Adam Kirshenblatt: Kings salvage a point against the Predators

The fight and the grit in this team has always been there. (frank) Sutter. It's all about John Stevens, the real team coach all this time. (frank)ing Kope should have buried some of the chances he had, especially in OT.

The fight and the grit in this team has always been there. (frank) Sutter. It's all about John Stevens, the real team coach all this time. (frank)ing Kope should have buried some of the chances he had, especially in OT.
- verwustung

- Only_A_Ladd

Nice picture of the guy who wasted three seasons having the players play for possession and not to win; not to mention threw away three years of Brownie's career. It's all in hindsight and speculation but I can't possibly now ever believe those Cups were more due to Stevens and not Sutter. He was there before and is the man having the boys once again playing inspired hockey.

Nice picture of the guy who wasted three seasons having the players play for possession and not to win; not to mention threw away three years of Brownie's career. It's all in hindsight and speculation but I can't possibly now ever believe those Cups were more due to Stevens and not Sutter. He was there before and is the man having the boys once again playing inspired hockey.
- verwustung

If Stevens gets credit for the 2 SC wins and the 1 WCF, doesn't he also take the blame for 1 playoff win in the last 3 years, too? Can't have it both ways. Yeah, Sutter lost the room, but let's not forget his achievements and start telling him to f8&k off.

If Stevens gets credit for the 2 SC wins and the 1 WCF, doesn't he also take the blame for 1 playoff win in the last 3 years, too? Can't have it both ways. Yeah, Sutter lost the room, but let's not forget his achievements and start telling him to f8&k off.
- Only_A_Ladd

The story goes like this:

It's a dark cold winter in LA, 2011, with temperatures reaching as low as 53°F at dusk. In the off-season Kings GM, Dean Lombardi has just added superstar center Mike Richards through a blockbuster trade hoping he is the missing piece to a talented group of players he built on a few years after Dave Taylor was axed. Still, the Kings are barely hanging on to that 8th spot in the West and it looks highly likely that they could miss the playoffs all together. The ever loyal Lombardi knows he has to make a move but is hesitant to fire his beloved coach, Terry Murray, who had brought a solid defensive foundation to the team and had the team built to his specifications in playing the "heavy", style game.

Things continue to deteriorate in Kings land. Now, at a post game interview, defenseman Jack Johnson seemingly takes a shot at Murray by referencing the fact that you can't continue to do the same predictable things over and over and expect to win. Lombardi feeling the pressure, finally acts. He let's go of Murray and installs assistant coach John Stevens as interim coach. It takes a couple of days, but we learn who it is that will take the reigns; Darryl Sutter. The coach that had served under Lombardi in San Jose.

Finally off the farm, Sutter brings life to a Kings team that played dead. Everyone expected Sutter to be a brash, unyielding coach; and in some ways he was. But no one expected him to be on the bench during a game hugging and consoling players. Of coarse, Sutter did not know the players at all, but Stevens did; and on Stevens he would have to lean. Stevens had to be the one giving the players direction and guidance as Sutter was only acclimating himself to the new team. Stevens had to explain how to bring the "heavy", game mentality while not playing DUMP and chase, and cycle the puck incessantly to where the opposition had already read the play long before it had even materialized.

Trade deadline 2012: Kings acquire Jeff Carter; one of the top goal scorers in the league. Sutter now has fire power Murray could have only dreamed of. Kings sneak in to the playoffs by like one point and go on a championship run never to have been previously equaled, becoming the first 8th seed to win the Stanley Cup and shocking the league. It was truly significant in so many ways as every player from top to bottom contributed in the hoisting of the trophy. The Kings had won their first Cup ever and Sutter was a local hero.

2013 - Kings go to Western Confernce finals, losing to Chicago Blackhawks.

2014 - Kings win second Stanley Cup in franchise history after becoming only the second team ever to overcome a 3-0 series deficit.

2015 - Kings miss playoffs in what was a very strong western conference. This was what I believe was the turning point to where Sutter became Sutter, and Stevens had to be more of the "assistant", although I believe he was the associate coach at this point.

2016 - Kings go out quietly in the first round. Brown has now had a second successive year where he has played well below his contract value, and more in line with a 3rd line player. In th3 off-season he is stripped of his captaincy with everyone including myself believing he is a has been. Sutter though, was not on good terms with Brownie, and now we come to find out, with Doughty as well. He may have been on bad terms with many of the players. Clearly Sutter, already a made man, had no interest in being that same nurturing coach he came in as. Now he was calling out players like Jordan Nolan, saying that they were malingering through their injuries. Things were much, much different in Kings land.

2017 - an absolutely abysmal year that should have never happened. Every last player with the exception of a couple, underachieved. 80 of the 82 games that year were completely unwatchable. Sutter had now gone full tard and decided to leave the scoring up to chance basically having the players sling the puck at the net from anywhere and everywhere. Darryl Sutter, you do realize that these are professional goalies, not beer league, right? Anyway, the Kings made the worst goalies look like Vezina winners. I moaned and cried, why oh why? Is Darryl Sutter an idiot? Indeed he is. Yeah, Quick was out and they had to play a more defensive style...but playing not to lose instead of to win is as idiotic as it gets, and that is Darryl Sutter.

2017 (off seaaon) - Lombardi and Sutter are finally relieved of their duties. The players as well as many fans wished Lombardi well. Never had I seen one player however wrish Darryl Sutter well. He was gone, and everyone was relieved. John Stevens was quickly added as head coach with I'm sure many players giving their insight into who should take the reigns. They wanted Stevens who had been with them through thick and thin, and was the man who they greatly admired.

2017 (season) - Kopitar looks like Kopitar. Brown looks like Brown. Everyone on the team is playing inspired. Doughty looks like he is having fun again. The grit, the determination is there like they can overcome another 3-0 deficit. Many didn't believe, but I knew that this is not only a playoff team, but a division winner.

"He who lives on hope will die fasting". - Benjamin Franklin

The story goes like this:

It's a dark cold winter in LA, 2011, with temperatures reaching as low as 53°F at dusk. In the off-season Kings GM, Dean Lombardi has just added superstar center Mike Richards through a blockbuster trade hoping he is the missing piece to a talented group of players he built on a few years after Dave Taylor was axed. Still, the Kings are barely hanging on to that 8th spot in the West and it looks highly likely that they could miss the playoffs all together. The ever loyal Lombardi knows he has to make a move but is hesitant to fire his beloved coach, Terry Murray, who had brought a solid defensive foundation to the team and had the team built to his specifications in playing the "heavy", style game.

Things continue to deteriorate in Kings land. Now, at a post game interview, defenseman Jack Johnson seemingly takes a shot at Murray by referencing the fact that you can't continue to do the same predictable things over and over and expect to win. Lombardi feeling the pressure, finally acts. He let's go of Murray and installs assistant coach John Stevens as interim coach. It takes a couple of days, but we learn who it is that will take the reigns; Darryl Sutter. The coach that had served under Lombardi in San Jose.

Finally off the farm, Sutter brings life to a Kings team that played dead. Everyone expected Sutter to be a brash, unyielding coach; and in some ways he was. But no one expected him to be on the bench during a game hugging and consoling players. Of coarse, Sutter did not know the players at all, but Stevens did; and on Stevens he would have to lean. Stevens had to be the one giving the players direction and guidance as Sutter was only acclimating himself to the new team. Stevens had to explain how to bring the "heavy", game mentality while not playing DUMP and chase, and cycle the puck incessantly to where the opposition had already read the play long before it had even materialized.

Trade deadline 2012: Kings acquire Jeff Carter; one of the top goal scorers in the league. Sutter now has fire power Murray could have only dreamed of. Kings sneak in to the playoffs by like one point and go on a championship run never to have been previously equaled, becoming the first 8th seed to win the Stanley Cup and shocking the league. It was truly significant in so many ways as every player from top to bottom contributed in the hoisting of the trophy. The Kings had won their first Cup ever and Sutter was a local hero.

2013 - Kings go to Western Confernce finals, losing to Chicago Blackhawks.

2014 - Kings win second Stanley Cup in franchise history after becoming only the second team ever to overcome a 3-0 series deficit.

2015 - Kings miss playoffs in what was a very strong western conference. This was what I believe was the turning point to where Sutter became Sutter, and Stevens had to be more of the "assistant", although I believe he was the associate coach at this point.

2016 - Kings go out quietly in the first round. Brown has now had a second successive year where he has played well below his contract value, and more in line with a 3rd line player. In th3 off-season he is stripped of his captaincy with everyone including myself believing he is a has been. Sutter though, was not on good terms with Brownie, and now we come to find out, with Doughty as well. He may have been on bad terms with many of the players. Clearly Sutter, already a made man, had no interest in being that same nurturing coach he came in as. Now he was calling out players like Jordan Nolan, saying that they were malingering through their injuries. Things were much, much different in Kings land.

2017 - an absolutely abysmal year that should have never happened. Every last player with the exception of a couple, underachieved. 80 of the 82 games that year were completely unwatchable. Sutter had now gone full tard and decided to leave the scoring up to chance basically having the players sling the puck at the net from anywhere and everywhere. Darryl Sutter, you do realize that these are professional goalies, not beer league, right? Anyway, the Kings made the worst goalies look like Vezina winners. I moaned and cried, why oh why? Is Darryl Sutter an idiot? Indeed he is. Yeah, Quick was out and they had to play a more defensive style...but playing not to lose instead of to win is as idiotic as it gets, and that is Darryl Sutter.

2017 (off seaaon) - Lombardi and Sutter are finally relieved of their duties. The players as well as many fans wished Lombardi well. Never had I seen one player however wrish Darryl Sutter well. He was gone, and everyone was relieved. John Stevens was quickly added as head coach with I'm sure many players giving their insight into who should take the reigns. They wanted Stevens who had been with them through thick and thin, and was the man who they greatly admired.

2017 (season) - Kopitar looks like Kopitar. Brown looks like Brown. Everyone on the team is playing inspired. Doughty looks like he is having fun again. The grit, the determination is there like they can overcome another 3-0 deficit. Many didn't believe, but I knew that this is not only a playoff team, but a division winner.

"He who lives on hope will die fasting". - Benjamin Franklin
- verwustung

I'm well-aware of the history of this team, specifically the foregoing. Like I wrote, Sutter lost the room. Totally acknowledge that the firing was right. But f87k Sutter is an nonsensical sentiment, especially when you're crediting an assistant coach with all the credit during Sutter's tenure but none of the blame. Sure, Stevens has a great record right now with a fraction of the season gone. I hope it continues.

I'm well-aware of the history of this team, specifically the foregoing. Like I wrote, Sutter lost the room. Totally acknowledge that the firing was right. But f87k Sutter is an nonsensical sentiment, especially when you're crediting an assistant coach with all the credit during Sutter's tenure but none of the blame. Sure, Stevens has a great record right now with a fraction of the season gone. I hope it continues.
- Only_A_Ladd

I am fully aware that you know the team's history. My point was to show that DS was never a person that dealt well with adversity, nor a coach the team rallied around. With Murray gone, Stevens was theist more into the limelight and has always been the players real figurehead, not DS. Okay, this is mostly theory, but I think it is a very good theory considering all the facts. The Kings are playing better now than they have in three years, and much of it is due to Dave Taylor's players: Kopitar, Brown, and Quick. That is a long lineage.

I am fully aware that you know the team's history. My point was to show that DS was never a person that dealt well with adversity, nor a coach the team rallied around. With Murray gone, Stevens was theist more into the limelight and has always been the players real figurehead, not DS. Okay, this is mostly theory, but I think it is a very good theory considering all the facts. The Kings are playing better now than they have in three years, and much of it is due to Dave Taylor's players: Kopitar, Brown, and Quick. That is a long lineage.
- verwustung

what a load of crap! down 3-0 to SJ and they proceed to come back!
Three straight 7 game series with Sutter at the helm?

Just bad theory...

I know I am probably alone in this thought, but Keumper was trash Saturday... complete garbage on 2 of the regulation goals and the OT winner... that dude has got to be better, why the F was he the starter that day anyway? just dumb

what a load of crap! down 3-0 to SJ and they proceed to come back!
Three straight 7 game series with Sutter at the helm?

Just bad theory...
- arh777

I know, you are a worshipper of DS. I was a supporter too; but when the good times are a'rollin you don't notice as much. Yeah, we had the Mike Richards debacle, but in 2014 he was centering the 4th line. Then, you had the Voynov massacre. Okay, VV was a huge loss but we still had a better than average blue line. Sutter handled it all horribly. Look how disgracefully he treated the media and Dustin Brown. After 2015 things just started to become self-evident. DS was really an bumhole and a joke. He decided that things will be his way, and no one else's; and it turned out completely asinine.

I know I am probably alone in this thought, but Keumper was trash Saturday... complete garbage on 2 of the regulation goals and the OT winner... that dude has got to be better, why the F was he the starter that day anyway? just dumb
- MikeOxbyg

Really? I thought he was okay. I didn't think the goals were his fault. He was on his game more or less I the second half.

Really? I thought he was okay. I didn't think the goals were his fault. He was on his game more or less I the second half.
- verwustung

I thought the first goal was completely stoppable, I cut him a break on the P.K. bouncer, the 3rd goal was pretty soft and from a bad angle.

The OT goal was similar to the the first goal except there was no one able to back check on the OT goal, so for that one cut him a tiny bit of slack, but those are stoppable goals...

This Camelleri experiment id done, what are his stick blades made out of? wet noodles?

Kopitar had an overall off game. Couldn't catch a pass cleanly, many of his handles weren't crisp and would barely get nicked by the D and be a turnover... oh well, it happens.

I thought the first goal was completely stoppable, I cut him a break on the P.K. bouncer, the 3rd goal was pretty soft and from a bad angle.

The OT goal was similar to the the first goal except there was no one able to back check on the OT goal, so for that one cut him a tiny bit of slack, but those are stoppable goals...

This Camelleri experiment id done, what are his stick blades made out of? wet noodles?
- MikeOxbyg

I watched the highlights and yeah, I agree with you. It was a mistake for Kuemper to go for that poke check on that first goal.. If you're going to go for the poke check you better be damn sure, and he was too deep in net at that point to be able to force a bad shot if he missed. On that third goal, it was a perfect shot from Smith, but DK is way to deep in the net. He plays deep believing that his size will compensate but that's his fatal flaw. The OT goal was by a very skilled player who made a nice, quick move. Again, DK is deep in the net, but I won't kill him on that one too much. Overall, DK could have/should have been better.

I know I am probably alone in this thought, but Keumper was trash Saturday... complete garbage on 2 of the regulation goals and the OT winner... that dude has got to be better, why the F was he the starter that day anyway? just dumb
- MikeOxbyg

I don't know that I would say that the goals were garbage, but I do think Quick would have stopped 2 or 3 of the four goals against. Every once in a while, you need your goaltender to make a save that he probably shouldn't have (Kuemper did make that nice cross-crease save in the 2nd period), but he didn't. That being said, you get what you pay for, and Kuemper is making the league minimum salary. If you want a backup goaltender to steal you some games, spend a little more money.

As for why he was starting, Stevens has been quoted as saying he doesn't want to ride his starter as much as Sutter did, because it risks injury or burnout. We need Quick to be playing just as strong in March as he is now. The Kings only have 11 back-to-back games this year, and Quick will burnout or get injured if Stevens gives him 71 starts.

I expect Quick to get 60-65 starts depending on how well Kuemper does. If Kuemper can get a 60% points percentage out of his starts, then he has done his job. So assuming he starts 22 games, we would need him to go at least 11-7-4. Right now he's at 2-0-1, good for 83% PP.

I watched the highlights and yeah, I agree with you. It was a mistake for Kuemper to go for that poke check on that first goal. If you're going to go for the poke check you better be damn sure, and he was too deep in net at that point to be able to force a bad shot if he missed. On that third goal, it was a perfect shot from Smith, but DK is way to deep in the net. He plays deep believing that his size will compensate but that's his fatal flaw. The OT goal was by a very skilled player who made a nice, quick move. Again, DK is deep in the net, but I won't kill him on that one too much. Overall, DK could have/should have been better.
- verwustung

On the contrary, I think Kuemper should have come out for that puck much sooner. He hesitated on the poke, and by the time he made the decision to go for it, it was much too late.

On the contrary, I think Kuemper should have come out for that puck much sooner. He hesitated on the poke, and by the time he made the decision to go for it, it was much too late.
- tkecanuck341

Yeah, you're basically saying what I'm saying. At that point in time, it was not right to go for the poke. If he should have tried sooner, I cannot say for sure; but the poke check is one of those go for broke things like a Hail Mary where more times than not, you will likely get burned. It's 5he NHL after all, not beer league. Even the 4th liners can burn you. Obviously why it's hardly ever tried.

BTW, I catch your comments on Insider. They are very informative. I enjoy them. Stupid Rosen banned me. I think I was annoying all the old farts and whiners over there by cracking un-PC jokes. Rosen sucks anyway. He lacks any creativity. Some of his analysis are okay but his prose is annoying and patronizing. I'm so hoping this dude quits or gets fired.

Yeah, you're basically saying what I'm saying. At that point in time, it was not right to go for the poke. If he should have tried sooner, I cannot say for sure; but the poke check is one of those go for broke things like a Hail Mary where more times than not, you will likely get burned. It's 5he NHL after all, not beer league. Even the 4th liners can burn you. Obviously why it's hardly ever tried.

BTW, I catch your comments on Insider. They are very informative. I enjoy them. Stupid Rosen banned me. I think I was annoying all the old farts and whiners over there by cracking un-PC jokes. Rosen sucks anyway. He lacks any creativity. Some of his analysis are okay but his prose is annoying and patronizing. I'm so hoping this dude quits or gets fired.
- verwustung

Thanks. I like to talk hockey. I contribute much more here than there, mostly because I like interacting with other teams' fanbases as well. Talking only with Kings fans gets exhaustively one-sided.

Eh, I'm fine with Rosen. He's essentially a vessel to pass official news from the team to the fans. He's certainly not the journalist that Rich Hammond is, and he's not as analytical as someone like Jason Lewis or Sheng Peng. I go to LAKI to get news and quotes directly from the team, and to occasionally pitch questions that can be taken directly to Kings brass/players. He's good in that regard.

Thanks. I like to talk hockey. I contribute much more here than there, mostly because I like interacting with other teams' fanbases as well. Talking only with Kings fans gets exhaustively one-sided.

Eh, I'm fine with Rosen. He's essentially a vessel to pass official news from the team to the fans. He's certainly not the journalist that Rich Hammond is, and he's not as analytical as someone like Jason Lewis or Sheng Peng. I go to LAKI to get news and quotes directly from the team, and to occasionally pitch questions that can be taken directly to Kings brass/players. He's good in that regard.
- tkecanuck341

Yeah, Rich Hammond! I was pretty young when he put that site together, and worse than I am now. He banned me for a month one time for arguing politics but other than that, he moderated me for a while, but I think he truly enjoyed my takes and humor. It was pretty dry conversation on there. You should have seen all these fools on the site crying to him begging that I be removed. Hilarious! Hammond was a much more personable guy and much more creative with his entries. He wasn't at all linear in his descriptions like ol' boy. Hammond was a little goofy but I would take him over Rosen any day.

Yeah, Rich Hammond! I was pretty young when he put that site together, and worse than I am now. He banned me for a month one time for arguing politics but other than that, he moderated me for a while, but I think he truly enjoyed my takes and humor. It was pretty dry conversation on there. You should have seen all these fools on the site crying to him begging that I be removed. Hilarious! Hammond was a much more personable guy and much more creative with his entries. He wasn't at all linear in his descriptions like ol' boy. Hammond was a little goofy but I would take him over Rosen any day.
- verwustung

what did you go by in the Hammond days? I'd prefer Hammy to Rosen everyday all day. Rosen is dry like rye.

what did you go by in the Hammond days? I'd prefer Hammy to Rosen everyday all day. Rosen is dry like rye.
- Stu17

I went by "larva". I had a couple of others but I can't remember them now. Anyway, I didn't post too much because Hammond was moderating me for a long while and it was 50/50 if my posts gets through. What did you go By? Anything? Do you currently post comments? I agree on Rosen
I find myself just skipping sentences and paragraphs because his prose just isn't eclectic and it seems forced at times to create excitement. I wish the Insiders site got better. Rosen brought nothing to it. No new ideas, no new concepts, and nothing to spark the imagination. A lot of people seem to like him, but he's not talented. It's pretty much what the organisation wanted though. It's all about not pushing boundaries, but keeping things ho-hum for the parishioners. Whom ever runs the Twitter account is even worse...a total jackass.

I went by "larva". I had a couple of others but I can't remember them now. Anyway, I didn't post too much because Hammond was moderating me for a long while and it was 50/50 if my posts gets through. What did you go By? Anything? Do you currently post comments? I agree on Rosen
I find myself just skipping sentences and paragraphs because his prose just isn't eclectic and it seems forced at times to create excitement. I wish the Insiders site got better. Rosen brought nothing to it. No new ideas, no new concepts, and nothing to spark the imagination. A lot of people seem to like him, but he's not talented. It's pretty much what the organisation wanted though. It's all about not pushing boundaries, but keeping things ho-hum for the parishioners. Whom ever runs the Twitter account is even worse...a total jackass.
- verwustung

Stuart is me on the insiders... That's why Hammy left, the org started to push what they wanted and didn't want him to write about and he said (frank) you I'm out. I can totally respect that. Rosen's bunch are a bunch of gentrified crybaby's who seem to be under 25, at least for the most part... still some old veterans around but not so much. I don't even read Rosen's posts unless I'm looking for a particular quote from someone in the room, which is hardly ever, so I go straight to the comments and see the jackassery going on and I jam... oh well.

Interested to see if MacDermid gets a call from NHL player safety.

Interested to see if MacDermid gets a call from NHL player safety.
- tkecanuck341

Should have been a 2 min interference penalty. Probably be suspended for a game. What a game! Didn’t like Manson’s late hit on Martz and although not on purpose should have been a call on the Kopi hit.
Also, get rid of the cameras for offsides. It doesn’t play into what happens 2 min later.