Game Day Thread
Game #63/82 - 3/9/26
>>1:00pm<<
on
FanDuel
Los Angeles Kings @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Nationwide Arena | Columbus, OH
**Game Time 1:00pm**
TV: FanDuel
Radio: ESPN LA app, Kings app, & Sirius
Check Out More Articles & Video on LA Kings Insider Here
Laferriere & DJ Smith 3/7 Post-Game Quotes
On a tough loss
I think that’s one that we definitely want to have two points from. I thought we outplayed them pretty much for 59 minutes of the game. It definitely stings a little bit, but I think we’ve got to learn from this one. There’s been nights where we get outworked and we sneak away with two points, and obviously we’ll take that when it happens but on a night like tonight, when we seemingly out-worked them in every area of the ice and felt like we were all over them to not come away with a win, it hurts pretty bad. Time is running out. We’ve got 20 games left now and we need every single point. When I say we need to learn from this, I think I mean that we can’t change what just happened. So, we’ve got to take the positives from the game and make sure it doesn’t happen ever again.
On what the breakdown was in the third
I don’t know, honestly, like, I think we played a pretty complete game in every area of the ice. We were good defensively. We were good offensively. I think just couple little bounces, and they have some unbelievable offensive players, and I think that they were just able to hurt us with those little bounces.
On him getting to the net more with encouragement from his coach
A lot of the goals in the NHL are scored from right around net and I think a guy that I looked up to a lot during this year was Perry, and learning from him. He’s always at the net, getting a stick on pucks, creating havoc in front of the net and you can see he’s able to do what he’s able to do at such a high level. I think he was someone that I really looked up to this year and just wanted to learn from him as much as I could. Coach Smith has been harping on us to get to the front of the net and my goal doesn’t happen if Byfield is not there in front of the net, creating that screen, and the goalie wasn’t able to see it and popped right out to me. If he doesn’t get to the net, it’s not a goal.
On the way the power play unit played
That was my first time getting to go out there with those guys. We didn’t have any practice time so I think our touches right from the start were pretty crisp, and I mean, I hit a post. Juice almost scored a couple times. Kopi almost scored a couple times. I think for not having any practice time with those guys, I felt pretty positive about it, but obviously, we’d like to get one for the team.
D.J. Smith
On the losing result after seeing his team play well
Yeah, it’s real tough. When the game’s on the line, you got to make plays. With six minutes to go, their top guys made plays. We did a lot of good things. To a man, we worked, we checked, their goalie made a lot of saves, and it’s part of the NHL. We have a refocus to work ethic and effort, and that’s a hard one, but you got to let it go and we got a huge road trip coming.
On the way the team has played since he took over as head coach
We’re starting to play heavier in the o-zone, but I still think we can get a lot more pucks to the net. I think from the back end, every chance you can to sling it or get it there, and then the forwards got to do a better job, or continue to do a good job of climbing on the goalie and scoring like how we scored our third goal.
On whether he considered challenging on either close call goal in the first period
The guys in the back know what they’re doing. Whenever the ref typically calls it on the ice is usually what stands. They called it and then they discussed it and then took it back. If they would have called it a goal, I’m not sure if they would have challenged or not but it probably would have stayed a goal. In saying that, we had the next power play, we had a chance to score. It’s probably as dangerous as we’ve been all year. We had chances, we had shots. Give their goalie credit, sometimes that’s what happens. We scored three goals, that should be enough to win.
On not allowing a second shot on goal until the second period
I think we were playing offense. I think we’re more committed to making some plays, holding on to the puck more. I still think we can do more of that. But when you have the puck, they don’t, and then when we did have to defend, we defend really hard. I thought we broke the puck out well, we held on to a ton.
On Alex Laferriere and him having success around the net
Yeah, I like the line. They were big and they were heavy, and they held on to it. They’re a load for the other team and I think if they embrace that style of play and then track you back and check for the chances, I think you’ll see that line will be dangerous.
Lineups Courtesy of DailyFaceoff.com
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BLUE JACKETS PROBABLE LINEUP
No Former Kings
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GOALTENDING COMPARISON
PACIFIC DIV STANDINGS
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**POLL QUESTION GAME**
**DON'T FORGET TO PLAY THE ROAD TRIP GAME BEFORE MONDAY AT 1pm**
Play jcwla's Road Trip Game Here
B2B weird start time game = just 1 question
What TIME will the GAME WINNING GOAL be scored?
You can take 4 guesses
use the ___min:___seconds of the ___ period (1,2,3,OT) format
+/- :15 = 3 points, +/- 1:00 = 2 points, +/- 2:00 = 1 point
You can also guess Shootout for 2 points if correct
PREVIOUS GAME'S WINNERS
Congratulations to the following posters who correctly guessed the 20 gamers would combine for 3 points
and/or that Suzuki would be credited with the GWG:
Both (2 points):
Rogie-Vachon
VCRW
DRGinLBC
motalare
mugs
CIrvine
notbob
Drum4Pigs
Rusty
hornman
3 points combined (1 point):
Forum Gold
KernCoKingFan
pray4mojo
Birdman
empire
jammer06
Clif
Suzuki (1 point):
Hockey53
VegasHockey
Cross Traffic
AngelEyes
Guinevere
randdog
sonnyboy11
dannybuoy1
McSorleyFan
SirJW
Dr. Tran
The Nuts
Nyssa42
POLL GAME WIN TOTALS
Kings of the Mountain - 59 points
DRice
KernCoKingFan
56 points
motolare
54 points
Nyssa42
53 points
Drum4Pigs
52 points
Angel Eyes
Cross Traffic
50 points
Birdman
Chateau Bow Wow
VegasHockey
49 points
jammer06
48 points
Clif
VCRW
47 points
pray4mojo
Rogie-Vachon
Rusty
46 points
mugs
45 points
Forum Gold
Guinevere
Liz4LA
SirJW
44 points
empire
randdog
42 points
Hockey53
notbob
41 points
dannybuoy1
DRGinLBC
hornman
38 points
Dr. Tran
McSorleyFan
37 points
RoS
symbology
36 points
HiFi
34 points
sonnyboy11
33 points
TooCool
32 points
CIrvine
28 points
beady eye
7 points
The Nuts
