Kings, Doughty take on Utah after 4 Nations Face-Off final – Orange County Register

Drew Doughty and Canada conquered the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday, and now he and the Kings will square off with Utah HC, commencing a three-game homestand on Saturday.

Doughty was a late addition to the squad following an injury to Alex Pietrangelo and a recovery from his own malady, a broken ankle that required surgery. As he always has with the maple leaf emblazoned upon his torso, Doughty came through for his country. He added the first-ever 4 Nations gold medal to quite a heap of precious metals: two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014), two Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014), World Cup of Hockey gold (2016), World Junior gold (2008), a Norris Trophy (2016) and more.

“It’s an amazing feeling – the best, the best, the best feeling,” Doughty told Mayor’s Manor’s John Hoven after the final in Boston. “It’s been a long time since I felt something like that.”

Not only did he add to his overflowing collection of accolades when Connor McDavid’s overtime goal won the tournament for the Canadians, but Doughty contributed the champions’ highest net rating for a defenseman, per The Athletic. That came after playing just six games for the Kings, a trial run that more than satisfied the Canadian brass, who opted to invite Doughty over strong wire-to-wire performers at right defense this season.

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It was the first tournament that could even approximate the “best-on-best” energy of the Olympics since 2016’s World Cup of Hockey, which won’t return until 2028. The burning desire of players to represent their countries and compete at that level was highly perceptible, especially as a build-up to next year’s Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy.

For Doughty’s part, he hoped that it would not be his last time skating in red and white.

“I think I played pretty well. I’m still not exactly myself yet, [but I did get] much better. I’m looking forward to making that team next year,” Doughty told Hoven. “I’ve already thought about that, that’s what’s wild.”

Doughty will don black and silver for the seventh time this season on Saturday, when his typical defense partner, Mikey Anderson, should also return after missing four games prior to the break with an apparent hand injury.

Though Doughty was still en route from Boston on Friday, signs pointed to Anderson continuing to play with Vladislav Gavrikov. With Gavrikov on his off side, the alignment left just two right defense spots for Doughty, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence and Kyle Burroughs, though the Kings could opt to dress seven defensemen as they have frequently under coach Jim Hiller.

Opposing them Saturday will be Utah, which will resume play six points back of the final wild-card berth in the West and eight behind the Kings. Emergent from the dysfunctional shadow of the Arizona Coyotes, the relocated franchise has designs on the playoffs, especially now that it’s healthier on defense.