from Helene Elliott of the LA Times,

As the Final shifts to Madison Square Garden on Monday, Kings Coach Darryl Sutter is dealing with some tired hockey players — including defenseman Drew Doughty, who played 41 minutes 41 seconds in their 5-4 double-overtime victory over the Rangers on Saturday. Fatigue and injuries on defense, two factors Sutter didn't have to deal with in 2012, have become major considerations for him as he leads the Kings closer to their ultimate goal.

Sutter has done a masterful job juggling his defense corps through injuries to Willie Mitchell and Robyn Regehr. After saying Regehr probably would play against the Rangers in Game 2, Sutter went with his gut and kept the lineup the same. The question will arise again Monday, and it will be interesting to see what Sutter decides.

If he brings Regehr back, the likely odd-man out would be Matt Greene, who continues to play the fewest minutes of the Kings' defensemen though he had an outstanding performance in Game 7 of the Kings' West finals victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sutter said Sunday he is fortunate to have enough options to deploy while managing players' minutes through long series and, now, three straight overtime games.

"Three in a row. A lot of hockey," Sutter said. "There's always lots of talk about depth and those things. Somebody is on a little bit of a roll or not. They'll talk about having depth, not having depth.

more