Shooting gallery

Before Monday’s game, Terry Murray talked about the importance of the Kings increasing their shot total and, within that, getting more a “net presence.” Well, the Kings generated four goals, but their shot total actually dipped from the previous game, from 26 to 23. The good news for the Kings is that three of the goals came from close range

MURRAY: “It’s starting to come a little bit more consistently now, with the net presence and shot mentality. Our shot count is off, from the Olympic break, and it has to get better from this point on, still. I know it does get harder. The checking part of it becomes more of a half-court game, and creating is more difficult, but putting pucks to the net is something we still have to force.”

Murray also talked, in general, about improvements he saw in the Kings’ game last night compared to the previous game…

MURRAY: “There were quite a few things, I think, that we built on from the Islander game. Just the overall game, with the composure, with making plays, with the right attitude as far as desperation and heavy and hard play along the boards. I know there were some situations last night where they pulled pucks off the boards and made some plays in our D zone, but in the big picture, that was better. I loved our attitude late in the game. About five minutes or less in the third period, we had offensive-zone time, we were cycling the puck and holding onto the puck. Just doing the right kind of stuff in that kind of scenario, to stay in the offensive zone. Even after they had tied the game, we continued to attack and try to make plays. There was a great confidence factor, and I was real happy to see that part of the mentality and the attitude, to continue to go after it and try to get that goal back.”

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