Kings’ goal is same as last season, but route to get there is different

The question made Darryl Sutter shake his head.

Even with his team pushing deep into the playoffs, the Kings’ coach rejected the notion that this season is starting to feel like last year’s march to the Stanley Cup.

“Not close yet,” he said. “Not even half-close.”

From the front office down to the locker room, people throughout the organization see crucial differences in their route toward the championship this time around.

Whereas last season was marked by big moves — a coaching change, trades — the Kings say they have now reached the Western Conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks in a steadier, more subtle fashion.

And they are facing a very different set of obstacles.

“It’s a whole ‘nother animal,” right wing Dustin Brown said. “Winning it once is hard. Winning it a second time becomes harder.”

There was probably no way to re-create last season’s improbable roller-coaster ride.

An early favorite in the fall of 2011, the Kings fell on hard times through December before firing Terry Murray and bringing Sutter aboard as coach. Then, needing to add some offense, they traded for forward Jeff Carter in February.

The moves paid big dividends.

“One thing we always felt we had in the locker room was not only good players but guys who wanted to compete and who cared for each other,” General Manager Dean Lombardi said. “Whenever we hit those rough patches, we always thought they were going to fight their way through.”

Last season’s team began to jell in March, sneaking into the postseason as an eighth seed and catching fire with a relentless, physical brand of hockey. As defenseman Rob Scuderi recalled: “We hit our stride at the right time.”

The 2012-13 season presented a new test, and not just because of the lockout. Instead of looking to add parts, Lombardi was more concerned with keeping his young, talented core intact.

The general manager reached out to other organizations that had been down this path. He wanted to know how teams such as the New York Yankees and San Francisco 49ers had built dynasties in their day.

“You’re no longer learning to win,” he said. “Now you’re learning to deal with success.”

The players realized as much during a 3-5-2 start. There was no more sneaking up on the rest of the league, not with opponents keying on the likes of Carter, Brown and Anze Kopitar. No one underestimated Drew Doughty anymore.

“Teams were gunning for us all year,” forward Kyle Clifford said. “Couldn’t ease our way into games.”

There was one significant adjustment as the regular season unfolded. It became evident that Matt Greene’s back surgery would keep him out longer than expected, and that fellow defenseman Willie Mitchell would not return from a knee injury.

The Kings traded for Robyn Regehr. It wasn’t as flashy as the Carter deal, but important nonetheless.

“I talked to the coaching staff and the management when I came here because I wanted to have a very good understanding of what they were expecting from me,” Regehr said. “They were missing … a veteran presence on the blue line, a steady influence, someone who could be physical.”

With Regehr filling that role, the team got significant contributions from players already on the roster.

Goalie Jonathan Quick recovered from off-season back surgery, regaining his often dominant form. Doughty showed that he could do more than join the rush, proving his defensive skills and shouldering a heavier load on the penalty kill.

Young players such as Slava Voynov, Jake Muzzin and Tyler Toffoli continued to mature.

“Obviously, they are Stanley Cup champs, a team that has learned how to win,” San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski said during the conference semifinals.

The Kings have needed that confidence in recent weeks.

They have not raced to early leads or dominated on the road. At least, not so far. Each victory has been hard-fought, earned by the slimmest of margins.

Again, it’s a change from last season.

That part might not thrill fans who would prefer a smoother ride through the playoffs. It might not satisfy those who keep making comparisons with the past.

Sutter doesn’t care. He isn’t looking for déjà vu.

“I know you’re a little bit taken by surprise this year because you think the team should win every game,” he recently told a roomful of reporters. “But that doesn’t happen very often.”

david.wharton@latimes.com

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