View from the Ox Box - Predators 11/2

[oxnardkingsfan]

The less said about this game the better but here's what I saw from my seat at Staples anyways. I really think the Kings were in a game they really didn't deserve to be in. Sure they outshot Nashville something like 35 to 18 but I have reservations about the number of Kings shots on goal. Of those 30-something you could count the number of actual scoring chances on one hand and have fingers left over. I also think some of those shots on goal would have actually been high or wide or both had the Nashville goaltender not gloved them. Of the 17 or 18 shots by the Preds about 12 or 13 were good scoring chances. Yeah you can say Quick needs to be better but so can the defense. And not just the defensemen. The forwards have to play defense also.

Best example of this is on the game winning goal. What is the golden rule on faceoffs for centers? If you lose the faceoff you stay with the opposing center. Somehow Kopitar lost sight of Legwand and guess who was wide open to put the rebound back into the net past Quick. Sure you might say Quick should have sent the rebound away from him or not given up the rebound but that isn't what a goaltender thinks about. All his responsibility is is to stop the shot. His defense is supposed to clear any rebounds. Then all of that could have been eliminated had Green cleared the zone after he made the defensive play to steal the puck. His error there was the weak clearing attempt off the boards that the Predators defenseman easily held in the zone. Then the faceoff that was lost cleanly and the easy putback by Legwand.

You can also say the Kings should have played better through the first two periods and not waited until the third to create some solid scoring chances. The penalty kill unit could have also not given up two goals on two shots in the first period also. There were a lot of things the Kings could have done better to not have had to come back in the 3rd period. In the end they lost a game they very well could have won but didn't play well enough to deserve to.

Ox

 

[Cobiemonster]

Defense has to definitely improve - I'm curious why Alec Martinez has been in and out of the lineup - to me, it seems like the Kings are better when he's in there

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Best example of this is on the game winning goal. What is the golden rule on faceoffs for centers? If you lose the faceoff you stay with the opposing center. Somehow Kopitar lost sight of Legwand and guess who was wide open to put the rebound back into the net past Quick. Sure you might say Quick should have sent the rebound away from him or not given up the rebound but that isn't what a goaltender thinks about. All his responsibility is is to stop the shot. His defense is supposed to clear any rebounds. Then all of that could have been eliminated had Green cleared the zone after he made the defensive play to steal the puck. His error there was the weak clearing attempt off the boards that the Predators defenseman easily held in the zone. Then the faceoff that was lost cleanly and the easy putback by Legwand.

I believe it was actually Richards, who not only lost the faceoff and then between he and Doughty there seemed to be some miscommunication. Richards released Legwand onto Doughty and charged forward, and Doughty is trying to see what exactly to do but really couldn't until he saw what happened, which was the shot. By then Legwand was way wide open and coming in, and Doughty not only couldn't get there but Quick also served that rebound up on a platter. Just a perfect storm of events for the Predators and props to them for taking advantage of that (see what I did there).

My stance on the whole play is that it was a combination of errors by all three of Richards, Doughty and Quick. I think if Richards locks up with Legwand, the other forward going to the net gets picked up by Doughty and if the shot comes through (and really, how does a shot like that come through from the point? I mean clean and on target? That means there was no traffic from the Predators) they can sort out what to do. At the very least Doughty either cleans out bodies and if there is a rebound, Richards is with his man and the Kings should be OK.

Seemed like none of the three were on the right page to me.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Defense has to definitely improve - I'm curious why Alec Martinez has been in and out of the lineup - to me, it seems like the Kings are better when he's in there

Makes two of us, I think he is much smarter than Muzzin on both sides of the puck but for whatever reason Sutter sits him. Muzzin is a crapshoot, you never know what you're going to get with him. The turnovers during the playoffs...yikes, those things are still vivid memories.

I also am not a fan of the soft play, this guy barely hits anyone for being close to 220 pounds, he should be leveling people out there especially in front of Quick.

Martinez was in for a stretch earlier this season and what do you know...wins.