Head Coach Jim Hiller was asked postgame after the second straight time being shutout, if he was close to asking GM Rob Blake to look for external options, which he replied: "I don't think so at all... same group of guys who played extremely well, won a lot of games ... I don't think we gain anything by doing that as a team." (Credit to Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period) Despite hopes for improvement or a return from a group of guys who had played extremely well before their trend, things have actually gotten worse. When it rains, it pours, as Anze Kopitar said so nicely, following the 3-0 loss. The Kings lost Mikey Anderson to a hand injury during the shutout delivered by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The way it looked, without dipping into my make-believe medical degree, it could be a broken hand. Postgame, Hiller described the situation as "concerning," which is alarming, especially coming from someone in a position that traditionally keeps things tight-to-the-vest. At first glance, everything appears to be in a spiral, which following the injury, looks to be a cherry right on top. Except this isn't a malt shake. The current situation follows a plan for a franchise that is realistically not quite there or close to achieving its goals. The ongoing phase seems to lack intermediate focus on long-term development and rather, fails to address any immediate concerns about a potential talent shortage for production. This is the foundation the Kings have created. The foundation of 'The Plan' aims to prioritize strong defensive play, relying on just enough offense to secure narrow victories, such as 2-1 or 3-2 game. A significant part of this strategy involves having defensively skilled and reliable players on the back end, like Joel Edmundson, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Mikey Anderson. These players have experienced increased ice time this season due to Drew Doughty's long-term injury and have respectively aced any expectations of what they could do without their 1D. Now, Doughty has returned. While he may not have the same energy expected of his usual midseason form: he did just play 27 minutes in a game where Anderson was ruled out for the rest of the game after suffering an injury while taking a puck to the hand/wrist area. Doughty's return should help mitigate the loss of Anderson, one of the league's top shutdown defensemen. The Kings will have the option to welcome back Brandt Clarke, who was a healthy scratch for the past two games, while Doughty was re-integrated into the lineup. The team can still align its defensive pairs and find some form of balance as follows: Doughty-Gavrikov, Jordan Spence-Edmundson, and Clarke-Moverare. Even with a makeshift defensive corps, Clarke's potential return is promising, especially considering that this injury-impacted roster has brought the Kings to their current position despite a troubling last ten games. In a potential third pair option with this newly found loss, the Clarke-Moverare has proved to be a go-to option. This season, when playing 46:51 together at even strength (via NST), they achieved a Corsi of 59.79% and a Fenwick of 60.27%. The duo outshoots, outperforms, and outchances their opponents 31-17, 4-3, and 26-16, respectively. They lead 12-6 and 2-1 in terms of high-danger chances and goals. There is a glimmer of hope for the Kings amidst this dark period [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/kings-road-trip-struggles-as-hiller-implements-key-adjustments] while their foundation and formula are currently at high risk. However, the Kings also have Andreas Englund and Kyle Burroughs available, who have proven deployable under coaches Todd McLellan and Hiller throughout their tenures (Only Hiller for Burroughs). The Kings have a specific schematic approach, yet Clarke's offensive IQ—possibly the best in the organization—cannot compensate for any deficiencies in the lineup that Burroughs or Englund may present in the eyes of management. While the Kings continue to rely on the same strategy, results have been lacking in a performance-driven league. Around this time last year, the Kings were unable to find success under McLellan, who repeatedly employed the same approach governed by management without achieving results, leading to his sacking. Does Hiller receive the same leeway? Well, likely much more than McLellan did, but he will be under scrutiny as pressures mount. A winless road trip seems imminent. There's only so much Hiller can do with a flawed roster and an unproven long-term strategy. Should he keep experimenting with different lineups? Will Clarke sit out again? Can Anderson be placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve to circumvent some type of move? Are there any other moves beyond Doughty's return that are even remotely possible [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/brock-boeser-trade-rumors-why-the-kings-arent-a-likely-destination] with assets that have been sent off over a three-year period and or have depreciated past face value? Answers to these questions will emerge in time. But for now, the Kings find themselves on unstable ground as their plan, in the midst of a metaphoric and physical stalemate, having to embrace a flawed formula that they are more than likely to ride out. THNKeithFriesKeysJan26
