Practice 3/29 – “Clean Out Day” in EDM + Pacific Pow Wow, Doughty Quotes, OHL Playoffs

Practice Day, Insiders!

The 12-game point streak has finally come to a close, but the Kings are facing perhaps their most important stretch of games this season. Time to start a new streak. Yesterday’s game against Calgary began a stretch of six consecutive games within the Pacific Division. The Kings visited the Flames for the final time this season and the next five games will include games against Edmonton (2x), Seattle, Vancouver and Vegas. Those are *checks notes* the second, fourth, fifth and eleventh best teams since the Trade Deadline by points percentage, with the Kings leading the league in that department. More on that below.

For today, it looked to be a full team skate for those who traveled to Canada. That does not include forward Gabe Vilardi, who remained back in Los Angeles with an upper-body injury. It also does not include defenseman Jordan Spence, who was loaned to AHL-Ontario yesterday afternoon and will likely dress for the Reign this evening back in Southern California.

No line rushes, nothing formal today, simply a clean-out day for the Kings, which is commonplace at this time in the season.

“Clean out day, I think we’re in the middle of six games in nine nights, so the last thing we’re going to do is waste a lot of energy,” Todd McLellan said after today’s practice. “Some of the road games that we’ve played, I’ve been able to talk to some of the coaches and very few teams are practicing with any type of length or intensity right now and it all makes sense. If you have to play six in nine, a lot of work has to be done video-wise, discussion, meetings. If they don’t know what they’re doing structurally right now, they’re probably not going to get it in time anyhow.”

Today’s skate was not the longest of the season by any stretch and that’s likely going to be a familiar scene here down the stretch. The Kings won’t have more than one day in between games until April 11 and 12, which separates the final home game of the regular season from the overall regular-season finale. Rest and energy levels will be prioritized as we approach the end of the regular season.

Notes –
Pacific Is Pushing
Three teams separated by three points at the top, with Seattle holding a game or two in hand and lurking not too far behind. Edmonton and Vegas have played twice over the last five days, while the Kings and Oilers will meet twice over the next six. It’s good to see these games being played out on the ice, between the teams in question, which will likely keep seeding and potential round-one playoff matchups in limbo until the picture becomes clearer.

Having these types of games, at this time of the year, makes for exciting and competitive hockey. With the race as close as it is right now within the division, these games are that much more important and it keeps everyone focused on the task at hand.

“I think it’s good for us and I’m sure for other teams, because it keeps you sharp and keeps the competitive juices going,” Todd McLellan said this morning. “There are some other teams in the league that have some pretty good leads and I’m sure they’re talking about that, how do we keep guys sharp, how do we get them rested, but we don’t necessarily have that luxury. We’re going to play guys and see what happens from there.”

None of the three teams have clinched a playoff berth, though the Kings could have a clinching scenario as soon as Friday. The magic number currently sits at 4 versus Winnipeg and 5 versus Nashville. A Kings win tomorrow evening would mean a Winnipeg loss the following night would put the Kings officially in the postseason for the second consecutive season. Vegas had the first opportunity to clinch yesterday, but needed one of four different scenarios to come into fruition and none of them did as they lost a lopsided affair against Edmonton.

McLellan admitted he can’t remember each and every race he’s been involved in over the years, but naturally understands the competitive nature right now between the three teams at the top with regards to seeding and placement.

He’s maintained – and reiterated today – that he and the coaching staff aren’t looking at things based on the standings or how scenarios with out of town scores impact the Kings. It’s not as if you play harder because Vegas lost and you could gain ground. You have to win the games in front of you and when the postseason rolls around, you have to beat the best along the way to get to where you want to get to. The opponent the Kings could play in round one will sort itself out, likely over the next two weeks, as these teams continue to play each other. That’s not to say there’s no value to winning the division versus finishing third, because there is, but it’s not talked about in the way that we like to think it is.

“Finishing first in the division is a good accomplishment for a team and having home ice is a great accomplishment,” McLellan added. “Would we have preferred to play at Crypto last year in game seven, of course we would have, but I don’t go and pound on the door, yell and scream that this is a must and we’ve got to do it. What we do pound the door and yell and scream about is playing the game the right way. If that takes care of itself and it puts us in that situation great, if it doesn’t, we’re still going to play hockey and whoever it is we’re going to have to prepare for.”

CanaDoughty
Death, Taxes and the media finding Drew Doughty in a Canadian market.

They sure do love their Drew Doughty interviews North of the Border. A wide range of questions for the Kings number-one defenseman and alternate captain, ranging from good takes on where Doughty believes the team is at today and where he hopes they’ll be heading into the post season, all the way to some things you probably read about a month ago if you follow the Kings day-to-day. Doughty always gives his time in these markets and typically gives open and honest answeres to the questions he’s asked.

A few excerpts from Doughty’s interview below, as they relate to where the team stands in the here and now –

Doughty on the Kings style versus Edmonton’s
We’re a good defensive team and they’re a great offensive team, so it’s really who’s on their game the most in that aspect [would] probably win a series. I’m a big believer in defense wins championships and wins playoff series and I’ve always been a believer in that, whether or not I’m right I don’t know.

On the team’s buy-in to the right way as of late
Yeah, we’ve done much better. We kind of struggled with it earlier in the season, but lately we’ve been doing a good job. We lost last night but we only let in two goals against, so that’s how you’ve got to win in the playoffs. You’re not going to be winning games, you know 6-5, you’ve got to be giving up two goals or less to win hockey games in the playoffs. If we can keep doing that, we’ve got good chance.

On competing for the division title this season
We want to win first, why wouldn’t you want to win first. I’ve never won first in my entire career here as an LA King, that’s 15 years, so that would be something we’ve wanted, it would be great thing, and then you’ve got home ice. We know how important home ice is in the playoffs, so we’re gunning for first, but wherever the chips may fall, we’ve just got to be ready for the playoffs.

We all know that Doughty lives for games at this time of the season and he lives for the matchups against the league’s elite players. Another opportunity for him and the Kings against that high-quality opposition tomorrow evening here in Edmonton.

CHL Playoffs
Lastly, Insiders, four LA Kings prospects are preparing to begin their playoff runs at the Canadian Junior Level.

Starting in the OHL, the trio of Brandt Clarke, Kaleb Lawrence and Francesco Pinelli have each qualified for the postseason. Clarke’s Barrie Colts finished third in the Eastern Conference and will take on Hamilton in Round 1. In the Western Conference, Lawrence and the Owen Sound Attack finished seventh and will take on London, while Pinelli and the Kitchener Rangers finished eighth and will play against top-seeded Windsor. Clarke and Pinellii will open their playoff schedules tomorrow, while Lawrence and Owen Sound begin on Friday.

In the QMJHL, defenseman Angus Booth the Shawinigan Cataractes are back in hopes of defending their 2022 championship. Swawinigan finished fifth in the regular-season standings and will take on Rouyn-Noranda in the opening round of the postseason.

The full OHL Playoff schedule is available HERE, while the full QMJHL Playoff schedule is available HERE.

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