Frustration Mounts for King

[IamMOOSE 361]

                It was June 9^th of 2020 that IamMoose entered the VHL and with him Kevin King made his debut, signing with Las Vegas of the VHLM just after the midway point of the season. In 30 games King put up 2 goals and points in what was a less than exceptional showing, but it was to be expected for a player returning to competitive play after a long layoff. What followed was a 2-goal performance that included a 3-game pointless drought to end the season 72 playoffs for the Aces. King would have a very emotionally charged outburst following that game six, showing the frustrations of his performance.

 

                As we headed into the offseason, King was drafted 4^th overall to Miami in the VHLM and 19^th overall to Vancouver in the VHL draft. He then put himself in arguable first round company as he set his cap for the season early, expecting to hit his 250 TPE goal before the midseason mark. As the offseason progressed, the realization was made that through the effort and determination of King, he would actually cap out in the second week of the 73^rd season.

 

                Then the season began. King would get off to slow start, recording 3 points in his first 5 games, including 2 goals but with an average of 4.4 shots per game in that stretch. King struggled to bury the puck in the back of the net on a consistent basis however, and was racking up penalty minutes for the first time in his career as well, including a fight versus Halifax where you could see frustrations boiling over. King’s next five would be a massive boost as he went on his best run to date with 6 goals in 5 games to round out the first ten games of the season at 7 goals/8 points, including 4 GWGs which at the time would be the league lead. It’s been a brutal rate since then with 7 points over his last 17 games, only increasing his numbers in 5 of those contests though, his faceoff percentage would rank near the top of the board if he weren’t excluded for some reason.

 

                So, what seems to be the disconnect for King? Veterans of this league are also somewhat perplexed as King’s build isn’t damaged by any significant misuse of TPE. He’s on a top team in the VHLM, which would hurt his numbers as a forward. But with others seemingly thriving, why not King? Where is the sim finding a hole in King’s game on the ice?