The Kings’ offensive struggles have been well-documented. Not only are they averaging the fewest number of goals per game in the NHL this season (2.14) but they’re on pace to finish this season with 182 goals, down from last season’s total of 219. The startling thing is that the offensive drop, almost entirely, has been across the board. The numbers indicate that almost every Kings player will be down in scoring from last season. The player-by-player numbers are below. To be perfectly clear, this isn’t intended as science. There are numerous factors that can influence/skew these numbers, and of course they don’t take into account any defense play. But, if you’re curious, here they are. The full-season projections assume that every player will play in the remaining 32 games (which isn’t possible, numbers-wise), but that’s probably the fairest way to do it. I also eliminated the injured players and Davis Drewiske, whose sample size (seven games) is just too small. So, here you go. The 2011-12 full-season projections are followed by last season’s totals…
NAME — THIS SEASON’S PROJECTIONS — LAST SEASON’S TOTALS
Brown — 21 goals, 22 assists in 82 games — 28 goals, 29 assists in 82 games
Clifford — 5 goals, 10 assists in 82 games — 7 goals, 7 assists in 76 games
Doughty — 5 goals, 31 assists in 77 games — 11 goals, 29 assists in 76 games
Fraser — 2 goals, 6 assists in 67 games — 3 goals, 2 assists in 67 games (with EDM)
Greene — 5 goals, 7 assists in 82 games — 2 goals, 9 assists in 71 games
Hunter — 4 goals, 10 assists in 55 games — 1 goals, 3 assists in 17 games (with NYI)
Johnson — 13 goals, 21 assists in 82 games — 5 goals, 37 assists in 82 games
Kopitar — 25 goals, 48 assists in 82 games — 25 goals, 48 assists in 75 games
Lewis — 4 goals, 2 assists in 72 games — 3 goals, 10 assists in 72 games
Loktionov — 0 goals, 8 assists in 61 games — 4 goals, 3 assists in 19 games
Martinez — 5 goals, 0 assists in 55 games — 5 goals, 11 assists in 60 games
Mitchell — 5 goals, 14 assists in 76 games — 5 goals, 5 assists in 57 games
Penner — 5 goals, 15 assists in 70 games — 23 goals, 24 assists in 81 games (with EDM and LA)
Richards — 25 goals, 21 assists in 74 games — 23 goals, 43 assists in 81 games (with PHI)
Richardson — 5 goals, 4 assists in 73 games — 7 goals, 12 assists in 68 games
Scuderi — 2 goals, 8 assists in 82 games — 2 goals, 13 assists in 82 games
Stoll — 8 goals, 15 assists in 82 games — 20 goals, 23 assists in 82 games
Voynov — 8 goals, 14 assists in 63 games — (did not play in NHL last season)
Westgarth — 3 goals, 3 assists in 53 games — 0 goals, 3 assists in 56 games
Williams — 15 goals, 41 assists in 82 games — 22 goals, 35 assists in 73 games.
Hey Hammer,
Did you purposely close the comments for the previous thread?
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LA_1968 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
@jess, I thought maybe there was some breaking news causing him to crop the last sentence off.
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neil Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
@jess, EVERYONE was put on moderation!!!!!!
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CB14 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
@neil, That cornfield must have been pretty full then.
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yetiman_oc Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
@jess, Do you have this information in Excel format so it is easier to read?
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Eldoret Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
@yetiman_oc, Pretty much everyone is doing worse than last year. Hope that helps
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jess Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:40 am
@yetiman_oc,
No but Murray had his “system” in Excel format in tidy little boxes, all the guys on the team needed to do was execute the system properly –it was all right there on paper, the perfect system. Shame on DS for working with all of the guys one on one and getting involved behind the bench! And shame on him for bringing in Nicholls for a second opinion.
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So JJ is the most improved player for goal scoring. Who said we should trade him?
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 10:10 pm
@goldielocks, not me;)
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Mik3ysfv Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:53 am
@TeamJMFJ, meither!
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KC23 Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
@goldielocks, Despite being highly critical of JJ last year, I certainly never promoted the idea of trading him. Yeah, his plus/minus still is a problem, but this year his physical presence has made him much more valuable imho.
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From the looks of this, most guys seem to be on pace to have better seasons this year than last year. Only notable exception is Richards, but because of the possibility of PCS, I’m not too concerned with that. As long as he stays healthy the rest of the season, I’ll be fine.
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Jeff Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:04 pm
@Kevin,
You reading that right? Just about every person is lower.
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
@Kevin, The only 2 who are on pace to improve offensively are Clifford, and Greene (by 1 point each).
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prosmar Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 6:04 am
@Dominick, Mitchell is also on pace for 9 more points.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
@Kevin, Kevin, you are more cross-eyed than some of our men in stripes lately (allegedly)! X )
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wes Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
@Kevin, as has been noted, you’ve read those numbers wrong. Kopitar and Williams are approximately on track to post something roughly similar to last season, assuming they stay healthy, but notable others (Richards, Brown, Doughty) are so far producing a bit below what might have been expected. Although it could end up being Brown’s lowest point production season in several years, i don’t think he’s having a bad year (2 goals wrongly axed by the ‘situation’ room would have his numbers looking slightly better), he’s figured in a large number of goals without getting points, due to his screening and net presence. He’s had more of an offensive impact than his numbers reflect.
Regardless of the constant pro-Doughnuts diatribes, Doughty’s not having a good year.
JJ had a crazy number of assists on the PP in the first half a year ago, he certainly won’t match that this year, but he’s finding the net these days. Compared to the 2nd half last season, his production is up rather nicely.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:24 am
I wouldn’t read too much into this. The B’s I don’t believe had a guy who scored close to thirty last season, but they won the cup. Not saying Kings will win it, but B’s are a great example of “team effort.”
I think a VERY spread out scoring stats gives other team fits, I mean, who can they FOCUS on- NOBODY!!!
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Gary Livingston Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:38 am
@rogiesbackup,
Keep in mind the other stat shared in regards to how strong a team is: goal differential.
That Bs team was something like +50 last season. This season they are about +70 at this point. The teams making it to the Finals the last few seasons were over +30 in that stat.
The Kings are currently +2 I think. (I’m too lazy to look up the numbers. Just point out the concept.)
I would agree with you that very spread out scoring stats can give other team fits…IF THE TEAM CAN SCORE AT ALL!
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Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:41 am
@Gary Livingston, Kings are 111/111 for and against.
KingsGuy Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:12 am
@Gary Livingston, We’re even
Roger Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 11:26 am
@rogiesbackup,Your right NOBODY is scoring so there is NOONE to focus on
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wow…
well, on the bright side, there’s only one way to go offensively…
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:13 pm
@variable, Hope it’s not sideways.
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
@Dominick,
yeah…that would be painful…
plus, they’re hockey players…not wine aficionados…(paul giamatti)
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LA_1968 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
@variable, It’s got to to up. The only thing I wonder about is that it’s more than just beating goalies with their stick. It seems to me, comparing the Kings to other teams, is that you see more fast puck movement 5 on 5 around the league.
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number 6 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:38 pm
@variable,
Sometimes you’re a riot – and you don’t even know it.
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:33 pm
@number 6,
really…?
you found that funny…?
yr too kind…(!)
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Unacceptable. I can’t believe some of the late 90′s early 2000′s teams put up better offensive numbers than this squad lol.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
@Puckn-A, I’d take our Points total (and potential to get somewhere) now over the good ol’ days – and goals and assists no.s be damned!
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jonsey Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
@Duncanz, I resent the we were nowhere ever mentality. Taylor’s Kings, both as GM and player, were pretty fun to watch. And really, his drafting was just as good as Dean’s.That said, this team has a lot of “upside” but still struggles with maturity which is something SJ never seems to struggle with.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:05 am
@jonsey, Oh no, no. You’re right! I used to enjoy the games back then very much, don’t get me wrong.
What I was establishing was that I will always prefer standings points and reaching the post-season to any other supposed measures of success. It was frustrating dealing with like an 8 Year hangover after 1993.
It certainly wasn’t a knock on the entertainment value or the job that DT did per se.
Btw, I don’t see any reason we can’t supercede The Sharks at all. I would love another crack at them in play-offs this year!!
King John Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:02 am
@jonsey, I agree; I liked watching Dave Taylor’s Kings. We had some exciting teams because of the skill players, even if we didn’t go all the way. Part of that at times was a lack of goaltending. Now we have goaltending, but we either don’t have the same skill or else it is stifled.
off topic: Is anyone going to either of the florida games? im going to both and was wanted to see some fellow insiders!! let me know
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5buckcolonnadeticket Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:13 pm
@flakingsfan,
I’ll be at both.
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flakingsfan Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:30 pm
@5buckcolonnadeticket, Awesome! where abouts are you from? where are you sitting?
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Tough read – only two are projected to have 20 goals this season.
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:21 pm
@JGSmall, 3
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JGSmall Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:12 am
@Dominick, Doh!
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Mike Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:30 am
@JGSmall, that ‘s a joke isn’t it?? Kopi getting 25 goals per for 6+ million is a unacceptable.. Brown getting 43 points as a #1 line winger another joke… First line players should ALL be over 60-65 pts min…
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puddle Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
@Mike, This is so ignorant. Point totals are unbelievably misleading.
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Good news is……We have a coach who is trying to do something about that, versus a coach who refused too.
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jess Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
@Dominick,
Sure appears that way. It’s only been 17 games for DS to work on breaking this team of bad habits and to reach 58 points is pretty huge from where we were heading with TM: Mr. Perplexed, bewildered, stupified, dumbfounded. Oh, and one more thing, TM, BOOOOOO!!
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
@jess, Well, I’m not going to boo him, but you and I (among many others) were championing a new offensive system vs better offensive players last season. During the summer we got better offensive players, and the offense got worse.
The change midseason might not work, but it is a change. I’m satisfied that at least it’s beinng addressed now. Hopefully those numbers improve over their projections from here on out.
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:40 pm
@Dominick,
the only way we get a new offensive system is by getting a new gm at year’s end…and, at this point, i’m 75/25 dl finishes his contract…
now, if the kings fail to get out of the first round again, i decrease the odds to 60/40 in favor of him staying still…
Wow… what can be said about Penner? Sad. Very sad…
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:22 pm
@pnm, Everybody is down, and you only pick 1 guy?
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:48 pm
@Dominick,
But honestly, look at that unmatched drop off.
He’ll be getting ‘panned’ by more ppl than just pnm for that.
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
@Duncanz, Just sayin. Penners problem isn’t he’s not trying, or not talented. His problem is the same as everybody elses.
jess Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
@Duncanz, ‘panned’ LOL
wavesinair Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
@Dominick,
Penney and Stolly fell off a cliff. Everyone else tumbled down a hill.
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LVKINGS88 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
@wavesinair, Nice!
Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:27 pm
@wavesinair, So it doesn’t matter that the whole team slipped on doggy doo doo, if they actually fell on the pile?
Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:41 pm
@dominick, one or two guys on a trajectory to miss the dogpile completely and be ‘dog-gone’ if they don’t get their tails wagging, I reckon.
variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
@wavesinair,
you can even say penner and stoll fell off the earth…
jason Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
@wavesinair, exactly! Think how many games we could have one if penner and stoll were at least somewhat close to what they are supposed to be.
Everyone else is generally close. Richards is way low on assists.. hence penner and stoll being on his line.
Who knows, if penner or stoll gets hot after the break, it could have a huge impact.. And with richards the chemistry will come. Its just bound to happen so hopefully it happens soon
Marty's Fists Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
@wavesinair, Let’s be honest Stoll has done nothing for this team this year. He is worst on the team this year. This is indisputable when all factors are waged.
pnm Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 3:19 pm
@Dominick, Yeah, the one guy who’s glaring differential caught my eye. Next would be Stoll. Everyone else has some lower numbers, but nothing like Pancake, which is why I used the term “sad”… as in… I feel really bad for the guy. It’s not like he’s not trying on more nights than others. Just a sad situation, not sure what it’s going to take, but I sure hope he picks it up better than he did his breakfast. *rimshot*
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Roger Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@pnm, What about STOLL
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And this is with an increased number of shots on goal. It’s really ugly.
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paige Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
@Donald_S, and an increased cap hit. Am I way oversimplifying it to say that we lost Smyth and Zues – two net presence guys, and suddenly everyone else had trouble finding the back of the net. You can already see some improvement with Sutter’s emphasis on screening shots. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were that simple?
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
@paige, No, I think you’re thoroughly correct in your observation.
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Mike Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:31 am
@Donald_S, yeah, but that increase in shots are largely from the perimeter… quality shots have dipped I assure you..
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I find those totals A) not surprising given the firsts 50 games, but B) to find the appropriate word…’a bummer’.
I do often tend to repeat myself on this site, but I hopefully do it in a respectful way so Rich allows me the space to voice that opinion so long as it’s done in that way. Trying to maintain that measured approach, I have to call out Dean Lombardi.
He has known for three full years now that this team has had issues scoring goals. Sometimes 5-on-5, sometimes on the PP. What I see in the pipeline is a lot of defensemen, some may be very good, others… who knows. Deslauriers, Muzzin, Hickey, Forbert, who else? Andrew Campbell? Isn’t he a defenseman? And at the moment you have AM and VV essentially having to fight for a spot unless as was alluded to earlier by Sutter, one of the dmen is so badly injured that he needs to sit out.
Then of course we have about four (?) goalies in various stages of development.
OTHER than juniors, as far as forwards go we have Harry Smith (just made that up). I mean, might as well make up names cause there is no one. I mean, you want to become an elite team and you’re talking about Clune and Kozun being in the ranks? I’m sure they are very nice players….. but really. Um, Dean, the problem is that the Kings aren’t scoring enough goals.
So he put the blueprint in place, and that is how it reads. To me it doesn’t read well enough to be a serious SC contender this year. And for me, that’s absolutely fine. No problem. But the problem is, just as I felt two years ago, and again last year… I asked myself, what is gonna change next year that will bring about change. I couldn’t honestly come up with an answer. And evidently neither could DL.
That’s too bad because it is a team that does have some really good things going for it.
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408kingsfan Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
@number 6,
You would think our top six would be stacked with firepower. On paper we are an offensive machine. We could develop,rent,sign big name forwards but they always seem to crap out in the end.
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jess Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
@number 6, Well remember where we were for the first 29 of those games, dead zone.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
@number 6, Riposte below at 7:21 was meant to appear here,
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number 6 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
@Duncanz,
I responded to it below – if you wanna check it out.
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:46 pm
@number 6,
his free agent signings just didn’t pan out very well this season…and i guess you have to go back to last year and include penner on that list…
maybe that’s enough reason for him to try and pull off a deal that nobody thought he could before the deadline comes this year…but i imagine that it will cost us a fortune if he does decide to make something happen…you always need a trading partner, though, to make a blockbuster happen…i just don’t see that happening…
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:57 pm
@variable, Do we really need a blockbuster though?
Wouldn’t a couple of careful personnel adjustments be just what we need?
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
@Duncanz,
i don’t know…everything seems sort of a risk to me…
paige Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
@Duncanz, I totally agree with you. Someone willing to get in there and screen would go a long way in helping to increase scoring. you don’t have to be crosby to screen.
number 6 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
@Duncanz,
I agree with variable. Everything Absolutely seems like a risk to me. And I was feeling that way last year as well…. I’m not just making that up as I go along. I really felt that. And turns out I was right (not that I always am by any stretch of the imagination, but I was then).
Thank god for Johnny Q……
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I hope that we turn it on and do a lot better then that.
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I’m glad all the numbers are there for comparison. It gets frustrating repeating that it is a team problem when everybody tries to pick on any single player as if that 1 player is the reason the Kings can’t score. Even more frustrating is seeing everybody pick on our best players as if it’s a problem that’s only specific to that player.
You can measure the character of a team by how they handle adversity, and I think that applies to fans. As soon as things get tough, it’s like watching Piranha feeding.
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Deadendcruiser Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
@Dominick, Well said…..it is a TEAM sport not an individual one. We all had great expectations on this season and even though they are having a hard time finding the back of the net they have 3 more points (if I’m not mistaken) than last year at this time. So doesn’t that mean the team is making progress?
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wavesinair Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
@Dominick,
re: tough – A feeding that’s lasted over 40 years…
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
@wavesinair,
Kings have never had a coach (ever) that could ever find balance between offense, and defense. In fact, the Kings have never had a Possession style coach in all their years as a franchise. The coaches that have tried to give the Kings offense, have sacrificed defense to get it, and then later were fired when they tried to convert the team to play more defense.
Searching through the Kings history is just as sad offensively, and the Kings have had some great offensive players.
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
@Dominick,
definitely a team-wide issue…and i think there have been many voices on here this season who have pointed across the roster to cast blame – plenty to go around, fo’ sure…
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CB14 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:12 pm
@Dominick, While I agree with you about this being a team problem, it’s tough to explain Stoll and Penner’s huge drop in goal production compared to Brown and Williams moderate drop.
Brown is down approx 25%.
Williams is down about 33%.
Penner is down about 80%.
Stoll is down about 60%.
Not just those two players fault, but hard to understand why their drop has been much more than anyone else’s.
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
@CB14, Look at their reg/rel,qual/comp against off/def players per/60. Huge difference there too. I’m not saying scorings not important, just sayin there’s a reason for it.
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CB14 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
@Dominick, How do you explain Mike Richards not having a problem scoring goals? Not disagreeing with you, just wondering your opinion on him.
Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
@CB14,
Offensive system isn’t as well established as it was in Philly. They have been a solid team for years, playing the same system as the previous year. Richards was comfortable in that system, and even playing a defensive roll, could score in that system.
He doesn’t have that here, and now plays a system where defense is the only thing that system produces. He plays a shut down roll, on a team that is 30th in offense. It’s not hard to see why his scorings down.
Defensively, he’s even better than he was in Philly. Offensively……….Well you know.
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:14 pm
@CB14, Sorry, misread your question. He should be scoring more than he is now in my opinion.
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For fun(NOT) lets look at stats at Kings players after they left us….That wouild tell the story…..
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Belexes Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:35 pm
@neil,
POS, Sturm, and Brandon Segal are all having super years, am I right?
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Sebastian Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 8:13 am
@neil, Poni was doing so great that Carolina traded him.
Handzus is on pace for the lowest goal total of his career
SImmonds is on pace to beat his career totals, playing a bigger role with great players around him.
i you want to go as far back as 08-09 with Moulson and 09-10 with Pucell…well Moulson was the only one of the 2 not really given a fair chance to stick with the team. Purcell played on every line his last season with the Kings and sucked terribly…he needed a change of scene.
The other guy not given a fair chance to make the team was Brian Boyle. Sometimes its hard for management to predict how a player will pan out, specially if coaching does not use the player properly of get the most out of them. So in hindsight, some of these look like bad management decisions, specially if you get nothing for them (late picks) but its easy to say this after we know how they have performed. I remember everyone asking for Purcell to drop off the face of the earth on his last season with the Kings, me being one of them.
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@number 6, Always good to see fans on here are as pasilnate as you are 6, but as far as I’m concerned DL is way too easy a mark to concentrate criticism on in this club.
We asked for a big (strong?) scoring forward to take us into the play-offs last season with a keen eye on DP and he delivered.
We asked for a center with a proven record and a great future and he was able to land MR.
We asked for a solid 1st/2nd Line NHL winger to boost the scoring even more and het nabbed SG.
CF has exceded my expectations this year and I’m glad we have him.
Offensive defense has not been tallying like we hoped, save for JMFJ, who had a down year in ’10/11.
As far as being bottom-heavy prospect-wise that’s fine. We’ll soon have Dmen retiring and moving on so I’d want to have plenty of depth on that chart. You can trade good prospects later on too, remember.
There is no doubt trades will come before the deadline and I expect our roster to further improve then.
Finally, the change behind the bench has been far more promising than a lot of folks on here anticipated. That’s a DL decision after all.
Therefore, I do not think DL is appreciated enough and I have a lot of confidence going forward.
For now, it’s up to the guys on the ice and behind the bench to pull finger and keep this thing going!
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
@Duncanz, 1st sentence should read “passionate”.
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number 6 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
@Duncanz,
Hey man, I hear ya. Listen, I want to be clear. DL has done some Very Very Good things for this franchise. No question at all. To be clear, what it is that bothers me is that when you look at the real key players on this team, they are clearly Kopi, Quick, and Doughty. He is only responsible for Doughty who most of us could have picked w the No. 2 pick.
My issue is not that he’s gone out and gotten this or that. My issue is that he’s tilted things So heavily towards D a and goal in drafting that he’s passed up, not just one or two players but quite a number of really seriously talented forwards who would be making an impact on this team right now. Thomas Hickey, Teubert, Trevor Lewis. That’s three number one picks that have not given a huge amount to the team, except the possibility to get DP.
Finally to be clear, I never asked for Gagne (who had a nasty injury history behind him which is why Yzerman only offered him a one year contract). If you want to be a competitive club that is not a problem. if you want to win the Stanley Cup, it’s a problem.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:07 pm
@number 6, Hey, you didn’t hear me after all! Lol
Well, I WAS excited about SG and I’m still hoping (against hope … ?) that he comes back to a team that will be playing much better and hopefully (that root word again!) able to carry him along to a more impressive finish than his start.
And you didn’t mention MR: Outstanding signing at the time. I am really confident that he can be a great, great DL acquisition for this hockey club – although it may take until next season before he settles and finally comes into his own.
* My only concern with him is he’s giving off really depressive vibes at the moment and I’m ‘hoping’ that it’s the pressure of the team’s scoring slump that’s causing that and not lingering injury or any emerging reluctance at having moved to L.A.(K.).
I feel bad for MR if he is stuck with penner/stoll for the rest of the season. (pours a little beer on the ground)
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
@Lake Forest, (that beer looks the same color as syrup)
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Lake Forest Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
@Duncanz, Its where he gets his speed, his argument “far faster than molassas”
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
@Lake Forest, arguably, lol.
KingsGRT Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
@Lake Forest, seriously. when talking about numbers and looking at the large drop in assists being his biggest projected hit currently, I feel more than a little blame need be pointed at his linemate’s failings.
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I know when it comes to trade the sexy names are Zach Parise or Rick Nash, but I don’t think either franchise will move trade one of them. It may happen is someone grossly overpays in prospects/players. I think realistic targets are Jeff Carter C/LW or A. Vermette C of Columbus, Frans Nielsen C of Edm, or Jussi Jokinen LW Carolina. I have been hoping we aquire Jokinen for a long time, he is under the radar(3mil/yr for 3yrs) and is good for about 20 goals and 25+ assists a year while being 40+% in shootouts and 52+% in faceoffs and plays LW. Lets face it with the team we have we are going to be in a ton of shootouts even if we aquire another scorer or two. Nielsen is like Jokinen, but has only played C in my memory, which is not are needed position.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:08 pm
@luc20rules, Jussi’s brother would tell him not to come.
As for JC, I had been pretty fanatical about getting him back with MR … until I saw his ‘Yashin-like’ contract. Check it out! It’s horrendous and you would be absolutely mortgaging the farm to bring him here (not a phrase DS would want to hear)!!
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a short list of some players who come to mind when we start talking trades…
first off, let me just say that i don’t think bernier gets traded this season, unless it’s for a bonafide elite scorer that we didn’t know was on the market and/or for rick nash…and as much as i like jarome, even at age 34, i think it would cost us a fortune both in salary and in helping calgary rebuild…
it would be foolish and risky to move bernier for the following reasons…:
- quick needs to be re-signed…
- if we are a playoff team, you need a nhl-caliber backup…neither zatkoff or jones are ready for prime-time just yet…
- you would have to be certain in a parallel move to trading bernier that you would be able to get a stop gap veteran to take his place…
so here are some players that i think might be moved and that we could be interested in acquiring…:
jeff skinner, carolina – signed through 2012-13 at a cap hit between $900k – 1.4mil…
thought:
if jj is in the offing, maybe the hurricanes want to go peaches and herb with the mf’er…plus, he’s a prototypical dl player since skinner has already had a concussion early in his career…
jason pominville, buffalo – signed through 2013-14 at a cap hit of $5.3mil per…
thought:
405 points in 508 games isn’t too shabby and he would fit in nicely on the right side with either kopi or the ricker…he’s also a less expensive option than vanek, who will demand more in any trade…
p.a. parenteau and matt moulson, new york wangers – parenteau is an ufa at season’s end and currently makes a slim $1.25mil per…and our former friend moulson is signed through 2013-14 at a reasonable $3.133mil per…
thought:
ever since the islanders signed the great ir experiment in rick dipietro, they’ve been in search of a goalie…and the wangers are capable of doing the unexplainable, like possibly trading away offense for stability in goal…any two of penner, stoll and williams and either zatkoff or jones for both these guys sounds crazy in theory, but, hey, we are talking about the wangers, right…?!…maybe some variation of what i suggested for one of these guys…and maybe even michael grabner…is more realistic and isn’t out of the question by any means…
blake wheeler, winnipeg -signed through 2012-13 at a very affordable $2.55mil cap hit…
thought:
okay…i know this is somewhat of a reach since the jets would be a lil’ babatz to want to sell this guy…but if the kings could give up two offensive players for him…let’s say jw and/or penner and cliche and/or a dp, that wouldn’t be bad for both teams…maybe i’m dreaming on this one…but it’s good to dream, no…?…btw…i was oh-so close to putting evander kane on this list…but balked because i don’t think the jets would give up on him so early…do you…?
ray whitney, phoenix – ufa at year’s end, currently making a cool $3mil…
thought:
deano tried to go after him before the season started, so i wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in play come the deadline…the only questions would be whether or not the ’yotes would sell early since they are still in the hunt and would they make a deal with a division rival…?
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
@variable, Like your Islanders deals the best, personally.
Skinner? Gotta be pretty a bit ginger on trading in more PCSs at this stage, eh? Great hockey player, albeit.
Wheeler is a potential journeyman imo.
Whitney, incidentally, falls under your Iginla reservations umbrella – except he’s FIVE years older! … might actually be in better physical condition though …
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
@Duncanz, …. just afraid of damaged goods these days a little.
Remembering the likes of Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, etc
…. additions to the list anyone?
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:39 pm
@Duncanz,
re: skinner – he would be no different than acquiring other previously injured players in the past, like cloutier, nagy. gagne, etc. etc. etc…plus, skinner is really young…
re: wheeler – journeyman…?…nah, disagree…still young and has tons ‘o’ potential…
re: whitney – i put him on there as someone dl had prior interest in before the season started…and i don’t think it would be a big risk…the “old man” can still play…
re: iginla – i have no reservations regarding his age…he’s still a great, well-rounded player…i just think he will be too expensive in terms of his salary and giving up a ton to get him…
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luc20rules Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
@variable, Your right Skinner is very young and Carolina will ask way too much for him.
What would be the plus for Carolina? Whitney will only become available if Phx gets crushed by d-men injuries as they are still in playoff contention. Wheeler is playing too good to be moved right now, and again the Jets are still in the playoff race. The Islanders would be willing to trade, but it would be for prospects, not for guys that would cost them money this year. I would think for NYI to take Penner & Stoll they would ask for a #1 draft pick to allow the salary dump or we take the Titanic contract of Dipietro. Stoll & Penner I am sad to say would probably cost us assets to move, not counted as assets by the other team.
g smith86 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
@variable, Whitney is a pass first kind of guy…not that he can’t shoot, but the Kings need a shooter…I doubt Carolina parts with Skinner…too much upside and at a bargain cap price…I really like all of these guys you mentioned in a Kings uniform, but although the KIngs have some chips to bet with, they do not have a good hand to play…Other teams know exactly what they lack and will make a deal that much harder to do…IMO
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
@variable, Like some of your prospects. Admittingly, I haven’t been shopping as hard as I normally do every season to see possibilities (I think the fact that everyone has been talking trade since the season started has made me disinterested in the whole shopping part), but find a few I’d be interested in.
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
@Dominick,
yeah…i agree about the ongoing trade discussion…
but QUISP posted a thread on JFTC today about it…and we are at the all-star break, so it does make sense to talk about some of the possibilities…
all speculation, of course…
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Ashykon Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
@variable, Ryder from the stars! Solid goal scorer. Also Winnipeg fans really love jack Johnson
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nykingfan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 5:13 am
@Ashykon,
I seriously doubt JJ’s going anywhere
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Kings Fan South Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 8:16 am
@variable, Living here in Carolina….there is no way that the Canes will part with Jeff Skinner. He is the heart and soul of that team now. Also, very popular.
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3 things:
1. The Very Poor Power Play – many players increase their goal totals by scoring PP goals. No PP, lower goal totals.
2. Close Games – most of the Kings games are very tight and usually tied at the end of regulation. This limits the number of “open net” goals scored at the end of games, thus lowering both team and individual player goal totals.
3. The Positive – Hopefully this is a sign that the Kings are going to hit their stride as the season is wrapping up and we go into the play offs scoring goals and with a hot goalie.
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CB14 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
@DesertKing, I don’t think you can blame the low amount of empty net goals as this teams scoring problems. We have 3 so far this year which would put us on track to score 5 or 6 at seasons end. We had 7 empty net goals last year, a difference of only 1 or 2 at the most.
The PP has been worse this year compared to last, but it’s in line with the league. Last year we ranked 21 in the league, at 16.1%. This year we are still 21 in the league, but at only 14.8%.
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DesertKing Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:39 pm
@CB14,
Good points, but when you watch other teams play, you consistently see them scoring on the PP and empty netters while we struggle on both. These explanations are easy to make, I just wish I coould figure out our 5 on 5 problem. Where’s Dominick?!!
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Dominick Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
@DesertKing, LOL! Don’t fret. Your holding your own.
goldielocks Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
@CB14,
Yup. Every one is blocking shot these days.
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variable Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
@DesertKing,
if anything helps at this point is the fact that you can make the case that the kings have been playing playoff-type hockey for awhile now…if they get a lil’ more offensive production, i think we would all be more optimistic about the future…
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I’ll bet, that if you take a look around the league as a whole, I’m sure the team stat comparisons will be very simular to the Kings…I haven’t got any real stats to back this up, but it sure seems as if scoring is down league-wide…at this point in the season there are three or four goalies with GAA(s) under 2.00 (JQ being one of them) and it also seems as though a goalie giving up more than 2.5 goals a game will have a 500 or below record…maybe Rich can help me out…but that is how it seems
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bbb7 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
@g smith86, So far scoring is down league-wide about .25 goals per game, or about 4.5% lower than last season. Basically meaning a 20 goal scorer last season would net 19 this season, so not that big a change.
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Any thoughts on picking up Nittymaki off waivers? UFA on July 1…
Your thoughts?
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Duncanz Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
@Harry, I think he was looking for no. 1 goalie status somewhere which he would not achieve in coming to LAK.
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bbb7 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
@Harry, I think adding a goalie is the last thing on the minds of Kings management.
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jonsey Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:49 pm
@Harry, Flyer!
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Duncanz Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:19 am
@jonsey, That’s where he came from, wasn’t it?
It would be quite a resurrection if he ended up back there as their starting GT. He had just an awful time on what was a miserable team at the time…
… (*musing to himself) gee, that club has drafted and traded pretty excellently over a very short span of time …
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@TSNBobMckenzie
Los Angeles puts Cam Paddock on unconditional ($125) waivers, presumably for purposes of mutually-agreed termination of contract with Kings.
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I was going over the last 10 games, and someone asked why Richards is scoring, and his line mates aren’t.
Richards has 1g 2a for 3pts/ 23 hits no points last 5 games.
Stoll has 1g 2a for 3pts/ 32 hits no points last 5 games.
Penner has 1g 2a 3pts/ 24 hits no points last 3 games.
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bbb7 Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 11:34 pm
@Dominick, I think the answer to why Richards ISNT scoring is two part: (a) he doesnt seem quite 100% recovered yet and (2) his wingers are anchors. We need another 2nd line winger with even a LITTLE finish/vision.
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Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:00 am
@bbb7, You don’t think his playing a stopper roll has anything to do with it? They are all scoring the same since they were put together. I wonder if switching to offensive players would even help if he’s gonna play a shut down roll.
As far as being effective as a shut down line, Richards has a -1, Stoll is even, Penner is even for 10 games now against the best offensive players the other teams have to offer. Offensively their not scoring, but defensively their stopping the other team from scoring (which is their function).
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Duncanz Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:29 am
@Dominick, Given that, you still expect much better scoring output from all of your ’2nd’ Line on any club, whatever their secondary functions are.
We can’t support three checking/shutdown/responsible lines leaving one that’s supposed to score.
Am I being cruel here?
Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:45 am
@Duncanz,
No. I’m not justifying it. Just saying that is their function. If it were up to me, Richards wouldn’t even be a shut down player. Nether would Penner for that matter. No team he’s been on has ever used him that way.
Duncanz Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:22 am
@Dominick, Ahh, I see. You’re saying the match-up policy needs to be overhauled. Yes, really rich food for thought, that.
I can’t help feeling still that perhaps if that line was more dangerous it would be ‘they’ that needed shutting down while the top forwards on the other team were chasing ‘them’ around.
One senses, a) a lack of dynamism, plus b) a lack of hockey sense (mixed with some poor shooting form), leading to c) a lack of confidence, lack of direction, lack of production. (Did you see what I did there?)
At the mo’, we’re getting points, which is nice, but the scoring shortfall in this dept. is going to catch up on us very soon, with 5 teams right behind us and the Ducks kicking off their season late but coming on fast and furious.
The ‘trade winds’ are a-stirrin …
Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:33 am
@Dunncan,
Now your gettin it. Not sure on how trades will fall, but until the Kings change a mindset that would allow 2 former 30 goalscorers to be our shut down guys, I’m wondering if a new player wouldn’t just nose dive once he got here too (just like Penner).
Your right also that some teams are hot on our tails, but the Ducks can only lose 6 more games all season long. After that, it will be mathmatically impossible for them to reach 95 points.
Kopitar hitting 25 goals per doesn’t even come close to warranting his stupid contract.. he should be a 35+ goal scorer
Brown, if he’s a 1st liner then we are in real trouble… ALL first line players in this league should top 60 points… Put Brown on the 2nd or 3rd line where he should be..
If we can get Parise….
Parise, Kopitar, Williams
Gagne, Richards, Brown
Moen, Stoll, Penner
Clifford, Lokti, Richardson
Add Moen for the 3rd and 4th line.. during the playoffs he’d be huge for us…
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Proves how much JJ has improved on his game this year. Who wanted to trade him??? Trade Doughty before u trade JMFJ.
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… I hope one major qualitiy in anyone we trade for will be ‘initiative’.
Well, tall order sure, but Ducks are 11 pts behind us if they win their 2 gms in hand and we play them 2x more, I think. I’m not yet going to write them off completely.
This road trip off the ASW is Big, Big, Biiiggg!
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Duncanz Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 2:10 am
@Duncanz, ^ @Dominick ^
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Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 2:23 am
@Duncanz, Sorry, I didn’t mean to misspell your name. All done with my work so enjoy your evening.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 2:36 am
@Dominick, Oh, didn’t notice til you said. Too engrossed with the substance inside the blurb. Good going.
Cheers bud!
The offensive numbers aren’t pretty no matter how you turn it or twist it. Without looking at numberts it seems scoring is down in the NHL this season. More teams are playing the 2-1, 3-2 games than I can remember.
I read the comments of bringing in that one offensive player, but bringing in 1 guy isn’t going to change the offensive production all that much.
The only guys who can make somewhat of a difference will cost you big time on defense, where you can least afford to get weaker. This team is built around goaltending and defense. That’s where our success will come from.
In my mind, it’s up to the players here to pick up their production and become more consistant. They all have the talent and the track record to do so much more than they’ve done. I believe over the 2nd half, the production will pick up..maybe not to the degree of 4-5 goals per night, but just getting 3 a night with our D and goaltending should be enough for us to win most nights.
It would be silly to think DL won’t make any type of move before the deadline, but i would think it’ll be a move on a smaller scale than most of us think.
The only player who probably could fetch us more that could be in play would be Bernier and I would be hesitant to move him during the season. Quick’s going to play most of the way, but injuries happen and I’d feel a heck of a lot more comfortable with Bernier than I would with Jones/Zatcoff/Nittymaki going into the playoffs.
I’m still confident that this team has enough to go deep into the playoffs, but the offense will need to become much more consistant for that to happen.
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number 6 Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 5:58 am
@nykingfan,
Good morning man. Very nice post there. Simply stated and totally agree.
Oh, btw, just read Darren Dreger’s response to someone’s question on tsn website. They asked about Edm getting Schnieder or Bernier in a trade. His response was that there was no way Vanc and Edm would get together on a trade but that Bernier for Ales Hemsky might be interesting.
What do these guys do to get paid for writing such tripe? It actually scared me. Could DL be that daft that he would make a trade like that? Gads, hopefully not for all the money in the world.
Btw, I stated on another blog (maybe here too, can’t remember) that there is no way you trade Bernier unless it’s a very substantial offer on the other end. Quick will probably get a Vezina nod this year, and if you trade Bernier, then Quick can really hold the Kings hostage when it comes to renegotiating his contract. Like I said, I have to believe that DL wouldn’t do anything so silly, and I doubt he would. That would have been more the territory of ‘ghosts of Kings’ GM’s past’.
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Kings Fan Vancouver, WA Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 6:47 am
@number 6, Spot on!! Bernier if he were to be traded would be on or about the draft day. I can see an apples for apples trade by the deadline. IMO it would be bottom 6 or the scratches, Hunter, AM or DD2.
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Token Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 6:37 am
@nykingfan, Dreger reports that Carter is available for the same original price.
A quality young player and a first round pick.
Our transition to the dark side would then be complete.
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nykingfan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 7:05 am
@Token,
For Carter I would think it would take VV/Bernier and the pick.
I don’t like it at all.
We need to build from within or our cap # will go thru the roof and the decline will be ugly and imminent as they get older.
Trading away your draft picks is something prior regimes were famous for doing and look where it got us?
Carter’s a great player, but i’d rather hold on to what we have and our draft picks. We’ve already dumped a number 1 for Penner. We need to learn from our mistakes!
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luc20rules Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
@nykingfan, Was giving a #1 the mistake, or was it giving it for Penner?
nykingfan Reply:
January 27th, 2012 at 5:00 am
@luc20rules
I think it was more Penner. The problem is if you screw up the trade for a #1, it sets you back. If Penner would have been the real deal you can live with losing a #1..but here wer are still needing a top 6 forward and not having the pick to try and draft a potential top 6 or trade for # without giving up future #1 picks
Well there you have it folks, even from the confines of the pine, Westy is having a career season!
Been saying it for a couple years now; most improved player on the roster.
Man just knows what to do with his two minutes of average ice time!
Go Westy!
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Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:31 am
@Token, Very much agreed. I wouldn’t mind seeing him boost those minutes to say 7.
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Bottom line is we don’t have evenough goal scorers on this team. We have role players, not offensive snipers.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:47 pm
@Kings Fan South, I say we have TOO MANY snipers, but problem is WE DON’T have a play maker to EVEN get the puck to our snipers. Kopi should be sniper, but often times he is the one starting the play!!!
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Is ASW over yet? I feel like I was sent to sit in the corner.
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WHY WASTE MONEY????
Why go after a well regarded pure sniper, if he is going to be thrown into a system that tells him:
“We appreciate your ability to score goals, but now that you are a Kings player you will have to adapt your game to play defense every shift you are on the ice, so scoring comes second, you hear? We’ll have none of that SSS (Sedin Sisters Syndrome) here”
The only 2-way player possibly available to be moved (if he agrees) to our roster worth mentioning is Jerome Iginla.
Jeff Carter is a center, and no matter what TSN or any other genius claims, we’re already stacked at that position with Kopi Richards, Stoll, Lokti & Frazer. Sure, Stoll’s production has tanked this year and Lokti is still in development mode. But why add one more center with dubious defensive skills and a poor locker room reputation?
I’d much rather see a partial system change that allows Kopi to be a pure offensive player, at least during critical parts of the game…(first period lack of scoring thoughts, anyone? Something like this for either Kopi or M, Richards:
1st period:
Offense only. Limited play inside our blue line.
Have M. Richards or Kopi center the first line with both on the ice.
NO PK participation for Kopi. He is often gassed after 2 periods of PK and centering duties.
2nd & 3rd Periods:
All back to current positions and defensive duties.
Yes, this 1st period option could possibly increase the amounts of shots JQ faces, but the potential amount of increased puck possession time and goal scoring opportunities for Kopi / Richards should more than make up for it. After all, we have an elite defensive and goal tending core in place, don’t we?
RELEASE THE KRACKEN (KOPI)!!!
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Michael J. Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:32 am
@Gustavo,
I am certain that every team the Kings play would be more than happy to see the the Kings (or just Kopi) play “offense only” for the first period. Who wouldn’t want to end the first period with a lead over the Kings?
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Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:40 am
@Gustavo,
We finally have come to a complete agreement. On the shos issue. Bostons’ shots against are nearly tops in the league. Yet they allo the fewest goals in the league. They do that by not cutting down the shots, but the quality of those shots so that their goaltender can make the stops and win the game. This is a philosophy the Kings should adopt. Vancouver has that same philosophy, and their 1rst line is on the hunt all game long regardless of the score.
PLEASE! RELEASE THE KRACKEN (KOPI)!!!
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nykingfan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:44 am
@Gustavo,
ur kidding, right?
just for arguments sake…take kopi away from all defensive responsibilities during the first 20 min…we run into a hot goalie and Kopi only scores 1 goal during the period, but we give up 3 or 4 because he’s no longer coming back into the zone to pick up the 3rd man flying down the center lane with an easy scoring chance because it’s an odd man rush.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:59 am
@nykingfan, Who says we give up 3 or 4 playing offense? That is why were 30th. Nobodies saying play irresponsibly.
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nykingfan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@Dominick,
If you weaken yourself in one area to strengthen another..at best it’s a wash.
What Kopi does defensively and on the PK is invaluable. To lose that for 20 min is near suicidal for a team built around defense and goaltending..
We’re a great defensive and PK team because of Kopi. Obviously others including JQ have a huge part in it, but your best player is what drives it all. there’s no question that Kopi’s our best all around player.
Kopi gets his offensive chances no matter. The best line has been his line for a while now. They’re getting enough offensive chances, but just not burying them. Having him hang at the blueline isn’t going to increase your scoring as much as it’s going to hurt you defensively. Quick’s job is made easier because Kopi’s back and taking away the odd man coming into the zone ad taking away the pass option and recovering loose pucks at or below the goal line.
I think the Kopi line is doing just fine almost every night. It’s the other lines that need to produce…but I’m against weakening yourself in this team’s most important area..defensively.
Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 10:00 am
@nykingfan, Well, maybe Gustavo is, but so far I agree with him.
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Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 11:52 am
@nykingfan, I’m not asking for Kopi to start cherry pickin. I’m saying offense first from the top 2 lines. Like I said, I’m not saying be irresponsible, or take him out of the PK, just do like every other top offensive team in the league does. Play offensively when the team needs a goal, not a 2 way game all the time. That’s not a foriegn concept that only the Kings would fail at.
Boston as I pointed out earlier will open the game up, and doesn’t care about keeping the shots low if they need a goal.
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nykingfan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
@Dominick,
If we’re in the 3rd period trailing and it’s getting late than I agree..open up the offense..I think they do open it up when trailing. Even under TM take a look at the shots total in the 3rd when we were behind..we jsut didn’t score. . I see golden opportunities to score goals thruout the game, but guys just aren’t burying those chances. Open nets should never be missed, but somehow we miss them.
Dominick Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
@nykingfan, Possession stats are the same whether we’re down, or close. The only difference is when we score, then they nose dive. TM always preached “play the same way” and that hasn’t changed much. Look at fenwick possession percentages, and measure the difference between when the score is close, or behind. Match them up the difference to when more offensive teams are close, or behind and you’ll see a huge disparity in how the Kings open up the game to score goals.
They aren’t burying their opportunities which contributes greatly to the lack of offense, but zone wise their not pressing for more when it could make a difference either. That is why their 30th. Too defensively conscious at the expense of offense.
If your happy with the balance of offense and defense within the system, and think it’s just players not finishing then we just place different priorities on how we see the game. It is however more than 20 players just not finishing. Not just 1 or 2.
[Reply]
nykingfan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
@Dominick,
I do value defense over offense..I always have so I’m going to be biased in that way.
I’m not saying my way is the only way or your way is the only way…we just differ on what we consider more important. that’s what maks the world go around.
I feel that where we are in the standings , especially considering how poorly we’ve played offensively at times, is a testiment to their D and goaltending. We’re 2 points (not incl games in hand) from having the #3 seeed in the west. Imagine if we bury just 1 of those chances we get every single night? Those games that we’re losing in OT or shootout would become regulation victories and we’d be talking about being #1 overall.
It all depends on how you look at things.
g smith86 Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
@Gustavo, I love the idea of opening up the game offensively. I miss rejoicing along with the Kings when they score. Unfortunately, the NHL regular season has become this unbearable grind for points where every shift is crucial throughout the year. Gone are the days when teams would trade and entertain their fans…now we see bitterly fought games with eastern conference opponents! Those games used to be the cruiser games…Points are too critical now…the league has switched back over to more defensive minded than ever…I applaud teams that try to be offensive minded, but even those teams can’t help themselves ultimately…they end up thinking defense first
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No one should be surprised with these stats.
What stands out for me is the lack of assists across the board.
The Kings offensive creativity has been sorely lacking all season and probably even longer when you look back. Hopefully DS will continue to address this.
What I see is the Kings passing simply…SUCKS! First pass out of the zone is brutal at times. Passing from D to D is great. Cycling is getting better. After that, they can’t put two passes together in the neutral zone or offensive zone…and that will kill any offense.
Passing and skating (getting open) are the two key ingredients missing….Kopi is the only one who does this with any consistency. Watch the elite teams like Boston, Vancouver, Chicago, these teams pass the puck to points on the ice where players are going or where they will be….not where they are standing flat footed and even if they get the puck, WTF are they going to do with it standing still? Thats right, shoot it into the zone and have to skate 60 feet to chase it down. Some teams you have to do this against, but you can’t play that way ALL the time!
It sounds easy but its not. Its hard to do, especially when there’s another team out there trying to stop you…. but its even harder if you’re not skating!
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Gustavo Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 9:42 am
@Barry’s Mullet,
I wish there was a “Pass” Stat…From Section 219 we see a lot of passing. But like you said, not many players skate quickly and smartly enough to catch it in a timely manner.
The Kopi line does well and creates plenty of opportunities and passes caught. More finishing is needed, though.
The Richards line suffers a blatant inability to catch passes and finish. Penner is lazy, out of position and acts as if he is scared of getting his pretty toothless face touched should he be caught in the crease for any reason whatsoever. Stoll is too busy bumping people and high sticking opponents to worry about shooting accurately, or even catching or making good passes.
The Lokti line is fun to watch, they skate circles around most other opponent defenses, make beautiful passes and avoid checking better than a Spanish matador….but don’t ask them to bring the puck near crease. They just cannot finish.
The ‘Brute’ Frazer fourth line is my very favorite. I love those guys, specially when Westy is in it. They just stare you down and the puck ends up in their sticks more often than not. And when some opponent dares them, they slap any of them around like a redheaded stepson till he coughs it up. Not a single fancy passing play among these guys. But they won the game for us vs Ottawa.
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Duncanz Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 11:49 pm
@Gustavo, Gus, and with a classical name like your’s!
‘Toreador’ – the matador _kills_ la bestia!
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rogiesbackup Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
@Barry’s Mullet, Check out my previous post as to why I think our offense suck!!
http://lakingsinsider.com/2012/01/25/gagne-parse-and-salary-cap-relief/#comment-1072303
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lets face it we do not get offense. We hardly ever use drop passes. We have no net presence. We look for the fancy goals instead of shooting. When we cross the blue line we never just stop to see what develops, we either try to skate past the d man or dump the puck in. When we cycle and on breakouts we hardly ever get the puck in the middle of the ice where it gives us options. Doughty and Jack look the best bringing the puck up the ice. If it was not for Quick we wouild be in last.
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One of the biggest reasons for our offensive slump is that we rarely capitalize on opportunities… good teams capitalize on chances, the Kings, not so much…
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goldielocks Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
@Stuart,
I have to agree. When they get clear cut 2-on-1, they rarely capitalize the opportunity. Are they that bad? No. But they are just not used to that kind of chances cause they ware unable to create the out numbered attack under TM’s system. What TM created was one of the best defensive systems with one of the most offensive destructions.
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goldielocks Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
@goldielocks,
most=worst
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nykingfan Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
@Stuart,
agree!
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It is absurd how impotent the Kings offense is with all that talent.
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Gustavo Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:22 pm
@lars1970,
Agree 100% !!!
Time for DL to upgrade the system, not the roster.
PLEASE, RELEASE THE KRACKEN(S), DL !!!!!!
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Doughty’s numbers are misleading this year as he has picked up his game considerably in the last month. It is likely Doughy’s goals per game average will improve as the season progresses.
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goldielocks Reply:
January 26th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
@KC23,
Sutter wants to see more defensive number on DD. He’ll use DD in the toughest situation. So it will be hard to get many scoring chances. But if our PP improves, he can score some goals for sure.
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How does Martinez not have an assist? Wow.
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