Jim Hiller is continuing to implement the tough, defense-first mentality that has led the Los Angeles Kings to the first round of the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons—and no further. Hiller, a former Kings assistant who succeeded Todd McLellan in February and guided Los Angeles to three straight third-place finishes in the Pacific Division and three straight early postseason eliminations, was named the team’s permanent head coach by general manager Rob Blake on Thursday. “The one area where Jim consistently excelled was the time we spent together,” Blake remarked. We’ve watched him work, and Jim’s approach to problems makes us feel quite at ease and assured. We really value his presence in front of the group. He has the ability to boldly lead the group, assertively communicate our points, and move us in the direction we want to go. It’s obvious that the Kings’ postseason difficulties won’t result in a reboot or rebuild with Blake and Hiller back in action following weeks of rumors about their futures. Edmonton defeated Los Angeles on May 1 after five games.The general manager and his new head coach are steadfast in their devotion to the 1-3-1 neutral zone trap approach they have adopted. Although the method has made playing the Kings a nightmare, even Hiller admits that the Kings’ offensive output is hampered by the structured approach, which occasionally irritates LA’s players. “We’ve begun the process of examining every aspect of our game,” stated Hiller. “We are the National Hockey League’s best defensive squad. It’s been a few years since I moved there. It’s challenging to play against the LA Kings because they are a checking team. We believe there are certain situations in which we need to offend people more, but not at the expense of who we are and what we’ve worked hard to establish over the years. Despite having a lineup full of high-priced elite players, Los Angeles’ offensive production was firmly in the middle of the NHL pack. Only two teams allowed fewer goals than the Kings (210) throughout the regular season. According to Hiller, “there are teams that play 1-3-1 and there are teams that don’t that are playing in the NHL (conference) finals right now.” The fact that they play strong defense is a recurring topic. They make sure. It isn’t always important what the system is. You must make a check inside that system. We’ll examine the areas where we believe our personnel will allow us to optimize more offensively. That matters because it seems like the Kings are in a slump. Their three straight first-round series losses to Edmonton come after they finished the regular season with totals of 99, 104, and 99 points. Despite shelling out a lot of cash to bring in prolific scorers like Pierre-Luc Dubois, who scored just 40 points in his miserable Los Angeles debut despite agreeing to a long-term deal last summer, and Kevin Fiala, who has 145 points in two excellent seasons, they have managed to stay in this position. The three weeks following the Kings’ dismissal, according to Blake, “have not been comfortable at all.” Despite the Kings making it to the postseason four times during Blake’s seven seasons as general manager, they haven’t advanced further in the playoffs. Nevertheless, Blake kept his position. Since winning its second Stanley Cup ten years ago, Los Angeles has failed to advance in the postseason despite having a team that is regularly stacked with elite talent. As Blake put it, “We’ve realized that a certain desire to win needs to be raised within our team here.” And that is beginning to feel a little awkward. It begins with me, Jim, and our guys right now, right here, today. That is what we must do if that is the destination we wish to reach. Hiller played 40 games with the Kings after being selected in the tenth round of the 1989 NBA Draft, and as a rookie, he was moved to Detroit. Prior to his brief NHL playing career, Hiller had a strong desire to coach. On Thursday, he expressed his gratitude to Jacques Lemaire, the Stanley Cup-winning coach and player who served as his mentor. Blake stated without providing details that Hiller signed a three-year contract with incentives that could lead to a fourth season.Following his hiring in February as an assistant, D.J. Smith will remain a member of Hiller’s staff. Under McLellan, the Kings will appoint a new assistant coach who will specialize in the power play and take over for Hiller.
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