On being ahead of last year’s pace at the halfway point of the season:
“I think it’s important for us to realize that we got off to a rough start and we’ve been playing better hockey as of late, but we need to continue to [do so]. If you look at the standings, any night you’re not getting points, you’re falling, and that’s just the reality of the Western Conference and the shortened season. We need to have the ability to kind of put this one away and get ready and focus on San Jose, because there’s nothing we can do about tonight’s result. We’ve got to just keep moving forward.”
On being able to get Phoenix twice more over the next week:
“The next week, 10 days are going to be pretty important for this group, considering how many divisional games we play. I think including this one, the next six games are all divisional games. That’s where you can really separate yourselves from the pack, because you’re playing the teams that are kind of mix, especially in the Pacific Division. I think we’re all playoff teams.”
On what he liked about the power play:
“Right now it’s just our movement, and a lot of that is our players up top being able to make the right reads and the right plays. I mean, we have a lot of movement. If you look at our power play over the last 10 games, the movement has been pretty good. A big part of that has been putting the passes in the right spots for guys to capitalize.”
On whether it’s frustrating playing against a team that blocks a lot of shots and clogs lanes:
“No, I mean most teams are like that nowadays. It’s a matter of just trying to get the puck through. I thought we had some great opportunities, not only power play, but five-on-five. Smith played really well for them and made some big saves.”
On Mike Richards:
“With Rick, he’s always pretty consistent. He’s going to give you the same game every night. He’s really big on the wall battles, and he always finds a way to get it to the open guy. Everyone talks about how hot Carts is, and a big part of that is Rick getting him the puck.”
On the shortened schedule and the lack of separation:
“I think with the exception of maybe Chicago and maybe Anaheim – I’m not sure, I think they’re nine points up – besides Chicago, everyone’s going to be in a dogfight. That’s where these divisional games become huge, because you can jump to third place [in the conference] beating your divisional opponents, especially Anaheim right now.”
On the challenges of a first period against Phoenix in the second night of a back to back:
“We probably didn’t start as well as we’d like, but that’s just about preparation. It’s part of playing at this level with the schedule. Everyone talks about the shortened [schedule] – even in an 82-game schedule, you’re going to have games where you’re going to have to fly and back-to-back and play, and that’s just the reality of playing in the NHL. You’ve got to be ready to play.”
It is not an excuse, but it is a fact, playing this flat out style on a 24 hour turnaround with travel is challanging, even if they go with 30 second shifts.
Get your legs and bring it against SJ
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shiny Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 10:53 pm
@jet, Park and ride, my friend. Park. And. Ride.
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KC23 Reply:
March 13th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
@jet, I could see after the first couple of shifts we weren’t likely to win. Calgary beat the Kings this last game by keeping the game close in the 3rd period.
I even commented after Phoenix’s first goal that this wasn’t going to be pretty and someone said I gave up quicker than France, but the fact is when you watch the Kings as closely as I do you can just see when they don’t have it.
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He keeps talking about preparation whenever they lose. I’m just curious what they’re doing as a team to collectively fail to prepare adequately?
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 12th, 2013 at 11:58 pm
@shiny, Traveling and sleeping?
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IceCrown Reply:
March 13th, 2013 at 12:02 am
@shiny, Exactly what im thinking… Is he trying to send a message to the players to be prepared or is Sutter the one who isnt getting the team prepared before the game.. I highly doubt it Sutter, Im assuming his message is going out to his fellow teammates who arent mentally preparing for the start of the game.. Who knows.. Right???
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Skooma Reply:
March 13th, 2013 at 12:54 am
@shiny, Who needs preparation when they played a for-real NHL team the night before?
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
March 13th, 2013 at 9:38 am
@Skooma, DERP! That would be great if it was the SAME TEAM.
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KC23 Reply:
March 13th, 2013 at 2:58 pm
@shiny, Just canned statements. Bottom line was they just didn’t have the energy and there really is no where to get energy from nowhere on a back to back.
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There is something either physically wrong or just he is fighting the puck,but JQ is not the same goaltender we saw last year.please DS admit that JB deserves a chance to show his ability on a nightly basis.
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Playing better of late? Realty check. Sounds great when the club boasts winning 9 of last 11 before the Phoenix game, but the breakdown over the last seven games come tomorrow morning is three 5-2 losses with Quick in net. The much ballyhoed 6-4 comeback over the Blues. Beating Nashville and Calgary when those teams were playing back to back nights and then squeezing out a 2-1 over the Flames before hitting the road. Sorry 3-1 with the empty netter at the end. Sutter has cause to be worried if Dean can’t package something that will entice some club to part with a top 4 defensemen soon. Check the rest of the club’s March schedule. Especially the road trip ending the month. It’s not inconceivable they will play about .500 hockey barring no serious injuries the rest of March. I love the Kings but it gets a lot harder starting Thursday.
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