Kings: They return home looking to build some momentum.
At a time when every game has the potential to move them in or out of the NHL preliminary playoff picture, the Kings return home for three games, beginning with tonight’s showdown against the Arizona Coyotes.
A mere six points separate the top six teams in the West Division, which has four available playoff spots. The Kings helped their cause with a recent seven-game point streak, six-game winning streak and a six-game trip on which they garnered nine out of a possible 12 points.
That trip started with four victories, a two-game set in Arizona and then a pair of showdowns in St. Louis with the Blues, who the Kings will see for two games on this homestand. They lost the last two games in Minnesota.
“Once we saw we could put a string of games together and, at times, dominate teams — you go into a place like St. Louis and beat one of the best teams in our division — the confidence just grew,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “When you’re playing with confidence, you’re feeling happy, you’re not afraid to make mistakes.”
The ever-competitive Doughty has appeared much more engaged and enthusiastic this season after two down years that coincided with his signing the second-largest contract for a defenseman in NHL history. Doughty has an idea what might be the panacea that has reignited his game and gotten the Kings on a roll.
“Winning cures everything,” Doughty said.
The Kings have begun to right a ship that meandered through the past two seasons. While their recent streak has buoyed them in the standings, a spate of injuries and COVID protocolrelated absences had them riding a four-game losing streak before their surge.
One steady, subtly strong performer, defenseman Matt Roy, has made a significant difference. The Kings are 8-4-3 with Roy in the lineup, but have won just one of five games he’s missed.
The Kings now have their full complement of players — defenseman Sean Walker as well as forwards Blake Lizotte and Andreas Athanasiou returned during the streak — and likely will need everyone to stay in playoff contention.
The Kings will try to remain focused on the process and their progress over time rather than reading urgency into the current standings.
“I definitely think there’s a chance we can make the playoffs,” Doughty said. “I wouldn’t say that we’re 100% going to make it or anything like that, we have a lot of work to do. I definitely can see us hopefully getting into that third or fourth slot. That’s our goal, and if anyone doesn’t think that we can potentially make the playoffs, what’s the point in coming here every day?”
The Kings have played Arizona twice this season, on Feb. 18 and 20, with both games going down to the wire. One went to a shootout and the other came down to a 6-on-5 situation that saw the Kings secure a win with an empty-net goal.
That series got veteran winger Phil Kessel rolling for the Coyotes. Starting with the first meeting against the Kings, Kessel went on a tear during which he posted eight points in five games, doubling his total for the season. That was his most productive five-game stretch since landing in Arizona via trade in 2019,