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SJS 5 : LAK 2 - You didn't really think they were going to win this one did you?

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While we never like it, the Kings have never had an amazing last 10 games of the seasons since they first made the playoffs again back in 2010, and that includes both Cup years.

As a matter of fact, this team has had the division in its hands on two occasions only to lose home/home series to both Anaheim and SJ in the last weekend of the season. Think the Anaheim one was the Kopitar-less year and SJ was 2012.

Doesn't mean it's cool to lose but the "Kings flip a switch at the end of the season" thing is a myth. They've routinely turned it on in February-March until the last ten games. This year is a bit different though with all the December/January winning.
 
anybody catch this??

when carter was in the box for the GWG.. there's a lady in the stands above carter's left shoulder with a two handed full self-bewb. my gf and i saw it and we both looked at each other and simultaneously said "did you see that?!"

would like if any of you that haven't erased the game off your tivo yet to screengrab this moment.
 
Does anyone believe that once the playoffs start that suddenly McNabb, Schenn and Scuderi will turn into completely different players?

That's half the blueline, and right now they could barely skate or pass and constantly find themselves pinned inside their end of the ice.

I don't know how any sane person would feel comfortable with that trio regularly dressed in the lineup.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
Does anyone believe that once the playoffs start that suddenly McNabb, Schenn and Scuderi will turn into completely different players?

That's half the blueline, and right now they could barely skate or pass and constantly find themselves pinned inside their end of the ice.

I don't know how any sane person would feel comfortable with that trio regularly dressed in the lineup.
Click to expand...

D pairs have been shuffled all over the place since clinching.

If they go back to keeping Scuderi with Doughty and McNabb/Schenn (maybe Greene?) as 3rd pairing, i have no issue with it. They're all good enough for the TOI they'll be given in the playoffs, and Sutter will play guys on a significantly shorter leash as always if they don't perform up to expectations.

Like was said earlier, if the Hawks can win with 3 D and a bunch of question marks, it's not a stretch to think the Kings can do it too, especially since the Kings system is much more structured defensively in comparison. Doughty/Muzzin/AMart is easily as good as Keith/Seabrook/Hjalmarsson when they're on their game, and I honestly take Scuderi/McNabb/Schenn over whatever dumpster fires Chicago was icing last year.
 
Hawks had 4 competent d-men though, they had Keith and Hjalmarsson as the top pairing followed by Seabrook and Oduya.

Check out the ice time distribution for those 4 dmen in Game 6 against Tampa Bay.
https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tbl-...tate=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=boxscore

30+ mins for Keith
27+ mins for Seabrook
25+ mins for Hjalmarsson
24+ mins for Oduya
4+ mins for van Riemsdyk
3+ mins for Timonen

The Kings don't have a fourth dman as competent as Oduya who can log those kind of minutes, but one would think that the Kings' bottom pairing can log more than 4+ mins at the very least.

Muzzin and Martinez have had their ups and downs but they were rock solid the last time the Kings were in the playoffs. I would hope that them and Doughty will continue to elevate their games in the post season. It is the unknown with the bottom three that leaves a big question mark because we don't know what we're going to get and I think it'll take a miracle for them to suddenly become reliable and dependable by playing mistake free hockey come April, May and June.
 
I agree with Ziggy. Also, Chicago got by with 4 D, but barely. It'd be a stretch to think a team could easily do that again. Also, Chicago had more offense than the Kings seem to have at times. There's a lot of pressure on Kings D to never make a mistake, which is going to happen. The Kings might win one series, but I don't see them winning more than that. Other teams will be able to match their physicality. Chicago isnt one of them. I worry about Nashville St. Louis and Anaheim. The key to any success will be Quick, and what I'll call a slight departure from their conservative system and take more offensive chance to create some scoring. Thats what happened in 2014 after being down in several of the series. It will be more going for broke, and hopefully gaining momentum.
 
losingsand said:
anybody catch this??

when carter was in the box for the GWG.. there's a lady in the stands above carter's left shoulder with a two handed full self-bewb. my gf and i saw it and we both looked at each other and simultaneously said "did you see that?!"

would like if any of you that haven't erased the game off your tivo yet to screengrab this moment.
Click to expand...

Cook24 said:
https://twitter.com/pumpernicholl/status/714675823685607425
Click to expand...

She was much happier Carts was in there obviously:naughty:
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
Hawks had 4 competent d-men though, they had Keith and Hjalmarsson as the top pairing followed by Seabrook and Oduya.

Check out the ice time distribution for those 4 dmen in Game 6 against Tampa Bay.
https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/tbl-...tate=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=boxscore

30+ mins for Keith
27+ mins for Seabrook
25+ mins for Hjalmarsson
24+ mins for Oduya
4+ mins for van Riemsdyk
3+ mins for Timonen

The Kings don't have a fourth dman as competent as Oduya who can log those kind of minutes, but one would think that the Kings' bottom pairing can log more than 4+ mins at the very least.

Muzzin and Martinez have had their ups and downs but they were rock solid the last time the Kings were in the playoffs. I would hope that them and Doughty will continue to elevate their games in the post season. It is the unknown with the bottom three that leaves a big question mark because we don't know what we're going to get and I think it'll take a miracle for them to suddenly become reliable and dependable by playing mistake free hockey come April, May and June.
Click to expand...

efhank said:
I agree with Ziggy. Also, Chicago got by with 4 D, but barely. It'd be a stretch to think a team could easily do that again. Also, Chicago had more offense than the Kings seem to have at times. There's a lot of pressure on Kings D to never make a mistake, which is going to happen. The Kings might win one series, but I don't see them winning more than that. Other teams will be able to match their physicality. Chicago isnt one of them. I worry about Nashville St. Louis and Anaheim. The key to any success will be Quick, and what I'll call a slight departure from their conservative system and take more offensive chance to create some scoring. Thats what happened in 2014 after being down in several of the series. It will be more going for broke, and hopefully gaining momentum.
Click to expand...

Oduya isn't actually that good though, I don't know why everyone thinks that he is. Seriously, he's basically a carbon copy of Matt Greene (perhaps skewed by injury etc., but from '10-'15 Greene actually put up slightly better 5v5 numbers in pretty much every relevant category) - arguably worse. Oduya was carried by Hjalmarsson/Keith/Seabrook just as hard as Greene got carried by AMart. If we're drawing parallels here, Scuderi is the likely candidate to eat those minutes for the Kings this year, and I really don't think he's as bad as you guys are making out - yes he's rough past 20 minutes, but I expect McNabb/Schenn to play more than 4-5 minutes a game in the playoffs (and I also think they're much more competent than Timonen/TVR/Roszival/whoever), so I don't think it matters in the end. You guys keep overreacting about our defense but it's still top 3 in the league if i'm not mistaken, and that's while Doughty is playing practically record-low minutes and Sutter is doing god knows what with the lines AND pairings.
 
2014:

13 GA in the first two games, 17 GA in the first 3. Lost Mitchell in Game 6 against SJ. Lost Regehr in Game 1 against the Ducks. Had to beat Anaheim with Greene and Schultz, and without Mitchell and Regehr, from Games 2-7. Gave up 23 GA in 7 games against the Hawks, I can remember complaints about both Mitchell and Voynov during that series, and the team had to outscore the Hawks to beat them.

Not saying it'll all fall into place for the Kings again, but every team has holes in it, and the teams that win are the ones that adapt the best to their own weaknesses.
 
Here's how you know a media guy didn't watch the game: "The SJ Sharks with a statement beatdown game vs the LA Kings last night winning in convincing fashion 5-2..." :shakehead
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
Does anyone believe that once the playoffs start that suddenly McNabb, Schenn and Scuderi will turn into completely different players?

That's half the blueline, and right now they could barely skate or pass and constantly find themselves pinned inside their end of the ice.

I don't know how any sane person would feel comfortable with that trio regularly dressed in the lineup.
Click to expand...

In the playoffs, when you play the same team up to 7 times, McNabb and Schenn forcing the opposition to keep their heads up while beating on their bodies is exactly what you need.

Scuderi is living off savvy. He adapted pretty quickly getting back on the Kings, and he'll probably adapt his reads to the same team they'll be playing 4-7 times.

We don't need them to be different. They may not be perfect, but their skills and strengths are conducive to wearing down the opposition and suppressing the opposition over a 7 game series.
 
losingsand said:
anybody catch this??

when carter was in the box for the GWG.. there's a lady in the stands above carter's left shoulder with a two handed full self-bewb. my gf and i saw it and we both looked at each other and simultaneously said "did you see that?!"

would like if any of you that haven't erased the game off your tivo yet to screengrab this moment.
Click to expand...

basically blew up twitter..i retweeted a couple gifs
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
Does anyone believe that once the playoffs start that suddenly McNabb, Schenn and Scuderi will turn into completely different players?

That's half the blueline, and right now they could barely skate or pass and constantly find themselves pinned inside their end of the ice.

I don't know how any sane person would feel comfortable with that trio regularly dressed in the lineup.
Click to expand...

Yes... Thats what happens to the kings every playoffs
 
kingskring said:
Yes... Thats what happens to the kings every playoffs
Click to expand...

I don't know if you can compare the blueline this team iced in 2012 and 2014 to this group.

2012:
Scuderi-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Martinez-Greene
Drewiske

2014:
Muzzin-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Martinez-Greene
Regehr

2016:
McNabb-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinez
Scuderi-Schenn
McBain

The 2nd and 3rd pairings were significantly better then than it is now. I like Muzzin and Martinez, but I find that Muzzin plays his best with Drew and Martinez played his best when he sees a bit less ice time.

I think the blueline is another reason why the Kings' PK sucks so much this season. None of these guys are really known for cleaning up the front of the net and we see too many guys screening Quick or getting to loose pucks in front of the net. Mitchell, Regehr and Greene were good at boxing out and cleaning up, these guys, not so much.
 
They survived Game 1 against the Ducks with five on D and then six games with Schultz back there.

Let's just remember Schultz played the majority of that series when worrying about McNabb.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
I don't know if you can compare the blueline this team iced in 2012 and 2014 to this group.

2012:
Scuderi-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Martinez-Greene
Drewiske

2014:
Muzzin-Doughty
Mitchell-Voynov
Martinez-Greene
Regehr

2016:
McNabb-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinez
Scuderi-Schenn
McBain

The 2nd and 3rd pairings were significantly better then than it is now. I like Muzzin and Martinez, but I find that Muzzin plays his best with Drew and Martinez played his best when he sees a bit less ice time.

I think the blueline is another reason why the Kings' PK sucks so much this season. None of these guys are really known for cleaning up the front of the net and we see too many guys screening Quick or getting to loose pucks in front of the net. Mitchell, Regehr and Greene were good at boxing out and cleaning up, these guys, not so much.
Click to expand...

I agree with your critique for the most part - my biggest complaint with McNabb/Schenn is that for how big they play on the boards, they don't seem nearly as effective as guys like Reggie and Greene were at straight up forcing guys out of the net front, like you pointed out.

That being said, we shouldn't be comparing anything to the '12 defense, as that's probably the best cup-winning D since the 07 Ducks and unlikely to be replicated any time soon.

I think this year is easily comparable to '14 though. The biggest hole is still the #3 from Voynov, but AMart has stepped up a lot this year and as I've stated before, I think McNabb/Schenn/Scuderi are generally a lot more solid than they're given credit for, and we probably have one of the best back-checking forward corps in the league as well, which helps out a LOT. If McNabb/Schenn as a 3rd pairing are bleeding goals left and right straightaway in the playoffs I'll be concerned, but I didn't see a whole lot in that dominant stretch where they clinched a playoff spot that indicated to me that there should be alarm over our blueline.
 
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