Kings aren't taking anything for granted
The Kings have already made history. They'd like to make a little more.
The Kings, by virtue of their 4-0 win over New Jersey in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final on Monday night, have become the first team in NHL history to win the first three games of each of its four playoff series.
With one more victory, the Kings would claim the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
"I'm sure I'll think about it tomorrow and tonight," captain Dustin Brown said after the game, "but you get to the rink, and it's kind of hard to explain the emotions, but you've got to come focused and ready to go. You don't really think too much about it. I think there will be added pressure, especially considering that we're at home, and the possibility of winning at home is pretty enticing, the opportunity."
The Kings know better than to take the fourth win for granted. For one, the Devils played well in the first two games and easily could have had the lead heading into the first intermission of Game 1.
Also, though, the Kings have been in this exact same situation three times in this postseason and lost twice. In the first round, against Vancouver, and the Western Conference final, against Phoenix, the Kings led 3-0, then lost Game 4 at home and won the series in Game 5 on the road. In the second round, against St. Louis, the Kings completed the sweep at home in Game 4.
"There's no doubt that it's a great position to be in, but at the same time, even though we're saying that, we've got to reset, refocus," defenseman Drew Doughty said. "We can't take anything for granted. It could have been two-nothing for them, before this game.
"If they win that next one, then all they've got to do is win three more. They have the momentum if they win the next one, so we want to finish it off at home in front of our home fans. Like I said, we'll just reset and refocus."
