Defenseman Drew Doughty | 01.24.24 LA Kings Loss to Buffalo Sabres | Postgame Media

Defenseman Drew Doughty | 01.24.24 LA Kings Loss to Buffalo Sabres | Postgame Media

Team games what has to change here um I think we got guys in this room who are too worried about themselves and worried about their points and worried about stuff like that we get a 3-1 lead tonight and you know guys start thinking it’s a it’s a cookie night and we stop

Playing the way we know to play have an awful second period and then aren’t much better in the third uh it’s about the team it’s not about yourself and a lot of guys on this team going need to realize that this whole stretch of games every game has been relatively close

Does this feel like maybe the bottom out for you guys with how the the second and the third one I mean honestly it’s felt like the bottom out for a while now um it’s frustrating not getting these wins we’re trying to stay positive we’re trying to you know get back to having

Fun out there and play our game but uh it’s hard to do that when you’re on a streak like this and uh this is this has been a struggle for us and the only way we’re going to get out of it is if we get everybody’s 100% effort and everyone

Playing for the team for each other Drew you mentioned this being maybe a problem within the locker room with the players but on anytime on the street like this questions about the coaching staff comes up I mean just what are your thoughts on maybe some of those questions about the

Todd’s future uh it’s not about uh the coaching staff it’s about the players I think the coaches on our team have done a great job they always inform us with every single situation possible they they prepare us perfectly it’s not about them it’s all about the players in here

No matter what they do if we don’t perform on the ice uh we ain’t going to get wins and we uh we all know that in here uh if anyone’s questioning that and uh that’s probably why the we’re losing games if people are questioning that does it does this feel like now

Where every game feels like it’s must win we reached this point uh definitely it’s it’s felt like that for a good uh whatever week two weeks um you know I don’t know I don’t know what else to say uh we’re we’re down at the bottom uh we

Continually say you know it’s a must-win game must-win game and we’re not getting the job done and it’s frustrating and it needs to turn around right now or else we’re completely screwed um um and if you want to you know win one game lose one game and keep going like that we’re

Going to barely Sween the playoffs and we’re going to do no damage in the playoffs so uh we need to wake up now you’ll speak up in the room you’ll say things and you’ve said things and you’ve addressed those thoughts that you’re sharing what what’s what are the other

Guys saying I mean there’s not too much uh when when one guy’s kind of going off on the team there’s not too much uh you know feedback within the room um you’re just you know kind of saying what you think from past experiences from other what other people have said in the past

And you know we have lots of guys that’ll speak up in here and uh I think that uh it’s not a leadership problem it’s just uh some guys personal problems are you saying you went off on them tonight or that’s just um I mean it’s happened

Quite a few times over the past couple weeks but uh we’ve had other guys do it too and uh you know it’s sometimes when you talk a lot like me it’s hard to get through to guys but uh I still try to do my best so the guys

Have spoken up specifically the veteran a lot and it’s just hey guys got to get it done yeah of course I mean there’s tons of guys that have talked in here and uh it’s it’s bottom line uh we we feel that uh you know every single

Player on this team needs to give their 100% effort and you’re not going to have your best stuff every night but if we all give 100% effort where we’re a good enough team and if we play together we’re going to win games so you don’t

Need one player to be the best player on the ice every single night we that’s not the way we win gam so we win games as a team collectively and playing for the team you’ve mentioned a few times now maybe a lack of buying is that a large

Chunk of the team for you or is that a few players uh I would not say it’s a large chunk uh and I’m not trying to single out any players to you guys right now either but uh yeah if we have everybody on the same page uh we’re

Going to win hockey games and we’re going to win a lot of them and right now we’re not all on the same page