.
 

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