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EL SEGUNDO Youth Kevin Labanc Jersey , Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Kings believe they are still Stanley Cup contenders, even after being swept by the upstart Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. How close they are to that goal might be reflected in how negotiations go with defenseman Drew Doughty this summer.General manager Rob Blake said Friday that working out a contract extension with Doughty is the team’s top priority. The Kings and Doughty can begin holding talks on July 1, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2018-19 season.”I always wanted to be an LA King and I want to stay an LA King,” Doughty said.Doughty is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy presented to the league’s top defenseman after winning it in 2016. He had 10 goals and 50 assists in his most productive NHL season yet, but Doughty believes he can still improve his scoring output.”I wasn’t too happy with my goal totals this year,” Doughty said. ”I think I only maybe scored one or two one-timer goals, which in my career probably half of my goals are one-timer goals, so I was pretty disappointed about that this year. I can definitely improve on that and have an even better season and hopefully set some new career-highs.”The Kings scored just three goals in four games against the Golden Knights. Developing a more reliable offense is the one glaring weakness that needs be addressed, and lifting the Stanley Cup for the third time is a reasonable goal provided it gets solved going into next season.”Everybody is still here that was here in ’14 and almost in ’12 for that matter, too, so we’re not that far off,” center Anze Kopitar said. ”It’s going to take a lot of work http://www.sanjosesharksteamshop.com/authentic-logan-couture-jersey , yes, but we’re not far off.”CAREER YEARSKopitar set personal bests with 35 goals and 57 assists while averaging a career-high 22:05 of playing time. His 92 points represented a 40-point improvement over his lackluster 2016-17, leading Kopitar to joke he is ”aging like wine.” Dustin Brown had 61 points to top his previous high of 60 set in 2007-08, his fourth season in the league. Doughty broke free with 60 points after reaching the 50-point plateau once in the previous seven seasons. Doughty’s usual defensive partner, Jake Muzzin, had 42 points. Even depth forward Trevor Lewis got into the act with 26 points and 14 goals in his most productive campaign.FORWARD THINKINGRookie Adrian Kempe was fourth on the team with 16 goals despite not finding the back of the net in the final 29 games of the regular season. Stepping in at center when Jeff Carter missed 55 games following surgery to repair a cut tendon in his ankle, Kempe showed a surprising toughness to go along with his natural quickness. If Kempe can continue to develop, he could decrease the reliance on Kopitar, who will be 31 when next season starts, and the 33-year-old Carter.”I’m pretty sure he’ll be the first one to tell you he can offer more, and that’s a learning process,” Kopitar said. ”That’s his first full year in the league. Speaking from experience Martin Jones Jersey , it takes a little bit of time to figure out your routines and what’s working for you and what’s not.”LOOKING FOR DEPTHShort of dealing in the offseason, the Kings should return essentially the same roster next season. Speedy forward Tobias Rieder is a restricted free agent, and Torrey Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent. The 25-year-old Rieder showed some chemistry with Carter, posting four goals and two assists in 20 games. Defensemen Christian Folin and Kevin Gravel are both unrestricted free agents.HOME IMPROVEMENT NEEDEDThe Kings went 23-15-3 at home, the second-fewest wins by a playoff team. It seemed like they were getting better as the season went on, going 9-4-0 down the stretch, only to lose both home playoff games and fall to 0-5 at Staples Center in their last two postseasons. Their 118 goals at home in the regular season was tied for 21st in the NHL. The power play contributed 25 percent of that output, underscoring the need for 5-on-5 improvement.COMING ATTRACTIONClearly in need of more contributors on offense, center Gabriel Vilardi could be an option for the Kings next season. Selected No. 11 overall in the 2017 draft, Vilardi has been a force in the OHL playoffs with 11 goals and nine assists in his first 12 postseason games. Vilardi also has the size and 200-foot game that fit a Kings team that still emphasizes defense.— The Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup last season, but it’s been some time since they’ve enjoyed a run like this.For that, they can thank Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson.The Capitals go for their eighth straight victory Sunday afternoon against the Anaheim Ducks.Article continues below ...Washington (15-7-3) extended its streak with a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. It’s the Capitals’ longest run since reeling off nine straight wins from Dec. 31 Womens Melker Karlsson Jersey , 2016 to Jan. 15, 2017.Backstrom led the way Friday with his second career hat trick and an assist. He’s been one key to Washington’s offense during the streak with 12 points (five goals, seven assists), and leads the team with 23 assists and 32 points this season.“I think he’s had a really strong year. For me, it’s the best I have seen him play through 20-plus games in the start of a season,” Capitals coach Todd Reirden said of Backstrom.Backstrom has five goals in his last five matchups with the Ducks at Capital One Arena.Wilson chipped in with a short-handed goal in his 400th career game before drawing a match penalty for hitting the Devils’ Brett Seney from behind. Wilson, who had a 20-game suspension for an illegal check during the preseason reduced to 14 games, is expected to be in the lineup as the league announced Saturday that there will be no additional punishment for the hit.“Anytime I’m involved in contact, it’s assumed that I’m skating away and it’s a match penalty. It (stinks), but that’s what it is,” Wilson said Saturday. “I just have to keep trying to play my game and produce and help the team win. As we saw, I have to be very Adidas John Moore Jersey , very careful about any type of contact.”With six goals in a five-game scoring streak, Wilson is also tied with Backstrom for the team lead with 12 points during the Caps’ run.Anaheim (13-10-5) closes a five-game swing in search of its season-high fourth straight victory. Pontus Aberg scored late in the third period and Ryan Getzlaf found the back of the net on a breakaway in overtime of a 2-1 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.“We’re finding ways,” Getzlaf told the team’s official website. “Tonight was one of the ugliest games we played on the trip. We found a way, got one late and our goaltender was outstanding.”Getzlaf, who leads the team with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) was talking about John Gibson. He’s turned aside 75 of 78 shots while winning each of his last two starts and has seen the team evolve.“It kind of seemed like at the beginning of the year we were finding ways to lose,” he told the Orange County Register after a 34-save effort Friday. “You’re starting to see we’re finding a way to win some games we thought we were maybe out of and maybe shouldn’t have won.”But Gibson has given up eight goals while losing each of his last two starts in Washington. Ryan Miller, who made 34 saves in a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, needs one win to tie John Vanbiesbrouck for most by a goaltender born in the United States with 374.Washington superstar Alex Ovechkin has goals in four straight games and has 19 on the season. He has one goal in his last five games against Anaheim, and 11 points (seven goals, four assists) during the Caps’ winning streak.