In the upcoming next few weeks in the West in the Pacific Division this regular season down the stretch, the Los Angeles Kings and new interim head coach DJ Smith will be fighting for a spot in the postseason this spring this upcoming playoffs this month in mid-April. Smith and the Kings' coaching staff this regular season down the stretch still have a chance to make the playoffs this upcoming postseason this spring.
Brandt Clarke can lead the Los Angeles Kings young players to step up and play more consistently on the blue line on defense in the West this month in April
It doesn't feel like Smith and the Kings' coaching staff this regular season this past few months in the West are moving in the right trending up direction for the team. The Kings don't have the excuse of trying to rebuild this upcoming offseason, and it should really be further up in the standings in the West this regular season with all of the experience and veteran players in the active roster lineup.
The problems in the extra frame in overtime and on home ice struggles this regular season in the West have caused the Kings to underachieve in the Pacific Division this past few months.
Here are three Kings players who must step up and rise to the occasion for the team in the West this regular season down the stretch in the final seven games this upcoming next few weeks in April.
Drew Doughty, D
On the blue line on defense this regular season in the West, the Kings and the coaching staff have struggled to consistently win games on home ice this past few months at Crypto.com Arena. Defenseman Drew Doughty and the Kings have only won around a dozen games in the West this regular season in this past few months on home ice.
I think some of the plays Doughty has made on the blue line on defense for the Kings in this past couple of weeks for the team has been head-scratching on the ice. Doughty called out some of the mistakes and playing from behind on the ice for the Kings in this past week or so in the West defensively in the zone.
"We’d get it on the forecheck, they break it out and all of a sudden, it was an odd-man rush. That’s not our style of hockey, that’s not the way we play. Like I said, we’ll look at those things. They’re simple things we know. We know what to do in those situations and for whatever reason, we weren’t doing them tonight."Drew Doughty
The Kings need Doughty to be more solid and consistent as a veteran anchor on the blue line on defense for the team, and to help this team win more games this spring for this upcoming postseason in the playoffs.
Brandt Clarke, D
Two of the best contributors in the active roster lineup with the active forward lines core group and the blue line on defense for Smith and the Kings coaching staff on home ice this past week were veteran forward Joel Armia and defenseman Brandt Clarke.
In this past month in the West in the past 15 games, Clarke has registered one goal and nine total points in the Pacific Division for the Kings since last month in early March and early April. Clarke is just a couple of points on the stat sheet in the West away from reaching 40 total points this regular season.
Quinton Byfield, F
Over the past few months in the West for the Kings, young forward Quinton Byfield hasn't developed as much as the fans would've hoped this regular season in the Pacific Division. Byfield, Alex Turcotte, and Darcy Kuemper have all underachieved this regular season in the West for the Kings and Smith in this past few months on the ice.
In this past three consecutive games in the West in the Pacific Division down the stretch this regular season for the Kings, Byfield has struggled scoring the puck offensively in the zone. Byfield hasn't scored any points on the stat sheet and is a -2 in this past three games since last month in late March and early April for the Kings offensively.