Kings open season with heartbreaking loss to Golden Knights - Los Angeles Times

Last updated Oct 17, 2022 Edit Source

• News post

• Helene Elliott

• Kevin Fiala
• Phillip Danault
• Adrian Kempe
• Brandt Clarke

• Todd McLellan

When Todd McLellan was hired to coach the downtrodden Kings in 2019, he compared them to marathon runners at Mile 1. With a hard-fought playoff series loss behind him and the deepest, most skillful lineup he has had at his disposal, McLellan updated that analogy as he began his fourth season.

We’ve settled into the race now. We’ve climbed some hills. We got in some valleys. I think in marathons there’s runners that break away and sometimes the pack catches them again. I would say we’re in that pack. We’re no longer in Miles 1 through 5. We’re way further into it.

But if crossing the finish line and putting a medal around your neck is the Stanley Cup championship, we still have a lot of running to do. – Todd McLellan

We wasted an outstanding goaltending effort by not getting a point tonight. – Todd McLellan

We made a step last year but now we have to make sure we’re taking the ability to move past that and keep that going. I think there’s less and less concerns through our lineup. I think there still are at different times and there will be at times as the season goes on, but I do think we have players that can fill some certain roles and we do have some depth in the right positions if needed. – Rob Blake

I think Rob has made some really good moves and it just shows us that he believes in us and he spent that money for a really good player that we needed. Rob did a big move, and now it’s our time to show it on the ice. – Phillip Danault

Yes, I can do it again. I can’t wait to see what this year is going to bring, and obviously I’m waiting for what I’ve wanted to achieve my whole life — winning the Cup. – Phillip Danault

We definitely have an expectation of Phil that now increases offensively, but I think a lot of it surrounds around his leadership. I felt that he added a big touch to that. That created excitement some of those players bought in. And now we have to get that out of Kevin Fiala, we have to get it out of some of our young guys who are going to take a little bit more prominent roles on the team. – Rob Blake

Is he a 35-goal scorer? I sure hope so. But I know he’s a 20-minute player for sure most nights, and that’s just as important as being a 35-goal scorer. – Todd McLellan

When you get into tight situations or an overtime situation and you’re relying on a big player to step up, he’s now at that level for us. – Rob Blake