Comments from Kings coach Darryl Sutter following the team’s morning skate in advance of Game 3 vs. the New York Rangers…
Q. For all of your experiences with hockey as a player or coach, have you ever had a team be able to win three straight overtime games at this time of the year?
SUTTER: I haven’t really thought about that. You got to win games in overtime. You don’t see it as much in the regular season now obviously because of shootouts.
In playoffs, the farther you go, there’s a lot. We’ve played I think maybe five overtime games this year. So if we played 23 games, that’s a significant number. Three in a row, doesn’t really matter.
Q. What has the acquisition of Marian Gaborik allowed you to do as far as constructing your forward lines?
SUTTER: Allowed us to move players around a little bit. Gaborik can play right wing, left wing.
Q. Any further thoughts on leaving the defense intact or maybe trying to get Regehr in there?
SUTTER: We’ll just do it as games go along, warmups go along, how guys feel.
Q. Is there anything you can say or do, or is it entirely up to the players to kind of get themselves going faster out of the blocks?
SUTTER: No, we thought we had a really good first period last game. I know it’s based strictly on scoring. But we don’t look at it like that.
If it was only on whoever scored the first goal or second goal was going to win every game, then lots of you guys would go home after the first period (laughter).
Q. What concerns you about tonight’s Game 3 here in New York?
SUTTER: I think the biggest concern would be that we’re coming into Madison Square Garden and playing the New York Rangers.
Makes sense. It’s logical (smiling).
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