With the Olympic break now in everybody’s rearview mirror, the LA Kings returned to normal with a morning skate earlier today. Coach Jim Hiller has the collective group focused on resuming game action in just a few hours. Below are several notable takeaways from a brief media availability.
Please note: selected commentary has been slightly edited and/or paraphrased for reading purposes.
Coming Out Swinging
If there’s been one consistent theme for much of the past month, it centers around urgency. With Vegas on deck tonight, the message from the Kings’ room has been clear: start fast.
Hiller was asked what he wants to see from his group in the first period.
“I think we can all see it — there’s a certain pace and legs and getting the puck in and establishing a forecheck. We’ve had that some nights; some nights we haven’t. That’s when we really know that our team is going, when it’s quick, when it’s going north quick and we feel like we’re on you. So that’s what I’ll be looking for. Not wasting opportunities — if you look for something that might not be there, making that play when it’s there. But more than anything, let’s just get all 12 forwards out there moving and skating. I think that’ll be a good sign for us.”
Drew Doughty, fresh back from Milan after representing Canada at the Olympics, echoed his coach’s sentiment.
“Yeah, we have got to come out flying. The guys had a good break. I heard that it’s been a great week of practice. We have got to come out flying. Obviously, [Vegas is] missing some of their top dogs, so we’ve got to put the pressure on right from the get-go and play the whole way through.”
Beyond just this matchup against Vegas, Doughty acknowledged the Kings have ground to make up — and that the pursuit of more offense can’t come at the expense of their structure.
“We’ve just got to win as many games as possible. Obviously, we have to score some more goals. But from talking to the coaches, what they’ve seen is we dipped a little bit in our tracking and our gaps, and defending the rush actually kind of went down in us trying to get more offense. So we have to keep that going, but get the offense going as well.”
Joel Armia, also now back in SoCal After representing Finland overseas, took a bigger-picture view when asked what his NHL team needs to do coming out of the break.
“Get wins. I think that’s going to get our confidence up. Get on a roll, get wins and play tighter offensively. It’s been kind of a weird season in that way — we haven’t really had that many wins in a row. I feel like when we get that thing going, it’s going to snowball and just take off.”
Bread Man’s Debut
Today will mark Artemi Panarin’s first game in a Kings uniform, and the anticipation has been building throughout the week of practice.
Hiller said the early signs have been everything the coaching staff hoped for.
“He’s had a good week of practice. Everybody’s very impressed. We knew the type of player he was — you watch him, then you get on the ice with him, and the players watch him in line in some of the drills, and you realize what an elite talent he is. He doesn’t have to put the weight of the world on his shoulders. He doesn’t have to put the team on his back. He’s obviously signed for a couple more years beyond this, so I think we can all just settle in, let him settle in. We’re going to see a terrific player as an LA King, and we just have to make sure he’s not coming in here feeling the pressure that he has to do something that he doesn’t normally do.”
Armia, who spent years facing Panarin as a member of the Canadiens, knows what the Kings are getting in No. 72.
“He’s a special player. I can’t wait to see him on the ice in a Kings uniform. It’s going to be exciting to see him play.”
He later added: “He’s one of the best in the league offensively, so yeah, it makes you better too.”
Doughty also weighed in regarding what makes Panarin such a dangerous player from a defenseman’s perspective.
“He’s got good vision. He’s got good moves. He’s got a good shot. Very talented offensively. Very happy to have him. I don’t know him that well, but from what I’ve gathered, a great guy to have in the room, so very excited to have him.”
Managing the Olympic Return
Doughty, Kempe, and Armia are in the lineup tonight, with Hiller confirming none will sit for the back-to-back this week. But the coach acknowledged there’s an open question about how quickly players can recalibrate after the emotional intensity of the tournament.
“We’re going to see, because that can go up and down. It’s a highly emotional, charged [tournament] — it’s like playing a Game 7 every single game, one after the other. So there has to be some type of an emotional comedown. Never mind the travel, time changes. So how quickly can they get up and over that?”
Hiller said his experience suggests the first game back usually isn’t the concern.
“The first one is usually pretty good because you’re still riding on some adrenaline, and then at some point it starts to catch up with you a little bit. Given the position we’re in, we’ve got to squeeze every ounce out of every player. Those guys are going. They’ll get their minutes in.”
Puck drop against Vegas is set for 7 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. The Kings then host Edmonton on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m., and Calgary on Saturday at 4 p.m.
More on tonight’s lineup can be found here:
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