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Pre-Game Talk: PLAYOFFS!!!!

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so re: avatars i haven't tested but i'm not certain we can do animated/gifs, unless someone else can test it? I'll be back late tonight and can try then if someone else hasn't.
 
Axl Rhoadz said:
Is this a bad time to bring up that the Kings making the playoffs is actually a failure due to HOW they got there? Asking for a friend…

Sol, take it away.
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Whilst I don’t agree with much of things people bitched about there were also legitimate concerns raised over the season around development and deployment. In 10 years time we could end up feeling that the development decisions made this year to make the play-offs (and for argument let’s say we go out in 5 games) cost us a chance of being competitive for the next 9 years. If that were to be the case there’s your failure. We don’t know yet what the long term implications of this season will be. When the season ends the only thing that marks it as a complete success for me will be the cup.

I don’t but that view but certain specific things could definitely have been handled better, that’ll be true of most teams and guess what? Their fans bitch about it too. I don’t think one season will right off any player because it’s never that simple but could the way Vilardi has been handled have been the straw that broke the camels back? Had Byfield played the PP nightly has it already clicked for him, he has 20 goals, we are seeded at #2 in the division and have a league average pp? We will never know but there can still be valid views on how it could have been better especially in the long term.

I actually like a lot of what TMac has done and he’s been outstanding on how the blueline has been managed. For me 100% right on Clague. I also like how they’ve rounded out Kalyev’s game so quickly and I don’t think it impacts his offensive potential. Instead it means we have a guy that will be a go-to-guy in all situations rather than a pp specialist that you sit late in tight games. I love how they unlocked Lizotte and Moore also. I do question how minutes are distributed and how some players have been used. You see, I also don’t care about how we do in any one season that doesn’t end up in a cup, winning or losing, I always assess over the long term.

Not directed at you , but It’s also idiocy to blame the coach for the failures but then only give the players get the credit for the successes (its symbiotic in both cases). That’s for those that give TMac no credit… it cannot be denied he has created a world where these guys have come together and overachieved. (I’m talking to you again Axl) To empower guys like Spence and Durzi like he has done is truly outstanding coaching… but it does not mean he gets a pass on his poor decisions (see that a balanced viewpoint - it’s not that hard!).

My favourite quote of Jim Fox… well I’m paraphrasing because I now forget the exact words… some decisions help you make the play-offs but get you further away from a Stanley Cup (the opposite can also be true). So we are a few years away before we can truly assess the successes and failures of this year.
 
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Raccoon Jesus said:
My thing with TM is this. Really likeable guy, I get the sense he truly cares, not just about his job but for the players and the org and their success. I think he's an excellent behind-the-scenes coach and it's clear his system works, at least for the regular season. He's got the guys bought in and as tenacious as they've ever been while fighting through more adversity than ever before.

I think he's a godawful game day coach, borderline Willie D, with his matchups and icetime deployment and lack of adjustments and there is PLENTY of history there even pre-LA that agrees with that opinion.

As such he's an above-average NHL coach and it's clear to see why he gets whomped in the playoffs repeatedly. He'll be the guy to take us to the verge, but not all the way. I'd love to be wrong but a guy who gets out-line-matched at home doesn't inspire confidence of change.

Of course, in the meantime, I'm rooting for him and the team, and I'd love nothing more than to be wrong and for him to grow into a GREAT coach by figuring out that the game plan/lines are actually adjustable on the bench and to the situation. He just seems too stubborn, as if making adjustments is playing the opponents game rather than our game.
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I think your assessment is fair but I’d also add that I think the majority of the players like playing for him. Without that there is zero chance we’d have made the play-offs. None. It’s not just the buy in to what he’s doing, I think they have that thing where they want to win for him as much as themselves, the fans and the team. That takes you a long way and is huge in building a team culture.
 
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DryIslandBartender said:
Yeah but Stevens bombed out in LA, they “got tired” of him after 1.2 seasons. Problem wasn’t the coaches or systems, it was the players. Maybe they were burned out, management should have moved guys around to keep the roster “fresh” because it was a proven and successful system.
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I don't entirely disagree with your thoughts on this...however, the old saying is it's a lot easier to replace the coach than the roster. The reality is that if you as a coach/manager/leader can't get your team to perform and you can't fire the team you need to change your approach. Sutter didn't do that. Besides, who (when you can't just hire talent from a free market) would fire a team with 2 cups in 3 years?
 
Axl Rhoadz said:
Agree with your post...except for the 'precarious' part, don't understand that.
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Pretty simple, really. Once you get to D+3 and beyond, it’s very unlikely a prospect will suddenly begin producing at an elite level if they haven’t already displayed that kind of production.
 
mbar said:
Does Kevin Hart really sell out an arena the size of Staples? Maybe he can be moved to the Microsoft Arena next door. They must have contingencies for conflicts arising from playoff scheduling for its tenants.

EDIT to add I went looking for tickets for this event and it appears that YES, Kevin Hart can sell out Staples. I wonder what they'll do here.
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Play at the Forum. That place is krytonite is for the Oilers!!
 
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Dustin should be our playoff avatars. We owe him that much

We can all have dunny varations.
I can joke that he took out my legs. We cam say he concussd someone's labradoodle

Do it for Dustin!


(Just imagine him saying Dustin)
 
LAKings88 said:
Avatars idea:

Do it for Brown

All Brown pics-backwards water bottle, the Kneeings, the hit, cups, father of 20, and more.

:)
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2B89CDEE-C5F3-44DA-917D-7BCDDAA31E08.jpeg
 
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SettlementRichie10 said:
Pretty simple, really. Once you get to D+3 and beyond, it’s very unlikely a prospect will suddenly begin producing at an elite level if they haven’t already displayed that kind of production.
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I don't know if it's that simple. There are lots of guys who stepped it up D+3 and beyond.

Granlund
Johansen
Schwartz
Tarasenko
Hayes
Niederreiter
Kuznetsov
Rust
Stone
Miller
Rakell
Kucherov
Trocheck
Gaudreau
Guentzel
Fiala
Kreider

There is also a whole second tier of guys like Toffoli, Turris, Buchnevich, Schenn, Bertuzzi, Tatar, etc who did the same.

It's certainly not very unlikely, all prospects take different paths. There are guys on that list who peaked and dropped and guys who have sustained it, but it's not uncommon for players to take a slower path. Lots of variables are involved - luck, health, maturity, and so on.
 
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BigKing said:
To be fair, the last game in Edmonton featured Kopitar getting beat by McDavid a few times and he pretty much hugged him once he was beat. I know McDavid or someone did some sort of hug near the end of the game or in OT which everyone here was all over but the Board basically ignored Kopitar doing it more than once.

It was pretty egregious, actually. It's what has me worried most about the series. Kopitar can't hang with McDavid or Drai. If they are split up, Danault can only take on one of them.
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My plan includes rotating kop and qb on drai. Leave Danault versus Mcdavid
 
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Man...rough times for those Kevin Hart fans. "Hey...come on up to LA on a Thursday Night for the comedy show instead of this Friday Night deal where you are probably a couple since you like Kevin Hart and had to get babysitters and shit"

Great time for me though. Loving this Friday action.
 
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BigKing said:
Man...rough times for those Kevin Hart fans. "Hey...come on up to LA on a Thursday Night for the comedy show instead of this Friday Night deal where you are probably a couple since you like Kevin Hart and had to get babysitters and shit"

Great time for me though. Loving this Friday action.
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??

Did they announce a change of schedule?
 
Fishhead said:
I don't know if it's that simple. There are lots of guys who stepped it up D+3 and beyond.

Granlund
Johansen
Schwartz
Tarasenko
Hayes
Niederreiter
Kuznetsov
Rust
Stone
Miller
Rakell
Kucherov
Trocheck
Gaudreau
Guentzel
Fiala
Kreider

There is also a whole second tier of guys like Toffoli, Turris, Buchnevich, Schenn, Bertuzzi, Tatar, etc who did the same.

It's certainly not very unlikely, all prospects take different paths. There are guys on that list who peaked and dropped and guys who have sustained it, but it's not uncommon for players to take a slower path. Lots of variables are involved - luck, health, maturity, and so on.
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The other thing is a few posters keep dropping hard and fast rules about 'if they don't do this by D+3 or D+4' but they don't take into account the missing games and development.
 
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