You can't question the effort. There's a fine line here between winning and losing. Those 1-0, 2-1 games are going to happen. |
You don't think about it. It just seems like it happens overnight. All of a sudden you're 34 or 35 and you're kind of thrust into that situation. It's amazing how fast careers can go and how fast time can go. And you're faced with a different situation, but you still feel like you're 21 or 22 at times. |
You have to make people pay for taking penalties. It changes the game and the way people defend you if they know that your power play is good. |
You hope that one of these guys comes through and demands some ice time. At 20, 21, they probably weren't ready, but now at 23 or 24, they're more confident and comfortable. |
You just want to get this thing over with, get Monday and Tuesday over with, just start focusing and bear down. It's tough to go through these games because they don't have any bearing. |
You'd like to get paired off with a good crossover team, but they're all solid anyway, so you've got your work cut out for you. |
You'd think USA Hockey would be a well-oiled machine. But it's not. |