GDT: Welcome to the Black Parade: WCQF game 3, (1)Vegas Golden Knights vs (WC1)LA Kings @7:30

[Buddy The Elf]

I'm officially a Vegas hater. Having guys like Perron and Neal make it easy to hate Vegas. I was really indifferent about the hype train but now I'm officially annoyed. Probably a little bitter. But good for them and hopefully the fan base sticks with them when they come back to earth.

I went to the game on Friday and was greeted by some meathead screaming in my face when I was walking through the row to my seats. Then we were being heckled by tourists from Canada and Chicago. It's a very strange scene there. The crowd is definitely into it and I have to imagine most of the people there are locals but I did run into a number of tourists at the game and some really aggressive "fans".

The Kings' play is embarrassing. I'm baffled how Kopitar, Brown and Doughty can all have such good years only to have the team limp into the playoffs and then get manhandled by the NHL's new darlings. If I were making predictions before the series I would've guessed the Kings would be getting shelled. I guess Quick is the reason they aren't but last night they played their best game of the series and let it slip away with 6 minutes left in the game.

The Kopitar thing is a joke. Did he sell it? It looks that way but we all know that isn't Kopitar's MO. Regardless, Haula did it on purpose and hit his face with the butt end. The rule book is pretty clear. I don't get how the NHL can just look past that. The reffing, while not the reason for the Kings losing, has been atrocious in this series for both teams. Just wildly inconsistent. Cross checks are being thrown with regularity by both teams and then some soft stick tap and they call a slash or hook.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

refs seemed to stop every potential fight last night, hell who was it? clifford and carrier? gloves off and ready to go and the linesmen decide not to let it happen? engelland never had to answer for his crosschecks into players backs, mcnabb never had to answer to his to doughty's ribs, karlsson never had to answer to his flop

there's an element of unwillingness to fight, but there's also an element to "why bother" when the officials are just gonna stop it. i forget who it was, probably RJ earlier in this thread talking about how the officials are enabling this kind of rat behavior and it's totally true. "playoff hockey" seems to be "allow the cheap shot then punish the retaliation" and that's horse****

Yep that was me.

Vegas doesn't have to answer for anything ever. Total chickenshit play and that's the way the league is going. Refs won't hold them accountable with clear shots to the face in front of them, Kings can't hold them accountable because their gloves are glued on until 4 refs are involved. Hell even their tough guys like Engelland don't do shit until someone turns their back and when someone turns around to go after them surprise! Refs are there.

It's utter horseshit. Honest hard play is mostly gone. You get rewarded for agitating and diving and you will never be held accountable for it. Maybe some of it is sour grapes over the Kings, but I've been singing this song about San Jose for years, Pittsburgh for at least a couple of years, Nashville since last year. But to SJ's credit at least they'll fight even if guys like Couture are magically light on their skates at times. Vegas is a fantastic, in-your-face team, but they've crossed the line a lot more than once, and have yet to get more than a minor for anything.

Can you imagine if Kopitar popped Haula in the face like that?

It's really turned me off to hockey. Not sure how much more I can watch this year.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[Kingspiracy]

Haula won't fight. Kings just need to win and since they can't score, giving Vegas a power play attempt isn't going to help. It's too late for a message. Vegas doesn't respect the Kings. They're laughing in our faces. Look at Colin Miller after every single play. He's laughing at someone.

BTW, apparently Lucic has been at all 3 Kings playoff games. Anyone else find that weird? I know he's really close with the guys on the team still and still has his house in LA but going to Vegas to watch them play seems odd.

Lucic back to LA e7

 

[tny760]

Cross checks are being thrown with regularity by both teams and then some soft stick tap and they call a slash or hook.

personally i was real big fan of brownie getting crosschecked to the ice then getting called for a trip for using his stick to stand up

seems like a totally logical situation where only 1 player gets penalized...

oh wait "game management"

 

[Maynard]

personally i was real big fan of brownie getting crosschecked to the ice then getting called for a trip for using his stick to stand up

You can argue the cross check, but Brown absolutely did trip the other player. He swung his stick at his skates. No question it was a deliberate trip, in the offensive zone during a power play. Idiotic play by Brown. I’m growing to dislike the Knights, but they absolutely deserve to be up 0-3. Anyone blaming the refs for the losses is a foolish over emotional baby.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

You normally aren't going to win games when you score 2 or less goals in a game, which is what the Kings have managed to accomplish in three games thus far in the opening round.

They're in the position they're in because of themselves. And it's the same old story with scoring and the powerplay failing to deliver when it counts. The abysmal performance by this team stretches through four seasons now. Something needs to be addressed internally within this organization. No more of this country club bullshit.

 

[Kingspiracy]

Its games like these where you need a guy like Mike Richards. Someone who is skilled enough that he's "allowed" to fight anyone and fearless. If he had been on the ice for that butt end on Kopitar, Haula would have been made to go.

I know Kopitar isn't that guy, but for a big man he is very passive, considering the guy that hit him is probably half his size. Would someone like Thornton wear that without a response? I know the thinking man will say that its a bad tradeoff etc, but sometimes you have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[Vinegar Strokes]

Don't worry guys, I'm sure we'll be joining you in the 0-3 hole after tonight.

From watching the Ducks series and your series, it appears the brand of hockey that has made both of our teams successful is all but dead.

Good luck in game 4. I'm still hoping for a miracle comeback from both teams and 2014 rematch.

 

[Reaper45]

Its games like these where you need a guy like Mike Richards. Someone who is skilled enough that he's "allowed" to fight anyone and fearless. If he had been on the ice for that butt end on Kopitar, Haula would have been made to go.

I know Kopitar isn't that guy, but for a big man he is very passive, considering the guy that hit him is probably half his size. Would someone like Thornton wear that without a response? I know the thinking man will say that its a bad tradeoff etc, but sometimes you have to draw the line somewhere.

Which is the same reasoning some of us have in regards to Doughty fighting. He needs to draw the line somewhere too.

 

[Kingspiracy]

Which is the same reasoning some of us have in regards to Doughty fighting. He needs to draw the line somewhere too.

True, but Haula is hardly a scrappy guy, Tkatchuk can throw, slightly different and also one is the captain. You have to pick your battles. Imagine the kings response if Kopi even just cuddles Haula to the ice, instead of giving the ref a doeful stare.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[KINGS17]

Don't worry guys, I'm sure we'll be joining you in the 0-3 hole after tonight.

From watching the Ducks series and your series, it appears the brand of hockey that has made both of our teams successful is all but dead.

Good luck in game 4. I'm still hoping for a miracle comeback from both teams and 2014 rematch.

I dunno if the style is dead or the players simply are too old and tired to execute it. I think the 2011-12 Kings team would have bludgeoned this Vegas team.

The Kings 1st round series in 2013 against the Blues was the hardest hitting six games I have ever seen. Nothing comparable going on in these playoffs, so maybe the style is going away for good.

 

[Herby]

The Lucic trade will go down as one of the worst in franchise history. Losing out on being able to draft Barzal, Connor or even DeBrusk after our disappointing 2015 season is going to end up hurting the team for probably a decade. And just to add salt to the wounds Jones and Miller are in the division and contributing to teams better than the Kings.

The Sekera trade was not good, but Dean did a good job protecting the pick for what was a good 2015 draft (then promptly made the awful Lucic trade involving said pick).

 

[Reaper45]

True, but Haula is hardly a scrappy guy, Tkatchuk can throw, slightly different and also one is the captain. You have to pick your battles. Imagine the kings response if Kopi even just cuddles Haula to the ice, instead of giving the ref a doeful stare.

It was less about him fighting Tkachuk and more about fighting Perron.

 

[Vinegar Strokes]

I dunno if the style is dead or the players simply are too old and tired to execute it. I think the 2011-12 Kings team would have bludgeoned this Vegas team.

The Kings 1st round series in 2013 against the Blues was the hardest hitting six games I have ever seen. Nothing comparable going on in these playoffs, so maybe the style is going away for good.

I suppose I was more referring to the how the officials are calling the games. In the past, I felt like both teams benefitted from the officials swallowing their whistles in the playoffs.

Now, it seems like players are incentivized to fall and small players being knocked over is almost an automatic penalty.

That's not to say officiating has been the reason for our downfall, because it definitely isn't, but that appears to be the direction the game is going.

 

[KINGS17]

I suppose I was more referring to the how the officials are calling the games. In the past, I felt like both teams benefitted from the officials swallowing their whistles in the playoffs.

Now, it seems like players are incentivized to fall and small players being knocked over is almost an automatic penalty.

That's not to say officiating has been the reason for our downfall, because it definitely isn't, but that appears to be the direction the game is going.

I think the Kings were one of the most penalized teams in the playoffs in 2011-12 through 2013-14. Their attitude was we'll just kill the penalty and keep on hitting the other team, because the NHL can't penalize every hit. Soon enough it wore the opposition down.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Prepare to lose some brain cells as you read the latest drivel from The Hockey News' resident idiot, Ken Campbell.

Hey, Drew Doughty, stop treating the Stanley Cup playoffs like they're the Federal League | The Hockey News

 

[KINGS17]

Prepare to lose some brain cells as you read the latest drivel from The Hockey News' resident idiot, Ken Campbell.

Hey, Drew Doughty, stop treating the Stanley Cup playoffs like they're the Federal League | The Hockey News

Old time hockey? Eddie Shore???

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I dunno if the style is dead or the players simply are too old and tired to execute it. I think the 2011-12 Kings team would have bludgeoned this Vegas team.

The Kings 1st round series in 2013 against the Blues was the hardest hitting six games I have ever seen. Nothing comparable going on in these playoffs, so maybe the style is going away for good.

Vegas would be on their last breath by this point after three games of being hit and leaned on by the 2012 Kings. Bludgeoned is definitely a good word.

I don't think the style is dead at all. You hit it on the head: the players are too old and tired to execute. Stevens has also fumbled this series big time. The Kings were flying in the first period and hitting everything when they had the energy. By the third period, all the top guys were dead on their feet.

Combination of old age, and not rolling four lines to save the top guys' energy. The key to Sutter's system was that he could consistently roll four lines, and Kopitar, etc. weren't gassed by the third.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Not only their players, their fans also.
I was there last night, and their fans were so intimidating...

Bandwagon fans are fierce.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Prepare to lose some brain cells as you read the latest drivel from The Hockey News' resident idiot, Ken Campbell.

Hey, Drew Doughty, stop treating the Stanley Cup playoffs like they're the Federal League | The Hockey News

I mean, he's not completely wrong. Without the Mitchell and co. to put him in timeout, Doughty has had a lot of insufferable moments post-2014.

But Campbell acts like everyone on the Kings is following suit. That's simply not true. In fact, if Kopitar played with as much emotion and drive as Doughty, even irresponsibly so, the series is likely closer.

The problem with the Kings this series has been a LACK of emotion and killer instinct, not too much of it.

Campbell is a dumbf***.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Vegas would be on their last breath by this point after three games of being hit and leaned on by the 2012 Kings. Bludgeoned is definitely a good word.

I don't think the style is dead at all. You hit it on the head: the players are too old and tired to execute. Stevens has also fumbled this series big time. The Kings were flying in the first period and hitting everything when they had the energy. By the third period, all the top guys were dead on their feet.

Combination of old age, and not rolling four lines to save the top guys' energy. The key to Sutter's system was that he could consistently roll four lines, and Kopitar, etc. weren't gassed by the third.

Karlsson admitted, and it was obviously evident, that Vegas was struggling a lot with the Kings hitting in the first period. Then it stopped and Vegas got more space and their speed and skill took over.

Clifford played 4:55 and Mitchell played 6:49. And then Kopitar played 23 minutes less than 48 hours after having to play nearly 40. Vegas called it after their game 2 win. The Kings are tired while they're still fresh. Doesn't have anything to do with conditioning as Tuch said. Just has to do with the way the minutes are handed out.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Let's remember Ken Campbell for picking the Devils in 6 in 2012.

2012 NHL Stanley Cup final preview | The Hockey News

 

[fivehole32]

Vegas would be on their last breath by this point after three games of being hit and leaned on by the 2012 Kings. Bludgeoned is definitely a good word.

I don't think the style is dead at all. You hit it on the head: the players are too old and tired to execute. Stevens has also fumbled this series big time. The Kings were flying in the first period and hitting everything when they had the energy. By the third period, all the top guys were dead on their feet.

Combination of old age, and not rolling four lines to save the top guys' energy. The key to Sutter's system was that he could consistently roll four lines, and Kopitar, etc. weren't gassed by the third.

Exactly, hence Sutter laughing when the press asked about first line second line, etc. I remember him saying something to the point that if "insert name" (Fraser, Stoll, etc) cant match up against whoever they were playing in that series they probably didn't belong in the league.