We were 1-and-3 in the season series against the Kings, so we desperately needed a win to climb back in it. With only two out of a possible eight points, enough was enough, and we were plenty fed up with Gretzky pushing us around, especially on home ice. So yeah, you could say we had a little added motivation for this one. The Kings were second in the league and our closest challenger, so we were determined to make it as tough as possible to gain any ground at our expense.
While not officially part of our leadership group, goaltender Kirk McLean was nicknamed 'Captain Kirk' for a very good reason. The nickname came about as the team's way of expressing just how much he meant to us. When Kirk was on, he was one of the best goalies in the league, and thankfully for us, on this cool late February evening, he was very on, posting his second shutout of the season!
Did we mention how nice it was to blank Gretzky for a change?
Very satisfying!
Player in the Spotlight: Kirk McLean | GR 94 | SA 19 | GA 0 | SV 19 | SV% 1.000 | TOI 60:00