June 3, 2012, Los Angeles Kings-New Jersey Devils Game 2 Stanley Cup Final notebookf for HockeyPrimeTime.com

Stanley Cup Final Notebook: Kings keep it simple

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Written by Denis Gorman

Sunday, June 03, 2012 01:11

It may be a cliché, but the Los Angeles Kings have been the hottest team in the postseason, thanks to the idea of taking things one game at a time. It’s helped them stay focused and helped them to the Stanley Cup Final. NEWARK, N.J. — Coaches in every sport emphasize a minimalist thinking with their teams. Don’t look behind. Don’t look ahead. Focus on the task at hand. No team in the NHL playoffs has bought into that micro approach and experienced more success than the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings entered Saturday night’s Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final with a 13-2 record in the playoffs, including wins in 10 of their last 11 games. So, Kings coach Darryl Sutter was asked during his media availability Saturday morning at the Prudential Center, what is the formula for his team’s success? “I think they've went through such a stretch of it – probably from the trade deadline on – of just trying to stay focused on the one game, the importance of that one game,” Sutter said. “I think that helped them carry over into the playoffs.” ***** New Jersey Devils coach Pete DeBoer announced during his session that his lineup would remain the same for Game 2. But he left the door open to inserting defenseman Henrik Tallinder into the lineup as the series progresses. “Tallinder is available,” DeBoer said when asked about the healthy scratches, which include Tallinder, Adam Larsson and Petr Sykora. “You might see him as the series goes forward here. “Those guys are viable options for us. Every time we play, the next day we discuss our lineup for the next night. Those guys' names are always discussed. They've got to keep themselves ready. It's not an easy job, but they're ready,” Tallinder was minus-11 with six assists in 39 games this season before being shut down on Jan. 17 due to a blood clot in his right leg. “I know he's kept himself in great shape,” DeBoer said. “He looks good in practice. Before he went out, he was a top-two defenseman for us. You miss two, two-and-a-half months [but] it didn't hurt [Travis Zajac] coming back in. “I know you're jumping into the Stanley Cup Final, not into the last week of the regular season. But [Jacob Josefson] jumped in last round against the Rangers coming off six weeks out with a broken wrist, and it didn't hurt him. You know, you hope you get the desired result, but you never know.” ***** The St. Louis Blues announced the franchise has agreed to terms on a three-year contract with forward Vladimir Tarasenko. Terms were undisclosed. St. Louis selected Tarasenko with the 16th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. He had played the last four seasons for Novosibirsk Siber and St. Petersburg SKA of the KHL. Tarasenko totaled 52 goal and 100 points in 176 KHL games leading niche publication Hockey’s Future to declare him the best non-North American not in the NHL. “Vladi is coming off his best season as a professional and we are excited that he has decided to join our organization,” Blues GM Doug Armstrong said in a statement. “He has shown significant growth in his years in the KHL and we look forward to him taking his game to the next level as a St. Louis Blue.” Photos by Getty Images

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