Alexander: A satisfactory night for Kings, Ducks and their fans

ANAHEIM-- A gentleman using a Jamie Drysdale Ducks sweatshirt stepped into a nearly full elevator at Honda Center on Thursday night, a half-hour or so before faceoff, and said: "Any Kings' fans in here ready to ensure a win tonight?"

No, he wasn't spoiling for a fight. The Columbus Blue Jackets went into the night a point ahead of the Ducks (they beat Pittsburgh), and the Chicago Blackhawks were even with Anaheim (they went to overtime with Philadelphia and got a point). A Ducks loss to their historic competitors from up the freeway would secure last location in the league and with it the very best opportunity to win the draft lottery game and select generational talent Connor Bedard.

Goin' Yard for Bedard. That's what it came down to for the Ducks, who entered into a full-on reconstruct this season and have actually endured more than a full season's worth of growing pains.

In a sense, then, both the Kings and Ducks got what they (sort of) wanted Thursday night.

The Kings got the win, 5-3, including an Adrian Kempe hat trick, and will start the playoffs on Monday night in Edmonton on a fairly favorable note, winning their last 2 after a three-game skid that cost them not just a shot at the department title however house ice in the preliminary.

Kempe's empty-net goal with a little bit more than a minute to play was his 41st of the season, providing him his first profession 40-goal project following a 35-goal efficiency last season. Even better, he burnished his reputation as an all-around player this season; he ended up last spring a minus-2, but finished this routine season a plus-22 and likewise completed third on the group in scoring (67 points) behind Anze Kopitar (75 with his 28th objective and 2 helps) and Kevin Fiala (23 goals and 72 points, however currently hurt).

" A couple of years earlier, I seem like I had a great deal of excellent appearances (but) always was a pass-first man," Kempe stated. "And, you understand, I figured out that if I try to put the puck on net a little bit more, it'll enter. And, yeah, type of a switch went off in my head, and coming into last year I believe was the most significant action I took simply in regards to volume shooting."

The Kings also had the good fortune to leave Thursday night with everyone still ambulatory, constantly a plus. Health has been a problem down the stretch; in addition to Fiala, defenseman Alexander Edler and right wing Gabe Vilardi have actually been unavailable and were injury scratches Thursday night, and Mikey Anderson only just recently returned from an injury suffered when Connor McDavid boarded him in Edmonton two weeks ago.

" The relief comes in the reality that … … we're as healthy now as we were entering into the game, "Kings coach Todd McLellan said Thursday night. "I 'd be lying if I stated we weren't worried about that, a game that really does not suggest anything to either of the two teams playing. You hate to see somebody block a shot and go down or take a hit. However that's where the relief comes from.

" I do not think we can take a deep breath and relax. That would be a mistake for our group and we don't have adequate time to do that anyhow."

Thursday's outcomes did imply that the Kings were locked into a rematch with Edmonton, and that might be problematic. Never mind last year's result, when the Oilers knocked out the Kings in seven video games in the very first round.

A questioner suggested to McLellan on Thursday night that facing the Ducks' young skill may have set the Kings up for their meeting with the Oilers. A couple of years from now, that might be real. Now, not so much.

" Oh, I do not think there's anything that sets you up for Edmonton," he said. "It's a various beast there, you know. … … I believe that they have a little bit of a various method. Certainly, their power play's a little more harmful, and there's just various elements."

Basically, what Edmonton has-- building with skill around a budding superstar-- is what Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek wish to replicate. And while the sights and noises of the rivalry on the ice and among the fan bases were the same as always Thursday night, those in the audience who were plugged in definitely would have considered this a great loss if it has actually the preferred effect on lottery night.

Losing enabled the Ducks to sew up 32nd and last place and with it the very best chance to prepare the Regina Pats' Bedard. He doesn't turn 18 until July 17, however he finished his junior season with 71 goals and 143 points in 57 video games-- and included an exclamation point with nine goals and 14 helps in seven games for champion Canada at the World Junior Championships over the vacations.

How crucial was it to end up 32nd rather of 31st? In the NHL the last-place team has a 25.5% possibility of getting the No. 1 pick. Chicago, by ending up 31st, has a 15.5% possibility.

However, there was this indication held by a Ducks fan in the stands Thursday night: "Top Three Draft Pick-- Better Than First-Round Playoff Loss." That might depend on who you're able to take with that choice. You work with what you have.

And while the professional athletes don't and should not be anticipated to appreciate such things when they're on the ice, everybody in the Ducks' room has actually been aware of the situation for a while. While it can be a tight spot for players, their contend factor does not appear to have decreased. (And the smart ones are aware that when it does, they're expendable.).

" It's been a long period of time coming of sort of compressing things and going over what we require to do as a company moving forward," right wing Troy Terry stated. "No matter the (circumstances) we're playing to win. Everyone in here is competitive. I think you can see it in our video game. Whether we lost or not, what I took pride in is we kept battling till the end.

" It's difficult to go through that. Especially last year it felt like we took an action (just) to have it go backwards this year.

The initial step is May 8, lotto night.

jalexander@scng.com.