Los Angeles Kings suffer humiliating 8-1 defeat at the hands of Edmonton Oilers—does this signal the end for Jim Hiller? Calls for accountability from fans echo throughout Crypto.com Arena as frustration mounts over the team’s five-game losing streak and sudden identity crisis. Is a coaching change imminent before the NHL trade deadline?
Eddie Garcia examines lineup shakeups and injuries to Joel Armia and Drew Doughty. The episode scrutinizes Jim Hiller’s leadership, management’s playoff ambitions, and potential replacements. Will Ken Holland pull the trigger to jolt the Kings back into playoff contention? Key topics include power play struggles, faceoff woes, and reaction from Anze Kopitar and Mikey Anderson—plus a look at the Pacific Division wild card race as the clock ticks down.
00:00 Kings Worst Loss & Hiller’s Future
Opening monologue about the Kings’ most embarrassing loss, the need for accountability, and calls for a coaching change.
11:16 Lineup Changes & Game Breakdown
Analysis of player lineup shifts, in-depth review of the loss to the Oilers, injuries, and individual stats.
22:10 Playoff Race & Coaching Options
Discussion on playoff standings, urgency for a coaching change, trade deadline considerations, and possible replacements.
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29 Comments
To quote Hiller himself: ''Why are we even talking about this?!'' This dude should've never started the season behind the bench.
Probably no other team pushing for playoffs – which seems kinda pointless anyway – that wouldn't have made a coaching change by now.
Kings canned coaches with way less evidence of failure.
Of course its kept out of media but as I said after last years playoff series, I wouldn't be surpised if Hiller lost the players in the room. Now it seems more and more like its the truth. This is really looking like they are playing their coach into firing. It happens in pro sports more than the public realizes. And this is really starting to look like that because this is not the Kings. They are much better than this. Hiller also makes baffling decisons. Tonight Kopitar was centering the 4th line for a shift or 2 and I think he also did that last night too. Kopie is not a 4th line center ever. Nor should he not be on the first pp unit with Panarin and Kempe, ever. Like I said last year after the Oilers series, Hiller should not be a head coach and he makes very bad decisions and it looks clear that those decisions have lost the team and I predicted this last spring. I would not be shocked if they suddenly turned into a much better team as soon as Hiller is fired and it doesnt matter who takes over. It just really looks like they are trying to get him out and again, that does happen more than most know. But Im with you Eddie. Regardless, look how this is right now. They have nothing to lose by firing him and trying someone new at this point.
Peter DeBoer now or never. Hiller lost the team last year when they collapsed in the playoffs. The teams identify is like Hiller no personality. It’s the Coaches system. Wake up Luke please.
It was bound to happen.
Forrest in Prescott: I emailed you last week talking about the need to acquire a better D man. How do you feel about it now cause I think the last 2 games have proved my point. I’m done watching the Kings until something changes.
They've GOT to move on from Hiller
I don’t recall a worse goaltending exhibition by an NHL team in the last 10 years, this team has really quit on Hiller, we need to be sellers at the trade deadline and try to get prospects..
That effort was completely heartless. They’ve quit on Hiller and on themselves.
Do Ken and Luc attend home games? Did the camera pan to them to see their expressions late in this game? Do they even care? Was AEG so adamant that they weren't going to allow Hiller to be fired this season otherwise it would be the second straight coach they would have to pay after the fact?
The Kings went 7-8 in January and have lost all 5 in February. Even if they somehow squeak into the playoffs, they will certainly get smoked in the first round (yet again). Time to start planning for next season and beyond…and that should mean massively cleaning house from top to bottom.
He’s got to go… 100%
A stubborn management is all I think about when I see Kings games. In a corner sticking with a weak coach..what is the point.
Wow! After losing to the silver knights it couldn't get worse right?
🤦
That's it. I just can't anymore with this guy. Even if it's promoting from within. Dude has got to go!
I'm all about firing Hiller but at this point, let him stay. Let the tank a thon begin and get a high draft pick. This season is not salvagable.
Doughty is “hurt”. Nah, the only thing that is “hurt” is his ego and mangina. Not one single player with a brain will want to be traded to this team at the deadline. This team is literally the Titanic of the league.
A coach bump would be huge right now..
I was at this game and a section next to mine indeed started the fire hiller chants and I felt bad for hiller because I figured the world watching would be able to hear it. After hearing you talk about Jim not challenging players throughout this season I started to feel like maybe that's a good reason to fire a coach because I always felt it's harder to judge a coach in this sport.
Only 1 timeout and the game is designed to constantly sub players so it seems the only thing left to be mad at a coach for is not challenging players to be better. I definitely feel like yesterday wasn't on him because he did his part with at least switching out goalies since that's the least he can do as a coach during the game. If he gets fired it's understandable and at this point I wouldn't mind because it doesn't seem like he is challenging his players to be better and that is something we need from our coach
The players need to be held accountable
Hiller should’ve been fired a long time ago
This might have been the worst kings game I've ever watched.
It is so frustrating that we’ve seen Holland make two mid-season coaching changes with the Oilers alone in recent history with results that at least continued to push them in the right direction, still no Cup but back to back Finals is better than where we are now, and yet still this ridiculous inaction. At this point it honestly feels like our management is behaving like Toronto or the Sabres (before their recent GM change and mid-season success) have been.
Has anyone heard who might be interested in taking over the head coaching job in Los Angeles?
Glad we traded Greentree for nothing. Looks like LAK were the real losers after all. What are we going to do with Panarin on this shitshow of a team?
Might be too late for a coaching change. What do they do? Fire Hiller and promote Smith? More of the same. Doubt a new coach from outside the organization has enough time to turn things around. If the Kings end up tied with anyone for the last spot, those RW’s (or lack thereof) will get us bounced. I hope I’m wrong but I think management waited too long to act. I’m betting they stick with Hiller until the end of the season.
Well at least Buffalo is fun to watch this year.
Hehehehe….I have been part of the group asking for this since the conclusion of last year's round 1 exit. I now say we should keep him. This is for several reasons:
1. Changing now will accomplish nothing
2. We need to lose as many games as possible to.make our draft picks more valuable and Hiller is the man to do this unless we bring Willie D back.
3. This isn't just Hiller's fault. KH and Blake supposedly built this team to beat the Oilers and go to Round 2. It's pretty obvious that the players added by KH are a disaster failures. KH needs to go since he built this team and kept Hiller despite his obvious weaknesses.
4. Sorry, I love Luc as a player as a King, and as a person when I have met him, but he is the guy who hired Blake, KH and Hiller. The buck stops with him.
He should been fired a long time ago
Much like a playoff game. There's the problem
One of the all-time disappointments in LAK history IMO. We finally land a superstar, get a huge much-needed break in the season, come back to a depleted VGK team, and completely drop two consecutive bombs. What a waste. Fire Hiller now. It's not all on him, but he's done.