CHICAGO -- At the time, it seemed like nothing but public pouting by a sore loser.
TV cameras captured Kings defenseman Drew Doughty slamming his stick in anger as he returned to the bench after a shift during the second period Wednesday, and he had reason to be unhappy. The Chicago Blackhawks were blowing through the Kings' defense with the greatest of ease, generating outnumbered rushes and getting dangerous scoring chances on goaltender Jonathan Quick.
The Blackhawks, who had won the first game of the Western Conference finals, were threatening to take control of the second game and maintain a perfect postseason record at the United Center. Doughty simply couldn't hold back his emotions anymore.
"We were giving up too many odd-man rushes and we were leaving Quickie out to dry, and it was kind of frustrating because we can't play a rush game with that team," he said. "If we want to play back and forth, rush after rush, we're going to lose games
"Maybe sometimes I shouldn't snap like that, but it's just me."
Doughty channeled his emotions wisely and kept his head. So did his resilient teammates. And because they did, because they got leadership from Doughty and valuable contributions on offense from their defensemen, the Kings scored six straight goals in a stunning rally that gave them a 6-2 victory that tied the series at one game each.
"Even though I get upset sometimes, people think it goes in the other direction. But it just pumps me up inside," said Doughty, who showed that when he took a long shot that was deflected by Jeff Carter to bring the Kings even at 2-2 during a power play early in the third period.
"I get myself going and I realize that in order for us to win games and this series I need to be one of the best players on the ice and I need to lead this team, and that's what I look to do every night," Doughty added. "If I don't do it, I'm frustrated with myself."
Teammate Jarret Stoll said Doughty alone wasn't to blame for the Kings' 2-0 deficit, but he understood Doughty's display on the bench.
"I think he was a little bit rattled that so many odd-man rushes were against us, and that's fair," Stoll said. "That's on us, the forwards, and our whole group, to make sure we're on the right side of the puck and the right side of the man. Again, we gave up too many odd-man rushes, but we got fortunate."
They got mad and got their offense rolling. Taking a page out of the Blackhawks' postseason game plan, the Kings' defensemen did much to spark the outburst on offense.
Five of the Kings' six defensemen recorded points Wednesday, including the goal by Jake Muzzin that put them ahead, 3-2, at 4:04 of the third period. The defensemen were active, got shots on net and made a huge difference in turning the game in the Kings' favor after it had nearly become a runaway for the Blackhawks.
The Kings had made a series of bad decisions during the first period about when to take chances on offense and were burned by the Blackhawks' speed, but their judgment became better as the game wore on, and they became more effective at deciding when to take risks.
"I think we kind of needed to because we were down 2-0 at one point and then 2-1," Doughty said. "At the same time, us jumping into the rush got us in trouble a few times, and they had some odd-man rushes and a few breakaways, which we can't be giving up. We want to jump in as much as we can, but we have to be smart and not allow those things going back the other way."
Defenseman Alec Martinez said getting shots past Chicago's dense, shot-blocking defense and to goalie Corey Crawford was a point of emphasis for the Kings' defense corps. One example, he said, was Muzzin's shot from the left circle on the go-ahead goal.
"Muzz had a great shot there, and I know it's a power play, but you've got to get it through, especially with a hockey club like that across the way," Martinez said. "They've got one heck of a goaltender in Crawford. So you've got to throw as many as you can at him."
Getting the defense involved in the offense, Martinez said, is an effective strategy for the Kings because of the defensemen's mobility.
"All the good teams, the successful teams, get their D up in the play," he said.
Doughty saw room for improvement when the series moves to Staples Center for Game 3 on Saturday, but he's not angry anymore. "I think we could have played a better game," he said, "but we won, so I'm happy."
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