The Los Angeles Kings will seemingly be with out the companies of veteran defenseman Drew Doughty once they proceed a six-game street journey and search for a fifth straight win in Washington in opposition to 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 assume there’s a lot that must be mentioned,” Anderson mentioned. “He is clearly one of many most likely largest, if not the most important competitor, I believe, within the league. Sucks to see him be hurting, however once more, he battles and he’ll do something he can to maintain taking part in or keep engaged and concerned.”
Alex Laferriere had the Kings’ aim 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 street.
Along with his fifth aim of the season, Laferriere prolonged his level streak to 4 video games (two objectives, two assists).
“I believed each groups, there wasn’t quite a lot of room, quite a lot of probabilities both means, so I used to be actually pleased with our guys to get via that,” Kings coach Jim Hiller mentioned. “It is good for us to know that we could be that irritating to play in opposition to, 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 cut up a pair of video games final season, every profitable on house ice.
The Capitals enter Monday’s recreation with simply two wins of their final 10 (2-6-2) and wish to bounce again from a 3-2 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night time.
Alex Ovechkin scored profession aim No. 902 and Connor McMichael additionally discovered the again of the online for the Capitals, who’ve misplaced 4 of 5 (1-3-1).
Goaltender Logan Thompson made 29 saves within the loss.
Thompson, Monday’s seemingly starter, is 7-5-1 with a 1.85 goals-against common and a .925 save proportion 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 may come away and say we must always have received 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 quite a lot of instances. We have got to search out methods to get to the online, get to the soiled areas and rating objectives.
“We have got to maintain working at it. Nobody goes to really feel sorry for us. We have got to be higher.”
–Discipline Degree Media
