Game Thread: G29 18-6-4 Kings @ Kraken 12/20/23

[PuckinUgly57]

NM, jumping in late. Took the daughter to Target to get gifts for her "boyfriend". I'm going to vomit.

21 SOG after the first but 0-0, good shots or good old Sutter shot volume? The Kings getting goalied tonight?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Real freaking nice...1-0 Seattle.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

These guys look off as shit. Can't make a tape to tape pass, stumbling, running into each other, nothing like we've seen the first little bit of the season. Stoll saying Kings have outplayed Seattle, I don't see it. Daccord shutting the door but it's all low percentage shots.

I see sloppy hockey, one period to go. I have no idea what's happened the last little while here but it's not the crisp team we saw.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

These dudes are done tonight. No energy, nothing.

2-0 Krak. Moore breakaway and doesn't score, Eberle breakaway and he does score. That kind of night apparently.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

One fluke goal by The Lizard, PP also did the Kings in. Slump is officially here.

 

[LAKINGSFAN]

PLD has been virtually invisible lately. There are stretches of games that I dont see him or ever hear his name being called. Fiala scares me when he has the puck. Last night was a horrible game for him. To many turnovers from him. I know he is an all or nothing type of player but lately he makes me nervous. I think it may be time to shuffle some lines around.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I didn't get a chance to watch either game this week, but social media going nuts on how fleeced the Kings got on the PLD trade. He has a spotlight on him every game now, and he's just cruising out there most shifts.

Villardi with 10 points in his last 4 games is really the kicker. My main response is that we never doubted Villardi skill but his injury history, including this year already, were the main parts. I can't defend PLD's efforts so far this year, but I would wait and see on Villardi. Just when the Kings would need him he'd be IR.

 

[Kings4OT]

Social media can get back to me when the legend plays more than sixty three games in a season at any level of his career. PLD We'll probably never get more than 60 points in a season. That's probably his high water mark and he for sure. Isn't going to do that from the third line minutes. Most of those fans would have booed kopistar off their team because.....points! If the Kings were worried about his point production, they would not have started him on the third line right away. They got him for the long hole and they're playing him as such, If you guys want points out of him. Who are you bumping so he can get that primo time?

 

[Kings4OT]

Jets with the PLD troll.... Will he turtle or step up?

 

[Kings4OT]

PLD is hopefully a longterm solution, ive been trying to get anyone to answer 1 simple question. Assuming The Legend scores like We all know he can, And wows everybody with his skill.... Let's even assume one of this year or next he plays more than sixty game.... What do you do when he asks for a contract. It's a serious question, If you're the g, m, what do you do? You know he's going to ask for more than p l d.... He's gonna want term..... Do you give him 10m x 8? As a g m do you risk that? Because in my opinion that's the real question Nobody is looking at. The fact that we had to get thirty games into the season For him to have a phenomenal ten games Has always been the problem

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

PLD is hopefully a longterm solution, ive been trying to get anyone to answer 1 simple question. Assuming The Legend scores like We all know he can, And wows everybody with his skill.... Let's even assume one of this year or next he plays more than sixty game.... What do you do when he asks for a contract. It's a serious question, If you're the g, m, what do you do? You know he's going to ask for more than p l d.... He's gonna want term..... Do you give him 10m x 8? As a g m do you risk that? Because in my opinion that's the real question Nobody is looking at. The fact that we had to get thirty games into the season For him to have a phenomenal ten games Has always been the problem

This is a fair point. Looks like he just signed a two-year deal at $3.4375/year. Weird number. So that's the bridge deal for sure. He's 24. Obviously Blake wasn't going to pay him even the bridge deal and never even offered any deal whatsoever before moving him. We'll see how this plays out the next year and half for sure and what his ask will be.

The main issue on the Kings side is just how all-in Blake went for PLD. The trade is one thing, but the automatic 8 year deal is another. It does give them cap stability so they can project out, but that's a big commitment for a guy who finally got everything he wanted and still looks like he's cruising most of the time.

The Kings were on such a heater, it was hard to find criticisms, but with Gavrikov going down, this team looks different. The hope is that other guys would step up, such as a PLD or Fiala, but that hasn't been the case over these past 8 games or so. I felt that the Kings were a year away, just because of the goaltending, but they showed some real promise so far this year. As for the rest of the year, you're obviously hoping to get into the playoffs worst case. Ideally place themselves into a better spot not playing Vegas or Edmonton first round. Get Gavrikov and everyone healthy. Maybe get Arvidsson back. Team could still do some work and make a run, but now is the time you hope to see some other guys step up.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

This is a fair point. Looks like he just signed a two-year deal at $3.4375/year. Weird number. So that's the bridge deal for sure. He's 24. Obviously Blake wasn't going to pay him even the bridge deal and never even offered any deal whatsoever before moving him. We'll see how this plays out the next year and half for sure and what his ask will be.

It's definitely a bridge deal and 15 games into his Jets career it looks like a bargain. Will he keep it up? I highly doubt it, and mentioned again is his health. He has had injury issues at every level he has played at, not just the NHL. Guys go on heaters, he's on one currently (Byfield during that 9A stretch anyone?) and good for him. PLD may shred it here pretty soon and The Legend may cool down, who knows. I am hoping PLD starts putting up some points though, his production has not met that price tag so far.

The more interesting thing to me was the attitude, it appeared multiple times in LA if you think about it. Being moved from C to RW,, playing on L4, comments staff made when they sent him down to Ontario for almost a season to work on his overall game, his initial interview as a Jet after he got traded (you could tell he was pissed he was traded), the Lizard comments and then the comments after his monster night in LA and how they "didn't want me". It's one thing to be confident with a chip, it's another to be arrogant and douchey. He sounds like a hurt ex GF.

Reading between the lines, the Kings were willing to tolerate it because of the talent, but I believe he probably got a talkin to over the years behind the scenes. This season probably centered around contract negotiations, which would explain why he didn't have any conversations with Blake about a future contract subsequently leading to the trade.