Post-Game Talk: Official Kings (2) vs Soilers (3) Series talk

[DryIslandBartender]

Doesn’t really matter what the excuses are or will be, we have a media ecosystem that does NOT criticize the Kings management and their moves. Many don’t want to lose access and if they lose access they don’t get paid. They also might be getting perks and payment on the side to keep them from critiquing the club. I’ve never seen this level of apathy, laziness in terms of media coverage of a sports team.

Kings operate in a bubble and have been for 10 years. There’s not going to be any changes, why would there be? There’s zero pressure on these guys.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Watching this team fail year after year after year after year has become tiresome.

Good thing they left us with lasting memories in a spectacular three-year window from 2012-2014 that we can revisit. That's a team that was built for playoff hockey, unlike this current band of spineless weenies.

 

[Herby]

Specifically with the drafting, they used up all their premium draft capital on centers, despite being able to draft very capable wingers. So to recap they give Kopitar a giant extension, draft Vilardi at 11, sign Danualt to a big contract, draft Kupari at 20, draft Turcotte at #5, Byfield at #2.

They do the same thing with goaltending, throwing money, wasting assets, on retreads every season.

Yup, good point.

They also drafted five centers in the 2nd round over a six draft period, the same period that they were loading up at C in the 1st round. 9 total centers drafted with 1st and 2nd round picks between 2017 and 2022. And then with all those C's in the pipeline that they used significant draft capital on, they decided to sign Danault until 2027 and then Dubois until 2031, all while also having Kopitar under contract long-term, this resulted in blocking a C spot for a player they used a #2 pick on four years before and limiting his reps at the C position. The season those three C's played together they accounted for roughly 30% of the Kings salary cap. At the same time the Kings were pitiful on the wing at the NHL level and in the pipeline, didn't have an NHL caliber goaltender on the roster or any kind of goaltender with any potential in the pipeline and did't have any left-shot mobile defenseman of note on the roster or in the system (you know because they used all their picks on C's while ignoring other positions).

A true Master-Class in roster construction from Robert Bowlby Blake

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Doesn’t really matter what the excuses are or will be, we have a media ecosystem that does NOT criticize the Kings management and their moves. Many don’t want to lose access and if they lose access they don’t get paid. They also might be getting perks and payment on the side to keep them from critiquing the club. I’ve never seen this level of apathy, laziness in terms of media coverage of a sports team.

Kings operate in a bubble and have been for 10 years. There’s not going to be any changes, why would there be? There’s zero pressure on these guys.

No dude, it’s called ‘nobody gives a shit about hockey in So CA’.

But yah, blame the media cause the org is paying them off, lol.

Hey @All The Kings Men, how much of your bonus is tied to not criticizing the Kings?

 

[chris kontos]

For me the most confusing thing is the dont retaliate dont protect your teamate dont confront cheap shots/dirty play.
Its just anti competitive and a loser mentality.
Its as though the management does not want the team to win.
I dont understand it and have never experienced this either in my playing on teams or watching and being a fan of in hockey or any other sport.
Its bizarre

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I would rather relive 2007-2009 over and over again like Groundhog Day than whatever Blake has tried to do for EIGHT f***ING YEARS now.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I would rather relive 2007-2009 over and over again like Groundhog Day than whatever Blake has tried to do for EIGHT f***ING YEARS now.

And those teams won just as many playoff rounds.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

And those teams won just as many playoff rounds.

I remember in 08-09 the team put together a little run toward the end of the regular season. Wasn’t anything memorable. Just strung together a few wins and were still mathematically in the playoff hunt.

Ultimately it didn’t matter and they missed the playoffs, but that single stretch was more exciting than anything that has happened in the entire Blake regime. We really were “right there.” And the next year we made the playoffs. And two years after that we won a Cup.

I just don’t have the words anymore to describe how much I loathe Beckerman, Luc, and Blake.

 

[Herby]

No dude, it’s called ‘nobody gives a shit about hockey in So CA’.

But yah, blame the media cause the org is paying them off, lol.

Hey @All The Kings Men, how much of your bonus is tied to not criticizing the Kings?

If nobody in the LA media wants to talk about hockey, the Kings could very easily fund their own podcasts where hosts are given independence to ask non soft-ball questions to guests and have independent opinions of the team without concern about losing their access, the same type of questions and opinions that members of the independent media would ask in more traditional hockey markets.

"Why did you draft a 5/6 year project over a plug and play guy and then immediately go into contender mode, what was the thinking behind that?"

"You say that only the McDavids of the world can jump right into the NHL without marinating in the AHL, but what about (insert any of the about 100 players who have jumped straight to the league without AHL time since these guys took over)"

"You say that the Kings current philosophy is the same as it was under the previous regime, but I remember Kopitar, Doughty, Johnson, Simmonds and Moller all making the jump straight to the NHL, can you tell us how the two are the same?

"Why when the team was in a contending window did they not heavily pursue the franchise #1C who was available, only to trade for a lesser one a year later"

"Why is the team distributing icetime in these playoffs that is nothing like they did in the regular season and nothing like any other team in the league is doing?"

I have lived in major hockey markets before, people from teams go onto shows and podcasts and answer non-softball questions all the time to improve fan relations and discuss their vision with the fans and to address concerns their fanbase has. It is not some unthinkable or unreasonable thing to have happen, but the Kings choose not to do that, and you can't just blame it all on the LA market.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

If nobody in the LA media wants to talk about hockey, the Kings could very easily fund their own podcasts where hosts are given independence to ask non soft-ball questions to guests and have independent opinions of the team without concern about losing their access, the same type of questions and opinions that members of the independent media would ask in more traditional hockey markets.

"Why did you draft a 5/6 year project over a plug and play guy and then immediately go into contender mode, what was the thinking behind that?"

"You say that only the McDavids of the world can jump right into the NHL without marinating in the AHL, but what about (insert any of the about 100 players who have jumped straight to the league without AHL time since these guys took over)"

"You say that the Kings current philosophy is the same as it was under the previous regime, but I remember Kopitar, Doughty, Johnson, Simmonds and Moller all making the jump straight to the NHL, can you tell us how the two are the same?

"Why when the team was in a contending window did they not heavily pursue the franchise #1C who was available, only to trade for a lesser one a year later"

"Why is the team distributing icetime in these playoffs that is nothing like they did in the regular season and nothing like any other team in the league is doing?"

I have lived in major hockey markets before, people from teams go onto shows and podcasts and answer non-softball questions all the time to improve fan relations and discuss their vision with the fans and to address concerns their fanbase has. It is not some unthinkable or unreasonable thing to have happen, but the Kings choose not to do that, and you can't just blame it all on the LA market.

I stopped reading after like 5 sentences. Here's an idea, if you don't like it, go get your own press credential and ask all the 'hard ball' questions you like! I mean, certainly you have enough time to do it.

 

[shuchukfan]

Just wondering: how hard is it to get press credentials? I think you can all see where I'm going with this.

 

[Schrute farms]

Even if they come back to win the series, these last three games have been pathetic and an embarrassment. Not to mention, hurting their chances of advancing past the 2nd round. Regardless of what happens game 6 (& potentially game 7) -- someone in this organization needs to pull their big boy pants up and get some real adults in the room.

I suspect it'll be nothing done and a continuation of the same going forward the next 10 years. So much success these past 10 years; why not double down on it.

 

[Herby]

I stopped reading after like 5 sentences. Here's an idea, if you don't like it, go get your own press credential and ask all the 'hard ball' questions you like! I mean, certainly you have enough time to do it.

Axl,

Myself and many other people who follow sports teams closely would like to see questions like this answered, and for the majority of pro teams in this country those questions are better answered (as DIB alluded). That is true of professional and college sports fans all over the country, you are acting like this is a weird request and we are weird to want this kind of media relations from the Kings. If you would rather listen to a podcast host call guests by their nicknames, ask them questions like "How great has the 2019 draft been for the Kings" and "what is your favorite CHL rink to visit" and allow them to tell blatant lies without any kind of push back at all, well that is totally fine and a podcast like that already exists for you.

You have a very difficult time understanding that not everybody thinks the same as you and immediately turn hostile to anybody for simply having a different opinion on a hockey team.

And sorry I have free-time to do as I please, I personally enjoy not having a boss or a schedule and firing on day baseball for 7 hours and talking hockey on here, I just wish it was warm enough to play golf.

 

[Maynard]

Just wondering: how hard is it to get press credentials? I think you can all see where I'm going with this.

Not sure what the requirements are but I am sure they don’t require any previous experience or training in journalism or reporting of any kind. It seems that you just need to be an enthusiastic fan with any sort of following and you’re allowed in the press box and possibly hired by the team.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Axl,

Myself and many other people who follow sports teams closely would like to see questions like this answered, and for the majority of pro teams in this country those questions are better answered (as DIB alluded). That is true of professional and college sports fans all over the country, you are acting like this is a weird request and we are weird to want this kind of media relations from the Kings. If you would rather listen to a podcast host call guests by their nicknames, ask them questions like "How great is the 2019 draft been for the Kings" and "what is your favorite CHL rink to visit" and allow them to tell blatant lies without being fact-checked at all, well that is totally fine and a podcast like that already exists for you.

You have a very difficult time understanding that not everybody thinks the same as you and immediately turn hostile to anybody for simply having a different opinion on a hockey team.

And sorry I have free-time to do as I please, I personally enjoy not having a boss or a schedule and firing on day baseball for 7 hours on tv and talking hockey on here. I think its pretty great

I'd like to be a millionaire and have a supermodel wife, but bitching about that on the internet 24/7 isn't going to change the fact that I have neither.

But again, if that's what YOU want and need in your life, you should actually do something about it and make it happen. We support you.

 

[Lt Dan]

Not sure what the requirements are but I am sure they don’t require any previous experience or training in journalism or reporting of any kind. It seems that you just need to be an enthusiastic fan with any sort of following and you’re allowed in the press box and possibly hired by the team.

I think it's also a safe guess that if you ask the hardball questions or anything close to what Herby posted they will get their credentials pulled.
I think Helene got away with more than what they will allow now because of her HOF status and the LA Times

That being said, I am sure Bernstein got a talking to after the Game 4 loss for asking that question. At minimum a Level 6 stinkeye

 

[Omni Owl]

Its f***ing joever, glad I turned the last game off when I did. At least this should be the end of the 3 headed monster that is Luc, Bergevin, and most definitely Blake. They ALL need to go if this team wants to have any success. Pathetic way to go out, and a lot of it is on Hiller for how he mishandled the games up in Edmonton. Hiller also needs to go, especially now with the plethora of upgrades at coach available.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I posted this in January hahaha f***ing kill me

I mean we are all basically Groundhog Day'ing the early 2000s right now in pop culture

Kings are just doing it with literally the same people involved

It's the year 2000. After another disappointing couple of seasons involving missed playoffs or first round losses, The Los Angeles Kings get out to a hot start through the first few months before a road trip around the turn of the year starts to derail them...they fumble around playing slightly .500 hockey to land in the unfortunate 'Pacific' playoff spot out of the division lead, forced to play against arguably the best players in the era trying to establish dominance after losing in the previous year to the Stanley Cup Champion. They get unceremoniously turfed in just a few games due to a patchwork roster that doesn't have much of an identity. Their 1 and 2cs are primarily defensive and much of the scoring is laid onto the back of a dynamic winger. Fortunately they still have a Norris Caliber dman, though aging. But years of sketchy management are catching up, with dwindling assets and an aging roster despite a lack of success, and appear headed towards a black hole. Familiar names in the organization include Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille, Glen Murray, Nelson Emerson, Craig Johnson, and Sean O'Donnell.

It's the year 2022. After another disappointing couple of seasons involving missed playoffs or first round losses, The Los Angeles Kings get out to a hot start through the first few months before a road trip around the turn of the year starts to derail them...they fumble around playing slightly .500 hockey to land in the unfortunate 'Pacific' playoff spot out of the division lead, forced to play against arguably the best players in the era trying to establish dominance after losing in the previous year to the Stanley Cup Champion. They get unceremoniously turfed in just a few games due to a patchwork roster that doesn't have much of an identity. Their 1 and 2cs are primarily defensive and much of the scoring is laid onto the back of a dynamic winger. Fortunately they still have a Norris Caliber dman, though aging. But years of sketchy management are catching up, with dwindling assets and an aging roster despite a lack of success, and appear headed towards a black hole. Familiar names in the organization include Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille, Glen Murray, Nelson Emerson, Craig Johnson, and Sean O'Donnell.

It's the year 2023. After another disappointing couple of seasons involving missed playoffs or first round losses, The Los Angeles Kings get out to a hot start through the first few months before a road trip around the turn of the year starts to derail them...they fumble around playing slightly .500 hockey to land in the unfortunate 'Pacific' playoff spot out of the division lead, forced to play against arguably the best players in the era trying to establish dominance after losing in the previous year to the Stanley Cup Champion. They get unceremoniously turfed in just a few games due to a patchwork roster that doesn't have much of an identity. Their 1 and 2cs are primarily defensive and much of the scoring is laid onto the back of a dynamic winger. Fortunately they still have a Norris Caliber dman, though aging. But years of sketchy management are catching up, with dwindling assets and an aging roster despite a lack of success, and appear headed towards a black hole. Familiar names in the organization include Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille, Glen Murray, Nelson Emerson, Craig Johnson, and Sean O'Donnell.

It's the year 2024. After another disappointing couple of seasons involving missed playoffs or first round losses, The Los Angeles Kings get out to a hot start through the first few months before a road trip around the turn of the year starts to derail them...they fumble around playing slightly .500 hockey to land in the unfortunate 'Pacific' playoff spot out of the division lead, forced to play against arguably the best players in the era trying to establish dominance after losing in the previous year to the Stanley Cup Champion. They get unceremoniously turfed in just a few games due to a patchwork roster that doesn't have much of an identity. Their 1 and 2cs are primarily defensive and much of the scoring is laid onto the back of a dynamic winger. Fortunately they still have a Norris Caliber dman, though aging. But years of sketchy management are catching up, with dwindling assets and an aging roster despite a lack of success, and appear headed towards a black hole. Familiar names in the organization include Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille, Glen Murray, Nelson Emerson, Craig Johnson, and Sean O'Donnell.

It's the year 2025, After another disappointing couple of seasons involving missed playoffs or first round losses, The Los Angeles Kings get out to a hot start through the first few months before a road trip around the turn of the year starts to derail them.

Gee I f***ing wonder what happens next!

 

[AbsentMojo]

When I see hiller talking here, i picture a guy 30 ft underwater with bubbles coming out of his mouth as he's talking.. i could only handle a couple of minutes maybe it got better

 

[DryIslandBartender]

I stopped reading after like 5 sentences. Here's an idea, if you don't like it, go get your own press credential and ask all the 'hard ball' questions you like! I mean, certainly you have enough time to do it.

You think the Kings would grant Herby any credentials? Ha!

Again, they created an ecosystem where they don’t face any criticism or be held accountable for THEIR decisions. I know there’s podcasters and writers on here and none of them are going to say this season has been a failure and won’t question what’s been going on the last decade.

I understand they don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them. There’s not going to be any accountability this offseason.

 

[shuchukfan]

I think it's also a safe guess that if you ask the hardball questions or anything close to what Herby posted they will get their credentials pulled.
I think Helene got away with more than what they will allow now because of her HOF status and the LA Times

That being said, I am sure Bernstein got a talking to after the Game 4 loss for asking that question. At minimum a Level 6 stinkeye

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I say we all get press credentials and crash the end of season press conference. Oh boy, would that be fun.

 

[Zero Pucks Given]

When all is said and done, 0 series wins against McDrai is going to be so infuriating to look back on

 

[BaileyFan]

I posted this in January hahaha f***ing kill me

Hey they flipped the script this year. They replaced the words “Norris Caliber dman” with “Vezina Caliber goalie” and kept everything else the same. That must be what they meant when they kept saying this year was different.

 

[chris kontos]

This franchise gives nhl hockey a bad name.

 

[King'sPawn]

Just wondering: how hard is it to get press credentials? I think you can all see where I'm going with this.

Funny you ask. I had talked to Hoven about this.

It's a process. Some of the popular people don't have press credentials.

You need to be affiliated with or sponsored by a recognized organization.