LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Johnny Utah]

I don't think Danault is decling - he seems to be getting better with age. He had back to back 50 point seasons, including a career high last year and both years with the Kings were career high in NHL goals. Seems on pace for another 50 points and is only about to turn 31.

 

[Schrute farms]

Shaking things up by putting PLD on the top line is beyond ridiculous. Even if Kopi is worn down and needs a break. You can't "reward" PLD that way with his current play. Horrible message to the team and youngsters. Although, it would be on point with this coaching staff.

The only available shake up is moving Byfield to center and PLD to wing.....or maybe bringing up Turc when he's occasionally out of his full body cast.

 

[Brownie to Pancakes]

They should blender the lines immediately after going up 2-0.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Call up Fagemo and Helenius.

 

[AbsentMojo]

This is one of the worst takes ive ever seen from a pundit.. doesnt even mention Vilardi and Moore were injured

 

[Kudelski37]

This is one of the worst takes ive ever seen from a pundit.. doesnt even mention Vilardi and Moore were injured

Hoven is dumber than Luc.

 

[funky]

Call up Fagemo and Helenius.

I haven’t watched the Reign this year. Last year Helenius looked like he needed a lot of work. Has he taken a big jump? Love the size and snarl.

Would love to get Fagemo up and into some games. We have so many problems right now that if he starts pitting goals it could be that positive injection we need.

If he is given the chance to succeed and doesn’t then we know what we actually have.

A right shot PP sniper sounds exactly what we need

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

In my opinion PLD is not a problem on this team now.

Coach, old goalies and declining Kopitar, DD and Danault are.

I would put the followings lines for Kings trying to fix the current problems:

Kempe- PLD -Laff

Fiala-Byfield-Kaliev

Moore-Kopitar-Grundstrom

Lewis-Danault-Fagemo

Brother...............

Kopitar is basically a point per game player with a +15 rating and a 57% win rate in the faceoff circle.

PLD is on pace for 35 points, has less than a 50% FOW rate, and has the worst +/- rating on the team.

PLD is absolutely part of the problem. As is coaching. PLD needs to figure it out and start pulling his weight and McLellan needs to figure it out and start playing the best players possible (put both Clarke and Spence into the lineup) and start trusting young players more so you're not leaning on 26 minutes of Doughty every night.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Hoven is dumber than Luc.

state media for the failing regime.. Luc might be qualified to run concessions if that

 

[Brownie to Pancakes]

Kopi has had to use his lifealert bracelet 10 times a game recently. He needs a different role

 

[AbsentMojo]

I haven’t watched the Reign this year. Last year Helenius looked like he needed a lot of work. Has he taken a big jump? Love the size and snarl.

Would love to get Fagemo up and into some games. We have so many problems right now that if he starts pitting goals it could be that positive injection we need.

If he is given the chance to succeed and doesn’t then we know what we actually have.

A right shot PP sniper sounds exactly what we need

The thing is, until PLD gets straight nothing will matter. He even screws up being 4C... he's on par with being Cal Peterson bad.. where they had to waive him to get the stench out of the dressing room. Edit: otherwise agree w you

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Kopi has had to use his lifealert bracelet 10 times a game recently. He needs a different role

The Kopi disrespect is CRAZY

I mean you can say you think they should reduce his minutes without making it seem like he's struggling for his life out there. He's (basically) a point per game player and on pace for 30 goals and nearly the best +/- on the team while playing 20 minutes a night in all situations.

What more do you want from this man??? Sheesh

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

I don't understand how anyone can look at this team and this roster and think "Hmmmmm you know what the problem is??? It's that Kopitar guy he's too old and declining"

You mean the guy who has led this team in scoring for 15 years in a row (!!!!!!!!!!!!) and is tied for the team lead in points, on pace for 30 goals, has an excellent +/-, has been dominant in the faceoff circle, plays top powerplay and top PK minutes, hardly ever takes penalties, hardly ever misses games due to injury/illness, is a team leader and role model for the younger players???????

THAT'S the guy you want to blame right now??????? Come on y'all, be better

 

[AbsentMojo]

The Kopi disrespect is CRAZY

I mean you can say you think they should reduce his minutes without making it seem like he's struggling for his life out there. He's (basically) a point per game player and on pace for 30 goals and nearly the best +/- on the team while playing 20 minutes a night in all situations.

What more do you want from this man??? Sheesh

Its the coach not the player that I think the original poster was critiquing. They are grinding him into dust.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Its the coach not the player that I think the original poster was critiquing. They are grinding him into dust.

You may be right but even saying 'declining Kopitar' is mildly disrespectful. He's doing the exact same thing he' BEEN doing for the last 16+ years.

 

[AbsentMojo]

You may be right but even saying 'declining Kopitar' is mildly disrespectful. He's doing the exact same thing he' BEEN doing for the last 16+ years.

He hasnt fallen off that much at all, mostly foot speed... but the way they use him, it could accelerate it.. he's so good on D that its really hard to move him off the PK.. but I think they should do that for starters.

 

[Telos]

I think Kopi is being wrongly called out because TMac keeps making the same mistake over and over and over in overtime. He literally can't help himself from starting every overtime with Kopitar and Doughty out there after they've played the most minutes and don't have the same speed or mobility that they once did. I mean, sure, you could do worse, but other faster, dynamic, reliable skaters on the team could be out there too and he doesn't even consider them.

Despite his usage, Kopitar has performed valiantly. The goal wasn't given up on his watch. There is only one player on the team knocking on double-digit negative +/- and in second place they are -1. PLD is f***ing -9 on a team where only one other regular skater is -1 and the rest are even or better. He f***ing sucks and it is absolutely his effort and his attitude alone. He flat-out doesn't care. It can be seen from space.

Sure, he has talent that has largely been unseen by this team and a history of some production and normally I would say to wait until a year or two to gauge it because sooner or later he is going to get hot and the numbers will normalize, but he is giving beyond egregious poor effort. This is Frolov x 100, and I never once doubted that Frolov cared, he just had a style of play that looked lazy; but PLD is just checking all the worst boxes without an iota of care and the most passive shrug you could behold.

f*** this dude.

 

[AbsentMojo]

I think Kopi is being wrongly called out because TMac keeps making the same mistake over and over and over in overtime. He literally can't help himself from starting every overtime with Kopitar and Doughty out there after they've played the most minutes and don't have the same speed or mobility that they once did. I mean, sure, you could do worse, but other faster, dynamic, reliable skaters on the team could be out there too and he doesn't even consider them.

This one the main signs that Koala still believes in the 8/11 hologram that he org has been selling the fans for all these years. Edit: and to not have QB taking a regular OT shift is criminal incompetency

 

[FSL KINGS]

This is one of the worst takes ive ever seen from a pundit.. doesnt even mention Vilardi and Moore were injured

He's right though.

Brother...............

Kopitar is basically a point per game player with a +15 rating and a 57% win rate in the faceoff circle.

PLD is on pace for 35 points, has less than a 50% FOW rate, and has the worst +/- rating on the team.

PLD is absolutely part of the problem. As is coaching. PLD needs to figure it out and start pulling his weight and McLellan needs to figure it out and start playing the best players possible (put both Clarke and Spence into the lineup) and start trusting young players more so you're not leaning on 26 minutes of Doughty every night.

Kopitar is 100% being carried by Byfield & Kempe at this point. He's still good, but can't match up against other teams top lines without serious help.

PLD being a minus, that's what happens when you play with linemates that can't bury a puck.

Probably need to go back & check out the freakout in this thread. Also still love the PLD trade! Later Vilardi & Iafallo.

Things looking good right now. Going to have some tough patches through an 82 game season. Team needs to figure their way out of it.

 

[Moses Doughty]

He's right though.

He's acting like the Kings weren't missing 2 top 6 level forwards that game

 

[FSL KINGS]

He's acting like the Kings weren't missing 2 top 6 level forwards that game

King's missing a top6 forward so far this year?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

He's right though.

So, with a better roster and favorable scheduling, better relative health, it's ok to be pacing worse than last year and trending down?

If anything that should emphasize the coaching failures.

 

[Moses Doughty]

King's missing a top6 forward so far this year?

Not a guy who's played a minute this year (and further changes needed just to be cap compliant when he's back) vs 2 guys who were regulars last year without causing cap issues that Blake has self-inflicted

 

[King'sPawn]

This is one of the worst takes ive ever seen from a pundit.. doesnt even mention Vilardi and Moore were injured

I disagree with his take. But that's why I vent on the forum here instead of Twitter.

I know some don't like when people with access bite their tongue. From my side, because I contribute to MayorsManor, I don't want my opinion to be misunderstood as that of MM, and I don't want Hoven to get blowback for anything I post on social media.

If I had my own space/access and/or more clout where I wasn't concerned about affecting my friend or his access, I would say more.

I know many are understandably frustrated with the absence of "tough questions." Hopefully you understand why I don't.

 

[FSL KINGS]

So, with a better roster and favorable scheduling, better relative health, it's ok to be pacing worse than last year and trending down?

If anything that should emphasize the coaching failures.

Todd needs to step up with some of these combos.

Regular season doesn't matter. Team is still in a good position with easily addressable issues to patch up before the playoffs.

Also team is winning Corsi most nights so they're playing well. King's need to figure out how to use their size to get to the net. Going through a rough patch may force them to make that change.