Kings to Rest Their Stars in Final Games
It is that time of year again—the last few games before the NHL regular season comes to an end. For non-playoff teams, it means trying to spoil the team's chances of making the playoffs. For playoff teams, it means giving your top stars a rest ahead of Game 1.
The first Kings' player to get some rest is one of the best in franchise history, Anze Kopitar. At 36 years old, he still plays hard and gets top minutes, so he deserves the rest. He could play in one of the final two games, so he isn't going to be sitting out for a whole week without game action. However, he is the ultimate pro and would adjust when the playoffs start if that doesn't happen.
Kopitar has played in 79 games this season, has 26 goals and 44 assists for 70 points, and averages 19:40 time on ice.
A few other players will likely be given some rest in the next few days; the most notable would be Drew Doughty, the horse on the blue line for the Kings; he loves playoff hockey. For a player like Doughty, he will want to feel the best he possibly can, so he will benefit from a night or two off.
Viktor Arvidsson is another player who will be resting up; he has had injury after injury this season. But he is a player who, when he is in the lineup, makes the team play better. It makes sense; he is a veteran guy who plays hard and has skill.
There will most likely be some other players that get a game off that are part of the core. But the Kings will prioritize their older veterans first.