Mike Richards did not play in the first period of Saturday's win over San Jose due to an illness.

Coach Darryl Sutter stated clearly after the game that Richards had been slowed by a bug of late, saying "He struggled before the game. He's been sick." The hard-nosed center will be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs.

Mike Richards extended his point streak to six games with a goal on Saturday.

"I think he has gotten stronger for sure," Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said. "And as is typical with Mike, that is the bigger it gets, the better he plays. I think it's on record that he had a tough start and he's certainly played well lately. We need those centermen to complement each other, that was one of the real strengths of our team last year." Richards has three goals and seven points during his six-game hot streak.

Mike Richards netted a power-play goal on Tuesday.

Richards now has seven goals and 18 points in 25 games this season. Look for him to roughly maintain that pace for the rest of the campaign.