sorry if this is a bit much, but do you know where i can find information on LA's system? from what you've said it seems really interesting
Not too much!! I love chatting LAK :D I watch this team in Ways I simply don't with my other teams!
I really couldn’t tell you anything in-depth or specific about LA except that they’re running a 1-2-2 neutral zone forecheck (moving away from their infamous 1-3-1). Privately I dooo think the way some fans couched it as a huge shift was a little premature. I get that everyone was fed up with it at that point, though.
Many teams have employed a 1-2-2 with variations, it is apparently a system everyone learns to play at some point in their hockey career!! Here's a bit on it (includes diagrams) <- eventually I will gather media about it and make gifs and diagrams, but that's a long way away <3 I'm simply not confident in my own ability to break it down for you and tell you what the Kings are doing that's so special.
Beyond the 1-2-2, they changed up their special teams as well. Something about a more aggressive penalty kill here. I don't know what the hell they did to the power play because it is NAWT working </3
Here's what I've dug up from LAK media... Sparse coverage on the gritty details of the system. Wish I could say I've scoured every corner of the internet but I think when the changeover was happening I was laser focused on the Can.adiens + Shar.ks offseason. I unfortunately haven't trawled all the Kings podcasts out there. Might be worth a look to see if any of them covered the topic around the time the change was happening?
Note: There are some repeated quotes that I've cut out, and some of these articles are excerpted from larger pieces!
Published on The Hockey News, 20th September 2024: Kings Officially Move Away From Much-Discussed 1-3-1 - by Austin Stanovich (link / archive link)
The Los Angeles Kings' use of the 1-3-1 neutral zone trap has been a much-discussed topic amongst fans over the last few seasons under head coach Todd McLellan and briefly Jim Hiller after him. For a third year in a row it was completely infective against the Edmonton Oilers and saw the Kings lose in just five games in round one.
Both Jim Hiller and general manager Rob Blake hinted at a change in system over the summer and early in training camp that change has been confirmed.
Captain Anze Kopitar came out and confirmed the team won't be playing a 1-3-1 and Hiller talked about moving to a 1-2-2 after day one of camp. This move has sparked a lot of excitement amongst fans and for good reason. The 1-3-1 wasn't working and the Kings needed to change something. A shift to a 1-2-2 makes sense as well. It isn't a million miles away from the 1-3-1 and allows the Kings to remain a structured, defensively sound team without being as rigid as the 1-3-1.
The forwards, in particular, will have more freedom to be aggressive in the neutral zone and can look to create turnovers higher up the ice.
The biggest change will be for the defensemen, this team's blue line was very clearly built with the 1-3-1 in mind with all of their puck movers being right handed. While this defensemen; Drew Doughty, Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke, will still be asked to do the majority of the puck moving, there will now be more pressure on the left sided defensemen to move pucks.
Mikey Anderson, Vladislav Gavrikov, Joel Edmundson and whoever else fills in will fall back and be less aggressive in the neutral zone but will have to go back and retrieve more pucks. I'd expect all of them to adopt a safe game on the puck and look to go D-to-D or straight up ice with a safe pass most times.
Still, there will be more pressure on them to have the puck on their stick which will be an adjustment. It might also put a little more pressure on the Kings' goaltenders. For all of the faults of the 1-3-1, it did do an excellent job shielding the Kings' budget goaltending. Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich won't have the same safety net goalies in the last few seasons have enjoyed. Again, the Kings will still likely be a more defensive team even with the system change, but their goalies might need to have an extra save or two in them.
I also wouldn't expect to never see the 1-3-1 again, it just won't be the Kings' default system.
Anderson and Trevor Moore discussed this in their exit interviews. The 1-3-1 is good for holding leads and is used throughout the league, the Kings just needed to get away from defaulting to this system.
Late in games and against certain opposition, I wouldn't be surprised to see this return at times, Kings fans just won't have to see it all game anymore.
-
Published on The Athletic, 2nd October 2024: What we’ve learned about the L.A. Kings so far in training camp and preseason - by Eric Stephens (link / archive link)
[...]
Ding, dong, the Kings’ 1-3-1 is dead
System changes rarely rate highly in terms of camp intrigue but the Kings’ switch from the 1-3-1 neutral zone trap setup to 1-2-2 is notable in that it’s something the players have lobbied for. The 1-3-1 boosted their defensive play for years and helped bring success but also left them feeling stunted in realizing offensive potential.
Most notably, Kempe and Kevin Fiala expressed their wish for change after last spring’s playoff loss to Edmonton. At the start of camp, Kopitar flatly said, “We’re not going to play the 1-3-1 this year.” It’s clear they’re embracing the change.
“Everyone likes to be on the attack and not playing on your heels,” Jeannot said. “Hopefully what we’re trying to do this year is just be hard on the other team. Don’t give them any time and space and keep them on their heels. Keep the momentum sloped our way. We’re just learning this new system and everyone’s going to take the time to buy in and just learn it. Come the regular season, it’s going to be dialed in and working really well.
“I think it’s going to cause a lot of turnovers and be a little bit more aggressive maybe. Hopefully get some more opportunities for our offensive guys and keep us out of our D-zone more.”
Jordan Spence, whose ice time will spike upward in Drew Doughty’s lengthy absence, mentioned how, as a right-side defenseman, there will be fewer times when he and others will be the ones to retrieve dumped-in pucks by the attacking team. Kempe said right wingers like himself will benefit from being more in motion on breakouts as opposed to starting from a standstill.
“Last year as a right winger you had to go back for the puck a lot and maybe aren’t up in the rush as the main guy,” Kempe said. “Sometimes you come late, and you get good chances. But I think playing 1-2-2, once we turn the puck over in our favor, I think there’s going to be some times where we get good rush opportunities. That’s where I feel like my game is really good so that’s something I’m excited about.”
The change to 1-2-2 as a means of creating more offense means the Kings goaltenders could be asked to do more, as the 1-3-1 helped limit chances and insulate them. But they’re on board.
“We have enough practices to figure out what’s going to be important in our system for goalies,” David Rittich said. “Some sort of things we already know what we’re probably going to see more than we’ve seen in the past. But I think it’s good. I personally feel like we have a really fast team and 1-2-2 is just going to help us.”
-
Published on LA Kings Insider, 9th October 2024: Kings learning, adjusting, embracing the switch to the 1-2-2 - by Zach Dooley (link / archive link)
[...]
All the way back on the first day of camp, Jim Hiller spoke about the neutral zone as a way to get the team’s forward moving a little bit more. No reminder needed on the infamous “standing still right winger” comment from exit interviews.
The 1-3-1 was certainly a part of the identity the Kings built over the last few seasons. You can’t say it wasn’t a part of the team’s success in transitioning from a team at the bottom of the standings to a playoff team three years running. Typically, any time you hear an opposing team comment on systems, it’s out of frustration.
While it’s no longer the primary option, it’s not like the concept has been forgotten, either. If the Kings need it, it’s there. But, with the personnel in place right now, Hiller believes that the best way forward for the Kings was to make a change in that area. It’s not meant to be a change away from a strong, sound defensive team, but a change that could hopefully fit the way the current roster is constructed.
“I think the 1-3-1 was a very effective system, I thought the guys played it very well, we just think with where we’re at now, as a franchise, it’s time to make an adjustment, to see if we can get our forwards to skate a little bit more” Hiller said, early in camp. “Hopefully we get better results because of it.”
As the Kings have progressed throughout training camp, the comfort level has risen within the system. It impacts the forwards, defensemen and goaltenders all a little bit differently.
Okay, maybe not really the goaltenders. Darcy Kuemper comes to the Kings from Washington, a team that did not play a 1-3-1 last season, while David Rittich was inclined to believe the change could benefit the group he sees in front of him.
[...]
In terms of the skating ability, the Kings certainly have it, especially on the wings.
In the top nine, down the right side, the Kings have Adrian Kempe, Trevor Moore and Warren Foegele, who are all strong skaters.
For Kempe and Moore, both players came from the 1-3-1 and are learning this system for the first time, if you will, although I don’t think there’s a professional hockey player in the world who hasn’t played a 1-2-2 in the neutral zone. Drew Doughty said as much prior to his injury. Even I learned it with the Shaker-Colonie Jets high school team back in 2009, so I’m certain that those guys can pick it up.
Both acknowledged the learning curve, but both also agreed that the change in system speaks to the speed that players like them, and others, can use within that system.
Kempe – It’s learning a new, complete system for the team, but I think we’ve created a lot of turnovers, a lot of chances from it. I’m excited for it, I think it’s going to be fast, I can use my speed and skill even more and hopefully it’s going to turn out good.
Moore – It feels a little bit more intuitive out there, a little bit more forward skating. You can attack better. I think it’s been good so far. There was definitely stuff you have question marks on, but we’ll get it going.
Moore highlighted the system’s ability to get the feet moving for players like him on the wing, to better capitalize when the system executes as intended. It gets players skating, as opposed to waiting, so when a turnover comes, it’s a created with forwards already moving. There’s benefits to that with regards to potentially going the other way.
I think part of the change too comes down to the players the Kings have on the right. Kempe, Moore and Foegele are all penalty killers and none of them cheat the game for points. The Kings were a Top-5 defensive team around the NHL last season in just about every category. Whether it was goals against, suppression of high-danger chances or anywhere in between, the Kings ranked in the league’s Top-5 in 5-on-5 situations.
They don’t want to lose that, but they also understand that the offensive production hasn’t been to where it needs to be in order for the organization to take the next step. Having the right mindset, with the right system change, is something the Kings hope can help one without hurting the other.
With regards to the defensemen, there are multiple changes.
In past seasons, the Kings prioritized fast, puck-moving players on the right side because they fit into how the 1-3-1 was aligned.
Doughty was already there, but frankly he can play in just about any role and be successful. Think Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke, as puck retrievers, those are the guys who handle pucks well, with the right defenseman always the furthest player back.
Even guys who have recently departed the organization were strong puck movers, guys like Sean Walker and Sean Durzi had those areas as strengths, whether it be Walker with his legs or Durzi in moving the puck.
The right-sided defensemen now have different responsibilities. Puck retrievals will still be key, but there’s more variance.
“I think we’re way more aggressive this year,” Spence said. “For the right D, we were always staying back, trying to retrieve the puck, but this time we’re trying to step up to guys before the blueline. It’s a big change, but at the same time, I think it’s going to create a lot of opportunities in the offensive zone, turn the puck around as fast as possible. I think for us, it’s going to work out really well and for me to jump up and contribute.”
For those who play on the left side, the Kings typically looked for that more defensive player, perhaps with some physicality, as the left-sided defenseman was up on the left side as a part of the three across.
For Mikey Anderson, the 1-3-1 is more or less how he came into the professional ranks. Playing that system for four consecutive seasons turned it into clockwork for him. The role is a little bit different now and he admitted there’s still an adjustment taking place. But, with two weeks of camp under his belt, he and the group are feeling more comfortable.
“It takes a little bit of time, the 1-3-1 turned into second nature because of how long we were doing it, but it’s getting more comfortable,” Anderson said. “It’s nice to go through it in practice, do it in a game, being able to talk through it in different situations, but overall I think it’s been a good transition so far. We’ve got to keep grinding away at it to feel more comfortable.”
While players are generally optimistic, it hasn’t been perfect.
Look at the preseason win over Boston, with the goal conceded.
The Kings lost the faceoff at center ice, just after Quinton Byfield scored his second goal of the game. The play was a lesser-seen detail, with center-ice faceoffs not occurring all that often other than to begin a period. The Kings got lost between a neutral-zone faceoff loss and a neutral-zone forecheck. It led to Bruins forward Patrick Brown splitting the team down the middle and scoring from the slot.
“That was kind of an in-betweener, it really should have been a neutral-zone faceoff loss and in that scenario we have protocols, in a neutral-zone forecheck is another protocol,” Hiller said. “One of the players thought at that point, it had turned from that into a forecheck, so we got a little bit mixed up. It shouldn’t happen again, but things like that will happen from time to time.”
With a new system comes adjustments and the Boston game, while generally good, served as a reminder that mixups can still happen as the team becomes more comfortable. Tomorrow, those mistakes would be even more costly. When the Kings take on the Sabres, we’ll get a truer sense of where they’re at with this facet of their game.
It’s exciting to talk about these principles on October 9. On October 10, those principles need to be put into practice, in the games that matter. If the Kings get burned through the neutral zone, aw the pace picks up and the intensity increases, we’ll know there’s work to do. If the system is executed as intended, it’s onto another evaluation on Saturday. Such is life in the NHL. The team feels prepared. Tomorrow, we’ll find out for sure.
-
For a deeper dive into the systems they're running this year I am waiting on Jack Han’s 2025 edition of his hockey tactics reference book where he goes over every team's systems, but that won’t be out for a while.
Last I heard he plans to squeeze it out around the Trade Deadline this season! It’s gets published here if you want to keep an eye on it, and he posts updates on progress semi-regularly here in this twt thread. I will be purchasing it and no doubt yelling about it enough on here so you could always just wait for the smoke from this blog <3
Can't recommend him enough as a twt/bsky follow + substack read. If I had the disposable income I'd be subscribed to him and paying for his work. He writes plenty of free stuff, but his paid work... oughhh...... absolutely worth it.
Sorry this was a bit long! I considered just dumping the links on you but honestly I've been meaning to get all this archived on my blog so thanks for prompting me to do it. <3
