Game Thread: Sharts @ Kings

[Kings4OT]

Lets hope for a good start to the season. We all know this is close to the end for this group to have a shot...

Hopefully Karrlsson stays in form



GO KINGS GO!

 

[Kings4OT]

good goal off an arm in front, 0-1

 

[Kings4OT]

Good shot off a bad Kings TO.....Kopistar picks up where he left off 1-2

 

[Kings4OT]

TT blows by Karlsson (haha) and gets a great shot 2-2

 

[Kings4OT]

Not really sure what happened to DD and whatever it was the out come doesn't look good with him not back yet

 

[Kings4OT]

DD back, didn't actually look like much...hopefully it was a stinger and DD isn't gonna start flopping around. Game has settled in, Kings still look lost from time to time. I do like the speed of Wagner hopefully he can score with it

 

[lasportzphan]

This team looks slow and mediocre.

 

[davnlaguna]

When was the last time th kings beat the sharks in October ?
So many power plays, so few chances

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

My honest thoughts. First period was typical Kings looking slow and mostly playing on their heels, as we're used too. The Kane shot was very nice (And Nate Thompson got absolutely owned on the boards) and the 1st goal looked like it bounced off a few people (From watching it live/couldn't tell). But those are going to happen when the majority of the game is in your end, they're attacking with at least 4, and they don't fear any counter. Kopitar with the gorgeous hands to make it 2-1 and the Kings had a glorious chance to tie it immediately after when Forbort stepped up at the red line (Would like to see more killer instinct that's been missing in moments like that). Amazing what happened when he didn't retreat and had non-retreat mentality. Would love more of that.

Second period I felt the Toffoli goal was a fortunate, but it seemed to set the tone for a much better period. It was actually an exciting period with hits, and chances for both sides (If that's the way it looks all year, I could live with that). Wagner breakaway was stoned but he had at least 3-5 PRIME chances that he just didn't finish. I actually found that highly encouraging. Other players were looking to catch him breaking out and he was getting separation. Doughty slash I missed because Thornton was going after Kopitar and we were watching that. Super glad it was probably not too bad and wasn't like a soft tissue non-contact injury I feared it might be (It was just the slash). Muzzin also took one to the chin at the end of the 2nd that I thought was pretty bad. So some missed calls I felt on the Sharks, but it happens.

Kings still don't have that great PP, but PK was good and killed that huge one with Kempe's penalty with 2 minutes left. Two huge chances that were very "Kings". Got a PP with 6 minutes left, didn't do anything with it, but give up a penalty with 2 minutes left and don't give up much. Quintessential "Sandwich Time" for those who remember.

One note on OT. It hard for me to argue with my pops on his criticism of putting Toffoli out their 3v3. He doesn't have the speed for it, and I think that's what lead to the final goal. I'd probably try some other options, but at the end of the day, it's 3v3 and that can go either way.

Overall, after that first period and being down 2, to get the tie and point was encouraging. Quick looked great, Kovalchuk looked decent. He showed some flashes and having that shooting threat was nice for changing pace. He did play around with it and lose it towards his own end, which was sloppy, but we'll see.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

My .02:

1. 1st period - couldn't agree more, but I usually let Opening Night slide. The extended actovties, delayed start, anxiety leading up to the game, it's understandable if they will stink it up in the first in this game. The issue is when it becomes a constant (like last season - I remember I put a post out there showing due to sluggish starts the Kings were scored on first something like 31 times, I think the final count was 40+ by season's end) is when it becomes a concern. Thus I was expecting it to be how it was and wasn't surprised to see them go down 2-0 early.

Not much you can do on that first goal, some pinball action off Meier. Forbort had good coverage too, just not much you can do when it changes direction like that. I think Forbort has gotten better at not being so conservative the last year or so and think it'll continue. He is developing into a solid complementary defender even though it took a long time to get there.

2. Toffoli goal was right place right time, also a bad goal to give up by Jones. The best part was watching Karlsson get burned, he hesitated to pick up Toffoli, too late, in the net. It's not like Toffoli is a speedster either, he just caught watching. He also got burned by Wagner and Jones made a great save to bail him out. These are clear cut examples why I don't think he is an $11 million defender.

Slash on Doughty could have been a penalty, but those get missed each and every game and it wasn't malicious or anything. The hit on Muzzin however should have been a penalty the moment it happened, not at the start of the third after the referees had a chance to review it and Stevens probably lobbied during the intermission. It's a fast game, things get missed but hits like that generally don't go unnoticed when they initially happen, especially with the emphasis on hits to the head these days (Wilson and his 20 game suspension - good but extremely stupid player)

3. Agree on Toffoli out there in OT. He needs to be the late player on a change, trying to sneak him in when the other team is focused on the other two guys. He simply does not have the wheels to keep up with a lot of players in this league, he was tired and then he hesitated on the change - game over.

I can't remember but did Carter even get a shift out there in OT? Or was it over before he even got a chance?

4. Quick and Doughty, studs as usual.

4. Agree, getting a point out of a game where you wre down 2-0 is good but overall it was an OK game. Build on it and have a better, more complete showing tomorrow.

Final Thoughts:
- Iaffalo and Kempe played very well, especially Kempe. He was making things happen almost every shift he was out there
- Wagner has some blazing speed, hope he shows enough at this level to stay up here when Brown and Brodzinski return
- Kings PP looks badly out of sync, going 0/5 with not even a quality shot it seems or not being able to even get in the zone and set up wasn't pretty. I'd even consider going with 4F/1D on one of the units at this point, even after only Game 1. There is no chemistry and something needs to change.
- Kovalchuk looked fine for not being in the NHL for 5 years. He is definitely not the guy who slashed and ate u defenses in his younger days but he was smart and looked like he played well. Didn't really get a shot to unleash the cannon but I did see some nice plays, soft hands and cut backs and what not that earned him a split second more to make a play. I think he will be fine once he settles in and gels with the team completely.

Laguna D - last Kings win over SJ in October was last season but it was the second game, not the home opener. Generally speaking, the Kings seem to struggle whenever it's the Blues or SJ on Opening Night.

 

[Kings4OT]

I know we're all down on TT, but how can his goal be lucky and Kopistars great skill? I mean Kopitar got a bounce out front that went right to him when he was really not even a threat on the play until the puck was right there and he used some hand skill to get it in a totally open net. TT did as much or more to get that goal including shooting it passed Jones who was right there and blazing by the 11million dollar man....

Kempe was the best King on the ice

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I know we're all down on TT, but how can his goal be lucky and Kopistars great skill? I mean Kopitar got a bounce out front that went right to him when he was really not even a threat on the play until the puck was right there and he used some hand skill to get it in a totally open net. TT did as much or more to get that goal including shooting it passed Jones who was right there and blazing by the 11million dollar man....

Kempe was the best King on the ice

I get what you're saying. I felt it was fortunate more than "lucky" because he did see the puck bouncing and did get on it. Props to him for that, and any and all goals welcome. I just feel like, yes, Kopitar got the bounce, but he also did that little flick to himself as the defender turned around, and kept himself in position where his stick wouldn't get tied up. Just felt there was a little skill in that more than Toffoli's goal. But both were off fortunate bounces.

Toffoli is definitely a whipping boy though, so I will try to be more objective.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I get what you're saying. I felt it was fortunate more than "lucky" because he did see the puck bouncing and did get on it. Props to him for that, and any and all goals welcome. I just feel like, yes, Kopitar got the bounce, but he also did that little flick to himself as the defender turned around, and kept himself in position where his stick wouldn't get tied up. Just felt there was a little skill in that more than Toffoli's goal. But both were off fortunate bounces.

Toffoli is definitely a whipping boy though, so I will try to be more objective.

I agree with this, although I believe the whipping boy rep is well earned. After his 2015-16 30 goal season, he hasn't come close to that level of play and in the years following since he hit some massive lulls in scoring. We've seen enough from him to date too that proves when he isn't scoring, he isn't doing much of anything else, which hurts the team.

That is expected from a scorer, they tend to be streaky - but he isn't an established, legitimate 30+ goal year in/year out sniper (like say Rick Nash for example) who experiences those same lulls. He was inconsistent before 2015-16 and has been inconsistent after, including sub par play defensively. He hasn't earned that type of pass in my opinion, at least not yet. His consistency is way too up and down.

I like that he scored, don't get me wrong, but I'm not on the T-Train just because he scored a goal in the season opener against a goalie who should have stopped that shot 100/100 times. I'm not going to get overly excited about him just yet but hoping this year he breaks through consistently.

 

[Vegas]

It's interesting how the Kings have had a few guys who made the jump to the NHL successfully and then seemed to regress or not make any progress. King, Nolan, TT, and Pearson are all kind of in that boat. Hard to figure. Who'd have thought that King and Nolan would end up the way they have after they contributed in such big ways to the cup run in 2012.