Game Thread: V Yotes

[smackdown380]

Kings lose again. Shootout loss

Jake Allen and Louis Domingue, who'd combined for a .904 save percentage prior to facing the Kings, saved 82 of 85 shots in these two games.

 

[smackdown380]

This play best sums up the season right here. Kings up 2-1, Arizona swarming and Doughty gets a good look to clear the puck. It looks like the puck is going straight down the middle (though rolling) and then all of a sudden, the puck hits a bump of some sort, changes direction and goes for icing. Next sequence, Arizona ties the game and eventually goes on to win in the shootout.

 

[smackdown380]

 

[smackdown380]

Salt on the wound....Oilers beat the Stars 7-1..not sure what is more depressing....Oilers won or that they put up 7.

 

[histkng23]

This team is pretty much done, unfortunately. Was at the game last night, and there seems to be a significant drop in the physical component from the team. No hitting, no vicious checks anywhere, no punishing of the opponent. I commented to my friend I was at the game with, saying it looked like the two teams were having a pillow fight out there. But with Nolan out, and seemingly nobody else on the team willing to lay the wood to anyone, the lack of power plays generated by the team, really limits the momentum the team can generate. Basically, I'm saying this team has no balls right now, especially when the urgency should be peaking.

 

[davnlaguna]

Defeat from the jaws of victory

 

[Psych3man]

Stick in the fork...Kings are done

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Stick in the fork...Kings are done

Yup. Not seeing April hockey for these guys.

The agonizing thing is they will come really close and miss it by 2 points or so, just watch. Reminds me of the Kings of old, not good enough to get in/make some noise if they get in, not bad enough for a quality 1st round pick to grab an impact player in the next few years.

 

[Kings4OT]

Sucks, Brown has actually not been bad....not 6m good, but not bad. I kind of disagree with most that Quick is the reason the Kings will miss, I still think its lack of scoring. Kings are great at generating shots, but they aren't great shots from good spots, mostly shots easily stopped. Carts was basically the offense and while he is good he is not someone that can be the only scorer on the team.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

This is the best season from Brown we have seen in probably 5 years IMO. He has definitely improved his play, but his best hockey in 5 years is still not worth $5.85 million as you stated. The bar for this guy has become so low when he hit double digit goals I was doing cartwheels.

But he has been effective, hitting and making things happen again, and it's nice to see him get a few more goals here and there. That is still one of the contracts the Kings need to move if they want to make improvements elsewhere to be competitive again, I'm hopig Dumbo has a deal in place to move him or Gaborik to Vegas to not lose anyone valuable on the roster and get one of those atrocious deals off the books.

I too agree that Quick is not the reason the Kings will miss, but it certainly didn't help with him out. Budaj was a band aid and played as best as he could but he had some off nights that will come back to haunt LA. I remember lost leads from weak goals, the team playing more defensively in front of him than they would Quick and thus not generating more of an offensive attack.

The lack of scoring is nothing new, LA has averaged 19th - essentially the bottom third - in goal scoring the last 5 years (2011-12 188GF 29th/2012-13 131GF 10th/2013-14 198GF 26th/2014-15 218GF 18th/2015-16 223GF 14th). I have no idea how they snuck up to 10th in the lockout shortened 2012-13 season, I think Carter had like 28 goals and 4 assists or something that year.

The mentality the last 5-7 years has been shot quantity, not quality, which is why we see the Kings out shoot other teams by a wide margin most nights but still end up losing 3-2. A shot from the slot is not equal to a shot from outside the circles in terms of danger. But that is how this team was built, get the shot through, use their size to get to the front, bang home some rebounds - it's essentially "Beginning Hockey" in LA which is why I have seen many people (including Kings fans themselves) mention how boring LA hockey is. And they are right, it's not creative - it's basic. The personnel on this roster is designed to play that game, so until Dumbo changes his mind or someone else who comes in, those are the types of players he will mainly acquire.

Back to your point, not only was it not Quick but this was just a strange season altogether. The Kings never really seemed to hit any type of consistent stride apart from that 5 game winning streak prior to the ASG. The timing was bad for LA to get that break because they were rolling at that point.

One more quick note on this season, this is the worst WP% LA has had in 5 years, .529. Lots of factors contributed to that number.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Just doing some late night browsing and spotted this from 2 days ago since we are on the topic of goaltending:

“Quite honest, we’re in a position where we’re fighting for a playoff spot because our goaltending in February hit the wall,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “We were losing way more than we were winning in terms of goaltender versus goaltender.”

Can Ben Bishop help the LA Kings' playoff chances?

Can't say I disagree with that statement from Sutter, February was by far Budaj's worst stretch as a King. Myself and a few others mentioned he looked like he was worn out, which is a six of one/half dozen of another scenario; Sutter plays Budaj into a wall because Zatkoff sucked, and because Zatkoff sucked Sutter played Budaj into a wall.

The bad goals just kept pouring in in February it seems. I mentioned in the Trade Deadline thread (I think) that I counted at least 4 goals in less than in a 2 week span from Budaj that should have been stopped; some were outnumbered attacks, but the defense did what they were supposed to even in that scenario but he was letting them in. I play defense myself as you guys know and if I put a guy in a really bad spot to shoot and my goalie still doesn't make the save, I won't scream and yell or belittle him but in my head I will be saying "WTF man, I did everything I could to make that an easy save for you". It's frustrating and when it repeats it's demoralizing knowing you have a crapshoot back there not knowing if your guy will make the save or not on what appears to be easy saves.

Lots of softies I remember glove side. Two were in the Florida game that I attended with my boys, and they were early period goals too (1st and 2nd, less than 2:00 in, maybe even 1:00 in) and devastating back breakers, you could sense it either being there or seeing it on TV.

Dumbo said he had been working on Bishop 3 weeks prior to the actual acquisition date but "the logistics weren't right". Logistics? WTF is that? I think had Dumbo pulled the trigger 3 weeks prior perhaps LA is not in this spot.

I'm not blaming Budaj, he played way over his head and should be thanked that a lackluster offense didn't help him yet somehow he kept this team in PO contention but he was definitely part of the problem near the end there.

 

[Kings4OT]

I definitely agree that Feb was the end for Budaj, but I guess in my mind I see Quick hit that wall of being worn out as well and let some softies in....which is why I don't see him as the problem. the game goes through cycles of what works and what doesn't, when it changes you need to be able to adapt at least a little.

 

[LoCal Kings]

Somewhere amidst Lombardi's comments on the Bishop trade, he states that Budaj was not the real problem, but instead back-up goaltending (Zatkoff) was the problem. Kinda says that maybe Budaj could've been better (more rested) had they been able to give Zatkoff more starts.

I'm hoping that UFA Bernier is ready to accept a back-up role and a back-up salary to return to this Kings next season. But realistically, he will probably get more $$$ than the Kings can afford, even as a back-up.

 

[Kings4OT]

I would really like to say we don't need much spent on a back up

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Yup. Not seeing April hockey for these guys.

The agonizing thing is they will come really close and miss it by 2 points or so, just watch.

I really wish I could disagree with this statement. They might go 2-1 head's up against Edmonton and then have it come down to 1 or 2 points to make it close. Like last year, when they blew a 3-0 lead to Winnipeg in the final game to give Anaheim the division.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

How the LA Kings Could Still Make the Playoffs

Kings really trying to make a case for their way to the Playoffs in this article. "Assuming they beat Edmonton in their 3 head to head matches". Big assumption with 2 being in Edmonton.

The main thing is this team has been trying to turn it on for awhile now, and just can't string wins together. Lose at home to Vancouver and Arizona on your homestand.

 

[smackdown380]

Somewhere amidst Lombardi's comments on the Bishop trade, he states that Budaj was not the real problem, but instead back-up goaltending (Zatkoff) was the problem. Kinda says that maybe Budaj could've been better (more rested) had they been able to give Zatkoff more starts.

I'm hoping that UFA Bernier is ready to accept a back-up role and a back-up salary to return to this Kings next season. But realistically, he will probably get more $$$ than the Kings can afford, even as a back-up.

I think Cambell will have a shot to back up Quick next year

 

[smackdown380]

slim chances of the PO but here is the latest update