OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Amazin69 · 10-27-2025, 04:51 PM

Kings blew leads of 1-0, 3-2, and 4-3 at Nashville on Saturday night, as Kopitar's return energized the offense (even though he himself did not score), but the defense kept failing. Annoying.

So we went to OT for the 6th time in 9 games (5 in the first 8 was already a team record) and on a power-play, no less. Not that it helped. By the time OT finished, we had to kill part of a pen to reach the shoot-out. Kuemper let the first two in, but stiffened and shots by Kempe and Trevor Moore kept things going and then we went through multiple saves by Kuemper only for our shooters to fail to win the game.

Both teams scored in the 7th round, neither converted in the 8th, and then the Preds won it in the 9th round as Joel Armia failed. Oddly, Jim Hiller never gave Kopitar a chance (or Alex LaFerriere, for that matter). I know Kopi is just back from injury, but I think he could make it up the ice ONCE.

Corey Perry did get a chance. Now Corey had a nice game, as he got in the paint when we were down 2-1 and Armia skated behind the net and tried to feed him but a Nashville player got in the way…only for the goal to go off his skate and past Saros to tie the game. And then Armia drove hard to the net and drew the defense, so Perry was waiting at the back post and that was goal #450 for his career, which is nice.

But still, of the 450 goals, at least 400 of them came from within the paint. A great stick-handler, Corey ain't He actually got Saros to drop to a knee…but his attempt to roof the shot hit the bar and stayed out. So we lost.

So we went to Chicago with a record of 3-3-3, which was nicely symmetrical, but not particularly good, given that it's really 3-6 with 3 pity points. UGH. And the Blackhawks were on a 4-0-1 run (and at home and rested) and they pressed for most of the first period and took a 1-0 lead when Anton Forsberg (playing the 2nd half of the back-to-back after Kuemper worked so long on Saturday night) accidentally kicked in a shot that had hit the left post and died there. Not a good omen…

…but screw omens! LaFerriere tied it with a goal in the 2nd (that'll teach Jim Hiller not to leave him out of the shoot-out…) and then Fiala gave us the lead with a nice wraparound stuff-in goal from behind the net.

(Which did prompt John Kelly to say "lit" again, so we may have to deal with that all season. If Kelly starts saying that a Kings goal "slaps", though…)

An empty-netter by Armia (who smacked the spinning puck in the paint so hard that he broke his stick) gave us our first regulation win of the season and if we can manage to avoid choking at San Jose tomorrow, we can actually finish with a 4-0-1 trip of our own, which would be a pleasant surprise, I admit. Of course, we're still behind f'n Seattle, so hold off the Champagne, atm.

10-27-2025, 04:51 PM	#35
Amazin69 Banned Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Palmetto Pride! Posts: 4,218 Infractions: 0/4 (4)	Kings blew leads of 1-0, 3-2, and 4-3 at Nashville on Saturday night, as Kopitar's return energized the offense (even though he himself did not score), but the defense kept failing. Annoying. So we went to OT for the 6th time in 9 games (5 in the first 8 was already a team record) and on a power-play, no less. Not that it helped. By the time OT finished, we had to kill part of a pen to reach the shoot-out. Kuemper let the first two in, but stiffened and shots by Kempe and Trevor Moore kept things going and then we went through multiple saves by Kuemper only for our shooters to fail to win the game. Both teams scored in the 7th round, neither converted in the 8th, and then the Preds won it in the 9th round as Joel Armia failed. Oddly, Jim Hiller never gave Kopitar a chance (or Alex LaFerriere, for that matter). I know Kopi is just back from injury, but I think he could make it up the ice ONCE. Corey Perry did get a chance. Now Corey had a nice game, as he got in the paint when we were down 2-1 and Armia skated behind the net and tried to feed him but a Nashville player got in the way…only for the goal to go off his skate and past Saros to tie the game. And then Armia drove hard to the net and drew the defense, so Perry was waiting at the back post and that was goal #450 for his career, which is nice. But still, of the 450 goals, at least 400 of them came from within the paint. A great stick-handler, Corey ain't He actually got Saros to drop to a knee…but his attempt to roof the shot hit the bar and stayed out. So we lost. So we went to Chicago with a record of 3-3-3, which was nicely symmetrical, but not particularly good, given that it's really 3-6 with 3 pity points. UGH. And the Blackhawks were on a 4-0-1 run (and at home and rested) and they pressed for most of the first period and took a 1-0 lead when Anton Forsberg (playing the 2nd half of the back-to-back after Kuemper worked so long on Saturday night) accidentally kicked in a shot that had hit the left post and died there. Not a good omen… …but screw omens! LaFerriere tied it with a goal in the 2nd (that'll teach Jim Hiller not to leave him out of the shoot-out…) and then Fiala gave us the lead with a nice wraparound stuff-in goal from behind the net. (Which did prompt John Kelly to say "lit" again, so we may have to deal with that all season. If Kelly starts saying that a Kings goal "slaps", though…) An empty-netter by Armia (who smacked the spinning puck in the paint so hard that he broke his stick) gave us our first regulation win of the season and if we can manage to avoid choking at San Jose tomorrow, we can actually finish with a 4-0-1 trip of our own, which would be a pleasant surprise, I admit. Of course, we're still behind f'n Seattle, so hold off the Champagne, atm.