The L.A. Kings showed some resolve Thursday night, staving off elimination and a sweep in their first-round series against the rival San Jose Sharks.
Now comes another must-win for the 2012 Stanley Cup champions, and that will be in Game 5 on Saturday night back in San Jose. After an emotional 6-3 victory in Game 4 - those emotions boiled over at the end - the thought of going into the unfriendly confines of the SAP Center to try and extend the series seems to suit the Kings just fine.
“We’re going into the cage. Cages are a good thing,” said Kings’ head coach Darryl Sutter afterward, as per LA Kings Insider.
Oh, there’s some fodder for the days ahead.
It’s still a dire situation to be in, which is exactly how captain Dustin Brown described being down 3-0 in the series prior to puck drop on Thursday.
The Sharks are probably feeling the desperation to now close this bruising series out, not let it go any further than necessary.
“We came down here and did what we were supposed to do,” said Joe Thornton, as per the San Jose Mercury News. “Now we’ve got to go home and do our job.”