London Knights 2023-24 Season Thread (Part 2)

[Knightsfan90]

 

[ohloutsider]

Some Knights fans have a hard time when the Knights lose but it is understandable considering the long history of winning. Carry on.

 

[LDN]

Some Knights fans have a hard time when the Knights lose but it is understandable considering the long history of winning. Carry on.

That’s the point. Us long-standing fans know the standard is championship or bust every damn year

 

[I Loveallsports]

Where’s the downvote button?

right here

 

[Knights77]

The league is fairly wide open this year. Kitchener is the best, then Saginaw, after that who knows. Knights are more than a couple trades away from being a real threat. The goaltending trade didn’t pay dividend like we thought. I think you see moves made geared towards next year. Doesn’t mean the Knights won’t win a playoff round, maybe two. But again, too many issues this year to be fixed in house. Also don’t think there is much on the trade market to help. Buckle up, the ride could get bumpy (bumpier) lol.

 

[Wolf on a Wire]

The league is fairly wide open this year. Kitchener is the best, then Saginaw, after that who knows. Knights are more than a couple trades away from being a real threat. The goaltending trade didn’t pay dividend like we thought. I think you see moves made geared towards next year. Doesn’t mean the Knights won’t win a playoff round, maybe two. But again, too many issues this year to be fixed in house. Also don’t think there is much on the trade market to help. Buckle up, the ride could get bumpy (bumpier) lol.

We have some great picks for one of your high end D….

 

[RangerNation]

The league is fairly wide open this year. Kitchener is the best, then Saginaw, after that who knows. Knights are more than a couple trades away from being a real threat. The goaltending trade didn’t pay dividend like we thought. I think you see moves made geared towards next year. Doesn’t mean the Knights won’t win a playoff round, maybe two. But again, too many issues this year to be fixed in house. Also don’t think there is much on the trade market to help. Buckle up, the ride could get bumpy (bumpier) lol.

I would argue the whole league is wide open. No contenders. Kitchener is profiting off a great start but the tides are turning.

 

[Purple Phart]

That’s the point. Us long-standing fans know the standard is championship or bust every damn year

I've been a fan since the team was known as the Nationals. During that time span, I've seen some outstanding teams and some that were considered to be somewhat of a dynasty. Marlies, Petes, 67's, and Generals among them. As a team, the Knights are relative newcomers, so that "standard" you mention is an illusion. Want proof ??? Name one team who has won a Championship every damn year. Fact is, there ISN"T one, and even a back-to-back is a very RARE achievement.

As a long standing fan who has witnessed both the good, the bad, and the fugly, I have concluded that expecting the team to win every season just isn't rational, and sets one up for more disappointment than elation. No team has ever gone through a season without having some losses.....even the " Team of the Century". Know that the Knights posess the record for BOTH the winningest, and also the Loose ingest team in league history. Moral being....accept the good with the bad.

 

[Knights Watcher]

This team is more than a trade or two away. Too many me-first guys. Too many mental lapses. Too many passengers. Not enough heart or leadership. Part of the blame goes to the coaching staff. We're over one-third into the season....stop mixing up the lines so much to the point where the players don't even know who they'll be on the ice with the next shift FFS. How can players get comfortable playing with different teammates multiple times per game? There was a time when a 2-goal lead for this team was insurmountable for their opponent....they would clamp down and eliminate most scoring chances. Now they can't hold multiple 2-goal leads in a single game. That's with 3 NHL-drafted D-men plus one soon to be drafted D. What gives back there? Even with LS90 and EM17 coming back (eventually?), there are too many flaws on this team. I'll stand behind my comment after last night's game....this team is BROKEN. I'm sure moves will be made but will it help? Wait and see I guess.

 

[StingUpdates]

I know it's gotten a bit bumpy as of late (still 15-10 & 2 pts out of 3rd) but do u guys actually see a scenario where u sell off?

Last year for Edward, George, Gazizov, McCue, Simpson. Definitely can see Dickinson & Cowan making a real push to make the NHL. OA Group next yr isnt great with Sim, Julien, Willmore & that would be the final season for Barkey, Bonk, Halttunen.

Can roll the dice & pray Cowan, Dickinson get sent back & u go again but that's a big gamble. Conference isn't stacked either. Completely wide open & the 2 teams in division aren't gonna add much (KIT doesn't have alot & OS GM never goes all in)

 

[Woody Dumart]

Wise thing to do would be a light sell where you re-build picks in a trade for one of the veteran D. Not necessarily giving up on the season.

I don’t see Dickinson in the NHL next year. Cowan - who knows. Goaltending should be set next year with Alexei and Finn.

 

[Matt93]

That’s the point. Us long-standing fans know the standard is championship or bust every damn year

That is unrealistic in any sport….except if you’re a Leafs fan.

You can be a fan of a team and just go with the flow and enjoy watching the sport win or lose. When they are losing, take solace in the fact they have won championships. I’m going through that with the Hawks right now.

Just enjoy the game man.

 

[Frank the Skank]

That is unrealistic in any sport….except if you’re a Leafs fan.

You can be a fan of a team and just go with the flow and enjoy watching the sport win or lose. When they are losing, take solace in the fact they have won championships. I’m going through that with the Hawks right now.

Just enjoy the game man.

If he was a real long standing fan he would know what the Doug Tarry days were like and appreciate what he has.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

Where’s the downvote button?

It's called the mute feature

Regardless of the team struggles right now...still the most bang for your buck on a Friday night

 

[ohloutsider]

That’s the point. Us long-standing fans know the standard is championship or bust every damn year

Not actually what I meant when I posted.

The whole point of my post is some fans are setting the bar too high after a few years of success. See the post below by Mr Phart. It explains it better.

 

[Knightsfan90]

The league is fairly wide open this year. Kitchener is the best, then Saginaw, after that who knows. Knights are more than a couple trades away from being a real threat. The goaltending trade didn’t pay dividend like we thought. I think you see moves made geared towards next year. Doesn’t mean the Knights won’t win a playoff round, maybe two. But again, too many issues this year to be fixed in house. Also don’t think there is much on the trade market to help. Buckle up, the ride could get bumpy (bumpier) lol.

The drum iv been beating for the past few weeks

Move George Edward McCue Sim ect even Simpson should go let Medvedev learn under Willmore.

This team doesn't have the drive/desire to win a series let alone a Championship to many me first players.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

The drum iv been beating for the past few weeks

Move George Edward McCue Sim ect even Simpson should go let Medvedev learn under Willmore.

This team doesn't have the drive/desire to win a series let alone a Championship to many me first players.

I'd be inclined to just hand the net to Med...he's our future starter

This team impressed me early...now not so much . They don't look like a team to me

 

[swoopster]

I was at the game last night. I really like Dickinson. Cowan can be a player at some point, but lacks leg and body strength ( unless an injury that I am not aware of ) to be AHL ready next year. I also liked Barkey quite a bit... never stops.

I was puzzled by the London scheme on offence, which was many times to long pass to Cowan near Saginaws blue line... but he was standing still. If the attempt was to have him feed an oncoming player, then there wasn't one.

Number one... you can't take penalties against Saginaw... number two, a tying goal possibility at the end was lost with another broken stick... I had never seen so many sticks broken in a game.

 

[Fastpace]

This is just a hiccup, a team hiccup ! It is not a goalie or a defender or a forward problem, everyone on this team needs to workout on this little problem.

This team that includes 20 regulars each have a role to do wither playing 20 shifts or only one or none at all, they all have a job to do, from cheer-leading on the bench to scoring a hat trick to preventing your opponent from scoring one.

This team lost or replaced 10 regulars since their spring playoffs run. They have lost playoffs league leaders Wintington and McGurn on down to the best goalie in the league Brochu. We can't expect this team to just pick up where they left off and not losing a beat. We should envision how this team of talents will really look like in March along with the new comers after the deadline. Give them some slack and time to fully familiarize Dale's system. They'll be fine IMHO

 

[sbpointer]

Man the scheduled maintenance was a bit longer then I thought it was going to be.
LDN could have made 7 trades in that time

I'm taking S Boulton to unleash the teddies tomorrow.
For the love of God people make sure the Knights actually score before throwing your bears... Looking at you Sarnia

 

[Ken Yates]

PhlyerPhanatic31 post i have to agree with dump a bunch of them including Cowan (if we get value). My season ticket still has good value just watching Dickinson. #37 should be on 4th line at best.​

 

[Buttsy]

First to admit have not watched the Knights a lot but did watch the Saginaw game a bit. Thoughts; Simpson is playing fine but WOW do we appreciate how truly good Brochu was especially before he was injured in last years playoffs? I know it's part of the game (injuries) but man he was on his game. We really miss the trio from Hamilton, what great trades they were. Disco, Winterton and even Humphry? It seems obvious these 3 put the "T" in Team.

 

[Fastpace]

First to admit have not watched the Knights a lot but did watch the Saginaw game a bit. Thoughts; Simpson is playing fine but WOW do we appreciate how truly good Brochu was especially before he was injured in last years playoffs? I know it's part of the game (injuries) but man he was on his game. We really miss the trio from Hamilton, what great trades they were. Disco, Winterton and even Humphry? It seems obvious these 3 put the "T" in Team.

We should also appreciate how good the Spirit really are, we've seen this before, you can only have so many stars on your team à la 2022-23 Windsor Spitfires. You need a strategical system in place with the right players not necessary all star players to be a successful team, Simpson is an excellent goalie, after all he did win it all last year. Once London finds their strategic tweaked players and their team system in front of Simpson, he will be as successful. IMHO

 

[Purple Phart]

There's an essential missing ingredient with this team, and the best description I can think of to describe it is simply SNARL...
Teams who posses it are teams who their opponents dread playing against them. There has to be that established from start to finish. Can't say that I've really seen that from this team, as of yet. Even those teams much lower in the standings are coming in, and simply outplaying the Knights.

This edition isn't commanding any respect, and that's entirely on them. Our d-men have sunk into the habit of backing into their zone without much of a challenge at the blue line. When was the last time an opposing forward was met with a solid hit by any of those guys ? Leonard used to provide that every so often, just to keep the opposition honest, but that's become somewhat of a rarity. We have guys with great skating ability but also a pronounced reluctance to physically engage any opponent. I'm almost certain that this habit hasn't been lost on rival coaches, and they've adjusted their game plans to take advantage of this.

Our forwards also seem to shy away from the physical side of things on the forecheck. Opposing d-men don't play with much fear of being stapled to the boards, or being hurried to make a breakout pass. Stick checks have become all too common, and o-zone posession has suffered. If secondary scoring has to be improved, it's going to have to come from those players who show that they really want to be here, as opposed to being content just to have a roster spot. This team has to find some snarl, and bring it more often than they've been doing.

 

[nelli27]

I know it's gotten a bit bumpy as of late (still 15-10 & 2 pts out of 3rd) but do u guys actually see a scenario where u sell off?

Last year for Edward, George, Gazizov, McCue, Simpson. Definitely can see Dickinson & Cowan making a real push to make the NHL. OA Group next yr isnt great with Sim, Julien, Willmore & that would be the final season for Barkey, Bonk, Halttunen.

Can roll the dice & pray Cowan, Dickinson get sent back & u go again but that's a big gamble. Conference isn't stacked either. Completely wide open & the 2 teams in division aren't gonna add much (KIT doesn't have alot & OS GM never goes all in)

Good question...Here's my take for what it's worth. In a nutshell, the defence (lots of depth, incredible skill level: Bonk, Dickinson, George, Edward) VS the offence--absolutely no depth. The pressure is on the 'twins' to carry the load, and they're trying to do too much (esp. Cowan). Ideally, you would not want to break up the twins since they work so well together, but it's a necessity in order to spread out (distribute) the little talent we have up front to avoid being a one-line team. And, that's the disconnect: defensive depth, no offensive depth.
Fortunately our PP has been red hot of late due in large part to 'Halttunnen's haymakers', and 'Bonk in the bumper'.
Our 4th line is a great liability...often get hemmed into our own zone, and they do not contribute in any positive way. We also have average/mediocre forwards in the lineup that I don't think have a high ceiling in this league (e.g. Nichol, Johnston, and then there's McCue who is no goal scorer despite doing some other things well). Julien has stepped up his game; verdict is still out on O'Reilly so I'll suspend judgement. Gazizov is hit or miss...he can be a wizard with the puck, great playmaking ability, but he's inconsistent, turns the puck over, and never appears to be giving 100%.
My guess is that the Knights will use some picks to acquire an additional scoring threat, and then just roll the dice with that lineup. Will that be enough? No chance. It's unfortunate that they spent all this effort building an impressive D corps and fell short with the forward group.