The Kings' search for more goals extended out to the blue line, and that's where they have found success.
The Kings have climbed out of last place in the NHL in goals per game this season, largely because their defensemen have been more active, not only in terms of directly producing goals but in initiating scoring plays from the neutral zone.
"If you look at it from a goal-scoring standpoint, they're in the top third in the league from defensemen scoring," coach Darryl Sutter said. "So we expect them to do that."
Sutter has put the onus on puck-moving defensemen such as Drew Doughty, Slava Voynov and Alec Martinez to make smart, accurate passes coming out of the defensive zone and then, when the opportunity presents itself, to pinch down in the offensive zone and become available for one-time shots.
"I think it has to do with turnovers in our neutral zone as well," winger Justin Williams said. "We're creating a lot off our neutral zone (play). Our defensemen are standing up, they're getting more involved in the offense.
"It doesn't matter who you are, if you're Drew Doughty or Matt Greene, it doesn't matter. If you get involved, you're going to get opportunities, and they've been getting a lot of shots to the net."
On Saturday, the defensemen didn't score any of the goals, but the Kings got a big 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.
NOTES, QUOTES
Ivy League player O'Neill signs deal
--The Kings this week signed college free agent forward Brian O'Neill, the team captain and leading scorer at Yale University, to a one-year, entry-level contract. O'Neill, 23, was the Ivy League player of the year this season as a senior, and O'Neill already has made an impact in his professional career. Assigned to the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings' American Hockey League affiliate, O'Neill scored the game-winning goal Saturday in his first game, as the Monarchs beat St. John's. O'Neill is expected to spend the rest of this season with the Monarchs.
--The Kings on Saturday completed a somewhat unusual set of back-to-back games. One game was on the road and the other was at home, but the Kings never left Southern California, as the faced the host Anaheim Ducks on Friday, then hosted the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Kings are now 5-5-4 in the second of back-to-back games this season, and they have one set remaining, when they face both Edmonton and Minnesota on the road near the end of the month.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Take care of ourselves. That's the way it works. You've got to win every game. If you don't ... If we play (tonight) and we don't get points, and everybody else does, then you're saying the opposite thing, right? Every game has a life of its own, and you have to be able to play within yourself, and max out what you have." -- Kings coach Darryl Sutter, on the tight Western Conference playoff race.
ROSTER REPORT
PLAYER NOTES:
--LW Dustin Brown has been on one of the hottest streaks of his eight-season NHL career. Entering Saturday, Brown had recorded at least one point in 10 consecutive games, the longest such streak of his career. In that span, Brown totaled five goals and 10 assists. Brown also had recorded at least one assist in six consecutive games, playing in a first-line role with C Anze Kopitar and RW Justin Williams. Brown did not record a point Saturday.
--D Matt Greene is closing in on a career high in points. Greene, who turns 29 next month and is in his seventh NHL season, already has a career high of four goals -- his previous high was two -- and has 13 points, one short of the career high he set with the Kings in 2008-09. Greene is known as a big-bodied, stay-at-home defenseman who is especially valuable on the penalty kill and late in games, with the Kings are trying to hold a lead. The Kings, of late, have gone to a third-period pairing of their two most-veteran defensemen, Greene and D Willie Mitchell. "Guys have different strengths," Greene said.
"That's what (coach Darryl Sutter is) going with right now, and that's it. We'll see what happens in the next game."
--At this point, C Mike Richards will take goals in any way, at any time, that he can get them. Richards scored on Friday night in Anaheim, in the final minute and into an empty net, to break his streak of 25 consecutive games without a goal. Richards, acquired by the Kings last June in a big trade with Philadelphia, started the season as one of the Kings' best players, but hasn't been the same since he returned from a concussion in mid-December. Richards has remained the Kings' second-line center, and plays the point on the power play, and has appeared more productive since the Kings acquired his good friend, RW Jeff Carter, in a trade with Columbus last month.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--Simon Gagne (concussion) was put on injured reserve on Dec. 28 and is out indefinitely.
--Scott Parse (hip) was put on injured reserve on Nov. 9 and underwent surgery on Dec. 2. Parse will be out until at least early April and might be out for the season.
GOALTENDERS:
--Jonathan Bernier
--Jonathan Quick
DEFENSE PAIRINGS:
--Rob Scuderi, Drew Doughty
--Willie Mitchell, Slava Voynov
--Alec Martinez, Matt Greene
FIRST LINE:
--LW Dustin Brown, C Anze Kopitar, RW Justin Williams
SECOND LINE:
--LW Dwight King, C Mike Richards, RW Jeff Carter
THIRD LINE:
--LW Dustin Penner, C Jarret Stoll, RW Trevor Lewis
FOURTH LINE:
--LW Kyle Clifford, C Colin Fraser, RW Jordan Nolan
