And especially with the group of players the Kings had.
“Shaking the other teams hand is a pretty terrible feeling,” said Tyler Toffoli. “It was just disappointment knowing what our team was, what we had, the group.”
A long summer is ahead for the Kings, who were eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in five games in the Western Conference Quarterfinal. Now, a team other than the Kings or the Chicago Blackhawks will raise the Stanley Cup for the first time in five years. It’s a harsh reminder of just how hard a championship run is, notably for a team that was able to achieve such a feat twice in three years.