WCQF Gm#1: KINGS vs. BLUES - 4/30/13 - Tough Pill, But We'll Bounce Back!

[Axl Rhoadz]

I think what worries me the most is that if you add up the entire time the Kings got outworked in last years playoffs, it would come in as less than 55-minutes....yet they managed to surpass that mark in only the first game of round 1.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Penner played fantastic. Especially in OT.

 

[MsMeow]

A-Mart must be injured. There is no other reason to keep him out of the lineup.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I think what worries me the most is that if you add up the entire time the Kings got outworked in last years playoffs, it would come in as less than 55-minutes....yet they managed to surpass that mark in only the first game of round 1.

Maybe it's time to stop comparing anything the Kings will do to a historic playoff run where the Kings did things that no team has ever done, and a few other things that very few teams have done. Appreciate what was for what it was. Now back to normal.

 

[dogyekcoh*]

Regehr's breakout passes were absolutely atrocious last night. You can't pair him up with Muzzin or Ellerby. It just won't work, unless you want to spend even more time in our defensive zone. In that case, I might as well switch my game 4 seats to the side where we defend twice because I'll at least see some action there...

Muzzin - Doughty
Regehr - Voynov
Scuderi - Ellerby

Well, I think Ellerby was the one with atrocious first pass. You have to give Regehr a little slack. The guy was playing with a broken nose.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Maybe it's time to stop comparing anything the Kings will do to a historic playoff run where the Kings did things that no team has ever done, and a few other things that very few teams have done. Appreciate what was for what it was. Now back to normal.

That sounds nice, but very unrealistic when you're playing with 90% of the exact same team, which happens to be coached by the same guy.

 

[Bandit]

Maybe it's time to stop comparing anything the Kings will do to a historic playoff run where the Kings did things that no team has ever done, and a few other things that very few teams have done. Appreciate what was for what it was. Now back to normal.

Seriously. We *****slapped the hockey world last year. We're not likely to see something like that from a team again for a while, let alone the Kings...

 

[dogyekcoh*]

Someone else need to be at the point on PP and replacing Richards. I would put DD and Muzzin on the first unit then VV and Stoll on the 2nd.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Seriously. We *****slapped the hockey world last year. We're not likely to see something like that from a team again for a while, let alone the Kings...

Hey, I agree 100%....I certainly don't expect to see anything like that this year. BUT WHAT I DO EXPECT, is to NOT get outworked, out hustled and out muscled for 95% of ANY game.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The Kings are big, but played small. Reaves is the biggest and toughest player out there and he played like it. Nolan was invisible, Clifford thought he was a goal scorer and Fraser didn't even play.

Kings don't have Mitchell, Fraser, and Greene in the line-up. We were a loft softer. Westgarth is gone, Simmonds is gone.

The physical play is on Penner, Brown, King, Nolan, Regehr and Ellerby and only 1-2 of those guys played big. Pathetic.

 

[KingsFan7824]

That sounds nice, but very unrealistic when you're playing with 90% of the exact same team, which happens to be coached by the same guy.

Still a different year though. Half the defense is different. 90% sounds manageable. You look at who makes up the other 10%, it changes things.

Hey, I agree 100%....I certainly don't expect to see anything like that this year. BUT WHAT I DO EXPECT, is to NOT get outworked, out hustled and out muscled for 95% of ANY game.

It's 1 game so far. It's not acceptable, and I would think there isn't one player satisfied with anything that happened last night. If it happens again, then that's something to watch.

Right now, it's was a motivated team playing Game 1 at home with revenge on their mind. Now the Kings have to respond. We'll see what they've got.

 

[KINGS17]

The Kings are big, but played small. Reaves is the biggest and toughest player out there and he played like it. Nolan was invisible, Clifford thought he was a goal scorer and Fraser didn't even play.

Kings don't have Mitchell, Fraser, and Greene in the line-up. We were a loft softer. Westgarth is gone, Simmonds is gone.

The physical play is on Penner, Brown, King, Nolan, Regehr and Ellerby and only 1-2 of those guys played big. Pathetic.

I agree. The Kings are going to have to be more physical than the Blues in the next game and leave no doubt.

I don't think they got bodies on Petro and Bouwmeester nearly enough. That has to change.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The Kings are big, but played small. Reaves is the biggest and toughest player out there and he played like it. Nolan was invisible, Clifford thought he was a goal scorer and Fraser didn't even play.

Kings don't have Mitchell, Fraser, and Greene in the line-up. We were a loft softer. Westgarth is gone, Simmonds is gone.

The physical play is on Penner, Brown, King, Nolan, Regehr and Ellerby and only 1-2 of those guys played big. Pathetic.

Well, let's not forget that we have forwards in the top six who can handle the physical brand of hockey. Notice how Backes and Oshie, who are known to throw their weight around, didn't really establish a physical game against the Kings' top six? The third line handled things well, it was just a huge mismatch between the fourth lines. I think not having Fraser there and also having one banging winger as opposed to two exposed the Kings fourth line.

The defense also has to be smarter and stop toying around with the puck in their own end. They have to quickly get the puck up the ice, otherwise they're going to get stuck chasing the Blues around, which happened on numerous occasions.

 

[kingsfan28]

True, the Kings only won 36% of the faceoffs, which is just brutal. Just winning more faceoffs will flip the fortunes a bit

Getting thrown out of the dot more than 7 times won't help your pct. I think Stoll was tossed 4 times, mostly because the linesman didnt like him tapping his stick on the ice before he dropped the puck.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Getting thrown out of the dot more than 7 times won't help your pct. I think Stoll was tossed 4 times, mostly because the linesman didnt like him tapping his stick on the ice before he dropped the puck.

To quote Don Cherry:

"Me linesman, me important!"

 

[KingKopitar11*]

One thing about winning the cup and repeating is the fact that No one gives a **** after they win next year. especially next year. The thing we need to do this off-season is a lot of things. We need to get rid of many players in example, Penner, Fraser, King, Richardson. Our Bottom 6 players need to be gutted, we need hungry players. After you win the cup players dont play the same for a season or more.

Bring up some kids manchester or trade away those players in a package for some hungry bottom 6 players. Preferably some that can make big hits and skate. Make some signings or trades to get our defense better.

(Tonellisghost do you think Forbort MIGHT be ready soon? I know its very early. Just want to know if hes taking that step)

Its obvious though. Its not the 17 games in March that we are playing bad. It's that no one is giving a **** people. If we can get energy players that haven't had a cup would be great. We need a top 6 player for the second line, but other then that it stays the same. We just need that energy and momentum from our bottom 6 for our top 6 players. Maybe Andreoff or someone can also join next season. But overall, gut the bottom 6, get hungry hitting players that can skate and get rid of the dead weight we have.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

For the first time since he was hired, Sutter's lineup decisions are really worrying me. Why pair Ellerby and Muzzin? Why not dress Fraser for this series? Why play roulette with the top six? Why put Clifford in a scoring role? Why?

Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Penner-Richards-Carter
King-Stoll-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Richardson

Regehr-Doughty
Scuderi-Voynov
Muzzin-Greene/Ellerby

Don't really see the difficulty in that.

 

[kingsfan28]

For the first time since he was hired, Sutter's lineup decisions are really worrying me. Why pair Ellerby and Muzzin? Why not dress Fraser for this series? Why play roulette with the top six? Why put Clifford in a scoring role? Why?

Brown-Kopitar-Williams
Penner-Richards-Carter
King-Stoll-Lewis
Clifford-Fraser-Richardson

Regehr-Doughty
Scuderi-Voynov
Muzzin-Greene/Ellerby

Don't really see the difficulty in that.

Sutter has yet to get the memo that its the playoffs, and not the last two games of the season.

 

[Puck U]

A-Mart must be injured. There is no other reason to keep him out of the lineup.

Well if you go back (I think in the Willie Mitchell thread ?), Tonellisghost did mention Martinez might be going on the IR when Greene came back, but the option wasn't needed nor exercised because of the expanded roster limits after the Trade Deadline. No need to put him on IR when he could rehab while practicing with the team.

But you'd have to think IF 100% healthy and in Game Shape ... that GREENE and MARTINEZ would both be in the line-up, that they aren't is all the info you need to know that Sutter isn't comfortable putting them in right now, and like it or not ELLERBY and MUZZIN are the better options in his mind and HIS is the only one that matters or has some control over it, so people need to just stop and accept this fact.

 

[King'sPawn]

A-Mart must be injured. There is no other reason to keep him out of the lineup.

I don't think Martinez is that good. He played well last year in sheltered minutes with a veteran d-man, but he wouldn't have the same circumstances these playoffs.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I don't think Martinez is that good. He played well last year in sheltered minutes with a veteran d-man, but he wouldn't have the same circumstances these playoffs.

Can't be any worse than Ellerby though, right?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Martinez did just fine handling bigger and aggressive forwards. He never looked out of place on any shift. Ellerby on the other hand does not look like an NHL defenseman.

I'm a bit puzzled by how Lombardi mismanaged the defensive depth of the team by not trading Drewiske earlier. In deciding to keep Drewiske (and Muzzin) on the roster, the team was forced to waive Hickey. Then when the team got hit with the loss of Greene, they had to scramble to find a defenseman and added a terrible one who couldn't crack a very weak Florida blueline in Ellerby.

Up to this point in his career, Ellerby is looking like a big first round bust. I'd be amazed if he's still in the NHL in two years time. I said that about Randy Jones when the Kings acquired him, and I guarantee that it'll happen to Ellerby as well when team's catch on that this guy just does not have the hockey smarts to keep up with the play.

 

[Thrice]

I don't think Martinez is that good. He played well last year in sheltered minutes with a veteran d-man, but he wouldn't have the same circumstances these playoffs.

The "sheltered minutes" argument is pretty weak in this instance. By definition, a 3rd D-unit pairing is only going to be on the ice when the Top 4 defensemen aren't. So if Doughty was playing 30 min., Scuderi was playing 20+, Voynov was playing 20+, Mitchell was playing 20+, how many minutes are left for the other 2 dmen and who is left to play against?

 

[Scottkmlps]

I just realized that they had Steen, Schwartz and Cracknell as the 3 stars for the game. Really? Steen and Quick were by far the 2 best players on the ice. The OT gaff should not matter. Quick deserved, without a doubt, to be named at least the 2nd star.

 

[Thrice]

I just realized that they had Steen, Schwartz and Cracknell as the 3 stars for the game. Really? Steen and Quick were by far the 2 best players on the ice. The OT gaff should not matter. Quick deserved, without a doubt, to be named at least the 2nd star.

Schwartz was better than Steen and Quick's OT gaffe nullified his 40+ saves.