The Los Angeles Kings' descent into hell continues and veteran Drew Doughty is tired of losing games, and he made it clear to the reporters who met him in the locker room after another questionable loss on Wednesday.
The team of Quebecers Phillip Danault and Pierre-Luc Dubois lost 5-3 to the Buffalo Sabers after blowing a two-goal priority. She has suffered 12 losses in her last 14 appearances and is ranked in the top three of the Pacific Section of the National Hockey League with 53 points.
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Luckily for head coach Todd McLellan's men, everything is still up in the air, especially as they still hold a spot that will give them access to the playoffs. However, we need to get back to winning habits very soon to slow a downward trend that is, to say the least, worrying. In Doughty's eyes, everyone needs to think in terms of collective goals, which he believes is missing.
“In this locker room there are people who think too much about themselves, about the points they get,” he told the media bluntly. There we were 3-1 up and starting to think it was going to be an easy night. We stopped playing properly. Our second third was terrible and the third wasn't much better. […] Everything should be about the club, not about yourself. The players have to understand that.
“This is unacceptable,” McLellan told NHL.com. Maybe we weren't at our best, but the stupidity of this setback is inexplicable. I can tell you that we were in the game before and the luck at the net wasn't there. But so far all I can say is that we played like idiots. But that’s exactly what we did.”
The Dubois case
At the individual level, some showed mediocre play. In this context, it is enough to mention Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore, who each finished with a difference of -4. Then there's Dubois, still broken. The former Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets were not specifically targeted by Doughty's comments other than to say he has an interest in improving his game. His 20 points in 45 games is a far cry from his personal record of 63 set last year.
“We're trying to have fun and play our style, but it's difficult at a time like this,” admitted Doughty, as reported by Sportsnet. The only way to get through this is for everyone to give 100% and play for the team.”
The California team will look to get back on track by visiting the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.