Comments from the Sharks locker room following their 2-1 loss to the Kings in Game 7…
Coach Todd McLellan on the overall game: “We couldn’t get one extra past Quick, that’s probably what it was. When I look at the game tonight, they got a power-play goal that we didn’t get, and we didn’t give them much time on it. And it was a lucky one, when you break the stick, the timing of that shot fools everybody including the goaltender. That was a tough one, and then the second one they got was we had overextended a shift and they took advantage of it. So in the end we probably made one more mistake than they did and we couldn’t find a way to get another puck by Quick. We’d love to go back and play Game 2 over again, the last four or five minutes. That’s probably one that we needed and didn’t get.”
More from McLellan: “We had very good looks. And trust me it wasn’t that they weren’t trying to bear down, it just didn’t go. We picked the wrong spot or we didn’t shoot quick enough, maybe we held on too long, but the competitiveness and effort of our team and organization down the stretch is something I’m very proud of, and we should be proud.”
Joe Thornton on the overall game: “It’s tough. They are a real good team. We thought we could come in here and steal a game. We played our hearts out and that’s all you can ask of each other. We had to lay it on the line in the third and I thought we did. Jonathan Quick is just a fantastic goalie. It’s disappointing right now. We were just having so much fun. It’s disappointing that it has to end because we were really enjoying this. It’s a tough way to finish.”
Thornton on the emotional let down after first goal: “It was a tough bounce. It just happens. The next couple of shifts are very important. They threw that second one in. But we responded well. We fought our hearts out and that’s all you can ask of each other.”
Logan Couture on the overall game: “We had some chances. I think I tipped one and it almost went in and they go back down and score. We had a bunch of chances in the third. That’s what teams do when they move on, they score on those chances they get. They did it and we didn’t. That’s why they are moving on. (on his backhand in the second): I have to score there. I’m counted on to score goals. If I get a chance like that I have to score.”
Couture on the level of disappointment: “It’s heartbreaking. It’s tough. It’s been a long year. We battled hard to get where we were. We made some changes and played a good first round then forced, I think the best team in the league, to seven games and almost beat them in their building. It’s tough to take.”
Couture on the biggest difference in series: “So close. Both teams played good hockey. Every game was so tight. We just didn’t score on our chances. That’s what it came down to tonight. We could have had three, but Quick made saves and we didn’t score. That’s the difference.”
[…] Comments from Sharks locker room after Game 7 loss to Kings […]