A New Hope

It has been a long while.  It was nice to finish the season on a high note last year, but with the shortened COVID season, much was left up in the air.  This is a Kings team that is on the precipice.  Of what, is yet to be determined.

The Good:

    It appears that Blakey and Lucky weren't just hall of fame hockey players.  Based on early returns and the sometimes dubious reports of scouts, these two have been able to seeming arrest the free fall of the organization.  Amassing draft pics, making a couple of stellar low cost deals, and from what we can see so far, choosing quality players, the future actually looks fairly bright for this organization.  We are already starting to see dividends.

    While I was hesitant to say goodbye to clutch veterans that were always in the right place at the right time, like Trevor Lewis, and Kyle Clifford, room had to be made for the youth movement.  Thanks to finally finding his health, Gabriel Villardi has started to show the offensive skill that had him as a projected top 4 pick (He fell to 11 due to his pesky back issues) back in 2017.  If he gets a bit stronger both physically and defensively, he could be a monster.  From that same class, Lias Andersson ( picked at 7) seems to have righted whatever issues the Rangers had with him.  As of right now, this seems to have been a five star trade as he appears to be a legitimate top six player.  Then there is Athanasiou.  Even if he hadn't scored in his first three games, his over all play, speed and decision making has made an immediate impact.  We will have to keep an eye on the youngsters and our fingers crossed that they continue to grow and evolve.

    One of the biggest positives is the combination of speed, tenacity, and skill. The addition of the aforementioned Athanasiou and Trevor Moore, to the already established Blake Lizzote, Adrian Kempe, and what seems to be a healthier Jeff Carter, has enabled the Kings to put some serious pressure on other teams.  One good sign, although not for him, is that it seems that Wagner has been pushed out of the lineup.  While he isn't a bad player, the new crop of speedsters seem to have a much higher skill level and the ability to capitalize more often on the opportunities that their speed creates.  When this infusion of speed and skill is properly combined with the tenacity of Amadio, Iaffalo, and Grundstrom, the Kings at times demonstrate the ability to get it done.

    There is plenty to be excited about, especially when it comes to lines three and four.  Our bottom two lines consistently outplayed Colorado's.  We didn't have much of an answer other than Quick being his outstanding self for their top line, although I don't know if any team in the NHL can keep up with McKinnon and co.  There is a long way to go though.

The Bad:

    Kopi and Brown appear to have gotten too slow to play together against the top lines.  Game one against Colorado was disheartening to watch.  I have to give McClellan some credit.  He successfully mixed things up, and despite getting older, these two still have a great deal to give to this team.

    The Kings' passing in general has been abysmal, but especially with our defensemen and in our own zone.  Passes are to an area, or just around the boards.  Passes are being made into extremely dangerous areas.  The zone isn't getting cleared when we have the opportunity and need it.  The extra time it takes our players to gather in a poor pass or pick the puck off the boards allows the other team the chance to disrupt and keep the puck in the zone.  This has been a prolific problem and has already cost us goals, penalties, and our own scoring opportunities.  While everyone is at fault, including the indomitable Doughty, by far the worst has been Mikey Anderson.  He may have talent, and may snap out of it, but currently he is giving the worst passes, unable to corral passes, coughing up the puck in simple handling situations, and basically making passes that lead to exceptional scoring chances for the opposing team.  His improvement needs to be significant and incipient, otherwise he is likely headed for the same place as Wagner.

    Cal Peterson didn't look great, and we will need him to be much better. It's a small sample size.  I look for him to be much better the next time out.  

    Overall, there is a lot to look forward to, even if the road gets a bit bumpy.  If this young group can get a bit better and a bit more consistent throughout the season, then games will be much more fun for Kings fans.  If this group gets rolling, that will set the stage for the next wave of kids coming up.

Notes for Colorado: Colorado's top three and power play are punishing.  Cale Makar is a beast and is going to cause opponents nightmares.  If Colorado is going to make a cup run though, they will need to get better in their bottom six.