Kings’ Jonny Brodzinski hopes for more than just a cup of coffee in the NHL

There is the quicker pace to the game, the elite goalies he faces every night and the slimmer margin of error for not taking care of the puck.

The NHL is new to Jonny Brodzinski, but he put it in specific perspective when asked if anything about the big league life surprised him.

“It’s kind of weird,” Brodzinski said. “Coming from the American [Hockey] League, after games, you’ve got to write down your meal on the sheet and put money in a cup. It’s a lot different [here].”

Brodzinski has been up with the Kings for several meals and would like to have more than the symbolic cup of coffee. He has been in the lineup for three games in an audition for next season with the Kings on the brink of elimination from the the playoffs. One more point earned by the Nashville Predators will knock out the Kings, and it could happen before the Kings take the ice Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes.

The Kings still had a singular mind-set when they gathered Saturday, with most veterans getting the day off.

“We’re still a confident group in there,” Nick Shore said. “We’re going to keep fighting. We still got a shot.”

Brodzinski and fellow rookies Adrian Kempe and Paul LaDue are using this shot to make an impression as the Kings look to transition some of their prospects into future roles. While most young players don’t openly state their target date for making the NHL, Brodzinski, 23, envisioned getting to the league if he got to 35 goals with the Ontario Reign. He had 25 goals in 56 games at the time of his recall March 23.

“I was getting close to it, but I think if I got to that point where I was getting close to that, I would have got called up,” Brodzinski said. “I just plugged away all year, and worked hard and it got rewarded.”

Brodzinski has been given significant responsibility in a top-six forward role in two games. He was centered by Anze Kopitar on Friday and played more than 14 minutes. He also gets to walk into a room with Kopitar, Jarome Iginla and the like.

“This is something you work for,” Brodzinski said. “This is what you put all the hours in, in the summer. You get to play with Hall of Famers. It’s an awesome feeling.”

Just as excited are Brodzinski’s parents, Mike and Kathy, who were shown on the television broadcast living and dying with every play during Brodzinski’s NHL debut.

Said Brodzinski: “I think she had more fun watching my dad react to the game.”

Shore affair

Shore played against his older brother, Vancouver Canucks forward Drew, for the first time Friday. They even had a faceoff against each other.

“I won, I think,” Nick said.

It was the first time they had played against each other at any level.

“I think it’s a cool experience,” Nick said. “When you’re in the game, you don’t really notice it, but looking back on it, it’s something that happens more and more now. My parents [David and Sarah] were able to make it out, so it was surreal for that to happen.”

Next up

VS. ARIZONA

Where: Staples Center.

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 790.

Update: Coyotes wing Shane Doan is winding down what could be the last season of his 21-year career. He has assists in his last three games as the Coyotes play spoiler. Jack Michaels, radio play-by-play announcer for the Edmonton Oilers, will do the television broadcast with Jim Fox.

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