Game Thread: Los Angeles Kings @ St. Louis Blues, 11/3 5:30 PM, NBCSN

[pete6835]

Lewis EN

 

[pete6835]

Pearson is a better player with TT

Better player or better scorer? Toffoli and Brown don't pass.

 

[pete6835]

HUGE win!

 

[davnlaguna]

Now it is wait for the Kopitar report

 

[pete6835]

Now it is wait for the Kopitar report

Was this from the Reaves hit or was this another hit?

 

[davnlaguna]

Was this from the Reaves hit or was this another hit?

Reeves hit. He never came back. Most likely concussion related.
We won't know until Thursday.
I would be ok if they held him out then but if Reeves doesn't at least get a phone call I will be upset.

 

[davnlaguna]

Better player or better scorer? Toffoli and Brown don't pass.

Better player. Not only does he score more, he doesn't make as many bone head plays. He is better defensively as well.
I kind of feel sad for Brown. He gets chances and doesn't score. He is afraid to level anyone because he has injured people so he is being watched by the league, he is fair game to foul because the refs think he dives. So he tries to play a step or two back from the edge that made him the player we all liked.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Better player. Not only does he score more, he doesn't make as many bone head plays. He is better defensively as well.

Pearson has been a bit of a disappointment so far although his two goals this season have been huge. Good bridge deal from Dumbo on that one, as much as I like him I am not sure I see consistent T6 material so far. Maybe a utility player like Armstrong was, filled a need up and down the line up as necessary but nothing in his game really stands out (jack of all trades, master of none kind of thing).

Have definitely seen more defensive gaffes than before however, hopefully he gets his overall game cleaned up.

I kind of feel sad for Brown. He gets chances and doesn't score. He is afraid to level anyone because he has injured people so he is being watched by the league, he is fair game to foul because the refs think he dives. So he tries to play a step or two back from the edge that made him the player we all liked.

Bullshit. I have heard this line ad nauseum and it doesn't hold water. Guys like Pronger, Torres, etc. have injured tons of players but that didn't make them stop their game. It is what makes them them, and Brown simply does not have the drive he used to.

And like you said, he has gotten chances left and right in recent years and simply doesn't bury them, that has nothing to do with what you're saying may be the reasons why he stinks.

To his credit he hasn't taken a dive in a long while, but he was flopping all over the place for years and that reputation was well earned but I don't believe for a second the referees let him get mugged for the sake of getting mugged.

Brown's career started tanking consistently 4 years ago and I don't believe these are the factors at all.

 

[davnlaguna]

Pearson has been a bit of a disappointment so far although his two goals this season have been huge. Good bridge deal from Dumbo on that one, as much as I like him I am not sure I see consistent T6 material so far. Maybe a utility player like Armstrong was, filled a need up and down the line up as necessary but nothing in his game really stands out (jack of all trades, master of none kind of thing).

Have definitely seen more defensive gaffes than before however, hopefully he gets his overall game cleaned up.



Bullshit. I have heard this line ad nauseum and it doesn't hold water. Guys like Pronger, Torres, etc. have injured tons of players but that didn't make them stop their game. It is what makes them them, and Brown simply does not have the drive he used to.

And like you said, he has gotten chances left and right in recent years and simply doesn't bury them, that has nothing to do with what you're saying may be the reasons why he stinks.

To his credit he hasn't taken a dive in a long while, but he was flopping all over the place for years and that reputation was well earned but I don't believe for a second the referees let him get mugged for the sake of getting mugged.

Brown's career started tanking consistently 4 years ago and I don't believe these are the factors at all.

disagree
Pronger never had to deal with the new kinder gentler NHL. Where is Torres now? Out 41 games. I think between the PSC and the Kings management Brown has it in his head that he needs to tone down the t down. He had a hit vs the Sharks and got a call from the league already this year. While they are not the only factors, when your limited skill to begin with starts to fall and the league is threatening you for every hard hit, it has an effect on your game.
Brown was never a great player. He has said so. Take away the grit and this is what you get

 

[Psych3man]

re: Brown The truly weird part is he does look like he is lighter on his feet this year (in a good way) and has 44 shots to lead the team, but no goals. He does not bury good opportunities, but this is a team-wide epidemic and has been since the 2014 Cup run.

Chicago fans talk about that '14 team as "rolling three powerful lines that scared the shit out of us" because each line would "create mistakes with pressure" (size and grit), "then bury the mistakes in the back of the net" (skill). We have not seen that skill, quite the opposite--what Brown is going through now (0 for 44) is emblematic of the Kings' Achilles heel. This team can win the Cup again if it can get that skill rolling again.

 

[pete6835]

Reeves hit. He never came back. Most likely concussion related.
We won't know until Thursday.
I would be ok if they held him out then but if Reeves doesn't at least get a phone call I will be upset.

Kopi came back after that hit, while shorthanded, but didn't come back to bench to start the 2nd period. That's why I asked if he was hit again.

 

[Kings4OT]

I definitely saw Kopi on the ice after the hit, he still did not look right especially when he went to the bench.

 

[Kings4OT]

The only thing Brown had going for him was making some hits, without that he is just occupying a spot. As Puck said his game has disappeared over the last 4 years and his contract is going to be felt for a long time to come. Brown shouldn't be leading the team in shots....ever.

 

[pete6835]

The only thing Brown had going for him was making some hits, without that he is just occupying a spot. As Puck said his game has disappeared over the last 4 years and his contract is going to be felt for a long time to come. Brown shouldn't be leading the team in shots....ever.

That is because he doesn't pass the puck. He isn't a play maker, he thinks he's gonna skate pass the opponents and do it himself. Selfish, if you ask me.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

disagree
Pronger never had to deal with the new kinder gentler NHL. Where is Torres now? Out 41 games. I think between the PSC and the Kings management Brown has it in his head that he needs to tone down the t down. He had a hit vs the Sharks and got a call from the league already this year. While they are not the only factors, when your limited skill to begin with starts to fall and the league is threatening you for every hard hit, it has an effect on your game.
Brown was never a great player. He has said so. Take away the grit and this is what you get

Pronger was fine from 2005-2011, he was effective still and could skate. He was suspended in the 2007 playoffs - twice! - but it didn't stop him from playing his game until the day his career ended.

Maybe my point didn't come across properly, but what I was trying to say is no matter what, these guys are/were not "scared" to play their style regardless of the NHL PSC repercussions. Torres is a dirty POS but that doesn't stop him, and Pronger didn't stop either. Why should Dustin Brown be so special? He isn't, he simply does not play with the intensity he used to for whatever reason.

Personally I think it's complacency; guy has everything he wished for in life and is extremely comfortable in LA. On top of that he got an absurd contract he didn't deserve (sorry guys, there is no "you didn't get enough on your last contract, let me make it up to you" deals in sports business no matter what).

I can almost guarantee you if he was traded to a new city the Brown of old returns. It's human nature, we get comfortable, in his case he has become TOO comfortable being in LA for 12 years now.

Two cups, monster home and bank account, nice place to live, family and 4 kids, one organization his whole life, loved in the community - why should I play harder?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

That is because he doesn't pass the puck. He isn't a play maker, he thinks he's gonna skate pass the opponents and do it himself. Selfish, if you ask me.

I don't think he is selfish, he is a team player. I do think that because he does carry a lot of weight as Captain, one of the faces of the franchise, general "good guy" reputation he feels like he isn't carrying his load (and he hasn't in 4 years). I understand him trying, he wants to make a difference and get the accolades to justify his rep.

However, he is primarily a north south player, does not have great hands or skill and does try to do too much because of what I feel above which only hurts the team.

At least be effective hitting, which he doesn't do anymore either. I don't care if you have bricks in your skates, if your one specialty is passing from the halfwall and getting it to an open guy to score, do it and do it well.

 

[davnlaguna]

Well Sutter is starting to call out Brown and to a lesser extent Gabi
Saying the reason Kopitar doesn't have any assists is because Brown hasn't scored.

 

[Psych3man]

Sutter on Brown today per Insider:
"Hasn’t played really well lately. Hopefully, if Kopi plays tonight, then he gets the opportunity to play with a special player, and he’s got to perform there. We’re getting into regular season performances. They’re based on not just this year, but over the last couple seasons. He needs to be a better player. [Reporter; Along those lines, did you see some positive signs from him early, like in the first week or so?] Yeah, I mean, it’s what we talked about. We had six months off, and he got on the ice and he trained really hard and he came in really good shape. He’s getting lots of shots. We’ve put him in power play situations, we’ve put him in penalty killing situations to regain his 200-foot game. We’ve shown a lot of confidence in him. Now he’s got to produce. That would pretty much cover it all. We’re counting on him to have a really good regular season based on last year."

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Well Sutter is starting to call out Brown and to a lesser extent Gabi
Saying the reason Kopitar doesn't have any assists is because Brown hasn't scored.

Well earned on both counts. Brown has been invisible for a long time, little surprised about Gaborik (also mentioned him in a thread yesterday I think - glad I'm not losing my mind and Sutter is seeing the same things).

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Sutter on Brown today per Insider:
"Hasn’t played really well lately. Hopefully, if Kopi plays tonight, then he gets the opportunity to play with a special player, and he’s got to perform there. We’re getting into regular season performances. They’re based on not just this year, but over the last couple seasons. He needs to be a better player. [Reporter; Along those lines, did you see some positive signs from him early, like in the first week or so?] Yeah, I mean, it’s what we talked about. We had six months off, and he got on the ice and he trained really hard and he came in really good shape. He’s getting lots of shots. We’ve put him in power play situations, we’ve put him in penalty killing situations to regain his 200-foot game. We’ve shown a lot of confidence in him. Now he’s got to produce. That would pretty much cover it all. We’re counting on him to have a really good regular season based on last year."

Oh snap, Sutter just laid the can of whoopass on him. Maybe it lights a fire under him like the trade rumors did in 2012.