The Los Angeles Kings haven’t played since Tuesday and they’re going to have to wait until May 30 for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. However, now that they know who their opponents will be, they can spend some of their free time learning more about the New Jersey Devils.
“It’s a big difference, when you know who the (opposing) team is,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “We knew the date. We knew when we were going to travel. We knew the airport we were going to. But the big difference now, and the most important part is, the players and the games.”
Drew Doughty said the Kings are going to study the Devils, their habits, and their system of play. Mike Richards added that they’re going to be reviewing some film of the Devils. That being said, the Kings already know plenty about New Jersey.
“I think they’re still playing a strong defensive game, but you look at the guys they’ve added up front, with Kovalchuk and all those type of guys, so they’re definitely more offensive than they’ve been in the past,” Jeff Carter said.
The Devils have been regarded as a heavily defensive-minded franchise for a long time, but that’s not as true of their current squad.
“They’ve got a lot of skill up front,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. “Their centermen are fast, skilled guys. They’ve got big wingers. They’ve got the veterans and defense and they’ve got, depending on who you talk to, the greatest goalie of all time. (Despite) that old stereotype, they’ve done an awesome job, with that forward group and the way they play.”
Of course, the Kings have plenty of talent too. These two clubs should be great opponents for each other, but first, they have homework to do.