Kings' Williams on OT loss to Ducks: 'Our overtime and shootout record is terrible'
The Los Angeles Kings like to say that games against the Anaheim Ducks aren't really "rivalry" games, but after eight ultra-close regular season games in the last two years and a playoff series last year, it sure looks and feels like a rivalry.
The Ducks seem to have the Kings' number when it comes to the regular season. After a 3-2 overtime win Wednesday night at the Honda Center, the Ducks took the season series 4-0-1. Maybe come playoffs, the Kings will recapture that old postseason magic, but unless they learn from their mistakes in games like one they played Wednesday, it could be an early out.
"We got a much-needed point, obviously we want the second one but again, it's always about getting better," Kings captain Dustin Brown said. "There's little momentum swings here and there, they've been a top team in the league for a while now. It comes down to little plays and little tiny things that make a difference."
Maybe to the Kings, it didn't really feel much like a rivalry game as it does against the Sharks or the Blackhawks, but it certainly felt like a playoff game with the energy, the hits, the crowd and the close score.
But if it was a playoff preview, the Kings have a few things they'd like to do differently come April.
"In the last second, we're giving up third-period leads, which come playoff time is a recipe for elimination," winger Justin Williams said. "Something we've obviously got to look at and we need to shut those guys down."
Again, the Kings were overwhelmed by the Ducks' heavy forecheck. The third period is when Anaheim is typically at its best and Wednesday's game was no exception. The Kings wanted to play perfect, but the Ducks' speed and skill effectively forced costly errors.
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"They scored right away in the third," Williams said. "Listen, they're obviously a good third-period team. They press and their D come down the wall and it's a full-blown attack. We're not an old team but we're sort of a veteran team with a lot of experience and we need to find ways to rectify losing these third period leads and I know we will."
The Ducks came out with energy in the third while the Kings were back on their heels, just trying to maintain. And then came overtime, where their record is telling: 3-14.
"We had enough energy to get a point," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "They looked fresher and were able to use four lines more than we were able to."
With the Ducks having nearly locked up the Pacific Division title and the Kings (82 points) barely hanging on to a playoff spot, another Freeway Faceoff postseason series seems imminent. But then again, that might be a good thing for the Kings.
In the postseason, the slate is wiped clean and the season starts all over again. The Kings dropped the season series to the Ducks last year before eliminating them in the postseason. A team of polar opposites in personalities and playing styles, historically, the Kings have been able to turn it on in the playoffs like no one else while the Ducks fail to keep pace with their torrid regular season pace. In Southern California, up is down, down is up come postseason.
But for now, the Kings still have a long way to go before they look like contenders.
"Our overtime and shootout record is terrible," Williams said. "But either way, that's not going to deter us from making the playoffs. We got a point, and we're going to keep pushing forward and try and improve in areas like 4-on-4 and get two points next time."
