Been a LOOOONG time since my last post. But looking back, my last post was ironically the most critical time in the recent #LAKings history. Why so critical? Well, since then there has been one Stanley Cup, three consecutive Conference Finals appearances and currently another Cup Final. You can say I've been busy celebrating and watching the #LAKings play deep into June.
Well, the #LAKings did ultimately end-up firing Murray and hired Darryl Sutter and the rest is history. That very same year the Kings squeaked into the playoffs as the 8th seed and proceeded to dominate every series; building a 3-0 lead each time and walking away with a 16-4 record. The games were very tight. Timely scoring happened on a nightly basis and the #LAKings had boosted their offense +0.75 goals compared to the regular season rate, seemingly out of nowhere. Well, the mid-season trade of fan-favorite defenseman Jack Johnson for Jeff Carter, had something to do with the offense. Defenseman Slava Voynov matured enough to make Jack Johnson expendable in the first place. Other young call-ups Dwight King and Jordan Nolan made an impression. The run was as unbelievable as Quick's goaltending. Speaking of which, cemented the netminder as the best in the league and resulted in a gaudy 10-year contract (which is a topic for another day). I went to the Cup Parade downtown and it was awesome.
This year's run is completely different and totally similar. Once again, the #LAKings were great defensively and offensively challenged. (Winning the first Jennings Trophy for goaltenders/GAA.) They were not an 8th seed, but also wouldn't have home ice advantage. This year's late season offensive acquisition was Marion Gaborik. The young call-ups were Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli this time around. Maturing defensemen are Jake Muzzzin and (Alec Martinez). Similar stories to 2012. But the path couldn't be more different. Let's start with all-world goalie Quick being lit up by San Jose for 13-goals in two games! It seemed like Quick gave up 13-goals all playoffs during the 2012 Cup run. San Jose jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. But the #LAKings overcame that in a flourish, blowing out the Sharks with 3-goal leads in the next 3 games. Winning game 7 on the road 2-1. Next up was the cross-town rival Ducks. The mallards lead the West in the regular season. After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead on the road, the #LAKings once again dropped 3-games in-a-row. They also once again came back and ultimately won game 7 on the road, again. It only got tougher from there facing the defending Champ 'Hawks.Split the series in Chicago, and had a 2 game series lead again 3-1. Proceeded to drop that lead, and once again win a game 7, in OT, on the road. The weird subplot was having the #LAKings drop 2-goal leads in several games, only to battle back and win. The tight 1-0, 2-1 games of the 2012 run were gone in favor of 6-3, 4-1, 6-2, 6-2, 5-2, 5-4 scorefests.There couldn't be more drama or more scoring and lead changes.
Game 1 of the Final is more of the same. Drop a 2-goal lead only to battle back and win. At least the #LAKings have home ice advantage for a change.
So, GM Dean Lombardi looks like something of a genius, right now. He's signed the core of the #LAKings to long term deals. Call-ups from Manchester plug-in nicely and have contributed in the post season. (With Darryl Sutter rolling 4 lines, rookies have to be able to play.) Mid to late-season deals for Carter and Gaborik have come up aces. I had my own reservations about these two, respectively. Both players had baggage from being moved from a big market team, to NHL's equivalent of Siberia (Columbus). And both couldn't have fit in better. To me, this is the sort of thing that only happens within the Red Wings organization; groom draft picks in your minor league system that help immediately, and trade for key acquisitions that impact a Cup run. Lombardi also brought in Darryl Sutter.
I think a lot of the team's success is due to Darryl Sutter. He's a notoriously dry post-game interview. But the guy likes to stick to the big picture. Reporters ask leading questions, but he rebuffs them with facts. It can be hilarious, but most LA reporters have learned to not ask him stupid questions over the years. Sutter has even taught me to be more of an even keel fan. I do enjoy celebrating crazy-ass wins. Like that last-second game tying goal by Gaborik against the Quacks, which the #LAKings ultimately won in OT. But even against the Sharks, down 3-0 in the series, I didn't demand to switch out Quick and fire Sutter next season or any other drastic change. The players play, and get it done or don't. It's not magic. Trust the team. If it happens, it happens. This year it has happened, again. Well, so far it has. But you have to have consistency and confidence in your players and system. It's far too late to change things in the playoffs anyway. That being said, this is by far the most dramatic post-season the #LAKings have ever had, and yet I can't help but have the same sense of destiny that I had in 2012. So, this year's run has been completely different, but totally similar so far...
No comments:
Post a Comment