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John Paul Kelly said:
Paraphrasing a bit here but...

Doughty, 09-08-17:
"We needed a coaching change... I shouldn't say Darryl didn’t like it, but he definitely would have liked me to be more serious in certain situations, but I just can't play the game that way. I like that I have fun playing the game..."

Full article here
Kings' Doughty supports Sutter firing: 'We needed a coaching change'

Doughty, 04-08-19
From Rosen: "Doughty leading off the final media day of the season. He is in favor of a coach that would “kick our ass a little bit.”

It's pretty clear that the remaining pieces of the core won 2 cups in large part due to Lombardi's supporting character acquisitions: Mitchell, Scuderi, Greene, Williams, Stoll, & Richards. The majority (certainly not all) of the remaining pieces MAY still have some championship talent left in the tank but they collectively do NOT have the necessary leadership qualities that lead to a Stanley Cup run... at least not enough that they can pass on to the younger guys by themselves.

Can any coach out there bridge some of that gap? Maybe, but its on Blake to find the right mix of bringing in 3-4 kids with NHL skill, moving out 3-4 vets with term and THEN replacing them with 3-4 new vets with that missing character/leadership... that's a HUGE ask.
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The prevailing thought on here back before that three year run--including from myself--was that these guys didn't have it in the leadership department.

That probably peaked during the 2012 season with the Murray firing but then they went on to win two Cups, including the craziest run ever in 2014 that oozed character.

The thought they couldn't do it vanished because they, in fact, did do it. Lombardi lost a lot of his glue guys but entrusted the remaining "core" to be both theb est players on the team and the leadership group moving forward, assuming they f***ing understood what it takes since they went through the battles.

Well, they failed at that pretty spectacularly. Fast forward to today and you have vets being called out during exit interviews for not putting in the work necessary while also having vets say they need someone to motivate them.

Pretty disappointing. This franchise had a coach and veteran leaders that wouldn't accept mailing it in. Now they have the highest paid players in team history both wearing letters while seeming to accept that guys are coasting and not knowing what to do about it since it isn't in their respective natures to confront teammates and demand performance. 11 and 8 are both "I'll just play well and that will be my leadership" guys, which is okay when they are putting up Hart/Norris level seasons at the same time; however, it is f***ing worthless when they aren't playing well.
 
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lumbergh said:
Is this from a hockey themed Dr. Who episode?
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LOL, I had the same reaction.

Would be awesome if on opening night next October the TARDIS appeared at center ice and the 2012 cup winning team skated out with the Doctor regenerated as Darryl Sutter.

Passing the bong.........
 
Put me down for Roy as the next coach (unless Torts is available if CBJs get bounced). He has pedigree, a Stanley Cup winner, and coaches with an edge. I don’t think vets or young players could get away with lazy play with him behind the bench. He will command respect and hold players accountable, which is what we need for 2 years. Once the roster is reformed and a culture of accountability is established, we can get a smarter coach who will lead us to be competitive in the playoffs.
 
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BigKing said:
I think we all like Stothers as he has great soundbites and doesn't seem like a candy ass when it comes to accountability. He certainly played the game the right way when he was on the ice.

Is he a good coach though? Would the vets eat up a guy without NHL coaching experience or do they respect him because he has playing experience and was a tough guy? It is kind of interesting to see two tough guys in Tocchet and Berube doing well.

Maybe @regulate can shed some light on Stothers as a coach? If they don't get McClellan, then what other retreads are out there that are worth getting?
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I've met and talked to Stothers a few times in person. We are about the same age. Hard to see anyone eating up Stothers, he has a very intimidating presence but adds a great sense of humor. He seems to be a players coach (based upon player comments) while at the same time demanding accountability. In public he puts on a good face towards the players in the system, mostly saying very positive things even when they don't deserve praise (trying to keep them going in the right direction, not wanting to crush their confidence in a development league) , but he has zero issues scratching players who play poorly (Rempal was scratched last game). We've probably all seen or heard him speak his mind. He can be blunt, and he definitely has a short fuse. Would Blake hire him without NHL head coach experience? It would be a risky move, and Blake knows there is a huge amount riding on this hire. For those blaming Blake for the WD hire, think again. This was a place holder move by upper management, he was overruled on the choice (per an first hand source of mine). Blake fell on the sword today for it. So would it be a good move? Based upon the Kings player comments today he might be a great hire. Based upon what Blake will probably do, I don't think he would pull that trigger. Hoven suggested swapping out Sturm for Stothers and letting Sturm taking over the AHL team with Stothers as an NHL assistant (he was a previous NHL assistant with the Flyers many years ago). I just don't know how interested Strum would be, going from the coach of the German national team and head coach in Germany to head coach in the AHL and bus rides to Stockton. Whatever the case, the new coach will likely have a big say, maybe even complete control over his new staff, so the point may be moot.
 
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“We’ve got to be competitive in the way the game is played. Defending is so hard,” Blake said. “Take a look – for the last eight years, they got rid of hooking, got rid of slashing on the hands. Goalie equipment continually gets smaller and narrower, power plays, you start in the offensive zone. Any rule that’s come into play goes towards offense. You start seeing offense take over the defensive structure. That structure still has to be there, but when you defend, it’s so difficult staying on the puck, and it’s hard. Teams are just getting the puck out of the zone. So you want to play with the puck, you want to play offense, you want to be going after the other team. … But you can’t turn your back on the [defensive side]. You can’t cheat for offense, but you can manufacture it, for sure you can. There are different ways. On the power play, why are players continuing doing their forward crossing routes, or why are they doing the drop passing. You have to explain to players. ‘Well, this is why you’re doing it.’ Because you have success. But you also have to run your routes the right way, and you have to run it again because when you get it down the road – there’s a lot that goes into it. Defending’s not fun, not at all.”

This Blake quote sums up the getting away from Sutter hockey direction that the team wants to go.

I also honestly think that it took some guts for Blake to switch gears and try to correct the course of his mistakes. I say that as not a Blake fanboy.
 
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regulate said:
I've met and talked to Stothers a few times in person. We are about the same age. Hard to see anyone eating up Stothers, he has a very intimidating presence but adds a great sense of humor. He seems to be a players coach (based upon player comments) while at the same time demanding accountability. In public he puts on a good face towards the players in the system, mostly saying very positive things even when they don't deserve praise (trying to keep them going in the right direction, not wanting to crush their confidence in a development league) , but he has zero issues scratching players who play poorly (Rempal was scratched last game). We've probably all seen or heard him speak his mind. He can be blunt, and he definitely has a short fuse. Would Blake hire him without NHL head coach experience? It would be a risky move, and Blake knows there is a huge amount riding on this hire. For those blaming Blake for the WD hire, think again. This was a place holder move by upper management, he was overruled on the choice (per an first hand source of mine). Blake fell on the sword today for it. So would it be a good move? Based upon the Kings player comments today he might be a great hire. Based upon what Blake will probably do, I don't think he would pull that trigger. Hoven suggested swapping out Sturm for Stothers and letting Sturm taking over the AHL team with Stothers as an NHL assistant (he was a previous NHL assistant with the Flyers many years ago). I just don't know how interested Strum would be, going from the coach of the German national team and head coach in Germany to head coach in the AHL and bus rides to Stockton. Whatever the case, the new coach will likely have a big say, maybe even complete control over his new staff, so the point may be moot.
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Appreciate it. I know most would hate it since they would make a connection to Stothers being a part of the old regime since he was the AHL coach while Lombardi was here but, if that's the case, Blake is part of the old regime as well. I don't know how much interaction the two had while Blake was AGM but maybe they have a good rapport?

I like Stothers but have no grasp of his X's and O's. Lots of posters seem to want a young guy that has done well at the AHL level: Stothers isn't young but he does have a Calder Cup on his resume.

It seems a lot more inspiring than Bylsma or Hartley. I do think that these guys need a coach that has played at a high level and I don't feel like a young guy with no NHL head coaching experience--or very little--gets it done for them.

Of course, Stothers is coming off a sweet season in Ontario. I think Blake will go "safe" and put his job security on the shoulders of someone who has had some sort of success as an NHL head coach. Of course, they are talking rebuild so Blake might actually have a decent sized leash: especially with Luc above him.
 
kovacro said:
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Isnt he rumored to be the Ducks new coach?
 
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DAkings20 said:
I want someone young and out of left field, why the **** not
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Nah cause Blake wants to get to the playoffs in a couple of seasons according to Futa.I doubt he want another possible WD 40 as coach picking anyone out of left field.
 
KingPuckChoo said:
everyone not named McLellan is out of the running for us

at this point it would be McLellan that refuses the Kings coaching job, not the other way around
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Oh my goodness if Blake hires McLellan he should get canned. Pathetic.
 
Let's call a spade a spade here. We all knew this. Kopitar has never shown captain material on the ice. Way too quiet and emotionless for a captain. Doughty is too immature to rally a room of men. Quick displays the most leadership qualities from the three but at the end of the day most goalies can't display that leadership from the net as well as a skater can.
 
Sol said:
Let's call a spade a spade here. We all knew this. Kopitar has never shown captain material on the ice. Way too quiet and emotionless for a captain. Doughty is too immature to rally a room of men. Quick displays the most leadership qualities from the three but at the end of the day most goalies can't display that leadership from the net as well as a skater can.
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Clifford might really be the best and only option lol
 
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I don't get some of you guys. Not putting stock into Edmontons record under Tmac, OK, but not looking into the way he was conducting the team is another. Poor ice time spread and favoritism of players was something noticeable. I thought you guys wanted better lines and ice time. Guess not.
 
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AbsentMojo said:
I like that he spoke candidly - but he has shown the least amount of hustle out of the entire roster over last 2 seasons - so its funny. Its also an indictment of the leadership of this team not just the coaching.
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The leaderships shouldn't be the ones running practices, yelling at the player to see if it's possible to make 3 passes without turning it over. Or telling Forbort to look up before passing up the board so he doesn't make the wrong play.
 
Johnny Utah said:
Hold on a second - so Sutter is tough on everyone and they get tired of him - so the Kings bring in mellow coaches like Stevens and WD and now they want a tough coach again? I am baffled.
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No, after 5 years his message got old and they tuned him out. Sutter had an abrasive style and we all knew when he was hired that his rep was exactly that. You can only act like that before it's no longer effective, like the way Torts coaches. Q was in Chicago for years and they tuned him out too.
Most coaches have a 5 year window and move on.
Sometimes you need a new voice, unfortunately Steven was too passive as a replacement.
 
Not a big fan of Nolan as well. But I guess we had Willie effin D so anyone would be better then that guy.
 
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