Elliott: The Kings’ newest defensive hero, Mickey Anderson, plays next to his hero

When Mikey Anderson was initially paired with Drew Doughty to kind the Kings’ high protection duo, Anderson was extra inclined to ask Doughty for an autograph than to ask for a cross.

“I used to be a bit starstruck,” Anderson mentioned of Doughty, a frontrunner on the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship groups, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and winner of the Norris Trophy because the NHL’s high defenseman in 2016.

“He’s a man I grew up watching on TV, enjoying with in video video games,” Anderson mentioned. “And you then are available right here and also you’ve acquired to play with him, it’s a bit intimidating.”

Doughty’s help helped Anderson shed his nerves and develop into a strong defender with a hard-hitting edge. Anderson’s confidence and energy have grown exponentially, serving to him blossom this season at each ends of the ice.

With each sport he performs, the eight-year, $33-million contract extension he signed final month appears like extra of a cut price for the Kings. The 23-year-old Minnesota native is a future captain within the making, and he was keen to surrender a number of years of free company to remain in Los Angeles.

“Ever since I’ve gotten right here it’s felt like residence,” he mentioned. “It’s a spot I slot in very properly, or at the very least I really feel I do. From a residing standpoint it’s a spot I can see myself staying for some time, beginning a household and all the pieces right here. And the group’s in a great place. I like the best way issues are going as a bunch. I just like the group of fellows we’ve acquired right here and I wish to be part of it.”

Anderson, who leads the group with 150 hits and ranks second to Matt Roy in blocked photographs with 125, has produced career-best totals of 5 targets and 19 factors in 71 video games. That’s not overwhelming, but it surely’s a dimension that Anderson, who performed on the ability play on the College of Minnesota Duluth, can proceed to discover.

“Clearly the defensive half has been my energy, what I’ve form of constructed for myself. I don’t wish to lose that,” he mentioned Friday after the group practiced in El Segundo. “The way in which the sport’s going, you need to have the ability to assist offensively, particularly due to the offensive defensemen now we have within the league proper now. I really feel I can complement them properly but it surely’s one thing I wish to proceed to enhance on and assist the group out if I’m in a position to.”

Coach Todd McLellan ranks Anderson among the many NHL’s elite shutdown defenders and is impressed Anderson is attempting to scale larger heights by enhancing his level manufacturing.

“I believe he’s at all times been a extremely strong, checking, defend-first particular person however he’s labored actually exhausting on his shot and has a greater sense of timing of when to leap in. He’s far more assured offensively now,” McLellan mentioned. “That’s the on-ice ability half.

“What you don’t get to see is his management on the bench, even in apply. There’s a variety of guys which have stepped up however he’s one which I discover frequently utilizing his affect on the group. And he does have an effect.”

For a still-evolving defenseman, Anderson is in a great place in his profession — and within the locker room. Doughty sits to his proper on the apply facility. Veteran Alex Edler sits to his left. Anderson has discovered his voice on the ice and within the room however he is aware of the worth of listening.

“Attending to study from these two, it’s superior,” he mentioned. “They’ve 2,000-plus video games’ expertise between the 2 of them. They’re nice guys to be round. They’ve executed it and on groups which have had a variety of success, they’ve had massive components in it, so for a youthful man you couldn’t ask for far more.”

Protection has these days been a energy for the Kings, who cleaned up their act after some early season stumbles and can take an 8-0-2 factors streak into their sport in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday afternoon at Crypto.com Enviornment.

Of their final 9 video games the Kings outscored their opponents 36-16, excluding the group objective awarded to Nashville and Vancouver in shootout losses to these groups. Their renewed concentrate on protection started after they beat the Jets 6-5 in a shootout at Winnipeg on Feb. 28. McLellan adopted that by exhibiting gamers a video emphasizing the worth of small particulars corresponding to protection after a faceoff and defensive zone positioning.

That hit residence for a group that’s scoring in bunches however nonetheless bases its id on stopping targets.

“I believe through the years we’ve realized what works for our group, and a part of that’s being a great defensive group,” Anderson mentioned. “We did it rather a lot final 12 months and that’s one thing we didn’t have a lot at the beginning of the 12 months and we’ve slowly discovered it. As time has gone on, we’ve gotten extra snug doing it. We’ve trusted it. Everybody’s form of purchased into it. It helps that we’ve acquired goalies which can be making saves once we want them to.

“Possibly with our breakdowns, we’re not making 5 – 6 a sport like we used to at the beginning of the 12 months. Now, it’s one or two. However they’ve been in a position to assist us out once we want them. All in all I believe it’s been a bunch effort and a great enchancment from everybody.”

As for being known as “Mikey” as a substitute of Michael — his actual title — or Mike, he mentioned it’s the one title he’s ever identified. “Some individuals get mad, like, ‘When are you going to alter? You’re grown,’ ” he mentioned. “I snicker.”

He’s executed wonderful as Mikey. “Why change?” he mentioned. “We’ll maintain it.”