Post-game comments from Anze Kopitar following the Kings 2-1 win over Detroit…
– On if the Kings stole a win tonight: “It was a little bit of a case of, the game in Detroit, where we out played them and you know, didn’t get the result. Maybe that was the case tonight, but it doesn’t matter how they come as long as the points at the end of the night are in our bank, and that’s what we are looking for.”
– On the importance of getting the win tonight, given the results of the last game in Detroit: “I think every win is important really. You know you don’t look back, you have to look ahead. Going in we felt confident because we knew we could out play them, like we did in Detroit. But, like I said, we didn’t have the best start. And Bernie was able to hang in there and keep us in the game, and after that it was kind of a wake up call after the first. It was ‘we gotta pick it up.’ And we did and we managed to pull through.”
– On the reasoning behind the line juggling: “I don’t know if I’m the right person to answer that. You should probably ask Darryl what he was thinking, but it turned out to be a good move.”
– On Jonathan Bernier’s performance: “I don’t think there’s much to say. You guys saw it out there. He kept us in it, the first (period) he was making some big saves. That goal was a little bit of a fluke, but he was making the saves he was supposed to, and that’s what you really want from your goaltender.”
– On the team upping the energy level in the third period: “It gets tight, it gets emotional, and it gets pretty physical too. So, you want to ramp up your game as much as you can, and at the same time stay patient and not just go to go. You have to stick to your game plan. Sometimes it’s just easy to get off page, and then a team like Detroit will try to make you pay. But, we did a good job tonight.”
– On how well the team has been playing during the winning streak: “I think we’re putting together a pretty good streak here, and we’ve got to keep it going. We all know we had a slow start, and now we have a little bit of catching up to do. Right now we’re managing to put a good streak together, but we want to make sure we keep it together.”
– On how his game-winning goal unfolded (video below): “It was a little bit of a scrum on the half wall there, and I wanted to make sure I got loose just in case those guys got the puck. Coming our way, I wanted to make sure I was in a decent position to come back, and once I saw Kinger get the puck, I just kind of opened up. I knew I was by myself in front of the goalie, and I was able to put it in.”
– On being surprised when he was that open: “It doesn’t happen too often, but I’ll definitely take it. Saw my guy going into the pile, and again, I just wanted to stay out of it. It worked out for me.”
– On if the reason he went to the backhand was that was what Howard gave him: “I don’t know. Sometimes, or most of the time, it happens pretty quick – you just react to it. So, maybe next time maybe I’ll go to the forehand.”
– On if his goal was a half or full ‘Forsberg’: “I still had my two hands on the stick, so I don’t know if you can really call it that way. I don’t really care as long as it goes in.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, here’s video of Kopitar doing a ‘full Forsberg.’
RELATED ARTICLE: What will Sutter say? Comments following the Kings 2-1 win over the Red Wings
Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please include a link to www.MayorsManor.com
[…] tying the game midway through the third period, Anze Kopitar eventually picked up the game winnner on a spectacular play that even Wings’ goalie Jimmy Howard heavily complimented during his post-game session with […]