After the initial heartbreak of losing Drew Doughty subsided for more than three months, the question became “How will the Kings replace Doughty?” loomed large around Los Angeles. Kings captain Anze Kopitar summed up his team’s path to success perfectly:
“As Dewy’s size decreases, I don’t think there is just one man who can carry the burden. It will be necessary for many of us to go a step further and pull some extra weight.”
After eleven games, the Kings have not only done a more than respectable job of filling the Hall of Fame hole left by the departure of their legendary backline, but have also managed to continue his success on both sides of the replace the ice rink.
At 5-on-5, the Kings sit solidly in the top 10 in many key defensive analyses:
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Expected goals against: 6th
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Shot Attempt Percentage: 10th
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Rebound shots against: 6th
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High danger chances against: 7th
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Takeaways: 6th
On the defensive side of the puck, the Kings are anchored by Vladislav Gavrikov, who looked unfazed when thrust into the first-pairing role. He currently leads all Kings skaters in average time on ice with 23:31 and all team defensemen in plus/minus with a +5. At 5-on-5, Gavrikov has a CF% of 58.79 and a 66.25 xGF percentage, both of which are among the tops on the team among NHL regulars. When he’s on the ice (at 5-on-5), the Kings have nearly doubled their opponents in High Danger Chances (47-24).
It’s important to note that some of the Kings’ forwards, namely Alex Turcotte, Philip Danault and Trevor Moore, were exceptional on defense at 5-on-5. While the latter two have struggled to score, all three forwards have been very solid in suppressing scoring opportunities for opponents.
On the offensive side, the gap has mainly been made up by 21-year-old Brandt Clarke, who is playing his first full season in the NHL. The young phenom leads LA defensemen in scoring with 11 points in as many games and currently ranks third in scoring among all NHL defensemen, trailing only Cale Makar (19), Neal Pionk (12) and Alex Pietrangelo (12). Clarke’s emergence as an impactful NHL offensive blue-liner was no surprise, but the artistry with which he has created that offense has raised eyebrows and heartbeats.
In addition to Clarke’s early success, LA has received an unexpected attack from the likes of Joel Edmundson (3 goals) and Mikey Anderson (6 points). In fact, the Kings have scored eight goals from their blue line, the second-highest total among all NHL defenses (Seattle – 10).
However, this journey has not all been smooth sailing for Los Angeles. One area where Doughty’s absence is still felt is their 19th-ranked penalty kill (76%). The Kings have allowed 11 power-play goals, tied for second in the league. That number represents 30% of the goals they have allowed this season (36 in total).
That said, it’s fair to say that LA’s defensive core has exceeded expectations in their star’s absence. The likely goal for them was to survive. Now, eleven games closer to Drew Doughty’s return, they are on the cusp of blossoming.
