Kings Win!

[PuckinUgly57]

Few things:

1. Nice to see Kings playoff hockey again. I wasn't expecting any games until next season, good job being here.

2. Chance to close out Edmonton at home, the last time the Kings won a home game was Game 5 of the 2014 SCF when Martinez scored to clinch it. This is a huge game and opportunity for LA, if this goes back to Edmonton for Game 7 that'll be a tough game. Close it out at home, great experience for the young kids.

3. I was ripping on Euthanasia, Kempe and Dunno all series long, especially last night because they've MIA and all three pulled the Arvidsson/Dunno on me from my posts earlier this season. On that note, you suck Kopitar (hopefully he's gets going tomorrow night).

4. Quick has been overall solid, he looks dialed in and ready. Old ass or not he is still a money goalie. PP and PK are awful whether it's November or April.

5. Leah Hextall sucks. I feel like my ex screaming at me every time she opens her mouth. She is an embarrassmentand has no business calling a game.

Anyone hear "xxxx checks up" countless times? I've been around this sport my whole life and never heard that term. You got "check down" from the NFL confused there chick. Get off the TV.

6. Loved the ESPN knob gobbling of McJesus and especially Draisaitl, with said Hextall (you're a freaking embarrassment to your family) saying "is this where Draisaitl gets the hat trick in this OT?", you could tell that's what she wanted and to a lesser degree the dude whoever it was.

Juice told you and your golden boys to GFY 72 seconds in. Love it.

=)~~

 

[Kings4OT]

Can't play with the game winner, Not much more of a micdrop than that. It was absolutely outstanding to see you see after the knob gobbling of mcjesus and dry cycle.....special teams is quite special, good god my beer league could do better. As always defense starts up front in the PO,

 

[Deader2818]

Few things:

1. Nice to see Kings playoff hockey again. I wasn't expecting any games until next season, good job being here.

2. Chance to close out Edmonton at home, the last time the Kings won a home game was Game 5 of the 2014 SCF when Martinez scored to clinch it. This is a huge game and opportunity for LA, if this goes back to Edmonton for Game 7 that'll be a tough game. Close it out at home, great experience for the young kids.

They won game 4 of this series 4-0 at home.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

They won game 4 of this series 4-0 at home.

I meant to close out a series - been a loooooooong time my friend.

I hope they do it just so I can read all the Edmonton articles that'll come out tomorrow. There are some doozies out there, their heads are already exploding this went 6 games as is.We have McDavid! We have Draisaitl! $9.25 million Nurse! Mike Smith! Duncan Keith ans his 3 Cups! How can this be????

Maybe Leah Hextall can go console McJesus by swinging on his nuts some more.

 

[Fox4Kings]

Leah Hextall is the worst even my 9yr old son kept saying how annoying her voice was when she would get excited. I understand Nurse is a solid defenseman but even at the time of the contract it felt like a ton of money. Duncan Keith has been a liability so I hope he gets additional playing time, he looks pretty bad to me.

I do feel like Kings need to win tonight or the momentum will definitely be with Edmonton having won without Nurse and on the road and then coming home to get him back and all amped up and rested. Kings seem to play better on the road so hopefully they can find a way tonight.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Man. Just got home from the game. I actually thought it was a good game. McDavid is just really good, but I thought Quick maybe should've had the first one. But he made some money saves and Kings squandered two 1st period power plays as per usual. I told my Dad at that point that if they can't score on the PP then they honestly deserve to lose. That's just the fact of it.

Second period was not that great and I'd say through half the whole game the Kings just didn't have enough intensity for such a big game. That being said, Durzi goal finally opened it up and then Grundstrom to tie it early 3rd and place was going crazy. That's sort of all I can ask for personally, is some heart from the young team. Super fun energy. Gave themselves a chance to win.

Just watching live, I felt like Quick should've had that last goal. Got beat clean. I mean, the whole ice parted and McDavid drove whatever defenders away (I feel like that soft pick is never gonna get called) and it was point blank, but I guess I'm used to Quick coming up with it in big games. Is what it is.

End of game. Kings get a PP with about 3 1/2 left and a few frustrating plays ensue. I thought Kempe at the point with two guys on him just has to get that puck through somehow. Whether in the corner or on net, he can't fumble that. They probably should've scored the empty netter there but it came a few plays later. I feel like if that scenario is reversed, Kings are holding on for dear life, which I think speaks the talent discrepancy in this series.

Overall, wish LA came out stronger, but I was really impressed with how they rallied to tie it. Good sign from a young team. Unfortunate finish, but it is what it is when playing a good team.

I keep saying it but it's such a sign of youth. They struggle with expectations, but thrive when you write them off.

Hope that wasn't Brown's last home game and told my Dad it would've been epic if he'd gotten the winner or made a big play. Just didn't happen.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Brown had a great chance late, just couldn't elevate it in tight on Smith. That play was created by Euthanasia bringing it out from behind the net and it going across the crease (more on that). As much as I have ripped on Brown basically for the last decade, I too would have loved to see him do that - game was tied 2-2 at that point and would have been a dagger.

Quick, I agree. His paddle wasn't down on McJesus' wrap, weak goal for sure and one he should have stopped. The Barrie goal coming down the middle I saw a few things:

- I knew a line change was happening even though it wasn't on TV, no other way the middle parts like that.
- both Kings defenders were real low in the crease, but Anderson's man wasn't even a threat and McJesus was not an option, covered well.
- that said, last moment you see Grundstrom trying to cover the middle, I think Anderson could have skated out a bit to challenge Barrie and Grundstrom could have gone towards his spot by the net. This would have taken space away from Barrie, and who knows, maybe he has too much traffic now to take a shot or he peels off to the right and goes towards the boards.
- Because of the bodies by Quick, he seemed deeper in net than he could have been, opens up more shooting area for Barrie because you're right, that's a goal Quick normally doesn't give up.
- TLDR: a bunch of little things could have been differently by different players to prevent that chance all around. Instead it burns them and leads to a Game 7.

Back to Euthanasia, never in a million years did I think my bunk play on his name would become reality, he put the Kings down last night. Horrible decision to not chip the puck deep going in 1 on 2, then he bobbled it and McJesus is gone the other way, and even gassed he goes for a line change opening up that middle for Barrie and putting Grundstrom in a really bad spot.

He has his moments and is a dynamic player but when he f**ks the dog, he REALLY f**ks the dog. He's been an OK player for LA, but I don't see him back after this season.

I don't know how I feel about Game 7 with him in, he has speed and can make something happen - good and bad - but Vilardi will not keep pace with Edmonton because his skating is poor and I don't think Byfield is ready for a Game 7 with the season on the line so what are the other options?

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Yeah someone Tweeted to Jim Fox and he read it in Game 5 that if AA was just scratched every other game he'd score 41 goals. That speaks to what everyone sees. When he misses time for health or other, he comes back with some kind of focus, and then it immediately just falls off.

I'm in the same boat. Vilardi is too slow and he's liability too. I don't think you can throw Byfield into a Game 7 (No ruling it out, but that seems like a lot).

I will say I thought the lines were very weird last night. I don't want to throw all their letters together but Kopitar and Kempe had Kaliyev for a lot of the game last night, and I don't really know why that happened. Kaliyev looks outmatched to me. He's not very fast, and but he gets bodied a lot. I see them trying to get him shots on PP so in that sense I get why he's in the lineup, but as far being on top line (Really second line at this point) I don't really get it. I think you can't mess with Grundstrom-Danault-Moore line. By why was Iafallo dropped down? I think you throw Iafallo with Kempe and Kopitar. I thought Kupari was crushing faceoffs last night. I don't know what that was worth or what the stats were, but I saw win a number of defensive zone draws.

By the way, where is Arvidsson? Late Scratch before Game 1 and then crickets. Like what happened before Game 1? He didn't even travel with the team to Edmonton for Game 5 so it must be something sort of serious.

I'll just say that I do think all the pressure is back on Edmonton. Home game in a series they're favored in. Got Quick vs Mike Smith in a winner take all, and despite any other areas being outmatched, man I just would not want feel super comfy if all of my eggs were with Mike Smith. Who by the way, is still out of his mind. Couldn't help but spear a guy while he was down yesterday. Someone posted on The Athletic, and it was a great point, that Edmonton is taking liberties with extra stuff after the whistle because of how inept the Kings PP is. They don't have that fear LA is going to make them pay. So part of the extra stuff from Nurse, Kane, Kassian, Smith can be attributed to that. They are all also out of their minds, but that was something I thought actually made sense.

 

[Kings4OT]

Kings gotta withstand an early push and keep it close into 3rd. Im hoping without drycycle and kulak mcjesus tries to do even more. If they keep him underwraps i like their chances. If not buried by the 2nd i think kings win!

GO KINGS GO!

 

[Kings4OT]

Kings pretty flat, almost looked timid and afraid to make a mistake. If you would have told me there was going to be only 1 penalty called in game 7 i would have bet LA won. I think they needed to throw more rubber at Smith earlier but they kept trying to make the pretty play.....they arent good at that.

Anyway, better than i thought they would do and now i can only hope a few of these younger guys step up next year and take the next step

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Yeah I thought they looked outmatched overall. I didn't really like their energy, but I felt the longer it stayed scoreless was going to benefit LA. I can't really recall any good scoring chance by LA. Nothing dangerous over pretty much the whole game. Shots were one-sided. I did think the only hope was there was no way Edmonton was feeling good about their situation outshooting the Kings so much and only being up 1-0, but Kings came out in the 3rd with pretty much the same energy and nothing really changed.

Overall, some good and some bad in the series. Some really bad stretches but I think they ran a lot of younger guys, which was good.

Brown retiring, so sort of anticlimactic final game, but I think it was a good series for LA overall. They were pretty outgunned, and showed some heart in there.

I am not sure impressed with Edmonton, outside of McDavid, but not sure winner of Dallas/Calgary is all that strong either. So who knows? I could see Edmonton winning another round, but I don't see it past that.

 

[Kings4OT]

I blame Kopistar and Brown for the lack of urgency, Those 2 have been there before and definitely know what it takes to win in those situations. No they are older and just don't have it like they used to but it was up to them to guide and put that fire under these kids..... Not like I was expecting them to win the cup or anything but that last game Was kind of pathetic in my opinion.... It's actually what I expected most of the year haha

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I blame Kopistar and Brown for the lack of urgency, Those 2 have been there before and definitely know what it takes to win in those situations. No they are older and just don't have it like they used to but it was up to them to guide and put that fire under these kids..... Not like I was expecting them to win the cup or anything but that last game Was kind of pathetic in my opinion.... It's actually what I expected most of the year haha

Yeah it's tough for me to really assess. I wanted to note Kopitar needed to do more, but he basically played half of every game and mostly against McDavid, which is really tough. But when you pay a dude $10mil a year... I think criticism isn't completely unfair. I don't think he was the problem though. I feel like the main blame across the board was special teams. Just so inept and it needs to be addressed. It was like not even watching an NHL team at times (Both PK and PP). I introduced my wife's cousin to the Kings and that's all he asked. "Why does it seem like they (Edmonton) always score with an extra guy, and we don't?". Great question.

Exit interviews on Youtube were pretty good I thought. LAKings main page posted McLellan, Blake, Kopitar, Brown, Quick, Doughty, and Danault that I saw. Def recommend checking those out.

Doughty said he's mostly healed up and he takes the ice again in about 5 weeks. He'd have pushed to play if it was Conference Finals, and for sure cup finals. He said he'll miss Brown but it freaks him out about retiring and he said he wants to play forever.

Overall message was they were happy to make the playoffs but it's all for not if there is any sort of regression next year. Danault and Doughty both said they would like to get bigger as a team, and Doughty said they should still target a top 6 guy because scoring is still an issue.

Arvidsson with a herniated disk I guess he aggravated in the first 5 minutes of Game 1 warmups. He is having surgery this week. Would have been nice to have him in the lineup for sure.

McLellan just going through player assessment with his staff right now. I guess they run their opinions, and they compare with Blake's assessment and see where they're at. They ran 13 different defensemen this year and he said that was brutally tough, but it should, in a messed up way, create the most competitive group in training camp next year.

Always interesting to look at cap numbers. Brown's money obviously falls off. Petersen contract kicks in with his $5mil. Quick one more year. Truly pains me to say, but unless Quick takes some crazy discount (Which he honestly might do. His numbers say he'll get paid less, but I mean discount even on that) they signed Cal for 3 years and they won't carry two goalies with a significant cap hit. AA is a UFA. Dude is so talented but he really blew that Game 6 play and it is known. McLellan even talked about it in the exit interviews. other UFAs Edler, Maatta, Stetcher. Exit interviews saying Edler the only dude on the backend with any size, but I am not sure I'd miss him (As long we get bigger up front and maybe on the backend). Stetcher had a nice little run. Surprised it took him so long to get into that playoff series with how good he looked. RFA's Mikey Anderson, Kempe (He scored 35 goals this year, so just in time for his new contract), Brenden Lemieux, Vilardi, Lias Andersen, Carl Grundstrom, Sean Durzi, and Jacob Moverare. So, interesting summer for sure. Especially if they're trying to bring an outside UFA in.

https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/kings.

 

[Kings4OT]

I wasn't blaming kopatar on his play so much as Not getting the sense of urgency into those young players 4 game 7. I mean that's usually why you get veterans and stuff for a cup run is for that presence to keep the team focused.... The kings didn't need to go get that veteran presence because Brown and kopitar have been there