The Kings used Sunday morning for workouts, team meetings and video sessions and did not take the ice at Toyota Sports Center.
At 11:45 a.m., Darryl Sutter joined LA Kings Insider and LA Times writer Lisa Dillman to talk about the Culver City Ice Arena, the team’s even keel approach, and tomorrow’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. His allusions to the team’s scoring challenges can be found here; the story on the Culver City Ice Arena will run early this week.
On coaching a levelheaded team:
We tighten it up when we’re at home. Five game home stand, we win tomorrow, that’d be a [good] home stand. That’s how we try and approach those things. Just trying to review some stats with guys today and get some banged up guys ready for tomorrow. Get some of the energy back.
On any extra emphasis on Monday’s game, which Jeff Carter affirmed has a “must-win” label:
Supposed to put emphasis on every game we’re playing well. The results will take care of themselves. You’re not worried about results. That’s for everybody else. I fully understand how everybody wants, for the most part, people want people to fail. I fully understand that. So, you protect the players, always. Failing is not always losing. So I don’t put ‘must-wins’ on ‘em, because if you don’t win, you know what? The sky’s not going to fall in, and if you do win, you don’t have your parade.
On the Canucks bringing out quality performances from the Kings:
You know what? It doesn’t matter, quite honest, who we’re playing. Coach against those guys and get your matchups. There’s not enough of a difference in the teams. I don’t see a big difference in how anybody plays, to be quite honest. You’re more concerned with your own group. For example, you’re talking about Vancouver. Well, that means Kopi gets Sedin and Stoll and Richards get Kesler. Same thing as Detroit. Same thing as Boston…Get guys away from other guys. It’s basically what you do.
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