Kings Article: Should We Really Be Surprised That Dustin Brown Remains Goalless?

[kingsholygrail]

I am not worried about Kopitar's current lack of production(yet).

I am more worried about how Kopitar, seems not committed too fitness. He looks out of shape, and playing himself into shape.

That is going to be a problem going forward, especially as Kopitar ages into his 30's. Will Kopitar make the same commitment some like Brown has made.

Cause if Kopitar doesn't, then it will effect his production adversely.

For Kopitar, he's quickly running into the issue of "I'm not 18 anymore and I need to make an adjustment to the changes in my body chemistry as I age" dilemma.

 

[johnjm22]

Their play and level of fitness this season is unacceptable.

How do you know they're out of shape?

 

[damacles1156]

How do you know they're out of shape?

They both look out of shape on the ice, the mistakes they are making, and lack of moving their feet, is what out of shape players do. They both look like they are playing their way into shape. Kopitar has a history of not being a top fitness King, Lombardi has said numerous times that Kopitar needs to take that next step with Fitness.

 

[Face Wash]

Brown now has 3 Goals on his last 117 shots (2.7 S%) in his last 48 games

At his current rate of shots per game, assuming he plays 82 games, he'll lead the Kings with 303 SOG and will score 8 goals at that 2.7 S%.

Brown has the 15th most shots in the NHL and the 2nd most shots in the NHL without a goal. Two shots behind Jakub Voracek.

Oh and he has 2 PP Goals since October 9, 2013 (196 games including playoffs).

Among the 10 highest paid wingers in hockey, he's by far the lowest scoring over their last 48 games:

Patrick Kane -- RW - CHI – 26/27 - $13,800,000 - 23
Alex Ovechkin - LW - WSH – 29/30 - $10,000,000 - 38
Phil Kessel --- RW - PIT – 27/28 - $10,000,000 - 10
Zach Parise --- LW - MIN – 30/31 -- $9,000,000 - 24
Corey Perry --- RW - ANA – 29/30 -- $9,000,000 - 15
V. Tarasenko -- RW - STL – 23/24 -- $8,000,000 - 22
Rick Nash ----- LW - NYR – 30/31 -- $7,900,000 - 15
Marian Hossa -- RW - CHI – 36/37 -- $7,900,000 - 14
H. Zetterberg - LW - DET – 34/35 -- $7,500,000 - 10
Dustin Brown -- RW - LAK – 30/31 -- $7,250,000 -- 3


I'm sure if I tried I could find players making A LOT less who have scored A LOT more over their last 48 games.

He makes $21.5M the next 3 seasons
His cap hit is $5.88M the next 7 seasons

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Oh look, even Darryl Sutter is calling out Brown. Maybe he should just be happy with what Brown did in 2012.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/201...-on-dustin-brown-he-has-to-be-a-better-player

"He hasn't played really well lately," Sutter said of Brown, who was held without a point in three games in a row and six of seven. "We're getting into regular-season performances. They're based on not just this year, but over the last couple seasons. He needs to be a better player."

I guess we should never be critical of underperforming players who are among the highest paid on the roster. Just remember how good they used to be in the past to justify their terrible contracts.

 

[Face Wash]

Oh look, even Darryl Sutter is calling out Brown. Maybe he should just be happy with what Brown did in 2012.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/201...-on-dustin-brown-he-has-to-be-a-better-player


I guess we should never be critical of underperforming players who are among the highest paid on the roster. Just remember how good they used to be in the past to justify their terrible contracts.

To be clear, Brown had a point last night...and Ryan Reaves was not penalized for the Kopi hit. Teaford needs only check the box score to fix those issues.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Brown isn't as big of a problem as Kopitar.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Brown isn't as big of a problem as Kopitar.

That entire top unit is a problem. Can't really say that any one player is holding the others back, Kopitar, Brown and Gaborik all have to do more if this team wishes to secure a playoff spot. I know some are happy that the Kings hold the top spot in the Pacific as of today, but that means little after a month.

For once, I'd like to see the team perform up to their standards and comfortably hold a top spot in the division and conference throughout the season. But we've become accustomed to their wildly inconsistent performances and the typical winter vacation that they take between late November through February.

In addition to their numbers being down, their diminishing performance is quite visible as well. I know people are stating Brown is working his tail off, etc. But so does every fourth line plug in the NHL. I'm not seeing him barreling to the front of the net, which is what he should be doing.

Guys like Smyth and Williams were perfect linemates for Kopitar because they knew how to hang onto pucks, spin off checks, and take the puck to the net. Brown is incapable of doing that now. And Gaborik is just a floater at this point.

 

[SFKingshomer]

That entire top unit is a problem. Can't really say that any one player is holding the others back, Kopitar, Brown and Gaborik all have to do more if this team wishes to secure a playoff spot. I know some are happy that the Kings hold the top spot in the Pacific as of today, but that means little after a month.

For once, I'd like to see the team perform up to their standards and comfortably hold a top spot in the division and conference throughout the season. But we've become accustomed to their wildly inconsistent performances and the typical winter vacation that they take between late November through February.

In addition to their numbers being down, their diminishing performance is quite visible as well. I know people are stating Brown is working his tail off, etc. But so does every fourth line plug in the NHL. I'm not seeing him barreling to the front of the net, which is what he should be doing.

Guys like Smyth and Williams were perfect linemates for Kopitar because they knew how to hang onto pucks, spin off checks, and take the puck to the net. Brown is incapable of doing that now. And Gaborik is just a floater at this point.

I think King would do well with Kopitar

 

[sinister6000]

I don't know why people keep calling Kopitars line the 1st line, when Carters line has been better than Kopitars the last few years. I think the kings should try to get Kopitar away from the other teams top lines. So he can be more aggressive in the offensive zone, rather then shutting down the teams top line. At least during the regular season, let Shores line check the other teams 1st line. Trade Brown for a draft pick, and a prospect, your not going to get much for him any more. Maybe you can get some sucker to take him off the books.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I don't know why people keep calling Kopitars line the 1st line, when Carters line has been better than Kopitars the last few years. I think the kings should try to get Kopitar away from the other teams top lines. So he can be more aggressive in the offensive zone, rather then shutting down the teams top line. At least during the regular season, let Shores line check the other teams 1st line. Trade Brown for a draft pick, and a prospect, your not going to get much for him any more. Maybe you can get some sucker to take him off the books.

Ice time. Kopitar's line gets more ice time than the Carter line.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Oh look, even Darryl Sutter is calling out Brown. Maybe he should just be happy with what Brown did in 2012.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/201...-on-dustin-brown-he-has-to-be-a-better-player


I guess we should never be critical of underperforming players who are among the highest paid on the roster. Just remember how good they used to be in the past to justify their terrible contracts.

Who are you arguing with? you've been distributing rhetoric like the boldfaced all thread.

No one is suggesting they're satisfied with Brown's play. He's doing all the right things, but production has to follow to justify it too. The suggestion, though, is that others aren't even doing the right things to do well right now (Gaborik, for example).

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Who are you arguing with? you've been distributing rhetoric like the boldfaced all thread.

No one is suggesting they're satisfied with Brown's play. He's doing all the right things, but production has to follow to justify it too. The suggestion, though, is that others aren't even doing the right things to do well right now (Gaborik, for example).

You must have missed all of Ron's posts in defense of Brown. There are others who find nothing wrong with Brown's performance.

What's pretty funny is that 15 games in, Dale Weise has 8 goals and 11 points. Kopitar, Brown and Gaborik combined have scored 5 goals and 11 points.

The concern is being expressed with all three skaters. This isn't just exclusive to Brown. It seems like they all peaked in their mid-20s and have drastically slowed down since 2014. Not just Brown, but Kopitar and Gaborik as well.

Like I said previously, not a single player is bringing the other one down. I think they're all slumping because they're just slowing down and their bodies just can't handle what they were able to do when they were 23-27.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

You must have missed all of Ron's posts in defense of Brown. There are others who find nothing wrong with Brown's performance.

What's pretty funny is that 15 games in, Dale Weise has 8 goals and 11 points. Kopitar, Brown and Gaborik combined have scored 5 goals and 11 points.

The concern is being expressed with all three skaters. This isn't just exclusive to Brown. It seems like they all peaked in their mid-20s and have drastically slowed down since 2014. Not just Brown, but Kopitar and Gaborik as well.

Like I said previously, not a single player is bringing the other one down. I think they're all slumping because they're just slowing down and their bodies just can't handle what they were able to do when they were 23-27.

Dale Wiese also has a career high under most of our players' lows, so if you're going to use an example of an extremely small sample size overperforming to the max, you should understand a small sample size underperforming to the max, tooa 44

He obviously said it in a different, more combative way, but he's echoing the thought that Brown isn't going to shoot 0% forever and that there are positive signs of life in his game unlike the guys he's being compared to (RIchards? really?).

What do you think is more likely: the guy with the career high of 10 goals continues to score at a 44 goal pace, or that the guys with averages in the 40-70 range get back on track?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I'm of the thought that Brown replicates his numbers from last season, which is completely unacceptable.

I would think that nobody here would be satisfied with that kind of production from Brown. I fret that Kopitar may also be on the decline in terms of offensive production.

 

[Jason Lewis]

Brown isn't as big of a problem as Kopitar.

It's a chicken and egg kind of thing. Are they struggling because Kopitar is struggling, or is Kopitar struggling because Brown/Gaborik are?

I'm much more inclined to believe it is the latter. The NHL works on duos, and right now Kopitar doesn't have one. Last year he and Gaborik worked very well together but that has cooled significantly. Without that established the top line has been a wreck.

 

[KINGS17]

I'm of the thought that Brown replicates his numbers from last season, which is completely unacceptable.

I would think that nobody here would be satisfied with that kind of production from Brown. I fret that Kopitar may also be on the decline in terms of offensive production.

I worry more about Kopitar if only due to his upcoming re-signing. I think Brown and Kopitar are both in danger of repeating their offensive production numbers from last season.

Maybe Dean is better off seeing what he can get for some of these guys in the trade market. Brown probably has negative value though.

 

[johnjm22]

Brown does have the best Corsi On rating of any forward on the team right now. Kopitar is 2nd.

When they're on the ice, they spend more time in the opponents end than any other forwards on the team. It's only a matter of time before the points start to come.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Brown does have the best Corsi On rating of any forward on the team right now. Kopitar is 2nd.

When they're on the ice, they spend more time in the opponents end than any other forwards on the team. It's only a matter of time before the points start to come.

I'm of this opinion as well.

 

[kingsfan28]

It's a chicken and egg kind of thing. Are they struggling because Kopitar is struggling, or is Kopitar struggling because Brown/Gaborik are?

I'm much more inclined to believe it is the latter. The NHL works on duos, and right now Kopitar doesn't have one. Last year he and Gaborik worked very well together but that has cooled significantly. Without that established the top line has been a wreck.

Kopitar should be where the offense starts on that line, setting the guys up to get shots. I honestly can't think of one time this season when he's done that or at least consistently done it where it's been noticable.Yet Brown has done it at least once or twice a game, setting up teammates and he's the winger. Kopitars only assist this season is a secondary one because he won the draw last night on the Carter goal. That it, 13 games in and 1 secondary assist. To me, he just not doing enough to get the puck to his wingers, no matter who he's playing with.

 

[tsanuri]

Kopitar should be where the offense starts on that line, setting the guys up to get shots. I honestly can't think of one time this season when he's done that or at least consistently done it where it's been noticable.Yet Brown has done it at least once or twice a game, setting up teammates and he's the winger. Kopitars only assist this season is a secondary one because he won the draw last night on the Carter goal. That it, 13 games in and 1 secondary assist. To me, he just not doing enough to get the puck to his wingers, no matter who he's playing with.

When the wingers he's been with most of the time have 1 goal and the D only has 3. He can pass and set it up all he wants. Until they can actually start scoring he won't get any assists.

 

[kingsfan28]

When the wingers he's been with most of the time have 1 goal and the D only has 3. He can pass and set it up all he wants. Until they can actually start scoring he won't get any assists.

True, but hes not doing it. It this vicious circle of crap, he can't set up, players cant score and vice versa.

 

[scryan]

Trade Richards.

Oh ****. Wrong thread. Ehhh, give it time.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

I know I posted this story in a separate thread already, but it is relevant to this thread...

This might provide some insight, etc...

It’s About Much More Than Goal Scoring (Or A Lack Thereof) For LA Kings Dustin Brown

 

[Winger23]

When the wingers he's been with most of the time have 1 goal and the D only has 3. He can pass and set it up all he wants. Until they can actually start scoring he won't get any assists.

How can they score if he's not setting them up? Seriously he's only driven to the net ONE time, and that was last game. All teams have to do is cover the wings because they all know he's just going to circle the net looking to pass it back to the D.

It doesn't help that he's been with Gaborik most of the year, in which I think has been the most useless player on the entire team.

People want to jump on brown but at least he's getting chances. I can't say the same about him.