Interim head coach DJ Smith and the Los Angeles Kings played Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday afternoon (April 19). The Kings fell short of the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the opening-round series on the scoreboard by a score of 2-1.
Los Angeles Kings and DJ Smith push the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the scoreboard
Smith and the Kings' coaching staff pushed back hard in the middle frame in the second period and in clutch time in the final frame in the third period while being down on the scoreboard vs. Colorado this past weekend on Sunday. The Kings were scoreless with the Avalanche in the game's first 20 minutes in the opening frame in the first period yesterday on the ice.
The game's only goal for the Kings and Smith on the scoreboard was scored by forward Artemi Panarin in the final frame in the third period on special teams on the power play on the 5-on-4 man advantage late.
Smith gave his reaction to the media yesterday after the Kings' close 2-1 loss in Game 1 in the postseason in the playoffs this past weekend to Colorado on the road.
The Kings and Smith pushed back against the Avalanche in Game 1 of the postseason in the playoffs this past weekend on Sunday afternoon and gave Colorado a bigger fight.
Here's a look at everything Smith said to the media postgame following the Game 1 Kings' 2-1 loss on the scoreboard in the opening-round matchup in the postseason vs. the Avalanche on April 19.
DJ Smith
On his thoughts from the Game 1 vs. Colorado yesterday
"We started with some intensity. Checked hard, the compete level was there. Coming in after being on the road, little bit of concern, just a quick practice coming here, not a ton of prep time, but I thought the guys did what they had to do and played the right way. We fall short but there’s a lot of good things."
On how the Kings can do more offensively, scoring the puck in Game 2 vs. Colorado this upcoming week
"They score the most goals in league so I’m going to say that holding them to two, I think they could ask themselves the same question is: are they going to continue to win with two goals? We had a couple empty nets, we missed. Give the goalie some credit. I think we could be on the net more, and I think the only thing I’d take away is we’ve got to be more physical. We’ve got to hit the D more, and I expect that in the next game."
On how the Kings prevented Colorado from going on a big run offensively yesterday
"I thought we handled it well. I mean, they had pushes, they have elite players, 117 points, they're the number-one team in the league. They have pushes where they’re all over you, and I thought we handled it well. With the chances they did have, Forsy was really good.
That’s why we’re here, goaltending and some of those veteran D that can get you out of those situations. Now, one of the concerns is the way that they can hang on to it, hang on to it, and then quick up you and score, and that’s the winner. We turn one over, they quick up it, and they score."
On the Kings' confidence and what they can learn from Game 1 vs. Colorado
"I think this is the game we’ve been playing. I don’t think it’s anything outside the ordinary. I think this is the game we’ve been playing for six weeks, seven weeks. We didn’t score tonight, we had some looks. We’ve been typically scoring more, but if you’d have told me at the start of the night that this is what it was going to look like, the score after two, we wanted to score, but we’d probably take it and have it come down to one shot.
Whether it’s special teams or whatever, we’ve just got to bear down a little bit more on our chances. I think we can get more pucks to the net and again, I think we’ve just got to be a little meaner offensively."
On how the penalty kill performed on special teams vs. Colorado yesterday
"Real good. The guys that they throw over the boards over there. I like to before the game put the other team's top line's points, second line, third line, fourth line. I think it's 235 or 240 points by their by their top line or more. What effort it is. Those guys are real and they're real dynamic offensively, but we got some good penalty killers here and they give us a chance.
We win special teams tonight, and when you do that on the road, you think maybe do better, but it is what it is. We're down in the series, but a lot of good things."
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