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Mike Richards (Warning in OP)

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Herby said:
And if you switched their icetime, linemates and defensive responsibilities it would be a complete and utter disaster.

Over the last year Richards has skated with basically every forward on the Kings roster and the only place he has looked good is as the fourth line center. He doesn't score enough to be an effective second line center and his awful defensive play makes it hard to trust him in Stoll's role which often requires checking one of the scoring lines from the other squad.

Every time that Sutter has tried to reward him with a promotion up the lineup it has blown up in his face. Remember when Richards was on the 4th line to end last season, was probably playing the best he has played in months, Sutter decides to start him back with Carter in the SJ series, it is a massive failure. Fast forward to the Ducks series and again for Game 3 after being up 2-0 he moves him back up, again blows up in his face.

Sutter has Richards on the fourth line because in 2014-2015, that is what he is, a fourth line center, and hey, guess what, he has actually looked pretty effective in that role. There is a place on a team for a quality energy line center, and that is what he is, when you try and expand that role is when you get into trouble.



Well DeeSham, we obviously do not see eye to eye on Mike Richards as a hockey player, but I normally think you argue in a reasonable way, but I think this post is really ridiculous on many levels.

First off if Sutter had it in for Richards he would have scratched him last year when he, on many nights looked like he was struggling to even keep up, yet he never did.

If he had it in for him then I assume he would have pushed for the buy-out when Dean was considering it, I can guarantee you that many teams would have gone the buy out route. But DS was by all indications supportive of Richards and wanted him back despite the disastrous season. Obviously it was ultimately Dean's call, but you better believe DS was consulted on it.

Sutter has been asked before how he feels about Richards and he has said he trusts him, again if Sutter had some kind of vendetta against Richards he would not go out of his way to praise him. I already said I did not agree with him publicly calling him out to the media after the defensive gaffe, DS has eyes, just like all of us he saw one of the worst defensive plays you'll see all year from a Kings player and he thought it was the difference in the game. I would again, rather not see that happen, especially in a game where we scored zero goals, but I don't think it's DS with any kind of vendetta or bias against Richards.
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You left out when Sutter went to 3 lines against the Hawks in game 7.... I believe that the line was Pearson/Richards/Carter.... with Clifford/Lewis/Nolan not seeing over 5 mins of ice time.... that seemed to work out well for everyone.... also in the NYR game Martinez got the gwg game 5 out with a line of Clifford/Lewis/Toffoli... again this was because Sutter was running the Pearson/Richards/Carter line in the playoffs.... so you've forgotten about that....
 
We all should watch youtube highlights on Mike Richards' as a Flyer and then realize, even at 29, he is not that player anymore...or even a shell of that player. I haven't noticed him in about two seasons.
 
Johnny Utah said:
We all should watch youtube highlights on Mike Richards' as a Flyer and then realize, even at 29, he is not that player anymore...or even a shell of that player. I haven't noticed him in about two seasons.
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Then you haven't watched Hockey at all.

Cause Richards was one of the Kings best players in 2013 playoff's, When Kopitar/Brown were no shows(which cost the Kings another cup Final).

Richards also played well in the 2014 playoff's(save maybe getting torched by Kane for three games)

Played well this whole season, so what team are you watching ? Sure isn't the Kings apparently .

Even Herby has pointed out Mike Richards has played well.

I am starting to think you don't watch the Kings play. Is it because they have no more goons ?

Also no one claimed Richards is the same player from Philly.
 
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damacles1156 said:
Then you haven't watched Hockey at all.

Cause Richards was one of the Kings best players in 2013 playoff's, When Kopitar/Brown were no shows.

Richards also played well in the 2014 playoff's(save maybe getting torched by Kane for three games)

Played well this whole season, so what team are you watching ? Sure isn't the Kings apparently .

Even Herby has pointed out Mike Richards has played well.
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Johnny seems to be disappointed that the 2009 MR is not playing for the Kings this season, which I just find a bit strange because that player has never really appeared for the Kings. As for myself I just wish we could have gotten more than one full good season out of Richards as a top 6 forward. He was strong in 2012, slowed down but still pretty good in the 2013 lockout and then obviously the disaster of last season. Richards looks better this season because for the most part he has spent the entire year on the fourth line, no offensive expectations, no defensive expectations just an energy role usually matched up against the other teams bottom lines (which MR is better than just about every fourth line center). Like I said in the previous post, it has taken Sutter basically a seasons worth of games to find the right role and right linemates for Richards to be comfortable, and it appears he has finally gotten to that point yet half this board wants Mike Richards to take over Kopitar's spot where he is expected to produce offense and matchup against the Getzlaf's of the world, and that is just not fair to expect that from Mike Richards.

If the Kings can get Kopitar back to playing like Kopitar, if Carter can start scoring goals again, Stoll can play solid defensive, physical hockey and Richards can provide some energy and outplay the other teams fourth line in his more limited minutes the Kings will be tough to beat in the playoffs. That is the recipe for the Kings winning hockey games, not shifting Kopitar to the fourth line, not having Richards center the young kids or whatever other bizarre line suggestions have been posted the past few weeks. Sutter knows the recipe for success with the Kings, everyones role is right, they just need to perform.
 
This team will succeed and fail based on the performances of the big dogs. Richards isn't one of those. The problems right now start with Kopitar and Carter.
 
Reclamation Project said:
This team will succeed and fail based on the performances of the big dogs. Richards isn't one of those. The problems right now start with Kopitar and Carter.
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Yes, and they have earned the right to dig themselves out of it. The solution is not to move Kopitar down the lineup and expect Richards to assume his role and responsibilities, unless we want to be in the lottery.

Johnny Utah said:
If, if, if....
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All those things happened last year. Are you really giving up on Kopitar and Carter after 28 games?
 
Johnny Utah said:
If, if, if....
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What's your point?

Most people here agree that Richards is playing well this season. Hell, an argument could easily be made he centered the best line the other night agsinst Buffalo and brought the most energy.

You can argue all you want that his production is not commensurate with his pay; too ****ing bad. Life dun work dat way. Sometimes, you get paid for past performance. All you have to do is look at Toffoli and Pearson for proof of that.

Richards is an easy target, but the reality is so far this season he doesn't deserve the grief.
 
It's not so much having Richards assume Kopitar's role, Nobody wants THAT I hope it'd be about giving Richards a reward for his work and trying to spark Kopitar with energy guys, help reset his game, wouldn't be anything permanent. Its worked in the past.
 
Ollie Weeks said:
It's not so much having Richards assume Kopitar's role, Nobody wants THAT I hope it'd be about giving Richards a reward for his work and trying to spark Kopitar with energy guys, help reset his game, wouldn't be anything permanent. Its worked in the past.
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It's too Bad Richards hasn't been able to thrive on the wing as then he could be rewarded with a spot next to Carter or kopitar.
 
Perro said:
It's too Bad Richards hasn't been able to thrive on the wing as then he could be rewarded with a spot next to Carter or kopitar.
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Yea, I wish he could be given another chance with Carter but I don't think he's fast enough to be on the wing. Playmakers like him usually also prefer to be centremen because they can see the ice better and have more choices to pass. At least he is a really good fourth liner.
 
Jeff18 said:
At least he is a really good fourth liner.
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didnt it hurt you a bit to type this out? i never thought seeing this would be a possibility, but here we are. im not gonna sit here and knock Richards because i still think hes a hell of a player, but all he really is now is a 3rd/4th liner and it pains me say that
 
For the rest of this road trip I don't mind seeing the forwards as equals.

Obviously, that's not true in terms of talent, but at this time it is true in terms of effectiveness. If you aren't moving your *ss at any point in the game, your ice time gets cut.
 
Sutter went full line blender, it seemed to work as well. Some lazy players started to move their feet.
 
theMajor said:
didnt it hurt you a bit to type this out? i never thought seeing this would be a possibility, but here we are. im not gonna sit here and knock Richards because i still think hes a hell of a player, but all he really is now is a 3rd/4th liner and it pains me say that
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Yea, I feel terrible for Mike Richards because he was once such a great leader. He's literally won at every level of hockey as a leader. I wore number 18 in high school (and still wear 18) because of him but don't know what happened to him. I guess that's what happens to hard-working undersized players in the NHL. I can tell he is still trying his ass off but just does not have the stamina anymore.
 
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