As one might expect, players such as Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar,Justin Williams, Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll and Jonathan Quickhave played key roles in the team’s strong 7-3-0 start through ten games. But role players are making solid contributions as well, including versatile forward Brad Richardson, whose strong play has earned him a promotion to the Kings’ top line, skating alongside Brown and Kopitar.
But at the start of that five-game road swing, beginning with a 4-2 loss at Phoenix on October 21, Richardson found himself in his usual spot on the fourth line.
Little did he know that big changes were in store for him, and they came rather unexpectedly early in the second period at Colorado on October 23.
In that game, Richardson, 24, started the game on the fourth line, but Kings head coach Terry Murray, as he is wont to do, decided to tinker with his line combinations, moving Richardson up to play left wing on the first line, while moving rookie forward Andrei Loktionovdown to center the fourth line.
The results were explosive for Richardson, who poured in three goals, including the game-winner, leading the Kings to a 6-4 win. Richardson scored at even strength early in the second period, added a shorthanded goal in the third period that was scored while the Kings were killing off a five-minute major power play, and, for good measure, he tallied another even strength goal late in the period to close out the scoring.
The hat trick was Richardson’s first in the NHL.
“Yeah, that was pr...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
