We have just hit the ten game mark of the season, and it really has been an up and down start all things considered.
Looking at the season thus far there are plenty of positives, plenty of negatives, and plenty of the "remains to be seen" category. As usual, the Kings' early season struggles and difficulties leave people with many opinions and talking points. Maybe you are part of "the sky is falling crowd", or maybe you are part of the "relax we are fine" crowd. Maybe you are like me and floating somewhere in between. Either way, let's break down where the Kings are at a little bit right now and I'll let you in on a little bit of my mindset right now with the team. While ten games isn't a huge sample size, it certainly is enough to start wondering things. A lot can change in the next ten...heck, the next five games, so wherever we are right now might not be where we are at in a week. Isn't that the beauty of sports? Anyways, here is where we are at as of right now.
First let's hit the team overall. The Kings are currently 6-4-0 after 10 games. They are 2-2-0 at home and 4-2-0 on the road. In case you missed any games, of their six wins this season three have come in a shootout and one in an overtime period. They are in a division that is playing very well at the moment with five of the top ten teams in the league in points are currently coming out of the Pacific division. Their goal differential hangs at a +1 overall, although the 5-on-5 plus-minus is a less than desirable -1.3, and their 5-on-5 save percentage is 25th overall at .901. In typical King fashion, the penalty kill has been good (Monday night excluded...) the powerplay...not so good. Defense has been alright, offense has been touch and go.
Really it sounds like the Kings doesn't it? Low 5-on-5 scoring, good defensively, weak offensively. However, just personally I have noticed a few things that make me nervous.
Speed and Penalties
Penalties. The Kings are taking way too many penalties. The team this year has taken 47 minor penalties, which is tied for second most in the league. While you rule out a few here and there for coincidentals, soft-calls, and maybe just bad luck, I've noticed a good majority of penalties have been offensive zone and or straight-up stick infractions from getting beat. From the moment the puck dropped against Winnipeg you could see that dealing with opposing speed has been an arduous task for King defenders. Regehr, Greene and Mitchell are not known as speedsters. Doughty and Muzzin likewise are not the most nimble on their feet in the defensive zone. It also starts in the neutral zone, where the King forwards are perhaps allowing teams to build up too much speed and enter the zone with momentum on their side. When a defender gets beat, more often than not he will take a penalty. These two elements, speed and penalties, go hand in hand.
The Kings gave Winnipeg six powerplays, Calgary six, Tampa Bay three. Open games really hurt the Kings quite simply. I have no fear personally of the Kings playing the Red Wings, Blues, Bruins, Coyotes, or Canucks of this league. It's the Ducks, Sharks, Avalanche and Oilers of the world that are worrisome. That being said the Kings have dealt with this in the past and overcome. It just seems like this year speed has been a little more troublesome to deal with. Is it the relative age and mobility of the defense? Could be. Is it the neutral zone support from forwards? Could be that also. Could be a mixture of both. Either way it has reared an ugly head a few times.
Far More High Scores Than We Might Be Used To
The Kings have been reliable in several aspects over the last few seasons. One being the ability to keep games at low scores, and the second being able to shutdown close games late. So far this year the Kings have allowed five goals in a game twice. Last year in a shortened season they allowed five goals five times. Believe it or not in 2011-12 the Kings DID NOT allow a team to get five goals on them in regulation all year. Not once. Considering it has already happened twice in ten games...that's a little unheard of. Again it's still early, but the Kings have gone through a mini transition here defensively what with Regehr joining the fray and Scuderi leaving. Scuderi was not nicknamed "the piece" for nothing mind you.
The team has also let a few games get out of hand late. Ottawa came back from a 3-0 deficit only to lose in overtime, and the normally discipline Kings allowed a goal with 30 seconds left in regulation to lose to Calgary on Monday. These are little things, but things aren't necessarily used to when it comes to Los Angeles Kings hockey. Again, I can't stress this enough, it's a small sample size.
Where Is The Production Up The Middle?
The Kings have zero goals from centers. That's right. Zero! If you want to count Carter as a center you are welcome to do so, but the group of Mike Richards, Jarret Stoll, Anze Kopitar, and Colin Fraser have zero goals. Keep in mind Kopitar has eight assists which is quite good and Richards has six assists which is also very serviceable. When you look at the King centers overall they just don't shoot the puck. Kopitar is averaging 2.6 shots a game, while Richards, Stoll, Fraser and Lewis are averaging 1.4, 1.4, 1.2, and 1.2 respectively. When you look at the Ducks for instance, their four regular centers (Getzlaf, Perrault, Bonino, Koivu) they average 1.8, 2.2, 2.3, and 1.3. You could cherry pick a little bit and say, "Well hey Jason Chicago has Handzus and Kruger at a 0.9 and 0.4 and they do okay." That team also has Sharp, Hossa, Kane, Shaw, and Saad at the wings. We currently sport Jeff Carter and Justin Williams who are doing tremendous, but there isn't much happening outside of that. King centers have to do more, plain and simple.
As Darryl Sutter put it in his media availability yesterday when it came to King's centers and scoring
They’ve got to produce. The bottom line is Kopi, Mike and Jarret for that matter are all pretty well-paid guys, and they have to produce. They have to be better players. They have to finish the job.
If the Kings go any longer without scoring up the middle then they are going to have to pull something out of the wings. Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson were among the final cuts of training camp. Could we see them come up soon?
Here's a talking point nonetheless, the Kings skated with some...interesting new lines in practice...
Positives?
We are 6-4-0. 6-4-0 while not playing our best hockey. The Kings have put together three full 60 minute efforts in 10 games thus far in my eyes. The shootout win over Nashville, the 3-0 game against Florida, and the 5-2 win over Dallas. That's really not bad. They have played a lot of games on the road as well which isn't always easy. The play of Muzzin has been good since his benching and Voynov has also responded well to criticism from Sutter. It looks like Jeff Carter and Justin Williams are pretty locked in this year in goal scoring. Ben Scrivens, although one game isn't hardly enough to judge, seems to be a reliable backup. The Kings have three very talented players who could come up at any given time, but they also have some decent playing coming from the likes of Jordan Nolan and Dwight King. Frattin also seems to be getting over the hump of a tough transition and can hopefully start contributing. As a team, the penalty kill WAS top-four (now 12th) and the shots against are currently sitting at seventh in the league. Old reliable defense first hockey. They've played a rather exhausting first two weeks of the season and now can settle down into a more consistent schedule.
Is it fair to say that I am worried for the same reasons I'm always worried, but I am not worried because...well it's the same reasons I'm always worried? This team ALWAYS makes it work somehow. They always have questionable 5-on-5 scoring and an average powerplay, but they make it work. They win. Quick's performances are starting to even out as we settle in and his numbers are creeping back up. They are winning games without production from about 75% of the lineup. Drew Doughty is starting to produce, as is Voynov and Muzzin.
So overall I'm not really worried, but I am, but I'm not. Typical Kings right? They also will slump in December, get hot in February and March, back into the playoffs as a bottom seed, and subsequently make the Conference Finals and beyond. That's how it normally goes right?
So are you worried? Voice your opinions in the comment section!
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