Greene previews tonight’s game in Arizona

Following today’s morning skate at Gila River Arena, defenseman Matt Greene discussed Los Angeles’ effort and preparation as they venture to win their first road game of the season. In response to Wednesday’s season-opener – and continuing an oft-used theme from the last two days of practice – “emotional involvement” appears to be something the Kings will strive to improve against the Coyotes.

On preparing for tonight’s game:
We’ve just got to go out and play and that’s it. We’ve done enough X’s and O’s in camp and we’ve done enough talking. We’ve just got to get in our groove and get guys emotionally involved. And that’s when we’re at our best, when we’re playing hard and with an edge and we’ve got to get that going.

On the approach to the second game of the season:
Game 2, it’s the same as game 75. You’re doing the same preparation, you prepare the same way no matter what. These points are huge. You come down to the end of the year and you always see it, a couple games here and there. All these games mean something. You want to be going, you want to try to win every game. That’s the way the coaches approach it and that’s the way we try to approach it, too.

On how both teams will look to respond to their season openers:
I’m sure they want to have a better effort and so do we. It’s just a matter of getting yourself going. Like I said, for us it’s getting ourselves going emotionally and physically into the game plan and you see how teams react from there.

On facing Arizona’s players who use speed through the neutral zone:
Pay special attention to those guys. Those guys are big time players for them and throughout the league. So you have to make sure you know where they are on the ice. You want to get the puck out of their hands as much as possible. But at the end of the day, we’ve planned our game plan and we try to execute that. Just pay attention to their star players, who they are and what they’re doing.