So are we all on the same train with Todd?

[Kurrilino]

Really? We were beating Pacific divisiion rebuilding teams? @Raccoon Jesus would surely LOVE to hear this....because he was telling everyone who can listen, that the Kings WERE NOT winning games in their own division.....so....which is it?

So....we were winning against rebuilind teams....going 23-6-3 against the East.....21-21-8 against the West and your contention is that most of the rebuilding teams were in the West??

You really miss the point here.
It's not only that we won games we shouldn't have, the rebuilding teams got almost no points.
The top 3 teams statistics were super inflated because of our division.
As soon as our top teams hit a real hockey team, they got slaughtered

 

[Kurrilino]

98 points does not line up with your theory of being 'outsucked' -- now if they got in on 88 points, I could see your point.

My 'outsucked' statement was linked to Vegas, Vancouver and Nashville losing their crunch times games
while we played Chicago twice, Arizona and Anaheim

 

[Schmooley]

How many coaches will they go through before the actual players that play all the minutes take the blame?
I dont love Todd. Like every coach he has his positives and negatives.
The team hasnt been successful in years under different coaches with a different/evolving supporting cast of depth.
Its time to look inward and realize the real issues.

 

[ru4reals]

Does it actually have less offensive power? NYI had/has Barzal, Nelson, Lee.....and.....Parise, Wahlstrom maybe?

LA has Kempe, Fiala, Vilardi, Kopitar, Danault, Arvidsson.....etc.

NYI might have better offensive D in Dobson, but not much better

I was more speaking about when he was with the Islanders the past four seasons. They were in the lower half of scoring league wise and has been known to be more defensive oriented. My point is we may have a bit more offensive players this year but with a more defensive coach will that dry up our offense again which we've had issues with the past 5 or so years.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

My 'outsucked' statement was linked to Vegas, Vancouver and Nashville losing their crunch times games
while we played Chicago twice, Arizona and Anaheim

Do you want me to list all the 'top' teams that the Kings beat last year to help them acquire 98 points? Your argument is...not good.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Tell me who you are replacing Todd with before I agree to replace him.
I have watched a lot of organizations over the years throw coach under the bus only to then have to hire some slapdick who isnt the answer either, because nobody good is available or interested. LA is not for everyone.

Short list:

Andrew Brunette
Mike Vellucci
Travis Green
Nate Leaman
unpopular opinion: Rick Tocchet

All coaches who are good with kids/development and reportedly 'player friendly' enough yet also with enough clout to slap around some of the bitch ass vets.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I'm was more speaking about when he was with the Islanders the past four seasons. They were in the lower half of scoring league wise and has been known to be more defensive oriented. My point is we may have a bit more offensive players this year but with a more defensive coach will that dry up our offense again which we've had issues with the past 5 or so years.

Fair enough...

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

How many coaches will they go through before the actual players that play all the minutes take the blame?
I dont love Todd. Like every coach he has his positives and negatives.
The team hasnt been successful in years under different coaches with a different/evolving supporting cast of depth.
Its time to look inward and realize the real issues.

The problem is Todd isn't moving to solutions, he's still rolling out the problems half of every game AND handicapping them many times throughout.

He's got options. He's just not using them appropriately.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Short list:

Andrew Brunette
Mike Vellucci
Travis Green
Nate Leaman
unpopular opinion: Rick Tocchet

All coaches who are good with kids/development and reportedly 'player friendly' enough yet also with enough clout to slap around some of the bitch ass vets.

Sooo.....Brunette (retread), Green (retread), Tocchet (retread 3 x over) thats the solution? Yea you have college coach in Leaman.....and Velluci.....because the Pens youngsters are astounding?

I get it, you dont like McCellan...but that list is putrid.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Sooo.....Brunette (retread), Green (retread), Tocchet (retread 3 x over) thats the solution? Yea you have college coach in Leaman.....and Velluci.....because the Pens youngsters are astounding?

I get it, you dont like McCellan...but that list is putrid.

Oh, was there an answer that you would have accepted? I wasn't counting on it.

-Brunette led the finest season for the Panthers last year and was a jack adams finalist, being inexplicably let go and immediately rehired. I'd say calling him a 'retreat' is bad faith but it's dumber than that.
-Green would be on his 2nd coaching stint after getting lame duck'ed and railroaded by the Canucks. He won in juniors and has an ahl finals appearance. Believe me I'm much less enthused about him than Brunette but I figured I'd throw another 'nhl guy' out there at the very least.
-Tocchet is just me, I don't expect anyone but me to be on board with that one, haha.
-Leaman has not just college but us development history and would be one of the most desired college guys. I'm not a huge fan of the college to nhl coaching pipeline but he'd be my guy.
-Velluci should have a job already, here's your homework for him. Mike Vellucci getting on radar for NHL head coaching job


The point was more that there are options out there, McLellan should absolutely NOT be the highest paid coach in the league, and just sitting on him because you're worried of what's left would be heresy.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

The problem is Todd isn't moving to solutions, he's still rolling out the problems half of every game AND handicapping them many times throughout.

He's got options. He's just not using them appropriately.

You guys were all complaining about the same things last year as well when this team got to 98 points. Why should anyone read this bitchfest today and believe it has any merit? You all complained about the coaching of a 100-point team where the team wasn't even expected to make the playoffs.

This year, as of maybe 10 days ago, the team was on pace for the same amount of points -- every time we lose a game, same ole song and dance. Sorry, I can't blame TM for boneheaded decisions made by the players (Kempe/Doughty last night is a great example), and if you look at the majority of reasons why this team hasn't accrued more point thus far, you'll see plenty examples of those types of situations.

Should we blame TM for Petersen's inability to stop a beer-league level shot at the end of the NYR game? Should we blame him for Durzi passing the puck directly to Stone in the dying seconds of game one? This team should probably easily have 4-6 more points in the standings right now, and the reasons they don't have nothing to do TM.

 

[KingsofLA]

Todd has 1 more year on his contract. Don't think Blake pays Todd 5M to sit around & asks the boss to pay for a new coach.

The roster is flawed with Lizotte & Kupari as 2 of the centers & the composition of the defense. Todd has made questionable decisions that have cost the team points in the standings. He still has the team clinging to a playoff spot. Just a whole lot of meh.

It seems that Todd wanted the team to realize 7:6 games weren't going to work in the long run & have the team decide to play defense. The problem there is the defense isn't good enough & the team bleeds chances against.

There are worse coaches out there, but why pay this guy 5M for this product?

It’s tough to play great team defense, when the team has no real defensive rock, like a Scuderi, W Mitchell, Scuderi or Regehr. Then u put ur worst defender of the D core,...... to play his offside

 

[Kurrilino]

You guys were all complaining about the same things last year as well when this team got to 98 points. Why should anyone read this bitchfest today and believe it has any merit? You all complained about the coaching of a 100-point team where the team wasn't even expected to make the playoffs.

This year, as of maybe 10 days ago, the team was on pace for the same amount of points -- every time we lose a game, same ole song and dance. Sorry, I can't blame TM for boneheaded decisions made by the players (Kempe/Doughty last night is a great example), and if you look at the majority of reasons why this team hasn't accrued more point thus far, you'll see plenty examples of those types of situations.

Should we blame TM for Petersen's inability to stop a beer-league level shot at the end of the NYR game? Should we blame him for Durzi passing the puck directly to Stone in the dying seconds of game one? This team should probably easily have 4-6 more points in the standings right now, and the reasons they don't have nothing to do TM.

I would say the people looking also behind the points.
Like i said, our points were inflated last year and will be this year.

People have eyes, they see that the product on the ice is barely mediocre.
At no point in the game can we dominate and force a victory or even force a goal in crunch time.
Our game depends on bare luck to score first by the 4th line or get a bouncy goal just before then end.
As soon as we are trailing, the game is over because we simply have no ability come back from that.

This is what people complain about, not the 98 points

 

[Sol]

How many coaches will they go through before the actual players that play all the minutes take the blame?
I dont love Todd. Like every coach he has his positives and negatives.
The team hasnt been successful in years under different coaches with a different/evolving supporting cast of depth.
Its time to look inward and realize the real issues.

This is fair. I think a huge factor that we don’t know about is if Kopitar and Doughty are entitled assholes who demand their icetime. That’d definitely make me more sympathetic to Todd. However, I think it’s a coaching issue rather than a huge egos in the lockers because he has a tendency to show heavy favoritism to any player that’s not a rookie. Our young players have been getting screwed by him. No Vilardi in OT for example ever.

I don’t want Blake to do a quick fix but he should do something. If they fire Todd they should hire Trotz. His teams at least always play cohesively and as a unit. And he has never gotten reverse swept which makes me trust him over Todd already.

I understand not firing him right now but they should get rid of him soon because this mediocrity is killing development and taking the Kings closer to another rebuild. They have no time to be patient. They have to be real with themselves and ask if Todd is the coach to take them to the next level. And I think the answer is clearly no.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

You guys were all complaining about the same things last year as well when this team got to 98 points. Why should anyone read this bitchfest today and believe it has any merit? You all complained about the coaching of a 100-point team where the team wasn't even expected to make the playoffs.

That's easy--this year's team is expected to make the playoffs and take a step forward, but they're on pace for 92, which represents a step backwards.

Thanks for asking!

 

[Schmooley]

The problem is Todd isn't moving to solutions, he's still rolling out the problems half of every game AND handicapping them many times throughout.

He's got options. He's just not using them appropriately.

Agree

This is fair. I think a huge factor that we don’t know about is if Kopitar and Doughty are entitled assholes who demand their icetime. That’d definitely make me more sympathetic to Todd. However, I think it’s a coaching issue rather than a huge egos in the lockers because he has a tendency to show heavy favoritism to any player that’s not a rookie. Our young players have been getting screwed by him. No Vilardi in OT for example ever.

I don’t want Blake to do a quick fix but he should do something. If they fire Todd they should hire Trotz. His teams at least always play cohesively and as a unit. And he has never gotten reverse swept which makes me trust him over Todd already.

I understand not firing him right now but they should get rid of him soon because this mediocrity is killing development and taking the Kings closer to another rebuild. They have no time to be patient. They have to be real with themselves and ask if Todd is the coach to take them to the next level. And I think the answer is clearly no.

Yea I dont think Todd is necessarily the right guy but the problems with the team are not only his fault.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

That's easy--this year's team is expected to make the playoffs and take a step forward, but they're on pace for 92, which represents a step backwards.

Thanks for asking!

But wait, I thought they overachieved last year and were merely outsucked. Therefore, they weren’t really a 98 point team so maybe what we are seeing now is technically NOT a step backwards.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

But wait, I thought they overachieved last year and were merely outsucked. Therefore, they weren’t really a 98 point team so maybe what we are seeing now is technically NOT a step backwards.

So a team with Doughty and Arvidsson and adding Fiala is actually taking a step FORWARD to plateauing at 92 points and a playoff miss?

Because that's not the ringing endorsement of Todd you're suggesting it is.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

So a team with Doughty and Arvidsson and adding Fiala is actually taking a step FORWARD to plateauing at 92 points and a playoff miss?

Because that's not the ringing endorsement of Todd you're suggesting it is.

I'm just trying to figure out what the actual expectations are.

 

[Schrute farms]

Personally, it's not the results that get me annoyed. It's the usage. I have a feeling that a majority here would be ok with slightly less results -- if it meant a proper transition to & usage of the youngsters versus the vets. An 82-89 point season is something i can live with if the youth is growing and being given chances to succeed & fail (failure can be a good LT learning experience). Eventually, they will succeed and the playoffs+ will come. If they do not, then you know that what you have is not sufficient and you can change things up roster wise accordingly.
Even better is the youth paving the way and taking us to the playoffs+ now.

 

[Kudelski37]

Firing TMac doesn't fix the issues. The team is really lacking in the bottom six with Byfield, Vilardi, and Iafallo out and the young D need to be called up and played. Any coach is going give Kopitar and Danault 20+ minutes a game with the bottom six iced last night. Some players need to be moved for this to be fixed just to clear roster space. The problems are a roster issue and not a coaching issue.

I think Blake would have sorted out the roster over the summer if so many players weren't coming off surgeries that might cause them to miss the first quarter if things did not progress perfectly. The Kings got screwed by guys healing quickly for a change.

 

[Kudelski37]

So a team with Doughty and Arvidsson and adding Fiala is actually taking a step FORWARD to plateauing at 92 points and a playoff miss?

Because that's not the ringing endorsement of Todd you're suggesting it is.

They are playing poorly with several of their better players in the minors and have the 6th best points % in the conference.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Oh, was there an answer that you would have accepted? I wasn't counting on it.

-Brunette led the finest season for the Panthers last year and was a jack adams finalist, being inexplicably let go and immediately rehired. I'd say calling him a 'retreat' is bad faith but it's dumber than that.
-Green would be on his 2nd coaching stint after getting lame duck'ed and railroaded by the Canucks. He won in juniors and has an ahl finals appearance. Believe me I'm much less enthused about him than Brunette but I figured I'd throw another 'nhl guy' out there at the very least.
-Tocchet is just me, I don't expect anyone but me to be on board with that one, haha.
-Leaman has not just college but us development history and would be one of the most desired college guys. I'm not a huge fan of the college to nhl coaching pipeline but he'd be my guy.
-Velluci should have a job already, here's your homework for him. Mike Vellucci getting on radar for NHL head coaching job


The point was more that there are options out there, McLellan should absolutely NOT be the highest paid coach in the league, and just sitting on him because you're worried of what's left would be heresy.

So Brunette led the finest season for the panthers, jack adams finalist, and couldn't get past the 2nd round....and was immediately rehired as an assistant coach.....if he was that well thought of.....why wouldn't any other team give him a head coaching job?

Green is just brutal......there's a reason why Vancouver went on an absolute tear after he left......

Leaman, his one year as US coach is now....development history? College to Pro is absolutely a tough road to follow....

Velluci should have a job already, but again, no one is giving him a chance....why?

 

[Statto]

Should we blame TM for Petersen's inability to stop a beer-league level shot at the end of the NYR game? Should we blame him for Durzi passing the puck directly to Stone in the dying seconds of game one? This team should probably easily have 4-6 more points in the standings right now, and the reasons they don't have nothing to do TM.

It has something to do with him. He and his team haven’t managed to get Petersen playing properly. Of course much of that is on Cal but equally he’s gotten worse on their watch.

Durzi though is definitely on him. Firstly he dressed him, second he keeps putting him out in key situations. This is despite his ability to make a dumb gaff. If he insisted on Bjornfot being called up he would be, same with Spence. Of course Durzi takes a huge slice of blame but it has ‘something’ to do with TM. No success of failure is down to just player(s) or coach.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

It has something to do with him. He and his team haven’t managed to get Petersen playing properly. Of course much of that is on Cal but equally he’s gotten worse in their watch.

Durzi though is definitely on him. Firstly he dressed him, second he keeps putting him out in key situations. This is despite his ability to make a dumb gaff. If he insisted on Bjornfot being called up he would be, same with Spence. Of course Durzi takes a huge slice of blame but it has ‘something’ to do with TM. No success of failure is down to just player(s) or coach.

Can you show me a player that does NOT have the ability to make a dumb gaffe?