Paul LaPoo

[PuckinUgly57]

Can anyone care to enlighten me why so much of the Kings faithful is so high on this guy? He can skate, and has some nice offensive instincts but apart from the obvious? Watching the game and he needs to beef up, he gets pushed around. He also needs to understand the defensive side of the game, he looks lost.

I hope this comes with experience, and there is a legitimate argument both ways (ice time vs performance vs ice time vs performance, repeat) justifying why he struggles, but the Kings need to fish or cut bait with him soon since he will be 27 in September. He will be a UFA next summer so he doesn't have a lot of time to show if he is part of the rebuild or jettisoned out.

Slick Willy seemed to give him some early ice but after the first goal (him and Phaneuf) and then some near misses shortly after (him and Phaneuf) I haven't seen him out there as much.

 

[Kings4OT]

He plays and looks 19....so based on that he is ok

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Goal making it 2-2 starts with LaPoo.

A completely lackadaisical rim around the boards with no pressure after Quick stops the dump in on what should have been a quick out, Toffoli was the winger and he turnover happens (my other bitchboy. Not his fault, maybe he could have moved his feet a bit to come to the puck since he had a guy pinching on him), Carter then with a chip pass into the boards that was gloved and put down and then the blown coverage that lets Barzal skate in and tip the shot.

That defense pair came on right after the Kovalchuk goal, L4H must be in full force.

 

[davnlaguna]

Kovi blames the game on the effort on that shift. Can’t say he was wrong
6 minutes from winning he said

 

[PuckinUgly57]

All started with LaDue. I watched the replay over and over again on NHL Network and how LaDue just casually rims it around baffles the hell out of me.

I replayed it many times, just to see if I missed something - did it hit something and slow down? Did it catch something along the boards? Did it hop up on him when he passed? Did he whiff? Nothing. Boy needs to work out or something because my 8U boys whip passes faster than that. Not sure if you have ever seen him in street clothes but he ain't no 197 pounds, he has wet noodles for arms.

It was compounded by Toffoli - who also had a very weak game, he was out muscled everywhere, can the Kings just trade this hobo already? - who was standing still when he should have been moving his feet towards the puck when it was obvious it's coming in at molasses speed. Then you have the fiasco with Carter and it ends up in the net, that whole shift from those 3 was a shit show and changed the game completely.

In The Ringer's defense I think he was caught somewhat it no man's land and opted to get the puck and eat it along the boards until support arrives but that whole idea was predicated on a decent pass, which it wasn't to begin with and that is squarely on LaDue.

Kopitar also mentions that sequence as to why they lost:

I certainly a 2-1 game with six and a half minutes left, got to find a way to lock it down and win the game. That’s just the bottom line. Whether there’s — two goals that we gave up, it was off of d-zone coverage and then you just can’t do that because if you do that teams are going to make you pay.*

February 2 Rapid Reaction: Islanders 4, Kings 2 - LA Kings Insider

Granted the GW goal was awful too, but the Kings just took a 2-1 lead and had a chance to win. LaDue needs to be sent back to AHL because he is clearly not NHL material but then again the ice time vs performance "what came first" theory comes in.

I'm honestly trying to give the guy the benefit of the doubt because he hasn't played much and has been a good soldier, but it's really hard to keep doing that because whenever he does get to play he isn't very good.

* I thought Kopitar spoke good English, WTF is this?