The Los Angeles Kings will doubtless be with out the providers of veteran defenseman Drew Doughty once they proceed a six-game highway journey and search for a fifth straight win in Washington towards the Capitals on Monday.
Doughty left the Kings’ 1-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday within the second interval after blocking a shot off his left foot.
The 35-year-old, who’s on the Kings’ high defensive pair alongside Mikey Anderson, has eight factors in 19 video games this season whereas averaging over 22 minutes in ice time.
Doughty was seen postgame in Ottawa carrying a strolling boot.
“I do not suppose there’s a lot that must be mentioned,” Anderson mentioned. “He is clearly one of many most likely greatest, if not the largest competitor, I feel, within the league. Sucks to see him be hurting, however once more, he battles and he will do something he can to maintain enjoying or keep engaged and concerned.”
Alex Laferriere had the Kings’ purpose and Anton Forsberg made 17 saves for his ninth profession shutout and first of the season as Los Angeles improved to 9-1-2 on the highway.
Along with his fifth purpose of the season, Laferriere prolonged his level streak to 4 video games (two targets, two assists).
“I believed each groups, there wasn’t a variety of room, a variety of probabilities both manner, so I used to be actually pleased with our guys to get by that,” Kings coach Jim Hiller mentioned. “It is good for us to know that we might be that irritating to play towards, too, once we do it proper like that. Credit score to Ottawa, they made it actually arduous.”
Monday is the primary of two conferences this season between the Capitals and Kings. The groups break up a pair of video games final season, every profitable on house ice.
The Capitals enter Monday’s sport with simply two wins of their final 10 (2-6-2) and need to bounce again from a 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night time.
Alex Ovechkin scored profession purpose No. 902 and Connor McMichael additionally discovered the again of the web for the Capitals, who’ve misplaced 4 of 5 (1-3-1).
Goaltender Logan Thompson made 29 saves within the loss.
Thompson, Monday’s doubtless starter, is 7-5-1 with a 1.85 goals-against common and a .925 save share in 13 video games.
“We have simply received to keep it up,” Thompson mentioned. “We really feel like we’re producing probabilities every night time. You’ll be able to come away and say we should always have gained that one. It is irritating. … We have got to begin getting some wins right here and getting extra factors.”
Dylan Strome, who had an help within the loss, paces the Capitals with 11 in 16 video games.
“The method has been fairly good,” Strome mentioned. “We’re out-playing groups on most nights, and I would say we’re outshooting groups a variety of occasions. We have got to seek out methods to get to the web, get to the soiled areas and rating targets.
“We have got to maintain working at it. Nobody goes to really feel sorry for us. We have got to be higher.”
–Area Degree Media
