Pierre-Luc Dubois did not final lengthy with the Los Angeles Kings. Only one season into his eight-year contract, he was traded to the Washington Capitals final June for goalie Darcy Kuemper.
Dubois will make his first return to Los Angeles when the Jap Convention-leading Capitals, who’ve gained 5 in a row, go to the Kings on Thursday night time.
Kings followers could not have lasting reminiscences of Dubois’ time in Los Angeles, however he hasn’t appeared again both, as a substitute settling in properly with one of many NHL’s finest groups.
Dubois had a purpose and two assists in a 7-4 win in opposition to the Anaheim Geese to open a three-game California swing on Tuesday. He has 17 objectives and 40 assists on the season, nicely inside attain of surpassing his profession excessive level complete of 63 set with the Winnipeg Jets in 2022-23.
“I am liking the blokes I am enjoying with, that is for positive,” Dubois mentioned. “It has been enjoyable to be on this staff. (My teammates) have helped me lots all through the season. They hold serving to me, so it simply makes my life simpler. I simply must do my job they usually’ll do theirs.”
Dubois has additionally landed in the midst of a historic statistical pursuit.
Washington’s Alex Ovechkin is 9 objectives from surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL-record complete of 894. Ovechkin didn’t rating in opposition to the Geese, however he did contribute three assists.
“It is enjoyable, it is thrilling,” Dubois mentioned. “When he scores, 50 % of the group will get up and celebrates, the opposite 50 % has a smile on their face.”
Ovechkin had a small window to shoot at an empty internet within the last seconds in opposition to the Geese, however he opted to cross to wide-open teammate Aliaksei Protas, who scored to finish his first NHL hat trick.
“Together with his unreal accomplishment arising, and he makes that play, and the way glad he’s with me, it says every little thing about him as a teammate,” Protas mentioned of Ovechkin.
The Kings have gained three straight to keep up third place within the Pacific Division.
Kuemper continues to do his half for Los Angeles. He stopped 33 of 34 pictures in a 4-1 win in opposition to the visiting New York Islanders on Tuesday and has surrendered simply 4 objectives on 84 pictures in his previous three video games.
“Darcy is clearly an enormous piece of our staff,” ahead Phillip Danault mentioned. “If he performs like this each night time, we’ve an opportunity to do one thing good.”
Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller mentioned goalie is “perhaps not a very powerful participant, it is a very powerful place as a result of one man would not play all of the minutes. You want it on nights, significantly when you do not have your finest as a bunch of forwards and defensemen, and that was (the case in opposition to the Islanders). We relied on him manner an excessive amount of, however he was there and he appeared good doing it.”
The Kings additionally shall be targeted on taking fewer journeys to the penalty field in opposition to Washington.
Los Angeles was referred to as for eight penalties in opposition to the Islanders, who went 0-for-8 on the ability play.
“We have to repair that,” Danault mentioned.
–Subject Degree Media