It has been rough sailing in the early goings of the 2025-26 NHL regular season for Drew Doughty and the Los Angeles Kings. They are 1-2-1 through four games and after a failed comeback bid in a 4-3 loss via shootout at the hands of the Minnesota Wild on the road on Monday night.
Despite the loss to the Wild, Los Angeles entertained everyone who watched the game with a spirited attempt to turn things around. The Kings had their backs against the wall early in the contest, as they allowed Minnesota to score three unanswered power-play goals in the first period for a 3-0 deficit. Neither team scored in the second period.
But in the final frame, the Kings' offense woke up. Kevin Fiala lit the lamp four minutes into the third period to trim the Wild's lead, 3-1. Quinton Byfield scored nearly three minutes later to come within one of Minnesota, 3-2. Then, with under a minute left in regulation, Andrew Kempe found the back of the net to tie the score at 3-3 and force overtime.
However, the Kings ultimately fell short of completing a come-from-behind win, as Minnesota's Marco Rossi's goal in the fourth round of the shootout earned the Wild the victory.
Still, Doughty loved the way LA fought despite the deep hole they found themselves in.
“Our team never gives up, we've shown that over and over, that's one of the greatest things about our team,” Doughty said, per Kings reporter Zach Dooley.
“We never thought we were out of the game, we just started playing the right way,” added the 35-year-old Doughty, who knows a thing or two about winning in the NHL.
Doughty, who won two Stanley Cup titles with the Kings, recorded a point in the Wild game, as he assisted on Kempe's goal in the clutch.
The loss to the Wild highlighted a glaring Los Angeles issue. The Kings were slapped with six penalties in the Minnesota game, and the Wild capitalized on three of those with their power-play goals early in the contest. On the season, the Kings have the fourth-highest penalties in minutes per game (13.08) and have been shorthanded 22 times, the most overall in the league.
