May 21 postgame notes

-The Kings fell to 10-26 all-time in Game 4s. They are 2-8 in their last 10 Game 4s since defeating Detroit 4-3 in overtime in the Frenzy on Figueroa on April 18, 2001.
-When the Kings have been tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series, they have won seven of 11 series.
-Including postseason games in 2011 and 2013, the Kings are 10-19-7 in their last 36 games at HP Pavilion, with Saturday’s Game 3 overtime loss counted in the OTL/SOL column.
-The Kings have one win in their last 11 road games.
-The Kings have scored one goal in five of 10 playoff games. They have scored two even strength goals over the last three games.
-The Kings limited the Sharks to 23 shots on goal, San Jose’s lowest total of the postseason.
-The Kings registered 53 hits, led by seven hits credited to Dwight King. James Sheppard led the Sharks with seven hits.
-The Kings won 26-of-60 faceoffs. Anze Kopitar (12-of-20) was the top performer, while Mike Richards (3-of-10), Trevor Lewis (5-of-14) and Jeff Carter (2-of-6) were regulars who finished under 40%. Joe Pavelski (7-of-8) and Joe Thornton (12-of-18) led the Sharks at the faceoff dot.
-Matt Greene played 14:08 in his first playoff game of 2013. Kyle Clifford played 11:25 in his return to the lineup.
-Mike Richards has points in five of his last seven games, having recorded eight points (2-6=8) over that span.
-Anze Kopitar has one goal in his last 26 games.

The Kings are scheduled to practice at Toyota Sports Center at 12:00 noon on Wednesday.

Postgame Quotes: San Jose

Quick quotes, courtesy of San Jose Sharks PR:

Head Coach Todd McLellan: “We have to get it done using everybody. Again, we kind of adopted that theme that everybody is important on our team. We keep telling our guys that, and the message between the second and third was that as well. So six minutes, twenty minutes, make them count. You’re important, you’ve got to get the job done, and they did.”

McLellan (on Joe Thornton’s line): “I thought they were great, established a relentless forecheck, and used their size to their advantage. Obviously that got us the first goal. The momentum they created ran throughout the rest of the lines, and everybody jumped on board.”

Captain & Center Joe Thornton: “They did what they were supposed to do at home, we did what we were supposed to do at home. So now we just have to win one in LA.”

Thornton (on hard work): “Just to work hard. That’s all our team is trying to do, just work hard. Get the battle level up. That’s all you really can take out of tonight’s game– just work hard and see what happens.”

Left Wing TJ Galiardi: “They had a couple of power plays and we were on our heels a bit in the third. But Neemo shut the door for us. He’s huge. He’s been unreal for us all season. He’s the reason we’re here right now, so we just have to do a little better job for him.”

Galiardi (on Thornton): “Jumbo, he was flying tonight. It was great. It’s so contagious when he’s doing that, it rubs off on every guy. Not just our line but throughout the lineup [as well]. I can’t say enough about his game tonight.”

May 21 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter

On whether there’s any solace taking from momentum gained in the third period:
“I think we battled back, but we made it close. You don’t get much for making it close.”

On any encouraging signs from the third period:
“No. You don’t You don’t win, then you’ve got to get ready for the next one.”

Continue reading ‘May 21 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter’ »

May 21 postgame quotes: Mike Richards

On getting off to a poor start in the Game 4 loss:
“We obviously, like you said, didn’t have a start that we wanted to. Just turning pucks over and slow moving. I think I got my pocket picked about three times in one shift, which is a little bit embarrassing. It just shows that you can’t play a half a hockey in the playoffs. I thought we did some good things in the second half of the game, and it’s something that we have to carry over Thursday night at home.”

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May 21 postgame quotes: Rob Scuderi

On the challenges presented in the Game 4 loss:
“I think the challenge for us is – as Darryl would say – ‘starting on time.’ I thought they dominated the first. Second period, I thought they dominated the first half. We took the second half, and we dominated the third. When you think about it, it’s pretty much an even game, but they buried on their chances.”

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Game 4: Los Angeles at San Jose

San Jose Sharks 2, Los Angeles Kings 1
Final

SOG: LAK – 23; SJS – 23
PP: LAK – 1/3; SJS – 1/4

Attendance: 17,562

First Period
1) SJS – Brent Burns (2) (Joe Thornton, TJ Galiardi), 6:09

Second Period
2) SJS PPG – Logan Couture (5) (Dan Boyle, Joe Pavelski), 3:55

Third Period
3) LAK PPG – Mike Richards (2) (Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar), 9:46

Los Angeles Kings (5) at San Jose Sharks (6)
Best of Seven – Los Angeles leads 2-1
Tuesday, May 21, 2013, 7:00 PM PT
HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA

Referees: #51 Chris Rooney, #34 Brad Meier
Linesmen: #68 Scott Driscoll, #75 Derek Arnell

LAK scratches: G Martin Jones, G J.F. Berube, D Keaton Ellerby, F Anthony Stewart, D Alec Martinez, F Jarret Stoll, D Andrew Bodnarchuk, F Brandon Kozun, F Robert Czarnik, F Linden Vey, F Jordan Weal, F Andy Andreoff, F Tanner Pearson, F Jordan Nolan, D Nicolas Deslauriers, D Andrew Campbell, F Brian O’Neill
LAK starting lineup: G Jonathan Quick, D Rob Scuderi, D Drew Doughty, LW Dustin Brown, C Anze Kopitar, RW Justin Williams

SJS scratches: G Alex Stalock, D Jason Demers, F Martin Havlat, F Raffi Torres, F Adam Burish, F Matt Pelech, D Matt Tennyson
SJS starting lineup: G Antti Niemi, D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, D Justin Braun, LW Patrick Marleau, C Logan Couture, RW Joe Pavelski

Live Chat – Western Conference Semifinals: Game 4

May 21 quotes: Sutter, Clifford, Penner

Darryl Sutter, on Jonathan Quick absorbing contact:
“I just think that he plays the top of the crease. I’m not whining or bitching or anything. It’s just, he plays at the top of the crease, and the last two series we played against goalies that play more in the blue paint. What is the rule? It’s like watching Chicago and Detroit last night. Do I think it’s a goal, or do they think it’s a goal, or do we think? It’s all perspective of what you personally, but I know the style of our goalie and what he needs to get across, and it’s a little different.”

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Game 4 lineup notes

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Projected Lines – Los Angeles

Dustin Brown – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams
Dwight King – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter
Dustin Penner – Trevor Lewis – Tyler Toffoli
Kyle Clifford – Colin Fraser – Brad Richardson

Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty
Rob Scuderi – Slava Voynov
Jake Muzzin – Keaton Ellerby

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

-Though Darryl Sutter wouldn’t confirm it, Kyle Clifford is likely to make his second round debut with the Kings after suffering an undisclosed injury in Game 5 of the first round. He would slot Tanner Pearson off the fourth line left wing. After taking part in warm-ups prior to Game 3, Matt Greene could be inserted into his first playoff action of 2013. Should he be ready to play, he would likely take the place of Keaton Ellerby. Jarret Stoll remains out with an upper-body injury.

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Game 4 Preview: Los Angeles at San Jose