April 5 Rapid Reaction (feat. Curtis Zupke): Ducks 5, Kings 2

Rapid Reaction feat. Curtis Zupke of the LA Times

Post-game Quotes

Willie Desjardins, on what the game meant to both teams:
It’s always nice to win. It doesn’t matter what game it is, it’s nice to win. I’m sure Anaheim wanted one in the series. So, I don’t know how much it meant to both of ‘em, but I know it’s good to win.

Desjardins, on his feelings with one game remaining in the season:
I don’t know, you want to play well at home. You always try to find a way to get better. I think it’s a chance for the younger guys to show what they can do. I think it’s a tough situation for some of the veteran players, but it’s a home game, so I look forward to it. We’ve got to be ready to play well.

Desjardins, on not playing as tight defensively in this game versus Anaheim:
We had lots of shots tonight. I think the difference a little bit [was] in the specialty teams. If we would’ve capitalized there, it would’ve been a different game. It happens some nights, but I thought the first period was good. I thought they got a little bit of momentum in the second, but it wasn’t that they outplayed us or whatever. The game was pretty even.

Desjardins, on Michael Amadio’s performance and his line:
Yeah, Amadio’s been a good player. He’s good with the puck, he makes good plays. It’s tough – it would’ve been nice for Cliffy to get that other one, but it didn’t happen.

Desjardins, on whether Jonathan Quick will start Saturday’s season finale:
Yeah.

Desjardins, on Jack Campbell’s play this season:
He’s been awesome. He’s ahad a great year. Too bad tonight that he finished that way, but he made some big saves again tonight. But overall, he’s had a great year.

Alec Martinez, on the vibe of tonight’s game:
Obviously these are not very fun games to play in, but everyone’s a professional. You’ve got to get through that. I thought guys played hard. Just didn’t get the result.

Martinez, on the possibility that certain players may not be on the roster next year:
No, I don’t look at it that way. That’s the business side of it and that’s beyond my pay grade. My job is just to show up and play, so I don’t think about that.

Martinez, on the Ducks-Kings rivalry:
You know that regardless of wherever everyone is in the standings, it’s always going to be an emotional battle. It’s going to be a revved up environment and that’s what it was tonight.

Martinez, on Amadio’s game in his last few appearances:
He played really well for us. Whenever he’s been up this year, he’s a good young centerman. He’s a smart player. He can make good plays and it’s good to see him getting a couple of goals and he clearly can finish as well.

Martinez, on if tonight was a step back from the last game in terms of playing for each other:
I thought we played hard. I think we had breakdowns. They capitalized on our mistakes. But no, I don’t agree.

Michael Amadio, on the Kings-Ducks rivalry:
It’s huge. Every time we play them it always seems to add in the way it did tonight, so we knew that coming in. We knew that both teams were going to come in and battle hard.

Amadio, on earning six points in his last six games:
I think I’m just playing a little more loose, you know? Just trying to go out there and do what I can and make plays with the puck and it’s finally paying off I think.

Amadio, on what allowed his line to make plays in the attacking end:
I think just getting pucks behind their D and getting on the forecheck and getting shots on their goalie.

Amadio, on what Kovalchuk’s presence does for their line:
He’s a great veteran presence to have. He tells us little things that we might not think of, so it’s nice for young guys like me and Wags to have him mentoring us out there.

Amadio, on the difference between tonight’s game and other games against the Ducks this season:
I’m not really sure. We tried to come in and play a good game. I don’t really know what to pinpoint that on.

Post-game Notes

— With the loss, Los Angeles fell to 63-52-26 all-time against Anaheim, a record that incudes a road mark of 25-31-15. The Kings failed to become the first team in the rivalry’s history to sweep the season series and concluded the season with a 3-1-0 record against the Ducks, who finished with a 1-2-1 record head-to-head.

— With the loss, Los Angeles fell to 21-23-5 against the Western Conference, 13-12-3 against the Pacific Division, 11-21 in three-goal games, 20-6-3 when scoring first, 15-17-4 when tied after one period, 2-36-3 when trailing after two periods, 11-17-3 when outshooting their opponent, 5-6-1 on the first night of back-to-back sets and 18-9-3 against teams they faced in the playoffs this decade.

— With 69 points through 81 games, Los Angeles will accrue among the fewest point hauls in team history. Other seasons with similar or lower point hauls:

1968-69: 58 points in 76 GP
1969-70: 38 points in 76 GP
1970-71: 63 points in 78 GP
1971-72: 49 points in 78 GP
1981-82: 63 points in 80 GP
1982-83: 66 points in 80 GP
1983-84: 59 points in 80 GP
1985-86: 54 points in 80 GO
1986-87: 70 points in 80 GP
1987-88: 68 points in 80 GP
1993-94: 66 points in 84 GP
1994-95: 41 points in 48 GP (pro-rated to 70 points)
1995-96: 66 points in 82 GP
1996-97: 67 points in 82 GP
1998-99: 69 points in 82 GP
2006-07: 68 points in 82 GP

— The Kings finished with a 14-20-6 road record. Their 14 road wins are the fewest in a full, 82-game season since they recorded 11 road wins in 2006-07. The worst road record in franchise history was 2-30-6, set in 1969-70.

— Since Anaheim entered the league in 1993-94, there have been only five seasons in which neither the Kings nor Ducks qualified for the playoffs: 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 2003-04 and 2018-19.

— Carl Grundstrom scored in each of his three games against Anaheim this season.

— Michael Amadio has recorded points in five of six games since his recall, totaling two goals and five points.

— Los Angeles attempted 74 shots (46 on goal, 11 blocked, 17 missed). Anaheim attempted 54 shots (33 on goal, 11 blocked, 10 missed). Carl Grundstrom finished with a game-high six shots on goal and tied Kyle Clifford with a game-high four hits. All L.A. skaters other than Alex Iafallo finished with a shot on goal.

— The Kings won 30-of-52 faceoffs (58%), including 14 of 19 in the third period, when Anze Kopitar won 7 of 8 and Jeff Carter won five-of-six. Overall, Adrian Kempe won 2-of-9, Michael Amadio won 4-of-9, Kopitar won 14-of-19 and Carter won 10-of-15.

The Kings are not scheduled to hold a morning skate Saturday in advance of their season finale at Staples Center against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Post-game Highlights

–Lead photo via Debora Robinson/NHLI