Kings blended old and new for Stanley Cup run
Among the Kings players who hoisted the Stanley Cup on Friday night, 17 appeared in postseason games during the team’s 2012 championship run.
That equates to a veteran roster. But there was also new blood.
Rookie forwards Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson played crucial roles over the past few weeks. Defenseman Jake Muzzin, who spent the 2011-12 season in the minors, was a mainstay on defense.
“Its a compliment to our organization to keep producing players,” Muzzin said.
After the double-overtime, Cup-clinching victory over the New York Rangers, players talked about the importance of keeping the team’s core intact while blending in fresh faces.
“We’ve got guys who have been around, they’ve seen it all,” Muzzin said. “It helps with the younger guys coming in, giving them advice.”
Luc Robitaille, the former Kings star who now serves as president of business operations, said the franchise has followed a careful strategy, building from within while adding occasional talent — such as Jeff Carter and Marian Gaborik — through trades.
“We never changed what we believe in,” Robitaille said. “You stick to the plan and somehow good things happen.”
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