Kings eye Ducks-Stars, but not too closely

This is, potentially, a big night in the NHL. If Anaheim beats Dallas in regulation, it will clinch playoff spots for the Kings, Anaheim and Phoenix. The Kings’ “magic number” for making the playoffs is two, meaning that any Kings win or any Dallas loss will send the Kings to the playoffs. Given that the Kings are also jockeying with the Ducks for position in the Western Conference, there was mostly indifference in the Kings’ locker room as to tonight’s game. Kings captain Dustin Brown was asked what he thought about tonight’s Ducks-Stars game…

BROWN: “We’ve just got to worry about our own game. We’re in a pretty good spot right now, for making the playoffs, so we’ve just got to worry about our own game. Everyone is fighting and jockeying for position, so we’ve just got to worry about ourselves.”

Question: You’re probably not too concerned about the matchup, right? Maybe trying to stay in fourth place is the focus?

BROWN: “That’s the only difference, that you have home-ice advantage, and that’s what we’re going for. Who we play, I guess there are better teams to match up against, but at the end of the day, it’s the playoffs and that’s a whole other story. It’s really about how you play, as opposed to who you’re playing.”