The Key Three: May 13

There’s a well-worn leadership quote that goes something like, “It’s not the situation. It’s how you handle it.’’ Well, the Kings found themselves in something of a situation last night after the second intermission. By almost every measurable part of the game, they were outplaying the Phoenix Coyotes. The only problem was, the score was tied. The Coyotes had, in their lineup, four players with at least 1,000 regular-season games played. The Kings had zero. Would the Kings get rattled, get frustrated by only being tied in a game that they should have been winning? As Darryl Sutter would say, “Not really.’’

The line centered by Mike Richards gave the Kings a good shift to start the third period, and then on the second shift, Slava Voynov hit Dustin Brown with a perfect outlet pass. Brown got a step on Rostislav Klesla and fired a shot from just inside the right circle to beat Mike Smith. The Kings led 3-2 and held on for the rest of the game, and give a big nod to Jonathan Quick. Quick didn’t come unraveled after he allowed a first-period goal from the red line, and he made a handful of outstanding saves in the third period to help the Kings maintain their lead. What was the key aspect of the Kings’ 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 1? I present three options at the link below, and you can vote for your choice…

The Key Three: May 13

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For those who enjoy the traditional game recap, it can be found by clicking here.