How Long Can Management Go Without Being Held Accountable?
- Thread starter Dorian20
- Start date
Statue4Deano
Super Star
It’s not about panic. It’s about recognizing mediocrity. This is a high floor, low ceiling hockey club. We’ve seen them at their best and their best is good enough to beat a lot of teams during the regular season because they play a rigid structured style. That rigid structure puts a limit on how far they can go. Especially when the PP is among the worst in the league.
If you’re happy watching the 12th or 13th best team in the league enjoy the rest of the season! Hell they might even have a couple playoff wins in them. What they don’t have is any plausible shot at beating the elite teams in a best of 7.
Rog or Reg?
Super Star
Yup. I agree 100%.
And about that power play, I'm not sure what else there is to say other than what the hell?
It's been so bad for so long, I remember everyone here joking about the ability to refuse the power play: "No, it's okay. We're good. We decline the penalty"
Our power play has become so pathetic it's actually becoming one of the more entertaining parts of the game:
Will the Kings get a shot on goal?
Will the Kings give up a shorty?
Will the Kings players skate into each other and knock themselves out of the game?
Will Hiller finally say I've had enough, grab a pair of skates, and jump out onto the ice?
But seriously, during a typical 'low event' Kings game, watching their Keystone Cops routine on the power play is at least fairly amusing. You think they'd accidentally score more goals on the power play than they do.
Illegal_Stick
Top Forward
Blake’s early success - getting in the playoffs and pushing Edmonton to 7 has kept him this long. I’m fine with that, as long as, this is the year where getting out of the first round is the only way he keeps his job.
It all appears to be falling apart. There was a time you’d point to good deals like Danault, Moore and Fiala. Now even those don’t seem great (Fiala a disaster imo) and that’s without getting into the obvious ones - like that we’re currently trying to find an exact replica of Vilardi.
I am worried someone like Greentree could go while he’s trying to save his job and make the playoffs.
It all appears to be falling apart. There was a time you’d point to good deals like Danault, Moore and Fiala. Now even those don’t seem great (Fiala a disaster imo) and that’s without getting into the obvious ones - like that we’re currently trying to find an exact replica of Vilardi.
I am worried someone like Greentree could go while he’s trying to save his job and make the playoffs.
Pevsfreedom
somehow in south carolina
I've turned off almost every game on this road trip - each game being earlier and earlier into it. Doesn't help I had a minor surgery Monday, and have a crazy baby, but it's mind numbingly boring and even my wife is doing sudoku during the games. We turned the last one off at 0-2. It's like if the other team scores first the Kings just forget how to hockey. Last game I asked my wife something like "When is the last time we set up a nice one timer off a nice pass?" IDK, but it feels like forever. Our offense is absolutely middling, a team full of underachieving Trever Moores.
Axl Rhoadz
3rd Line Winger
Are you going to cancel your season ticks?
Axl Rhoadz
3rd Line Winger
Yep, I would be very worried. Blake's job is on the line...if he doesn't have playoff success this year he's as good as gone (I would think) -- so why do we care about players who won't contribute for a few years?
I watched the 2014 Cup team 10-year reunion on YouTube last night. What a breath of fresh air. EVERY player in that team brought something special to the game. They were all important pieces. It's impossible to not notice theres a lot of dead weight and invisible players on the current roster. After years of development and drafting, this current collection of players is nowhere near competing for a championship, much less winning a playoff series.
VCRW
Classic player
The team had great success with the 11/7 lineup. Why would Hiller abandon that when Doughty returned to the lineup. Seems to me that 11/7 would have been a much better idea to reintegrate #8 into the lineup.
The front office caters too much to the “old boys”, Kopitar and Doughty. Why is Drew playing 24+ minutes per game when it is pretty obvious he is not in mid-season game shape? Blake must see that the team has gotten worse with Doughty’s return. And Kopi has played like an old man since Christmas. Seems a “shake up” trade is what is necessary right now.
The front office caters too much to the “old boys”, Kopitar and Doughty. Why is Drew playing 24+ minutes per game when it is pretty obvious he is not in mid-season game shape? Blake must see that the team has gotten worse with Doughty’s return. And Kopi has played like an old man since Christmas. Seems a “shake up” trade is what is necessary right now.
So the Kings continue to be mediocre. Let's just pretend they're going to be better this playoffs. They still can't score, after changing to an "offensive" system. They have few scorers. But, we're panicking. I don't want to go to more games. If more feel like me, they might get the message!
Every team goes thru slumps. Apparently this is a revelation.
10 years without winning a playoff series is a helluva slump
Check around the league and you will get an answer.
DoubleMinor
Top Forward
I understand how frustrating the past couple weeks have been for us fans. The team is clearly struggling, it’s very difficult to watch, and we want more and we want better.
We also know that when this team struggles the fans want retribution, heads to roll.
I foolishly commented about the losing streak and noted that if things continue for another week or two that perhaps it would be time for a housecleaning. I retract that statement. It was a dumb thing to write.
A few weeks ago the Kings were playing well and going a lot of winning. Toward the end of that stretch the Kings started to tail off a bit, like you could see them losing it a bit.
At the same time both Moore and Lewis were activated. Suddenly the Kings put both into the lineup and it changed things. New lines, new slotting, etc. And the Kings started losing.
I don’t fault Hiller for activating Moore. Moore needed to get into the lineup. Lewis is another story, not that I want to focus on him.
I did read a comment about the fact the Kings were maybe around the 13th-14th best team in the league. And the question was whether we as fans should accept that or not.
It made me think back to 2012. Were the Kings even thought of as highly as the 14th best team?
I only point this out because I think we honestly don’t know where this team is, and I don’t know that it’s an honest assessment to try to do so during a losing streak when things look as bleak as this has.
The month of January was brutal. But I wondered how the schedule may have influenced the mindset of the team.
The Kings had the holiday break. Then the schedule had them on some challenging road-trips, and I have to believe the Four-Nations Tourney break has been in their minds. I want to think that coming out of the holidays the Kings were looking at a vacation in the near future, like “let’s just get these games over and get some time off”. We have all had those feeling with our jobs. I doubt the players are immune.
Hiller has talked about this being the grind part of the season, those proverbial dog days of the season. I have to believe this was a factor in their performance.
I don’t know if this team is a contender or not. But I do believe Hiller has done a good job up to this point, even during this losing streak. I think he understands that slumps happen and you just have to ride them out.
When Doughty was injured I know I had severe concerns about the defense. I can’t imagine we all didn’t.
We saw the off-season moves Blake made and almost no one felt they were good moves.
Grudgingly, fans have accepted that these moves did actually improve this team.
We have seen some trades occur and now we expect the Kings to make some and are getting louder about it. “Why aren’t we making trades?!”
It would be foolish to think Blake is not talking about them. But there are absolute realities that can’t be overlooked, like The Kings Don’t Have Much Cap Space!
Looking at the roster, Kopi, Kempe, Fiala, Byfield, Moore, Foegele, are all guys that should be getting 20 goals on this team. Some are exceeding that, some are on track and others look short of that. If some fall short who is rightfully to blame?
Danault scored his fifth goal last night, exactly the same number he had the year before the Kings acquired him. He was not brought in to be a goal or point producer. He’s doing exactly what he was acquired to do.
While I don’t want to spend time on a fourth line player, I do think it’s appropriate to wonder about Lewis. Yep, we all like him and appreciate his history with the organization. I’m sure he’s helpful in the locker room.
I’m OK with a fourth line player who doesn’t produce as long as he doesn’t hurt. I’m not sure we can say that about Lewis since his return from injury. I think Hiller does need to think seriously about Lewis being in the lineup.
Is there a huge upgrade by replacing Lewis with Lee, Helenius or Thomas? Probably not. But only in regard to Thomas at least he is involved in the offensive zone and tries to make plays. That’s worth something.
This is the team that we have, with perhaps a slight upgrade before the deadline, but nothing major. Are they good enough to deal with the playoff push when games get tighter, faster and tougher, when time and space all but disappear?
I certainly don’t know. I thought the Kings win vs Carolina was very helpful. They actually seemed to relax a bit after getting a few goals and looked more confident.
And by the way, in my opinion, last night was a great example of why you don’t trade Fiala.
I know it’s been a hard month watching the Kings lose. I’m not trying to cheerlead. I see the problems and concerns. But I hardly think firing Luc, Blake or Hiller right now would be doing anything beyond getting a “I told you so” level of satisfaction.
JayWells24
Top Forward
You and me both.
LAKingSteve
Super Star
Voting with your wallets will be the most likely way to drive change.
Axl Rhoadz
3rd Line Winger
VGK has same record in past 10 as the Kings.
Now Chirping
- No one is chatting at the moment.