Murray happy with response

Here’s what Terry Murray said today about the Kings’ reaction to the rough play in last night’s game, followed by Ryan Smyth’s thoughts as well…

MURRAY: “I did like what I saw. The five guys on the ice are always battling for each other, and care for each other, and the support is there. If the response is simply the player who got hit starting a war of words, even, to bring everybody together… Usually nothing happens, but the response is that we are together in this. That, in itself, goes a very long way in the locker room.

“Camaraderie is important. It’s going to get harder in the battle, and the competitiveness gets elevated in every game, and there has to be a comfort level for your skill players to be able to go out and play the game the way they know how. Sometimes that comfort level is reinforced by those five guys coming together and supporting each other, and the players on the bench seeing it, and they follow through with the same kind of attitude. That’s the only what you’re going to become a good team, and establish a culture in your organization, by following through on that, game after game.

SMYTH: “I think they were a little bit upset by the fact that they were behind, and they were trying to make a statement. That happens. I thought, from our part, we stuck together. Moller got run and guys jumped in there. Dewey got in there. Richie got in. These sort of things bring a team together, and I thought it was a huge step for us.”