GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It will undoubtedly take a few days, but once the sting of Tuesday's loss in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final subsides, the Coyotes will look back on their season and be proud of all they overcame.
But Tuesday night, it was too painful.
A franchise-record run that had many rubbing their eyes in disbelief came to a bitter end Tuesday shortly after Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown knocked knees with Phoenix defenseman Michal Rozsival in overtime, sending Rozsival limping off the ice.
Moments later, Kings forward Dustin Penner buried a goal to give his team a 4-3 win over what appeared to be a disoriented Coyotes team, sending the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-1 series victory.
"It's very disappointing," Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. "I've been knocked out in the first round a lot, and you think that it's going to feel better when you get to the next round, but I don't care when you get knocked out; it feels awful and you don't want to be part of it."
Added goaltender Mike Smith: "It sucks right now, to be honest. It's not fun to lose, it's not fun to be done. We have accomplished a lot as a group when everyone thought (we wouldn't). … It just stings the way we have to go out, but someone's got to lose and unfortunately we were the one today."
Were the circumstances a little different, the Coyotes might have simply tipped their caps to the Kings and reflected on a season filled with triumphs over adversity and uncertainty. But the Coyotes saw Brown's hit, which drew no penalty, as blatantly intentional, and in their dressing room, frustration reigned.
But no one was more frustrated than Doan, who had held his tongue in recent days amid some questionable officiating that landed him in the penalty box more than once. Tuesday night, he held nothing back.
"Honestly, I can't understand how you miss that," Doan said. "How do you miss that? (Rozsival's) knee is blown out. How do you miss that when it's after the whistle, and it's a knee? How do you possibly miss that?"
Doan wasn't alone. Others felt Brown kneed Rozsival with intent. Upon review, it appeared Brown might have been more guilty of raising his elbow in Rozsival's direction when they collided.
The intent of the knee contact could be disputed, but not in the Coyotes' dressing room.
"It was clear," defenseman Keith Yandle said. "I know the game's fast and it's bang-bang, but there are four (officials) out there. You'd think maybe one person would see it and kind of let everybody else know."
Brown, who's been a major part of the give and take throughout the series, maintained his innocence in the matter but didn't fault the Coyotes for their feelings, recognizing full well what they now face -- the offseason.
"It happened at high speed," Brown said. "I felt like I got him with my shoulder and my left side and his right side all made contact from toe to shoulder.
"It’s an emotional game out there. You give them the benefit of the doubt. Their season just ended out there. They’re upset and emotions can boil over."
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett saw no point in criticizing the officiating after the game. Doan did, and his response seemed almost cathartic for a player who has handled more than his share of playoff defeat.
Through all the bitterness and emotion of the loss, though, Doan went to great lengths to compliment the Kings on their 4-1 series victory.
"It’s hard because you don't want to take anything away from L.A.," Doan said. "They played unbelievable. Give them all the credit."
Doan acknowledged that officials, like players, are going to make mistakes. "It's just tough when you're on the short end of it I don't know how many times," he said.
Doan admitted he will look back and appreciate all his team has done, but it might take some time.
Other Coyotes were more reflective of a season that saw they make a late-season run to the Pacific Division title when they were in jeopardy of missing out on the playoffs altogether, then knock off the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators.
"At the start of the season not many people had us to make the Conference Finals," Smith said. "I'm very proud of the way the guys competed all season long when we had our backs against the wall."
For his part, Tippett had hardly a negative word to say in his postgame press conference. It was clear that he didn't want to take away the tiniest morsel of what his group had accomplished.
"I'm just really proud of our players and how hard they worked to get here and what they've done for this organization, not just tonight but for the whole year," Tippett said. "There will be some frustration for a few days, but ultimately I think our players should look back and feel good about a lot of the things they accomplished this year.
"The amount that this team gave to get us to this spot shouldn't be taken lightly or forgotten easily. This was an incredible group and how hard they worked to get here should be well recognized."
