Patience, poise key for Kings

No two games are the same, and certainly not consecutive playoff games. That said, the Phoenix Coyotes have established some trends for themselves, something of a collective identity. The Coyotes don’t always look the prettiest on the ice, but they have some gritty veterans and they are opportunistic. Take Game 1, for example. The Kings led 1-0 and the Coyotes tied the game on a shot from the blue line. The Kings led 2-1 and the Coyotes forced a quick turnover and scored moments later. The Kings, by all accounts, were the stronger team in the first two periods, but the Coyotes were one more good play/break away from taking the lead in the third period.

This will likely be the challenge for the Kings again. They must get off to a good start, to prevent the Coyotes from getting momentum, but even that won’t be good enough. Game 1 showed that no matter the situation, the Coyotes can pounce quickly. Justin Williams talked today about needing to maintain patience in any situation…

WILLIAMS: “I think within the last game that we played, we told ourselves we couldn’t get down, we couldn’t get frustrated because we weren’t leading 3-0, we weren’t leading 2-0. It was a close game right to the end. I think that’s kind of what they’ve been doing. They’ve been able to hang around in games and get goals from big players. They have the capability of doing that. We need to keep pushing ahead, pushing forward, not get frustrated because we can’t get a puck in the net.’’

Question: Can that test a team’s patience?

WILLIAMS: “Yeah, I mean, certainly. But they kind of play that way. I guess they’ve been outshot most of the games they’ve played in. That’s the style they play. They’re going to give you stuff from the outside. We need to try and attack the middle, try to penetrate the defense a little bit, get to (Mike) Smith a little bit.’’