After some much needed rest and relaxation that scattered Kings players about the continent since their last game on Jan. 31, the extended All-Star break will give way to the stretch run on Saturday, when the Kings will host the archrival Edmonton Oilers.<\/p>\n
It will be the first game as head coach for Jim Hiller, who was promoted last week to replace Todd McLellan after he was relieved of a role he held for four and a half seasons. Hiller had a firsthand account of the Kings\u2019 rapid descent from conference contender to wild-card hopeful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it\u2019s not going real good for you at different times, it makes the job harder. When you lose a little bit of your swagger and your confidence, and too many guys lose it at the same time, then it can blossom,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cThat\u2019s, I believe, what it did. So, the break is good. Let\u2019s just get back to it, let\u2019s understand who we are, get back to the identity of the LA Kings and go back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t how quick they can get their heads back together and back feeling confident and all that stuff,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe know sometimes that the only way to do that is go out there and earn it through our work ethic. If we do that, and we get rewarded, I don\u2019t think it takes long to get your confidence back. If you don\u2019t work, then it\u2019s probably going to take longer and you\u2019re rolling the dice a little bit. I have full belief.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Kings won three of their past 17 games, while the Oilers, who made an early-season coaching change of their own, have won 16 of 17. They fell on Tuesday to defending champion Vegas in Edmonton\u2019s first loss since Dec. 19. They\u2019ll face the Kings on a back-to-back turnaround after visiting the Ducks on Friday.<\/p>\n
Oilers captain Connor McDavid and the Scottie Pippen to his Michael Jordan, Leon Draisaitl, combined for 49 points across their 16 triumphs.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Kings\u2019 two most prominent players, two-time champions Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, were the subject of discussion in Hiller\u2019s introductory news conference Thursday. Doughty has led the NHL in time on ice this season and Kopitar has chewed up big minutes despite some evident physical limitations that have curbed his production of late.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re still great players, despite their age. They\u2019ve had amazing careers to this point, and they\u2019re not done,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cWhat does that look like? I don\u2019t know, but I\u2019m sure glad they\u2019re both here, and that\u2019s all I can tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Injured winger Viktor Arvidsson has also been present, lately. He mixed back into the group as a full participant in practice on Friday, Russell Morgan of Hockey Royalty tweeted.<\/p>\n
Goalie deployment, Hiller said, would flow along the lines of a hot hand, which currently belongs to David Rittich. He won both his starts in December and had the Kings\u2019 only three wins in January. The Kings have earned points in eight of his nine starts overall.<\/p>\n
Oft-scrutinized winger Arthur Kaliyev has compiled several healthy scratches this season. The sniping flanker was once billed as a key component of the Kings\u2019 future but has scored just six goals this season.<\/p>\n
Hiller, who ran the Kings\u2019 power play for the past year and a half, knew very well how dangerous Kaliyev could be after he racked up a career-high 12 power-play points last season. This year, he has only four so far, and has missed the presence of a right-handed shot on the opposing flank, said Hiller, who believed Kaliyev would have an opportunity to re-establish himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a scorer, he\u2019s a power-play guy, he\u2019s a finisher, so he hasn\u2019t had the looks that he had last year,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cWhen you don\u2019t have the looks and you don\u2019t score, and you\u2019re a scorer, now you start to get frustrated, now you question yourself, and it makes it hard. So, I\u2019ve got empathy for Arthur.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Hiller said there would be no drastic changes tactically or personnel-wise. His promotion could inject energy into a matchup against the team that eliminated the Kings in each of the past two postseasons, one in which the last thing their fans want would be more of the same.<\/p>\n