Kings Article: SB Nation & JFTC's Season Previews
- Thread starter Sheng Peng
- Start date
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Kingspiracy
Registered User
- Nov 13, 2006
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Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
On paper, I agree. On paper, Ehrhoff is a #3, Martinez is a#4, McNabb 5, Greene 6, then depth. In reality...depends on how it all plays out. I think it's a question mark but I understand the statement as that.
KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
- Apr 6, 2006
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PJ Kings Hockey
Registered User
- Oct 15, 2013
- 4,861
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I have to share in the disbelief
and show myself out
Classic.
Really enjoyed the two pieces, Sheng, as well as the write-ups on Weal and Kempe on jewelsfromthecrown.
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Which one would you dispute?
Beyond what I pointed out, that there's question marks on if those guys can fulfill those roles.
Sheng Peng
Registered User
Well, that could describe Ehrhoff's head, but hopefully not. I should've added the qualifier "Barring injury," but regardless, I am very high on this defense. Even 5/55/Forbort are competent fill-ins for a short stretch.
This will seem like a scandalous statement, I suppose: Ehrhoff two years ago was much better than 2014 Voynov, Ehrhoff last year (when healthy) is more or less Slava's equal. Betting on something in-between if he's healthy seems reasonable.
I actually have McNabb #4. In my mind, he's a bigger question there than Ehrhoff's health, but I was very encouraged by his all-around play last year.
Thanks! If you haven't caught the Brodzinski one, that's one I'm particularly proud of.
Papa Mocha 15
I love the smell of ice in the morning.
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
100% agree on Ehrhoff, I think people are forgetting how good he was at his peak, and how much of a good risk vs. reward move he is.
I agree on McNabb, flip-flopped them based on what we know about their abilities on paper vs. their potential. I think he's the biggest key to the defense this year.
No charts is a good start. My eyes glaze over when I see charts, especially those charts with so many variables as to render them useless.
Interesting article; disagree about the negative feel about the fourth line; I do believe they will be one of the top four(th) lines in the league.
The Tikkanen
Pest
Agreed, that's what the coach wants, low-event hockey (I like that description). They are out there to prevent goals and maybe, just maybe, score a goal once in awhile. I'd love to see a speed-youth 3rd line but the coach doesn't like that. The top 6 has plenty of talent to score some goals, we have one of the best goalies on the planet, Ehrhoff adds offense and a big shot on D and the bottom 6 should be able to bang bodies and grind teams down. Let's not forget the Kings play quite a few games where the other team has played Anaheim the night before. Tired teams against Sutter and the Kings won't do well. My biggest fear is the 3 on 3 OT format. I'm not talking I'm a little scared, I'm talking William Shatner on a plane with a monster on the wing scared. I have my hand on the curtain but can't bring myself to open it cause I know what I'm gonna see.
Even though people don't think Shore has done much in the preseason, and at times compare him to Weal, Weal couldn't do the fourth line center role as good as Shore. It's just that simple. In addition, Shore is an exceptional penalty killer, and when you can give our top units a rest from that responsibility, it's huge. Clifford falls into this same category. It's like watching a young Dennis Rodman on the Pistons!!!! He couldn't make a layup if his life depended on it, but he could snarl offense rebounds like no tomorrow. The point is there are roles to a hockey lineup, and good teams have all this figured out. That's how lineups get created. It's not about putting together 4 number one type lines and 3 number one pairs.
Ollie Weeks
the sea does not dream of you
- Feb 28, 2008
- 13,324
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We're gonna some yield points, but I don't think it'll be as bad as last year. It just can't.
I agree with your insight about a youthful speedy third line. I'd also like to throw into that this kind of line could play an adjusted Kings system, or a different system completely. You see this kind of things all the time in like college basketball, where teams switch from man to man defenses over to zones, and different looks on offense when they put different players in, like posting up, and different plays off screens. But to DS, he tends to see all of his players fitting the exact same role. Every W or C should be able to do what the other W or C can do or are good at. Likewise, the same thing for D.
I don't have any problems with your order, and I'm not about dis you, but until Kings give some games to Forbort and Gravel, and we all can watch it at an NHL level, the rankings are hard for me to swallow. Both of these guys played exceptionally last year, and Forbort was called on to switch out as his partner Ebert, Raine, and Gravel all season long. Even though he constantly was paired with different D, he still managed to be in the top 10 plus minus for the AHL last year. That's consistent and somewhat impressive. Gravel was way better than his trade offs, but you have to remember that he was under an AHL only contract, and at any given moment could sign with another team, but he didn't because I believe he likes the Kings organization. These kids were stalwarts in the Calder run. They really, really, do, deserve some games, but........... Oh wait, it's not this year we hit that magical switch, it's we worked out all summer long. My point is this team needs a shake up!!! It's admirable guys won the cup, but some of these guys probably had career runs in those moments, and to think we won two cups because every single player played great and will continue playing great is ludicrous.
Ok that is the best ****ing Twilight Zone reference of the year. Major kudos to Tik.
Yes I really do believe that fourth line is going to suprise some people. They were really showing signs of life down the stretch. Too bad our third line was useless and our top two lines decided to play at 80%.
gr8 articles. agree on strengths & weaknesses.
said elsewhere that shore and andreoff put up 10 points combined in 52 nhl games last year.
meanwhile, i think weal, o'neill and mersch have already put up 5 goals + some assists in a handful of preseason games. i know they're different from regular season, but the point is that the kings need some dynamism from the young players and the bottom six. that could make the difference.
said elsewhere that shore and andreoff put up 10 points combined in 52 nhl games last year.
meanwhile, i think weal, o'neill and mersch have already put up 5 goals + some assists in a handful of preseason games. i know they're different from regular season, but the point is that the kings need some dynamism from the young players and the bottom six. that could make the difference.
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Well, ignoring that a lot of the cup-winning d-men are gone, it's sort of an oxymoron touting that Forbort/Gravel should get roster spots because they had stellar AHL playoff runs but that the guys who won the Stanley Cup and have had stellar NHL playoff runs shouldn't be guaranteed them. I get what you're saying, and I think some fresh blood and hunger is fantastic, but let's not pretend those guys aren't going to get playing time; hell, we aren't even fully healthy going IN to the season, never mind coming out of it, so they're going to get some NHL experience but bigger AHL minutes, which isn't going to hurt them, and will be here as soon as someone is hurt or struggling. Also, while what those guys did in the A was great, neither of them impressed me here enough to say "yeah, wow, I wish Forbort was on our third pairing right now" (but it is an admittedly horribly small and weird sample size being the preseason, I too want to see them in regular season action for a gauge).
Truth is, most of the guys beyond 8/6/27/3/44 are roughly interchangeable to some degree. Waivers, experience, role, and hell, handedness will all play a part.
I love Forbort and Gravel but like Mersch et. al. they have to outplay someone to get here. They've certainly 'paid their dues' but they also have to earn it with demonstrated ability. HF potential doesn't buy you a Kings' roster spot.
scryan
Registered User
- May 1, 2013
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Both have been great AHLers.
Neither looked impressive this preseason. OK, preseason... but yeah you gotta do it there.
Also consider that while you can dismiss preseason performance... Its basically playing at .75% nhl level. If they couldn't show why they need to be here with that... Then I am not sure why they need to be there.
Not even sure they get McBain's spot... If you can convince Sutter, I'd be willing to give them Greens.
Neither looked impressive this preseason. OK, preseason... but yeah you gotta do it there.
Also consider that while you can dismiss preseason performance... Its basically playing at .75% nhl level. If they couldn't show why they need to be here with that... Then I am not sure why they need to be there.
Not even sure they get McBain's spot... If you can convince Sutter, I'd be willing to give them Greens.
Well, I agree with what you are saying, but what they both excel at is allowing nothing, and they didn't allow anything so far, so it's one of those deals where everyone else is being the benefit of allowing mistakes, but some people aren't being given the opportunity to make mistakes!!! Thus, you end up with **** like Greene playing all 82 games last year and we miss the playoffs anyway. You can't tell me for one minute that he needed to play ALL the games, and then meanwhile we get to theorize about how two truly competent D in the A would look at the SHOW!! I mean, come on, what's a few games to see what it looks like? To me quite frankly, it ridiculous!! I'm not talking about penciling in people as if everything is for the season, I'm taking about checks out what you might be missing, and you'll never know what that ever looks like if you never peek at it!! That's my problem with last year!! Was watching it all go to pieces. and the entire organization somewhat presenting everything as if every was fine, we've got this little switch in our pocket....... I mean, come on? How long into the season do we listen to that BS!!! Someone make a thread for me on that!!!? I apologize for ranting!!!
