***R1 GAME 3 Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings GDT 4/23/26 7:00pm on TNT,
- Thread starter Nyssa42
- Start date
HiFi
Wildcard!
Never would’ve happened.
DoubleMinor
Top Forward
This is right on the money. This series is what one would expect between the #1 and #8 seed.
I figured the series would see a blowout or two. While that could still happen next game the Kings have played better than I even had hoped.
Game 2 really sealed the outcome.
As you said, the Avs are just really good.
Ok sure, but defense & grind is taxing on the body & endurance eventually comes into play. This team was young when Sutter came on board & his team was able to respond to the style of play he demanded from them. That is not this team. This team is old & slow. Which brings me back to my original take: what kind of team is Holland trying to build, because I can’t tell from this iteration
DoubleMinor
Top Forward
Good points, particularly the young vs old take.
WRT to what kind of team Holland is building, I think Holland thought he had a contender, wanted a couple bigger defensemen, a fourth line and a couple role players.
He got Armia. And he eventually got a fourth line.
But the two bigger D were the best available and we don’t know who else he made offers for before this signings outside of Gavy.
This was the first step for Holland. And he was able to bring in Panarin & Laughton without shedding valuable assets during the season.
This offseason will be a real tell as far as the additional moves that he will make, and hopefully Holland will tinker with the D and see what others moves are there to make the Kings better.
Holland did make some good moves. He also made some very questionable ones. That’s life for most GM’s.
Dr. Tran
Super Star
Whether we get swept, win a game or 2, or come back & upset the Avs, it doesn't matter as far as the Kings future. They need to improve this roster. To say we're good enough because we made the playoffs is delusional. We finished 20th in the league. We won't have a top 6 center, we don't have any top center prospects, & have 1 defenseman who can move the puck & none who are great skaters. I don't care what Holland has to do. He has to dump Ceci & 1 of Dumoulin & Edmundson. Trade them, buy them out, leave them open for waivers, whatever. Even moving one is fine but try for 2.
I thought I had it bad at the game with the annoying Avs fan who would say very loudly stuff like "Way to go Nate. That's how you do it. Good save Wedgie. Good job boys" all through the whole game. But at least he wasn't drunk & didn't cuss.
I thought I had it bad at the game with the annoying Avs fan who would say very loudly stuff like "Way to go Nate. That's how you do it. Good save Wedgie. Good job boys" all through the whole game. But at least he wasn't drunk & didn't cuss.
hokiecat
Super Star
^^^This is the problem. Championship teams need 2 good centers, 2 good D, and a good goalie. Do the Kings really have any of those? Swapping Gavi and Spence for Dumo and Ceci was bad last summer and still bad today. Remember, those big strapping bodies were brought in to make a difference in the playoffs. They have not been a positive.
Things would have been different if Kenny chased after a guy who's name was floated a bunch here last summer. What if Spence and a pick were parts of a trade for Bowen Byram? We'd have a guy with offensive skills eating up 22 minutes a game. Oh well.
DryKing
Power Forward
Agreed, our biggest need right now is to bring is a relatively young D who can be part of a long-term D1 pairing. Buffalo still seems like one of the best targets to help get that done as they are running deep on D and have been rumored to be open to trading one of either Byram or Power. How both have performed, so far, in the playoff,s though, I doubt either are any longer on the table.
Kings are badly in need of a Sanderson-type player, which once again brings us back to the draft as it's unlikely they will find one available on the trade market.
Moving Spence still is pretty mind-numbing.