The Los Angeles Kings (22-17-13) outshot and out-chanced in the offensive zone yesterday (Jan. 29) on the road vs. the Buffalo Sabres (31-17-5) from the Atlantic Division from the East. But the Kings got some bad luck and controversial calls that worked against LA and head coach Jim Hiller yesterday on the road.
Nearly 40 shots on goal can't get Jim Hiller and the Los Angeles Kings multiple goals on the scoreboard vs. Buffalo
Buffalo jumped ahead early in the game's first 30 minutes in the first two periods on the scoreboard by multiple goals, by a score of 2-0. The Kings nearly fought back to cut the Sabres' lead on the scoreboard to just one goal in the middle frame in the second period. But Hiller and the Kings caught a bad break with the refs disallowing the game's first goal for LA due to goalie interference.
Hiller gave his thoughts and reactions to the media yesterday after the controversial calls and the tough 4-1 loss to Buffalo at KeyBank Center on this road trip in the Eastern Conference on Thursday.
The Kings snapped a three-game winning streak in the West and a six-game point streak in the standings in the Pacific Division yesterday with the three-goal loss on the road vs. Buffalo.
Here's a look at everything Hiller said to the media postgame following the Kings' dispirited 4-1 loss to the Sabres on the road in Buffalo on Jan. 29.
Jim Hiller
On his thoughts from the loss to Buffalo yesterday
"You can’t get down two. I didn’t like, there was lot, I shouldn’t say that. There was lots I didn’t like, and it wasn’t all our team. I can tell you that."
On the explanation he got from the refs for the disallowed goal in the middle frame vs. Buffalo
"They called it a goal on the ice, that was clear. Then, they decided it wasn’t a goal on the ice, by huddling. Somebody said, I believe, that the goalie didn’t have a chance to reset after Perrs was in the crease."
On not challenging the decision for the disallowed goal yesterday vs. Buffalo
"I saw the goal on the ice, so I was pretty comfortable. I saw the goalie reset. Pretty comfortable that if the goal was going to get taken away, that Buffalo would probably have to take a look at it. If they thought he didn’t have a chance to reset, they would have to challenge it. That was what was going through my head, but I don’t decide that."
On how the team fought back on the scoreboard and on the ice after being down by three goals
"We had some really good chances. I think we had 10 chances in the second period, hit the crossbar, the one that we just discussed and there were plenty of others. I really liked how we played in second specifically, we just can’t get down by two. It’s hard for our team. We’ve created a lot of chances, had a lot of shots, attempts all that stuff, layer them on. Can’t get down by two, unfortunately, our margin for error is just thin."
On the Kings getting down by multiple goals on the scoreboard early in the game's first two periods
"It's hard to do. It's hard to come back in the league. It really is. One is not bad. Two, we had plenty of chances, and we did a lot of things really well. We really did. You just don't like the outcome."
On the too many men on the ice call yesterday
"That was one of the things where we made a mistake. That was one of the times where you could say, as I go through the game mentally, there were some things that we didn’t do well. That can happen. There’s a lot of confusion going on at that time and unfortunately we make a poor decision. I’ve watched that happen plenty of times; there’s no impact on the play. I’ve seen that one not be called a number of times as well."
On if the team needed to convert on more rebounds and quality scoring chances offensively
"Goalie did a pretty good job squeezing, he didn’t kick out a lot of rebounds. A lot of it, whether he saw it or not, ended up in here and his arms and different spots. There wasn’t a lot coming off his pads."