“Experience” served Muzzin vs Sharks; Ducks a new challenge

There were reports that had the Kings kicking the tires on defensemen at the trading deadline, with one viewpoint emerging that it would be beneficial to add a left-shooting defenseman that could log heavy minutes alongside Drew Doughty. As the first round series win over San Jose evolved, it became clear that the best improvement would come from within.

The seven-game series win over San Jose continued a fine conclusion to the regular season and represented Jake Muzzin’s finest all-situations stretch of hockey as a King.

“I felt a little more comfortable than last year, obviously,” said Muzzin, who was on the ice for one goal against – Matt Irwin’s second period marker in Game 7.

“Last year was a great experience going through those series, and gaining that experience helped me going into the playoffs this year. You know how it’s going to get amped up and having the right attitude and being desperate and stuff like that. I felt comfortable and we have a new challenge ahead of us that we’re excited for.”

Having appeared in 56 career games at the time last year’s playoffs rolled around, the big “E” word wasn’t in his favor. Whereas he notched three assists and drew a minus-two rating while averaging 15:50 per game in the 2013 postseason, he scored twice as part of a five-point effort and earned a plus-three rating against the Sharks and saw his ice time rise to 20:18 and 21:34 over Games 6 and 7.

“I think it’s just probably a little bit more experience,” Darryl Sutter said of the base behind Muzzin’s improvement. “I think if you take last year’s playoff where he was in and out of the lineup or didn’t play that much, this year we’ve had to rely on him a little bit more to get him ready for playoffs, and that’s sort of just a continuation of that.”

As for the Doughty partnership – a tandem lobbied for by Kings’ top defenseman during the preseason – it was pretty effective against one of the league’s top offensive teams.

“Yeah, me and Jake played really well together,” Doughty said. “Jake was only on for one goal against in the whole series, shows you how good he was playing. We did well offensively too. The good thing about me and Muzz is when a team’s emphasis is so hard on the forecheck, our breakout ability is really good where one of us can do it on our own. We can talk to each other, help out and I think that is the strength of us. We don’t spend a lot of time in our D-zone. And when we do, we’re both physical, big guys who can pin a guy to have a loose puck and we can get it that way. We did really well in our D-zone, and that’s why we were successful as a pair.”

While Muzzin and Doughty combined to help limit Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns to three points in San Jose’s four failed opportunities to close out the series, the Anaheim Ducks, who finished second in the National Hockey League with 266 goals, present another challenge. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry cracked 80 points and will be among those fighting for second place in the Hart Trophy race behind Sidney Crosby, and 10 players cracked double digits in goals scored. Even Devante Smith-Pelly and Richard Rakell, who spent much of the season at AHL-Norfolk, emerged as valuable role players and depth contributors late in the season and in Anaheim’s first round dispatch of the Dallas Stars.

“I think they’re pretty similar,” Doughty said of Anaheim and San Jose. “I think they’ve got really good forwards, especially their top guys are really good like San Jose’s. I think we can take advantage in some parts of the game with their defense, like we could with San Jose as well. I think Anaheim has maybe a little bit better of a goalie, so it’ll be harder to get it past him. I think it’s going to be the same type of game. They’re going to get in on the forecheck. Their forecheck is a little bit different, but they actually come harder than San Jose, surprisingly. So we know they’re going to create off that. I think for most of the season it wasn’t really Getzlaf and Perry who dominated our team, it was the kind of third or fourth line guys like Bonino, Cogliano and Maroon, and guys like that. We have to pay special attention to them, too.”

And the Ducks will pay special attention to Muzzin, who other than a fine head fake that led to a power play goal midway through the 2012-13 season, hasn’t distinguished himself against the Ducks in nine career games. He’s drawn a minus-two rating and no even strength points over that span, which began with the the infamous 7-4 loss at the Honda Center early in the 2012-13 season that was followed 12 days later by Darryl Sutter’s “road apples” comment.

Surely with the surging confidence through his performance in the first round series win, Muzzin will be well prepared for this new challenge.

“We enjoyed it, definitely,” Muzzin said of emerging from the first round. “But today is a new focus, and we’ll get ready for the Ducks. I think it was a good step.”

Jake Muzzin, on limiting San Jose’s top scorers late in the San Jose series:
I think we were a lot better in our zone. Getting pucks in and out, not giving them chances to create cycle opportunities and chances like that. Quickie made some big saves when called upon. But as a whole team, we definitely limited their chances by being quick in our zone and I think we had better gaps on the rush and better awareness on our changes and on the rush as well.

Muzzin, on his chemistry with Drew Doughty in the first round:
It was a good series for us. We played well in those last four games. There has been a lot of good stuff and we need to continue getting better and the chemistry grows when playing with each other. It’s been good so far.

Muzzin, on the keys to shutting down the Ryan Getzlaf line:
They’re two of the biggest skill guys in the league. So we’re going to have to take away time and space. Play hard on them and try to limit their chances. [Reporter: What makes them different?] Those two have been together for a long time. They have a lot of chemistry between each other and they kind of know where they’re going to be on certain plays. So you have to be very clear on where they are on the ice and be very vocal with each other on defending that top line.

Drew Doughty, on how he feels physically:
I’m doing well. It was good to get a day off yesterday, just kind of chill, hang out, get some treatment. I feel good. I’m ready to go. It’s playoffs, nothing is going to phase me now.

Doughty, on facing Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in the regular season:
I’ve played Getzlaf and Perry so many times, I’ve played with them, I know exactly how they play. I study how they play. They’re two of the hardest players to play in the league, no matter who is the third guy on that line. It’s such a hard line to play against. But like I said, I’ve studied how they play so many times that I know exactly what they’re going to do and it just comes down to out-competing them, being a better player in every situation. It’s going to be tough for me to do, but I have to do it.