MEDIA: Brian Dumoulin, Alex Turcotte, and Jim Hiller | LA Kings Preseason @ Utah Mammoth

seemed like overall pretty good defensive game for you guys. Not too many shots allowed, not too much traffic in front of the net. Was that kind of the way that you guys wanted to play defensively? Yeah, I think so. I think that’s definitely one of the things that we stress is not giving up any high injured chances against obviously in that first we gave up a few um inner slash shots and I think obviously we just had to take care of the puck a little bit more. I thought our game got better as the game went on. Um but uh yeah, it was it was good to get back in a game. Yeah, for you it hadn’t been too many games during the preseason. and seen a lot of younger guys get the action. How are you feeling? And obviously this is when you want to ramp it up here before it counts. Yeah, it was good to play with the majority of the team and and uh see their games on the ice obviously in game mode and um just obviously have to keep getting better throughout camp and this next one before we start the season. What what has been your focus coming over to a new team? Not the first time that you’re seeing a new, you know, new group of guys, but as you kind of learn this style and and get into practice and get into game shape, what’s kind of been your focus? Yeah, I think just understanding my teammates, uh, defensive partner, kind of who I’m playing with and, uh, different reads and going through different things, faceoff plays, uh, all the little system, neutral zone, and just getting your feel for it. I mean, it’s a little bit different than what I’m used to, but uh I mean, it comes as just reps and you just got to be out there playing. So, it’s I mean, it’s not going to be perfect off the start, but I just want to get uh familiar with it as quick as I can and uh learn my teammates, their tendencies, their games, um and go from there. What are some of those differences that you know maybe is a little bit different for you to pick up than what other teams play? Uh yeah, some uh a little bit in neutral zone. Um, a little bit different than what I’ve used what I what I played last year. Um, Dzone 2 is a little bit different. Uh, just different reads. PK is a little bit different, too. Um, they’re just little reads. I mean, they’re nothing big. I mean, I’ve I’ve played we’re uh sort of a man-on-man kind of in the defensive zone. I’ve played them before, but obviously they’re just different reads and and seeing uh when switches occur, kind of what guys do and stuff like that. But, yeah, it’s just getting better kind of each day. It’s been a weird preseason. uh you’re you’re part of this team, but you haven’t played a home game really. Um so I’m sure you’re looking forward to trying to get one on the home ice before things start. Yeah, that’s definitely nice. I mean uh obviously it’s whole different feel going to uh kind of crypto and and feeling that game rank and and going through kind of your pregame routine and getting into that routine. Obviously we play a lot there, so I’m excited for it. I know obviously they did a lot of renovations. I still haven’t really seen it as a home player, so I’m excited to see it. Thanks, Brian. Thanks. You’ve gotten a good opportunity to play a good amount of minutes here in the preseason. I feel like you’re probably feeling ready to get to get it going for real here. Yeah, for sure. Uh this is my fourth game, so yeah, I feel really good. Um I feel uh each game have gotten better, too, and more comfortable and just getting the details down and like the systems and stuff, you kind of forget about it a little bit in the summer. So, it’s been good to uh get get into uh a bunch of games and um yeah, obviously I want the real thing to start as soon as possible cuz you know feel like I’m playing well. So, yeah. Ever since you’ve been up with the Kings, you’ve played both center and wing. It seems like now they’ve got you doing both of those pretty frequently. What’s it like to kind of transition back and forth? Yeah. No, it’s good to be able to do that. Um have the coaches trust for that. And uh yeah, um I’m pretty comfortable on wing now, too, because of uh last season. So, um, wasn’t too, uh, worried about it, uh, tonight and I felt pretty comfortable. Um, and I feel comfortable at center, too, so it’s good. On your goal, seemed like Sammy had a lot of space there. Um, were you pretty much ready to shoot it right away when you saw he had that space? Yeah, I mean, nobody was on me. He made a great play. Army, great screen in front. So, um, yeah, I was just, uh, hoping he got he would get it to me and obviously um, you know, he did. He made a nice little pass and yeah, I was thinking shot the whole time. So, you’ve been here the whole time since Sammy came over. What have you seen from him as far as just his development and what he’s like now as opposed to maybe three, four years ago? Yeah. Well, I mean, off the ice, I think he was a little bit more quiet before. Um, obviously having to learn the language a little bit. Um, and now he’s a goofball. Um, definitely gotten pretty close with him and, um, it’s cool to see like his, uh, true personality come out. So, yeah. No, he’s uh, he’s, you know, grown a lot in that regard. And as a player, too, it definitely, um, you know, he brings a lot of size, tenacity, he’s tough, and he can make plays. So, um, yeah, I think he’s just getting more comfortable, uh, each year. I know it’s probably a difficult adjustment. I mean, I’ve never been through it. Obviously, uh, you know, leaving your home country, um, the lifestyle, the the game, the ice is a lot smaller. So, um, yeah, it’s been awesome to see and I’m really happy for him. We just talked to Dumo, but, you know, for you, same thing is you haven’t had a home game really, uh, during the preseason. So, you know, opportunity to get one in at Crypto before it starts is probably guys probably want to see the new room. Yeah. No, we’re really excited. Um, we’ve heard a lot about the renovations and um so yeah, I think uh they were supposed to have it done last season maybe and it kind of got pushed back. So, yeah, we’re really excited and um it’ll be nice to not have to travel the day of the game. So, yeah, we’re looking forward to playing at home and and getting things going. Thanks, Seemed like defensively you guys were were pretty much where you wanted to be. How did you feel? It seemed like not many shots, not too many great opportunities for them. Well, first period we really didn’t play well at all. That was our worst. I I liked I thought we got better as it went on. So, that was the most important part for us. Played with a little bit more jam, NHL, get ready for the season. These this team had only played most of these guys once, couple guys twice. So, uh that was the positive for sure. Um and then Vanichek played pretty good. Also discipline. You guys didn’t take too many penalties, stayed out of the box. How did you feel about that category for you guys today? Yeah, well that was good. I mean, I thought the last 40 minutes we had the puck a little more. First 20 we didn’t. And then uh so when you have the puck, you know, it’s generally you can draw them more than you’re going to take them. And if there was a turning point in the game, you know, the five on three, we had some real good looks and didn’t score. So again, that comes back to Vanichek. He played well. I was going to ask about the five on three. What did you see? Obviously the the forwards out there seemed like they did move it around pretty good and you had some decent looks there. Yeah, I mean you know you’d like to have more and one you’d like to find the back of the net. Um we haven’t worked on five on three yet so that was a pretty good opportunity for us to do it there. Uh yeah and I mean again I probably pretty disappointed if we were game one at this stage but these are reps and uh you know we got to get better there too. Tot scored your only goal. He’s now switching back and forth pretty frequently and you guys are comfortable with that. He’s done that before, but what have you seen from him kind of as he grows into that role of being versatile? Yeah. Well, he’s just good. And that started last year with him. I I give him so much credit. We we had him everywhere. And you know, he’s I talked to him before the game. He just knows he’s going to be centered some night, wings some night, he’d be in the fort, he might be up. And he’s really really matured and really found a groove for himself where, you know, nothing rattles him. He’s just ready to get out on the ice and do the job. Sammy made a nice play on that, too. I thought that line was was pretty solid. What have you liked about Sammy in the preseason? Obviously, played in every game, and now with the big group out, he has that nice assist. Yeah. Yeah. No, Sammmyy’s just been terrific. We What I love about Sammy is he knows his job. He I mean, who has said, “Oh, Sammmyy’s not playing hard tonight, or Sammy’s not finishing checks, or Sammy’s not winning faceoffs, so or giving 100% effort.” So, you know, he’s a guy that’s what we call low maintenance as a coach. He’s got it figured out as a young age and he’s just going to get better and better. How how have you seen him grow? I mean, from your time when you first came here, he was obviously pretty pretty young and and you know, a little bit more rare. The last couple years seems like he’s really taken off. Yeah. Well, you would you know him better. You know him best. You saw him he came in and he and maybe he was too heavy and then he was too light and then now he’s just kind of found himself. And I think, you know, for a bigger player and he’s still so young, it takes some time for everything to kind of start feeling put together and athletic and that’s happened. What surprised me is how quickly that’s happened for him. I thought it would take him a little longer, but he’s he’s very athletic now. His hands, he’s making plays. Um, we’re all really excited about his future for the Kings. Your preseason travel is now over. Uh, how good does it feel to know that your next game is going to be at Crypto.com Arena? Yeah, I think we’re ready for it. You know what I mean? We got a we got a new dressing room, I guess. So that’s going to be new. So it’s good to get one game in that, you know, new surroundings. I’m sure the guys are going to be wowed by how nice it is. So we’ll get that out of the way. Um Anaheim, I think, will bring a pretty good team in. So it should be a good hockey game. And then here we go. Is there anything you want to see, especially after the loss tonight? Probably going to be a similar group that gets to play on Saturday. You want to see anything more from them on on Saturday? Well, we we you know, we had pro probably four or five reads tonight that were were preseason reads that that you know, maybe we have one or two versus Anaheim where we’re like, okay, and then we’re going to try to clean that up completely. You know, you can never play mistake free, but there were four or five tonight that, you know, while watching the video and and those are ones that are atypical of us. Thanks, guys. Good job.

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