Game Thread: Kings @ Sens

[PuckinUgly57]

Thought I'd start one for tonight, never used the tag feature before.

Why is Gary Thorne doing the PBP with Fox? I picked up on it the other night, didn't even need to see his face to know who it was.

Dude just shouldn't call hockey games - he butchers names, I remember him callng Mathieu Schneider "Snyder" in 2000 or so when ESPN still had the games and then calling Modry "Modray".

Tuesday night he calls Nazem Kadri "Kadray" and he has been calling Kopitar "Kopitah" all week. Stick to baseball, I guess he is better there?

 

[davnlaguna]

Bob not making Many road games.
I was hoping they would use the games as an audition process. Sigh

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I forgot how awful he was, this week was a reminder. He is terrible.

King with another garbage goal, off the skate against TO and off the knee tonight. Sell high on this clown.

 

[davnlaguna]

Garbage goals are fine. At least he is in the crease, causing havoc

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I'll take it, and I agree it means he is down in the crease but the guy has some decent talent we have seen and is one of the most frustrating players on the roster.

Some games he acts like a power forward and others a power pansy. Consistency has been his issue all along, but he is in his 5th season now here.I wouldn't mind moving him at the deadline as part of a package, he has had plenty of time to show his stuff here and will be a GIII UFA at the end of the season - this is audition time for him.

He does mesh well in the Kings cycle/possession game so that is a plus but then you have to look at it and say if that is enough for him to stay or not, that is the only consistent part of his game.

Big third coming up.

 

[pete6835]

LOL Muzzin gets pushed into Budaj. What a pansy

 

[PuckinUgly57]

He has been awful this season, I have no idea why Fox keeps licking his dick. So many turnovers and bad plays, a few tonight including one where he got completely stripped of the puck skating towards the Kings net and the dude comes from behind him and steals it, goes in and Budaj has to make a save. Then you get the toss into Budaj resulting in the goal.

Pretty annoying way to lose the game but you could tell the Senators were taking over the game in the 3rd period, more credit to them. Looks like Zatkoff is hurt again.

PS - Turdcell sucks.

 

[davnlaguna]

I miss the boring days, when the kings had a 1-0 lead going into the third and you knew nobody would score

 

[Kings4OT]

Would be nice to move King in a package deal at some point, probably wont happen tho.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

For some reason they have a love affair with the guy. I know he has some skills and size but what good is it if he doesn't use it all the time. I wouldn't be surprised to see him moved in a deal closer to the deadline, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see him extended after January depending on what he may be looking for because the Kings do love him so much.

His current deal is 3 years/$5.85 million ($1.95 million cap hit) so he is relatively inexpensive but even at that rate on a cap strapped team he may be casualty because of his demands. I could see him getting a deal in LA averaging $2.5 million which depending on the term, may be too much.

 

[Kings4OT]

I have been hard on the guy, he shows some glimpses of having worth on the roster....then he just disappears and doesn't put much effort out. The Kings need speed and if he isn't going to give 100% he shouldn't get a free pass. They have given out to many of those and they are stuck

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Dumbo's biggest flaw I have seen as a GM, loyalty and trust. It is a necessity between player and GM but he has made decisions - big ones obviously as we know - over the years where he overreached that bond and it cost LA.

What if Richards was bought out in 2014 with the Amnesty Buyout? Imagine the possibilities being able to maintain and upgrade the roster.

 

[Kings4OT]

Everyone knows my stance on Richards, I knew it was going to be a mistake to keep him. There is loyalty, , but that goes both ways. Players get paid to perform, and you give them some latitude with that and if they are solid you do what you can to keep them. But its hard to be loyal to everyone as they all want to get paid, so you better know for sure who the guys are that keep your team going and that's where your ultimate loyalty should go.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I was in the keep him camp, especially because he did have such a poor 2013-14 season even though LA won the Cup. He scored some goals and made some big plays but nothing like he did in 2011-12.

I think I had believed anything Dumbo touched turned to gold, considering what he had done since the deadline in 2011. Nothing like reality to remind you this is still a business. After the report broke that Richards and he had a sit down, Dumbo flew to his cottage, and Richards said he would come back in the best shape of his career and be a better player I figured Richards would turn it around.

I can't remember who it was or where I read it, but it was during his time in Philadelphia and they were in an extended skid and someone was sand bagging it out there. Richards, on the bench, said to the guy essentially why bother being out here if you aren't going to give it 100%, get off the bench and take your skates off. His character is fiery and expectations are high, especially himself, and those folks tend to be extremely hard on themselves. Thus I was thinking after his downward trajectory since 2012 he would pull it together. Damn did he prove me wrong.

The loyalty burned Dumbo big time on that one, but at least he was able to get out of it by a stroke of luck. Brown is going to be a different story but will also be a casualty of "loyalty" if he isn't somewhat productive the duration of that contract in LA or if he isn't moved. As you said, it works two ways.