Practice Day, Insiders!
The Kings were back on the ice today for the final tune up before they step into a back-to-back set this weekend. The Kings are in Anaheim tomorrow evening, a trip that presents its share of differences, which we’ll cover here tomorrow. Then, the red-hot Arizona Coyotes are in town on Saturday evening, bringing with them a seven-game point streak and two days in between games.
The full group was on the ice for practice today, with six gray jerseys, eight white jerseys and one red jersey comprising the forwards. All six defensemen were also on the ice, along with two goaltenders. Not a practice based a ton around line combinations and the Kings did a lot of work with special teams, something they didn’t really do a ton of throughout the course of the week here.
Gray: Byfield, Kopitar, Kempe, Moore, Danault, Arvidsson
White: Fiala, Lizotte, Vilardi, Iafallo, Lemieux, Kupari, Anderson-Dolan, Kaliyev
Defensemen: Anderson, Doughty, Durzi, Roy, Edler, Walker
Goaltenders: Copley, Quick
Not expecting anything to change with the top six and the bottom-six alignment likely depends on the status of Gabe Vilardi. He did participate in power-play drills, an indication that he’s at least close to being able to being ready to go, but without formal line rushes, it’s hard to say for sure. Todd McLellan shared that the hope is that he can get back into the lineup either tomorrow in Anaheim or Saturday against Arizona. Will see what the morning brings, but Vilardi is definitely very close. More from him below.
Additionally, forward Carl Grundstrom took in another practice in a red jersey. Never know for certain, but that likely pushes any type of game return beyond the back-to-back here over the next 48 hours, as the Kings usually like to see a full-contact practice come first. After this weekend in an off day and a short practice day on Monday, before hitting the road for five games in eight nights. Will check back in there over the next few days.
In lieu of a McLellan availability today, we had the opportunity to talk with assistant coach Jim Hiller, who runs the team’s power play and oversees the forwards. The bulk of the availability pertained to what the team is trying to do on the man advantage. The Kings are currently among the league’s top five on the power play this season, sitting tied for fourth at 25.1 percent as of this writing, with a raise of nine percentage point from last season’s 16.1 percent clip. Good signs, with Hiller asked several questions today as to why.
Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Image)
A Big uPPgrade
The LA Kings power play has been one of the largest areas for growth this season.
55.9 percent, to be exact, in terms of percent growth. The Kings scored 40 power-play goals all of last season. They’ve already buried 47 here with 27 games still to play in 2022-23. It’s been a combination of factors as to why, but the Kings are firing on all cylinders when up a man this season, a welcomed change.
Jim Hiller was added as an assistant coach in the offseason and has helped to architect that change. The Kings like to tackle things like special teams as a staff, but even with input coming from the entirety of the coaching staff, it’s Hiller’s primary specialty and focal point within the coaching room. Having a viewpoint coming in from outside the organization, Hiller has helped to impact change with that unit. Personnel, both in terms of new faces and new deployment, has also helped, as has better execution and more depth, with two units impacting the game as opposed to one.
A few thoughts from Hiller below –
On the similarities of personnel between the two power-play units
It turns out to be really good, because there’s right-shooting defenseman at the top and then there’s a right-shooting netfront guy, with Aryy and Gabe when he’s healthy and then there’s three lefties across the middle, so they really mirror each other. It works pretty good for us, as far as what we’re trying to do with one unit, we’re trying to do the same thing with the other unit. It’s always a product of what hand the player shoots. You look at Juice and Arthur, both have really good one-timers, they both happen to be over there on that side. If they were righties, it’s a little bit of a different situation, but they both happen to have good one-timer and they’re both left shots.
On a healthy competition between the two PP units
You’d have to ask them, but I mean, ultimately, you’re supporting one another, everybody’s happy [when you score]. Somebody blocks a shot, everybody’s in it together in the end. The fact that they have had different moments, where they’ve been really hot in each group, I think it’s maybe pushed each other a little bit and it makes it difficult for the other team at the same time. A lot of teams are set up with one really strong unit. We could argue we have two really strong units and it’s difficult to prepare for. You’ve got to be on your mark for the full two minutes.
On qualities that he values and believes are important on the power play
There are so many different skills. Somebody’s got to be able to get it back, a lot of times you shoot the puck and somebody’s got to have the strength. If you look at Kopi, for example, puck goes into the corner, big guy on the penalty kill is going to pressure you and Kopi can shield people off, he doesn’t panic. Now, he’s able to pass it to somebody and then you get to reset again. Those are important skills, I just use him as an example, we have others, but being able to retrieve the puck back after a shot that doesn’t go in is a power play skill.
Speaking to a few guys on that unit, they’re seeing the impact as well, with the Kings being able to rely more on the power play this season than they have in recent memory. More to follow, both from Hiller and those in the room, in the coming days.
Gabe’s Getting There
It’s never fun to be injured.
Gabe Vilardi has been out of action since January 14 with an upper-body injury. Initially thought to be more of the day-to-day variety, Vilardi was eventually sent back to California from the East Coast and has slowly worked his way back into the fold since. Now, skating all week in a full-contact practice jersey, Vilardi appears primed to return to action potentially as soon as this weekend, though nothing confirmed from today.
Either way, he’s working each day towards that return and the end of a difficult process.
“All of it really, you never want to be injured, obviously, being by yourself can be [difficult] but being here with Arty, Moorsie and Carl, that was pretty good,” he said this morning. “Just not playing and not being with the guys kind of sucks.”
As he mentioned, the process was made a bit easier by having others on a similar timetable. Throughout the All-Star break, when the bulk of the team was off, Vilardi was able to be on the ice, along with teammates Carl Grundstrom, Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore, all of who were at various stages of their recovery process. Kaliyev and Moore are already back in the fold, with Grundstrom the furthest out of the group.
Still, though the timelines were not identical, it was nice for Vilardi to have some help throughout the process
“Yeah, for sure, it’s always nice having guys that are going through the same stuff that you’re going through, it kind of helped,” he said. “Obviously they’ve been back now for a bit and I’m just kind of coming back so it’s nice, it’s nice that we have a healthy roster.”
Vilardi indicated that he followed the team pretty regularly while he was out of action, even if he wasn’t intently tuned into every game. It’s different watching on the TV, as he was when the team was on the road and being able to see the game from the press box, when everything “looks easier”. He was complementary of how well Jaret Anderson-Dolan played in his spot on the third line and noted he did pick up a couple of things from his time away.
“You pick up some things and then you’re also a fan for guys having success,” he added. “JAD was awesome on that trip. You’re not watching for anything specifically, you just pick things up that you’re seeing.”
Nothing wrong with watching from afar, but it’s clear Vilardi is ready to start watching from the bench. For he and the Kings sake, here’s to hoping that comes sooner rather than later.
6 PM puck drop tomorrow in Anaheim, meaning gameday routine will be alterred one few fronts. More to follow in the AM as the Chrome Domes return!
Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images
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