After the Phoenix Coyotes disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center Thursday night, the Desert Dogs will have to battle back from a 3-0 deficit if they hope to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Coyotes players and coach Dave Tippett reacted to the Game 3 loss after the game and at Friday's morning skate.
Keith Yandle on Game 3: "I think we did play hard, but obviously we’re not happy because we didn’t get the win. In this time of year you’ve got to play every shift. They just found a way to get one more than us. We’ve just got to focus and next game and make something happen here."
Yandle on the possibility of a comeback: It's something that we have nothing to lose. We got to come out and play. It's not like it's never been done. We know in this group, we're a resilient group, we can battle back and play hard.
Mikkel Boedker on the Game 3 loss: "It's tough. I mean, obviously it could have went both ways. I thought we played a lot better as the game went on. We came out strong in the first. Yeah, I mean, it could have went both ways, but they got the upper hand."
Adrian Aucoin on the teams hope going into Game 4: " I think obviously if you look at the 3-0 only,
there's not much hope. But we've done some good things, still. I think a lot of times when the games have been tied, if we would have gotten a bounce one way or the other. Until you lose the fourth game, there's always some hope. I don't think we're looking at it that way."
Martin Hanzal on what has to change in Game 4: "They have a good team, very good team. They have a
good goalie. So do we. Smitty was outstanding. We have a great team as well. Just got to drive more pucks to the net, go at the net, because that's what they do. They are winning. I think that's what you got to do.
Coach Dave Tippett on his teams effort in Game 3: "It was a tight game all the way through. We didn't
create a lot, but we hung around the game, gave ourselves a chance to win. I thought we're not generating enough to put any pressure on them. We were all right early, we hung around the game. Ultimately, you know, they're a pretty good team. They're getting some breaks on some calls I think that eventually wore us down."
Coach Tippett on the officiating in Game 3: "If I told you what I really thought, I think it would cost me a lot of money. Personally, I've talked about this in a lot of meetings with Don, our general manager, that the game is turning a little dishonest and it's embellishment by players.When it's done well, it's very hard for the referees, very hard, because if you fall down near the boards or you drop your stick or you throw your head back, you're putting the referee in a very tough situation. You know, not just our game tonight, you see it all through. The referees have a hard job. What it does, it makes the game dishonest. In actual fact, to make it work to your favor, you got to do it more. You got to do it. If everybody else is doing it, you better do it, too. We saw more than one penalty out there for us and against us that were called that I thought were plays where there was embellishment. It's too bad it has to go that way. It's too bad you get to this point in the season that that becomes a factor, but it's the reality of our game right now."