For the fourth game in a row this fall, the Los Angeles Kings (11-6-7) and head coach Jim Hiller got at least one point in the Pacific Division standings on Black Friday (Nov. 28) against the Anaheim Ducks (15-8-1). The Kings were shocked in a 5-4 shootout loss yesterday vs. Anaheim in the West in the Pacific Division on the road at the Honda Center on Black Friday afternoon on Nov. 28.
Overtime or shootout loss is the result for Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings for the third time in this past week in the West
Hiller and the Kings were unable to keep a multi-goal lead in the third period on the scoreboard. At one point in the middle of the third period, the Kings held a 4-2 lead on the scoreboard against the Ducks in Anaheim.
But the Ducks rallied to score two straight goals in a span of under eight minutes in clutch time in the third period, including a goal late in the game with the net empty yesterday.
Hiller gave his takeaways and thoughts to the media after the Kings' shocking shootout loss to the Ducks on the road on Black Friday.
The Kings picked up a point in the standings in the Pacific Division in the West for the fourth straight game this fall on Friday afternoon.
Here's a look at everything Hiller said to the media postgame following the Kings' grueling 5-4 shootout loss to the Ducks on the road in Anaheim on Nov. 28.
Jim Hiller
On his takeaways from the loss vs. Anaheim yesterday
"I thought was a really good game, exciting for the fans, I think for both teams. We made probably a couple, two or three mistakes, back half of the third period. Prior to that, I thought we were pretty clean in the third, so it’s disappointing. They finished and we our chances too and we couldn’t finish."
On the Kings facing a fast team with an opposite playing style and game plan vs. Anaheim yesterday
"We wanted to play our game, and I thought we played our game. We wanted to make sure that we weren’t giving up a lot of odd mans, that sort of thing, letting them race through the neutral zone, I thought we did a pretty good job of that. I liked our game overall. Their goalie made a few big saves there at the end, and we made a couple mistakes that we liked back, and they finished."
On if mistakes cost the Kings the game yesterday
"Mistakes are part of every game. They made a lot of mistakes, too. You know what I mean? They were just able to capitalize on our last two or three of the game."
On how Alex Turcotte play in his return to the lineup for LA
"It was great, what a response. That’s exactly what you want to see. It was frustrating for him, but he reset himself. He’s come a long way, Turcs has really matured, and he’s earned everything he’s got. He didn’t get it handed to him. To come back like he did tonight, gets his first goal and was just really good all over the ice. That’s what you love to see."
On making the move to put Alex Laferriere in Andrei Kuzmenko's spot on the forward lines in the roster yesterday vs. the Ducks
"Just seeing what they were going to do, who they were going to try and matchup a little bit, they have last change so we could kind of figure out what they wanted to do. Kind of a game-time adjustment."
On the Kings not being able to hold leads in the third period
"Everybody feels like they have a good team and they have a chance to win. Maybe historically, there might have been some teams that were a little bit weaker, and if you get a lead, you could probably hold it a little bit easier. This year, every team’s got some pretty dangerous players, so they feel like, hey, we’re still in this, and you get a good push from the other team."
On how Anaheim has improved this season in the Pacific Division
"You could start to see it. I think they made a pretty good improvement last year and then, you add and then the players are a year older, got a lot of young players. They're getting better, there's no question."