Game Thread: G5 2-1-1 Kings vs Bruins 10/21/23

[PuckinUgly57]

Game day again, sports day again. Ms Puck II has a softball game that should end about 7pm so I should be able to catch most of the game afterwards.

It'll be different to see the Bruins without Bergeron and Krejci, those two have been Bruins forever it seems. I'm also curious how McLellan will handle Pastrnak, the Kings can put one of Kopitar or Danault on him freeing up PLD to do his thing. I watched that Wild game finally, PLD is a legitimate power forward and hoping he crashes the net and continues going to the dirty areas tonight.

I'm calling it too, Laferierre gets his first NHL goal tonight. He has been all over the place so far, Buster really needs to take notes.

Let's Go Kings!

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

LA Kings’ Anze Kopitar asks $37M for Manhattan Beach home with high-tech pool

The floors of the pool and spa lift and lower at the touch of a button to create a courtyard terrace or adjust the depths.

www.google.com

Kopitar becomes all time Kings leader in games played tonight. Which barely a footnote in this article which is noting he has the highest listed price for a house ever in Manhattan Beach.

 

[davnlaguna]

Kings are putting pucks on net
Swayman has had to make some big saves.

 

[davnlaguna]

Dang
Laf with a goal
Puck going to some Indian casino cause he can’t afford Vegas

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Kings squandered some prime power play chances and Bruins just have a little more killer instinct is the difference that I can tell. Nice goal by Laf there to finish a really nice play by a few guys there. Kings don't look too bad. Swayman making some big saves helps for sure. Kings could still pull this one out but next goal is gonna be huge. And I don't really trust Kings defense/Cam Talbot to necessarily have a clean sheet here in the 3rd but they probably need to if they want to have a chance.

 

[davnlaguna]

Kings first team to get a power play goal against the Bs
Sure it was a 6 on 4 with 2 minutes left but it is on the stat sheet.
Worse part is my dad and uncle live in Mass.
Call my dad every Sunday. Going to hear about this.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

LA Kings’ Anze Kopitar asks $37M for Manhattan Beach home with high-tech pool

The floors of the pool and spa lift and lower at the touch of a button to create a courtyard terrace or adjust the depths.

www.google.com

Kopitar becomes all time Kings leader in games played tonight. Which barely a footnote in this article which is noting he has the highest listed price for a house ever in Manhattan Beach.

Nice tribute to him last night, arguably the greatest King ever to wear the uniform. Rough night however (-3) but he the 1st star. I'm assuming for his milestone and not his actual play last night.

And that is a seriously huge, expensive house. I believe Gaborik bought the one across the street from him after the 2014 win, I know that neighborhood from living in the South Bay when we first moved to CA - bookoo bucks over there.

Kings first line really needs to get going, Kempe has one EN goal, Buster being Buster, after a good start Kopitar being shut down. Can't rely on the Dunno line every game to get some goals.

Fiala not looking too great to start the season but I expect that to change. Goaltending was the difference tonight, Swayman as good as advertised. Kings PP absolutely brutal. I guess that was the sacrifice for improving the PK.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Dang
Laf with a goal
Puck going to some Indian casino cause he can’t afford Vegas

Dude I can't afford air with these kids and their sports, social lives and groceries.

=)~~

You knew it was a matter of time, Laferriere has been all over the place. That was a great set up starting with Fiala to PLD who thread the needle to him for the goal. And that was sole straight up effort fending off the defender and scoring.

You'd he was the 2OA and not Buster. Buster definitely looks faster out there this season, but his mindset has not changed - digging up pucks looking for Kempe/Kopitar, not shooting and avoiding the net.

I personally don't think some time on the B6 or even back in Ontario would hurt.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

And I don't really trust Kings defense/Cam Talbot to necessarily have a clean sheet here in the 3rd but they probably need to if they want to have a chance.

I don't think Talbot played poorly but he didn't make any game savers either. The Kings paid for average goaltending, well...you're getting average goaltending. The old adage you get what you pay for, the Kings out played Boston but not where it mattered.

I think we will see Copley in net against the Dogs on Tuesday.

 

[Kings4OT]

I don't think Talbot played poorly but he didn't make any game savers either. The Kings paid for average goaltending, well...you're getting average goaltending. The old adage you get what you pay for, the Kings out played Boston but not where it mattered.

I think we will see Copley in net against the Dogs on Tuesday.

When crap young goalies are signed 3-5m and you can only get old guys nobody wanted....your hoping for a miracle. I dont think we can blame Talbot or Copely even if they play horribly (not saying they have) they are being psid as scapegoats

 

[PuckinUgly57]

They're being paid extremely low for that title. Remember when Dumbo traded for Cloutier and immediately extended him 2 years/$12 million? Beachball at least knew he was here to be a lamb. Not these two, not from what I'm seeing anyway. They legitimately want to win and stayed because they feel the Kings have a shot to win it all. Don't think that happens this year, but I understand their thinking.

But...you load up on a team, you're the perceived "weak link" (positionally), I think there's a lot of pressure. Or maybe that's just me.

That Petersen contract really affected a lot of stuff even though he's gone, it restricted and dictated a lot of things afterwards. This is where I have the issue with Bowlby apologists. The big picture.

 

[Kings4OT]

Well ya, they want to win and think they have a shot. But talbot couldnt find work and Copely already knows hes out even if he gets the Kings to the PO. Front office is hoping for solid play regular season play then lighting in a bottle/something to fall in their lap.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I am so tired of these "advanced statistics" and analytics. They have their place but literally don't mean a damn thing; sure you dominated, sure you did X or Y, but did you score? No. The Kings were analytics freaks when all this started to come about on 2009, 2010 but it didn't matter - what matters is goals. Period. Cycle all you want to maintain possession, take a wide shot or miss the net, winger recovers, rinse and repeat.

The eye test trumps everything hands down. How did X look? How did Y handle this situation? Those are what matter to me, so just because LA controlled everything basically against Boston that tells me they were opportunistic and actually delivered on lesser chances. Tells me everything I need to know.

Data Driven: LA Kings 2, Boston Bruins 4

The LA Kings dropped their third straight home game in the 2023-24 season, losing 4-2 to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

hockeyroyalty.com

Buster can control Corsi, WAR, DMV whatever acronym he wants to. Doesn't matter to me, because at the end of the day results matter, what I see over 60 minutes matter, the win matters.

Venting, just over this stuff.

 

[Kings4OT]

That stuff should only be used as a piece of data. I think Muffin was a corsi superstar but a visual test gives a different opinion. IMO Corsi is barely better than +/-, fun to look at but give it little weight. I hated the endless cycle along the boards with nobody in front for a shot, either finally lose the cycle or out to the blue line for a shot wide....god that sucked, but the Kings could cycle the corner better than everyone

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Completely agree but it's gotten out control. "Underlying metrics say...", well the sniff test and final say something different and what actually matters.

Muzzin is the poster child for this, good call. Hockey is such a strange sport in that sense, you can be dominating but either run into a hot goalie or get a fluky bounce against and win a game or unravel a game.

My vent was about Buster really, just reading boards and what not and how effective he was. Again...sniff test says something different and his track record of not producing is getting longer and longer - 1 goal in 5 games, no assists, getting high end minutes on L1 and PP1. The usual excuses, he's 21, stunted development path, he's 6'5" and they take longer look at Tage Thompson, blah blah blah. Tage Thompson was traded 4 years in because he didn't produce and he was a lower 1st round pick; the opportunities can disappear very very quickly unless you show progressive growth.

Metrics don't mean a damn thing to me with him, start putting pucks in the net. I hope Laferriere's goal, hustle and effort made him mad because he needs to play mad. Laferriere turned pro less than 4 months ago Buster and has already shown he is a better player than you being a 3rd round pick, I'd be embarrassed.