The thing with Laferriere is that he earns what he gets.
He’s got a lot of natural ability, certainly, but he’s never been a guy who has just relied on his abilities to make him an NHL player. He works. Every day, practice or game, Laferriere is someone who gives you what he’s got. Whether he’s on a scoring streak or in a scoring slump, you generally get the same game from Laferriere, night-in, night-out. Always seems to have an impact on the game in one way or another.
Those are the kinds of players you like to see get rewarded, as Laferriere did last night.
“He’s great, never complaining, always plays 100 percent and practices 100 percent,” defenseman Drew Doughty said of Laferriere. “He’s solid defensively, which probably people don’t talk about as much. Man, he’s been awesome for us, and he’s going to continue to get better and better.”
For Quinton Byfield, he and Laferriere have been regular linemates this season, even if they’re playing separately right now. Whether they’re on the ice together or not, very few games go by for Byfield where he doesn’t notice Laferriere in one form or another.
That’s just the kind of player he is. Even when the Kings weren’t scoring, Laferriere was extremely noticeable. There were times when a lot of players on this team weren’t noticeable, alongside a lack of goals. Very rarely was that the case for Laferriere. He contributes all over the ice in a number of ways. Good to see guys like that get rewarded.
“It was awesome to see, just playing with him for the last year, he’s made some big steps, every night you notice him,” Byfield said. “He’s playing some really good hockey, he’s got speed, skill, everything, playing power play, penalty kill, he does it all. It was really nice for him to get that.”
It was the kind of game the Kings needed from Laferriere. It’s the kind of game they need from a number of other players as well going forward. Statement kinds of games. A few guys got off the schneid last night. First goal in 17 games for Byfield, his first points in the month of December. First goal in 10 games for Trevor Moore. First goal in nine games by a Kings defenseman. The Kings are a team that needs to continue to rely on multiple parties to find offense.
As Kopitar put it last week, the Kings don’t have a superstar on their team, so offensive improvements have to come from the collective. That’s harder to fix, because it means that you have to look to a number of places for guys to get going. Last night was a step in the right direction, certainly, with Laferriere at the core of those improvements. With Colorado in their sights, by far the league’s top team through three months, getting those continued strides will be essential in having a chance to win that game.