Post-game quotes from Anze Kopitar…
On the Kings improvement throughout the game:
“Yeah, I think in the second period we obviously picked it up. We got some pucks on the net. We couldn’t do that in the first period because we didn’t really have the puck. We started throwing it around and in the end we found a way to win.”
On Darryl Sutter’s tough love:
“I’m used to it. My old man is pretty close to Darryl, so it’s nothing new to me. I guess you can call it tough love. Sometimes he’s patting you on the back, sometimes he’s giving it to you. But at that point, at least I know if he’ s talking to me and trying to get me better. He’s helping me out. Sometime’s it’s not nice if he’s giving it to you, but that’s just the way it is.”
On if his dad is tougher on him than his brother, Gasper:
“Well, I don’t know about my brother because always when we play, we play together for him. We always get it the most compared to other guys. Like I said, he sees intentional and he’s trying to make you better, so there’s nothing personal. If he knows you can play better, he’ll give it to you and give you the pat on the back when you do good. So, that’s really all you want.”
On what he is looking forward to about the Olympics:
“Just the experience itself- being there. Olympic Village, there’s going to be some obviously world class athetletes. I don’t know what to expect, I haven’t been there. You can ask all you want, but until you’re there, you can’t really know how to feel. I’ll be able to talk about it a little more after I’m back, I guess.”
On Drew Doughty wanting to hit him if he plays him in the Olympics:
“I think he’s just happy that we don’t play him in the preliminary round. I’d be all over him.”
On what it’s going to be like to play for his dad:
“I’ve done it before so I know how it is going to be. I don’t think it makes a difference if you play for your dad or Coach Sutter or whoever your coach is. You go out there and play as hard as you can and just do your best.”
On if playing in the Olympics is on his “bucket list”:
“In my position I was hoping during my career my Olympic dream was going to come true at some point. It did and I am going to enjoy it as much as I can.”
On if it’s nicer to head into the Olympics on a winning note:
“Yeah, it wasn’t pretty by any means but right now we will take it. It took us a little longer than 60 minutes but we stuck together. We could have easily packed it in after the first because that was one of the worst periods we have played in a couple of years. But the character of this team really came through. We came out in the second period and set the tempo. Brownie got us going with that hit (on Ryan Murray), yeah it was a penalty but it kinda of woke us up on the bench. The energy in the building was a little better after that and we were able to score a quick one in the third and Reg (Robyn Regehr) is known as a Jacket killer (both his goals against Columbus) and we got it down in OT.”
On winning against a team that is fighting for a playoff spot:
“Like I said before we will take all the points we can get. I think it was obviously a total team effort. We didn’t have our best. I’ve before good teams find a way to win when they don’t have their best.”
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Perhaps they bonded in their quest to master English!