Game Thread: Kings vs Flyers 11/11/23

[CaptHowdy00]

Should be a good one.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

I wonder how Buster gets to stay on the top line while Fiala got pushed down?

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Wow, just wow. Turnover right in front of the net. Another goal for Filthy.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I wasn't able to catch the Penguins game but sounded like maybe Copley just stunk. For the Flyers game though, they mixed up all lines to try to get Fiala and PLD going and it def didn't work. I'm not totally sure the thinking but I guess trying line combos early in the year is better than later. I feel like Philly was a little motivated after losing to LA 5-0 last week, and probably trying to help Petersen out some. Kings didn't have that much energy to me.

What is everyone's ideal line combos? They seemed to be rolling pretty good the last few weeks so I'm not sure what the thinking last night was.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Thanks for doing this, sports and a block party yesterday so I missed posting it.

Was able to watch the whole game however, yeah...yikes. Poor game all around. Blatant turnovers, Talbot didn't look comfortable for the first time, PP still sucks.

I don't know if the Kings were too cocky thinking they demolished this team just a week earlier but they were off all game long. Tortorella had his team ready to play, Kings were not. That's Petersen's first NHL win in about a year, the Kings lost to a guy they paid Philly to take off their hands. Walker was solid too, you know those two definitely had something to prove coming back to their long time former home.

I noticed they changed up the lines, Fiala is in a massive slump. The Arty Retardy experiment should end, he is not a good fit on that second line. I'd try swapping him and Fiala, going 12/24/22 and 34/80/78. Something needs to happen to get 5 of those 6 guys going. The fourth line was its usual self, buzzing around. Funny how moving Lizotte to where he belongs (4C) made that line even better, although I still have concerns about him in the POs and getting thrown around again.

Which brings me to the POs, the Kings are atrocious at home. Home points should be a lot easier to get than road points. There's been a lot of buzz in the last week about the Kings being legitimate contenders, yeah no...clearly not because contenders own their barn.

Also love how Buster continues to rack up assists basically doing nothing, it's seriously become comical at this point. At this rate he will end up with a dumb stat line of 3G/100A on the year which will be used to say "see! He's doing great!". What a freaking joke.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I wasn't able to catch the Penguins game but sounded like maybe Copley just stunk.

Copley was awful. Mechanics were off, angles, probably the worst game he has played as a King. I was wondering if he would get a shot this game to show he can be a good backup but with a home game against the Flyers and a day off between games you kind of knew Talbot would go.

The Kings do have a backup goalie problem, Copley hasn't played well. If Talbot starts to fade, all those prognosticators saying goaltending will do LA in will be right. I think with 4 days off between games, Copley should start next Thursday. If he craps the bed again, it's time to give Rittich a shot. No one will claim Copley and he will head to Ontario. There's a reason he has never been a starter in the NHL.

For the Flyers game though, they mixed up all lines to try to get Fiala and PLD going and it def didn't work. I'm not totally sure the thinking but I guess trying line combos early in the year is better than later. I feel like Philly was a little motivated after losing to LA 5-0 last week, and probably trying to help Petersen out some. Kings didn't have that much energy to me.

They looked lethargic, especially the last 2 games. There had to be some emotional let down after the dismantling of Vegas on Wednesday, probably fatigue too with 3 games in 4 nights. The 4 days off comes at a good time to reset and recharge. Their schedule has been weird to start the season, seems like a lot of games in a short period followed by multiple days off in between.

Line combos in game were strange to see for sure. McLellan gets a lot of heat for not being able to adjust on the fly, well he did just that. Didn't work, both lines he switched up gave up all 4 goals where as L1 and L4 scored the goals.

Not quite when I would have done it either, but 34, 80, 78, 24 and 22 seriously need to get going. Laferriere is the only one of that group I'd cut some slack, rookie and never played this many games. First year is rough on players and I expected him to drop off a bit but he will level out again. It's those other 4 established players I'm concerned with. Dunno has really underwhelmed.

What is everyone's ideal line combos? They seemed to be rolling pretty good the last few weeks so I'm not sure what the thinking last night was.

Ideally for me:
9/11/22
12/80/78
55/24/34
91/46/61

That's in a perfect world, but Kopitar is extremely hard to play with and Fiala is like a gremlin, you never know what he's going to do. He is also difficult to play with.

Defense pairings are just fine.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I wonder how Buster gets to stay on the top line while Fiala got pushed down?

Because Kopitar and Kempe are doing the heavy lifting. PLD and Daneault lines have not produced much and moving Fiala was justified, I just don't know if this game was the right time to.

I don't understand how Arty Retardy still has a spot in the lineup let alone on L2. He doesn't score, he doesn't defend, he doesn't do much of anything except skate around looking like Herman Munster. I would have scratched him a few games ago and put JAD in his spot or moved Fiala up to L2 and put JAD as LW3.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Thanks for doing this, sports and a block party yesterday so I missed posting it.

Was able to watch the whole game however, yeah...yikes. Poor game all around. Blatant turnovers, Talbot didn't look comfortable for the first time, PP still sucks.

I don't know if the Kings were too cocky thinking they demolished this team just a week earlier but they were off all game long. Tortorella had his team ready to play, Kings were not. That's Petersen's first NHL win in about a year, the Kings lost to a guy they paid Philly to take off their hands. Walker was solid too, you know those two definitely had something to prove coming back to their long time former home.

I noticed they changed up the lines, Fiala is in a massive slump. The Arty Retardy experiment should end, he is not a good fit on that second line. I'd try swapping him and Fiala, going 12/24/22 and 34/80/78. Something needs to happen to get 5 of those 6 guys going. The fourth line was its usual self, buzzing around. Funny how moving Lizotte to where he belongs (4C) made that line even better, although I still have concerns about him in the POs and getting thrown around again.

Which brings me to the POs, the Kings are atrocious at home. Home points should be a lot easier to get than road points. There's been a lot of buzz in the last week about the Kings being legitimate contenders, yeah no...clearly not because contenders own their barn.

Also love how Buster continues to rack up assists basically doing nothing, it's seriously become comical at this point. At this rate he will end up with a dumb stat line of 3G/100A on the year which will be used to say "see! He's doing great!". What a freaking joke.

Watching "The Hockey Guy" on Youtube and his weekly power rankings. Dropped Kings from 2 to like 7 after this home stand and he was just stating what we all see. Kings are 7-0-0 on the road this year and 1-3-3 at home. That is really insane to look at. I would understand their brutal start opening against Colorado, Carolina, Boston, and Vegas, but the Philly one really stands out.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Kings are 7-0-0 on the road this year and 1-3-3 at home.

Maybe they should stay at a hotel when they play at the Crypt.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Maybe they should stay at a hotel when they play at the Crypt.

If I recall, during the 2014 run Sutter and the team all stayed at the Marriott even at home to ensure team was focused without the home distractions, bonding together, dinners, etc to make it feel like they were on the road. Probably wouldn't hurt, 1-3-3 is atrocious.

 

[histkng23]

If I recall, during the 2014 run Sutter and the team all stayed at the Marriott even at home to ensure team was focused without the home distractions, bonding together, dinners, etc to make it feel like they were on the road. Probably wouldn't hurt, 1-3-3 is atrocious.

Pretty sure that was the 2012 run, because of the run they were having on the road going 10-0 before losing Game 5 in NJ.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I believe you are correct, that 2012 run is still one of the most dominant playoff performances in NHL history. Up 3-0 in each series, just flat out owning teams, physical and punishing, timely scoring, Quick was out of this world. I watch the DVD on that run from time to time and never get tired of it.

The 2014 run they faced much harder obstacles, three G7s on the road, multiple OT wins, Quick was good but not as good as 2012. I remember one game against Chicago, may have been G7, Patrick Sharpe's crazy shot that bounced 10 feet in front of Quick and took the strangest hop and went in. But the Kings battled back each and every time, I really think that should have been a SCF series. Both teams played brilliantly.

As soon as I saw NY was the EC champion, I knew the Kings would win because SJ, Anaheim and Chicago were thoroughly better than anything the East had to offer and the Kings went through all 3 of them.

 

[histkng23]

I believe you are correct, that 2012 run is still one of the most dominant playoff performances in NHL history. Up 3-0 in each series, just flat out owning teams, physical and punishing, timely scoring, Quick was out of this world. I watch the DVD on that run from time to time and never get tired of it.

The 2014 run they faced much harder obstacles, three G7s on the road, multiple OT wins, Quick was good but not as good as 2012. I remember one game against Chicago, may have been G7, Patrick Sharpe's crazy shot that bounced 10 feet in front of Quick and took the strangest hop and went in. But the Kings battled back each and every time, I really think that should have been a SCF series. Both teams played brilliantly.

As soon as I saw NY was the EC champion, I knew the Kings would win because SJ, Anaheim and Chicago were thoroughly better than anything the East had to offer and the Kings went through all 3 of them.

As amazing as the 2012 run was, and having been a Kings fan since the early 80s, seeing a Kings team be THAT dominate and just dispose of other teams left & right was just an incredible moment to live through, and something the fanbase had just been DYING to have, for just once! I rewatch certain moments throughout that run regularly, and listen to Bob's call of the final minute of Game 6 just to give me goosebumps often.

But when you look at the body of work for the 2014 run, is just as incredible, if not more. Being down 0-3 in the first round, losing 3 games in a row against Anaslime, winning arguably the greatest series (WCF) of the 2010-2019 decade, all 3 Game 7's on the road, the defending Stanley Cup champ, and how many comebacks during games?? Just as equally an astonishing run, that should be held in the same regard with NHL historians.