Practice 10/18 – Today’s Alignment + Penalty Kill Progress, Defensive Handedness

Happy Wednesday, Insiders!

Believe it or not, this is the first practice day I’ve attended in Minnesota since January 2021. It’s only the second time ever the Kings have had a practice at Xcel Energy Center in the four years I’ve been with the Kings, despite playing watching seven games in Minnesota during that span.

During the 2020-21 season, the Kings practiced in Minnesota on January 27. The next two-game trip was a back-to-back, at the back end of a six-game roadtrip, which involved a full off day on the middle day of a 3-in-4 set. During the 2021-22 season, the only trip to Minnesota came in early April, with the pushed back schedule, but it was the first game on a three-game trip, meaning a practice in California before flying in. Last season, the Kings came to Minnesota twice and both times were the first stop on a five-game trip. Happenstance, one might say, but curious if nothing else.

For today, however, a practice was held and the full group took the ice at Xcel Energy Center.

In terms of alignment, there wasn’t any change from how the Kings looked last night in Winnipeg. Jaret Anderson-Dolan rotated in with the fourth line and Tobias Bjornfot rotated in on the backend. Otherwise, looked to be status quo from last night’s game, with today’s lineup listed below for reference –

Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Kaliyev
Fiala – Dubois – Laferriere
Grundstrom – Lizotte – Lewis
Anderson-Dolan

Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Roy
Englund – Spence
Bjornfot

Copley / Talbot

One thing that we started to see last night was some movement with the defensive pairings. We saw it a bit on Saturday as well against Carolina, though McLellan called that more of a circumstance-driven change than anything related to personnel, performance or strategy. Kings defensemen took four minor penalties in that game, which necessitated some changes at times. Last night, penalty trouble was less, minus a stretch late in the second period when the Kings had three of their dressed six defensemen in the penalty box at the same time, leaving only Anderson, Doughty and Spence available for the final 3:55 of the middle frame. Still, despite having everyone available in the third period, we saw the bottom two pairings shifted at times.

Could we see more of that moving forward? Potentially, but remains to be seen. Having three left-shot defensemen and three right-shot defensemen, however, with different skillsets and strengths, should make it easier, generally speaking, to move players around when desired.

“I don’t think I can fairly answer that, because it’s so new to us and that pair – what I’m talking about is obviously Spenny and Englund – that’s a new pair,” McLellan said this morning. “We’re not too sure how they’re going to react with other players, but the simple answer is yes, it should be, because you’ve got lefty/righty, but I would say for the ones that have been here long enough, they can play either side and they should have pretty good idea what’s going on.”

The veterans know how to move around and for the most part, there is familiarity with different partners. We’ve seen Anderson/Roy for example. We’ve seen Gavrikov/Doughty. And at times this season, as situation dictates, things will be shuffled around at times. We’ll see how things go, but flexibility is never a bad thing.

Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images

Also wanted to point out the penalty kill through two games.

We’re naturally quick to note when things were not going well last season, but the Kings enter tomorrow’s game at 90.9% on the penalty kill this season, so we’ll make note of a job well done during the first three games of the season. Outside of a Colorado goal on opening night, from defenseman Cale Makar, the Kings have killed 10 of the 11 penalties they’ve taken, tied for ninth in the NHL in the early goings.

Now, a three-game sample size is really not all that telling. For the Kings, it’s more about learning, embracing and executing the concepts. So far, the group has worked hard towards grasping them and even if it’s not yet perfect, there have been noticeable changes and improvements.

“We’re using a different roll out, with different types of players, a different structure at times, for different things,” McLellan said. “The players are still trying to grasp it but they’re doing a fairly good job of getting it done and your best penalty killer is still your goaltender and Talbs was that [last] night.”

As the players talk about the penalty kill, it feels like it’s starting to come together.

Though their kill in the first period was a bit scrambled, which the Kings were as a whole during that opening 20 minutes, it got stronger as the game went on.

There was one penalty kill during in the third period where it appeared to me like it really clicked for the players. Structure was noticeable, pressure and reads were evident and it looked as if the group was more comfortable. In speaking with Phillip Danault and Matt Roy today, both agreed.

Danault – I did feel that we felt comfortable, just proud to play the system and you have to be proud to kill penalties, that’s got to be a specialty and you can win games like that. Both special teams units are very important, we saw it in the playoffs last year.

Roy – Yeah, we’ve had some work on it and I think guys get and I think it’s starting to show. I think we’re excited about it and hopefully we can keep it going.

Danault also spoke about how he believes the new approach for the Kings is putting more of a purpose into certain areas and the most important thing, as with any system, is that everyone is buying in and believing in what they’re looking to do.

At the end of the day, that buy in and that belief is paramount to success. Danault believes that part of it is in place.

“With the new system, everyone is involved, everyone wants to be the difference and we’re all working together,” Danault said. “It’s easier, I think, for everyone. We’re not running around for nothing. I think we limit the chances against and we’re looking to frustrate the teams that we play.”

Kings hit the ice tomorrow for morning morning skate at Xcel Energy Center, before the final game of a short, two game trip early in the season.

Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images