GDT ***Vegas Golden Knights vs. Los Angeles Kings GDT 1/14/26 >>7:00pm<< on TNT, tru, hbo max***

The point is that pairing Q and Fiala for 3 on 3 is a disaster waiting to happen. Both are undisciplined puck chasers. Both are high risk. Hiller should know this yet he keeps making the same ignorant choices.
We have 4 forwards who can be considered good in OT-- Fiala, Q, Kempe, Laffy. Maybe Kopi but he's old and slow. Perry has great point shares but he's clearly too slow for OT. And both were hurt. So Hiller has to mix and match that 4. Q and Fiala played together a lot last season so putting them together with the most responsible defenseman in Doughty is actually a reasonable move to make.

Hiller is not good but he's taking the blame for a crappy roster. Like I said above, I would have made the same line choice and save Kempe/Laffy to help shield Clarke defensively. Then either roll with line 1 again or do something Turc/Foegele with Dumoulin or Mikey and hope that the 3rd trio doesn't lose the game.

With this roster and then the injuries (and it makes me sad to see stuff like "oh no Armia is out another game" because no team should be hand wringing that Armia is out), Hiller is stuck trying to make the least destructive choices rather than any good ones. The "ignorant choices" are IMO simply trying to minimize the suck.
 
The point is that pairing Q and Fiala for 3 on 3 is a disaster waiting to happen. Both are undisciplined puck chasers. Both are high risk. Hiller should know this yet he keeps making the same ignorant choices.
Fiala and Byfield should never be out there together. Two players with low
Hockey iq in the most dangerous situation possible. In that sense I get doughty being out there - but Kempe, Byfield and Clarke would’ve been a better choice (Laffy even better though)
 
We have 4 forwards who can be considered good in OT-- Fiala, Q, Kempe, Laffy. Maybe Kopi but he's old and slow. Perry has great point shares but he's clearly too slow for OT. And both were hurt. So Hiller has to mix and match that 4. Q and Fiala played together a lot last season so putting them together with the most responsible defenseman in Doughty is actually a reasonable move to make.

Hiller is not good but he's taking the blame for a crappy roster. Like I said above, I would have made the same line choice and save Kempe/Laffy to help shield Clarke defensively. Then either roll with line 1 again or do something Turc/Foegele with Dumoulin or Mikey and hope that the 3rd trio doesn't lose the game.

With this roster and then the injuries (and it makes me sad to see stuff like "oh no Armia is out another game" because no team should be hand wringing that Armia is out), Hiller is stuck trying to make the least destructive choices rather than any good ones. The "ignorant choices" are IMO simply trying to minimize the suck.
No argument he has little to work with, but why not Kempe and Clarke after what they just did to tie the game? To me Fiala should never be on the first OT line, he is just too dangerous. If smarter players (Kempe and Laffy) can’t get it done then you’re left with little choice and he comes out second.
 
No argument he has little to work with, but why not Kempe and Clarke after what they just did to tie the game? To me Fiala should never be on the first OT line, he is just too dangerous. If smarter players (Kempe and Laffy) can’t get it done then you’re left with little choice and he comes out second.
That was a crappy ending to the game, but.......... I seem to recall in the previous OT game Kempe crapped the bed with a horrible drop pass to Laf. It was Fiala last night, Kempe the OT before. Who is left to put out there? Just saying......
 
The point is that pairing Q and Fiala for 3 on 3 is a disaster waiting to happen. Both are undisciplined puck chasers. Both are high risk. Hiller should know this yet he keeps making the same ignorant choices.
Undisciplined puck chasers is the best description of their shortcomings that I've heard yet. Especially Fiala. He has such flashy technical capabilities sometimes, but half the time he's like a cat chasing a feather on a string. And Q just doesn't know what to do yet when he does win some possession battle with his speed.
 
While it is very true often when teams are coming out of a slump they lose some game where they play well.

HOWEVER, it isn't "right there" if they keep losing points. Now it's more like a competitive team that just isn't good enough.....another words looks mediocre. That's the best adjective I can think of for this team.

Something needs to change whatever the case. Either do something to get the team over the top or tank for a draft pick...whatever the management decides.

My suggestion for the "tank" would be: if you want to tank the season leave the coach in place.

jom

I'm afraid the team is just good enough to not be so bad even with Hiller at the helm...unless Ken starts a firesale. Which he won't.

Hiller's bad, but he's not Willie-D bad. Rob was a genius in disguise with that hire.


PS: regarding OT line combinations...why play D at all? It's not like 3 on 3 follows any traditional defensive schemes/tactics...why not play a fast skater as the "D-man"? QB, Armia...
 
That was a crappy ending to the game, but.......... I seem to recall in the previous OT game Kempe crapped the bed with a horrible drop pass to Laf. It was Fiala last night, Kempe the OT before. Who is left to put out there? Just saying......
Agreed and Clarke has, in the past, as well. Last night all 4 Kings players on the ice committed an error which led to the goal.

I really wish they would get rid of 3v3 overtime as it is not hockey, imo, and, a silly way to end a game.

May as well just go straight to shootout instead if the NHL doesn't want teams to play actual hockey during overtime.
 
I of all people have been having a hard time staying awake before these home games are over which has resulted in my waking up to expected unpleasant outcomes on the regular, haha. :fpalm:

Scared Season 3 GIF by The Simpsons
 
PS: regarding OT line combinations...why play D at all? It's not like 3 on 3 follows any traditional defensive schemes/tactics...why not play a fast skater as the "D-man"? QB, Armia...
Exactly. As clearly illustrated last night (again), Doughty is not a guy you want on a 3x3 chasing the opponents best forwards. When the PBP guy during the Oilers OT said Hiller wants Doughty out there with McDavid, the wife (not exactly a hockey fanatic) asked me why would you want a slow guy on a very fast player? Got no answer, hon.

Hiller's 3x3 lineup with Doughty, regardless of the other 2, is just asking for an OT loss. Any Kings Dman, except possibly Clarke, same. Random 3 forwards would be an improvement.
 
Exactly. As clearly illustrated last night (again), Doughty is not a guy you want on a 3x3 chasing the opponents best forwards. When the PBP guy during the Oilers OT said Hiller wants Doughty out there with McDavid, the wife (not exactly a hockey fanatic) asked me why would you want a slow guy on a very fast player? Got no answer, hon.

Hiller's 3x3 lineup with Doughty, regardless of the other 2, is just asking for an OT loss. Any Kings Dman, except possibly Clarke, same. Random 3 forwards would be an improvement.

Exactly. It makes no sense to insist on D-men. If the Kings can play PP with 5 forwards, they can play 3 F when 3 on 3 in OT, too. I mean, it can't be worse than it is now, can it?

Fiala-Kempe-Laf
QB-Turcotte-(Foegele)Armia
If they are exhausted send out Helenius-Lee-Clarke(Foegele)
 
That was a crappy ending to the game, but.......... I seem to recall in the previous OT game Kempe crapped the bed with a horrible drop pass to Laf. It was Fiala last night, Kempe the OT before. Who is left to put out there? Just saying......
The Kempe/Laf play was a result of bad communication/anticipation. At least Juice wasn't attempting to take on all 3 Sharks by himself. And I am sure the whole team learned a valuable lesson about Celebrini. That said, I wish Hiller would make a rule about all drop passes at the blue line. So frikkin' many of the Kings do that. Making a dumb pass like that should result in missing your next shift. Accountability, please!

But Fiala's play was ludicrous, the kind of grandstand play I used to try in junior high school until I was disciplined by my coach. And then Doughty crapped the bed by leaving Stone all alone in front of the net. Why did he think he needed to go after Eichel behind the net when the frikkin' real danger was Stone? But Doughty had to stop that pass regardless of his position.

And where the hell was Q? On his ass somewhere in the offensive zone? And I was actually surprised Fiala didn't commit his usual mindless penalty when he gets embarrassed like that.
 
Exactly. It makes no sense to insist on D-men. If the Kings can play PP with 5 forwards, they can play 3 F when 3 on 3 in OT, too. I mean, it can't be worse than it is now, can it?

Fiala-Kempe-Laf
QB-Turcotte-(Foegele)Armia
If they are exhausted send out Helenius-Lee-Clarke(Foegele)
The deference to Drew and Kopi should have ended 2 seasons ago. Neither is the player each guy once was.
 
The Kempe/Laf play was a result of bad communication/anticipation. At least Juice wasn't attempting to take on all 3 Sharks by himself. And I am sure the whole team learned a valuable lesson about Celebrini. That said, I wish Hiller would make a rule about all drop passes at the blue line. So frikkin' many of the Kings do that. Making a dumb pass like that should result in missing your next shift. Accountability, please!

But Fiala's play was ludicrous, the kind of grandstand play I used to try in junior high school until I was disciplined by my coach. And then Doughty crapped the bed by leaving Stone all alone in front of the net. Why did he think he needed to go after Eichel behind the net when the frikkin' real danger was Stone? But Doughty had to stop that pass regardless of his position.

And where the hell was Q? On his ass somewhere in the offensive zone? And I was actually surprised Fiala didn't commit his usual mindless penalty when he gets embarrassed like that.
Celebrini was skating more or less right at Kempe, so that was a dumb a$$ play, IMO.
 
Didn't dispute that at all. And I called out offensive blue line drop passes in general. But you seem pretty upset still...

I just pointed out that Kempe's gaffe resulted from attempting a pass. Fiala was attempting a miracle.
Not upset. I just view both plays as pretty darn careless. Fiala's was worse, but both dumb.
 
Not upset. I just view both plays as pretty darn careless. Fiala's was worse, but both dumb.
Difference is Juice and Laf will both learn from that experience. Whereas Fiala will just continue doing stupid sh*t. Kevin doesn’t learn from mistakes. He keeps repeating the same gaffes over and over.
 
I'll put an end to the 3 on 3 discussion. Win the game in regulation. If you can't win in regulation, you're not going any further.
I would not mind that. Though, I think go with a 4 on 4 OT and the winner takes the 2 points, the loser gets nothing and likes it. Still tied after 5 minutes of 4 on 4 split the 2 points. These 3 point games are stupid.
 

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