LOS ANGELES — Following a banner week for hockey with the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Kings returned to action with a home game against the Utah Hockey Club, and if the past week’s international showcase drew any new hockey fans to attend, the Kings treated them to a solid night of action in a 5-3 LA win.
Fresh off earning first place with Canada, blueline stalwart Drew Doughty had the magic touch on offense for the Kings, scoring LA’s first goal of the game and assisting on the next two. With Doughty having missed the first half of the season, only playing six NHL games in 2024-25 before going to play for Canada, the 4 Nations played a key role in him finding his rhythm again.
“It helped me a ton, I was forced instantly to get up to speed,” Doughty said, referring to the tournament. “That was a faster game. Didn’t love my first game against Sweden, but after that I got locked in and played three good games to finish it.”
“I’m getting really close to feeling like myself,” he said, and his head coach seemed to agree.
“It was clearly [Doughty’s] best game” since his return, Jim Hiller said. “I thought [it was] the first game that he really looked like himself… he really looked comfortable.”
Doughty’s return to form will immensely help LA’s post-break push, reinforcing a defensive unit that has already allowed the NHL’s second-fewest goals.
However, subpar defensive special teams threatened to derail the Kings’ night in the opening two periods. In the first, with Quinton Byfield in the box, Utah center Nick Schmaltz backhanded a pass to teammate Barrett Hayton, who just barely managed to poke the puck before Darcy Kuemper could interfere and LA’s goaltender let Hayton’s tame effort sneak under his legs.
On another Utah power play in the second, Kuemper tried to parry away a Schmaltz shot, but the puck fell to Hayton again in front of goal and he sealed the deal on a can’t-miss opportunity.
The Utah goals seemed to energize the Kings, however, with both their first and second equalizers coming shortly after Utah took the lead. Kings fans had to wait only 28 seconds for Doughty’s goal and just over two minutes for Kevin Fiala to score LA’s second. Alongside Doughty, the Swiss forward also had a productive evening, assisting his alternate captain’s goal and striking home a well-timed slapshot from the right side faceoff spot. He now has eight points in February from just five games after tallying seven in 13 games during January.
Elsewhere on LA’s third line, Alex Laferriere’s speed caused problems for Utah as the game became more tense in the second period. With a few minutes left in the frame, Doughty lobbed the puck from deep in Kings’ territory over the Utah blueliners, allowing Laferriere to chase it down for a one-on-one with a Utah goaltender Connor Ingram. Laferriere finished the play cheekily, opting for a backhand shot aimed at Ingram’s near post, lifting the puck under Ingram’s arm with composure.
The Kings took advantage of a similar play in the final seconds of the period with Ingram forced out of his crease to contest another potential one-on-one with Laferriere. With Laferriere bearing down on him, Ingram lifted the puck over the Kings’ bench and out of play, earning a delay of game penalty for Utah and giving the Kings a power play to open the third period. The ensuing two minutes didn’t lead to a Kings goal, but Hiller was impressed nonetheless.
“That’s one of those moments where you’re like, ‘that’s impressive,’” Hiller said. “That time on the clock, that effort, draws a penalty out of the whole thing, right? Coaches notice something like that,” Hiller said.
Trevor Lewis put the icing on LA’s cake halfway through the third period, leaving the game effectively out of reach for Utah. Sloppy errors still managed to haunt LA, however, with Barrett securing a hattrick on another sequence where he poached around Kuemper’s crease to Utah’s benefit. But a Mikey Anderson goal on Utah’s open net ruled the Hockey Club’s third goal meaningless.
The Kings will return to action against the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Monday night, with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m.