In the Room: Kings and Hurricanes talk LA’s 3-2 win

Following the Kings 3-2 win vs. the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, here is what was being said in both locker rooms:

Kings coach Darryl Sutter on the overall game:

“We controlled the game in the offensive zone, so we did what we wanted. We tried to get to the net, but [Cam] Ward’s been hot. We knew we had to get some traffic and some screens. Our defense did a really good job putting pucks there. We had a lot of shots from up top, we were trying to beat the defensemen to the net out of the corners with the style of the game that they play… They’ve been playing well. When everybody’s at that 20 game mark, you take the first 10 or the last 10, and Carolina has a really good record their last 10. We were aware of that and we wanted to finish our twentieth game with a win.”

Trevor Lewis on the overall game:

“The first period we took too many penalties, but other than that we played a better game overall, it’s a step in the right direction… Kopi and Gaborik can play with anyone, they’re great players, I just have to do my job and get in, get pucks to them and get to the net.”

Lewis on the reviewed goal:

“I felt like it hit my stick, then it took a while so it made me second guess. I felt either way it was a good goal.”

Tanner Pearson on the overall game:

“We did a good job, we had a good power play to start us off and we went from there.”

Pearson on his goal:

“It feels good. Whenever you are kind of in a drought, and I obviously haven’t been playing my best hockey lately, this game definitely helped a lot. Playing with (Mike) Richards and Cliffy (Kyle Clifford), they’re both going to be in the opponent’s face, fore checking kind of guys. Richards can make some really good plays and Cliffy and I can just go to the net and hope something happens, and today it did.”

Hurricanes coach Bill Peters on the difference in the game:

“They started better than we did. We weren’t as good in the beginning of the game. They were able to build a lead and played well to protect it in the third.”

Peters on the first period power plays:

“A little more pace by us on the break out and the entry; a little more execution, obviously. From just shy of six minutes on, we only generated one shot and not a serious scoring chance out of the three opportunities.”

Peters on what can be done to clean up play in front of the net:

“We had a hard time handling their size and strength on the walls. They wore us out in the d-zone. They were a heavy team in the offensive zone, and we spent too much time in there tonight.”

Hurricanes forward Eric Staal on the difference between the two games vs. Kings:

“It felt close again, they did a good job the first two periods of getting on the forecheck and really making it difficult for us to get over and they were really strong down low. They were rewarded with a few goals that way.”

Staal on goaltender Cam Ward:

“Both goalies were good, Ward was there when we needed him and made some big saves. They had a lot of shots and quality opportunities and he made some key saves, we just didn’t get enough.”

Hurricanes defenseman Brett Bellemore on his game:

“I started off a little rusty with the PK goal against. I have to block that seam to the middle there, but I got a little better as the game went on playing with my body and getting some hits up.”

Bellemore on what went well in the game:

“As a whole our game plan was to get in behind their defense where our forwards can really work them, keep (the puck) off the walls and use our speed.”

NOTE: If you missed our pre-game odds with guest Jim ‘Boomer’ Gordon of NHL Network Radio, click here to see if any of the predictions came true.

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