He gets top minutes because sometimes he is the best player on the ice. Then he has games like this. I challenge Kings fans to find me a more inconsistent player from game to game than MRichards, I can go back almost 25 years and can't think of one. Frolov would look like an all-pro for 5 games and horrible for the next 5, lots of guys do that, never quite seen anyone who does what MR does from a game to game basis.
He'll probably be the best player on the ice in game 5 and no-show again game 6 or 7.