Drew Doughty rarely left the ice during the 2013-14 playoffs. When the pressure was on or when the Kings needed to press on offense, Doughty’s number was called on more often than not. The final total for Doughty was 747 minutes and 33 seconds of playing time en route to a Cup victory.
If that sounds like a ridiculously high number of minutes, you’re absolutely correct. It’s the most any player has amassed in the playoffs since the statistic started being tracked in 1997-98.
Doughty’s skills (offensively, defensively, penalty kill and with the man advantage) are the major driving factor in his new record, but the Kings’ road to another Cup title played a large role as well. The Kings needed 26 games to hoist the Cup, tying the NHL record. Five of their playoff games required overtime. Of those five, three needed a second overtime to settle the score.
Doughty’s 747+ minutes led all playoff skaters, besting the next closest player (Ryan McDonagh) by 77 minutes. Remarkably, his average shifts weren’t as long as you might think. Each time he was on the ice averaged 49 seconds long, but the volume of shifts he had (923) dwarfed the next closest player (Jake Muzzin – 876).
Will Doughty’s new record ever be broken? Maybe, but it’s pretty unlikely. The Kings needed the maximum number of games to reach the Final and rattled off three different 2OT games. Doughty is leaned on heavily by the Kings and it’s unlikely a similar team in a similar situation would have a player with as many minutes due to Doughty’s incredible and unique versatility.
