Comments from Kings coach Darryl Sutter following the Kings (non) practice on Tuesday…
– On Brown and Kopitar getting back to being themselves: “I think (Willie) is, I think Brownie still has some straight line work to do, and make the line a little more where they’re….Joining the dots a little bit better. Willie did most of the work last night going to the net and creating everything. That goal that Brown scored…I mean that’s a nice shot, and it’s a highlight right? But that play was made by Brown taking the hit to get around Getzlaf.”
– On the team chiseling out their identity: “Well we’ve had to rebuild it right? Quite honestly. So that’s what we’re working on doing.”
– On knowing Mike Babcock: “I know him pretty good. I know he wants to kick my ass, and I want to kick his.”
– On Jake Muzzin having to pick his game up from the first Anaheim game to stay in the lineup: “Well it was true. I mean if your players are always chasing the other team’s game you’re not…You’re either not going to play very much, or not at all, or in a different league. So it’s not that hard to figure out right?”
– On what Muzzin is doing better now as opposed to the previous Anaheim game: “I mean getting into the tough areas. Being strong with his stick. Being more competitive in the tough areas. That’s what he did last night.”
– On Muzzin’s confidence being a lot higher now: “Generally with young players that’s a big part of it, but it’s a two-way street also right? You know it’s very simple. It’s the better you play the more you play. (Everyone’s seen us uprooting player right?) No different than a fifth, sixth, seventh defenseman, eleven, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, forward. It’s strictly based on performance.”
– On the high volume of games coming up: “Yup, yup lots of games coming up. It’s not about last night, it’s about tomorrow night. That’s what we’ll be doing for the next five days. Everybody’s the same. That was the difference last night. One played the night before one didn’t.”
– On being able to see the Ducks struggling last night in the second of a back-to-back: “Absolutely. You can see old guys struggling who aren’t in good enough shape, and you can see young guys that have energy. It’s like you guys asked about Jordy (Nolan), young guys trying to make a little bit of a statement. You need to try something. You need great goaltending and you need great leadership to get through this schedule. If you don’t. If you only got one of the two you ain’t going to make it. If you got two, you got a good chance.”
RELATED ARTICLE: What will Sutter say? Coach’s comments after 5-2 win over Anaheim
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Kopitar Out, Can Watch His Son Against Arizona
Per recent tradition, it will be the Kings and Coyotes in a pair of split-squad games to open up preseason on Tuesday night.
LA captain Anze Kopitar will not suit up, but he will get a chance to watch his son play.
Allow us to explain…
“Last season when [Jaret Anderson-Dolan] made the team out of camp and […]