Spezza is quickly becoming a Number two type center in the league, his own fans want him gone.
Kopi is a beast on D, he is always way deep back checking, and always leaves the zone with the puck. None of that cherry picking crud you see so many NHL people due(Spezza is prone to this).
I would take Kopitar as my #1, you can have Spezza instead, if we are choosing between the two of them.
I'm not choosing between the two of them, I'd like both is my wish and it's the overall point Hollywood was trying to make. Our centres from first to third line, are not in the right spots. Stoll is not a second line centre, Handzus is not a third line centre and certainly not a 4 million dollar centre.
I'm not choosing between the two of them, I'd like both is my wish and it's the overall point Hollywood was trying to make. Our centres from first to third line, are not in the right spots. Stoll is not a second line centre, Handzus is not a third line centre and certainly not a 4 million dollar centre.
I don't know why people complain about this, Zues WONT be a 4 million dollar Center when he gets his next deal. The guy got his payday good for him. There is about jack all you can do about it now.
So Stoll is not a second line Center.....SO WHAT, the kings make it work cause they have too. No team is lining up to ship their second line Center to LA.
Our six man defensive unit is clicking again. JJ has been a rock and appears to have turned the corner. DD seems to have tempered down the trash talk and is playing much more focused. Green is back to being Green. Willie is healthy. Martinez gets better every game, and Scuderi is Scuderi.
As long a these guys continue to play well, the Kings will have success.
I guess you just don't watch other teams play then. Because Spezza might be the most overpaid/overrated "#1" center in the league. You bring up only a handful of the things that make a good center...how about the more important stats for Spezza. He hasn't put up more than 73 pts or been a plus player in 3 years...he is below average defensively and tends to loaf, is easily out muscled by more physical players.And all this has become even more obvious now that he isn't being carried by a in prime Alfie and Heatley.
On to Kopi, while I don't think he is a top5 center in the league (though its really impossible to know since he doesn't have a stud to play with like so many of the other top players) to act like he is so bad and is playing out of place on the first line is ludicrious. Over 50% of the teams in the league would take him as their first line center that should tell you enough about this random assertion that he isn't good enough.
I don't know why people complain about this, Zues WONT be a 4 million dollar Center when he gets his next deal. The guy got his payday good for him. There is about jack all you can do about it now.
So Stoll is not a second line Center.....SO WHAT, the kings make it work cause they have too. No team is lining up to ship their second line Center to LA.
Sure there's something you can do about it, not now, but preferably after the road trip. That way we'll find out if we are going to contend for the playoffs or not. If we are, then I would like to dump Handzus ASAP. We need more speed on the team, and need to reorganize our centres. Move Stoll to the third line, interchange Spezza/Kopitar on first/second line. It needs to be addressed, otherwise we're going to continue to get smoked by teams with more speed.
JJ, Martinez and really the whole D raised their game.
Next year Schenn makes the center issue a non issue. As it is now it's barely a weak spot and at least we win draws. The weak spot is first line left wing.
Smyth's shot with 10 seconds left in the 3rd went slower than Handzus skates. I was afraid time would expire before it made it to the net. That's the obvious hole in the roster-left wing. Maybe by filling it we could set the lines and Brown wouldn't have more games like this one. I have never seen him play worse than he did tonight.
3 games ago....
Murray has to go... Lombardi is afraid to make a trade where he may actually have to gamble for once in his tenure....Quick and Bernier suck
3 games later....
Kopitar is one of the top 5 centre's in the league... Quick is steady.
Are you kidding me??????
Stoll roofed one from the slot... Not from the pt on a pp.... he actually hit the net....in a shootout... big deal
we have no problems? sick of you guys kissing the wind when it blows your way....
Who said again Kopitar is difficult to get off the puck? What game are you watching? For a man 230-240 lbs.... not sure if there is anyone easier at that weight in the league to knock off the puck
...
Someone also said Stoll isn't a 2ND LINE CENTRE, "who cares"....well we play him over 3 mill....
we pay poni 3.2 mill
handzuz 4 mill+
sturm 3.5....
am i missing something here?
we have had opportunity to achieve something here but where is the big jump this year???
well kopi is a #1 centre .... so we're good....
Watch what happens when we get a coach to Kopi....just watch... He will on;y ever reach some potential of his skill if Lombardi pulls the plug
If this team doesn't make serious changes we are done...
Why else would I rip a victory??? I love this team....
but the management and coaching staff got us all screwed up.... Kills me that only a few see this
I'm not choosing between the two of them, I'd like both is my wish and it's the overall point Hollywood was trying to make. Our centres from first to third line, are not in the right spots. Stoll is not a second line centre, Handzus is not a third line centre and certainly not a 4 million dollar centre.
Other than the point about Handzus's salary I don't agree.
Stoll often gets run down by commenters on this board for no good reason other than some Kings fans must think they have a pre-ordained right to something like a Crosby - Malkin combo and anything less is garbage. I'd just say that Stoll is indeed a legitimate 2nd line centre, let's be realistic about the spread of talent in the NHL, Stoll's stats are certainly comparable with most other 2nd line centres in the NHL and better than many. He performs his 2-way role very capably, is an excellent skater and is smart, is the best faceoff guy on the team and one of the best in the whole league, and actually is an offensive weapon when you really look at it in a clear-eyed way compared to other centres around the league. Can the Kings improve at #2 C, of course they can. Spezza would be an improvement at #2, yes I would go along with that of course, even though I don't really care all that much for him to tell you the truth. Sure, Stoll would be a great #3 but then again I would still take him over many if not most other #2 centres out there.
Regarding Handzus, one thing that rarely gets commented on is how much his hockey sense and 2-way knowledge has rubbed off on Kopitar. I would argue that Handzus's overall effect on Kopi's play has been quite large, I see quite a bit of Michal's style, approach and work ethic showing up in Anze's defensive game and that alone has a significant value that is easily overlooked.
Whether Handzus stays or goes after this season, either way I am not really too worried about the C position going forward, not with Schenn waiting in the wings, and also Lewis having his breakout year as a responsible, intelligent, trustworthy and speedy NHL defensive centre. Sorry I just don't see the Kings down-the-middle depth going into the future as any truly major problem, it's on the wings where the Kings need to focus most of their attention for improvement.
3 games ago....
Murray has to go... Lombardi is afraid to make a trade where he may actually have to gamble for once in his tenure....Quick and Bernier suck
3 games later....
Kopitar is one of the top 5 centre's in the league... Quick is steady.
Are you kidding me??????
Stoll roofed one from the slot... Not from the pt on a pp.... he actually hit the net....in a shootout... big deal
we have no problems? sick of you guys kissing the wind when it blows your way....
Who said again Kopitar is difficult to get off the puck? What game are you watching? For a man 230-240 lbs.... not sure if there is anyone easier at that weight in the league to knock off the puck
...
Someone also said Stoll isn't a 2ND LINE CENTRE, "who cares"....well we play him over 3 mill....
we pay poni 3.2 mill
handzuz 4 mill+
sturm 3.5....
am i missing something here?
we have had opportunity to achieve something here but where is the big jump this year???
well kopi is a #1 centre .... so we're good....
Watch what happens when we get a coach to Kopi....just watch... He will on;y ever reach some potential of his skill if Lombardi pulls the plug
If this team doesn't make serious changes we are done...
Why else would I rip a victory??? I love this team....
but the management and coaching staff got us all screwed up.... Kills me that only a few see this
Am I missing something....what does it matter what any of those guys make....the pay they are receiving isn't effecting the Kings....so unless your name is Phil I not sure why it makes you mad that they are making money. Only one that might cause cap issues would be Stoll (who you didn't list, I'm just stating) in the coming years, and as long as his numbers don't plummet in the future its not a big deal.
Now just because others opinion on players sway game to game doesn't change the reality of the Kings present and future. This year they were a 5/6 seed with the off chance at 3 depending on the Pacific (as it had no "great" teams leading into the year...see Det/Van/Chi), that still hasn't changed. The Kings come out of the break vs Min/Edm/Cal 3 easily winnable games and 2 vs teams right there in the standings win all 3 and the Kings are right back where they should have been at the beginning of the year.
anyone got a video of quick's save in OT? looked freakin insane in person, but i was at the other end of the rink.
kopitar wasn't very visible but brown and loktionov were both awful. lokti got played off the puck twice in his own zone and contributed very little in the offensive zone. kopitar was basically the only king to carry the puck into the zone with speed, but of course he got forced to the outside. teams know they can just wait out brown and they don't really have to worry about loktionov yet.
too bad sturm is hurt. i think healthy sturm - kopitar - williams would be an incredible line -- well, incredible considering our options. willie was absolutely buzzing all night long. poni was fantastic too. maybe his best or second best game of the season (strange that his two best games have come from the 4th line). he was solid on the forecheck all night. none of the dmen looked bad, but martinez seemed particularly good. doughty made a couple of minor gaffes early but settled into a very nice game, especially offensively.
Also, I was asked not to do the next GDT, but I dunno what to do. Puck U said to just let me do it, but his are usually more informative with everything you need to know.
I guess I'll make the next one next week if I'm still allowed to, or I could just post Puck U's and see if that works. Whatever works. I just want the team to continue winning, and I know whoever makes the GDT doesn't matter who wins/loses, but I'm a superstitious guy when it comes to things.
As much as at sucks to give the sharks a point, I think for the team to win after being down in the 3rd is the best thing that could have happened in this game, should give them more confidence
Also, I was asked not to do the next GDT, but I dunno what to do. Puck U said to just let me do it, but his are usually more informative with everything you need to know.
I guess I'll make the next one next week if I'm still allowed to, or I could just post Puck U's and see if that works. Whatever works. I just want the team to continue winning, and I know whoever makes the GDT doesn't matter who wins/loses, but I'm a superstitious guy when it comes to things.
If it was a mod that asked you not to then I think you have to stop doing it. If not I say at the very least you do the game threads til the Kings lose. Seriously. This team needs every bit of mojo we can give it!
I was very happy they went with Stoll on the 4th shot. Like I said in the GDT when you have a goalie as bad as Niemi, just shoot the puck! To many bad things can happen when you deke.
Stoll's penalty shot move is like Aucoin's was last season, it is almost unstoppable if he picks the corner. And Stoll is pretty accurate with his wrister.
In fact going forward I think it should be Kopitar-JJ-Stoll
Its actually a Snapper. But it is undisputed among the players that he has the absolute quickest/hardest snap shot on the team
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willard
Quite true, Mitchell hugely boosts the team defense. All 6 D-men were very strong defensively tonight, they truly anchored this win. Special kudos to Greene and Martinez also, both of whom have raised their game.
The defense was absolutely nails tonight. JJ has been very solid. Mitchell is back to his pre-last-injury form and its games like last night that further my defense-man crush on A-mart.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kingsholygrail
They're getting their swagger back. Hope they don't lose focus over the break.
That has so much to do with it. So Much. so no talk from me for a while about TM or offensive style. Just Win. (DONT cue the Ludacris)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Irreverent
Can the Kings win 2/3rds of there remaining games to get over 100 points and into the playoffs??? I have my doubts.
Dont need 100 points, 95 will suffice. With 95 points we are 98.9% assured of a playoff spot.
I hate to be a downer, but we gave the Sharks a point. We can't be doing that when were playing catch up with the rest of the division.
Then why do it?
The Kings tied the score in the 3rd - they could have easily just folded and lost 2-1. What would you be saying then? And do you think that Shark fans might think they gave US a point (or 2 pts if you want to lok at it that way)?
Just enjoy the 2 points, even though SJ got 1. And besides, if the Kings can play like that for 80% of the games from here on, they got no problems.
I was only able to watch the 2nd half of the 3rd period, and the game had a playoff atmosphere - awesome game!!
The defense was absolutely nails tonight. JJ has been very solid. Mitchell is back to his pre-last-injury form and its games like last night that further my defense-man crush on A-mart.
Agreed, and Doughty appears to be on the verge of figuring out how he's going to work around the way he's being played by other teams. When he does, look the **** out!
Just finished watching the game. What a great, exciting game! Stoll came up huge, as did Quick and Poni (finally!).
We need to stop giving up goals after we score. The first was a great shot, but Quick HAS to stop that second one. He seems good for one bad goal a game lately (except Boston obviously).
The PK came up huge. The first line was quiet, barely noticing them. SJ did a great job knocking them out of the game, and the Kings did the same with their big line.
I can't express how huge this game is before the break. I wish we could keep going, but of course, that can't happen. We're only 1 point out! Unbelievable.
