January 15 practice quotes: Mike Richards

Mike Richards spoke briefly with LA Kings Insider at Toyota Sports Center on Wednesday before the team left for St. Louis, and did acknowledge some “surprise” that linemate Tyler Toffoli, who was assigned to Manchester on Tuesday, wouldn’t be making the trip.

Richards, who has hit a dry spell with one goal and 11 assists in his last 23 games, spoke of his line’s recent on-ice dynamic.

“I thought we had good chemistry, especially it was starting to build,” he said. “Ty and I had good chemistry, and then I thought Fratts had stepped in there, and we had had a couple games there together, and we started playing really well. The Detroit game, we were close, we had a lot of chances. We just couldn’t put the puck in the net, and we figured it was going to come eventually. Obviously not any more. So you just have to get used to who you’re playing with, and then try to get some chemistry right away and hopefully get a couple goals.”

At Wednesday’s practice Richards skated on a line with Matt Frattin and Justin Williams.

Richards, on whether he saw improvement in Toffoli:
He was going through a tough time, just like me. We were going through it together, so we were pushing each other and trying to get better, and obviously we had a lot of chances and a lot of near misses, and that’s the way it goes sometimes. Obviously you’re not going to score, but creating that momentum and creating that energy I think carries over to different lines, and obviously you want to score every game, but as long as they’re getting the chances, it was going to go eventually.

Richards, on St. Louis:
I think every time a team plays us, I think because we have a bigger, physical team, that they try to play the same way, and St. Louis has that team that can play that same way. They have some big guys, some skilled forwards, and solid defense

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