Brandt Clarke playing great hockey with Drew Doughty out
The Los Angeles Kings appear to be focused on making sure their roster is as healthy as possible for the playoffs. One of the players they have been trying to manage is Drew Doughty, who seems to still be bothered by the ankle injury he suffered in the preseason.
This was his third straight game that Doughty has missed but it has created an opportunity for other players to step up and one of those players has been Brandt Clarke. In these past three games, Clarke has played over 17 minutes each game, something he did only once in the prior seven games. The extra minutes on ice have been great and Clarke has taken advantage of it as he has a +/- of +3 with an assist in this game against Colorado. The point helped extend his lead among all Kings defensemen in points this season.
When the Kings got Doughty back at the end of January, Clarke was the odd man out but since the trade deadline, the Kings have been able to get him into a regular role. There is a case to be made that Clarke is the best offensive defenseman the Kings have this season and he has a chance to make an impact in the playoffs.