SJS 6 : LAK 3 - Uh-Oh, we're eliminated

[KingsFan7824]

I have little doubt we would have lost to the Perds, as well. It just didn't feel right entering the postseason. It's too bad the games of Stoll and Richards took such a nosedive, because the loss of Williams, Stoll and Richards and their competitive grit, swagger and ability to ability to help teammates to elevate their game as a team during tough situations was really felt this year, imo.

I have no problem with what Logan Couture said. The Sharks took a lot of abuse and ridicule after the 2014 reverse sweep and then not making the playoffs last year. Kings fans, the media, and I'm sure Doughty made them feel the pain. They took it and came back to beat us. Hate to lose but more power to them.

The only positive for me these past several hours is reading a lot of great posts from regulars (SettlementRichie, RJ, etc.) and lurkers. Lurkers, I hope you post more but it's good to know you're out there with us.

We had a lot of great guys on our team but something was missing, notably the right slotting of the D, forcing the forwards to compensate. With the differences between the teams being so small, that's all it took. Yet, even with our defensive troubles, we came within a hair of winning the Jennings Trophy and within one point of winning the division. Our guys fought hard and no one should question their heart, not after 2014. They just lost to a better team.

 

[Bandit]

2 new defenseman and an expansion draft will be just what the doctor ordered. Fun season, disappointing end but that's how it goes for 29 teams.

The Sharks WILL choke... just a matter of time.

What do you mean? They just won the cup, they get to bask in their victory the entire offseason.

 

[Sword]

This series:

Sharks were the better team in every aspect of the game.
Kings players were out of sync, bad passes
Too many no-shows (Toffoli)
Stupid penalties (Lucic, Carter)
Dwight King on the 1st line.
Versteeg on the 4th line? Why bother trading for him in the 1st place?
Weak defense, had to overplay Scuderi and Schenn. Doughty sure didn't look like a Norris d-man.

With that being said, congrats to the Sharks. Hopefully, they can take out the Ducks too.

 

[onlyalad]

Doom
Gloom
For 5 months
Then
Doom gloom

 

[kings11]

We need to regain our grit and physicality, so I for one look forward to adding kids like Mersch, Kempe, and Gravel. I would also love if they flat-out let Schenn go, while also finding takers for Nolan, King, Scuderi, Greene lol.......
????-Kopitar-Gaborik
Mersch-Carter-Versteeg
Pearson-Shore-Brown
Clifford-Andreoff-Lewis
Doughty-??????
Martinez-Muzzin
McNabb-??????
One think i do believe needs to happen is that Sutter must reduce Doughty's minutes or he'll run him into the ground similar to what Thibodeau did to Derrick Rose........

 

[CowMix]

We need to regain our grit and physicality, so I for one look forward to adding kids like Mersch, Kempe, and Gravel. I would also love if they flat-out let Schenn go, while also finding takers for Nolan, King, Scuderi, Greene lol.......
????-Kopitar-Gaborik
Mersch-Carter-Versteeg
Pearson-Shore-Brown
Clifford-Andreoff-Lewis
Doughty-??????
Martinez-Muzzin
McNabb-??????
One think i do believe needs to happen is that Sutter must reduce Doughty's minutes or he'll run him into the ground similar to what Thibodeau did to Derrick Rose........

Toffoli?

I think Pearson should be on the first line.

 

[kings11]

Toffoli?

I think Pearson should be on the first line.

thats what i get for watching Tv while i type lol....
replace Pearson with Toffoli and the truth is Pearson might be trade bait to get us a better Defenseman or maybe to help us get rid of Brown's contract....

I'm also curious if theres any chance we make a play for Kris Russell?????

 

[Cook24]

Resign Lucic. Trade Brown. Trade Pearson and McNabb for solid defenseman. King and Forbort for Helm.
Resign Versteeg
Lucic-Kopitar-Gaborik
Kempe-Carter-Toffoli
Mersch-Helm-Versteeg
Clifford-Andreoff-Dowd

Muzzin-Doughty
Martinez-Trade
Gravel-Greene
Scuderi?

Quick
???

 

[kings11]

Toffoli-Kopitar-Gaborik
Mersch-Carter-Versteeg
Pearson-Shore-Brown
Clifford-Andreoff-Lewis

Doughty-Russell
Martinez-Muzzin
McNabb-Scuderi

Is this a better lineup than what we had this season, and what do you guys think of that new 2nd line???

 

[BigKing]

Feels like they still won somehow after reading those Couture comments. Pretty funny.

They don't make DVDs for winning the first round. We've got two of them. Unless SJ goes the distance, this series will just be a footnote, much like the 2011 series is a fart in the wind.

 

[onlyalad]

I am not a fan of " trade brown"
To whom?
For what?
It is like planning your retirement with work five years, win lottery
I think any proposals that include trade any player should include what the Kings get/give in that trade.
Trading Greene, Brown, or whoever means that someone has to take them.

 

[TonySCV]

I am not a fan of " trade brown"
To whom?
For what?
It is like planning your retirement with work five years, win lottery
I think any proposals that include trade any player should include what the Kings get/give in that trade.
Trading Greene, Brown, or whoever means that someone has to take them.

Trading Brown isn't going to happen with that albatross of a contract (he gets 7 million next season! *gag*). He'll need to be offered up for the expansion draft the season after next.

 

[kings11]

I am not a fan of " trade brown"
To whom?
For what?
It is like planning your retirement with work five years, win lottery
I think any proposals that include trade any player should include what the Kings get/give in that trade.
Trading Greene, Brown, or whoever means that someone has to take them.

On my part those were just frustration based ideas however, as i stated above Kris Russell is the type of defensive defenseman we need to pair with DD and how course Sutter needs to quit running DD into the ground....Lucic vs Russell ??? i think our biggest need is defense!!!
Also i fully expect Mersch to stick next season making King and Nolan expendable and that right there is close to $3million....

 

[bouncesonly]

Kings would have been eliminated regardless of who they played in the first round. Our defense was lacking without Martinez. Scuderi's just to slow, even for a stay at home d man. Vinny should stay another year. McNabb could be so great. Hopefully he has his breakout year next year.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Feels like they still won somehow after reading those Couture comments. Pretty funny.

They don't make DVDs for winning the first round. We've got two of them. Unless SJ goes the distance, this series will just be a footnote, much like the 2011 series is a fart in the wind.

Yeah someone forgot to tell Couture they haven't won anything yet, they have to do that three more times and it doesn't get easier. That's why I said--and no insult to the Sharks--it will be interesting to see what their gameplan is when they run into a deeper opponent on D. When their motivation isn't as killer. When the coach they're playing against is reactionary instead of stubborn (credit Sutter for having this approach, honestly--he believes in his gameplan and **** everyone else, no other coaches do this in this era imo). When the other team has better PK. I think they're a very good team and can give ANYONE all they can handle, but I think those were all x-factors this series that they won't have in their favor next time around. It'll sure be interesting.

And honestly outside of Couture it's a really likeable team. I have no ill will towards the Sharks really. We dispelled those 2011 demons in 2013 and 2014 heavily. I said for them this is like us kicking the Canucks' teeth in after they beat us in 2010 and 2011 and their fans and media summarily dismissed us as cuddly but harmless upstarts. I think Couture SHOULD be pumped up as all of them should be; I was impressed that all of them BUT Coots handled it with not only class but the demeanor that it's not a big deal. Full marks to a team that's all on the same page there. But yeah, he was a passenger all series, so his remarks are facepalmy.

Final thoughts, I suppose, before I lurk around page two for the next four months:

<snip>

Golden post, honestly.

Yeah, funny to watch the whole path from cuddly underdog with a bunch of likeable players to 'dark lord,' heh. I said elsewhere you're only adorable, well-liked, and supportable as long as you're harmless. The moment we started killing dreams was the moment Brown became public enemy #1, Doughty, Quick, and Kopitar became overrated, Justin Williams' 'clutch' doesn't exist, and so on. It will be interesting to see who takes that mantle this year if it's not the Hawks.

But what a roller coaster. And like I said before and agree with you--we'll always have 12 and 14. That's two more cups than some franchises have PERIOD. And what magical runs they were. I'll never hate the players on this team, including Brown, and any of these guys that decline because they gave their all when it mattered most and got RESULTS unlike some of these other pretenders that are 'better players.'

And Brown is the big one for me. Captain LA. He'll not be a hall of famer, he might get his number retired, and sadly, he might be on a different team next year. Declining performance or not the guy cares. That's never a question. All heart all the time brains be damned. And that hit he threw on Donskoi brought back a LOT of memories that made me realize it might be the last meaningful thing he does as a King. That's tough. But just like all those others that have had to move on--Regehr, Williams, Mitchell, Richards, Stoll, Scuds (twice? ), Penner--he'll be immortalized on the Cup more than most players get the chance to, and as a captain (wasn't he the first or second american captain to win a cup?) of a team from the hard days to the promised land. I can't imagine this is harder on anyone than it is on him. What a journey.

We all knew they weren't going to rule forever. It's tough to accept they're going down the other side of the mountain. But we'll still be a pain in everyone's ass for a good while longer. I'm actually excited to see how it looks since 1. the issues are clear as day and 2. DL doesn't have the 'nostalgia' crutch to make decisions--it's almost like a fresh start/clean slate albeit with fewer picks, haha.

Go Kings.

 

[Bandit]

^ Good post, but I think even if Brown is traded tomorrow the Kings would retire his number.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

 

[HookKing]

You knew there would be no comeback possible when Schenn and Scuderi were paired together. I would have preferred Sutter put 5 forwards out there just to see what would happen.

 

[ukyo]

Cheer up, guys, we're still in this!

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

^ Good post, but I think even if Brown is traded tomorrow the Kings would retire his number.

For sure he's getting his number retired. I wouldn't even be surprised if he one day got a statue of him raising the cup.

 

[Pandaman11]

Trade Brown

Good luck with that.

Buyout, I already said it 12 months ago.

 

[Pandaman11]

Am I disappointed? Of course, extremely, how could I not be?

Am I surprised? Not a tiny little bit. Not at all. There was no way they wouldn't get payback. I said it all here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=116714349&postcount=66

Imo we threw it all away against Winnipeg. We had a f***ing 3-0 lead... I'm convinced that we'd have won against Nashville. 2nd place, however, was the worst thing that could've happened to us. We had home ice disadvantage against one of the best road teams in recent NHL history.

Well, let's hope for a more successful 2016/17, see you next year. Curious to see the offseason moves.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Imo we threw it all away against Winnipeg. We had a f***ing 3-0 lead... I'm convinced that we'd have won against Nashville. 2nd place, however, was the worst thing that could've happened to us. We had home ice disadvantage against one of the best road teams in recent NHL history.

I think this team has lost the benefit of the doubt. They could barely string two decent passes together in SJ, where the Sharks were one of the worst home teams all year.

The Kings had to beat the Preds twice in 3v3 OT this year. There's nothing that really says they would've beat Nashville. They may have, but to be convinced of it? That seems like a bit much.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I don't think we were beating anyone with A-Mart injured n

 

[jfont]

Oh poor Couture...