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Kings’ Doughty says Game 6 ‘has to be ours’

Chicago Blackhawks v Los Angeles Kings - Game Three

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 24: Drew Doughty #8 of the Los Angeles Kings celebrates after he scores a third period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Three of the Western Conference Final during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Staples Center on May 24, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

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After losing an instant-classic against the Chicago Blackhawks in double-overtime in Game 5, the Los Angeles face an unsettling proposition: lose in Game 6 and they’ll be in their third Game 7 of the 2014 postseason.

Technically, Friday’s contest is only a “must-win” for Chicago, yet you could sense Drew Doughty’s urgency about closing things out tomorrow.

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The 24-year-old defensive star was absolutely phenomenal in the Kings’ narrow loss on Wednesday. He logged 39:04 minutes of ice time, fired nine shots on goal and finished the night with a +2 rating. Still, his team fell short of earning what would have been a valued week-long rest, as the 2014 Stanley Cup Final will kick off next Wednesday regardless of when the conference finals end.

The Kings face a remarkably similar proposition to what the New York Rangers stare at tonight: one more loss and a 3-1 series lead dissolves into a 3-3 series tie with a Game 7 on the road.

It’s not as if Los Angeles totally flopped in its last attempt to close the Blackhawks out, yet that might make that 5-4 double-OT loss sting that much more.

It’s naturally easier to fight a little harder when your season is literally on the line, but Doughty seems to hope that the Kings come out with the same kind of urgency as their desperate opponents.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins