Practice 4/20 – Talkin’ Depth & Matchups, as the Kings prepare for Game 1 tomorrow night

Another day of practice, Insiders.

Today’s skate looked like a very typical Kings practice. As Jim Hiller said yesterday, today’s skate would be mostly about the Kings, whereas yesterday’s practice had more Oilers-specific things being worked on. I think we saw a pretty traditional Kings practice today, with lots of energy, with Game 1 on the horizon.

To get it right out of the way, there were no changes today to how the team lined up during yesterday’s skate.

Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Malott – Helenius – Turcotte
Lewis – Thomas

Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Spence
Edmundson – Clarke
Moverare – Burroughs

Kuemper
Rittich

I think what we have above is the ideal lineup heading into Game 1. I think the Kings have set what they plan to do heading into that first game and they will then adjust from there. Not set in stone, but it feels like they have a good plan in place.

The Top-9 really feels to be in place, as it has been for the most part since the Trade Deadline and as those three lines have fallen into place, the fourth line has established itself as well, playing its best hockey of the season.

“After the deadline, the past two months now, we’ve been really strong, all four lines, all three d-pairs and both goalies,” forward Kevin Fiala said. “Every game is a consistent game, in my opinion, in the bigger picture. Now it counts, so we’ve got to do it all over again and even better.”

The addition of Andrei Kuzmenko solidified Anze Kopitar’s line and thus, the Top 9. The forward lines as a whole took around 60 games to find the proper mix, but once the Kings found it, they rode it pretty hard in this final stretch. What it has set up for the Kings is a situation where every line has its place. Every line has its identity. Every line has found its groove.

“I think identity is a good word for that,” forward Trevor Moore said. “Every line knows what they need to do and what makes them successful. That’s huge going into playoffs, having that.”

While special teams has skewed things in that time, since the deadline, the scoring at 5-on-5 has been extremely balanced. Looking specifically at the Top-9, every forward was somewhere between 8 points and 12 points in 5-on-5 situations. When you factor in that Fiala, who ranks ninth in 5-on-5 scoring, is actually second in overall scoring in that span, it really speaks to the balance the Kings have.

Each line has a different role to play, in their own style, but each line is capable of contributing both offensively and defensively.

“Each line is going to have a big role, as it should be, every line has got to have a big role, whether it’s scoring or shutting down players,” forward Phillip Danault added. “Big challenge for us.”

With those identities comes the question of how the Kings might look to dictate matchups in this series, especially with Games 1 and 2 coming at home. Or, does the balance between three lines with defensively responsible centers, put less of an importance on those matchups, especially when the Kings lose the last change on the road?

While the fourth line has been quite good, the matchups conversation really centers – pun intended – around Kopitar, Danault and Byfield. All three have been tasked with that role at times this season. Edmonton presents the unique challenge of needing two matchups, with two number-one centers in the fold.

“I think all three of those guys have, at different times, [been the matchup center], so that makes us comfortable in this series, that whoever is on the ice is the guy that has to do the job,” Hiller said of his centers.

During the regular season, here’s how Kopitar, Danault and Byfield stacked up against both McDavid and Draisaitl at 5-on-5 –

Kopitar
19:18 vs. McDavid
10:43 vs. Draisaitl

Danault
13:07 vs. McDavid
19:13 vs. Draisaitl

Byfield
15:43 vs. McDavid
15:58 vs. Draisaitl

Now, keep in mind that this only accounts for two games, because McDavid and Draisaitl did not play in either of the games during April, both convincing Kings victories. Also worth meriting that the lines had a different look in those earlier meetings, coming in December in Los Angeles and January in Edmonton. The Kings went 11/7 in both of those games, so for Byfield particularly, his numbers here are a little bit inflated. These games were also played several months ago and I think it’s fair to say that the identities of both teams might’ve been different.

I don’t think those numbers really mean all that much, but they are certainly very interesting. Here’s why. The numbers show Kopitar on the ice for right around 30 minutes against those two players, with Byfield has been on the ice for 31 minutes and change, while Danault logged just over 32 minutes. Basically a dead split between the three guys. I think what that speaks to is not a predictor of what is potentially to come, but a confidence in whoever is on the ice getting the job done in those moments.

That mix is certainly a difference for the Kings from years past. In last season’s playoffs, Kopitar logged over 79 minutes against those two players, while Danault was over 73. Third-line center Pierre-Luc Dubois? Just shy of 26 minutes.

It’s different even from the start of the season. In October, we would not even be talking about the possibility of the Byfield line being able to handle those matchups. It’d be the same, old conversation. Kopitar and Danault against McDavid and Draisaitl. And it could wind up being that way. But it’s not a guarantee.

Byfield has made serious progress, taken serious steps forward, and he credited the example that Kopitar and Danault have set as part of the reason why.

“It just speaks to the older guys like Kopi and Phil leading the way for guys like myself, just being able to see their game, how much they carry defensively, but they’re still producing offense too,” he said. “Just watching those guys, being able to go into that role, throughout the year, kind of allowed us to have that.”

I suppose it’s a good problem to have, right?

As Byfield added, “there’s still going to be matchups”, game to game.

Naturally.

But if the Kings don’t get their matchups on a given shift, there is a higher level of confidence in each line, top to bottom, than perhaps we’ve seen in the past. And that says something, when you’re facing arguably the two best centers in the NHL. Those guys are going to get theirs at times, regardless. And that’s okay. But having multiple options to punch, counter-punch and adjust is not a bad thing at all.

It’s certainly something I’ve got my eye on heading into Game 1. How often do the Kings chase those matchups and how they choose to do so. A big one to look out for both tomorrow evening and throughout the course of the series.

That’s all she wrote for practices, Insiders! Fun begins tomorrow. A more in-depth look coming tonight on what the Kings believe is different heading into this year’s series. Lots of answers and lots to focus on, as they look to change the ending.