Feb. 21--A couple of takeaways from another physically punishing game with a Central Division opponent. The Kings finished their longest trip of the season -- seven games spanning nearly two weeks -- and went 3-3-1.
Winning without Kopitar
Included among the many things you can say about the excellence of Kings center Anze Kopitar is that he is also robust.
In other words, he doesn't miss many games. He was out on Saturday against the Predators with a lower-body injury, the first game he has missed since the start of early last season.
But the Kings made a statement in winning one without Kopitar. In the three games he missed last season -- all in October -- they lost in overtime at Philadelphia, and then dropped games at Carolina and Detroit, losing the final two by a combined score, 8-2.
Doughty's soaring minutes
So what about that plan to decrease the minutes of defenseman Drew Doughty? Uh, never mind.
With the Kings needing overtime and having to kill off a rash of penalties, it's little wonder Doughty's ice time went above the 30-minute mark. Again.
Coming off playing 35-plus minutes at St. Louis, Doughty was teased at Saturday's morning skate about going for 37 against Nashville. No, he said, the plan was to keep his minutes in the 20-something range.
And so he ended up logging 32 minutes and three seconds, and 6:46 of it came on the penalty kill. Another summary: Doughty's ice time has been in the 30-minute range in the last three games, and in four of the seven games on the trip.
