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Mike Richards got more comfortable with Kings in 2013

Los Angeles Kings v Phoenix Coyotes - Game One

GLENDALE, AZ - MAY 13: Mike Richards #10 of the Los Angeles Kings looks on during a break in Game One of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Jobing.com Arena on May 13, 2012 in Glendale, Arizona. The Kings defeated the Coyotes 4-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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It might seem like longer at this point, but it was just two years ago that forward Mike Richards was the captain of the Flyers. He had inked a 12-year deal with the club and probably assumed that he’d spend his entire career in Philadelphia.

That didn’t happen and Richards was forced to adjust. Of course, that’s a lot easier when you win the Stanley Cup in your first season with the new club, but that doesn’t mean that the adjustment period ended with the 2012-13 campaign.

“I think you feel more comfortable your second year,” Richards told LA Kings Insider. “Especially after you win a championship, and more so after the first couple months, you start feeling more comfortable and confident to say things in the dressing room.

“Maybe your first season you’re a little bit tentative to step up in different ways, but I think this year with pretty much the same group as we had last year, I think everybody stepped up in different ways when things needed to be said.”

The Los Angeles Kings weren’t able to successfully defend their championship, but they fought all the way to the Western Conference finals. Richards played a big role in their 2013 postseason run with three goals and 12 points in 15 games.

Although there will probably be some adjustments over the summer, the core of the Kings is likely to stay intact. That puts them in a good position to make another serious push for the Stanley Cup in 2013-2014.