What we learned from the Kings’ 4-3 exhibition shootout victory

Some thoughts on the Kings’ first home preseason game, a 4-3 shootout victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night at Staples Center:

Marian Gaborik is a scoring machine

You could probably awaken Gaborik from a nap, put him on the ice, and give him a stick and a puck, and he’d find the middle of the net.

The Slovakian winger scored the Kings’ second and third goals Monday -- both off nifty setups from Anze Kopitar -- in a split-squad exercise for both teams.

Gaborik was the top goal scorer in the NHL playoffs last spring with 14, and he seemed to pick up right where he ended.

“It feels like we never left,” he said. “We did some good things. We need to work on some things. But for the first preseason game, it wasn’t bad out there.”

Gaborik said he felt good despite the short summer. Or, as he called it, short but sweet. “We didn’t have a whole lot of time to have some rest and to work out, but it seems like the whole team, we’re in good shape,” he said. “I think we’ll be fine.”

Adam Cracknell quickly fits in

The winger, signed as a free agent last summer, looked comfortable on a line with Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis. He split last season between the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

Cracknell played 15 minutes and four seconds and took one shot. With him on the wing, the Kings were able to put Lewis back at center, and he was 11-8 on faceoffs.

Martin Jones will do well in reserve

If goaltender Jonathan Quick’s recovery from wrist surgery prevents him from being 100% to start the season, the Kings will be in good hands with Jones. He made a good impression last season, going 12-6 in 19 regular-season appearances with a 1.81 goals-against average and .934 save percentage, and he appears poised to continue that excellence.

Jones stopped all nine shots he faced Monday before being replaced by Jeff Deslauriers at 11:13 of the second period.

Players are ready to log heavy minutes

The Kings have talked about how they agreed to resume post-Stanley Cup workouts in early July in order to come to camp in shape, and it appears the coaches took them at their word and threw them right into heavy minutes.

On defense, Jake Muzzin played 25:53, Alec Martinez played 25:14 (and was +2 defensively in addition to blocking four shots), and Matt Greene played 20:49. Kopitar led the forwards at 22:26, with two assists and a +2 rating. Dustin Brown (one assist, +2) played 19:39. On the down side, Nick Shore, Valentin Zykov and Michael Mersch each recorded -2 defensive ratings after playing as a line.