Unique challenges for a Kings team searching for offense

It can be said that one of the tenets of play under Darryl Sutter is that the puck is transitioned quickly from the hands of the defensemen into the hands of the forwards. Of course, that can be said about many NHL teams, but throughout this decade, the Kings have been among the most adept at playing in the attacking end, and that starts with a quick transition of the puck up ice. It’s a cadence reinforced during up-tempo practices and morning skates under the two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach.

Through three games, how would Alec Martinez gauge the club’s ability to advance the puck?

“I don’t think it’s any secret we’re 0-3,” Alec Martinez said. “It hasn’t been good enough.”

Tonight’s opponent provides a particular challenge for a team that has been outscored 12-2 to start the season. The Minnesota Wild, long regarded as an NHL team with a strong defensive identity, have allowed 2.43 goals per game since the start of the 2013-14 season, which ties them for the sixth fewest goals against per game in the league over that span. Minnesota is a fast team that relies upon its excellent structure and a strong work ethic, and though they’ve allowed three goals per game through first three games – all wins – a mildly leaky penalty kill has raised their goals against during a small and perhaps misleading sample size. Similar to Anze Kopitar and the Kings, the Wild’s best player, Zach Parise, is also an excellent defensive forward capable of playing in all situations and setting a selfless example for his team.

“It’s going to be a tough test,” Martinez said. “We’ve been saying it the past couple days – we’ve got to start playing with a sense of urgency and get this thing going. There are a lot of things involved. Obviously we’ve got to improve on our offense, but the only way to generate offensive opportunities is being good and quick and fast in your own zone, so we can get it into the forwards’ hands and let them go to work.”

Given Minnesota’s tendencies, that will be a significant challenge.

“The way that they play, they like to jump down, especially on D-to-Ds and stuff,” Martinez said. “Often times this year, on that receiving end of that D-to-D, there’s going to be a forward jumping down on you trying to take away your time and space, so it goes back to what I said before. We’ve just got to make quick decisions and know where you’re going with the puck before you get it, and like I said, it’s a real tough test because they’re a really good hockey club.”

Alec Martinez, on whether the team has benefited from recent practices:
I think it’s been good. It’s given us two quality practices to work on the things that we need to work on. We worked a lot on offensive zone play and neutral zone and a little bit of D-zone. I guess it’s good to have those two days where you can work on things and watch some video and see it firsthand, so hopefully we carry that into tonight.

Martinez, on Derek Forbort’s debut:
It’s awesome. I mean, he had a really good camp and he’s a really good player, so all he’s got to do is play his own game, and we’re all confident he’s going to do that.

Martinez, on what he remembers about his first game:
I remember that we lost, and I was dash-two, so I choose to forget. Obviously, it’s your first NHL game, and you’re excited, you’re anxious, but he’s going to be just fine.