LA Kings (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The LA Kings must find an adequate partner for Drew Doughty.
Flashback to the second game against the Colorado Avalanche. LA Kings head coach Todd McLellan made a defensive switch between the first and second period, swapping Mikey Anderson for Olli Maatta on the team’s first and second defensive pairings, respectively. The Kings roared back, with Adrian Kempe burying the game-winner in the third period.
At the time, the switch was needed. The Kings were staring down the barrel of four straight losses, including overtime, to start the season after the Avalanche tallied two first-period goals.