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Sutter calls Gibson ‘the best goalie I’ve ever seen’ as smoke billows from the sarcasm detector

Sutter

Deadpan Darryl is at it again.

Following his club’s third straight loss to Anaheim -- and second to rookie phenom John Gibson -- Kings head coach Darryl Sutter had some incredibly high praise for the 20-year-old tender which, as several media members pointed out, might’ve been tongue-in-cheek!

Sarcastic Sutter, on John Gibson: “He’s the best goalie I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe we got one by him.”

— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) May 13, 2014


Darryl Sutter on Gibson in sarcasm font: “He’s the best goalie I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe we got one by him tonight.”

— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) May 13, 2014


On John Gibson, Sutter sarcastically says “He’s the best goalie I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how we ever got one past him tonight.”

— Abbey Mastracco (@AbbeyMastracco) May 13, 2014


Here’s what the scene was believed to look like in real time:
SarcasmDetector

Gibson, who made 39 saves on Monday and has now allowed just three goals on L.A.'s last 70 shots, has clearly made a difference in this series. He seems to be in one of those “doesn’t know any better” zones we’ve seen from youngsters in playoffs past (like Brad Marchand scoring 11 goals and 19 points to help Boston win the Cup in his first-ever postseason, for example.)

Gibson’s also a virtual unknown, so L.A. probably has yet to develop the full book on him. Finally, he’s about as calm and cool a presence as you could want in the playoffs, and seems to give the Ducks the kind of confidence they lacked in Jonas Hiller and Frederik Andersen:

Nick Bonino on Gibson: “He plays like he’s a 30-year-old veteran. I don’t think he even noticed he’s stopping the puck sometimes.” — Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) May 13, 2014

In light of this, it’s a pretty smart/calculated play by Sutter. He makes light of the idea that Gibson’s unbeatable or perhaps in the Kings’ heads and also indirectly calls out Jonathan Quick who, after starting this series by allowing just three goals on 72 shots, has now surrendered nine on his last 57 faced.

L.A. heads back home on Wednesday for a chance to snap its current losing skid at Staples. It’ll be interesting to see how the Kings deal with the best goalie Sutter’s ever seen -- especially since they’re now facing elimination for the second time this postseason.

Though to hear Sutter explain it, the Kings aren’t the ones about to feel the heat.

“A lot of pressure on him now,” Sutter said of Gibson, per LA Kings Insider. “A lot of pressure on him.”