With a fresh slate, the work is well underway when it comes to the LA Kings power play

Last updated Oct 7, 2022 Edit Source

• News post
• Power play

• Zach Dooley

It’s the topic you’ve likely asked the most about this season. It’s one of the bigger storylines and questions entering the 2022-23 season. It’s the LA Kings power play.

I’ll finish probably every comment on the power play by saying it’s in the works right now. It’s quite early in the season and a lot of teams penalty kills haven’t had the time to polish up at this point. – Todd McLellan

People try to imitate what’s working and there are certain things that are working right now, certain looks that teams are trying to get to that work for them. Will it work for the LA Kings, we’re not sure yet, but we did study those things pretty early. – Todd McLellan

Jimmy brought a fresh set of eyes to our video from last year. It wasn’t tainted with opinion or frustration or joy, whatever it might be on that on the happy side. It was just a new set of eyes and he shared a lot of thoughts and ideas with us, so we adopted some of those things. He’s been around some good players and good power plays. – Todd McLellan on Jim Hiller

People in new places, with new roles that may take some predictability away from what could or should happen. The types of pieces we’re still using are quite common, or the individual pieces are quite common, and they might be in different spots, that may play a different role within it, but it’s still quite early. A lot of its experimental, we hope to make it permanent, but we’ll see how it goes. – Todd McLellan

We’ve talked a lot about players with different hands, left shots, right shots, where different people could be options. Throughout training camp, we’ve just been trying that out. If you look at Kopi, Juice and Kevin, they’re playing as a line, but all three are lefties, so they’re almost interchangeable in the spots they’re playing in on the power play. – Jim Hiller

Especially off of breakout, it’s not going to be perfect, you’re not always going to be able to just sprint to your position, you have to be able to play in the middle and on the flank. Especially between me and Kevin, I think we’re both pretty similar in those areas, on the bumper and on the flank, it’s going to be whoever else ends up there. – Adrian Kempe

You know, I think all of us, not just us two but all of us can interchange and I think that’s what good power plays do. You don’t have a spot, you see how it goes and fill in wherever you are and play from there. – Kevin Fiala

With the breakouts and stuff where you come in, if I’m not [in position], it takes 5-10 seconds for me to sprint to the other side and for others to get set up. It helps a lot I think, it’s a good thing to not have to be in specific spots all of the time. – Adrian Kempe

Everybody wants to be good on the power play, it’s important, especially end of the year and in the playoffs, because it can win you games. Special teams, both PK and power play are huge. – Kevin Fiala

There’s really no secret sauce to it, it’s just being able to execute, feel confident and feel good about it. Sometimes it’s just getting on a roll, you start to feel good. – Jim Hiller