If fans hadn't noticed the Kings' fourth line prior to Saturday night's Stadium Series game, they probably took notice when winger Kyle Clifford backhanded a puck in midair into the net less than three minutes into the game, a 2-1 win over the Sharks.
On paper, Clifford might seem like an unlikely candidate for the franchise's first goal in a regular-season outdoor game, but in reality, Clifford's fourth line has been an integral part of the team's turnaround over the last month.
"For playoff teams to be a playoff team, your so-called fourth line has to be able to play minutes on the road. If they can't, then you can't play them," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "If they're only five or six or seven-minute players, then you're not a playoff team."
As of late Saturday night, the Kings are in a playoff spot. Thanks in part to the spark that the line of Clifford, Jordan Nolan and Nick Shore provided in the outdoor win vs. San Jose.
The goal by Clifford got the ball rolling, giving the Kings an early momentum boost. The Kings' resident scrapper has been doing all of the little things right at a time when the little things add up to bigger things, like wins. And the Kings need all the wins they can get right now.
"Cliffy obviously doesn't play too many minutes but he plays the way that Darryl wants him to play," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "He goes out there, he hits hard, he fights when he needs to, he makes simple plays, he dumps the puck and goes in there on forecheck and hits guys.
"For him to get rewarded with a goal is huge."
HIGHLIGHT: Kyle Clifford redirects in a goal for the @LAKings to open the scoring at the Stadium Series Game. http://t.co/ozU1qIJFHs
— Kings Vision (@KingsVision) February 22, 2015
Clifford, the team leader in penalty minutes with 66, has the most energy on the energy line and been an anchor on the relatively inexperienced fourth line. On pace for a career season, he's never really been a veteran on any line since junior hockey, but the role looks good on him because the line has been clicking.
"I think we're just keeping it simple," he said. "Making easy plays and getting the puck in deep and getting pucks to the net. We've had a handful of games together and it gets easier when you play on a line for a period of time."
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The line had a big shift in the second period, eating up part of the clock. In the third, they hit big. Shore and Nolan didn't make the scoresheet, but they were noticeable on the ice.
The three have only been on the same line since early January, when Tanner Pearson went down with an injury, and Andy Andreoff has seen some time on it as well but this trio seems to be a combination that Sutter likes and the team likes playing with.
"Our whole fourth line has been really good for us," Doughty said. "Nolan has had a few goals lately and he's playing really good, Nick Shore is a young guy and he's a guy that has a lot of talent and he's very good defensively. Very responsible, and for a young guy that's hard to have. That fourth line has been great."
With all four lines rolling, the Kings are plan on rolling right into the postseason.
