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What we learned from the Kings’ 4-2 victory over Coyotes

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick makes a save on a shot by Arizona Coyotes right wing David Moss during the Kings' 4-2 win at Staples Center on Saturday.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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What we’ve learned from the Kings’ 4-2 victory over Arizona.

Happy anniversary, Darryl Sutter. Saturday was the third anniversary of Sutter’s official hiring as the Kings coach. The Kings celebrated by beating the Coyotes 4-2 in an afternoon game at Staples Center, and there were several takeaways from the win.

Rallying, again

It wasn’t as dramatic as the St. Louis game; then again, it didn’t need to be. On Thursday, the Kings rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-3 on their way to beating the Blues.

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Against the Coyotes, they merely had to erase a one-goal deficit. The Kings trailed 2-1 early in the second period and scored three unanswered goals to emerge with their 13th victory at Staples Center this season.

The back-to-back wins and comebacks were encouraging for them in the aftermath of the third-period collapse in St. Louis on Tuesday and leaving a point on the table, losing a third-period lead in Toronto on the way to a shootout loss.

Marian Gaborik’s continued influence

December, by far, has been Marian Gaborik’s most consistent stretch with the Kings this season. He has played in seven games since returning from his latest upper-body issue, scoring six goals and adding two assists.

The rest of his campaign has been star-crossed. He played the first three games … injured. Gaborik came back in early November for 12 more games … injured, again.

It took him three games to get going when he returned from the November injury and the same thing happened this time, no points in the first three games of the recent road trip, at Buffalo, Ottawa and Montreal. Then six goals in the next four games.

The Kings are 4-2-2 in games when Gaborik scores. He took a hard hit near the end of Saturday’s game, looked a bit dazed but returned for his next shift.

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Darryl Sutter’s tenure by the numbers

Sutter said he didn’t know that Saturday was the third anniversary of his hiring by the Kings.

There was his whimsical sign off -- a double peace sign – at his first official news conference as Kings coach and these words to the media: “Look forward to working with you.”

In 213 regular-season games with the Kings, Sutter has recorded 115 victories, and that includes the lockout-shortened season in 2013.

They’ve lost one playoff series (to Chicago) in Sutter’s tenure, a total of 41 playoff wins and two Stanley Cups.

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