MEDIA: Dumoulin, Clarke, and Hiller | 10.12.25 LA Kings Practice in Minnesota

MEDIA: Dumoulin, Clarke, and Hiller | 10.12.25 LA Kings Practice in Minnesota

pairs looked a little bit different uh today out there. When you switch partners, is there any adjustment that you make to your game to get used to playing with a new guy? I mean, a little bit obviously like uh I mean, no two players the same, but uh I think it’s important to be able to play with everyone. I mean, you never know different circumstances and games or course of the season with injuries or things like that. It’s it’s nice to get familiar with everyone out there and obviously Drew is a guy I’ve been watching for a long time and um especially in these these early stages of the year like just uh seeing the type of player that he is, the plays that he makes, um how he likes to he likes to hold on to the puck and make plays. So um yeah, definitely excited to be playing with him. Talk about his kind of ability with the puck. Do you feel like that complements your game as you know kind of a defensive guy where you should be able to kind of slot right in with a guy like that and be successful in that pair? Yeah, I think so. Oh, I mean there’s definitely a lot of similarities to Chris Latang when I played with him and um yeah, he’s very responsibly defensively also like he’s uh very hard on pucks, very competitive, uh makes really good plays and uh he has a lot of fun out there. It’ll be it’ll be fun to play with. Turn our attention just three games in, but you’re kind of the new guy on the block, one of the new guys on the block. Uh your impressions just to start the season here, things that have gone well, things that need to be corrected as a team. Yeah. Um, obviously we’ve we’ve been thrown to the fire a little bit with our with our schedule. I mean, we’ve been playing some really good teams. Haven’t done us too many favors with giving them early power plays, especially their top guys feeling the puck. I mean, I think obviously discipline is something that we have to correct. I mean, especially against these top power plays, like we can kill one or two, but when we’re asking a lot more, it takes guys out of the rhythm of the game. It it’s just gets them feeling the puck and um them getting a lot of shots and just a lot of opportunities and no zone time. Obviously penalties is critical and I mean it’s been fun to play this competitive of teams early on in the season because I mean it’s an easy win like you have to bring it every night and um no easy game and and it’s just like again tomorrow against Minnesota. I mean obviously they’re coming off a loss to to Columbus so they’re going to be hungry especially early in the season so it’s going to be it’s going to be a battle but it’ll be fun. as a as a defenseman when you start the season with games against McKinnon and Marner Connor and now Capriovv are those guys that you know you try to shut down or limit or is it more just be aware of where they’re at throughout the course of the game? I think it’s you got to read off the game obviously. I mean we haven’t done our done ourselves any favors. Obviously we’re up in Vegas but um when we’re down in games obviously you have to take a little bit more chances and obviously those guys are put out in certain situations. there’s usually a lot of nozzone face offs. So, I think in those circumstances, you got to do your job and limit the their time possession, their opportunities and stuff like that. But, obviously, when you’re down the game, that’s when you might have to take a little bit more chances and that’s when things could possibly open up against. But, um, I think we just got to try to limit their time off the power play, especially at the beginning of games. what’s been some of the feedback you’ve been getting just adjusting to new systems and uh what are the coaches kind of telling you to do more of or uh yeah I think one of the things for me uh personally right away I think I can shoot the puck a little bit more um when I’m when I’m getting the puck at the blue line and stuff I think I create a little bit more predictability for our forwards maybe create some more zone time I’m usually a pass first guy so I just could get that in my in my head a little bit more but Um, I think uh just the structure. I mean, I think just getting used to breakouts where guys are. Um, how uh for come back in the zone, we play a little bit of a man-on man in defensive zone. So, it’s a little bit different with coverages. So, uh I’m just trying to get acclimated as quick as I can. Preseason training camp are obviously great, but can it take some real games like these to truly feel comfortable in a new system or a new structure when the the pace is obviously a lot higher than it is in the exhibition games? Yeah, I think so. Well, I mean, every situation’s different. Uh, I mean, preseason games, you can play and get them ready, but I mean, whether you’re playing against a team that didn’t have players in, does do have players in, maybe they’re not at full intensity as they would be in a normal game. And, um, I don’t know, it’s just obviously I just try to adjust as fast as I can and get used to the players that are here. And, um, I mean, sometimes takes time, but obviously we’re playing good teams right now, so it’s uh, part of the course. When we talked over the summer, you know, you talked about wanting to have a little bit of an expanded role, you know, this season. You’ve had that a little bit through these first three games. Happy with how things have gone for you thus far? Uh, yeah, personally, I’m I’m pretty happy. I think I’ve uh done a lot of good things and I’m, you know, I’m getting positive positive feedback from like coaches and teammates, too. So, you know, that always goes a long way for me. So, I appreciate that. And, uh, there’s still a lot of work to do and obviously, you know, there’s ups and downs throughout the season. So, it’s been a good start, but you know, I’m just trying to ride this wave for and keep it going and just keep going. Seems to be an encouragement for defenseman to have the green light to go when the situation is is there. Do you feel that, you know, from the coaching staff that when you have the right read, you’re going to be encouraged to join the rush and activate offensively? Absolutely. Yeah. You know, they they tell me if when when I see it to to take it and, you know, I think through three games, I think I’ve done a good job of that. And I’ve also been back and I haven’t given up anything the other way either. So, I think uh I think that decision-m has been been really good for me. so far and uh they want all our D to you know pick our spots when we can and uh yeah personally I think I’ve done a good job of that and uh like I said I just want to keep that going and uh like I said don’t want to cost the other anything the other way and I think I’ve done good job of that but uh take it when I can. This is total team concept question. Um we’re looking at some numbers only three games in but you know allowing some slot passes way more than last year. your take on the defensive zone and how it’s gone so far this season as a group. Um, obviously we’ve kind of let up some big numbers against against these teams with five wasn’t we won that game, but you know, it’s not not what we want to want to accomplish. I think uh I think our our main thing was our our defensive zone last year and our just ability to, you know, kind of uh tear teams down and they frustrate them. And I think I don’t think we’ve done enough of that so far. I don’t think we’ve uh I think we’ve given them a little too much and let them play around, let them get confident a little bit. So, I think that that’s a point of emphasis going forward, especially against a good skilled team tomorrow. Just uh you know, get back to what we do. Shut them down. Don’t give them anything. You know, play down in the other zone, you know, wear them down and then if they do get a chance, kill it right away and get back down there because that’s what we do better than anyone else. So, I think uh just want to get back to that. Second and third periods against the Jets, was that the most like the Kings that you’ve seen the group play this year? I believe so. I think that first period in Vegas was good too, but um I believe yeah I think that second and third period obviously our our first wasn’t great but you know we went in the room and you know they they got mad at us a bit and rightfully so. But uh you know I think we responded well and that second period was really good and that third period I think could have gone either way. They got uh good balance there but um way it goes sometimes but no I think that was that was a positive step for us and if we can if we have efforts like that for 60 minutes uh we’ll win a lot of hockey games. So, uh, with what we’re going to try to do, what challenges does M Minnesota have for you guys tomorrow? Uh, I just think their forward core is so good. I think, uh, they just have so much skill up front. Uh, so I think just kind of minimizing those guys is going to going to go a long way. But, you know, they also have, you know, big strong D, so our forwards going to have a tough time getting to the net, but that’s what you got to do sometimes. You just got to battle through that. And, uh, you know, we have we have strong guys, too. So, uh, we’re going to make the most of it. But, yeah, they definitely have a good squad, so we’ll see how it goes. What’s been the biggest thing that’s been encouraged for you? What like coaching wise has maybe the coaches singled out and said do more of this or keep doing that? Um, I don’t know. I think like like I was kind of touching on earlier is just kind of taking my spots as they come. You know, when there’s when there’s an ability for me to kind of skate through the neutral zone or skate out of the zone with the puck, they kind of say, “Hey, take that.” You know what I mean? If I can wheel the net and there’s space on the other side of the net, like use your ice, take the ice, draw someone into you, pass it to someone else. So, there’s been a lot of that. it’s uh preached to me so far and like I said, I think I’ve done a good job of executing what I need to do. So, I just want to keep that going. Jim, obviously based on today’s look, um couple changes on the back end, is anything you can share on decision to move some guys around there? Well, I mean, we’re early. Uh we don’t like our results so far, even though it’s early in the season. So, it’ll take some time for us to kind of figure out, you know, who with who, when, when, who, five, you know what I mean? Four that different times. So, that’s all just a work in progress right now, but we we like the look of uh of what we got here. We’ll see what it looks like tomorrow. How do you approach a situation where you have one pair that has given up a few goals, but two pairs that have looked pretty effective where you maybe want to make a change, but you also don’t want to fix something that’s not broken, if that makes sense. Yeah. Well, I mean, Eddie and and Clark have played really well. Played well together last year. Uh played really well to start this season. And so, we just want a different look. We’re just we’re giving up too much and uh sometimes changing things just a little bit sparks something gives guys a fresh look and we’ll see what that brings tomorrow. The focus is obviously on your squad but what are you expecting from the Minnesota Wild who are coming off a pretty high potent game yesterday? We watched that one last night. Lots of power plays. We’re seeing that across the league and we we’ve taken way too many penalties so far. So, uh it’s pretty obvious you can’t do that tomorrow night because they have a really good power play. So, I think both teams, us and Minnesota, are usually pretty tight. Not a lot of room, not a lot of goals. Right now, you’re seeing probably more than you’d like on both sides. You said before the Winnipeg game that nine goals against in the first two games isn’t your identity and that’s what you guys needed to change up. Does it feel like in the days since that Vegas game, even practicing and then in the game the other night that you’re closer to playing to that identity that you want to? Yeah. Well, there’s two things there and this was this has been a problem all three games. It’s the power play, right? Um, and beyond the power play, it’s the top line of the other team. So, they’re they typically run the power play, too. But even in the five on five chances. So, if you go through it, uh, they didn’t have a lot of five on five chances, but it was 55, 13, 81 getting the five on five chances again. So, we have to do a better job with the other ones staying out of the box, too, with the other team’s top line. Um, you know, that’s something I think we did really well last year. And you know, Shley’s line really didn’t do much against us last year. They looked, you know, they looked as good as any line in the league last night. So, you know, that’s on us. We got to fix that. Talking to Dumo and he said giving up those early power plays, not only are they bad cuz it’s a power play, but it gives those players puck touches early and then gets them into the game. Does it kind of compound itself when you get into those situations? It does 100%. Because those guys go in, they think, “Oh, it’s LA. We’re not going to get the puck a lot.” And all of a sudden, they get to move it around on the power play. You get feeling good about yourself. Your confidence. It’s a funny thing in a game. Talk about players confidence week to week, game to game, period to period, shift to shift. Sometimes you start feeling good and all of a sudden everything happens just a little bit easier for you.

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