It’s often said that a team can take on the personality of its head coach. If the Kings can channel Darryl Sutter for one day, they might be in good shape. Yesterday, just a few hours after a tough Game 5 loss, Sutter sat behind a desk in El Segundo and said, “If we play as well as we did last night, I like our team.’’ It didn’t sound contrived or forced. The Kings lost Game 5, but they had an outstanding first period, other than a borderline penalty and a puckhandling gaffe. As Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty said, the Kings’ focus on Game 6 should be on duplicating the first-period effort from Saturday, and maintaining it.
BROWN: “You look at the games on video and you realize that we played a pretty good first period. We had some good chances, and they get kind of a break on a goal, with Quickie mishandling it and Parise making a pretty good play on it. I think it reassures us that our game plan is the right one, and that we need to stick with it. I think we got away from it as the game went along.’’
DOUGHTY: “We’re just excited to get this next game going. They had a lot of momentum in their rink there, with the fans on their side and whatnot, and we easily could have taken it from them there. They played well and they got some good bounces on the goals, so we’re not discouraged at all.’’
That said, the Kings can’t get overconfident. They did lose the game, and they certainly know they didn’t play a perfect game in Game 5. Anze Kopitar was asked about improvements the Kings will try to make for Game 6.
KOPITAR: “Maybe just stay a little more consistent. I thought we had a pretty good first period last night, but then we got away from it a little bit. It’s probably the case, when you do go down, that you try to do a little extra stuff, and you go away from your program. So, just stay in your program and play 60 minutes, or more than that if we need to.’’
Make these the last 60 minutes of the season!
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mvail88 Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
@Jgomez, How about of a lifetime
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simonsez Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:06 pm
@mvail88,
No, just the season.
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SpencerMaze Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
@Jgomez, Yea these really need to be the best 60 minutes of their lives. Hence, the last 60 minutes of the season
Go Kings Go!!!!!!!
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Howard Berger Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:18 pm
@SpencerMaze, Lots of inside photos from this morning, Kingers. Good luck tonight! … http://www.bergerbytes.ca/2012/06/game-day-again/
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tory17 Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
@Howard Berger,
Thanks for all the great photos through out the playoffs
SpencerMaze Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
@Howard Berger, Thanks for that Howard. BTW, awesome job by you with the blog and photos!! Love your site
SpencerMaze Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
@Howard Berger, Adam Henrique looks like Freddy Mercury LOL
SpencerMaze Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 4:11 pm
@Howard Berger, Duh…..that should read “Freddie”. Almost blasphemous on my part
Why is it a continual mantra of the kings, to try and play a complete 60 minute game. They all know it and say it, but why is doing it so difficult? I think that is the achilles heel of the team. Getting a consistent effort from everyone at the same time, for 60 minutes.
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All you have to do is look at yourself in the mirror and ask “How did we get to this position through the playoffs???”. Just play yer game boys, play yer game. Hard hitting separating man from puck; tape-to-tape out-numbered breakouts; going hard to the net with trailer behind cleaning up the slop if any.
GKG!!!
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I dont want to see another Kings game after tonigbr until September in Vegas.
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puck73 Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@DesertKing, Frozen Fury ? ! I hope. Frozen Fury, The friday and Saturday of that weekend is a great time. Especially now with so many of us linked thru this site. Last one was awesome! Watching @HappyLappy perform live at a casino near you is worth the price of admission !
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Remember how Mike Richards had an incredible Game 1 in the opening round against Vancouver? He played an impactful game and was totally on fire all night long. I see the exact same thing happening tonight. What a way to start the playoffs and end them. Go Kings Go!
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So i posted this on the last thread, but it is not getting much reaction, and I think it’s so funny. The organization accidentally released to the media their plans to deprive the Devils’ of the game stats until the last couple minutes of the intermission in revenge for the devils doing that to the kings coaching staff in game 5. I am all for it: http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-kings-devils-20120611,0,1817864.story?track=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=53285
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rontheking Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
@paige,
Oooops!
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
@paige,
Dang…How does that get out? Who’s the idiot that sent it to the Media?
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tory17 Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:56 pm
@paige,
Thats lame,and alittle childish,don’t give the stats late just give them
wrong stats
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Michelle Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
@paige,
wow i’m all for playing with fire but when the opposition starts it. Game on!
GO KINGS GO!!! oxox
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Come on kings end it at home I don’t think I can take a game 7.
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We got it tonight !!! Quick, just Make sure YOU don’t “stick to it”. Let the D get those behind you bro, we have them the last game, now let’s take this Game 6 tonight boys.
Go KINGS Go!!
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Two old friends,
Both young at heart;
Are headed to the Center,
for a walk in the park.
Game six is a must,
For the mighty Kings;
The Cup at home,
Just has a nice ring.
Now listen up Kings,
Just do what you do;
What got you here,
Will get you through.
I write you a poem,
You don’t even know it;
Just get that win,
With a tag-a-long Poet.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
@vegasking,
Ha!
I like!
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vegasking Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, Thanks,miss the Kern River
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We have stuck with the game plan the last 2 games as well, maybe just alter it a little with a win
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Stay Resolute, Kings.
On second thought – pound those guys!!!
Bring it Home!!!
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Tonight is the night the Kings hoist the cup. We will win tonight. The Devils are done.
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My first post with my phone…Go Kings!!!
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They need a first goal and crunching hits..
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A mini-interoffice war?
Puck Daddy says it’s going to be a Kings front-office conspiracy:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/kings-plan-sweet-sweet-office-revenge-devils-accidentally-214121324–nhl.html
Et Tu, P.D.?
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Are we going to be remembered as that cupless team that got reverse swept in the finals for the first time in decades by those resilient New Jersey Devils?
Or are we going to be remembered as the Stanley Cup champions of 2012?
History will be made.
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We will end the season tonight..
With Brownie picking up the Cup….
Done Deal…
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Mars Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:26 pm
@SLIM, I hope so! For the first time this post season I am nervous as hell.
As long as we play a full 60, no soft starts or slowing finishes to each peroid I will be confident!
The next 1.5-2 hours will be the longest wait of the season!
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Im gonna cry if we lose tonight!
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NoOneUKnow Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
Well, (IF that happens) know that someone in Orange is crying along with you.
(lucky for us, they aren’t gonna lose!!)
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Dave K is right. Ding ding ding, winner!
The most important game ever in my 61 and one half circles aroumd the sun. Richards has been terrific! He’s due and seems to me to be the the sticky gritty stuff of this team. He’s been doing the stoop labor, he will be impactful.
No stupid chants tonight! Finish first!
¡GKG!
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Destiny-”The Hockey Gods have sent you[Kings] to me, we will meet at Staples at 5pm, your time is now!”
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
June 11th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
@rogiesbackup, Do you get to watch today?
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This is getting redundant..
The same things said over and over…
I have my therapist on hold…
End the madness…
Just win the cup tonight…
I’d rather laugh then cry….
GKG……
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It ends tonight! Hit ‘em hard; hit ‘em often, but hit ‘em cleanly. Kings, your up tonight! It’s your turn to win.
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