Quotes from Colorado locker room after 2-1 win vs LA

The Colorado Avalanche trailed the LA Kings in shots 12-5 after the first period. The game was scoreless. 
LA was up 1-0 after 40 minutes and led in shots 21-12.

Then, with less than six minutes remaining in the game, Ryan O'Reilly scored to tie it. Nothing happened in overtime. And the Avs' Milan Hejduk - a Kings killer his whole career - scored the only goal in the shootout.

After Colorado's 2-1 win, here's what they were saying in the visiting team's dressing room...

Coach Joe Sacco on the overall game - "We have some confidence if we do good in shootouts. We have some guys who really know what to do with the puck and when you feel good about yourself and those situations you can build that confidence. It’s a big win tonight. Obviously it’s another conference win against a team that we’re fighting with in points. It’s a good game. Our goaltender was solid all night long. Varly (Varlamov) played really well, gave us a good chance to win tonight. After that first goal that they got we started to get our legs and started playing more. Good result tonight for our team."

Wayne 'TheTrain' Simmonds - attracting more interest everyday

Just a few weeks ago it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Wayne Simmonds would be changing his number soon. All signs pointed to the Kings signing some Russian winger who scores a lot of goals. That didn't happen. He, sorta, went to the Devils.

Meanwhile, Simmonds, who just completed his second season in Los Angeles, found himself on the cover of The Hockey News this week.

The magazine's article was supplemented online with a video conversation held with Simmonds and the Avs' Chris Stewart, who apparently share a home together in the off-season. A secondary article on the site focuses on their agent, Eustace King, the first and only African-American agent representing NHL players.

In the past, Wayne the Train has been linked to Willie O'Ree - the first player to cross the NHL's color barrier back in 1958. He even read from O'Ree's autobiography for some children visiting the NHL store in New York last year.  Here though, the focus was on two stars of the future, rather than the past.  Stewart and Simmonds are a few of the current poster boys for minorities in hockey...or as the NHL calls it, Hockey is for Everyone.

Regarding the taunts O'Ree had to endure growing up and if he had experienced similar things as a youngster, Simmonds told Helene Elliot of the LA Times "You rarely hear it anymore. But when you're younger you have the ignorant kid that says something because he's not educated or his parents don't teach him, I guess. But now you don't hear anything, and that's good."

Wayne's story isn't just about the color of his skin, it's more about being a hockey player.  This sport is expensive and many parents can't afford to buy the gear necessary for their children to participate - regardless of being black, white or brown.  The Simmonds family found a way to overcome those obstacles and Wayne has repaid them with an ever-growing passion for the game.

His play on the ice continues to improve as well.  Simmonds followed up a strong rookie year by tying for the team lead in goals during the preseason last September - just barely losing out to Anze Kopitar for the first Eddie Joyal Award.