On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Kings stumbled on a 3-1 lead, ultimately succumbing to a 5-3 defeat against the Buffalo Sabres on home ice. It was an ugly loss, one that the head coach didn’t take terribly well and one that defenseman Drew Doughty spoke candidly about, blasting his teammates for their effort level and selfishness. There are now questions about what the plan is for this roster and if a big change needs to be made.
“The stupidity that went into this loss is beyond explainable,” said coach Todd McLellan. He wasn’t the only one in the room livid with the way the Kings performed in the second and third periods.
Doughty said:
“I think we got guys in this room who are too worried about themselves, and worried about their points, and worried about stuff like that,” Doughty said after Wednesday’s loss, per TSN. “We get a 3-1 lead tonight, and guys start thinking it’s a cookie night. We stopped playing the way we know how to play, have an awful second period, then aren’t much better in the third. It’s about the team, it’s not about yourself, and a lot of guys on this team need to realize that.”
He added, “This has been a struggle for us, and the only way we’re going to get out of it is if we get everybody’s 100% effort, everyone playing for the team and each other.”
What Happens With the Kings Roster Now? What’s the Plan?
Darren Dreger of TSN notes that there are no immediate plans to change things up with the roster or make a big trade. He writes, “Drew Doughty spoke honestly and directly last night. However, the plan this morning is for management to stay the course…for now.” That said, with the trade deadline just over a month away and the Kings in a freefall, the club might need to do something.
The Kings’ recent struggles have seen them relinquish their Pacific Division seed. They now occupy the top wild-card spot in the competitive Western Conference, trailing the Oilers by two points with an additional game played.
Furthermore, they find themselves 13 points behind the leading Vancouver Canucks, highlighting the challenges ahead for the Kings in their quest for playoff contention.
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