FINAL – Kings 5, Coyotes 3 – Doughty, Kopitar, McLellan

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• News post

• Zach Dooley

The LA Kings extended their point streak to four games as they won for the first time on a four-game homestand, with a 5-3 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday evening.

• Drew Doughty
• Anze Kopitar
• Jonathan Quick

• Todd McLellan

# Anze Kopitar

I thought our energy was there right off the start, it was a bit of a test in the second period where we went down by two goals and we came back. Going into the third period, being tied and being able to play the hockey that we want to play, stingy and tight, not giving up a whole lot, that was a great third period for us.

You’re trying to play hard every night and tonight, it happened. I’ve been feeling pretty good these last few games, I thought our line throughout the last 5,6 games, we’ve been creating quite a few chances, just not necessarily cashing in on a whole lot of them. Tonight, it kind of opened up and we’re going to need more of the same going forward.

We played solid hockey, from our crease out. I thought [Jonathan Quick] made some big stops when he needed to and we were able to not give up a whole lot, so he didn’t have to stand on his head, but when we needed him he was there.

I mean, it’s always huge. We’ve talked about this over the course of however many years, special teams are always big. Whether it’s the start of the season or finishing up and trying to get a playoff spot. Minus the shorthanded goal, we did a good job tonight.

# Todd McLellan

I thought it was maybe more of the second period that set us up for the third. Going down by two wasn’t a comfortable feeling, yet how we got to it, I thought there was a missed call on the faceoff for interference on Mooresy and then Edler loses a steel in the corner, we’re down a player and can’t recover. So, strange scenarios that right now with our team could push us one way or the other and I thought that the end of the second, coming back, set us up for the third, but we handled the third well. We were patient, we didn’t play out of our skin to try and win, we played in our skin to do it. You knew they were going to have a push near the end and we defended pretty well.

Yeah, you know, if we didn’t respond, if the effort wouldn’t have been there, then you’d be concerned. The effort was there. It still maybe wouldn’t have went our way, but it was the right response. The fact that we got the win is the icing on the cake for the response.

I felt like we were going go out and play well and I’m not just saying that, I felt good about our group. I think the last 48 hours, it was different, but isn’t as dramatic as maybe I feel from the line of questioning. We’re not happy that [Cal Petersen] is in Ontario right now, none of us are, we all take responsibility for that, but we’ve got to move on. The fact that the [general] manager came in to talk to us, that happens. I don’t think it’s as dramatic as anybody in here maybe thinks it was.

[Anze Kopitar] was tremendous tonight. He’s been good all along, sometimes the goals coming off his tape aren’t there but he’s done really good things this year. This second go around with Kevin there I think is starting to feel more comfortable for the three of them. Kopi in particular, because we’re talking about him, he’s found himself in a number of different spots this year on the powerplay. Our breakout entries changed a little bit, he doesn’t have to skate as much as he used to, so there was some thought process put into that. Wherever he is on the power play. he seems to get it done, so a pretty good utility player.

Yes and no. The no part is that you can win them the wrong way and you’re not getting healthy, your team stays sick. You can sometimes lose games the right way and you’re getting better, so it isn’t always the complete result. That’s what we play for, but the input into the game is really important and our input has been good and then it wavers and then it falls off and then it comes back to good. We’re a little bit like a yo-yo. Tonight was a little more consistent. Falling behind 3-1, as I said earlier, there were some circumstances that played into it that I don’t know normally would be part of the game, but they were.