The last post mentioned poor power-play success rate as one area that can’t continue if a team hopes to have postseason success. Here’s another one. In six playoff games so far, the Kings have allowed the first goal three times, and they won all three of those games. In the regular season, the Kings had an 8-22-7 when they allowed the first goal. Stats such as that one don’t flip dramatically in the playoffs, meaning the averages are bound to catch up to the Kings eventually, if they continue to allow the first goal. Since his arrival, Darryl Sutter has put a big emphasis on the Kings starting the game well. St. Louis dominated the first 10 minutes of Game 1 and got a goal. The Kings rebounded, but allowing the first goal isn’t a formula for long-term success. Still, Darryl Sutter pointed out that the Kings don’t panic in such situations.
SUTTER: “We had to play just about every game like that for three months. I don’t think we were any different. I think it’s the importance of having a deep bench and trying to use everybody in a lot of situations. We’re probably like their team in a lot of ways, where you’ve probably got players up front playing different positions, which allows them to be on the ice in a lot of situations with different linemates, which does impact the game. Heck, you can look at the other night. Scotty Nichol, he’s out there a lot in situations that normally that line wouldn’t be in. We’re able to do that with Colin Fraser and Jarret Stoll. I don’t think up a goal, down a goal should affect how you play, unless you pull the goalie or the other team has got a power play. Five-on-five, teams that are still playing in the playoffs are going to play the same way.’’
Sutter was asked what he might change, in terms of better managing the early part of the game against the aggressive Blues, and Sutter offered…this.
SUTTER: “The game starts at 8:10, not 6:40. Be ready at 8:10. Tough night in the East. Hard on them guys. Think if we go into overtime.’’
Sutter offered…this, when asked about trying to better deal with the start of the game, if the Blues start as strong as they did in Game 1…
SUTTER: “Lots of young guys. Home team. Exciting building to play in. There you go. Put time on the clock.’’
Let’s see, 8% on the PP in the playoffs? Hmmm, I guess it could be worse. We could be 7%. Kompon is a joke. With our defense and goaltending, you add a consistently effective PP and we become the new class of the conference. Instead, we endure nightly nailbiters and pray to go on the PK so we can have a better chance of scoring. Most teams would kill tobe in the position of only needing to fix one aspect of their overall game, so why can’t we get this fixed?
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RobSD Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
@DesertKing,
+10000000
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fsd1 Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
@DesertKing, I think you givr Kompn too much credit for the problem. You and I both know that this issue is being worked on by DS and Bernie too, and as I’ve always said, it comes down to the players in the end…. they have to get it done.
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fsd1 Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
@fsd1, “give Kompon”
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DesertKing Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
@fsd1,
Basic problem solving teaches us to look at a problem from an overall perspective and pull out the things that are constants to determine what is causing the problem, so lets do so:
1. Players – while we have had a steady core of players in the PP, we have added players with higher offensive skill sets, we have switched the players around and who they are teamed with, and now we roll every player through the PP. In addition, the same players who so successfully and skillfully implement our PK are also on our PP, and despite DS using just about every player on the PK, it rolls along as one of the top PKs in the league. All of this was done to try to get the PP to work. Result – 8% PP in the playoffs.
2. Head Coach – TM had a lot to do with our PP, this I will grant. DL succumbed to our desires and TM is gone, now replaced with DS. DS has made some changes, yet the problem persists, and while it improved for a short time, it is reverting back to the same predictable, stagnant pattern that even idiots like myself can easily recognize and develop defenses for. Result – 8% PP in the playoffs.
3. Management – We blamed TM and we blamed the players. DL went out and got DS and more skilled players. Result – 8% PP in the playoffs
4. Assistant Coaches – This is the one area of our team that has not changed. Stevens coaches everything with the “D” while Kompon coaches evrything related to the “O.” The “D” and the PK have been consistently stellar all season and continued into the playoffs. The “O” and the PP have sucked all season and now into the playoffs. Our “O” was dead last for a large part of the season and still doesn’t have anyone quivering in their skates. The PP is recognized as our glaring weak spot. It was identified as such before the season started, during the season, and now also in the playoffs. Result – 8% PP in the playoffs.
I don’t think we want to get into the equipment managers and trainers, but when you look at the Kings, there is only one consistent influencing factor that has not changed regarding the PP, and that is Kompon. Sorry, but it is what it is, as is our PP, which is 8% in the playoffs.
GKG and lets win on the PK!!!
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variable Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
@DesertKing,
i posted this yesterday, but it’s relevant in response to yr points…i added a lil’ bit, as well…:
i’ve always thought that the most important element to all power plays on all teams is SPEED…each component of any power play has to be efficient and deceptive at the same time…
that’s why i don’t think any power play coach is much different from one another in terms of theory…most of the time, pp coaches design plays around the skills of the talent they have…where they differentiate in is calling the right play at the right time and getting the most out of what they have…and that comes down to getting the players motivated and getting the players to execute the play at hand…
ultimately, kompon is responsible for the pp…i can totally understand peeps frustration with him because his job is to get results and our pp has been a problem all season long and now in the playoffs…
but i serious doubt that any player at the nhl-level can be taught something completely revolutionary by any coach at this point…these guys have practiced every possible scenario at each stage of their development…there are no surprises…
remember, we are in a copycat league…and there’s very little separation from 1 to 16, let alone, 1 to 30…
Sebastian Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
@DesertKing, the biggest problem with the PP is the lack of a 1 time shot from the point. i get really excited when Doughty finally switches sides on the PP to his forehand to set up for a one timer. problem is nodoby ever gives him a good pass to get a quick shot off once he is finally on the correct side. part of it is being conservative, its not ideal to have a guy try to hold pucks in and pull it off the boards on his backhand, but on the other, its the PP and you are trying to score, so you really have to set up for one timers, otherwise you give the other team too much time to take away the lane and block the shot.
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Sebastian Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
@Sebastian, oops *nobody
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
@Sebastian,
JMFJ used to set Doughty up for those and vice-versa. The Kings really miss that duo on the PP during the playoffs, but they won a series this year so I guess it’s not so bad.
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Token Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
@DesertKing, Yeah, but our goals scored on the PK is winning us games.
We are +3 on special teams to date due to the SHG’s.
It happens.
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DesertKing Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
@Token,
Name one team that won the Cup by consistently scoring SHG’s? The SHG is so cool because it is so rare, and eventually that pool is going to go dry and we will need to rely on more traditional sources of scoring for our goal production.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
@DesertKing,
Q:
Suppose the PP problems are about the players, not the coaches?
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DesertKing Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
See above.
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dahack11 Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
@DesertKing, no offense desert king, but complaining about Kompon at this juncture is an utter waste of time. Let’s re-address in the offseason.
also….i think Bernie Nichols runs the PP in practice anyways.
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Bob Miller is on ESPN LA radio at the moment.
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Hey,fellow Kings fans! My father-in-law,who’s from Bern,Switzerland, is here first time and love to see Kings game. Does anybody have extra 2 tickets that I can buy. Thanks!
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Navymedic73 Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 2:58 pm
@Shaibou, Go to stub huh
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King Alex Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
@Shaibou, Try Stubhub. Always works for me when I need tickets.
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Lake Forest Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@Shaibou, tell the father in law it’s play offs and if he wants to go he should pay!
Just kidding!
Good luck finding some, I’m sure you can, but it will be fairly expensive
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Jeff_R Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
@Shaibou, Try these places…Ebay, stub hub, lets go kings dot com forums (Ticket Exchange), The Kings Website Ticket Exchange or a Ticket Broker. Playoffs you are mostly going to have to shell out some money, especially if you want 1-200 level tickets.
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The players on the PP are too passive, always playing nice and never getting down and dirty. You have to have a killer instinct on the PP. The opposition is giving you an extra man for 2 minutes..make them pay! Swarm the front of the net with traffic so the goalie can’t see the puck. Shoot the puck with controlled aggression, try to shoot it through anyone standing in the pucks way..once somebody gets hurt you will start seeing shooting lanes that once were not there. Nobody likes to block shots especially if they result in a guy leaving the ice and having to get medical attention. Put a lot of pucks on net by..pass, pass shoot! We don’t need 9 passes before we shoot or for everyone to touch the puck at least once before we shoot.
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Age wise, I know we were like second in the league, what about the Blues?
Is DS saying above he thinks they are young and like a puppy dog you need to smack them around to show is is Alpha Male?
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Tonight we will score a PP goal…
I think it will come from Mitchell…
I’m supporting the Kings which includes
Any bone head moves that happens from any player..
No one is perfect 100% of the time…
Stuff happens…
GKG…Kopi keep playing this well..
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Lake Forest Reply:
April 30th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
@SLIM, I don’t know, aside from late posts that you remind me of, I am pretty perfect.
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There is no question getting more out of PP would be a bonus, and probably a necessity the further the Kings go in the playoffs. The Kings were 17th (I think) in the league in PP during the regular season with an 18% success rate. Top team in the league was at 23%. BUT, I think the 8% for the playoffs is definately misleading and does not tell the whole story. A lot of Kings PP in these two rounds so far have come in the 3rd. period and when they had a lead. I have not checked stats at all. But I think first or 2nd game against VANC, we had 4 PP’s in the 3rd. and we had 3 (or 4?) against St. Louis in the first game in the third period. It was VERY obvious during these PP’s that the Kings were being ultra conservative and cautious. Just trying to kill the time and kill the game. I have NO PROBLEMS with that at all. In fact I remember jumping for joy in the VANC series when the Canucks kept dumping the puck into the Kings end very late in the game! This is no time to win pretty or focus on the stats. They just need to keep it up and things will fall into place, including the PP. So far we are getting contributions from all over the place and unlikely sources. PP would come around also….guaranteed.
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