Since adolescence Drew Doughty joined Anze Kopitar on the KingsIn 2008, the team won its only two Stanley Cups, recorded the best five winning seasons in franchise history, and six of the best eight scoring seasons.
So, does that make this the golden age of the Kings?
“Absolutely”, the president of the Kings Luc Robitaille said without hesitation. “Anze Kopitar and Drew have been key players for our franchise. What they bring into the locker room, what they bring day in and day out, how they take care of playing is a two-way street.
“The success we have had, we attribute it to them.”
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Age, however, threatens to dull the shine of that golden era, adding a sense of urgency to this season’s playoff campaign, which is only just beginning.
Doughty, 35, hasn’t played since fracturing his left ankle in preseason, marking the second time in four seasons that he lost significant ice time to injury. And Kopitar, still very productive at 37, has just one full season left on his two-year, $14 million contract, while Trevor Lewis, the only other holdover from Stanley Cup teams , is 38 years old and is one of six Kings who will become free. agents this summer.
Still, Robitaille, a Hall of Famer and the franchise’s all-time scoring leader, believes the Kings’ greatest generation has at least one more championship run before fading away late in the game . And he got a chance Wednesday to see how he stacks up against the NHL’s best, knocking out a 2-1 win over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Both goals came in the third period, the first from Samuel Helenius, his first in the NHL, and the second from Adrian Kempe, his team’s 24th of the season, with 6 minutes 48 seconds to play.
Learn more: Kings score twice in third period to beat Florida
“Playing against a Stanley Cup champion is a big test for your organization,” Robitaille said.
And it was a test the Kings passed with a furious third-period charge in which they made half of the 28 shots on goal they had on the night.
“It was one of the two or three best games we played all season,” coach Jim Hiller said. “It’s a hard-fought match. A playoff style game.
“It was like a playoff game,” admitted forward Kevin Fiala. “We got the job done.”
Still, there’s still plenty of work to do to keep the Kings on par with teams like the Panthers, who have been to the last two Stanley Cup Finals.
With Wednesday’s victory The Kings (26-14-5, 57 points) are four points better than after 45 games last season, when they were in a 3-14 loss that cost coach Todd McLellan his job. And while the Kings fight again — Wednesday’s win was only the second in six games and until the third-period explosion, they had scored one goal in seven periods — Robitaille said he was no comparison between the two teams.
“It doesn’t feel like last year,” he said. “I like the way we played, even though we didn’t win those games. So you always say keep doing the same thing over and over again and play the right way (and) you’ll turn it around.
“Last year it felt like we were on our heels and trying not to lose our minds. Now we are on guard and playing a certain way, which is difficult for other teams.
The team clearly belongs to Kopitar – as it should – and he will undoubtedly play a big role in determining the fate of the Kings. The captain, who hasn’t missed a game, leads the Kings with 31 assists, is second to Kempe with 43 points and is one of two forwards to average more than 19 minutes of play. He also has the franchise records for games played and assists, ranking second in points and third in goals.
What he didn’t do was be the first to hoist the Stanley Cup. Dustin Brown was captain when the Kings won in 2012 and again two years later, making him the first American-born captain to lift the trophy twice. Given Kopitar’s place in team history, Robitaille said he was deserving of the honor as well.
“I would love for Anze Kopitar to be the first to lift the Cup,” he said. “So there is some pressure and we would like to do it while he is still a top player. I think we owe it to our fans and we owe it to guys like him.
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The Kings are poised to improve at the most important time since Doughty started skating again. And although Hiller declined to give a timetable for his return, Doughty will accompany the team on a five-game road trip that begins Saturday.
“He will have an immediate impact upon his return to the group,” said the coach.
“We’re getting Drew back, it’s just like making a big trade,” Robitaille agreed. “You can never replace guys like Kopitar and Doughty. It’s impossible. They are very special players. You know the victory window? As you get older, this happens. So I would definitely love to win it with them.
“But to some extent, the legacy they leave within this franchise goes way beyond them.”
This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
