PHT article on Richards "under pressure"

[Herby]

Fourth on the team in playoff points in 2012, giving the Kings a legit 2nd line C behind Kopitar, and second on the team in playoff scoring in 2013 despite missing 3 playoff games, which was 3 more points than Kopitar, and arguably the Kings' best player in the 2013 playoffs where they reached the Conference Finals despite struggling to score.

Only someone who hasn't paid any attention would call his tenure with the Kings an absolute dud. Has he been a disappointment at times? Yes, he certainly has, but his 2013 season was actually pretty damn good and he started off strong this past season until about January. And even with his struggles he managed to finish 4th on the team in scoring during the regular season and provided some offense playing in a grinding role during the playoffs.

Oh yeah, he also assisted on a lousy game winning goal in OT in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. What a bum.

I agree with some of what you said, I would not go as far as to call him a dud since we got him, he has had his moments and was generally a pretty good player over his first two seasons (although you could start to see the regression) but it amazes me that you are still trying to defend the season he had this year. He was so awful for the final 50 games of the regular season people considered what was a below average to bad playoff as some kind of bounce back, the fact remains he still didn't produce in the playoffs and was a minus in every single series the Kings played in and was on the ice for more ES goals against than any other forward despite playing fourth line ES icetime.

As for this coming season, Richards needs to prove to the Kings he can be an effective third line center behind Kopitar and Carter, and if he continues to be completely dominated in the defensive zone like he has been the past two seasons it's going to be a difficult task.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

He was regularly with Lewis who also drew a -6, and you know that was not a line that was going to be expected to produce a lot of points but for a fourth line they produced better than every other fourth line in the playoffs. Hell, Richards managed to outproduce Stoll in the playoffs, and Stoll played with King and Williams.

I'm not making excuses for Richards, I'm seeing some positive things he can still provide and how he can still be a spark on this team. He's not some bum some are making him out to be like a Steve Heinze.

Discredit him all you guys want, he still did some good things out there for the team as Ron provided some examples of. That 3rd goal he scored against the Rangers, not to mention his efforts on the PK and I'm not sure how many of you noticed how often he would trap the Rangers in their own end of the ice, just like he did on the play that led to the Williams game winner.

 

[Vino]

Fourth on the team in playoff points in 2012, giving the Kings a legit 2nd line C behind Kopitar, and second on the team in playoff scoring in 2013 despite missing 3 playoff games, which was 3 more points than Kopitar, and arguably the Kings' best player in the 2013 playoffs where they reached the Conference Finals despite struggling to score.

The reason why Kings reached the Conference Finals 2013 was Jonathan Quick. In my mind also Voinov and Carter had better playoffs 2013 than Richards.

I think that Jeff Carter makes his linemates look better than they really are and Richards and Carter has played a lot together here.

 

[Herby]

I'm not sure how many of you noticed how often he would trap the Rangers in their own end of the ice, just like he did on the play that led to the Williams game winner.

That is really really stretching things, watch the replay and see for yourself.



Sure looks like just a terrible turnover that hit a player who was likely headed for a change right on the tape along the boards.

Look, I will admit he played better in the playoffs than he did in the final 50 regular season games, but it was still a far cry from where he needs to be, and again there were plenty of games where he was completely overmatched and embarrassed, including the first two games of the SJ series, game 5 of the Ducks series and pretty much the entire Chicago series. He needs to be significantly better in 2015 to maintain his spot on this team going beyond that.

 

[Statto]

Richards had a poor season last year looking at the big picture. However there were some good spots which tells me the ability is still there. If it is fitness and conditioning that would be disappointing but equally that makes it a situation that can be improved. It could equally be just one of those things which can affect players from time to time. My hope is that he can lock down the 3C position whilst also logging significant PP and PK time. That would continue to give us to depth down the middle going forward not to mention all those special Toews skills he has.

If he can't bounce back to a level of consistency it does create a problem as far as the lineup goes without even worrying about the cap issues. I'm not daft enough to think this scenario isn't possible but I'm confident we will see a much better season from him.

 

[moosehead81]

And I guess we shouldn't forget Richards working his butt off in the Anaheim end to get the puck to Gaborik for the tying goal with 7 seconds left in game 1 of the Pacific Division championship series; ending up with an LA win in OT, an important win in the opposition's home ice coming off the 7 game series with SJ. Don't score that and they might have gone no further. As a side-light, the Hockey News pool magazine is out and predicts Richards playing mainly 3d line minutes for 50 points in 2014-15.

 

[Herby]

Points don't really matter to me. Mike Richards could score 35 points this season while playing decent defense and it would be a massive upgrade from the 45 points he had this past year.

The Kings have a really good and complete top 6, especially Kopitar with Gaborik and Carter starting the year at his best position and playing with Pearson and TT as opposed to MR and Frattin, the Kings are going to get a lot of goals from the top six. The bottom six will need to play solid two way hockey and chip in some offense and the Kings will be fine.

 

[HYORI 1963]

Points don't really matter to me. Mike Richards could score 35 points this season while playing decent defense and it would be a massive upgrade from the 45 points he had this past year.

The Kings have a really good and complete top 6, especially Kopitar with Gaborik and Carter starting the year at his best position and playing with Pearson and TT as opposed to MR and Frattin, the Kings are going to get a lot of goals from the top six. The bottom six will need to play solid two way hockey and chip in some offense and the Kings will be fine.

Nothing new here. Herby just being Herby.

 

[Herby]

Nothing new here. Herby just being Herby.

So first the June 2011 crew said all I did was look at stats when judging him, now I say that stats don't matter I just don't want to see him not get dominated in the defensive zone and I am criticized for that.

If you want to have a discussion go ahead. But instead you want to be a clown as usual and turn it into a personal attack.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Mike Richards is this board's Kim Kardashian.

 

[Ron*]

Mike Richards is this board's Kim Kardashian.

Pure entertainment. I don't even bother with TV. Just come here to read the ubiquitous Mike Richards' threads.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Mike Richards is this board's Kim Kardashian.

Mike is 100x more entertaining, not self absorbed, plus he's not ****ing that mental patient Kanye West. Mike also didn't completely re-do himself with plastic surgery.

Plus Arnold!