The Los Angeles Kings have been playing their best hockey for the past few weeks and it continued on Saturday (Dec. 7), as they defeated the league-leading Minnesota Wild 4-1, for their fifth consecutive win.
It wasn’t too long ago when we were talking about the Kings’ inability to provide back-to-back strong performances but as of late, that’s no longer the case. Not only have the Kings provided some well-needed consistency, but they have also not had a problem handing losses to a few of the NHL’s “big dogs”. With statement wins over the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild twice in the past month, the Kings are quickly morphing into a group that teams will be worried about playing.
“We’re a really solid team […] when I say that, that’s a real compliment to our players. Solid top to bottom,” said head coach Jim Hiller postgame.
It’s almost as if this team enjoys playing these types of teams. It’s a mindset they have where they know they need to be at their best and be ready to be in go mode for a full 60 minutes.
“We like the challenge of playing against top teams, you have to be at your best (and) you need everybody, so those are fun as a group and good measuring sticks,” goaltender Darcy Kuemper said. “When we play against those teams we feel like we’ve got a lot to prove and I think we did a great job with it.”
Defense Wins Games for the Kings
Defense has always been something this franchise has taken pride in. This season, even after switching from the 1-3-1 in hopes to create more offense, it seems to have bolstered their success on the opposite side of the puck. It’s closing the gap at the blue line, having the forwards angle players to the boards, getting sticks and bodies in front of shooting lanes, and winning those loose puck battles in their own end. This defensive group’s performance this season is even more remarkable considering the fact that Drew Doughty, who eats up the most minutes, has been out since the start of the season.
“It’s a willingness to check, it’s a willingness to make that a priority up and down the lineup,” Hiller said. “It’s a real commitment […] it’s not one or two or three or four, that takes everybody.”
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