NHL’s Kings find midseason form after slow start

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After missing the playoffs last spring, this was supposed to be the Los Angeles Kings' bounce-back season.

And when they broke training camp with an impressive 4-0 shutout over Colorado in the annual Frozen Fury preseason game at the MGM Grand Garden in early October, the Kings were brimming with optimism.

But when Los Angeles opened the 2015-16 season 0-3, some panic started to creep in among the loyal fan base in Southern California.

Yet there was no panic in the locker room. The players were in sync with coach Darryl Sutter and one another. They knew the NHL season is a marathon and three games doesn't define any team.

Turns out they were right. The 0-3 start was quickly erased when the Kings won seven straight and eight of nine to catapult them to the top of the Pacific Division standings. And with the NHL's All-Star break underway, Los Angeles has 63 points (30-16-3) and leads second-place San Jose by seven points.

Even the team's recent play that produced a 5-4-1 record is not causing concern with anyone.

"We know that we have a chance to win every night," all-star goaltender Jonathan Quick said. "It's a situation where we know it's a long season, and obviously losing a couple off the bat wasn't what we had in mind. But we've got a good group of guys, and we don't get rattled."

Defenseman Drew Doughty, who is also representing the Kings in Nashville this weekend along with Sutter, who will coach the Pacific Division all-stars, said the team's veteran makeup allowed it to overcome the slow start.

"We knew we were a better team than we showed," Doughty said. "But nobody panicked, and once we got a couple of wins, it got our confidence back and we've been playing well since."

Nobody is talking about the Presidents Trophy, which goes to the team that amasses the most regular-season points, in the Kings' locker room. It's really about maintenance for the next 2½ months and having health and momentum when the playoffs begin in mid-April.

"You want to stay healthy, and you need a little bit of luck, but the guys just try to do their job every night," Quick said.

Doughty said: "What it comes down to is you can't stay comfortable. We don't have that big a lead. All it takes is three or four losses and you're in a fight.

"The guys realize that, and I think you'll see us continue to do what we've been doing during the second half."

The Kings are No. 3 in the NHL in goals allowed with 111 through 49 games. The team's plus-minus is No. 5 overall at plus-18. And it speaks to the fact the forwards play both ends and the defense in front of Quick have made his job easier.

"I think one of the things about this team is that everyone accepts responsibility for their assignments," Quick said. "We're responsible in our own end, and the guys make my job easier."

Doughty will be in the hardest shot competition at tonight's Skills Competition, and Quick will participate in the skills challenge relay. On Sunday, they'll try to make a run at the $1 million in prize money that goes to the team that wins the 3-on-3 format of the All-Star Game.

"Yeah, the money is a little bit of an incentive," Doughty said. "But everyone has pride, and everyone wants to win and also have some fun."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj