Facing a multi-goal deficit on the scoreboard, a key injury on the blue line on defense, and back-to-back games on the road on the East Coast this past weekend on this road trip, the Los Angeles Kings (23-17-14) showed resilience in a comeback in the third period in the final frame vs. the Carolina Hurricanes (34-15-6) in an eventual 3-2 overtime loss on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 1).
Los Angeles Kings show grit and fight in back end of back-to-back games for Jim Hiller vs. Carolina on the road last weekend on Sunday afternoon
Carolina built a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard early in the final frame in the third period yesterday on the road, but the Kings battled back to score two goals in under five minutes in clutch time. Sammy Helenius and Quinton Byfield scored a couple of quick goals to tie the game up on the scoreboard late in the final frame in the third period for the Kings yesterday on the road in Carolina.
Sebastian Aho netted the game-winner in extra time in overtime for Carolina yesterday. The Kings came up with a point in the standings in the West, and finished up this long five-game road trip in the East with a 3-1-1 record. That's good for seven out of a possible 10 points in the standings this past couple of weeks on the road.
Hiller gave his reaction to the media yesterday after the Kings' comeback efforts came up just short in extra time in overtime by a score of 3-2 against the Hurricanes and head coach Rod Brind'Amour on the East Coast.
This should still be largely considered a pretty solid success on this lengthy five-game road trip in the East this past couple of weeks for Hiller and the Kings.
Here's a look at everything Hiller said to the media postgame following the Kings' 3-2 overtime loss in the finale of the Eastern Conference road trip vs. the Hurricanes on the road in Raleigh on Feb. 1.
Jim Hiller
On the physicality and intensity that was shown in the game yesterday for LA
"I don’t think they liked their game last night, I had heard that through the grapevine. So, we knew they would come with some intensity. They play with intensity always, but I think probably coming off last night, they didn’t like that one, or so I was told. Good hockey game."
On how Anton Forsberg played in net for the Kings to allow the team to push it into overtime on the road vs. the Hurricanes
"He’s been good now for, I don’t know, you’d have to go back a long time to say yeah, maybe Forsy didn’t have a good night tonight. That would be a long time ago, I can’t remember when that was, so he’s just continued to play extremely well. You need it, especially at the tail end of a road trip. You need somebody to really step up, whether that’s a player or the goaltender, and we got that out of him."
On an injury update for Mikey Anderson
"No, I don't. I mean, obviously he didn't return, so you know, we'll get back to LA, see where things go with him, but probably won't have an update for him till Monday."
On how the fourth line played yesterday at a critical time
"You think about the whole trip that we’ve had and how important they’ve been for us. I thought it was fitting where we sagged, that was obviously a big moment, Forsy had been making a few saves and then they go out there and give us life again. I can’t say enough about those guys right now, with how they’ve been playing."
On how the Kings' blue line on defense rallied yesterday down to just five
"They were all really competitive, you saw that. Top to bottom, everybody was competitive. Drew got the most, the most ice time, but I thought all five really, really played well. They did what they had to do."
On Corey Perry stepping up for the Kings after Mikey Anderson's injury
"Just going to say it over and over again, he’s a hockey player and I say that with the highest compliment. He just knows the game. He knows how to be a teammate, he knows how to score goals, he knows what’s right and what’s needed in the moment. He’s had an amazing career so far and he’s got more left."
On there being frustration and impatience with Corey Perry getting an extra minor
"It was. There was a little bit of frustration with some different things out there tonight, from my perspective, but my perspective doesn’t matter very much."
On his thoughts from the entire road trip
"Yeah, we wanted a different result in Buffalo. I thought we played well enough to get a different result there despite the what the score was. We missed quite a bit there in that game. But we bounced back. I think that was the important thing.
And then, talk about back-to-backs and this team. Back-to-backs to me is such a a great measure of character, especially in this building. And, although wasn't pretty the whole time, we were there to fight. We fought for every inch. They fought for every inch. Pretty good hockey game in the end."