Drew Doughty gets defensive for L.A. Kings and he likes it that way

Drew Doughty’s teammates catch themselves marveling at the defenseman’s searing shots, pinpoint passing and deft puck control.

But Doughty, who was recently chosen to play in his third straight All-Star game, still would rather take space away from opponents than thrive in it himself.

“I think I’ve been playing really good defensively,” Doughty said Wednesday. “Especially the last month and a half, ever since we started that trip in Buffalo I felt like my game’s been at probably the highest it’s ever been. Maybe not putting up the points I’d like to put up, but defensively I feel great.”

That trip started with the Kings allowing the Buffalo Sabres to score six times. But they let in three or fewer goals in the next 10 contests, which is when Doughty started getting comfortable with defense partner Derek Forbort.

The Kings — who beat the St. Louis Blues, 5-1, Thursday night — have allowed 15 goals over their last three games. But Doughy and Forbort only have been on the ice together for three of those, which is more impressive with Doughty playing 27 minutes and 11 seconds per game. That is tied for the second highest average in the league with Wild defenseman Ryan Suter, giving Doughty a lot of time to do the little things.

“I’m sure he’d like to be putting up more points,” Kings forward Trevor Lewis said Friday. “But he’s good in every area of the game. He’s playing against top guys every night and shutting them down, playing the penalty kill and blocking shots and doing things that not everyone sees.”

Doughty has seven goals and 16 assists through 42 games, and notched at least one assist in each of the last three games. But he is mostly fixed on crowding opponents, cutting off angles and keeping the puck out of the Kings’ net.

In the third period Thursday, Forbort mistimed a pass and Blues forward Nail Yakupov raced the other way. He had a clear path to Kings’ goaltender Peter Budaj until Doughty dove from behind, fully extended his stick and poked the puck away. Yakupov looked at the ref with his hands in the air, but there was no penalty to call. Doughty barely touched him.

The defensive work was quick and clean, and that was something to marvel at too.

“We’ve done a great job and we haven’t been scored on a lot against, which is our main goal ever night,” Doughty said of his pairing with the 24-year-old Forbort. “We go out there not wanting to be scored on one time and we’ve done a good job with that.”

KINGS UP NEXT

VS. WINNIPEG

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Staples Center

On the air: TV: Fox Sports West; Radio: 790

Update: The Jets (20-21-3) will again be without rookie forward Patrik Laine (concussion), who is tied for third in the league with 21 goals but was placed on injured reserve Friday. The Jets beat the Kings (21-17-4), 3-2, in a shootout in Winnipeg on Nov. 13.

jesse.dougherty@latimes.com

Twitter: @dougherty_jesse