GDT: New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings - January 14, 2015 - 7:30 p.m. (PST)

[NikF]

The funny thing is Gomez has 14 points in 21 games with the Devils.

 

[deeshamrock]

Dennis Bernstein@DennisTFP · 12 hrs12 hours ago

On this homestand, KIngs have surrendered 20 goals on 110 shots in 4+ games. Staggering for a team that was playing so well at home.

That's really disturbing and the stat that Odie gave last night about how many times this year the Kings gave up 3 straight goals. It's not just D, the forward are lazy and out of position.

They have the Ducks and Flames to end out a dismal homestand. Given they were shaky going in, realistically I figured 8 out of 14, but they have 4 out of 10 and I have little confidence they get more than 1 in the final 4.
And the first 6 games post break are tough as well
Hawks, Bruins , Caps (maybe the break will cook them off, they hot right now) Flames, Bolts and Blue Jackets.

The PP needs revamping. Other than that 1 week in Dec for 4 games, they've been dreadful. Shake up the pairings, maybe put JW with AK and MG on unit 1 and put JC on unit 2. And the PK is brutal to watch, MG is too many replays of the goal going in.
And Stoll gives (and the stats support it ) the opposition way too much zone time. He is too passive on the PK which is why he's on the ice for so many goals against, SOG's and scoring ops.

I think DL has wanted to make a move but maybe was seeing if the 7 game homestand turned the team around. It hasn't so far and he now has a lot to think on...

 

[taz346]

I sound like a broken record but the Kings toughness is garbage right now. These guys don't know how to protect their teammates or even how to go out and try and swing momentum in the Kings favor. Disappointed in Clifford
The most, with Nolan not far behind. Our Andreoff can't do anything without Sutter being him. The Kings need new toughness.

As I've said before. A bunch of wimps. Don't they think enough of their teammates to want to stand up for them?

 

[Captain Mittens*]

I sound like a broken record but the Kings toughness is garbage right now. These guys don't know how to protect their teammates or even how to go out and try and swing momentum in the Kings favor. Disappointed in Clifford
The most, with Nolan not far behind. Our Andreoff can't do anything without Sutter being him. The Kings need new toughness.

They are suffering back a bad case of "I don't give a ****"

 

[Jeff18]

Toughness isn't our problem, and the lack of it should never be in hockey. If I'm wrong, you'd think a team that ices Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren would be a really good team. That's not true because the Leafs were terrible for those years (and currently, but that's a different story). Ryan Reaves? STL played him during the playoffs and look where that got them. This isn't the olden days where maybe line brawls and dirty hits could favorably change the outcome of games. Guys who think their "tough" and can fight are pretty much useless in today's NHL. If Clifford or any of the fourth line wants to stay, they better add scoring and skating to their training regimen. Team's like Nashville and Chicago don't have one-dimensional "tough guys". Clifford 8 pts in 42 gms? Nolan 1 ****ing point in 22? Utter waste of roster space. Don't get me wrong, you still have to hit, that's a strategy in the game, Brown can hit, Toffoli and Pearson are doing it; the difference? They can play hockey. This whole team is lazy right now, and our fourth line isn't going to contribute whether they play tough or not.

But yea, I agree with you guys, our fourth line sucks, but they shouldn't be replaced with more "tough guys" unless they can score and play defense too.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

"Play with toughness" does. It equal "we need more tough guys," but if that's part of your limited skill set, you damn sure better use it. Clifford is fine--he hits, he'll throw, he's good with the puck for a 4th liner and he jams the net hard. The others, not so much. I think most of us agree Nolans time here is through. Need guys that Sutter is comfortable playing a but more that aren't a total liability

 

[Jeff18]

Clifford can get away with it because of his recent play (hitting, scoring a goal) but overall he needs to continue to do a better job (better defense, more physicality).

 

[deeshamrock]

Jon Rosen@lakingsinsider · 1 hr1 hour ago

Long practice wrapping up. Nearly one hour. Lots of special teams work, some battle drills.

God knows they need practice on special teams but he's done these drills before. Maybe Sat the team can actually put in use in a real game.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Special teams has continually lost the Kings games over the last few years. I won't blame that loss last night on failed powerplays, but the identity of the game changes drastically if they bury one in the first.

 

[The Butcher]

It's a 5-3 league

 

[kingsfansince1967]

The funny thing is Gomez has 14 points in 21 games with the Devils.

So does that mean that we should bring back Penner? Man, how bad things can get...