2022-23 Season Thread

[davnlaguna]

Vs Caps
Up 2-0 after 2
Give up 4 in the 3rd
It better get better

 

[CaptHowdy00]

You turned it on didnt you

Nope. Stayed away for the entire series. Not my fault.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Also, I finally have the time to watch a game. So yes I’m watching this one.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

F\_/€k me!

 

[CaptHowdy00]

What happened Valardi? Who lit a fire under him?

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Man. I gotta saw it. At what point do you start the conversation about McLlelan? His teams have never been good defensively, and this feels like the worst iteration yet.

Listening to Kings radio and they said Jets only had 19 shots, but so many of those were prime scoring chances. And also LA's 3rd shorthanded goal against already.

Most goals against in the league.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Who here is still on the Bowlby train? Just asking.

=)~~

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Man. I gotta saw it. At what point do you start the conversation about McLlelan? His teams have never been good defensively, and this feels like the worst iteration yet.

Listening to Kings radio and they said Jets only had 19 shots, but so many of those were prime scoring chances. And also LA's 3rd shorthanded goal against already.

Most goals against in the league.

Dude even that 7 game skid to start last season, the Kings weren't hemorrhaging goals. This team feels like it is out of control and that starts at the top down to coaching down to players.

I know we want to say it's only 9 games but also look at it this way, over 10% of the season is over.

This team is not built to be a champ let alone a contender. You know where I stand on this and why I said almost 6 years ago this is not the man for the job - and he has proven it year after year. A fluky playoff year? Good for you, every year a shitty team makes the playoffs.

Aggravating.

 

[Kings4OT]

Kings are only a Barrie and Cici away from the greatest d evar!!!!

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Cough…cough…cough…Lead.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Who here is still on the Bowlby train? Just asking.

=)~~

I’ve been saying since the Coup, he has no idea of what he’s doing.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I feel like sometimes it takes two coaches to get you where you need to go. I believe if Sutter was hired earlier than he was, maybe it wouldn't have worked out either. He was able to take a mostly veteran team and tweak it here and there. He did go down and get Nolan and King, so managing personnel and motivating were his attributes. But McLellan might have been partially the guy to get LA away from the 2-1 era, and getting this team to score again, but man, at the expense of allowing 6 goals a game is not it at all. And what's even crazier, it Quick was still making a few hero saves in there, despite giving up 5 goals on 19 shots, which is INSANE. That's worse than Edmonton.

Then you start to breakdown how our top tier prospects really aren't taking those next steps, and man, the conversation surrounding McLellan should at least be started.

I can't remember if it was Nick Nixon or Daryll Evans who said it, but he basically said with the Kings being dead last in goals against, they are really fortunate to only be a game under .500. Which is more to the point we are getting to, that this is not a team that seems built for any semblance of playoff success. Maybe not even an appearance. Kings could easily have a lost a few more of those.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I’ve been saying since the Coup, he has no idea of what he’s doing.

This is year 6. Know what Dumbo did in year 6? Got us fans a f**king Stanley Cup. Literally, 2012 was his 6th year at the wheel.

This team is so far away from that it's ridiculous. Bowlby is a disgrace, so are a lot of Kings Nation buying his bullshit.

But we have prospects!

=)~~

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Here’s the thing, not many of the the prospects that Flake has picked, have panned out that well.
And signing Fiala to that contact was stupid.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Here’s the thing, not many of the the prospects that Flake has picked, have panned out that well.
And signing Fiala to that contact was stupid.

I can live with the Fiala contract, he truly has upper end skill and hes 25, thats a good contract IMO ans will age well whether he's here for the end of it or not. The Kings haven't had a player like him in a long time and moving him to the third line made him the alpha and he showed it tonight.

Your point about the draft picks is my major concern, look back at Dumbo's picks and you'll see within 3 maybe 4 years they were NHL contributors. If they weren't, he moved them out. Or he moved them for a significant piece (Schenn for example, only 2 years in after being drafted). My point: he didn't marinate them like chili and either turned them out as NHL players or moved them (Teubert anyone?). I'm glad The Legend is finally delivering, but he's literally 5.5 years into his professional career after being drafted. Kempe also took 7 years to finally deliver.

I'm concerned about drafting and development, the Kings cannot turn out an NHL player - especially 1st round picks - every 6 years. The age timelines do not line up for a Cup contender, and it basically walks these guys to free agency. Time = money in just about everything, this is no different. When they actually blossom - if they do at all - it forces the Kings to either overpay or lose them. Dumbo made some really bonehead moves his last 2 or so years on the job, but his venn diagrams, age charts and all that craziness actually had meaning behind the madness and it paid off big time.

I seriously think Yanetti needs to stop stroking his knob for 2006-2012 and start producing NHL players or GTFO.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

What I meant by stupid is not that Faila is bad player. I ment that if Flake couldn’t see that the roster isn’t a playoff caliber, adding one good player at a high contract is a waist.

 

[Kings4OT]

Its a good idea to have a plan for the team when you draft. Drafting just because you have a pick rarely works out. I hope the legend continues to deliver but i expect he ends the season on ir. I have no problem with Fiala signing and even if the team isnt a caliber to utilize him he is only 25.....if the Kings prospects are even half as good as we are told the Kings should be in the playoffs easily.....i think this could actually happen if they get 1 or 2 defensemen that actually play defense, especially with the weak opponents. I still wish the kings took Stuetzle over Byfield.....i get taking a big C, but having youth that has skill and can play right away is something the Kings need

 

[CaptHowdy00]

So I didn’t watch the game, so this loss isn’t on me.
That said, I think something drastic needs to be done.
From my understanding, the rule of thumb is that if you aren’t in the playoff hunt by Thanksgiving, you’re not making the playoffs.
I think we can all agree that this current team is not playoff caliber.
So what should be done?
Firing the coach? I honestly do t think that any coach can turn this dumpster fire around this time. Not like Sutter did. Because that team had pieces in place already and a coach who didn’t know how to use them.
Trading the team for draft value and prospects? I don’t trust Flake to be able to judge players that well.
What are the other options?

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I think they make a decision on Brandt Clarke today. He's played 9 games, and they said on the radio they burn his entry level if he plays one more game.

This team is very hard to figure out. On one hand, I love just running the younger guys because you have to see what you have. They either sink or swim. But the other hand is obviously Quick, Kopitar, Doughty are all getting older, maybe even "old", and this team can't really do that much without them it seems.

I have not been watching all of the games, but have been doing their radio podcast, and it's interesting to hear what those guys have to say. It's definitely not lost on them how many goals the Kings give up. They can't call people out, but they definitely address it.

I agree with Kings4OT though. I think getting some more solid defenseman could make all the difference. Some shutdown guys with size. Kings don't really have that. Just a bunch of fairly mobile, undersized dudes, and then the pylon Edler.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Edler isn't that bad considering the minutes he plays, he's the least of my concern. It's Duchesne 2.0 I have an issue with, but because he was offensively productive last season Kingsters seem to overlook gaffe after gaffe this guy makes.

Just tonight in OT he blew it, Toews was his man and it ends up in the net. I admit being a former defenseman I am biased, I took massive pride in protecting my net, my goalie, my teammates, being punishing, borderline dirty and I got no greater thrill than shutting some hot dog down who thought he was going to score. I don't think I have seen a.worse defender since the Kings had J Blow, and I'm not being facetious.They should have moved him over the summer but again...Bowlby. I like Fiala but defense was and remains a bigger need.

He's done some great things in some areas, but the ones he hasn't addressed (size, defense - oh gee, what did I say 3 years ago?) are massive holes that are costing them games.

This team is unbelievably frustrating. With Vegas being back to Vegas, I think many of us were spot on - they will eek in as a WC or miss altogether. This is nowhere near a contender which is concerning 6 years into Blake's term.

And I agree, McClellan should be feeling the heater under his butt. Year 4 buddy, "trust the process" only goes so far. Results need to start happening.