Sutter has Kings' attention

Just a few minutes after the game had ended Sunday night, most of the Kings still were smiling about their 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, which gave them a 3-0 lead in this best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

But not coach Darryl Sutter. He stood behind a podium and frowned.

"You don't get nothing for three," Sutter told reporters.

True enough, and Sutter is nothing if not consistent. Since taking over the Kings in mid-December, after Terry Murray was fired, Sutter has brought an increased sense of intensity, according to players.

The Kings can wrap up the series with one more win, and the Kings know better than to think that Sutter will go easy on them in advance of Wednesday's Game 4 at Staples Center.

"He's definitely a great motivator," defenseman Drew Doughty said. "Before the games, it seems like he's more pumped. ... I'm surprised he doesn't lace up the skates and get out there himself. He's always making sure we're ready to go. He's constantly on us, whether it's on the bench or in the dressing room. He's making sure we're ready, and he's great at doing that job.

"At the same time, he's got a great system in place and he gets what he wants out of all his players. And if not, you're not going to play. I know, for me and a lot of the other guys, it's almost scary playing for him because if you make that mistake, he's going to be all over you. It's not fun when he's all over you, so we're all playing our best for him and for each other."

NOTES, QUOTES
Defending home ice has become Kings' quest
   --The Kings got a big win Sunday on home ice, something that has been rare for them in the playoffs of late. Two years ago against Vancouver, the Kings went 1-2 at home and 1-2 on the road (with one overtime win and one overtime loss). Last year against San Jose, the Kings went 0-3 at home and 2-1 on the road (with one overtime loss). Playing well at home has been a focus since Darryl Sutter took over as coach in December. "We can't go in there relaxing or taking them too easy (at home)," defenseman Drew Doughty said of the Canucks, "because they're going to come even harder."
   --This is the first time in franchise history that the Kings have ever held a 3-0 lead in a playoff series.
   --The last time the Kings won a playoff game 1-0 was April 25, 2002, against Colorado, in overtime.
   --The Kings' penalty-killing continued to be stellar. They killed all four Vancouver power plays and are 14-for-14 on the penalty kill in the series. "We need to continue to get better and better on special teams because they're really key in the playoffs," defenseman Drew Doughty said.
   QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's a race to four. It doesn't matter how you get there." -- Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell, on the first-round series.

ROSTER REPORT
   PLAYER NOTES:
   --LW Brad Richardson might be on track for a return to the lineup in Game 4 on Wednesday. Richardson underwent an appendectomy on April 9 and has missed the last three games, but he was able to skate Sunday morning for a second consecutive day. Richardson is scheduled to be evaluated again by a doctor on Monday and could be able to play Wednesday if all goes well.
   --G Jonathan Quick made 41 saves for his first shutout of the series and his second career playoff shutout. It was the seventh shutout in Kings playoff history.
   --LW Dustin Brown scored the game's only goal. Through three games of the series, Brown has four goals and has scored at least one goal in each game. "He doesn't get credit for how well he plays defensively," C Mike Richards said. "How he reads the play is something that I think is under-appreciated. You just look at the goals and the shots he made, the patience he has with the puck and how well he reads the plays." Still, though, it's Brown's defensive game that his teammates admire, too, a fair point given that Brown has scored two shorthanded goals in the series.
   --LW Scott Parse made something of a surprise appearance Sunday morning when he took the ice along with LW Brad Richardson for some conditioning skating. Parse underwent major hip surgery in November and hasn't played since, and he has been through stop-and-start sessions of conditioning skating over the last couple of months. Parse, though, is not expected to return at any point this season.