Los Angeles Kings coach D.J. Smith was showered with broken glass in their playoff match against Colorado Avalanche, after a fan smashed through.<\/p>\n
Colorado took a commanding 2-0 series lead in Denver, with the Kings getting a chance to bounce back this week with two home ties to try and keep the series alive.<\/p>\n
The two match deficit isn’t the only grievance Smith will have from the clash, after a fan in the front row shattered the glass plane after a Scott Wedgewood penalty-shot save in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
The incident caused a 19-minute delay to proceedings, with the entire Kings bench returning to the dressing room as a new glass panel was fitted by stadium workers.<\/p>\n
Speaking after the match, Smith recalled the scary moment he was left covered in broken glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the penalty shot, whoever the guy was just kept pushing and pushing and pushing,\u201d said Smith, who was uninjured.<\/p>\n
\u201cI looked back because it hit me a bunch of times, and then it broke.”<\/p>\n
Opposition coach Jared Bednar also commented after the match but placed the incident down to the passion that comes with NHL playoffs.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually (it breaks) on the ice, and it can take a while, that\u2019s a different one, but stuff happens, fans get excited,” he added.<\/p>\n
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog also addressed the stoppage and echoed his coach’s thoughts that these things are part and parcel of elite level ice-hockey.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think really anybody was frustrated at that point,\u201d he told reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think maybe the only thing was that there\u2019s so many bodies skating around the ice, so it did wear the ice out a little bit for the rest of (the period)<\/p>\n
“It doesn\u2019t happen every day, so you just deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n