News Article: What Should We Expect From Kopitar This Year?

[deeshamrock]

You might want to read the story. It might not have been an injury. Besides, both Kopitar and Lombari denied that he was injured. As such, those sticking to "he was injured" are really just making an excuse for him.

If the player himself flatly denies that he was hurt, then there can be only one conclusion, in this case.

I agree. I admired Kopitar for being so honest in that admission, it's what a real leader does, he takes full accountability. If there were an injury, it would have affected him for 200 feet ,not 100. he was outstanding in his own end defensively, as he always is. The change occurred when he crossed the blue line. When you're in a slump, as he identified, it's mentally taxing to work your way free. That weight on your shoulders, being the top gun on your team, every eye on you when you have that puck, everybody with expectations on you scoring that big goal (esp in the SC playoffs) , is magnified 100x when you're in a slump. Years ago I heard an elite player say that when you're the best player on the team, the one guy being counted on to be the hero, and you're in a slump, it's like 'skating in quicksand' He said the harder you try to work free, the harder it becomes . He said it was a mental challenge that was very tough to overcome.

Kopitar's flesh and blood, he's human, not marble. Some fans have a tendency to put an elite player in a position where when they do fail, 'he's gotta be playing hurt'. Because they don't or can't accept the fact that he's human, he errs, and he can play poorly, without an injury. That's why it's possible to some fans he 'looked' different in the O zone, that mental weight can be harder to bear than a physical challenge.

Expectations? I won't do the 'specific points' thing, that is only one part of a players game, it takes a complete game to be a difference maker.
I do think given what he went thru, how he owned up to it, knowing it cost the team, I think he's more than motivated to have the best year of his career, in every area on both sides of the puck. I expect him and the other elite players on the top 6 to lead this team back to the SCF.

 

[KINGS17]

I want to see 30-50 out of him and another dominating playoff run.

He's capable. No excuses.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Don't care so much about points as I do timely production. He had it in spades the year before when they went all the way, this year not so much. He REALLY needs to start shooting more, Getzlaf outscored him last year for crying out loud.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Hmmm Kopi?

20 Goals 45 Assists 65 Points

He's just to streaky, I cant see him having a 90 point/35+ goal season.

Carter on the other hand I predict an all time high season.

45 Goals 30 Assists 75 Points

And yes I do realize in 08-09 he had a better season than my prediction.

 

[Winger23]

You might want to read the story. It might not have been an injury. Besides, both Kopitar and Lombardi denied that he was injured. As such, those sticking to "he was injured" are really just making an excuse for him.

If the player himself flatly denies that he was hurt, then there can be only one conclusion, in this case.

I did read the story a while ago. I'm not making excuses for him as he was terrible on the offensive side of the red line. No explosion, no puck possession he is known for. One of the reasons I'm so eager for the season to start, to see if he regains his form. Him being injured is the brighter side to saying he just isn't elite enough, which he was based on how he performed the previous year.

 

[sinister6000]

Great 2 way hockey, and 75 points.

 

[lumbergh]

Hmmm Kopi?

20 Goals 45 Assists 65 Points

He's just to streaky, I cant see him having a 90 point/35+ goal season.

I see this "streaky" tag applied to so many players. Really. Who's not streaky? Even Jeff Carter, who had a great year, had a nine game stretch where he went pointless in eight of them, preceded by a four game goal streak in which he scored six goals.

People need to understand that hockey players don't score regularly like clockwork.

You have to look at Kopitar's body of work. Steady as they come. Almost every regular season, he puts in 25-35 goals, 40-50 assists.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

You might want to read the story. It might not have been an injury. Besides, both Kopitar and Lombardi denied that he was injured. As such, those sticking to "he was injured" are really just making an excuse for him.

If the player himself flatly denies that he was hurt, then there can be only one conclusion, in this case.

No need to be condescending. I read this a long time ago and I still disagree. Teams and players are always forthcoming about injuries, right? I respect that he owns up to it, but no, it just doesn't pass the eye test, Kopi was not 100%. If he himself flatly denies that he was hurt, there is certainly more than one conclusion. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he was lying. Maybe he wasn't 'injured' but it was a lack of conditioning due to the earlier injury, I don't know. What I do know is that for a long time, he had a noticeable limp on the ice or was at least favoring one side more than the other, had no burst or breakaway speed (he's not a speedster and he looks lumbering, but Kopi is fast), and he got pinned along the boards by anyone and everyone where in the past his forte was board work and shaking off checkers.

I did read the story a while ago. I'm not making excuses for him as he was terrible on the offensive side of the red line. No explosion, no puck possession he is known for. One of the reasons I'm so eager for the season to start, to see if he regains his form. Him being injured is the brighter side to saying he just isn't elite enough, which he was based on how he performed the previous year.

Agreed.

Edit: I guess not that it matters. For whatever the reason, Kopi's production was way down and he wasn't even creating outside the points. I expect big things from him this year as a bounceback with a summer of rest. 90+ pts.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Some players experience dips and rises... Kopitar has valleys and mountains.

 

[likid]

What I found out especially in last two years, whatever will Kopitar do or achieve, some Kings fans will always look to downgrade his achievments... Like some of them right now trying to downgrade his last year play-off cup run in other board (trade board) and this is something I really don't understand...

 

[KingKopitar11*]

10g 20a.

I like to keep my expectations low.

That's an extra 10points too many. Damn optimists. Realistically 10/10

 

[KingKopitar11*]

You might want to read the story. It might not have been an injury. Besides, both Kopitar and Lombardi denied that he was injured. As such, those sticking to "he was injured" are really just making an excuse for him.

If the player himself flatly denies that he was hurt, then there can be only one conclusion, in this case.

Agreed, people homer too much and be in Denial. Kopitar sucked ass offensively and defensively he was pretty good enough even though his defense wasn't as good as other seasons. He made a good amount of turnovers in our blueliner.

He wasn't injured.

 

[Winger23]

Agreed, people homer too much and be in Denial. Kopitar sucked ass offensively and defensively he was pretty good enough even though his defense wasn't as good as other seasons. He made a good amount of turnovers in our blueliner.

He wasn't injured.

Homer and in denial because there are those of up who agreed he sucked but feel he was hurt? Come on. You can have your opinion as much as we can have ours.

 

[lumbergh]

Some players experience dips and rises... Kopitar has valleys and mountains.

What are these valleys and mountains you speak of? Outside of a 19 game goalless drought this season in which he still produced 13 points, I don't see any extended cold stretches in his game logs. Again, Kopitar is one of the most consistent players you will find. The one trend I can find is that his defensive game has improved over time.

By the way, ALL players experience dips and rises.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Pretty much the same Kopitar we've seen for years. Then if he gets hot in the playoffs, and Quick does his thing, watch out.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

He'll be demoted to the AHL then to the ECHL because he doesn't put up fantasy hockey points to appease all of the crybabies.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

Homer and in denial because there are those of up who agreed he sucked but feel he was hurt? Come on. You can have your opinion as much as we can have ours.

There's a difference, one is more realistic. He said it himself, you can have your opinion but really.

 

[Winger23]

There's a difference, one is more realistic. He said it himself, you can have your opinion but really.

Again that is of your opinion. Players have never lied about being hurt either right? Forcing your opinion does not make it more realistic.

 

[Winger23]

He'll be demoted to the AHL then to the ECHL because he doesn't put up fantasy hockey points to appease all of the crybabies.

Who is crying in this thread?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Who is crying in this thread?

Not in this thread, but you know the sentiment out there. Just look at the Kopitar thread on the trade board as a perfect example, and the countless other threads where upset Kings fans were saying Kopitar isn't even a top 10 center, and this is a year after he led the team in scoring en route to the Stanley Cup. My how quick fans are to judge players and throw them under the bus then question a players' loyalty to the team. It's funny if you ask me.

With that said, I expect more or less the same from Kopitar, leading forwards in ice time, among the top ice time earners from forwards in the league, 70+ points, and possibly helping the team clinch a division title. That's one step up I would like to see from the team as a whole (not just one player) in carrying regular season success over into the playoffs. Kind of like what we saw with Chicago, except I'm not expecting a Presidents' Trophy.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Again that is of your opinion. Players have never lied about being hurt either right? Forcing your opinion does not make it more realistic.

I think a better question is, do we really expect Kopitar, knowing what we know of him, to be like "yeah guys I was hurt, sorry?" It's really not that crazy to think otherwise.

And look, the thread is less about the injury and lack thereof and more about expectations, and I think last year's playoff Kopitar was not the 'real' Kopi. As Ziggy said, I'm a little shocked that folks would turn on him so quickly. He's had peaks and valleys in each season for sure, but the guy has been as solid as they come since he joined this team, you think he'd get a little bit of rope and not have to hang from it.

 

[takk]

Expect him getting dealt to Calgary for Monahan + Giordano + Glencross + 2014 and 2015 firsts. The deal will be canceled by Nhl at last minute after it is decided that Feaster isn't capable of functioning as a GM anymore. Lombardi files grievance.

 

[HolyShot*]

I see this "streaky" tag applied to so many players. Really. Who's not streaky? Even Jeff Carter, who had a great year, had a nine game stretch where he went pointless in eight of them, preceded by a four game goal streak in which he scored six goals.

People need to understand that hockey players don't score regularly like clockwork.

You have to look at Kopitar's body of work. Steady as they come. Almost every regular season, he puts in 25-35 goals, 40-50 assists.

There's no excuse for going 20+ games without a goal.

 

[King'sPawn]

There's no excuse for going 20+ games without a goal.

Zetterberg, Toews, and countless other top players have long goal scoring droughts.

 

[Winger23]

There's no excuse for going 20+ games without a goal.

This is....I don't even have the words.