Kings' Sutter: Playoff experience is ultimate marker

Coach Darryl Sutter, via LA Kings Insider, on young players rising to elite levels in the playoffs:

"I think young guys have to learn, because they don’t get in those occasions or situations very often as a young player, or during their career, when you think about it. The proven guys, well then you’re not asking that question. They are proven.

"I mean, it’s easy to say, ‘He’s a veteran player,’ or ‘He’s an experienced player.’ You know what? He’s not a veteran player or an experienced player unless he’s done it at playoff time. You can play a lot, but until you’ve played in a lot of elimination games or won in those games or lost in those games, you can’t say you’re proven or experienced.

"If you’re talking about that player, Jonathan (Quick), or just because he’s won those games, you know what? It always comes down to those guys once they’ve won and they’re looked on as an elite player. You watch last night? Lundqvist, right? You know what? Those guys are the top four or five goalies in the league. They expect to win. Jonathan expects to win.

"There’s been a lot of talk in this series about Anaheim’s goaltenders, but at the end of the day, the reason there is is because they’re young guys. They’re unproven. You look at Andersen and Gibson, Jonathan’s proven. Jonathan’s won…the Conn Smythe. Jonathan was part of the Jennings this year. So that’s what he expects of himself. It’s not what we expect."

Source: Jon Rosen, LA Kings Insider