Postgame comments from LA goaltender Cal Petersen following the Kings 3-1 loss to the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night…
On how he was able to perform at high level tonight
I think that the end of the day we want to win, that’s kind of the part that stings the most. They did a good job sustaining zone pressure and won a lot of battles along the boards and were able to have a couple shifts there where they pinned us in for a while. It takes a lot of the guys that are on the ice, it’s just hard to come back from. They really came out hard tonight and made it really difficult in front of the net for us. Again, it was one of those that I think that we can win, we’re not too happy with losing.
On the absence of four key players tonight and battling through adversity as a team
I think it definitely starts with the guys are out, being there for them if they need it and making sure that they’re not being ignored and they still feel like they’re part of the team, that’s the main thing. Then, it’s a lot of great opportunities for other guys to jump in and make an impression. [Arthur Kaliyev] did tonight with the goal which is awesome for him. That’s the stuff that we’re going to need when these opportunities arise for young guys to come up and be able to play and get some good minutes. It’s an opportunity on one hand and on your side, it’s making sure those guys are taking care of as well and don’t feel like they’re castaways on an island.
On if it is easier to get into a rhythm when you face a high volume of shots
In a way, you definitely get warm quicker, you’re not spending a lot of time down there thinking or anything like that, when you’re facing a barrage, you’re kind of always locked in and everything. In a way it’s nice, obviously it makes for some more work and it puts pressure on the D. I think the forwards would say that’s not the end that they want to play in. It’s kind of a blessing and curse, but for me, whatever’s thrown at me, it’s a nice get in a groove and get some shots and save one.
On facing many of the same Anaheim Ducks youngsters that he faced over the years in the AHL
They’re similar to us where there’s a lot of guys that spend some time in the AHL, they’re all getting opportunities, there’s a lot of familiar faces in that regard. Like you said, that’s a team that we play a lot in preseason and being so close, so there is that familiarity, but at the end of the day that just makes you want to win even more. They’re our rivals for a reason, the familiarity comes with wanting to beat them really bad. I guess that’s what makes the rivalry the rivalry. It’s kind of hard when we fall on the wrong side of it.
On the talk between the second and third periods, and what needed to be done differently
We realized that we’re still in the game; we still have an opportunity to play. It was a one-shot game for us to get back in, I think guys realized that and it was one of those nights were the pucks weren’t really bouncing our way. It was a battle all the way through for guys to feel good and feel like they’re in the groove, but I think, like you said, the second half we at least put some things together and you know tried to generate something. That’s kind of the spirit, we’re never out of it. There’s some positives to build from that.
More postgame comments linked below.
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Lead photo via Getty Images / LA Kings
This is the biggest problem that I saw for this year. A team must learn to to play winning hockey against both good and bad teams. Playing down to the level of the competition must be overcome. For myself this is the biggest thing the younger players will need to learn this year otherwise they will continue to have nights like last night.