Said Green: "Our team is looking to get better. We're looking to improve from last year. For me, that doesn't just start once the regular season starts. It started the first day of training camp."
The time difference led to one interesting quirk for Vancouver. While going through its morning skate here, the Canucks who stayed back in Canada were playing at the Calgary Flames.
Green was asked if he was multitasking and keeping track of the score. (The Canucks won 5-3.)
"We're not watching the game, obviously, but I've been texting back and forth with (Canucks director of player development) Ryan Johnson," Green said. "Just getting a feel for certain players, how they are playing and how the game is going."
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Stevens and Green sounded a similar note about the China trip. It might be Shanghai and not, say, St. Louis, but the sport remains the same.
"When you play hockey, once you get inside the arena, it's just hockey," Green said. "I am curious as to what the fans are like and what team they're cheering for.
"We're making decisions on players and we're here to evaluate our hockey players and we're here to win a hockey game. That doesn't change any time you step into an arena."
The Kings and Canucks will play the second game of the 2017 China Games at Wukesong Arena in Beijing on Saturday (3:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV).
