Game Thread: G59 31-19-8 Kings @ Hawks 3/3/25

[PuckinUgly57]

They just flashed a stat of youngest guys leading a team in scoring this season. Bedard of course is number one at 19 years old.

Third guy? Stuetzle with 63 points at 23 years old. Buster leading them all with useless assists.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Just checking box score, looks like Jill ran 11/7 again? That is just not sustainable long term. Wow.

 

[Kings4OT]

I think Timmah has 3x in a row

 

[Kings4OT]

Fiala the only one trying to fight back and hes like 4-nothin....team mates should be ashamed

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Fiala the only one trying to fight back and hes like 4-nothin....team mates should be ashamed

Buster 6'5" playing like he's 5'6", the little shoves, not even rabbit jabs. At this point with the abuse on and off the score board, throw some hands. Geez.

 

[Kings4OT]

Cant win em all.....

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Outscored 15-5 in three games. Yikes.

Pretty sure we just saw the last of some Kings players before Wednesday. Just hope it's the right ones.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Cant win em all.....

I'd be OK with 60 minutes of effort at this point. Last three games, four if you go back to Vancouver, sluggish.

Looking like a skid coming up right before the POs.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Time to visit Teh Blog, the comments should be great...

 

[PuckinUgly57]

2 on 0 and Buster hit the post? Interesting of note.They are not pumping this guy right now.... I think a trade is very imminent

Watching the replay, Nickson says 2 on 0, Fox says you don't see that too often. Umm didn't we just see that within the last two weeks and they didn't even get a shot on net? It was Dexter and someone else.

I don't think I've seen ANY team whiff 2 on 0s as much as the Kings do.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Buster leveled by Murphy, that chain looks sick when hes flying backwards landing on his ass

Just saw it on the replay, good solid check in the NZ. Buster trying to be dancing Bambi again looking down and got smoked.

The way the second went, would have been a great opportunity to start mixing it up and maybe put some life into the Kings.

They look completely uninspired this game, Edmundson saying this is a "must win game" didn't age well.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Cant win em all.....

Sure you can, Kingsters who believe Turcotte, Clarke and Buster are the future believe this is an 82-0 team or at worst a legitimate contender.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Didn't watch any of these games, but sounds like a dumpster fire. The thread was a good read though. Felt the secondhand pain as they played all the hits. New goalie comes in and stands on his head. Martinez and Euthanasia with goals. Byfield def the new scapegoat for everything.

I wonder if a complete scenario where the wheels fall off this week makes LA sellers. Like what a difference a week could make.

 

[Kings4OT]

Still have a 5 point lead. Even better news is Flames and Canucks playing poorly too. Realistically LA should make the playoffs and a typical 1st round exit...which is "better" than I thought for the season but only due to Flames, Canucks and the upstart Ducks doing worse than I expected.

I think 2 decent pickups could get the Kings passed a struggling Oiler team potentially but not a rolling Oiler team and definitely not past a Jets, Knights, Stars series.

 

[Kings4OT]

[QUOTE="Stunner_At_Staples_Kings, post: 18577883, . Byfield def the new scapegoat for everything.

[/QUOTE]

Buster isnt the scapegoat, he is a bust. He is a 2oa that has been pumped since day 1. At the start of the season I mentioned once PLG traded the only opportunity for more production was Buster. Kopi was gonna be hard pressed to get 70 points, Kempe maybe get the same, TOTM was no way gonna net 30, Fiala gonna be his normal 60 to 70p....leaving Buster as the only real chance to improve production in the lineup....they tried and tried, he wasnt up to the task. The only reason the Kings are in it is the team defense (Buster is a good part of that). We've called out players up and down the lineup but most are at their "norm" ....if Buster broke out to an actual 2oa producer, Kings would look pretty solid wouldnt they?

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Still have a 5 point lead. Even better news is Flames and Canucks playing poorly too. Realistically LA should make the playoffs and a typical 1st round exit...which is "better" than I thought for the season but only due to Flames, Canucks and the upstart Ducks doing worse than I expected.

I think 2 decent pickups could get the Kings passed a struggling Oiler team potentially but not a rolling Oiler team and definitely not past a Jets, Knights, Stars series.

This sounds crazy but I would not sleep on the Ducks sneaking in. I think McDavid is hurt right now, but I don't see too many scenarios where they don't smoke LA in the 1st round. I also think they're wheeling and dealing, and will add some pieces for a run. Maybe unpopular opinion but I would rather sell and retool than sneak into playoffs and lose to Edmonton in 5 again. Like what is the point of that?

 

[Kings4OT]

This sounds crazy but I would not sleep on the Ducks sneaking in. I think McDavid is hurt right now, but I don't see too many scenarios where they don't smoke LA in the 1st round. I also think they're wheeling and dealing, and will add some pieces for a run. Maybe unpopular opinion but I would rather sell and retool than sneak into playoffs and lose to Edmonton in 5 again. Like what is the point of that?

Do not disagree with any of this...other than still having Blake is the only draw back

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

[QUOTE="Stunner_At_Staples_Kings, post: 18577883, . Byfield def the new scapegoat for everything.

Buster isnt the scapegoat, he is a bust. He is a 2oa that has been pumped since day 1. At the start of the season I mentioned once PLG traded the only opportunity for more production was Buster. Kopi was gonna be hard pressed to get 70 points, Kempe maybe get the same, TOTM was no way gonna net 30, Fiala gonna be his normal 60 to 70p....leaving Buster as the only real chance to improve production in the lineup....they tried and tried, he wasnt up to the task. The only reason the Kings are in it is the team defense (Buster is a good part of that). We've called out players up and down the lineup but most are at their "norm" ....if Buster broke out to an actual 2oa producer, Kings would look pretty solid wouldnt they?
[/QUOTE]

This is what I mean. You're brushing off how booty Trevor Moore has been, along with some other guys (Danault? Lewis...). To casually say "TOTM was no way gonna net 30", while being true, doesn't mean it's on Byfield solely. I think this team has structure, age, and identity problems that go beyond Byfield. Does he pad his stats with secondary assists and fail to drive plays, sure. I am not even defending him, but he does have a microscope on him in this chat, which is probably an overcorrection for how the main chats, league, and overall narrative just knob this guy all the time.

I am looking for goals in this lineup, and it's what? Kempe and Fiala need to drive the offense or it will dry up. Kopitar is solid for his age, but he has clearly lost a step. Not his fault. What other teams have their best playing top C minutes night in and night out at 37 years old. And the 11-7 system does him no favors. Primed for some wear and tear.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

And goaltending. Man do I miss the days of building from the net out. Just an embarrassment of riches in net year in and year out. Kuemper is okay, but Rittich is maybe not even serviceable anymore. Defense is weird. Hard to single out anyone, but it's just a weird group. Doughty feels like he has some hard miles on him too, so we might be witnessing the last stretches for him too. Gavrikov I like, but at what price? Kings lose him this summer and they have no Plan B. Clarke is Clarke. 6th overall pick but he just can't really skate or defend. Maybe should be a forward at this point, which solves your 11-7 issue. Spence feels undersized too, and is like a slightly better defensive but worse offensive version of Durzi. Yeah I don't know. As a lifelong Kings fan, it is so hard to get into this team, top to bottom. Despise Blake at this point, and find it hard to be into the team as it is built. Basically like Kempe and enjoy seeing Kopitar and Doughty as remnants of the past. Beyond that...

Also, did we just give up on the young guys? Akil Thomas hasn't played one game this year. Lee? I feel like when Sutter came in during the 2012 season, it was like his first weekend and he's like "Yeah, bring up King and Nolan" and what a difference it made.

 

[Kings4OT]

I hear ya, I was down on Buster since the pick and him being pumped on TV, every chat, every game just made me pretty adamant about my position (and much like you with PLG, he didnt show me shit to change my mind lol)...i had some hopes but I was team Stutzle from the get go.

TOTM, may look like im brushing him aside, but I never wanted him and thought maybe a 15g guy at best...to small for a decent b6 and not skilled enough for a t6....everything Blake looks for in a player and draft pick apparently. So I never expect shit from this guy and basically say cool when he gets an EN. Dunno, i think im one of the few pointing out his lack of production especially last year when compaired to PLG...but Dunno gets the pass because he looks like hes doing something.

Your definitely spot on with the roster and its why I harp on things I do as it doesnt take many mistakes to get here and when you pile onto thos mistakes its just absurd and thats been Blake.