The calling card of the Kings during their championship years (2012, 2014), led by Doughty and center Anze Kopitar, was being a heavy, possession-savvy team, and their shot attempts percentage at 5-on-5 has once again been near the top of the NHL over the past four seasons: Kings’ recent SAT% percentages:

Adrian Kempe’s 24th of the season 6½ minutes later gave L.A. the lead, Darcy Kuemper preserved ... about to get an All-Star reinforcement. Drew Doughty, who broke his left ankle in a preseason ...

The Kings are built to stifle opponents and win games by narrow margins. This strategy requires the players to execute nearly flawless games. When they are unable to do so, they have relied on a resurgent Darcy Kuemper to bail them out.