D.j. Smith Is Leading A Playoff Series, But It's Bittersweet Because Of Who He Replaced

As a kid increasing up successful Windsor, Ontario, conscionable crossed nan stream from Detroit, D.J. Smith would look guardant to nan Stanley Cup playoffs nan measurement different kids looked guardant to Christmas.

“It’s typical arsenic a kid increasing up, conscionable watching that first crippled of nan NHL playoffs,” he said. “As a Red Wings fan, maine and my relative [would] get it connected Channel 50 backmost home, watch [Steve] Yzerman and nan boys and it was exciting.”

Now Smith is coaching successful those aforesaid playoffs aft guiding nan Kings connected a huffy dash to a wild-card berth. And while nan games haven’t mislaid that typical emotion they had erstwhile he was a kid, now they’re each business.

“To beryllium up present is special,” he said. “But you’ve sewage to move nan page connected that. I’ve sewage a occupation to do.”

He did that occupation good successful Game 1 of nan Kings’ opening-round bid pinch nan Colorado Avalanche, pushing nan NHL’s champion squad to nan last horn in a 2-1 loss. The Kings person a chance to moreover nan bid Tuesday earlier returning to Crypto.com Arena for Game 3 connected Thursday and Game 4 connected Sunday.

Sunday’s crippled wasn’t nan first clip Smith stood down nan chair successful a Stanley Cup playoff game. As an assistant, he coached nan Maple Leafs successful nan postseason 3 times and he was besides an adjunct connected Jim Hiller’s unit past outpouring erstwhile nan Kings reached nan playoffs.

None of those teams made it past nan first round, but Smith said he learned a batch from nan experience.

“You’ve sewage to slow it down successful your mind. Things hap quick,” he said. “Big moments hap quick. Decisions person to beryllium made quick. But they person to beryllium made calmly. And nan players request to cognize you’re nether power astatine each times.

“We cognize nan task astatine hand. We person [a] crippled scheme and past I’ve sewage to proceed to make tweaks to it to springiness america nan champion chance to win.”

The crippled scheme worked good capable successful Game 1, wherever a mishandled puck led to Logan O’Connor’s breakaway extremity early successful nan 3rd period, a people that proved to beryllium nan difference. The Kings held nan highest-scoring squad successful nan NHL to conscionable 2 goals, held nan highest-scoring statement successful nan convention to conscionable 1 constituent and won nan conflict of nan typical teams.

“We autumn short. But there’s a batch of bully things,” Smith said aft Sunday’s loss.

He hadn’t moreover near nan Ball Arena earlier opening activity connected nan tweaks for Game 2.

“I deliberation we could beryllium connected nan nett more. We’ve sewage to beryllium much physical. We’ve sewage to deed their [defense] more. And I expect that successful nan adjacent game.”

There could besides beryllium a roster alteration if Smith decides to person Andrei Kuzmenko, a bully puck handler and offensive-zone presence, dress for nan first clip since undergoing room to repair a torn meniscus successful precocious April.

“In bid to hit this team, we’re going to person to beryllium amended than good,” Smith said Monday. “We request much area time. We person to clasp connected to pucks. We tin forecheck harder. We person to do a amended occupation of creating.”

If being a caput coach successful nan Stanley Cup playoffs is simply a dream travel existent for Smith, a lucky lifer, it whitethorn beryllium a bittersweet one. He sewage nan opportunity only aft Hiller, a friend and workfellow successful Toronto, was fired pinch 23 games near successful nan regular play but he made nan astir of it, guiding nan Kings to points successful 17 of their last 23 games to climb complete 2 teams and successful nan postseason.

Smith, 48, was a caput coach for parts of 5 seasons successful Ottawa, wherever he posted conscionable 1 winning grounds and ne'er made nan playoffs. However that erstwhile caput coaching acquisition was 1 logic he was brought to Los Angeles arsenic as nan Kings’ apical adjunct successful 2024 since it made him an perfect fallback campaigner should Hiller falter.

When Hiller did, wide head Ken Holland promoted his understudy.

“I made nan determination because I consciousness for illustration our squad hasn’t played accordant enough. We’ve underperformed,” Holland, who hoped nan move would jolt nan team, said astatine nan clip of nan change.

And it worked. Under Smith, nan Kings person played pinch added aggression and urgency and person go acold much physical.

“Once Smithy came in, he conscionable changed nan power a small spot and we’re trying to beryllium a small much fierce versus sitting back,” skipper Anze Kopitar said.

They’ve besides bonded.

“We’ve really travel together arsenic a group,” guardant Quinton Byfield said.

Now nan situation becomes doing thing nary Kings coach has done successful much than a decade: getting nan squad past nan first information of nan postseason. If Smith tin do that he mightiness suffer nan interim tag successful his title, which would make these Stanley Cup playoffs really special.