Practice 2/1 – Mentality & Alignment from Detroit + 500lli, Durzi’s Growth, Kempe Video

We’ve reached our final practice of the road trip, Insiders!

The Kings hit the ice earlier today in Detroit, their final practice before the NHL’s All-Star Break. The team skated on the practice ice at Little Caesars Arena, adjacent to the game rink. Today’s practice had a bit of intensity to it, following yesterday’s off day, in an effort to keep the focus on hand in advance of the final game before the All-Star Break.

“We talked about it prior to practice today, I thought we had a good skate,” Todd McLellan said today. “Based on my experience, it goes one way or the other. The guys are really focused and dialed in and they give each other everything, or sometimes, their minds are on other things and they’re ready to get home. Unfortunately, that’s human nature. We’ll do our best to have the group ready and prepared, I think we have good leadership throughout and I believe the guys understand the importance of the points. If all of those things are what I think they are, we’ll show up, we’ll work hard and do our thing.”

Joining the group today was defenseman Christian Wolanin, who met the team here in Michigan. The Kings lost defensemen Mikey Anderson (injured reserve – upper-body injury) and Matt Roy (COVID Protocol) in advance of Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. Wolanin is a familiar option, having played seven games with the Kings earlier this season. The 26-year-old defenseman has seven assists from nine games played with AHL-Ontario and was an obvious fit to be recalled.

With the addition of Wolanin, here’s how the Kings aligned this afternoon in Detroit –

Iafallo – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Athanasiou – Byfield – Brown
Lemieux – Lizotte – Kaliyev
Grundstrom – Kupari

Moverare – Doughty
Bjornfot – Durzi
Maatta – Strand
Wolanin

Quick / Petersen / Ingham

Roy’s absence is a disappointing one on two levels. His steady presence is naturally missed, but tomorrow evening’s game would have been an opportunity to play in his home state of Michigan. The Canton, MI native grew up approximately 25 minutes from Detroit, supporting the Red Wings as a kid. Roy had the opportunity to play professionally in both Grand Rapids (2018-19 season) and Detroit (2019-20 season) with the Ontario Reign and Kings respectively, though always a disappointment to see players miss out on hometown games.

It’s very red in here. pic.twitter.com/yPrSpLRHBg

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) February 1, 2022

Notes –

500lli
Defenseman Olli Maatta is in line for the 500th game of his professional career tomorrow evening in Detroit. Maatta has been a versatile piece for the Kings this season, frequently seeing his partner and spot in the lineup change, sometimes game-to-game, as injuries and COVID have taken different pieces out at different times.

Playing 500 at the NHL level is certainly an accomplishment for any player. Maatta is set to become just the 14th player from the 2012 Draft Class to play in 500 NHL games, on the heels of Matt Dumba, who reached the milestone on Friday in New York.

For the Finnish blueliner, the milestone snuck up on him a bit, something that happens from time to time in the grind of an NHL schedule. I lose track of what day of the week it is by the time we hit Day 12 on the road. Without the fanfare that 1,000 games brings, Maatta was almost surprised to hear it, but nonetheless, a great achievement for number six in black and white.

“I haven’t even thought about it actually, it feels like as the season gets going, we’re playing so many games, you just go day by day, even if you aren’t trying to,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing, to just focus on the next one. I know it’s a cliché, but to be honest, this stretch of games that we’ve had, that’s what it’s been.”

Over the last few weeks, Maatta has become an increasingly important part of the Kings, emphasized that much more in Pittsburgh on Sunday. With regulars Mikey Anderson and Matt Roy scratched for that game, Maatta was the lone veteran remaining alongside Drew Doughty.

With Roy being his usual partner, Maatta’s pairing changed – he partnered with Austin Strand, as he did for a stretch last season – as did his importance as a veteran. Todd McLellan praised Maatta’s game on Sunday, praising his ability to settle things down with several younger defensemen on the backend.

McLellan reinforced those points when speaking with us earlier today.

“He’s been huge,” McLellan said. “Olli has been in and out of the lineup, injuries, COVID, you name it. When you really need him and it’s time to settle others down, he seems to have that ability. Drew and Olli are the two senior guys right now, with a lot of youth in the lineup. The other night, there was a lot of discussion about how well the young guys played, but they’re only capable of doing that if the veterans play well around them too. They’re not there to bail those two out. They played real well, they played solid games and the others could just do their things. It was a good combination and we’ll need it for another night.”

Big Sean
As he’s gained more and more NHL experience, defenseman Sean Durzi has showcased more and more the player he can be at the NHL level. Todd McLellan referenced Durzi’s mentality and his ability to overcome mistakes as being huge for him in his development, with Durzi praising the coaching staff for letting him work through those mistakes and express his creativity offensively. Together, it’s been a great fit for both side.

McLellan on Durzi – Durz has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and he never really loses that chip. If he makes some mistakes, it could cost us, we could be on him a little bit, but it gets back on his shoulder quickly. There are other young players who have a difficult time overcoming those things and they end up in a shell and you don’t end up seeing their true skillset. In my opinion, Durz has been able to perform very well and overcome mistakes. For him to have that happen this early in his career is really good, good for us and good for him.”

Durzi On Play Of Late – It’s been good lately. Obviously with the team having success, that helps and I think the coaching staff has done a good job of letting me play my game and giving me a bit of freedom on the offensive side. Obviously you’re always looking to clean things up on the other side of the puck, but them giving me the confidence and putting trust in me to play some pretty good minutes as of late gives me that confidence and allows me to show them that I can do it.”

McLellan referred to Durzi as the team’s best defenseman in the game played in Philadelphia, with Durzi tallying a pair of assists in the overtime defeat. He’s begun to take on a larger role, including time on both special teams units, playing more than 20 minutes in each of the last two games. At the end of a long trip, seeing Durzi’s game on an upward trajectory is a good thing.

It certainly been a long trip, hasn’t it, but an impressive trip for the young blueliner. Durzi is really taking part in his first extended road trip with the team. Six games in six cities over 13 days is a monster for us all, but for a player used to the shorter trips we had earlier this season and in the AHL, where trips are typically shorter and in fewer cities.

“Honestly, I’m enjoying it,” Durzi said. “Getting to see the different cities, different arenas, going on the road with the guys, a lot of travel, different hotels, it’s been fun. These roadtrips are always good, no matter what level you play at, bonding-wise and you become closer as a group. Guys have families back home and here it’s just us in the hotel. You see a lot more of guys, have more fun in that part, but it’s a little bit different, especially with the time change, adjusting to that. You try to get good hours of sleep and adjust, but overall it’s been good.”

Adrian, Before All-Star
Lastly, hear from Kings forward Adrian Kempe from earlier today from Little Caesar’s Arena. We’ll have more from Kempe regarding his trip to Vegas for the NHL’s All-Star Classic over the coming days, but for now, he touches on his improved consistency and performance this season. Kempe hasn’t gone two games without a point since mid-December, and has had just three stretches of multiple games without a point all season long. Kempe also touched on finishing the trip on a high note and the team’s focus before the All-Star Break.

The Kings are slated to hold a morning skate tomorrow, where we’ll get a better sense of tomorrow’s starting goaltender, potential lineup and the team’s mentality heading into the game versus the Red Wings. More to follow from the Motor City, Insiders!