Comments from the Kings locker room following LA’s 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 on Wednesday night…
Kings Head Coach Darryl Sutter on the first goals:
“I think the second goal is more important, not the first. If you look at the past two games, that’s what did it, it wasn’t the first one it was the second one.”
Sutter on penalty kills:
“There is a lot of intensity and a lot of structure in the playoffs. This series is coming into tonight, I think the penalties were exactly what you want, they are three or less a game, so tonight they called a few more stick fouls which I was surprised by because I don’t think our team does a lot of it.”
Sutter on Game 7:
“This Game 7 is probably harder than the first. You’re another two weeks into it, so it’s another level of team. You’re going into a building against a team that’s 16 points ahead of us, so you can talk all you want, there is a big underdog going against the number one seed in the Western Conference.”
Jonathan Quick on team defense:
“They did what they’ve done all year. I’m very fortunate to play with the group we have. We have a couple injuries on the back end. We’ve got guys stepping up, playing big minutes and really well for us.”
Quick on the team’s poise during elimination games:
“We’re a good team. Any team that’s still playing this time of year has got a good team and knows how to win. It’ll be a good game (Game 7) and we’ve got to get our rest and be ready”
Anze Kopitar on the overall game:
“We got a couple goals and shut it down pretty good. I think we can still play better hockey. We’ve done it before. We know it’s going to get harder obviously. Game 7’s are always exciting but they’re the hardest game. We’re going to have to bring everything on Friday.”
Kopitar on what a Game 7 means to hockey in Southern California:
“I think we’re going to talk about it after the game what it means for hockey down here. But I’m sure everybody’s pretty excited to have another game.”
Kopitar on holding Ryan Getzlaf off the scoresheet for the first time in the series:
“I wouldn’t say we were focusing only on that line, obviously, because they have lots of firepower. But we are aware when that line’s on the ice, because they’ve been hurting us the last couple games, so maybe pay attention a little bit. But you can’t respect them too much. Obviously you have to respect them, but you can’t respect them too much, because in that process he can burn you.”
Dustin Brown on playing well in elimination games:
“It’s a double-edged sword. It’s great that we have that ability to dig our own grave and climb out of it, but we’ve got one game to take care of here and that’s our focus. From then on, we need to try to not put ourselves behind the eight-ball.”
Brown on special teams:
“We’re a team that doesn’t need to rely on our power play but it needs to get us momentum. I thought tonight our power play had that effect on our game. Late in the third, we had numerous opportunities, good chances on our power play. As opposed to Game 5, they were just turning us back for breakouts and that’s a deflating power play. Our PK was great tonight and our power play got us momentum. If it gets us a goal, that’s huge. But we’re not a team that needs to rely on our power play.”
Brown on containing Ryan Getzlaf to no points:
“There is a reason why he’s nominated for the Hart Trophy this year. He’s a hard player to defend because of size and skill. There are not many guys that have that big of size and that much skill. You add Perry into the mix and how they have that chemistry. At the end of the day – this time of year – it’s making it hard on those guys, as hard as possible. I think we’ve done a better job on those two guys the last few games. But when good players have time and space, good player are going to make plays on you and he made great plays tonight. It’s just we had secondary help.”
Brown on the crowd playing a factor in Game 7:
“Everyone has been in these situations before. Quite honestly, San Jose is probably one of the loudest buildings in the whole league and we’ve battled them in the playoffs. Where it can have an effect is in your communication. I’m not sure if that’s going to be the same case in Anaheim. At the same time, the local of it, we’ll have some fans in there too probably which is nice. You don’t notice it as a player.”
Comments from the Ducks locker room can be found here.
