The Los Angeles Kings head into tonight’s Game 5 in the same position they were in for Game 4: One win away from winning the Stanley Cup. After the Devils prevented the Kings from celebrating on home ice you could say there’s pressure on L.A. to get things done tonight.
Darryl Sutter doesn’t agree with that one bit.
“I don’t think there’s any pressure on our team. At all,” Sutter said.
“The only pressure the players should feel or that you try and convey to them is the pressure they put on themselves to be as good as they can be. Anything more than that, that’s not a team function. That’s why teams are still playing because it’s not pressure it’s a good place.”
That’s a downright peaceful approach and one that helps make sense of how the Kings have fared this postseason. From their unbeaten road record to finishing teams off promptly, Los Angeles will need that peace of mind going into tonight’s raucous Game 5.