Kings’ Drew Doughty ready to play big minutes in Game 2

One of the questions Kings defenseman Drew Doughty faced Friday had to do with carving out time to rest during the long and grinding playoff road.

That was more appropriate than usual.

Doughty had better get ready to play Doughty-esque minutes — meaning, a lot — the rest of the series against the San Jose Sharks. Think Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs last season and you get the general idea. In last season’s playoffs, Keith averaged 31 minutes and six seconds over 23 games as Chicago won the Stanley Cup.

This season Doughty has averaged 28:01 and played 29:29 in Game 1 against the Sharks. More minutes could be in store.

There are several reasons. First, the Kings are trailing in the best-of-seven series, one game to none. Second, Alec Martinez, a minutes-gobbling defenseman at his best, is not close to his best and could be unavailable going forward because of an unspecified injury.

Martinez was limited to under 12 minutes of ice time in Thursday’s 4-3 loss in Game 1 and did not play in the third period. He looked affected after blocking a shot late in the second period, and had been out of action for the final four games of the regular season.

“I’m ready for whatever,” Doughty said. “If he can’t play, if I need to play 30 minutes, that’s great. If not, I can play 25 minutes. Either way, I have to play the same way. I have to be more emotionally involved in the game. I can play better than I did last night and I can lead us better than I did. Next game, I’ve got to step up and do that.”

Coach Darryl Sutter said he and Doughty had a conversation Friday about Doughty’s status.

“He just told me, actually, how good he felt last night,” Sutter said. “Usually when he says that, he’s thinking about how more is better. Which is awesome to have a player like that who wants that and can handle that.”

Sutter added, of the Kings’ top defensemen, “They’re going to have to play more. That’s going to be our best chance of winning.”

Martinez played in every game of the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship runs in 2012 and 2014, scoring the Western Conference and Cup-clinching goals in 2014.

When Martinez was out near the end of the regular season, veteran Jamie McBain stepped in. If he plays Saturday, McBain would be making his NHL playoff debut, following 345 regular-season games with Carolina, Buffalo and the Kings.

Additionally, the Kings recalled rookie defenseman Kevin Gravel from their minor league affiliate in Ontario, and Gravel skated with a handful of players Friday morning at El Segundo. Martinez was not one of them.

Sutter addressed the larger issue of dealing with injuries during the playoffs, specifically on defense.

“You need the depth to be able to handle it,” he said. “It becomes so much more prevalent during the playoffs because top players do play more. Coaches are going to get guys out against who they think they can and that obviously does make a difference.

“Is it frustrating? Certainly it is. At the same time, if you’re going to just use it as an excuse, it’s going to take a little impact.”

Doughty, a minus-two in Game 1, was self-critical, overlooking the fact he made a goal-saving play in the second period. He made a sliding save in the crease, stacking his pads to deny the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau. Said Doughty: “I got lucky on that one.”

Just going back to his roots, apparently.

“I was a goalie in soccer,” Doughty said. “I really wanted to be a goalie when I was a kid, in hockey too. It was just too expensive for the goalie equipment. So my parents said, ‘Not gonna happen.’”

Two Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals later … yes, Mom and Dad knew best.

Follow Lisa Dillman on Twitter: @reallisa