Posted 20 April 2010 - 04:06 PM
Not sure why this is such a surprise epecially amongst the media.
All the pre-series blather about LA's supposed playoff 'inexperienced' roster was pure hokum - sure they have some rookies in terms of the playoffs but Doughty, Brown and Kopitar aren't exactly chicken feed - they are world class hockey players. Also check out who on LA has actually played in an NHL playoff semi-final or final with the Stanley Cup on the line, vs. Vancouver and the real story emerges. Smyth, Halpern, O'Donnell, Scuderi, Stoll, and Greene all have that key experience, as opposed to only Samuellson for the Canucks. And at best he was a peripheral role player for Detroit when they won the cup, certainly not a go-to guy.
Besides, a youngster like Doughty just went through the most pressure-packed scenario imaginable for a Canadian hockey player, i.e. winning a gold medal in an Olympic hockey tournament on home ice. Considering the pressure and national expectations there vs those of maybe a few thousand people in LA re: whatever the Kings may accomplish, I'm sure to Doughty these playoffs are a walk in the park.