Who has stepped it up?

When the Kings lost their top two scorers, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, in a span of three games, it was immediately clear that no single player would be able to pick up the slack. Every player on the Kings’ roster would have to elevate his game, to some extent, if the Kings hoped to maintain a solid level of play. So the question was put plainly to Terry Murray today. Which players does he think have stepped up, and which ones need to show more?

MURRAY: “Clearly, the obvious two guys that have moved up into more significant roles would be Clifford and Richardson, playing with Simmonds. That’s guys who have taken on more minutes, playing on a more consistent, regular basis and playing well. I think Dustin Brown has done a very good job at taking on — I wouldn’t say more minutes, because his minutes probably haven’t changed a great deal — but there seems to be more contribution. He has stepped it up, and it’s clear in the locker room, in practice and during the games. His role has expanded, and as captain of the team, that’s what you expect and what you want, and he has followed up on that.

“I talked about, a while ago, the importance of Johnson and Doughty. When you lose your two top scorers like that, you have to find a way to manufacture more offense. Your back end, secondary-scoring guys, are an area that you’d like to see get going and be those players. I think the points have fallen off with Jack, when you take a look at the first half of the year compared to the second half. I’d like to see that get going more. Doughty has gone the other way. His points have improved. So there’s been a player there who has stepped up in the offensive part of the game.

“And I think our goaltending has been really good. Both Jonathan Bernier and Jonathan Quick, I think their games, in this post-All-Star break, have been really good, and certainly in the games after we lost those two players.”