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Kings are getting help in unexpected places

Kings teammates Dustin Penner, left, Slava Voynov, Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli celebrate after Voynov scored against the Blackhawks in the second period of Game 3 on Tuesday night.
(Jeff Gross / Getty Images)
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Kings Coach Darryl Sutter isn’t surprised that a couple of his non-superstar players are making a significant impact against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference finals. The postseason, he said, is suited for unsung heroes.

“As you go further down the road in the playoffs, the only way you do it is by having great depth,” he said. “There’s guys that get a little bit more spotlight, usually because of offensive production.”

Talking to reporters at the team’s training site Wednesday, Sutter mentioned young winger Tyler Toffoli and defenseman Slava Voynov.

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Filling a gap left by the injury to Mike Richards, Toffoli has recorded three points in two games, putting him among the top rookies in the NHL postseason. Teammate Matt Greene praised Toffoli’s “ability to get pucks to the net. There’s a lot of guys, you see them when they come up, just the puck finds them.”

Voynov, who established himself as a solid defender last season, has also excelled at the offensive end. His plus-10 rating and five goals are tied for No. 1 among NHL defensemen in the playoffs.

“That’s why we put him in a lot of situations to excel at what his skill-set is,” Sutter said.

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