Dec. 09--Some additional takeaways from the surging Kings, who have won five consecutive games and have picked up points in their last seven games.
Embracing overtime, again
The Kings are 5-0 in overtime this season, and they pulled out another win in the final 27 seconds Tuesday. This was despite having played three games in four days, and Kings Coach Darryl Sutter noted that overtime hardly favored a weary team.
Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, who scored the Kings' first goal to cut the Blue Jackets' lead to 2-1 late in the second period, said he is enjoying the challenge of overtime.
"I don't think it's nerve-wracking. I think it's a lot of fun," he said. "Three-on-three is exciting for the fans and the players too. We got the better end of it, again.
"It obviously helps when you win the faceoffs and control the puck right off the bat. You can set up some plays, patiently and just wait for opportunities."
Defenseman Alec Martinez, who got the winner in overtime off a quick passing play from Dustin Brown and Nick Shore, spoke about the learning curve.
"I feel like a broken record, but the name of the game in three-on-three is puck possession," he said. "You're starting to see teams figure it out. It's a lot of fun. But if you don't have the puck, then it's the worst."
Ehrhoff and Martinez combined for 11 shots on goal, with Martinez recording a game-high seven shots.
Ability to adjust to adversity
Already, the Kings knew they were going to be without forward Trevor Lewis (upper-body injury). But they were caught off guard by the unavailability of left wing Kyle Clifford, who apparently was dealing with the lingering impact of a head shot suffered Sunday.
He went back to Los Angeles later on Tuesday, following the required protocol. The lateness of the injury information meant that the Kings couldn't get someone from their minor-league team in Ontario, Calif., to Columbus for the game.
Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi, though displeased by the series of events, has appreciated Clifford's willingness to play and noted the irony of being closer right now to Manchester, N.H. That's where the Kings used to have their American Hockey League affiliate before shifting to Ontario.
"That's the way he is. You'd rather have guys like that," Lombardi said. "I'm not questioning anything, but you've got to give us a heads-up. That's all.
"It's just ironic. We've got our minor-league team down the road. If it happened at home, we'd be fine. The first time it happens, we're on the road. Too bad we weren't [still] in Manchester."
