Mar 11, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) carries the puck in the course of the third interval towards the Anaheim Geese at Honda Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Pictures Pierre-Luc Dubois did not final lengthy with the Los Angeles Kings. Only one season into his eight-year contract, he was traded to the Washington Capitals final June for goalie Darcy Kuemper.
Dubois will make his first return to Los Angeles when the Jap Convention-leading Capitals, who’ve received 5 in a row, go to the Kings on Thursday evening.
Kings followers could not have lasting reminiscences of Dubois’ time in Los Angeles, however he hasn’t appeared again both, as a substitute settling in properly with one of many NHL’s finest groups.
Dubois had a aim and two assists in a 7-4 win towards the Anaheim Geese to open a three-game California swing on Tuesday. He has 17 targets and 40 assists on the season, properly inside attain of surpassing his profession excessive level whole of 63 set with the Winnipeg Jets in 2022-23.
“I am liking the blokes I am enjoying with, that is for positive,” Dubois mentioned. “It has been enjoyable to be on this crew. (My teammates) have helped me rather a lot all through the season. They preserve serving to me, so it simply makes my life simpler. I simply need to do my job and so they’ll do theirs.”
Dubois has additionally landed in the course of a historic statistical pursuit.
Washington’s Alex Ovechkin is 9 targets from surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL-record whole of 894. Ovechkin didn’t rating towards the Geese, however he did contribute three assists.
“It is enjoyable, it is thrilling,” Dubois mentioned. “When he scores, 50 % of the group will get up and celebrates, the opposite 50 % has a smile on their face.”
Ovechkin had a small window to shoot at an empty web within the closing seconds towards the Geese, however he opted to cross to wide-open teammate Aliaksei Protas, who scored to finish his first NHL hat trick.
“Along with his unreal accomplishment developing, and he makes that play, and the way blissful he’s with me, it says all the pieces about him as a teammate,” Protas mentioned of Ovechkin.
The Kings have received three straight to take care of third place within the Pacific Division.
Kuemper continues to do his half for Los Angeles. He stopped 33 of 34 pictures in a 4-1 win towards the visiting New York Islanders on Tuesday and has surrendered simply 4 targets on 84 pictures in his previous three video games.
“Darcy is clearly a large piece of our crew,” ahead Phillip Danault mentioned. “If he performs like this each evening, we’ve got an opportunity to do one thing good.”
Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller mentioned goalie is “possibly not an important participant, it is an important place as a result of one man does not play all of the minutes. You want it on nights, notably when you do not have your finest as a gaggle of forwards and defensemen, and that was (the case towards the Islanders). We relied on him manner an excessive amount of, however he was there and he appeared good doing it.”
The Kings additionally will likely be centered on taking fewer journeys to the penalty field towards Washington.
Los Angeles was referred to as for eight penalties towards the Islanders, who went 0-for-8 on the facility play.
“We have got to repair that,” Danault mentioned.
–Subject Stage Media
