Doughty focusing on cleaning up outbursts: 'Made me look bad'

Drew Doughty has done his best to let his game do the talking this season.

The Los Angeles Kings defenseman, who's one of this generation's most outspoken players, admitted he's not proud of his past outbursts and has made an effort to limit them.

"I worked on it," Doughty said Saturday, according to The Athletic's Lisa Dillman. "I knew I needed to stop doing it. I knew it was going to hurt me in the long run, made me look bad. It wasn't something that I want young kids to look up to. I was embarrassed by it. It's definitely something I've been fixing."

It's been a rough stretch for Doughty and the Kings since winning two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014) last decade. They've missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, and Doughty hasn't been shy in venting his frustrations along the way.

Doughty's newfound demeanor has paid off so far this season. He ranks fifth among blue-liners in goals (seven), sixth in points (25), and second among all players in average ice time (26:21) through 29 games.

The 31-year-old says his reserved approach hasn't made him any less motivated, which is something he's struggled with in previous years.

"I haven't lost my competitive spirit," Doughty added. "There were times in the last couple of seasons where I was like, 'Man, I'm not mentally passionate enough.'"

Doughty has helped keep the Kings in the postseason mix just past the midway mark of the campaign. Los Angeles sits fifth in the West Division and five points back of a playoff spot entering Saturday's action.