While being shorthanded on the active forward lines on Wednesday night (Jan. 7), the Los Angeles Kings (18-14-10) and head coach Jim Hiller didn't get two points in the standings in the West in the Pacific Division against the San Jose Sharks (21-18-3) on home ice. The Kings were missing four forwards in the active roster lineup, including center captain Anze Kopitar and winger Joel Armia, due to various injury issues, among other reasons.
Late chances amount to an overtime loss for Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose on Wednesday night
Hiller and the Kings also missed veteran winger Corey Perry and winger Trevor Moore due to various other reasons for the team yesterday vs. San Jose in the Pacific Division. As a result, the Kings called up forwards from the AHL affiliate Ontario Reign, including Andre Lee and Taylor Ward, to the active roster lineup vs. San Jose.
The game started slow yesterday for the Kings and Sharks in the Pacific Division. No goals were scored offensively in the game's first period and a half in the first 30 minutes yesterday. But the fireworks got started late in the middle frame in the second period.
The back-and-forth punches continued to be thrown in the final frame in the third period, with the Kings holding a lead by one goal on the scoreboard at one point in clutch time before the clock showed zeros in regulation in the third period.
The Sharks scored in overtime to get the win by a score of 4-3 yesterday against the Kings.
Hiller gave his thoughts and reaction to the media yesterday after the 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks after a blown lead in the third period in the final frame in the Pacific Division on Wednesday night.
This was still a very competitive and gritty game for Hiller and the Kings, despite the loss in the Pacific Division yesterday vs. San Jose.
Here's a look at everything Hiller said to the media postgame following the Kings' dispiriting 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks on home ice at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 7.
Jim Hiller
On the Joel Edmundson goal that was disallowed in the third period in the final frame
"It’s kind of a unique situation. They said it went off his glove, it was gloved in. I said it’s one of two things. The puck was going in anyways, the puck was going in, until he got cross checked into the crease, which caused him to bump the puck off his glove. If he doesn’t get cross checked, the momentum the puck is taking it into the net. So, if you don’t want to call it goal, you better call it a cross check. It’s one of the two. I thought that was pretty easy."
On what went wrong for the Kings offensively in the game's first 30 minutes in the first and second periods
"We turned the puck over a lot. We did so well in Minnesota, went to the goal and you guys saw it, we threw pucks at the net, where we buzz with two and three guys at the net-front, jamming it. Today we’re trying to get it off the rush and turning it over and they were racing back at us. We just didn’t, for whatever reasons, didn’t play the game that we have to play."
On the strong offensive performance from the line with Kevin Fiala, Alex Turcotte, and Andrei Kuzmenko
"We’ve relied on them a fair amount, I think, over the last little while, pretty much ever since they’ve been put together. They were dangerous. They turned a few over early too, but you saw in the third period, they played in the offensive zone and we didn’t get a lot of that by the other lines until Laf’s goal. Those guys were in there pretty consistently. They got the o-zone faceoffs, Turc’s doing a good doing a good job winning them and they’re making something happen."
On the goal scored by Alex Turcotte
"He's been around the net. We keep telling him to go to the net. He's around the net. The shots going past him. So, even on Kevin's goal, he's right in the front of the net. He loosens it up, and Kevin scores. You get there, you stand there, you do that enough times, sooner or later, you're going to score. Everybody felt good for him because he's been there and he's had chances.
On the goals the Kings allowed on special teams on the penalty kill
"It’s been a theme, we’ve taken too many minor penalties all year. Take a bad penalty in the third period and then they make us pay. We’re down to probably four regular penalty killers, one of the penalty killers takes a penalty, we’re down to three and so we’ve got Turc out there, Malott had to go. You can’t take that many penalties and put that penalty kill under that much duress."