Kings defense: Doughty seeks consistency after shaky wins

The Los Angeles Kings and Buffalo Sabres meet on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, with both teams looking to stabilize their rosters after turbulent weeks in the early part of the 2026-27 season. The Kings, currently 4-6-2, aim to convert a recent streak of narrow victories into a more reliable defensive foundation.

The Kings’ most recent contest against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday illustrated their current inconsistency. After leading 5-1, the team was outscored 4-0 and required an overtime winner to secure two points. Captain Drew Doughty noted that the sudden run of goals against deflated the team, stating, "Pucks were just going in and it deflated us a little bit."

New coach Peter Laviolette has emphasized performance in 3-on-3 overtime, a strategic shift from previous management. Quinton Byfield, who scored the overtime winner on Thursday, highlighted the urgency of this improvement. He recalled that the team lost an estimated 10 to 15 points last season due to overtime losses, describing the current effort as the difference between making the playoffs and missing the cut.

Byfield finished with two points in that game, matching the season total of the player drafted behind him in 2020, Tim Stützle. Doughty added that Byfield must perform at a high level every night for the team to reach its goals. Doughty himself has recorded six of his seven points in the last two games, a period that included a loss in Chicago.

The Kings face a potential gap in their defensive lineup with Brandt Clarke. The defenseman sustained an upper-body injury from a hit by former King Hayden Hodgson during the win over Ottawa. While Clarke participated in practice wearing a normal jersey, suggesting he is probable to play, his absence would likely result in Cody Ceci re-entering the lineup. The Kings have a 0-5-2 record with Ceci on the ice compared to a 4-1-0 record without him.

Buffalo enters the matchup with momentum, holding a 6-4-3 record. Tage Thompson leads the team in scoring following a five-point performance against the Ducks. Defensively, the Sabres rely on Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Olen Zellweger. Power has 11 points in 13 games, while Zellweger has six points in his last eight matches. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ABTV.