Game Thread: G72 38-22-11 Kings @ Oilers 3/28/24

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Fiala with two pretty lazy/predictable passes. One on entry into Edmonton zone and one just outside his own blue line. That whole shift by Edmonton I felt was from that.

This game is changing and Edmonton with some dangerous shifts again.

 

[Kings4OT]

Feels like Kings gonna get a sloppy goal soon

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Feels like Oilers gonna get a sloppy goal soon

FTFY.

They have nothing going at all.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Man. Kings just had nothing going on for a long stretch there. Edmonton dominant shifts, but that last chance was the best for LA in the whole game. Finally had a chance of their own that looked dangerous. But it had been a while.

 

[Kings4OT]

FTFY.

They have nothing going at all.

In my defense they almost got one :p

 

[Kings4OT]

FTFY.

They have nothing going at all.

Haha ok then

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Dumb icing. Lose the faceoff clean. Ugly goal but Kings sloppy.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I'd be OK with WC2, this is not a match up I want to see next month. It'll be one and done again.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

They just have zero answer. Send a missing person's alert for Fiala. Dubois has a few hits at least.

They had one endzone faceoff and it was Lizotta, Lewis, and Moore. Just criminally undersized. I think lost in all these matchups is how ineffective Kopitar is against this team. They have the size to body him, and they are just so much fast than him. Theoretically, the Kings first line should be able to do something because they all have a good size, but it just doesn't seem like it.

I think you gotta scramble the lines and get some possession. The standard sit back and defend just isn't working.

But maybe there is no answer for this particular matchup. I assumed Blake's trades and whatnot were in direct response to competing with this is exact team, and it doesn't feel like they're any better set to do that.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Nice Power Play. Best chance came from Edmonton.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

But maybe there is no answer for this particular matchup. I assumed Blake's trades and whatnot were in direct response to competing with this is exact team, and it doesn't feel like they're any better set to do that.

I think making moves to address a specific team is nothing short of stupid, you may not even see that team when the POs roll around. You build a team that can take on any team, any night, any given situation. Big area of ineptitude from Dumbo vs Bowlby.

He cost the Kings talent, money and resources and they do not look any better against Edmonton than they did a year ago. In fact I think they look worse. Don't let the post ASG run fool you, I've pointed out the Kings have the easiest strength of schedule of any NHL team since then so the teams they've played and beaten aren't really a good measuring stick. It's like when Vancouver beat up on pathetic Colorado, Calgary Wild and Edmonton teams back in the day because of a weak division and rack up points and President's Trophies - the moment they hit the Kings it was lights out.

And speaking of lights out, 3-0. Good night.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Oilers just bullying the Kings around like a kid on a play ground. Pathetic.

I'm very curious to see Oiler OZ time after this game, seems like they've never left the LA zone at all.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I don't know. NFL you see a team twice a year so you draft for the division. Especially since winning your division guarantees a playoff spot. It's not THAT different in NHL, there's just more teams. You will more than likely play your divisional teams the first 2 rounds of the playoffs as well.

Kings have played Edmonton 2x in a row in the playoffs and very well could play them 3x, so to prepare for this team makes sense to me. McLellan sucked but he did at least acknowledge the situation. McDavid is not going anywhere, so unless the Kings figure out a way past him, they're never go anywhere.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I was reading some comments from Zadurov today and it generated so much attention with like all of Canada saying the Kings 1-3-1 is bad for hockey and just shuts the game down. I was like, does anyone actually watch the games? Because the Kings do not shut anyone down and give up quite a few leads. But he was whining and everyone was agreeing the Kings are the worst team to watch. So they asked Draisaitl before the game if it pains him to have to dump it in versus LA, and he said "Yes". Loaded question for sure, but it was perpetuating that narrative.

Anyway, that was the battle earlier today apparently. So it was nice for LA to come out and play like this tonight. Really show Canada what's up. Just kidding.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I think with WC1 and WC2 and potentially seeing a Central Division foe, it is indeed short sighted. Probable yes, guaranteed no. Blake went all in to address the Oiler dilemma only and it didn't work.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I was reading some comments from Zadurov today and it generated so much attention with like all of Canada saying the Kings 1-3-1 is bad for hockey and just shuts the game down. I was like, does anyone actually watch the games? Because the Kings do not shut anyone down and give up quite a few leads. But he was whining and everyone was agreeing the Kings are the worst team to watch. So they asked Draisaitl before the game if it pains him to have to dump it in versus LA, and he said "Yes". Loaded question for sure, but it was perpetuating that narrative.

Anyway, that was the battle earlier today apparently. So it was nice for LA to come out and play like this tonight. Really show Canada what's up. Just kidding.

Read the same thing, this is what he said:

It was frustrating enough for Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov to launch a critical postgame barb. “They don’t really make plays; they just rim the puck and sit back all game,” Zadorov told reporters. “I mean, it’s their goal to don’t play hockey and don’t let the other team play hockey, pretty much.”

The 1-3-1 is actually very easy to beat, you play 4 corners in the vacated spots or cross ice bank passes. Zadorov is dumb for even making a comment like that because his team wasn't able to do that. Have some more vodka bro.

I should have just stayed at Lamppost, this is one of the ugliest losses I've seen this year and I'm not even talking about the score.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Only Arty Retardy would celebrate in a 3-1 ass kicking. It's over son, park and ride.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Well...that went as planned.

=)~~

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Just saw Kings dropped to WC2, they would be facing Dallas to start. Blues only 5 points behind, Nashville at 90 points and in WC1. Kings are the worst team currently in a PO spot at 87 points.

I don't think they'll catch Nashville foe WC1, they just keep rolling. The Kings open up against Dallas or Edmonton, it's one round and out. Vancouver would be best.

 

[Kings4OT]

Just saw Kings dropped to WC2, they would be facing Dallas to start. Blues only 5 points behind, Nashville at 90 points and in WC1. Kings are the worst team currently in a PO spot at 87 points.

I don't think they'll catch Nashville foe WC1, they just keep rolling. The Kings open up against Dallas or Edmonton, it's one round and out. Vancouver would be best.

I mentioned that in another thread that the kunaks are the only team I think they could beat in a series.... After that they can hope the other teams have beat themselves up to give them a chance. My hopes that the kings were a season away from being a contender if they got a good goalie was flawed. Unfortunately Kopistar and doughboy We'll start slowing down even more and if they don't Get any kind of a response guy The team will just never have the heart to push through in those tough games. It might be five years or more before we see them out of the first round if they even make it going forward. That's not to say they don't have a lot of skill, But they are really starting to look like one of those teams that is only good in a regular season game When not a lot is on the line