Darryl Sutter explains exactly why some Kings play and others don’t

Naturally, the numbers play a significant role in how Kings coach Darryl Sutter picks a certain lineup for a particular game. But when it comes to deciding which third- and fourth-line players play and which ones are scratched, Sutter has other criteria.

“Guys that work play. Guys that don’t don’t.”

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Kings happy to be home for a while; no team has been away more this season

No team in the NHL has racked up as many frequent-flier miles as the Kings so far this season. But that changes dramatically starting Saturday afternoon, with the Kings playing host to the Colorado Avalanche and beginning a stretch of 13 of their next 16 games at Staples Center.

The Kings played only four of their first 15 games on home ice, which might or might not account for their pedestrian 7-6-2 record to begin their Stanley Cup championship defense. The Kings are 2-1-1 at Staples Center to start the season.

“It’s really good to be home,” Doughty said. “I know everyone’s excited to get this little homestand going. We’ve got a lot of big games at home. Being on the road for so long to start the season is tough. To finally get this stretch in front of the home fans … is a huge advantage for us.”

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Defenseman Drew Doughty talks about the Kings’ improved play of late

The Kings rebounded from a poor start to their recently-completed three-game trip to win two in a row heading into Saturday’s home date with the Colorado Avalanche. So, what changed after the Kings’ fell behind the Chicago Blackhawks by three goals en route to a 3-2 loss last Sunday? Nothing and everything, according to Drew Doughty.

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Injured Kings defenseman Alec Martinez goes for another solo skate

Alec Martinez’s upper body injury is “getting better,” he said before going for a skate after his teammates practiced Friday. When he joins them for a full-contact practice is anyone’s guess, however. Martinez and Kings coach Darryl Sutter each said there’s no timetable for the defenseman’s return from the injured reserve list. Martinez was injured in the Kings’ victory Feb. 11 over the St. Louis Blues.

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Second period: Kings 2, Flames 1

There was no scoring in the second period, which was probably just fine with the Kings. Sure, they would have liked to have clicked on a couple of scoring chances and increased their lead over the Calgary Flames. But they didn’t give up a goal either, and they maintaied their 2-1 edge going into the third period. Anze Kopitar had a quality chance when he skated into the slot and Dustin Brown slipped him the puck for a point-blank try. The Kings were 20 minutes away from taking a second victory on their three-game trip to play Chicago, Edmonton and Calgary.

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First period: Kings 2, Flames 1

The Kings pressured the Calgary Flames from the opening faceoff Wednesday night, and the result was perhaps their best opening period of the season. Their sustained pressure resulted in a goal from Dustin Brown in the early minutes. After the Flames’ T.J. Brodie tied it, Trevor Lewis put the Kings ahead 2-1 with his first goal of the season. Kings coach Darryl Sutter liked Lewis’ play so much during a 3-1 victoy Tuesday over the Edmonton Oilers that he played him with Jeff Carter and Mike Richards for Wednesday’s game against the Flames. Said Lewis during a between-periods TV interview: “We were focused tonight. We knew we needed to come out and get our legs going after playing last night. … I happened to jump on the puck and it went in.”

 

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Jonathan Bernier in goal for the Kings on Wednesday against the Flames

It makes sense to split the goaltending workload with the Kings playing on consecutive nights Tuesday in Edmonton and Wednesday in Calgary and for the third time in four days. Jonathan Bernier will start against the Flames after Jonathan Quick beat the Oilers. The Kings were scheduled to return home from Calgary immediately after the game. Then they play 13 of their next 16 games at Staples Center.

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Kings-Blackhawks game last Sunday produces improved national TV ratings

Here’s the news direct from an NBC press release issued Wednesday:

“NBC’s late-game coverage, in which the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the visiting Los Angeles Kings, 3-2, averaged 1.81 million viewers and a 1.15 household rating (3:30-6:02 p.m. ET). Viewership was up 31% compared to last year’s late-game (1.38 million, Boston-Minnesota). Locally, Chicago delivered a 6.7 rating, the market’s best-ever for an NHL regular-season game on NBC, excluding Winter Classics (since 2006).”

The press release didn’t reveal the ratings for the Los Angeles market, which historically has lagged behind the hockey hotbeds in the East and Midwest. But at least there was quite a bit of national interest for the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings.

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Looking ahead to the Kings’ game Wednesday against the Flames

The easy thing for the Kings would be to coast through Wednesday night’s game against the Calgary Flames, their third contest in four nights, and focus on the 13 dates at Staples Center in their next 16 games. But they can’t afford to throw away any points at this point in the season. The Kings are 6-6-2 and 12th in the Western Conference standings. They trail the conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks by 15 points and the Pacific Division-leading Ducks by 11. The Flames are 5-6-3 and 14th in the West. It wasn’t immediately clear after the Kings’ 3-2 victory Tuesday over the Edmonton Oilers whether Jonathan Quick would start his third in a row on Wednesday against Calgary. Or whether Jonathan Bernier would take his place. Both have played well recently.

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