GDT: PDSF: (2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) San Jose Sharks

[TonySCV]

So recently I have been doubting how well the Kings will play this postseason, but I asked my group of friends that are Kings fans this simple question that ended up making me feel better about.

"you can replace 1 of Doughty, Kopitar or Quick with any other player in the league at their position for this upcoming playoff run. Do you do it? And if so, with who?"

Try the same thing except with Sharks players and you'll understand why the Kings should be the favorites to win this series. There isn't anyone on the Sharks roster I would trade those 3 for. Not a single one.

Plus, you really think Quick is going to let his understudy beat him in a playoff series? Yeah... ok.

 

[YP44]

nah, i'll discuss is with myself.

kopi, #11, raccoon jesus (all hail to Our Lord, Who was conceived in Jesenice, Slovenia,), our mvp and so on... is saying that he is not worried about lak's defence. why is he so confident?

on the other hand, the discussion here is 90% how lak defense suxxx. luke, rob and brayden are crucified in almost every single post. without martinez we're doomed. and it goes on and on and on...

i invite you to notice this discrepancy: kopi, 1/3 of lak's the trinity, is saying he's not worried about lak's defence, not an inch. "I'm least worried about quick and our defence," that's what he said, and i believe he believes that 100%.

ppl here are getting paranoid. locker room is fine. sutter knows what he's doing. it's fine.

and just to switch the general direction of our discussion, just a little: who will score goals? which line?

Brown and Vinny

#BOLD!

 

[tsanuri]

This is our biggest issue and was pointed out by one of the commentators on the NHL channel. Voynov left a big glaring hole in our defense. I hope we can address it in the offseason, even if it means not resigning Lucic.

Yes it left a big hole but everyone that is crying about defense, and I do it from time to time as well. We finished 3rd in GA/G. And if it wasn't for some total collapses at times we would have finished even higher.
Our defense isn't that bad overall. And I don't think I have seen a team that can play so well for 19:45 of a period and make one mistake for :15 seconds and find the puck in the back of the net. It's just uncanny. And because of our horrid shooting percentage we are then just tied or worse down a goal.
We gave up too much not to be all in on Lucic. And if we have to ice almost the same defense next year to get him that is really what we need to do.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Yes it left a big hole but everyone that is crying about defense, and I do it from time to time as well. We finished 3rd in GA/G. And if it wasn't for some total collapses at times we would have finished even higher.
Our defense isn't that bad overall. And I don't think I have seen a team that can play so well for 19:45 of a period and make one mistake for :15 seconds and find the puck in the back of the net. It's just uncanny. And because of our horrid shooting percentage we are then just tied or worse down a goal.
We gave up too much not to be all in on Lucic. And if we have to ice almost the same defense next year to get him that is really what we need to do.

I asked Jon Rosen about it about a month ago and he said don't expect the Kings to bring in a veteran/good defenseman before the expansion draft. They won't risk having 4 good defensemen in which they'll lose 1 of them.

 

[tsanuri]

I asked Jon Rosen about it about a month ago and he said don't expect the Kings to bring in a veteran/good defenseman before the expansion draft. They won't risk having 4 good defensemen in which they'll lose 1 of them.

That is actually a good point. And one I had discussed with some people. Glad the team is thinking ahead and planning like that.

 

[LaFan1967]

I asked Jon Rosen about it about a month ago and he said don't expect the Kings to bring in a veteran/good defenseman before the expansion draft. They won't risk having 4 good defensemen in which they'll lose 1 of them.

won't an expansion draft take place next year ? ( July 2017 ).

 

[mrkolice]

Brown and Vinny

#BOLD!

bold but probable! imo brown will explode, he's fit, we were discussing it in dec or jan, he worked very hard over last summer, great corsi, bad puck luck... he will score some. vinny is the joker, i guess he'll deliver his season average, maybe a bit more. my wish: watching lecavalier & gaborik & brown kicking ass. that's a good 3rd line

 

[tsanuri]

won't an expansion draft take place next year ? ( July 2017 ).

If a team/s are added yes. But do you sign a top 4 D man to a 1 year contract? If you do you pay a whole lot more. And trading for one in the last year of the contract would cost assets.

 

[KingsKnight]

I think Lucic and Versteeg will have a great playoffs. If everyone else does their job and Sutter manages defense minutes well, they could be those special players that bring that extra level.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

If a team/s are added yes. But do you sign a top 4 D man to a 1 year contract? If you do you pay a whole lot more. And trading for one in the last year of the contract would cost assets.

Might make a guy like Shattenkirk even more valuable. UFA in 2017 I believe.

 

[YP44]

Might make a guy like Shattenkirk even more valuable. UFA in 2017 I believe.

an acquiring team does not care if they lose a player to free agency or expansion. The fact they could lose the guy means there is a ceiling to his value.

It could lessen his value as the acquiring team may want to protect him but cannot

 

[kingskring]

HOLY crap sutter

Marian Gaborik, Alec Martinez and Matt Greene have taken steps towards returning to game action for the Los Angeles Kings, though because it’s the time of the year where injury information isn’t readily shared, there weren’t any clear and concise updates on whether they’d be able to play early in the Western Conference Quarterfinals series against the San Jose Sharks.

“Not available,” Sutter said of Gaborik when asked whether he’s “trending” towards returning to action. Asked whether that applied to the entire series, he responded, “I’m not God. I’m not a doctor. I’m closer to a veterinarian than a doctor.”

http://lakingsinsider.com/2016/04/12/how-much-progress-have-the-injured-players-made/

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Sutter is hilarious

 

[Scottkmlps]

Dreger says 2-3 weeks until Gaborik is expected back.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

ugh, the conflicting messages

please survive round 1. I'm already sick of the arrogance.

 

[KingsKnight]

ugh, the conflicting messages

please survive round 1. I'm already sick of the arrogance.

...and the smugness. I've read that thread. You're doing us proud.

 

[tsanuri]

Dreger says 2-3 weeks until Gaborik is expected back.

That sounds about right considering he is really just starting to take more heavy on ice work from what has been reported.
Of course if things start gong south in this series could see him in anyway.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Dreger says 2-3 weeks until Gaborik is expected back.

Where did he say that?

 

[Scottkmlps]

Where did he say that?

TSN playoff preview show. Also said Martinez is expected to be ready for game 1. Nothing on Greene.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

TSN playoff preview show. Also said Martinez is expected to be ready for game 1. Nothing on Greene.

Thanks. Wonder where he got that info because Sutter sure wouldn't give it to him.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Big bad Kings, can't beat San Jose without injuring Marc-Eduoard Glassic!

 

[Nasti]

Big bad Kings, can't beat San Jose without injuring Marc-Eduoard Glassic!

I can't believe how many of them keep saying Vlasic was hurt that series. He missed two games. Sure it was the last two games but the Sharks couldn't score any goals. I doubt Vlasic was the remedy.

 

[cyclones22]

I can't believe how many of them keep saying Vlasic was hurt that series. He missed two games. Sure it was the last two games but the Sharks couldn't score any goals. I doubt Vlasic was the remedy.

I haven't been in that thread, but I remember reading in the past how losing Vlasic would be the equivalent of the Kings losing Doughty. Yeah, no. I love that line of thinking of false equivalency. But that's how important he is to the Sharks! Doesn't matter because a single player of Doughty's equivalent doesn't exist on San Jose, period. It would be like the stupid trade proposal board. Vlasic +, then we can start talking about what losing Doughty would mean to the Kings. The Kings were the better team in 2014, obviously. Once they woke up, they pickled the Sharks.

 

[The Night King]

The Sharks were gutless that series and deserved to be humiliated. 2 goals in the last 3 games, including two embarrassing home losses. They had enough talent on the ice to dig deep and put up a fight.

If the roles were reversed and the Kings lost Doughty after building a 3-0 lead... it would be a big loss, but I'm confident they'd find a way to win one of their remaining 4 games.