NBA: Kings add technique to trademark persistence,

As the Kings were set to cut the ribbon on their 2021 season, Coach Todd Mclellan attempted to explain who the Kings were, a year into his system and approaching three years removed from the playoffs.

“The group as a whole still has a lot of winning or championship traits in it,” Mclellan said. “It's hard to get that instilled into a group when they don't have it.”

Mclellan said he believes the structure and pace of his team improved. The goal personnel-wise was to add speed and skill while maintaining the trademark doggedness of the Kings, the toughness in all areas of the ice that flourished under Terry Murray and Darryl Sutter.

That mix of technique and persistence was on display early Thursday, as the Kings frequently carried the puck into the Minnesota zone and sustained possession effectively as well.

Though Mclellan was focused on day-to-day goals and development at the individual and structural levels, the Kings' management and players said their sights had risen back to the postseason.

“That's what we expect. This is a results-based business and, to get these results, results are wins,” General Manager Rob Blake said.

Team captain Anze Kopitar said the playoff goals were “realistic” and urged his team to be vigilant in maintaining its progress.

“We took a good step in the right direction last year, but now we can't give anything back,” Kopitar said. “We have to start where we left off.”

Protocol pangs

Linear progress is tough to come by in a sport where injuries are common, lulls do happen and team chemistry can be volatile. Add a shortened schedule and a

global pandemic, and those risks can become magnified greatly.

The Kings got their first taste of that when three players who were locks to make their opening night roster ended up missing the end of training camp and the season opener due to coronavirus protocols.

Goalie Cal Petersen as well as defensemen Sean Walker and Kurtis Macdermid could return to game action on Saturday when the Kings will finish their two-game set with Minnesota.

Mark Alt and Kale Clague drew in on defense, while Jonathan Quick made his 12th consecutive opening-night start in net.

“I think you’re going to see these things happen more often than not this year,” said Clague, lamenting the absence of his teammates. “On the flip side, for myself, to be able to jump in and step up, that’s a huge opportunity and I just want to make the most of that.”

Doughty’s downtime

Defenseman Drew Doughty has been reading the papers. And the message boards. And the player polls.

“I always shoot for the highest standard when I (set) my own personal goals,” said Doughty, who added that he hopes to set personal offensive bests, improve his plus-minus, and regain the esteem of his peers this season.

Doughty said he was able to build strength like never before during the 10-month layoff and, uncharacteristically, excelled in preseason fitness testing. For as much as he channeled his extended offseason ennui into training and his family during his time in London, Ontario, Canada.

Though he dedicated himself to conditioning, Doughty said he did not seek out situations to supplant the constant competitiveness of the NHL. According to Doughty, that might be because he’s already got his will turned up to 100.

“I’m always competitive no matter what I do. My summer skates, everything,” Doughty said. “If I’m doing anything, whether it’s on the ice or not, I’m going to be competitive with it.”