EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — By coming back from an early 2-0 deficit to beat the Rangers in Game 1 of these Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night, the Kings earned their fourth multi-goal comeback win of their playoff run this spring.
Though they have had plenty of success digging out from early deficits during the playoffs, it’s not a habit they want to continue.
“You can’t chase leads all the time,” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said Thursday. “The National Hockey League is the best league in the world. There’s two teams left out there, which means that they both have come a long ways and they both had to be resilient.
“You don’t get any award for being resilient. We can play a lot better. It’s way better when you’re not chasing the lead.”
Not only was Wednesday’s Game 1 win the fourth time the Kings have come from at least two goals down to win during these playoffs, but it was the second game in a row they did so. They recovered from the same deficit in the first period of their 5-4 overtime victory over the Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday.
Having to constantly battle back in games — even in ones that turn into victories — can not only be draining physically, but also mentally, something captain Dustin Brown pointed out.
“I think we’re comfortable, but it’s definitely not where we want to be,” Brown said. “[Having] the lead, not only does it give us breathing room in the game, but emotionally, mentally, it gives you a breather.
“Not that you sit back or relax in a game, but you don’t have that need to dig down deep and find a way to pull out a game again game after game.”
That’s exactly what the Kings have been able to do time and again, however, and it’s a big reason why they are three wins away from lifting the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years.
“I think with our leadership, we got a lot of leadership throughout the locker room,” forward Kyle Clifford said. “Guys kind of rally around them. They’re able to put the team on their back [and] try to get a better outcome.”