How's that 20-game mini-season working out?
by Quisp on Jan 21, 2010 12:32 AM PST
in Could Happen
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PrintAround New Year's, I posted what I thought the Kings needed to do in order to be "on pace" for the playoffs by the time the Olympic break arrived. I said they needed to get 24 of the 40 possible points. How have they done so far?
A little better than I thought, actually.
I would have guessed they were under .500. In fact, they're slightly better than that. With 12 games to go till the break, they are 4-4-0. That's 8 of the needed 24 points. That leaves 16 points to get, and 12 games to get them. That's 8-4-0 the rest of the way. They're making it hard on themselves, but it's still doable. Especially since, not a moment too soon, they're about to go on the road.
All the games are important, but the two with DET, two with ANA and the last one, against COL, seem especially so.
And since so many people seem to think there's an unofficial "soft" trade deadline on Valentine's Day (after which is the Olympic trade freeze), these twelve games are a huge gut-check. 8-4 would be excellent. 6-6 would not be unspeakably hideous, but 4-8 would be hard to recover from, especially since some folks would likely be playing their last games as Kings.
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Here's me...
hoping for the best, expecting the worst.
This team is good enough to make the playoffs, I would hate to see them flounder here and have the team somewhat dismantled.
Don’t forget to take into consideration Lombardi saying something to the effect of the team being further along than he expected. I wouldn’t see their struggles as failures in particular, but their consistency has definitely fallen of in the past few weeks.
Agree with Connie, especially regarding Lombardi’s statement. If Dean truley believes what he said there, I think you don’t need to worry about the current Kings team being disassembled anytime soon. Conversely, Dean’s comment leads me to believe that he is very satisfied with the team’s progress thus far, and not to expect any bloackbuster trades around March 3rd.
2009-10 Kings Hockey: Delivering Milk Steaks from the Meat Train at an arena near you!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jan 21, 2010 9:37 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs
and i as well
Will his comments turn purple if one other recs?
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagine such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on Jan 21, 2010 10:22 AM PST up reply actions
Well you can make it so!
Over at Athletics Nation a comment with three recs turns green. It is a cool way to acknowledge a solid comment
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagine such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on Jan 21, 2010 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
en serio
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagine such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on Jan 21, 2010 10:28 AM PST up reply actions
yeah
I don’t mean there will be a fire sale or anything… It would just be a little disheartening to once again find ourselves more is “seller” mode than “buyer” come the trade deadline.
by NumberSeven on Jan 21, 2010 10:28 AM PST up reply actions
I don't think the odds are high that the Kings are either
If everything goes right I think Lomardi will be looking for a deal on a veteran puck mover or a back up goalie. I think a D man is the more likely target.
These rumors about Kovalchuk seem pretty silly to me. Too many moving parts for that kind of deal. Unless I’m missing something I don’t see DL parting with the kind of talent that deal would require. And frankly going after superstars doesn’t really fit with the other moves Lombardi has made. I think he intends to win a cup with three good lines and stellar defense rather than one amazing line.
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagine such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on Jan 21, 2010 10:40 AM PST up reply actions
Different people are in love with the idea of different players coming to the Kings. They could use help in all parts of the lineup, but I think they’re looking more for the kids to fit those spots. You can’t deny the fact that none of the goalies have NHL playoff experience…
I accidentally deleted two responses of mine and one sub-response of yours
while trying to edit/fix my previously botched comments. So here’s my attempt to put back what I took out:
Me: I would take a sniper, a third line provocative ***hole, a veteran defenseman and a back-up goalie.
You: In that order?
Me: Depending on the players involved. Since the powerplay is a huge issue right now and Williams (and Loktionov) are not coming back any time soon, the PP-specialist sniper is the top of my list (as long as it’s the right deal). Assuming Greene and Drewiske are coming back and are good to go, I’m comfortable with those D (though if DL wants to pick up a spare UFA-to-be veteran for literally nothing, I’ll take it — conditional pick if he signs or if we win two rounds, that kind of thing). Back-up goalie…I’m willing to roll the dice with Ersberg, though my preference would have been to get Bernier some games before now, so he could be called up if needed. If DL wants to grab a veteran for low cost, that’s okay with me. The third-line dude I think is kind of important, though. Second to the sniper. I’m going to characterize this need as somewhere between Lappy and Holmstrom. Not those specific players, just the idea of them. More like Lappy.
So, if we can get the d healthy and kind of pretend the goaltending thing is okay as is, I would address those two forward pieces.
You can’t win in the playoffs without a decent power-play. They need to solve this problem one way or another. Thus, the reappearance of Teddy Purcell, god-bless-his-snake-bitten-little-heart. I hope he busts out of his coma tonight.
Wait till this year.
yes but the superstar deal is one u make exactly once (thanks to the cap, who can afford to do it more often?)
Wait till this year.
by Quisp on Jan 21, 2010 11:44 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
lombardi will make deals to improve the team
Long term and short term. Nobody thinks the wheels have fallen off. I do however think that lombardi has made several comments lately about players playing at the value of their contracts. I’ll use an extreme example that I’m not saying has any chance of happening:
There’s a big difference between trading kopitar to boston for picks and prospects and trading kopitar for kovalchuk straight up. One is a rebuilding “sellers” deal and the other is what lombardi calls a “hockey deal”.
Wait till this year.
by Quisp on Jan 21, 2010 11:06 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
there will no dismantling under any conditions
As long as lombardi has a job. I was referring to “buyer” deals…a la williams but probably involving prospects.
Wait till this year.
by Quisp on Jan 21, 2010 10:59 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I would hope Dean is secure enough that he can stay over Kovalchuk if he doesn’t like a deal and know that he’s not going to lose his job over this season. On the other hand,
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
It seems like he has had the reigns, up til now
we shall see.
"Not in your wildest alcoholic nightmare would you ever imagine such events unfolding!" Bill King
by Buck Turgidson on Jan 21, 2010 10:41 AM PST up reply actions
my blackberry is wigging out -- thus the bizarre comment order and title-only commenting i'll fix it when i return from carrying the torch in alberta
Wait till this year.
by Quisp on Jan 21, 2010 12:05 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Stop shouting at us.
greaticepectations.blogspot.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Jan 21, 2010 12:48 PM PST up reply actions
That's not how Quisp shouts at people...
This is how it’s done…
2009-10 Kings Hockey: Delivering Milk Steaks from the Meat Train at an arena near you!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jan 21, 2010 1:52 PM PST up reply actions
I am confident that this is just one of those stumbling blocks that teams hit, and play their way through. I think, points wise, the Kings can afford to drop a game or two, and if they lose or OTL tonight, it is not a huge deal, compared to losing to a Western Conference bubble team. Granted, points is points, but its a safe game to get back to basics, and re-establish themselves. Yeah, they might lose, especially if the face Miller, but it will be an acceptable loss, if they play their game and their system.
by Booby_McNipples on Jan 21, 2010 2:49 PM PST reply actions
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