Kings’ Drew Doughty returns to practice

For Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, the bottom line is being ready by April 16, the start date for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Doughty injured his shoulder in the first period against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday and did not return to action. He got back on the ice Monday and took part in most of the Kings’ practice in El Segundo.

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter, true to form, did not elaborate much when asked about Doughty by reporters after practice. Forward Dwight King, who has sat out four games because of an unspecified injury, also practiced.

Doughty tends to raise his level of play when games are on the line. So if he happens to miss three more meaningless regular-season contests, it should not affect his performance in the playoffs.

At 24, he already has played in 50 playoff games, including the successful Stanley Cup-winning campaign in 2012. On top of that, Doughty has two gold medals for Team Canada on the pressure-packed international stage of the Olympics.