No doubt about it... the Kings are going to drop games to start the season due to travel fatigue. It's silly for the Kings to be going over there again before all of the other NHL teams have done it.
__________________
"In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened." - Vin Scully being clairvoyant in 1988.
The Los Angeles Kings - 2012 Stanley Cup Champions
No doubt about it... the Kings are going to drop games to start the season due to travel fatigue. It's silly for the Kings to be going over there again before the other NHL teams.
PSP is right, if AEG didn't own arenas in Europe the Kings would not be going this time. I don't like it either.
I don't know the answer to this question, but have the teams on the east coast that take buses to road games been on any of these trips to Europe yet? Pretty sure the Rangers have, but what about NYI, Philadelphia, NJ, etc.
But I don't think the Kings would be going if AEG had not volunteered.
Thank you both for your reasoned response. Contrary to the folks who seem to think that I only complain for complaining's sake, my primary motivation is to give the team the best possible chance to succeed. Playing in Europe at the beginning of the regular season doesn't do anything positive or constructive for the Kings.
Thank you both for your reasoned response. Contrary to the folks who seem to think that I only complain for complaining's sake, my primary motivation is to give the team the best possible chance to succeed. Playing in Europe at the beginning of the regular season doesn't do anything positive or constructive for the Kings.
I seriously respect your opinion on all subjects. Just be patient a little bit longer and I think we are all going to be rewarded with some deep playoff runs. I haven't seen a schedule yet, but I am hoping that the Kings will play 3 or 4 games on the east coast and then maybe another game in the Central time zone before heading home for a 4 or 5 day break.
I seriously respect your opinion on all subjects. Just be patient a little bit longer and I think we are all going to be rewarded with some deep playoff runs. I haven't seen a schedule yet, but I am hoping that the Kings will play 3 or 4 games on the east coast and then maybe another game in the Central time zone before heading home for a 4 or 5 day break.
I agree especially since DL even said they're gonna play east coast games on the way back. Hopefully we also get a easier schedule down the stretch at least travel wise. Either way the Kings are going to Europe whether people like it or not so they need to figure out how to come out on top and not let travel be an excuse.
I agree especially since DL even said they're gonna play east coast games on the way back. Hopefully we also get a easier schedule down the stretch at least travel wise. Either way the Kings are going to Europe whether people like it or not so they need to figure out how to come out on top and not let travel be an excuse.
I hope so too, but you know there still will be the looming "Grammy Road Trip" that rears its ugly head every season.
I think the Kings will be fine with their conditioning this time around. Do note that the Kings in 2007 were an atrocious squad coached by Marc Crawford. I'd say they'll be better prepared the second time around.
This past season, the following clubs opened the season in Europe: Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks. Boston is in the Finals and San Jose reached the Conference Finals.
In 2009-10, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Florida traveled to Europe, and the Hawks didn't seem to miss a beat, winning the Cup that season. I would hope this travel is not used as an excuse if the team starts slow or struggles throughout the season.
The team has to eliminate excuses and be held fully accountable for the results, and I'm not just talking about the players, but the coaches and management as well. Otherwise, we're going to be looking at a team that is in the "blackhole" as Lombardi likes to say: a team that isn't quite good to contend and not bad enough to have a shot at drafting quality talent out of the first round.
I think the Kings will be fine with their conditioning this time around. Do note that the Kings in 2007 were an atrocious squad coached by Marc Crawford. I'd say they'll be better prepared the second time around.
This past season, the following clubs opened the season in Europe: Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks. Boston is in the Finals and San Jose reached the Conference Finals.
In 2009-10, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Florida traveled to Europe, and the Hawks didn't seem to miss a beat, winning the Cup that season. I would hope this travel is not used as an excuse if the team starts slow or struggles throughout the season.
The team has to eliminate excuses and be held fully accountable for the results, and I'm not just talking about the players, but the coaches and management as well. Otherwise, we're going to be looking at a team that is in the "blackhole" as Lombardi likes to say: a team that isn't quite good to contend and not bad enough to have a shot at drafting quality talent out of the first round.
Penguins also started in Europe in 08-09 and won the cup.
To be fair, a trip to Europe for an East Coast team isn't much different than an East Coast trip for a West Coast team. A trip to Europe from the West Coast is a VERY different story.
Let's send the East Coast teams to India and see how they do upon their return...
Does the NHL ever send Montreal or Toronto on one of these trips?
The league may also give the Kings a more favorable schedule considering their travel circumstances. What would be convenient is for the Kings to start on the road after their European trip before returning to LA with a long home stretch with their only travel being within the Pacific and Northwest divisions.
The league may also give the Kings a more favorable schedule considering their travel circumstances. What would be convenient is for the Kings to start on the road after their European trip before returning to LA with a long home stretch with their only travel being within the Pacific and Northwest divisions.
That would be nice!
If the Kings were in Toronto, that might be possible, but in LA? ....
The league may also give the Kings a more favorable schedule considering their travel circumstances. What would be convenient is for the Kings to start on the road after their European trip before returning to LA with a long home stretch with their only travel being within the Pacific and Northwest divisions.
Dean stated in one of his interviews that's exactly what the league did... Europe, followed by east coast games and then continue heading west. If the Kings are going to go to Europe, the least the league can do is schedule a bunch of road games and get those out of the way early.
The schedule was released on June 22nd last year, so we'll see it soon.
Dean stated in one of his interviews that's exactly what the league did... Europe, followed by east coast games and then continue heading west. If the Kings are going to go to Europe, the least the league can do is schedule a bunch of road games and get those out of the way early.
The schedule was released on June 22nd last year, so we'll see it soon.
I know this is going to sound incredibly geeky, but I would love to put together an NHL schedule some day. What a cool puzzle to solve.
Of course the Kings would have all their EST and CST trips done by January in like 3 trips and the rest of the Pacific would have to fly back and forth to the east coast like 8 times. Think anyone would notice?
