Rite of Spring '14: Can you fall asleep with a panic switch?

[Lights Out]

Seriously, this team had a minset that screams JUST WAKE US UP IN THE PLAYOFFS JUST GET US TO APRIL AND WE'LL GIVE A DAMN

I'll gladly take that over the "fall asleep in the playoffs" mentality I've had to sit through from the Clippers the past three years.

[Unocal]

The regular season might as well be preseason for the Kings. Even when I saw them go goalless in January, there was a thought in the back of my head: "They're stinking right now, but they just need to get to the playoffs."

[ninersdd]

Seriously, this team had a minset that screams JUST WAKE US UP IN THE PLAYOFFS JUST GET US TO APRIL AND WE'LL GIVE A DAMN

I'll gladly take that over the "fall asleep in the playoffs" mentality I've had to sit through from the Clippers the past three years.

And the "Let's not score when it matters most" mentality of the Sharks for pretty much the post lockout playoff years.

[The_Admiral]

Well, the NHL Advanced stats got what they want. LA and Chicago are the teams they have been worshipping all year.

Enjoy your Fenwick wet dream matchups, geeks.

[CS85]

it's only right that the path to another Cup goes through them, that way they'll have really earned it.

Famous last words

To address everyone who's grouchy about a WCF rematch, I feel your pain, really, I do. It's tempered by the fact that it's my team, just like yours would be, but I understand why people would be frustrated that not only is it these teams again, but it's these teams, two clubs that basically slummed it for most of six months while the Avs/Blues/Ducks tore up the regular season. You want the regular season to mean something when you make following the league a part of your life, lest you be completely wasting your time instead of mostly wasting your time. That's not even getting into the people who pay out the ass to go to regular-season games that should have some meaning to them. "Ho-ho, you can throw out the regular season, none of that matters now" must sound so goddamn smarmy to the season ticket holders who make this enterprise possible in the first place.* So I totally understand how people feel resentful not just of a sequel, but a sequel born of coasting. No one liked Godfather Part III either.

And when it's time to renew season tickets?

[Unocal]

it's only right that the path to another Cup goes through them, that way they'll have really earned it.

Famous last words

To address everyone who's grouchy about a WCF rematch, I feel your pain, really, I do. It's tempered by the fact that it's my team, just like yours would be, but I understand why people would be frustrated that not only is it these teams again, but it's these teams, two clubs that basically slummed it for most of six months while the Avs/Blues/Ducks tore up the regular season. You want the regular season to mean something when you make following the league a part of your life, lest you be completely wasting your time instead of mostly wasting your time. That's not even getting into the people who pay out the ass to go to regular-season games that should have some meaning to them. "Ho-ho, you can throw out the regular season, none of that matters now" must sound so goddamn smarmy to the season ticket holders who make this enterprise possible in the first place.* So I totally understand how people feel resentful not just of a sequel, but a sequel born of coasting. No one liked Godfather Part III either.

*Apologia not valid in Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham, Miami suburbs

I wouldn't say Chicago was slumming- they had a very good record going into January, but Colorado and St. Louis were simply on fire.

LA OTOH- now that's a different story. If they played with an elimination game mentality night after night, they could have actually gotten home-ice advantage

They have literally had home-ice advantage only ONE TIME since 1992- and that was last year in a 5-6 matchup~

At some point, the Kings are going to need home-ice advantage.

[ninersdd]

At some point, the Kings are going to need home-ice advantage.

2012 says hi

[Kramerica Industries]

I will say that the 2012 to 2014 turnaround thingy going on with Los Angeles is pretty hysterical.

They did not face elimination at any point en route to the Cup in 2012. Now they can't seem to win when they aren't facing elimination; 2-6 when not facing elimination, 6-0 when facing elimination, and three of those six wins came on the road. Jeez.

LA's road record in the last three playoff years:

2012: 10-1

2013: 1-8

2014: 5-3

As you were.

[Funky Bunky]

Welp, more experienced team won imo, as outside of Getzlaf and Perry, the Kings veterans outplayed our relatively young roster. Teemu and some of the real older vets (Saku, Beauch, etc.) weren't as good down the stretch, and didn't have as much of a positive impact in the playoffs. Sucks, but can't say it wasn't a great year for Anaheim. Thankfully, the success in the next few years could continue with the players and prospects they have. 4 top 60 picks too in this upcoming draft. Hopefully it will be an entertaining offseason.

Go Ducks.

Thank you California, I can take this loss in with a little bit of green help. Sorry if my post doesn't make sense to you.

[dbadefense1990]

At some point, the Kings are going to need home-ice advantage.

What makes you think the arenas in Chicago and Montreal (the teams left this postseason who would have home-ice advantage to start a series against LA) are pure kryptonite for the Kings? Two road Game 7 wins already, 6-0 in elimination games, back-to-back series wins despite losing three games in a row within each series. I think LA is fine to play on the road when needed.

The Kings are basically resorting their 2012 pattern of winning on the road, but doing it the extreme hard way this time. As for the one series they did start with the HIA (2013 West Semifinals vs. San Jose), LA's placing over the Sharks in the standings didn't finalize until the last night of the regular season, so the whole "Kings not having HIA since 1992" premise could have continued to this day.

Coming into these Western Finals, the most intriguing statistic which can come up is after Game 4. What will prevail first, LA avoiding elimination over and over again, or the 'Hawks using their terrifyingly awesome record from Game 4-onwards over the last couple of years?

[Funky Bunky]

Well Anaheim,

Farethee well. Good travels to Teemu for his storied career; at least he got one championship. Hope Zach and Co. aren't stuck in miserable traffic going home after this one.

Yup, Kings definitely won.

[oddball]

It's sad to see career end, but he was on his last legs. It was sad to watch him be a step off of his game this year. Part of that could've been his lack of consistency in the lineup. As far as Anaheim, this us typical of a Boudreau team, great regular season and chokes it away in the playoffs. It's why LA fired him as a minor league coach. As far as Anaheim's biggest need, it's a goaltender. Not since you had Giguere have you had someone who would take the #1 spot. Gibson might be good in the future, but not now. If Gibson can't take the #1 position going into the season, be really scared. If he's the guy he'll take the job the way Quick did in LA. Oh, and to the Kings haters, Kings fans are sorry your team can't get it done when it counts.

[Unocal]

This new NHL playoff format sucks. I mean, no top 3 seeds left. Basically, all the really good teams are gone. Ducks-Kings could have been a conference final. We get a rerun between two teams that already won.

Thank goodness for the upheaval in the East. We literally had 5 cracks at the same final four as last year, but BOS and PIT all failed to seal the deal.

It's sad to see career end, but he was on his last legs. It was sad to watch him be a step off of his game this year. Part of that could've been his lack of consistency in the lineup. As far as Anaheim, this us typical of a Boudreau team, great regular season and chokes it away in the playoffs. It's why LA fired him as a minor league coach. As far as Anaheim's biggest need, it's a goaltender. Not since you had Giguere have you had someone who would take the #1 spot. Gibson might be good in the future, but not now. If Gibson can't take the #1 position going into the season, be really scared. If he's the guy he'll take the job the way Quick did in LA. Oh, and to the Kings haters, Kings fans are sorry your team can't get it done when it counts.

Does the regular season even matter? At this point, it's basically "Just get in and you have a puncher's shot.'

Maybe your Kings had it right- coast just enough to not burn out, but not to the point where you're gonna miss the playoffs.

[The_Admiral]

Okay, look, I don't know what to tell you anymore. The Sharks had four games to knock out the Kings and they didn't. The Ducks had two. The Avs had two shots to finish off the Wild. The Blues went 2/29 on the power play and had three games with the other team's #2 defenseman out, all three of which they lost. I don't know what more the regular season can do to help them. Why don't you try blaming the really good teams for ceasing to be really good against lesser teams? You're being a bitch.

[Unocal]

Go Habs/Rangers. At least I can throw my support behind the winner of that series.

[ninersdd]

I think also if the playoffs were under the old format it would've been 3 Blues vs 6 Kings and 4 Sharks vs 5 Hawks. I would've still bet that Chicago and LA would still survive the first round anyway. Though the 2nd round would be 1 Ducks vs 7 Wild and 5 Hawks vs 6 Kings.

[rams80]

Well, after Colorado and Anaheim and St. Louis dominated the headlines- it's LA-Chicago again. Oh, joy.

As an amateur psychologist, I suggest you abandon watching hockey and take up watching another sport. It just seems to be turning you into a ball of hate.

[Cosmic]

This new NHL playoff format sucks. I mean, no top 3 seeds left. Basically, all the really good teams are gone. Ducks-Kings could have been a conference final. We get a rerun between two teams that already won.

Thank goodness for the upheaval in the East. We literally had 5 cracks at the same final four as last year, but BOS and PIT all failed to seal the deal.

Does the regular season even matter? At this point, it's basically "Just get in and you have a puncher's shot.'

Maybe your Kings had it right- coast just enough to not burn out, but not to the point where you're gonna miss the playoffs.

Setting aside the truly terrible teams, any team has a legit chance to beat any other team on any given night. That's what makes sports fun? When you don't know what's gonna happen?

[Cosmic]

There's some long breaks in these series. Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday for the Hawks and Kings. As awesome as it is to be so close to the Stanley Cup being handed out, this is an adjustment period where you don't have a game every night. One night without a game in the second round, and the whole thread went to crap. We'll probably end up discussing which gas station chain makes the best sandwiches at some point during the third round.

[charger77]

I love the argument that "all the best teams are gone".

If they were the best teams... they'd still be playing!