from Rich Hammond of the Los Angeles Register,

Kings coach Darryl Sutter, noted hockey sage, once broke down a best-of-7 playoff series this way: “You don’t get nothing for three.” Wins, that is, and in a technical sense, he’s correct.

The fourth victory is all that matters – just ask the San Jose Sharks – but under the proper circumstances, three can be soul-draining. Two years ago, on their way to the Stanley Cup, the Kings won the first three games of every series, including Games 1 and 2 on the road. Now they’re up to their old tricks.

The Kings lead the Ducks, 2-0, in this second-round series, going into Thursday’s Game 3 at Staples Center. Having won two tight games on the road, the Kings don’t want to cede any of the turf they won at Honda Center.

“We know how quickly a series can change,” defenseman Drew Doughty said Wednesday. “It just takes one moment sometimes. It could be a fight or a big goal or anything. So we’ve got to keep our foot on the gas pedal. We can’t let them back in the series.”

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