The world has changed drastically in the nine-plus months since the Kings and Ducks played an NHL game. Masks aren’t just for goaltenders anymore.
The NHL faced down the coronavirus pandemic, successfully staging its restart and Stanley Cup playoffs amid health checks and strict rules in bubbles created in Edmonton and Toronto. The Kings and Ducks were among the seven teams that didn’t qualify for the expanded postseason party. If it feels like forever since they played, it’s not an example of time having become a shapeless blob with little to distinguish days, weeks, and months.