Kings’ Top Pair Seeks Balance Ahead of Crucial Break

Mikey Anderson is invaluable to the team; his loss is certainly felt. His style perfectly complements the system the Kings aim to implement on a nightly basis. Anderson and Vladislav Gavrikov have formed a solid defensive pairing as the Kings' primary duo in the absence of their number one defenseman.

In Anderson's absence, the Kings have welcomed Drew Doughty back, the team's leader on the backend. Although having a future first-ballot Hall of Famer on the roster is beneficial, Doughty is returning midseason and has been struggling to adjust back into form after missing significant time due to injury during the preseason.

Initially, Doughty was paired with Jacob Moverare but has since formed a consistent pairing with Gavrikov over the last two games. Since returning from his long-term injury, Doughty has a minus-three rating in four games and has registered only one assist. While he appears to have the confidence he's always had, he seems a fraction of a second slow on decisions and reactions. In a league and level of play where a split-second indecision can burn you, Doughty has been on fire in a negative connotation.

It is expected that a player coming back from injury would need time to find their rhythm. Nothing can be criticized about Doughty unless this trend continues after the Four Nations break. This situation will be closely monitored, especially since the franchise is committed to achieving success during the remaining years of Anze Kopitar and Doughty's careers.

However, while Gavrikov was previously on pace for an outstanding season in a contract year, his performance has declined while playing with Doughty. The analytics suggest that their pairing has struggled and has not performed like the strong shutdown duo Gavrikov is used to. For Kings' head coach Jim Hiller, the focus seems to be on giving Doughty regular minutes as if he had not missed 46 games.

Doughty's time on ice (TOI) in his four games back has been as follows: 23:51, 27:43, 24:16, and 25:16.

So far, despite the ice time that's traditionally given to those thriving and positively impact the game, Doughty's performance has been challenging on the ice. In addition to his poor plus-minus rating, his analytics as part of a top pair raise concerns. 

In 45:12 minutes paired with Gavrikov at even strength, their Corsi and Fenwick percentages stand at 39.08% and 43.08%, respectively. They have slightly outshot the opposition, 22-19, and their goal differential is even at 4-4. However, the scoring chances are troubling, with the Kings being outchanced 14-23, including high-danger chances being 7-9, where they have been outscored 0-3.

These numbers are likely to improve as Doughty regains his form; it seems to be a matter of shaking off the rust for a seasoned 35-year-old veteran. It should be noted, though, that in their recent game against the fatigued Montreal Canadiens, the top pair had a Corsi percentage of 47.37% over 16:53 of ice time. Against an opponent like Montreal, they should have flourished, right?

The Four Nations tournament will be crucial for Doughty to continue playing, especially at a high level. He has been well into the conversation for the replacement of Vegas Golden Knight Alex Pietrangelo. If he doesn't get selected (which is likely) and his performance does not improve, even his immense skill and confidence may not be enough to prevent a rut the organization cannot afford to house.

This situation isn't entirely on Doughty. Hiller has been giving him minutes as if he were already in midseason form, seemingly throwing an experiment to see what works. How long can you continue to watch a player get caved in in an unforgiving league? The Kings will face stiff competition against Dallas, followed by a matchup with a struggling Anaheim team in a back-to-back scenario.

Doughty and Gavrikov will face plenty of pressure against the Stars, but they may have a better chance to find their rhythm against a lesser opponent, especially given their underwhelming performance against the Canadiens.

A solid overall game before the break would be beneficial for both players—one returning from an extended injury absence and the other trying to maintain peak performance—to help them find balance again in both their games.

Particularly for Doughty, the organization might have to wait a little longer for him to find the form that made him a household name.