LAK 6 : ARI 2 - Boom goes the crynomite

[YP44]

moving a LW complicates things more because remember Lucic is a rental too. I haven't heard that Kempe is necessarily NHL ready yet, so worst case scenario if you deal Pearson and Lucic walks you could be looking at LW depth of King/Clifford/Mersch/??? - possibly Brown? that's a lot less top-six talent on that side than I think Dean would like going into next season. Then again if it returns Buff and a cup I don't think I'd really care.

The reigns coach sure thinks he is. He said he could play for the kings this year.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I'm not sold on the blueline as it is. This team can't risk having McBain or Ehrhoff in a playoff lineup nor should McNabb or Schenn be rotating in the top 4. Adding Byfuglien would put everyone else beyond the top 3 in the proper defense slot.

You're advocating for basically an entirely new top four then. I don't see how that's going to happen this year. Some of these players have to be trusted playing next to Doughty and Muzzin.

Agreed, though, that Mcbain/Ehrhoff taking regular shifts is not a good thing. That's the biggest hole I see on the team. If we got Buff (which I don't see how we do, considering the cap), one of Mcnabb/Schenn gets pushed down into that bottom pairing, and things round out pretty well.

I've liked the lion's share of what I've seen from Schenn so far. I believe Dean got him as a long term Greene replacement.

 

[Quattro]

You're advocating for basically an entirely new top four then. I don't see how that's going to happen this year. Some of these players have to be trusted playing next to Doughty and Muzzin.

Agreed, though, that Mcbain/Ehrhoff taking regular shifts is not a good thing. That's the biggest hole I see on the team. If we got Buff (which I don't see how we do, considering the cap), one of Mcnabb/Schenn gets pushed down into that bottom pairing, and things round out pretty well.

I've liked the lion's share of what I've seen from Schenn so far. I believe Dean got him as a long term Greene replacement.

I think generally people are looking for us to have 4 top pair D-man and 2 second pair guys playing 3rd pair.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think generally people are looking for us to have 4 top pair D-man and 2 second pair guys playing 3rd pair.

Yep. [Edit: maybe not 'yep' but I meant we're looking to slot guys better ]

I think it's just going to be a difference in philosophy so agree to disagree--but I don't think DL is happy with McBain/Ehrhoff taking a regular shift (and Sutter CLEARLY isn't) since neither one seems to be able to sustain a high level of play for a long time--I add that to his notes about chemistry (wants D to play together/pair together consistently and we haven't had that all year) and DL's ol' "building from the back out" philosophy and I see a move to be made there. However, we've never really filled the Voynov hole, and while McNabb has been adequate, he's uneven, and the numbers show he's often a drain on Doughty too. To me--that's been DL's biggest priority this whole time. Now that Schenn has shown to be capable as well, adding an impact d-man, imo, makes us THE favorite, not just one of the three, as it bumps McNabb down the lineup into better matchups and more manageable minutes too--two birds with one stone. Beyond this year? That hurts, and that's where the difference in philosophy lies. But in my humble opinion, if DL can end up with this, we're sitting pretty and as dangerous as we've ever been (which means first round exit because hockey ):

Lucic-Kopitar-Toffoli
Pearson-Carter-Gaborik
King-Lecavalier-Brown
Mersch-Shore-Lewis
Clifford, Nolan, Andreoff

Doughty-Muzzin
Byfuglien-McNabb
Martinez-Schenn

lines may vary obviously but that is deadly.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I think generally people are looking for us to have 4 top pair D-man and 2 second pair guys playing 3rd pair.

What do you consider McBain and Ehrhoff to be? There's a reason why none of the two have been able to pin down a regular spot in the lineup and Sutter keeps having to mix his pairings up. Perhaps he's trying to protect those guys from being liabilities? That's a big reason why McNabb is paired with Doughty, he's the only one who can cover for his mistakes.

What some of us are saying is that we'd prefer to see guys who should be 3rd pairing guys to not be playing top minutes, which is what the Kings have been forced to do since 2014-15 after the losses of Mitchell, Regehr and Voynov.

You're advocating for basically an entirely new top four then. I don't see how that's going to happen this year. Some of these players have to be trusted playing next to Doughty and Muzzin.

Agreed, though, that Mcbain/Ehrhoff taking regular shifts is not a good thing. That's the biggest hole I see on the team. If we got Buff (which I don't see how we do, considering the cap), one of Mcnabb/Schenn gets pushed down into that bottom pairing, and things round out pretty well.

I've liked the lion's share of what I've seen from Schenn so far. I believe Dean got him as a long term Greene replacement.

Not entirely new. Muzzin and Doughty are familiar with each other. Martinez would likely slot with Byfuglien, and that leaves us with McNabb and Schenn. I figure that in the late stages of a game, Sutter and his staff would rely heavily on those 4 (that is if the team was to add Byfuglien or any other top 4 right-handed dman).

I think for a majority of the game though you'd find Sutter rotating more balanced defense pairings, likely keeping McNabb with Doughty, Muzzin possibly with Byfuglien and Martinez with Schenn (similar to Martinez being paired with Greene in the past).

 

[KingCanadain1976]

never said he would.
If the price is pearson I would be hesitate to move him for a rental.

Which is fine i am as well but if your going to move anything for a upgrade it should be pearson over younger cheaper assets.

 

[HookKing]

What do you consider McBain and Ehrhoff to be? There's a reason why none of the two have been able to pin down a regular spot in the lineup and Sutter keeps having to mix his pairings up. Perhaps he's trying to protect those guys from being liabilities? That's a big reason why McNabb is paired with Doughty, he's the only one who can cover for his mistakes.

What some of us are saying is that we'd prefer to see guys who should be 3rd pairing guys to not be playing top minutes, which is what the Kings have been forced to do since 2014-15 after the losses of Mitchell, Regehr and Voynov.



Not entirely new. Muzzin and Doughty are familiar with each other. Martinez would likely slot with Byfuglien, and that leaves us with McNabb and Schenn. I figure that in the late stages of a game, Sutter and his staff would rely heavily on those 4 (that is if the team was to add Byfuglien or any other top 4 right-handed dman).

I think for a majority of the game though you'd find Sutter rotating more balanced defense pairings, likely keeping McNabb with Doughty, Muzzin possibly with Byfuglien and Martinez with Schenn (similar to Martinez being paired with Greene in the past).

That won't happen. You can't pair two pylons together.

 

[kingsfan28]

What do you consider McBain and Ehrhoff to be? There's a reason why none of the two have been able to pin down a regular spot in the lineup and Sutter keeps having to mix his pairings up. Perhaps he's trying to protect those guys from being liabilities? That's a big reason why McNabb is paired with Doughty, he's the only one who can cover for his mistakes.

What some of us are saying is that we'd prefer to see guys who should be 3rd pairing guys to not be playing top minutes, which is what the Kings have been forced to do since 2014-15 after the losses of Mitchell, Regehr and Voynov.



Not entirely new. Muzzin and Doughty are familiar with each other. Martinez would likely slot with Byfuglien, and that leaves us with McNabb and Schenn. I figure that in the late stages of a game, Sutter and his staff would rely heavily on those 4 (that is if the team was to add Byfuglien or any other top 4 right-handed dman).

I think for a majority of the game though you'd find Sutter rotating more balanced defense pairings, likely keeping McNabb with Doughty, Muzzin possibly with Byfuglien and Martinez with Schenn (similar to Martinez being paired with Greene in the past).

It pretty worked the entire playoffs for the Hawks last season.

 

[Herby]

It pretty worked the entire playoffs for the Hawks last season.

And they were very fortunate to keep those 4 guys healthy playing as much as they did.

As it stands now the Kings are forced to play one of Ehrhoff, McBain or Forbort, which is manageable. The issue is going to be when/if the Kings have an injury and we are forced to play two of them, that could legit derail a cup run.

 

[Legionnaire]

Haven't seen a sliding trip like that tonight since The Karate Kid.

That was a really dangerous play. I can't believe it wasn't called. Joke league.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

And they were very fortunate to keep those 4 guys healthy playing as much as they did.

As it stands now the Kings are forced to play one of Ehrhoff, McBain or Forbort, which is manageable. The issue is going to be when/if the Kings have an injury and we are forced to play two of them, that could legit derail a cup run.

That's what I was about to say.

Doesn't matter how strong the rest of the lineup is....let's say, knock on wood, Muzzin gets hurt. With no moves, our lineup now looks like Doughty-McNabb / Martinez-Schenn / Ehrhoff-McBain (or Schultz, probably). Ugh. Dl doesn't seem like the type to gamble on relative health of a d-core. 2012 was uber-fortunate.

 

[scryan]

That was a really dangerous play. I can't believe it wasn't called. Joke league.

No,no... Its OK because he slid blade first while sweeping the legs out from under an opponent.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Don't look now, but after a slow start, Kopi is right back on pace for 72 points (Career average, 73).

In fact, if you throw away his 3 points in 10 games in October, he's got 41 points in 40 games.

Flat out elite night after night.

 

[gnarls barkley]

Don't look now, but after a slow start, Kopi is right back on pace for 72 points (Career average, 73).

In fact, if you throw away his 3 points in 10 games in October, he's got 41 points in 40 games.

Flat out elite night after night.

well that just can't be true, i have been told many times whenever Kings players do well that it's just the system

 

[Quattro]

What do you consider McBain and Ehrhoff to be?

I consider them to be 3rd pair/7th D men, which is exactly what they are.

Obviously adding Buff would be great but I don't see how it is doable cap wise.

 

[YP44]

Question: Was the title of this thread thought of when LA last played and lost to Arizona...or an impulse?

 

[Bandit]

Question: Was the title of this thread thought of when LA last played and lost to Arizona...or an impulse?

Ha. Always looking to work crying into it when we play Phoenizona.