While last blog
I touched on the 30-in-30's take on the Kings prospects, today it's all about Kopitar.
I think even Anze Kopitar himself can agree that at the end of his 2012-13 post-season he didn’t play up to the standards expected of him put forth by coaches, fans, and most importantly himself.
During the end of the regular season the goal must have looked like a mouse hole in a wall to Kopitar as the Slovenian went the final 25 games registering just two goals. In fact, Kopitar still finished the season with 42 points but barely eclipsed double digits in the goal column.
While his 42 points were close to the point per game pace we have come to expect from the center, his goal total pace was off by nearly 7-10 goals by the end of the season. His cold streak continued into the playoffs where he had only 9 points in 18 appearances, was a minus-2 rating and was uncharacteristically undisciplined with 12 penalty minutes. While 12 doesn’t seem like much, that was only two minors less than his 48 game regular season total, and only four minors off his average 82-game regular season totals.
It was a rough postseason for Kopitar no doubt. He was slumping and his linemates were battered and broken.
Dustin Brown was playing on a partially torn PCL, and Justin Williams, the warrior that he is, played through a separated shoulder. Regardless of injury Kopitar was slumping hard at the worst moment for the first time in his young career.
Yes, most Kings fans can agree, Kopitar has done this hot and cold goal dance in the past. In 2010-11 Kopitar went on a 30 game streak from late December to early February where he had just 3 goals in 30 games. In 2011-12 he had almost the exact same thing happen, just a bit earlier in the season. There was a stretch of 17 games in November and December where he went goal-less, and had 3 goals in 30 games in an extended look at that same stretch. However, he’s always been a factor in other areas of the ice. During that time where goals were hard to come by in 2011-12 he had 19 points and was a minus-3 rating all while averaging around 23-24 minutes of ice time. In 2010-11? 23 points and a plus-11 rating while averaging about 20-22 minutes a game. What game number were all these streaky goal scoring slumps hitting at you ask?
In 2010-11 it started at game 30. 2011-12, game 22. Finally in a shortened 2012-13 the slump started at game 23. It is seemingly like clockwork.
Dustin Brown put his 2012-13 struggles into perspective though in
Dan Rosen’s NHL 30-in-30 series with this quote about his teammate and centerman:
"I think it's the first time he's ever had a real big slump," Brown said. "You expect him to get points because that's part of his game, but he is one of the top two-way players in the National Hockey League, and while it was awkward to see him go through a slump like that it didn't affect his defensive game, the other 90-feet of ice that is so important to our team with the way he plays."
It’s true, Kopitar isn’t just an offensive machine. He’s a top end two-way player who an all honesty should have had at least one Selke nomination by now. However, it’s still appetizing for King fans to think about what his point production could be if he didn’t hit an inveterate goal scoring drought each season around the 20-30 game mark.
It’s a long 82-game season, and the mental grind can be almost as hard as the physical one at times. Kopitar always has been a strong starter, scoring 54 of his career 173 regular season goals in the first 20 games of seasons. His finish to seasons hasn’t been bad either with 45 of his career 173 goals coming in the final 20 games of seasons. That’s nearly 60-percent of his career goals in the first and last 20 games of seasons. So as you can see the middle frame has always seemed to slow down for him, just in the slightest.
I guess the big question surrounding all of this is, after the first real bad slump he’s had in a big situation will he be ready next year? Kopitar has always seemed to take criticism and challenges head on. At the end of the 2008-09 season both Dean Lombardi and Terry Murray talked about Kopitar needing to improve his fitness level tremendously to succeed. The following season he ripped off a career high 81 points and was integral in returning the Kings to the playoffs for the first time since 2001-02. In 2011-12 the team and leadership was called out upon the firing of Terry Murray, and Kopitar went on to have a spectacular second half and playoff run that earned the team a cup.
After what you might consider the worst slump of his career, Kopitar has bounceback written all over him in my eyes. It’s another challenge for the 25-year-old all-star to overcome. Not only does he have the disappointment of the 2012-13 postseason to fuel him, he has the Sochi Olympics coming up. Kopitar will be the headliner for his small but proud nation of Slovenia who will be competing in their first ever Olympic hockey tournament come February.
Is this the year that we finally see him break the point-per-game mark? Is it the season we finally get to see his name on the ballot for a Selke? Hard to say, and it’s a long season where many unforeseen things can happen. If you ask me though, given his track record, all the potential is there. This of course,
is just like, well...my opinion, man.
Don't forget to follow me on twitter @SirJDL for more Big Lebowski references...and also some King news. 
Los Angeles Kings Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»