What we learned about the Kings in a 4-3 shootout win over the Ducks

Some additional thoughts on the final preseason game at Staples Center for the Kings, another 4-3 shootout victory. This time, it was against the rival Ducks. They have four exhibition games remaining, all away from Staples Center, so the next time they hit the ice at Staples, they will be raising their Stanley Cup banner, on Oct. 8.

Tyler Toffoli unleashed

The fresh-faced Tyler Toffoli drew a few smiles when he was talking about “the young guys” in the lineup. Toffoli is all of 22.

He scored on a breakaway in the third period, set up Dwight King earlier with a slick pass and beat Ducks goalie John Gibson in the shootout. His passing, it seems, is slightly underrated.

“I feel like I’m an offensive player,” Toffoli said. “I’m not going to be able to do that every game. I like to shoot…. I definitely know I can make those plays. I’m just trying to polish off my game.”

He had a funny line about spotting King.

“I saw him going,” Toffoli said. “Usually I shoot those, but I saw him working harder than I was, so I thought I’d give him a chance.”

Martin Jones and extra time

It made sense that this would end in a shootout for Martin Jones. After all, the NHL career of the Kings goalie started with an epic shootout win against the Ducks last season.

Jones seemed to get sharper as the game went on and showed more poise and net presence than his Ducks counterpart, goalie John Gibson.

Against the Ducks, Jones went the distance, facing 28 shots. In the shootout, the only goal he allowed was to the Ducks’ first shooter, Jakob Silfverberg.

First phase of camp winding down

Only six forwards in Thursday’s lineup had NHL experience – Kyle Clifford, Tanner Pearson, Jordan Nolan, King, Toffoli and David Van der Gulik. Van der Gulik, signed as a free agent in July, played six games with Calgary in the 2008-09 season, and more recently, has been with the Colorado Avalanche organization.

Toffoli was encouraged by the results.

“We stuck to our game,” he said. “We started a little slow, slower than we would have wanted to. But I think it was kind of expected with the amount of younger players we had in the lineup. We came together and finished strong.”

The young roster against the Ducks was, in part, to give the kids a decent look, early in camp. That will be changing as the numbers become more manageable as the Kings prepare for the season opener.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said that some additional cuts would be coming on Friday. The team has the day off, as mandated by the collective bargaining agreement, which requires two off days in training camp.

“Some boys will go tomorrow because (Manchester) is gonna get going,” Sutter said. “I’d like to know more on the injured guys before we go on the trip.

“We’d like to get to a number that works for those [final] three games.”