Dud: Quinton Byfield, F
I would've liked to see a bit more of production on the stat sheet in the offensive zone scoring the puck today for center Quinton Byfield and on both ends of the ice for the Kings this afternoon on the road vs. Columbus. Byfield won 75 percent of his faceoffs and helped the Kings dominate in the faceoff circle today, especially in the offensive zone.
This past weekend against the Montreal Canadiens was the first time Byfield was in the active roster lineup for Smith and the Kings this regular season in the West since he took over as the new bench boss this past week on home ice.
"There’s another guy that can really skate and I’m going to push him to forecheck, be physical on the forecheck, hitting guys and getting to the net,” Smith said. “I think that can help him take his game to the next level, is getting some ugly goals and making it hard on the defense. When you just walk by Q, he’s a big dude. When you [play the Kings], you’ve got to feel our speed, but you’ve also got to get hit. I think he’s a guy that can really do that for us."DJ Smith on Quinton Byfield
The type of size, speed, and skill that Byfield brings to the Kings offensively as a playmaker who can score and move the puck well on the ice coast-to-coast gives him the unique ability to stand out in the active roster lineup for the core forward lines group for Smith and the coaching staff this regular season.
I think that Byfield could really find his groove scoring the puck in the zone offensively for the Kings down the stretch this regular season in the West in the Pacific Division. He needs to sustain the forecheck and help the Kings generate more high and medium-danger scoring chances around the net and against opposing defenses this regular season in this upcoming couple of months down the stretch.